So, I’m a little torn on this episode. Perhaps the greatest episode (according to reviews) this season is the one that I hyped up more than I should have. We got a lot of answers, and a lot of Richard’s backstory, but what we got so little of, which is what I anticipated are island answers. We only really learned two things about the island in this episode. One, how the Black Rock came to be on the island and two, how the statue came crashing down. For all of Richard’s time on the island, we really don’t get much of his time working under Jacob. This episode is pretty much from his time off the island up until he is recruited by Jacob. And that’s where my disappointment really lies. We got to know Richard, but it’s not the Richard I wanted to know.

But despite all that, it was a fairly good episode (as I’m told). We learned a lot more about the MIB and Jacob who are again struggling for power. In this case, Richard is the prize and Jacob won out. After all, do you really want to join someone who wants you to kill a man?

I did forget to mention, though probably because this answer was less definitive than the ones I’ve already mentioned, but the island was revealed to be a cork. Jacob described it as wine in a wine bottle. Trapped is the wine, or evil, and the cork, the island, is what’s stopping the release. But I’ve come to question just how “evil” MIB is. He wants to kill Jacob, sure, but he has his reason. Jacob won’t let him go home, to somewhere off the island, but as long as Jacob is alive, he isn’t allowed to. And we’re led to believe that Jacob is the one that took away his body, so if he is this pure evil, Jacob seems to be the one that has created him.

That’s not to say that Jacob is necessarily evil. Together, both Jacob and MIB seem to be pretty chummy, despite the urge to one up each other.

But nothing can really be theorized while there are so many variables left unsolved. Who was the kid that MIB saw? A higher power? Who set these rules up that said MIB can’t kill Jacob? Is MIB telling the truth? Is Jacob telling the truth? Why can’t MIB leave the island? What is stopping him from doing so?

All this and more…on LOST.

Oh, and I decided not to spend more time recapping old episodes. But I will say that the episode Dr. Linus was AMAZING, with Michael Emerson giving an incredible performance as Ben.

Well damn, things never go as smoothly as I would like it to.

I switched hosts today, and while I already posted about it, troubles came up and that post is gone. Essentially, I made the switch from DreamHost to BlueHost since my time was coming to an end. Cost wise, BlueHost came out the winner. Compared to my original price of $10 for hosting, it’s a bit of a letdown, but hell, I’d have to pay up eventually if I wanted to keep my space. With how much I’m paying now ($89 a year), I’m going to have to force myself to post more and use up the storage space I’m given. On what? I don’t know. As per my Twitter, I question the cost versus the actual use. Sure, I could go back to Blogger, but I rather like the flexibility I have now. Plus, I feel more fancy with my own website, like I’m really, finally doing something important on the internet. Of course, that’s all smoke and mirrors, but I’ll take it.

So, hopefully no more problem arises, but who am I kidding? If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

While I gather my thoughts for the amazing Lost episode that aired tonight, here’s a new cool music video by Ok Go, the awesome band that brought such video hits as THIS and then one with 49 million views…THIS!

They’re music videos are always incredible and this one is no exception. While I prefer the song WTF? from their new album more, the video here is just amazing. Granted, I have a soft spot for the one take Rube Goldberg machines video. So much work goes into them that I’m amazed they managed to make it fit to their song. Can’t imagine how long it took to finally get it just right.

Well the game I’ve been waiting for since its tech demo nearly four years ago has finally released! The successor to Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain is a game that borderlines on the definition of “gaming.” I would consider this more of an interactive experience, rather than flat out call it a game, but nonetheless, it’s a damn fine piece of work.

It combines my two favorite hobbies, film and video games, into one glorious baby. You get the cinematic experience of storytelling, yet the outcomes of the events are in your hands and this is one game where the outcome can be drastically different depending on your choices. This is all done through quick time events, testing your reflex skills and how many buttons you can hold at once. Sure, it sounds a bit ridiculous, but when you’re in a fight or being chased, you start to confuse your right from left out of panic and next thing you know, you’re dead.

I just beat the game and while I wouldn’t call it a perfect game, I definitely got the Hollywood movie ending with all my characters still alive (and all of them CAN die). It was extremely satisfying to go through the game for the first time and take on the choices like there was no reset button. In comparison to a choice game like Mass Effect 2, the decisions you make affect the game in a much larger way.

But it’s really not fair to compare it to a game like Mass Effect. They are very different, especially when one is solely story-driven while the other has gameplay to take into account.

In terms of its story, this isn’t the perfect cinematic experience. There are plot holes galore and due to having to jump into the action, I felt that there wasn’t enough character development to justify some actions. And the kids in the game are frustratingly stupid. It’s a good enough story to keep you invested and willing to move forward, but there are just moments that really took me out of the game.

Overall though, it’s worth the admission price. Heavy Rain really can appeal to just about anyone if they give it a chance and go in knowing that they won’t be getting an action packed shooter. It’s a game that, like Indigo Prophecy, redefines what’s possible with the medium.

Oh my. The episode I don’t have time to look back on is the one that’s truly interesting. Along with last night’s episode, there is a lot to digest. Instead of recapping the episode which would lead me to ramble on and on, I’ll just touch on what I think are the most important aspects along with a theory or two.

THE CANDIDATES

Obviously one of the biggest things to come out of “The Substitute” episode is the idea of candidates. Sawyer and Flocke spend the whole episode journeying to a cave in which we finally, after a long hiatus, see the numbers play a semi-important role. Turns out, the numbers that Hurley are cursed by are numbers that label various members of everyone who, we can assume, has had interaction with the island. There are a lot of unknown names, but plenty of familiar ones and many of them are cross off because they’re dead.

These numbers appear again in the episode “The Lighthouse” as Hurley leads Jack to the one thing that could’ve answered a lot of questions had Jack not hulked out and destroyed the mirrors.  Damn you Jack! Beneath the mirrors is the very same set of numbers and names which seem to work like a compass. Of course, the only names not crossed out are the ones that are still alive. Jack, Sawyer, Kate (though not labeled as one of THE numbers), Hurley, the Kwons and Sayid.

According to Flocke, these represent people who are candidates to become the new leader of the island. Though obviously he can’t be trusted. While we don’t see it with Sawyer, we’ve heard from Claire that Flocke told her the Others abducted her baby. As we all know, not the case at all. One thing is for sure. Flocke is recruiting and if this show has taught me anything, it’s that people are manipulative bastards. Though I try not to take that thought process into the real world, Lost is one place where it’s very much relevant. Sawyer doesn’t want to lead the island, he wants off it. Claire wants her baby and she’ll do anything to get Aaron back. And Jin. Something tells me that Sun will be his motivation to do Flocke’s bidding.

So what have we learned? Well, not much really. The candidates still remain a mystery, but at least the pieces are finally connecting.

FATE VS. CHOICE

It’s fairly interesting that in last night’s episode, Jack had to figure out his purpose by himself. Jacob clearly said it. Dogan mentioned that Jack always had a choice to leave. Yet time and time again, we’ve seen that they’re here for a reason. The plane crashed with them on it. They traveled through time to possibly affect their own future. Their side flashes prove that they’re all interwoven in each other’s lives. Jacob knew Jack had to do it by himself and now we might see Jack take charge and start making real choices again. I really think that the whole idea of fate and free will is that fate can’t exist without free will. Jack needs to stop moping around and take action if he wants purpose in life. Waiting for the answer just isn’t going to cut it.

ADAM AND EVE

Hey! It’s them! Being back at the caves brings back some nice memories of the older days of Lost. Remember when the only question was what the hell is that smoke monster?

Hurley of course says what’s on all of our minds. What if they time travel again and they were staring at their own dead bodies? A sign that those theories are wrong? Probably. I hope that the bodies are not new characters but rather ones we already know. Perhaps one of the final shots of the series is how these bodies came to be? Seems like it could be a poetic throwback to the first season. But with a lack of time travel, they could be anyone. Rose and Bernard even since they haven’t resurfaced on the island as of yet.

THE MAN IN LOCKE/FLOCKE/SMOCKE

One of the bigger mysteries is who the fuck is this guy? A trapped prisoner? A balance of dark for light? In either case, he’s recruiting for something big. So far he has Sawyer, Claire, and there’s a good chance he’s making his way to the temple for Sayid and Miles.
He’s also being haunted by some blond kid who I hope to hell isn’t Aaron. If patterns are anything to go by, he used to care for this kid but at one point in time, the kid was killed and Flocke felt a lot of guilt for the death.

From this meeting with the kid, it proves that he’s bound to the rules like anyone else so there’s no way he’s the big bad. He’s possibly ONE of the baddies, but a small one compared to the one who enforces the rules. Another thing I’ve learned about Lost? The bad guy is never who you think it is, if there’s even one to begin with.

LOST

Yes, I probably skipped over some things that I wish I could just discuss in depth, but there is just too much to talk about. I haven’t even touched on how the side flashes will play in the greater scheme of things. At the end of the day, the only thing I can really do is just wait and see.