Fan Stop Central

Watch this episode – Well, shouldn’t be any shocker, this one centers on Ben … but it’s a great one! More information and details at Lostpedia »

In the flash sideways (FS), Ben is a doctor of European History teaching high school history. We open on him teaching about Napoleon and discussing how he was banished to the island of Elba, where he was still emperor, but without his powers, he is no one. Who shows up as a teacher with Ben? Dr. Leslie Artz. They are complaining about budget cuts, etc and Locke chimes in, “why don’t you be principal?” Ben asks who would follow me and Locke says, I would.

On the island, Elana asks Ben about Sayid and he tells her that Sayid killed Dogen and the interpreter (revealing he knows who they were from some other encounter). Elana asks who killed Jacob and Ben tap dances around the answer until Elena looks at Miles, hands him the bag of Jacob’s ashes and tells him to use his ghost whisperer powers to find out. Miles does his thing and says that Ben killed him. Elana is pissed – tells Ben that Jacob was like a father to her. They continue walking to the original beach settlement.

In the FS, we see Ben at home making dinner for HIS FATHER (Roger)! Roger seems to be in bad shape. He definitely doesn’t look good. He is old and bald and is hooked up to an oxygen tank, and seems to just be on his last leg. Now, in an ironic twist, Ben changes out his oxygen tank and hooks it all back together … the irony … in the original timeline, Ben killed his father using a deadly gas, now he is keeping his father alive using a precious gas. Roger tells Ben that he wishes he could have given him a better life. He tells us that he did sign up for the Dharma Initiative, but if he hadn’t left the island, things would have been a lot better for them. The doorbell rings and it’s Alex, who we find out is one of his students and was asking for his help to study for her AP exam.

On the island we see Jack and Hurley in the jungle, when suddenly Alpert stumbles out of the jungle and says to follow him to the temple “this way.” Well, not really. They end up at the Black Rock ship where Alpert strolls right on in and we see the chains and shackles hanging.

(side note: if it hasn’t been said before, I believe Alpert was NOT the leader of the crew of the Black Rock – as it has been theorized – I believe Alpert was a prisoner on the Black Rock)

In the Black Rock, Alpert finds some of the dynamite and fashions a decently long fuse. He tells Jack and Hurley that he was “touched” by Jacob and now can’t kill himself, but he wants to end his life, so Jack and/or Hurley will have to light the fuse and run away. Jack lights the fuse, but sits down next to Alpert and tells him that he (Jack) is special too and that he is not meant to die either and he is going to prove it by sitting with Alpert until the dynamite blows them both up or it is miraculously stopped (Hurley runs away) … well guess what … the fuse stops short. Jack tells Alpert to start talking.

On the beach, Elana determines Ben’s fate and makes him begin to dig his own grave. Ben digs and digs and digs and digs and digs … etc. While Ben was digging, New Locke appears (via smoke monster sound) and tells Ben that he and the others are getting off the island, but if Ben wanted, he could be in charge of the island. New Locke tells Ben there is a gun 200 yards into the jungle, he can run into the jungle, get the gun and kill Elana, then meet them at the Hydra station on the other island. Ben takes off running. Elana chases. Ben gets the gun. Elana drops hers. Ben tells his story of devotion to Jacob and how he was tricked into killing Jacob. Ben says to just let him go because no one wants him anymore. Elana says he can come with her and they both walk back to the beach. Where we see Jack, Hurley and Alpert arrive on the beach as well.

There are so many more details that I could list out here. Watch the episode below or check out Lostpedia.com for more information and details at Lostpedia »

The teams have re-formed:
New Locke now has: Sawyer, Claire, Kate and Sayid (Jin is in Claire’s hut – not necessarily “with” him)
Ajira now has: Lapidus, Ben, Miles, Sun, Elana, Jack, Hurley and Alpert

Popularity: 1% [?]

If you’re a fan of college basketball … and if you’re here I assume you are … you’ve no doubtedly heard the rumors of the NCAA Basketball Tournament expanding its field from 64 65 to 96.

Now, this isn’t the first time the field has been expanded. The tournament first started with 25 teams, then expanded over time to include the 64 65 (seriously, the tournament is really 64. Can we stop saying 65? Does the Tuesday play-in game really matter in the tournament?)

I’m all for including more teams. I would be the first to say that the selection process is flawed. It has a good starting point, 31 conference tournament champions receive an automatic entry, but the rest of the field is completely biased … and there is no question to that.

I’ll be the first to say that my favorite college team (Missouri State) got hosed multiple times over the past 10 years. Twice they set the record for the highest RPI rating team to be left out of the big dance (32 and 21 respectively). Why is this a big deal? Because the selection committee tried to explain their selection process and how much stock they put into the RPI. How is the RPI calculated? Play a strong schedule and perform well. For years, Missouri State tried to play the numbers game (as laid out by the selection committee) and performed well enough for their numbers to be worthy of a bid … yet have been denied selection.

Expanding the field to 96 would have been a no-brainer to include Missouri State (in their case), but of course then you’ll have teams 97-150 wondering “why weren’t we selected?” And on and on.

SO, I would propose a better selection process. Whether you expand the field or not, change the automatic bid process to the following:

• 1 automatic bid per REGULAR SEASON CONFERENCE CHAMPION
• 1 automatic bid per CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPION (if different)
• follow the at-large selection process to fill out the remaining spots (if needed)

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this is not a fool-proof selection process, BUT I think the emphasis/importance needs to be placed on the regular conference season b/c any team can get hot in a 3 game tournament and take a spot away from a team who played well enough over the course of the season to deserve selection.

Just like the college football playoff debate, this won’t be put to rest easily.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Watch this episode :: Sundown – through the expectation it would center around Sun and/or Jin, is actually a Sayid centric episode … and was it ever a great one! More details and information at Lostpedia »

In the flash sideways (FS), we see Sayid arrive at a house where we find Nadia. Turns out, Nadia is married to Sayid’s brother who is an entreprenuer in the dry cleaning business. We find out that he has recently opened a new store, but had to take out an “unconventional” loan to make it happen … hint, hint, wink wink. Though he has paid the loan, the loan maker still wants more money and is putting the screws to Sayid’s brother. The brother asks Sayid to use some of his Republican Guard magic on the loan makers to make them go away, but Sayid refuses as he says “I’m no longer that man.”

On the island, Sayid and Dogen get into a rumble when Dogen tells Sayid that whatever happened to him caused evil to infiltrate him, but Sayid insists that there is still good in him. They have a mini battle royale, then Dogen tells him if there still is any good in you, then you must take this dagger and plunge it into the heart of New Locke. Sayid treks out to the jungle, finds New Locke, stabs him, but it does nothing to New Locke. New Locke simply says, “you could have at least said hello.” Great line.

In the FS, Sayid’s brother is “mugged” and taken to the hospital. Sayid takes care of his niece and nephew while his brother is in surgery. The next day, he takes them to the bus stop where after they get on the bus, a black SUV pulls up and convinces Sayid to get in with them. He is taken to a restaurant kitchen where a man is cooking up some eggs. This turns out to be none other than Keamy (the mercenary from the freighter). They disagree back and forth a few times, Sayid insists that he doesn’t want any trouble, Keamy persists and Sayid snaps and grabs Keamy’s crony’s gun and shoots the two other men with Keamy. Keamy then retreats/cowers and says the loan is forgiven, but Sayid decides to end it for good and shoots Keamy. In the quiet aftermath, banging is heard from behind a door. Sayid opens the door and it’s none other than a tied-up Jin!

On the island, Sayid returns to the temple and tells everyone that they have until “sundown” (ah, episode title) to leave the temple or anyone who remains in the temple will die. Some leave, some don’t. Soon after sundown, the smoke monster (New Locke) pours into the temple and does what Sayid warned them of … anyone left in the temple (not on New Locke’s side) dies. Sayid finds Dogen next to the healing pool and Dogen tells him how he got to this island, and how it has cursed him. Sayid tells him that’s a sad story, but lets go for a swim – and dives into the pool with Dogen, holding him underwater until Dogen drowns. The interpreter comes running into the pool area where Sayid takes the dagger Dogen gave him earlier and slits the interpreter’s throat and drops him into the pool as well. In the meantime, the Ajira crew (Lapidus, Elana, Ben and Sun) have all showed up at the temple to get as many out as they can. Ben finds Sayid, but Sayid stays.

On the island, it looks to be setting up more side v. side again:
New Locke now has: Sawyer, Claire, Kate and Sayid (Jin is in Claire’s hut – not necessarily “with” him)
Ajira now has: Lapidus, Ben, Miles, Sun and Elana

More details and information at Lostpedia »

Popularity: 1% [?]

Jack-centric. WATCH BELOW. For the first real time since season one, LOST has inundated us with “whoa” moments in an episode. Synopsis: Hurley must convince Jack to follow him through the jungle to a lighthouse. More information and details at Lostpedia »

Flash sideways time … We see Jack walk through his house, change shirts and notice a scar on his abdomen. He then gets a phone call from his mom (who can’t find Christian’s will), then Jack asks “when did I have my appendix removed?” She tells Jack it was taken out when he was 7 or 8, “you don’t remember that?” He has the recurring deja vu look.

JACK HAS A SON?!?!?!? We find out that Jack has a son in the flash sideways!

On the island, there were some great scenes. Claire and Jin figure some things out, and we see that Claire has had a “friend” the past three years who turns out to be New Locke.

The best thing on the island is Hurley taking Jack to the lighthouse. Jack and Hurley go into this lighthouse (that Jacob told Hurley to go to). At the top, there’s a large dial with mirrors on one end … typically used to magnify the fire signal … and Hurley begins pulling on a chain to rotate it and says, “tell me when it gets to 108.”

As the dial begins passing various numbers, Jack sees reflections in the mirrors of things that are not behind him. First he sees what looks like the wedding place for Sun and Jin, then he looks at the dial and sees that all their names are written on the dial next to the numbers … same numbers we saw on the cave walls.

Jack tells Hurley, keep going to 23 – Shephard. Once it stops there, he looks into the panes of glass and sees the house he grew up in. Jack gets worked up and pissed off that Jacob has been watching him this whole time. Jack grabs a pipe or a telescope and smashes each of the panes.

Afterward Hurley is sitting outside the Lighthouse. Jacob appears and Hurley apologizes for failing in his mission and that the plan for the people to find the Island is “totally screwed”. Jacob is unperturbed, telling him the people will find another way. Jack is sitting some distance away, staring out to sea and Hurley realizes that Jacob actually wanted Jack to see what he did. Jacob explains that it was the only way for Jack to see how important he is. Jacob also explains that Jack is here to do something, “to get some people to do something you just tell them, but for people like Jack you need to let them look out at the ocean for a little while”. He also explains that he had to get them away from the Temple, because someone bad is about to arrive there. Hurley wants to warn the people at the temple but Jacob explains that it is already too late.

More information and details at Lostpedia »

Popularity: 1% [?]

In a lawsuit filed in Jackson County, Missouri in which John Coomer claims he was just chillin’ at a game on September 8, 2009 — when Slugger “climbed atop the third base dugout and started shooting hotdogs into the stands from an air gun.”

Coomer claims Slugger eventually put the air gun down — and started firing off the wieners by hand … when, according to the suit, things went horribly wrong.

In the docs, Coomer claims “Slugger lost control of his throw or was reckless with his throw, and threw the hotdog directly into the Plaintiff.”

Coomer claims the dog hit him right in his left eye — leaving him with a detached retina and the development of cataracts.

Seriously?! Anyone else have a hard time believing that a hot dog tossed behind-the-back (while wearing a mascot suit) could inflict enough damage to DETACH A RETINA!!??!!??!!

Popularity: 1% [?]