Lost Season 6 Analysis and Commentary (Episodes 16 – What They Died For)

Well, if last week’s episode had shaken your faith in LOST’s ability to bring this puppy home successfully, my guess is this week’s “What They Died For” has you born again and sitting upright in the front pew of the Church of Lindelof/Cuse.  For me, I don’t think I could have asked for a better set-up episode for the LOST finale.  It had action, murder, mythology, humor, plot twists, and character turns.  And finally (after the entire 6th season), I am as excited to see how the Sideways timeline plays out as I am for the main timeline.  Thank Jacob it is only 3 days away.....it can’t get here soon enough!

I’m going to apologize in advance for this blog entry.  Normally, I use a lot of quotes from the episode, but this week I use even more than usual.  I found that the dialogue was extremely good in this episode and it is instrumental in analyzing what is going on.  So, bear with me if you feel like you are reading a transcript of the episode.

Let’s get into the Sideways universe first.  The episode opens with a close-up of Jack’s eye opening.  This, of course, mirrors the iconic opening of the series pilot (which ABC will be rerunning on Saturday night....I recommend you watch it if you haven’t seen it in a while), except, as always seems to be the case in the Sideways, something is a little off.  His eye doesn’t spring open like it did in the Pilot, but rather lazily flutters open. 

Jack heads to the bathroom, looks in the mirror (always mirrors in the Sideways) and notices a bleeding cut on his neck.  This appears to be the same cut that he had in the Season 6 premiere, “LA X”....only worse.  Since this is the second time we have seen it and both times it was in a mirror, it must have some significance to the main timeline.  So, what I am wondering is if this is a literal connection (something is happening on the island to cause Jack to bleed) or a symbolic connection (where the main timeline is “bleeding through” to the sideways timeline).  Or perhaps now that Jack is accepting the role of island “savior”, it is some form of stigmata. 


Geez...I have to tell my dates to take it easy on the hickeys.


At breakfast, Jack and his son, David, talk about a concert they are going to that night (presumably David is performing).  As the episode moves on, it becomes clear that this concert is where all of the Sideways-Losties are going to end up.

JACK: Is your Mom coming too?
DAVID: Yeah....why?  You’re not going to get all weird are you?
JACK: Why would I get wei–
DAVID: Just don’t.
JACK: I won’t.

Now, we’ve heard allusions to David’s mother before in the Sideways, but we haven’t received any concrete evidence as to who she is.  One obvious choice would be Sarah, main-timeline-Jack’s ex-wife (we know island-Jack was weirdly jealous around Sarah).  While that would be good, I think a more intriguing choice (and I have no inside info, as I have not looked at the finale guest cast list) would be Juliet.  There are two things about this idea that I like.  First, it would be a nice payoff for this Season 3 line from Ben: “Has it not occurred to you that Juliet bears a striking resemblance to your ex-wife?”  Second, since I have to believe that Sawyer and Juliet will interact in the finale, I think setting up a parallel love triangle (Jack-Juliet-Sawyer) to the island triangle (Jack-Kate-Sawyer) would be pretty cool.

New house-guest, Claire, comes in to join them for breakfast (one big happy family).   But before they can start catching up, the phone rings.  It is Oceanic airlines claiming to have Jack’s father’s coffin and that it will be back in LA by the end of the day.  But then it is revealed to be Desmond making the call....up to his rule-breaking tricks again. 

In the next scene we see Desmond revving his engine with Mr. Locke in his sights.  Before Death Race 2000 resumes, Dr. Linus recognizes Desmond as the man who hit Locke and intervenes: “I’m making a citizens arrest.”  Desmond proceeds to kick Ben’s ass.  But Ben tries to be noble:

BEN: I will not let you hurt Mr. Locke again.
DESMOND: I’m not here to hurt him.  I’m here to help him let go.
BEN: Who are you?
DESMOND: You want to know who I am?

Desmond then punches Ben repeatedly until he begins to see flashes of Main-Timeline-Desmond beating Main-Timeline-Ben on the dock from Season 5’s “Dead is Dead”. 

Now, when Desmond says “I’m here to help him let go”, I interpret this to mean that Desmond’s first attempt to get Locke to remember the main timeline failed because of his unwillingness to let go.


You want to know who I am?  I’m the guy you are going to give your lunch money to.

After being beaten senseless, Ben does what any logical person would do.....goes to see the school nurse.  When she leaves the room, Ben is left staring at his own reflection in a full-length mirror.  His image shows his facial bruises and his arm in a sling.  This is the same way Main-Timeline-Ben appeared when he boarded Ajira 316....which was also after a beating at the hands of Desmond.  Never before has one of our Sideways-timeline characters seen a reflected image so closely aligned with their main timeline counterpart.

Mr. Locke arrives at the nurses office and Ben tells him what happened:

BEN: I saw the man that ran you down, Mr. Locke. He was back. I approached him, and he just attacked me. And then the strangest thing happened. While he was beating me, I think--I think I saw something. What are you doing?
LOCKE: I’m calling the police.
BEN: You may not want to do that.
LOCKE: Well, why wouldn’t I want to?
BEN: The man told me that he wasn’t trying to hurt you. He told me that he was trying to get you to let go. And for some reason, I believed him. Do you have any idea what he was talking about, Mr. Locke? Does that mean something to you?

And, of course, it does, but we’ll get there a little bit later.  But as an aside, notice how Ben and Locke call each other Dr. Linus and Mr. Locke, respectively.  Presumably, they’ve been working together for a week or so...you’d think they’d be on a first name basis by now.  I believe the writers are using this to contrast the main timeline and the sideways timeline.  In the main timeline, Ben and John have nothing but contempt and suspicion of one another.  Here in the sideways, Dr. Linus and Mr. Locke have respect and trust for each other.  Probably not overly significant, but a nice subtle touch.

At the police station Miles tries to talk Sawyer into going to the concert tonight.  Sawyer declines, but somehow I think he will end up there.  Desmond is escorted in and admits to Detective Ford that he is the one responsible for the two incidents at the school.  Des is put into a holding cell with two of our other Losties (Sayid and Kate).  Desmond greets them both and gives a broad, knowing smile.

Next, we see Ben leaving the school.  Alex notices him and offers him a ride home.  He reluctantly agrees and is introduced to the driver....Alex’s mom....Danielle Rousseau.  They insist on Dr. Linus joining them for dinner, with Danielle adding, “even if we have to kidnap you”.  A clever line, as Ben kidnapped Alex away from Danielle in the main timeline. 

Following dinner Ben asks about Alex’s father.  Danielle responds that he died when Alex was only two and that Ben is the “closest thing to a father she’s ever had.”  This statement causes Ben to tear up.  I had to wonder though if Ben’s emotional response was really a reaction to a memory of the tragedy that befell Alex on the island....especially since that same event plays such a pivotal role in the island happenings in this episode (which I’ll get to in a few minutes).  But Ben tries to put up a front:

BEN: I’m sure it’s the onions. 
DANIELLE: I’ll put in less next time.

So, are we seeing the seeds of a possible relationship between Ben and Danielle?  What an ironic twist that would be, as Rousseau so loathed Ben in the main-timeline.  I think this is as far as we will see this go....as I can’t image them taking any more time on this plotline.  In fact, I have to wonder if this will be the last we see of Sideways Ben at all....and just assume he will have a good life.


You know....when you aren’t hitting me in the face with the butt of your rifle, you are pretty cute.


While Ben is making time with the French lady with the Croatian accent, John Locke is compelled to visit Jack Shephard based on the info he received from Dr. Linus. 

LOCKE: Dr. Shephard, you and I were on the same plane from Sydney. You gave me your card, and . . . the next day I threw it away, no offense.
JACK: None taken.
LOCKE: Anyway . . . then a few days later I get hit by a car. And of all the doctors in Los Angeles, I ended up with you. Then a-after you save my life, you still want to fix me and I still don’t wanna be fixed. Okay. Then . . . the man who ran me down shows up at my school today, again. He beat up a teacher in the parking lot. But, do you know what he said to him? He said that he wasn’t there to hurt me, he was there to help me “let go,” which is exactly the same thing that you said to me the last time we saw each other.
JACK: I’m sorry. Are--are you saying that I sent this man to run you down?
LOCKE: No. No. No. No. No. But --but what if all this . . . maybe this is happening for a reason. Maybe you’re supposed to fix me.

It’s taken a while to get here, but Sideways-Locke is finally starting to sound like Island-Locke.  Recall this exchange from Season 1’s finale, “Exodus”:

LOCKE: Me, well, I'm a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you've seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.

Destiny brought the Losties to the island and destiny, with a little universe-course-correcting push from Desmond Hume, is bringing them together again in the Sideways. 

Sideways-Jack, though, may not quite be ready to take this leap-of-faith:

JACK: Mr. Locke, I want to fix you, but I think you’re mistaking coincidence for fate.

This is a call back to the famous Season 2 statement by Mr. Eko (and later repeated by Locke), “Do not mistake coincidence for fate.”  But by now we should all realize that they had it backwards.....it should be “Do not mistake fate for coincidence.”

Regardless, Sideways-Locke is willing to become a man of faith:

LOCKE: You can call it whatever you want, but here I am. And I--I think I’m ready to get out of this chair.

Now, I don’t see how there is time for Locke to get out of the chair before the concert, but maybe it doesn’t matter if he has the surgery or not.  Maybe the only thing that matters is his willingness to embrace fate...to let go.  And I’m sure that fate will somehow have him in attendance at the concert.

Meanwhile, back at the police station, Desmond, Sayid and Kate are getting ready to be transferred to the county jail.  Kate tries to get some sympathy:

KATE: You could still let me go.
SAWYER: Why the hell would I do that?
KATE: Because I told you I was innocent. And you believe me.

You know all those cops that just let suspected murders go just because they seem believable.  I also have to wonder about this notion of Kate being innocent.  In the main-timeline, she most certainly murdered her father (and her reckless actions also resulted in the death of her childhood sweetheart, Tom Brennan...not to mention several other associated crimes).  I have a hard time believing that in the Sideways timeline she is just a victim of circumstance (at a minimum, we know she assaulted a federal marshal and hijacked a taxi at gun point).  And in reality, does it even matter if she committed murder or not....all that matters is that she meets her destiny tonight. 

SAWYER: Doesn’t matter. Still can’t let you go, I’m a cop.
KATE: You don’t seem like a cop to me.

And just like it doesn’t matter if Kate is a criminal, it doesn’t matter that Sawyer is a cop.  Recall Jacob’s words to Richard in “Ab Aeterno” about the people who come to the island: “....when they get here, their past doesn't matter.”  And I suspect, that whatever is going down at the concert, it won’t matter if you were a cop, criminal, doctor, lottery winner, hit man, or torturer....their pasts won’t matter.

With our three prisoners in a van on the way to county, Desmond tells them that he thinks, “it’s time to leave.”  After a little banter about whether or not Desmond is crazy, he lays it out for them:

DESMOND: But do you want to get out of here or not?
KATE: So, what, are you just gonna tell the driver to stop?
DESMOND: The driver already knows where to stop. But when that happens you’re gonna have to give me your trust.
SAYID: Our trust?
DESMOND: That’s right? Because after I set you free, I’m gonna ask each of you to do something, and you’re gonna have to promise me that you’ll do it. So what do you say?

Notice that while Desmond has been manipulating the Losties situations, ultimately it must be their choice (free-will) for them to participate.  Both agree, but are highly skeptical.

The van comes to a stop and we see Ana Lucia let them out and wants to know where her money is.  Hurley drives up in his Hummer, with the money for Ana Lucia:

HURLEY: Oh, hey, you didn’t tell me Ana Lucia was gonna be here.
ANA LUCIA: Do I know you, tubby?
HURLEY: Oh, no. We never met. Anyways, here’s your money. A hundred twenty-five grand, right?
ANA LUCIA: Yeah, that’s right. Nice not knowing you.
HURLEY: She’s not coming with us?
DESMOND: No, she’s not ready yet.

So, here is my question based on the appearance of Ana Lucia: Was she on Sideways-Oceanic 815?  My guess is “no”, because when we saw the Sideways-Oceanic 815 flight, we didn’t see any of the primary tail-section survivors (Ana Lucia, Libby, and Mr. Eko).  Also, Desmond’s comment that “she’s not ready yet” provides an out for Desmond that he is not getting every passenger from 815 to the concert....given his apparent knowledge of the main-timeline, I think he will only be targeting the main characters.


What’s that supposed to mean: If this van is a-rockin’ don’t come a-knockin’?


Also, notice that Hurley seems to have a much more detailed recollection of the main timeline than any of the other Losties.  I suspect that maybe the flashes based on love are clearer than the flashes based on violence.  This detailed knowledge seems to have made him capable of being Desmond’s right hand man in timeline manipulation.

Sayid goes was Hurley in the Hummer and Des takes Kate in Hurley Camaro (a nice little prop to use, as we have seen it in many of the off-island Hurley sequences).  Kate isn’t so sure about going off with Desmond:

KATE: What do you mean, I’m with you?
DESMOND: We....are going to a concert.

He shows Kate a dress.  While it isn’t the same dress, this somewhat reminded me of the Others giving Kate a dress when she was a prisoner on Hydra island.  Time to get dressed up Kate....we’ve got a date with destiny.

I can’t wait to see what is going to happen at that concert!

OK, let’s shift back to the main-timeline.  I’ll start with the Team Ben story:

Ben, Richard, and Miles (who we have not seen for a few episodes) are trekking through the jungle, heading to Barracks.  When they arrive, Miles gets some ghost whispers.

BEN: What is it?
RICHARD: It’s Alex.....It’s your daughter. After you left, I buried her.
BEN: Thank you, Richard.

This scene is important, because it provides the motivation for Ben’s actions later in the episode (it also make for nice juxtaposition with the sideways Ben-Alex interactions).  Recall Ben’s words from earlier this season in “Dr. Linus”:

BEN: I watched my daughter Alex die in front of me. And it was my fault. I had a chance to save her. But I chose the island over her. All in the name of Jacob. I sacrificed everything for him. And he didn't even care. Yeah I stabbed him, I was... so angry...confused...I was terrified that I was about to lose the only thing that had ever mattered to me - my power. But the thing that really mattered was already gone.

Ben takes them to his old house and into his secret room behind the bookcase.  Miles notices the ancient looking door inside:

MILES: What’s that? A secreter room?
BEN: It’s where I was told I could summon the monster. That’s before I realized that it was the one summoning me.

This is an interesting characterization.  Ben Linus has been portrayed as the man with a plan....always in control.  But if Ben is correct, MIB/Smokey has always been the one pulling the strings.  As this episode progresses it seems that Ben is indeed a servant of the Smoke Monster....the operative word being “seems”.  I’ll get into that more later.

So, from Ben’s secret room, they take enough C-4 to blow the Ajira plane “to hell”.  When they exit the room they find Zoe in the kitchen.

BEN: Who the hell are you?
WIDMORE: She’s with me. Hello, Benjamin. May I come in?

Notice that from Ben’s perspective, Alex’s photo is positioned directly behind Widmore.  A nice touch, as it was Charles who sent the freighter team to the island, resulting in Alex’s death.

Widmore casually drinks some tap water (seemed like an odd thing to do...but I can’t think of anything significant about it) and sends Zoe off to get the equipment they left in the outrigger. Widmore explains that he was the one who rigged the Ajira plane with explosives: “As usual, Benjamin, I’m 3 steps ahead of you.“  If Ben wasn’t already pissed at Charles, this little tweaking wasn’t helping Ben forgive him.

And then more for Ben to be angry about:

BEN: How did you get back here, Charles?
WIDMORE: Jacob invited me.
BEN: That’s a lie. You’ve never even seen Jacob.
WIDMORE: I most certainly have. He visited me, not long after your people destroyed my freighter. He convinced me of the error of my ways; and told me everything I needed to know for this exact purpose.

Ben let his daughter die for the sake of the island.  And in return, Jacob ignored him.  Now here, Ben’s arch nemesis is brought into Jacob’s fold.  Before Ben can react, Zoe walkies-in that Flocke has arrived on the island. 

Widmore and Zoe hide in the secret room, but Miles wants out of there.  Ben gives Miles a walkie: “in case I need you” (Ben always has a plan).

Ben: I’m not interested in hiding.  He’s going to find me sooner or later anyway.  I’d rather have it over with.

He then says to Richard:

BEN: Care to join me outside while I wait for the inevitable?
RICHARD: I-I’m gonna talk to him. I know this man. All he wants is for me to join him, and if I can get him to leave with me, maybe that’ll give the rest of you a chance.

A nice gesture by Richard to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but he doesn’t even get the chance to talk to Flocke, as Smokey barrels into him and tosses him away. 

Now I have to believe that Richard is still alive.  This would be a much too abrupt end to a character central to the show’s mythology.  You want to blow-up Ilana?  Fine.  You want to drown Frank?  I can live with that.  But Richard must survive this.  I’m sure he is going to die at some point, but he must have a bigger part in the series end game. 


Not the faaaaaaaaaaaaccccceeeee!!!!!!!!


After this Ben just grabs a seat on the porch, like it was just an average lazy summer afternoon, Flocke arrives:

LOCKE: Just the man I was looking for.
BEN: Well, you found me. Can I get you a glass of lemonade?

Flocke sits next to Ben, takes out a knife and begins grooming his nails.

FLOCKE: I need you....to kill some people for me, Ben.
BEN: And why would I do that?
FLOCKE: Because once I leave this island, you can have it all to yourself.
BEN: All right.

Ben appears to be agreeing to a deal, but I think this is the MIB’s first big miscalculation.  I don’t believe Ben wants the island anymore.  The one thing I think he really wants is to kill Flocke....as I think he realizes how badly he has been out maneuvered.  But before he can kill Flocke, he needs to sell the con....and this begins with giving up Widmore.

Now before we move on, I want to pause to recognize Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn.  These guys are BY FAR the two best actors on the show.  Their scenes together are remarkably good.  I’m sure there aren’t many more one-on-one moments left with these two, so we ought to appreciate the ones we get.

BEN: After you. Charles and his lady friend are in here. She’s armed. But I’m guessing that’s not a problem for you.
FLOCKE: Wait out here....You don’t need to see this.
BEN: I want to see this.

Ben opens the doorway for Flocke. Flocke tries to get some info out of Zoe, but when Charles shushes her, Flocke slashes her throat: “You told he not to talk to me....that makes her pointless.”

I had to chuckle at this line as many fans were probably saying “Amen” to that.  Zoe was definitely not a fan favorite.


Zoe....I warned you there was jalapeno in that dip.


Flocke then turns his attention to Widmore:

FLOCKE: Now, Charles, it’s clear you’re not afraid to die. So, there’s only one way to motivate you to tell me what I want to know. Soon, this will all be over. I’ll get what I want. And I’ll finally leave this island. And when I do, the first thing I’m going to do is kill your daughter....Penny.
WIDMORE: You’ll kill her whether I talk to you or not.
FLOCKE: No, I won’t. I give you my word.
WIDMORE: And I’m supposed to take your word?
FLOCKE: You tell me why you came back here and I won’t hurt your daughter.

I wonder if Flocke got this idea when he “scanned” Ben as Smokey in last season’s “Dead is Dead”. 

WIDMORE: I brought Desmond Hume back here because of his unique resistance to electromagnetism. He was a measure of last resort.
FLOCKE: What do you mean, “last resort”?

I’m thinking that perhaps Desmond can enter the magic cave.  I don’t know what he can do there, but maybe if that place is the source of the Smoke Monster, maybe that is where it can be destroyed as well.  But we don’t get to find out just yet:

WIDMORE: I’m not saying any more in front of him.
FLOCKE: Well, then whisper to me. Hmm?

Just then Ben plugs Widmore with 3 bullets and says: “He doesn’t get to save his daughter.”

An epic line from a great character.  I mentioned earlier that I think Ben is setting Flocke up.  And here, Ben gets the bonus of being able to kill Widmore to help sell it.

FLOCKE: Ben.....you never cease to amaze me. Fortunately, he had already told me what I needed to know. So, no harm done.
BEN: Good....Did you say there were some other people to kill?

I don’t think that Ben is going to harm any of the Losties, unless he has to, as I believe he was redeemed when Ilana showed him mercy in “Dr. Linus”.  But with Ben you can never be too sure.  I love that the most morally ambiguous character on the show still has us guessing where his loyalties lie going into the last episode.  He truly is the Severus Snape of LOST.

Following the massacre, Flocke and Ben hike to the well where Desmond is.  Along the way, Ben asks a question for the audience:

BEN: If you can turn yourself into smoke whenever you want, why do you bother walking?
FLOCKE: I like the feel of my feet on the ground. Reminds me that I was human.

Last week I speculated that maybe the Smoke Monster wasn’t MIB at all and was just taking his form.  This dialogue seems to refute that, but I’ll stick with my initial guess, as I still think it is possible that the Smoke Monster retains the memories of those he possesses. 

When they reach the well, there is no one inside.

BEN: Looks like someone helped him out.
FLOCKE: No, Ben. Someone helped me out.
BEN: What did Widmore say to you?
FLOCKE: He said Desmond was a fail-safe. Jacob’s last resort in case, God forbid, I managed to kill all of his beloved candidates. One final way to make sure that I never leave this place.
BEN: Then . . . why are you happy that he’s still alive?
FLOCKE: Because I’m gonna find Desmond, and when I do, he’s gonna help me do the one thing that I could never do myself. I’m gonna destroy the island.

OK.....so now I’m thinking that maybe if Desmond goes into the cave, he can destroy the light.  I am totally confused.  I don’t know what Desmond’s role is going to be.  I’m just glad that Desmond is so central to the conclusion, because of the significant time the series has invested in showing that he is “special”.


That damn Lassie is at it again.


OK, last....and maybe best, let’s get to the Team Jack story:

Our sub disaster survivors, Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley are still in mourning over the loss of their friends (although still no mention of Frank....chesty, we hardly knew ye).  Kate, though, was shot and Jack has to stitch the wound.  This was a nice call-back to the Pilot, in which Kate must stitch up Jack for an injury he sustained in the crash. 


I’m just going to pull your shirt down just a little lower, so I can get a good look at the area around the wound.

The pain from the stitches is nothing compared to the pain from the deaths of Sun and Jin:

KATE: They had a little girl, you know. Her name was Ji Yeon...Jin hadn’t even met her yet...Locke did this to them. We have to kill him, Jack.
JACK: I know.

So, early on it the episode, the goal for the Losties for the rest of the series is established: kill Flocke. And the key step in that process is getting Desmond out of the well.  Jack reiterates Sayid’s last words regarding Desmond: “we’re gonna need him”.

As they head through the jungle in search of Desmond, Sawyer expresses his remorse over the events on the sub:

SAWYER: The bomb on the sub.....you said he couldn’t’ kill us.
JACK: I’ve been wrong before.
SAWYER: I killed them, didn’t I?
JACK: No. He killed them.

This was a really nice character moment.  Sawyer, who blamed Jack for Juliet’s death, is now feeling what it is like to make a bad decision.  But Jack takes the high road, and just lets Sawyer know that it can happen to the best of us.  I have to believe that from this point forward, Sawyer will let go of his grudge against Jack and follow him to the end.

A little behind the rest of the group, Hurley encounters the mysterious young boy, we now know to be Jacob.  The boy demands that Hurley give him the ashes he took from Ilana’s things, “because they are mine.”  When he gives him the ashes the boy takes off into the jungles and Hurley gives chase.  He finds the fully grown ghost-Jacob sitting in front of a fire.


And I also want the Fruit Roll-up in your front pocket.


HURLEY: Did you see a kid run by here with your ashes?
JACOB: My ashes are right there in that fire. When it burns out, you’ll never see me again.
HURLEY: Uh, what?
JACOB: You should get your friends. We’re very close to the end, Hugo.

I love lines like this that speak both to the characters and to the audience.  The end game is indeed near for the Losties, and also for us viewers.

Hurley returns with Jack, Kate and Sawyer.  And oddly enough, they can see and hear Jacob.  No one is in the mood for mysteries....and Jacob recognized that the time has come for answers.

JACOB: Come and sit down and I’ll tell you what they died for. . . I’ll tell you why I chose them . . . and why I chose you. And then I’ll tell you everything you need to know about protecting this island, because by the time that fire burns out, one of you is gonna have to start doing it.

We’ve waited a long time to find out who Jacob’s replacement is going to be.....and tonight we were finally going to get an answer.

JACOB: I don’t really know where to start.
HURLEY: How about why you brought us to the island?
JACOB: I brought all of you here because I made a mistake. A mistake I made a very long time ago, and now, because of that there’s a very good chance that every single one of you and everyone you’ve ever cared about is going to die.
SAWYER: What mistake?
JACOB: You call him “The Monster.” But I’m responsible for what happened to him. I made him that way. And ever since then he’s been trying to kill me. It was only a matter of time before he figured out how, and when he did, someone would have to replace me. And that’s why I brought you all here.

Again this is some pretty strong evidence that the Smoke Monster is indeed the Man-in-Black.  If that does turn out to be true, I sure hope we get some kind of an explanation of what happened to him.  Call me crazy, but I can rationalize a pillar of black smoke absorbing a man soul easier than a man turning into a pillar of black smoke.

SAWYER: Tell me something, Jacob. Why do I gotta be punished for your mistake? What made you think you could mess with my life? I was doin’ just fine ‘til you dragged my ass to this damn rock.
JACOB: No, you weren’t. None of you were. I didn’t pluck any of you out of a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn’t find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you.

This was a HUGE piece of information.  As I quoted John Locke earlier, they were chosen for a reason.  Each of our main characters lead a miserable life off the island....and when you look at the Oceanic 6, when they left the island it even more magnified how empty their lives were.  All except Kate:

KATE: Why did you cross my name off of your wall?
JACOB: Because you became a mother. It’s just a line of chalk in a cave. The job is yours if you want it, Kate.

Now some might say, that this doesn’t make sense, because Sun was a mother (and Jin was a father).  Looking specifically at Sun, yes, she was a mother, but that did not become the focus of her life.  She was busy usurping her father’s authority, confronting Charles Widmore, seeking vengeance against Benjamin Linus, and even leaving her child to seek out Jin.  Motherhood, did not bring Sun peace.  For Kate though, at least for a short time, it brought her stability and a sense of purpose.

JACK: What is the job?
JACOB: There’s a light at the center of the island. You have to make sure it never goes out. That’s how you protect it.
SAWYER: Your monster friend said there is nothing to protect it from.
JACOB: Hmm. You have to protect it from him. You must do what I couldn’t. What I wasn’t able to do.
JACK: You want us to kill him? Is that even possible?
JACOB: I hope so, because he is certainly going to try to kill you.

Jacob says that he was unable to kill the Smoke Monster....this is likely because of the “rule” established by their “mother” that they could never hurt each other.  Now it appears that MIB will be using his “loophole”, Ben, to kill the candidates.

HURLEY: So . . . how you gonna pick?
JACOB: I’m not going to pick, Hugo. I want you to have the one thing that I was never given--a choice.

Note the emphasis on choice....this season seems to definitely tilt the scale more in favor of choice over destiny. 

KATE: And if none of us chooses it?
JACOB: Then this ends very badly.
JACK: I’ll do it. This is why I’m here. This is....this is what I’m supposed to do.

None of this should come as a surprise to anyone.  First, that Jack would become the replacement and second that he would volunteer for the job.


The ritual begins with the roasting of hot dogs and toasting of marshmallows above the sacred fire.


But to be honest, I am incredibly disappointed with the other three.  If there is one thing all of the Losties should know by now it is: LIVE TOGETHER, DIE ALONE.  I kept waiting for the others to tell Jack, “you can’t do this by yourself” or “we’re all in this together”, but instead, we just got: “I’m just glad it’s not me.”  I’m now wondering if Jack is going to survive the finale.  I’m thinking that he may not make it and one of the other 3 is going to have to step up and replace him.  In my mind, for Sawyer to carry the mantle for Jack would be about as perfect of an ending as I can imagine....but I’m sure it won’t work out that way.

Jacob proceeds to tell Jack the location of the light...interesting that it is very close to where Jack’s journey on the island began.  And like many other things on the island, you can get there only when the island deems you are ready....just like the lighthouse (“How is it that we've never seen it before?”).

Jacob goes through a similar ritual as his “mother” did for him....this time using water instead of wine.  Apparently, the beverage doesn’t matter, but the incantation does.

JACK: How long am I gonna have to do this job?
JACOB: As long as you can.

Jack drinks from the cup.

JACOB: Now, you’re like me.

There is definitely more to that statement than making one the guardian of the island.  I’m guessing that will be one of the big reveals in the finale.

Here are a few of misc items:
- Best line of the week goes to Sawyer: “And I thought that guy had a God complex before.”
- Runner-up goes to Miles (nice to have him back throwing out the zingers): “Well, I lived in these houses 30 years before you did...otherwise known as last week....and I have no idea where we are.”
- $125K seems awful cheap for Ana Lucia to put her career in jeopardy to let Des, Kate, and Sayid go.
- Alex says Ben (whose arm is in a sling) looks like Napoleon.  When we first saw Sideways-Ben, he was teaching a lesson on Napoleon.

I loved this episode and can’t wait for the finale.  I just know it is going to be brilliant.  And as a warning, with two and half hours to analyze, I likely will not get my entry for the finale done until late in the week.  I’ll try to make sure it is worth the wait.  Enjoy the finale!