Representative James Casorio has introduced comprehensive legislation (H.B. 2525), backed by Governor Rendell and supported by more than 90 legislators, to overhaul Pennsylvania’s regulation of breeding facilities. Pennsylvania is widely considered to be a haven for puppy mills, and it is time to put an end to this cruelty.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your Pennsylvania state representative to urge him/her to support H.B. 2525 to crack down on puppy mills. Click here to find your representative and the phone number.

After making your call, please click here to send a follow-up email to urge your state representative to support H.B. 2525. Your legislators receive a lot of email, so be sure to personalize the subject line and the text so that your message will stand out and have more of an impact.

Regulation of Puppy Mills
Bill Number: PA H.B. 2525
Bill Status: Pending
HSUS Position: Support
Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. James Casorio (D, 56)
Legislature Status: In Session

This bill overhauls Pennsylvania’s Dog Law to address the problem of large scale commercial dog breeding facilities, or “puppy mills.” This bill would define “commercial kennels” as any facility that sells dogs to a dealer or pet shop or sells more than 60 dogs per year. It also establishes additional protections for the dogs raised in commercial kennels, including requirements about food and water, shelter, vet care, and housing. This bill also establishes stronger protections for breeding dogs over the age of 12 weeks, prohibiting stacking of wire cages and requiring increased space and vet care.

>> Action Alert! Pennsylvania: It’s Time to Crack Down on Puppy Mills

John Thomas Schreiber was christened at St. Cyril of Jerusalem church this father’s day.  Here are some of the pictures that I got:

You can see all of the pictures here.

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a global warming bill that would have required major reductions in greenhouse gases, after a bitter debate over its economic costs and whether it would substantially raise gasoline and other energy prices.

Democratic leaders fell a dozen votes short of getting the 60 needed to end a Republican filibuster on the measure and bring the bill up for a vote. The 48-36 vote failed to reach even a majority, a disappointment to the bill’s supporters.

Majority Leader Harry Reid was expected to pull the legislation, in all likelihood pushing the congressional debate over climate change to next year with a new Congress and a new president.

The bill would have capped carbon dioxide coming from power plants, refineries and factories, with a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 71 percent by mid-century.

“It’s a huge tax increase,” argued Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a prominent coal-producing state. He maintained that the proposed system of allowing widespread trading of carbon emissions allowances would produce “the largest restructuring of the American economy since the New Deal.”

McCain, Obama reportedly backed
Supporters of the bill accused Republicans of muddying the water with misinformation.

“There is no tax increase,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., one of the bill’s chief sponsors said. She said the emissions trading system would provide tax relief to help people pay energy prices. And supporters disputed that it would substantially increase gasoline prices.

Four Democrats joined most Republicans in essentially killing the bill.

Both presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, were absent, although supporters of the bill said they had sent letters advising they would have voted for the bill.

The legislation had been in trouble from the start.

A GOP filibuster threat prevented Democrats from moving quickly at the beginning of the week to consider amendments. On Wednesday, the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, required that all 492 pages be read into the record — an almost unheard of move that took 8 1/2 hours, ending at 9:45 p.m.

McConnell said he did so because of a dispute over judicial nominations. Reid saw it as stonewalling and an attempt to scuttle the legislation. He moved to essentially block Republican amendments on the bill and set the Friday deadline.

Republican tried to sell bill
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said he had “done the best I can” to get the message out to fellow Republicans to support the bill on national security grounds. About five Republicans had agreed to join him.

But some Democrats who had indicted they would back the bill with some changes drop away after it became clear they would not have a chance to offer their amendments.

McConnell blamed Reid for cutting off GOP opportunities to offer amendments and insisted Republicans were ready to consider the legislation for weeks. The Senate spent five weeks on the Clean Air Act in 1990, an equally complex bill, he said.

“We welcome this debate,” McConnell told reporters. “If this is the most important issue facing the planet, it is ludicrous to think we’re going to do this in four days with no amendments.”

Democrats countered that Republicans all along had sought to undermine the bill, which most GOP senators strongly oppose.

“You can’t have a more important issue to be dealing with on the floor of the Senate,” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Taking aim Republicans, he said the deliberations had been “reduced to trickery and gimmicks and parliamentary games.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who is a key sponsor, bemoaned the legislation’s “unnatural ending.”

Bridget, her mom and I just got back from our vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We stayed in Corolla, just above Duck, which was very nice. We all enjoyed the beaches, wildlife and lighthouses, and of course I got plenty of pictures. You can see them all here.

Wildlife, including some Egrets:

Currituck Beach Lighthouse:

Bodie (aka Body’s) Lighthouse:

Cape Hatteras Light:

Wild Horses of Corolla:

Wright Brothers National Memorial:

Other Beach Pictures:

What an exciting season ending to Lost!  We saw the Oceanic 6 being rescued (which we knew was going to happen by the end of the season with the flash forwards from before).  We also saw how Ben got off of the Island and ended up in the middle east with that Dharma Orchid station jacket on, and that he successfully moved the island somewhere else, either physically or in time.  We also learned that it was John Locke dead in the coffin, which I had guessed earlier that it would be him.

“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3″ was the thirteenth episode of Season 4 of Lost and the second and third parts of its 3-part, 3 hour season finale. It was broadcast on May 29, 2008. The Oceanic 6 finally escape the Island. In the future, the identity of the body in the coffin is revealed.

Synopsis

On the Island

In the Orchid’s Greenhouse

Jack and Sawyer catch up with Hurley at the Orchid. Locke is trying to locate the elevator to the underground area. Locke tells Jack that he has to lie when he gets off the Island to protect it. Locke also tries to persuade Jack to stay on the island and fulfil his destiny, suggesting that the island is a place where miracles happen. Jack argues that there are no such things as miracles, and chooses to leave with Hurley and Sawyer for the helicopter, although Hurley warns them that Keamy and his men were headed there.

At the helicopter

Alpert comes to the rescue

Ben is taken by Keamy to the helicopter, where they find Frank still handcuffed, but trying to free himself with aid of the toolbox. As Keamy begins to question him about who gave him the toolbox, Kate comes running out of the jungle. When asked by Keamy why she was running she claims to be being chased by “his people”, pointing to Ben. Keamy orders two members of his team to search the jungle, as he and the remaining team form a perimeter. Keamy orders Kate onto her knees next to Ben, whom she exchanges knowing glances with. As the team searches the jungle, the Whispers are heard by everyone immediately before the Others quickly ambush and begin eliminate the mercenaries.

The Others then begin to trade gunfire with Keamy his remaining team, while Frank, Kate, and Ben take cover. One of the mercenaries is incapacitated with an electrical stunning weapon, while Keamy takes cover behind a large rock. Kate tells Ben to stay close, then gives him the cue to run into the jungle. As Keamy breaks cover to chase Ben and Kate, Frank yells, “Grenade!”, as one lands at Keamy’s feet. He kicks it away and dives back behind the rock. The grenade inadvertently lands at Omar’s feet, killing him in the resulting explosion. As the debris settles, Keamy stands, and after presumably realizing he had just unintentionally killed Omar, grunts in anger and chases after Ben and Kate.

As Keamy nearly catches them, Sayid tackles him and the two engage in a fierce fist fight. During the fight, they both desperately try to reach Keamy’s gun. At one point, Sayid manages to get it and point it at Keamy, only to have it kicked out of his hands. As they grapple to again retrieve the gun, Sayid quickly unsheathes the combat knife strapped to Keamy’s leg and stabs him in the side of his torso, between his body armor. This only infuriates Keamy, who then beats Sayid to the ground. As he bends over to retrieve his knife, Sayid hits him from behind with a tree branch. The fight continues, and eventually Keamy gains the advantage, pinning Sayid and strangling him with the tree branch. Just as Keamy appears to be killing Sayid with the branch, Richard Alpert arrives and shoots Keamy four times in the back. The rest of the Others emerge out of the Jungle, as Ben and Kate come running back.

Kate helps Sayid to his feet and Ben thanks Richard for coming, who tersely responds, “Our pleasure.” Kate then picks up Keamy’s bloody combat knife and Ben asks her to cut him free from his restraints. After an awkward pause, she does so, as Ben asks Richard nonchalantly over his shoulder, “What was the arrangement?” Richard replies, “They help us free you, we let them off the Island.” Ben quickly replies, “Fair enough”, tells Kate and Sayid that the helicopter is theirs, wishes them a safe journey back, and turns to leave. Kate and Sayid are understandably surprised, and Kate asks nervously, “So we can go… off the Island? That’s it?” Ben stops, turns to face them, and after another awkward pause, he concisely replies, “That’s it.” Kate and Sayid then return to the helicopter, while Ben returns to the Orchid.

On the beach

Daniel comes back from the freighter with an empty raft. He tells Juliet about the freighter and how it is going to try to get a close as possible. Dan is going to get water whilst Juliet gets the next group ready. She thanks him for helping the survivors.

Miles, confronted by Rose

Meanwhile, Miles is helping himself to food supplies under Rose’s watchful eye. Charlotte is packing her bag. Dan arrives and tells the two of them that he is leaving in 10 minutes and they need to be on the boat. Miles tells him that, despite knowing that the situation is dire, he is going to stay. Daniel then leaves.

Charlotte doesn’t want to leave

Miles is surprised that Charlotte wants to leave the Island, after all that time she spent “trying to get back” here. Charlotte asks what he means, but Miles is evasive.

Some time later, Charlotte approaches Dan and tells him that she is going to stay on the island “for now”. Dan points that “now” on the island could mean “forever”. Charlotte replies “Would it make any sense if I told you I’m still looking for where I was born?” They part affectionately and Daniel, now alone, goes back on the crowded raft. Juliet tells Dan that she will not leave the island until everyone is safe aboard the freighter, reassuring Dan that “we’ll still be here when you get back”. Daniel seems troubled. He boards the raft with a few survivors, and they leave for the freighter.

In the Orchid

Locke and Ben at the Orchid

Ben finds Locke with Jack. Locke is unable to locate the entrance to the elevator because he doesn’t know what anthuriums look like. Locke has not yet explained to Jack that they are going to move the Island but there is no time. Ben shows Locke the anthuriums, they enter the elevator, and descend.

Keamy is still alive

Halliwax in the Orchid Orientation film

Locke and Ben exit the elevator and find themselves in the Orchid Station. As they walk inside, Locke observes the various equipment and a nearby television. He looks to Ben and asks “is this the magic box?” Ben looks back at Locke with an absurd look and answers “no”. Ben then offers Locke a video tape to answer all his questions about the station. Locke puts it in the television and Dr. Edgar Halliwax appears. In the video, Halliwax explains that the orchid is not really a botanical research station. Instead, the orchid was designed to investigate ‘unique properties’ of the island, it is these properties create a kind of Casimir Effect. He points to a white triangular door, calling it the vault. Halliwax explains that the vault was constructed adjacent to what they believe to be a pocket of negatively charged exotic matter. Halliwax then warns the viewer never to place any metal objects inside the vault. Halliwax then places a white rabbit inside the vault, closing the doors and stating that they will send it 100 milliseconds into the future. Then the VCR breaks, and the tape rewinds. Locke looks at Ben and sees him piling metal objects inside the vault. The elevator starts to ascend suddenly and Ben asks Locke if he can have his weapon back.

The elevator descends again and opens to reveal Keamy - still alive. Keamy pulls out a knife and carefully enters the Orchid. He begins to explain to Ben, who is hiding away, that if Ben kills him the entire freighter will be destroyed and many innocent people killed. He begins to mock Alex’s death, but suddenly Locke appears. Locke explains that he has no conflict with Keamy and that Keamy should allow the innocent people on the freighter to live. Ben, noticing Keamy is distracted, charges out with his collapsible baton and attacks, knocking the knife from Keamy’s hand. Once Keamy is knocked down, Ben grabs Keamy’s fallen knife and starts stabbing him repeatedly. Locke pulls him off in an attempt to save Keamy and those on the freighter, but the damage is done and Keamy is left dying. Keamy tells Ben that Widmore will find him. Ben replies, “Not if I find him first.” Despite Locke’s best efforts to save him, Keamy dies. Locke tells Ben that he just killed everyone on the freighter, to which Ben coldly responds, “So?”

Ben banishes himself for the Island’s sake

The Island “moves”

After killing Keamy, Ben seeks to go beyond the vault. Locke stops him and demands to know why Ben killed Keamy, knowing it would end the lives of many innocent people on the freighter. Ben admits it was the wrong thing to do and that his grief over Alex clouded his judgement. Ben tells Locke not to make the same mistakes as the new leader. Locke is subsequently confused. Ben tells him that there is a price to pay to move the Island. The person that moves it must leave it and never return there. Locke is reluctant to let Ben leave but Ben offers a handshake, apologizing for all the misery he has inflicted on Locke. Locke accepts the handshake and Ben darts off into the vault.

Inside, the explosion has opened a pathway into the island interior. Ben walks back into the tunnel until he reaches a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder, Ben breaks a layer of ice revealing another set of old and damaged wooden stairs. While descending further, the stairs break and he falls down, cutting his right arm and ripping his jacket. At this point his condition appears to be identical to the condition he was in when he appeared in the Sahara Desert.(”The Shape of Things to Come“) Ben finds himself inside a dark and icy room, where stones are covered in hieroglyphs. There, across from Ben, is a wall with a large wheel. After looking up and declaring, “I hope you’re happy now, Jacob,” Ben proceeds to turn the wheel, though with great physical and emotional difficulty. The more the wheel is turned, the brighter the room becomes. Outside, the entire Island emanates an otherworldly noise. Suddenly, a light envelops the Island and everything within the light disappears.

On the Freighter

“You can go now, Michael.”

The freighter is destroyed

Michael finds a canister of liquid nitrogen and, after explaining his plan to Jin and Desmond, sprays the nitrogen on the bomb’s battery to freeze it and prevent electric current from igniting the C4 Desmond found rigged to the boat. While he buys time before the bomb goes off, Desmond and Jin frantically search for a way to safely disarm the explosives. When Keamy dies, the bomb gets armed, but does not explode immediately because of Michael’s ingenuity in keeping the battery cool with the nitrogen. With the bomb armed, Jin tells Desmond to leave and stays behind to attempt to determine a way to disarm the bomb. Michael realizes there isn’t much liquid nitrogen left and tells Jin that he should leave the boat because he will soon be a father. When the helicopter arrives, Jin tries to run to the door, but he misses the helicopter taking off. Christian Shephard appears, and tells Michael “you can go now”, and then the boat explodes, killing Michael and presumably everyone else on board.

On the Helicopter

The helicopter leaves the Island

Sawyer jumps

Frank, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and Hurley board the helicopter and take off to the freighter. Along the way, Frank notices that the helicopter is leaking gas, from a stray bullet hole. Because fuel is so low, Frank doesn’t think they’ll make it to the freighter. He tells them to throw out anything that isn’t bolted down. The passengers follow his orders, but he claims that “losing another few hundred pounds wouldn’t hurt.” Hurley is visibly distressed. After sizing up the situation, Sawyer whispers in Kate’s ear (but what he says can’t be heard), kisses her, and jumps from the helicopter, enabling the rest of the passengers to make it to the freighter. Once they find the freighter, Desmond is frantically waving at them and telling them there is a bomb about to go off. Frank lands anyway, and hurriedly starts filling up the tank and patching the leak. Everyone gets back on board, including Sun, although she begs them to wait for Jin. However, Frank takes off immediately, and Sun is frantic. When the boat explodes, Sun is distraught.

While heading back to the island, a bright light floods the sky and the island vanishes. Low on fuel and with nowhere to land, Frank tells them to put on life-jackets and prepare for impact. The survivors swim towards the life raft thrown into the water by Sayid moments before impact. Frank rescues Desmond, who is floating face down in the water. Desmond is not breathing, but Jack resuscitates him.

Back on the beach

Juliet is on the beach, alone, with a bottle of rum. Sawyer arrives on the beach after having leapt from the helicopter. Seeing the bottle, he asks what Juliet is celebrating. Juliet tells him that she is not celebrating and points to the smoke emanating from the destroyed freighter.

After the Island is moved

The Searcher intercepts the life-raft

Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, Frank and Desmond continue to float on the life-raft. Everyone is quiet until Hurley observes that “Locke moved the Island”. Jack becomes agitated and disagrees. As the two argue, Frank notices a nearby light and realizes it is a ship. Everyone begins shouting and the ship begins pulling up beside the life-raft. At this point Jack suddenly remembers Locke telling him to lie about what has happened to them, realizes that it must be done, and hastily shares this plan with the others in the life raft.

To each other’s surprise, Desmond and Penelope reunite

Onboard the Searcher, a crewman, who is actually Henrik from the listening station frantically moves back and forth and calls out for “Ms. Widmore”. Penelope exits the bridge to see what was happening. Desmond hears Penny’s voice as she directs the Searcher crewmen to help the people aboard the raft. He calls up to her, “Penny!” and jumps onto some netting to pull himself up to the ship and rushes to meet Penelope on the deck. Reunited, Desmond quickly introduces Penelope to the others from the life raft. Jack tells Penelope seriously that they need to talk.

A week later, the Oceanic Six prepare to depart from Penelope’s freighter with a well established cover story, while Desmond and Frank stay behind. Jack tells Desmond to be careful now that they know what Widmore is capable of, then quotes Desmond — “See you in another life, brother”. The Oceanic Six get on the life-raft and head for the island of Sumba.

Flashforward

Jack

Picking up exactly where the final scene of “Through The Looking Glass” left off, with Jack calling after Kate’s car “We have to go back!”, Kate reverses the car, gets out, and confronts Jack. She condemns Jack for wanting to go back to the Island, for calling her for 2 days straight whilst high on pills and for showing her the obituary for Jeremy Bentham. She explains that Jeremy Bentham had met with her and she knew from the first moment that he was crazy, and that she can’t believe Jack would trust him. Jack says he listened to Bentham because he was told that it was the only way to save Kate and Aaron. Kate slaps him for abandoning her and Aaron. Jack tries to apologize, but Kate tells him she spent the last three years trying to forget all the horrible things that happened on the day that they left. She tells him she won’t go back, gets back in the car and speeds away.

Hurley

An older Walt visits Hurley

Walt visits Hurley in the mental institution, with his grandmother standing by to make sure Hurley isn’t “dangerous”. Walt asks why nobody came to visit him after their rescue. Hurley apologizes, but Walt adds that one person did come to see him: Jeremy Bentham. Walt asks why the Oceanic Six are all lying. Hurley whispers that they are lying to protect the people that remained on the Island. “Like my dad?” asks Walt. “Like your dad, yeah,” replies a visibly nervous Hurley.

Sayid

Sayid comes for Hurley

Sayid arrives at Hurley’s mental institution late at night and executes a man in the parking lot. Sayid finds Hurley playing chess, apparently alone, opposite an empty chair. Sayid wants Hurley to come with him, “somewhere safe.” Hurley replies that he has not seen Sayid in “like forever” and doesn’t understand why he should join him. Sayid replies that “circumstances have changed”: Bentham is dead, having supposedly killed himself two days ago. Hurley does not want to call Bentham by this alias and is about to call him by his real name when Sayid stops him, adding that they are being watched. Hurley says that he has been having regular conversations with dead people, and the last thing he needs was paranoia. Sayid replies that he has just killed a man who had been watching Hurley for a week and that paranoia keeps him alive. Sayid assures Hurley that they are not going back to the island, merely “somewhere safe”. Hurley accepts, but just as he is about to leave the room, he makes one more move on his chessboard and says, “Checkmate, Mr. Eko.”

Sun

Sun goes to see Widmore in London

Sun approaches a restaurant in London while talking to her mother and Ji Yeon Kwon, now speaking, on the phone. Charles Widmore emerges from the restaurant. Sun approaches him and presents herself as the daughter of Paik, and the managing director of Paik Industries. Widmore recognizes the name and inquires about her father. Sun confronts Widmore with the knowledge that he is aware of her true identity, adding that Widmore knows that they have been lying about their experiences. She then suggests that she and Widmore have common interests. She gives him her Paik business card, suggesting he call when ready to talk. Finally she reminds Widmore that the Oceanic Six “are not the only ones who left the Island.” Widmore, surprised, asks why she would want to cooperate with him. Without answering, she leaves.

Kate & Aaron

Claire’s manifestation in Aaron’s room

Kate wakes in her home to the sound of footsteps, but sees no one. The phone rings. A male voice, speaking in reverse, says, “The island needs you. You have to go back before it’s too late”. She hears footsteps again and retrieves a gun from her closet. Checking on Aaron, she confronts the intruder bent over his bed, only to find that it is Claire. She warns Kate not to bring “him” back to the island. Suddenly Kate wakes, realizes she had been dreaming, and quickly checks on Aaron; there is no intruder and no sign of Claire. She then looks at Aaron and says “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Jack

Jack, still apparently drunk and high, drives to the funeral parlor after hours. He breaks in and approaches the casket, noticing that no one has yet signed the release form for Bentham’s body. Ben suddenly enters the room. Jack says that Bentham had told him Ben was off the Island, Jack and Kate having spoken to Bentham about a month prior. Bentham had said that after Jack left the island “some very bad things happened” and it was Jack’s fault for leaving. Bentham added that Jack had to come back.

John Locke is revealed to be the late Jeremy Bentham

Ben replies that he has heard about Jack riding passenger planes, hoping they’ll crash; Ben describes this as “very dark”. Ben tells Jack he is here to let him know that the Island won’t let him come alone: “all of you have to go back”. Jack says he doesn’t know where Sayid is, Hurley is mentally unwell, Sun blames Jack for Jin’s death, and Kate doesn’t even want to talk to him anymore. Ben says that this is the only way: all of them have to do it together, and that Ben has a few ideas about how it is to be done and is willing to help. However he specifies that all of them must return, including the deceased Bentham, who is revealed to be none other than John Locke.

Trivia

Comparison of Sumba beaches

General

• This episode follows the trend of former season finales in that a major subject throughout the season is blown up or destroyed during it. Whereas Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3 featured the Hatch, Swan station, and the Others respectively, this concerned the freighter, Kahana.
• During the airing of Part 3, a commercial for Octagon Global Recruiting aired. This organization is looking for applicants for the DHARMA Initiative. Their recruitment drive begins in San Diego on July 24th - 27th, 2008. This is the same date as ComicCon ‘08.
• Each year the producers have a special name for a secret scene in that year’s finale. This year’s special name turned about to be literal - “Frozen Donkey Wheel”, referring to the frozen wheel Ben has to turn to activate the teleportation of the island.
• The logo of the Hoffs/Drawler Funeral Home includes a Black orb, reminiscent of the white Pearl station logo.
• As the Oceanic Six arrive on Sumba, the blocking and set dressing of Sumba’s shore is similar to Elliot’s second flashback from Lost: Via Domus.
• After the helicopter crashes Jack is alone in the water and it is quiet, before he surfaces to a loud and chaotic scene. This resembles his first scene on the Island in “Pilot, Part 1,” as well as Ana Lucia waking up to the crash in “The Other 48 Days.”
• Hurley is seen opening a Fruit Roll-Up with the words ‘Molly Fisher’ on it where the name of the flavor should be.
• Juliet is drinking rum from a bottle labled “Dharma Initiative Rum” with a Swan logo on it. At the top is a plastic label identifying it as “Mount Gay Rum - Barbados”.
• Vincent is briefly visible in the background when Daniel first returns on the Zodiac. This is his first appearance since “The Shape of Things to Come.”
• The inaudible whisper that Sawyer tells Kate appears to be “I have a daughter in Alabama, you need to find her. Tell her i’m sorry”. This Video enhances the dialogue. However since Sawyer’s daughter Clementine was living in Albuquerque then it would be safe to assume that was what was truly said and not Alabama as the video states.
• The people in the Searcher speaking Portuguese are the same Portuguese seen in Live Together, Die Alone. The accent is still neither European nor Brazilian, as heard in that episode, with the same bizarre accent. The transcript goes:

Production notes

• This is the only episode of Season 4 in which all credited cast members appear.
• This is the second time an episode of Lost features footage filmed outside of the United States. The London scene between Sun and Charles Widmore was filmed in London due to Alan Dale performing on stage in the West End production of Spamalot during filming of the second block of Season 4. The first time was during “The Shape of Things to Come“.
• Two alternate endings were also shot with Sawyer and Desmond in the coffin. These were aired on Good Morning America on May 30, 2008.[1]
• This episode features Malcolm David Kelley’s first speaking role since “Through the Looking Glass“.
• This episode features the first instance of a lapse of time during the continuous present-day narrative, notably, the caption of “One Week Later” after the life-raft crew are found by the Searcher.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• The final flashforward scene from “Through the Looking Glass” is slightly reedited in the “previously on Lost” segment at the beginning of the episode, adding a new shot of Kate’s car driving off which then leads into the first scene of this episode. However, “Through the Looking Glass” ended with Jack turning around and walking towards his car, while in this episode, he is still watching Kate’s car drive off when Kate stops and changes to reverse gear.
• Richard Alpert is shown lowering the gun after shooting Keamy in the back. After a brief reaction shot from Sayid, Richard is again shown lowering the gun.
• When the helicopter first takes off from the Island, the right leg of the stunt pilot can be seen. He is wearing shorts unlike Frank, who is wearing pants throughout the episode.
• When the helicopter takes off, there is a clear shot of its underside. There is no fuel leakage from the gunshot hole. Once they are above the water, it starts to leak.
• No radio transmitter is capable of broadcasting a signal from deep underground. If the explosives were rigged to detonate with the loss of a radio link to Keamy’s transmitter, the bomb would have been triggered when Keamy took the elevator down to the Orchid, if not sooner. If the explosives were rigged to detonate upon receiving a detonate command from Keamy’s transmitter upon his death, then the Kahana would never have blown up, as no radio signal would have been capable of surviving the attenuation and reflection associated with the rock surroundings of the Orchid station.(But as we don’t know exactly when the Kahana blew up, it could be blown up when Keamy took the elevator down to the Orchid, and the reciever could be dead-man reciever, as the explosives would detonate if it will stop recieving “OK” signals.If that is right it means that Ben did not killed the people on the ship, whather he knew they already blew up or not).
• When Ben climbs down the ladder to the icy cavern and falls, the crowbar lands behind him. In the next shot, it is in front of him, slightly under his knee.
• Frank’s helicopter is shown hitting the water surface with a high forward speed, then tilting forward and breaking into pieces. Actually, a helicopter that runs out of fuel (or somehow loses power) can still perform a controlled descent using autorotation, so it is very unlikely that Frank’s helicopter would have crashed the way it did.
• When Hurley takes Aaron from Kate on the raft, the first shot shows him with a life jacket; in the next shot, he is not wearing a life jacket.
• If freezing the battery attached to the C4 stopped the flow of current without causing an explosion, then the battery could have been disconnected while it was frozen.
• When the Oceanic Six arrive on the island of Sumba, a camera operator is visible at the bottom right of the screen when Sayid rows the raft ashore.
• According to Adam Savage of Mythbusters,

Recurring themes

• The Oceanic Six lie about what happened during and after the plane crash. (Deceptions and cons)
• Sawyer refers to Jack as “Sundance”. (Nicknames)
• Michael dies and Jin’s fate becomes unknown in the freighter explosion. (Life and death)
• Sayid kills a man at 8:15 (Numbers) (Life and death)
• Charlotte has been on the island before. (Secrets)
• Kate dreams of Claire after she is off the island. (Dreams)
• Ben claims that the person who moves the island can never come back. (Sacrifice)
• Dr. Halliwax performs an experiment with rabbits. (Animals)
• The rabbit Dr. Halliwax is holding has a 15 labeled on it. (Numbers)
• Sun tells Michael that she is pregnant. (Pregnancies)
• Hurley lies to Walt about Michael’s death. (Deceptions and cons)
• Michael hears the whispers before Christian appears. (Whispers)
• Keamy and the mercenaries hear the whispers before the others attack them. (Whispers)
• Sawyer calls Frank “Kenny Rogers.” (Nicknames)
• Hurley plays chess with Mr. Eko in his room, when Sayid visits him. (Games) (Black and White)
• Sawyer jumps out of the chopper so that the others can make it to the Freighter. (Sacrifice)
• After whispering in her ear, Sawyer tells Kate to “just do it, Freckles.” (Nicknames)
• Hurley calls Keamy and the mercenaries the “Rambo” guys. (Nicknames)
• Sawyer, who once said he had never done a good thing in his life, jumps from the helicopter to save others. (Redemption).

• The building that Jack parks at across from the funeral home has the address 1658. (Numbers)
• Ben confirms to Locke that Halliwax was conducting a time-travel experiment with the bunny. (Time)
• The Santa Rosa Mental Institute sign. (Black and White)
• The Hoffs/Drawler sign. (Black and White)

Cultural references

• Jeremy Bentham (February 15, 1748–June 6, 1832) was an English philosopher best known for his advocacy of utilitarianism. Bentham’s positions included arguments in favor of individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the end of slavery, the abolition of physical punishment (including that of children), the right to divorce, free trade, usury, and the decriminalization of homosexuality. After his death, Bentham’s body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet; this preserved body, called the “autoicon”, has been on display at University College London since 1850, and every fifty years is brought to the College Council meeting where Bentham is listed as “present but not voting”.
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Sawyer calls Jack “Sundance”. (Movies)  (Nicknames)
• Kenny Rogers: Sawyer calls Frank “Kenny Rogers”. (Music)  (Nicknames)
• “Gouge Away“: Jack is listening to this Pixies song on the way back to the funeral home. Pixies singer Black Francis was born on April 6th, the date after Jack’s newspaper was published. The Pixies were also a favorite band of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, whose song Scentless Apprentice was played in Jack’s first visit to the funeral home in Through the Looking Glass. Gouge Away is the 15th song on the album Doolittle. (Music)
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: The famous picture of the White Rabbit is seen on Aaron’s bedroom door. (Books)
• Rambo: Hurley tells Jack he shouldn’t go to the helicopter because those Rambo guys are heading there. John James Rambo was a troubled war vet and Green Beret in a series of movies that highlight his survival skills and special ops training. Going “Rambo” has become synonomous with a person who uses excessive gun violence. (Movies)

Literary techniques

• We learn that the person in the coffin in the flashforward from “Through the Looking Glass” is a man named Jeremy Bentham, only to discover at the end of the episode that Jeremy Bentham was simply an alias for John Locke. (Plot twist)
• This episode contained flashforwards for all the members of the Oceanic 6. (Flashforwards)
• Jack says to Desmond “see you in another life, brother”. (Regularly spoken phrases)
• Kate was trying to help Ben free himself from the handcuffs. (Irony)
• In “The Shape of Things to Come” the mercenaries hide in the jungle and shoot at Sawyer while Sawyer tries shooting at them, but has no idea where they are. In this episode the mercenaries are in a clearing, and the Others, who are hiding in the jungle, shoot at them while the mercenaries try to shoot back. (Irony)
• Ben blows up the freighter, not caring he killed innocent people, the same reason he gave Michael why he shouldn’t blow it up to begin with. (Irony)
• Keamy was killed by his own knife. (Irony)
• Christian says to Michael, “You can go now.” (Regularly spoken phrases)
• Sun screams, “We have to go back!” (Regularly spoken phrases)
• In Kate’s dream, she tells Claire, thinking she was another person, not to “touch [her] son”. (Irony)
• In flashforwards, multiple references are made to a mysterious character named Jeremy Bentham, before the audience knows the real identity of this character. (Unseen character)
• The helicopter crew tries to get to the Freighter, thinking that it will save their lives. At the same time, Desmond, Micheal and Jin want to get off the Freighter because they are all about to die when the bomb explodes. (Life and death)  (Salvation)  (Irony)
• The scene when Locke meets the Others as “his people” is filmed from downside up. Locke is seen at the top of a cliff looking down, as a mythical figure, by people who are sitting, kneeling or just getting up slowly. This is intended to picture Locke as a savior, the chosen one, a divine entity that deserves to be adored by those people. (Symbolism)  (Archetype)
• Jack, a man of science, feels compelled to accept the logic of Locke, a man of faith, concerning the story that’ll have to be told to the outside world. (Irony)
• Ben is wearing a parka because of the freezing room where the donkey wheel is located. Right after, he is teleported to a caustic desert wearing the same clothes. (Irony)
• When the helicopter crashes, Jack submerges into a quite peaceful surrounding, only to resurface to a disaster scene. This echoes the arrival of Ana-Lucia to the Island and is faily similar to the first scenes of the first episode, when Jack himself is lying unconscious in the woods and wakes up only to see the remains of the airplane burning and the survivors running in the beach. (Juxtaposition)
• Michael freezes the bomb battery in the freighter to stop it from working. Almost at the same time, Ben is trying to restore the power in a frozen mechanism that “moves” the Island. Both attempts are succesful to a point and then bring about remarkable counterpoints as well. (Juxtaposition)
• We are led to believe from the flashforwards that the Oceanic Six left the people on the island, while in fact the Island ‘left’ them. (Irony)

Storyline analysis

• Faraday transports people to the freighter. (F-Missions)
• The Others rescue Ben Linus from Keamy. (O-Missions)
• Ben tells Locke the Others are ready to listen to him after his departure. (Leadership)
• Jack breaks into the funeral parlor. (Crimes)
• Ben kills Keamy. (Crimes)
• Desmond and Penny are reunited. (Relationships)
• Locke tells Jack he wants to let bygones be bygones. (Rivalries)

Episode references

• The smoke from the remains of the freighter is reminiscent of the pillar of black smoke. (”Exodus, Part 2“)
• Jack tells Desmond “See you in another life, brother”. (”Man of Science, Man of Faith“)
• Locke asks Ben if The Orchid is the “magic box“. (”The Man from Tallahassee“)
• Ben puts on the Halliwax Parka, and cuts his arm as he descends deeper into the snow and ice covered section of Orchid station. (”The Shape of Things to Come“)
• Sawyer whispers something to Kate on the helicopter before he jumps out. Sawyer is asking her to perform the favor that causes Jack to become angry in the future. (”Something Nice Back Home“)
• Ben asks Locke for his weapon back. (”There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1“)
• The survivors’ raft approaches a boat they assume came to save them (”Exodus, Part 2“)
• Penny says that she has a tracking station. (”Live Together, Die Alone“)
• The flash-forward continues on from the final scene of Season 3. (”Through the Looking Glass“)
• The figure in the coffin is revealed. (”Through the Looking Glass“)
• Sun screams, “We have to go back!” (”Through the Looking Glass“)
• Juliet sat on the beach and drank when she realized she was still stuck on the island, just like Desmond had when he failed to sail away from the island. (”Live Together, Die Alone“)
• Christian mirrors Miles’s earlier statement of “You can go now.” (”Confirmed Dead“)

Unanswered questions

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3/Theories

On the Island

• Where and/or when did the Island go?
• Where and/or when did Hydra Island go?
• Why does Miles decide to stay on the island?
• What is Charlotte’s previous experience with the Island?
• What is the nature of the frozen donkey wheel?
• Why does the Orchid tape begin to rewind itself?
• Why can the person who “moves the island” never return?
• What’s the meaning behind Richard welcoming Locke “home”?
• How is Ben responsible for Locke’s life having been “so miserable”?
• How did the elevator to the Orchid move when Keamy was still lying on the ground, seemingly dead, near the chopper?

After the rescue

Locke

• How does John Locke die?
• How did Locke get to the mainland?
• Was Locke able to walk after leaving the island?
• Why was Locke using the alias Jeremy Bentham?
• Why did Locke contact Walt, Hurley, Kate and Jack on the mainland?
• Why must Locke’s body be returned to the island?
• Why doesn’t Locke have a scar over his right eye?

The Oceanic Six

• Where does Sayid take Hurley?
• What is Sun’s agenda in regard to Widmore?
• Do Frank and Desmond and/or Walt have to return to the Island as well?
• Why was Kate apologizing to Aaron?

Miscellaneous

• What “bad things” happened after the Oceanic Six left the island?
  • Why is it, according to Locke, Jack’s fault?
  • Did Daniel Faraday, Charlotte and Miles have anything to do with the “bad things”?
• Who must Desmond make sure does not find him?

People who weren’t rescued

• What happened to Faraday and those on the raft?
• What happened to Jin and the remaining Oceanic 815 survivors who jumped of the Kahana wearing life-vests?