Emmys' Top Ten Finalists

The 60th Annual Emmy Awards will be held on September 21st at 8pm on ABC, but before then, we have to have some nominees.

Those won't be announced until July 17th, but the Academy did announce the top ten drama and comedy finalists.

The top ten comedies are:  "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Entourage," "Family Guy," "The Office," "Pushing Daisies," "30 Rock," "Flight of the Conchords," "Two and a Half Men," "Ugly Betty" and "Weeds."

The top ten dramas are:  "Boston Legal," "Damages," "Dexter," "House," "Lost," "Friday Night Lights," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Tudors," "The Wire," and "Mad Men."

According to the Academy announcement:

Step two in the process will be the Blue Ribbon Panel screenings, which will be conducted throughout this weekend of June 28-29.

The results of those panels, who will watch and judge the work of each finalist, represent 50 percent of the vote. Both results will be averaged together to come up with our five nominees in each category.

Now I have to admit, the only show I watch on the comedy list is "Ugly Betty."  So my final five comedies would be "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," and "Ugly Betty."  I would have included "Desperate Housewives," but it seems the Academy didn't find "DH" worthy this year.  Boo on them.

My top five dramas are much more varied because I watch everything on that list except, "The Wire," "Boston Legal," and "Friday Night Lights."  So my drama nominees would be "Dexter," "House," "Lost," "Damages," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Tudors." 

Oh wait...that's six. 

Too bad.  I can't choose just five.

I'll leave that to the Academy and then rip them apart when they get it wrong.

"Lost" Recap: "Something Nice From Home" (5/1/08)

We start with the standard "Lost" closeup of Jack's eye opening.  Juliet's calling his name 'cause there's mutiny among the Losties.

Bernard and Rose, et al are trying to get the truth out of Daniel and Charlotte and Charlotte especially is stonewalling.  When she gets snippy with Bernard, Rose tells her, "Just watch your tone, Red."  Heh.

Jack makes peace, telling the Losties he knows Charlotte and Daniel are lying.  Jack doesn't look so good as he gives his pep talk about getting all of them off the island, and before we know it, he collapses.

Flash forward to Jack in a comfy bed somewhere and the phone is ringing.  He picks it up and someone is confirming a consult he has at eleven o'clock.  He gets out of bed and puts some lacy underwear in the hamper.  Jack, who knew?

As he goes in the kitchen he steps on a Millennium Falcon model on the floor.   He puts two wine glasses in the sink and makes coffee.  He checks out the paper, sees the Yankees have beaten the Red Sox in a series sweep and is disgusted.  Finally he goes in the bathroom where someone is in the shower.

When the shower shuts off he takes a towel and hands it to...Kate, as she steps out.  They're all lovey dovey and it's nice to see them happy for a change. 

Opening credits.

The "Lost" Finale: An End To A Fabulous Season

Though last night's "Lost" season finale didn't eject me out of my chair like last year's did, it was still a very good ending to what has been a spectacular season for the show.

Stop now if you haven't seen the show because there are***spoilers***a plenty coming up.

This isn't a recap---I know, I know, I owe you guys, counting last night's two episodes, five hours worth of recaps.  They're like my own Sword of Damocles, but if it takes another lifetime, I will get them done.  This is just a short post with some thoughts.

But back to last night, it was an episode that answered several questions, tied together several plot threads and gave Keamy the end he deserved, even though it meant the end of some of the Losties.

We had to know, after seeing all those explosives on the Mystery Freighter that it would eventually blow up, but who knew the fate of the Mystery Freighter would be so closely tied to the fate of Keamy?  Michael finally got his wish to cross over to the Great Beyond, but unfortunately Jin went with him.  Or did he?  Is it be possible he jumped into the water and swam far enough away not to get blown into a million pieces?  I hope so.

And if they don't nominate Yunjin Kim for an Emmy this year, I'm gonna be really pissed.  What an incredible job she's done this season.  Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway as well.

My friend and I had a bet about who was in the coffin and I won.  Even though they faked me out at the beginning of the episode with that "Jeremy Bentham" pseudonym.  Mr. Locke, I presume?

Ben got his vengeance against Keamy, but as soon as I start to hate him a little less, in answer to Locke's fear that Keamy's death was going to kill the Losties on the Mystery Freighter, Ben says, "So?"

So??? 

Bastard!

Other Finale Observations: 

• I loved that Ben moved the island using a frozen Wonder Wheel.
• I loved that we got a continuation of the scene between Kate and Jack at the airport in last season's finale.
• I loved how heroic Sawyer has been all season long and especially last night, trying to save everyone on the helicopter by jumping out.
• I loved that we got to see Walt, even if he does look about eighteen years old.  That's okay, we suspend so much other reality for this show, we can do that for Walt.
• I loved that Juliet's still stuck on the island.  Couldn't happen to a better person.
• I loved that the Fearless Foursome, minus Frank, are stuck there as well.  Hee.  Good times.
• I loved that the Losties on the island think the Oceanic Six are dead...blown up with the Mystery Freighter.  It's a great plot point.
• I loved that Sun is going to join up with Widmore to go after Ben---I'm pretty sure that's who else she blames for Jin's death.
• And I really, really loved that Desmond and Penny are finally together---for now.

Recaps are pending.

Photo courtesy and copyright ABC

"Lost" Recap: "The Shape Of Things To Come" (4/24/08)

This episode was the first after a hiatus of three weeks.  it was the first post-strike episode and also the first episode where formal war was declared between Ben and Charles Widmore.  Lots of things went "Boom."

Last time we saw the Losties, Michael was being exposed by Sayid to the captain of the Mystery Freighter and Alex, after nearly being being shot by the people who killed Karl and Rousseau, surrendered to the enemy.

We open at the beach.  Jack's under the weather and popping pills.  Kate suggests he eat some crackers and then wonders why Sayid and Desmond aren't back yet.  Jack says he's not worried.

Vincent starts barking like crazy and Bernard yells for help from the shoreline.  Kate and Jack get there in time to help Bernard pull a body out of the water.  A crowd that includes Daniel and Charlotte gathers and when they turn the body over, we see it's Doc Ray from the Mystery Freighter.  His throat's been cut.  He didn't last long, did he?

At Chez Ben, Sawyer, Hurley and Locke are sitting around playing Risk.  Hurley's got Aaron on his lap as Sawyer's attacking Siberia.

Out in the jungle, a blindfolded Alex is being led around by guys with guns.  They force her to turn off the security fence to Lockeville.  As soon as she does, a phone at Chez Ben rings.  Locke picks it up and a computerized voice says "Code 14J" over and over.

In another room, Ben's at the piano playing some kind of morose concerto when Locke and Sawyer burst in.  They ask him about the code.  Ben looks panicked and immediately takes a sawed off shotgun from the piano bench.  Locke and Sawyer are suitably stunned.  Ben orders them to go to "the other house" because it's easier to fortify.

Locke's like, "What are you talking about?"

Ben announces, "They're here."

Opening credits.

"Lost" Recap: "Meet Kevin Johnson" (3/20/08)

Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Kevin Johnson, a.k.a. Michael Dawson, a.k.a. Walt's Dad, a.k.a. the killer of Ana Lucia and Libby.  Good to meet you.

We open at Lockeville in Ben's living room.  Clair, Rousseau, Karl, Sawyer and Hurley are waiting there when Locke comes in with a still tied up Miles. 

Locke announces to the gathering he's going to tell them everything. No more secrets.

Locke brought Miles for a visit so that he can tell the assembled...Lockevillers?  Lockevillites?  Lockevillians?  Lockvilliagers?  Take your pick---why the Fearless Foursome came to the island in the first place.

Miles obliges.  "We're here for him."  "Him" being Ben.

Hurley's like, yeah, and...?  Tell us something we didn't know.

Sawyer's all for turning Ben over right then and there, but Locke says they can't because once the Fearless Foursome have Ben, the crew of the Mystery Freighter has orders to kill everyone else on the island.

Everybody looks at Miles and Miles doesn't deny it.  Claire then says something about how now we're protecting this scum bucket?  Hurley's like, why should we believe Ben when he won't even tell us who the Mystery Freighter spy is?

Ben pipes up, "It's Michael."

Sawyer like, you mean Michael, a.k.a. Walt's Dad, a.k.a. the killer of Ana Lucia and Libby, a.k.a the betraying skunk who let this plague known as Ben out on the loose in the first place? Then sold us all out so he could get off the island? That Michael??

Sawyer man, I understand your pain.

"Yes James," says Locke. "That Michael."

On the Mystery Freighter, Sayid and Desmond are sleeping when emergency sirens start going off.  When they get out on deck they see Gault wailing away on a couple of his crew.  Evidently they were trying to get off the ship in a rubber raft.

Gault's giving them a lecture while he pummels them.  "The rule of desertion...POW... still applies...WHAP...to everyone." He punches them a couple more times. "Nobody leaves this ship without my say so."

The captain continues his heart warming pep talk about how he beat those guys up for their own protection. Remember Minkowski and how he went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?  If you don't want that to happen to you, keep your heads until we get the engines fixed. 

Gault then calls for Johnson.  When Michael walks up, the captain tells him to "clean this mess up."  I love how it's the only black guy on the ship who has to clean up all the bloody messes.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Michael's like, aye, aye, sir.  After the captain leaves, Sayid goes to Michael and says they need to talk.  Michael's like, can we wait 'til we're somewhere just a little more private?

But Sayid won't be put off.  "Why are you on this boat?"

Michael pauses a beat and then says ominously, "I'm here to die."

Opening credits.

"Lost" Recap: "Ji Yeon" (3/13/08)

You thought I forgot about the "Lost" recaps, didn't you?  You thought I said, "The heck with it, this is too much work," didn't you?  Well, no I didn't.  So here in the long line of much delayed "Lost" recaps is "Ji Yeon."  Pass around the Kleenex everybody, 'cause this was a heartbreaker.

It's dusk and we're following a tracking shot over the water to the Mystery Freighter.  Frank is carrying a bag on deck when Keamy approaches him and asks if he's ready.  It seems the captain is having a meeting and Frank is supposed to go.  Keamy warns him not to be late.

Cut to Frank below decks.  A woman is sitting in front of a closed door reading a book when Frank walks up.  Frank calls her Regina and tells her the captain said he could bring Sayid and Desmond some food.  Remember, during Daniel's Mr. Wizard experiment in "The Economist," Regina was the one who shot that electronic gizmo to the island.

The book Regina's supposed to be reading is Jules Verne's The Survivors of the Jonathan," but as Frank points out, she's holding the book upside down. 

"The Survivors of the Jonathan" is about a man who lives on an island and helps the indigenous people.  When a ship is wrecked on the island, he helps the passengers of the ship as well, but this all leads to anarchy and stress.  Sound familiar?

After Regina lets him in, Frank tells Desmond and Sayid he has food for them.  Sayid wants to know why they're being held captive and Frank says it's because the captain didn't like them busting out of sickbay.  When Sayid says they didn't bust out, they thought Frank left the door open, Frank denies it.  Puzzled, Sayid presses for more information:  have the crew heard anything from the island?  Frank says something must have happened to their phone.

He then dumps out the "food."  It's a bunch of rusting cans of lima beans.  Frank says they're having a little problem in the kitchen.  Heh.  I'll bet.

Not quite finished, Sayid insists he wants to talk to the captain.  Frank pauses just an instant before saying ominously, "No you don't."

Cut to Jin and Sun at the beach on the island.  It's night and they're speaking in Korean.   Sun is worried that Sayid and Desmond haven't returned from the Mystery Freighter, after all, it's been three days.  At least to her.  Jin reassures her and instead wants to talk about baby names. 

Sun doesn't want to because she thinks that's bad luck.  Uh oh.  You know when anyone on a TV show says anything is bad luck, they go ahead and do the thing that's bad luck...and then they have bad luck.  Oh noooo!

Playing right into the hands of the bad luck cosmos, Jin says since he's sure it's a girl, he likes the name Ji Yeon.  Sun likes the name too, but refuses to talk about it until they get off the island.  Jin agrees.  They're so cute. 

We cut to either a flashback or a flash forward, at first I'm not sure which.  We're on a medium shot of Sun taking a Korean labeled toothpaste out of a medicine cabinet.  She's packing what looks like a very nice Brighton overnight case.  I love Brighton bags. Sun's got excellent taste. 

Looking in a mirror, Sun's about to put on some lipstick when she doubles over in pain.  She grabs for the phone and calls the Korean equivalent of 911.

She tells them she's pregnant and she thinks something's wrong.  Cut to a long shot of a very pregnant Sun going into labor.  Ladies and gentlemen, we are once again flashing forward.

Opening credits.

Megan's TV Recap Update

If you're a loyal Megan's Minute reader, you know that I've written full length recaps of "Desperate Housewives" since the beginning of the 2007-2008 TV season.  During the writers' strike, I began recapping "Lost" and picked up my recapping of "American Idol" from last year.

I now find myself over extended.  I continue to write weekly posts for Blogher.com (which I love), and daily posts for Video Runway (which I also love), and am trying to keep the quality and frequency of posts at Megan's Minute as high as always.

Well, I'm only half succeeding.  My priorities have to be Blogher and Video Runway since they're helping keep Daisy in dog food, and me in fancy handbags, but I'm determined to keep Megan's Minute the blog that I started and get such joy and pleasure from writing.  So something's gotta give.

What I'm going to do, starting with the 4/13 episode of "Desperate Housewives" is write shorter recaps, or what I call "Snap Recaps" of "DH" for the rest of the season.  I will continue to write full length "Lost" recaps---I realize I'm still two episodes behind on those, but I'm working on it---and when the season is over, I'll reassess where I'm at in time for next season.

I will however, no matter what, continue to write full length recaps of "Damages" whenever it returns.  (The latest estimate is January of 2009.)

So please bear with me as I try and get this time management thing down, and I hope you continue to come back often and enjoy Megan's Minute as much as I enjoy writing it.

"Lost" Recap: "The Other Woman" (3/6/08)

This is the continuation of my much delayed "Lost" recap series.  Anyone can do these things on a timely basis.  But not everyone can write these weeks later.  The suspense is killing you isn't it?  Okay, I won't torture you anymore.

This week's episode is all about the "Lost" blonde we love to hate, Juliet.   

We open on a closeup of someone playing with one of those lame Zen rock gardens that people buy for their offices.  The ads for those things promise to help the stressed office worker "clear the mind of chaos associated with everyday business life."

Turns out the mind being cleared of chaos is Juliet's.  The first thing I notice is she's got on makeup and her hair's done.  Not done well, but done.  She's seated on a sofa in what looks like a doctor's consulting room.

The door opens and Harper Stanhope enters.  Harper introduces herself and when she calls Juliet, Dr. Burke, Juliet asks her to call her by her first name.  Harper's a therapist and though Juliet says she doesn't need therapy, Harper says, "Let's just call it talking." 

Harper starts off the discussion by asking Juliet, since she's been "there" for a week, "What's her least favorite part so far?"

Juliet says she doesn't like being treated like a celebrity.  Harper implies that's not surprising since she's "big news right now."

Okay now I'm thinkin', this is it.  Juliet's one of the Oceanic Six and this is Oceanic enforced therapy after returning from the island.

Juliet continues that she doesn't like being the center of attention because it makes her feel isolated and lonely. 

Then surprisingly, Harper basically says in a blunt and untherapist-like manner, you'll soon realize you're not that special, Blondie.

There's a knock on the door.  Harper calls, "Come in," and in walks...Tom!

He's very much alive and delivering a message, "Ben wants to see the Doc."

Ah, these "Lost" writers are such sneaky fakeout artists.  Welcome to our first flashback of the season.

Harper gives Juliet permission to leave and then says, "Welcome to the island."

Yeah, welcome indeed.

Tom escorts Juliet through the bustling barracks and tells her if she doesn't watch it, within a week Harper will have her "crying about your Daddy."  And he says he's speaking from personal experience.  Heh.

They arrive at a charming little barrack's cottage and who's in the front doorway with a bouquet of fresh flowers?  None other than Ben at his most charming.

He welcomes Juliet and informs her the charming little cottage is hers.  It's got 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, washer, dryer, fresh linens, a well stocked fridge, and all the opera CDs she can listen to.

Yo Ben, does it have a panic room for when you decide to gas everybody in a hundred mile radius?

Juliet, with island stars in her eyes, isn't thinking about such things when she tells Ben he shouldn't have gone to so much trouble considering she's only going to be on the island for six months.

Oh, poor misguided Juliet.

Ben gives her one of those smiles that never quite reaches his eyes and tells her they want her to feel right at home. 

And considering she's never leaving there and she'll eventually become his love slave, why shouldn't she be as comfortable as possible?

Flash forward to the island at night.  Juliet is trying to fix some poles for a shelter to sleep under.  Sun comes over to help and wants to know why Juliet's bothering since they're going to be rescued soon.  Right?   RIGHT?

Juliet's like, sure, sure, but we still have to sleep somewhere tonight, don't we?

Jack walks up and asks if Juliet knows where Charlotte and Daniel are.  All their stuff is gone.  Jin says he saw them going into the jungle.  Jack gets all agitated and wants to know why Jin didn't say anything.  Jin says in halting English, "You said they are friends."

Sun's like, "Aren't they?"

Cut to Jack with the posse of Juliet, Jin and Sun.  They have torches and head off in the pouring rain to search for the missing twosome of the Fearless Foursome.

Juliet runs off into the jungle by herself and all of a sudden she starts hearing the island "whispers of death."  She whirls around as the whispers get louder and then...Harper appears out of nowhere. 

"Hello Juliet.  Long time, no see."

Opening credits.

R.I.P. Anthony Minghella

Film director Anthony Minghella died unexpectedly yesterday in London from complications related to surgery he had last week.  He was 54 years old. 

There were several reasons I felt the need to take note of his passing.  First off, one of his greatest screen achievements, "The English Patient" is a sprawling epic that wasn't necessarily to everyone's taste---did you see the "EP" Seinfeld episode?---but it was a lovely movie and for me had one of the most romantic scenes I've ever experienced at the movies.  Which brings me to my second reason, the scene involved co-stars Naveen Andrews (Kip) of "Lost" and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche (Hana).

Theirs was the secondary, and I thought, more interesting of the two love stories in the movie.  As most people know the primary love story was between Ralph Fiennes (the aforementioned "Patient") and Kristen Scott Thomas.

"The English Patient" was my first glimpse of Naveen Andrews and he was just as incredibly hot then as he is now.  I won't give away the scene, but it involved the ruins of an old church that Kip takes Hana to, using a very unique way to show her the beauty hidden within the ruins.  The movie's worth renting for that scene alone.

Minghella's other two movies which I loved were "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain."  "Cold Mountain" was much too long, but I saw the movie on television, and I have a feeling it was much more tolerable on the small screen than on the big one.  Renee Zellweger won a much deserved Oscar for her role as Ruby Thewes and nearly stole the movie right out from under Nicole Kidman.  Jude Law co-starred with Kidman which brings me to my third reason, "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" had its problems as well, but it was very entertaining and that had a lot to do with Law and star Matt Damon.  It's a sumptuous, visually stunning movie where everyone is beautiful, but that beauty hides secrets, blackmail and eventually murder.

From Minghella's NY Times obituary:

With a large, bald head, and a thick frame, Mr. Minghella had the physical affect of dockworker, but when he opened his mouth, it was clear he was an omnivorously literate person.

“I can’t think of a conversation that I had in the last five years that didn’t include a reference about what book he was reading,” said Scott Rudin, who produced a number of films with both Mr. Minghella and Mr. Pollack. “He was the first person to pick up the phone and talk about some amazing play he had seen in North London, and a few days later there would be a script on my desk.”

His last completed work, "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was produced for the BBC and will air in the United States on HBO. 

The man had talent and I, for one will miss his work.

"Lost" Recap: "The Constant" (2/28/08)

It's late, I know, but finally, here it is.  What can I say, I've been busy.

"Lost" was already a great show.  In my TV book, already one of the best shows ever.  But after "The Constant," "Lost," for me, is approaching, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" status.

Brotha, from beginning to end, this episode was spectacular. 

We start in the helicopter that's winging it's way from the island to the Mystery Freighter. Sayid's looking at the island, Desmond's looking at the picture of him and Penny, and Frank is looking at Daniel's navigational "cheat sheet."  There's a thundercloud in their path and Sayid asks Frank uncomfortably, why they're flying right into it.  Frank basically tells Sayid to mind his own beeswax.

So Sayid turns to Desmond gesturing to the picture of Penny and asking what Desmond expects to find on the Mystery Freighter.  Desmond says, "Answers."

Frank flies right into the thunderclouds and the helicopter pitches and rolls.  There's thunder, there's lightening and it's pretty obvious Frank's being knocked off course. The music is blaring, the sound effects are throbbing, Des and Sayid are holding on and...

..."On your soddin' feet!"

Desmond bolts awake in a military bunk. He's in his underwear, got much shorter hair, and looks really confused.

There's no music, no sound effects...nothing but a military Sergeant straight out of central British casting yelling at the top of his lungs.  Desmond jumps to attention.

This is where I'm thinkin', okay after all those flashes forward, this is our first flashback episode of the season.

Anyway the Sergeant wants to know why Desmond was so slow getting up.  When Desmond tells the Sergeant he was having a dream, the Sergeant wants to know what he was dreaming about that it took him "so soddin' long to get to his mark?"

Desmond tells him he was dreaming about being in a helicopter in a storm. 

The Sergeant's fabulous response?  "Well, at least it was a bloody military dream."  Heh. Talk about an actor (Graham McTavish) making a lot out of a small part.

Cut to the soldiers doing push-ups in an absolutely drenching rain.  The Sergeant then switches them to crunches.  Ick, messy.

While they're mud crunches, Desmond's fellow soldier says he hopes his dream was worth it.  Desmond tells him it was the most vivid dream he'd ever had.  He felt like he was really in a helicopter.  The Sergeant appears and wants to know if Des has something to say to him.  Desmond hesitates and the Sergeant yells, "I asked you a question..."

Cut to the helicopter, still rocking and rolling amidst the thunder and lightening.  Desmond looks panicked and starts to take off his harness.  When Sayid calls him by name, asking if he's all right, Desmond, in full freak out mode demands, "How do you know my name?"

Opening credits.

"Lost" Recaps Are Late But Still Coming

Okay, so my real job won't leave me alone long enough to write my "Lost" recaps.  Especially the one from last week's excellent, "The Constant."  But never fear, I'll have that recap posted by Monday and the recap for tonight's "Lost" posted by next Wednesday.

In the meantime, re-watch the episodes and re-read the recaps.

Remember, patience is a virtue.

"Lost" Recap: "Eggtown" (2/21/08)

I've come to the conclusion that Evangeline Lilly plays "the Average Jane" very well.  She's not a glamour puss, or a sexpot, or an unattainable ideal.  She's an actress with an "ordinary woman" look.

On the island, in that beautiful, bucolic setting she stands out as tough, capable and sexy.  But it's in the flashbacks and now the flashes forward that she becomes that "every woman."  And I mean that only in the best sense possible.

I'm still kind of breathless from this season's revelations and this week, though less startling, reinforced for me the writer's security in their vision of what's to come and how we're going to get there.

We begin the episode with the classic "Lost" eye closeup.  This eye belongs to Locke.  He's making himself at home in the barracks, now to be known as Lockeville.  It's morning so he fries up the last two eggs, puts them, some fruit, and a book on a tray and takes it to Ben, now held captive in Locke's basement.

Locke tries to be friendly, while Ben digs in.  When Ben asks where Miles is, Locke turns around and asks Ben about his supposed spy on the freighter.  That's when Ben turns his mental mojo on Locke and taunts him about being so desperate he's even asking him for information.  He can't find Jacob, he can't find the cabin and he's an overall mess.

This strikes John very hard because despite the bravado, Locke's an insecure man and Ben can push those buttons at will.  As punishment John takes back the breakfast tray and once in the hall, smashes it against a wall before slamming out of the house.

Kate sees Locke storm off and wonders what's going on.  She an Claire are bonding on their cozy little porch, sipping coffee out of Dharma mugs when Sawyer appears.  He chats Kate up wanting to know if the reason she stayed behind was to spy for Jack.  When Kate makes it clear she stayed for her own reasons and not because of Sawyer or Jack, Sawyer says something about "the pregnancy."

God I forgot about that!  Now I vaguely remember a scene where Kate acquired a pregnancy test from somewhere and then...I don't remember any more.  It must not have been in the finale because I just watched that a couple of weeks ago.  Unless I'm losing my mind---no cackling out there---it must have been a previous episode.

Anyway, so Sawyer mentions "the pregnancy" and in response to his question, Kate tells him to go home.

Flash forward to Kate in a car with an unknown man.  It turns out he's her lawyer Duncan Forrester (Shawn Doyle) and they're about to run a gauntlet of press as she goes into a courtroom to face all those charges she left behind when Oceanic 815 went down.  Once inside, Kate pleads not guilty.  She's dressed in a prim white blouse and pencil thin dark skirt and it's here that I was first struck by Evangeline Lilly's "every woman" quality.

The mean, ol' Lady Prosecutor wants Kate in jail for the duration of the trial.  Kate's lawyer argues that she's so famous---being one of the Oceanic Six---where's she gonna go?  The judge agrees with the Lady Prosecutor, so a bailiff handcuffs a dismayed Kate and bundles her off to the hoosegow.

Opening credits

"Lost" Recap On The Way

The recap of last week's (2/21/08) "Lost" is on the way.  My day job and my Academy Award partying got in the way of my recapping.

I know, I know, that's unforgivable, but what can I say...I've been busy.

So it'll be a couple of days late, but you'll have it before this week's episode when we find out just how far off the deep end Locke has gone.

"Lost" Recap: "The Economist" (2/14/08)

Oh Baby!  Things are starting to heat up in the world of the Losties.  It's a Sayid-centric episode and being a big Sayid fan, that makes me very happy.

We open on a shot of Sayid's beautiful face.  He's kneeling, his eyes are closed and it appears he's saying a prayer for Dead Naomi.  He goes over to close her eyes and checks out a silver bracelet she's wearing that's inscribed, "N. I'll always be with you, R.G."

In the background Jack and Miles are verbally sparring over what should be done about Locke and Charlotte when Sayid interrupts them.  Sayid proposes Frank fly them back to their mother ship.  Frank says because fuel is low, he can only take three people.  Miles doesn't want to go anywhere until they get Charlotte.  So Sayid promises to extract Charlotte from Locke in exchange for a flight to their mother ship.  Frank agrees.

Flash forward.

Now, I gotta tell you, at first I wasn't sure this scene was a flash forward, except Sayid looked more mature and prosperous than he did in any of his flashbacks.  And sure enough by the end of the scene, we know exactly where we are.  Kind of.

So Sayid is playing golf, early in the morning on a lush course overlooking the ocean.  We discover he's in the Seychelles when a friendly gentleman in a golf cart roles up and offers him a lift to the next hole.  Sayid politely declines. The Friendly Gentleman, who has what I think is a cross between an Italian and a Middle Eastern accent proposes a wager of 50 Euros if his ball goes further than Sayid's.  He thinks Sayid should be using a five iron and Sayid is using a seven.  Sayid counters a wager of 100 and they're off.

Friendly Gentleman is pleased, "Amazing huh?  How a wager, makes just about anything more fun."  I liked that line.  I'm not quite sure why.

Sayid takes a stroke and gets very close to the hole.  Friendly Gentleman, as he's about to take his stroke, asks Sayid what he does for a living.  Sayid says, he doesn't do anything because he was the recipient of a large sum of money because of a plane crash.  "I'm Sayid Jurrah.  One of the Oceanic Six." Okay, it's a flash forward and that's four accounted for.

Friendly Gentleman breaks out into a sweat and looks extremely nervous.  A smiling Sayid encourages him to take his shot.  When he does, Friendly Gentleman gets his ball closer than Sayid's, but instead of wanting his winnings, he wants to hightail  it out of there.  Sayid however insists on paying him, calling him Mr. Avillino right before he pulls out a gun and shoots him dead, dead, dead. 

Sayid then picks up his clubs and walks away.

Opening Credits.

Michael Emerson Of "Lost" On "The View"

What better way to celebrate a day of love, than to interview someone who does evil so well?

Michael Emerson, "Lost's" scary/crazy Benjamin Linus joined the Gabby Girls, sans Whoopi Goldberg, this morning on "The View."  Whoopi was out sick and I'm sure she was disappointed because she's a big "Lost" fan.

As long as there's evil in the world, Michael Emerson will never have to worry about a shortage of work.  He plays evil like Julie Andrews plays saintly.  It must be in his blood.  No offense, Michael.

I found him fascinating because I don't think I've ever seen an interview with him.  I remember first seeing him when he played the serial killer William Hinks on "The Practice."  He won an Emmy for that role and God, did he deserve it!  I never watched "The Practice" much, but his character was so riveting, while being horribly evil, I watched every one of his episodes.

Anyway, back to "The View," they showed a clip before bringing him out but I don't know what was in it, because I have a policy to not watch clips or previews of "Lost."  The first thing Barbara Walters said to him is that he didn't so much look creepy as "schnookie."  She had a point.  In his little brown jacket and Clay Aiken, "American Idol" era hairstyle, he looked about as harmless as insurance salesman.

Except when you got a closeup of the eyes.

Sherri then asked one of her very unconvincing questions.  I say unconvincing because it's very hard for her to ask a question and make it sound like it's not programmed for her.  She needs to figure out how to convey that she actually watches the shows and characters she's asking about.  Even if she doesn't.

Anyway, she asked him about his "creepy death stare," and whether he would do it for them.  Michael obliged by reciting, "I care so much about you, and I don't know what I'll do when you're gone," and as he got to the last few words, his voice slowed ever so much, and every muscle in his face seemed to freeze, except the ones it took to say the words.  And there he was.  Hi Ben, how ya doin'?

Joy thought it was very Hannibal Lecter.  No Joy, it was Benjamin Linus.

I then turned down the sound because Babs said something about a rumor of a plot point and I didn't want to hear it.  I jumped back in when Joy asked what he was getting his wife for Valentine's Day.  He said he's going to replace a family heirloom engagement ring with a replica that's not falling apart.  All I could picture was his wife walking around wearing a ring that has gold flecks peeling off it.

Michael's married to actress Carrie Preston who played his Mom, Emily on "Lost" during one of the flashbacks when he was a kid. That must have been interesting/weird, but he called it  "such an unusual and warm feeling to go on set and see your loved one."

Joy asked what would happen if he had to kill his wife on the show.  Too late, Joy.

He said with a laugh, "I would do that, and I would feel very tenderly about it."

He then told a couple of "close encounters with fans" stories.  First about a couple from New Zealand that he kept running into in Hawaii and how the woman hated him so much, she kept yelling at him that he made her stop watching the show.

The other was my favorite.  How he was on the subway in New York trying to look inconspicuous, in a car with one of our patented NY subway preacher ladies, when someone yelled out, "That's him!  That's that guy from TV, that scary guy."  Everybody starts staring at him including the preacher lady.

"So now I'm the subject of her sermon," he said.

His next role is a movie with his wife called, "Ready? Okay!" and he plays a gay man...who's also a serial killer.  No, no.  Just kidding.

He swears, it's "sweet."  We'll see about that.  All in all, a fun interview.

Don't forget, "Lost" tonight, the full recap by Monday.

Photo by Lisa Rose