maybe you will like next season better

I agree.. all it took was a guy to come in and say "go outside if you want to live"

oh gee- I have always been told that inside is "safe," but if this stranger says it is not true - who am I to argue.

Jacob was dead, their real leader. I don't know if there is much one can do when you learn the guy who is supposed to protect you was killed.

This season has definitely been VERY different, but I will reserve judgment since we are only 6 episodes in. Season 4 had a LOT of stuff happen after the first 6-7 episodes, and it was a short season as well. I'm going to wait patiently for more things to develop and unfold. But I do see your point.

I trust that Lindelof, Cuse, and the rest of the writers will do this amazing series justice and give the fans something they will always look back on in a positive light. (I just hope I'm not proven wrong! )

ANOTHER Lost mystery?! WTF

It wasn't omg...I watch the show twice and I didn't see it the first time, so I thought it was just one of those things you missed if you blinked.

They probably didn't know where they were going with a lot of that stuff when they put it in the show. What about Ben's childhood friend Annie? What about that volcano we were told would be important later? The injections and quarantine sign? (Might be the same thing that's infected Sayid and Claire, though there doesn't seem to be a lot evidence to tie those two items together.)

As far as you questions...

1) The whispers are the Others. This was sort of confirmed on one of the "enhanced" episodes this season when the caption said that the whispers were heard when the Others were near. Doesn't really explain why they were heard on the freighter before it exploded, but there it is...

2) Pregnant women... I'd wager that it has something to do with the island or Jacob rejecting the Others and/or Ben's leadership. Ben was also surprised to find out that he had that tumor, as well.

3) The beautiful light that Locke saw might have been the monster "reading" him, like we've seen it do to others with that bright flashing light. (I'd really like to see that encounter from Locke's perspective sometime.)

You hear the whispers right before a lot of characters see a vision of someone who shouldn't be there. In the freighter case, it was christian appearing, also we hear whispers right before Shannon sees Walt dripping wet speaking giberrish, then we also hear the whispers when Juliet is in the jungle with jack at night and its raining when Goodwin's wife appears out of no where telling them what to do. I know that there are many other instances as well. I always assumed it was the smoke monster taking on different forms of people to manipulate them, but could the smoke go onto the freighter if it is off the island?

So, judging by the Last Supper pic and how everyone is positioned, Richard and Illana will join MiB? I can't see other one joining MiB at the moment, so I'm curious of how that will play out.

I agree - but how did they learn he was dead - some guy just walked in and said "Jacob is dead." and they have no choice but to believe him.

I could understand if he walked in dragging the body... panic would quickly ensue.

I was just looking over this version of the Last Supper pic:

http://ncjl.files.wordpress.com/2010...t-supper-3.jpg

If you've read The Da Vinci Code you know that da Vinci's original painting has no wine goblets on the table -- da Vinci's "code" that the Holy Grail has nothing to do with Christ's wine goblet at the Last Supper. But you will note in the picture above that Claire is clearly holding a wooden goblet (as befits a carpenter for you Indiana Jones fans) and Richard is filling it with wine.

Not sure what this means, if anything.

I think it just means Richard is trying to get Claire drunk so they can rumble in the jungle.

I thought it was already understood Jacob was dead when Hugo told Dogen a few episodes back and they shot off the rocket and prepared the Temple for the MiB's arrival. Did the people there not know what that meant?

It means that Dan Brown is a horrible writer.

Yeah, something just feels 'off,' but I'll be damned if I can put my finger on it. I'm enjoying it immensely but the show definitely feels different.

One thing though, take "Sundown" for example (or even the premier) in every other season scenes involving the smoke monster were tense and got your blood pumping because you didn't know what would happen. The scenes from this season are just kinda 'meh. You know none of the main characters are going to bite it, so it's very anti-climactic and not suspenseful in the least. At least in seasons prior you never knew if a cast away would bite the big one. It seems this year they have whittled down the cast as far as they can go, so they will all make it to the finale for a big showdown. Or even if they do die along the way, we'll probably see them again ala Lock and Sayid. They say 'dead is dead' but not really.

Dogen didn't deny it.

And I'll just say every season feels different from any other one. Season 5 almost seems like a completely different show than season 1.

I think it's fairly obvious that both children are one and the same.

The only thing that bothered me this episode was Miles acting surprised that Jin wasn't with Sun and asking her where her husband was. Miles has been with Jin for the past 3 years and he knows that as far as Sun is concerned Jin may be dead.

So am I the only one who is thinking the "smoke monster" could actually turn out to be the good side of the island?

Too often we equate black with evil and killing with evil. After all, we are spoon fed those concepts in media all our lives.

But there are a few clues that lead me to believe that the "Smoke monster" is actually the good power here. The first is from the last season when Ben is complaining that Richard marches Locke to Jacob like he is Moses. Making a reference to the Old Testament is key here... Not only did God and Satan fight over the rights to the soul of Moses (as Jacob and the "Smoke Monster" are fighting over the souls of the people on the island) but in the Old Testament God kicks some major pagan ass. Wiping out cities in brimstone and fire, anyone? The Old Testament God is not the "Buddy Jesus" we've been led to believe exists.

I think it sealed it to me in this past episode that the MIB is more the "God" of the island that Jacob ever was. Once Dogen is out of the way MIB can enter in the temple and kill people. In the Old Testament plan for the temple it was the high priest that was the buffer between God and the people who visited the temple. And if it wasn't for the buffer of the high priest the raw presences of God would kill the people who were visiting the temple.

Jacob is seen being white. The Bible talks about how Satan will appear as an angel of light. Satan doesn't come off as Rob Zombie type monsters. He's slick...he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. I believe Jacob was the wolf in sheep's clothing. I think he was evil disguised as an angel of light.

And while on that topic...the Bible talks about God casting Satan into the pit of fire. Jacob was cast into the pit of fire.

Clearly the "Smoke Monster" is not the evil force here. He's acting in the capacity of the Old Testament God...he's purging people who do not believe and practice evil against the island.

Creators of 'Lost' say they won't tie up all those loose ends
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...=news-col-blog

For which I am glad. George Lucas showed that trying to explain all the mysteries doesn't always work out.

Sonya Walger (Penny Widmore) scheduled again to be on Craig Ferguson tonight. (She was bumped before when Don Rickles was on). Not sure if she's any part of this season or not but thought I'd give a heads up just in case.

I've been veering towards that same line of thinking.

Also, people criticized Jesus for associating with sinners and tax collectors ("bad people"). His response was that he came to minister to such ones because they were in need. Look at those in team Locke. Sayid (a torturer), Kate (a murderer), and Sawyer (a thief) are in need of redemption.

Now look at team Jacob. Guys like Hurley and Jack are either looking for quick riches (lottery winnings) or their own glory (Jack insisting he can fix everything and proving he has "what it takes").

I tried saying that earlier, and now the other kids in the thread won't play with me.

while reading this I was sure this was a cracksky post.

Not as rabid as some, so I apologize in advance for asking a potentially newbie question but...

Anybody know what the hell happened to Desmond? I realize he disappeared midway through the NC losties plane ride, but he could still figure into the grand finale in some fashion I would imagine.

I'm vaguely aware there are some legal hurdles Henry Ian Cusick is facing, perhaps his storyline is
finished?