cine + octo = boo

“What the ‘eff just happened here?”

The final episode has come and gone, and as expected it’s cracked the LOST fanbase right in half. The great polarization has impacted many, and even within the halls of Fanboy Planet the lines have already been drawn. I’m curious to get Lon’s take on the series and the final episode, although I believe the final outcome will be moot in the end. We’ll see.

I’m going to forego a detailed recap, but we did learn a few things. The sideways was nirvana, or the afterlife depending on where you stand spiritually. The whole series centered on Jack, his trials involved in accepting his role in a very important sequence of events, and his trouble letting go of things after the fact. It was the story of a group of people who came together to prevent the end of humanity, and how they met up after they died to reminisce and let go of the most import period of time in their existence.

Where the great divide is formed lies in one’s need for answers. The producers have long said that they would answer what needed to be answered, nothing more and nothing less. This doesn’t sit well with many folks, but what happened happened. Right?

The concept of the show is pretty interesting. It’s sort of like what would happen if Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, Chewy, R2, and C3PO met up in the afterlife, helped each other remember those times they stopped the Empire from destroying the galaxy, and then ultimately help each other let go of the things that bind them to their mortality, preventing them from becoming one with the force. This is a beautiful thing to contemplate, especially considering our own lack of understanding around our own individual existence, mortality, and what exists in the great beyond…unless you’re too busy asking questions like, “Why does the force exist?,” “Lightsabers, how do they work?,” or “Why are some people eligible to be Jedi while others aren’t?”

The dreaded midichlorian scenes in the prequel trilogy were written for those folks, and thankfully LOST never went there.

“What are the rules, exactly?”

Do we really need to know? There is enough evidence within the series to surmise what these rules are, how they were formed, and why they were formed. But do we need a numbered list of the rules? No.

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The one episode I’ve been looking forward to since we began this whole adventure, and I manage to forego the liveblogging. Disappointed? Sure. But in some ways this may be better. While the episode aired, I wasn’t sure what to make of each development, but the details completely engrossed me every step of the way. Looking back, it would’ve been nice to capture my immediate reactions to each twist, but it feels like this episode deserves a deeper look at things. So here we go, let’s dive in.

His name is Jacob.

We knew this, but what we didn’t know is that he didn’t arrive on the island alone. Across the Sea begins with Jacob’s mother landing on the island post-shipwreck. We witness her give birth to twin sons with the assistance of an unknown woman living on the island. She names one of the boys Jacob, and then subsequently meets her demise at the hands of her would-be protector. Jacob and the unnamed twin (dare I suggest, the Bad Twin?) are both raised by their mother’s murderer, and from that point on we come to know her only as “Mother.”

Is it any surprise that the tale of LOST begin with matricide? Considering the strong thematic loops of children with mommy complexes and daddy issues woven through each season? Let’s speak of weaving. The yarn that has been used to weave this tale all generates from the events that take place within the space of Across the Sea’s runtime.

Birth. Death. Faith. Science. The rules. Betrayal. The con. The guardian. Children with special powers. The candidates. The game.

All of these things, and many more, begin here. Did you miss them? Let’s run through some of the more subtle aspects of the episode.

The game.

One of the most damning complaints I read about this show is the supposed changing of rules “on a whim” from season to season. I hear this more often than I care to admit, and quite frankly the more I dive into why people feel this way, the more it becomes clear. They weren’t paying close enough attention.

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The LOST-pocalypse continues with a Hurley episode! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

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The LOST-pocalypse is poised to tell us Richard Alpert’s story! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

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Finally! The LOST-pocalypse brings us our first Ben episode! Tonight could promise to be huge!! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

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OK Go’s latest video, the second they’ve produced for their song “This Too Shall Pass” sparked this post. My wife was catching up on the goings on around the web this morning at breakfast, and despite having been sent the video 100 times I’d yet to actually watch it. Mind you, I’ve followed the backstory and was totally aware of the motivations behind the move by the band. I’d just neglected to actually sit down and watch the damn thing. It’s good, and I’ve embedded below for those who, like me, were somehow living under a rock all week.

The driving force behind this post was to discuss the band’s deft use of transparency to create viral videos, promote their work, and singlehandedly become a household name through the use of social media and the Interwebs. I’ll get to all of that, because it’s fun. But first, a primer.

Media companies typically wrestle with issues of transparency, and to say that they “don’t get it” is an understatement. There are exceptions to every rule, but most of these exceptions extend from businesses and brands whose core business is closely linked to their consumers and customer support. Before we dive into this, let’s take a look at some of the brands that have successfully jumped onto the transparency wagon in positive and impacting ways.

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It’s LOST-pocalypse night! Last week’s Lighthouse was (groan) illuminating. Tonight we’re treated to the title-loaded episode, Sundown. Let’s see if the ABC promos live up to their claims. Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

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The LOST-pocalypse train keeps on rolling! Last week we broke down the mind-bending episode, The Substitute. Tonight we’re on a West Coast delay (sorry, went to see Shutter Island and grab dinner with Dee), but I’m firing up the DVR and we’re hitting Lighthouse now. Here are the rules, the faux liveblog begins below:

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Onward with the LOST-pocalypse! The Substitute is spooling up, and here are the rules.

The live blog begins below:

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Tonight, the LOST-pocalypse continues! The episode on deck is What Kate Did. If you haven’t already, give my review of LA X a quick read, then head back over here tonight for the liveblog of What Kate Did. I’ve already gone over the rules, but give them another look when you get a minute.

The live blog begins below:

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