LOSTCasts 50: Exposé

Matt and Robert are back this week for the podcast, focused on season 3, episode 14 of LOST, Exposé. This Paulo and Nikki episode certainly generated a lot of talk, with more than 300 comments posted in the entry on our site. In this installment of the podcast, we talk about general reactions to Exposé, which were mixed, to say the least. We also talk about the Flashbacks, both on-island and off-island, the easter eggs from the episode that have an impact on the larger plot, and more.

Download podcast #50 here

Links related to the podcast:
Wikipedia - Lady with an Ermine
The Fuselage - General reactions
Screencap of Paulo's newspaper
Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
Author J Wood on Exposé

LOST links:
MST3K LOST commentary
"Friends" LOST intro video
USA Today LOST philosopher article
LA Times article on Locke
LOST creators radio interview - "On Point"
Justin's birthday LOST decorations

We'll be back next week, so until then... Stay LOST.

Comments

[Tahir]

Blimey - that was early.

[connor Clements]

Thanks, will keep me going until next week!

[WeakLemonDrink]

Oooh, lovely and early. You, my sirs, are true friends of the British.

[Lance]

Yeah thanks from this side of the Atlantic!

[Sobaika]

Thanks guys!

[Sobaika]

Thanks guys!

In terms of the producers having a plan for N&P, there were some scenes meant to air in the first six episodes of S3 that gradually introduced the characters, but they ended up getting cut. Afterwards, according to the Official Lost Podcast, there were some plotlines they wanted to follow with them but focusing on Locke, Claire, and all the rest meant that those plans were never really followed through. Hopefully all that stuff will appear on the DVD.

[Cihan]

First off, I love your audio montage of the episode, keep it up guys. I'm glad you digged the episode too, because I liked it a whole lot.

# Maybe Jacob is one of the beach Losties that are currently background extras, i.e - in season 4 a background character will come to the forefront ala Nikki/Paulo and will be revealed to be Jacob. (yeah, he's so badass he allowed himself to suffer a plane crash...)

# Ooh, I just had an idea. Maybe Paulo helped Ethan kidnap Charlie and Claire! Was Charlie blindfolded when he was strung up in the tree? This would be awesome if true. Awesome in that its a plausible explanation for how Ethan dragged two people through a jungle. Doubly awesome because in Expose Sun realises Charlie kidnapped him, but Charlie doesnt realise Paulo kidnapped him! Damn, I'm liking this theory...(dont ask me why Paulo did it)

[Cihan]

That Friends spoof was pretty funny.

So was John's 'dont be a rat!' tale.

[Cee]

Razzle Dazzle is a direct reference to a line in Watchmen.

[James Wicks]

I've finally got a theory as to what the hell is going on with this show.

I've been thinking about the Stephen King links with the show, and I'm not going to specifically mention the book I'm thinking of as what I'm gonna suggest is also a major spoiler for one of his books.

But my theory is that the island exists in a loop of time and everything just goes round in circles. Everything repeats itself over and over. King readers will know what i refer to here. I don't mean episode to episode, I mean as a series, the end of the final series just might bring us more or less right back to the beginning.

This also makes it possible for one of our losties to be Jacob without even knowing it. i.e. they grow to be the leader over the period of this series and eventually goes right back to the beginning.

I know this may not make a great deal of sense to you as this really is just a stream of words in no sensible order, but I only just realised it makes a whole lot of things kind of make sense to me as far as the show is concerned.

Of course the "others" would likely have to be excluded from the cyclical nature of the island as they wouldn't remember who Jacob is etc....

And my guess for just who Jacob would be if this is true? I'm theorising that it's Locke.

Maybe I'll flesh this out of the nest few weeks and post again.

James

[col_mustard]

Would you believe "razzle dazzle" was a reference to the movie "Stripes"?.......

Col Mustard

[Jamie (c)]

@ Lostcasts - Could the walkie talkie have been there before Ben and Juliette arrived? Like that's the one they leave there all the time?

That's how I saw it.

Great podcast!

[Joe Mac]

Great podcast, as always.

[col_mustard]

Message for Matt Jones, Robert or John:

FYI: Do some research on "Numbers Stations" so that you know a little about it and see if I am onto something. I wonder if there is a connection somehow with Lost's numbers that were broadcast from somewhere in the Pacific. The idea is intriguing and I can't help but think there are some spook activities going on here. Maybe I'm looking at this thing from my specific background and reading too much into it. I'd be interested in your opinion. Number Stations are used by various Intelligence agencies around the world to broadcast to operatives.

Col Mustard

[jg]

Subject: Multiverse theory

The newspaper shot was too blatant to be an error. They now geeks like us watch for that stuff. So I suggest, that with the hatch blowing there has been a crossover into another universe. It is extremely similar to ours but slightly different. Like dates being off just a little and perhaps, certain people not on this 815 crash (Rose/Bernard). This has been used in other SciFi shows. The only one that comes to mind is an old Star Trek with Spock being shifted to another mirror but ruthless Enterprise with an evil Captain Kirk. (of course the other Spock was shifted to our “good” Enterprise.The Spocks are pure logic and neither good nor bad)

The pure time travel plots are never satisfying to me, as there are so many paradoxes. Though with invoking a multiverse plot line you can have the apparent time curiosities but without the paradoxes.

So are Desmond and Locke the same characters we had pre hatch explosion? Or…Are Desmond and Locke the same and everyone else is different? Have we, the audience, been blown into elswhere too?

I’m sure there is someone out there that can explain this or tear it apart. These are just my late night ramblings.
Thanks

[Joop]

Thanks, good to have everyone back. I Just want to go on record- N&P are dead...they were killed...really bad.

@ Cihan

I agree, I think N&P's willingness to trust Ethan was a sign of more layers to peel through, or more 'dolls' to be opened.

@ jg

Dude...Mirror Mirror. One of the best Star Trek ep's.
That might explain how at one point Boone was hot for Shannon & then...not so much.

[Kane]

About bare footness:
Have you seen the movie "Big Fish"?
You don't need shoes in paradise.

[SMKGrl]

RE: Another random comment

** SPOILER'ish ***

So, Roger Workman is going to be in an upcoming episode, supposedly the one in which we find out about the DeGroots, set in the 70's. My theory has always been he's the mechanic for Dharma.

So, I just wish that instead of him having "Workman" on his jump suit, they had labeled it instead "Karmachanic". Or would it be "Karmechanic"? "Dharmechanic"?

Hmmm.

[Erin B]

Hey, guys. Haven't listened to the podcast yet, as we just watch the episode last night. Man, was I disappointed! We're weren't invested in Nikki and Paolo, and we get a whole episode about them. I couldn't even feel sorry for them being buried alive. They got what they deserved.

[jg]

@ Joop,
Was it that the Kirks were switched and the Spocks figured it out?

[Jamie (c)]

@ SMKGrl, I'll bet his real last name is Workman.

I'll put money on it and it would make for a good Lost chuckle.

[xandra]

Thanks guys,great podcast as ever!Your Polish listeners are still here:)
Just a quick question for UK Lost fans - is the third season being aired there now?

[anonerloster...]

Have you guys been seeing the latest Amelia Earhart stuff in the news?: http://tinyurl.com/29gjas

The efforts to go to the island and verify the remains: http://tinyurl.com/2aavxv

Apparently she went down here:
http://tinyurl.com/2gl9jh

Didn't realize she went down so close to the Losties... relatively speaking.

[Kathy aka Fangirl]

I saw the Amelia thing this morning. Between that and Houdini's death being re-opened, it's like history is being re-written. Next thing you know they'll find the Titanic and Pluto won't be a planet anymor...oh wait. This is exactly why parent's can't help their kids with their homework anymore.

[Gil]

The newspaper said Thursday the 24th. There will not be a Thursday Spe 24 until 2009. Last time there was a Thursday 24, it was 1997.

[Joop]

@ jg

Yeah, the kirk's got switched, along w/ a few others (can't remember who). The 'real' Spock figured it out right away & threw them in the brig. The real Kirk played it cool & appealed to the parallel Spock's logic.

The transporter was the holo-deck of the original series to launch those cool 'out of the box' episodes.

[jg]

@ Joop,
Thanks.
........
As I perseverate about "game changer" methinks it was nothing but hype...or...did we miss something...like a newspaper date and its implication...ergo my multiverse theory. That would be notable. But, these musings are surely nothing but the results of my Brownian motion.

[Jamie (c)]

@ Everyone
Sub: Sept 24 paper

I wonder if this was a production error that they ran with to play with the fans?

Only time will tell but I'll bet that was an April Fools joke for the screen cappers. :)

[Blaine aka lost cast maniac]

Did anyone notice that pawlo or the dimond stealing dude would have woken up before the woman did?

[Gil]

haha.. sorry hadnt got the part in the audio file about the 24th yet. sorry.

[frankmorris]

@ Blaine

I'm no Artz, but I think there is a few variables to explain that. Male bite vs. female bite, amount of venom released, body weight etc.

I would also like to point out that, unlike some have assumed, Nikki did not 'wake up' at the last minute. I think that although they were paralyzed, they were fully conscious for 8 hours & were screaming in they're minds as the dirt was covering them.

Have a nice day :)

[Blaine]

@ Frank Morris

That is certianly a factor I didn't consider, but it makes all the sence now that you mention it. Thanks for the great insight.

@ everyone

excuse me if I am forgeting something but what happened to Rose I haven't seen her in any of the episodes in a while. I tried to remember if she died but I don't remember her dying.

Also does anyone have any info on what the invisable was that killed patchy uses to kill people. And why didn't that wall set off an alarm when it killed him.

[Jamie (c)]

frankmorris: "I think that although they were paralyzed, they were fully conscious for 8 hours & were screaming in they're minds as the dirt was covering them"

@ frankmorris - Gosh, I really hope so.

[Kathy aka Fangirl]

@Blaine

Rose and Bernard have just been hiding off screen. There has been no official explaination as to why we haven't seen them.

[danbury]

I probably missed an earlier post about this - but did Nikki and Paulo show up after the hatch blew, or before?

If they popped into the losties' reality after months of being on the island for months - but their perception was that they had been there from the beginning and were just one of the gang - I can see why they were acting in such an irritating way, i.e. 1) brazenly inserting themselves into situations and 2) seemingly knowing more than the main characters, i.e. the visit to the hatch when Paulo used the bathroom so matter-of-factly (we know why now) and Nikki told Locke he should turn on the TV.

Also, I think it's very believable that they were providing information to the Others - since neither one of them seemed to have a conscience or care at all about what happened to anyone else.

[Jamie (c)]

@ Kathy aka Fangirl - actually the last 'official' Podcast did talk about them and why we've not seen them.

Simply, the shooting takes place in Hawaii, the actors for these rolls don't live there so they use them sparingly, not calling them in to be just in the background )and none of the stories needed them).

Now if they had the budget (or foresight) they would shoot some green screen 'stock footage' of them milling about in the background.

But they didn't. They did say they would show up before the season ends.

[Kathy aka Fangirl]

I was referring to the characters since that is what he was asking about. I know why the actors haven't been on.

[Joop]

It struck me that, in the previous episode, Lock condemns Ben of hypocrisy based on his paralysis & Ben attributes Lock's freedom from his paralysis as his having a special connection to the island.

It might just be a coincidence that N&P died, or more pointedly, were not able to save themselves because of their paralysis, but I'm getting the feeling that their death was island approved. I'm guessing they had more involvement w/ the others, yet to be revealed.

[Mark]

Am I the only person that Didn't hear the monster noise during the spider bite scene? I rewatched ad still didn't hear it.

[SMKGrl]

@Joop

LOL..."I'm getting the feeling that their death was island approved".

Good line.

[Jamie (c)]

@Mark - the first time I thought I did, the second time no.

I think the monster was probably off chasing someone else and not involved with the spiders.

The spiders were just horny.

[Thomas Sydenham]

Connection to the Tempest theory:

The painting in Bens house is similar to the painting "Lady with an eurmine" by Leonardo Da Vinci. In Shakespere "The Tempest" Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, perhaps there is something to this.

Maybe our losties have been brought here by someone (or something) who they have all done wrong similar to how Alonso and Antonio had to Prospero.

Don't look past "The Cobra" and the fact that Hurley said the character they thought was the good guy ends up being the bad guy after four seasons of keeping it hidden.

Also did anyone see that Zach Snyder, the guy who directed "Dawn of the dead" and "300", is now making a movie of "The Watchman" Freaking great!!!

Anyone else have anything on either of these subjects?

Keep it real
TS

[Thomas Sydenham]

Addendum: Also keep reading; remember it was Prospero's knowledge from his Library that gave him the ability to conjour up the storm that allowed him to confront his nemesis and extract his revenge.

[Kathy aka Fangirl]

@ TS: When I heard that he would be directing "Watchman" I had a little hope. I still think it's too complex to do without losing a lot. I mean Rorshack (sp?)backstory will be a bit disturbing to show, but not showing it would be worse.

[frankmorris]

Subject: Sick & Twisted

Speaking of new movies, anyone going to see the new Tarrantino/ Rodriguez movie 'The Grind House'?

I think Naveen Andrews (Sayid) is in it.

[jg]

@ Joop or anybody,

subject: multiverse

bad Kirk : good Kirk
bad Spock : good Spock
.
.
bad twin : good twin
black stone : white stone
Rose : Bernard (I hate going to the dentist, also reference "Marathon man")
.
horny Boone : horny Boone...not so much
.
bad ? : good Jack
? Locke : ? Locke

Desmond:"You don't want to know where I've been...". He has been to other universes and has seen other realities not the future necessarily. His "flashes" are some kind of psychic shudders left over from the explosion.

Multiverse bucket hold water or not?

[Cassie]

Hey y'all-
On the Jacob subject- if he's hiding as one of the Losties, then why would Ethan have to infiltrate the group to get a List? wouldn't he have arrived and noticed Jacob and left? Remember that in Maternity Leave, Tom tells Ethan that "he" will be pissed that Ethan didn't finish the list (assuming Ethan is just gathering the names of all the castaways so Jacob can then judge them.) So Ethan didn't finish and "he" knows.
Maybe Tom is referring to Ben when he says "he" - since Ben was the one who ordered Ethan to infiltrate.

In any case, I think the only way for Jacob to be one of the lostaways on the beach is if the majority of the Others don't know who he really is. (like the "man behind the curtain", or the Final Five for all those BSG fans out there.) I personally think it would be sort of cool, and my vote is that he's Neal the Frogurt guy, who the producers were all excited about introducing and who was never heard of again.

[sabalon]

Shouldn't Nicki and Paulo have brain damage? If they have spent 8 hours with their blood pumping so slow a doctor would have trouble knowing they are alive, then the blood supply to the brain would be pretty low too and that would really limit the O2 supply.

Just a thought - so when Vincent digs them up and they are lumbering around like zombies, it could be brain damage :) Ah...the zombie season 3 seasons early!

[jg]

@ sabalon,
Yes, severe brain damage. I thought the end was "Serpent and the Rainbow"-esque. This was mentioned on the podcast. But this is Lost, suspension of belief is part of the deal. All things medical on this show are ludicrous. By the way, "Serpent and the Rainbow" is about the making of Zombies in Haiti. It’s a true story and a fascinating read. In the book they use tetrodotoxin to render the victim paralyzed as the medusa spider did here. These victims were buried in coffins with a volume of air to breathe until dug up later. Many of these victims surely suffered from ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy. (An apparent prerequisite for Zombiehood.)

@ Mark and Jamie,
I too wondered about the sound. I thought it was more like a 1000 horny spiders scampering toward our poor Nikki. That was creepy. It was much creepier than the monster.