LOST -- End and Beginning

So ... I thought about posting my take on the LOST finale, but here we are, a week and a half later, with nothing to show. Like Allison, I thought the finale was well done and a fitting end to the series. Other folks were disappointed. And that's cool. I've kind of burned out on reading the various pro and con assessments, so I'm just going to say I loved it and leave it at that. Even with its faults (both with the episode and as a finale to the series), "The End" held up well to a second viewing. In fact, it left us wanting to re-visit the entire series, though probably not anytime soon. We did re-watch the pilot, though, and it was pretty cool to see how well these two bookends held together.

Which brings me to the main thing I wanted to mention:

Mark T. aka the Foolish Sage has some great thoughts as part of a LOST Retrospective. The best part is that he actually is re-watching the series from the start, and providing comments with the entire series in mind. Should be good. He's got three episodes done already, and I think it really shows how well the show coheres from start to end. Do check it out.

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Thoughts on Alice, LOST, and the Book of Job

Last Thursday I finished reading a book. In former days that was not a rare occurence, but this year it seems I can barely find a moment to curl up with anything other than a short magazine article. Though I am keeping up with my Bible study lessons better now...

Anyway, the book that I finished? Alice in Wonderland. Fantastic. I definitely enjoyed it for what it was, a rambling story to entertain some children on a summer's boat ride, but upon this reading I was seeing it more through the eyes of an English teacher. You can tell that Lewis created the plot on the fly, but his inside jokes and literary references are clever and witty. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of The Annotated Alice, for two reasons:

1. Annotations. (Duh.) I'm a literature geek and think that all the puns, allusions, farces and satire in the book are hilarious, and though I am actually familiar with some of the references that Carroll spins in the book, I'd really like to know what all the songs, poems, and rhymes are all about. The real versions, anyway.

2. LOST connections. They blatantly threw the book at us on last week's episode of LOST with Jack's son. And we'd also seen it once before with Jack and Aaron in an earlier season. Plus, there were all those mirrors. Either the writers REALLY want us to get the connection between the show and Through the Looking Glass, or, someone there also worked for the new Alice movie coming out and wants everyone to read the book, too.

(I actually do want to see the film, though with Tim Burton it could go either way. Plus, my cousin Lawson worked with the art department so it'd be kind of cool to watch the credits and go "Hey, I know that guy!" rather than just making fun of the weird names.)

Just so you know, I started this post well before I saw Doc Jensen's column today about this called "Go Ask Alice," and though he's always CRAZY, he makes some points I agree with, especially in light of the aforementioned allusions.

On to a different theory concerning LOST. Two weeks ago we saw some spooky ghost kid come running up to the Smoke Monster/Locke and say, "You know the rules. You can't kill him." Now, I'm still not sure who the "him" is referring to, though my hunch is Sawyer, since he's one of Jacob's candidates. It could also be Richard. But, upon watching it a second time, it struck me that perhaps this is similar to the scene between the Lord and Satan in the Book of Job, where God only allows him to torture Job to a point -- he can't kill him (see verse 12 in this passage).

And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand."

So is Jacob the God-figure in this retelling? I'm still not sure. But it does make me think that perhaps SOMEONE only allows the Smoke Monster so much freedom on the island. We already know he can't go inside the ash. But I wonder if he's only allowed to kill certain people? Like the pilot (AKA that guy from Felicity and Alias), and Mr. Eko. If he wants to kill someone "on the list," he has to get someone else to do his dirty work. Think: Michael killiing Libby and perhaps even Ana Lucia when she killed that love-interest of Juliet. What are those "rules" exactly? And who made them? And when?

This is turning out to be a most intriguing final season. I am not ashamed to proclaim where I like to spend my Tuesday evenings. :) Anyone else care to offer their thoughts and theories in the comments? (No spoilers on tonight's episode until after 10pm EST, please!)

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The Beginning of the End

With much fanfare and anticipation, mixed with a little angst, the final season of LOST is now upon us. Allison and I have finished our re-watch of Season Five, including all the cool DVD bonus features. I think we are ready. I hope we are ready.

As far as predictions for the new season go: it just dawned on me that the premiere is on Groundhog Day. (Aside -- thanks to Gen. Beauregard Lee for not seeing his shadow!) So maybe each episode this season will start with the crash of Flight 815 and feature all the wacky things that could have been.

Nah.

Seriously, I've given up on making too many predictions about LOST, since the show keeps surprising me. Each new season takes the show in an unexpected direction, and the overall result is simply fantastic. I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

Also, just in time for the premiere, the Sky1 channel in the UK commissioned the always-excellent Reduced Shakespeare Company to distill five seasons of LOST into ten minutes of awesome: LOST REDUCED.

Update: It just dawned on me that LOST isn't the first show to end a season finale with a nuclear detonation* -- Sledge Hammer! ended it's first season with an atomic blast. I'm going to trust that LOST's writers know what they're doing, and haven't used Sledge Hammer! as a prototype for resolving their own story arc!

(*Disclaimer: Okay, I assume that Season Five ended with a detonation, but things on LOST are rarely as they seem.)

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Fare Thee Well, Conan

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Quick Takes

If you haven't already, purchase Eric Peters' album Chrome. It released yesterday. Listen to the title track!

Andrew Peterson's newest book, North! Or Be Eaten is also on store shelves. (Sequel to On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness). Look forward to a full review from Team Redd in September. Plues, we have an extra copy to giveaway!

Potty training in a carpeted apartment (hence, no yard to run around in without clothes on) has not been the most pleasant experience. I may wait a bit longer to continue. On a positive note, Jacob did ask to go potty last weekend while we were at a restaurant, and he succeeded!

Burn Notice is one of the most compelling series on television (or on DVD), despite the gratuitous swimsuit shots (which thankfully are limited). We can't stop watching! Bruce Campbell got our attention, but the characters, intriguing plots, feel-good vibe, and overarching narrative keep us watching. I'd describe it as Alias meets MacGyver with a bit of Baywatch thrown in between scenes. Definitely a show for adults, but so good. Why is it that a car chase is so much more compelling when the voiceover gives you helpful instructions?

Now Jacob's imaginary friends are in the form of "kids." No names, just "the kids" who like to hide behind the chair in his room. He often brings them gifts of toys. Yesterday, he said he vacuumed them up. I wonder how small they are?

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Quick Thoughts on the LOST Season Finale

(I do not think these contain spoilers. If you saw the episode, though, feel free to make comments ON OUR BLOG and know that those will NOT be spoiler-free.)

1. The opening scene blew away all my expectations and cancelled out quite a few of my guesses, especially about Jacob. Best. Episode. Ever.

2. What happened at the end of the episode IS "the incident." The past will not be rewritten.

3. Juliet = Desmond when he turned the key in season 2

4. All of the castaways who were in 1977 will be returned to 2007 or sometime thereafter.

5. Jacob vs. "unamed guy in black" showdown will be "the war" that has been coming

6. "unamed guy in black" = the Smoke monster

7. I must read more Flannery O'Connor. See: recurring theme of resurrection

I'm sure I'll come up with more tomorrow, but for now: discuss!

UPDATE: This recap by some guy named Todd touches on many of the religious themes of the show, and even dubs" unnamed guy in black" as Esau. Thoughts?

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N.T. Wright + Stephen Colbert = ???

Interesting. N.T. Wright is on the schedule for this Thursday's episode of The Colbert Report (scroll down to 6/19).

Interesting, indeed.

UPDATE: You can watch a video of this phenomenon here at Comedy Central.

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Strawberry Shortcake 2.1

As part of a complete modernization, Strawberry Shortcake's losing her old look, and her faithful sidekick is getting the axe. Her furry, cuddly Custard the Cat is being replaced by a cell phone as Strawberry's favorite thing to interact with regularly. Now she's hip. With it.

Read the entire article detailing the reinvention of Strawberry Shortcake and other beloved cartoon characters.

When I was little, I had a complete set of Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and I loved the TV show. I remember the little pink plastic cat Custard had such a sweet smell, like whipped cream. I don't imagine the cell phone will smell like anything. And I don't remember Strawberry Shortcake and her friends having any affinity for candy, as mentioned in the article. Desserts, yes, but not candy. I thought that was the point: Blueberry Muffin, Raspberry Tart, Apple Dumplin'... who doesn't love a good baked dessert?!

Hey you, faithful readers -- are you saddened by any of the changes that have been made to your favorite childhood characters? Perhaps this is one reason not to let your kids watch TV shows -- so they won't get attached to the characters and become upset when someone tries to update them 20 years later.

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No More TLC

This post is not about my lack of attention. This is about the cable channel. Although, I suppose the two could be related.

We have the most basic cable available. I think we pay something like $13/month just so we don't have to use bunny ears to watch the networks. We also receive at least three local religious stations, two home shopping channels, a couple of Spanish networks, C-Span 1 and 2, and Fox Business, of all things. Not that great.

Well, at the beginning of last month, we noticed we were getting a few extra channels on our new HD television. The magical cable fairy from the land of the addictive glowing screen had bestowed not one, but at least three new premium channels into our box: AMC, ABC Family, and my personal favorite TLC. Somehow, these had slipped passed the almighty television Nazis and were coming through to us, the lowly basic cable subsribers. Gaines knows how it works; I'm still fuzzy on all of that. I wanted to blog about our unexpected gift earlier, but thought that some cable person might see it and decide to take away my TLC because of my hubris.

It doesn't matter anymore because I discovered yesterday that they are gone! (Well, we still have ABC Family but who really watches that?) My TLC channel is now "encrypted," and if I want to keep up with new episodes of Jon & Kate + 8 or watch Clinton and Stacy dole out fashion advice, I'll have to wait until we visit my parents' lake place to get my binge. And I never even took advantage of my chance to see Paige's return on Trading Spaces!

It's true that you never realize how much you'll miss something until it's gone. However, in this case, it may just be a blessing. Too much TLC, in this form, is bad for me. Which is why I'm attacking the laundry monster that has accumulated over the last several weeks...

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Further Proof That I Was a Geek In Jr. High

As if you didn't know that already.

So, I'm perusing the Eddie's Attic website in order to buy our tickets for the Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken show this Friday night, (Yay! A date!) and who do I happen to notice on the upcoming shows for tonight?

None other than Tony Lucca. He's a singer/songwriter from LA who you may have seen in People magazine once when he dated Keri Russell, of Felicity fame.

Here I reveal my ultimate dorkiness in that I know this guy best from his time as a Mouseketeer on the Disney Channel's updated 1990's version of the Mickey Mouse Club called MMC. I think I watched every episode of every season. Twice.

MMC starred, among others, Keri Russell, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and JC Chavez from N'Sync. But Tony Lucca was always my favorite.

Somehow you knew, even though he was singing cheesy covers of popular tunes like "Runaway Train" and "She Moves in Mysterious Ways" and playing corny roles in soap-opera-esque shorts that he would one day write his own songs and make it big. Because, well, he played guitar. It was the ultimate sign of coolness.

I may have to give his music a listen. Although, truth be told, the one sample song I heard on the website, though bluesy and kinda rockin', just didn't sound that good to me.

Excuse me, I must now go burn my homemade MMC fan club membership card for such heresy.

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eBay Updates and Other Team Redd News

I'm taking a cue from my friend Mary and making a bulleted list. We've been busy.

eBay: This evening I finally got back to listing our old CD's on eBay. We are hoping to move into a new apartment this summer, and so I would really like to clear out the two large boxes of old CD's before we move. I do NOT want to pack them up and take them with us!

Does anyone remember the duo Wilshire? Or Chasing Furies? Along with some other CCM classics, those are up for grabs. Be sure to check out our eBay page. I am pulling out some old-school CD's here folks. Please don't judge me.

Jury Duty: I was not chosen for jury duty last Monday, and that is just fine with me. Basically, I got a morning off! I went in like last time, waited around (though a little longer this time...until 12:30 p.m.), read some chapters of Dutch, chatted with my neighbors about Miss Guided and the way they choose who serves, especially in a county as diverse as ours.

Apparently, all the attorneys skipped right over me, but it was a light day anyway since it was the end of the month and the end of the calendar. One man out of the three sitting near me was chosen, but the rest got to leave before me. I'm not sure why I was kept waiting, but eventually they told those of us left to go home. Even though the chairs were uncomfortable, the video at least kept me awake, and I picked up Willy's burritos for lunch. Eating out and uninterrupted reading time? It was like a mini-vacation!

On the tube: I'm taping Part 2 of Masterpiece Theater's Sense and Sensibility tonight. I highly enjoyed Part 1, except for the overly sexualized opening scene that I thought was just unnecessary, though I know will be important for the second half of the book. Anyone else watching? I hope to post a complete review soon...

I'm also looking forward to the Masterpiece adaption of A Room with a View next Sunday, which is a favorite book by one of my favorite British authors, E.M. Forster. (He's behind Miss Austen, of course. And Tolkien.)

I have to tape the above because Gaines and I both want to see the new (to us) episodes of Psych and Monk that are airing on NBC, also tonight! We don't have USA on our basic cable, so we've only been able to catch these on DVD in the past, so this is a welcome treat!

Also, we are glad that Thursday night NBC shows are back with new episodes. Comedy Done Right, we've missed you! In honor of this, we watched the first season of The Office again over the weekend. I've forgotten how very painful it is right from the beginning, but I still love it. Doug Wilson's take on The Office as a morality play is a thought-provoking look at an otherwise silly show.

Health and Home: Team Redd has been suffering through various incarnations of colds and allergies and sinus infections over the past month or so, and it feels like the torrential rains this weekend cleared up the pollen a bit. We'll see how long it lasts. I hope we're all getting better. (Poor little snotty Jacob who wakes up from naps in a puddle of nose goo.) I really love all the trees in our complex until pollen season hits, which turns my car and everything else a bright yellow and makes me sneezy.

As it IS spring, and I feel like our apartment desperately needs some large doses of spring cleaning, I am trying to do an hour a day, one area a week, using these helpful printouts and cleaning tips from The Motherload. I'm ashamed to post before pictures, but perhaps I'll get some after shots.

But that routine begins after I take Jacob to the doctor tomorrow for a follow-up appointment on his previous "failure to thrive" diagnosis (we just think he's a skinny kid, like I was. And his dad. And his grandfather Buddy.) I'll let you know tomorrow if we've fattened him up enough this month. :) Avacados, sweet potatoes, whole milk...do your best!

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LOST Madness (Redux)

Congrats to Desmond, who beat out Sayid in the final round.

Admittedly, the seeding of the brackets was poorly done, but I'm not displeased with the final result. All in all, a fun little contest. Maybe they'll make some improvements by next year.

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Gaines' LOST Theory

So, Gaines has this interesting theory about LOST I wanted to go ahead and share. We already know, of course, that there's this time difference when you leave the island. But, what if the different trajectories used to leave the island also puts those who leave at a different WHEN? So, for example, if Lapidus the pilot had gone just a little farther off course, the helicopter might've ended up on the freighter even later than it did! Or earlier!

I would imagine that if this island space-time connectedness is true, then Ben knows about this and how to exploit the time difference upon leaving the island. Which is why he has all the passports and identities, and also helps explain why the others (like his daughter) don't notice that he is gone all the time. Not only can he go anyWHERE in the world, he can also go almost anyWHEN (at least, within a reasonable distance from the now, like a few years, maybe.) Although that is pure speculation on my part.

So, here's the main point of the theory: when Ben gave Michael those coordinates in season 2, we think he sent Michael (and Walt) BACK IN TIME a few years. (This helps explain why there is a "taller, older Walt" appearing on the island.) And somehow Ben found him at those coordinates, and had him change his name and go into hiding and get him to work for him. So, for the last few years, there has been this other, second Michael just waiting for the first Michael to leave the island...and when he does (and subsequently goes back in time), the second Michael somehow gets himself on the freighter. In fact, maybe Michael is the captain?!

I think it sounds just crazy enough to be right. What do you all think?

I also think that the upcoming "Meet Kevin Johnson" episode might be the flashback of how Michael ends up on the freighter. I think "Kevin Johnson" might just be the alias that the second Michael uses when he goes back in time. I cannot wait until the next few episodes to find out if we are right!

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Lost March Madness

This is fun:

A Washington Post bracket for various characters from LOST.

Unfortunately, I was too slow posting this (curse my metal body!), as Round One is over today. But don't let this dissuade you from casting your votes!

(Thanks to Amy for telling me about this!)

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Let me start by saying...

What? You didn't catch David Cook's emo-stylings on the Lionel Ritchie 80's ballad last night on American Idol? Ok, well I did, but that's about all I saw. That and the dread-headed dude singing "Hallelujah." Who'd even heard of that song before Shrek came out?

Anyway, back to "Hello"...Randy, Paula, heck, even naysayer Simon praised the rocker-dude's bravery in attempting to remake a pop-song into a contemporary format. He made it his own. But did he?

Was I the only one who kept thinking of Me First and the Gimme-Gimmes? They made a punk-rock version of "Hello" long before the blue lights of the idol stage were a glimmer in David Cook's eye.

Gaines has gotten me hooked on these crazy-fast, catchy albums with punk-rock covers of various genres of famous songs, from Broadway show tunes to country songs and R&B hits. They are all catchy, addictive, and very, very short! Great for long road trips when you need a pick me up. I've yet to hear their version of hits from the 60's, 80's and the Bar Mitzvah one, but the others are all pretty good. I'd watch out for some salty language in some of the songs, (especially that country album, heh!) and I have no idea what they are trying to say by covering "Natural Woman," but other than those quibbles, I'd heartily recommend 'em!

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Obligatory LOST Post

I can't believe I haven't posted about the new season of LOST -- it's waaay more enjoyable than the presidential primaries have been. I am very pumped about Season Four. I'll save a more detailed post for a later day, but I'll just say that the show continues to delight me with its ability to move the story in unexpected-yet-awesome ways.

In the meanwhile ...

This is pretty funny.

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Mythbusters' Values

If I had to identify people who most absolutely represent the highest ideals of a liberal arts education, I would start with the hosts of the television show Mythbusters.

A blogger writes on the merits of a liberal arts education as they relate to the show, and comes up with some interesting conclusions.

Maybe I should've taken a different career path? ;)

I may not be currently "using my degree," but I can say that it has prepared me for a myriad of life experiences post-college, from soliciting donations for large-scale apartment events (thank you, sorority fundraisers!) to one-on-one tutoring skills (thank you, Writing Center!) and even political discussions (thank you, Civil Rights and Justice!).

I believe the best value of a liberal arts education is that you leave a lifelong inquirer, interested in a myriad of subjects, possibly diving headlong into one particular area, but always seeking to make connections between disparate fields and wanting to know more. I agree with the author that Mythbusters embodies those ideals.

Jamie Hyneman, one of the Mythbusters hosts, puts it best:

You can’t expect to teach someone everything he or she needs to know. A broad foundation of experience allows you to extrapolate things with which you have no direct experience. Specialists are usually in danger of not seeing the forest for the trees.If you acquire both a broad foundation and deep knowledge in a specific thing, you become much more dynamic in that area. If one takes both of these things to extremes, something truly transcendental can happen. In my case, my college education was not specifically useful to me later, but it had an effect on me in fundamental ways that were very major in the long run.

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Northanger Abbey: A Quick Review

I just want to say I loved Sunday night's PBS version of Northanger Abbey. I need to watch it again, though, because our PBS station was pretty fuzzy for some reason and I missed a few minutes at the beginning and was having a difficult time watching the snowy screen. I haven't read many reviews and I have little time, but I wanted to let you all know my basic impression.

Despite my viewing issues, I was drawn into the story and kept entertained throughout. I also thought that someone unfamiliar with the book would have a fair representation of the novel.

Henry Tilney was perfectly casted. Isabella was appropriately silly, Thorpe appropriately creepy and annoying, General Tilney as stern as ever, and I thought the actress who played Catherine Moreland did a superb job -- she was both naive and delightful and full of remorse.

Some of the Gothic novel/dream portrayals were a bit much at times and were sometimes jarring-- though they weren't innacurate. I've read some of those Gothic novels that Austen skewers and belive me, they deserve her sharp pen. They are much like the cheap thrillers and romance novels of today, and I might compare something like The Monk to that one about the Templar Knights secret society that they made into a equally bad movie starring Tom Hanks. (You read The DaVinci Code because it's a page-turner and then you dismiss it, knowing it is nothing but fiction.)

Most of the minor changes to the chronology of the storyline didn't bother me, though I thought some of the other deviations from the novel (like the promiscuity of Isabella) were indelicate and didn't fit with Austen.

Overall, I would highly recommend this. I'm not quite done with my re-read of the novel, and perhaps when I do I'll present a more autobiographical review. This is my second favorite Austen novel, partially because now I see so much of myself as a young girl in silly Catherine Moreland, especially getting things in novels mixed up with how they are in the real world. But that will be a much longer post for another day...

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Northanger Abbey: A Preview

Don't forget about Northanger Abbey tonight on PBS (check local listings). I'm looking forward to this one, since I found particular insight from a class on 18th Century Novels I took a few years back in graduate school. We read many of the novels that Austen mentions or alludes to in the book, including The Mysteries of Udolpho, Pamela, and Clarissa. (I just noticed that the professor's current project is a screen adaptation of Fanny Burney's Evelina. That could prove interesting!)

As for Northanger Abbey, I promise a review tomorrow. For now, you can read some others' reviews at the PBS blog. Be sure to check out last week's Persuasion reviews as well. Some are spot on!

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Persuasion: A Review

The following is adapted from a jumbled message board post I wrote earlier today.

I watched the PBS production of Persuasion last night!
(Spoilers ahead...be warned.)

Overall, the film felt rushed -- I was surprised it was so short! And since I just re-read the book for at least the fourth time, I'm probably a bit biased. It just didn't feel like Austen's story to me...the whole running through the streets of Bath thing. I actually laughed. I'm sorry. I'm horrible, I know! The shaky cam thing and the constant looking into the camera just didn't work for me, though I did like the fact that they are taking Austen films in a new art direction.

My favorite scenes were at Lyme (I've always wondered what that sort of seashore looks like) and walking from Uppercross. Also, I enjoyed getting to see Bath, especially in those last panoramic scenes, since I visited there in 2001. There were way too many tourists and cars in the way of all the beautiful buildings on my visit, so it was nice to see a representation of its golden-era splendor in the film.

I thought most of the actors/actresses were well chosen, especially the Crofts and Charles and Mary. I thought Frederick looked handsome, but Elizabeth looked too old and the Baronet Mr. Elliot too young. I thought they should've done something else with Anne's hair. The tight bun thing bothered me, especially when every other female actress had at least some poufy ringlets or something to soften their faces, even the older ones. She's 27, people, not a spinster yet! She did brighten up a bit by the end, which certainly helped.

The scene where Sarah the schoolfriend reveals the truth about Mr. Elliot was ill-placed and hurried. I mean, why was she out walking if she was an invalid? And why did she have to tell Anne precisely at that moment so immediately? The first part of the film seemed to drag and then we get the entire revelation about Mr. Eliot in 1 minute. If I hadn't read the book, I would've been lost.

Also, I missed the ending and I was confused because I walked back in to see them at Kellnych Hall. (Apparently, it was a wedding gift.) I just found that a strange deviation from the book, among others. Making Anne think Frederick was getting married to someone else is clearly stealing from other Austen novels and isn't even in this book. I suppose it did add some drama, though.

Overall, I'd say it was a fair film, just not my favorite Austen adaption. In short, I agree with Ann Barlow. I would recommend it to someone who is not familiar with the book or is an Austen newbie, as I think it is a short introduction (as preparation for the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice!). I'm looking forward to Northanger Abbey next week, as it is my second favorite of the six novels.

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