Emmy Nominations for Treme

Sounding the Award Knell for Treme and Steve Earle who was nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. The odds look good for Mr. Earle. The competition is underwhelming with various tunes from Family Guy, Monk, How I Met Your Mother, Rescue Me, and SNL.

The game is more closely contested in Treme's other nomination category: Outstanding Directing. Treme's premier episode, under the direction of Agnieszka Holland, was picked but is up against some formidable and quality dramatic rivals in Mad Men, Dexter, Breaking Bad. Oh, yes, Ms. Holland's work also goes up against the final episode of Lost.

It was a disappointment to see the women of Treme get passed over for Emmy nominations. I expected to see at least Khandi Alexander's name on that list. Kim Dickens and Melissa Leo (when she was allowed to do something other than Superlawyer heroics) also deserved to be nominated. Treme is certainly a women's world. But the Emmys are not of David Simon's so I suppose two nominations is a success.

Lost's Finale: Monday Mourning

How do you plan to do that?" — Smokey

"It’s a surprise." — Jack

Lost ended its six year run last night, and as I predicted last Tuesday, it ended with a whimper, not a bang. That was me, whimpering.

I have not been a huge fan of the Jack Shephard character. Over the last six years, I’ve found him whiny and at the same time inexplicably headstrong, but that didn’t keep me from crying like a baby during the final scenes of last night’s episode. A good thing that I didn’t attend any last Lost parties; I would have embarrassed myself. Not that I was invited, mind you.

Now that the tears have cleared, and the writers have skipped town, what do we have left? What was that?

The “End,” making little narrative sense, went for the emotional jugular. In a sleight of hand, distracting viewers from thematic and unanswered questions of “what was the island?” and “why were the castaways part of a larger plan?” the episode concentrated on the alternate or sideways stories, a recent plot device for this season.

Mysterious Scot Desmond Hume, set up since season two to be a big player in the island’s arc, proved to be surprisingly ineffectual on Finale Island, just a pawn between two competitors. In Sideways World, Desmond gathered all our castaways together in an enigmatic Messenger of Heaven function; he was the unexpected harbinger of the end for Doc Shephard and his not-so-motley crew of castaways.

Co-creator J.J. Abrams and writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have been swearing up and down for years that the island was not Purgatory, but what about the Sideways World? "Not Purgatory" may have been a lie of omission. Last night, the alternate reality proved to be not a reality at all but more an Occurrence at Eloise Hawking’s Church: an instant 'could-have-been' life that flashes before Jack’s eyes as he lays dying in the bamboo field.

“I think you’re a little confused as to what I came here to do.” — Smokey

The last Lost recap: the island survivors outmaneuver Smokey (who was obviously not healed as I projected last week). The electromagnetic fields of the island are momentarily disrupted by Desmond; in that time, Smokey is sufficiently weakened so he can be gunned down by Kate. Jack, in a temp position as Jacob, restores the island’s powers but not before he hands off his Jacobean title to Hurley, fulfilling a prophecy I made at “The Lighthouse” that Hurley would emerge as the true leader (don’t worry, this is the last of the "I told you so’s"): "You were a great No. 1," Ben Linus tells Hurley in one of the best lines of the night. With cameos by beloved Rose and Bernard and Vincent, and a re-emergence of Frank Lapidus to a cheer from the house despite his awful lines, the island story was basically an experiment by both sides, Good Jack and Bad Locke, as to what would happen when they lowered Desmond into the ‘golden log flume’ as TV critic Alan Sepinwall calls it.

Changing the rules late in the game, Volunteer Jack doesn’t stop Smokey in his effort to destroy the island. In fact, he helps him along, betting that the ebbing of the island’s power will be Smokey’s loss. Desmond doesn’t put up too much of fight, willingly allowing himself to be a pawn in this new contest. Desmond’s speech to Jack before being thrown down yet another waterway was bewildering: “you can put me down there and I’ll just leave. Why don’t you come too?” That reminds me of the Robert Frost poem “The Pasture,” but I better save that for my forthcoming “Royal Pains” review.

There were lots of character questions in both worlds; why was Desmond trying to talk Jack out of confronting Smokey: “This doesn’t matter, you know. Him destroying the island. You destroying him.” Desmond seemed to be tempting Jack into abandoning his island responsibility. Jack stands strong and tells Desmond that “what happened, happened” and "all of this matters." Which may be true on the island but...

Meanwhile, back at Purgatory Ranch, Desmond and Hurley are busy rounding up the castaways, reintroducing them to their past lives and loves, and herding them all to Eloise Hawking’s Church. It is an obvious important location, being the portal between Limbo and Heaven, and so it is a puzzlement that Eloise was uncooperative. What is her place in all this? Hawking was missing from the final scenes of the show. Being the high priestess of the Church of Every Denomination So We Don’t Offend Anyone, she would seem to be more important to the closure of the show other than just the concerned mother of Daniel (it’s about time, though) at the concert.

Lost ended as it has existed all along, obfuscation disguised as complex narrative, but it was a good ride while it lasted. Great acting and even better music carried contrivance and cheesy dialogue. In a “don’t pay attention to all those unanswered questions behind the curtain, Jack Shephard is dying over here” finale, Lost writers left many questions unanswered. I wasn't too hung up on finding all the resolutions, in fact, in "Across the Sea," there was more information than I wanted, but last night we found out "what happens" rather than "what happened." Was the mystery solved? Were the numbers simply table settings at the concert?

Ultimately, the show may have made more sense if I hadn’t been so choked up, but I suspect the tears were, in part, for a loss of community rather than a reaction to what may be happening on screen. For the last six years, through stories about Jack’s tattoos and Nicky and Paolo, Lost viewers, brought together by the Internet, DVR, and DVD, made a imaginative and enthusiastic community that television had never seen before. The tears in our eyes, in the eyes of Jimmy Kimmel’s post-Lost audience, were tears for the end of the Lost collective, for ourselves at a certain point of time, not for Dr. Shephard.

Article originally published on Blogcritics

What They Died For: Jack's Cup Runneth Over

“Come and sit down and I’ll tell you what they died for.”

Or maybe it can wait til Sunday.

Tuesday's "What They Died For" was the penultimate Lost episode. This is the penultimate Lost Cause. You should go get your friends. We are very close to the end.

To recap: The series of ignominious deaths continues. Richard ends up in the treetops: I guess Smokey doesn’t need him anymore. Charles Widmore challenges Ben: “You shoot me and your last chance for survival will be gone.” So of course, Ben shoots him - a stark contrast to Sideways Ben who continues to be the nicest guy in the world. Or “like the nicest guy in the word." Was that Ben’s last chance for survival?

Locke is urged by Dr. Ben Linus, indirectly by Desmond and his car, to "let go," echoing Jack’s urging two weeks ago, to let go.... and to go first. More on this in a bit.

Kate, James, Jack, and Hurley meet up with Jacob by the fire. Jacob promises to tell them everything and then does not. In a twitter-theory (tweory?) yesterday, Daily Show writer Daniel Radosh describes this as “a ponzi scheme paying off investments of questions with new investments of questions. Collapse imminent.” If the truth didn’t hurt so much, I would laugh and laugh.

Jack volunteers to take Jacob’s place. Everyone else is relieved.

For further explanation on how Jack’s cup runneth over, let’s turn to Collective Soul, the band, not the island.

I suspect, but I could be wrong, that the entire six years of Lost may be based upon Ed Roland's "December" song. Here are some lyrics taken out of context:

Why drink the water from my hand?
Contagious as you think I am
Just tilt my sun toward your domain
Your cup runneth over again.

or

Why follow me to higher ground?
Lost as you swear I am.
Don't throw away your basic needs,
Ambiance and vanity.

Here's further proof:

December...

Promises you gave unto me
Whispers of treachery
Clouds are now covering me
Songs no longer I sing.

This last refrain refers more to the Lost writers than it does to the show itself. Don't agree? Fine. Just turn your head now, baby, and spit me out.

Finally, Desmond arranges for Sideways Kate, Sayid, and Hurley to meet, releasing Kate and Sayid from prison (with a priceless cameo by Ana Lucia) upon a promise to do something for him in the near future. Perhaps to attend the concert? That's a weighty promise. Desmond struck a rather malevolent pose during "What They Died For." The whole scenario reminded of promises to the devil rather than to our beloved "brother."

All the talk about "letting go" in the Sideways World appears to be directed more at Locke as Smokey and his constant (word chosen carefully) crusade for vengeance: is that SchLocke in the Sideways World off the island?

I offer here one of my last Lost theories (tear in eye or is that the onions?). In a parallel to Jack fixing Locke in the Sideways world, Jack will also fix Smokey on the Island. By fix, I don't mean kill. Jack and Jacob were sufficiently evasive when directed to kill Smokey by Kate and company. I do believe that Jack will heal Smokey, fulfilling his doctor/savior inclinations of the past six years. The island is then destroyed in that it ends up under water but not destroyed as in its source of "life" dries up.

In the end, "The End" could be a whimper, not a bang. We may not see a big showdown complete with huge explosions (like a hydrogen bomb) but a lot of small instances of redemption and forgiveness - of letting go past transgressions. Ilana's forgiveness of Ben, one of the best scenes in the series, was a small foreshadowing. Sawyer forgives Jack. Jack forgives himself. Jacob and MiB forgive each other and their crazy foster mom. We all forgive Kate Austin. Group hug. Or everyone dies.

I have to run. It’s coq au vin night, but before I go, here are a few items up for discussion:

If you get a chance, re-watch the pilot episode and notice the backgammon game and John Locke’s overall demeanor. Relying on everything you know now, speculate on what Locke knows immediately upon post-crash. He certainly has an omniscient gaze. I’ve been playing with theories that he, John Locke, in the pilot, already was Smokey, or maybe, because Locke does come face to face with Smokey later, could he be Jacob? Remember Jacob's touch at Locke's apparent death after being thrown out the window. If that theory doesn't fit, could Locke be the island itself at that point? Thank you Caroline and Patrick for the initial idea, and check out this great pencil drawing and ponder.

Do you believe Widmore when he said Jacob visited him and showed him the “errors of his ways?”

Was Jacob reading “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor simply because of his own mommy issues? This is a disappointment.

Do the candidates really exercise free will when Jacob offers them the job? They have no idea what is truly asked of them. Nor do we. Without information, you cannot make a true decision.

There was a little tear in my eye during the Danielle/Ben dinner, and it was not the onions. It was more affecting than the Jin/Sun death scene. My favorite of the episode, maybe of the season.

Boy Jacob was a nasty piece of work.

Finally, I have a little (not so little) grudge list that I will carry into the series finale. It consists of people rather cavalierly tossed aside by Lost in a most smokey way: Charlie, Daniel, Danielle, Alex, Ilana, Lapidus, Libby, Richard, Richard, Richard: characters that we believed had more significance than their demises indicate. Do you have a grudge list? Share.

See you at the concert.

Article originally published on blogcritics.org

Across the Sea: Mother Always Loved You Best!

"Every question I answer will lead to another question."

In the last few episodes of Lost, maybe ever since "The Constant," it seemed as if romantic love would be salvation for Lost’s lost couples. Now, in “Across the Sea,” the series turns its attention to familial love. Good old-fashioned, dysfunctional, and oedipal familial relationships including the prerequisite matricide and fratricide. This version of Lost is beginning to look like a Greek tragedy, a tragedy with a quasi-mystical and cheesy golden wormhole and Jacob taking on a variant deus ex machina role, intervening in the Oceanic 815 passengers’ lives apparently for a game. Perhaps this all will require a true deus ex machina to solve Lost’s conflicts.

Allison Janney is a terrific actress as evidenced by The West Wing and Juno, but even she couldn’t keep "Across the Sea" afloat. No matter how much crochet she might pile on her head, her flat Ohio accent and the clunky dialogue made this episode an enigma — as in what were they thinking?

They may have been thinking of the Greek goddess Hecate, patroness of crossroads and gates, a helper in childbirth and in the raising of young men. In Roman times, the time of Claudia, mother of Jacob and Man in Black, the goddess Hecate was known as Trivia — as in Lost viewers wallow in trivia. Hecate the goddess morphed into Hecate the witch, and that is certainly what Janney’s character suggests. With only a few episodes left, ladies and gentlemen, Lost brings you a witch. You weren't expecting that, were you?

"Across the Sea" is the back story of Jacob and the Man in Black, an episode that only fleetingly contained the survivors of 815. Some answers were offered up such as where the donkey wheel came from, who Adam and Eve were, and the exact relationship of Jacob and the Man in Black (who continues to be nameless as does his foster mother), but in the category of “every question I answer will lead to another question,” more questions are then unearthed. This is Lost’s m.o. (Latin), but were these answers enough to atone for the grievous sin of “Across the Sea” e.g. (more Latin!) this six year season is all due to a brothers' quarrel? Lost’s “Mother Loved You Best!” episode gives sibling rivalries all over history a bad name.

To recap: some Romans were shipwrecked off the island. Claudia, pregnant with Romulus and Remus... I mean Jacob and his twin which no one bothered to name because they were so busy killing and dying: “I only picked one name.” The other Romans from the ship settled down with their murderous ways on the other part of the island. Fun with boar hunting ensued. Crazy Foster Mom, the forebear of many a crazy mom that would populate the island, attacks MiB. MiB kills Crazy Mom (I guess she wasn’t immortal after all). Jacob causes the death of MiB. Jacob is then sorry, hence his vast patience with MiB and his eternal murderous threats.

The brushstrokes on this canvas couldn’t be broader. In hit-over-the-head metaphors, the babies are dressed in black and white. The boys are dressed in black and white. They play with black and white stones. They appear to journey down dark and light paths. This simplistic imagery may be inverted in the remaining episodes, Man in Black certainly did not start out as a sinner regardless of his preference for dark clothing, but it remains to be seen what will come of this symbolism. What we do know is that Jacob makes up his own game as Boy in Black (BiB) predicts, and everyone else, including the Ocean 815 survivors, will follow his rules.

The episode only truly worked in scenes between the adult Jacob and MiB, but that could just be Titus Welliver (left) and Mark Pellegrino’s outstanding acting mixed with a bit of William Blake. In one nice twist, after running away to join the original Others 30 years prior, MiB admits that his mother was right, the island people are bad, but he sees them as a “means to an end” — much like how he sees the Oceanic 815ers later. Jacob, initially reluctant to join him at the Others' camp, now defends people to MiB as “not all that bad.” “Easy for you to say,” challenges MiB, “looking down on us from above.”

This exchange reminded me of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, but maybe only I could be thinking that. Hear me out. Jacob is the innocent — “I don’t want to leave the island,” “I love Mother,” etc. MiB is the song of experience. Read "Tyger Tyger" lately? Just substitute Smoke Monster for the tiger. Blake’s poems on innocence are often ironic: it is not enough to be good. MiB understood this better. You must also have an understanding of evil, an understanding of the world. To be experienced contains wisdom and thereby the more desirable of the two states of being; both characters are on a journey toward this state. If you were so inclined to follow this parallelism further, the mythical nature of the queasily golden cave is innocence while the electro-magnetic fields of the island would be scientific experience.

It appears that by evoking William Blake, I have talked myself into liking an episode that I initially hated. One of Lost's true talents is soliciting a viewer response out of proportion to what is actually offered. What do you think? Does the emperor have clothes?

Here are some points up for discussion. Until "What They Died For,” keep an eye on the camp for me:

Was Foster Mom undoubtedly responsible for this initial purge? Was Jacob involved? Ben?

Foster Mom arranged that the boys can’t harm each other, but Jacob certainly found a loophole, sending BiB down the golden spring. We now know why we see boy Jacob with blood on his hands, having been responsible for his brother’s corporeal death.

Jacob doesn’t know how to lie. In fact, in much of "Across the Sea," Jacob doesn’t seem to know how to do much at all except weave. He appears a bit slow.

Cute, cute babies, but why must Lost do such unintentionally funny childbirth scenes?

Happy belated Mother’s Day from Lost: we thought the show had a father fixation. Now we know that it’s all Mom’s fault.

Why does Claudia ask “to see him” not “see them,” or am I hearing that wrong?

The scene between BiB and his dead mother implies that Jacob can’t see dead people. Can BiB because he will die?

The mere existence of the twins’ foster mother is problematic: where did she come from. Who is her mother? Oh, see. Every question I pose does lead to another. I’ll stop.

This article was originally published on Blogcritics.

The Candidate: It's All for Your Own Good

Jin: "I don't understand."

Oh sure. I step away from the television for just a few seconds to attend to a pressing matter, and everyone dies on my favorite show.

Well maybe not everyone. That's a gross exaggeration. But gross exaggerations and sweeping generalizations are how I make a living so there it is.

There are only two more episodes of Lost before the series finale. "The Candidate," losing three major characters within 45 minutes, seemed to throw the show's trajectory off the happy-ever-after ending: an intersection of the Oceanic 815 survivors with their island experiences to their apparent happier-ever-after post-flight lives. Despite finding out why Locke is in a wheelchair in the Sideways World and the Sideways characters getting additional glimpses into their "weird" connections, more questions are still being raised than answered, frustratingly so close to the end. Confusion reigns, accompanied by a lot of Hammond organ.

In a quick, no doubt, insufficient recap: John Locke and Jack Shephard continue their parallel dancing with the fates. Doc saves John Locke in the Sideways World, and John Locke as the Smoke Monster saves Doc from the "I know what's good for you" ministrations of Charles Widmore.

In the Sideways World, Jack snoops around, determined to determine why John Locke refuses to be his candidate for surgery. All questioned are very guarded: Bernard (in a welcome appearance): "Can I ask why you want to see his files?" Helen: "What do you want with Anthony?" John Locke: "Why?!" Everyone is suspicious of Jack's Nancy Drew ways.

On the island, Sawyer loses his talent for lies and deception: "That's twice you saved our asses. I guess I was wrong about you."

"The Candidate" was all about action on the island and continued tacky, ironic dialogue from Lapidus - but that's no reason to kill him. There's a break out of the polar bear cages, broken necks, and the hijacking of the submarine. Added action: SchLocke, who can't be stopped by bullets but apparently can be pushed into the water, and Jack, seemingly so clueless at the submarine bomb site, was bewilderingly confident: don't worry about that ticking bomb; we are all going to be okay.

I'm being facile with Jack's dilemma, but then again, his argument for not touching the bomb is in typical Lost fashion: vague, vague, misdirectingly vague. Even the other characters noticed it. I'm assuming that the bomb would not have gone off without Sawyer interfering with it, but that theory may not hold water.

The death count was high but surprisingly underwhelming. After watching so many people reappear after their tragic demises, it is hard to take anyone's departure to heart. Sayid was a doomed man from the beginning of the season. Lapidus, I was particularly sad to see go because with him goes my theory of his unique importance. And then there's Jin and Sun. Of course this was sad, but I can't see why Jin wouldn't save himself for the sake of his daughter. Is it better that she is an orphan?

Certain themes reappear: a watery death a la Charlie, nobody believes Island Jack, and "Catch a Rising Star." Claire's music box invokes Jacob's reading "Everything that Rises Must Converge" outside John Locke's initial accident. Flannery O'Connor's short story gives me hope that there will be some resolution after this six year journey, not necessarily a joyous ending but an ending, but right now, I'm as mystified as Jin was. And see what happened to him?

I have to cut this short for today (I hear your sighs of relief!) because I have to go finish what I started. Next week: Across the Sea. Perhaps we'll find out what it means for Jack to be 'The One' as Sayid said, and we might find out what John Locke's self-berating over the (separate) plane crash might mean. All indications point now to Claire cutting her hair and being the hero. All answers may lie in the Aero Bar.

Originally published on Blogcritics

The Last Recruit: Lies and Misdemeanors

Previously on Lost: confusion, speculation, expectation, dismay, misdirection. Would "The Last Recruit" be any different?

John Locke: "I think we have some catching up to do."

All right. Let's catch up. But in an episode that featured further jostling for position and Jack taking a leap of faith into the ocean, let's first have some awkward exposition:

"What do you really want to ask me?"

"Are you following us, Claire? Why?"

"I think you went to Australia, and you didn't want anyone to know you were there."

"Looks like you two have a lot of catching up to do."

"It looks like someone got their voice back."

All caught up now?

Oh, Lost. Isn't it a bit late in our relationship to be doing this? We've been together six years in a commitment based upon trust, and now all I get are Lies, Lies, Lies. To salvage this love affair, I think it's time to consult a relationship counselor. Jack? What do you think? "Well, I haven't made up my mind."

Lie #1: The well wasn't as deep as Lost led us to believe.

That's really a lie of omission. So let's go on to:

Lie #2 (Smokey): "Yes, that was me posing as your dead father. Why? You needed to find water?"

Question mark? Speaking like a true valley girl, SchLocke is telling Jack what Jack perhaps wants to hear, but the new and improved Jack is suitably distrustful.

Never having been a Jack fan, I'm loving his zen countenance these days. He, of all the candidates, is the only character to have reached some type of enlightenment on both sides of the dial - the Island World: "We're all different now," and the To Be or Not To Be World: "hearing your grandfather's will being read isn't the most fun." To paraphrase Hurley, it's all Jack, dude. He is obviously not the sucker that the real John Locke was. Smokey engages in many deceptions, but he's telling the truth when he states that Jack had been trapped on the island even before he got there. This is a hint of larger themes to come.

Lie #3 (Ben Linus): "You're still going to marry her because you're gonna be okay, Mr. Locke."

I'm sorry Locke fans; it doesn't make me happy to say this. I think Locke's doomed. Whether Desmond is going to eventually succeed in his botched assassination attempt, or there will be a great self-sacrifice on the real John Locke's part in the final episodes (four and counting), his days are numbered. Maybe he will end up swinging from that awful rope once more. And I hope I'm wrong.

Lie #4 (Kate): "I already told you I'm not a murderer."

I'd like to remind you, Miss Katherine Anne Austin, you blew up Wayne and his world. That makes you a murderer.

Lie #5 (Desmond): "I'm going to the 15th floor as well."

He may be the agent of good, but Desmond is very frightening the way he was creeping after Claire. What is it about Claire's sideways storyline this season - when all logic demands she should refuse to get into the car with carjacker Kate in "What Kate Does?" Claire hops in for a ride. When she should run screaming from the eerie Scot following her around town, she gets into the elevator with him. I guess her abandonment issues are getting in the way of good sense.

Lie #6 (Sawyer): Kate: "What was that all about?" Sawyer: "Guy talk."

Sorry, Sawyer. That's not guy talk. I've heard guy talk, and there's very little planning about smoke monsters and sailboats involved. The apple Sawyer offers Kate at police headquarters is very reminiscent of Eve offering Adam an apple, gender roles nicely reversed. Kate refuses the apple (knowledge?), refusing Sawyer. Love triangle finally put to rest? Am I looking too deeply into this? Probably, and besides Sawyer didn't know who Anakin is, and how can that possibly be? I'm taking back the apple of knowledge.

Lie #7 (Sayid): "Everything will be okay for you now."

I'm hanging on to Hurley's hint that Sayid can be redeemed like Anakin was in Star Wars, but then again, we all remember what happened to Anakin. Right, Sawyer? Sayid was very much the lying liar in this episode, but as long as he is lying to Smokey, it's okay. Best use of garden hose in the whole series in this scene.

Lie #8 (Hurley): "Claire, you look great." Self-explanatory.

And the worse lie?

"And that pilot who looks like he stepped out of a Burt Reynolds movie."

Sorry again, Sawyer. Lapidus would have to have a mustache for that honor. I would like to argue that Lapidus looks like he stepped out of Dean Martin movie.

Last night, for a brief shining moment, the two camps merged on the island, in the hospital, and, in breathtaking action, the attorney's office. Hello, Alana! How I missed you. The characters, brought together by "do you believe in fate" and by Desmond, are becoming aware of each other in a context outside the immediate event.

The argument between Jack and Sawyer about their roles on the island, the "get off my damned boat" moment, not only echoed many previous conversations on whether or not to leave the island but foreshadowed past (and future?) conversations between Jacob and the Man-in-Black ("do you have any idea how much I want to kill you?" and between issues of pre-determinism vs. free will.

A few minor discussion points:

Who the heck was that eating with Sayid at the camp? A time traveler from Dances With Wolves?

Who drew SchLocke's map — Aaron?

It's your turn to speculate, that's why we called you. We're a bit over our heads here. And remember, kind reader: "All I've ever been interested in is helping you." Believe me. Til next time and "The Candidate," starring Robert Redford, keep an eye on the camp for me.

Everybody Loves Hugo: Just Ask Ilana

"How do you break the ice with a smoke monster?"

I'd like to write an insightful, amusing, not-so-long-as-last-time article on yesterday's episode of Lost, but I fear I may not. You see, I'm suffering from Post-Rousseau Stress Disorder, hereby known as PRSD. Here I was, happily coasting through an exciting television year of Lost, enjoying the ending of a great television series, when suddenly, ten minutes into "Everybody Loves Hugo"… BAM… Ilana explodes. And now I will have flashbacks of Rousseau for the rest of the season.

It may be my PRSD that makes me see it this way, but once again, the writers of Lost have taken a fully functioning, independent woman character and blown her up. Perhaps it is because the writers don't know what else to do with her, but I'll let Ben Linus explain further: "The Island was done with her. Makes me wonder what will happen when it's done with us." Me too. Makes me wonder too.

I'll get to the recap soon, bear one more moment of this whining. I've never gotten over Rousseau's death (obviously) because of the manner in which it was done (how many "h"s in haphazard?) and because of its seemingly little impact in the larger arc of Lost's generously-sized narrative. Now in season six, we lose the only female authority figure unless you count the frighteningly hammy Eloise Widmore/Hawkins. Ilana, who has trained her whole life for this mission, throws water bottles on top of unstable dyn-o-mite and does herself in. With Ilana's demise, the rest of the women characters, who all season long have been wandering around either crazy (Claire) or clueless (Kate and Sun), will have to depend on the kindness of the men.

Ilana's apparent role on the island was to enable the redemption of Ben Linus, by more compassionate means than gunpoint. Without Ilana to be both Ben's salvation and his watchful guardian, Ben's story is sure to get more interesting. He's never been much of a follower after all.

But wait a minute, there may be hope for Ilana. Her death might not be in vain, as Richard insists it must not be. If you'll remember back to "The Incident, Part 1," Ilana is heavily bandaged with burns. Perhaps due to explosives? Later on in that same episode, she is miraculously healed. Sigh. Maybe I kid myself. I've been holding out for Rousseau's return a long time too.

The last word I have on the subject of Ilana's departure: "All the Single Ladies!" As a woman, unless you have a steady beau on Lost, you're doomed. Seems a lot like high school.

Enough of my ranting, this story is about Hugo, not Ilana after all, and you're here for an entertaining recap, right? The death of Ilana (oops) sets the tone for the whole episode: to expect the unexpected explosion. Subverting the title "Everybody Loves Hugo," last night's story endeavors to flesh out some of Hugo's previously one-sided, likable but slimly drawn, characteristics. Puns aside, everybody usually loves Hugo, everyone except his mother who is pretty damn tough on the poor dude. "Everybody Loves Hugo" introduced some of the - let's face it - unlikable aspects of his persona. The Hugo we saw last night was manipulative and a little light on the truth-telling.

The episode begins in the Sideways World with Dr. Chang giving Hugo an award for his philanthropy - a Man of the Year award that makes Hugo's mom, his date, roll her eyes loudly in her head. If there is any substance to the theory that the "candidates" on the island represent the seven deadly sins of Dante's Purgatorio, Hugo's gluttony in the Sideways World would support it. His "lifelong love affair with chicken" and his building Mr. Clucks in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids seem hardly admirable accomplishments. It was hard to watch all that chomping down on the Mr. Cluck.

On the island, we have the not-so-surprising appearance of Harold Perrineau as Michael amidst the whispering of trapped souls (again with the Dante.) What is Hugo doing listening to Michael's admonishments? Repeating the ironic theme of the title, Michael doesn't seem particularly fond of Hugo despite his stated intentions, and what would anyone would be doing taking advice from the historically hapless Michael. I would much rather consult with "Wallllltttttt."

Divide and conquer!

Hugo took on a different facade during the island story last night. In a stare down with Richard (which he is doomed to fail because who can withstand those eyelashes), Hugo says "I don't have to prove anything to you Richard. You either come with me or you can keep trying to blow stuff up" with an air of menace that is uncharacteristic to this beloved role. And it's Hugo who just blew something up. Richard can see he was lying. As a consequence, the small group is fractured. Miles and Ben go off with Richard. Hugo takes Jack, Sun, and Lapidus to Smokey which is exactly what Smokey hoped for: "What Smokey Wants, Smokey Gets." Anyone familiar with Damned Yankees will see where I'm going with that allusion.

Libby, Hugo's great love on the island until she was cruelly shot down on the eve of their first date by … Michael, seeks out Hugo at the Spanish Johnny's restaurant while on leave from the mental hospital where she is voluntarily admitted. The welcome appearance of Libby (Cynthia Watros) enables Hugo to bridge the two worlds much like Charlie did for Desmond, albeit in a kinder, gentler manner. In the Sideways World, Hugo is able to take Libby out on that long-promised date, and with their first kiss, the two worlds appear to merge, if only momentarily. With that connection, we now have at least five island characters who are aware of an alternate reality and that there must be some kind of amalgamation between the two worlds if anyone is going to live happily ever after: Desmond, Charlie, Hugo, Libby, and Daniel.

Speaking of "Happily Ever After" brings me to Desmond and the flight manifest that George Minkowski apparently was able to procure. Desmond, shadowing first Hugo and then John Locke in the Sideways World, seems to be shedding light on some murky situations, encouraging Hugo to take Libby's "we're soulmates" protestations seriously. Desmond is also making some light situations rather murky: running over John Locke in the school parking lot. That might be useful for the Island plot line but must have caused some real PTSD in the onlooking high school students. I look forward to seeing what Desmond has in store for us in the next, final, five episodes.

On the Island World, Desmond walks calmly to his own supposed death. It was a mood carried over from last week's "Happily Ever After," when Desmond cooperated with Sayid with the same beatific grin on his face that he greeted Papa Widmore with after being electro-magnetized or "having his brain fried" as Zoe the scientist describes it. His trip down the well... rabbit hole.... wormhole came as no surprise because I think it's quite clear by now that SchLocke is up to no good.

My time is up. A few thoughts before I go:

Nora's theory of the week and I love it: Viewers are being asked to make a choice, much like the characters are or will be, upon how to define this story. Will it be a story of great mythological import, full of good and evil archetypes? Or will it be a story based upon reason, upon science, with equations of quantum physics and fields of electro-magnetism? You decide.

Perhaps Ilana had a premonition of her messy end at the beginning of "The Incident" hence the tears and her turning away briefly.

There is a cyclical nature to some of the characters' injuries that denote a non-parallel nature to the two dimensions - Island World and Sideways World: Ilana's injuries, Mikhail's eye, John Locke in his wheelchair. I do hope this will be explained further!

What was in Ilana's bag that Hurley pocketed?

What did Hugo mean by "I'm protecting it" upon blowing up the Black Rock? Did he mean the plane or did he mean the island?

Despite what SchLocke says, I do think Charles Widmore is interested in answers. He obviously knew what was coming for Desmond and was preparing him for a trip down electro-magnetic lane.

See you next week for "The Last Recruit." In the meantime, keep an eye on the camp for me.

The Package: Jin Asynchronic

Sawyer: "I have a feeling that this is almost over."

I do too, James Ford. Actually, more than a feeling: "when I hear that old song they used to play." There are only six episodes of Lost left. And the old song they, the writers of Lost, used to play is the separation of Sun and Jin who have been trying to find each other, at least on Island Life, since season four. And after last night's episode, the song remains the same.

"The Package" doesn't offer any more enlightenment as to who may be wearing the white cowboy hat, how things may end up, and there are no "pointless, embarrassingly elementary references to literature and philosophy" (side note to New York Magazine, those were my favorite bits!). "The Package" is not a what, it's a who.

The episode was another character-centric one, with more action (rhino darts, long chases through the jungle) and no beach-side musings over a bottle of wine between Good and Evil, unfortunately. Jin has been recovering from an old college bear trap injury and is mostly a passive observer to Feral Claire and Undead Locke. Sun has been part of the Ajira detachment. She hasn't had much to do except for the occasional gloat: "Ilana says I'm a candidate." Ah, not so fast, little lady. Is Sun indeed one of Jacob's candidates — someone to replace him? We don't know any more about this upon conclusion of the episode, but we do get to see Sun playing hard to get with Smokey and not so hard to get with Jin (reference gratuitous camera shots of Yunjin Kim's breasts).

In Sun and Jin's lateral life - introduced briefly in the season opener - they were caught at customs coming into L.A., having been on board the 815 flight that landed successfully on the tarmac rather than the ocean. Jin is detained at Checkpoint Charlie for having a little too much undeclared cash, $25,000, in his suitcase: "If you want it back, you'll have to fill out the necessary paperwork."

Oh, the horror!

In Sayid's sideways story, "Sundown," we briefly saw Sun encased in duct tape in a walk-in freezer, waiting on a Keamy judgment. In "The Package" we find out just why Jin was in the freezer.

Sideways Sun and Jin are not married. They are Kwon and Paik on an excellent adventure - Jin is running errands for Mr. Paik, Capo de Korea, and Sun has designs of making the romantic trek into a real elopement. Things go wrong, like they usually do, when Keamy enters the story - doing some of Daddy Paik's dirty work. They go wrong for the characters, not the television viewer because who doesn't love watching Keamy?

Keamy, in whatever incarnation - on island, off island - is like the glamorous monster he invokes in his frustration over communication issues: "Stop that. I feel like I'm in a damned Godzilla movie." Actor Kevin Durand roams the countryside of Lost, chewing up scenery like that Japanese icon: "Martin, who did this to you?!" "Look behind you, you idiot."

It doesn't end well for Godzilla or Keamy. Or Omar. Or Mikhail for that matter. We've already seen this. There is a danger in repetition - it kills the suspense. There is, however, a small twist at the end of the shootout. While Keamy lies bleeding, Sun appears to be caught by a stray bullet, and as Jin picks her up to bring her to help, she tells him that she is pregnant - a pregnancy in the Sideways World in contrast to her pregnancy while on the island.

Like Sayid's sideways story, Sun and Jin's libretto seems darker, contrasting with Jack's and Sawyer's lives off-island which may be a bit brighter than previously conceived. This brings me to the debate: are these alternate story lines really an improvement? With Kate's life basically in neutral, in either incarnation she's on the lam, only Sawyer and Jack seem moderately better off in the new timeline. As we are discovering in the duality of Man in Black and Jacob, it's not just black and white (New York Magazine!)

Back to the island, there is more positioning and posturing. Smokey woos Sun. She is understandably alarmed about the deaths at the temple, but he assures her that the dead people were "confused, they were lied to, I didn't want to hurt them." I'm not sure why confusion and being lied to are grounds for capital punishment, but it seems that everyone on the Island of Misdirection can be defined in those terms. Sun, tempted by the Serpent's promise, doesn't play Eve. There's some unfortunate pushing and shoving on the playground, but it's not clear who did what to whom, so there'll be no detention, except we all know that Ben is probably lying about everything. Sun runs into a tree limb in her fright, injures herself and knocks the English right out of her brain. It's interesting that in her unconscious state, Smokey was not able to just pick her up and bring her back to the camp. He must truly need cooperation from his recruits.Unlike Sawyer, she hightails it out of there, getting a good knock on the head for her efforts.

And speaking of extremes, we get a Clash of the Titans moment in a showdown between Charles Widmore and Schlocke. Not as dramatic as its potential - no Kraken was released, but soon, soon, soon, we hope. War is promised. SmokeyCainHalf-Locke seems to need all the candidates with him on the plane in order to leave the island. I think Frank Lapidus better start rehabbing that plane - stat. Widmore plans to challenge Locke with the Package. It's a draw for now. And sounding more like a World Wrestling Match.

Sun ends up with Daddy Widmore. Getting mauled by angry father-figures is something that Sun should get used to, but who can really get used to Room 23 in the Hydra Station - a study in Clockwork Orange craziness. Ask Karl. Oh no, you can't. He's dead. The protestations of Widmore that he is only protecting his daughter parallel the actions of Papa Paik who is protecting his daughter, Sun, via assassin Martin Keamy. I do believe we will see more of a connection between Paik and Widmore in the coming weeks.

The appearance of Desmond, welcome to most, was anti-climactic. A lot of blogspeculation about that locked door pointed toward Charles Widmore's son-in-law. Desmond doesn't look so good. You have to wonder why there was so much security on the door when Desmond seemed catatonic from beatings and medication — don't let a geophysicist administer drugs to your captives — and you have to wonder what kind of threat Desmond offers Man in Black in such a weakened condition. Apparently just Desmond's breathing body is necessary.

My time is up; like Locke, I'm leaving for a little while, I have an errand to run, but before I go, I want to leave you with my favorite overheard theory of the week: Jacob, knowing the future, manipulates the past, picking those people most likely to prove to Man in Black that man is essentially good. My prediction then? We will see some more time travel before/in the series finale; back to Jacob's Choice, Kate was in the convenience store, Sawyer at his parents' funeral, Jack at the hospital — all a convergence that will then dissipate into the candidates' distinct, unrelated story lines. And they will all live happily ever after. At least that's what Keamy wants. His money and to live "happily ever after."

Discuss among yourselves (or with me!)

Schlocke told Feral Claire that Kate was not a candidate, but Jacob did touch her. Smokey only seems interested in how she can help him with his planepool. After that "what happens, happens," seemingly giving Claire the okay to do Kate in. Will Jacob's touch keep the "what happens" from happening?

We love the new and improved Jack, showing in every respect that he might make a good candidate indeed. He's patient, empathetic, resourceful. Redeemed?

Did you know that the tomato used to be known as the "love apple?" A hopeful sign that Jin and Sun will prove Keamy wrong when he said that "some people just aren't meant to be together."

We see another mirror sequence for Sun but not Jin. As for Jin, he appears a bit spooky sitting bolt upright in bed when Sun wakes up - perhaps a little premonition.

The exchange between Widmore and Jin offers an elaboration on what we already know. Widmore backs up Jacob's claim that if Smokey goes Full-smokey off island, everything will "cease to be." Are we talking destruction or a time change?

It was good to see Richard Alpert back as a man of action.

Til next week and (I'm not making this up) "Happily Ever After," keep an eye on the camp while I'm gone.