Lost season four letdowns
This season of Lost was my second favorite season ever, so it was difficult to come up with criticisms. A shortened season meant that there wasn’t room for a weak episode. Nikki, Paulo, and Bai Ling stayed away. A few things are bothering me now that this chapter is finished, though. Some characters got a raw deal, and some twists failed to shock. It wasn’t all time travel and brilliant action scenes.
Jack’s appendicitis - Apart from bringing Jack and Kate closer together, I don’t understand why this storyline was necessary. The flash-forwards ensured that Jack would survive his low-tech surgery, so there wasn’t any tension there. It seemed like the only point of Jack’s illness was to completely kill the Juliet-Jack relationship. Jack and Juliet’s chemistry never worked for me. They shared two forgettable kisses, and then Jack basically blew her off after she saved his life. Still, Juliet deserved a better break-up, from both Jack and the writers.
Farewell, Rousseau - I had big hopes for Danielle Rousseau. She had been a mysterious figure on the island since the first season, and she’s one of the few island characters that hasn’t had (or appeared in) a flashback. I always assumed that the payoff of Rousseau’s character would come later–some bizarre island secret or revealing detail about the Others. Imagine my surprise when Danielle was killed, along with that annoying Karl, in a brief scene at the end of “Meet Kevin Johnson,” an episode that primarily focused on Michael’s storyline. They didn’t even give Rousseau the proper Lost send-off of a flashback followed by death. Less intriguing characters like Ana Lucia and Shannon had better exit episodes, for crying out loud!
Fewer episodes - This isn’t the fault of anyone connected to Lost, but the diminished season had a noticeable impact on the show. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse admitted that they wanted to do an additional freighter folk-centric episode, but had to put those storylines off until next season. I would have liked to learn more about the freighter folks, especially since some of them are stuck on the island with the 815ers. Daniel is the only familiar face on the Zodiac raft (now adrift without the island or the freighter as a destination), and I hardly know anything about him. A little extra time with the freighties would have given me more reasons to care about them. The season’s timeline also changed as a result of the missing episodes, and the finale was overflowing with plotlines. I love that Lindelof and Cuse fought to make the finale an hour longer, but I was mentally and emotionally drained after so many deaths, touching moments, and shocking scenes in one sitting.
What happened to the Others? - The Others took a back seat to the freighter drama in the first part of the season. Nestor Carbonell was away doing the now-canceled Cane, so we didn’t see Richard Alpert until “Cabin Fever.” I expected the Others to have a bigger presence after the first freighter group parachuted onto the island. These people were a major threat to their way of life, after all. They made up for their absence by doing away with the mercenaries, but why couldn’t they have wiped them out sooner? Juliet had a weaker role in the island goings-on as well. “The Other Woman” was supposed to be a Juliet-centric episode, but served to make Ben’s character more complex instead. You had to keep your eye on Juliet last season, because you never knew which side she was on. Now she’s in the same boat as the other 815ers who simply want to be rescued. Will she become even less significant over the next two seasons?
Aaron is one of the Oceanic Six - I lost interest in Aaron a while ago. Nothing against Turniphead, but he was probably the last of the survivors that I wanted to see back on the mainland. He hasn’t turned out to be special in the way that Season One led us to believe. I’m among the fans who took Malkin’s warning seriously. Why weren’t there consequences for Aaron being raised by another? Aaron’s presence in Kate’s flashback also caused some unnecessary confusion about the identities of the Oceanic Six. The tease in “Ji Yeon” was heartbreaking; for a moment I believed that Jin was safe. On the bright side, non-815ers like Desmond, Frank Lapidus, and Ben made it off the island. We might even get a glimpse of Locke (aka Jeremy Bentham) on the mainland in the future.
The “surprise” return of Michael - We all saw this twist coming, right? Ben dropped hints about his spy on the freighter several times, and most fans knew that Harold Perrineau was returning to Lost in some capacity. Lack of surprise aside, Michael’s season four appearances weren’t all that exciting. He told Sayid that he was there to die, and stayed true to his word in the finale. I understand Perrineau’s frustration about being killed off so quickly. Michael’s guilt over murdering Libby and Ana Lucia drove him to attempt suicide several times, and his moment of redemption was far too brief. When Christian Shephard dismissed him, Michael looked more confused than at peace. At least he didn’t yell “Waaaaaalt!” before he died.
Check back soon for my Lost highlights post. For now, feel free to share some of your thoughts on how this season could have been better.
Do Stars Use Baby Shower Registries?
They don't need the stuff, so why do rich celebrities always do baby registries?Danielle, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Not always, actually.
Behold, Jessica Alba!
This B!tch has learned that the expectant almost-A-lister is taking a different approach than fellow celebumoms, such as the expectant Jamie Lynn Spears and moms Xtina, Jennifer Lopez and Britney. Instead of registering for, say, a $1,250 snakeskin diaper bag or a pile of $116 organic blankets at Petit Tresor, Alba is trolling for…gift certificates.
It's a price-conscious decision, a source close to the situation tells this B!tch, so that everyone, rich or poor, famous or Bai Ling, can get Alba something within their unique comfort zone. The store, of course, is still Petit Tresor, the place to shop for $1,250 snakeskin diaper bags.
Just in case, you know, you want to call and get Alba a $20 gift certificate toward that bag. (And strange fans do buy gifts for celebrities off of registriesall the time. "We always put a note on the gift, indicating that it's from a fan, 'You don't know me,' et cetera," Petit Tresor co-owner Nina Takesh says.)
It's an unusual decision for a star, the gift certificates. Xtina, Lopez and both Spears sisters have all done old-fashioned gift registries, all at Petit Tresor (Nicole Kidman, just to be different, does not have one there). In the case of Lopez, reports had her gunning for a $1,780 changing table and a baby carriage worth $3,495.
Those selections would seem outrageous, except that people actually buy the stuff.
"People absolutely buy those items off of celebrity registries," Takesh says. "Typically, celebrity baby registries encompass all price ranges, from low to high."
Typical examples: Those organic baby blankets, $59 crib mobiles and baby bottles that cost $12.50 each. Even big stars register for those.
As for why the stars do registries at all, well, you try shopping for Jennifer Lopez without a tour guide.
"The registry is great for people who might not be as close to the person, say, someone who worked with the star on the set and wants to get a gift," Takesh explains. "Someone who may not be a great friend but had a relationship with the star and who wants to help celebrate the new baby.
"In those cases, it's easier to buy something off the registry rather than coming up with an idea on their own."
Hey, I have an idea! How about a snakeskin breast pump?
Crank 2: High Voltage Cast Announced
Crank 2: High Voltage is set to begin shooting on April 28th in Los Angeles and the casting announcements were made over the weekend:
- Jason Statham returns as hitman Chev Chelios
- Amy Smart returns as his girlfriend Eve
- Dwight Yoakam returns as Doc Miles
- Efren Ramirez returns, but as a character named Venus (Ramirez played Kaylo, who died in the original film)
- Clifton Collins Jr. has been brought on board to play Chelios’ nemesis
- Bai Ling has also been brought on board
Crank 2 begins seconds after the end of the original film. Chelios must face a mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered robotic heart which requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.
Mark Neveldine has plans to introduce a new moving bullet-time camera rig which he invented for the production. It should be insane, but what else do you expect from Neveldine/Taylor.
source: Variety
Amy Smart Fights Mullet Man, Loses Top
Amy Smart Fights Mullet Man, Loses Top
Looking a little bit beat up herself, tough girl Amy Smart was busy wreaking havoc on a mullet headed man while filming scenes on the Los Angeles set of “Crank 2: High Voltage” on Thursday (May 1).
And while we’re not sure whether or not any nudity’s planned for the theatrical release, Amy’s wild flailing led to a brief “Oops” moment after her shoulder straps fell out of place.
As for “Crank 2″, the film is about “a man named Chelios who faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.”
The film is written and directed by Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, co-starring Jason Statham and Bai Ling.