LOSTCasts 88: The Last Recruit

This week's podcast focuses on season 6, episode 13 of LOST, The Last Recruit. Join Matt, Robert and John as we talk about the convergence of characters in the flash sideways, and speculation about them all coming together, Jack's struggle with Locke, Desmond's new role and his influence over Sayid, Jack leaving the group and his return with Locke... of course, we have give some ideas about what we think the end game is.

Download podcast #88 here
We had a little audio trouble, so first part of the podcast is a bit quieter than the second half. Also, Ustream kept cutting out, so no video this week.

Links related to the podcast:
Wikipedia on the number 42
Conversation on The Fuselage about what makes a candidate

LOST links:
Wired article on LOST
LOST tarot cards on Flickr
LOST photo group on Flickr

Finale links:
LOST Live music event on May 13
LOST Fathom Events Times Talk Live May 20

Remember, LOST is taking a break next week, so we'll see you in a couple weeks.

Comments

[Paddy]

Thank you

[Cameron]

Thanks guys - love your work.

[muffie99]

Hey guys, what if Sayid has been promised Shannon - not Nadia ?

[Ingrid]

any chance you can sort out the sound quality? maybe just talking a bit further from the mic? cheers!

[FU]

So unprofessional

[apb]

Good thing they aren't professionals...

[bacabuck]

Thank you for all of your hard work over the many seasons. You have certainly made the show more of an experience. Looking forward to finishing the last few episodes.

Best wishes.

[Mike in the Box]

Rewatched Ab Aterno last night. It was an enhanced version. One thing jumped out at me:

When Richard saw Isabella on the Black Rock, the pop-up caption explained that he was seeing "the Man in Black". If this is true (a big IF since these pop-ups are not considered canon), then MiB can appear as dead people who do not have bodies on the island. This produces some interesting theories.

Now, I know that these enhanced episodes are not considered canon, but how would the production team even think to mention that MiB was posing as Isabella unless someone from the writing team commented on this to them?

One thing that I see more and more on these message boards and forums is that fans create a set of rules and expect the writers (via the characters) to adhere to those rules. Example: MiB can only appear as someone who is dead and whose body is on the island. This has not been confrimed on the show (as far as I can remember), but for some reason we expect this to be a hard and fast rule.

Another "rule" that many fans have rallied behind is that MiB has to be one person/thing at a time. We place constraints on a mythical supernatural character?! Is it not possible that he can be project himself as one character while simultaneously maintaining his identity as another character?

The only piece of Ab Aterno (Enhanced) that bugged me was that IF Isabella (on island) was in fact, MiB, then the final scene between Richard, Hurley, and Isabella was, in fact, between Richard, Hurley, and MiB. In that scene, Isabella tells Hurley that Richard has to stop the MiB. If he does not, then they all go to Hell.

I can rationalize this by conceding that MiB is playing a "long con" and is manipulating Richard via Hurley into acting in a specific way. Perhaps he needs Richard to try to stop him in order to put Richard (or the others) in a specific place at a specific time

[Ian (Liverpool, UK)]

Some good points Mike - I agree that we need to be careful not to make assumptions.

Personally, I suspect that the Isabella on the Black Rock was MiB, but the Isabella who spoke to Hurley was the real deal. Don't ask me to explain how that's possible though !

[Different Mike]

I was sure that the Michael speaking to Hurley was really MiB.

[Betorock]

I like where you are headed Mike.

[m]

@Mike: Another argument FOR MiB appearing as more than one person is Eko seeing the bandits he killed in Yemi's church - & they never were on the Island either (it's assumed by the community that this apparition was possible due to Smokey 'scanning' Eko. Oh, & the medusa spiders; plenty of them, & also presumably a Smokey apparition.

& then we have Ben's mother appearing. She never was on the Island, & as far as we know Ben wasn't scanned prior to that apparition...

[Lorne]

I saw Ab Aeterno again too and something popped out at me: Jin (or maybe Sun) is the next Richard.
Alternate Jin and Richard were both planning on going to the new world and starting a new life. Both didn't originally speak English, and learned it. Both did horrible things, but Richard did it for medicine for his wife, while Jin did it to protect Sun.
They are essentially the same character type.