LOST - Season 5 - 1/4 Season Review

It seems like a good time to talk about LOST so far. We are about a quarter of the way into the new season and all I can say is "Wow"! Really a fantastic season so far. The writers are answering a lot of questions but you walk away with exponentially more. I think from a broad fan base perspective, some casual fans will be turned off now that time travel has been confirmed. But that is their loss. The connections, the intrigue, the characters, and the plot lines are just well thought out and well done. Who's really the bad guy? Ben? or Widmore? And Widmore led the Others for 3 decades? Go figure. I love that Rousseau was brought back. Jin is alive. Walt is back. Things are good on and off the island.

TV Nirvana

24 is back after an extended hiatus. The first 4 hours over 2 consecutive nights got us off to an exciting start. Fastest four hours on TV. 2 LOST premier tonight using the 24 format of no repeats during the season. Does it get any better than this? Almeida looks like he went to the dark side, only to be deep undercover. Chloe is still a pain in the *ss. Jack still doesn't miss a shot. The Island is traveling in time. Jack Sheppard wants to go back to the island. The perfect storm of TV shows. Winter just got brighter.

Pop Up Video

I would rate the pop up feature in last night's rerun of the Season 3 finale as a success. It was funny and sarcastic. It appealed to both new and old viewers of the show. It got one fired up of the Season 4 premier tonight. So when Jack tells the Chief to "call his father down here" in his flash forward, do we assume his Dad is not dead? Maybe Jack saw him on the island in Season 1 after all? It would not surprise me if that were true and his Dad wrapped up in the whole battle for control of the island.

The Return of LOST

Who's happier than me that this week marks the return of Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Sayid. Oh, and did I mention Kate? It was a long layoff but again, I love that they adopted the 24 format, even with the writers strike. Speaking of 24, the Fox site says it will return in 2008. When? TBD. But there's not a strike or jail cell that can prevent Jack Bauer from saving the world. Was anyone surprised that Keifer was "released" early? "Released". We all know that is a cover up term for his breakout. It's on par with Area 51 and the faked moon landing. As if anyone is going to believe he behaved himself and was released early.
But back to LOST. ABC was a bit misleading with their "2 Hour" season premier. The first hour is one of those recap shows. But what I do like is that they are replaying the two hour season 3 finale Pop Up Video style. Apparently there will be hint and text sprinkled in to help us along and spark thousands of more LOST theory. Sorry, Lefty, but Locke will be back for a while anyway. Maybe we will find out who died in Jack's flash forward bit. Or maybe we will see Michael and Walt again. Whatever it is, the anticipation is building. Make sure you tune in.

Land of the LOST

What am I going to do this fall without LOST? I like that they are moving to the 24 format of starting late and going all new every week. But now what? I still have CSI and the Unit. But now I have to choose between Chuck, Gossip Girl, and the Journeyman? Pick your poison. It's the equivalent of choosing which way you'd like to break your arm. e. None of the Above.

You might think Journeyman would be OK, but it was probably much better the first time, when it was called Quantum Leap.

5-2-9

No. 529 isn't a part of the magic numbers from LOST. A 529 college savings plan is probably the best way for a parent to save for their child's college education that there is today. There were some doubts when I started up my 529 plan, back when Caz was born because the federal tax break it afforded you was only supposed to last until 2010. It was always assumed that the break would be permanent. Well now, it finally is.

In many ways, a 529 plan is like an IRA. It is a tax free way to save for college costs and invest those savings in an investment vehicle that will grow your assets over time (hopefully enough to actually cover the cost of tuition when your child is ready to go to college). Each state has their own 529 service provider. MA's happens to by Fidelity Investments (www.fidelity.com). Their website has a lot of good information on the specifics, along with a robust Q&A section that answers most common questions.

My best advice is to start one with an auto investment feature. Like many things today, they can deduct on a monthly basis, right from your bank account. I time mine with my paycheck so I don't really notice the hit. Like that informercial says: "Just set it and forget it." You will get to a point where you don't notice the deduction from your account and when you get a statement, it's a nice surprise to see how much you have accumulated.

When it's tied into a Upromise account, the growth is even sweeter. You can actually get a Fidelity 529 credit card. Like frequent flyer miles, each purchase puts money into your 529 account. Each quarter your 529 points get invested in your 529.

What is nice as well, is that you have some investment choices that fit your style. You can choose a conservative strategy or an aggressive one. They have the popular Freedom Fund feature where you invest in an age based fund, based on the age of your child and when that child will enter college. As in infant the investment style of the fund is very aggressive. But as the child becomes older, the portfolio becomes more conservative. As the child enters college, the fund is basically an income fund or money market account.

Do yourself favor an check it out.

Battle of the Season Finales

Well, I have had adequate time to mull over the winner. But really it was decided about 3 seconds after LOST ended last Wednesday night. LOST had kicked butt. There was a lot of action in 24, and Jack is still Jack. Best action hero. Period.

But for 24, the last 20 mins of the season finale was like the last 6 hours of the season, unnecessary. Very anti-climactic. What was the point? Did we need to see Audrey again? Jack is not the "stare off into the sunset (OK, sunrise for this)" type of character. Now if he had shot himself, that would have been something.

LOST on the other hand. Brilliant. Tons of action. Jack (Shepard) finally lost and went postal on Ben. Kate was hot, as usual. Great plot. More questions then ever. And poor Charlie. At least there is life in flashback on this show. And now, flashforwards too. Again, brilliant. Anyone else notice that the last two seasons now have ended with clips with Penny?

Season Finales

2 hours of 24 and 2 hours of LOST coming up this week to wrap up the season. Can't wait.

Besides Jack Bauer being the best bad *ss on TV, I need to see how this ends up. I have to wonder if the last 6 hours was worth it. After the nukes were recovered, is this all anti-climactic? What's next for Jack? Will he survive?

And LOST. You know Locke will be back. I think they gave away too much in the previews. The women Charlie stumbled upon? I think they are either Dharma survivors or rebels that oppose Ben. Just a guess of course. The LOSTies fight back.

Locke

Great episode this week. You still have to wonder if Juliet is really following Ben's orders, or trying to get away from him? I mean he can't really promise to get her off the island anymore.

So if none of the Other women can have babies, how and where did Rousseau have Alex?

I have been hearing a lot of complaints from people recently that they have had enough of Locke. But you have to want to know what happened to his father now.

LOST - Up and Over

How can you not appreciate the Con-man being conned by Hurley?

Shades of Anna Lucia, Sayid looks like he will determine if Juliet was left behind because she was an outcast or as a spy.

So the monster can't go over the sonic wall? Didn't it grab the pilot in the tree?

Is anyone really going to miss Locke?

4-8-15-16-23-42

My buddy, Lefty, was disappointed that I haven't given equal time to LOST yet. So Lefty, here we go.

At least LOST has taken a lesson from 24 with the second half of the season, by going with all new episodes the rest of the way. I think a lot of fans got frustrated during season 2, when the TV execs started with the Moonlighting format of one new episode every 3-4 weeks, if you were lucky. 24 got it right with the 4 hour, 2 night kick-off, followed by a new episodes every week.

But, I digress. Good show last week. A great combination of flashbacks and current action. We needed Sayid back in the fold. He's a great character. Poor Sayid. The tragic hero. Can he ever exercise the demons.

So Locke. Your two friends are searching the Flame, you are guarding a prisoner, so now is a good time to play the PC in Chess? AT least the Dharma video diverged from the numbers this time. I guess you can't use them all of the time.

Dharma knew about the hostiles. So now who are the hostiles? The Hanso Foundation? We figured Dharma recruited Juliet through a shell corporation, Mittleos (lost time).

Walt's teacher/tester is shot. Speaking of Walt and Michael, that's quite a 3 hour tour they are on.

The second half has been good so far. Stay tuned.