Last Minute Emmy Predictions

Emmys are tonight, and with a ton of fresh blood in the field it's actually tough to predict this year's crop. Will Emmys keep to their infamous tradition of rewarding the same old same old? Or will they recognize one of the strongest crops of new shows since, well, the year Lost premiered? Here are my (probably very wrong) guesses:

Best Drama

Will Win: Lost (but realistically probably Mad Men)

Should Win: Lost or Dexter

Dark Horse: Pretty much anything but True Blood

Snubbed: Damages

This is a really tough category to call. Do they reward Lost for finishing strong despite a controversial ending (like they did with The Sopranos)? Do they recognize Dexter's best year? Do they reward The Good Wife for being a break-out freshman and a traditional network drama? Do they side with the critics in calling Breaking Bad the top show? Or do they let Mad Men go three for three? Seeing as it's the Emmys, it will probably be Mad Men, but for some reason I'm going with Lost.

Best Comedy

Will Win: Modern Family

Should Win: Modern Family or Glee

Dark Horse: Glee

Snubbed: Party Down

This one's a little easier. Despite 30 Rock winning in all of its three previous years, I think everyone knows this one's really between the two break-out new shows: Glee or Modern Family. Glee's won most of the awards for being the phenomenon of the year, and Emmys have occasionally gone that route in the past (like giving Lost a win in its first year). But Modern Family's so much more Emmy-friendly (and consistent) that I bet it takes the win.

Best Actor, Drama

Will Win: Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Should Win: Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Dark Horse: Bryan Cranston, Hugh Laurie, Jon Hamm

Snubbed: Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Another really tough category. Bryan Cranston won the past two years and Breaking Bad fans say this season's been his best yet, so he's definitely the favorite. But Michael C. Hall's won other awards this year for his best year yet. Plus he's shockingly never won here before. But neither have Hugh Laurie and Jon Hamm, both of whom had very strong submissions. Could go any of the four ways.

Best Actress, Drama

Will Win: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Should Win: Glenn Close, Damages

Dark Horse: January Jones, Mad Men

Julianna Margulies has won everything else so far, and I think it's a safe bet she'll take this one too.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama

Will Win: Michael Emerson, Lost

Should Win: Terry O'Quinn, Lost

Dark Horse: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Snubbed: Campbell Scott, Damages

There is a very strong chance the two Losties (both of whom have already won) will cancel each other out, and Aaron Paul will win for what I'm told is a fantastic performance. But here's my thoughts: Michael Emerson has the better episode submission, since Dr. Linus is one of the best of the season. But Terry O'Quinn gave the better season-long performance, since he had to play polar opposites in the Man in Black and Sideways Locke. And there's always the chance Andre Braugher takes it instead.

Best Supporting Actress, Drama

Will Win: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Should Win: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Dark Horse: Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Snubbed: Jennifer Carpenter, Dexter

Joan may have been woefully underused last year on Mad Men, but the episode she submitted is a knockout, plus everyone loves her. Though Archie Panjabi is just as much of a scene-stealer on The Good Wife, so the Emmys' clear love for the show could carry over to her. I also wouldn't count out Elisabeth Moss or Christine Baranski.

Best Actor, Comedy

Will Win: Tony Shalhoub, Monk

Should Win: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Dark Horse: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Snubbed: Jay Harrington, Better Off Ted

Tony Shalhoub has won this category so many times that I don't think the rest of the world's disdain will keep Emmy voters from giving it to him one final time. Though in recent years they've loved Alec Baldwin even more. Most people are rooting for Jim Parsons though, so maybe that will pay off?

Best Actress, Comedy

Will Win: Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Should Win: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Dark Horse: Toni Collette, United States of Tara

Snubbed: Portia de Rossi, Better Off Ted

Emmy voters love Edie Falco, so expect her to be rewarded for making them forget about Carmela. But they also love Toni Collette playing multiple personalities. And they love Tina Fey. But Edie Falco will ultimately win this.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy

Will Win: Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Should Win: Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Dark Horse: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Snubbed: Ed O'Neill, Modern Family

As long as this isn't a repeat for Jon Cryer, I'm happy with anybody who wins here. NPH absolutely deserves this award, but deserved it more the past 4 years. Eric Stonestreet would be the obvious Emmy pick, but Ty Burrell is really the stand-out. And while Chris Colfer's nomination was a pleasant surprise, he's probably too young and too dramatic a role to take it. But you never know.

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy

Will Win: Jane Lynch, Glee

Should Win: Jane Lynch, Glee

Dark Horse: Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Snubbed: Lizzy Caplan, Party Down

This seems like one of the biggest no-brainers of the night, though Sofia Vergara is also hilarious. But how can they keep Sue Sylvester from adding another trophy to her case?

Party Down on DVD This Summer

With Glee providing the last major finale tomorrow night, the main TV season is most definitely over. And as much as the networks may talk about their 52-week schedules, we all know that summer TV, at least on the networks, is a bust. The benefit: more time to watch shows we somehow missed when they originally aired. Whether it's older shows you always meant to try (yes, I'm still working on The Wire) or new shows it's not too late to jump into, summer TV for me is all about the TV on DVD.

Or in this summer's case, TV on Wii. Thanks to Netflix adding Wii to their list of Netflix ready devices, I can now watch anything on Netflix's instant viewing section on my TV. Which is largely how I came to try Party Down, a show that premiered as one of Starz's first original programs a year ago and is currently on its second season, but few people seem to know about it. Despite big names in the cast and among the producers, it has remained very much below the radar.

Which is exactly why I'm recommending it for TV on DVD this summer. I got so hooked after starting I ended up watching all 10 episodes of the first season in just 2 days. So what is it? Well, it's basically The Office but set at an LA catering company comprised of wannabe actors, with each episode set during a different party. Though probably more the British version of The Office than the American one. And since it's on cable and is set in LA I'd toss in a little Extras, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Entourage. Think of the American version of a Ricky Gervais show and you're on the right track.

I was originally intrigued because one of the creator/producers is Rob Thomas, who previously created one of my all-time faves Veronica Mars. If you like Veronica Mars you'll definitely find a lot to like here, since a lot of Veronica Mars alums show up. Of the six regulars, four of them have some kind of Veronica Mars connection, as Ryan Hansen played Dick Casablancas, Ken Marino played Vinnie Van Lowe, and Adam Scott and Jane Lynch both guest starred. And more of their former castmates have guested here, including Kristen Bell (Veronica), Enrico Colantoni (Keith), Jason Dohring (Logan), and Alona Tal (Meg).

The rest of the cast is plenty accomplished as well. There's Jane Lynch, who has since left the show to become Sue Sylvester. Martin Starr, a Freaks and Geeks alum who stuck with the Apatow clan (and is probably best known as the beard guy from Knocked Up). And Lizzy Caplan, who you either know as Janis from Mean Girls or Jason's V-addicted girlfriend on True Blood (or both).

Anyway, I'll give imdb a rest and move on to the actual show. Ken Marino plays Ron, the David Brent/Michael Scott-like team leader of the catering crew who takes his job more seriously than anyone else there does and has the low-aiming dream of opening up his own chain soup restaurant. Adam Scott plays Henry, the Tim/Jim character whose greatest achievement as an actor was a beer commercial that gets him recognized everywhere but led him to quit acting. And Lizzy Caplan is Casey, the Dawn/Pam character, an aspiring stand-up comedian whose husband wants her to move to Vermont.

The party-of-the-week format allows for a ton of great guest stars (JK Simmons, George Takei, and Rob Corddry are a few more) as well as many different scenarios for hilarity. Some of my favorites: A college Republicans party in which the team manages to ruin the flag the students were planning to give to Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Hollywood sweet 16 where the birthday girl won't leave her room, a post-party for the porn awards, and a party for a Russian gangster who just got away with murder (but also recognizes everyone from their F-list acting jobs).

The show does have one major flaw though: it can't hold on to its cast. Jane Lynch leaves after the first 8 episodes to join Glee, which admittedly is an improvement for both Lynch and the world. Less acceptable is the news that Adam Scott will only be in three episodes in the third season due to his role in Parks and Recreation which is troubling for three reasons: 1. He's basically the main character on Party Down, 2. Party Down is a better show, and 3. Parks already has a large ensemble and doesn't really need him. That said, the producers' explanation that realistically catering tends to be a temporary job and people come in and out all the time makes sense. The show can survive it.

Far better news is that Netflix is able to stream the second season as each episode airs, so I can keep watching without having to wait for the DVDs. So if you're looking for something funny to watch this summer, give this a shot.

Want some more TV on DVD recommendations? Here you go!

Dexter - It's had four consistently great seasons, and with 24 and Lost over it is now the most addictive drama on TV.

Damages - It may or may not get a fourth year, but it's still got three crazy suspenseful seasons out there that I still can't believe more people didn't watch.

Glee & Modern Family - They were the breakout shows of this past season. If you haven't already, time to figure out why (these may not actually be on DVD).

True Blood - If you wished Twilight had a lot more nudity and was awesome instead of the stupidest thing ever, then this is for you.

Lost - You know you were secretly curious listening to your co-workers talk for hours about the finale. Go marathon all six seasons, and when you finish in two weeks we can talk.

We've Reached the Final Four Episodes

Wow. I figured tonight's Lost would be big. Not only did it begin the final four episodes of the series (!!!), but next week's episode is a Jacob/Man in Black flashback ep. And whenever there's a flashback ep, there's always a huge cliffhanger the week before to keep you watching. But I still wasn't expecting an episode that should thoroughly silence anyone worried this season wasn't moving fast enough. Obviously, HUGE SPOILER ALERT to anyone who hasn't seen it yet, as you don't want to be spoiled. I'll skip a few lines and then continue for those of you who have already watched.

Ok, has everyone else left? Good. So much happened it's hard to know where to start. How about in sideways world, which boiled the show down to its original conflicting relationship: Jack and Locke. In sideways world, it's Jack who's the believer and Locke who's the cynic. And turns out Locke's alternate path was chosen by a familiar event: a plane crash. Instead of restoring his legs, a previous plane crash took his ability to walk away.

We know Desmond's plan to make Locke remember the island worked to some extent, as he flashed to his time in the hatch while unconscious. And certainly Jack saying aloud Locke's own posthumous words, "I wish you had believed me," made a difference. So while Desmond may be the link between the two worlds, it's Jack and Locke who are the center, the ones all the other characters are flocking to.

All that said, the sideways story wasn't anywhere near as riveting as the island story, which was easily the most suspenseful and most upsetting episode of the season, if not the series. All of the island characters (minus chronically MIA Richard, Ben, and Miles) converged at Widmore's camp and made a break for the plane. With Locke declaring the plane unsafe, claiming Widmore was trying to bring them into a contained space and kill them, the back-up plan became the sub....an even more contained space.

As soon as the sub dived and everyone realized "wait, why did Jack let Locke put his backpack on," things got fucking nuts. Of course Locke put the bomb in the backpack, but why? Oh, because he was the one who actually wanted to get everyone in a contained space and kill them so there would be no candidates left to stop him. But Jack had a solution: Locke can't kill the candidates, so if they do nothing, it will be like Jack lighting the dynamite on the Black Rock. Nothing would happen. But Sawyer didn't believe him, and the clock sped up.

Then the show's resident Iraqi Jack Bauer did what Jack Bauer always threatened to do: sacrifice himself to save everyone else. While it was certainly rough to see such a fan favorite go, Sayid's death made a lot of narrative sense. He hadn't been himself ever since coming back from the dead in the Temple, and he's been going through the season like a zombie. But he showed signs of humanity when he didn't kill Desmond (nobody really believed he did), and has been getting more normal since. So by taking one for the team, he proved Ben and MIB wrong in their continued insistence that he's just a killer. A noble death for one of the show's strongest characters.

While Sayid's death was at least understandable, Jin and Sun's just hurt. As many times as Jin insisted he could free Sun, it was clear what was going to happen: he would stay to die with the woman he spent 3 seasons trying to find again. Talk about a Joss Whedon move, killing them off one episode after their reunion. Sure, it was a bit Titanic with the water level rising, but Jin and Sun easily made for one of the saddest death scenes of the series to date. It was also a lot like Charlie's death, which was also under water. Man, Lost characters really need to stop going underwater.

So between Sayid, Jin, Sun, and I suppose Lapidus as well, this was Lost's deadliest episode ever, and a clear set-up to the end of the series. There's no more question about which of the island gods is good or evil, or what side to choose. It's survivors vs. MIB at this point, and at all cost. We know Desmond will play an important part given Sayid's final words to Jack. And while despite the episode title we didn't find out who will actually replace Jacob, it seems pretty clearly to be Jack. Next week should provide some major answers that were in shorter supply this week. But for an action and character packed episode, this one seems bound to stand up with some of the series' best. I'm gonna miss this show.

The Trials of Ricardo Alpert

Tonight's crazy good Richard Alpert-centric Lost actually reminded me of something that first appealed to me about Lost. Back in the early days of season 1 flashbacks, I remember thinking how Lost was a completely different show depending on whose episode it was. On a Kate week, the flashbacks could feel like a Hitchcockian thriller. For Jack a family melodrama. And not to mention full stories in Korean, Arabic, etc.

So I thought about that when we were first sent back to 19th century Canary Islands, a location and story that seemed more like it was out of a 19th century novel than the Lost we know. As Ricardo begged for medicine for his wife and later sat in a prison cell awaiting his execution, it almost felt like something out of Les Miserables or The Count of Monte Cristo. There's not many shows that can get away with doing episodes this radically different.

But things got a bit more familiar once Richard landed on the island (somehow destroying the statue with the strongest boat known to man) and the familiar squeals of the Smoke Monster chimed in. After a rather lengthy time trapped in his chains, Richard escaped to find himself trapped again in that chess game between Jacob and the Man in Black that has become the show. Having previously only seen him in that one pivotal scene from last year's finale, we got a lot more actual Man in Black this week, feeding in to Richard's explanation for the island in order to get him to do his bidding. And interesting that he used the same words to Richard that Dogen used to Sayid when he sent him to kill Man in Locke.

Speaking of Richard's explanation for the island, I'm sure plenty of people worried the island really would turn out to be Hell. After all, the producers have publicly denied that the island is Purgatory, but they never said anything about Hell, and have been known to use such tricky wordplay in the past. But since we've seen people come back and forth and dead people already walk around the island as ghosts, it didn't seem too likely.

Instead, Jacob and MIB just kept calling each other the devil to get Richard on their side. And in doing so, we learned a WHOLE lot more about what their game entails. According to Jacob, he believes people are inherently good, and MIB believes they are corruptible. Jacob brings people to the island to prove his point, while MIB forcibly tries to make his. Since Jacob doesn't like interfering on free will, he hires Richard to do his bidding, giving him immortality cause it was Richard's third choice behind getting back Isabella and being forgiven for his earlier murder. If that seemed a slightly convenient and unlikely explanation for a three season long mystery, it was one of the rare rushed moments in an otherwise well-paced story.

Speaking of Isabella, this episode also has something in common with the second season finale, in which we first met Penny Widmore and learned of her troubled romance with Desmond, and by the end of a single episode declared them one of the best romances on the show. Similarly, a single episode here was enough to make Richard and Isabella such a compelling couple that the final scene with Hurley really made up the emotional center of the episode. Regardless of whether you felt the "big answers" promised in this episode delivered (which probably depends on how much you care about Jacob and MIB's feud), it thoroughly succeeded in telling an individual character story that you cared about, no matter how minor a character Richard may have seemed before this week. Makes you wish there was time for a whole Lapidus backstory too.

Tonight's episode at times felt more like a self-contained movie than an episode of a weekly TV show, but it certainly accomplished a lot. We learned pretty much everything we need to know about Richard, making him a far more layered and sympathetic character than we ever thought. We know even more what the stakes of this season are (namely, Locke escaping = hell on earth). And we got solid proof that Jacob absolutely could have beat the crap out of Ben had he desired. Not such a calm, peaceful island god after all.

We're now halfway through the final season. Things are only going to get crazier from here.

The Final Cut

I may have given up on Nip/Tuck last fall (which was still at least 2 seasons too late), but I still wanted to see how it would end (even if it took me a week to get to it). It's only every so often a show gets a chance to air an actual series finale, and I'm always fascinated to see how it will play. Will it satisfy, like Battlestar Galactica and Scrubs did last year? Or will it be totally lame like Alias?

Turns out the answer was the least thing I'd suspect from a show that began by feeding a dead gangster's body to crocodiles: boring. Nip/Tuck has always prided itself on being absolutely outrageous, trying so hard to shock that it couldn't really do anything else. Yet for its finale, the big episode to end everything, there was probably less going on than any given episode from its entire run. Nip/Tuck would have never ended a season like this, but somehow did for the series.

So what happened? Well, if you're like me, you probably need the "previously on." Had to watch a couple times, but the highlights seem to be Julia's moving to England, Liz is having a baby using Sean's sperm (and is somehow friends with Christian again even though they were going through a bitter divorce last time I watched), and Matt tricked someone into marrying him only to leave her at the altar for Ava, the tranny from season 2. Got it? Didn't think so.

Aside from a traditional patient-of-the-week story about an old Japanese porn star that didn't in any way scream series finale, the main plot here is, of course, the bromance between Sean and Christian. With Julia leaving and taking the kids, Sean's free to do whatever he wants. But dead Kimber says Christian is a negative force on him and needs to let him free. So the episode mostly consists of a series of downbeat goodbyes. Liz leaves Sean so the baby won't know him. Julia leaves for England. Matt lies about reconciling with his ex so he can leave with Ava. And Christian convinces Sean to leave plastic surgery and the country with some baby Ava left behind because...well, I missed that part.

And throughout the cheese factor was cranked to the max. From a very serious talk about the morality of plastic surgeons (to remind us we were indeed watching the end) to the final line, Christian telling a woman at an airport bar, "I'm a plastic surgeon," everything was super dramatic and hyper emotional. In a show where the characters hadn't gone off the rails years ago, sad goodbyes could have been emotional and heartwarming. But emotional and heartwarming aren't what Nip/Tuck does well. Nip/Tuck was, at its best, a crazy soap that was outrageous but fun. Its end was just blah. At least it's over.

On a completely different note, I also just caught up on last night's Lost, which was something I wouldn't have expected to see a few seasons ago: a heart-warming Ben episode. I've heard complaints about this season that it's too much leading up to answers or just not enough answers, but as long as they keep delivering episodes like this one I have no complaints. I don't know what the sideways stories mean, but the past few weeks they've been every bit as resonant as the original season 1 flashbacks.

Off-island, Ben's a European history teacher who eats lunch with Dr. Arzt and tutors his prize pupil Alex. When Locke takes a move from the being inhabiting his body on-island and convinces Ben to claim power, he makes a grab for the principality (yes, I'm calling it that). But power comes with a cost: the principal will torch Alex's chances at Yale if Ben goes through with his plan. So what does he pick, power or Alex?

On-island, Miles exposed that Ben killed Jacob, and now bodyguard and maybe adoptive daughter Ilana wants vengeance. Locke Monster still wants Ben on his team, so he offers him an escape. But Ben just wants to explain himself, in a speech so moving you completely forget he's the guy who pretended to kill a bunny in front of Sawyer. Aww. And off-island he picked Alex, giving up his plans for power for a glowing recommendation and the return of his history club. Double aww. On any other show the villain going cuddly would be a cop-out. Maybe it still is, but at least it's a very satisfying cop-out.

As for the bigger stuff, once again we've moved a little bit further to that war that's brewing. All of Team Jacob has rallied together, and Widmore's back to make some mischief. I was minorly worried he might sit this season out, making his significance the past few seasons kind of irrelevant, but of course the writers are ahead of me. We know he helped Locke in his efforts to bring everyone back to the island, but does that make him Team Jacob or Team Man in Black? Can't really see him siding with Ben. And where's Desmond?

We also got further confirmation that Richard Alpert did indeed come over on the Black Rock, as well as an interesting continuation of a previous plot point. Richard can't kill himself, the same way that Michael couldn't kill himself when off the island. Should we assume Michael was touched by Jacob as well, even if he didn't appear in the flashbacks from last year's finale? His name must have been somewhere on that wheel, right? And if Jack's "Man of Faith" stuff got a little annoying last year, it was a lot cooler when he was making his bet with a stick of dynamite.

So to me, this season of Lost just keeps getting better and better. From the Locke ep to the Jack ep to Sayid to Ben, we've had a steady string of great episodes, all of which moved the pieces a few steps forward to their endgame. Clearly most of the action is coming later this season, but I'm not worried about guessing how it will go down. I'm just along for the ride, and Lost is still the best one in town.

Welcome to Alterna-Lost

For the number of times it's been said on the show, tonight it became true: it's the beginning of the end. Lost began its 6th and final season with a two-hour premiere both exciting and baffling, filled with tons of mythology, great character moments, and, yes, more questions, despite a promise to end them in ABC's promo. What's with the multiple timelines? Who are the people in the temple? Why after two hours do we still not know the name of the Man in Black/Fake Locke/Smoke Monster? Let's get to it.

Following the season-ending white-out, this season begins with Jack back on Oceanic 815, reliving a scene from the pilot with Cindy the flight attendant. But not everything's the same. The turbulence that originally sent the plane down passes. Desmond pops up next to Jack (though was he really there?). Shannon is definitely MIA, and there's no sign of Michael, Walt, Ana-Lucia, Eko, Libby, or Nikki&Paolo (though that doesn't mean they weren't there). Oh, and the island is now under water.

While it seems like without the island their flight would end in a normal and boring fashion, plenty of people find nasty surprises at LAX. Kate of course is still in the custody of the Marshall. Charlie was trying to hide his drugs at the time of the plane's crash, and without it he is indeed caught (though not before nearly killing himself trying to swallow the bag). Less expected - Christian's coffin didn't make it to LA (so maybe he's still connected to the island somehow?) and Jin gets in trouble for the money he brought over to start a new life with Sun.

I had a feeling the nuke would lead to us seeing the flight land as normal, and was concerned it would cause a retread of season 5 in which everyone had to be found and brought back to the island, just killing time before the real plot could begin. Thankfully, that's not the case. Instead, we get to play the "what if?" game, and enjoy all the interactions between these now-strangers. Especially enjoyable was Boone telling Locke he'd stick with him if the plane ever went down (guess some things never change). But if this parallel world is to last all season, and it seems like it will, it will need to tie in to the real story on the island or it will just feel like a distraction with so few hours remaining.

Heading back to the beginning, we get to watch Juliet hit the bomb for a second time, making us all wonder why the previously clips are repeating. But this time the white-out led not to flight 815 but to Kate's eye, as she wakes up by the site of what was once the Hatch (before Desmond blew it up). At first I wondered if she and Jack landed in different universes, but no, the gang is all there, even Juliet. Some suspense was definitely lost knowing Juliet wouldn't likely be surviving the episode. And her "I have something really really important to tell you" before dying is the kind of frustrating tease Lost is infamous for. Thankfully Miles is onhand to go all Pushing Daisies on her grave. So how does Juliet know about the alternate timeline? Seems like the strongest evidence that the two will indeed merge somehow.

The other ghostly encounter here is Jacob's visit to Hurley, instructing him to bring Sayid to the Temple, that much-discussed but never-seen place that clearly plays a central role in the mythology. And once we saw it, the world of Lost got even more confusing. There's a whole other group of people on the island, run by an Asian guy who knows English but doesn't like its taste on his mouth, so he has a hippie translate for him. Ben had told the Others we know to go to the Temple when he moved the island (if I'm remembering that right), which could explain Cindy and the kids' presence there, but beyond that we don't know if they are the same Others. We just know they're on Team Jacob.

And they have mystical healing water that may be somewhat on the fritz. After noting its different color, they still drown Sayid in it. But the water must do its job, cause rise from the dead he does in the final moments, as they begin fortifying themselves against the Man in Locke. These new Others seem like a big new addition for the final season when so much is already in play, but since they're more likely to have the answers than anyone outside of the island's two deities, I'm sure they have their role. And last bit on this group - just as becoming LaFleur made Sawyer a different and more interesting character last season, Juliet's death seems to be bringing him into a darker side that should be fun to see play out this year.

Finally, third subplot is same universe, other side of the island with Ben, the Man in Locke, and the Ajira-ites. One of the episode's biggest answers comes when we find out the Man in Black is the Smoke Monster. I've figured the Smoke Monster for a shapeshifter ever since Eko was visited by the ghost of his brother immediately before his death-by-monster. However, I can't imagine the ghost of Jacob is also a manifestation of his archrival, so clearly the Monster does not make up all the ghosts on the island. In fact, it seems more likely that the ghosts are Team Jacob, as Christian was willing to speak on Jacob's behalf. This also doesn't explain how the Temple seemed to be the Smoke Monster's home when it attacked the French team, but now clearly the Temple dwellers want nothing to do with him. Maybe they switched sides?

In the same scene, we learn that the Ajira-ites seem to have an even shorter shelf-life than the Tailies did. The Tailies at least got a full season, but Caesar was gunned down by Ben the second he landed on the island, and the other guy whose name we must have known at some point gets stabbed by Smokey this week. That just leaves Ilana, who had very little to do despite being upped to regular status. We still don't know what lies in the shadow of the statue (unless the answer is Jacob), but we do know that this crew came to protect him. Seems like Jacob could do better.

Another reveal came when the Locke Monster confirmed what many of us suspected from last year's finale - that Richard Alpert did indeed arrive on the Black Rock (unless Alpert was in chains for some other reason). More interesting than the confirmation though was that Lockester said that was the last time he saw him. Makes you wonder all the more about what happened that day after Jacob and the Man in Black's fateful talk, and how Jacob made Alpert ageless.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. From these two hours, it's clear the writers plan to keep going strong until the final frame, finding new and inventive ways to surprise and confuse us. As after Lost's best hours, I don't understand everything I just saw, but I can't wait to see more. So do you think the premiere was worth the wait? What did you think of the alternate reality - fun, intriguing, or time-wasting? What answers do you want to get before the series ends (I still think we're owed an explanation of why Walt is special)? Let me know in the comments, and keep on watching.

And if you want more on the Lost premiere, click here for an interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2009

It may be 2010, but 2009, I'm not done with you yet. I've still got a few more movies to see before I can do my movie list, but here is my official list of the top 10 TV shows of 2009:

1. Glee

Not since Lost premiered in 2004 have I seen such instant devotion for a new series. From the extremely feel-good pilot last May to the immensely satisfying fall finale, Glee is easily the most enjoyable hour of TV in addition to the first successful musical program. I'd never claim it's objectively the best show on this list, with its myriad pregnancy issues and occasional cheesiness. But between the awesomeness that is Sue Sylvester and the joy of the musical numbers, I'm just having too much fun to care.

2. Dexter

It didn't seem like Dexter could ever top its first two seasons, but it at least came close this year with its most terrifying villain yet in John Lithgow's Trinity Killer. Dexter already had enough to deal with in his new marriage and newer baby while trying to remember where he stashed a recent kill. But Trinity made the drama all the sweeter, whether creating the most horrifying Thanksgiving dinner ever put to television or confronting Dexter eerily in his workplace. And in a year filled with big finales, Dexter wins for the most shocking and talked about ending.

3. Battlestar Galactica

I hope the Lost writers were taking notes, because this is how you end a show. BSG has disappointed me in the past by its regular midseason water treading, but this final season was just one big episode after another. Gaeta and Zarek's attempted coup made for two episodes of quality suspense, and the big cylon reveal episode downloaded a ton of information and answers into our brains without exploding them. But it was the pitch-perfect finale that cements its place on this list, giving the right amount of action, twists, answers, and closure we expect from a classic piece of sci-fi television. So say we all.

4. Lost

Lost's bump from the top isn't intended as a punishment, but it certainly did air its strangest season yet. The season's strongest episodes for me came at the beginning when the island jumped through time, giving glimpses of island history that put a lot of pieces together. But if the long sojourn in 1970s Dharmaville lacked the immediacy of other seasons, it did allow Sawyer to emerge as a hero and Juliet to provide him with the series' most believable romance. With the biggest clean slate of an ending the show's done yet, I don't know what the final year will bring, but I can't wait to find out.

5. Modern Family

At first glance, this so doesn't seem like a show I would watch. Why do I want to help bring back the family sitcom? Well, because it's the funniest thing on TV. With characters so instantly defined and developed, every gag's pay-off hits harder and the occasional "aww" moment works. The reason for all those Arrested Development comparisons isn't just for the dysfunctional family; it's cause that's the last time we laughed this hard.

6. Mad Men

Frustratingly and often infuriatingly, Mad Men loves the slow burn. It leaves you trudging through lame plots like Don's affair with the teacher and Betty's flirtation with the politician until you wonder why you're still watching. Then it slams you with three of the best episodes it's ever produced right at the end. From Don's emotional confession to Betty to the phenomenal JFK assassination episode to the massively entertaining caper of a finale, Mad Men earned its label as the best show on TV.

7. True Blood

I started watching True Blood over the summer, and it's easily the most fun thing to come out of HBO in a long time. Season 2 was where it went from cult fave to legitimate hit, through crazy storylines like a maenad who inspires orgies, a church that actively seeks to rid the world of vampires, and a 2000 year old vampire who looks like he's 13. The vampire craze may irritate me in almost every way imaginable, but this is one way I'm happy to indulge it.

8. Dollhouse

I'll admit upfront that Dollhouse is majorly uneven, to the point where even some hardcore Joss Whedon fans couldn't stick with it. They're missing out. Dollhouse not only has one of the coolest premises on TV, but a story that really kicked into gear with Alpha in season 1 and again with the fight against Rossum this season. With a cast that's finally starting to gel and a ridiculous amount of geek-friendly guest stars, it's a shame Dollhouse won't have the chance to become the great show it's proved more and more capable of being. But the accelerated finish sure makes these final episodes all the more riveting.

9. How I Met Your Mother

Having just hit its 100th episode in early 2010, HIMYM is showing some signs of aging, most notably with the not-so-satisfying handling of the brief Barney and Robin relationship. But the advantage of its experience is that the cast plays off each other so well that watching HIMYM really is like hanging out with your (cooler than real life) friends. I certainly wouldn't want the mother to stand in the way of my weekly trips to McLaren's.

10. Damages

In its second season, Damages got so complex that all these months later I couldn't try to tell you what happened. Something about a big company, GPS coordinates, shady FBI guys, and Darrell Hammond playing what seemed to be a gay Donald Trump. But no matter how crazy Damages gets, you can be sure of two things: Glenn Close will be fantastic, and the crazy plot twists will send your mind reeling and begging for more.

Honorable Mentions:

Better Off Ted - Which went from amusing to hilarious in its second season, and deserves a "Save This Show" campaign

30 Rock - Which may be uneven but continues to produce some very funny episodes

The Office - Which saw a huge quality comeback at the beginning of the season...only to sink back down again

Now for my TV awards:

Best Drama: Dexter

Runners-Up: Battlestar Galactica, Lost

Best Comedy: Glee

Runners-Up: Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother

Best New Show: Glee

Runners-Up: Modern Family, V

Best Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Runners-Up: Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Josh Holloway, Lost

Best Actress, Drama: Glenn Close, Damages

Runners-Up: January Jones, Mad Men; Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica

Best Supporting Actor, Drama: John Lithgow, Dexter

Runners-Up: John Slattery, Mad Men; Michael Emerson, Lost

Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Jennifer Carpenter, Dexter

Runners-Up: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men; Olivia Williams, Dollhouse

Best Actor, Comedy: Matthew Morrison, Glee

Runners-Up: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Danny McBride, Eastbound and Down

Best Actress, Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Runners-Up: Toni Collette, The United States of Tara; Lea Michele, Glee

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother

Runners-Up: Ty Burrell, Modern Family; Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Jane Lynch, Glee

Runners-Up: Portia de Rossi, Better Off Ted; Julie Bowen, Modern Family

TV Midseason Preview 2010

Hey everyone, happy New Year! I know we're already a few days into 2010, but for the first Zandervision post of the year I thought it would make sense to look ahead to all of the various TV show returns, season premieres, and new shows over the next few months. Many thanks to Entertainment Weekly for essentially already doing this, and if you're curious about a show I don't watch, go there.

Scrubs and Better Off Ted (January 5th, 8-10 PM, ABC)

These shows have been airing straight through the holidays, but starting Tuesday they begin doubling up to expedite the burning-off process. While Scrubs' likely cancellation may be for the best, Better Off Ted just keeps getting funnier. Maybe think about giving it a shot before it disappears for good?

Modern Family (January 6th, 9-9:30 PM, ABC)

The funniest new show of the season returns with Benjamin Bratt guest starring as Manny's father.

How I Met Your Mother (January 11th, 8-8:30 PM, CBS)

Not only is this the date that HIMYM returns, but it also marks its 100th episode with Rachel Bilson guest starring, the promise of actually seeing the mother, and best of all, a big musical number featuring the entire cast in suits.

30 Rock (January 14th, 9-10 PM, NBC)

30 Rock returns with two episodes in a row? I want to go to there.

Archer (January 14th, 10-10:30 PM, FX, NEW SHOW)

I missed the preview during the fall, but this animated comedy for adults from some Adult Swim writers is supposed to be well worth a look.

Project Runway (January 14th, 10-11 PM, Lifetime)

If it seems soon for another season of Project Runway, it's probably to wipe away our memories of last season's disaster. But since this time it's back in New York with all judges present, I'll give it at least a few episodes.

The Golden Globe Awards (January 17th, NBC)

The awards themselves don't mean much (if they gave Nine 5 nods they clearly don't watch the movies), but Ricky Gervais as host should make for an entertaining night.

Human Target (January 17th, 8-9 PM, Fox, NEW SHOW)

A comic book based action show starring Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earle Haley. Sounds cool to me.

24 (January 17th & 18th, 9-11 PM & 8-10 PM, Fox)

Yes! Bauer is back, and this time in New York with a ton of new blood including Freddie Prinze Jr., Starbuck, Indian Regis Philbin from Slumdog Millionaire, and Bubba from Forrest Gump. Plus some old blood in Chloe, Renee, and President Taylor.

Life UneXpected (January 18th, 9-10 PM, The CW, NEW SHOW)

TV Guide Magazine calls it "Gilmore Girls meets Juno." Since it's about a teenager who becomes friends with her biological parents, if you like Gilmore Girls, you'll probably like this. Not my kind of show, but at least it's not yet another remake of something from the '90s

The Office (January 21st, 9-9:30 PM, NBC)

With the sale of Dunder Mifflin, maybe The Office will find yet another way to keep itself relevant in its 6th season. Just as long as they never do something like "Scott's Tots" ever again.

Dollhouse (January 22nd, 9-10 PM, Fox)

Not a return but an ending, as Dollhouse airs its series finale. Since the episode is titled "Epitaph 2," it looks like Echo and De Witt's fight against Rossum won't stop the eventual apocalypse, but we may find out what happens to everyone after tech takes over.

Caprica (January 22nd, 9-11 PM, SyFy, NEW SHOW)

If you want to get a headstart on this prequel series to Battlestar Galactica, you can catch the two-hour pilot on DVD. Having just watched it, I can say it's nowhere up to BSG quality yet and is a lot slower paced, but I still found enough cool and intriguing stuff here to want to check out the show. Seems appropriate to be premiering the night Dollhouse ends, since I could certainly use something to fill the sci-fi void.

Spartacus (January 22nd, 9-10 PM, Starz, NEW SHOW)

This attempt to essentially turn 300 into a TV show is probably far too silly for my taste, but if the idea of Lucy Lawless doing something somewhat back in the Xena realm sounds exciting, this is the show for you.

Damages (January 25th, 10-11 PM, FX)

Heading into its third season, Damages is looking to be just as complex and crazy as ever. This time the case centers on a Bernie Madoff like figure (played by original Sweeney Todd Len Cariou) and his wacky family, including wife Lily Tomlin, son Campbell Scott, and secret keeper Martin Short, in an attempt to go serious. If nothing else, Damages always wins for creative casting.

Lost (February 2nd, 9-11 PM, ABC)

Beginning its final season, Lost is easily my most anticipated return of all of 2010. Since the writers say even a single clip would give away everything, all I can say about season 6 is that Claire's back, a bunch of dead people guest star, and it's going to be awesome.

Parenthood (March 1st, 9-10 PM, NBC)

Originally slated for the fall, Parenthood intrigued me then and still does now that Lauren Graham's starring. Though does that mean I need to see the movie?

Gossip Girl (March 8th, 8-9 PM, The CW)

Why such a long break mid-season? Hopefully the writers are taking their time to come up with something good to close the season, because Dan's threesome and Tripp's bug-eyes certainly don't count. And no, neither does bringing Chuck's mom back from the dead.

V (March 30th, 10-11 PM, ABC)

It's looking like a massive ratings drop is inevitable given ABC's idiotic decision to take a long break after airing the initial four episodes. But if you keep watching, the mistake doesn't have to be fatal.

Glee (April 13th, 9-10 PM, Fox)

Another mind-bogglingly long mid-season wait, but the promise of Sue Sylvester singing and dancing makes it worthwhile. The bigger problem will be what to watch first now that Glee and Lost share a timeslot.

Top TV Shows of the Decade

Yesterday was movies, today is top TV shows of the decade. In some ways, picking the TV shows of the decade is even harder, as what shows belong to the '00s? Should we count a show like Buffy, that spent half its time in the '00s but had all its best seasons in the '90s (I'm saying no)? Or what about a show like True Blood, which has already made an impression this decade even though most of its seasons will air in the '10s (again, no)?

In most other ways though, picking TV shows is a lot easier. You don't have to sift through previous lists to find the brightest gems; these are shows we've watched for years and spent countless hours obsessing over. So before I begin, I just want to explain a few high-profile omissions: The West Wing may very well deserve to be on this list, but I never regularly watched it, something I'll someday remedy on DVD. While I do love The Wire, the two seasons I've seen aren't enough to beat what's already on here. And finally, I've never seen a single episode of The Shield.

With that out of the way, let's get to it:

11. Freaks and Geeks

Ok, I'm cheating, but I couldn't leave Freaks and Geeks off. In only 17 episodes, Freaks and Geeks became the most believable high school show on TV, with kids that actually looked their age and problems they would actually face. And in one of my favorite storylines, the geek won his dreamgirl...only to immediately realize she's boring! The show would go on to launch the careers of Judd Apatow, James Franco, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen, to name but a few, but on its own it's a high school show that anyone can relate to, even those of us too young to be there in 1980.

10. Mad Men

Mad Men may still be young in its run, but it's gone through so much in three seasons that it has certainly earned its spot. A historical show so compelling it actually got me to watch (unlike Deadwood and Rome), Mad Men makes 1960s New York come alive while also serving as a great character piece for any age. In every way it earns the title of "the next Sopranos."

9. Battlestar Galactica

It may have been set in a sci-fi universe, but Battlestar Galactica had more to say about our world than anything else on TV, and showed sci-fi can be a powerful way of making a statement. With fascinatingly dark characters and twists out of nowhere, BSG's four seasons stand as a fully realized vision complete with a great ending.

8. Farscape

Keeping up with the sci-fi theme, Farscape may be the least watched and least remembered show on this list, but it's also the first sci-fi show I loved and one of the first shows that showed me what TV can do. With cool plots, great characters, and muppets, Farscape was the kind of cult show you felt unique for watching, which just made its cancellation all the more difficult.

7. The Office (UK)

The American remake may have more viewers and has certainly had more episodes, but I still say the original 12 episodes + Christmas special of the British version accomplished more. Less cartoonish and more heartfelt, the original let Tim be as pitiable as he was likable and made Gareth the kind of rule-following dork you might actually find in your office (as opposed to Dwight's over-the-top buffoon). The second series finale is still one of the most depressing TV endings I have ever seen, and the Christmas special one of the happiest. That's some impressive range.

6. Dexter

Hard to believe a show about a likable serial killer could be one of the best shows of the decade, but with other shows glorifying killers like Tony Soprano and Vic Mackey, Dexter Morgan's killer with a code doesn't seem so bad. More importantly, Dexter started big with the Ice Truck Killer, and every year works to up the ante with the Bay Harbor Butcher and the Trinity Killer. With four great seasons, it's not only one of the most consistent shows on this list, but also the most addictive show to ever air on cable.

5. Six Feet Under

Further proof that Michael C. Hall has had a great decade: that he was equally convincing in the most un-Dexter part imaginable. You didn't always like everyone in the Fisher clan (in fact, I hated everyone for a full season each), but that just made their stories all the more compelling. It may have started as American Beauty: The TV Show, but by the time it reached its unforgettable ending it had evolved into something more.

4. The Sopranos

No show had more of an influence over the '00s than The Sopranos. Not only is it single-handedly responsible for the emergence of cable as a place for quality original programming, but it also led television to be taken seriously as an art form. Without The Sopranos, there would be no Mad Men, no The Shield, and no Dexter. And regardless of what you thought of the still-discussed finale, it had a pretty remarkable run.

3. 24

The Sopranos may have had the biggest influence on TV this decade, but 24 best represented the decade on TV. Premiering right after 9/11 in 2001, 24 brought the War on Terror to TV screens, and cemented terrorists as the new communists as far as action villains go. With its crazy twists and infamous character deaths, 24 is the reason every show goes kill crazy each May. And as much as I like Christian Bale's Batman, Jack Bauer is the real superhero of the decade.

2. Arrested Development

It may have only lasted three low-rated seasons, but Arrested Development is also the smartest and funniest comedy of all time. That's right I said it: Arrested Development is better than Seinfeld. After all, what other show do you need to watch five times just to get most of the jokes? Or features so many recurring gags that real fans always laugh harder than casual ones? With one of the looniest ensembles on TV and the most endlessly quotable lines, Arrested Development is a no-brainer for comedy of the decade.

1. Lost

So many shows have tried to imitate it (cough FlashForward cough), and so many have tried to explain its roots, but the fact is that Lost is a true original, the kind of experience that can only come but once a decade, if ever. A cult show that finds room for oven ten million viewers. A mystery that asks three new questions for every answer it gives. And a character piece that regularly makes even the most minor supporting character seem fascinating after a few well-placed flashbacks. With some of the most iconic characters, images, and storylines currently on TV, Lost is more than a more popular Twin Peaks, a more serialized X-Files, or a more intelligent Gilligan's Island. It's the show of the decade.

So there's my picks. Some shows that just barely missed the cut include The Wire, Veronica Mars, How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Alias, The Office (US), and 30 Rock.

Which shows topped your decade? What am I overrating? What am I missing? And what do you think will make this list ten years from now for the 2010s? Let me know in the comments.

Live Together, Nuke Alone

This year's crop of season finales have been kind of lackluster, with shows from 24 to The Office settling for less than the excitement of years past. But you can always count on Lost to go out with a...well...boom. I haven't had this little idea of where the show is heading since the early days of season 1, but with so much crazy new stuff now in play, I'm just as ready for more.

Of course, I'm primarily talking about Jacob, that mysterious God-like figure who seemed too mystical to take on human form. Yet in the opening scene there he was, looking an awful lot like Rita's abusive ex on Dexter. As he chatted with his unnamed counterpart, I got a very God and the Devil viben as they discussed the way island visitors played in to their feud. The show started off with Jack vs. Locke, and recently has been Ben vs. Widmore, but it's looking like the overriding conflict on Lost may turn out to be this one.

We got even more Jacob in the flashbacks, making him seem like the good guy of those two and providing some nice moments with all our originals. Little Kate, the story Jack told Kate in the pilot, Sawyer's parents' death - all key character moments dating back to the first season. I don't know if Jacob was saving Sayid from the car crash or leading Nadia to it (I lean toward the former), but we did get a solid answer in finding out how Hurley made it to Ajira 316.

Back in the '70s, we got an even bigger answer that's been plaguing me all season: what happened to Rose and Bernard? Well, turns out they retired with Vincent, another long MIA character, to enjoy each other's company and stay away from those Losties with their crazy antics. Rose always has a way of putting some perspective on these finales, even if Juliet was the one to say "Live together die alone" this year.

Outside of that sojourn, it was all to nuke or not to nuke. I'm surprised nobody but Miles dared speak the obvious: that the nuke might very well be what causes the incident. Guess they all have more faith in Faraday than that. Or fate. Actually, they seemed more focused on their silly love quadrangle. When Jack told Sawyer it was all about Kate, I think everyone agreed with Sawyer's exasperation. Did he really forget she was a prisoner on that flight? That kind of thinking deserves Sawyer's punches.

Juliet was acting mighty silly too though, wanting to erase Sawyer from her history because of a single look. What happened to the Juliet who was above getting jealous when Jack made googly eyes at Kate back in their days together? And the whole flashback with her parents there only to tie to the present was less subtle than Lost typically manages. That flashback might as well have been a patient on Grey's Anatomy.

Still, the dropping of the nuke produced the kind of classic "and it all goes terribly wrong" moments that are so fun to see on TV (like in the Battlestar finale). Metal goes flying everywhere, Cheng loses his arm, and Jimmy Barrett gets a spike through the chest. What is it about that actor that makes everyone want to see physical harm come to the characters he plays? Biggest "oh shit" of course was Juliet getting wrapped in chains and dragged down into the Swan. With Sawyer left crying after her, there went one of the most believable Lost relationships this side of Desmond and Penny (who were quite noticeably MIA from the finale, btw).

Back to 2007 for the episode's craziest reveal and most mythologically relevant moments. Locke's really dead! As sad as it is to think that there really will be no more John Locke on the show, that was far overshadowed by the realization that Devil Guy from the opening scene had somehow managed to take over his body. In order to get Ben to kill Jacob. Which, after whining over his neglect, he did.

So now what? Smoke Monster Alex told Ben to listen to Locke, so should we question our allegiance to Jacob, who, after all, we just formally met? In season 6, will Ben still be a lost and confused little boy, or will he return to the manipulative bastard we know and love/hate? What does it mean that "they're coming," and how will that alter Fake Locke's plans. And what's up with him anyway? Yeah, season 6 isn't lacking material.

Finally, back to the 70s for that final bump, and what a final one it was. In an insta-classic moment, a bloody Juliet bangs a rock at Jughead until it flashes the screen to white, leaving us with no idea what will happen come season 6. If it worked, the season starts with Oceanic 815 and everyone's back to who they were with no memory of the past 5 seasons. Or, alternatively, everybody flashes forward to 2007 and helps to defeat Fake Locke. The third option is everyone dies, but that seems kind of unlikely.

What I don't quite get is why everyone is so sure Juliet is dead. Yeah, she was badly injured, but not as much as Sayid. And yeah, she was right next to a nuclear bomb, but everyone else was certainly within the blast range as well. So unless everyone flashes away but her (making her the Sun of the group), it seems Juliet should be back with the Others as planned. So cool it with the mourning, k?

The ending's been compared to that shot down the hatch in season 1, Desmond turning the fail-safe key in season 2, and The Sopranos infamous cut to black. It is certainly frustrating to have no idea what the outcome of the season is, and what next season will be about. But who didn't get goosebumps when the white screen hit? Like Walt's kidnapping or Jack's "We have to go baaaack," that ending helped cement this finale among Lost's many successes. Between that and Jacob, it will be a long wait for the final season.

Happy 100 Episodes, Lost

I'm about a week late on writing this recap, so I'm going to cut right to the chase: why did we lose another freighter member so soon after Charlotte? With only peripheral characters Miles and Lapidus left standing, are the Freighter Folk going to become the new Tailies - important for one season before disappearing without leaving any impact on the series?

Well no, because as this episode made even clearer, Faraday was and will continue to be a central figure within the Lost mythology. After all, his parents are Charles and Eloise, those former Hostile leaders who still presently control everything from off-island. Flashbacks not only expanded scenes we had already seen (witnessing the fake Oceanic 815, meeting Dr. Chang), but also tied up all his loose ends. We got confirmation Widmore's his dad, found out why he went to the island, and even saw him give Little Charlotte the message she would remember on her deathbed.

As for his death, it was certainly dramatic. Not only was Faraday killed by his mother, but he realized in his final moments that she always knew she would kill him. Crazy stuff. And it sets Jack up to take over Faraday's mission to change the past, which is important since Jack has nothing better to do. But something about the scene still seemed a bit rushed. Maybe I was bothered by Faraday's insistence on waving around a gun, which seemed designed solely to get him killed. Or maybe I just don't like losing a good character so early.

As a final note: welcome back Desmond. We'd like to see you more often.

All Lost Characters Have Daddy Issues

This week I found myself wondering: how many major Lost characters do not have issues with their fathers? I mean, Kate and Ben killed theirs, Locke's tried to kill him, and Jack's dad pretty much defines Jack's character. So how many did I come up with? Seven: Charlie, Michael, Boone, Ana-Lucia, Eko, Juliet, and Charlotte. And, whoa, Juliet's the only one on that list who's still alive. Also, with the exception of Charlotte, everyone else had other family issues, whether it was a brother, a mother, a husband, or a son.

This may seem a bit off-topic in discussing this week's Lost, but I'm just getting at how often we've seen how "All the Best Cowboys Had Daddy Issues," ever since that season 1 Jack episode. And while it was cool to find out Dr. Chang/Candle is Miles' dad, the whole dad thing's been done. Even as we learned more about Miles' ghost abilities, he's still very much a peripheral character, and this episode didn't make him central the way Faraday has been this season.

That said, there was still plenty of good stuff, mostly thanks to the pairing of Miles and Hurley. They proved their comic chemistry a few weeks back when discussing Back to the Future, and cemented it this week with another classic movie: The Empire Strikes Back. Don't you wonder what Hurley's "improvements" to the script were? And how can he hate ewoks! Still, comparing Miles and Chang to Luke and Darth Vader as part of his father/son matchmaking was some quality TV.

And while the Miles/Hurley show got most of the episode, there was some other good stuff going on as well. Namely, Sawyer followed in the footsteps of Don Draper and punched Jimmy Barrett in the face. I guess that's what that actor is good for. After all the desperation and ass-covering, Sawyer seemed oddly nonplussed after clocking his subordinate, even knowing that tape may be the end to his comfortable life. Or maybe we're just seeing the return of Old Sawyer.

The most intriguing development may be the flashback scene with Shadow of the Statue Guy, last seen taking Lapidus hostage on-island in the future/present. Clearly he doesn't work for Widmore. So there's only two options: either he's one of Ben's men, and just pretended not to know him, or there's a third party involved in this war. But who? My guess: Jacob himself. But why would someone as mythical and powerful as Jacob hire someone as lame as Ilana?

Finally, another MIA character returned this week, as it turned out Faraday was neither a. with the Hostiles or b. living in a cave with a giant beard building a robot Charlotte, but c. in Ann Arbor doing sciency stuff. Guess that also answers the question of what year it will be if they left the island in the 70s. What's he been doing the last 6-8 episodes? Guess that calls for a Faraday episode. And since it's also the 100th episode, I'm expecting big things. Just got to get through another lame recap special first.

Benjamin Linus and the Temple of Doom

It's hard to believe this is only the third Ben episode Lost has ever had. That's because the other two - "The Man Behind the Curtain" and "The Shape of Things to Come" - were not just two of the best, but two of the most significant episodes. In the former, we first learned of Jacob's otherworldly status, and found out about the Purge. The latter used Alex's death as the trigger point to set up the Ben/Widmore war as the driving force behind the latter half of the series.

So with such high expectations, does "Dead Is Dead" hold up? Hell yeah! That's because it did what Lost does best: fill in some major pieces of the puzzle while keeping everything rooted firmly in character. Ben is obviously one of the most fascinating characters on the show, shifting drastically along the hero/villain scale week to week. This week pushed him a little bit closer to hero, but not without giving us many different visions of Ben.

We got a large range of flashbacks this week, from Harry Potter Ben to yesterday, but there was one main connective thread: Alex. We finally saw the baby-stealing incident that led Ben to adopt Alex, but it went down a bit differently than I expected. It seems Charles ordered Ben to kill Rousseau, and he chose to take the child and spare her instead. Remember last year when Alex died and we were all like, "OMG, Ben is totally Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood and Alex is his HW?" Yeah, that again.

If there was a second connective thread, it was the Ben/Charles feud. They seemed friendly enough upon first meeting, once Richard name-dropped Jacob and Charles let his flowing hair waft in the breeze. But once Charles told Ben to kill Alex, that courtesy was over. Next time we see Charles, he's being led to the submarine for his exile. Why? Still not sure on that, other than Ben's comment about him being off-island and fathering Penny (who can't be Ellie's daughter). But Ben was sure happy to see him go, far away from his own daughter.

Speaking of Penny, after six (!) episodes of suspense over what Ben did to her at the marina, we finally got the answer. I had just about accepted he killed her, but yet again Ben proved less evil than I thought. Ok, yes, he did shoot Desmond, which is especially uncool after Desmond called him brother. And he gave his little Inigo Montoya speech with gun raised. But then Little Charlie ran out, and Ben lost his resolve.

Now, there's a lot of Lost history in that moment. Perhaps Charlie reminded Ben of Alex on the day he took her from Rousseau. Maybe he saw Penny as the mother he lost on the day of his birth. But the Lost scene this most reminded me of was when Sawyer gave up his con when he saw the woman's child, reminding him of his own ruined family. Touching, cowboy, touching, but I still cheered when Desmond rushed out and beat him up, saving his Penny. We missed you, brother.

As emotional and informative as the flashbacks were, I shouldn't short-shrift the present, which could best be called the Ben and Locke show. As the show's absolute best pairing, their relationship grew to even more complicated levels this week. Right away we saw Ben confide in Locke, betray him, win him back, and think about killing him again. And how great is Resurrected Locke, so cool and detached, able to talk about his own murder with a bemused smirk? To think I had said that those left in the present were the rejects. Ben and Locke don't need anyone else.

The episode all led up to the temple, that mythical setpiece that has gotten greater and greater importance this season. As Ben made his way down, he was back in full Indiana Jones mode, gazing at the hieroglyphics on every wall before Smokey sifted out around him. As with Eko, Ben saw images, this time of his history with Alex. Watching Ben watch Alex die all over again was him at his human. A close second was when Ghost Alex appeared, and Ben wanted to believe that maybe she came back like Locke, that dead isn't dead. But no, just Smokey in human form, there to deliver a message: Locke is island prophet, do not kill him. Locke may be the Ben to Ben's Charles, but this time Ben gets to stay on the island. Does devoting his energy to fighting Charles mean he and Locke can get along for a little while?

Finally, I should probably mention what's going on with Nikki and Paolo 2. At first it seemed like Ben was going to make Caesar his new Sayid (convenient, since the actor's name is Said), but that ended when Ben shot him in the chest. Surprising, yes. Actually dead? No. Dead may be dead, but this is Lost. As for Ilana of the inconsistent accent, she seems to have acquired guns, men, and cryptic sayings. Am I curious enough about what she's doing to tolerate another scene with her? Do I have a choice?

Next up: A Miles episode, which will put his ghost whispering powers to use. It's about time.

Whatever Happened to Baby Aaron

Well, it took Lost 11 episodes, but it finally referenced Back to the Future. Since Hurley and Miles have both had little to do since the Oceanic Four returned, it makes total sense to pair them up as yet another amusingly odd couple in a proud tradition of unexpected pairings. Hurley's always been a bit of a spokesperson for the audience, so here he got to ask a variety of time travel questions straight off of Lost forums. The whole scene may have been like talking to the camera, but it was a nice bit of levity in an otherwise serious episode.

On to the episode's focus: Kate. Flashbacks gave some answers, though nothing too surprising: of course Sawyer's whisper was to check up on his daughter. I would have expected a little more surprise from Kate that her road trip buddy turned out to be Sawyer's baby mama, but I guess she already figured it out (how long was that whisper anyway?) But what I liked about this story is how, in just a few scenes, the episode really established their friendship and made you buy that little Clementine would call her Aunt Kate. And we thought Kate didn't have any friends.

As for Aaron, the writers had some fun at our expense while waiting for the answer to what Kate did to him. That whole supermarket scene was only there to make us think Claire whisked Aaron away to Jacob's Ghostland (that blonde sure looked like her). In the end, it was the most logical explanation (no, Kate killing Aaron was not a logical explanation) by having Kate drop him off with his grandmother. Though do we buy Kate went back to find Claire? And will grandma be mad when she finds out Claire's a ghost?

Back on the island, Kate was using her mothering instincts in new ways: trying to save Little Ben's life. New Jack was determined to do nothing, waiting for the island to send him a sign (I don't like the New Jack either, Kate). He's like that joke about the guy on the island who turns down 3 rescue offers because God will get him off the island. Maybe that's the ultimate meaning to Lost. Not sure how, though. Kate's irritation against Jack was nothing compared to Juliet, who railed against him for coming back in one of her best scenes this season. Jack's not getting any love, is he?

As for Little Ben, of course he lives. We can't have a time paradox with one season to go. But by handing Ben over to Richard Alpert, Kate and Sawyer effectively created the scheming, manipulative Ben we know and love/hate, by allowing him to "lose his innocence." Since we last see Richard carrying him into the temple, home of Smokey, it seems Ben really got island magic from the source. So it seems Sayid is the Laius to Ben's Oedipus: in trying to rid the world of him, he turned him into what he wanted to kill.

Yet the most interesting part of the exchange with the Hostiles was the "oh it's just a throwaway"-style super important lines:

-Don't you have to run this by Charles and Ellie?
-I don't answer to them.

Now we know that in the 1970s, Charles Widmore and Ellie (guntoter in the 50s, Daniel's mom in the present) are the leaders of the Others. This makes it a hell of a lot more likely that Charles Widmore is in fact Faraday's dad. But Richard's response shows he may not be too pleased with that arrangement. Did he take Ben specifically to set him up as a challenge for Widmore? Is Richard behind the entire feud?

We'll be getting a whole lot more Ben next time when he takes the spotlight, and it looks like a whole lot more Smokey as well. Even better, we'll finally find out what happened to Penny and maybe get a Desmond sighting as well. It's about time.

I'm From the Future

At the very beginning of this season, a Dharma worker asked, regarding time travel, "What, like going back in time to kill Hitler?" Well, it seems Sayid had a similar idea in this focused, flash-backed filled, and super-dramatic episode.

Right away, we got a big return to flashbacks, with our first ever childhood flashback for Sayid. If it seemed a bit familiar, that's cause it was nearly identical to Eko's: one brother can't kill when directed, so the other brother does it for him. Sure, Sayid was out to please his demanding father, not a child-recruiting army, but the message was the same: they're killers.

Other flashbacks were more recent, answering two big questions: what caused Ben and Sayid's falling out, and why did Sayid get on the plane. The first answer was...disappointing. While I get Sayid being mad at Ben for taking away his life's purpose and calling him a killer, I'm not sure that was enough for Sayid to so fully lose his trust in Ben. It's not like he found out the hit list was a sham (though it still could be). Ben ending the arrangement with no explanation is perfectly in character though.

As for the second, there was an answer but not a definitive one. He got on the plane because Ilana made him. Yeah, we got that already. But as for her story about being a bounty hunter for the guy he killed on the golf course? I'm not buying it. She seems sketchy, and not just because her accent is constantly in flux and she looks like Ana-Lucia. On the other hand, welcome back McCutcheon scotch. Maybe Sayid would get along with Widmore better than he thinks.

Back on the island, Jack/Kate/Hurley started adjusting to island life. Dr. Arzt compared Lost to high school back in season 1. This week expanded on that point by putting the "cool kids" in a cafeteria. Not only that, but they were gossiping about Sawyer and Juliet while Kate was all like "OMG, I like totally don't like him anymore. As if." By the point Juliet passive-agressively told Kate she wasn't telling her to stay away, it was Gossip Girl: Island Edition.

Back to Sayid, who found out that "our you" preferred drug-laced sugar cubes to fingernail-based torture in his interrogations. In general, Sayid may be one of the most humorless and least comical characters on the show. Which made it all the more hilarious to see him high as a kite, listing off Dharma stations and declaring,"I'm from the future!" in a hippie happy voice. That bit of comic relief was well-needed for the darkness that was coming.

While sober, Sayid was making a new-old friend, Harry Potter lookalike Little Ben. They bonded over sandwiches, bad dads, and a desire to escape. It was all very cute. Until Sayid shot him, right through the chest. Now, this is all sorts of problematic, and not just because Sayid killed a kid. The problem is that Sayid would have never returned to the island were it not for Ben, creating a time paradox. According to MIA (I picture him as a hermit in a cave with a long beard scribbling equations on the cave walls) Faraday, that just can't happen.

Which is why I'm not too worried about the young Gryffindor. The island wouldn't let Ben kill Locke, and it wouldn't let Michael or Jack kill themselves. What makes us think it would allow a world-destroying paradox involving the death of one of its most important citizens? No, Ben's definitely got to live.

But even if he does live, this seems a pretty drastic change in Ben's personal history. Either he knew the whole time with Sayid that his pet assassin once turned the gun on his master, or Ben's about to have a rude awakening. No matter what, this seems a grave break to the rules Faraday once believed in. Which means plenty of more drama in the coming episodes, as a seasons and a half of Sawyer and Juliet "playing house" wouldn't really be Lost.

Nama...uh....what?

Namaste Lost fans! This week was kind of a transitionary episode. The season fully began Part 2 as Jack/Kate/Hurley/Sayid came into Dharma society and the Ajira rejects settled on Baby Island. I mean, for the first time since the premiere, you really couldn't say this episode belonged to any one character. I guess Sawyer had the most focus, but he just had his turn! Still, while a transitionary episode of 24 leaves you ending the hour saying "what just happened?" Lost found a way to make an episode all about pushing the plot forward seem pretty exciting.

Much credit goes to Sawyer, whose three year jump may have been the best thing that ever happened to his character. He seemed oh so comfortable last week - lying in bed with Juliet, carrying Horace home from his dynamite-throwing binge - and now it's all about to come crashing down. This week saw Sawyer the Problem Solver, figuring out how to get Jack, Kate, and Hurley into Dharma without exposing himself. He thinks he's got it all under control, and he can have it both ways. As the promos for next week show, that doesn't last.

The new Jim LaFleur and the old James Sawyer both showed their heads in the scene with Jack at the end. Sawyer had seemed so above the past, greeting them like they were old friends at a 5 year high school reunion. But a slight nudge from Jack pushed that rivalry right back into place. Interesting though to see how the tables have turned, and now it's Sawyer calling the shots. Sawyer was quick to put Jack back in his workman place as he compared himself to Winston Churchill. Surprisingly, Jack seemed ok with that. For now.

What really brought in the drama this episode though was Sayid, inconveniently separated and doomed to take on the role of a Hostile (not that they call themselves that). Fun little game of role-playing there as Sawyer tried to save Sayid's life in front of map-making button-pusher Radzinsky, and props to both actors for showing the silent communication. It's also fun to see Sayid stepping into Ben's role from season 2, as the captured Other. An angry Iraqi is all Sawyer needs to pull his happy life down.

If the Dharma gang made the most out of their transition, it's very clear which of the split stories is the weakest link. It was a cool reveal that the rest of Ajira landed in the present without the Oceanic 6-2=4, but then you realize what that means: full separate stories in which the only real characters are Sun, Ben, Lapidus, and (eventually) Locke. As much as I love all of those characters, they must be pissed to have been seated 30 years away from the cool kids table.

I do wish we had first seen Ajira on the island this way, instead of that awkward tease at the beginning of Locke's episode. Even this week though, the whole island-landing thing wasn't cutting it. It's kind of like if you go back to summer camp after a great first year and almost no one else you know came back with you. Everyone else thinks it's cool, but you're just like "please, this year's got nothing on last year." So all of Caesar's Jack-like organizing? Already seen that, and with more interesting people.

Back to Sun and Lapidus, who made it onto the big island to find Christian waiting for them. Since Ben claimed to have people to visit as well, it certainly begs the question of who we should expect in the present. We know Richard's always there, but who else? An elderly Faraday living in a cave with a massive beard? Rose and Bernard? Vincent? Christian's mention of a long journey shows at least this storyline is going somewhere, but I'm not sure how Sun's going back in time.

So there you have it. A good strong set-up for some major action to go down on the Dharma side of things. Caesar and Ilana still seem like Nikki and Paolo 2. And the rest of the present-day people seem like an odd smattering of left-overs. Questions moving forward: Did Faraday defect to the Hostiles, is he on his own, or did he leave the island/the 70s? Was Juliet's close call adding Kate to the manifest a sign of more season 3 style mud wrestling to ccome? And when will we ever see Desmond again?

Captain Sawyer LaFleur

Why is there no Lost this week? Don't we go so long between seasons so this doesn't happen? Well, I suppose you'll have to accept my long overdue recap instead.

Like Locke's episode the week before, "LaFleur" features fake names (Jeremy Bentham, Jim LaFleur) and fills in missing story pieces we skipped past originally. But unlike in the Bentham episode, those missing pieces were actually unknown, giving us a nice answer to what happened to the left-behinders in those missing 3 years.

Now Dharma converts, everyone seems completely different yet oddly appropriate. Miles, in his brief scene, seems to have gone from sarcastic and difficult to a good little Dharma bee. Juliet's switched career paths from baby doctor to mechanic. But the most comfortable change is in Sawyer. The former con man is now head of Dharma security. As far as I can tell, that makes him a bit like a small town sheriff, watching out for the drunk guy throwing dynamite and making house calls. Who knew that would be Sawyer's calling?

Of course, just like the Oceanic Six, they got to that point through lying. It's a nice parallel, though it does seem funny how the Oceanic Six agonized over their lie for a full season, which, to be honest, probably didn't affect their daily life all that much, while the lie here is far more invasive. I mean, Sawyer claimed he was a ship captain and Juliet has to fix cars! Yet rather than stress over the lie, they all seem....content.

Which is why, despite all the new info, the episode seemed merely nice until the end. With Sawyer happily keeping Dharma safe and cuddling up with Juliet, it took Kate's arrival to shake things up. Sawyer certainly was asking for it with his speech about how he couldn't even remember her face (hint: freckles). I've never found the Jack/Kate/Sawyer triangle particularly compelling, but this episode actually has me looking forward to how this now-quadrangle will resolve.

Also, welcome to Michelle Dessler and Jimmy Barrett to Lost. Michelle (sorry, Amy) seemed like a nice pregnant lady, but she's up to something. She tricked everyone with the fence, and who knows what she was doing with the Hostiles before Sawyer rescued her. Jimmy doesn't have much of a part yet, but I assume he'll do more than should "Let's call LaFleur." After all, this is a former Utz spokersperson we're talking about.

Finally, did anyone else notice Faraday was MIA in the 3 years later scenes? I would say that means he's with the Hostiles, but the premiere showed him in a Dharma jacket. Did he figure out how to use the frozen donkey wheel to send him back in time to save Charlotte? Or did Jeremy Davies just have another week off? Maybe we'll find out next week.