lost: let’s play catch-up, shall we? [spoiler-free]

mr. linus is creepier than purging ben // abc promotional photo

I’m moderately embarrassed about how long it’s been since my last post, but, in my defense, I moved and there was a blizzard.  And Lost started, which means the time I used to devote to overanalyzing Hart Hanson’s tweets has been redirected to rocking back and forth in the corner of my apartment hoping against hope that 23 is the new Jacob.

That said, I’m not entirely thrilled with the new season of Lost.  The flash-sideways aren’t gelling for me yet, the on-island stories are bogged down in banality, and a heavy handful of new characters is about the last thing I wanted to see in the final season.

There are, of course, two things going on that have me just as hooked as the population at large: John Locke-as-Smoke Monster and the numbers on the wall.  (Aren’t you impressed I didn’t say Jack and Kate’s longing glances?)

So there are now five candidates for Jacob’s replacement, and in my mind, it pretty much has to be Jack or Sawyer, but probably Jack.  Sayid’s been “claimed” (by whom or what, we don’t know, but it sounds gnarly), Hurley doesn’t really have it in him (sorry), and who really gives a crap what happens to Sun and/or Jin beyond being reunited?  I’m still hoping Sawyer sacrifices himself to save Kate and her unborn child (hey, it’s still only been, like, five days since “316,” even if three of those days were in 1977).  And if it’s Jack, see, he can Alpertify Kate and they can be TOGETHER FOREVER.  Also, Jack’s the one who’s been the most vocal about the island not needing to be protected and all that, so it’s nice and ironic for Jack to become the island’s ultimate protector.

While we’re on the subject, I will say that I loved that split-second look of confusion on Jack and Kate’s faces when they made eye contact at LAX, which went beyond, “Hey, didn’t I steal your pen?”  I’m hoping that moments like that, where the flash-sideways characters experience bizarre deja-vu-like memories about each other, continue throughout the season.  Folks are speculating that Kate could end up with Sawyer in one reality and with Jack in the other, to which I say SHUT YOUR FACE.  I will not accept that.  Fate is a critical concept of Lost and the romantic relationships.  Whoever she’s supposed to end up with (hint: not Sawyer), she has to end up with in both realities.

Okay, but seriously, the mythology stuff is way more interesting that what’s going on with the relationships.  We’re getting awesome new vocabulary lessons, like “claimed” and “recruiting,” and Ilana finally seems to be earning her paycheck.  Claire’s back, which is obviously awesome, and it seems likely her visit will bring answers about the mysterious sickness, as well as a much-anticipated Jack/Claire “hey, we’re siblings!” scene.  Since most people have known that was coming since “Two for the Road,” it’s about time they got to have a chat about it.

There’s plenty more Lost to talk about–Locke’s dad! The kid in the jungle! Richard Alpert pwns everything!–but that’s old news at this point.  I’ll be better about staying on top of things from now on.