Mild spoiler alert--Future plot points and minor clarifications from last week discussedNot sure how many of you listen to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse's weekly podcast, but there's usually some good info to be had...as well as a lot of artful dodging and general silliness. Anyway, since last week's episode was so riddled with new questions, I thought I'd post the thoughts of the 2 guys steering the ship...
Regarding the news that the show will wrap in 2010, the remaining story will fit nicely in 3 16-episode pods.
The Season 3 Finale:
1. They just finished shooting it on Monday. Final editing to be done by next Sunday, prior to airing next Wednesday.
2. Watching the finale you’ll get the gist of where they’re going for Season 4, just like the previous cliffhangers have done.
(Side note: Although each season has really had 2 MAJOR cliffhangers, and in each case most of the season was dedicated to one and the other wasn't dealt with until the middle/end of the following season. The end of season 1 had 2 big questions: 1. What's in the hatch we just opened? and 2. Who are those Others who stole Walt and blew up the raft? #1 was the main story arc of season 2, and #2 was only scratched and was really the focus of season 3. At the end of season 2, the 2 MAIN questions were 1. What are the Others going to do with Jack, Sawyer and Kate? and 2. The Purple Sky Event: What happened, and what will Penny do now that she's found Desmond? Again #1 was the primary focus of season 3, and #2 was only really touched upon toward the end of season 3 and will continue into season 4.)
The Man Behind the Curtain:
1. The Jacob reveal was just a teaser. They wanted to create a "Tivo Moment" and introduce the character, but he's more of a Season 4 question. The focus of the remaining episodes in Season 3 will be the showdown between the Losties and the Others.
2. Carlton alluded to other Dharmites who weren't purged. Supposedly Ben referenced this right before he shot Locke. I'll have to go back and watch.
3. Without saying it outright, they essentially said Locke isn't dead. Carlton said "he didn't look dead" at the end of the episode, and "if he were a betting man" he'd say that Locke is still alive.
4. Ben took Locke to see Jacob as a "litmus test" to see if Locke could see/hear him. When he realized that Jacob spoke to him, Ben felt his role as leader threatened. Thus, he shot Locke. (We pretty much already figured that out, but it was confirmed.)
eMail Q&A Session:
1. Q: Is Jacob an alien or some other non-human intelligence being held and used for human purposes? And do not dodge! A: He's not an alien. Dodging on the rest, otherwise it's "game over". (Hmmm...)
2. Q: Is there more to the purge, or was that it? What happened to Dr. Candle, Radzinsky, and Kelvin? A: There is more to learn about Dharma and the conflict between them and the Others. This was one key moment in their "war". We will find out how Dr. Candle lost his arm. We will also find out how Montand (one of Rousseau's crew) lost his arm. They joked that Season 4 will be the lost appendages season. (Maybe the glass eye found at the Arrow Station will be explained too in the lost appendages season.) Carlton said he'd like to see a Rousseau flashback. Damon concurred. They then joked, "I guess we should write it then!"
3. Q: Is Jacob confined by Ben? Was the powdery substance around the cabin created to hold hm? A: Carlton said that there are a couple possible explanations: the substance, combined with other things, could be keeping Jacob confined; or the volcano could have distributed the ash in a nice symmetrical pattern around the cabin. Damon than asked “what’s up with Annie, anyway? Was she killed in the purge too?” Carlton responded that is a chapter in Ben’s story that will be resolved in the future. (I think this bodes well for Ben's survival in the promised bloodbath in the Finale.)
4. Q: Where's the Dharma shark and what's it been doing since we last saw it? A: Lots of funny, self-effacing commentary about the shark's name (Ezra James Sharkington) and it's upcoming story arc (we know how much you liked the Jack tattoo story--wait til you see how the shark got his Dharma tattoo. Bai Ling could return as the shark's tattoo artist and finish her 6-episode story arc she was talking about around the time that episode aired). On a serious note, we will see the shark again before the show has completed its run.
Even though they dodged a lot around Jacob, there was a good amount of meat in there. There was also an interview with Dominic Monaghan about his experience on the show and how he'd feel if he were killed off. At this point, between the rumors that he hasn't been renewed for season 4, the Desmond-Charlie story arc, and this interview, it would be more of a surprise if they DIDN'T kill him off. The only thing missing is a farewell tour.
Thanks for bringing this over, Ice!I didn't know that Penny had found Desmond. We know she was looking for him, but does she really know that she has found him? That has yet to be confirmed.
As I presumed, it's nice to hear a confirmation that Locke isn't dead!
Maybe we can look forward to a Danielle flashback next season?
Lastly, I'm sorry to see Charlie go, but he really has been a meatless character for the past few seasons. I want to know when Claire and Jack will find out that they are half-siblings.