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The Fat Lady Sings on LOST

There's no good way for something to end that you've enjoyed thoroughly. Be it a book, a piece of birthday cake, a dram of Laphroaig, you're always finding that even though you want to consume more of it, the irony is that that very action is going to cause you to run out.

For several seasons, that's the way LOST fans have known things were going to end. No matter how the actual ending was scripted, you knew you were going to be wanting more whether you liked that ending or not.

[If you haven't yet seen the series finale, you may want to stop reading here.]

We've All Been There the Morning After LOST

[Hat tip: Kulturblog]

Analysis of Wednesday [LOST, Phillies, Tiger Woods]

The Phillies stink!  OK, maybe not, they are the defending World F. Champs after all.  And, it's still early, as a matter of fact, it's as early as it can possibly be.  The good:  Jamie Moyer pitched like he was only 40 [which is also how he pitched when he was 35], Raul Ibanez knocked in Jimmy Rollins for a run, something I'd like to have happen 40 to 50 times during the regular season, and one of the few sources of right-handed power in the entire Phillies organization, prospect John Mayberry, knocked in a run as well.  The bad: Joe Bisenius.  Bisenius allowed four runs in the fourth and it's a shame to see how far Bisenius has fallen since 2005 when he was talked about as one of the hottest pitchers in the system.

While the Phillies were opening Grapefruit League play, Tiger Woods returned to the PGA Tour.  He started out his match-play round birdie-eagle.  Ho-hum.  Nike had a great ad chronicling hist return and what went on while he was on the mend.

Finally, if you haven't watched last night's LOST yet, stop reading here.

It's the Morning After the Season Premier of LOST... Or is it?

As regular readers of this site know, I have a longstanding infatuation with the television show LOST and the show returned last evening with a one-hour recap show followed by a two-hour season premier.

The more the show goes on, my interest in it surprises me because as I've mentioned to a few people, science fiction is not my thing.  And clearly, LOST is of the science fiction genre.

Fortunately, however, the episodes rarely get so caught up in the sci-fi that the characters do not remain the focus of the show.  For me at least, it's the characters that bring me back and my guess is that is the case for most people too.  Clearly, inner conflict sells.

A few links to pass on so as to impress your peers at the water cooler...

Typically Science Fiction is LOST on Me, But that Was Pretty Good

[Beware, spoilers below...]

Not LOST for Things to Watch Thursday Night, Including Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels has had some flashy starts in the past, the ones where he strikes out ten batters or so in seven or eight innings of work, maybe gives up a home run in a moment of weakness, spoiling a potential no-no.

Last night's start however, while not as flashy, may have been one of his best.  He went the distance, a full nine innings, did not allow a run, and got outs with great efficiency (five times he got an out on just one pitch), striking out "only" six batters.

It's really fun to see him mature as a pitcher.

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A few days ago, the excellent pop culture website A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago wrote about missing the old LOST, so to speak.  The gist isn't the usual LOST backlash -- "the show sucks now, the plot moves very little every episode" -- but more of a reminiscing about the old days while fully acknowledging that today's version of the show is pretty good too.

I would agree with that sentimentality.  It was much different when we were wondering, bordering on paranoia, what or who was out there just after the crash, rather than why what or or who was out there in the jungle as we do now.

Watching last night's episode, it occurred to me that we are almost watching an entirely different show.  Still quite good, still quite intriguing, but different.

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By the end of the night, my DVR was sucking wind like a two-pack-a-day smoker forced to take the stairs.  Also receiving my attention was the season finale of The Office.  So many good jokes, from the new HR Person, Holly, thinking Kevin was "challenged" to the token Jim-on-Dwight prank to lead off the show that ended in Dwight demolishing his own cell phone.  But perhaps the best was Ed Helms' Andy Bernard knocking over Darryl's keyboard in the spastic fashion that only Andy can.

It was almost as good as when he tried to play golf in last week's episode.

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Finally, a "thank you" to everyone who has filled out the BS&S.com Reader Survey.  If you haven't had a chance to do so already, I would greatly appreciate your input [link].

Doctor... Doctor... Doctor... Doctor...

Just finished tonight's episode of LOST and while plenty of sites will give excellent reviews tomorrow (Kulturblog, What's Alan Watching), I'd like to point out that the appendectomy scene was a little bit too much like the appendectomy scene in "Spies Like Us".

As for the previews for next week... It was only a matter of time before this guy showed up on LOST wasn't it?

Making Up for LOST Time

As of this evening, we've reached the halfway point in the initial eight episodes of LOST that were completed before the writers' strike suspended production of the fourth season.

When the show returned a month ago after 8 months off, it was obvious the the writers and showrunners had spent their time wisely.  Right from the start, it was clear they had found the delicate balance between intrigue and moral ambiguity on one side and advancing the plat on the other side.  It was that very balance that had drawn millions to the show in the first place.

[spoilers to follow]

Almost Lost for Words

While the Phillies were finding new ways to screw up their season, ABC aired what might be the best episode of LOST since show's exceptional pilot.

Unless you've watched the 2-hour season finale, do not click below.  Big-time spoilers.

Linkology

A few links to peruse between innings but before MLB.com's enhanced gameday locks up your computer...

...Jason Weitzel is bringing sexy blogging back.

...The 700 Level evaluates the broadcast crews of the Phillies.  I agree that the radio crew is very good to listen to and while I really want to like him, I think we have to change Gary "Sarge" Matthews' nickname to "Captain Obvious".

...If you watch LOST, then you absolutely have to read Begging to Differ on Thursdays.

...Pretty much all of us saw this coming, and all the beat writers hinted about it on their blogs:  Matt Smith was demoted to AAA Ottawa and Fabio Castro was brought up to the big club. [Incidentally, if you've ever seen an episode of "Hogan's Heroes", the Germans are always threatening to send someone to the Russian front as a means of punishment or motivation... I can't help but think the word "Ottawa" carries similar weight in the Phils' clubhouse.]

...I had lunch with Tom Durso of Shallow Center and we both agreed that since he has not written anything about the Phillies since their win streak began, he will not do so until the streak snaps.

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For more recommended reading, visit "Trying to Get to the End of the Internet" in the sidebar.

Live LOST... Now in HD!

Armed with a new notebook computer and a high definition television set, BS&S.com's Live LOST will return after a long hiatus this evening at 10 PM EST.  As usual, updates, commentary and smartcasm below the jump.

Wednesday night is by far the best night on television, the only exception being when Cole Hamels takes the mound Sunday through Tuesday or Thursday through Saturday during baseball season.

Friday Night Lights begins at 9 PM, and the word on the street is that this episode is phenomenal.  That will get us warmed up for that little piece of paradise in the south Pacific.

Audiophiles

Readers of BS&S.com are accustomed to my diatribes delivered in text form, but today I'm privileged to instead offer up a link to a podcast interview with yours truly at the Big League Baseball Report [link].  For 37 minutes and change, the Phillies 2007 season is discussed and previewed and for those of you who have always wondered, I reveal where the name of this space comes from [disclaimer: it's not nearly as interesting a story as where Jack's tattoos came from].  For those of you who have iTunes and are icapable, you can download the interview there as well.

Finally, I wanted to pass on a fun little tune I discovered while aimlessly surfing around.  The song comes from a musician who goes by the moniker "Phillsy Philz"; I came across it at Blind Pigeon Records.

• Download "Pitcher's Lament": [mp3]

Enjoy, and then come back and let me know what you think of all this acoustic stimuli...

Lost in Time

Just a thought here, but if things don't work out for Friday Night Lights (you should be watching), Coach McGill could always take his tale of redemption and join up with the Lostaways... Or maybe not.

More on LOST after the jump...

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't LOST

Last evening marked the return of LOST, which gives this tapped-out amateur baseball writer something to gush about after the jump.

Before we get to that, isn't this photograph enough to make you want to watch Friday Night Lights?

The Last Lost of 2006

Tonight is the last episode of LOST for the rest of 2006.  The show will take a break until February [known to me as "the dead time" -- no baseball, no football, no golf... there aren't enough pencils to throw in the ceiling in February], when it will resume with continuous episodes until the season ends.

Click below for pre-game, live in-game, and post-game analysis...

LOST: The Cost of Living - Live!

Rather than recap tonight's episode of LOST on Thursday morning, I've decided to do a live, running analysis tonight at 9PM, as it happens.

Tune back in at 9, "pre-game" is after the video clip of a preview of tonight's episode.  Your thoughts will be more than welcome in the comments section.

Live Together, LOST Alone

There's no tricks, I'm not trying to con you, and your heart rate will be fine.  Just click the jump and read more about last night's Sawyer-centric episode of LOST.  Think of it as seeing into the future.