captivate-out-and-about: Delving Into The ‘Lost’ World

Delving Into The ‘Lost’ World

(originally posted on Green Among Gray Aug. 26, 2009)

We’re departing from the usual green stuff today to dip our toes into the world of TV blogging.

I’m a big Lost fan. But I hadn’t really thought about the show for awhile until the other day (insert “Whoosh” sound here, as we flash back a week), when I came across a blurb somewhere on the Web that the producers had launched an ARG (Alternate Reality Game, I think) to drum up enthusiasm for the upcoming final season and as a way to thank fans. The URL was cool sounding, so I headed over to DamonCarltonAndAPolarBear to find out what was going on.

But, in typical Lost fashion, it was cryptic as hell. Just a poster (really cool-looking though it was) of Hurley and a pastiche of Hurley-related items like a bucket of chicken and a lottery ticket. So with help from fellow Blogger blog TheLostARGS, I found out there was a whole scavenger hunt going on. Apparently, there would be clues given to lead viewers to various sites across various cities. The first was a club in Hollywood, where the actor who plays young Ben, Sterling Beaumon, made some clue-strewn announcements. But it still wasn’t clear exactly what was happening.

Yesterday or the day before, a new clue came up on the site that said, “Newbury Weds.” I thought, hey, we have a Newbury Street (Captivate is based in Boston suburb of Chelmsford, Mass.) – I wonder if Boston has anything to do with it?

Then, a new post: “Tell Them Horace Sent You,” and “Johnny Cupcakes, 279 Newbury Street, Wednesday August 26th 10 am.” Even I could figure that one out.

“Whooosh.” Back to the present (or very recent past, actually).

I got to Johnny Cupakes at 9:40. Not another soul there. Maybe I got it wrong after all, I thought. I strolled around a bit, came back at :10 of, and there were three other people milling about the steps leading up to the store.

By the time they opened at a little past ten, there were probably 12 or so of us. We piled up the steps, all anticipatory excitement. I said to the overwhelmed, petite punkstress who let us in, “Horace sent me.” Blank stare, with a grin, like, “OK, crazy man, just don’t hurt me.”

She and the other clerk said they didn’t know what we were talking about. Then they were like, “Oh, this must have something to do with this box,” and they dragged out a box full of skateboard decks.

The first eight of us got one. They’ve got a Web site, http://www.thatandbasketweaving.com/, on the front, along with a cryptic “8.0” stenciling and a “100% Canadian Maple” sticker. The underside is a Dharma skateboarder sign (above), along with a cool, weathered-looking design that upon further inspection could be a map. Also, hidden throughout are the magic Lost numbers of 4 8 15 16 23 42 (though I couldn’t find the 23. A clue, or just my oversight?).

So the whole group of us are juiced. We’re not sure what else to expect. Would a cast member show up? The producers? Johnny Cupcakes!? We’re all inspecting the boards for clues, plying the poor clerks for info, and bumming access to their computers so we could check the BasketWeaving website. Just generally amped up.

But soon it became clear the clerks weren’t just holding out on us. They actually weren’t privy to anything (though one did point out a new sticker on the shop window, which, a sharp fan among our group pointed out, is the name of the group Sayid worked for when he was building houses in the Dominican), and there would be no celeb appearances. And the Web site just took us back to the original ARG site, where a new poster was up, this one focusing on John Locke.

So apparently, the whole deal with the PolarBear Web site is this: You get clues as to what the upcoming season of Lost has in store. Some of these clues will be delivered via promo stops in various cities, at which Lost fans can get some super-cool schwag. Also, you can buy the posters via the Web site.

It’s that simple.

So have fun with the game, fellow Losties. If you happen to live near one of the places in the ARG, I highly suggest you show, and show early.

Season 6 begins in January.

We now return to regular programming.

Labels: Johnny Cupcakes Lost, Lost ARG, Lost skateboard

This entry was posted by Captivate's Roving Reporter, on Tuesday, October 27, 2009. You can leave your response .

Delving Into The ‘Lost’ World

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“Delving Into The ‘Lost’ World”