I’ve started seeing more parallels between Myst and the conflict between Jacob and Man In Black. We keep debating which one of them is the good guy and which one is the bad guy. What if it’s not that simple? What if they are like the two brothers in Myst and they are both bad? They are trapped on the Island and bound by a set of rules. Just like in Myst.

I’m sticking with my belief that Jughead never exploded. Someone moved the island while Juliet was hitting the bomb. The white flash was the island moving, perhaps in both time and space, and not an atomic explosion.

I really enjoyed seeing Locke’s life in the no-crash timeline. I’m starting to care about this version of the truth.

Favorite moments this week:

- Ben saying words over Locke’s grave.

- Man In Locke throwing the white rock in the ocean. “It’s an inside joke.”

- The names on the roof of the cave. I can’t wait to see screen caps to see the other names.

As usual, Jeff Jensen does the best analysis of the week at EW.com.

Jeff Jensen nails it again in his weekly EW column.

A very thorough list of observations and questions.

This guy actually connects Jack and the Biblical Naomi. Fascinating stuff.

A few random thoughts and links:

Damon and Carlton were on Jimmy Kimmel after the premiere. It is well worth watching. Jimmy asked them to say whether a series of things in the episode were coincidence or significant. It’s pretty darn revealing and some of what is significant is surprising. They are on about halfway into the show. They also announce that May 23rd, which is a Sunday, will be the final episode.

http://abc.go.com/watch/jimmy-kimmel-live/93521/250056/jimmy-kimmel-live-22?cid=fullepisodeaccess

There is something more going on than just two timelines. It seems like much of the “stuff” that crashed on the island is not there on the if-we-didn’t-crash timeline. Jack’s dad, Locke’s knives, the second bottle of vodka the stewardess gave Jack and Kate used to sterilize his wound. This timeline is a close approximation of time without a crash. But something is wrong. It’s almost like someone copied a painting with some colors missing from their palette.

I’m not convinced the white flash was a nuclear bomb going off. A bomb would have blown up everything and everyone. Yet even Juliette, who was laying next to the bomb, was still alive. That’s not how bombs work. I think the Island moved in space and time before the bomb went off. Not sure why or who was behind it. But I think the bomb is a red herring.

Here are links to two columns by EW’s Jeff Jensen. This guy is amazing. His columns last year consistently challenged my thinking. He generally does an amazing recap column every morning after the show airs. Here are this week’s. (How in the world is this guy so well read?)

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/02/lost-premiere-damon-carlton/

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20313460_20341211,00.html?xid=email-whattowatch-lastnight-%27Lost%27+recap%3A+What%27s+your+worldview%3F

My former partner at Paste, Josh, has a good column on Lost As Religious Allegory. He’s no Jeff Jensen, but his personal theology is probably a little better.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/02/high-definition-lost-as-religious-allegory.html

I believe there is a moment in one of the Back To The Future movies where there are logically five DeLoreans. We seem to have ended up with three Lockes at the same time. Dead Locke, Smoke Monster Locke (Smock?) and Locke in a wheelchair.

Some people are saying Jacob is in Sayid the same way Smock is in Locke. I don’t think so. But I am willing to predict that by the end of the season, Jacob will be in Jack. I think the Island is a big backgammon game between white and black. Locke is black. Jack is the logical choice to become his new foil. You heard it here first…

The lines I can’t get out of my head, but don’t understand:

“They are coming.” Spoken by Jacob as he died. Who are they?

“It worked.” Miles says this is the important thing Juliette tried to say. Is he telling the truth? What, exactly, worked? The bomb? I don’t think so.

Really looking forward to next week. I think my head is getting in the right place.

—————-

We have a group that gathers every week to eat dinner and watch Lost together. Here are some random links to stuff we read or watched before the premiere. Some really thoughtful stuff on Lost and faith and some really funny stuff.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctmovies/2010/01/ct-at-the-lost-premiere-in-haw.html

http://www.newsweek.com/id/231794 http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s10/lost/tubetalk/a198286/qa-team-darlton-talk-lost-season-six.html

http://entertainment.comedy.com/2010/01/20/italian-family-lost-recap/

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/01/lost-the-final-session—-live-blog-from-press-tour.html

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/final_season_of_lost_promises_to

This so called Wall Street expert says Jobs needs to put either Blackberry or Windows Mobile on the iPhone if he wants it to succeed in the business world. Quick, somebody buy this guy a clue…

Several friends have offered to help me figure the problem out and I will be reaching out to them soon.

Technology stinks…

Three seasons of Lost trained me to get excited on Wednesday. They moved it to Thursday this year and have picked up the pace on the plot, the new mysteries and the overall weirdness. About halfway through my first cup of coffee every Wednesday, I find myself getting excited about seeing the new episode. By the end of the cup, I remember that it is on Thursday now and I have to wait another day.

What’s the deal with the time shifting? Who’s in the coffin? Who are the rest of the Oceanic 6? Is Ben a good guy or a bad guy? How many times will Hurley say “dude” this week? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answer to none of these questions…

Currently playing in iTunes: Can’t See the Light by Mark Heard

http://www.yugop.com/ver3/stuff/03/fla.html