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"Lost" Episode 8: "Flashes Before Your Eyes"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:00:22 PST

Well, the creators of "Lost" promised a crazy new flashback device in last night's episode, one that would blow some peoples' minds but might turn other viewers away. I, for one, am intrigued. At this point, you couldn't pry me away with Eko's wooden stick if you tried.

The episode explores Desmond's experience of the island: details of what happened before and an explanation for why he has been behaving so strangely ever since he turned the key in the Hatch and it exploded (or imploded). If you have not seen the episode and don't appreciate spoilers, do not read on! But if you want to dive deeper into the symbolism, mysteries, and philosophies of last night's episode,

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In the first episode after the hiatus, "Not In Portland," there were ample references to time bending, black holes, and "lost time." In this episode it was slightly more spelled out, at least in regards to Desmond's story: Desmond has somehow been traveling through time. He traveled backwards to his past when he turned the key in the Hatch, and once he got back to the island, to "current" time, he regretted not having changed his past. Thus, he seems to have vowed to change the outcome of things whenever he can, and this has included saving Charlie's life more than once. He's starting to understand, however, that "the universe has a way of course correcting," and that whatever is going to happen to Charlie will simply happen anyway, just as it seems that Desmond's "destiny" is to be on the Island. This also means that Desmond has already lived the present and come back from some future plane. Or, as some theorists have mused perhaps the island is "operating on a time-loop, and that Desmond's experience in the hatch may have thrown him outside of that loop long enough for him to see a complete revolution of that cycle 'flash before his eyes.'" This brings to mind question about Desmond's involvement in previous episodes. For example, in Jack's flashback, when he meets Desmond while running in the stadium, Desmond says, "See you in another life, mate." Could be just Desmond's favorite line, or maybe Desmond was time traveling then, too. Plot-wise, time travel is a slippery slope toward hokiness. It was done deftly enough in last night's episode, but I'll be keeping an eye on you, "Lost." Here are some more musings on the many bits and pieces that made up this week's episode: Symbols In Desmond's "flashback," he glances at the clock, and it says 1:08. The numbers had to be entered in the Hatch every 108 minutes. Delivery man at Whidmore Industries says "Delivery for" (or, 4) "8:15." The numbers entered in the Hatch started off 4, 8, 15... And, of course, the numbers come up plenty of times in the series. For example, their Oceanic flight number was 815. Mr Whidmore's office has a painting which features a polar bear (polar bears have played roles in the show, off and on), as well as an upside down image of a Chinese statue, which was one of the images in the brainwashing scene from last week's episode. Also, there was the word "Namaste" painted backward in the painting. Charlie in London, singing and playing guitar on the street, sings the lyrics from "Wonderwall": "You're gonna be the one that saves me..." just as Desmond walks up. "Wonderwall," was released in 1995. You're a Great Man, Desmond Hume There are tons of references to being a "great" man versus being a "good" man:

In the meeting with Mr. Whidmore, Desmond admits he's never served in the military. Later he passes a poster for the military: "Become a man you can be proud of."
Mr. Whidmore tells Desmond he will never be a great man.
Penny says, "You're a good man." Later, when Desmond is breaking things off with her and making it seem like it's her, not him, Desmond demands, "Being a good man isn't good enough?"
The jewelry lady says, "Pushing that button is the only truly great thing you will ever do."
Good man vs. Coward: Charlie and Penny call Desmond a coward.
Desmond calls Charlie a "good man."

You're A Good Man, Charlie Hieronymus As has been seen before, but was prominently displayed on Charlie's cardboard sign this week, Charlie's middle name is Hieronymus. The most famous person with this name is artist Hieronymus Bosch, who painted famous triptychs about Earth, Heaven and Hell. According to Wikipedia:

Among his most famous is The Garden of Earthly Delights. This triptych depicts paradise with Adam and Eve and many wondrous animals on the left panel, the earthly delights with numerous nude figures and tremendous fruit and birds on the middle panel, and hell with depictions of fantastic punishments of the various types of sinners on the right panel. When the exterior panels are closed the viewer can see, painted in grisaille, God creating the earth.

Who's That Lady? The jewelry lady? I have no idea. She can clearly time travel, just like Desmond can, or at least she has knowledge of everything that will happen and she knows that trying to stop it is futile, as "the universe has a way of course correcting." After she spells out for Desmond everything he will do (the boat race, reaching the Island, entering the numbers, turning the key in the Hatch), she says, "And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of us is dead." Yikes!
Whidmore Like It Penny's father is the powerful Mr. Whidmore, and when Desmond asks for Penny's hand in marriage, Whidmore proceeds to make Desmond feel as small as possible. The name Whidmore is all over "Lost" like a bad rash:

Whidmore Labs was on Sun's pregnancy test.
Whidmore Construction was on a sign or banner in one of Charlie's flashbacks.
Whidmore was on "Henry's" (Ben's) balloon.
Whidmore may have built the hatches on the Island.
When Desmond comes out of the building in this week's episode, it says Whidmore Industries.
Whidmore is like the Acme of the "Lost" world.
Libby's last name is, er, was Whidmore, though wasn't it her last name by marriage? Her husband had died, and she gave Desmond the boat he sailed around the world in, and which ultimately brought him to the Island.
Whidmore seems to have ties to Alvar Hanso himself.
In earlier episodes about the boat race, which Mr. Whidmore's company sponsored, there was something to do with the Dharma Initiative on the boat race brochure.

Hume-ongous Namesake On "Lost," a name is rarely just a name. The jewelry lady says Desmond's full name: Desmond David Hume. David Hume was a great philosopher from the Scottish Enlightenment who was influenced heavily by John Locke. Particularly interesting are Hume's philosophies on cause and effect. From Wikipedia:

Hume coined the term 'constant conjunction.' That is, when we see that one event always 'causes' another, what we are really seeing is that one event has always been 'constantly conjoined' to the other. The reason we do believe in cause and effect is not because cause and effect are the actual way of nature; we believe because of the psychological habits of human nature (Popkin & Stroll, 1993: 272).

There is a lot more about Hume's philosophy, much of which can easily be applied to Desmond and the show itself. (See: The Bundle Theory of Self.) Then again, if you read far enough into anything, it can be applied to this show. What do you think about this week's episode? Photo copyright 2006 ABC Inc.

Hidden Messages in "Lost" Time

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:34:38 PST

After last week's new episode of "Lost," I posted that crazy scene with Carl, and now the Internet is abuzz with this creepy discovery: If you play that scene in reverse, you can hear voices saying "Only fools are enslaved by time and space."

Hats off to the folks at SciFi2U for providing the clip of this scene, played backwards. How creepy is this?

Speaking of time and space, what was Aldo was studying when Alex, Kate, and Sawyer came upon him last week? To find out (possible spoilers ahead!),

read more Aldo was studying black holes! The book he's holding is Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. Specifically, he is reading Chapter 7, "Black Holes Ain't So Black." This is the chapter in which Hawking explains how black holes can bend time and space. Furthermore, in a recent Entertainment Weekly article, "Lost" producers promised there would be an anagram hidden somewhere in the Feb. 7 episode, "Not in Portland," that would "hint at a larger mythological mystery that will start to unfold later in the season." Theorists are insisting that the anagram is in Mittelos Bioscience, the organization that Juliet goes to work for. "Mittelos" is an anagram for "Lost Time."

Color Theory: Soften Your Spring Wardrobe With Lilac Hues

Marisa Tom — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:38 PST

Pastel hues are a regular favorite of Spring wardrobes, but this particular shade of light purple is soft enough to emphasize a sweet, feminine sensibility and cool enough to balance edgier add-ons for a surprise twist. We've been enamored with all things lilac-infused since spotting it float down the runways of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Adam, Boy and Girl by Band of Outsiders, Jenni Kayne, and more. From lacy, boudoir-ready shorts to structured blazers, this color translates effortlessly into a variety of shapes and styles. While a pop of lilac may seem more cotton-candy friendly than downtown chic at first glance, we're here to prove that color theory wrong. It's sweet, sexy, demure, and dynamic all in one go. Click through to see how these street style setters show off new ways to flaunt this purple palette, then shop your favorite pieces.

What to TiVo: Thursday

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:59:00 PST

8:00 Wipeout (new)
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (new)
10:00 Private Practice (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Courteney Cox and Tony Bennett)

8:00 The Big Bang Theory (new)
8:30 Rob (new)
9:00 Person of Interest (new)
10:00 The Mentalist (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Nicolas Cage)
12:37 Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Lisa Kudrow and Weird Al Yankovic)

8:00 American Idol (new)
9:00 The Finder (new)

8:00 30 Rock (new)
9:00 The Office (new)
9:30 Up All Night (new)
10:00 The Voice (repeat)
11:35 Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Denzel Washington and Octavia Spencer)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Zooey Deschanel and Chris Hardwick)

8:00 The Vampire Diaries (new)
9:00 The Secret Circle (new)

Scarlett Johansson Brings Her Brother to Back Obama With Anna Wintour

Allie Merriam — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:39 PST

Scarlett Johansson cohosted an Obama fundraiser in NYC last night with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. The "Runway to Win" event was held at a Theory store, and instead of new boyfriend Nate Naylor, Scarlett brought along her brother Hunter. Anna and Scarlett gathered a large group of fashionable New Yorkers, like models Karolina Kurkova, Chanel Iman, Karlie Kloss, and Joan Smalls. Designer Rachel Roy was also in attendance, as was Solange Knowles.

Both Anna and Scarlett are longtime Democratic activists and donors. Anna, in particular, has been identified as one of Obama's top "bundlers" for her ability to get the president's reelection campaign a great deal of funding. Yesterday's gathering was unique, however. Twenty-three top fashion designers, including Tory Burch, Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, and even Beyoncé Knowles, customized gear that supporters could purchase, with proceedings benefiting Obama 2012. Beyoncé herself swung by after seeing Jay-Z's second Carnegie Hall show. Scarlett spoke of the importance of "Runway to Win", commenting, "I think the most important thing is that the fashion world has an international spotlight shown on it. To be able to use that spotlight on a cause like this is incredible."

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

Breaking Dawn Part 1

Twilight's star-crossed lovers Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) tie the knot in this installment, but their idyllic honeymoon is interrupted when they discover that vampires can, in fact, impregnate humans. Bella is willing to do anything to protect the life of her baby, Edward will do anything to save Bella, and Jacob tries to keep his wolfpack at bay. The movie goes quickly from cheesily romantic to surprisingly graphic, but the film is very loyal to the book. DVD extras include a six-part making-of documentary, a wedding video, a Jacob featurette, and a commentary track with the director.

25%

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

Harold and Kumar (John Cho and Kal Penn) reunite for this holiday-themed sequel, the third part in their drug-fueled comedy series. This time, the guys have grown apart (Harold is now a husband in the suburbs while Kumar is a slacker in the city), but Christmas Eve hijinks force them to work together and grow close again. The boys - and Neil Patrick Harris - are as raunchy as ever, but this installment is as funny as the original, and festive to boot. DVD extras include deleted scenes.

69%

See one more new release after the jump.

Theyskens' Theory Runway at New York Fashion Week Fall 2011

FabTV — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:22:22 PST

Olivier Theyskens's capsule collection for Theory went somewhat against the grain - not at all a bad thing. While there were deliciously flared mustard corduroys, wide-leg palazzo pants, and the occasional supersexy maxidress, the majority of the collection focused on mini hemlines contrasted by must-have floor-length coats. The moody palette ranged from icy blues to stirring slate grays with dashes of deep wines and a pair of eye-catching red trouser pants. We have a feeling the cozy knits and impeccable outerwear pieces will fly off the racks come fall, but until then catch our entire coverage here!

13 Geekiest Pickup Lines

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:05:16 PST

Geeks are generally stereotyped as socially awkward with an inability to strike up a conversation with the opposite sex. These 13 geekiest pickup lines, compiled from McSweeney's Ineffective Pickup Lines For the Modern Internet Persona and our GeekSugar community, might just prove that fact. Pro tip: you might not want to use these when trying to score a Valentine's Day date.

Have you ever heard a totally geeky pickup line at a tech conference, geek convention, or meet-up? Share them with us in the comments!

"Do you come here often? I do. I’m the Foursquare mayor, actually, which means I come here more than anyone else. That reminds me, I need to check in . . . "
"My Klout score is an 83, which makes me a Thought Leader. There’s a lot of pressure to stay relevant and forward thinking, when you’re that influential. A few subpar tweets and I could be downgraded to Specialist. I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with being a Specialist . . . You’re not a Specialist, are you?"
"My US Alexa ranking is 22K, which is fairly impressive for a blog about soft cheeses. It’s not always smooth sailing, though. It can be difficult coming up with compelling content. Brie sort of loses its luster after a few years, you know?"

Check out the GeekSugar Community's favorite science-loving pickup lines after the break.

What to TiVo: Thursday

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:59:52 PST

8:00 Wipeout (new)
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (new)
10:00 Private Practice (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Gary Oldman, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim)

8:00 The Big Bang Theory (new)
8:30 Rob (new)
9:00 Person of Interest (new)
10:00 The Mentalist (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Woody Harrelson and Stephen Merchant)
12:37 Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Daniel Radcliffe)

8:00 American Idol (new)
9:00 The Finder (new)

8:00 30 Rock (new)
8:30 Parks and Recreation (new)
9:00 The Office (new)
9:30 Up All Night (new)
10:00 The Firm (new)
11:35 Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Drew Barrymore and Blake Shelton)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Taylor Lautner, Adam Levine, and Drew Brees)

8:00 The Vampire Diaries (new)
9:00 The Secret Circle (new)

Be the First to Shop Theory and Theyskens' Theory Private Sale!

FabSugar — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 07:00:37 PDT

We always rely on Theory for sharp, tailored, wear-anywhere pieces. It's a bonus when you happen to find that perfect Theory piece on sale! Courtesy of our sister site, ShopStyle, we're giving you an early start to Theory's private sale right now. All you need to score the 50 percent discount is your ShopStyle or Theory membership; then you're free to shop the sweaters, dresses, jackets, and other wardrobe staples before the sale opens to the public tomorrow. Have fun, and start your sale shopping now!