Collateral Bloggage What passes for thought around here…

"Lost" for Life, Volume IV: Kate

What’s her story?

We don’t really know much about Kate…including her last name. At some point in the past, she helped mastermind a bank heist with the (apparent) purpose of gaining access to a safety-deposit box containing a toy airplane. In the process, she shot three men…one or more of whom presumably survived. She’s been married, briefly, and we also know she’s killed a man…perhaps the man she loved?

How’d she get to Sydney?

Kate apparently fled to Sydney to escape prosecution. It's assumed by some, and perhaps wrongly, that she was being pursued for the bank heist we saw in "Whatever the Case May Be." But with her revelation that she killed "the man [she] loved," I'm not so sure.

Why was she on the plane?

Kate was captured by some kind of bounty hunter or cop in Australia. On the plane, the cop mentions that he was taken in by her "story" at some point. This leaves the impression that she may have been unjustly accused of something?

Anything strange/mysterious about Kate?

She certainly knows how to handle a gun, and she’s made reference to growing up with a father in the military. She says she’s killed a man, the man she loved, perhaps…

As mentioned above, she knocked over a bank to get a toy plane…somewhat mysterious…

What’s her role on the island?

Essentially she brings a bit of angst and frustrates Jack. She seems to be attracted to Jack, but is somehow linked with Sawyer. Maybe it’s the bad-boy thing, but we’ve learned that they have more in common than meets the eye (having killed someone, not quite fitting in).

Anything else to tell?

She didn’t join the "cave" people until the Claire incident, and has expressed reluctance to accept their situation as permanent.

In spite of the above statement, she’s started (with Sun) a garden on the island.

She submitted to giving Sawyer a thoroughly yucky kiss in order to get information out of him.

She apparently has no problem with stout liquor.

She was the second person to find out that Sun speaks English.

She’s seen "it", along with Jack and Charlie.

She sewed up Jack’s back laceration.

She recognized Charlie as a member of "Driveshaft."

Episodes with extra "Kate" info:

• "Tabula Rasa" (Episode #3)
• "Whatever the Case May Be" (Episode #12)

Trivia

Kate was the first character to have a major revelation (that she was the prisoner on the plane).

Kate is played by Evangeline Lilly, and "Lost" is her first major role. She did, however, do some commercial work. I’ve recently seen her on a TV ad for a singles telephone service. Quite humorous.

When questioned about what item she would want with her on an island, Ms. Lilly replied, "probably my Bible." Nice. She also apparently worked in the mission field for several years, and also served in the Peace Corps.

"Lost" for Life, Volume III: Jack

Jack Shepard

What’s his story?

Jack is a surgeon, and an excellent one. He’s always been a little bit in his father’s shadow. His father, Christian, is an interesting character, never seeming to give Jack what he needs from him…love, acceptance, praise, etc. At some point in the past, Christian began drinking to the point that it affected his performance in surgery. Things came to a head when Jack was called in to take over for his impaired father. The patient ended up dying, and Jack subsequently found out that she had been pregnant at the time of her death. This fact prevented Jack from lying to cover-up for Christian’s problems. He denounced him in an official deposition/investigation, causing him to lose his license/prestige.

How’d he get to Sydney?

Jack came to Sydney to find his father, at the request of his mother. Upon arriving, he finds that Christian’s problems found him even in Australia, and he’s died of some kind of overdose/drunkenness/??

Why was he on the plane?

Jack was bringing his father’s body back to the States to bury him.

Anything strange/mysterious about Jack?

Well…he’s tattooed…

Actually, Jack started having visions of his father on the island. The visions eventually led him to a water source and the caves, as well as to his father’s empty coffin.

What’s his role on the island?

He’s the doctor, so many people look to him for leadership. He’s somewhat reluctant to lead, given his history of living in his father’s shadow. In spite of this, he was the one to suggest trying to find the airplane cockpit to salvage the transponder. He’s always working with Sayid on some detail or another. He’s a realist and was the catalyst for many of the survivor’s moving into the caves. He understands that they may never be found.

Anything else to tell?

There’s major tension between Jack and Kate. He like she. She like he. But, he doesn’t trust her any further than he can throw her, and with his bad shoulder, he shouldn’t be throwing anyone.

Also of note is the fact that he lost a fight to evil Ethan, then won the decisive one before Charlie turned him into Swiss Cheese. He’s also punched Sawyer twice and helped out in the torture of the same.

One more thing…Jack knows about “it,” whatever “it” is…but apparently didn't see anything.

Just one more…Jack asked for stronger drink when he was on the plane…

Trivia

Jack is played by Matthew Fox, who played Charlie Salinger in “Party of Five.” On the show, his brother Bailey had a drinking problem, and, though we never met him (on account of his dying in the first episode), Charlie’s father was also an alcoholic.

Another “Party of Five” tidbit: one of Charlie’s girlfriends was played by Tamara Taylor, who also played Sarah, Walt’s mother in the episode “Special.”

Episodes with extra “Jack” info:

“White Rabbit” (Episode #5)

“House of the Rising Sun” (Episode #6) – crossover with Jin/Sun

"All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" (Episode #11)

“Outlaws” (Episode #16) – crossover (Jack’s father) with Sawyer

"Lost" for Life, Volume II: Hurley (spoilers)

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We have 14 of "main" characters:

Jack – doctor and early (reluctant) leader of the group

Kate – in trouble with the law over something, knows her way around the woods

Sawyer – resident jerk and packrat, messed up early in his childhood

Sayid – former Iraqi communications officer…p/c “Good” Arab (hey, I call it like I see it)

Locke – complete mystery, apparently regained the use of his legs on the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Island

Charlie - former junkie and "Rock-God,” always good for a one-liner. Twitterpated with Claire

Claire – time-bomb (preggo and about to burst), apparently the only Aussie on a flight out of Sydney

Boone (Shannon's step-brother) – over-eager and slightly inept at basically everything

Shannon (Boone's step-sister) – doesn’t sweat, she perspires…goes for strong men

Michael (Walt's biological father) – “new” dad and resident hothead, actually a better man than his son knows

Walt (Michael's son) – the “different” kid who seems to have some kind of powers

Jin (married to Sun) – controlling husband of Sun who screwed himself up trying to provide for her

Sun (married to Jin) – decided to leave Jin, then backed out, wishes they could start over

Hurley – says “Dude” a lot.

We’ve had back story on everybody but Hurley…which leads me to believe that the next episode will finally fill in some details. So far, here’s what we’ve learned:

• He’s a nice guy
• He’s a big guy
• He seems to be good with people
• He digs music

Yep, that’s basically it. But, did anybody else notice a Hurley moment in Jin’s flashback in the 2/23 episode? That’s right, folks, he was on the telly in Mr. Byun’s apartment. Of course, there was no context to the TV show, but there are basically two possibilities:

1. It was a commercial or TV show and Hurley is an actor. Unlikely.
2. It was a news broadcast.

Given his personality, how far fetched is it that Hurley might be a TV personality? Admittedly, I could see it happen. But, I’m going with Option #2. In that case, we have these questions:

1. Why was Hurley being chased by TV cameras.
2. Why was it news in Korea?

I have to assume that either Hurley did something very bad in Korea, or he was involved in something so bad that it made CNN. But it was a kid watching TV, so I can’t imagine it was an actual news program…more likely, a news flash on a normal channel.

I don’t really have a theory about this…any ideas?