Thanks for putting the effort into doing these recaps. LIke 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying that it takes a lot of time to do this and it's not like you're getting anything for it either, so kudos for sticking with it.

I'd prefer less dialogue and more description in your recaps, but on the other hand, it was great that you were so dedicated to clearing up little things that I was too stupid to notice. Your unwavering dedication to being an obsessive Lost geek really added a lot to your recaps.

Like I mentioned, I'm too stupid for this show sometimes (I'm always the guy in the group who you bring to the theatres that is disturbing everyone constanting asking what just happened). For instance, I didn't figure out it was a falsh forward until very late in the episode... the whole drunken rant thing with the chief of surgery about "get my father down here and see how drunk he is" threw me off. Maybe it was a metaphor for death and how people "go upstairs" when they die. Can you still get drunk in heaven?

I agree that this is a major turning point in the show, but I hope they keep it interesting if they plan to have the island story told through flashbacks. That seems like it would be boring to have all the action set in the past rather than the present. Remember that show that was cancelled this season called "The Nine"? It used that technique, but like I said, it got canned.

I'm not sure where they plan to go with this if they get rescued right away next season, but it seems that 3 more seasons will be dragging it out too much. That being said, this season was very good, especially after that tedious Kate, Sawyer, and Jack locked up storyline finished.

Looking at the newspaper clipping, it says the dead person is a man. Also, the last name is partially visible and appears to end in "antham", so it must be a character we haven't met yet.

Oh I really hope you'll be back to do Lost recaps! I love your sidenotes which are always very informative and pick up things that I never would know (like references to thigs in history and such).

As for the episode. I thought it was AWESOME!! And even though I wanted Charlie to die b/c he had just become a total tool... it was so sad seeing him go since he turned cool again :( He could've just swam out of the window, but I guess he wanted Dez's vision to come true so Claire and Aaron would be saved... awww.

As for the flash-forward. I thought it was weird that he was using a newer phone, but figured it was just a product placement. Never even occured to me until right when Kate came out that it was a flash-forward :P lol

I really hope next season doesn't suck. I guess these last 3 seasons shouldn't since they should know exactly what they're gonna want to do so we're not going to be getting anymore filler crap episodes.

I think the idea of them being saved will sorta ruin the show for me now. It was fun thinking that they would never leave. It was fun thinking that they were alone on this island to fend for themselves as the world thought they were all dead.. ya know?
But now knowing that they do in fact get rescued (eventually).. it's going to make flashbacks of the island (if they do it that way).. sorta..I dunno.. anticlimatic maybe?

It's like well.. we know Kate and Jack made it off... so any suspense with them possibly getting killed is out of the question (which sucks b/c I really want them to kill her :P)

Anyways blahblahblah.... I loved this finale anyways and I can't wait til next season!!!

the obit kind of looks like jeremy bentham...which doesn't necessarily work w/ the existing characters but works w/ the "john locke" etc theme...

The flashforwards aren't necessarily the absolute only future possible. Perhaps the next flashforward we see will completely contradict this one. In either case, I think flashforwards will be sparse, because too many means we know too many people get off.

Don't feel bad about not getting it was forward in time until the end, people! There were a few hints but it was a huge twist! Christian's mentions are obviously very odd, especially since the producers have stated he is dead. Jack may be crazy, or in denial, or this may be another timeline, or he may actually be alive.

As for the coffin, here's a summary of the speculations:
Starts with J, probably ends in "antham".
Jeremy Bantham is a philosopher, and the creators love naming people after philosophers. This may be an assumed name someone has taken or a someone we haven't met.
It may be Michael, he is from New York (as the obit seems to say), it was a black neighborhood, Kate didn't want to see him, and no one may want to go to a traitor's funeral.
It may be John, Kate is angry at him for ruining their chances off the island several times, but Jack wishes he succeeded. He has no family or friends to attend.
Other J names include James (Sawyer), Jacob, Jack, and Jin.

I definitely think the boat people are bad guys. I think season 4 will see an uneasy alliance between lostaways and Others fighting them. I'm sure Desmond's flash of Claire getting on a helicopter is not what it seems. I think Karl and Alex and Danielle will stay with our plane survivors.

I'm really pissed Tom died. He was so interesting and charming.

I've seen almost no one talking about the runway. Do the Others have a plane? Are they going to get one? Are they building it so a certain someone can land on the island?

Greybishop I may not comment all the time but I do enjoy your recaps and hope to check out your Lost Summer posting. I cant figure out this show but I think that is what I like about it the most.

Great recap- I REALLY enjoyed the ep. And I was rigt up there with you on my couch when Hurls saved the day.

Thanks for the physics explinataion. I have no scientific knowledge but that did confuse me a bit.

So Michael and Richard are Tuck Everlasting apparently. My guess is we haven't seen the last of some of those dead ohers on the beach. MY question is whether Ethan Rom is really hanging out somwhere, unkilled as well.

I hope you do come back for the next season. i've enjoyed all your recaps and theories.

Thanks so much for these recaps!! I am a terrible detective and would be LOST without these!! I am wondering about what Jack said at the funeral home. Was it "Neither" or "Either" to the gentlemans question about friend or family.
Why did the others assume the tents would be marked at the camp they were coming in a day early?? Why were they not surprised by that? Any thoughts??

Good recap- long but good. For some reason, I suspected from the first scene that it was a flash-forward, just a gut instinct I guess. Maybe because only something really terrible would drive Jack to become something that he really hated about his father.
I definitely think that the boat coming is not going to rescue them, at least not immediately. There's going to be some conflict or something. They can't make more seasons out of just having being rescued.
Here's my thoughts about that particular flash forward: I think, a la Heroes, that its a possible future, one that, under present circumstances, would be the one that happens. Also, my main issue with it is the apparant fate of Kate. If this isn't too far ahead in the future, and she's back on US soil, why wouldn't she be in jail? I've asked so many people that. Why would they give her, a felon who didn't even pay for her ticket in the first place, a gold pass? Who is she with that she can drive that car? It seems mighty fishy to me. I think that, possibly, since Charlie's death didn't go just how Desmond saw it, that the future will be changed slightly.
And to #8, Jack's response was "Neither".

Greybishop-I really hope you decide to return next season. I'm an avid Lost fan but oftentimes I am too lazy to go read message boards, so I rely on your recap for theories.

I knew something was off about the flashbacks from the beginning, and I did notice that the phone was too new for pre-2004, but the idea of a flash-forward didn't occur until Kate showed up.

Hurley was freaking awesome. Is it just me, or does anyone else hope he runs down more poeple with his bus? Sayid snapping the Other's neck with his feet was also awesome, but nothing compares to Hurley.

GB, I have enjoyed your recaps, although they have not been particularly snarky, they are full of things I don't pick up on myself, and full of interesting side notes. I'll be reading your blog this summer :)

Some thoughts about the episode (I cannot take credit for any of these theories, have just seen them on various message boards)
1. perhaps there have been past episodes which have been flash forwards as well -- we just never realized because there was no big GOTCHA! moment at the end. However, the only example of this given was the Libby/Hurley in the mental hospital connection, and since Libby is dead, it kind of discounts it. Still, I like this theory.

2. I'm sure we have all heard of the time travel/alternate universe theories, but perhaps Dharma is responsible for sending certain agents back in time to alter events to Dharma's liking...i.e. Libby (in the same hospital with Hurley where he heard the #s that sent him to Australia, gave Des the boat that got him caught on the island), Kelvin (taught Sayid to finer points of torturing, taught Des to enter the numbers), and so on and so forth.

3. If you are following the timeline of this show, it is now Dec. 23, 2004. That tsunami that devastated the South Pacific occurred on Dec. 26, 2004. Because the show is set in the "real world" (see the mentions of the Red Sox and Bush's re-election), it is safe to assume the tsunami might affect the Losties (who are likely in the S. Pacific) as well. Perhaps Naomi's boat really IS filled with good guys, but the boat capisizes or something in the tsunami?

...OK, sorry for the ridiculously long post, but there's just so much to say about this episode! :)

I think it's a nice guess to believe that michael was in the coffin--BUT...Michael wouldn't have a viewing which NOBODY attended. He has a son. unless he had a falling out with Walt later on, but i don't know about that.

I'm never in the habit of noticing cellphones and other items that would indicate a particular year being witnessed. I was lightly wondering whether jack's story was the past or future but it didn't even really hit me that it was a flash forward until we saw Kate at the end...even then part of me wasnt sure if they might have known each other pre-island. that unlikely notion disappeared as soon as the subject shifted to the island.

I think realizing the flash-foward at the end made the revelation more impacting...

will try to check out your blog greybishop.

Avid reader, first time commenter. ;)

Greybishop, I think you've done an excellent job of the recapping, and hope you are back next season! Don't listen to the haters!

I didn't realize it was a flash-forward either... I wasn't paying close enough attention because I really don't like Jack that much... I was pretty much blown away when Kate showed up at the end and he started ranting about going back.

It's going to be a long wait until Season 4!!!

And #11... a tsunami would not capsize a ship on the open ocean. It's a long wavelength (fast traveling, not high amplitude) wave. It doesn't start to build up height until it reaches the shore. A ship on the open ocean would hardly notice it. Another physics lesson, woohoo. ;)

Thanks for a great recap and all the great info. I'm dying to know who was in the coffin, that reading about his death would make Jack want to commit suicide. I have a few questions for anyone. Ben thought he killed all the Dharma people, but I'm pretty sure Inman was a Dharma guy. Was Inman a Dharma guy? Did Ben decide to leave him alone to keep pushing the button? Why does Dharma keep making food drops even though they have no communication with their (dead) people? Other than these questions I'm pretty satisfied with all of the answers we've gotten so far. In a vague way, I mean.

#14:
Not everyone living in the barracks was killed. The producers have stated that others were spared.
Kelvin was in DHARMA, but the Others had no or limited knowledge of the Swan, according the producers.
The reason and method of the food drops remain a mystery.

Thanks Merick!

Greybishop, I don't post here much but, for the record, I really enjoy your recaps. I always rewatch the show after reading the recap to catch all the stuff you pointed out. I'm such a dolt that I missed the fact that Jack's ex was pregnant!

So I just rewatched the episode, and was wondering...at the end when Kate says, "I have to go...he's gonna be wondering where I am..." who's "he?" Sawyer?

#11: the Tsunami was in the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific. Not likely to be much of an effect.

Anyway, I totally suck at catching twists. I had no clue it was a flash forward. When Kate got out of the car, my first thought was "holy crap! They knew each other before the island??" I didn't figure it out until Jack said they weren't supposed to have left *shame*.

Just continuing a long pattern. 6th Sense got me, Fight Club did too. Argh.

Another great recap, Greybishop! Thanks so much for your hard work and your appreciation for Lost.

I kind of hope that you are wrong about the next three seasons being in the present with life on the Island being the flashbacks. Sorry about that. It's the island adventures and the character development/interaction that drew me into this show. Unless they can find a good balance, that would be a disappointment for me.

Except for the flashforward (I don't know how much more of an anguished Jack I can stand), I loved the finale. Hurley and his bus, Danielle and her Ben smackdown, Sayid and his neck-snapping skills, baby Aaron and his appropriately timed cry, Walt and his "snap out of it, John", and so much more....

As I mentioned on the last episode, I feel bad that it took me so long to finally appreciate Charlie....

GB...

I have been selfishly reading your work for a long while and had not posted. However, now faced with the possibility of you not coming back next season, I had to speak (write?) out.

I LOVE your Lost recaps and appreciate all of the detailed insights you provide. Yes ... even the "asides". I've bookmarked your blog so I don't miss the extras over the summer.

Thank you for your hard work, commentaries, and for sacrificing your couch with footprints.

I am not a frequent commenter either, but I do enjoy the recaps. It is a labor of love and I, for one, appreciate your work! I do hope you come back for the next season!

I, like everyone above am a reader and not much of a commenter on your recaps, but have to say that after the exit of so many tvgasm writers, i would be very sad to see you stop doing lost. it is by far my favorite recap to read on this site.

i didnt catch the flash forward until the end either, however i for some odd reason knew it was kate in the car at the end. im so frusturated that we have to weight until january....

Great recap! Very appreciated. I was also wondering if it was a flash forward how they could call his dads office since his dad is dead. Looking forward to next season. Who is Kate with now?

I'm going to echo several other people here: I'm a committed reader and not commenter of your recaps, but I had to speak up in favor of you staying! I check TVgasm continuously as soon as the episode airs to see what I missed and the connections I never would've guessed. Your recaps are incredibly thorough and the asides are great. In other words, it's the best! Please come back for another season--we saw last week what it would be like to not have you recapping, and it wasn't good.

Now onto the ep... I think Jack asking for his dad was put in to (1) throw off people from the fact it was a flash forward and (2) once we knew it was a flashback, to show how unstable he had really gotten.

Hopefully, the flash forwards are like Desmond's flashes of the future--they can be changed. Half the suspense of the island time was knowing the the producers would kill off a Lostie at any moment; the flash forwards would spoil that, unless a Lostie died in the future.. and what fun would that be?

Hey GB, as the others have said (no not THOSE others) I love your LOST recaps they are so full of detail. I may have posted on one of the Heroes recaps that it was too short, but that was cos it was in marked contrast to the effort you put into Lost. I was thrilled when yo started recapping Heroes cos you do such a great job of Lost.
Anyway, about the show. I didn't catch it was a flash forward either until the end when I was texting my sis saying 'what the hell is KATE doing... oh my GOD!' and then she rang and we screamed at each other while the credits rolled.
Another thing people have noted is that when Jack goes to refill his prescription the chemist says 'Sir you can't write a prescription to yourself' Jacks response is that He is JACK Shepard and the scrip was written by his father CHRISTIAN shepard. So either Daddy is alive or Jacks been stealing his scrip paper.

GB,
I've been a reader of many of the Lost recaps this season, and I must say yours is second to none. Not to the magazines or other recap sites. Your attention to detail has made me into a zealous fan of your column. Please return again next year!
As far as the show, whiny Jack sucked, he looked like a man who just ate a bowl of cayenne peppers. I wonder if the person in the casket might've been Ben. Due to the scene in Jacks' apartment with all the maps and what he says to Kate, he is desperately trying to return to the island. If Ben is dead, that would significantly reduce his chances of finding it. I'm also wondering about the comment to Sawyer from Juliette about the runway that was being built. Who or what was going to use it and why? The other thing that I'm debating, is this- did Jack, Kate maybe another lostie or two make a deal to get off the island with the boat people and leave their group behind? That might explain why Kate isn't in prison, they cleaned her slate. Jack says that they made a mistake, could it be a double meaning, one in leaving, two in lying about the rest of their lostie group?
Anyway, this will be a long hiatus, and I will be eagerly awaiting the Lost season 4 premiere and your recaps should you return!
See you in another life brotha!

Razzle FREAKIN' DAZZLE!!!
I loved reading your recaps and will miss you. Thanks

Great recap! One thing has been bugging me...

The Russian blew the window in the Looking Glass with a hand grenade. Last time I checked grenades don’t float – so how did he manage to have the grenade blow in the window without holding on to it until it went off, killing him in the process? Did I miss something?

GREAT episode!

For an equally great recap I suggest: www.midseasonreplacements.com/wp/?p=2139

"I'm going to echo several other people here: I'm a committed reader and not commenter of your recaps, but I had to speak up in favor of you staying! I check TVgasm continuously as soon as the episode airs to see what I missed and the connections I never would've guessed. Your recaps are incredibly thorough and the asides are great. In other words, it's the best! Please come back for another season--we saw last week what it would be like to not have you recapping, and it wasn't good."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah! Yeah! What Katybee said!!!! Me too!! Me too!

But yeah, the "missing recap" week,was NOT good! lol. There was distress in the air amongst us LOSTIES....lol. We got spoiled.

But, we can always hope you reconsider...:)

Otherwise, thank you for your time and effort. Good stuff!

N

Did anyone else notice the coffin didn't appear to be full-size? I swear it wasn't long enough to fit a full grown adult, but maybe I'm wrong. My thought is it could be Jacob. The news clipping said it a man was found dead in a loft. We haven't seen Jacob yet and we don't know his last name. So it could be him, and he could become very important to Jack's getting everyone off the island, thus explaining his extreme despair upon reading of the funeral. Hmmm...

MissionMan, i'm pretty sure he did hold the grenade till the end- he hasn't died yet this season, maybe he really IS indestructable!

This episode made me proud of the show again. its obvious that it is no longer what it once was, but i have grown to accept and love its changes.

although, i really wanted jack to die in the finale. he's the WORST!

and Greybishop, you wrote that sawyer calls hurley "hero" but i think he said "hugo". I've noticed in the past few episodes after he's killed the REAL saywer he hasn't used any nicknames. ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THAT?

i'm also pretty sure jack and kate made some sort of deal and that most of the losties are still chillin on the island. seriously, why won't jack just DIE.

do you think penny will be able to find the island now? maybe she'll kick all the "not pennys boat" people's asses and save the day?

Sad to see you go Greybishop.

Maybe no one else has commented on this because it's just so damn obvious, but when Jack and Kate met up at the end and he said he was "so sick...of lying!" ....that spoke volumes to me. What are they lying about? What reason would the Losties have for not telling the world about their "Lost" experience? (Except for those who did bad things on the island....killing people and whatnot. Oh and Kate....cuz ain't she a FUGITIVE?)

And, I think when Jack told the surgeon to go get his father from upstairs...he was just high and out of it. That's why the surgeon looked at him with such pity. You poor sick man. You think your daddy's still alive and drinking.

Anyhow. Is it true there's no Lost until January? That's ridiculous. I can't possibly wait that long!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Greybishop!!!!! First Ed Hill, now you! I can't take the rejection.....I feel like a foster kid that keeps getting pushed around cause, "You don't fit with the family". I hope you don't leave, but I understand the blood sweat and tears that go in to the posts and that you can burn out eventually.....thanks for the memories!!!!!

james_woods_rules, Ed Hill still writes Lost recaps over at http://www.midseasonreplacement.com

Dude, if you are going to douche around and namedrop TOS in the comment section of every recap (we get it, everyone knows where it is) at least put the correct name down.

GB~ First let me say how thrilled I was to see that you, of all people, were the one to recap lost. I have been a huge fan since finding your blog and your season 1 recaps. I hope you come back....pretty pretty please:)

And, as far as the flashforward idea. My take on it was that it was the future if they got off the island with the help of the boat with the "bad guys" I like the idea of alternate realities and the thought that if they didn't go with the "bad guys" a different future would exist. Any thoughts?

FROM GB -

Hey Saul,
For whatever reason, I can't seem to post a comment at the recap area.

Could you pass on my thanks for the kind words and appreciation? Tell 'em they gave me the "warm fuzzies".

Thanks!

James.

I really enjoy your recaps, and hope that you will come back next year.

I was reading a NY Magazine article on Lost, where they mention that Mr. Widmore (Penny's dad) is/was associated with the Dharma initiative. If so, then he would have a great reason to try to find the island again (since it appears the island is hard to track), after Ben killed all of the Dharma people and exact his revenge on Ben. Hence, Ben's fear of being found....

Pretty good, but only considering how the rest of this season dragged along. Charlie's death was silly (why didn't Mikael just toss the grenade into the room? Why didn't Charlie leave the room and close the door BEHIND him? Didn't Charlie wonder why there was no switch as Desmund foretold?).

Thanks for the great job of recapping, Greybishop!

I think Charlie stayed inside the chamber and kept Desmond outside for a few reasons:
1) Desmond heard Penny's voice, and would've done just about anything to get into that room
2) Charlie may not've'd enough time to close the door behind him, especially if he had to fight off Desmond
3) He had come to terms with his death and was fulfilling the prophecy, if only to make sure that Claire and Aaron get off the island.
4) He had "You All Everybody" stuck in his head for the past 73 days, and the only way to get it out was to kill himself.

of course the obit is for Jeremy Bentham. He wanted to set up a socialist-like community. Plus he wrote a proposal for the Pantopticon, a prison where one guard could watch all the prisoners (sounds like the Pearl).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon