Thanks to our friends at MrMet.net for verbalizing this theory, and putting some things in perspective. We could argue that, as Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) says, “It worked,” because the hydrogen bomb may have actually saved the island by helping neutralize the electromagnetic energy beneath the Swan station. We could reasonably say that this was the incident Dr. Chang (Francois Chau) referred to in the Swan station video, causing them to need to press the button every 108 minutes. What may have caused the island to sink was drilling too deep into the wall containing the electromagnetic energy. Had Jack and the rest of the losties sat back in 1977 and done nothing, (more…)

This really gave Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) a great chance to shine in the season. Early on, Faraday stepped up, understanding the predicament and attempting to resolve it. He played a significant role not only in helping his friends survive the time shifts (for the most part…), but ultimately became the driving force for the finale’s events. Yup, it was he who showed up with the grand scheme of changing the past, despite his previous theory that whatever happened happened.

Granted, Faraday wasn’t the only character who stepped up this season. With some of the key leaders getting off the island, namely Jack, Kate, and Sayid (Naveen Andrews), those remaining looked to Sawyer…and he certainly stepped up.  Sure, Faraday put some logic to the time shifts, but Sawyer got his people safely into the Dharma Initiative. Sure, they were stuck in 1974, but what else were they supposed to do while (more…)

Not only does this season see a major divide in the principle cast, Jack (Matthew Fox) leading those who want to be rescued, and Locke (Terry O’Quinn) leading those who believe the freighter is there to harm them, and go into hiding back at the Others’ barracks. A chopper from the freighter arrives on the island introducing new characters to the fold that include mentally unstable physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies),  hot-headed paranormal medium Miles Straume (Ken Leung), mysterious archaeologist Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader), and conspiracy-theorist pilot Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey).

As the season’s events unfold, it is slowly revealed that Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Claire’s son Aaron make it home, dubbed the Oceanic Six. But the flash-forwards reveal that getting off the island is not the end of the story, and ultimately the characters realize that they need to go back to the island to save everyone they left behind. More importantly, it is revealed that the Oceanic Six have been living a lie since returning home, and this is all to protect those still on the island.

Throughout the short season, details are revealed about the freighter, mostly revolving around the fact that it belongs to Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), a character who has generally been linked to Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in flashbacks, but apparently Widmore has some sort of history with the island, making him far more integral to the overall story. Furthermore, season 4 hones in on a rivalry between Widmore and Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson). Widmore has sent the freighter not only to find (more…)

Meanwhile, back at the beach the rest of the survivors start living in a post-hatch world, since destroying it in season 2’s finale. Having turned the key that destroyed the hatch and releasing an electromagnetic energy, Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) plays a pivotal role throughout the season having visions of the future. In particular, these visions have to do with Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) dying, and while he consistently manages to save Charlie’s life, they both are forced to face the fact that no matter what they do, Charlie will die. This storyline is crucial to themes that come later on in seasons 4 and 5 about fate and destiny.

It’s also important to note that Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro) were introduced and subsequently killed off by mid-season, and are considered one of the worst decisions the writers ever made. They were introduced as a means of acknowledging that there were at least 30 or so other survivors in the background, and sort of flesh out what those other survivors have been up to all this time, while also bringing new faces into the fold, but something about them just didn’t quite fit. Most blamed the backlash due to the treatment of their introduction to the show as being too sudden, but I think it was more so that they simply were not given enough to do and therefore their presence as part of the cast seemed pointless.

There were certainly some standout episodes. Early in the season, an Eko-centric (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)episode focused on him confessing his sins, repenting for the things he had done, and essentially being judged by the smoke monster, something Ben would later do in season 5. Ultimately, he refuses (more…)

New characters are introduced when Michael (Harold Perrineau), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) wash ashore on the Tailies’ beach and trek across the island to reunite with the rest of the Oceanic 815 survivors. These new characters include Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), Libby (Cynthia Watros), and Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Unfortunately, these new introductions to the cast instigated the abrupt death of Shannon (Maggie Grace), when Ana Lucia mistakenly shoots her in the jungle. Bummer.

I can’t say I really liked Shannon, but in a lot of ways I felt she good have been really great had she stuck around. With so many characters having  long back stories, it would have been interesting to see a younger character on the show significantly grow and change in the context of the events, and the spoiled leggy blonde growing into a tougher and more useful character would have been a good opportunity for that.

Personal thoughts aside, Shannon’s death triggered a great deal of season 2 events. Ana Lucia spent much of the season as an outcast dealing with the blood on her hands.  And as for Sayid (Naveen Andrews), he grew into a darker (more…)

It’s in season 1 where Jack (Matthew Fox) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) first form their rivalry [mostly revolving around Kate (Evangeline Lilly)] yet also become reluctant allies. Similarly, Jack and Locke (Terry O’Quinn) emerge as leaders with distinctly different opinions on their survival. As for the other characters, they all deal with their respective problems and pasts, while also dealing with their new circumstances of survival. Kate is a fugitive trying to hide her past, Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) is a has-been rock star trying to (more…)

Is what one might call riding someone’s coat tails good game play? Hey, maybe it is. Natalie actually had a strong (more…)

In 2154, Earth has set up a military operation on the planet Pandora, hoping to use the planet for its resources and industrialize it. Their problem is the indigenous race called the Na’vi, who they have been unable to negotiate with or build any relationship with whatsoever. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a now paraplegic marine, arrives to replace his twin brother on a mission. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and the humans pioneered a way to harvest Na’vi bodies, avatars, compatible with a particular person’s DNA, so that person can get a full sensory link to their avatar and gain insight to the Na’vi. At first, Sully maintains loyalty to the gung-ho Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who is hellbent on finding weaknesses to the Na’vi and exterminating them, but as Sully spends more and more time learning from the Na’vi, particularly Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), he grows more sympathetic to their way of life.

Yes, this is absolutely a sci-fi epic, a fantasy, but what makes it so much more than that are the finer details. Avatar is 40% (more…)

A major problem with Battle Studies is the fact that it has a weak opening. The first two songs are slow and melodic and do nothing to pull the listener in. Referring to the 45 minute length of the album on his twitter account, Mayer said, “Hit ‘em hard and get out,” but he really does not live up to that. Similarly, the last few songs fall back into that slow, melodic sound that makes them fairly forgettable.

With the third track, “Half of My Heart,” a duet with Taylor Swift, the album gets a bit interesting and Mayer has more fun with it, rolling into the album’s first single, “Who Says,” a soft but strong and effective tune that takes the time to celebrate life a little bit. Ironically (more…)

While some view the admission of growing older in songs like “Speed of Sound” and “The End” as a red flag for retirement, it feels more like accepting the changing times and simply maturing. The band can still rock, there’s no doubt about that based on the first few tracks of album, and more proof of that is their recent show closing out the Wachovia Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia with a 41 song set list, but they transition into a softer, yet more uptempo sound with Backspacer. Vedder’s solo work on the Into the Wild soundtrack had a very folk-influenced sound, which may have in turn influenced a new direction for Pearl Jam as a whole.

There is far less brooding on this album, in fact, there is very little brooding on this album. Instead, Backspacer is more about being optimistic and hopeful, living and loving. Songs like “Just Breathe” and”The End” are actually somewhat passionate love songs, an interesting departure for the band, while songs like “Supersonic” profess a love for music. Granted, the band slows it down at times, but Backspacer strikes a balance between sentimentality and punk, maintaining its composure as a strong rock album with an ever-present rush of that rock n’ roll energy.

Backspacer was probably the most anticipated new album of the fall, and its great to see that it did not disappoint. It’s fast and brief, but it’s also a tightly knit and well-organized album that manages to have meaning for the band and move them in a refreshing direction. More than anything though, Backspacer is just a great rock record from a great rock band, and it’s encouraging and inspiring to see that nine albums later Pearl Jam hasn’t lost their touch.