Maya-style temple in Lost

The two-hour debut of Lost's last season debuted Tuesday (airdate: 2/2/10). One prominent locale was a Maya-style pyramid they called the Temple.

I don't think it was supposed to be a Maya pyramid, since I didn't see any Maya-specific indicators such as glyphs. But it resembled a Maya pyramid more than anything else.

This is another example of the common Indiana Jones trope: a lost indigenous civilization in the jungle, complete with scary defenders and magical powers. In this case, an apparent fountain of youth, which is also based on Native legends.

If Natives want to prove how strange they are, why don't they build glass-and-steel boxes like modern buildings? (In a jungle climate, that would be strange.) Why do they always build Maya-style pyramids and temples? From Yavin 4 to Lost's island, "Maya" signifies mysterious and exotic.



[*spoilers*]

Lost looks to be better than ever this season. Last season's nuclear blast apparently split the timeline into two: one where Oceanic 816 crashed and one where it didn't.

I'm guessing we're going to follow both timelines all season, which should be fascinating. It'll create great "man in the mirror" comparisons. We'll see which characters would've done better and which would've done worse without the crash.

If Lost were smart, it would have the characters in the two timelines gradually learn about each other. (That's already started with Juliet's parting words: "It worked.") Eventually, they realize they have to do something to unite the timelines. Each character must choose which one he or she prefers.

This will lead to an incredibly fitting and happy ending. Dead characters (e.g., Charlie, Mr. Eko, Faraday) will appear in the non-crash timeline and get another chance at life. Couples (e.g., Sawyer and Juliet, Sayid and Nadia) will be reunited. The island will fade away for good and take (some of) our heroes with it.

Just remember: You read it here first.

For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

P.S. If J.J. Abrams wants to produce a spinoff called The Hugo and Miles Show, I'm totally on board. That could be the funniest show ever. ;-)