http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|99512|1|,00.html

Bye. See you later.

PWND

But a lot of his friends have stopped watching? :D

Well season 1 averaged 18.5 million viewers. Season 2 so far has averaged 21.5 million viewers. Perhaps more importantly the show has consistent ranked in the top 5 shows on network television.

Troubling signs? The first 3 episodes of Season 2 averaged 23 million viewers whereas the last 3 shown (prior to this week's episode) averaged only 20.4 million viewers. Or in other words there has been about a 10% dropoff from the beginning of season 2 until now. However, they are still averaging 15% more viewers than season 1, so I suspect the execs are very pleased.

I don't think the ratings for this week's show are out yet, but if they pulled in 20 million viewers or more then I think it's fair to say the core fans are not ditching the show yet due to the long layoffs (or if they are, new fans are taking their place).

EDIT: Mediaweek is estimating 20.5 million viewers for last night's show, or just about a 1% drop from the audience just prior to the layoff. Looks like the fans haven't given up yet.

Source for the raw data came from: This Site

I've checked out of late but I'm back to say


Walt!

I'm willing to bet that he isn't... Locke was on the plane, and the "others" appear to be as trapped on the island as the Oceanic survivors are.

Maybe Locke's rich father was an investor in the island project. He sent Locke (who was desparate to please his old man) to the island to figure out what went wrong with the investment. Maybe he even convinced Locke that that the "power" of the island would help him walk again.

Now, as to how Locke managed to bring a plane down on the island, and do so without killing everyone .... :confused:

A couple of thoughts that haven't been mentioned.

1) Hurley didn't appear at all in the one hour recap (except in the background) and had two quick appearances in the new episode (mostly to let Sawyer get a crack in).

Is he the latest "I want to do other projects" actor who will be bumped off next?

2) Watching the recap allowed me to remember that when Eko gave Locke the tape, Locke made a comment about destiny bringing the two of them together, and Eko replied, "don't confuse cooincidence with destiny."

The Lost character John Locke is becoming less like the philosopher John Locke and more like the philospher Rouseau (sp?), that is, spiritual instead of practical.

3) When Locke looked into the monster for the first time, he was happy and awed in a good sense. When Eko saw the monster, he was also awed, but he never shows happiness. (Badass dudes never smile) So Locke must have seen scenes from his life, too. What in his past life could have made Locke smile? According to his back story, there wasn't anything to cheer about.

Helen? I'm sure there are other things, maybe from his childhood that made him smile. In his flashbacks we have only seen him from his late 30's, early 40's on.

The only thing about Hurley is he is the one who is most heavily tied with the numbers. So I wonder how they would kill him off if they do.

I hope you are right as I like this show and want it to succeed but...
 

Give it time and let's see how it does. Would most people agree that season 1 was better than season 2, to this point? Much better?

I think for the most part season 1 was better since it seemed as if the lag times between new episodes were shorter. It also seemed as if I looked forward to the new episodes more.

I agree completely.

Season 1 also seemed to have mini cliff-hangers at the end of each episode. I remember swearing at the end of almost every episode because I wasn't ready for it to be done yet. This season they all seem to end pretty nicely so there isn't quite as much desire to jump right into the next one.

Better at this point in their respective seasons, or better as a whole. they still have 2x as many episodes to go this season. I think this half of the season has been just as good as the first half from last year. It was just new last year.

Besides, its not like the other sophomore shows are gaining viewers like Lost half. Maybe only Grey's Anatomy looks like another emerging hit, with everyone panning Housewives.

Remember back in the last episode of Season 1, while sailing on the raft Sawyer was singing a Bob Marley song called "Redemption Song" and then Michael asked him what he was singing.....check out the lyrics to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"

Old pirates yes they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I from the
Bottom less pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation triumphantly
All I ever had is songs of freedom
Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Yes some say it's just part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs
All I ever had, redemption songs
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom

What do you guys think? Are they clues or are the writers just messin' with us?

people are starting to not like Housewives? i haven't heard that. i don't watch the show at all, but i thought the show was still big-time. i know as far as individual acclaim is concerned the stars on Housewives have it better than the cast from Lost. they've all won awards and have tons of endorsement deals, Eva Longoria in particular. i'm sure there isn't one person on Lost who wouldn't want to have the success and buzz that Eva has.

I watched all of season 1 again and then watched the episodes that I recorded from season 2. I've actually come to the conclusion that besides the pilot episode(s) I like both seasons about equally. The worst part of season 2, for me, is that the chick off of CSI NY has been pouting around the island. I like Eko, and I'm excited about tomorrow's episode where we might learn more about the others.

Here is the problem with Lost:

In the first season we were introduced to a group of characters who were stranded on an island. We knew exactly as much about their predicament as they did. We learned as much about their predicament as they did. There were a few blips in this dynamic (Locke seeing the creature but never speaking of it) which caused concern, but for the most part the mystery was compelling because not only did we have no clue what was going on, but neither did any of the characters on the show. Locke was given a pass because he had a mystical air about him and seemed, in many ways, above their situation and, perhaps, the key to it.

The 2nd season has completely wrecked that dynamic. First we meet the guys on the raft. Then we meet Desmond. Then we meet the tailies. The flood gates of character introduction have burst and the extradoniary worth of each character has been washed away. Charlie's near death experience in season one was shocking--did anyone give a shit when Shannon died? Life means much less as the possibilities of character introduction have seemingly become endless. What's worse is that the show's narrative has reinforced this ambivalence towards character. How many episodes this season have passed without a peep out of Jack? Kate? Hurley? Locke? Charlie? Sayid? (speaking of Sayid, did he always look disturbingly like Scott Stapp, or did I only realize it after he became a giant pussy?) For much of the season, their perspective has been replaced by those of the tailies, many of whom were quickly dispatched of and revealed as nothing more than plot conduits: a decriptive taint that has bled off on to all of the other characters on the show.

We can no longer empathize because the story no longer seems as if it is being told from a human perspective, but rather through the lense of an uninvolved trickster. During the several taily episodes when they spoke in hushed, mysterious tones about the "others" while revealing nothing--was there anyone who didn't wish someone would slap them and demand to know exactly what the fuck they were talking about? This was eventually resolved, but at this point there have been so many characters now that know so much that we don't that it has revealed the death knell character of any mystery: the man be behind the curtain.

On rereading that, I realize that I completely jumbled up my two main points: the highly diminished value of each character, and the loss of human perspective in storytelling. But I'm drunk as hell, whatayagonnado?

great analysis Herd. i agree, something seems off this year. might just be the 6 week layoff took some wind out of the sails for me. or, it might just be storytelling-wise the payoff isn't great this year. when you do a show, there needs to be an arc where one storyline starts, builds up, and right before the climax or "payoff" or conclusion - the apex of the arc, you get introduced to another storyline. so that as one storyline is finishing another is starting.

but the thing is you need that first storyline to conclude. you need closure. you need the apex of the first storyline's arc to then go down. right now Lost is simply throwing new storylines, new twists, and not concluding anything. nothing is getting resolved this season. just building up and building up. the problem is there's now too many characters. Herd is correct when he says the value of each character now is dimished. who cares if [insert character here] dies? [insert new character's name here] will simply take their place in terms of prominence.

I'm guessing the producers did some of this on purpose. If there was just the original 10-12 key players and a significant portion held them over the barrell with contact negotiations they would have to pay up or cancel the show. This way they can continue with the ensemble cast, and if a few people balk and leave (or take their new found fame and make stellar movies like the Fog) at least they won't run out of islanders.

Doesn't necessarily make for good TV though.

On the official podcast they said Dharma is a acronym for something.

Don't
HARM
Alex

they've said before they have enough ideas for the series to run five seasons. There is no way they could have done that without introducing new characters. In one of the earlier podcasts they mentioned that one of their goals is to make sure the risk of death is always present for every character and do that they needed to replenish the pool of characters. They felt if they didn't not kill off a main character or two each season the danger would not feel real enough.

I worry that they're going to get into the Dragon Ball-Z effect where they just keep raising the stakes of what they reveal us with until its all meaningless because there is no where else they can go (there are monsters! there's a hatch! the monster is made of smoke! there is a guy in the hatch! look more survivors! there are multiple hatches! the monster reads minds!).

From here on out its probably going be a balancing act for them between revealing too much and dragging the show out. I think history shows they don't have much of a chance to do it successfully. They'll certainly leave most people disapointed with the "big reveal."

I think five years may be dragging it out a bit too much. Three to four would seem to be a good amount for this series. I worry that the last couple years will turn into another X-Files situation, with a plot so convoluted that, even when stuff is revealed, it makes it difficult to care.

At this point, though, I still think the show is great and that season two is just as good as season one.

Friggin students. I missed the last part of the Jack and his wife conversation.

THE BARRACKS DUTY OFFICER IS NOT IN.

YOUR QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS WILL BE ANSWERED AT APPROXIMATELY 2100.

I hope you made them cry.

No one has cried today. I haven't sent anyone to the looney bin, either. I must be losing my touch.

Woah! I saw that!

Why ask her and not the person who was in the FREAKING REPUBLICAN GUARD how to train an army?

Gah! I missed the line. What did he say, bearcat?

How long would it take to train an army?

And she said, "French Army, less then 2 minutes."

Because he wants to train an army and get laid.

He asks Ana Lucia about killing one of the others and she says yes, he then asks her about being a cop and she says she was a cop. Then he asks her about how long it would take to train an army. She looks dumbfounded at the question.

Next episode, new character

Well Sayid may be a little lonely after Shannnon being killed so theres no telling what may happen on the mountain you know....

G-Man's friends are gonna miss out!

Did anyone sence some confusion on Boat Man's face when Jack mentioned Ethan? And... nice to see Alex finally make an appearance.

I dunno, I think I'd bet on the LAPD vs. the Republican Guard.

I think I may have tried to ask, oh I don't know, 50 other questions while I had boat guy's ear.

The Republican Guard ain't no Rodney King.

familiar with how the rebublican guard fared in recent wars at all?

Familiar with how the LAPD is a joke?

well, they sure got OJ good, didn't they???

btw, I REALLY enjoyed tonight's episode. might be my favorite of the season so far.

Who is Alex?

Uhh, wow!

So many questions? How do they know so much about the survivors? Is Locke really a bad guy (seemingly putting aaron into the ocean)? Jack wants to start an army?


We finally found out what happened to Jack's wife. Eko, Sawyer, Ana, Locke, Jack, Sayid would make up for a pretty bad ass team if they woulld have all gone after Michael together.

Hopefully this means we won't be seeing much of Michael for a while.

Ok, I'm done rambling on for now.

Where the hell was Sayid? When he came waltzing into the "living room" where was he coming from? If he was on the beach he would have heard word about Michael there... and i don't see how he could have slept through all the shit that was going on in the hatch.

All I know is I saw an album either by or entitled "Ooklah the Moc". YAY THUNDARR!

Danielle's daughter, right?

In my best Charlie impression...

*looks confused* "Walt?"

did I miss something?

I already deleted it off of my Tivo, but I could have sworn that I saw Locke getting close to Claire and her baby. Then it looked like there was some sort of small basket with a baby in it and then the basket was floating out in the ocean and Charlie went diving after it.

This show is idiotic. I don't need any more flashbacks with Jack. I could give two shits about his "woe is me, I have to save everyone" character. Nobody asked if Zeke (the bearded guy, I think that's his name) is a part of the Others. It was an extremely lazy plot device to have Kate get captured and used at an opportune time. Think about this: if Jack is a savior and wants to help everyone, no matter the cost, how do you get him to back down? Use the helpless (stupid) female against him. There were many points last night that my wife and I were like, why are we watching this show? And....why are we staying up till 10 PM watching it when it's rerun next week from 8-9 PM? This shit is so dragged out that I'm forgetting the little plotlines that they never closed from last year.

are you being serious?

kingfc22, are you talking about the promo for next episode?

hxxp://www.thetailsection.com/clips/ep2x12promo-lg.zip

I happened to be thinking about this last night as I was reflecting on the show.
I'm required to suspend disbelief at a great deal of things on the show, and really don't have a problem with any of it. except for one thing: the utterly mystifying lack of communication these idiots all share.

Someone asks a question, and the response is as vague as vague can be, and everyone just accepts that. I know it's necessary for the show, but it still drives me up the wall. Well, that and the fact that they have found an underground bunker with electricity, running water and beds...and everyone is still living on the fucking beach. Hey, smart people on the island - instead of living on the beach and taking 4 hour shifts in the bunker...how about everyone move to the bunker and rotate 4 hour shifts on the beach to watch for rescuers. just a thought.

well, fuck, that would explain it. I avoid the promos so that nothing gets spoiled.

I believe Locke is one of them. I honestly believe that. Maybe he isn't Locke at all in his flash backs was he ever called John?

Sounds exactly like real life to me.

Yes he was. And no he's not one of them.

Instead of being mad at Kate, Jack should be kicking himself for not listening to Locke and turning around at nightfall. I loved the line, "you don't just lose a trail!" What in the hell is he talking about, of course you do.

Maybe gabrielle can get stranded on the island.

I completely agree with how frustrating the lack of comunication is. Two examples from tonight are the lack of qustions for Grizzly Adams. The guy voluntarily offers up communication with Jack, and Jack just tries to mad dog him. The other example is how Jack just strolls back into camp and cops a squat next to Ana Lucia while she is eating some mango and asks her about starting an army. How about communicating with everyone that you had contact with the others? Fuckin elitest.

I think the best possible revelation, as someone pointed out above, is that ethan and Grizly adams may not be from the same group.

What happened to Sawyer when he was standing there in the face off. It was like he got hit in the nek with something

I think his smoldering rage spontaneously combusted

I think his point was that Locke just doesn't lose a trail since Locke has shown himself to be strangely adept in this environment.


This certainly seems possible. Ethan seemed to be pretty clean and groomed while Zeke looks like he has been trapped in the wilderness for ages.


There was a shot fired at that same time, so I'm guessing someone clipped his ear.

I'm really surprised there was no mention of a truce, or of getting both sides together to talk and try to end the fighting. They could have gone a long way toward figuring out what the heck is going on, but all they did was bark like two junkyard dogs. Seemed like a waste of a good meeting.

I, for one, am glad they didn't just sit down and get everything in the open, thereby ruining the storyline for the next 14 episodes. It's called Drama, people.

One point - Old Man River (or Mr. Scruffy as I refer to him), you guys call him Zeke. Ok, regardless, he IS quite scruffy. And he said something like a man coming in and using stuff that isn't his. I took this to mean perhaps the hatches and whatnot. But if Scruffy Zeke has access to one (because there are several on the island) why would he be so dirty and why would they have not gone to the other ones and gotten the guns? Surely they know about them, right?

Where was Alex in this episode? I totally missed that.

According to the podcast this run of episodes is going to be centered around the original group so it should be good. My guess is that Zeke's group are from the slaver ship... he sounded like a pirate (I have no explanation for how old that would make him). I don't think its the same group that Ethan is from. His "open doors that don't belong to you" comment implied they knew about the bunker whereas Ethan didn't seem to.

Fixed it for ya.

Here's another thing that bothered me. If I were Jack, I would've said "This is your house? I'm sorry. Let me wipe my feet and leave. Oh, by the way, do you think you could use your boat to get us out of here or radio us a ship to get us out of here?"

Dwight from "The Office" prospective on "Lost"

http://blogs.nbc.com/office/archives..._2006-w02.html

Having been in a number of intense meetings (not located in the middle of the jungle at night with a gun pointed at me) I find it completely plausible that I'd forget to ask all the questions the audience would like answered.

Also, I think telling the entire beach what just happened in the jungle is a bad idea. Nobody would feel safe, they might scatter, and best case scenario is you end up with 50 people trying to cram into a bunker that has two bunk beds.

"4) I think the asian guy from the Dharma film is the Korean guy’s
dad. Think about it. They’re BOTH asian."

LOL

yea

annoying complaint... is NO ONE living in the caves anymore?

Dharma probably stands for:
Doesn't
have
any
real
meaning
anyway

That episode pissed me off. I read the info before the show and I said to my fiance that if they chase Michael through the jungle and something so stupid happens, I'm going to be pissed. They better explain that crap real well in the next few episodes.

They have been lost in a jungle on an island and they just found other people who claim to live there. No way you can forget to ask who they are or how to get off the island. Getting off of the island is the only thing in their lives that has any meaning at this point.

I missed Alex as well.


He also used a Hanso quote. Not sure how a pirate knows the founder of the Hanso foundation.

http://www.thehansofoundation.org/

“From the dawn of our species, Man has been blessed with curiosity. Our most precious gift, without exception, is the desire to know more - to look beyond what is accepted as the truth and to imagine what is possible.”


- Alvar Hanso, Address to the U.N. Security Council, 1967

whats a good ipod podcast to listen too about Lost. i have an ipod. thanks

I listen to The Transmission and The official Lost Podcast. Both are available through ITunes.

Keep in mind both will feature some spoilers although the Transmission makes sure you know ahead of time so that you can avoid them if you choose.

If you say so. I had a knife pulled on me once. I have to admit that I was speechless. I could have asked what the dude wanted, but instead I froze there until the threat had passed. Looking back on it I could have done a lot differently, like ask him what he wanted, but didn't.

They've also known about these people quite some time (however long it has been since Sayid met the French woman) and recently learned that they weren't the conversational type (since Sawyer, Michael, and Jin returned). When meeting someone in the middle of the jungle that I already know exists, are kidnappers, murderers, and have expressed nothing but hostility (as well as one of the people I'm with was just shot in the ear), I'm quite confident that I might pass up on asking for directions off an island that they apparently can't get off of themselves (by the looks of grizzly, he has been on the island quite some time).

And as much as they want to get off the island, I believe staying alive is of greater importance.

How often has your life been in danger? If it was in danger time after time, would you still be speechless when a gun is pointed at you? If your plane was ripped apart, fell out of the sky, crashed in the ocean, invisible monsters crashing trees, pilot getting ripped out of the cockpit, handled dynamite, had a guy you once knew (Desmond) hold a gun on you and Locke, gotten beat up by Ethan, beat him up for trying to steal a baby, and watched some people die while you're trying to save their lives, do you think that you would still be speechless?

They could apparently get off the island. I highly doubt that Sawyer or Michael left out the fact that they came on a boat to take Walt.

... and as Sawyer (or Michael) pointed out when they saw the boat, it was not ocean going and couldn't have a range of more than 100 miles.

Jack wasn't speechless, he just asked different questions than the audience would have. Something I find very plausible considering his situation.

I negotiate contracts and arbitrate cases for a living and EVERY time I've ever finished a negotiation session or a cross examination session, even after weeks of preparation, I ask myself "why didn't I ask this" or "why didn't I ask that." There is a difference between sitting at home on your couch thinking about what you would want asked and actually being in a pressure situation and asking all the right questions (no matter how used to the pressure you are). This is especially true when you have competing interests. The audience wanted to know who the others were and how to get off the island and Jack wanted to know where Michael and Walt were.

And I'm sure that Michael (etc) did tell them about the dinky little motor boat that apparently is not good enough to get them off the island (or the others probably would have left long ago).

One other comment.

I think a lot of people are kind of suggesting that Jack should have been more concerned about getting off the island than trying to find Michael and Walt. If the Others had offered Jack the motor boat and made him a little map back to Australlia, I'm not sure he would have taken it if it meant leaving M&W behind.

i'm SO glad Locke said to Jack "what gives us the right to tell people what to do?".

I can't stand Jack's character. he went from being a reluctant leader to a dictator who makes all the decisions. Locke is my favorite.

Its all about Eko. He's DA MAN.

I used to root for Jack to get Katie (for some reason, who gets Katie is important to me). Now, I think Sawyer is far the cooler character, so lets have some bad boy/bad girl sex.

I'm sure that Michael, Sawyer, and Jin would've thought their chances of getting off the island were a lot better in the dinky little motoor boat than a raft made of bamboo.

I'm sure he wouldn't accept it, but he would make sure the rest of the survivors got off the island.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment...sion-headlines


Found money in 'Lost'
Creating Original content for other media has made the ABC hit a financial model for the technological age


BY MARIA ELENA FERNANDEZ
LOS ANGELES TIMES

January 22, 2006


In its monster hit "Lost," ABC has found more than just a highly rated, award-winning television show with the potential to spin off sequels. "Lost" has become a world of its own, albeit fictional, that, with its labyrinth of clues and multilayered plots, has become the test case for the marriage between new technology and creative content.

Getting "Lost" has never been easier. It's on your TV set, your DVR and your iPod and in your DVD collection - and that's just the Wednesday-night program. Surf the Web and there are countless "Lost" sites - some designed by ABC or the show's creators and others by the legions of fans of the island castaways drama. Soon there will be "Lost Video Diaries" on Verizon cell phones, two-minute episodes that will chronicle the stories of characters who were on the doomed Oceanic Flight 815 but who do not appear on the show.



Still not "Lost" enough? There are books, magazines, trading cards, calendars, apparel and an upcoming board game.

This season, "Lost" is the fourth-ranked show both in total viewers and the all-important 18- to 49-year-old demographic. But "Lost" has become something more, a model for a new media age, one that has far-reaching financial implications for artists and producers as new technology almost demands that they produce original content for Internet sites and blogs, DVDs, Podcasts and books.

A harbinger of change

What's happening with "Lost" is also a harbinger of the changing nature of TV-watching itself, dividing its followers into two groups: the loyal audience that tunes in every week and the fans who devour every bit of information made available to them on the Internet, and in books and magazines.

"The show is the mother ship, but I think with all the new emerging technology, what we've discovered is that the world of 'Lost' is not basically circumscribed by the actual show itself," executive producer Carlton Cuse said.

Other networks and producers are following "Lost" closely to see if this multimedia franchising model can work for them. As technology allows more viewers to tune in how and when they want - most noticeably, commercial-free - networks are looking for new ways to distribute their shows as well as spark buzz about them. To that end, network marketers are working closer than ever with the writers and producers to generate campaigns that blend content with marketing strategies.

Internet assault

Billboards and TV commercial spots? Passe. Taking cues from high-profile promotional campaigns for big movies, ABC mounted an Internet assault last year, which paid off and taught its competitors a thing or two about marketing in this new age. (Fox and NBC followed suit this year with highly successful launches of "Prison Break" and "My Name Is Earl.") Instead of sucking life out of "Lost" by playing clips on the air ad nauseam, ABC went to town creating even more intrigue about the airliner that crashed than co-creators J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof managed to pack into their $11-million, two-hour pilot.

"You have to be judicious about not letting the technology wag the dog of content, if you will," said Stephen McPherson, president of ABC prime-time entertainment. "There are so many different aspects that go into all of these multiple platforms that you just can't say it's a successful show, so let's put it on 20 platforms. But the idea that great content can be used in a multitude of different ways is a wonderful challenge and a wonderful opportunity." The new platforms provide myriad ways for the networks to sell their shows.

"I actually look at marketing more like developing content for the show," said Mike Benson, ABC's senior vice president of marketing. "We're really setting out in our marketing to prove what these shows are. And while we can hype and sell, I'd rather tell a story than sell a story." ABC is developing an interactive Web site to delve into aspects of the show's mythology that will never be explored on air. Content for the site is being created by a "Lost" staff writer.

"We obviously come up with these ideas based on the storytelling, what's cool to us," Lindelof said. "But then our masters will provide us with resources to do this stuff if there's a potential revenue stream down the line. So we're scratching each other's backs."

Driving fans into the maze

Fans such as Rob Eichenlaub, a Web designer who clicks on the fan Web site www.lost-tv.com as soon as "Lost" goes off the air, can't wait to log on to get more clues.

"There's something about this big puzzle that everybody wants to be the first to solve," said Eichenlaub, 29, of Hudson, Fla. "If I was alone in it, it wouldn't be so fun. But it sort of sprung up, this whole subculture of fans who really see it like a video game." It's all about the bottom line of course, and the idea is to drive the audience into the "Lost" maze, whether it's reflected in Nielsen ratings, merchandise purchases, online hits or $1.99 Apple downloads.

Networks and studios that want to thrive in this new age are going to have to become as "platform-agnostic" as the Generation X and Y viewers they are targeting, said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president of business development for ABC Entertainment.

"We are reaching viewers primarily via the television screen, but as we look into the crystal ball, who knows how many more products might be out there that will allow our consumers to have a great viewing experience," Gersh said.

The biggest worry Lindelof and Cuse have is losing viewers who skip one episode and don't return because they become intimidated by the revealing flashback they missed or the complex plot's twists and turns.

Getting in on the action

Other shows have gone above and beyond communicating with fans.

"Six Feet Under" producers regularly wrote eulogies for the people who died on the HBO drama, and its Web site included detailed back stories of the show's characters. Writers of "Nip/Tuck" recently posted a blog on www.myspace.com for the Carver, the show's topical serial killer. "How I Met Your Mother" writers have penned Barney's blog, a spot on www.cbs.com, where fans can keep up with the character's shenanigans. In this new world, TV writing isn't just about turning in scripts.

"The job of being a television show-runner has evolved, and there's all these new aspects to it," Cuse said. "It's good because there are additional avenues open for content. We have ways of expressing ideas we have for the show that wouldn't fit into the television series. But it's hard to manage our time. And we honestly put most of our time and attention on the show itself - that still is the bread and butter of our existence."

I didn't realize that's where that quotation came from. But don't forget he immediately followed that with the "curiosity killed the cat" jibe at Jack. I think he used that quote sarcastically, which would mean he knows about the Dharma people, is not one of them, and thinks ill of them. I think the pirates have seized any number (but not all, of course) Dharma shelters (and seen the films) and killed most of the Dharma-ites they come across.

Perhaps these pirates even thought they had the Dharma people wiped out and Jack's Ethan revelation was slightly nasty news for him.

Since the pirates are taking children, could Ethan--like Rousseau--have had one of his kids kidnapped by the pirates and so kidnapped pregnant Claire thinking he could swap her for his kid? If so, what brought Ethan to the island? He might have been what Michael would become if left alone to find Walt. I'm thinking Ethan will pop up in a back story soon.

I don't think the people associated with a hatch know about the other hatches. If you go back to episode where the tailies find their hatch, the "other" infiltrating the group looks suprised to see the hatch (right before Ana Lucia takes him off on a walk and kills him).

So I suspect the hatches/projects were intentionally kept separate (with one not knowing about the other) ... or else the other with the Tailie was indeed a pirate type who has no knowledge about the hatches.

So, just for shits and giggles, I visited a couple of the fake websites that ABC has set up for the show, including one for Charlies band, www.driveshaftband.com.

This quote from the main page kind of stuck out at me: "peaking of anniversaries, we're sure you're aware that tomorrow marks a very sad day for DriveSHAFT fans everywhere. We can hardly believe it's already been a year since Charlie went missing."

In the show, haven't only a couple months passed by? I'm almost positive that the othery day they mentioned being on the island for only 50 or 60 days. This seems to indicate that either:

At the current rate of time progression in the series, they are going to be stuck on the island for a very long time, or,
Maybe time passes at a different rate on the island?

My understanding is that the Driveshaft site is NOT a ABC ran site so it's actually a fake fake.

Ah. That may explain things then. Although they do have a lot of material (pics and such) of Charlie in a band-type setting, which I don't remember from the show.

This one made me laugh. As much as you couldn't get me on either of those boats for an unidentified distance I sure don't want to be in a motor boat a few miles from shore when it runs out of gas. I'll take the sale boat made of bamboo, thanks.

Is there any chance that the bearded guy is going to turn out to be the "good" guy? I mean, assuming there are at least two major groups of pre-Oceanic flight island inhabitants, what makes everyone believe that grizzly adams isn't the leader of the good guys?

Hmmmm....now that I think about it, you're right. ;)