Lost: "Dr. Linus"

*Editor's Note: I took some time to celebrate my birthday this week (it was Wednesday!), but I'm back. I keep saying my birthday celebration kicked off with "Dr. Linus" and will end with the episode in two weeks. (Trust me, it's a great one!). Alas, I'm just going to skip this month's DL update. Sorry!

For a long time, I dispised Benjamin Linus. The Season 4 episode "The Shape of Things to Come" made me sympathize with him as he watched his daughter be killed. Finally, the Season 4 Finale made me feel deeply sorry for him. I thought stepping aside to let Locke be the leader of The Others was his redemption. Alas, when he murdered Locke is Season 5, I hated him again. But I think the redpmption of Benjamin Linus, a man who for so long was evil and corrupt with power, began his road to redemption when he gave Locke's eulogy. His redemption is continuing, and was at the forefront in both the flashsideways and On-Island timeline.

In the flashsideways, Ben is a pretty sad person. He lives with his ailing father, and ironically, "gasses" him to keep him alive. They seem to have a loving relationship, which is very different from the on-Island storyline. But Ben is unhappy. Roger comments that he wonder what Ben's life would have been like if they stayed on the Island and had not left the Dharma Initiative. So, this opens up am entirely different bag of possibilites. Why did they leave? Why is the Island underwater? So many questions, as per usual!

At the beginning of the episode, Ben talks of Elba, where Napoleon had to live without his power. I'm theorizing that this refers to the Man in Black, who is forced to live on the Island without his dark powers. If he were to leave the Island, to borrow a line from Doc Brown, "the consequences could be disastorous!!".

Ben teaches at Arzt's school- didn't see that one coming! Ben and Arzt are fed up with Principal Reynolds who runs the school. Reynolds does not buy important essentials to acedemic success, and does not respect the teachers there. Locke convinces Ben to change the school and even throws his support behind him.

Alex Roussaeu (!) comes to Ben asking for help studying for her AP Exam. She really needs a letter of recommendation to Harvard, which Reynolds "the pervert" is writing for her. Upon further inquiry, Ben learns that while Alex was in the nurse's office, she herd Reynolds and the nurse having sex in the room next to her. Ben sees this as his chance to get Reynold's job, and teams up with Arzt to get blackmail him.

When Ben approaches Reynolds and threatens him, Reynolds threatens to not write a letter for Alex. Ben must now choose what to do. And unlike on the Island, Ben made a huge sacrifice for his "daughter". Going even further, Ben offers Arzt his parking spot for helping him.

On Island, things don't look good for Ben. Ilana found out that he killed Jacob, and is outraged, for Jacob "was the closest thing [she] ever had to a father". Once back at the beach, Frank, Miles, and Sun begin restoring their camp. But Ilana goes in search of restraints. She chains Ben, and forces him to dig his own grave as Ilana guards him.

Jack and Hurley begin walking back from the Lighthouse when they encounter Richard Alpert. Jack wants to go back to the Temple, and Richard says he'll bring them. But instead, they head to ther Black Rock, where Richard tells them he hasn't been back there in a long time. So I'm guessing Richard is not from Anicent Egypt, and did indeed come on the Black Rock. Richard tells the duo that he went to the Temple, and everyone there was killed in an attack. Hurley admits Jacob "hinted" at this, but Richard angrily replies to not believe him.

Inside the Black Rock, Richard searched for dynamite and explains to Jack that he was touched by Jacob and given a gift, which is actually a curse. Therefore, he does not age. All the work he has done for Jacob now seems pointless and a total waste of time. Richard explains he cannot kill himself, but Jack can, and he wants Jack to. Jack lights the stick of dynamite, but Jack tells him that neither one of them is supposed to die. Jack realizes that if Jacob was watching him, then there must be a good reason why he (and Richard) were brought to the Island. The dynamite does not go off.

Back in the cemetary, Miles vistits Ben and tells him Jacob hopes he was wrong about him before he was murdered. And guess what? Jacob did care that he was going to be killed. Later, Flocke appears to Ben and encourages to come with him and his followers to the Hydra Island. Once he leaves, Ben will be in charge, and his power will be restored. He points to a gun, and says he should kill Ilana, because Ilana won't hesistate to kill him.

Ben grabs the gun and runs, with Ilana is hot pursuit. Ilana is force to drop her gun, and Ben explains his actions. He explains how much he had sacrificed for Jacob, but the deity didn't even care. When he killed Jacob, he was worried about losing his power, but is now very sorry he killed Jacob. He doesn't expect forgiveness from Ilana, because Ben can't even forgive himself. He plans to go with Flocke, because he's the only one that will have him. To this, Ilana replies, "I'll have you". IMO, this was one of the most powerful lines of the season.

Ben and Ilana go back to the beach, and Ben offers Sun assistance with her tent. Just then, Jack, Hurley, and Richard come back to the beach camp, and everyone reunites in a beautiful montage. There is a definate difference between Team Jacob and Team MiB. Once again, we are given a light scene for Jacob, as opposed to a dark scene for MiB.

And who's watching this reunion? Charles Widmore, via a submarine coming to the Island.

Top 3 Questions I Want Answered:
1). How di Widmore get to the Island?
2). What's Richard's backstory?
3). How/when will Jack react to seeing Flocke?

Fringe Renewed for a Third Season

Yep, it's true!

I was a little afraid that Fringe may not be picked up again. Viewership decreased this season, and really hasn't gotten better. But, Fox has picked it up for a third season. Thank God!

For more info, click here.

Lost: "Sundown"

Now, who here thought this was a Jin/Sun episode? The episode title made it seem that way. And for those who have been tracking the similarities between Season 1 and 6, the sixth episode of Season 1 was "House of the Rising Sun", a Jin and Sun centric. But, we were tricked. For this episode was not a Jin/Sun centric. It was a Sayid centric. With a cameo by Jin.

If any of you watch ABC's sneak peeks, you were probably happy to see Sayid getting out of a taxi with flowers and walking to Nadia's house, where they embraced. However, the clip was misleading. Soon after, Sayid's brother is revealed to come out of the kitchen, and is married to Nadia. They both have two cute children, as well. It would later be explained that Sayid pushed them together because he couldn't be with Nadia after what he had done.

Sayid travels alot because his boring job, which I really can't remember off the top of my head. But, his brother Omer approaches him. Apparently, the man got into some trouble with a guy he borrowed money from, and needs Syaid to send him a message. Sayid refuses, saying he's not the kind of man anymore. Throughout the show, Sayid has been struggling with this, and in Sundown, it comes to a shocking conclusion. But more into that later...

The next morning, after sending the kids off to school, Nadia rushes to Sayid to tell him that her husband was attacked by the men who gave him money. Omer is rushed to the hospital, and the gang briefly passes Jack. Sayid is furious, but Nadia convinces him not to seek revenge. Later that night, Nadia informs Sayid Omer is recuperating, and the two talk about their relationship. Sayid insists that he doesn't deserve Nadia.

The next day, Sayid is taken by Omer's beaters and is taken to a kitchen where Martin Keamy (what a shock!!) and his goons from the freighter are revealed to be bad guys. Keamy explains the situation, but Sayid doesn't buy it. A bullet fight ensues, and Sayid manages to kill the goons, and is about to kill Keamy, when the evil man begs for his life. He says he will forgive the debt, but Sayid said he can't forgive him and shoots him. I was glad to see Keamy's death for a second time, and this time was better because no one else's life was at stake.

Well, we'll have to see about that one. Because as Sayid was leaving, he heard a man trapped in the freezer. And this man was... Jin!!

On the Island, we were treated to a terrifc fight between Sayid and Dogen. Sayid is furious about the tests he underwent, but Dogen argues that his scale, which is supposed to balance good and evil, is balancing the wrong way. I assume this to be the evil side, since Sayid was somehow claimed. Dogen was the only person to ever beat Sayid in a battle, as far as I can remember. And just as Dogen was about to kill Sayid, that mysterious baseball dropped, and Dogen merely told Sayid he was banished.

As Sayid is preparing to leave, Miles confirms to him and the audience that Sayid was indeed dead for over 2 hours, leaving us to contemplate what brought him back. Just then, Claire enters the Temple. Flocke sent her in to send a message to the Temple Dwellers in exchange for getting Aaron back.

Claire notifes Dogen that Flocke wants to see him, but she is taken. Dogen instructs Sayid that he changed his mind on banishment. He offers Sayid a redeption plan- to kill the Man in Black, who is "evil incarnate" and is posing as a dead man (Locke). He must be stabbed before any words come out of his mouth.

But the plan doesn't work. Flocke appears and says "Hello, Sayid" at which point Sayid stabs Flocke. Nothing happens. Flocke talks to Sayid, and is once again manipulating someone to join his team. His offer- to give him anything he wants. Sayid wants Nadia, who is dead. But Flocke makes it appear that he can, indeed have her.

Sayid reports back to the Temple and relays a message to the Others from Flocke: Jacob is dead, so now you can leave, or stay and die. They must decide by sundown. (I guess that's where the title comes from!).

Kate also comes back to the Temple and finds Claire singing "Catch a Falling Star". Kate tells Claire about what really happened to Aaron. She also warns Kate that "He is coming, and you can't stop him!".

As a large group of Others prepare to leave (including Cindy and the kids), Sayid goes to the Temple, where Dogen sheds some light on his backstory. He was once a businessman, and after a promotion, went partying and drinking. Dogen had to much, and then proceded to pick his son up from a baseball game. Big mistake. They got into a terrible accident. Dogen was ok, but his son was in terrible condition. Was he dead, or just seriously injured? We are left to wonder that as Jacob approaches him with a proposition. He can save his son, as long as Dogen goes to The Island and will never be able to see him again.

After the story, Dogen asks if the Man in Black made a similar propisition. He also notices it is sundown, and Sayid must now choose. Sayid says he would "like to stay", but plunges Dogen in the pool and drowns him. Lennon runs in, screaming at Sayid that Dogen was the only thing keeping "him" out. Just then, the Smoke Monster floods the Temple as Sayid kills Lennon. Looks like Sayid has finally descended into evil.

Havoc breaks loose in the Temple, and the Smoke Monster kills many people. Kate goes to rescue Claire, but she insists "he" will not harm them as Kate jumps into the whole. Above, they see the Monster pass over them, carrying many bodies in it.

Miles runs into a back room, and meets Ilana, Frank, Sun, and Ben, who just got to thr Temple and are trying to find a way out. Ilana is looking for Hurley, Jack, and Saywer, but they aren't there. While the reunion was pretty cool, there is no time to discuss things because they have to move quickly. Ben tries to bring Sayid with them, and in their first encounter since shooting him in '77, Sayid tells a visibly frightened Ben he cannot escape.

Ben, Frank, Ilana, Miles, and Sun escape the devistation in the Temple through a secret passage. In the final scene, Claire, Kate, and Sayid are seen walking out of the Temple while The Man in Black (as Flocke) is scene leading a large group out of the Temple after giving an odd look to Kate. And folks, it appears the teams have been made. Part 1 of the Final Season is finished, and Part 2 looms in our midst.

Top 3 Questions I Want Answered:
1). What is going on with Sayid?
2). Why is Kate not a Candidate?
3). What the hell was with the promor for "Dr. Linus"?

Congrats to "UP"!

We all knew it was going to win...

Up was a fantastic movie. Not only was it nominated for Best Animated film, but was also nominated for Best Film. Now that's an achievement!

Up also took home the award for Best Score. While Michael Giaccino is no doubt a brilliant composer (and one of my favorites!) I felt that Hans Zimmer should have won for Sherlock Holmes. That score was so impressive, I downloaded the entire score after the movie.

So congrats to everyone at Pixar and Disney for making this great movie! Hopefully, the Academy will be more freindly to animated films in the future. As long as the story is good, right?

Plus, Up was much better than Avatar...

Click here for a list of all the winners. For even more Oscar coverage, click here.