Maraschino's Blog

QotD: Ten Years From Now...

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:11:46 -0700

Where do you want to be in ten years?
Submitted by baby3194.

Above ground, preferably.

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Lost Tawk: There's No Place Like Home

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:22:08 -0700

Interesting reference to The Wizard of Oz throughout this series. I guess one can say it's a combination of WoO, Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars and various other sci-fi shows. I'm not all that fond of sci fi shows (movies, ok. - television, not so much.) which is probably why I'm having difficulty buying into this time-travel, wormhole, hocus-pocus back to the future thing. At any rate, last night's episode kicked all kinds of arse!!

First of all, I wasn't as awestruck at the plane scene coming home part as I wish I had been. Probably because I was trying to end a phone call (how dare they!) at the time, but it left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The show was on, but I wasn't giving it my 100%. However, in looking at the screencaps, it did look very emotional. I'll have to rewatch. (ETA: I did rewatch and it was better. Ha ha on no one coming for Khate. Should've been law enforcement, dammit!)

It's interesting how the O6 are at different parts of the island yet you know they're all going to meet up at some time. We've got Sun on the freighter with Aaron (Jin and Desmond had better not get blown up!), Jack traipsing out in the jungle with Sawyer, Hurley playing peek-a-boo with Keamy and his band of thugs, and Kate taken hostage along with Sayid by non-aging, eyeliner-rocking, Other-leading Richard Alpert.

I know they're hiding behind a cover story, but I call SHENANIGANS on the whole press conference because not one person remembered Khate being a fugitive and arresting her non-maternal ass and throwing her in jail. No one questions why Turniphead is yooge, why Khate isn't breast-feeding him (poor tot), and why all the secrecy about the pregnancy. D- to the U- to the H! I just can't stand her or her storyline. Stupid Khate. Anyway, I digress…

Yay for Sayid being reunited with Nadia (albeit for only 9 months, but still), and how cute but cluless were Hurley's parents throwing him that island-themed birthday party. And the numbers – they're baaaack! Interesting how the O6 (minus Sun) would get together for parties, funerals and such. Speaking of badass, kickass Sun, how about that throwdown she did with her father?! It's about time someone put him in his place, and what more poetic justice than Sun. I still hope that Jin isn't really dead, but is back on the movable Craphole Island waiting for the Ben-express to come and take him home.

So, after teasing us a year ago with the mention of the Orchid Station, we finally get to see it at the end of Season 4 —thanks, Lost writers. Ben's got his mojo back, and of course, another plan. Methinks he constantly thinks up of plans during his waking (and maybe not waking) hours. Locke had better have a good memory because not only was Benry not going to repeat his instructions to the Orchid, but it didn't look like Locke was writing anything down. I had already forgotten what he said by the time he mentioned an elevator. Nice throwaway line with the 15-year-old crackers. Why did they need to hide crackers 15 years ago? The world may never know.

For the second week in a row, Yay! for the cooperation of Frank Lapidus and Daniel Faraday. I was worried about squirrley Faraday since day one, but if he pulls off doing more good than harm to our Losties, he'll be okay in my book. And this is probably the most impressed I've been with Foxy's (Matthew Fox, aka Racer X) acting chops – when Claire's mother was telling him about her daughter and mentioned her name was Claire…the expression on his face was simply priceless. It showed great emotion from shock to heartbreak, confusion and devastation – well done, Foxy, well done. That almost made up for the Khate quadrilateral dreck. Almost. I felt so bad for Claire's mom not knowing that Turniphead was her grandbaby.

Nice, brief interaction between Michael appearing to Sun and Jin for the first time since season 2 (I think). Yay on Jin for saying "I understand." Note to self, if I ever get into acting (shut up, it's never too late) try for heavily ethnic roles where I won't be able to speak lest no one understands me. I can't memorize pages and pages of lines to save my life, but I can certainly say 2 words in a day's work and live in Hawaii. Sign me up! Be that as it may, I really, really hope Jin isn't dead like Sun claims him to be. Jin, Sawyer and Desmond need to live to make it to the final season or I will write very strongly-worded letters to the Lost writers. Do you hear me, writers!! (Shakes fist some more.)

So the end of Part 1 of a 2 part season finale concludes with Keamy pointing a gun to Benry's head and Benry doing a (very comical) cross-eyed look at it. And, I think Keamy pistol whips him, but I'm not sure. I doubt he fired it because we know Ben's not dead in the future. Or do we…??

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The Flesh-Eating Bacteria

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:34:59 -0700

At the risk of sounding like a hypochondriac, I think I have the flesh-eating bacteria. The reason I say this is because I noticed a weird sore like lesion on my left middle finger (heh). It's not painful, in fact, I hardly feel it at all. I just notice it everytime I looked at my hand.

Lefthand

At first, I applied neosporin and covered it with a bandaid, but it kept coming off when I would wash my hands 1,000 times a day. I guess it's been there about 10 days now and it still looks the same as it did when I first noticed it. Odd? To be sure. However, today, I noticed the beginnings of what looks to be another spot where the flesh eating bacteria are harboring -- the same spot on the same finger of my other hand.

Now, WTF is going on here?! As with the first spot, I applied bacitracin this time, and covered it with a bandage. I wonder how long this is going to last? I just hope it doesn't spread to other parts of my body!! (Yikes!) At least, I have a matching set?

RtHand

Oy!

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Lost Tawk: Cabin Fever

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:28:47 -0700

Yay! Last night's episode was a thousand times better than last week's absolute dreck! As always, I don't even know where to start. It was a Locke-back, which was just awesome. Poor young Locke. How awesome was it that he drew SMOKEY as a child. Smokey, people!! And how was seeing Richard "guyliner" in that FB not one of the best WTF moments in television?! Of course, while we got answers, we got questions. Why was Abbadon an orderly in Locke's hospital? Is Claire dead? If she is, why is she still wearing a bandaid on her head? What happened to Jacob and why is Christian speaking on his behalf? What has Claire been smoking that she looked so stoned and didn't care Turniphead wasn't with her? And, how creepy was that whole entire effin' cabin scene?!

So, there's the captain who tried to be a hero and tried to stop that bastard Keamy from doing more damage to our Losties and their island. However, he was quickly cut down by that rat-bastard Keamy. Boo! I want to see more of

Captain Hunky!

Captain Beefcake! I hope we do see more of him through some flashbacks or something. Anything. More! More! More! More! Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

And, how awesome has Frank turned out to be?! I mean, he has really put his neck on the line trying to help the Losties. Keamy and Co. better leave him alone! Sayid leaves the freighter to go back to the island while Desmond stays behind. Oh, and Michael is still there getting beat to a pulp. Poor Michael. Man can't get a break. What I don't understand is how Sayid is going to find the island when everyone and their uncle seems to have a hard time doing so. And, on a tiny boat. Just when we almost had a Jack-free show, he had to find the pack with the phone in it that Frank threw out of the helicopter. And, of course, Jack is going to try to do something "heroic" and lead everyone into danger. Again. Or whatever.

So, how creepy was it that it was confirmed that Richard Does. Not. Age. Aaack! They need to do some 'splainin about that one. Yea, it's been speculated that he was part of the original crew of the Black Rock, along with possibly Widmore, but with this show...who knows! Speaking of which, I totally thought Horace was Jacob because their profiles looked similar. So, Christian and Jacob are in cahoots, and now they've got Claire all stoned and happy. I guess it didn't strike Locke as strange that Christian and Jacob said the only way to save the island was to move it. Yea, with this show and the shenanigans that have been going on...that makes perfect sense.

Next week is part one of a two-part season ender. I'm kind of sad to see this season end and angry that we got gyped out of several episodes due to that writers' strike. The writers were on a radio show last week and said there were only about 36 episodes left in the series. As much as I'd like some more answers to many of the dropped plots on this show...I really don't want to see it end so quickly. I mean, there's so much dreck that lasted much longer it's really a shame this is ending so soon. But, I guess with all the outlandish storylines going on, it would be difficult to suspend belief for much longer. In the meantime, I'm totally this show's biatch.

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QotD: My First Car

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:55:02 -0700

What was your first car?

This definitely warrants a visual:

66impalasedan

- Not the convertible.

- I didn't have it in the '60's, I had it in the '80's

- Yes, it was a BOAT

- "Luxury" is hardly the word to describe it

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Lost Tawk: Something Nice Back Home

nobody@vox.com(Maraschino) — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:56:37 -0700

I actually stayed up and watched last night's episode! Yay for me. Unfortunately, it was not as exciting or interesting as last week's show. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for me, and not in a "whee!" kind of way, but in a "I-think-I'm-going-to-be-sick-and-hurl" kind of way.

First of all, it's a Jackisode. Need I say more? I think Matthew Fox is very attractive, but when he plays Jack, all I see is a weak, simpering, girly-man. I don't despise the character, I just don't find him leader-worthy. When that person-in-the-shower scene came on, I was afraid it was going to be Julia (hurl!). But, when it turned out to be Kate…was I relieved? Hell-to-the-NO! Wow, which is the less of the two evils? In this case, it's a tie. As much as I find Jack to be lackluster and wimpy, he doesn't deserve either of those two shrews. It appears Jack and Kate are playing house in this FF. Oh joy.

And how disappointed was I to see Rousseau in the ground?! W-to-the-T-to-the-F?!?!?!?! Damn you, Lost writers! IMO, she was just as important as the other main characters. I wished they'd off'd Kate or Juliet or Red instead. UGH, this story is so frustrating! I demand Rousseau and Alex flashbacks – do you hear me, writers?! (Shakes fist.)

Anywhoo, surprisingly, there was no sign of Benry nor Locke in this epi. Methinks they're still mapping their way to Jacob's mobile home (Get it?! Heh!). Back in the FFs poor Hurley was just heartbreaking. He's back in the mental hospital refusing to take his meds and convinced that the O6 are really all dead. That's what I've been saying since S1! Jack tries to talk to him and asks why he thinks that. It's because Hurley sees dead people. And dead person Charlie had a message for Jack that, for someone who doesn't believe dead people could talk or deliver messages, really freaked him out. Charlie said Jack should not raise him (presumably Aaron). Let the spiraling begin!

Meanwhile, back on Craphole Island, Jack is dying of appendicitis. It's a good thing they have a fertility specialist and a dentist amongst them, because they really came in handy when an appendectomy was needed. I thought it was a dumb move to send the two boaties to collect the supplies with Jin and Sun but then we wouldn't have Jin showing his awesomeness by threatening Red with breaking Faraday's fingers if she didn't get Sun on that 'copter. Heee! Go Jin! See, he knows Red can't be trusted any further than she can be thrown, though I'd like to see someone try to throw her over a cliff. VERY disappointed that Keamy & company are still alive and kicking and not eaten by Smokey. What's up with that?! Were they so vile that Smokey regurgitated them? OR, does this mean that, like Michael, the commandos can't die either?? (Dun DUn DUN!) Either case, it was highly disappointing.

And how much do I love Bernard? I LOL when Jack wanted to be conscious during the "surgery" and wanted to see what was going on and "assist" Julia. That lasted all of 15 seconds before he started yelping from the pain. I say they should have given him a stick to bite on at this point. I also lol when they ended up having to chloroform him to get him to shut up. And also, Rose brought up a good question, why is the Magnificent Healing Island allowing him to endure appendicitis? Here's a theory that I just thought of, maybe the island only heals those who will not return to civilization. In the FFs that we've seen so far, we saw Jack, Benry and Hurley – all victims of some sort of ailment on the island (Benry with his back tumor and Hurley with the hallucinations). Surgery by candlelight, the newest trend in island HMO, and of course, Jack pulls through. Oh, and that exchange with Juliet and Kate, VERY cringe-worthy and "eww!" inspiring. This scene along with the final Kate and Jack fight are all very reminiscent of soap opera drama. If I wanted to watch a soap opera, I'd go back to watching one (I was hooked on All My Children for about 25 years, and this, my friends, ain't no AMC). Sigh and oy.

Nice how the smoke alarm "warned" Jack that his ghost dad wanted to talk to him. Smoke alarm=Smokey? Ugh, who knows. Well, at least this shows us his mental and emotional descent that culminated in TTLG back at the end of S3. Oh, and now Claaaaaiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrreeee is the new Waaaaaaaaaaallllllltttt!

And next week's teaser? The dead-for-12-years dude is totally Jacob. Yes, I'm calling it!

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