Jacob's Foot: The Brig

THE 'LOST' EPISODE OF THE DAY

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The episode: The Brig

Original Airdate: May 2, 2007

Written By: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse

Directed By: Eric Laneuville

Content (from lostpedia.com/ABC Press Release): The Others offer Locke the chance to join them if he shows his commitment. Unable to do what they ask, Locke recruits Sawyer to do it for him. Meanwhile, Desmond questions whether or not the Flight 815 survivors trust Jack enough to tell him about the woman they saved.

Why It's Worth Re-Watching: This is one of the most underrated episodes of the series. I have very little evidence to prove it but whenever a LOST episode countdown is posted on a website, 'The Brig' is always ignored. Anywho, about the episode itself: this is the episode when the real Sawyer is killed by Sawyer, and Locke officially begins his journey to become the leader of The Others.

The number one reason to re-watch this episode is for the performance given by Josh Holloway. He absolutely owns the material Lindelof and Cuse wrote. This is an episode that resolves some major character conflict with Sawyer. The scenes between Sawyer and Locke's father are great especially with how Holloway plays Sawyer from slowly realizing who the man is that Locke brought here to his visceral reaction when Locke's father refuses to finish the letter. Sawyer, for those moments he's strangling Locke's father, reverts back to the man he was when he killed Duckett on a rainy night in Syndey, the man driven by revenge. My favorite part of this sequence is when it's all over, and Sawyer's kneeling on the Black Rock floor, visibly shaken and with tears in his eyes. When I first saw the episode, I wonder how this incident would change Sawyer because that reaction he had in The Black Rock, and then outside when he vomited.

The second biggest reason to re-watch this is for John Locke. We find out his issues with his father are what's preventing him from being able to ascend further on The Island, from becoming the leader of The Others. Richard tells Locke that his people had been waiting for Locke and were excited for him to come when they heard he was paralyzed and then able to walk once on this Island. Healing is prominent in this episode. Physical AND emotional healing. Ben credits Locke this: A week ago I couldn't move my toes. But the minute you showed up, I started to feel pins and needles. And this is only the beginning, John." Richard later tells Locke that Ben's doing what he's doing (specifically the execution of Locke's father in front of his people) only to humiliate Locke because he knew Locke wouldn't be able to do it. But then Richard tells Locke that Locke's father has to go, and that's where emotional healing comes in. Locke's been hurt far worse emotionally by his father than than 8 storey fall he took. Locke cannot assume leadership until he is healed as a whole. He cannot realize his potential, his specialness without being healed of the wounds created by his father.

Throughout the flashbacks with Ben and Locke, Ben's threatened leadership hovers above it all. It's clear when Richard tells Locke that Ben's been wasting their time with things like fertility problems and that they are looking for someone to remind them that they are here for more important reasons. This episode is also a set-up for the following episode, 'The Man Behind The Curtain,' in which we see what Ben does what he's really, really threatened. And these flashbacks feature some wonderful Locke/Ben scenes (as if Ben/Locke scenes could be anything but terrific). My favorite, in this episode, is when Ben uses 'Don't tell what I can't do' on Locke.

There's another great moment, in the teaser, when Locke burns the red folder that contains the history of James Ford. Symbolically freeing Sawyer from the past.

Sawyer is also given the tape recorder with the Others plans to raid camp but we find out later that Juliet ratted herself out.

As for the other happenings in the episode, word begins to spread around camp about the arrival of Naomi. No one wants to tell Jack because they don't trust him (Kate spills the beans to Jack though). Naomi basically tells the truth in this episode about the purpose of the Freighter except for a few tiny lies like she was hired by Penny Widmore and here to rescue Desmond when she was really hired by Charles Widmore with the purpose to extract one Benjamin Linus.

It's an absolutely terrific episode that's only justified by the viewing of it. I could write all I want but in the end you've just got to re-watch it. It's a powerful story. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wrote an absolute gem. John Bartley (the director of photography for this one) did a tremendous job. The episode is beautiful looking. Laneuville did one heck of a job helming the shoot.

And now, just for fun, here's what I originally wrote about this episode on May 2, 2007 (complete with original power rankings by me and STEVE!)

May 3, 2007 3:01pm

Well, LOST continues to knock it out of the park week after week. What a rebound from season two. I'm so pleased. Josh Holloway knocked it out of the park in "The Brig". I didn't know he had it in him, but damn. What a performance! Locke's Dad is dead, who is also the real Sawyer. I think many people saw that coming since episode 18 in season 1 when we're introduced to Anthony Cooper. Lindelof and Cuse wrote a gem. I encourage all fans of LOST reading this to listen to the official LOST podcast. It's entertaining and informative. But back to the episode: a lot happened. Sayid got the radio from Naomi, Kate told Jack and Juliet about Naomi, Sawyer faced off with his personal devil, Rousseau got a whole lot dynamite, Jack and Juliet know something and are not telling Kate, Locke went to find Ben and the Others, The losties do not trust Jack, they are still "dead", Sawyer has the tape recorder. Did I cover everything? 5/5.

Now for the power rankings. There's some movement in me and Steve's list. Ben has dropped to 12 on Steve's and 13 on mine. Jack replaced Kate in steve's top five. Other movements: Claire is at 9, Sun is 10, Charlie's 11, and Rousseau is 12 on mine. On Steve's, Rousseau jumped to 8. Claire is at 10 and Sun is 11. No change in my top five.

Steve’s 5/2/07

1. Sayid

2. Locke

3. Sawyer

4. Desmond

5. Jack

6. Kate

7. Jin

8. Rousseau

9. Hurley

10. Claire

11. Sun

12. Ben

13. Tom

14. Juliet

15. Charlie

16. Aaron

As of 11:25 PM 5/02--Chris

1. Sayid

2. Desmond

3. Kate

4. Sawyer

5. Jack

6. Locke

7. Jin

8. Hurley

9. Claire

10. Sun

11. Charlie

12. Rousseau

13. Ben

14. Juliet

15. Tom

16. Aaron



The full episode can be found here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/90215/lost-the-brig#s-p1-n3-so-i0

Jacob's Foot: Cabin Fever

Before I dive into 'Cabin Fever,' I'd like to congratulate Michael Emerson on his Emmy win for Best Supporting Actor. Emerson had, in my opinion, his best season on LOST during its fifth season (as I've written in the past). I was thrilled week after week with how Emerson portrayed Ben in what was a transition season for the character. I've written it before but I'll write it again: he knocked the scene with Jacob out of the park. Today's LOST episodes deals with the beginning of the transition for Ben Linus and there will be more praise for Emerson to come.

THE 'LOST' EPISODE OF THE DAY

The episode: Cabin Fever

Original Airdate: May 8, 2008

Written By: Elizabeth Sarnoff & Kyle Pennington

Directed By: Paul Edwards

Content: Locke, Hurley, and Ben trek through the jungle in search of Jacob's cabin and answers, while tensions run high aboard the Kahana as Keamy prepares to return to the Island. Flashbacks reveal a lifelong connection between Locke's destiny and the Island.

Why It's Worth Re-Watching: This is one of the most important episodes to re-watch prior to the premiere of season six in January. Where do I begin? Hm. Let's start with the Cabin scene.

Locke, Ben, and Hurley are trekking through the jungle to find Jacob's cabin. While searching, Locke has a dream. In this dream, he meets Horace Goodspeed in the jungle as Horace is building a cabin for his wife. Horace tells Locke that 'Jacob has been waiting for him for a real long time.' When Locke does find the cabin, it's creepy. It's even creepier, weirder, and odder with what has happened in 'The Incident.' We know from Alana that Jacob had not been to the cabin in a long, long time. I originally wrote that the cabin scene was creepy. I still can't pinpoint what exactly went on in there. We have no idea why Claire was there. One can speculate thanks to that teaser in 'The Incident.' But this cabin scene has to be a key event in the mythology of the show as well as the character arc for John locke. And another interesting thing to note is the difference between the cabin scene from The Man Behind The Curtain and Cabin Fever is how Ben was completely abandoned and forced to talk to an empty chair while Locke was met with destiny and fate.

Speaking of John Locke, I've written before about the tragic circumstances of his life. I compared him to a James Joyce character, Mr. Duffy, in my Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham recap. He led a sad, disappointing life until he got to the Island. And he is eventually is killed while trying to save The Island. An interesting thing to note about 'Cabin Fever' is the theme of Locke's specialness, his destiny with The Island. He survived a pre-mature birth, a fall out of an 8 story building (I think Jacob saved his life that day by his touch) and then there are two scenes with Ben that take on a whole new meaning given the events of season five. These scenes involve the concept of destiny. Ben warns Locke about destiny, about it's fickleness. Ben also accepts his destiny, that it was his destiny to have his daughter's blood on his hands and to have cancer: "Those things had to happen to me. That was my destiny. But you'll understand soon enough that there are consequences to being chosen... because, destiny, John, is a fickle bitch."

And then we've seen for four seasons the specialness of Locke, his communion with The Island. He knew when it was going to rain and when it was going to stop. If there's one character I thought that could defy death because of The Island, that character's John Locke. I wrote and wrote and wrote about it during the fifth season. I was so taken by that idea of the resurrected John Locke. When I saw him fall out of the makeshift, airplane coffin, I literally gasped. I did not see that coming. So, re-watching this episode, I'm even more intrigued about the story of John Locke. I doubt it's done. Anywho, this episode really sets-up the heroic John Locke of season five and his leadership over The Others (Richard even tells John that he's the one back in season 3's The Brig). This episode reveals who gave Locke the idea of Walkabout (mr. Abbadon himself). This episode also features a flashback appearance from Richard Alpert. His appearance is explained in 'Jughead.'

Speaking of Richard, in the podcast before this episode aired (the Mothers day one with Mrs. Cuse and Mrs. Lindelof talking to their sons), Damon mentioned that the search for the Dalai Lama inspired some of this episode and related it to the character of Locke. Well, Richard adopts this Buddhist search when with a young Locke. Here's how the Dalai Lama is found:

"'Whenever a Dalai Lama dies, a search is begun for his new incarnation. Signs are examined. The State Oracle is questioned. Then a search is begun in the area indicated. Once a likely candidate is found, possessions of the former Dalai Lama are presented to him, along with items that didn't belong to the former Dalai Lama, to see if he recognizes the Dalai Lama's actual possessions. If so, the boy is recognized as the Dalai Lama's new incarnation and trained to resume his position."

Richard lays out a compass, a comic book, the "Book of Laws,' a small container containing granules, a knife, and a baseball glove and asks Locke which of these items belongs to him already. Locke fails this test but is then inquired about by Richard while in high school. Once again, that theme of destiny and fate is present.

As for the other parts of this episode, this is the last time we see Claire. Keamy and crew are preparing to torch The Island. And Hurley and Ben share a candy bar (one of the greatest scenes in LOST).



Overall, this is a fantastic episode. It has great Locke/Ben exchanges, good comic relief from Hurley, and some badass Freighter action. You've absolutely got to re-watch this episode before the sixth season gets going in January.

Jacob's Foot: The Fifth Birthday of LOST!

Today is a day of celebration, friends! Today marks the five year anniversary of the series premiere of LOST on ABC (it's birthday!).

Little did I know the show would blow my mind the way it did. I mean, I expected it to be good because of David Fury's involvement but then the show just surpassed my wildest dreams and has become my favorite show of all-time. Two years ago, Damon Lindelof and Carlton marked the occasion with a special podcast. This year, LOST University opened on lostuniversity.com. And yes, I was accepted and did extremely well on the placement test. The test lauded my extensive LOST knowledge and I tested out of LOST 101. I printed out my ID card as well. I think this is awesome. I feel like a kid in a candy store with anything LOST.

Anywho, as today is a special day in the history of LOST, there is going to be something different. And no, it does not mean I will blowhard more than usual. I feel like a day like today is best celebrated by embedding various scenes from the show. The videos are of some of my favorite scenes from the series. It's a sampling. Each scene I chose means quite a bit to me. I would've liked to have represented every episode but I wasn't able to but there's a good variety of scenes from seasons 1-5. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will remember why this series is as beloved and special as it is, and why it's the best television drama ever created and produced. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOST!Here GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Plane Crash



The Ending of Walkabout



Claire's Scenes from White Rabbit



The Ending of Deux Ex Machina



The Teaser of "Man of Science, Man of Faith"



Desmond Calls Penelope in "The Constant



Ana Lucia Cries for the First Time in 40 Days



The First Appearance of The Whispers



The End of Raised By Another



The End of The 23rd Psalm



Live Together, Die Alone (White Rabbit)



The Final Scene of Through The Looking Glass



Ms. Hawking and Desmond in Flashes Before Your Eyes



Deleted Scene from Further Instructions



Locke's Vision from Further Instructions



Shannon & Walt--Exodus Part 1



Memorial Service led by Claire Walkabout



Claire Apologizes to Her Mother Par Avion



Locke's Island Tour of Blowing Things Up (Submarine) The Man From Tallahasse



Locke and Ben's conversation in The Man From Tallahassee



"'You've got work to do"



Sawyer Kills Locke's Father The Brig



Sawyer Kills Tom Through The Looking Glass



Golf Solitary



Charlie Dies in Greatest Hits



Confirmed Dead



Nikki and Paulo Buried Alive Expose



Michael & Tom in Meet Kevin Johnson



The Smoke Monster The Shape of Things to Come



Jack & Locke There's No Place Like Home (goodness gracious what a scene this is!)



The Man Behind The Curtain (Lost On Location)



Michael Shoots Ana-Lucia and Libby



Jin and The Freighter There's No Place Like Home



Final Jack Flashback A Tale of Two Cities



Hurley and Charlie Fish Walkabout



Charlie Covers For Desmond and sings "You All Everybody" Greatest Hits



Jack Saves Charlie All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues



Hurley & Sawyer & Banish



Sawyer & Christian in the Bar Outlaws



Locke & Christian Cabin Fever



Jack & Locke Orientation



Mikahil, Sayid, and Kate Enter 77



Sayid Shoots Ben He's Our You



Ben & Hurley The Lie



Hurley & Dr. Chang Some Like It Hoth



Sayid & Nadia Reunite There's No Place Like Home



Jack and Sawyer Fight The Incident



Sawyer & Horace LaFleur



Juliet & Sawyer LaFleur



Eko's Death in The Cost of Living



Ben Is Judged in Dead Is Dead



The Teaser of "The Incident"



Ben Kills Jacob The Incident



The End of Exodus Part 2

Jacob's Foot: Exodus Part 1

THE 'LOST' EPISODE OF THE DAY

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The episode: Exodus Part 1

Original Airdate: May 18, 2005

Written By: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse

Directed By: Jack Bender

Content (from lostpedia.com): Rousseau arrives at the camp with the warning that the Others are coming, meaning that everyone is in danger. To protect the group, Rousseau leads Jack and a team of survivors to the Black Rock, where there is dynamite. Jack hopes that with it they can blow open the Hatch door, and hide inside until the threat passes. Back at the camp, the survivors prepare the raft for launching.

Why It's Worth Re-Watching: It's the first part of the first epic season finale LOST would throw at their viewers. Little did the audience know what a shocking cliffhanger the writers had in store. The first part has a nice balance of hope and dread. Hope because the raft takes off and dread because the black smoke that supposedly is a war signal by the Others (according to Rousseau) can be seen. Here's a few words that should further your desire to re-watch it: Black Rock, Montand and his arm, the dark territory, etc. Yes! The Black Rock is finally seen for the first time after being discussed in earlier episodes. As fun as the trip to the Black Rock is with Hurley, Jack, Kate, Rousseau, and Arzt, the gem of this episode is preparing the raft to launch and the character moments. The best scene in the episode is when the raft actually launches because of the emotion of it and the musical score that Michael Giacchino composed but there are ton of magnificent scenes like the Sun/Jin reconciliation, Sawyer's story that he tells Jack involving Jack's father, Walt giving Vincent to Shannon, etc. I won't write too much more. It's just a fantastic character episode. The episode is one I'd point to when explaining why I think this show is the best show of all-time. Below are two YouTube videos. One is the raft launch and the other is a deleted scene from the Exodus finale. Grab a kleenex box for the raft launch.

Jacob's Foot: Mysteries of the Universe Part 3

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The Mysteries of The Universe Part 3

Well, nothing to write home about in this one. If you're new to this blog, the Mysteries of the Universe is a continuing web series from the LOST crew. It's a faux-Primetime production about the Dharma Intiviative.

In this third one, the church is brought up. Yes, the church that Ms. Hawking is using. It's the only off-Island Dharma station that we know of thus far. The station name is The Lamp Post. The station is used to find The Island's location (all of this is revealed in the season five episode '316'). Anywho, none of what I just mentioned is included in part 3 of Mysteries of The Universe. The church is revealed to be owned by different persons entirely. The church isn't owned by itself. What is found in the church are tools for zoo, Electromagnetic and Tesla coils, ammunition, animal care supplies, etc.

A behaviorial psychologist is interviewed because Dhrama interviewed him about drugs, side effects, every aspect of his research and the company he worked for's research. The investigation believes they were looking into brainwashing. The psychologist felt it was a cult (not religious) and that they were not humanitarian at all. The investigation also found financial records that would allow an entirely colony of people to be supported.

I've enjoyed the first three parts. From what we saw in season five, the Dharma is darker than they let on. The Swan was a highly secretive operation if you recall. I'm mostly interested in what the conclusion will be for these webisodes as I think the end might have something to do with season six. There's no way Dharma is done. The conclusion won't be insane because Lindelof and Cuse won't even include The Mysteries of The Universe in the official canon of the show but I think it'll be good. There are things that you can glean from online world of LOST.

Part 3 also has some stuff on the sub. Mostly questions about why they need the sub, possible Dharma ties to the black market and such. Another cool thing (on hulu.com) is that wherever you live in the country, your local ABC logo will appear during the webisode. the video from youtube does not have Philadelphia's Action News logo but I'll still embed it.

Here's the episode:

Jacob's Foot: Born To Run

THE 'LOST' EPISODE OF THE DAY









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The episode: Born To Run

Original Airdate: May 11, 2005

Written By: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (Story by Javier Grillo-Marxuach)

Directed By: Tucker Gates

Content (from original ABC.com press release/lostpedia): With news that the raft must leave at once to avoid changing winds, Kate decides that she needs to be one of the passengers, attempting to steal Sawyer's spot. Meanwhile, suspicion abounds after Michael's drinking water is tampered with. Flashbacks in this episode focus on Kate reuniting with Tom after learning about her mother having cancer.

Why It's Worth Re-Watching: This episode is a Kate episode but there are a few more interesting things that aren't related to Kate that occur in this episode. The John Locke vs. Jack Shepherd gains more speed in this. This episode occurs a few days after the death of Boone, and Locke lying to Jack about how the accident happened, which made Jack treat Boone wrongly. One of my favorite lines in this episode is when Jack says simply to Locke, "Discretion, John" in response to why he kept Kate's secret a secret. Hurley spills the secret and then drops the hilarious tidbit that Steve didn't know about the polar bear.

That exchange is preceded by a great exchange after Jack finds out about the Hatch. Jack's mad because Locke's been digging for 3 weeks and hasn't said a thing. Locke responds with, "All due respect, Jack, since when do I report to you?" Jack responds with the fact that John lied. Locke follows that up with Jack keeping the guns a secret and then says 'You used your best discretion and I used mine.' Jack, as described above, throws discretion back at Locke. It's fantastic. The second best dynamic on the show (Ben and Locke are 1).

Another great part of this episode is the Walt/Locke scene in which Walt warns Locke to not open that thing (The Hatch). The most interesting part of this is how Walt becomes aware of it: Locke touches his arm. Now, I can blowhard about this scene until the winter solstice to be honest. I won't though. I will write simply that Walt didn't even understand why he wanted Locke to not open the Hatch but he also, somehow in someway, knew what would eventually happen in that Hatch that would get him off of the Island. I write this only with the knowledge of what happens afterwards. Near the end of the episode, when Walt admits to Michael that he lit the raft on fire because he didn't want to leave, and then tells his dad that they have to leave adds a new wrinkle to possible foreshadow. To go back to the surface meaning, this scene with Locke exists to up the dramatic tension as the finale began the following week. Sayid is also very cautious to open the Hatch and admits that he brought Jack in hopes that he would assist him in talking Locke out of opening it up. The Hatch in season one was fascinating.

I'd be mad at myself if I didn't mention a delightful scene between Claire and Charlie. She's cutting his hair and he's writing music (track two is titled 'Monster Eats The Pilot'). It's a simple scene. Charlie tells Claire that she and Turnip Head can stay with him in Los Angeles when they are rescued (the hope of the Raft remember (many things going in this episode and I haven't even touched the A story)). Emilie's incredibly sweet in this scene.

As for Kate, her flashback revolves around her mother and also connects the dots with episode 12 of this season (Whatever The Case May Be). The significance of the plane is tied with her lifelong friend Tom (who Kate felt was the love of her life).



This episode is my favorite of Kate's season one episodes. I was moved by her story with Tom. I think the scene when they dig up the time-capsule is great. Tom stays with her until he dies. He stayed with her when they were kids and she was shoplifting from the store (when she met Jacob for the first time). There's a tape the two of them recorded that they listen to (before she kisses him) in which she talks about running away (a hint is given about why she wants to runaway which is delved into more in her season two episode). I'd be remiss if I didn't mention why she meets up with Tom. He is a doctor at the hospital her mother's at (she has cancer). The scene with Kate's mothers heightens the-need-to-know regarding Kate's crime and why she's a fugitive.

The On-Island mystery this episode revolves around Michael's poisoning. I won't spoil it for any one reading who would like to watch the episode but the poisoning leads to a significant event: the outing of Kate as a fugitive. Sawyer outs her after she tells him she'll get his spot if she wants it. The poisoning also reveals Jack's sort of mistrust with Kate, telling her that he doesn't know what she's capable of after she seems offended that he thinks she'd be capable of poisoning Michael.

I've also got to mention Dr. Arzt's terrible prediciton about monsoon season. That's revisted later on in the series. Oh, Arzt.

There's a whole lot going on in this episode. There's preliminary set-up for season two, there's set-up for the finale, there's set-up for future Kate flashbacks, mystery about the hatch grows, etc. It's a good episode. Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz wrote the teleplay for the episode (that duo has been dominating the episodes of the day. it likes every other episode i choose is written by them. quality writers they are). LOST alum Javier Grillo-Marxuach wrote the story for the episode (always liked Javier). Buffy Directing Alum Tucker Gates directed it.

Thoughts on the newest Mysteries of The Universe will be up tomorrow afternoon. Watch Born To Run right here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/86577/lost-born-to-run#s-p1-n1-so-i0

Jacob's Foot: Lockdown!

THE LOST EPISODE OF THE DAY

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The episode: Lockdown

Original Airdate: March 29, 2006

Written By: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof

Directed By: Stephen Williams

Content (from ABC.com press release/lostpedia): Locke finds himself trapped in the Swan during a resupply lockdown, forcing him to rely on Henry Gale for help. Out in the jungle, Ana Lucia, Sayid, and Charlie search for the balloon which would prove Henry's alibi.

Why It's Worth Re-Watching: The best part about this episode is the Locke/Ben interactions. It is the first episode in which main story revolves around these two characters. This episode is also great to watch with the knowledge of what happened in 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham' from this past season. In 'Lockdown,' Ben saves his life, and as we later find out, Ben was traveling to bring Locke to The Others. Locke's communion with The Island, his specialness are what makes Locke a deep threat to Ben as the series unfolds, and in 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,' Ben ends Locke's life.

Another interesting thing to note: when Locke is trapped under the door, he sends Ben to put the numbers into the computer and press the button. The Hatch briefly goes haywire and then goes back to normal. Ben doesn't return immediately (in this episode, as you read in the content, finding out whether Ben is an Other or not is big so the viewer doesn't know what to think when Ben disappears). Ben does return and tells Locke that he didn't press anything: " I did what you told me to. I punched in the code and pressed the execute button, but nothing happened other than that clock flipping back. I was climbing back into the vent when the lights went out. 10 seconds later the doors went up. I didn't do anything." His purpose was to break John's spirit (which he did). In 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,' Ben fills Locke's life with purpose and meaning, telling Locke that Locke has no idea how important he is. And then he kills him. The parallels fit into the 'season five is mirroring season two' that Lindelof and Cuse have spoken about. This episode is totally worth the re-watch for Ben/Locke.

As for the other happenings in the episode, Jack and Sawyer play a poker for fruit and meds. Locke loses Helen in this episode (Helen comes back in The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham) because of his father (I addressed this in the original recap for The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham which can be accessed in the archives of Jacob's Foot). The Dharma Food Drops occur in this episode (which is why the lockdown takes places). These food drops are directly related to time-travel (as is the radio feed Sayid and Hurley pick up in another season two episode). Also, this episode is the episode with the blast door map in which Smokey is deemed Cerberus by Radzinsky (something I addressed in a past Jacob's Foot posting (it's a rant be warned)).

It's a terrific episode written by the kings of LOST Mr. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The always excellent Stephen Williams directed it. Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson were both fantastic. Here's a video from Lockdown (part two has lousy sound sync):



The full episode is on hulu.com/lost along with a whole bunch of other LOST episodes.

Jacob's Foot: Special

Since it’s been a week and I haven’t posted any new episodes of the day or, any content at all for that matter, you’re going to get four straight episodes of the day this week beginning right now.

THE ‘LOST’ EPISODE OF THE DAY!

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The episode: Special

Original Airdate: January 19, 2005

Written By: David Fury

Directed By: Greg Yaitanes

Content (from ABC.com/Lostpedia): Michael becomes extremely angry/jealous at Walt's friendship with Locke, leading to tension between father and son. Michael also decides that he needs to get his son off the Island, and proposes constructing a raft. Flashbacks in this episode center around Michael and Walt's first meeting after 10 years without seeing each other.

Why It’s Worth Re-Watching: This is a Michael and Walt episode. We see how Walt’s mother, Susan, tore Walt from Michael. The letters Michael sent to Walt were never given to Walt. When Michael was in the hospital because he was hit by a car, Susan visits to tell him that she’ll be marrying Brian, and that Brian wants to adopt Walt. She is nice enough to tell Michael that she’ll be covering his medical costs. An important part of this episode is Michael’s unconditional love for his kid and it’s important episode for the arc of Michael and Walt during season one which was whether or not they could come together as father and son. This episode deals with the troubled relationship between the two thanks to Susan’s actions. It isn’t until her death and Brian not wanting Walt that Michael gets Walt.

The reason why Brian does not want Walt is because of Walt’s specialness. Brian begins to believe that Walt is different when a bird crashes into a window (more of this bird mojo Walt has can be seen in the webisode ‘Room 23’). There used to be theories about Walt being responsible for the Polar Bears. Oh, LOST theorizers. Anywho, the relationship between Michael and Walt is frosty at best in the beginning. My favorite part of the scene when Michael and Walt are reunited after 10 years is when Michael gives Vincent to Walt even though Brian owns Vincent.

Locke does and doesn’t help father/son relations on the Island. Earlier in the season, Michael told Walt to stay away from Locke but then Locke found Vincent. In this episode, Michael tells Locke to stay away from his kid when he finds Locke (with Boone) teaching Walt how to throw knives. Walt gets angry with Michael and eventually runs off and is cornered by a polar bear. Locke saves the day.

The main reason to re-watch this episode, main plot wise, is to simply remember that once upon a time Walt’s specialness was an important part of the show. Some fans have accused Damon and Carlton of forgetting about him. I’ll disagree. He saves Locke’s life after being shot by Ben (I don’t think the manifestation of Walt is Smokey) in season three. It’s a major event in the LOST story as it ultimately leads to Locke’s death. I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of Walt.

As for the B story, it involves Charlie and Claire’s diary. It’s a favorite of mine. Charlie ends up finding Claire’s diary. Before that, he tells Kate that he feels like bits of him are crumbling without her. You see, if Charlie was still alive, he’d be all over the ‘find Claire’ mission that no one thought to do in season five but I digress. My favorite part of the Charlie/Claire’s diary story is when he mulls over whether to read or not.

Also, Locke ends up finding Claire while searching for Vincent.

Overall, it’s a good episode. Buffy and ANGEL alum David Fury wrote the script. The episode in its entirety is here