RIP Daniel Faraday

Oh. My. God. They killed Faraday.

Discuss.

Doc Jensen previews 'The Variable'

Tonight's Lost episode, "The Variable," is touted as a sort of companion piece to last season's time-travel classic, "The Constant." But instead of focusing on Desmond and Penny, this ep focuses on Daniel Faraday, his backstory and the people closest to him.

Over on EW.com, Doc Jensen has some intriguing ideas about what we might expect from "The Variable," as well as more theories about Dr. Pierre Chang and son Miles, the building of the Swan hatch, Dharma founders Gerald and Karen DeGroot, and more.

And don't forget to watch the new "Totally Lost" video, in which (if you are quick with the pause button) you can glimpse this week's teasers from Lost's showrunners. Most intriguing among them: "The inscription will change everything."

PS: Don't forget! If you're recording Lost tonight, be sure to set your DVR or VCR to run well over the usual time, as a presidential speech scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT may cause ABC's prime-time programming to run late.

Video sneak peaks of "The Variable"

Here are three videos from the upcoming episode "The Variable."

Obviously, these are spoilers, but I'm guess that they don't give away too much of what will happen in the rest of the show.

There are no major spoilers like who dies in these videos. They're simply promotional material for the show.

You so know that Carlton and Damon wouldn't let major stuff out there on video.

Make sure you record Lost longer than usual this week

The President is speaking right before Lost on Wednesday.

It could go long, so make sure you tack on extra time at the end just in case.

Thanks for the heads up from Watch With Kristin at E!Online. If you forget, the show will be on ABC's website the next morning.

Lost showrunners answer 10 reader questions

NO spoilers.

The Lost showrunners, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, answered 10 questions from readers.

Twenty question were submitted and they answered 10 (as previously agreed). Here are the questions they didn't answer.

What questions would you ask Cuse and Lindelof?

More thoughts on Lost from Doc Jensen as we wait out this one-week break

More theories from Doc Jensen on what's happening on Lost.

He makes some corrections to past comment and gives us new fodder to think about during this tiny hiatus.

Rumor has it that next week's episode, ''The Variable,'' represents a bookend to last year's classic and similarly high science-titled outing, ''The Constant,'' which gave us time-travel guru Daniel Faraday counseling time-traveling Desmond on how to do the time warp shuffle without causing his brain to melt out his nose. ''The Constant'' was one of the most romantic episodes of Lost ever — but since a variable is the exact opposite of a constant, does that mean we're about to get served with one of Lost's bleakest installments?

Lawsuit accuses Henry Ian Cusick of sexual harassment

Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond, was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit.

According to the Associated Press, a lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles alleges that Cusick fondled the plaintiff's buttocks and breasts and kissed her on the lips while working on Lost in October 2007.

The woman, who was a production crew member at the time, claims she reported the incident to her supervisor, only to be told to avoid contact with Cusick.

Twelve days later, the lawsuit claims, the woman was fired in retaliation for reporting the alleged abuse.

How Doc Jensen is coping during a week without Lost

You're missing our show, aren't you?

So is our favorite Lost therorizer Doc Jensen.

Here's how he's coping.

Want to know who dies in Wednesday's episode? Highlight the white space between the brackets

Holy crap!

That majorish death we've been telling you about is coming Wednesday.

But just in case you accidently see this spoiler, we've put the writing in white. To see it, highhight the whitespace between the brackets.

Do you really want to know? [Yes, Faraday is the son of Widmore & Eloise. Faraday arrives back to the island by sub. He tries to get Chang to evacuate the island by telling him the truth about the island and Miles. He ventures into the Other's camp to talk to his mother who shoots and kills him prior to talking to him. Eloise is not portrayed as a villain because she doesn't know (at the time she kills Faraday) he's her son. She learns of his plans through Jack and Kate, and tries to see them through with the help of Richard.]

Courtesy of Lost Spoilers.

Spoilers for what's to come in season 5

Michael Ausiellio over at Entertainment Weekly has been reporting for some time that we're to expect a major death and a majorish death.

Well, now that he knows the majorish death, he says it's less ish that he thought.

No surprise: ABC renews Lost

We already know that we're graced with one more season of Lost.

But today, ABC made it official by renewing Lost for one more season.

It's clip-show week on LOST...

Squeeee! Are you kids all excited about tonight's new episode of Lost?!

Well, you can relax for a week. Tonight at 8 p.m. (CDT), all you get is "Lost: The Story of the Oceanic Six," which in no way makes up for the lack of a new episode. But we'll let it pass, on the grounds that Team Darlton's hard at work on editing the two-hour finale (comprising the 16th and 17th hour-long episodes of Season 5).

Tonight's "Story of the Oceanic Six" is basically a recap of this season and major events leading up to it. But you never know; maybe the producers will drop in a new nugget of tantalizing info, here and there. I always DVR these clip shows and end up watching them just because, well, any Lost is better than no Lost.

Now.... beware... SPOILERS AHEAD!!

DO NOT scroll down unless you want to know more about the last few episodes of Season 5, such as their titles and what their plots supposedly address.

Are you sure you want to know more about the episodes?

OK, for those who really do want to know:

April 29th: "The Variable," in which, ABC says: "Jack and Kate find themselves at odds over the direction to take to save their fellow island survivors, Locke further solidifies his stance as leader of the Others, and Sawyer and Juliet come under scrutiny from the Dharma Initiative." But for fans of Jeremy Davies, the big news is that we finally get a Daniel Faraday-centric episode, and he supposedly will tell what he knows about the Island and the Dharma Initiative. This one also is Lost's 100th episode, btw.

May 6th: "Follow the Leader," an episode that fansite Lost.about.com says is going to center upon that most mysterious Other, the ageless [and gorgeous] Richard Alpert, played by Nestor Carbonell.

And on May 13: "The Incident," the Season 5 two-hour finale, which (speculation goes) will show us the heretofore enigmatic "incident" that Pierre Chang referred to in the Swan station's Orientation video -- the presumed disaster that resulted in someone having to enter the Numbers and push that button every 108 minutes. Will our Lostaways try to prevent "the incident" from happening? Will they inadvertently cause it to happen?

Recapping "Some Like it Hoth"

You already have an opinion about last night's show. Check out these recaps and reviews for insight into what happened and what it means to the larger themes of the show.

Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly.

Watch with Kristin at E!Online

The Washington Post.

What did you love? Hate?

Why does everyone on this show have daddy issues?

What did you think of "Some Like it Hoth?"

What did you think?

Post your thoughts in comments.

Sneak peaks for "Some Like It Hoth"

SPOILER ONLY IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN WEDNESDAY'S EPISODE

Check out sneak peak videos of tonight's episode, courtest of Watch With Kristin at E!Online.

Previewing tonights show

Tonight we focus on Miles (aka "I hear dead people"). Check out Doc Jensen's required reading before the show. OK, It's not really required, but it is always interesting.

Will we learn the origin of his powers? Will we learn why his parents gave him a name that sounds like ''maelstrom,'' a Nordic term for 'whirlpool?'' Will we learn why he's such a Mr. Snarky Cranky Pants? Recall earlier this season how Daniel Faraday wondered if his freaky freighter friend had been to the Island before; might Miles be Pierre Chang's infant child all grown up? If so, did Young Master Sixth Sense spend any time in Room 23, à la Walt? FUN FACT FROM THE WORLD OF CONSPIRACY THEORY LORE! Time-traveling Miles is currently parked in 1977 — the same year that the Senate conducted an investigation into a secret CIA project called MKULTRA, which conducted research into brainwashing, mind-control, and even psychic powers. Heavy drugs were involved. And allegedly kids were used as test subjects. Very Room 23, if you ask me.

Hmmm... Any Alias fans out there? Remember Project Christmas Tree? Alias was another JJ Abrams show.

Are we going to learn more about Smokey?

Watch with Kristin at E!Online gives us some SLIGHT SPOILERS for an epsiode airing at the end of April.

Mrs. Hawking and Daniel Faraday are both coming back for "The Variable" on April 29 (which just so happens to be the series' 100th ep). Also present are Penny and Charles Widmore and Charlie Hume (not to be confused with Charlie Pace).

As for the variable itself, it will almost certainly tie back to the equations and notations from the blast-door map we saw in season two, which included such bon mots as "Geological composition likely to cause magnetic disturbances/interference with weather project," "Primary nexus of Cerberus-related activity" and the infamous Valenzetti equation. Come on, who else wants a monster-centric ep? Remember, the only rule about flashbacks is that there are no rules.

Before the end of the season, Smokey is totally gonna get himself some backstory!

Recapping 'Dead is Dead'

Check out what EW's Doc Jensen thought of the episode.

certain to be hailed as one of the season’s best episodes (marred only by some really bad hair pieces)

And, Watch With Kristin.

Ben has a moral code, it turns out. He respects the sanctity of childhood and draws the line at killing or endangering kiddos. Baby Ben the battered child grew up to break the cycle of abuse.

And, The Washington Post.

'Little Ben' actor talks on video to EW.com

Late in the day, EW.com posted a video of Totally Lost's Doc Jensen and Dan Snierson talking to Sterling Beaumon, the young actor who plays the 1977-era Benjamin Linus. He talks about getting into his character, the Island's space-time continuum, and the fact that yes, he has been mistaken for Harry Potter.

What did you think of 'Dead is Dead?'

What did you think of the episode?

Ben and Locke, well really Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson, have great chemistry.

The question continues, can the Losties stuck in the 70s change what will happen in the future. What do you think?

Doc Jensen previews Episode 5.12: 'Dead Is Dead'

Over on EW.com, Doc Jensen's posted his thoughts about what we might expect from tonight's Lost episode, "Dead Is Dead." No spoilers there, but lots of theorizing about time travel, Little Ben's loss of innocence, and Desmond's possible super-specialness to the Island. Doc says that since this is a rare Ben-centric ep, we may dare to hope for greatness, and maybe even some more answers.

Meanwhile -- SPOILER ALERT! -- E!'s "Watch with Kristin" has posted a couple of sneak-peek videos featuring Ben and Locke. As always, actors Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn have some fabulous on-screen chemistry, playing off each other's characters like the pros they are. But if you don't want to know anything about what happens before Lost airs tonight at 8 p.m. (CDT) on ABC, please do not click and watch the videos.

What's the code for the game changer in the season finale?

NO Spoilers

We've had the bagel. And then there was the frozen donkey wheel.

What's the code for this season's game changer, you ask?

How about "the fork in the outlet," says Watch With Kristin at E!Online.

Last year we had a literal frozen donkey wheel.

Any guesses what the fork in the outlet could be? Post in comments!

Watch with Kristin's guess: Sounds like the Losties are going to be messing with the electromagnetic power of the Island, to return to the future or to unleash the metal-shavings monster.

Michael Emerson's (aka Ben) guess: "I think it all has something to do with metallic dust. I think the smoke monster is connected to that ring of powder that surrounds Jacob's cabin. They've established that there are supermagnetic forces at work on the Island, so what better medium for those forces to work through than through fine filings of metal."

Time travel: the great question debated

You'll remember that in the premiere episode of Lost's Season 5, Dr. Pierre Chang is called to a construction emergency at the burgeoning Orchid Station and tells the foreman to be careful, because that the site may enable them to control time and space.

The foreman asks skeptically, "So you mean like, we can go back and kill Hitler?" Chang snaps back: "Don't be ridiculous! There are rules!"

A story on the speculative-fiction site Abyss & Apex discusses that very scenario and all the rules about why you can't kill Hitler, in hilarious style. The piece is called "Wikihistory." And oh yes, the author is named... Desmond!

Where are Bernard and Rose?

What happened to Rose and Bernard when Ben and then Locke turned the frozen donkey wheel?

Are they alive? Are they dead?

Did they end up in another time?

Are they the Adam and Eve the Losties find early in the series?

Are they living in Dharmaville unseen to us so far?

Post your rank speculation in comments!

More season finale tidbits

Courtesy of Michael Ausellio at Entertainment Weekly, we get a little info about the season finale.

Not major spoilers. But something interesting.

Question: Do you have any snippet to share with us about Lost's season finale? --Megan
Ausiello: We will come to learn that the dude who may or may not be playing Jacob bore witness to pivotal events in the pre-island lives of Locke, Sayid, and Sawyer. Speaking of Lost, I wanna say a few words about Evangeline Lilly's performance in tonight's episode: Wow. (Okay, one word.)

Question: Will we ever find out what happened to Rose and Bernard on Lost? --Lucas
Ausiello: I'm hearing we will.

Recapping 'Whatever Happened, Happened'

Check out what Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly had to say about Wednesday's episode.

... the castaways are being made to understand that their participation in past events is shaping the future that they have already experienced. They have themselves to blame for the thing that is Benjamin Linus. We are the causes of our own suffering. Think about your life. At the same time, I didn't quite know how to interpret this idea that Ben would be getting a memory wipe as part of his healing treatment. Did Richard mean that Ben would only be made to forget how Sawyer and Kate helped save his life? I hope so, because if Ben's whole childhood is about to get erased, it really makes me look stupid for insisting to the whole world that Adult Ben remembers growing up with the castaways in Dharmaville.

And, Watch With Kristin.

And, The Washington Post.

Reviewing 'Whatever Happened, Happened

So, do Kate and Sawyer's actions turn Ben into the man he is today? Did they do they right thing?

What do you think Richard Alpert can do to Ben to heal him, take away his memory and steal his innocence? What does it mean that Ben belongs to them now?

And why didn't Kate and Sawyer change their minds?

Do you think the Losties can change the future or the past, for that matter? Or did Whatever Happened, Happened?

More theories from Doc Jensen

As we wait for tonight's episode, here's a little reading from Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly to hold us over.

(This post is spoiler free. But if you like to avoid spoilers, wait to click on the article until after tonight's episode. The spoilers aren't answers. Just what questions will be answered in tonight's episode)

Writes Doc Jensen:

''Whatever Happened, Happened'' is the phrase that Daniel Faraday used back in ''LaFleur'' to summarize his belief that the castaways aren't creating a new version of the past, but rather merely creating the past that has always existed. And yet, one episode later in ''Namaste,'' Sawyer says that Faraday ''has some interesting theories on what we can and can't do here.'' I didn't take that to mean that Faraday has reversed his position, but rather that his position has become more nuanced. Might there be permissible exceptions to the ''whatever happened, happened'' principle?

I do have to wonder if history can be changed. Remember, Faraday knocked on the hatch and met Desmond during the flashes. And then, in current time, Desmond awoke and remembered that meeting.

Since he didn't always know about their meeting, you could argue that it didn't always happen.

Can the Losties change the past? Or the future? Post your insight, speculation, questions here.

A note on spoilers

All spoilers will be marked with either a red and white SPOILER ALERT or an orange and black SPOILER ALERT.

All spoilers are always marked as such but these signs should help avoid any confusion. They are usually used but not always.