Tonight on LOST: 'The Last Recruit'

The cryptic title is "The Last Recruit" -- meaning, presumably, the last Lostie ostensibly to be recruited to UnLocke's tribe. [But don't hold me to that; I'm just guessing here.] ABC describes tonight's Lost episode thus: "Alliances are forged and broken as the Locke and Jack camps merge." We could have guessed this, of course, since last week's ep ended with Hugo, Jack, Sun and Frank arriving at Camp UnLocke, and with Jack staring at UnLocke in disbelief.

Yeah, the Doc had heard about the MiB taking on the resurrected appearance of Locke, but this was the first time Jack had actually seen his old frenemy's form as inhabited by Smokey. Jack having been the one who saw the real Locke in his coffin, and Jack having been the one who put his dead dad Christian's shoes on dead Locke's feet prior to loading the coffin on Ajira 316 (doing so under instructions from Eloise Hawking, and what was that all about, anyway?) -- well, it's understandable that the Doc would be having a mental moment where his Man of Science past is (as the Bible would say) "wrestling Jacob" in his Man of Faith present.

So (except for Richard, Miles and Ben, who are off on their own personal mission to kill Smokey) we've got our Losties more or less reunited now. Except, of course, for Sun, whose husband is once again the missing piece of the reunion puzzle; the kidnapped Jin is still at Camp Widmore over on Hydra Island. But since that is where UnLocke's crew apparently is bound for the next and possibly final skirmish, there is a good chance that Sun and Jin will reunite at some point soon. Maybe even tonight.

Or not. These Lost writers can be a cruel bunch, after all. Witness Desmond, who was kidnapped from his Long Beach hospital bed, drugged, transported back to the last place he wanted to go, tied up, subjected to a massive electromagnetic event in the name of saving the world (again), and now has been kidnapped once more by Sayid -- and thrown into a well by UnLocke. Poor Des! As Original Recipe Locke once told little Walt: "You're not having a good month."

I predict we won't will see any more character-centric flashes into the Sideways World during these last few episodes of Lost. Instead, I think we'll start to see many of our alt-Losties gathering, for one reason or another, at St. Sebastian's in LA-X. Alt-Desmond is giving little psychic pushes to them, as he did to Hugo -- or as in the case of alt-Locke, Des is giving him a great big smack with a Honda. Coincidentally, alt-Jin should be showing up at the ER with a wounded, pregnant Sun. It's about time for alt-James to make a reappearance with alt-Kate (our favorite fleeing felon and freckled femme fatale!) in police custody, too.

But when will we see alt-Juliet? According to ABC, Elizabeth Mitchell isn't listed among tonight's guest stars. Yet I can't help thinking that we'll see alt-Juliet as a doctor at St. Sebastian's (and, I'm betting, as Jack's ex-wife and David's mother), at some point soon. Surely she and alt-James will need to meet up, let the sparks fly, and plan that destiny-fated coffee date?

Remember that, as in recent weeks, Lost will run a couple of minutes long tonight and will be followed by Elizabeth Mitchell's new series, V.

And remember that next week -- for the only time in this final season -- we will not get a new episode of Lost. Instead, we'll get a repeat of the stellar episode "Ab Aeterno," revealing the backstory of that mysterious, ageless Island consigliere, Richard Alpert.

Come back to Losties Island tonight after the show ends, and comment on "The Last Recruit"!

Tonight on LOST: 'Happily Ever After'

ABC's official summary of tonight's Lost episode: "Desmond wakes up to discover he's back on the Island."

And as Tweeted last week by showrunner (and co-scriptwriter, with Carlton Cuse, of tonight's ep) Damon Lindelof: "In one week, the conversation is going to change."

Taken all together, this means we can probably expect some real revelations from tonight's installation of Lost.

That title, for instance. Last week, in "The Package," we heard the phrase "happily ever after" from the sarcastic lips of killer-for-hire Martin Keamy, taunting poor English-less Jin as he was being duct-taped up in that walk-in fridge.

It appears that Des was drugged, put on a submarine and brought to the Island against his will by his formidable father-in-law, Charles Widmore. Obviously, as Eloise Hawking told Des at the Lamp Post station in LA, the Island is not yet done with him. Tonight's ep does not bode well for Desmond's "happily ever after" with his little family.

Widmore's apparently willing to sacrifice his already-rocky relationship with daughter Penny (and by extension, grandson Charlie) if it means saving the Island, and the world at large, from MiB. What's more, he expects Des to sacrifice too -- not just for his Lostie friends this time, but for the sake of Penny and Charlie's very existence. At least, that's what Widmore implied last week when he spoke to Jin about how Sun and their little Ji-Yeon would "cease to be" if MiB escaped from the Island.

Tonight, I hope we'll get at least some hints about how the alt-reality is connected to what is happening on the Island, and to the war that has now begun in earnest.

It will be fascinating to see what's happening in Desmond's alt-reality. Is he still married, and if so, is his wife still Penny? Does he still have psychic powers? Does he cross between realities, as he did in "The Constant" and "Flashes Before Your Eyes"?

Check back here as soon as the show ends to discuss "Happily Ever After" in the comments!

The 12th Day of Lost-Mas

Here's the 12th day of scoop from Watch With Kristin at E!Online:

Helena: [Re: Locke Serves Up a Jaw-Dropper] I'm so glad to hear there's something good in store for Terry O'Quinn. Will he be a big player this season?
Locke/Terry is more important than ever in season six (and, yes, will serve up a jaw-dropper) and as boss Carlton Cuse told the Hollywood Reporter: "Jack and Locke have always been at the center of the show, that dilemma of faith vs. reason, and the conflict between those two characters has been there since the beginning. It's very exciting to bring that relationship to its conclusion." Terry has never been more commanding (nor terrifyingly awesome) than this season. I smell Emmy!

Josh in Michigan: Any chance Maggie Grace's character, Shannon, will be back on Lost for the final season?
According to my sources (including Maggie's rep), Maggie still has not shot anything new yet for Lost, and is not expected at the season premiere party in Hawaii later this month. As you've probably heard by now, we will see Ian Somerhalder (Boone) again on the new season, and as I mentioned in the first day of Lost-mas, Maggie's absence will be explained by a change to Shannon's backstory. It's pretty surprising!

Lee: When you refer to a Lostie, do you also use that term for what we know to be Others?
In one instance during Lost-mas, I used the word Lostie for someone who was not on Oceanic Flight 815.

Francesca: Are most of your spoilers in Lost-mas about the beginning of the season or the season as a whole?
The beginning. This may or may not explain some of the confusion about seemingly conflicting scoop on other sites that some of you have asked about. I have been asked not to give scoop too far out so that hopefully you fans can still let the series unfold in a way that will surprise you. As many of you know, I try to tease without giving too much away, because I know many of you don't want to be truly spoiled. (On that note I apologize for the Lost-mas Sayid headline that concerned many of you, but I believe you'll understand when you see the episode.)

Alex: [Re: Where?s Desmond?] OMG! I hope they don't kill Desmond off. He's one of the consistently good characters on the show, plus his performances are very good.
Des rocks! So far I see no need to worry, but it's wise to pray for all the characters you love this season. It's the end, so anyone can go.

Kat: [Re: This Scoop Is a Matter of Life and Death] I bet Hurley tries to kill himself. We already know he has some depressive tendencies.
That's not who I'm talking about.

jk fan: [Re: Who Is the New Big Bad?] It's Shannon's brother (Ian Somerhalder).
Yes, and we'll find out he killed someone's wife. Oh wait, sorry...Wrong show!

Heidi: [Re: Arresting Development] I'm guessing Charlie for drugs, Sayid for murder/espionage, and maybe Sawyer for being a con artist.
One of your guesses is right.

SPOILERS: The 12 Days of Lost-Mas

(This will be updated to add the new spoilers for each day)

At E!Online, Watch with Kristin is celebrating the 12 Days of Lost-Mas.

She gives the following teases about the upcoming season:


Day 11: Six of these things are true:

1. Juliet survives the bomb.
2. Juliet does not survive the bomb.
3. Kate and Sawyer flirt.
4. Kate and Sawyer kiss.
5. Juliet and Sawyer kiss.
6. Jack and Sayid touch lips.
7. There is a scene with Sawyer in the season premiere that will make you cry buckets—assuming you aren't a robot—and (possibly?) make you Skaters happy.

Day 10: Three Losties will be apprehended by the authorities. Separately.

Day 9: These words will be uttered in the first six hours of the show:

1. "Am I alive?"
2. "It turned out she did not want out."
3. "I wanted you to be able to go home."
4. "I was killed by an *** ******."
5. "I was supposed to die."

(The first one is not a female, and is the same person as #5.)

Day 8: Miles, who hears dead people, will carry a message from a dead character. Who could it be?
Day 7: One of the following things is true regarding Ilana and her Ajira posse:

1. They were sent by Charles Widmore to kill Ben.
2. They were sent by the Man in Black (Jacob's nemesis) to find the island's time travel mechanism and destroy it.
3. They were sent to protect Jacob.
4. They were sent to revive John Locke.
5. Ilana is future Sayid in drag.

Day 6: The following statements are both true:

1. One Lostie we've known for a long time (a dark, handsome someone) will die within the first four hours in the first shocking death of the year.
2. Another Lostie we've known and loved since day one of season one will come thisclose to dying—at his own hands—but the good doctor will save him.

Who will die? Who will nearly take his own life?

Day 5: If season six is about Oceanic 815, will we see Desmond again since he wasn't on the plane?

1. According to sources, we will see Desmond again...
2. ...fairly early on in the season.
3. His first appearance will be with one of the Losties, and the scene/encounter is very surprising.
4. You guys are going to love it! (Honestly)

Day 4: Who is the new Big Bad?
He:

• Killed **h*.
• Killed ***o*.
• Is *** **o** *****e*.
• Wants to "g* ****."

Day 3: One of the following is true:

• Sayid dies.
• Sayid kills Jack.

Remember, when we last saw these Losties they were in 1977. Sayid had been shot and Jack was near the site of the bomb that supposedly went kablooey and reset time.

Day 2: One of these is true, the other is false:

• We find out John Locke is related to C*****s *id**re and J*** ***ph*** in a way you would never ever expect—yes, "related" as in by blood!

• Terry O'Quinn does something bat-poop insane involving a character we have known since the very first episode of Lost's first season, then says: "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

Day One: Which of the following is true?

• Shannon's absence from the beginning of the new season will be explained by a significant change to Shannon and Boone's backstory.

• Sawyer will smooch someone who is either Kate or Juliet and it will happen within the first four hours of the new season.

And oh, what the hey, here's a bonus for today's Lost-mas offering only. I will go ahead and tell you that:

Both of the above are actually true. Merry Lost-Mas, everyone!

LOST in Stephen King's 'Under the Dome'

Ben Linus would never approve, of course, but he's out of the book club anyway.

I've spent the last day engrossed in Stephen King's new bestseller, Under the Dome (Scribner, $35). On page 285, Big Steve pays tribute to our favorite series, which also happens to be his favorite series:

What did that Scottish guy say on Lost? "Don't mistake coincidence for fate"? Maybe that had been it. Maybe it had. But Lost had been a long time ago. The Scottish guy could have said Don't mistake fate for coincidence.

Actually, according to http://lostpedia.wikia.com/, it was Mr. Eko who advised Locke: "Do not mistake coincidence for fate," in the Season 2 episode "What Kate Did," and Locke later repeats the phrase to Desmond in Season 3's "The Cost of Living."

What did the author mean by "Lost had been a long time ago"? Well, Under the Dome is set in the near future -- sometime after the 2012 election, in which President Obama [who plays an offstage role in the Dome drama] was re-elected.

Will fans' 15 top LOST mysteries be solved?

EW.com's Doc Jensen just posted a list of the top "15 must-answer mysteries" that fans hope will be explained in the sixth and final season of Lost.

Some seem likely to be answered, such as No. 5, "What happened to Claire?" After all, Emilie de Ravin (right) is to be back as a series regular, so we should be seeing a lot of her, and presumably we'll find out what happened after Claire walked off into the jungle with Dear Old Dead Dad.

Only Locke has seen her since then, hanging with Christian inside Jacob's cabin. He was asked not to tell anyone he'd seen Claire, and he didn't tell. And now ReaLocke's really dead, it seems, not magically resurrected after all. (Although "Esau," aka Jacob's enemy, certainly seems to know everything that ReaLocke knew, plus a whole lot more.) So, once Claire reveals herself in Season 6, we should learn more of the mystery behind her vanishing. Maybe we'll find out whether she's actually alive or just among the Island's numerous walking dead. Miles (whose Island-bred talent lets him hear the dead) certainly didn't seem to think that Claire was entirely alive after apparently surviving a house explosion -- but then, after the Season 5 finale, we don't yet know what happened to Miles, either.

Other mysteries may never be completely explained, such as No. 14, "What's Libby's backstory?" For one, Doc says, the Lost producers have said that actress Cynthia Watros is unlikely return to the show. For another, the show runners are going to do extremely well if they can just unravel the major plot points in the 18 hours they have allotted to finish the Lost saga. Compared to the larger Island mythos, Libby's backstory is relatively small potatoes.

My theory is that Libby went into a depression after her husband David died, and that's when she went to the Santa Rosa mental hospital to recover. She remembered Hugo from Santa Rosa, but he doesn't remember her. After she was released, she met Desmond and gave him David's boat, the Elizabeth, to compete in the Widmore solo-sailing race. Three years later, she boarded Oceanic 815 and crashed on Craphole Island. She survives with Ana-Lucia, Bernard and the Tailies, then treks to the Losties' beach, where she makes friends with Hugo, hypnotizes Claire, and gets tragically shot by Michael in the Hatch. End of story. (Sorry, Libby.)

UPDATE: Doc Jensen's also presenting a short Lost-related course on "The Cult of 'Cult TV' " --with the option of a fun but tricky "Final Exam" on Season 5. Its 26 multiple-choice questions will determine if you've really been paying attention.

And there's more... ABC.com has begun signing up participants -- er, make that "students" -- for "LOST University", and Doc J explains what that's all about. He says:

Included among the many real-life academics on staff is actor Jeremy Davies (Daniel Faraday), who proved himself something of a science egghead the last time I interviewed him.

Lost U's mascot is, of course... a polar bear.

You may go to the http://lostuniversity.org/index.php site and sign up now to be notified by e-mail when "enrollment" beings in two months.

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.

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.

Alternate Endings to Season 4 finale

Locke may have been in the coffin at the end of season four. But the creaters filmed the ending with two others inside the coffin.

The first alternate ending:


The second alternate ending:


Did they make the right decison by putting Locke in the coffin?

SPOILER: Mrs. Hawking returns

Remember Mrs. Hawking, played by Fionnula Flanagan? She seemed to know things about the future. Desmond met her when he tried to buy an engagement ring for Penny. A picture of her also appears on Brother Campbell's desk. Apparently, she'll be back in season 5. AND, she has a connection to a major character, according to a video by Michael Ausellio at Enetertainment Weekly.

Check out the video.

He doesn't say who the other character is. Any guess as to who and what the connection might be?