my first ever Tvgasm comment! this episode completely blew me away, kind of reminded me of Hurley's flashback with Dave in that "is this really happening or is it all in someone's head" sense..
Note the significance of the lyrics to Wonderwall..."maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me.."

Thanks for the quick turnaround on the recap!

Not to pile on, but the pints they're drinking are not english, or imperial pints...they're 16 oz American pint glasses. British ones are supposed to be 20 oz.

Another great recap Greybishop! Loved it.

This episode kept me on the edge of my seat. Of course, the Saleslady just about knocked me off my seat with that curveball that she threw at Desmond... Huh? OK! What's REALLY going on here.....?!? Cool stuff!

Didn't anyone notice the word "Nasaste" or something like that written backwards on the wampa picture? I think that's how the doctor in the films greeted us.
Great recap. Very, very thorough on the research. I'm glad someone else is doing the googling.

You missed something in your 5 rewinds of the scene regarding the painting.

You are correct that the first time Des see's the painting it is over his right shoulder. But, you didn't notice the "NAMASTE" banner in the painting - it is in reverse.

Now, when Whidmore is getting the scotch, you see another painting over Desmond's left shoulder that is mirror-perfect - "NAMASTE" is printed properly in that painting.

I didn't see any indications of reflections for a mirror, either. Why in the world would the guy have two paintings exactly the same, but flopped? (alternate universe imagery?)

GREAT. RECAP. I love it! This episode was great in a very strange kind of way. Although it was a different type of episode in that much of it took place off the island in a flash-something. I thought it took the story in a whole new direction and I am really looking forward to seeing where the writers are going to go with this. Also - does anyone think that Penny greatly resembles "The Pomp" aka Meredith Grey? Sup with that ABC?

EXCELLENT RECAP!!! Loved all the little things you always get that I miss!!

Was it C & L's sense of humor using that lady for the jeweler? She was in the movie The Others, wasn't she?

A very interesting episode. I love the whole "messing with your head" thing, like the microwave making the computer beeping sound.
Desmond is probably my second favorite character behind Locke so I'm glad we got to see more about him and Penny. Still that little issue of military prison though. Surely either Charlie will die or Dessy will in his place trying to save him.
Again, though, Eko's death was largely forgotten. It seems like the beach people are just passing time until Jack, Kate, and Sawyer show up. And it looks like next week is all about the hydra too, maybe even the 20th jack flashback.

Awesome recap greybishop, I love all the research--this stuff gets me going all day at work, I feel like my bosses are going to start putting two and two together :)

About Charlie's middle name: I was curious too and when I googled it I was sent to a wikipedia entry about a dutch painter named Hieronymus Bosch. Apparently, Bosch was a dutch painter who often depicted sin and human moral failings. His most famous painting is a triptych (three wooden panels attached together) called The Garden of Earthly Delights. This triptych depicts paradise with Adam and Eve and many wondrous animals on the left panel, the earthly delights with numerous nude figures and tremendous fruit and birds on the middle panel, and hell with depictions of fantastic punishments of the various types of sinners on the right panel. When the exterior panels are closed the viewer can see, painted in grisaille, God creating the earth.

Interesting, no?

Here are some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights

I may be totally thick, but can someone explain the pun - Des/Penny Vs. Fate? I don't get it and it's going to bother me.

Also, I think I noticed that over the bed in Desmond's flat there was some artwork on the wall with some of the same symbols as on the 108 counter when it got to zero and had the red pictures. Just another island reference.

Nice Job GB! I still am torn between this time warp stuff and maybe his wires are all crossed and what we saw was the result of his mind blending his past, his time on the island and his psychic abilities. I think he does see little flashes of the future, but I dont think he his mind can decode what exactly what is going to happen. Most of all, I liked the idea of fate vs. free will in determining the future. Finally, the jewlers name was Ms. Hawking- paging stephen hawking, we need you to get your mom to expalin time travel and black holes to Des...

Destiny vs Fate

Great recap. I really did enjoy this episode. Des is one of my favorite characters as well.

Sorry lostinqueenanne -
This one was a stretch.
Des/Penny Vs. Fate.
Des/Tenny Vs. Fate.
Destiny Vs. Fate.
What probably made it even worse than it already was is the fact that the pun itself is a play on "destiny vs. free will".
These are things you needed to know, and I should have told you. Knowing these things would not have made it any funnier, which is why it is the worst pun, ever.

One other thing that is interesting: the chess move metaphor was also used by C&L in the interview in the latest EW! Sneaky.

lostinqueenanne -
The stuff about Charlie's middle name is interesting.
I was hoping for something more concrete, which is why I didn't include the Bosch stuff. It's certainly possible that they got the name from that source, but I was hoping to find "Hieronymus Pace" or "Charles Hieronymus" and nail it down a little more firmly. It's such an odd name that it must have come from somewhere and Bosch is as good a place as there seems to be and better than anything else I found in my search.
Great link by the way.

I kept expecting Ugly Betty to come interrupt Mr. Mead with news from Daniel.

Check this out; it refers to a movie about Hieronymous Merkin and Mercy Humppe, a dreadful 1960s film:

"The film is an absurd X rated romp though a land of sexual excess and unconventional perversion that portray women as only a 1960's film can. Although this film is not for all tastes, exceedingly fine performances, unpredictable twists, and uproarious humor make this film a true cult classic that reminds one of A Clockwork Orange at times. An R rated version also exists."

I'm not geeky enough to do further research and seriously doubt there's any connection, but that's the only Hieronymous I could think of.

GB, you are the ubergeek. Your recap is great and your depths of geekiness are outstanding. You are truly a worthy successor to the great EdHill. On the other hand, the ep itself kinda sucked. It didn't surprise me LOST only had 12.8 million viewers, the lowest ever.

Read an article on Entertainment Weekly about Lost and the writers' intent of clarifying things. Looks like they'd better hurry.

Good catch w/ the Wonderwall lyrics!

Also, Charlie has already died ONCE, he was strung up from a tree and Jack revived him. What does he have, 9 lives? Was he in Drive Shaft or the Stray Cats?!

I think Desmond hit his head when he flew outta the hatch and his life "flashed" before his eyes- like the name of the episode. I think he was watching it like a movie. In the previews for next week, we see that white-haired lady is an Other, right? i am totally guessing here- but I think that white-haired lady was with Des in the jungle, possibly trying to revive him. And that is why she was saying to him- "NO you don't buy the ring- You come to the Island!" Maybe she was trying to bring him back to reality. And maybe his clothes were removed b/c they were contaminated...

I think Hieronymous IS a Bosch reference. His most famous painting depicts people in an Edenic setting who are, however, fated to Hell. Also, Bosch's work is constantly analyzed (like Lost) but its coded meaning has never been cracked (ditto). The painting is populated with minor characters--too many to concentrate on--who nonetheless add to the overall story. It's beautiful and surreal. Sounds a lot like our show to me.

On another note, has anyone commented before that Desmond's full name is Desmond David Hume?

Hume is one of the most important 18th century philosophers and while I can't begin to summarize it all here, I actually think Wikipedia does a pretty good job

>.

Two things of note: 1) Hume was extremely ifluenced by his predecessor, philsopher John Locke (!); and 2) one of his most important insights was into the problem of cause and effect. In short--we usually assume a-causes-b because that's the way it appears, but most of the time we have no proof. And sometimes are assumptions can be wrong.

Which is to say: maybe Des not punching in the numbers caused the plane to crash -- but maybe it didn't. And maybe Des turning the fail-safe key made the sky turn purple and his precognitive abilities to shine through -- but maybe not. The 18th-century Hume showed that we can't trust our assumptions. I think the 21st-century Hume might be showing us the same thing.

Action Bell -
I'll definitely defer to your expertise on Bosch and Hume.
I kept nodding off in Philosophy 101 and once I learned that there were no nude models, well art appreciation seemed less important than the pub...

How about the name Penelope- Odysseus's long-suffering wife who waited for years for her husband to return.

djaq -
No doubt there's a hint of Homer threaded throughout Lost.
When Penny was introduced last season, Odysseus talk flew around the internet all summer. I did mention Homer in relation to the Nemo reference. In my head (not much help if you're reading the recap, I know) I just automatically made another "Lost reference from Homeric tradition" connection. Probably should have clarified that...
;o)

Greybishop, you said the Hyeronimus name didn't ring any bell. It made me think about the painter Hyeronimus Bosch (don't know of anybody else with that name).. he had some awfully weird paintings, all full of strange symbols.

Thanks Chris -
I had several folks in the comments point out the Bosch connection. Like I said up further, it's just not quite the "slam dunk" I'm looking for. It probably IS where the name comes from, given how odd a name it is, but the connection seems even more tenous than most Lost-isms.

The Bosch Garden of Earthly Delights in its closed state shows a sphere with a flat surface inside it.

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

It reminded me of some earlier theories about a force field around the island. Like a bubble surrounding the entire island in a 360 degree kind of way.

Mr. Friendly Tom was saying last episode "Ever since the sky turned purple ..." when Jack asked why they couldnt seek medical help from the outside world.

Maybe they used to be able to raise and lower the shield but communications are down now because the hatch computers were destroyed so they've lost control of it.

This could explain why Desmond couldn't sail away in the sailboat. And why WAAAALT and Michael are doomed to return. After all, how could the others allow them to escape knowing that they would surely report the plane crash and survivors as soon as they could?

P.S. Last episode when Jack insisted on knowing what Ben said to Juliet, was anyone else irritated that THIS was the one thing he wanted to know? Of all the questions he could insist on getting answered the moron wants to know that. How about, why do you people live on this island? Where are the kidnapped people? Why did you make a list of "good" people? What is the scary smoke monster thingy?

Or maybe even - Can I use your phone? internet? Do you get cell coverage out here? cause I gotta tell ya, I do business out here all the time and its a crap shoot...

Ruthiblue-
I think the fact that I got your "cause I gotta tell ya..." remark speaks loudly to the fact that I remember commercials far too much. Regardless, it still made me laugh.

Greybishop--I have nothing to say but great recap. I know it's only your second, but I have quite enjoyed them.

Ruthiblu -
I gave up on waiting for Jack to ask the right questions a LONG time ago.
Remember the firelight chat with the guy we now know as "I'm Tom, by the way"?
Right then, instead of letting Sawyer posture and getting all territorial, shouldn't he have said, "Look, it's your island. Fine. We don't WANT to be here! Why don't you just lend us your boat, send up a flare, call us a cab, WHATEVER, and we're off your precious little island!"
Or something like that.
Of course, I was saying "GIANT S.O.S. SIGN!!!" back at the second episode when they were busily sorting through dead peoples clothes and looking for brushes and combs.

Ruthiblu,
I love Lost and don't mind the ongoing drama at all excpet for one piece. Exactly what you mentioned. At least have Jack ask some questions and the Others not answer them. I can't even believe Jack let Ben talk to Julia alone. Come on!

Anyway, great recap. The best I have seen thus far. I rechecked the show and the painting was clearing showing over his right shoulder, he was looking straight at it, seemed to study it. Click to next scene and there is nothing over there but the bar - no mirror. Now the painting is on his left in the reverse image and he never seems to acknowledge it.

There were other things I found strange. As soon as he woke up, the paint can next to him said FUTU... then it was covered up in red paint. I kept thinking FUTURE in my head. A subliminal message maybe?

I didn't even think about the analogy of the red shoes and OZ. Henry Gale, red shoes, vivid real dreams?

I also wondered when Des was freaking out on Charlie in London, he kept saying he remembered this day and said "I lost my tie and then Pen asked where it was and then it started to rain" and at that moment it did start to rain. So.... where was Penny and how come that part really didn't happen? Is it because it was just a dream flashback and Charlie was in it instead or was Charlie always there but Des didn't think anything of it before? But... the next clip is Des going home and Penny in bed reading. So obviously even if Charlie wasn't on the street, he wouldn't have been able to talk to Penny until after the rain started. I just find this strange.

I am still intrigued as to why on the Lost Recap show last week, they show the Sayid, Hurley radio scene. It didn't have much importance to it at all except for Hurley's kidding comment of "maybe it is coming from another time?" This just keeps sticking in my head that this is really important.

Anyway, I don't care if the ratings are down. That was one of the best shows in a long time!

Next week it was obvious the girl Jack is talking to is the tallie that disappeared during the climb up that rock hill. I just hope Jack asks questions!!!

Interesting...

Plot Summary for
Wonderwall (1968)
The eccentric professor Collins lives completely secluded in his chaotic apartment. When the model Penny moves in next to him, he becomes fascinated of her. He drills holes in her walls and ceiling and peeps on her day and night. He loses himself in daydreams and delusions.

Sorry forgot the link

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065224/plotsummary

GB:

clap clap clap clap clap-great recap!

oh, and i think Ruthiblu is into that "island in a bottle" theory! you have a new best LOST friend! ;o)

Nice recap. I've never actually read a Lost recap on TVgasm, I usually follow the show on other sites. But you're good, Greybishop.

I am one of the few people I know who didn't enjoy this ep. I thought it was about 15 minutes worth of story stretched out to fill and hour, and it was an awful lot of work just to get to "fate vs. free will."

And then, the ultimate disappointment. I have no great love for Charlie, but I really wish it was Claire who was going to die.

Sorry for the double post, I don't know if I can edit?

Anyway, just wanted to mention that Bob Heironymus was the guy wearing the Bigfoot suit in the famous hoax video. Probably unrelated, but a fun fact.

Regarding Captain Nemo, as I recall, his adventures were continued in a book called 'the mysterious island' where a group of castaways were helped at different times by some anonymous force which turns out to be Nemo.

Supermodel -
I'm with ya! Claire could go ANYTIME. I know, I know, then there's only a couple of girls and a ton of guys, but Claire is (now that Shannon and Boone are wherever pseudo-incestous lovers go when they die) officially THE lamest character on the show.

I THINK THAT THEY ARE IN A BUBBLE...KIND OF LIKE THE TRUMAN SHOW. I'VE THOUGHT THIS SINCE THE SCENE WHERE THE PLANE CRASHED. THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE, THEN EVERYONE ACTED LIKE THEY KNEW WHAT TO DO, THEN THE PLANE BROKE APART IN MID AIR. WOULD A PLANE DO THAT IF IT DIDN'T HIT SOMETHING? I'M NOT SURE. BUT THEY ALL LOOKED UP AND I REMEMBER SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING LIKE "IT HAPPENED AGAIN"
YEP, IT'S A TIME WARP CONTAINED INSIDE A BUBBLE. A SECRET GOV'T CONSPIRACY OR SOMETHING TO CREATE ANOTHER EDEN.

I also noticed two other possible references to the Wizard of Oz besides the red shoed man under the scaffolding. I think more than one person called Desmond a "coward", and I thought of that as a possible reference to the Cowardly Lion. I also noticed a red bike near the hole where the hatch used to be and thought of the bicycle that the mean woman rode off on with Dorothy's dog in the beginning of the Wizard of Oz. Seems like a similar story with people ending up on this island and most of them just wanting to go home.
Great recap!

Crazy4Lost: Yes, Fionnula Flanagan is from The Others. I'm surprised no one else mentioned it! I think they did have a sense of humour.

Seth -
That little miss of "The Others" has since been pointed out to me. Several times!
I saw the movie, but honestly, despite my mad crush on Nicole Kidman, it was very forgettable. I think I can be forgiven...
I hope...

Greybishop - nice recap!

I found the following statement re: Hieronymous Bosch and Charlie

"In the television series Lost, the character Charlie Pace has the middle name Hieronymus. Previous episodes have shown Charlie having visions of characters on the island posed in a portraiture style similar to Bosch's, particularly Adoration of the Child (though the actual scene is a replication of The Baptism of Christ by Verrocchio)."

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

GB - great recap! I laughed out loud more than once. Love the geek factoids. I noticed the painting, but never notice the "turnaround". I guess I have to watch a third time. Since the EW recaps are a total snore, this is where I'm coming for recaps.

GB-as always,I'm in awe of your superlative memory & dry wit! And, as always, I will now have to watch another couple times so I catch all the things I always seem to miss. Thanks to all the folks who've been commenting on the recap also, as I pick up stuff from all of you also!

I think you all are putting WAY too much thought into this.

Ubiquitous-
I respectfully disagree. That's what these recaps, and especially this show, are all about; Provoking Thought. It's what separates this show from so many 'others'. ;)

I used to feel that way until I realized it was all for naught and what we made up was consistantly better than what the writers were pulling out of their collective arses. Enjoy the show!