Dharma Special Access - Part 3

So there I was, all set for my next Dharma Special Access update to appear on a Wednesday and they go and blindside me with an influx of info a day earlier! So, here’s the content of the e-mail I received to lay out the goods in store. . .

RRRINNG! RRRINNG!

VOICE: Who is it? Why, it's Damon and Carlton, here to give you your very own free Dharma Initiative Namaste ringtone.

Yes, this week we have a special free Namaste ringtone for you guys. For this complimentary content, just text "Namaste" to 77888 to get started.

And now the legal jargon: By texting the above keyword, your number will be registered on the ABC mobile site. Standard text and data messaging fees apply. You will not be part of ABC mobile subscription. Terms and conditions at abcmobile.playp.biz. For support or inquiries call 866-853-9793. The ringtone is only available for a 48 hour period (12/8/08-12/10/08). Hurry and get yours now.

Onomatopoeia is a disease all LOST writers suffer from. We're always looking for ways of intensifying the sense of action we're trying to convey on the page. So without spoiling what's coming up this season, we've asked our awesome co-producer/script coordinator Gregg Nations to pull up a list of some of the unique words that appear in the first 3 episodes of season 5. They might give you a very marginal sense of what's coming up:

From #501:

CL-CLICK. BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP. KNOCKNKNOCKKNOCK! WHAPPP! VVVVVVWWHHHHHEEEEMMMMMM! PLLEPPT-PLEPTT-PLEPTT. BOOOOOOOOOM! BLAAM!!! THUUDDD. CRUUUUUUUUUNCH! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! SMAAASSHHHH! SHCLICK!!!! CA-CLICK. FOOOMP. SKLIIIIIISH. PING. RAT-A-TAT. BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!!!!

From #502:

BWOOBWOO! TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP. KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. SLAMMM! THWACK! KRE-KLACK. BEEEEP... SLAMS. SCRRIIIIIDDDDDDDFLIP!

From #503:

FLAPP-FLAPP-FLAPP. AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!! THRAAAAASH! KAAAAAAAA-THWOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! CLICKETY-CLICKETY-CLACK. CRRRR-ACK!

Not only are these words fun to write, they're also fun to spell check. As each one comes up, your fingers hover there on the mouse wondering whether to "ignore" or "save" or whether you're just plain insane.

Also this week, we've got a brand new video about the LOST BOOK CLUB for you, including a special reading from a book that appears this upcoming season.

GAASSPPPP! What's this? Why, it looks like a first-look at an as-yet-unseen Dharma station logo. Hmmmmmmm... I wonder what the name of the station is?

Until next week...

Peace, Love and Namaste,

Damon and Carlton

As much as a Lost fan as I am, I am not going to attempt to dissect the word-sound-meaning ascribed above to derive potential clues. That would be silly. And, no, I didn’t bother getting the ringtone either. I’m sure it’s all kinds of wonderful, but I can’t say I’m particularly fussed. However, over the actual dharmaspecialaccess.com site itself there was another video posted – just the one this week, going for quality rather than quantity I am pleased to see – which you can see below these words here.

The two major elements are the brief flash of the Dharma logo at the end, and the mention of the episode title in conjunction with the book club insight. Books first.

So episode 5.7 is apparently called 316, and in this episode Benjamin Linus will be shown reading James Joyce Ulysses. Luckily for you, I happen to have nothing less than a degree in English Literature, and one of the books I studied was the very same Ulysses. Basically it’s a day in the life of one man, in Ireland, but is packed full of lots of clever writing. It’s also an absolute bitch to read.

However, given the book is about 900 pages long and yet is merely about the events of one single day, maybe there’s some kind of thematic thing about time and time compression (or expansion) coming into play? What I mean is, 900 pages is way too long to cover just one day – and maybe that’s got something to do with time dilation on the Island?

Hmm.

The episode is called 316. The obvious reasoning for that would be a Bible reference – chapter and verse thing. That’s probably a likely one, given the previous titles of Exodus and The 23rd Psalm and so on. Yet whilst that might be the most likely it’s also the most boring (to my mind, anyway). You want an out there suggestion? Try this:

We once had Oceanic 815. Maybe 316 refers to the new flight number of the plane that takes the O6 back to the Island. . . I’m claiming bragging rights if I’ve hit the nail on the head!

So, with all that book business over with, let’s get to the real highlight of intrigue. Namely, the new Dharma logo.

First impressions? For me I think it looks like an old-fashioned street lamplight. New Dharma Station is The Light? Sounds a bit weak. What about a Lighthouse? That might work, and could suggest something just off-shore. Let’s face it, how many more Dharma Stations can there be tucked away on the Island? It would make sense for it to be just a little way off, hidden, like The Looking Glass.

Maybe it’s a Dharma Station that’s not on the Island. (This is, once again folks, another AngeloComet gut-feeling stab in the dark exclusive.) Maybe this ‘lighthouse’, or ‘lamplight’ Station, is one that is used in the event of the Island being moved to re-locate where it has gone to. . . It would make sense to design a tracker Station, would it not? Given the Island has the capacity to disappear into thin air, if you wanted to get it back having a Station designed to find it no matter what would be a handy thing to have, right? I’d imagine Widmore would be greatly interested in such a thing. . .

So, that’s it for another week. Must say this has been a vast improvement in material over the other two weeks. They keep dropping gold nuggets like this and all that rubbish ARG flopping over business will be forgotten with before I can say, “Hans Van who?”