LOST in Translation: Mind the Empty Bottle

Season 6 Episode 7
“Dr. Linus”
written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
directed by Mario Van Peebles

“Dr. Linus” was one of those episodes that sits with you long after it’s over. Truly powerful and character-driven… this was Benjamin Linus’ Redemption Song… and a wonderful showcase for Michael Emerson who delivered another magical performance. Of course when you’re directed by Kane the Sorcerer from Highlander III: The Final Dimension how can greatness not be there for the taking?

You see it’s too much to ask for and I am not the doctor

“But without any power it was meaningless.
He might just as well have been dead.”
~Dr. Benjamin Linus

Irony, thy name is flash-sideways. Over there in the Mirror Universe, Dr. Benjamin Linus is a mousy high school English teacher with no backbone or true ambition. That is until substitute teacher John Locke plants a seed in his head to supplant the tyrannical principal when he says, “It seems like you care about this place and if the man in charge doesn’t, there should be a change”.

The writers did a great job of taking what we know about these characters back in the original storyline and turning it on its ear. Familiar, but different. The appearance of Alex as teacher’s pet was brilliant and Other Ben sacrificing his play for power in favor of her educational future was indeed powerful stuff.

The scene with Ben and his father was quite telling about this elseworld, never mind the fact that these two have a loving and thoughtful relationship. A far cry from their Island life. Roger commented that he wanted better for his son and referenced their time with Dharma. It begs the question: what led them to leave their Island paradise in this reality? Was it the Incident?

These answers are coming. I am even more convinced now that these flash-sideways have a bigger purpose, that the finale will bring it all together and we’ll collectively sigh and nod our heads at the creators’ masterstroke.

The Island is sitting at the bottom of the ocean over here on the Other Side. I’ve got a feeling that this will not continue to be the case. Something (Jacob?) is going to bring these Uncastaways together and they’re going to pay a visit to the submerged wonder down under… Then we’ll see something truly amazing.

Or not.

I don’t want to be the glue that holds your pieces together

“No, he cared. Right up to the second the knife went through his heart, he was hoping he was wrong about you.” ~Miles, speaking to Ben

Finally, Miles gets to step up and be useful, much to the chagrin of Benjamin Linus. The cat (Schrodinger’s?) is out of the proverbial bag and now Ilana knows that Ben put the icing on Jacob;s cake, introducing him to the choir invisible with a little Ginsu action. Needless to say, she was not pleased, after all, Jacob “was like a father” to the poor girl. Of course she being a Candidate-Protecting Rambo-esque hard ass, Ilana tasked Ben with digging his own grave. Can you blame her?

And then along comes Smokey doing what Smokey does best: offering more than escape (to the Hydra no less), but what had once been Ben’s greatest desire… the Island. Dark Locke has a way of taping into what these people want most, but it looks like this time around, his temptation fell on deaf ears, because “Dr. Linus” offered us the redemption Benjamin Linus.

Michael Emerson sold every syllable. Benjamin Linus was the deposed Napoleon, exiled and powerless… and power was his drug of choice. He sacrificed the only one he ever loved — Alex — in service to the Island… to Jacob… to his personal demon… and, at the cusp of escape back to UnLocke’s promise, he broke.

He told Ilana that he was returning to Locke because no one else would have him. When she replied, “I’ll have you” the damn burst, carrying Benjamin Linus away in a wave of redemption and forgiveness.

That was as powerful and poignant a moment as has been aired. I put it right up there with Penny and Desmond’s Christmas Eve phone call and Sawyer clinging to Juliet above the Incident Pit.

Michael Emerson for another Emmy? Maybe they should just start handing them out to the entire cast… The season has been that good, with tremendous performances by everyone throughout this entire arc.

I don’t want to be a substitute for the smoke you’ve been inhaling

What I’m talking about, Jack, is that Jacob touched me, and when Jacob touches you it’s considered a gift, except it’s not a gift at all. It’s a curse.” ~ Richard Alpert

There seems to be a lot of rules on this Island as to who can be killed and how and exactly who can do said killing. Who needs a rule book when we’ve got Richard Alpert around. Of course he was kept pretty much in the dark by Jacob, but he got the gist of it just the same.

Alpert’s done with Team Jacob and switching to Team Locke-ness Monster is not an option for him, so he’s hankerin’ for a suicide solution. The catch? He can’t do it. Jacob won’t let him, ala Michael back in Meet Kevin Johnson, so he wants Jack to do it for him. Unfortunately for the ageless wonder, Jack has had his time for reflection, staring out to sea and coming away from his “Lighthouse” revelation as a reborn Man of Faith, and he’s got a different game in mind: a little Russian Roulette, Black Rock-style.

Where Alpert has lost his faith in Jacob, Jack seems to have found it in spades.

As the fuse burned its way toward the stick of dynamite I couldn’t help but feel that it was symbolic of the entire series… the slow burn toward gnosis.

Jack makes his point and the travelers three — the shepherd, the slave, and the ghost whisperer —  return to the beach to be reunited with Sun, Frank, Miles, Ilana… and Ben. Team Jacob comes together.

On the Hydra Island waits Team MIB, with Sawyer, Jin, Sayid, Claire… and Kate… as well as Cindy, the kids, and a whole lot of Red Shirts.

But wait… what’s this? By the pricking of my thumbs, Charles Widmore this way comes.

Not that it hadn’t already been, but things just got a lot more interesting.

It’s nice to see everything coming together. With only nine episodes left, you sort of had the sense that it would start to any episode now, and while “Dr. Linus” can be seen as another positioning episode, another maneuvering of the chess pieces, there is an overriding impression that we are indeed at the dawn of revelation.

The writers are carefully pacing themselves, offering a showcase for each character, and maintaining the tension and suspense that sets LOST apart from any other drama on television.

Next Week on LOST

And then comes “Recon”, a Sawyer-centric episode (FINALLY!) that is sure to shake things up even more… not that you’d be able to tell it from the ABC promo that aired after “Dr.Linus”. They’re keeping their cards close to the vest for this one… And I’ve got a sneaky suspicion as to why.

But maybe this will make up for it a little bit:

And, as usual, I’ve a lot more to say, but no time left now to say it.

More to come later, as time permits…

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

Uri Geller visits The Lamb

The amazing Uri Geller, world renowned mystic and mystifier, has made plans to seek permission to excavate Lamb Island, the little known wonder in the Firth of Forth that he recently purchased from the Scottish government.

After spending this past Saturday night camping on the island Geller stated that he had a strong feeling there is buried treasure there. Geller, armed with a set of dowsing rods, explored the island over the weekend.

“It was a very tough trip,” he said. “It was hard to get on to the island. It is very steep and slippery, and we had a lot of equipment, but once on the island, it was amazing. It was mesmerizing. It was everything I expected and more.  It was a fantastic night, although it was freezing. I put up my tent but I didn’t sleep. I wanted to experience every moment of being there.”

The 63-year-old Geller bought Lamb Island, which measures just 100 yards by 50, for £30,000 last year and believes it is one of the UK’s most historically important sites. “I used my dowsing rods and I did feel something,” he added.  “I will approach the official channels for permission to excavate.”  He said he hoped to win permission to search for Egyptian treasure which he believes could be buried there. Geller theorizes that the sister of Tutankhamen, Princess Scota, was exiled to the island after fleeing Egypt 3 millennia ago… and she may have left gold and jewels behind.

“There is a place where I think there is something,” he added, with a hint of a twinkle in his eye, “but it is a very long shot.” His enthusiasm is contagious and his love of the island and the Scottish people is obvious. “I love Scotland more than ever. I was overjoyed I managed to buy this island and I’m amazed the Scottish Government allowed it to be sold, but I will make sure it will stay an animal sanctuary.”

Tom Brock, chief executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said, “We had been looking at the Lamb purely from a wildlife perspective so it’s been fascinating to hear Uri’s thoughts on it, particularly as he does seem to take the conservation aspect very seriously. The Lamb may have long been in the shadow of its world famous big brother, the Bass Rock, but we’re delighted that, thanks to Uri, it’s going to become better known.”

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

Fringe renewed for Third Season

Good television is hard to come by, which is why the news that Fringe has been picked up for a third season is a reason to celebrate. Fringe is blessed with three superb actors in Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and the impossibly brilliant John Noble… but more than that, Fringe, as a more than worthy successor to the X-Files, boldly advances thought-provoking science fiction and horror themed adventures in a medium where such shows rarely fare well.

Its ratings have not been anything worth bragging about, but airing on Thursday nights against stiff competition is just short of a criminal act by the network. That they see this and have chosen to look past the ratings is somewhat admirable, but without a change Fringe will continue to suffer. Hopefully the network will see fit to adjust its line-up and accommodate Fringe’s fanbase by placing it on a better night.

Slated to return from its winter hiatus on April Fool’s Day, I am excited to see where Fringe will take us next, especially considering Olivia’s awakened abilities and her discovery of Peter’s “Otherness”. The confrontation between our reality and that of the mirror universe should be epic… and the meeting between John Noble’s Walter Bishop and Leonard Nimoy’s William Bell has all the makings of mind-blowing surrealistic television at its finest.

With the days of LOST slowly slipping away, and with both FlashForward and V failing to inspire confidence, Fringe (along with the CW’s Supernatural) seems to be our last best hope for quality genre television to come.

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

Cemetery Crawl

I was invited by the Northern Indiana Paranormal Society onto a private property this past weekend to investigate an isolated and secluded cemetery northeast of Kokomo. Down a long gravel road sat a cattle farm that had seen better days, the two barns and farmhouse weathered and aged to the point of neglect. We trekked out along a winding creek and into a copse of ash tress about a hundred yards off the gravel drive to reach the site, far from the prying eyes of civilization.

There were maybe two dozen stones jutting up from the ground at odd angles, time having taken their toll and making them all but unreadable. A derelict cabin stood watch, trees and foliage long ago claiming it for themselves.

There was a palpable presence within the circle of headstones, particularly toward the cardinal east where an odd pile of bones lay in a small heap. Animal bones, perhaps a possum or raccoon, but more than one.

I was told the story of one young visitor to this spot who had seen a full bodied apparition of a man in old work clothes with a wide-brimmed hat and a sour disposition.

We fanned out and explored the area and while we saw no apparition, we did hear voices throughout the night and on more than one occasion it felt like someone or something was touching me, once somewhat forcibly.

Who or what was active in this corner of Howard County? I can’t say, but I was in its presence, that much I’m sure of. The investigators with the Northern Indiana Paranormal Society took a healthy sampling of audio and visual evidence, and I had a great time playing with their thermal camera… It will be interesting to see if they were able to capture anything substantial for their records.

All in all it was a fantastic night… the kind of investigation that we paranormal adventurers live for.

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

LOST in Translation: The LOST Promo Contest

Getting My Promo On

In case you missed this yesterday, I sauntered on over to ABC.com to create a couple of videos for the LOST Promo contest. I have no delusions of winning, especially considering the limitations of the software and the clips provided, but I still had fun throwing these together and I’ll probably make a few more today. You can have a look at what I’ve wrought by clicking on the appropriate titles. I now re-present to you The Locke-ness Monster, Austen City Limits and, surely my crowning achievement thus far, One-Eyed Jack.

Enjoy.

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

LOST in Translation: No More Tomorrows

Identity Crisis

“In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.”
~explanation of the DC Comics Elseworlds imprint

Welcome to the flash-sideways, where our favorite castaways have been re-imagined, if you will, and plopped into a reality similar to, but very different from, the one we have become accustomed to over the past five seasons.

Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Spoilers are coming, so turn back now, for gods’ sake, lest the rest of the season be ruined for you, but if you’re curious as to my thoughts on just what the hell’s going on, then by all means, press on. But don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Feeling brave?

Look at what the hell’s going on over there in sidewaysland. You’ve been watching. You see it. But are you noticing the subtle difference. And more importantly, are you noticing the “tells” that this is not “reality” but some form of alternate created by the Man in Black (or possibly Jacob, but I doubt it) to supplant our castaways into and keep them from fulfilling their “destiny”.

How else do you explain Jack’s appendectomy scar? Or the killer whale plush that Kate found in Claire’s bag?

Why doesn’t Jack remember having is appendix out as a kid? Because he didn’t. Juliet cut that bad boy out of him.

Why did the killer whale send Kate rushing back to impossibly find Claire on a Los Angeles street? Because that plush was purchased by her for Aaron.

Why did Keamy show up to torment Sayid? Because someone is influencing this reality, interjecting things from the “real” world in an attempt to wake them up.

This flash-sideways world is an illusion. It’s a construct, carefully crafted to keep the castaways from their inspired purpose.

Jack gets the chance to be the father his own never was.

Kate, while still a fugitive is innocent of her crimes, but still tied to Claire and Aaron.

Sayid, still seeking redemption for the sins of his past, has a living and breathing Nadia to act as a symbol of what he wishes to obtain.

And there’s more of course. Locke’s happy with Helen and resigned to his wheelchaired fate (yes, you can now tell him what he can’t do)… Sawyer’s a cop, a mirror of his LaFleur persona — complete with Miles as his dutiful partner — and I have a sneaky suspicion that Juliet, his lost lady love, will be showing up with an offer to go dutch for some coffee… Hurley’s uncursed and a happy-go-lucky lottery winner, numbers-free… and so on.

None of this is real, and the “tells” are signposts to this.

But they’re waking up. Jack’s connecting the dots. And once he’s done so I expect this sideways reality to come tumbling down allowing the castaways to fulfill their destined roles. But is it their destiny to protect the island or destroy it?

***

For those interested, I’ve created a couple of videos on the clunky software provided by ABC as a part of their LOST PROMO contest. Take a peek at The Locke-ness Monster, Austen City Limits and, probably the best of the bunch, One-Eyed Jack.

***

Final thought… anyone else concerned about Ford 15 and Austen 51 having a deeper meaning or is it just a coincidence that their numbers are juxtaposed as such? If, as has been hinted at, the numbers represent the Valenzetti Equation, a mathematical formula designed to predict the end of humanity, and Dharma was actively trying to change these numbers, could Austen be the vehicle to alter the Equation… perhaps by diverting Sawyer from his crash course with oblivion?

I leave you now to ponder these thoughts and to mull over the following commercial announcements…

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

Michael West’s Skull Full of Kisses

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

LOST in Translation: Smoke and Mirrors

Season 6, Episode 6
“Sundown”
written by Paul Zbyszewski & Graham Roland
directed by Bobby Roth

Okay. Take a deep breath. Are you still with me? Alright then, let me be perfectly clear. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. The final ten minutes of last night’s episode of LOST was the absolute crowning achievement of the series thus far. Those ten minutes, beautifully acted by each and every member of the cast, reached into my chest and ripped my heart out… and somewhere — out there — the Man in Black is chewing on it with a devilish glint in his eye and a charismatic smile that’s hiding something — something big — and that mystery, and many others, are on the cusp of being answered.

I am the echo of your past

“Where were you, Uncle Sayid?”
~ Sayid’s nephew, son of Omar and Nadia

No, I’m not going to spend much time on the flash-sideways. As I’ve stated in the past, while there are some interesting things going on it is still too soon to see where these divergent tales are taking us and what their importance is. Yes, I get the thematic similarities. It’s been the same no matter what narrative device the creators have used… the two stories are mirrored reflections of one another, complimenting each other as much by their similarities as their differences.

Sideways Sayid gave up the love of his life, pawning her off to his brother, because he felt unworthy of her due to all the bad and terrible things he did during the war. This man, who wants nothing but peace and forgiveness, is destined to have neither and is drawn back to asskickery when his brother’s family is put into jeopardy by Omar’s dealings with loan shark Martin Keamy.

Kind of fun… and then you end up with a trussed up Jin to boot, mirroring his “captivity” back in the the Shadow Realm. Poor Jin (do I type that every week?). The dude is always getting shackled… the Losties handcuffed him to some fuselage wreckage, the Tailies had him tied up after the raft incident, then he got snared by Claire-sseau’s bear trap… Makes me wonder where else ol’ boy likes to get tied up? Sun, you naughty little vixen.

But enough about the Elseworld… let’s get to the meat of this sandwich.

Shadows of another day

“I think it would be best if you were dead.”
~Dogen to Sayid

You can tell we’re drawing close to the end of the season because things back on the Island are moving fast and furious. Answers? Not too many, but there was plenty to draw from and the picture is more like a reflection in a fogged up mirror that’s slowly revealing what’s hidden behind the condensation.

Sayid is banished after a knock down drag out with Samurai Jack, that is until Feral Claire shows up at the Temple with an ultimatum from the Locke-ness Monster — Dogen must come to Flocke outside the Temple — but when he refuses, knowing that Smokey would kill him, Claire suggests he send someone that UnLocke won’t kill. Two guesses who’s at the top of Dogen’s list.

Armed with a magical dagger, Sayid is sent out on his Quest for Redemption, to prove to Dogen that there is still good inside him, that he is not being consumed by the Man in Black’s dark infection…

Aching with the dead of the night

“You stabbed me in the chest without even saying hello.”
~The Locke-ness Monster to Sayid

My oh my, but Sayid’s confrontation with Locke was epic, wasn’t it? First he had to conveniently run into Kate and send her on her way back to the Temple (we must maneuver all our pawns into position), but once he stumbles upon Randall Flagg, er I mean Smocke, well things got amped up to eleven, as they say.

Dogen warned that Sayid must kill the beast before he has a chance to speak, but speak he did and thus the magic dagger strike into the monster’s heart was futile at best.

That’s when Terry O’Quinn got to work his magic. Damn he’s good, imbuing Flocke with a knowing wisdom and devilish charisma. The Locke-ness Monster knows what buttons to push. He played the “they already tried to kill you once” card and now they’re doing it again. He assured Sayid that Dogen knew that the Iraqi would fail to kill the beast, that it was a suicide mission and he’d been played.

Then he made the offer that Sayid could not refuse.

Question is, can these promises be fulfilled by Flocke? He told Claire that he’d reunite her with Aaron… told Sun that she’d be reunited with Jin… and now he’s promised Sayid that he and his beloved Nadia, struck dead on a Los Angeles street, could be together again.

If true, is this the secret of the Island? Is this the nature of “the magic box”? Whatever you wish can come true? Is that how Sayid’s cat and Kate’s horse showed up? Is it the secret behind the existence of the before last week unseen Lighthouse?

And now I’m wondering, is this the explanation for the flash-sideways…???

Regardless of whether it is true or not, Sayid is Flocke’s… hook, line, and sinker. The Man in Black has another recruit, and this one is an ass kicking machine.

Inside this silent well of sorrow

“The man outside, I take it he offered you a similar bargain?”
~Dogen to Sayid

Damn, talk about a fast and furious climax to the episode. As I began this dissection of “Sundown” I stated that the final ten minutes were the finest in the show’s history. I was blown away, completely and utterly.

Sayid delivered a message to those in the Temple. Flocke was coming and anyone still in the Temple at sundown were going to pay dearly, but Sayid had a more important mission. For the Locke-ness Monster to enter the Temple, Dogen had to die. Another rule? Perhaps. But first we learned something very important concerning our ill-fated Samurai.

Before Sayid introduced him to the after-life, Dogen explained how he came into Jacob’s service, of how his son was killed in a drunk-driving accident and Dogen was at fault. Jacob saved the boy in exchange for Dogen assuming the mantle of Temple Master. The price? He could never see his son again.

Makes one wonder if Jacob somehow maneuvered events to insure Dogen Jr’s imperilment. Not like he hasn’t strummed that tune before.

My hat’s off to Naveen Andrews because he sold it, brothers and sisters. He must have went to the Terry O’Quinn School of Acting because he sent shivers down my spine with just a look. Dogen called Flocke “evil incarnate”? Well, Naveen looked the part and did it all with his eyes and a little smirk.

Damn it, but I was squirming in my seat.

And then, enter the Monster. Smokey’s rampage was everything one could hope for, and as Miles and Kate became separated and the Temple guards were dropping like flies, I felt like I was staring into the very heart of the Apocalypse… and it was beautiful.

In the end, Miles escapes with Ben (who had previously tried to secure Sayid, only to be stricken with horror at the sight of what he had become), Sun, Lapidus, and Ilana (who showed up in the middle of chaos)… but what about Kate? Damn it Freckles, you picked a bad time to stop running.

Kate went to find Claire who had been thrown into a Silence of the Lambs pit, sans lotion and basket, where she was wallowing in her all-kinds-of-crazy and singing Catch a Falling Star. In the aftermath of Flocke’s destruction, as the tune Claire was singing played us out, we find Freckles cast into the Locke-ness Monster’s net. And boy, does she not seem happy about that one bit.

At least she’ll have Sawyer for company soon enough.

An outstanding episode and one I’ll be revisiting in the days to come.

Stay tuned.

Next week on LOST

And now we have a Ben-centric episode to look forward to. Michael Emerson, much like Terry O’Quinn, always brings his A-Game, so expect “Dr. Linus” to be truly outstanding. I can hardly wait.

And special brownie points offered to anyone who can tell me from whence this week’s LOST in Translation headers come from…

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

Holy Relic found?

Like I don’t have enough story ideas packed away in crates in the dusty attic of my mind. I stumbled upon this article today while exploring the nooks and crannies of cyberspace and I was all but leveled by the klaxon-like sound of my muse’s interest and its demanding that it be filed away fro future reference.

Nail from ‘Christ’s crucifixion time’ found

London, Mar 2 : Archaeologists have discovered a four-inch long nail dating from the time of Christ’s crucifixion at a fort believed to have once been a stronghold of the Knights Templar.

The Roman relic, stored in an ornate box, is of the type used in thousands of crucifixions – but it is special, reports The Telegraph.

It was buried with three skeletons and three swords, including one with the religious order’s cross on its blade, on the tiny island of Ilheu de Pontinha, off Madeira.

Pontinha was thought to have been held by the Knights Templar, the religious order that was part of the Christian forces which occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century.

Bryn Walters, an archaeologist, said the iron nail’s in remarkable condition.

“It dates from the first to second centuries,” he told the Daily Mirror.

Christopher Macklin of the Knights Templar of Britannia said the discovery was “momentous”.

The expert believes the original Knights Templar thought it was a genuine artefact from Christ’s crucifixion.

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***

LOST in Translation: Uisge Baugh

“Between earth and earth’s atmosphere, the amount of water remains constant; there is never a drop more, never a drop less.This is a story of circular infinity, of a planet birthing itself.“
Linda Hogan, Northern Lights

Damon Lindelof, when asked for a spoiler concerning LOST’s season six and series finale spoke a single word that sent shivers through my very being. That word was “Water”.  “It sounds funny now,” he added, “but you’ll see!”

It has been speculated that we have already seen the end, and if that is true, then should we be filled with dread? It’s maddening, especially for those of us who have spent the past six years theorizing on this show — a show filled with twists and turns and mind-bending revelations that have done little but to generate even more complex questions.

Dropping a cryptic hint upon us, a single word that invokes both life and death with its utterance, is both captivating and cruel.

Water.

It is a thematic element, one that over the course of six seasons can be looked to as a signpost toward the deeper mysteries.

“A little water clears us of this deed.”
Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2, 1.68

So what does it all mean. Water invokes many thoughts… thoughts of baptisms and mirrored reflections, of the giving of life and of drowning. Water is fluid, changing shape and adapting to its surroundings, but it also changes its surroundings, slowly and purposefully. In myth Water has been a symbol of fertility and of mystery… of purity and rebirth.

Have we seen the end? Will the final moments of LOST return us to the season six premiere with visions of a submerged Island and Oceanic Flight 815’s descent toward LA X?

With LOST, anything is possible and in the end we must trust in Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse to deliver us their story in the manner in which they wish to tell it.

Anticipation continues to mount and we are cast adrift on a word.

Water indeed.

***

Bob Freeman’s Occult Detective collection, That Olde Black Magick, is now available direct from Bandersnatch Books for a mere $13.00… FREE Shipping and Handling. Includes a signed bookplate with each purchase.

***

Coming in August of 2010.
DESCENDANT
by Bob Freeman
Belfire Press

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here…

***