Yes it's called "making it up as we go along" and time travel is the perfect deus ex machina for it...that's why I can't stand it.

It works in the realm of, say, "Donnie Darko", because it has to do more with a personal thing, used as like a...symbol or allegorical device. it's not really about time travel as much as it is about redemption in an unassuming way.

But once you start using time travel as an excuse for plot holes, it's over. Credibility lost. Your mind can't travel through time. Just because a chalkboard is full of formulas and diagrams doesn't mean it makes any sense at all or WORKS.

I swear once Desmond went back to Faraday's little lab there all I could think was "1.21 GIGAWATTS! GREAT SCOTT!"

But it was a laser!!! A LASER!!!

Lasers=AWSOME!

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Well, Im not one to quit when things get bad. I'll keep to my mancrush with Ben for a little while more.

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"Lasers"

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I actually thought the first 4 episodes were pretty good this year. I thought last night's episode was a garbled, nonsensical mess.

Although the time phasing aspect doesn't bother me so much because they have alluded to it on many occasions so far with Locke's sensing the weather patterns and Desmond seeing the future. I think they are playing with multiple dimensions more than time travel, but maybe that's the same thing.

I'm too invested at this point to give up on them. In for a Penny, in for a pound.

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You know me like that.

I'd gladly be in Penelope...

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I agree I will still see it through I'm just getting more and more disappointed.

I had a feeling it was coming to this, I just think that time travel is bad, bad bad.

Dimension stuff...getting to be a little over used but if Admiral Q makes a few appearances and talks about the space time continuum, you know...maybe that will actually be cool.

I just think that last night's episode was a long drawn out way for Desmond and Penny to finally make contact with each other. I wish that they'd gone about a different way of doing it because I didn't really care for last night's episode.

But it has always seemed that in the history of the show, whenever there has been a lot of plot development or good storytelling, we always have these episodes that are just a waste. Last night was one of those episodes. And I too find it interesting that the story always seems to stumble on Desmond episodes too. The show always seems to take a weird turn whenever it's his turn for an episode.

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-Larry D.

Host of Chicago Bears Review
http://chicagobearsreview.mypodcast.com

well part of that is...he's a contrived character to begin with. so most of his episodes are going to be contrived because of that.

Well, last night wasn't too bad. At least they finally pushed the plot forward some more, granted it wasnt much of a surprise that Penny's father was behind looking for the island and the freighter.

Im waiting for a moment similar to the Architect scene at the end of the second Matrix movie. Locke walks into Jacobs cabin again and Jacob spills everything about the island, its history and its powers.

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i think i'd hang myself...god i hated matrix reloaded...

Yeah, me too.

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I thought it was yet another "so-so" episode.

-The whole Juliet back story (all 35 minutes of it) was just to set up the fact that Ben likes her? Waste. Of. Time.

-Kate suspects something is up with the two rescuers, demands to look inside the guy's bag, then turns her back on the other chick? Too sitcomy-stupid.

-Locke keeps settling for little bits of info from Ben and sets him "free" again. Would you be so forgiving to someone who shot you?

By the way, anyone guess who Ben's guy on the boat is yet? It seems pretty obvious to me...

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OOOH I know I know I know, can I spill the beans on who Ben has on the boat????

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sure... bring it.

i just read all of these posts. i could not agree more with the notion that filling plot holes with a time travel excuse is pretty darn lame. that being said, i've enjoyed this season so far. last episode i had a big problem with the supposed grand machiavellian ben could be diverted from his master plan by a nice piece of tail.

Starts with an "M"......

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If this person who starts with an M also has a son, then yes, thats what I was thinking too.

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That bastard!!!!

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This is my signature...

label it spoiler and use font color white or somethin'

It got brought.

Besides, it's just a theory. Yes, it's a GREAT theory, but it's still a theory nonetheless...

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i didn't mind last week's episode but this year has been very hard to like so far. it is painfully reminding me of "The X-Files" 6th season, or "24"'s 3rd season or "The Sopranos" 5th season, where it just seems to be trying too hard, instead of just letting it flow.

I have a bad feeling about how this show will end; I'm really getting tired of promising shows not "finishing" well. It's getting to be a real goddamn trend.

It's like one long SNL skit...

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aren't they all like that?

With the stock market in the crapper... I was thinking of purchasing some of the stock of the Hanso Corporation... anyone know the ticker?

Bullshit editing.

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when you start expecting twists, it's a bad sign...since the writers seem to think they can't tell a straight narrative anymore, i think they're going to pull anything they can to try and make this show as needlessly complicated as they can.

Come on man, they followed up "the flashback" with the "flashforward", only to top it with "the flashforward and flashback". That takes genius writing

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Creative writing snobs!

I thought it was pretty good. They hardly have ever told a straight narrative. The nature of the flashbacks and now the flashforwards has always been to f**k with your head.

The best episode, still, that I have ever seen of the show was the 3rd or 4th episode with the Locke flashback and you learn he was in a wheelchair.

They've been doing this from the beginning and will to the end I expect. You guys think too much. Just look at the pretty women and the nice ocean scenes and nod your heads silently.

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You know me like that.

My impression is that the fractured narrative chronology is supposed to mirror the time displacement mystery surrounding the island. While this interpretation doesn't make the show any more interesting, it posits an aesthetic continuity that others find questionable or non-existent.

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The creativity is there, but my biggest disappointment is that due to the popularity and length of the show, many of the situations where creative writing should take place do not have the same impact. I knew since the beginning of the season that Michael was re-cast and that he was to appear near the end of the season. If they could have kept that secretive, that would have been a huge bombshell. Also, I knew that Jin wasn't going to last long as he has been busy with other engagements, so they have essentially had to write him out of most of the past episodes.

This show would make a very good novel at a length close to the Stephen King Dark Tower series. While you would lose some of the excitement and action brought about by the audio and visual effects (the plane breaking apart, the sound of the monster, etc.), the twist and turns would be very enjoyable and keep one interested throughout.

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