Lost Season 6 Analysis and Commentary (Episodes 13 – The Last Recruit)

While, in my opinion, this week was not the strongest episode, “The Last Recruit” certainly did quite a bit to move the plot along.  Having a multi-character episode, as opposed to a single-character-centric, allows the writers to advance the story much faster.  With that said, I view this week more as a setup for the endgame, than a particularly great individual episode.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

So let’s start at the beginning, where we pick up with the reunion of the Losties at Camp Flocke.  As much, as it was nice to see nearly all of the main characters in one place at the same time, this scene was all about Jack and Flocke....as, Flocke says, “We have some catching up to do.”  So Jack steps into Flocke’s office for a little chat:

JACK: You look just like him.
FLOCKE: Does it bother you?
JACK: What bothers me is I don’t know what the hell you are.
FLOCKE: Sure you do.

What an interesting way to respond.  Flocke doesn’t come out and say he is the smoke monster, as he has said to others.  Instead he leaves it ambiguous, reminding me on the line from the Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”: “Pleased to meet you.....hope you guess my name”.  I waffle back and forth as to whether or not Flocke/Man-in-Black is the devil, some other mythological entity, or the just a man imprisoned in hell/purgatory/limbo.  And the constant misdirection doesn’t help.

JACK: Why John Locke?
FLOCKE: Because he was stupid enough to believe he was brought here for a reason.  He pursued that belief until it got him killed.  And because you were kind enough to bring him back here is a nice wooden box.
JACK: He had to be dead before you could look like him.
FLOCKE: That’s right.

I like Flocke’s comments regarding why he chose Locke.  I’ll come back to this a little later in another important discussion in this episode.


A dozen stunningly beautiful people on this island and you choose to become the old, bald guy?



JACK: Who else have you looked like?
FLOCKE: Jack, what do you really want to ask me?
JACK: The third day we were here I saw...I chased my father through the jungle....my dead father.  Was that you?
FLOCKE: Yes, that was me.
JACK: Why?
FLOCKE: You needed to find water.  This may be hard for you to believe Jack, but all I’ve ever been interested in is help you.

Last week, I interpreted Michael’s comments regarding the whispers and not being able to “move on” as meaning that the island manifestations of the dead, like Christian, were not MIB taking their form.  Now, we have Flocke telling Jack (and later we learn he told the same thing to Claire) that he was Christian.  The real question here is: Is Flocke telling the truth?  To be honest, I haven’t got a clue.  To me, Flocke appears very sincere...but, I have to believe that Flocke/MIB’s motives are not altruistic.  I went back to see if there were any times in the series when Christian appeared on the island at the same time as Flocke.  From a timing standpoint, it does appear possible Flocke was taking Christian’s form.  But, I’ve still got a feeling that there is more to the Christian story than just MIB using his guise.  The Jack/Flocke discussion continues:

JACK: To help me?  To do what?
LOCKE: Leave. But because Jacob chose you, you were trapped on this Island, before you even got here. Now Jacob's dead. We don't have to be trapped anymore. We can get on an airplane and fly away anytime we want to.
JACK: If we can just fly away wherever we want, why are you still here?
FLOCKE: Because it has to be all of us.

Funny, that Flocke sounds an awful lot like John Locke.  Flocke wants them ALL to get on the Ajira plane to leave the island.  John Locke wanted to get ALL of the Oceanic 6 to return to the island together.

JACK: John Locke was the only one who ever believed in this place.  He did everything he could to keep us from leaving this place.
FLOCKE: John Locke was not a believer, Jack.  He was a sucker.

Note, how Jack defends Locke’s actions....a complete reversal of the opposition that Jack displayed in the early seasons.  But Flocke, who is ironically in Locke’s form, derides John Locke.

The scene shifts to the sideways universe and John Locke in an ambulance, following Desmond’s hit and run.  When asked about a contact, Locke groggily says, “Helen Norwood....I was gonna marry her.”  It makes me wonder if he is referring to his fiancée in the sideways timeline OR has he seen a vision of his main-timeline life in which Helen has died.

Locke’s ambulance arrives at the hospital at precisely the same moment as Sun’s, who has a gunshot wound in her pregnant stomach.  As the gurneys are wheeling side-by-side into the hospital, Sun looks over and recognizes Locke, and says in Korean, “No...no....it’s him”.  Clearly, Sun has had a vision of her island life and interprets Locke, as the imposter Flocke.  When this happens, it appears that Locke’s mouth turns to an ever so slight smile.  Could it be that Locke, not only has had a vision of island-Locke, but perhaps Flocke too?  That would be an interesting twist.


It’s just a flesh wound.



We then switch back to the island, where Claire is following Jack and Flocke.  Flocke leaves them alone to catch up.  After discussing how MIB pretended to be their father (by the way, when did island-Claire ever find out that she and Jack were half-brother and sister?) and Claire’s feelings of abandonment, they talk about Jack joining Team Flocke:

JACK: Actually, I haven’t....haven’t decided if I’m coming with you.
CLAIRE: Yeah, you have.
JACK: What do you mean?
CLAIRE: You decided the moment you let him talk to you, just like the rest of us. So, yeah, whether you like it or not, you're with him now.

We’ve heard this before about how once MIB (or Jacob) talks to you, you are his.  I’m still not sure exactly how this works (if it is some psychic connection or just his persuasiveness), but they have emphasized this point so much on the show, that it had better be important enough to give us some kind of explanation.

Back at Camp Flocke, Sawyer starts planning a jailbreak now that almost all the LOSTIES are back together.  But he isn’t interested in taking everyone:

SAWYER: Sayid ain’t invited.  He’s gone over to the dark side. 
HURLEY: Yeah, but you can always bring people back from the dark side....I mean Anakin...
SAWYER: Who the hell is Anakin?!?!

While I laughed out loud at this, I have to wonder if Hurley is right.  Is there still good in Sayid?  Can he be redeemed?  We may have a clue later in this episode.

We flip back again to the sideways timeline, where Detective Ford (aka Sawyer) offers prisoner Kate an apple.  Apples appear throughout religion, mythology, and folklore as having mystical powers or representing a temptation (or forbidden fruit)....the most famous story being Adam and Eve’s temptation in Eden.  Perhaps we are being left a clue that Sawyer and Kate will turn out to be the skeletons dubbed Adam and Eve in the caves from Season 1.  Maybe.   But then again, it was Eve who tempted Adam with the apple.  And in this case, Kate turns down the apple.  In the bible, the apple is a representation of original sin.  Note here that James, eats the apple, but Kate does not.  Kate claims innocence, when James rattles off her rap sheet.  James, though is exposed by Kate as being deceptive and having less than honorable reasons for being in Australia.  Maybe the apple is showing us that James is the sinner and Kate is the innocent, despite them being in the roles of cop and criminal, respectively.  The other possibility is that the apple is symbolic of their island roles, where Sawyer has sided with the Man-in-Black, but Kate has not given in to this temptation.


An apple a day, keeps the smoke monster away.



During this scene, James notes how odd it is that they were on the same flight, saw each other in the elevator at the airport and then she crashed into his car; “It’s almost like someone’s trying to put us together.”  A curious choice of words....he could have said “coincidence” or “fate” or “destiny”, but instead says, “someone”.  Is Jacob (or perhaps the island....which almost seems to be a character on the show) somehow the driving force of the crossing paths of the Losties in the sideways universe?  Hmmmm....

James’ partner, Miles, has ID’ed the “jaboney” that was responsible for killing Keamy and his men.  And that jaboney is, of course, Sayid.

Back on the island, Widmore’s hench-woman, Zoe comes brazenly into Camp Flocke.  She says, “You took something from us and we want it back.”  When Flocke feigns ignorance, Zoe sends a message via walkie-talkie to her people to, “show them what we are capable of.”  A weapon is launched and detonated very close to the camp.  Note that Flocke doesn’t even flinch.  We’ve seen that he is impervious to bullets in the Season 6 premiere, “LA X”....so, my guess is that he can’t be harmed by other conventional weapons either.....he is made of Smoke after all.  Zoe says that they have until nightfall to return what they took, hands Flocke the walkie and heads out.  Flocke’s response is to smash the walkie and then comments, “Well....here we go.”  Implying that the war Widmore once did portend, has now begun.


If you were gonna start a fire in my camp, you could have at least brought marshmallows.



We return again to the sideways universe, where Claire is heading to an adoption agency.  But Desmond, the man on a mission to show the Oceanic survivors a glimpse of another life, intervenes and convinces her that she needs to see a lawyer. He says that, “You could find yourself in a situation that is irreversible.”  Recall Jack’s words to Locke in the Season premiere: “Nothing’s irreversible.”

It turns out that Desmond’s lawyer is Ilana.  When she meets Claire, she notes that, “This is quite a coincidence.  We’ve been looking for you.”  Silly Ilana....don’t mistake coincidence for fate. 

To be honest, this scene didn’t work that great for me.  While I recognize that Desmond is steering the wheel of destiny here, how does he know to bring Claire to see Ilana?  I usually give LOST the benefit of the doubt on these things, but I just don’t see how Desmond can go from seeing “Claire Littleton” on a flight manifest, to bringing her to see Ilana (who we later learn is the attorney for Christian Shephard’s will)?  I guess it has something to do with his new insights from the other timeline....but I’m not seeing it.

Back in the main timeline, Flocke gives Sawyer an assignment to get a boat to transport everyone to Hydra island.  Sawyer recruits Kate to help him with the boat and then tells Jack about his plan....instructing Jack to bring Sun, Hurley and Lapidus (Sayid and Claire are out). 

Meanwhile, Flocke gives Sayid an assignment to kill Desmond, who was thrown down a well last week. 

FLOCKE: That’s not going to be a problem, is it Sayid.  You still want what you asked me for.
SAYID: Yes I do.
FLOCKE: Then do what I said.

Flocke is continuing to leverage Sayid’s loss of Nadia to gain his unquestioned loyalty.  This becomes the setup for the next very important scene.

Sayid approaches the well and finds Desmond sitting at the bottom (seemed much further down when Flocke dropped the torch in there last week).  This should be like shooting fish in a barrel for Sayid, but Desmond has a new sense of understanding, now that he has visited the sideways universe (and likely retains knowledge of both realities in both timelines).

DESMOND: So what did he offer ya? If you’re gonna shoot me in cold blood, brotha…I think I have a right to know what you’re getting’ in exchange for it.
SAYID: He told me I could get something back I lost.
DESMOND: And what did you lose?
SAYID: The woman I loved.
DESMOND: And where is she now?
SAYID: Dead.
DESMOND: And what makes you think Locke can bring her back?
SAYID: I died…and he brought me back.
DESMOND: So, what will you tell her?
SAYID: What do you mean?
DESMOND: This woman--when she asks you what you did to be with her again…what will you tell her?

Wow....that’s some pretty good stuff right there.  First, notice Sayid’s acknowledgement of being brought back from the dead.  If there is any semblance of the old Sayid left in that body, he must realize that trying to bring Nadia back is pointless.  A few episodes back, he told Flocke, “Anger. Happiness. Pain. I don't feel it anymore.”  Even if he gets Nadia back, he won’t be able to love her.....all he has now is an empty desire.  Also, Sayid notes that it was Flocke/MIB that brought him back.  While there has been much speculation about this....this is the first time anyone has stated it on the show.  Finally, note Desmond’s closing argument here.  It plays very much into sideways-Sayid’s feelings of not being worthy of Nadia’s love that we saw earlier this season in “Sundown”.  Also, recall what Michael did in Season 2 to save Walt (killing Ana Lucia and Libby).  We later learned that his relationship with Walt was severed after he told him what he did.  Sayid is in a no win situation.


Come on down brotha....the water’s fine.



After this scene we flash to Nadia and Sayid in the sideways, where he has killed to protect her.  She knows that something is wrong: “What did you do, Sayid?”  Clearly, Desmond is right that Nadia would not be happy about killing as a means of bringing them together.  When the doorbell rings, Sayid makes a break for the backdoor, but he wasn’t prepared for Detective Ford and the old garden-hose-tripwire trick.  Sayid is under arrest.

Back on the island, Sawyer and Kate make it to the boat (notice that it is the “Elizabeth”....Libby’s boat that she gave to Desmond and landed him on the island).  Kate makes a push for bringing Claire with them on their escape plan, but Sawyer will have none of it: “She’s dangerous, you really want her around Aaron?”

As Team Flocke treks through the jungle to the rendezvous point with the boat, Jack and Claire talk a little more:

JACK: How long have you been with Locke?
CLAIRE: Ever since you left.
JACK: So you trust him?
CLAIRE: Yeah.
JACKS: Why?
CLAIRE: ‘Cause he’s the only one that didn’t abandon me.

I’m sure that made Jack “I’ll save you” Shephard feel about two inches tall.....but it couldn’t have affected him too much, because a minute later, when Loacke heads back to see what is keeping Sayid, he grabs Sun, Hurley, and Lapidus and takes off to find Sawyer at the secret meeting point.  Claire, of course, notices their departure.....abandoned again (maybe if you took a bath once in the last 3 years Claire, people wouldn’t be running away from you).

Flocke does find Sayid and asks about Desmond:

LOCKE: Did you kill him, Sayid?
SAYID: Of course, I did. Go and check, if you like.

Obviously, there is no way Sayid killed Desmond.  Hopefully, this is Sayid’s chance at redemption.  Hurley was right....just like Anakin!

Meanwhile Jack and company make it to the boat.  Just when it looks like they have a clean getaway, here comes Claire...toting a gun and wanting to know where they are going.  Kate tries to diffuse the situation with Claire:

KATE: We’re leaving the island.
CLAIRE: Then why aren’t you waiting for John?
KATE: Because that’s not John and whoever he is, he’s not one of us.  Come with us Claire.,...

With Kate extending her hand to Claire, these lines are an homage to, believe it or not, “The Sound of Music”.  It mirrors the scene where the Von Trapps are attempting to escape the Nazis, and Capt Von Trapp tries to convince young Rolf to join them (for more see my Rodgers and Hammerstein blog).

Kate ends up playing the Aaron card to get Claire to join them.....but Claire knows that this isn’t going to end well: “He finds out we are gone.....He’s gonna be mad.”

We next travel back to the sideways, where Jack and his son David are heading to the Ilana’s law firm.  We learn that they are there for the reading of Christian’s will. Ilana asks him, “do you believe in fate?”  She then introduces sideways-Jack to sideways-Claire and learns that she is his half-sister.  He grabs his head in a way that seems like more than just being shocked.  I have to believe he received a flash of the main-timeline.....stronger than any of the momentary flashes he received before.  Before he can digest too much of this, he gets an emergency call from the hospital....destiny calling.

We return to Sawyer’s escape boat for probably THE scene of this episode.  When most of the group heads below deck to grab some food, Sawyer decides to spend a little quality time with Jack.  But Jack isn’t interested in small talk and gets right to the heart of the matter:

JACK: It doesn’t fell right.
SAWYER: What doesn’t feel right?
JACK: Leaving the island
SAWYER: You wanna tell me why not?
JACK: Cause I remember how I felt last time I left....like a part of me was missing.

Remember that Sawyer didn’t leave the island with the rest of the Oceanic 6 (he jumped off the chopper).  He can’t understand what the O6 went through....for they felt just like he did before they left the island.

JACK: We were brought here because we were supposed to do something, James (NOTE – I don’t think Jack ever called him ‘James’ before).  And if Locke...if that thing wants us to leave....maybe its afraid of what happens if we stay.

Jack’s got a point.  Jack came back to the island for a reason.  It wasn’t just so he could leave again.  So, while getting away from Flocke was a good idea from Jack’s perspective, he never had any intention of just leaving the island. 

But this is not the discussion Sawyer was looking for:

SAWYER: Get off my damn boat.
JACK: What?
SAWYER: You got a decision to make and you make it now.  Either you’re with us and you keep that damn crazy talk yourself or you’re going in the water.
JACK: James, this is a mistake...... and I know there’s a part of you that feels that.  The island’s not done with us yet.
SAWYER: Yeah, well I’m done with this island.  So you want to take a leap of faith Jack, then take it.  But get off my damn boat.
JACK: I’m sorry that I got Juliet killed.

And with that...Jack jumps into the water.  What an epic moment.  It seems to me that Jack jumps into the water for the greater good....just like Sawyer did when he jumped from the chopper.  He does take a leap of faith.....recall back in Season 2, when they first needed to push the button, Locke said to Jack, “I can't do this alone, Jack. I don't want to. It's a leap of faith, Jack.”  Jack is now a disciple in the church of John Locke.  He is all-in....committed to whatever destiny has in store for him.  And Sawyer does know that Jack is right.....but now Sawyer is playing the old-Jack part, fighting the man-of-faith.  And just like John Locke was right, so too will apostle Jack be correct.  They ARE here for a reason.  As Flocke said earlier, Locke pursued his belief in the island until it got him killed....but my guess is that Jack will succeed where Locke failed.


Cannonball!!!!



We jump back to the hospital....where we find both Sun and her baby are just fine (completely bogus....but I’ll roll with it).  We then switch over to Jack heading into the OR.  Jack looks into the face of the patient through an upward facing mirror....John Locke.  I’ve frequently noted the use of mirrors this season in the flash sideways.  Note here though, that Jack looks into the mirror and sees Locke....the man he has become on the island....the man-of-faith.  Jack says, “I think I know this guy”.  Jack is right literally (from the airport), figuratively (he IS the new Locke on the island), and perhaps trans-reality (as Jack has likely seen an island timeline vision after meeting Claire).


I think I know that guy.....Kojak?



Team Sawyer arrives on Hydra island, but is not exactly warmly greeted by Team Widmore....expect for one person.  Finally Jin and Sun, see one another and run into each others arms for a loving reunion.  For a split second I thought the sonic fence would still be on....that would have been hilarious....if after all this time, they are killed just before they embrace.  But, alas, this wasn’t a time for comedy.  It was a long time coming (since the freighter was destroyed...three years), but Sun and Jin finally found each other. 

Moving on.....Zoe, gets an order from Widmore to shoot more weapons at Team Flocke.  By this time Jack has come ashore...right where Flocke is.  Jack confirms that Sawyer took the boat, but Flocke doesn’t have time to worry about it because....INCOMING!  The explosions go off, killing many of Team Flocke and sending Jack flying.  Flocke doesn’t care about saving anyone but Jack.  He rescues him.  Once in a safe position, Locke says, “Jack you all right?  Don’t worry.  It’s gonna be OK.  You’re with me now.” 


Mom....mom.....look at me do a cartwheel!



And with that, the Man-in-Black has secured his last recruit.  And maybe the only one that really matters.  I’m not buying Flocke’s everyone needs to leave the island together story.  Maybe, the only candidate he really needed was the one he has now.  Jack Shephard and John Locke have always been at the heart of LOST.  Now, Jack and the entity impersonating Locke are together for the series endgame......I smell greatness.


Jack.....wake up.....”Idol Gives Back” just ended.



Here are a few misc items:
- Best line of the week goes to Sawyer: “We’re gonna ditch Locke. You, me, Jack, Hurley, Sun and that pilot that looks like he’s stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie.”
- Runner up also goes to Sawyer (he had a lot of good ones this week), when he refers to Frank as “Chesty”.
- The adoption agency and law firm are on floor 15 (one of the numbers)
- Jack takes a call from David’s mother.  Again, she is referenced, but not revealed.  I’ve got to believe this is somebody important....I’m guessing Juliet.  Note the curious “thank you” he says to her.....it must mean something.
- Locke’s dural sac is “obliterated”.  Note that Jack inadvertently cut the dural sac of his first solo surgery patient, as we learned, way back in the series pilot.

Next week there is no LOST episode....so no blog entry.  I will be visiting an alternate reality during the 1 week hiatus....Walt Disney World.  After this break there are only 4 more LOST episodes to go.  I am positive they will be spectacular!

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Lost Season 6 Analysis and Commentary (Episodes 12 – Everybody Loves Hugo)

Well, it took 12 weeks, but Hurley finally got his centric episode this season.  And while it was not a mind-bending masterpiece, like last week’s Desmond-centric episode....as the title suggests: “Everybody Loves Hugo”.  And really, this episode had something for everyone....explosions, kissing, humor, shocking twists, explanations of mysteries, strong dialogue, death, and important plot developments.  If there is something in particular you like about LOST, you got some of it this week.

Let’s jump right into it in the Sideways timeline.  The episode opens with a tribute to Hugo Reyes for his philanthropic efforts.  The presentation is made by former DHARMA Initiative scientist/orientation video star, Pierre Chang.  His appearance is exhibit 47 in my argument that the island did not sink due to the detonation of the hydrogen bomb (see my earlier entries for more on this).  However, one other thing struck me about this.  Pierre Chang knew Hurley in 1977 on the island and gave us one of the greatest pieces of dialogue is television history:

DR. CHANG: Your friend Faraday said that you were from the future. I need to know if he was telling the truth.
HURLEY: Dude, that's ridiculous.
DR. CHANG: What year were you born? What year?
HURLEY: Uh... 1931?
DR. CHANG: You're 46?
HURLEY: Yeah. Yes, I am.
DR. CHANG: So you fought in the Korean War?
HURLEY: There's... no such thing.
DR. CHANG: Who's the President of the United States?
HURLEY: All right, dude, we're from the future.

I’ll never forget this for as long as I live, and I have a hard time believing Pierre Chang could either.  If he knows Hurley was on the island, how come he never brought it up to Hurley (or for that matter Miles)?  I’d like to get some kind of an explanation for that on the show.

Anyway, following the award ceremony, Hugo’s mom, gives us some of her typically hilarious dialogue:

CARMEN: Another trophy... everybody loves Hugo... you know who doesn't?  Women.
HURLEY: Ma!
CARMEN: You need a woman in your life. Especially one who has not nursed you.
HURLEY: That's disgusting.

She then informs him that she has set him up on a blind date.  Hurley is a little apprehensive about it, but Mrs. Reyes assures him, “You're going! She's going to love you! And if she doesn't... we will find someone who does!”

And with that.......

We are transported to Hurley on the island at the grave of Libby.  What an awesome transition, as we are going to Hurley’s one true love.  (Generally speaking, I try to analyze the different storylines separately, but it is very difficult in this episode....and I suspect it will be so the rest of the series.)  Hurley tells Libby that, “A lot of crazy stuff's been happening...I kind of wish I could talk to you about it in person. A lot of people come to talk to me after they've...you know...gone. It would be nice if you did too.”  I’ll get back to the island happenings shortly, but let me continue with the sideways.

Hurley goes to the blind date his mom sets him up on, but is stood up.  Hurley buries his sadness in a bottomless bowl of tortilla chips.  All is not lost though, as Libby approaches him (Note that on the island Hurley asks the dead Libby to visit him, and then the living Libby comes to see him in the sideways universe).  Hurley mistakes her as his blind date, but she explains that she knows him:

LIBBY: Hugo, do you believe that two people can be connected? Like soulmates?
HURLEY: I guess...
LIBBY: You don't remember me, do you?
HURLEY: Should I?

Hurley is immediately taken with her (recall Daniel’s words to Desmond from last week: “Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume?”...more on “love” later), but then as suddenly as it began, the spell is broken.  Dr. Brooks (Hurley’s main-timeline psychiatrist) shows up to escort Libby back to the crazy-mobile, as their field trip to the Mexican restaurant is over.


The waiter just told me they are out of tortilla chips.


Hurley is completely distraught and drowns his sorrows in a bucket of chicken at Mr. Clucks. Then, who should appear there, but the newly enlightened Desmond.  Remember that at the end of last week’s episode, Desmond asked his driver, George Minkowski, to obtain the Oceanic 815 flight manifest.  So, it appears Hugo Reyes is Desmond’s first target.  Desmond invites himself to join Hurley and learns a little about Hurley’s women troubles.  Des provides some words of wisdom:

DESMOND: Tell me something... did you believe her when she said she knew you?
HURLEY: Yeah. Kinda...
DESMOND: Now, I say go with your gut. You know, maybe you should...you should try to find out where she thinks she knew you from before you give up on her.

The question is (and this is more rhetorical) how does Desmond know that any way other than a near-death experience will show the Losties the main timeline?  Hmmmm....

Taking Desmond’s advice, Hurley heads to the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute.  He bribes his way past Dr. Brooks to see his new infatuation.  Libby explains that she feels she knows Hurley:

LIBBY: A few days ago I was watching TV and one of your commercials came on.  And the minute that I saw you it was like I was hit over the head.  All these memories came washing back of my life only...it was....another life.
HURLEY: What kind of memories?
LIBBY: There was a plane crash and I was on an island...
HURLEY: And I was there?
LIBBY: I think so.  We...knew each other....liked each other.  And then when I got here it was almost like I was here before and for some reason I have a memory of you being here too.

Hugo says that he has never been to a mental institution before.  This was actually a really clever way to tie-in the opened ended issue from Season 2 of Libby being in the institution.  While it doesn’t explain why she is in there (personally, I don’t think that is necessary....we know from the Season 2 finale “Live Together, Die Alone” that her husband passed away....she obviously is there because of the trauma from that personal tragedy), it does provide some importance to her institutionalization in the plot.  In any case, we learn that Libby is at Santa Rosa on a voluntary basis.  This leads Hurley to ask Libby out on a date.

The date turns out to be a picnic on the beach.  This is perfect, as that was plan for Hurley and Libby’s first date on the island, before Michael shot her. 

LIBBY: It’s just being here with you feels so familiar.  It’s like a date we’ve never had.

Nice.  After Hurley tries to understand why Libby would like him, she kisses him and BOOM, memories of the main timeline universe come flooding into Hurley’s brain.  Hurley now has seen what both Desmond and Charlie have already seen.....a glimpse of another world (all of these memories are about Libby....not Arzt blowing up....not driving the DHARMA van over The Others....not the island disappearing (bloop)....just Libby....remember this).  Watching from his car is Desmond, who knows now that he has shown at least one of the passengers what they needed to see.


Tastes like chicken.


Let’s jump back to the main timeline and Hurley at Libby’s grave.  While talking to Libby’s resting place, Michael appears.  He gives Hurley an important message:

MICHAEL: What matters is you going across that island to blow up that plane. People are gonna die. A lot of people, and it's gonna be your fault.
HURLEY: What?
MICHAEL: Because people are listening to you now, Hurley.

It’s true.  Hurley has always been somewhat of a joke to the rest of the Losties.  Sure, they will give him a job like divvying-up the food, but when it comes to guns and dynamite and being a hero, Hurley is not their go-to guy (despite having proven himself on a number of occasions).  But everyone is brought to the island for a reason....and now is Hurley’s moment.  Michael is right, people are listening to him now....he is a leader.  Hurley is a comic book fan, so let’s see if he has learned a lesson from Spider-Man, that “"with great power comes great responsibility".

Following Michael’s urging, Hurley questions the rest of the group’s plan to blow up the Ajira plane.  Ilana will have none of it, as her instructions from Jacob were to listen to Richard.  But she should have listened to Hurley, because when she puts down her bag o’ dynamite a little harder than generally recommended, she is blasted to smithereens....Arzt-style. 

In the aftermath of Ilana’s demise, Hurley grabs a pouch from Ilana’s tent, which must be the one that contains Jacob’s ashes.  He again tries to get the team to abandon the plan, but Richard is hell bent on continuing and insists that they get more dynamite from the Black Rock.  Hurley finally appears convinced and agrees with Richard’s plan. Hurley manages to get ahead of the rest of the group (how this can happen, I have no idea....perhaps a bigger mystery than how the island disappeared) and blows up the Black Rock before they can get anymore dynamite. 

Richard is apoplectic with this turn of events (“What the hell were you thinking!”).  Richard believes they need to continue with the plan, but Hurley has other ideas.

HURLEY: We have to go talk to Locke.
BEN: Are you trying to get us killed?
HURLEY: It’s not my idea....it’s his.  (points to an empty space)  Jacob says we have to talk to Locke.

Richard isn’t buying this and calls Hurley’s bluff.

RICHARD: Ask him what the island is.
HURLEY: What?
RICHARD: A while back Jacob told me what the island was.  If he is really standing here right next to me, just ask him.

I wonder if this is a reference to the bottle/cork analogy from “Ab Aeterno” or if Richard ever received a more direct answer.


Ask him what shade of eyeliner I use.  Jacob gave it to me last Administrative Professionals Day.


Hurley, responds to Richard with more bravado then we have ever seen him display before:

HURLEY: I don’t have to prove anything to you, Richard.  You can either come with me or you can keep trying to blow stuff up.  Your call dude.

Impressive.  Even more so, Hurley is acting like a candidate; laying it out there and giving a choice.  This makes me question if maybe there is a new candidate at the top of the leaderboard to replace Jacob.

Richard has had enough of Hurley’s nonsense and decides to continue with his plan, by attempting to get some weapons from the barracks.  Ben and Miles decide to go with Richard (in my opinion, Miles just signed his death warrant....he has played his part in the series and we are going to see more of these secondary characters go the way of Ilana), while Jack, Hurley, Sun, and Frank (I’m guessing Frank is being kept alive because he is can pilot the Ajira plane) head out to talk with Flocke.  You can tell from the look on Hurley’s face that he is thinking, “oh crap....what did I just do?” now that he is the leader of his small group.

Later Hurley admits to Jack that he didn’t really talk to Jacob, but Jack already knew this.  The old Jack (man of science) would have just taken over the situation at this point.  The new Jack (man of faith) is following Hurley, despite what his brain is telling him:

JACK: Ever since Juliet died....ever since I got her killed, all I wanted was to fix it.  But I can’t...I can’t ever fix it.  You have no idea how hard it is for me to sit back and listen to other people tell me what I should do.  But, I think that maybe that’s the point.  Maybe....maybe I’m supposed to let go.
HURLEY: Unless you letting go gets us killed.  Going to see Locke was my idea, not Jacob’s.
JACK: Hurley, you asked me to trust you.  This is me trusting you.

This is a huge breakthrough for Jack as a person.  One of the messages his father, Christian, once told him was, “Let it go, Jack.”  It has taken a long time, and much has transpired, but it seems like this message is finally getting through to Jack. 

Jack and Hurley’s discussion is interrupted by the island whispers.  Hurley tells everyone to chill out, because he thinks he knows what they are.  He goes into the jungle and calls for Michael:

HURLEY: You’re stuck on the island, aren’t you?
MICHAEL: Because of what I did.
HURLEY: And...there are others out here, like you, aren’t there?  That’s what the whispers are?
MICHAEL: Yeah.  We’re the ones who can’t move on.

Now, up to this point, I think the show has done an excellent job explaining long standing mysteries (the numbers, Richard’s aging, how the Black Rock came to the island), but I have to say that this was about as poorly handled as anything the show has ever done (Nikki and Paulo included).  What the whispers are is not my issue, but rather how it was explained in 15 seconds, like it was some “oh...by the way” thing.  The whispers were a HUGE part of the early seasons mythology and they deserve better than what we got this week. 


Oh....and the island is a spaceship, the smoke monster is made of nano-bots, and Jacob is Aaron’s father.


With that rant over, let me actually spend a minute talking about the implications of what we learned about the whispers.  It certainly seems like the island represents some staging ground for the afterlife....like a Purgatory or Limbo, where you await your final fate (i.e. Heaven or Hell).  The Limbo possibility is quite strong here as Michael uses the words “can’t move on”.  Catholic theology teaches that those who died before Christ remained in Limbo until he opened the gates of Heaven upon resurrection.  I can see a similar scenario in LOST, where a savior must be the one to free the lost souls on the island.  I’ve speculated before that the island represents a gateway to the underworld.  This concept works well with the idea of Limbo.  The gateway (or cork....as Jacob used the bottle analogy) remains closed....what it takes to open it remains to be seen.

Also, it has been a popular recent assumption, that when we hear the whispers and then see a dead person, that we are in fact seeing the Smoke Monster taking on another form.  Now, I think we must challenge this notion.  Assuming Michael is telling the truth, many other island manifestations, like Christian Shephard, are NOT really Smokey.  That is really a HUGE piece of information.  Christian has appeared at some very pivotal moments for the Losties.  It’s possible now that he represents neither Jacob nor the Man-in-Black, but rather the island itself.  I have to believe that in the next few weeks we will find out more about Christian’s role in all of this.  And I am starting to think that it may be something entirely different than we all expect.

Moving on (pun intended), ghost-Michael points the way to Flocke’s camp.  Hurley brings his group there, but only has them reveal themselves once he has Flocke’s assurances that they will be OK.  When he agrees, Jack, Sun, and Frank emerge from the jungle.  Note the look on Sun’s face, as she continues to be unable to locate Jin (who is now with Widmore).  Flocke is the only one to speak, when he says, “Hello Jack”.  Jack goes slackjawed, as the last he saw of John Locke, he was in a coffin.  A very cool moment.  Jack and Locke have always been the chief rivals on the island.....now Jack (potentially the new Jacob), stands face to face with a real enemy, in the visage of John Locke.

The other key storyline this week involved Flocke and Desmond.  Sayid captured Desmond off Hydra island and tied him to a tree, so he could not escape before Flocke saw him.  When Flocke arrives, Desmond seems very much at peace and he engages Desmond in a very interesting conversation:

FLOCKE: Why did Charles Widmore bring you back to the island?
DESMOND: Considering I was kidnapped, you'd have to ask him.
SAYID: They had him under armed guard.
DESMOND: He threw me into a wood shack and blasted me with a massive amount of electromagnetism.
FLOCKE: If you don't mind my asking, Desmond...how could you be sure it was electromagnetism that he blasted you with?
DESMOND: Experience.

Flocke seems quite unsettled by this answer.  Perhaps he is starting to piece together Widmore’s plan.

FLOCKE: Do you know who I am?
DESMOND: Of course.....You're John Locke.

Desmond is the first character in a long time to mistake (and I don’t believe for a second it was a mistake) Flocke for Locke.  This also seems to be an answer Flocke was neither expecting, nor wanted.

I really liked this scene.  It didn’t provide any answers, but added a new dimension to Desmond.  It seems that Desmond has taken on a very Zen-like demeanor, suggesting that he is carrying with him knowledge of his life in the sideways timeline.  This can’t be good for MIB.

Flocke frees Desmond and tells him he would like to show him something and they head out on a walk through the jungle.  There, the great dialogue continues between Des and Flocke:

FLOCKE: Remind me Desmond, how long were you down in that hatch?
DESMOND: Three years.
FLOCKE: And here you are, back for more.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say this island has it in for you.
DESMOND: Do you know better?
FLOCKE: Excuse me?
DESMOND: There’s nothing special about me, brotha.  This island has it in for all of us.
FLOCKE: Yes it does.

Desmond clearly has the upper hand and I have to believe that MIB is completely perplexed and views Desmond as a serious threat.

Then, Flocke’s eye catches the mysterious teenage boy we saw earlier this season.  Only this time he has dark hair instead blond.  One of the theories that was floated when the blond version of this boy appeared was that this was a young version of Jacob.  If that is true, then is the dark-haired version MIB?  If this is true, then perhaps one of the popular internet theories is also true.....that Jacob and MIB are two halves of the same entity.  This boy could be a representation of both the light part (blond) and dark part (dark-haired) of this being.  Could it be that Jacob/MIB is a Smeagol/Gollum schizophrenic character?  There is not enough evidence yet to make any definitive conclusions regarding the boy, but it is clearly something very important.  Flocke dismisses it though, and tells Des to “just ignore him”.


Damn teenagers....always loitering.


Flocke and Desmond arrive at an ancient well (I suspect this well is the third “pocket of energy” that was on Zoe’s map in the episode, “The Package”).  After Flocke gives some background on the well, and warning Des about Charles Widmore (“Charles Widmore is not interested in answers, he is only interested in power”), he asks Desmond an important question:

FLOCKE: Why aren’t you afraid?
DESMOND: Excuse me?
FLOCKE: You are out here, in the middle of the jungle...with me, not a person on Earth knows you are here.  Why aren’t you afraid? 
DESMOND: What is the point in being afraid?

And I believe this answer made Flocke more afraid than he has ever been before and he tosses Desmond down the well. 


We had Lassie put to sleep last year.....there hasn’t been a well rescue since.


We next see Desmond in the sideways timeline sitting in his car outside of the school John Locke is teaching at, watching him wheel-across the parking lot.  Dr. Linus knocks on his window and inquires as to what Desmond is doing there (he appears to be suspicious that Des is some sort of pedophile). 

DESMOND: I just moved to the neighborhood and I am looking for a school for my son.
BEN: What’s your son’s name?
DESMOND: Charlie.

Notice how quickly Desmond references “Charlie”.  This implies that sideways Desmond has awareness of his main-timeline self, including his son.  I suggested last week that Desmond’s mind may be in both timelines simultaneously.  The events of this week increase the support for this theory. 

After Ben leaves, Des starts up the car and runs over a wheelchair-bound John Locke (notice that Locke’s expression after being hit is almost identical to that when he was revived by Jacob after being thrown out of a window by Anthony Cooper).  Now, on the surface, you can assume that this is just another step in Desmond trying to show the Oceanic passengers their island life.  However, if as I suggest above, Desmond’s mind is experiencing both timelines, then perhaps this violent act is a response to Flocke throwing Desmond down the well in the main timeline.  This would suggest that there is some connection between Sideways-Locke and Island-Flocke.  Just something to think about as we head into the home stretch of the series.


Couldn’t he just have introduced me to an attractive mental patient?


So, before ending the analysis for this week, I need to address the subject of “love” relative to what we have seen over the last 2 weeks.  Recall that four characters in the sideways have had visions of love from the main timeline:

Charlie – Visions of Claire after choking on bag of Heroin
Desmond – Visions of Penny and his son Charlie after a car crash
Libby – Visions of Hurley after seeing him on TV
Hurley – Visions of Libby after kissing her

I often like to compare LOST to other modern mythologies and one of my favorites is the Harry Potter novel series.  In these novels there is a major emphasis on the power of love.  See some of these notable excerpts:

Dumbledore from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone”: “If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign....to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection for ever.”

Dumbledore on “love” from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phioenix”: “There is a room in the Department of Mysteries that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in as body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you.”

Voldemort from “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”:”....nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncement that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore.”

Think about the relevance of these comments to LOST.  There are two opposing sides....one is light, the other dark.  For the sake of this discussion let’s assume the Man-in-Black is the dark force (there are arguments against this....but I won’t go there now).  If MIB is analogous to Voldemort, perhaps it is “love” that will be his undoing.  MIB relies on the dark side of love (exploiting the lost loves of Sawyer, Sayid, and Claire) to get what he wants.  But maybe this is the only part of love he can understand.  If this is true, maybe Jacob represents another kind of love....unconditional love.  Think about who Jacob communicates through...Hurley.  There is no other character on LOST who represents that same degree of unconditional love (and “Everybody Loves Hugo”).  Ironic that a character with such a great capacity for love, has such little personal luck with love.  In the end though, maybe his love will be the one to save them all.  He will be the savior....the one to free the souls from Limbo.  Just something to think about.

Here are a few misc items:
- Best line of the week goes to Carmen Reyes (I know I quoted it earlier, but it is too good not to repeat):
CARMEN: You need a woman in your life. Especially one who has not nursed you.
- Runner up goes to Desmond: “Ooh... that is a lot of chicken!”
- The title of the episode, “Everybody Loves Hugo” plays off of the Season 2 episode “Everybody Hates Hugo”, similar to the “What Kate Does”/”What Kate Did” episodes.
- While for the most part, the slideshow tribute to Hugo Reyes was relatively vanilla, there was one interesting little Easter egg thrown in there....one of the photo’s showed a Mr. Clucks outside of the Great Pyramid of Giza.  This ties in with the Egyptian references on the island and also shows one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (which I discussed in my entry for “Lighthouse”). 


One order of Pharaoh Nuggets, Mummy Fries and a Nile River shake.  And super-size it.


- Desmond’s order number in Mr. Clucks was 42 (one of the numbers)
- Did you notice that on the chalkboard in the mental institution there is a drawing of an island?
- How cool was the preview for next week’s episode?  I won’t reveal any of the show details, as I know some people consider this a spoiler, but I loved that they used a voiceover from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (the creepy part when they are on the boat):

There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going
Not a speck of light is showing
So the danger must be growing
Are the fires of Hell a-glowing?
Is the grisly reaper mowing?
Yes! The danger must be growing
For the rowers keep on rowing
And they're certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing!!!

Awesome.  And with that, let’s wrap it up.

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Lost Season 6 Analysis and Commentary (Episodes 11 – Happily Ever After)

Wow!  For the obsessed LOST fan, this week’s Desmond-centric episode, “Happily Ever After”, could not have been any better.  In my opinion, this was the best episode of the season (yes.....even better than the Richard-centric “Ab Aeterno”) and one of the very best of the entire series.  However, it was such a mind-bender that I think it has left some viewers completely confused.  So, my goal this week is to help explain why this was such an excellent/important episode and what it means for the rest of the season.

First a few words about Desmond.  While he is a secondary character, it hard to imagine anyone who is more central to the mythology of the show.  Every one of his episodes has provided seismic shifts in how people view the show.  Let’s review them:

“Live Together-Die Alone”: Provided Desmond’s background, but also revealed that when he failed to push the button in the Swan Station, it caused Oceanic 815 to crash.

“Flashes Before Your Eyes”: After turning the failsafe key in the Swan Station, Desmond’s mind is transported to what appears to be his past.  There he interacts with Eloise Hawking, who lets Desmond know that “the universe has a way of course correcting”, meaning that regardless of the choices we make, we cannot change our destiny.

“Catch-22”: Desmond has visions of Charlie’s death in the future and learns the implications of trying to change the future.

“The Constant” (many believe this to be LOST’s finest episode....I don’t agree....but it is a cool episode, regardless): Desmond’s mind jumps back and forth between his past and present, and he must contact his “constant”, Penny, before it kills him.

“Jughead”: Desmond finds connections between Widmore, Hawking and Faraday.


Three of these episodes deal with jumping through time, or perhaps alternate realities.  This second possibility, of course, is clearly connected to the themes of Season 6.  And lets not forget Desmond’s catch phrase: “See you in another life, brotha.”  After this week’s episode, it is abundantly apparent that Desmond’s role in the series has been plotted from the moment he stepped on the exercise bike inside the Swan Station (the opening scene from Season 2) and he is one of the keys to how it will all end.

So, with this background, let’s jump into this week’s episode. 

The episode opens with a close-up of Desmond’s eye (as a point of interest, this is the 20th episode to start with an “eye opening”).  He wakes up and asks for Penny.  Instead, he gets his nemesis and father-in-law, Charles Widmore. 

WIDMORE: She's not here. But I assure you both she and your son are perfectly safe. I'm really sorry for taking you away from them but...I didn't have a chance to explain. And...if I had, you never would've come with me.
DESMOND: Come with you? Come with you where?
WIDMORE: I brought you back to the Island.

As Charles is delivering the bad news, Desmond’s his upper lip begins to twitch until the rage can’t be contained and Desmond pounds him with his IV pole.


Never mess with a Scot.  Didn’t you see “Braveheart”?  FREEDOM!!!!!!!


DESMOND: You take me back! You take me back right now, you hear!
WIDMORE: I can't take you back. The Island isn't done with you yet.

This last sentence is the exact statement Eloise Hawking said to Desmond last season, in “316”, as he stormed out of the Lamp Post Station.

Charles tells his people to get ready for “the test”.....a day earlier than planned.  The team begins scrambling around to ready the equipment.  When the power doesn’t seem to be working, some poor bastard named Simmons heads out to the solenoid chamber (a giant box that looks like the velociraptor enclosure from Jurassic Park)....that is probably also a Faraday (nice) cage, meant to contain electromagnetism.  Some other Widmore flunky inadvertently flips the power on while Simmons is in the chamber and fries him to a crisp.

From Widmore’s perspective, the Simmons’ “test” went just fine and they are ready for the real deal.....which involves Desmond.

WIDMORE: I know how this looks, Desmond. But if everything I've been told about you is true, you'll be perfectly fine.

So one question that comes to mind is who did Widmore hear this from?  I’m guessing that it was Eloise Hawking (I’ll talk more about the Eloise connection a little later).

WIDMORE: I hate to resort to forcing this upon you, Desmond. But once it's over I'm going to ask you to make a sacrifice. And I hope for all our sakes you'll help me.
DESMOND: Sacrifice? What the bloody Hell do you know about sacrifice?
WIDMORE: My son died here...for the sake of this island. Your wife - my own daughter - hates me. And I've never even met my grandson. But if you won't help me, Desmond, all of it will be for nothing. Penny, your son, and everyone else, will be gone forever.

Compare this discussion of sacrifice to the exchange between Widmore and Hawking from last season’s “The Variable”, after Desmond is shot by Ben:

WIDMORE: Is he all right?
MS. HAWKING: Yes, Charles. He's fine.
WIDMORE: Good.
MS. HAWKING: Your daughter's in there. Why don't you go in and say hello?
WIDMORE: Unfortunately, Eloise, my relationship with Penelope is one of the things I had to sacrifice.
MS. HAWKING: Sacrifice? Don't you talk to me about sacrifice, Charles. I had to send my son back to the Island, knowing full well that--
WIDMORE: He was my son, too, Eloise.

First, note that Charles, who up to this point has shown nothing for disdain for Desmond, seems concerned about his well being (now we know why).  Second, note that both Widmore and Hawking have sacrificed matters of great personal importance for the sake of the island and what it represents.  So what, then, is the sacrifice Widmore will ask of Desmond?  Does he expect Desmond to give up his relationship with Penny and his son, Charlie?  Or does Desmond need to sacrifice his life for the island and to save his family?  I’ll come back to this later.

So, Widmore’s men strap Desmond into a chair inside the solenoid chamber.  When Jin objects to what is going on, Widmore replies. “That man is the only person I'm aware of, in the world, who has survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event, I need to know that he can do it again, or we all die. Turn it on!”  Widmore even throws the switch himself.  When he does so, Desmond is seemingly consumed by electromagnetic radiation.  And then....


Where....are.....my......sunglasses?


We see a cloud scene reminiscent of the view from Jack’s window seat on-board Oceanic 815 in this season’s premiere, “LA X”.  This image fades into Desmond’s reflection (note the ever present Season 6 mirror-imaging) in the arrival monitor at LAX.  Desmond appears to be caught-up in the reflection, as we have seen many of the Losties do in the flash-sideways.  He snaps out of it when Hurley tells him that the bags are at carousel number 4 (note this is one of the “numbers”).


George Clooney....heart your heart out, brotha.


At the baggage carousel, he has a pleasant conversation with a pregnant Claire that concludes with him saying, “Bet it's a boy.”  I believe this exchange serves two purposes.  First, it sets up a connection with Claire, surely the women Charlie later references.  Second, his prediction of it being a boy is likely subconsciously coming from a memory from his original-timeline mind.


No....it is not OK for you to rub my belly!


After getting his bag, Desmond finds his driver.....who turns out to be George Minkowski.  This was another of the many character connections between the main timeline and sideways timeline, as Minkowski was the communications officer on-board Charles Widmore’s freighter.  Before dying, Minkowski played a crucial part in helping Desmond contact his constant, Penny.

On the way to the car, George lets Desmond know that if he ever needs anything he can get it for him.  Then he makes note of Desmond not wearing a wedding ring and offers to get him some “company”.  Now this is very interesting....recall that during his brief appearance in the season premiere, Desmond WAS wearing a wedding ring on the plane.  Now, you may just think this is a continuity error, but I say no way.  George would not have pointed out the absence of the ring if it wasn’t important.....but what does it mean?  The one idea that works for me is that elements of the original timeline flicker into the sideways timeline, but fade away (like Desmond’s recollection of Aaron and the brief instances of recognition we see with the characters in the sideways).

So, George takes Des to work, where things really get interesting.  He greeted by a secretary who tells him to go into the boss’ office (who turns out to be Charles Widmore), as he is expected (contrast this with “Jughead”, where Desmond bursts into Widmore’s office despite the protests of his secretary).  Charles warmly welcomes Desmond and treats him with much affection (even hugs!) and respect (we’ve never seen Widmore show any warmth to Des in the original timeline).  Widmore gives Desmond a special assignment....to get the bassist from Drive Shaft, Charlie Pace (who was arrested for having drugs on Oceanic 815), to a special concert Mrs. Widmore is putting on, in which their son will perform.  Widmore gives Desmond some of his MacCutcheon Scotch Whiskey, because “nothing is too good for you.”  Recall this great monologue from “Flashes Before Your Eyes”:

WIDMORE: This is a 60-year MacCutcheon, named after Anderson MacCutcheon, esteemed Admiral from the Royal Navy. He retired with more medals than any man before or since -- moved to the highlands to see out his remaining years. Admiral MacCutcheon was a great man, Hume. This was his crowning achievement.  This swallow is worth more than you could make in a month.  To share it with you would be a waste, and a disgrace to the great man who made it -- because you, Hume, will never be a great man.

It couldn’t be more clear, how different things are for Desmond in the two timelines. 


First he hugs me, then he tries to get me drunk....I hope he isn’t trying to get to second base.



Before leaving Widmore’s office, note that one of the paintings on his wall is of a balance scale.....one side with black stones, the other with white.  This is clearly a reference to the scale we saw in the seaside cave in “The Substitute”, and more importantly, symbolic of the conflict between Jacob and the Man-in-Black.  Recall that in visits to Widmore’s office in the original timeline, he had a painting that included a polar bear and the word “NAMASTE” on it.  Regardless of how Widmore acts towards Desmond in the sideways timeline, the painting represents a reminder of Widmore’s history with the island.  I have to wonder, though, if Widmore’s cheerier disposition is due to the island being at the bottom of the ocean in the sideways timeline.


Eh...I prefer Dogs Playing Poker.


So, Desmond heads off on his quest to deliver Charlie Pace.  As Desmond approaches the courthouse, we again see Desmond’s reflection in the door.  After Charlie exits with his lawyer, he makes a bee-line for the bar across the street....ignoring traffic, seemingly unconcerned about being hit.  Desmond follows him and joins him at the bar.  The conversation quickly turns to love, but Charlie isn’t referring to sex or infatuation, “I'm talking about spectacular, consciousness-altering love.”  Curious choice of words.....”consciousness-altering”....for this episode (or any Desmond episode for that matter).  Charlie goes on to explain further:

CHARLIE: There was this woman, two rows in front of me, in handcuffs, sitting with a cop. He looked at me, knew I was holding. If I didn't take action I'd be caught. So I got up, went to the lav, proceeded to eliminate the evidence by swallowing my stash. And at that exact moment we hit turbulence. I choked. The entire bag of heroin is stuck in my throat. It's over, everything starts to go dark, I'm slipping into the abyss and then I see her.
DESMOND: Her?
CHARLIE: A woman. Blonde, rapturously beautiful, and I know her, we're together, it's like we've always been and always will be, this feeling, this love, and just as I'm about to be engulfed by...I open my eyes and this sodding idiot is standing there asking me if I'm okay. But I saw it....just for a moment I saw what it looked like.

This is a pretty interesting piece of dialogue.  First off, we find out that Charlie was NOT trying to kill himself on the plane....it was an accident.  The woman Charlie is referring to obviously is Claire (which is why I think it was important for Desmond to interact with her earlier).  But why would Charlie see Claire as he is dying?  One thought is that his consciousness is being transported to the island, where he met and fell in love with Claire.  But in the main timeline, Charlie has already died....so how could he have consciousness there?  Another idea I had returns to the notion that the Losties in the main timeline are already dead....where the island (or the entire world as I suggested a couple of weeks ago) IS THE AFTERLIFE and when Charlie dies, he is transported back there.  Yet another idea is that perhaps Charlie’s death in the sideways universe would unify his soul with the one that died in the main universe (since they were split when the bomb was detonated.  The Claire connection here could be that the departed Charlie watches over Claire (we’ve seen his “ghost” appear to Hurley...so he may be roaming around the island).  I’ll come back to this again when we get to Desmond’s visions.

Desmond doesn’t buy what Charlie is saying about love and decides to get to the heart of the matter:

DESMOND: Right now you have a choice - you can keep on drinking, or you can come with me. Now before you make your choice, realize that if you stay here, it will very likely result in the extermination of your musical career.
CHARLIE: And if I go with you?
DESMOND: In twenty minutes you'll be luxuriating in a five star hotel, right on the harbor-front, and Charles Widmore - one of the most powerful men in this town, will owe you a favor.
CHARLIE: Doesn't really seem like a choice.
DESMOND: There's always a choice, brotha.

Here we get back to one of the central themes of the show that has been of heavy emphasis in recent weeks: choice.  Now I am not going to overanalyze this exchange, because I think I’ve made my case in the last several blog editions about what choice means in relation to the series.  I do want to emphasize that it is Desmond who makes the statement about choice.  Remember this when we get to Desmond’s choice later.

Charlie heads out with Desmond in a rental car (you would think he would be using the limo).  As they are driving past a marina (note – this is the very same marina in the background of the photo of Desmond and Penny that he carried around with him in Seasons 2 and 3), more interesting dialogue occurs:

CHARLIE: I feel sorry for you, mate. You think you're happy. You think you've got it all--this, your life. But, you don't.
DESMOND: Why, because none of it's real?

Now, we have heard the phrase “none of it’s real” before on LOST.  First in Season 2’s “Orientation”, Jack said this to Locke when explaining why they didn’t need to push the button in the Swan Station.  Later that same season in “Dave”, Hurley’s imaginary (or probably not so imaginary, based on what we now know about Hurley) friend tries to convince him that the island is all in his head.  Both of these quotes fueled fan speculation about what is really going on.  Although, in Jack’s case, he was likely wrong and Hurley’s case, he was probably being lied to.  However, this time out, I suspect it is probably the truth.....the entire sideways world is not real.  Just a phantom world created by someone who interceded with destiny.  And I have to wonder if the course correcting universe is getting ready to fix this anomaly....with the help of one Desmond David Hume.

Charlie then decides to show Desmond what is real and what isn’t:

CHARLIE: All right, Mr. Hume. How about I offer you a choice?
DESMOND: What's that?
CHARLIE: I can either show you what I'm talking about, or you can get out of the car.
DESMOND: Why in God's name would I want to get out of the car?

And with that, Charlie grabs the wheel of the car and crashes it into the water of the marina.  As the car sinks to the bottom, Desmond is able to free himself, but must go up for air before he can save the passed out Charlie.  When he goes back down, Charlie appears to awaken and places his left palm on the passenger side window.  (At that very moment, how many of you excitedly yelled “NOT PENNY’S BOAT”?  I know I did.) And then Desmond sees that infamous phrase on Charlie’s hand as he did in Season 3’s “Through the Looking Glass” just before Charlie died.  Charlie eerily returns to his seated, passed out position and Desmond is able to save him.


What’s that supposed to mean....”NOT PENNYS BUTT”?


A few thoughts on this utterly fantastic moment.  To begin with, this is the first time we have actually seen a vision of the main timeline by character in the sideways timeline.  And given the way Charlie acts while under water, I have to think that this was not a conscious action by Charlie, but, more likely, just part of Desmond’s vision.  Also, keep in mind that in “Through the Looking Glass”, Desmond was unable to save Charlie, but here he does.  In that regard it is similar to “Catch-22” and it’s preceding episodes, where Desmond attempts to change the course of destiny by saving Charlie’s life.  Also, recall that in the Season 6 premiere, Charlie says to Jack, “Should'a let that happen man, I was supposed to die.”  And I agree.  Charlie was supposed to die in the main timeline and he is supposed to die in the sideways as well. 

At the hospital, after a quick interview with a nurse, Desmond goes for an MRI.  As this will subject him to electromagnetic radiation the MRI tech asks similar questions (“Are you wearing any metal? Carrying keys or change? Any metal inside your body--pacemakers, pins, bullets, steel plate inside of your head?”) to those asked by Widmore’s men (“You don't have any metal on you do you? Keys? Change?”) before they strapped him into the solenoid box.  The MRI tech straps down Desmond and then tells him about the button:

DESMOND: The button?
TECHNICIAN: The panic button. You need to stop, press it. Try not to 'cause we'll have to start all over again from the beginning.

Think about how this compares to the button in the Swan Hatch....whenever Desmond pressed the button, the sequence started all over again.  Hard not to like that!


A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.  SPSPSPSP.


As the MRI begins, Desmond experiences the following:

- Charlie showing him the “NOT PENNYS BOAT” hand in the “Looking Glass” station
- Penny smiling on the day he day met her
- Desmond kissing Penny
- The birth of their son, Charlie
- Charlie as a toddler on their sailboat
- More Penny kissing

This was a great moment (complete with the Desmond/Penny theme music) and clearly drives Desmond’s motivation to find Penny.  But, I’d also like to throw out one more thing that struck me while watching this.  I’ve never been a supporter of the Charlie Pace (Drive Shaft bassist) is Charlie Hume (Des’ son) theory....primarily because I don’t like the time-traveling kids concept.  However, notice in this MRI scene that the only other people Desmond sees are his family members.  Could it be possible that Charlie is Charlie?  While it is more likely that Charlie Pace appears in this sequence due to the Penny note, I’d don’t want to completely dismiss the ties between the two Charlies. 

Now, Desmond panics, hits the button and bolts out of there in search of Charlie Pace.  After no luck at the reception desk, Desmond notices Jack....who remembers Desmond from the plane.  (notice how these characters continue to run into each other....don’t mistake coincidence for fate).  But before Jack can help out, Desmond, Charlie comes running down the hall trying to escape the hospital.  Desmond gives chase and is able to corner him. 

DESMOND: Why'd you trying to kill me?
CHARLIE: I didn't try and kill you. I was trying to show you something.

Remember the phrase “show you something”, as it is echoed later.

DESMOND: Who's Penny?
CHARLIE: I don't know. Ah. You felt it, didn't you?
DESMOND: I didn't feel anything.

Desmond is becoming a desperate man....because he did experience something....something amazing.  He just hasn’t realized yet that it was the main timeline.

CHARLIE: This doesn't matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it. You wanna try and stop me, good luck.
DESMOND: Hey, where you going?
CHARLIE: If I were you I'd stop worrying about me and start looking for Penny.

Look at Charlie’s words.  “This doesn’t matter.  None of this matters.”  This is clearly a reference to the sideways timeline.  His advice is to find Penny.  While Charlie may not realize it, he is advising Desmond to find his “constant”.  The one person that may be able to connect sideways Desmond and island Desmond. 

Desmond contacts Widmore to tell him that he was unable to get Charlie for the concert.  Charles is not pleased and directs Desmond to tell Mrs. Widmore himself.  So, Des takes the limo to the location of the concert (on a museum’s grounds), where preparations are underway for the festivities.  There he finds, Mrs. Widmore, who turns out to be Eloise Hawking (although in the sideways she introduces herself as Eloise Widmore). 

Now before I get into the meat of this very important scene, I want to pause to discuss a theory I’ve been touting for most of this season....the island DID NOT SINK when the bomb went off.   We’ve seen some evidence that the island survived when Ben appeared in the sideways and when Miles referenced his father working at the museum (it was a safe assumption that this was Pierre Chang).  However, Widmore and Hawking were both definitely on the island at the time of the incident, because the sub had already left the island.  So, again, I wonder if the bomb didn’t sink the island, what caused it be at the bottom of the Pacific and when did this happen?

OK, back to the Desmond/Eloise scene.  Note that as soon as Eloise sees Desmond, there is an instant of recognition and horror.  Before Desmond even introduces himself she know EXACTLY who he is, even though she says they have never met before. (I’ll come back to this in just a moment.)  Desmond explains that Drive Shaft won’t make it to the concert, but Mrs. Widmore does not seem to be troubled by this in the least and thanks Desmond for telling her in person.  Desmond is baffled, but pleased and begins to exit.

On his way out, he overhears some of the party coordinators reading off the guest list, including, “Milton, Penny solo”.  Desmond asks to see the list, but Eloise steps and says that he can’t and dismisses the staff so she can speak to Desmond alone.

ELOISE: Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a serious problem. It is, in fact, a violation. So, whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for...You need to stop looking for it.
DESMOND: Do you, do you know what I'm looking for, Mrs. Widmore?
ELOISE: I don't know why you're looking for anything? You have the perfect life. On top of it, you’ve managed to attain the thing you wanted more than anything--my husband's approval.
DESMOND: How do you know what I want?
ELOISE: Because I bloody do.

This is a hugely import exchange.  We’ve seen Eloise act as a “time cop” before in “Flashes Before Your Eyes”, but perhaps her knowledge of the future is not as omniscient as it appears.  Remember that she had access to Daniel Faraday’s journal before the incident.  Written in that journal was information on Desmond....including Daniel’s note to himself: “If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be MY constant.”  This is likely why Eloise is aware of Desmond.  It could also explain why Eloise tried to convince Desmond in “Flashes Before Your Eyes” that he was not meant to marry Penny and his destiny was to push the button....because Daniel needed to come to the island to initiate the events that lead to the incident and saved Daniel in the sideways timeline (confusing, I know).  Now here in this timeline, it appears she is afraid that Desmond could upset the utopia (a life with Charles and Daniel) that has been created in the sideways.  Also, note the reference to a “violation”.  This seems to be related to “the rules” that we often hear referred to.  One of the things we will need to know before the series is done is exactly what these rules are.


If I make a scary face, maybe he will go away.


Notice as well, that we will later see Daniel and he is a musician, not a physicist.  In Season 5’s “The Variable” Eloise pushed a young Daniel away from music and into physics.  In the sideways, it seems that she has done the opposite.  The difference is that in the main timeline Eloise believed she must preserve the course of destiny.  In the sideways, she is doing whatever she can to change the course of destiny.  It will be interesting to know how much, if anything sideways-Charles knows about this, or if this is Eloise pulling all the strings herself.

The one thing I find puzzling about her exchange with Desmond is how it ends:

DESMOND: I need to see that list...or you need to tell me why I can't.
ELOISE: You can't because you're not ready yet, Desmond.
DESMOND: Ready? Ready, for what?

I’m with Des....ready for what?  It is obviously a very important line, but I can’t come up with a theory as to what it means yet.....so store it away until next week and we’ll see where things are going.

After his frustrating discussion with Mrs. Widmore, Desmond get in the limo and is about to leave when there is a knock at his window.  Daniel is there and introduces himself as Daniel Widmore (not Faraday).


Hey Des, I wanted you to check out my new hat.  Kinda goes with the skinny tie....don’t you think?


The two of them have a discussion, like Desmond’s bar discussion with Charlie, that quickly turns to love:

DANIEL: Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume?
DESMOND: Excuse me?
DANIEL: The first time I saw her, I was walking through this museum, a few weeks ago. She, she works here. She was on her lunch break. She was eating a chocolate bar. She has these incredible blue, blue eyes, red hair. And, as soon as I saw her, right, right in that moment, it was like, it was like I already loved her.

Clearly Daniel is talking about Charlotte, who we know from earlier this season, in “Recon”, works at the museum and we know from last season’s “This Place is Death”, she like’s her chocolate.  Daniel’s experience is much like Charlie’s except Daniel got something more:

DANIEL: And that's when things got weird. That same night after I saw that woman, I woke up and I wrote this.
DESMOND: So what is it?
DANIEL: I'm a musician. I have no idea. So I took it to a friend of mine at Caltech. He's a math whiz. He said this is quantum mechanics. He said these equations are so advanced that only someone who'd been studying physics their entire life could have come up with them.
DESMOND: So what do they mean?
DANIEL: Okay. Imagine something, something terrible is about to happen. Something catastrophic, and the only way to stop it from happening is by releasing a huge amount of energy. Like setting off a nuclear bomb.
DESMOND: You wanna set off a nuclear bomb.
DANIEL: Just listen, what if, this, all this, what if this wasn't supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life and for some reason, we changed things? I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did.

Information from the main timeline is bleeding through to the sideways timeline.  Notice that we are NOT seeing the reverse happening, where information from the sideways bleeds through to the main timeline.  This seems to support Daniel’s suggestion that “this wasn't supposed to be our life”.  Daniel changed things with the bomb and now the universe is finally course correcting. 

Daniel, then proceeds to tell Desmond where he can find his half-sister Penny.  Des is sent to the same stadium where he met Jack in the Season 2 premiere, “Man of Science, Man of Faith”.  He finds Penny running the stadium stairs and introduces himself.  When he shakes her hand....

Des is transported back to the island and the solenoid box, where he is informed that he was only out for a few seconds.  Desmond has returned to the island and appears to be a transformed man.

DESMOND: You told me, you brought me here to the island to do something very important.
WIDMORE: Yeah.
DESMOND: When do we start?

It seems pretty obvious to me that Desmond will somehow be used in relation to the third pocket of energy on the map Zoe showed to Jin (see last week’s write-up).  As Desmond is led away from the test site by Widmore’s people, Sayid appears takes out two of the escorts and tells Zoe to run.

SAYID: Desmond, I don’t have time to explain, but these people are extremely dangerous. We need to go, now.
DESMOND: Aye, of course. Lead the way.


Desmond....I have something important to ask you.....will you be my constant?


So it appears now that Desmond has become the crucial weapon in the Jacob/MIB/Widmore war.  Perhaps whomever possesses this weapon will win.  Interesting, though, that Desmond does not question Sayid.  A moment earlier, he was on Team Widmore and now he willingly will go with Sayid?  I’m really looking forward to seeing where Desmond’s head is.....but maybe it is in two places at once, as....

We are flashed back to the sideways universe where Desmond is told by Penny that he fainted.  This is a truly beautiful scene....it is no wonder the fans love Desmond and Penny.  They are the one couple that seems to project genuine love in the series.  They make a date to have coffee in an hour. 


Are you serious?  You really don’t wear underwear with a kilt?


Desmond returns to his limo and his driver, George:

GEORGE: So, did you find what you were looking for?
DESMOND: Yes, George, I did. Corner of Melrose and Sweetzer, please.
GEORGE: You got it. And if there is anything else I can do for you, Mr. Hume, you just name it.
DESMOND: Actually, there is one thing, George. Can you get me the manifest from my fight from Sydney, Oceanic 815, just the names of the passengers?
GEORGE: Sure I can. Do you mind if I ask you what you need it for?
DESMOND: I just need to show them something.

Remember that just as Charlie needed to show Desmond something....now Desmond is the prophet who must spread the gospel according to Daniel to the Oceanic 815 passengers.

Before finishing up, let me return to a topic I touched on earlier: the sacrifice that Desmond must make.  Given how the rest of the episode played out, I am wondering if perhaps one of these two possibilities is the sacrifice:

1) When Desmond interacts with the remaining pocket of energy on the island, it will perhaps transport him from the main timeline to the sideways timeline, permanently.  The sacrifice here is that he would have to give up the life he has made in the main timeline and have to start over with Penny in the sideways.

2) Desmond must somehow destroy the sideways universe.  How he can do this I don’t know, but it would be quite the sacrifice if it means sideways-Penny must die.

In any case, I think it is highly unlikely that Desmond himself will die (at least in both timelines).  I can’t imagine the writers creating such a strong emotional bond between Desmond and the audience, just to kill him.  I think most others are fair game, but I can’t see them killing Des.

Whatever the sacrifice is that Desmond must make, it will be his most important choice.  As he himself said in this episode: "There's always a choice, brotha."

Here are a few misc items:
- Best line of the week goes to Desmond and Penny (not funny....just perfect):
PENNY: Have we met before?
DESMOND: I-I think we'd remembered it, if we had.
- The rabbit they were going to perform the test on is named Angstrom (a unit for wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation). Harold C. "Rabbit" Angstrom is the main character John Updike's Rabbit Series, including the well-known, “Rabbit, Run”.
- Desmond stares at the model sailboat in Widmore’s office.  A sailboat is how Desmond arrived on the island.
- A sign in the back of the bar appears to say “...exceptional island colors”.
- Penny’s last name in the sideways timeline is Milton. This is likely a reference to John Milton, author of “Paradise Lost” which you can read more about in my entry on “Ab Aeterno”.
- I have a few other ideas rolling around in my brain relating the main timeline/sideways timeline connection to Heaven and Hell (or even Purgatory).  I like the idea, but every time I start formulating a theory I find too many holes.  I’ll keep working on it and see if anything comes up next week that helps that concept.

That is it for this week.  I hope you enjoyed this week’s amazing episode. 

If you are reading this on facebook, darkufo, or theganggreen, be sure check out my blog site: http://deathbyjets.blogspot.com/ and sign up to be a facebook fan or google follower.

See you next week!

Lost Season 6 Analysis and Commentary (Episodes 10 – The Package)

No matter what episode was shown this week, it was going to be obscured by the afterglow from last week’s epic, “Ab Aeterno”.  This week’s Sun/Jin-centric “The Package”, appears to be the victim of this let-down in the online polls.  However, I think this episode is being viewed a little bit too harshly.  We had some real substance in the on-island story, a very compelling flash-sideways and there were a number of interesting little nuggets sprinkled throughout the episode.

So let’s start in the sideways timeline.  The Sun/Jin story picks up where we last saw these two together in the season premiere: the airport.  We learn that the money from Jin’s bag, which was confiscated by customs officials, is $25K from Sun’s dad, Mr. Paik, for delivery with the watch.  When they arrive at the hotel, we get confirmation of something many of us suspected after the premiere: Sun and Jin are not married in the sideways timeline. 

Up in Sun’s hotel room, she slowly unbutton’s her top to seduce Jin...Sun you little trollop!  (Is it just me or does Sun jump from average to smokin’ any time she is in various stages of undress?)  This scene is clearly in contrast to the Season 1 instances of Jin insisting on Sun covering herself up, including buttoning up her blouse.  Anyway, it is clear that these two have been carrying on an affair behind Mr. Paik’s back.  Sun suggests that she and Jin run away together and make a new life with the money she has in a private account.  Recall that in Season 1, Sun’s plan was to run away FROM Jin before boarding Oceanic 815.  Here, her plan is to run away WITH Jin.  However, before Sun and Jin can plot their escape, fate comes knocking at their door in the form of Martin Keamy – island mercenary, sideways hitman, and egg-chef extraordinaire. 

However, on the way to the door Sun looks into the hallway mirror.  This is in keeping with the recurring sideways theme of reflections this season.  Notice though, that Sun hesitates when looking at her reflection....like she is noticing something she hasn’t seen before....similar to the way Jack and Kate have done in their sideways stories. 


Oh no.....I forgot to set my DVR to record V!


So, Sun lets Keamy, who claims to be a friend of her fathers, in.  She gives the watch to him, but he really wants the 25 Gs.  At this point, Sun and Jin are going back and forth in Korean (and makes Keamy think he is in a “damn Godzilla movie”.....as a fan of classic Godzilla movies, I liked the reference, even if they were made in Japan, not Korea) and it becomes pretty obvious that Sun does not understand English in the sideways timeline.  So, they need to bring in an interpreter:

KEAMY: What's that guy's name, the Russian guy, speaks like nine different languages, Danny's friend?
OMAR: Mikhail.
KEAMY: Mikhail. He speak Korean?
OMAR: Think so.
 
Now, while “Mikhail” is very clearly our eye-patched friend from the island, I thought it was curious that Keamy specifically refers to him as “Danny’s friend”.  I have to wonder if this is a reference to Danny Pickett, the Other, who used to like beating on Sawyer in Season 3.  It might be interesting to see if he is somehow connected to the sideways antagonists.  In any case, it was great to see Mikhail, sans eye-patch, make a guest appearance. 


Wait a minute....maybe an eye-patch could help me pick up chicks.


Once Mikhail arrives and clears up some of the Korean, they decide to split the two up.  Mikhail heads out with Sun to get the money out of her account and Keamy takes Jin back to the restaurant where we saw him a few weeks back in Sayid’s flash-sideways.  Jin’s biggest concern is that Keamy and company don’t tell papa-Paik that he is sleeping with Sun.....but good old trustworthy Keamy assures him that his “secret is safe” with him.  Just as a point of baseless speculation, I wonder if Sun is perhaps engaged to Jae Lee (the man she cheated on Jin with in the original timeline) and sleeping with Jin behind his back.  This would infuriate Mr. Paik (who would view Jae Lee as a more worthy suitor for his daughter).  I doubt there is time for them to explore this on the show....but since the thought crossed my mind, I figured I would mention it.  Anyway, Mikhail takes Sun to the bank where they learn that her private account has been closed by Mr. Paik.  At this point Sun, and the viewers, realize that she and Jin are screwed.

We switch to the restaurant, where Keamy’s lackey Omar, bumps Jin’s head on the door heading into the cooler.  I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why Keamy said anything about Jin bumping his head, until someone pointed out to me that Sun bumped her head on the island, as well (clunky writing again from Paul Zbyszewski &
Graham Roland....but better than their last effort, “Sundown”).  Anyway, Keamy tells Jin, who can’t understand a word that he is saying, that Mr. Paik already knows about Sun and Jin and that the $25K is his payment to kill Jin.  Now, at this point, how many of you rewound your DVRs, because you thought Keamy said, “just in case you figure out what’s about to happen to your island...”?  Well, after about 10 rewinds, I’ve come to the conclusion that he says, “just in case you figure out what's about to happen to ya, I can't have you freaking out.”  What a marble-mouth!  But I forgive Keamy, because of one of his follow-up lines.  He points to Jin’s chest and says, “The heart wants, what the heart wants.”  This is a reference to Woody Allen’s justification for falling in love with ex-wife Mia Farrow’s adopted South Korean daughter, Soon-Yi Previn.  I chuckled.  As this scene ends and Keamy leaves Jin strapped to a chair, he says, “some people just aren’t meant to be together”. Is Keamy correct?  As Ben Linus once told us, “Destiny.....is a fickle bitch”.  So, is their destiny that they aren’t meant to be together (and Keamy’s words are foreshadowing an eternal separation) OR does free-will influence destiny (as Jack once said, “Nothing is irreversible.”) and allow them to find happiness together?

While Jin is tied up inside the cooler, we hear gunshots that we know are Sayid taking out Team Keamy.  Sayid comes into the cooler and gives Jin a box cutter to help free himself.  Apparently one of the handful of English words Jin knows is “free”....phew, what a lucky break!

When Mikhail and Sun appear on the scene, they find Keamy and friends shot.....but Keamy is still alive (he is like the Terminator....I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him again in the sideways story).  Jin and Mikhail end up in a standoff....shots are fired.....and THANK YOU COURSE CORRECTING UNIVERSE.....Mikhail is shot in the eye.....putting all things back as they should be.  All is not good though, as one of the shots hits Sun in the stomach....and she exclaims, “I’m pregnant!”  Oh snap!


I knew I should have married an accountant!


OK, now there are a few ways I can see this playing out.  First, we could have one of those magical moving bullets that ends up somewhere other than her stomach (like the one that appeared to pierce young-Ben’s heart last season, only to end up on the other side of his chest the next week).  A second option is that a brilliant spinal surgeon at the hospital could suddenly become an expert at abdominal injuries and save both Sun and her unborn baby (maybe even with the help of fertility specialist, Juliet Burke).  The third possibility is that Sun dies.  I actually would like to see this happen (but it probably won’t....see the tomato discussion below), because I am interested to see the implications of death in the sideways universe on the main timeline.

Now let’s get to the island.....and I’d like to first tackle Sun’s portion of the story, which begins with Team Jacob waiting around for Hurley to return with Richard:

ILANA: Hugo will find him. He will track him down and bring him back.
MILES: Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley can track anything...
FRANK: Hey.....don't talk about bacon.

Ha...gotta love it.  Ilana expresses here faith in Jacob’s plans: “Jacob has never lied to me before.” I just have to wonder how much interaction Ilana has had with Jacob and in what context....we need more Ilana backstory!  Sun, though, wants nothing to do with any of this....as she has told us countless times before she is only interested in finding Jin.  Quite honestly, Sun may be the only one with any sense left on the island.  While everyone else is focusing on quixotic quests, Sun has a tangible objective: reuniting with Jin.  This frustration causes her to storm out of the camp and find something else practical to do.  She returns to the garden she began in Season 1 (this is another Season 6 revisit to a past LOST locale). 

While working to clean up her garden, Sun cuts her finger.  Flocke appears, greets her, and asks, “Bad day?”  This is the same thing John Locke said to her in Season 2’s “...And Found” when Sun was tearing apart the garden in frustration over the loss of her wedding ring.  I find Flocke’s use of Locke’s expressions and mannerisms to be curious.  I mentioned this a few weeks back, but it seems like the soul of the real John Locke is somewhere inside Flocke, along with the Man-in-Black.  We know Flocke has Locke’s memories, but I wonder if Locke can regain control of the body MIB is currently utilizing?  Time will tell.  Anyway, so Flocke tells Sun that Jin is with him and extends his hand to her:

FLOCKE: I can take you to him right now.
SUN: I don’t believe you.  You killed those people at the temple.
FLOCKE: Those people were confused.  They were lied to.  I didn’t want to hurt them.  Any one of them could have chosen to come with me. And I am giving you that choice Sun right now.  I would never make you do anything against your will.  I’m asking you....please, come with me.  Jin is waiting.

Notice here again how Flocke/MIB insists that it is a matter of free will for Sun to join him.  However, Sun resists the temptation to fulfill her greatest desire and runs from Flocke.  She hits her head and is knocked unconscious.  Ben finds her, but she is unable to speak English.  Once back at camp, Jack diagnoses Sun with Aphasia, as she is understands English, but can only speak in Korean.  Jack assures her that she will be fine.  How on Earth can Jack make this kind of pronouncement based on the most superficial of examinations?  Someone really needs to look into his medical credentials. 


I’ve got to get to the bathroom before this guy.  He had tacos last night.


To lift everyone’s spirits, Richard returns, thanks to Hurley (....anyone smell bacon?).  But Richard has no time for small talk, as he is energized by the mission his dead wife has set him on: destroy the Ajira plane and thwart MIB’s plan.  Sun, again the pragmatist, yells in Korean that destroying their only way off the island is crazy.  Either no one is listening or no one speaks Korean or both.  She storms off in a huff. 

Jack later goes to Sun with the one thing that can melt even the coldest heart....a tomato.  On a little side note, do tomatoes even grow on pacific islands?  OK....I guess if we can have polar bears there, I can accept the tomato.  Anyway, Jack gives a pad to Sun to see if she can write in English (you’d think he would have thought of this as part of the aphasia diagnosis....but I guess not).  Then Jack tells her about the tomato: “That’s one stubborn tomato.  I guess no one told it it was supposed to die.”  The tomato is clearly symbolic of Sun and her enduing drive to reunite with her husband.  However, I think it also represents her vulnerability, as a tomato is a relatively fragile vegetable (or is it a fruit?).  This is one of the reasons I think Sun may be next in line for getting killed.  Although the stubbornness of the surviving tomato, likely means that she will survive to the end (both here and in the sideways timeline).  At a minimum, I think Sun will survive long enough to find Jin, but there is still a chance she will joining some of the other dead regulars as Hurley confidants.  We’ll have to see how prophetic that stubborn little tomato is.

The final moments of this scene with Jack are pretty important:

Jack: Locke, what did he say to you?
Sun: He said he had Jin.
Jack: Why didn’t you go with him?
Sun: I don’t trust him.
Jack: Do you trust me?
(Sun nods)
Jack: Sun, come with us and I’ll help you find Jin.  I’ll help you find him and I’ll help you get you both on that plane and as far away from this island as you can get.......I promise.

Then Jack extends his hand and, this time, Sun takes it.  Jack’s speech to Sun isn’t that much different than Flocke’s.  Every week I am more and more convinced that Jack will indeed become the new Jacob.  He is no longer ordering people around as he has done in the past.  He is giving them choices.  While he may not have know it at the time, Jack’s visit to the lighthouse has changed him.  Before even formally accepting the position as Jacob’s replacement, he is living the role.  He will ultimately help many of the Losties off the island, but remain behind to be the island’s protector (he already accepted the fact that he was never returning from the island last season before boarding the Ajira flight).  Either that or he will die trying.

OK....the last major portion of this episode, and probably the best, is Jin’s island adventure.  This part of the story opens with a night-vision-goggles view of Team MIB’s camp...and some high-powered audio equipment to pick up conversations.  So, obviously Widmore has this group under tight surveillance. 

For the first time since Jin fell in with Team MIB, Flocke has a direct discussion with him.  After Jin acknowledges that Sawyer told him about the cave with the names on the wall, the following transpires (with Claire eavesdropping):

FLOCKE: Most of the names have been crossed off now. There are just a few left. Kwon is one of them.
JIN: Does that mean me or Sun?
FLOCKE: Well Jin, I'm not sure. But what it does mean is that the only way we can leave the island is if all the names that haven't been crossed off go together.

So, assuming Flocke is being truthful, his objective is to get the remaining candidates (Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Sun/Jin...and remember this, because I am going to get back to this in a little bit) off the island.  This is kind of an interesting juxtaposition whereas Flocke is trying to get the candidates off the island, Locke, in Season 5, was trying to bring the Oceanic 6 back to the island.  There is also symmetry here as the means of conveyance for both journeys is the Ajira plane.

Flocke tells Jin that he will go find Sun and gets ready to head out to find her.  Before he leaves, he checks in with Sayid:

SAYID: I don't feel anything.
FLOCKE: Excuse me?
SAYID: Anger. Happiness. Pain. I don't feel it anymore.
FLOCKE: Maybe that's best, Sayid. It'll help you get through what's coming.

Sayid’s situation is a sad one.  He is aware of the state that he is in, but helpless to stop it.  It is almost like the reverse of a stroke victim (all there on the inside, but unable to function externally), where he is empty inside, but is able to perform all necessary tasks.

After Flocke leaves, Jin is ready to get out of Dodge, when tranquilizer darts come flying into the camp.  This scene reminded me of two other sequences: 1) The flaming arrow attack from Season 5’s “The Lie”, and 2) the dart ambush of Walt’s rescue party in Season 2’s finale “Live Together, Die Alone”.  It seems like dangerous projectiles have always been a part of the Others’ repertoire of tactics....and Widmore, always an Other at heart, sticks to that game plan.  With everybody on Team MIB subdued, Widmore’s flunkies, Zoe and Seamus, grab Jin and hightail it back to Hydra island.  When Flocke returns, he is none-too-happy that Jin is gone and sets off on an outrigger excursion with Sayid to get him back.


Sayid, who ate the brownies I made last night?


SAWYER: What do you need a boat for? Can't you just turn into smoke and fly your ass over the water?
LOCKE: Do you think if I could do that I would still be on this island?
SAWYER: No, 'cause that would be ridiculous

Nice!  A little old-school Sawyer sarcasm!

Jin awakens in Room 23, a DHARMA psychological testing facility for subliminal messages on Hydra Island, which we last saw in Season 3 as the place Ben imprisoned Karl for being a bad influence on his daughter, Alex.  Jin inadvertently starts the film and we are shown 3 of the messages on the screen:

THINK ABOUT....YOUR LIFE

We are the causes of our own suffering

Everything Changes

Originally, I was going to break down each of these statements, but in thinking about it carefully, I came to the conclusion that the sum of these statements is really where there is meaning.  When the characters reflect upon their lives (as we have seen them looking into reflected images all season long), they will find that the misery they have experienced is of their own doing (Jack’s inferiority complex relative to his father, Sawyer’s obsession with the man responsible for the deaths of his parents, Sayid’s inability to refrain from torture and killing, etc).  However, as Jacob told Richard last week, when people come to the island, “their past doesn't matter.”  They get a clean slate (“Tabula Rasa”).....”Everything Changes”.  The opportunity is there to change the suffering of one’s life, if the right choice is made.  Again, it all boils down to choice.  Jacob gives them a choice.  MIB gives them a choice.  The island gives them a choice.  Think about your life....everything can change IF you make the right choice.

After Jin shuts down the Room 23 film, he realizes that Zoe has entered the room.  She explains that the room was part of the DHARMA initiative and says that Jin should know all about DHARMA.  After a little tasing, Zoe pulls out a map of the island:

ZOE: These are grid maps that the Dharma people used to identify pockets of electromagnetism. Whoever signed these could really help me out. I know... I know the writing's difficult to read but... but it sure looks like it says Jin Soo-Kwon. So, is it you or isn't it?

This was my favorite little nugget of the episode.  Pausing carefully to look at the map, it identifies THREE pockets of electromagnetism on the island.  We know about the Swan Station.  We know about the Orchid Station.  So, what is the third pocket?  There appears to be some as-of-yet untapped source of electromagnetism on the island.  This is very exciting, as the Swan and Orchid have provided two of the best plot driving elements of the series.  It appears this is going to be a key component of the end game of LOST.  Exactly what Team Widmore wants with this info is unclear, but Jin’s role is about to change (“Everything Changes”).  However, Jin won’t agree to do anything until he sees Charles Widmore.


On this map are the locations of three future Starbucks locations.


But before Jin meets Widmore, Flocke (Sayid is nowhere to be found) has a little tete-a-tete with Charles at the sonic fence perimeter on Hydra island:

WIDMORE: Do you know who I am?
FLOCKE: Charles Widmore. Do you know who I am?
WIDMORE: Obviously you’re not John Locke. Everything else I know is a combination of myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night.
FLOCKE: I think you know more than that judging by these pylons.

This exchange raising questions about how much Widmore REALLY knows and where his allegiances lie.  Based on Ben’s lack of insight on the conflict between Jacob and MIB, it is not too big of a stretch to think that Widmore may be misinformed as well.  Then again, Dogan seemed to have an in depth understanding of Jacob and MIB.  I wonder if Jacob’s plan, employed via Richard, is to compartmentalize information so that no one person on the island has the complete picture.  Each player is only given the information needed to perform his or her role.  Widmore is clearly NOT on MIB’s side...but we don’t really know yet if he is on Team Jacob or just playing for his own team.  I expect this will become clearer next week.


If you ask me Charles, these pylons are just your way of compensating for something.


After Widmore denies that he has Jin, Flocke drops the news that the time for games is over:

FLOCKE: A wise man once said that war was coming to this island......I think it just got here.

Flocke is of course referencing Widmore’s own word’s to John Locke in Season 5’s “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”:

WIDMORE: ....there's a war coming, John. And if you're not back on the Island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win.

Looking back on Widmore’s words to Locke, I again wonder how much he knew then and how much he knows now (he seemed quite confident two weeks ago when he said to Sawyer, “It’s sad really....how little you actually know.”....but then again, Ben always seemed very confident as well).  Does he know what he is doing or is he just as clueless as Ben was when he was duped into killing Jacob.  Either way, I couldn’t be more ecstatic that we are on the eve of war....bring it on!

When Widmore returns to the Hydra station, he chews out Zoe about the Jin situation.  Apparently, he wasn’t quite ready to confront MIB.  Zoe tells him that maybe he should have brought along “a mercenary instead of a geophysicist”.  Zoe probably doesn’t realize that this is exactly what Widmore tried last time with Keamy.  It also is pretty clear that Zoe’s role as a geophysicist ties directly into the third pocket of magnetism I mentioned earlier.  Widmore gets over Zoe’s screw up (“what’s done is done”) and tells her to get the “package” from the infirmary. 

Widmore then introduces himself to Jin and gives him a camera that he said was found on the Ajira plan in Sun’s luggage.  The camera contains pictures of Ji Yeon....Sun and Jin’s daughter.  Here Widmore shows himself to be a master manipulator (just like Jacob, MIB, and Ben).  Recall Ben’s words to Juliet from Season 3, when he was explaining how he would get Jack to do his spinal surgery: “Same way I get anybody to do anything. I find out what he's emotionally invested in, and I exploit it.”  Here Widmore is doing the same thing.  He needs Jin’s help and he is leveraging Sun and Ji Yeon to get it.  Widmore tells Jin:

WIDMORE: I have a daughter too.  I know what it’s like to be kept apart.  I understand the one thing you want is to be reunited with your wife and daughter.  But it would be short-lived, if that thing masquerading as John Locke ever got off this island.  Your wife, your daughter, my daughter....everyone we know and love would simply cease to be.  I came here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

So, Widmore lays the stakes on the table, and my guess is that Jin is going “all in”.  But, in looking at Widmore’s statement, what does that really mean?  Does MIB escaping the island mean that world will be destroyed?  Or does it mean that everyone will be killed?  Or does it mean that everyone will become like Sayid....soulless slaves to the MIB?  I really don’t know....but I am interested to find out.

So Widmore proceeds to tell Jin that he needs to see the package....which is a “who”, not a “what”.  I was right that the package behind the locked door in the sub was a “who”, but incorrectly guessed at it being Charlie Hume, Aaron or Walt.  It turns out to be Desmond (remember the words of Mrs. Hawking: “I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Desmond, but the Island isn't done with you yet.”).  As Desmond gets off the sub, he stumbles walking down the dock from the sub and sees Sayid playing frogman in the water....gathering the intell MIB is looking for.  I’m glad everyone’s favorite Scot is back in the mix, whether he likes it or not (“You say the Island's not done with me? Well, I'm done with the Island.”).


Is that V countdown timer still here?


That covers the major portions of this week’s story, but let’s touch on a couple of other things that didn’t fit into the main story recaps.

First, let’s look at the discussion between Flocke and Claire:

CLAIRE: Um... what you said to Jin... about the names on the wall? You told him you needed them all to get off the island?
FLOCKE: Yes I did.
CLAIRE: So... was my name on the wall?
FLOCKE: No.

Flocke neglects to inform her that her name WAS on the wall, but it was crossed out....meaning she is no longer a candidate.

CLAIRE: Then... it doesn't matter if I get on that plane then. You don't need me--
FLOCKE: No. That's not true, Claire. I need you. And there's plenty of room on that plane for all of us.

Why does Flocke need Claire.  She must have a role to play in MIB’s plan.  I find it hard to believe that he wants to take her off the island just because he is a smoke monster with a heart of gold.

CLAIRE: When we go home, Aaron's not going to know me. Stranger to my own son. He thinks Kate's his mother. Was her name on the wall?
FLOCKE: No, Claire... it isn't. Not anymore.

But remember, Kate’s name was crossed off the wall in the cave, but was NOT crossed out in the lighthouse.

FLOCKE: But I need Kate.
CLAIRE: Why?
FLOCKE: Because I'm three people shy of getting off this island and Kate can help me get those people on the plane. But... once she does... then whatever happens, happens.

It seems to me that Kate will be bait for Jack, Sawyer, and Sun and then she becomes expendable.  But if MIB doesn’t know about the lighthouse then maybe Kate is the secret candidate that can tip the scales back in Jacob’s favor.  Recall, that Ilana has been tasked to protect 6 remaining candidates.  Locke was likely already out of the mix in Jacob’s eyes....so maybe Kate is number 6.  Also, I love the future tense of “whatever happens, happens”, playing off last season’s “whatever happened, happened”.  So, maybe what Flocke is saying is that not only can’t you change the past, but you can’t change the future.....it is all preordained.

On the subject of Kate I’d like to take a look at something that happened related to her:

SAWYER: Where’d you go?
KATE: What?
SAWYER: Looked like you brain took a little stroll.

While this is probably nothing, I can’t help but think that this could be meaningful.  I wonder if Kate checking out (as we have seen her do a lot in recent episodes) is indeed her brain taking a “stroll”....perhaps to the sideways timeline.  I think about two of the Desmond episodes: “Flashes Before Your Eyes” and “The Constant”, where Desmond’s brain checked out and went elsewhere.  Maybe the hesitations in the mirrors (like Sun had this week) are the characters in the sideways timeline getting flashes of the main timeline.  Similarly, when a character zones out in the main timeline, they are seeing flashes of the sideways.  I’m probably grasping at straws here, but I’m still waiting to see these to universes intersect.

Here are a few misc items:
- Best line of the week goes to Ilana:
BEN: What? Oh, for the fourth time, I was gathering mangoes and she was already unconscious when I found her. Why won't you believe me?
ILANA: Because you're speaking.
- Runner up goes to Frank:
MILES: She hits her head and forgets English? Are we supposed to buy that?
FRANK: Asks the man who communes with the dead.
- Jin’s English is significantly better in the sideways than it was in Season 1
- When Flocke is looking around the camp at the tranq-dart victims, in the Flocke-POV shots you can hear the faint tica-tica-tica of the Smoke monster.

That is wrap for this week. 

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See you next week!