# Lost 4.08: "Meet Kevin Johnson"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 20, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074 "2008-03-20T15:07:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/1 "2008-03-20T15:07:32Z")
Thread rules:
> [@](#):
>
> Information about all episodes aired to this point – including the current week – will be unboxed.
> Information about this week’s episode’s “next week” teasers will be unboxed.
> Information about future episodes taken from spoiler sites/inside sources, including Podcasts, will be boxed. This includes links to promo photos and screencaps from future episodes.
> Speculation based on events in episodes aired up to this point (including teasers) will be unboxed.
> Speculation based on spoilers for upcoming episodes will be boxed.
>
> Please remember, links inside spoiler boxes are readable even to those who don’t highlight.
OK, this is the last of the 8 episodes written before the writers strike, so we’ll have a few weeks hiatus after tonight. We all know who Kevin Johnson is, so this will obviously be a Michael centric episode (don’t show so much excitement!). I hope we get to see some hint as to how the Oceanic 6 were the ones to get off The Island, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that will be revealed later on in the 5 episodes still to come this season.
It doesn’t look like ABC is showing a repeat of last week’s episode at 8PM as they had been doing thus far.
From the preview on Lostpedia for this episode (actually from my TV listings, as Lostpedia doesn’t have anything yet):
\*\* “Meet Kevin Johnson” \*\*: Ben knows about an impending attack, so he prompts daughter Alex to escape Locke’s camp. On the freighter, Sayid confronts Ben’s spy.
**Some useful Café Society links are given below:**
Thread index for Season 1 Episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=277083) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=278382) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=279542) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=280792) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=281998) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283328) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284665) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285925) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287237) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=289514) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=290718) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295320) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=296591) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=297760) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301602) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302710) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303909) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=304986) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309511) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310613) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315048) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=316088) [23](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=317139) [24](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=318051)
Thread index for Season 2 Episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335991) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337167) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=338307) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339366) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340432) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343878) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345144) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=346239) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347177) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=353542) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354691) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=355716) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357834) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359015) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=361048) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363982) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365010) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=366081) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=367064) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=370033) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371010) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371991)
Thread index for Season 3 episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=390771) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=391722) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=392661) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=393629) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=394542) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=395368) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=407398) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408446) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409378) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=410362) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=411321) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=412292) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=413323) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=414347) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=415259) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=416195) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=417197) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418222) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=419145) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=420116) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421113) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421996)
Thread index for Season 4 episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=453462) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=454618) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455630) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=456811) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457801) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=458668) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=459619)
[The Official Lost Jargon Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=286221)
Official “Lost” Questions Thread[Season 1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284542), [Season 2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336040), [Season 3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=390739)
**Here are some interesting external links:**
[The Lost Report](http://hometown.aol.com/qcotms/myhomepage/index.html): A very well written summary of the most current episode often containing interesting insights. I don’t think you’ll find spoilers.
[The Tail Section](http://www.thetailsection.com/): Excellent site for still frame photos of key scenes, along with some good analysis. But… beware of spoilers!
[Sledgeweb’s Lost… Stuff](http://lost.cubit.net/): Pretty good site, but again beware of spoilers. I use it mainly for the Timeline section, which is an incredibly detailed breakdown of “how long since…?” for almost anything you can think of (pre- and post-plane crash).
[Door Map from Episode 2.17](http://www.thetailsection.com/uploaded_images/cleanwall-707484.jpg). A nicely cleaned up version of the diagram Locke saw while pinned under the lockdown doors. No spoilers.
[Lostpedia](http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page): The wikipedia of Lost information. Quite a comprehensive site, but beware of spoilers!
[ThEmIsFiTiShErE](http://themisfitishere.blogspot.com/): The Misfit offers his whacky commentary on “Lost”. Is he a nut-case or a clever insider? Careful, though, possible spoilers.
---
### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/2 "2008-03-20T15:40:38Z")
Rarely have I disliked a fictional character more than Michael - let him be the one that dies today!
-Joe
---
### Author:  [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/3 "2008-03-20T16:40:14Z")
Amen, Merijeek, Amen!!
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/4 "2008-03-20T16:43:02Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
Rarely have I disliked a fictional character more than Michael - let him be the one that dies today!
-Joe
[/QUOTE]
Quoted for Truth.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/5 "2008-03-20T16:45:07Z")
I don’t think they’re going to list him as a star in the credits then kill him after one episode.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/6 "2008-03-20T16:58:20Z")
I suspect they’re not going to have Michael MIA for so long (and now, presumably, playing a key role in Ben’s machinations) only to kill him off so soon.
Which means it’s going to be a challenge developing this character beyond the ugly final impressions we have of him, based on his betrayal and murder back on the island, as well as his own irritating personality traits (“WAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllttttttttttttttttt!”)
I’ve really been enjoying the season so far, but if it’s a Michael ep tonight, the writers definitely have their work cut out for them.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/7 "2008-03-20T17:18:47Z")
I predict Claire dies in this episode.
Shannon died soon after Boone, so it might make sense to the writers.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/8 "2008-03-20T17:19:13Z")
Why do they have to make us like him? I can easliy watch an episode about someone I hate.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/9 "2008-03-20T17:27:27Z")
You think Walt will make an appearance in this episode? He left with Michael on the boat at the end of season 2, so maybe we’ll see what happened to them after that point.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/10 "2008-03-20T17:39:28Z")
It’s not so much the character, per se, that I dislike but the acting. Or, to give him the benefit of the doubt, the dialog that the writers have given him. Maybe it’s a combination of both, but I get irritated every time he’s on the screen.
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/11 "2008-03-20T17:40:44Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk]
You think Walt will make an appearance in this episode? He left with Michael on the boat at the end of season 2, so maybe we’ll see what happened to them after that point.
[/QUOTE]
That’s what I’d like to know as well. Ben told them they would find “rescue,” so why aren’t they together on the freighter?
Just want to know.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/12 "2008-03-20T17:45:49Z")
[QUOTE=vivalostwages]
That’s what I’d like to know as well. Ben told them they would find “rescue,” so why aren’t they together on the freighter?
Just want to know.
[/QUOTE]
From a sneak peak over on TheTailSection:
Sayid askes Michael why he’s on the boat, and he answers that he’s there to die.
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### Author:  [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/13 "2008-03-20T18:19:03Z")
I’m hoping we’ll see Season 1 Michael, not Season 2 Michael.
My own guess here is that he’s on the boat trying to rescue the rest of the Losties regardless of what the crew is up to.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/14 "2008-03-20T18:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=Trion]
I’m hoping we’ll see Season 1 Michael, not Season 2 Michael.
My own guess here is that he’s on the boat trying to rescue the rest of the Losties…
[/QUOTE]
… or die trying.
WE CAN ONLY HOPE!!! 😉
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/15 "2008-03-20T18:25:20Z")
From what was reported in my local paper today (not too much of a spoiler, but just in case):
We see some of what happened between the last time we saw Michael and the present Island time. Flashbacks, presumably, not flashforwards.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/16 "2008-03-20T18:28:13Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace]
From what was reported in my local paper today (not too much of a spoiler, but just in case):
We see some of what happened between the last time we saw Michael and the present Island time. Flashbacks, presumably, not flashforwards.
[/QUOTE]
The previous two spoilers certainly suggest Michael eats it tonight.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/17 "2008-03-20T18:32:41Z")
**Gfactor** : We can only hope. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/18 "2008-03-20T19:17:21Z")
If Michael doesn’t die tonight, here’s a WAG about his future…In the Kate/Jack flashforward at the airport (“Through The Looking Glass”), Kate can’t understand why Jack would go to the unknown man’s funeral. So it’s someone they have a connection to, but have reason to dislike. I think the man in the coffin may be Michael.
He’s already gotten off the island, seemingly anonymously. If he returns to LA at a later time and keeps his alias (sorry all, this would mean he doesn’t die tonight), then he would never have been considered one of the Oceanic 6. Therefore, he dies an unknown man whom Kate doesn’t want anything to do with but Jack is irresistably drawn to see at the funeral because he can’t let go of the past, no matter how big of an asshole Michael was.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/19 "2008-03-20T19:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Paul The Younger]
If Michael doesn’t die tonight, here’s a WAG about his future…In the Kate/Jack flashforward at the airport (“Through The Looking Glass”), Kate can’t understand why Jack would go to the unknown man’s funeral. So it’s someone they have a connection to, but have reason to dislike. I think the man in the coffin may be Michael.
[/quote]
That’s been my guess since that episode aired.
> [@](#):
>
> He’s already gotten off the island, seemingly anonymously. If he returns to LA at a later time and keeps his alias (sorry all, this would mean he doesn’t die tonight), then he would never have been considered one of the Oceanic 6. Therefore, he dies an unknown man whom Kate doesn’t want anything to do with but Jack is irresistably drawn to see at the funeral because he can’t let go of the past, no matter how big of an asshole Michael was.
One thing we do know is that the guy in the coffin was not using the name Kevin Johnson, per the obituary we saw. We didn’t see the whole name, but we did see enough to know that it wasn’t KJ. Unless the writers were screwing with us, and that name was not the name of the deceased.
---
### Author:  [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-08-meet-kevin-johnson/442074/20 "2008-03-20T20:41:35Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace]
That’s been my guess since that episode aired.
One thing we do know is that the guy in the coffin was not using the name Kevin Johnson, per the obituary we saw. We didn’t see the whole name, but we did see enough to know that it wasn’t KJ. Unless the writers were screwing with us, and that name was not the name of the deceased.
[/QUOTE]
[www.lost.cubit.net](http://lost.cubit.net/archives/2007/05/3x22WhoDiedJeremyBentham.php) has the obit as reading “J\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_entham of New York”. They speculate the name is Jeremy Bentham. They also mention the casket is very small, but I can’t find a screencap to support that. Michael is originally from New York.
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