[Dade]

Courtesy of: SPOILERFIX

Episode 4.09: Bakir
Airdate: April 24, 2008

• 02/29 - Julie Carlson, the extras casting director for "Lost," is looking for people of all ages who have a Middle Eastern or Arabic appearance to take part in the new episode that begins filming March 10. Source: Honolulu Advertiser
• 02/28 - Episode 409 features Bakir, a distinguished, 40ish, Middle Eastern man. While charming, there is an underlying menace. Also, a French speaking African woman. Source: secretagentman at TWoP

[Dade]

Courtesy of: SPOILERFIX

Episode 4.09: The Shape of Things to Come (Sayid and/or Ben-centric)
Airdate: April 24, 2008

• 04/03 - Claire is in significant danger in this season's Episode 9. Source: Ask Ausiello @ TV Guide
• 03/29 - Locke's camp comes under attack, and Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore. Source: ABC
• 03/17 - Sayid is indeed in Episode 4.09. Sayid is one of the Pallbearers at his former love, Nadia's, funeral. According to other sources Ben was also seen "close by" and ties in with recent spoilers and photos posted here from Ryan in with Michael Emerson was spotted. Ishmael Bakir - Middle Eastern, 40s, should have a slight natural accent, a high-ranking businessman who carries himself with a sense of quiet menace. We get the impression that this distinguished man has the capacity for great violence. Desk Clerk - African, female, any age, French-speaking. Cold to some guests, but gracious to the wealthy. Doorman - 50s, British, white, distinguished. Uniformed doorman works for a luxury building. Bedouins - Two Arabic men, any age. Stunts required - Must be able to ride a horse. Source: Lost Spoilers
• 03/04 - Episode nine is gonna feature some richy-rich types who live in a doorman building-the show is now casting for a French-speaking African desk clerk and a "distinguished" doorman. Methinks we're going back to Tunisia... Source: Kristin on E!Online

[Dade]

Courtesy of: SPOILERFIX

Episode 4.09: The Shape of Things to Come (Sayid and/or Ben-centric)
Airdate: April 24, 2008

• 04/09 - [The big war] goes down in the first episode back (April 24) and Jack looks a little, er, messy by episode 10. Also, in the first ep back, there's a dead body. Source: Kristin on E!Online
• 04/09 - Guest starring are Ken Leung as Miles, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Tania Raymonde as Alex, Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Marc Vann as doctor, Kevin Durand as Keamy, Yetide Badaki as desk clerk, Kaveh Kardan as merchant, Faran Tahir as Ishmael Bakir and Sean Douglas Hoban as Doug. Source: ABC

[kayo]

Does this awesome LOST promo get you as hyped up for the next LOST episode as it does me??

LOST April 24th promo

And here's a video of Entertainment Weekly on the set during the filming of "A Shape of Things To Come":

EW on the set

[kayo]

A Death Sequence and the Smoke Monster's Return
Wednesday, April 16, 2008


According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, the April 24th episode not only features an "AMAZING death sequence" but it also marks the return of Old Smoky!

[kayo]

Entertainment Weekly's Doc Jensen Reports From the LOST Set:
Monday, April 14, 2008

Life on the Oahu set of Lost isn't always a day at the beach. On this sweltering March afternoon, for example, ABC's cult hit about castaways on a time-warped tropical isle has chosen to shoot in...a rock quarry. Amount of fun currently being had: Zero. The horses are jumpy from machine-gun fire. Executive producer Jack Bender is directing with an ice pack to his face after walking into a crane. And Michael Emerson — a.k.a. Benjamin Linus, the show's villainous über-Other — is broiled, thanks to his curious wardrobe requirement: a woolly winter parka.

''Definitely a no-glamour zone,'' says Emerson during a brief respite from shooting Lost's first episode since the writers' strike interrupted production last November. ''I thought we would ease into things. Instead, I get this all-Ben extravaganza: combat, riding horses, foreign languages. And piano playing! All waaaay outside my comfort zone. How can you work two weeks and feel like you need a vacation already?''

Some sympathy for Lost's biggest devil? Not a polar bear's chance in Tunisia. Besides, there's crucial work to be done. You'll start seeing it on April 24, when Lost returns with the first of five fresh episodes that will wrap up its buzzy, strike-abbreviated fourth season. EW spent three days on the set of the drama, and judging from the looks of things — like the corpse that washes up on the sandy shores of Camp Jack and the raging gunfight that will decimate Camp Locke — the first episode back, ominously titled ''The Shape of Things to Come,'' will launch the endgame with downright apocalyptic thunder.

[kayo]

In the episode "The Shape of Things To Come":
Source: DocArzt and Entertainment Weekly's Doc Jensen

We'll see Ben 'globe-trotting' as his fight with Charles Widmore for control over the Island ramps up

The Sayid/Nadia love story is 'revisited'

Claire begins a story arc that sets up the next few episodes and the next few years

Smokey returns, and Hurley has an encounter with him.

[kayo]

Sneak peeks are up for "The Shape of Things to Come" and they're doozys!

Sneak peek 1

sneak peek 2

sneak peek 3

sneak peek 4

Can't wait, can't wait!

[Francis_3]

From Wiki: Locke's camp comes under attack, and Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore. In flashforwards, we see Ben's life after the island.

Sorry if this is already a thread...

But, holy smokes!! I hold off on any spoilers for anyone who didn't see it.

[kayo]

Wow, what a mind-blowing episode that still has me thinking!
Major (and minor points) to the LOST puzzle revealed last night:

• Ben controls the smoke monster. Wasn't that an awesome sequence?!!

• This is one hard-core....game? After Ben's "daughter" is shot point blank in the head, a stunned Ben mutters, "he changed the rules". I'm still try to totally figure out this comment, as well as the ending scene, but am I the only one thinking that this is a major 'winner takes all' game being played between two men- one very rich and utterly ruthless (Widmore) and the other brilliant and mentally unstable (Ben).

• Ben smirked after he left Sayid which definitely says that Sayid has been played the whole time and will be used by Ben to try and fulfill his warped desire to seek retribution against Widmore by killing Penelope. Think back to the ending sequence of the previous Sayid-centric episode when Ben tells Sayid he has another "assignment" for him. I'm thinking this has Penelope Widmore's name written all over it. That being said, if the writers have Ben succeed in killing her I will be hard-pressed to continue watching the show. The Desmond/Penny romance is one of the most enjoyable parts of the show and I've always hoped that, despite whatever else the writers concoct, they would have this part of the story end happily.

• Ben can't kill Widmore. In the final sequence, brilliantly written and acted I might add, Widmore asks Ben if he is there to kill him. Ben replies, "we both know I can't do that". This has to be related to why Michael can't kill himself, Jack couldn't kill himself, and Desmond couldn't marry Penny- the whole "course correction" thing. Something- the island?- will not permit them to.

• Sawyer seems very-protective of Claire and called her "sweetheart"...one more "shape of things to come", perhaps?

• Jack is getting sick...very sick. The Sickness? Appendicitis (as alluded to in the preview)? Druggie? All I can say is I can't wait until next week!

• Bernard knows morse code- yaay! That was pretty funny, and I'm glad it was Bernard that turned the tables on Daniel. So the reason the Doctor was fine on the freighter and yet washed up dead on the island was most likely because of the 30 min and some odd seconds time difference. He was probably killed by Widmore's commando squad before they left to get Ben.

• We finally have proof that Ben can time/place travel...Tunisia and Iraq, oh my! Did anyone else notice the jacket Ben was wearing when his 1st jump was revealed? He was lying on the sand and then sat up and heaved. His jacket had the name "Hallowax" on it. The very same name as the Asian man that was featured in the DHARMA rabbit experiment videos. And it was winter jacket- one he wouldn't have worn on the island.

• What was that stick thing that Ben has in his pocket when the bedouin guys find him in the desert and he has behind his back when he is talking to the concierge at the hotel? I don't think its a weapon or he would have used it against the bedouins instead of using their own weapons against them. And I don't think he was planning to use it against the concierge. I'm guessing that it is the device that enables him to time travel and that he had it in his hands to make a quick escape if need be. Anyone else have any ideas?

• "If you harm one hair on his curly head, I'll kill you!" Man, I love Sawyer! And Hurley is turning out to be a definite puzzle piece of importance- a LARGE piece of importance. Why is he crucial in finding Jacob? Yes, he saw the cabin but it also disappeared later. And when Locke asked Ben "which way", Ben directed them as to the way to go. So I'm thinking there is much more to having Hurley with them than Ben is letting on. If there is one thing that is obvious in the whole show it's this- NEVER TRUST BEN.

[Dade]

Courtesy of: TV GUIDE, TV SHOW BLOGS

Lost
by Trish Wethman

Episode Recap: The Shape of Things to Come
“He changed the rules.”

Well, I don’t know what the rules were before, but apparently, they did not include murder. And apparently, all bets are off on that account.

For anyone who was still wondering who the bad guys are, some of them certainly became a little more obvious tonight, while the moral code of other folks is still very much a gray area. Though I was never a huge fan of Alex (or her boyfriend or crazy mother), I thought her cruel, meaningless death was made even more heart-breaking by the fact that the last words she heard were those of the man she knew as her father completely disavowing her. Yes, Ben was doing what little he could to try and save her, but it was also clear that he was unwilling to sacrifice his ultimate mission, even for her. (And after she so kindly set off the Code 14J warning/telephone call!) If Michael Emerson is overlooked during Emmy season this year, something is terribly amiss. I have rarely seen an actor convey so much emotion with just a slight curl of his lip or change in his intonation. This episode was truly a showcase to what a central player he has become to this mystery.

Speaking of mysteries, a few big ones were cleared up tonight while another was set in motion. We now understand how future Sayid came to be in the employ of future Ben. Sadly, it seems that Sayid’s long-awaited post-island reunion with Nadia was short-lived and avenging her murder became the impetus for his career as Ben’s hired gun. Apparently, their business relationship commenced in October, 2005 when Ben seemingly time-tripped (?) to Tunisia and spotted Sayid on Iraqi television mourning his wife. (By the way, the name Ben used to check into the hotel was Dean Moriarty—click here for some interesting info about this particular alias.) In addition, we learned that Ben does have the power to summon the smoke monster from his man-of-mystery room, though what it actually is or how it operates remains unknown. And while we are on the topic of that room, does it serve as some sort of time portal or is it simply where Ben stores his time travel necessities?

Meanwhile, the body of the freighter’s doctor washed up complete with a slit throat and more questions for the freighter refugees. Was the plan ever to rescue the Oceanic survivors? That’s a big no. Why did Daniel lie about the contents of the coded message? And what the heck do they mean that the doctor is fine. What exactly is the deal with these people? Are they in cahoots with cold-blooded killer Keamy and his fellow mercenaries?

Truthfully, it felt like there was so much story happening tonight it was tough to keep track of everything I wanted to comment on. I loved the first scene with Hurley, Sawyer and Locke. After weeks of hearing, “We’re all going to die,” it was funny to see that Hurley’s expressionless murmuring was instigated by a game of Risk. (Did anyone else catch that Hurley said, “Australia is the key to the whole game?”)

My other favorite moments tonight:
—Ben’s transition from peaceful pianist to Rambo-like warrior, complete with a piano-bench munitions stash.
— Ben telling Sayid, “That should do it,” after Sayid put multiple bullets into the man who murdered his wife.
—Hurley caring for Claire's baby so diligiently while Sawyer played hero for Claire.
—Sawyer’s threat to Locke that hurting even one hair on Hurley’s "curly head" would have dire consequences. (I swear, I'm starting to hope that the big kiss we are all waiting for is those two. I am just loving this friendship!)
—Getting to see Smoky in action as he pulled that soldier into the jungle by his ankles.

Even more questions remain. What is happening to Jack? Why did Ben imply that he cannot kill Widmore? Why did Widmore refer to Ben as "boy?" It seems as if these two have a long history. Did the island pass into Ben's protection during his tragic youth? Widmore said, “That island is mine, Benjamin. It always was. It will be again.” And yet, he seems powerless to get back. And how will Penny factor into all of this, especially now that Ben has shown his cards in terms of his plans to exact revenge for Alex's death. I don't know about you, but I love the pace and the story progression this season and that trend seems to be continuing. I'll be on the edge of my seat until next week, but until then, as Ben would say, "Sleep tight."

Posted by Trish Wethman 04/25/08 12:06 AM

[Francis_3]

Great assessments, Kayo.

I thought the morse code part was awesome, if only to include other people from the island. But I took Daniel's lie to mean the body that washed up on the island was not the "doctor", but someone else. What I'm a little disappointed in is the lack of full fledged bitch slaps from Juliette and Kate to Charlotte.

I'm not sure Ben "controls" smokey, because wasn't Juliette afraid of it? I think Ben has studied smokey and knows its tendencies (like tests to see if fence is down then attack if it is). But, if you're right and Ben can control the monster, why kill Eko?

I have to go back and watch, but something looked odd when the house started rattling right before they ran out of the house. The camera focused on Miles for a second and it jerked a little like it did when Miles was hoovering ghosts at Grandma's house.

I'm with you on the Sawyer / Claire relationship. With Kate gone, Sawyer has really taken to the protector role.

I'm glad Ben, Locke and Hurley are off on a house warming party. They are three exceptional actors and it should prove brilliant...if not confusing.

[kayo]

Did anyone else catch that Hurley said, “Australia is the key to the whole game?”

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that! I remember wondering about that as well. It definitely has to be a
little clue from the writers...

I'm not sure Ben "controls" smokey, because wasn't Juliette afraid of it? I think Ben has studied smokey and knows its tendencies (like tests to see if fence is down then attack if it is). But, if you're right and Ben can control the monster, why kill Eko?

Ok, I guess I need to back up and say that I think he semi controls it. I guess for a somewhat morbid comparison, I'm thinking of the movie bear from Will Ferrell's last movie that recently killed its trainer. The trainer had worked with the bear for years-they had a great relationship and the trainer could get the bear to do all sorts of tricks and obey many commands. But ultimately the bear was still a bear and, unfortunately, the trainer did something that set the bear off which led to his death. I look at the smoke monster/Ben 'relationship' as being something more like that. Now wouldn't it be so cool if Ben met his demise during the show's finale episode at the "hands" of the smoke monster? Now that would be sweet justice!

[kayo]

Doug and Jerome
Friday, April 25, 2008
Source: John Kubicek-BuddyTV, Lostpedia
Images courtesy of Lost-Media


Doug (Sean Douglas Hoban)

You probably don’t know them, as the two men who were killed are background characters with no lines before tonight, but they’ve both been around since the first season. Excluding the Nikki/Paulo debacle, Lost is pretty good at continuity among background actors. The first one to get shot was Doug, played Sean Douglas Hoban.



Jerome (Jim Mazzarella)

The other man who tried to help the woman was Jerome, played by Jim Mazzarella. Jerome has been in the background of all the major events. He was there at Hurley’s golf tournament. He attended the funerals of Boone, Nikki and Paulo. He briefly helped Bernard build his “S.O.S.” sign. It’s just proof that in spite of Nikki and Paulo, Lost really does have actors who have been there since the beginning.

[kayo]

Lost Easter Eggs: "The Shape of Things to Come"
John Kubicek, BuddyTV
(Images courtesy of Lost-Media)
Friday, April 25, 2008


Tunisia:As Ben said, this wasn’t his first trip to Tunisia. In fact, at his hotel, he’s a preferred guest under the name Dean Moriarty (the main character in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road), an alias fans recognized as the passport bearing this name was first spied when Sayid dug around Ben’s things in “The Economist.” Tunisia is also known to fans as the location of the mysterious DHARMA polar bear bones Charlotte found in “Confirmed Dead.”


Ben's Parka:When Ben came to in the Sahara Desert, something was noticeably wrong with him, and if, like me, time and space travel is one of your pet theories, you probably assumed he teleported there.

Zooming in on Ben’s parka, the name “Halliwax” is written on it. Last summer at Comic-Con, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse unveiled the Orchid Station video, in which Dr. Marvin Candle, claiming to be “Edgar Halliwax” spoke about the dangers of the Orchid Station, and he freaked out when a bunny appeared out of nowhere.

It has long been surmised that Orchid has to do with time and space travel, that the bunny magically teleported there from another time. Given Ben’s parka, it’s easy to assume that he used the technology to teleport himself either through time or space (or both) to get off the island. His arm was bleeding, so he most likely left in a hurry. The other mystery is the DHARMA symbol on Ben’s parka:



Ben the pianist:Early in the episode, before the attack, Ben was showing off his pianist skills. While he was playing it, did you ask yourself, “What is that song, and what does it mean?”

To answer your question, the piece was Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor.” Its significance is that among its various titles are “The Burning of Moscow” and “The Day of Judgment.” As this song was being played just moments before Widmore’s men sieged the barracks, this little performance was certainly a prelude to the war, and since Ben was forced to make the ultimate decision and the ultimate sacrifice, it was his day of judgment.


Game play: backgammon, chess, Mousetrap, Connect Four, crossword puzzles, poker, ping pong - LOST is just chock-full of game playing! And now we have Risk added to the mix. Risk is one of the greatest board games ever. The previews for last night’s episode teased Hurley’s big line, “We’re all gonna die,” so it was a classic Lost bait-and-switch when it turned out he was talking about his and Sawyer’s Risk armies.

Most importantly, there was another line that undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows. Hurley complained that Locke was letting Sawyer take Australia, whining, “Australia is the key to the whole game.” First, anyone who’s ever played Risk knows this is 100 percent incorrect. While Australia is a nice little place to have, owning it traps you in southeast Asia until the other players are strong enough to go in for the kill.

Therefore, we must discern if this statement is meaningful or misdirection. I have to go with misdirection, because while Australia is important inasmuch as it’s the place Oceanic Flight 815 departed from, I doubt it’s the key to anything. However, the line was probably just written to raise speculation and cause fans to debate its meaning, which I guess I’m doing, so congratulations, Lost writers, you win. But it’s not because you have Australia.

[kayo]

Here's an interesting fact I stumbled across:

When Ben checks in at the hotel in Tunisia, the woman at the desk confirms the date as being October 24, 2005. In researching that date, I discovered that this same date, although in 1593 instead of 2005, had an actual event occur that featured the theme of time travel. Here is a description from Wikepedia:

The story of Gil Pérez
A curious story about the death of this governor is related in New Spain. On the evening of October 24, 1593 (so the story goes), a soldier, Gil Pérez, appeared suddenly in a confused state in the main square in Mexico City, wearing the uniform of a Philippine regiment. He claimed that moments before finding himself in Mexico he had been on sentry duty in Manila at the governor’s palace. He said that he was aware he was no longer in the Philippines, but that he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. He reported that the governor had been killed. When it was explained to him that he was now in Mexico City, Perez refused to believe it, saying that he had received his orders on the morning of October 25 in Manila and that it was therefore impossible for him to be in Mexico City on the evening of October 24.

This was two months before news of the governor's death reached Mexico. When it did, not only was the event confirmed, but also many details of Gil Pérez's story. The ship carrying the news also brought at least one witness who confirmed seeing Gil Pérez in Manila on October 23.

[Francis_3]

Great find Kayo...I just got chills...


man, I love this show.

[nemille]

“Australia is the key to the whole game.” First, anyone who’s ever played Risk knows this is 100 percent incorrect. While Australia is a nice little place to have, owning it traps you in southeast Asia until the other players are strong enough to go in for the kill.

Actually having played Risk the key is taking South America because while taking Austrailia is usually very easy, To quote Vizzini "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia"

[Francis_3]

...but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!


You didn't finish the quote! Inconceivable!!

[echo]

I have yet to go back and read this entire thread, but as others have noted, there was a lot of hints dropped in this last episode, or maybe I'm just getting better at noticing them.

It does look like this is going to turn out to be a "game" of some kind, like something in a Virtual World where the rules can be changed or people can cheat.