Season 1: Episode 3 "Tabula Rasa"

We're all starting with a blank slate in some ways, as we re-watch LOST.  Coincidentally, this is what this week's episode is about!  "Tabula Rasa" happens to mean blank slate in Latin.  

Let's dive in!  This week's guest is:

Matt White!

Listen to the episode here:

Or subscribe on iTunes!

Notable Notes:

Kate's mugshot

This amazing scene from Wayne's World.

LOST Drinking Game:

Drink when you see or hear:

1. Jack face

2. Hurley say "Dude"

3. Sawyer says "sonofabitch" or give a nickname

4. Michael says "Walt" or "Man"

and for later on

 5. Ben Linus gets hit or punched (one episode only - use with caution!)

6. Bernard is useless

Our closing song:

Joe Purdy's "Wash Away (Reprise)"

Credits:

Hosts: Cody Scott and Madeline Sabatoni

Guest: Matt White

Editor: Matthew Maxwell

Original Music by the Constants

Let's talk about those flashbacks in the comments!  

What Kate Does

Man, last night's episode was...a Kate episode. Mostly filler. What do you think was in that pill? My guess: some Jacob Ashes. Do you think the "infection" is the same one that plagued Rousseau's crew? And who else is tired of Jack being such a dick about everything? How about Claire showing up and killing some fools? Is she really "infected"?

LA X: Parts 1&2

Alright, kids, here we have the season opener. The two parts to this episode focused on two timelines: the original timeline, on the island following the detonation of the hydrogen bomb and an alternate timeline, where everyone is still on the plane and land successfully in LAX. (note: did you notice that the title of this ep is not "LAX" but rather "LA X" with a space?) Let's talk about the alternate timeline first:

A few things happen: Jack , with the help of Sayid, saves Charlie's life; Locke befriends Boone; Kate has an elevator ride with Sawyer, escapes her Marshal and jumps in a cab with Claire; Shannon isn't on the plane; Jin gets taken away at customs, while Sun pretends to not know English; Hurley is the luckiest guy ever, yet Sawyer tells him not to tell people he's won the lotto; Desmond sits next to Jack, but then disappears after one of Jack's 12 billion trips to the bathroom (also: Jack recognizes him -- is it from meeting him when they were both running up and down the stairs of the stadium?); Christian Sheppard's coffin goes missing; Charlie is arrested for posession. Most importantly, the whole island, including the statue and Dharma barracks are under water. Thank you weird underwater scene.

Here are the questions:
-what's up with the sore on Jack's neck?
-where did Desmond go?
-where is the coffin?
-where is the box of knives?
-what does Jack mean when tells Locke "nothing is irreversible"? How does this play into both of their characters philosophies? can Jack "fix" Locke?
-are Walt and Michael on the flight?
-why was Desmond on the flight when he wasn't originally on it?

Let's go to the original timeline. Juliet does set off the bomb and the gang is transported to some other time. In this time the Swan had been blown up. Yet! Juliet is still dying underneath it. So, they manage to pull her out and Sawyer has some dying words with her (she says they can get coffee and go dutch). Juliet dies. Meanwhile, Sayid is dying and Jacob visits Hurley. He tells Hurley that they have to go to the temple and that he has died. So, as Sawyer and Miles bury Juliet (so that Sawyer can have Miles talk to Juliet - she meant to say "it worked"), Jack, Kate, Hurley and Jin take Sayid to the temple. The end up with the others, who seem to drown Sayid in a temple bath, yet he still dies, in a very Christ-like fashion. When they learn that Jacob is dead, they start to protect the temple, spreading ash around. Miles and Sawyer end up there too. Sayid wakes up.

On the other side of the island, smoke moster-turned Locke-turned smoke monster is killing "Jacob's bodyguards". Ben realizes that Locke is dead. No one knows what's going on. Fake Locke grabs Richard and knocks him out, dragging him away and telling the Others that he's disappointed in them. He wants to go home.

Questions:
-Where is the smoke monsters home?
-Is the temple bath the fountain of youth?
-Was Sayid reborn?
-Did Jacob know that all of this was going to happen? How did he know to tell Hurley to bring the guitar case to the Island in the first place?
-Why was it essential to Jacob that Sayid lives?
-Where is the Locke, the Smoke Monster taking Richard? To the Temple?

You all have your theories, some of which are in the last post. Let's hear 'em.

Sightings!

Wonderful readers (okay, two of my friends) have been writing in with their LOST character sightings. Above you'll see Hurley & his long board at 10th & L. (photo courtesy of Alan LaGuardia's iPhone)

Also spotted:

Anthony Cooper: yesterday at 9th & L... apparently too fast to get a photo

John Locke: today Rite Aid on K St. Wearing Army pants and a white t-shirt. "He'd'a shivved me if I photo'd him though"

I, personally, have seen Kate (she works in my office) and Jin (he was walking down J St!).

If you spot 'em let us know! Take a photo!

Addendum: the original (and ultimate) sighting was Ethan Rom at the Rubicon. This was no ordinary sighting, as Ethan was casually placing himself at various tables... pretending to be a part of those parties. He was clearly identifying all the women, noting if they were pregnant or had babies. We were very fearful and kept shouting "he's an other! he's an other!" to ourselves.

Ben's Your Parent of Choice

As much as Cody hates to admit it, Ben is a better parent then Kate. Well, at least that's what the readers of OPM have said. 55% (22) think Ben is a better parent. 45% (18) would rather have Kate lose you in a grocery store.

Thanks for voting!

Who would you want to call Mom or Dad?

The last two episodes have featured the parental stylings of both Ben and Kate. Ben and Kate have something in common: they like to steal other people's babies and raise them as their own. Amusing now, isn't it, that Ben harassed Kate with his "but he isn't your son" comment? So, who is the better "parent"?

Let's review some of the facts:

-Ben STEALS Alex, but saves her life by not killing her as Charles wanted

-Ben is a controlling father, wanting only the best for his child

-Ben let's Alex die, though he does seem to be remorseful and wants to seek revenge for her life (a true sign of fatherly love)

-Kate takes Aaron as her own only after Claire disappears

-Kate prefers to lie to everyone about being his mother, rather then find his true family

-Kate admits that she was pretty much using Aaron's love to deal with Sawyer leaving her

-Kate gives Aaron to his grandmother to go back to the Island (supposedly to find Claire)

So, who do you think is better at parenting? Let us know. You have a week!

Questions & Answers: Whatever Happened, Happened

Okay, let's talk. The episode was ok. My main issue with it was that it was Kate-centric and man, do I hate Kate. You know what I also hate? Kate and Aaron. Blech. Who cares. There are so many other things I'd rather know then what happened to Aaron. Like where's Bernard and Rose? How will Walt fit in? What's Desmond doing? How is Sun gonna get to '77? What's Locke going to do? But noooooo. Kate and Aaron. And Kate, every mother loses a kid in a store. Once we lost Matthew at the Yuba-Sutter fair when he was 3. Turns out he was riding the carousel the whole time.

Anyway, Ben's not dead and if you're living in the past, you can't change the future. Also, Richard Alpert knew who Ben was already.

I thought the most interesting thing occurred when the rando Other said "Charles and Ellie might not be happy about this". In my house this led to a big discussion about how old Penny would be at that time. Was Penny born on the Island? Is Daniel Charles Widmore's son? Does that mean that Penny and Daniel are related? How does Ben get Charles off the island? Does Richard make Ben immortal? Is this why Ben and Charles can't kill each other? Because neither one can die?

And finally! Someone talks about time travel.

Thanks to Cody, for posting the placeholder.

SPOILER

As I was telling Matthew last night, don't worry, Season 5 will be here before you know it.

NY Mag reports a big spoiler and it has to do with baby-napping Kate and Angela's dad from My So-Called Life. I'm not gonna say anymore, but I'll leave you with the TWO MINUTE clip, that might just help you make it through this December.

Where Were They Then?: Evangeline Lilly AKA Kate

You know and love her each week as beautiful, tomboyish Kate. Once a con-artist/murderer, now just a kidnapper, she's stolen the hearts of most of the men on the island as well as many of us in the real world. Whether she's getting caught in a net or caught in the rain, she's always easy on the eyes.

Turns out she's also easy on the phone. Does anyone else remember these Livelinks commercials? Back in the good old days, when I had to be at work at 10am rather than 7:30, I'd end up spending many weeknights watching the late night talk shows. I remember these adds would come on during every commercial break for what seemed like years, including a few months after LOST aired and became a success. I imagine after awhile she somehow used her newfound position as one of primetime TV's leading ladies to convince Livelinks to stop using the adds, but thanks to the internet, we can still watch them. They're pretty terrible.


'tis the season: