PISSED BY ZONKS

[Yet another "Lost In Thought" essay]

'Lost' came perilously close (for the TV Universe, that is) to throwing out a Zonk in the latest episode, "Hearts And Minds".

As you should know by now, a Zonk is a TV show's mention of another TV show when both series should be co-existing in the same universe. They should NOT be aware of each other as TV shows.

This past week, Hurley was in the surf, trying to catch a fish. Suddenly he was stung by a sea urchin and had to be helped back up on the beach by Jin.

Hurley kept pleading for Jin to pee on his foot; that it was the only way to take care of the poison from the sting. But Jin refused.

"You gotta pee on my foot, Dude!" Hurley begged. "I saw it on a TV show once. It's the only thing that will work!"
(paraphrased)

Like I said, he came awfully close to Zonking us! More than likely the TV show he was referring to was 'Friends'. In one episode, they all went out to the beach in the Hamptons and somebody got stung in the foot. So the bond of friendship was cemented even harder when one of the other five volunteered to pee on the foot.

'Lost' has already Zonked us, however. When Boone and Locke were out in the jungle searching for Claire, Boone was tying red flags up to mark their path back.

He pointed out that the red flags were made of a red shirt. And that anybody who wore a red shirt on 'Star Trek' (mostly the engineering or security departments) was usually flagged as a potential goner.

Don't go behind that rock!

'Star Trek' must be right up there with 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Gilligan's Island' for the most Zonk references in other TV shows. Up until now I've had to just shrug and accept it, for I couldn't see anyway out of splainin that one away.

At least with many of the other shows, their episodes happened (for the most part) in the "present time" of their original broadcast. There was always the possibility then that characters who referred to those shows later on were aware of the "history".

But how do you splain away a character's knowledge of what will happen in the TV Universe 400 years into the future?

'Lost' may provide the key to solve that problem. I won't say why just yet, because the show is very slow and patient in giving up its secrets.

So stay tuned!

BCnU!
Tele-Toby