Events on the Island in The End

The End was a complicated episode. It lasted two and a half hours and covered events both on the Island and in the "waiting room" of the dead. My last post covered the latter, but haven't discussed the former.

Thanks to Christian Shephard, we know that what happened on the Island actually happened - it was all real, no purgatory or waiting room or anything like that.

Ben

In What They Died For, it appeared that Ben had turned to the dark side, willing to kill anyone to regain control of the Island. Or he just wanted to kill Widmore. Whichever, I left the episode a little sick to my stomach when thinking of Ben. Would he ever find redemption?

And he did, apparently, as we saw that he made it to the sideways world (unlike Michael), and could have entered the church if he wished. So, what redeemed him? Shoving Hurley out of the way of a falling tree? Chosing to remain on the self-destructing Island? Acting as a witness to the passing of the power ritual from Jack to Hurley? Agreeing to become Hurley's number two (a role we learned he was great at)? Or something else entirely?

Whatever it was, I'm happy that Ben did reach the sideways world, and I'm glad that he remained on the Island. I really like the thought of him remaining on the Island, working with Hugo, and living the life he had always desired.

Claire

In this episode, Claire was hopeless. She had been abandoned by the survivors again and abandoned by her "friend", notLocke. She apparently figured out that notLocke did not have her best interests at heart. And she realized what was evident to all who observed her - she's bat shit crazy. How could she raise the son who won't even recognize her?

But Kate was able to convince Claire to leave the Island with her. As we saw the Ajira plane leave, we knew that Claire finally left the Island after three long, painful years. I really enjoyed the thought of Claire and Kate maintaining their friendship and raising Aaron together.

Desmond

We learned that Desmond knew less about his purpose on the Island than he thought. He believed that all he had to do was unplug the light, and everyone would appear in the sideways world, much happier. We can only assume that his exposure to electromagnetism showed him the sideways world, which he apparently misinterpreted as many of us did - another reality in which the plane never crashed. He was devastated to find out he was wrong, though we know that it was his actions that let notLocke be vulnerable to Kate's bullets.

We don't know what happened to Desmond after Hurley and Ben brought him back out of the light. From Hugo's conversation with Ben, we can only assume that Desmond did leave the Island and reunited with his wife and child. That also makes me happy.

Frank

I assumed that Frank was a dead man, but others had more faith than I, and surely enough, Frank survived. And it's a good thing, too, since he's a pilot and there was a plane to fly off the Island. We can only assume that Frank successfully flew the plane to safety, allowing its passengers to return to some semblance of a normal life.

Hurley

If this season has been about anything, it's been about Hurley gaining confidence in himself, all while remaining true to the Hugo we know and love. He takes care of people, and always tries to do what he thinks is right. Of all the survivors, he is the least selfish. Once notLocke was disposed of, he was the most logical candidate for guardian of the Island. And from what Ben says in the sideways world, Hugo did a great job. How I wish we could have had more than that brief glimpse of Hurley's guardianship.

I have to wonder if the Island extended Hugo's life just as it did Jacob's and Richard's. What rules did Hugo change? Did he allow other people to come to the Island? Did he ever travel off Island, as Ben and Widmore did when they led the Others? What happened to the Others, anyway? Did Hugo take care of them or send them off the Island? Who succeeded him once his guardianship was over? We'll never know the answers to those questions, but they are certainly enjoyable to ponder.

Jack

So, Jack finally became the hero we all predicted that he could be. And unlike Jacob, he freely chose to take on the role of guardian. And, as guardian, Jack accomplished a few things. First, he delayed notLocke long enough for Kate to find and shoot notLocke. Second, he transferred the guardianship of the Island to the imminently qualified Hurley. Lastly, he plugged the hole in the cave, allowing the light to return to the Island.

Did Jack know that he would sacrifice his life when he took over from Jacob? If he did, I suspect he would have willingly taken the role on anyway, knowing his martyr complex. But I don't want my last sentence to imply that Jack's sacrifice was less than it was. Indeed, he was fully committed to his actions in a way we haven't seen since the first season. Of all the characters, Jack met the promise that we first observed. And just as he opened the show, literally, he closed the show, with Vincent as silent witness. But before he died, he had proof that his sacrifice was not in vain - the Ajira plane with the remaining survivors flew over him. Good bye Jack. It was great knowing you.

Kate

As readers of this blog know, I've had issues with Kate almost since the beginning. But in this episode, her single-mindedness didn't bother me this time. The subject of her single-mindedness, of course, was Claire. Oh, and making notLocke pay for the deaths of her friends. And she was successful on both fronts. She convinced Claire to leave the Island, but most importantly, she kept trying to shoot notLocke, mortally wounding him the second time around. The look on notLocke's face was priceless.

Kate was the only one of the Oceanic Six to leave the Island a second time. Jack, Sun, and Sayid were dead, Hurley became the guardian of the Island, and Aaron never returned. I hope she returned to the wonderful life she built for herself while raising Aaron. However, she may have violated the conditions of her probation, which required her to remain in state. It would be awful if she had to return to prison!

Miles

Miles had two primary roles in this episode. His attempts to communicate with Ben resulted in Sawyer and Kate connecting with the Ajira flight. He also helped glue the plane together.

I'm so happy that Miles survived and made it off the Island. I don't know why he didn't go to the church in the sideways world, but I hope that, like Daniel, he'll be able to go at some point in the future. I really liked that his time in the sideways world was connected to Sawyer. Did the two remain friends after leaving the Island?

notLocke

College courses will be designed around the nature of notLocke. Who was he and what happened when he was thrown into the light? What name was he given at birth? Why was he evil?

But I can't go into that today. Instead, I will only comment that I was happy he died when he did. I hate the evil characters who never die bit. In this case, Desmond had pulled the plug on the light of the Island, so, as the Island was vulnerable, so were Jack, the guardian of the Island, and notLocke, the prisoner. They fought, drawing blood, and it seemed notLocke won when he struck a mortal blow on Jack. But there was Kate, bearing a gun and willing to use it, and that cost notLocke his life. His death did not stop the disintegration of the Island, but Jack took care of that.

the Nadlers

Rose and Bernard rescued Desmond from the well, and for their efforts were threatened with death by notLocke. But they survived, and we know that they remained on the Island, assuming that they weren't injured or killed during the time the Island was self-destructing. I like imagining that Vincent remains with them. I wonder if there was interaction between the Nadlers and Hurley and Ben, or if Hurley decided to leave the Nadlers alone in the world they created. I prefer the former, just because I think Hurley's so cool.

Richard

Richard survived his encounter with notLocke. At first, I thought it was because Desmond hadn't pulled the plug yet, but it turns out that Richard's hair started turning grey before the plug was pulled. How could his hair turn grey if he remained immortal? I'm not sure.

That Richard was on the plane and successfully made it off the Island thrilled me. But it also worries me. What will he do? Will he age in no time flat, turning to ashes before the eyes of the survivors? I hope not, since he realized that he wanted to live.

And why wasn't Richard in the sideways world?

Sawyer

One of the best parts of this episode (one of many for me) was that James "Sawyer" Ford finally left the Island after three very long years. You could argue that Claire changed far more than Sawyer did, since she was made crazy by notLocke. But I'm hoping that's temporary. Otherwise, I will argue that Sawyer changed the most on the Island. When Sawyer landed on the Island, he was a selfish con artist who separated himself from the crowd. Three years later, he was an integral part of the group, taking on leadership roles, finding a mature love, and receiving respect from the other survivors. I guess it is no surprise that in the sideways world he became a cop instead of a con man.

I wish we could see what James' life off the Island was like. I doubt he and Kate became a couple - she made it clear that she loved Jack. But I must believe that they remained in contact, and I hope that James and Miles remained friends as well - after all, their sideways lives were quite intertwined.

Vincent

Vincent has always had an important role on the show, even if rarely credited. He helped wake Jack up after the crash, and he bore silent witness to Jack's death in the end. We always knew that Vincent would not be killed during the run of the show, but I sure do wish he could have been allowed into the sideways world.

Coda

At some point this year, I'm sure I'll post on what Lost has meant to me throughout its run. Like Star Trek and the Buffyverse shows, this is a show that will not leave my mind or my life. But that's for another day.

The End

As some of y'all may know, I gave birth about a week and a half before the series finale of Lost aired. I thought I had a deal with the babies (I had twins) - I asked them to wait until after we moved (April 25), after my baby shower (May 8), and after the series finale of Lost (May 23). I guess I should be happy that I got two out of three of my wishes. Fortunately, Nicole and Brian were willing to provide analyses of the episodes that aired after the twins were born. I haven't had much time to write, but I have seen all the episodes, and I wanted to share what I thought of the end of Lost.

Lost has been about spirituality, fate and destiny, science and reason, redemption, and family. It is these themes and how the characters deal with them that kept me entranced through the run of the series. Jack and John Locke's debate about faith and reason. Sayid's search for redemption. Everyone's issue with one parent or another (or both). I loved the relationships that developed - John Locke and Walt, Kate and Claire, Jin and Bernard, and most recently, James Ford and Miles. These, among other things, were my favorite part of the show. And the finale was all about these themes and especially the characters. That means I thoroughly enjoyed the finale.

That said, I enjoyed the mysteries introduced by the series as well. Why did Claire need to raise Aaron? What was Libby doing at Santa Rosa? Why did pregnant women die? What did the Others want with the children? What was so special about Walt? Why did the Others destroy the DHARMA Initiative? How does Eloise know as much as she does? Where did the Mother (Allison Janney) come from? How could Jacob leave the Island? What were the rules that governed the battle between Ben and Widmore and Jacob and the Man in Black?

There are many more mysteries; I just can't think of them all. And frankly, the fact that none of the listed mysteries were answered has upset a lot of people. I'm okay with the lack of answers. It became clear as the season progressed that many mysteries would go unsolved. Those mysteries that were addressed were actually rather lame. Remember the Temple? Remember the voices? The series as a whole would have been much improved had the above mysteries and more been resolved. The series raised them, then left us hanging. But because the characters and themes are so well explored, I still found myself happy and satisfied.

If you had asked me when I was a girl what my idea of heaven was, it would have included all the people (and pets) I had loved while alive. Apparently, the characters of Lost feel the same way. Somehow, they created a type of Purgatory or Limbo, perhaps, a waiting room, where they awaited their compatriots. Various issues were worked through: Jack and John Locke worked through some father issues, Hurley had good luck instead of bad, and Ben chose to sacrifice his ambition for someone else. Some issues remain unresolved: Kate was a fugitive, Claire planned to have her child adopted, Charlie was an addict, and Sayid was not married to Nadia. And some people are just plain missing, especially Michael and Walt.

How much control did our characters have in creating their sideways life? I suspect little, considering their amnesia, with the exception of Eloise. Eloise was able to raise her son the way she had probably wanted to, letting Daniel become a musician and supporting his musical endeavors. From her conversation with Desmond, it sounds like another party, perhaps Eloise, determined what life each person would have.

We also don't know "when" the sideways world started for our characters. Did their new lives start at birth? Or did they start when Oceanic 815 took off, with all memories being "implanted"? Did each enter the sideways world when he or she died? Or did they all enter when the last living survivor (presumably Hurley and/or Ben) died? Was Michael missing from the sideways world because he became a ghost or voice on the Island? And why would Ana Lucia be allowed in the sideways world but not Michael? Will Ana Lucia, Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles be able to join our characters in heaven or whatever place they went to? Why is Ben waiting - does he feel he needs more redemption? Or does he want to explore a possible relationship with Danielle Rousseau?

In The End, we discovered that Charlie's remembrance of the Island wasn't complete until he touched Claire. Libby also had memories of her time on the Island, but they were so vague that she ended up doubting her own sanity. Unlike Charlie, Desmond had a full remembrance, presumably caused by Widmore's experiment on Des. But even he required a flight manifest to find the other passengers. Hurley was the next to remember, and apparently developed a full memory by the time he helped break out Desmond, Kate, and Sayid (he recognized Ana Lucia).

But not all near death experiences led to total recall (I just had to say that). Although he clearly remembered his past while unconscious, John Locke didn't consciously remember until he moves his feet after his surgery. Likewise, Sun didn't remember until Juliet showed her the ultrasound images of her baby. Sayid and Shannon remember when they touch each other (Boone was somehow already in the club, but we don't know how), as do Sawyer and Juliet. Charlie seems to have his fog cleared when he touches Claire. Claire and Kate remember during Aaron's birth (will he be a baby for his entire time in the "other place"?).

As always, Jack is the last to come to terms with his newly found memories. He experiences flashes when John Locke asks Jack if he remembers, but he denies them. He still resists after Kate's kiss brings on more flashes of memory. It is only when he is at the church, talking with his father, that he believes.

What a joyful reunion we saw, as well! These people with their differences, conflicts, and misunderstandings, were happy to see each other again, and hugs and handshakes were shared all around. The expressions on their face were ecstatic, especially John Locke's (Terry O'Quinn has one of the best smiles). Everything is resolved, everyone knows what was sacrificed. And the sacrifice was worth it.

I wasn't expecting this angle. I had no idea what the sideways timeline was, and it never occurred to me that the characters were actually dead. I loved what the sideways timeline turned out to be.

I've not even touched upon the original timeline, which I also enjoyed. I hope to address it in another, later post.

First Post on The End

You will likely see a number of posts over the next couple weeks from Carol, Brian, and me. There's just no putting this finale into one post. And the three of us have very differing opinions! So, we thought it be interesting to have a running stream of our takes over a period of time. I'm kicking things off...

So many people seem to be confused about what happened on LOST. I don't understand why. I don't think there was any confusion about what happened. The Island timeline was real. They all lived and died as they did - "whatever happened, happened." Much, much later, possibly at the end of time, when they all had died, they reconnected in an afterlife - the Sideways timeline. We saw how most of them died - the people who died on the island (e.g. Jack, Locke, Sayid, Charlie, Libby, Kwons, etc). They had to wait for the death of the rest to reconnect in the Sideways timeline. There are others that we don't know how they eventually die (e.g. Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Miles, Lupidus, Alpert, Hurley, and Ben), but they presumable live out their lives and die at some later time. So profoundly sad... everyone who lived to make it off the island (so few!) had to live out their lives without their loved ones. And Ji Yeon without her parents. I guess Rose, Bernard, and Ben were the only winners in life. Rose and Bernard got to live our their lives together on the island. Ben got to have his island (as #2, but still).

The Island was NOT purgatory... they were NOT dead the whole time. The producer debunked that theory years ago. And there's nothing in the final episode that even suggests they were dead the whole time. They were just dead in the Sideways timeline, which was their afterlife.

Christian and Jack tell us this is what happened. Jack realized "I died too" after he finally sees all of his Island memories --- which would include his death in the bamboo forest. Then, Christian tells him "everything that has ever happened to you is real." He goes on to explain that "everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you [e.g. Locke and Sayid], some long after you [e.g. Hugo, Kate, and Sawyer]." He then explains that the Sideways timeline is a timeless place ("there is no now here") that our characters made together so that they could find one another after their deaths. Christian confirms that they WERE alive on the Island when he says "the most important part of your *life* was the time that you spent with these people."

One thing that intially really confused me in finding out that the Sideways timeline was a much-later afterlife: hadn't Juliet told us that the nuke worked (as interpreted by Miles in hearing her dying thoughts)? Her dying thought was "it worked," which lead me (and many others) to believe that sideways world was a parallel universe in which our heros had succeeded in resetting future events. But, no... they played a joke on us! When she said "it worked," she wasn't talking about the nuke. She was just talking about unplugging the stupid candy machine. I can't believe I was so fully duped by an off-handed remark about a vending machine!

Hugo "ruled" on the island for a long time, I'm guessing. Our clue to that is Ben and Hugo's brief conversation outside the church: H: "You were a good number 2." B: "You were a great number 1, Hugo." You sensed a relationship there, and that they worked together on the Island a long time. Maybe thousands of years, like Jacob. What I am left most confused about is the image of the sunk island that we were shown at the beginning of this season. Does the sunk island mean someone finally defeated the Protector of the Island (Hugo), put out the light, and destroyed the island? I'm thinking yes. Although it could be hundreds, thousands, or millions of years after our story. Perhaps it was when this finally happened, and the last Protector, Hugo, was defeated and killed, and the Island light put out, that the world ended and they joined each other in the Sideways timeline.

I'm still left with a lot of questions about outstanding mysteries throughout the course of the show. But, overall, I'm satisfied with the ending. But feeling very, very sad that what happened happened and that the Sideways timeline was not a way to redeem and bring back to life our beloved characters. I am so sad that they were only able to reconvene in death.

I Was Right About Something!

Juliet was Jack's ex-wife in the sideways, soul-searching world. Cool.

What They Died For

Happy Finale Week, friends! Of course this episode was going to be a set-up for the finale. How could it be anything else? They definitely have a lot of wrapping up to do in 2.5 hours on Sunday, though. For this penultimate episode, your faithful substitute-bloggers have decided to have a little point-counterpoint discussion on some of the mysteries of this episode and, of course, the big set-ups (in both sideways world and island world) for the finale. Enjoy, and comment away!

SIDEWAYS LAND (2004)

Jack

Nicole: I didn’t see as much of Jack putting together the pieces of the crazy “coincidences” of all of the 815ers as I would have liked. One point I did like because it supports a season-long theory of mine was Jack looking in the mirror and seeing an inexplicable neck wound. I think there have been many clues to the sideways characters being connected to Island characters by having cross-over things happen, such as Juliet “going out Dutch for coffee” as she was dying on the island, Jack’s mystery appendix scar, and Sun’s loss of English. Speaking of Juliet: I have a prediction that she is Sideways-Jack’s baby mama. I guess we will find out at the concert.

Brian: I’d love to see Juliet emerge as Jack’s ex. The problem is that Jack’s son looks to me like the product of a marriage between Jack and – brace yourselves – Kate.

Nicole: I have to disagree with that one. Otherwise, when Jack asked David if his mom would be there, his answer would have been “no, she’s incarcerated at the moment.” The pretty house in the suburbs that David lives in does not seem compatible with Kate’s fugitive lifestyle.

Locke

Nicole: I found it interesting that sideways-Locke immediately went to faith/fate when he heard from Ben what Desmond said about trying to help Locke let go. I probably would have gone with the more logical conspiracy theory --- that a crazed surgeon wanted so desperately to do his experimental surgery conspired with Desmond to bring him his surgical candidate. I would have thought that Jack might have been more suspicious of fate’s hand here, with all of the strange 815 connections he had recently discovered.

Brian: I’m not inclined to defend Jack as I’m usually put off by his smugness and martyr complex, but I’ll point out that he’s got so much going on right now that he may not be very attuned to the full extent of what’s happening with 815. His father died, the body disappeared, he met a sister he never knew he had, and he’s patching up a strained relationship with his kid. I’ll give Jack a break on this one.

Desmond

Brian: Claire and Sayid took a lot of heat for the crazy looks in their eyes when they were running around the Temple of Doom. I’m not picking up a similar reaction to Desmond. Is everyone just fully convinced that his motives are pure? Taking a cue from Creepy Charlie, he’s taking some extreme measures (running down Locke, giving Ben a beatdown, probably lying to Jack about Christian Shephard’s body) to jog the island memories with his seatmates.

Nicole: It seems to me that Desmond becomes more enlightened and knowing every episode. I suspect he remembers the Island timeline in full now. Oh, and why is Desmond pretending they found Christian's body? Where is that going to go?

Ben

Nicole: Ben getting beat up made him look much more like the Ben we know and… uh… love? I wonder if Desmond beat up Ben to make him “see” the other timeline, or is was he transferring his anger at Island-Ben onto Sideways-Ben? Something I did NOT see coming was Sideways-Ben and Sideways-Rousseau as a potential romance. I guess he is destined to be Alex’s father.

Brian: Sideways Rousseau was looking sooo good, especially in contrast to Island Rousseau. Granted the makeup and wardrobe options for her on the island were limited, but, still. Wow. Yeah, romance was definitely in the air. Rousseau essentially gave Ben a standing invitation for dinner. When Ben’s eyes started to well up with tears as Rousseau explained how he was the closest thing Alex had to a father, I bet he was thinking about his own father. And also how sacrificing his own ambitions for Alex’s college aspirations was the right thing to do and paying off in ways he hadn’t expected.

The Set-Up

Nicole: We know Desmond is trying to get everyone in the same place. What's he going to do to make them all “see” once they're there? Set off a bomb so they have a near-death experience like Desmond and Charlie? Are all of our characters going to wind up at the benefit concert? We can see how Hurley, Sayid, Kate, Jack (and probably Claire with him), Charlotte, and Miles are going to get there. Des has probably already lined Charlie up to be there. My guess is Faraday will be there is some musical capacity. What about the rest? Locke, Ben, Sawyer, Ana Lucia, Rose, Bernard, Juliet… I must be missing others! I predict Juliet being there as David’s mother, and I think a simple call from Miles reporting that the fugitives are there will probably get Sawyer there.

Brian: I like your theory about the benefit concert. Don’t forget about the Kwons (not sure how they’re going to get there) and the Widmores. My guess is that we’ve seen the last of Ana Lucia. I just hope Driveshaft’s set is brief. I’m still sick of You All Everybody.

ON THE ISLAND (2007)

Ben

Brian: About all that we need to know about Ben’s island state of mind is when he Smoke Monster whether they get to kill more people.

Nicole: Wow, he is the ultimate flip-flopper. That guy always leaves us guessing whether he's a good guy or a bad guy (if we even knew which side was good or bad). From the second we met him. I guess it's a sign of a great character that I'm mad that someone didn't off him three seasons ago. OK, I don’t really wish that; the show would not be nearly as good without him.

The Rules

Nicole: Is notLocke allowed to kill Richard under the rules? What about Ben and Widmore? Aren’t they not allowed to kill each other? What changed? Or did Ben fail in his attempt to kill Widmore?

Brian: I’m completely confused about Widmore’s role on the island. And I have a feeling that hearing what Widmore whispered into MIB’s ear isn’t going to clear things up much.

The Candidates

Brian: Sawyer passed on a great opportunity to be Top Dog. He made a sound decision by shelving his competitiveness with Jack in favor of the best interests of, well, the fate of the world.

Nicole: The saddest moment of the show was when Sawyer realized the Kwons death was his doing.

Brian: What was nice is that it also prompted one of the episode’s best developments – Jack and Sawyer shared a great moment when Jack tried to assure him that their death wasn’t his fault. They seemed to extinguish an alpha male rivalry in a way that Jacob and MIB never could.

Nicole: Is the show moving away from fate and destiny? The candidates were given a choice to become protector of the place that seems to be all about fate. But, it's starting to seem a lot more and more about choices - Jacob chose them to come to the island rather than them being fated to it.

The Protector

Nicole: I’m sure I’m not the only one that was sure that Jack was going to be “The One.” Sayid told him that it had to be him. But what’s going to happen for Jack now? There was definitely some crazy facial expressions after he drank Jacob’s anointed water. Is Jack now enlightened/all-knowing?

Brian: I imagined Jack thinking, Umm, this tastes like nasty river water but I’m going to make some goofy facial expressions and pretend that it’s giving me SUPER POWERS!

The Set-Up

Nicole: A war with Smokey is brewing. Our heroes have to figure out how to kill him. I can’t wait! But I’m still at a loss with Desmond’s special role on the Island. His is the last resort, a fail-safe. I don't really get it.

Brian: What happened to the well? The last time we saw Des, he was sitting at the bottom of it. When Smokey returned to it, water ran through it. But like many other questions we’ve had about the meaning of the smallest details, it could just be a continuity error. Maybe Desmond is really going to shine in L.A. Maybe that’s how he can most affect what happens on the Island. He and Jack somehow attack Evil from two sides, which seems to give them a fair shot.

Nicole: Presumable this war is all about THE LIGHT. notLocke/Smokey wants to get back to THE LIGHT. What will happen to Smokey if he gets to the cave? It now seems that only the protector can find the cave. If the protector and all his replacements are dead, does the cave become visible and accessible to all? I still am at a loss as to why Smokey thinks THE LIGHT is his ticket off the island.

Fearless Prediction I'll Probably Live to Regret

I'm betting (hoping?) that when we meet David's mom, Jack's ex-wife in the sideways timeline, it's gonna be Juliet.

Who's with me on this one?

And my apologies to Nicole and Brian, who are now driving this blog. I just had to post this random thought.

Mommy Issues

Hello, everyone. This is Brian, checking into the lineup as the other pinch hitter for Carol, your loyal Lost blogger. I've been a reader and commenter since Carol began the blog. Like many of you, Carol has always pushed me to a deeper and fuller understanding of Lost. I hope it won't be long before she's able to weigh in with her thoughts on the final season. Until then, congratulations to Carol and her family on the new additions. And thanks to my co-blogger, Nicole, for her great work last week with this post.

Now, let's get to it:

Many Lost bloggers noted how Across the Sea was a polarizing episode. You can find three of my favorites here and here. Did it work for you? I think that's going to largely depend on whether you're a fan of deep background Lost mythology or whether you'd prefer to spend the final 4.5 hours of the show with your favorite characters. I'm guessing most viewers (myself included) fall into the latter category. If so, we just lost a critical hour.

I think this would have been a great, mind-blowing episode for earlier in the season or even last season. The same goes for the Richard Alpert episode, which I thought was better acted and better written. Still, LindCuse prepared us for this by showcasing Jacob and MIB in the season five finale. In the opening scene of last season's finale, Man in Black stared into the ocean and said, "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same."

Obviously MIB wasn't completely dismissive of C.J. Cregg if he was still willing to quote her verbatim.

I thought Allison Janney did some nice work as Jacob and MIB's homicidal, adoptive mother. When she told Boy in Black that she planted the game, I didn't believe her for a second. If she hadn't lied, she would have been forced into acknowledging that life existed beyond their corner of the island. She would have been forced to admit that there was a motorcycle gang slaughtering boars in the jungle.

The killing of Claudia was about as abrupt as Ben's killing of Locke. Is it just a coincidence that this episode aired two days after Mother's Day? Speaking of Ben, can we get some more Ben before this thing ends on Sunday? Ben's about as sweet as Rose and Bernard at this point.

What is certain about this episode is that the glowing cave will be always be a touchstone for the show. I found myself wondering whether Lost jumped the shark. It had something of a Lucky Charms feel to it. I was fully prepared for a leprechaun to jump out. Instead, Jacob eventually gave us Smokey. With all of the bodies on Smokey's rap sheet, I think that Jacob shares some responsibility. That said, Jacob seemed to realize his mistake when he said goodbye to MIB as he buried him; he didn't say goodbye to C.J. Cregg.

Maybe this is more obvious than I think it is, but my modest prediction is that Faraday's somehow mixed up in what MIB kept referring to as the very smart men with ideas of how to harness the island's energy.

One thing I'd like to challenge from Nicole's post is the theory that MIB and Janney's character were named Adam and Eve. Just because Locke said so doesn't make it so. I think this is going to be a loose end that remains loose. "Every answer leads to more questions."

Please add your two cents to the comments. Did you like the glowing cave? What is it? A very retro kind of spa treatment? Does the warm, glowing light = life = the fate of humankind? We were getting some heavy religious imagery ("Take this cup. Drink." I thought I was in church for a second). Or is it something else entirely?

Where would you like to go in the final 3.5 hours?

Across the Sea

Hi, all. I’m Nicole, and I am one of a two-member specially trained team that has been standing by in case of a “Defcon 4 Alert.” Today, our team was summoned to duty.

OK, in plain English: our beloved author has been with child. Children, actually. And those children made an early entrance into this world this week. My cohort, Brian, who you will meet in a post very soon to come, and I have been the back-up bloggers should this very event occur. Our heartfelt congratulations, Carol, and we hope to do your blog justice in these final three weeks!

Getting to “Across the Sea…”

MOTHER AND CLAUDIA

I’m sure most of us immediately guessed when we saw an expectant Claudia wash up on the shore that she was pregnant with Jacob and, potentially, the Man in Black (MIB). Claudia was promptly “rescued” by former White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Mother). The internet tells me they were speaking Latin. I wonder if we were meant to believe that they were speaking Latin the entire episode, but they switched to English for our (and the actors’) convenience. I guess yes. We learn some things about Mother: she is the only one on the island, she arrived there by accident, and that she doesn’t want to answer all the questions that we wish she would (“every question I answer will only lead to another question”).We later learn that Mother does not age ala Richard Alpert and that she has some control over the island (if there are people, SHE will find them!).

Of course, Claudia goes into labor and Mother helps deliver the twin boys. Then, Mother kills Claudia. The first Other doing the first crazy thing to procure someone else’s child. Children, actually.

CHILDHOOD

Boy Jacob’s and the Boy in Black’s (BIB!) childhood interactions seem much like the adult interactions we had previously seen between the two. Very pensive. Every word they say to each other, every glance, every far-off look seems chock-full of meaning. These boys raised major nature vs. nurture questions: their adoptive mother seems to be a deity type and raising them as though they were the same despite their human biology. Did she do this through spells cast on them?

The game that BIB “found” showed us the beginning of the white vs. black seemingly-eternal conflict between Jacob and BIB. The game brought back the Egyptian imagery that has weaved its way though this entire show (there were hieroglyphs on the gameboard). I can’t even attempt to theorize on the Egyptian lore that might be connected to these symbols.

The most important thing we learned about these boys, I thought, was that Jacob was incapable of deceit and wrongdoing. BIB, on the other hand, is not like Jacob. BIB is also the one that questions what’s out there. And I doubt, even before he saw the people, that he bought Mother’s story that there was nothing out there.

THE PEOPLE

The people that Jacob and BIB see are presumably Claudia’s people. Seeing the people is the catalyst in Jacob’s and BIB’s lives --- causing BIB to rebel and Jacob to have to step up his loyalty to Mother. They learn that they are there for a reason, while the people are not. They are there to corrupt, destroy, etc. But, didn’t Jacob and BIB come with those people?!?

To prove their purpose to her boys, Mother has to take Jacob and BIB to THE LIGHT before she was otherwise planning to do so. We are supposedly given the answer to the biggest question out there in the entire history of the show: what the heck IS the island? The island is an encasement to this precious light. The warmest, brightest light that is inside every man (probably women too). We learn later that it is life, death, rebirth… sounds to me like it is the soul of the world. Which makes sense, considering that it needs to be protected at all costs.

THE RULES

While Mother is taking the boys to THE LIGHT, we learn what we’d already assumed from references in past episodes to the Rules: that Jacob and BIB/MIB can’t “hurt” each other. Since we see Jacob twice beat BIB/MIB to a pulp, I think we can interpret “hurt” to mean “kill.”

The Rules leave a lot of questions for me. Who makes the Rules? It appears there were some rules that Mother made (e.g. Jacob and MIB can’t kill each other). Were some Rules made by THE LIGHT / Island (e.g. needing a protector)? I also assume that some Rules are Jacob’s as the protector of the Island; MIB told us that Jacob would someday get to make up his own Rules to his own game. Are the Rules that apply to the candidates, Jack et al, Jacob’s rules for that game?

THE DONKEY WHEEL

Adult MIB does not lose any of the curiosity that had been his as a child about what else is out there. It still seems that Jacob couldn’t care less. MIB becomes convinced that THE LIGHT is his ticket off the island. He helps the people whom he had joined as a child try to find the source of THE LIGHT. He does exactly that which notLocke (presumably the same being as MIB) explained to Desmond that the confused, curious people did: find the spots where their compasses spin, where metal behaves strangely, and dig. Finally, the digging pays off and MIB finds THE LIGHT underground. He plans to rig a donkey wheel to some kind of mechanism to harness the water and THE LIGHT on the island.

What makes MIB think that THE LIGHT will get him off the island? I’m not so sure it does. THE LIGHT looks to me very similar to the light that flashes during time travel. Ben Linus turned a donkey wheel in a well that was engulfed in light to spark the island’s time travel. I have no doubt the two lights are connected, if not the same. MIB wasn’t looking to travel around in time, which seems to me to be what happens if you harness and use THE LIGHT.

THE PROTECTOR

After Mother learns of MIB’s quest, and knocks him out to prevent it, she realizes that any hope of him being her replacement really is gone. She has to go to her back-up replacement plan, Jacob, and in a hurry because she knows that MIB will be coming for her. She casts a spell on the wine, convinces Jacob to drink it, and, voila, Jacob is now the protector. Why did she have to officially make him protector in such a hurry? Wasn’t the fact that a candidate for replacement was out there enough? Jacob dies without officially having his replacement in place, but all is not lost as long as candidates are out there. Oh, and how will the chosen candidate now become the protector? We saw MIB break that wine bottle… maybe there’s a new Rule in place?

We all saw it coming that Mother was not long for this earth after handing power over to Jacob. Sure enough, she is stabbed in the back with a familiar dagger. And, note that she was stabbed before speaking. Seems to be important in killing these folks, except that Ben did kill Jacob after speaking.

THE SMOKE MONSTER

To avenge Mother’s death, Jacob does the one thing to MIB that Mother had told him was worse than death --- sends him into THE LIGHT cave. By doing so, I believe Jacob condemned his brother's soul into the form of smoke for all eternity. The smoke can take on different forms (his original body form, Christian, Alex, Locke, etc). I think the soul of the smoke monster is still MIB’s. But it’s interesting that the current notLocke has seemed at times to possess some of real Locke’s memories. Does the smoke monster take on a little bit of the soul of the people whose form he takes?

ADAM AND EVE

So, we finally know who our “Adam and Eve” skeletons are. I have a theory that Adam & Eve, including referencing the Bible, are literally MIB’s and Mother’s names. Why keep MIB’s and Mother’s names secret unless they were also LITERALLY named Adam and Eve? They had to keep the names a secret, because if they had told us back in the finale of Season 5 when we first met MIB that his name was literally Adam, it would have given too much of the Jacob back-story away. I.e., we would have immediately assumed MIB was one of the skeletons. The writers wanted to withhold from us that MIB was one of the skeletons, so they also withheld his name from us. I believe the flashback with just Jack and Kate talking would have been enough to remind us of the skeletons. But including Locke in the flashback included the revelation of the names. Including Locke in the flashback added nothing more than this, which I believe supports my theory. But it won't be my first LOST theory to go down the tubes if I'm wrong!

Well, looking forward to your thoughts in the comments, and looking forward to Brian’s response in a future post. Namaste!

The Candidate

I was at a baby shower yesterday (technically, my own), when a friend I haven't seen for a while demanded to know why I hadn't posted yet. My first thought was, you read my blog? But she's right. I am late, due to a pregnancy-related illness. Let's also admit that this episode was a difficult one to watch. Let's get into it.

Jack in 2004

Jack in 2004 is just as determined to fix things as the "normal" Jack we know and love. And now he believes it is not enough to save John's life - he must fix the original injury that paralyzed him. For some reason, that involves knowing what caused John to be injured in the first place. John ain't talking, because he's not interested in surgery. So Jack has to use his investigative skills. He finds John's oral surgeon (Bernard!) to find out. I guess Jack has forgotten that federal law prevents even oral surgeons from sharing information about their patients. Bernard does, however, give Jack a name: Anthony Cooper. Cooper had aslo been injured in the same accident. Before Jack departs, Bernard adds, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Helen is as surprised as Bernard that Jack is working so hard to find out about John's accident, but agrees to introduce Jack to Cooper. Unfortunately for Jack, Cooper is essentially a vegetable, and he won't be sharing any details about the accident that injured the two men.

Finally, Jack asks John why he won't be operated upon. So, John tells him. And Jack offers John the same advice given to him just weeks earlier from John. "You told me that my father was gone, and it hurt to hear that, but I knew you were right. Your father's gone too, Mr. Locke...What happened, happened, and you can let it go." As John leaves, Jack calls out, "I can help you, John. I wish you believed me."

How odd to hear Jack Shephard use John Locke's arguments with John Locke. So far it doesn't seem to be very effective.

I didn't mention it earlier, but Jack is justifiably incredulous to find that both Bernard and Claire were on Oceanic 815. Will this become too much coincidence even for him?

John in 2004

I didn't know whether to gasp at the coincidence or roll my eyes when Jack told John, of all people, that he might be a "candidate" for a new procedure that would result in John's walking. Unlike the John we know who died, this John wants to hear nothing of it. At the end of the hour, we learned that John's decision to refuse treatment was from guilt. He and his father were injured when John, a new pilot, convinced his terrified father to go on a flight with him. "It was my fault. This man, who I loved more than anything, will never walk, or talk..."

So, in the sideways timeline, John has the love of his father, what he wanted more than anything in the other timeline. But instead of having the time of his life with his father, he had the guilt of knowing what he did to his father, albeit accidentally. John had what he wanted, but even still, it was warped.

I never saw evidence that Desmond's plan to bring John's other memories to the forefront succeded anywhere but in John's unconscious. But as John sleeps, he appears to be going over his old conflict with Jack: "Push the button....I wish you had believed me."

Claire in 2004

Did you catch the tune from the music box Christian left Claire? If you knew it was "Catch a Falling Star," you win the award. I call it "Claire and Aaron's theme song". I wonder if she took Jack up on his offer to stay with him. It would certainly be cheaper than some hotel.

Bernard in 2004

I'm always happy to see one of the Nadlers. Unlike Jack, Bernard recognizes Jack immediately from the flight. Although he's not willing to reveal too much information to Jack, he does give Jack a name. But he senses Jack needs more than he's letting on.

2007

I can't go character by character as I have before with the "main" timeline. Too much happened. So much happened that when Jack rescued Sawyer et al from the cage I couldn't help but contrast with the third season, when we spent, what, six weeks in the cages?

So, what happened? Well, we all figured out that notLocke needs the candidates dead before he can leave the Island. Kate is not a candidate; for some reason her name was crossed off in the cave. We saw Sawyer organize the commandeering of the sub, just as if he were a cop or chief of security. We also learned that Sawyer can be fooled by a long con just like his victims. We also saw a lot of people die.

Sawyer is certain that he has a fool proof plan to prevent notLocke from escaping the Island. Since Jack doesn't want to leave the Island anyway, Jack can just shove notLocke out of the way. Jack does as told, but finds himself drawn unwillingly into the sub because Kate's shot in the shoulder. But the moment notLocke hands Jack his backpack, I'm nervous - it just didn't seem right. And it isn't. That notLocke is one sneaky bastard.

It is Jack who put all the pieces together; who realizes what limits notLocke has. He pleads with Sawyer:

Nothing's gonna happen...Don't pull those wires out. We're okay. Nothing's gonna happen...Locke can't kill us...This is what he wanted. This is what he's been waiting for. Everything that he has done has been to get us here. He wanted to get us all in the same place, at the same time - a nice, enclosed space where we had no hopes of getting out of...Locke said he can't leave the Island without us. I think that he can't leave the Island unless we're all dead. He told me that he could kill any one of us whenever he wanted. So, what if he hasn't because he's not allowed to? What if he's trying to get us to kill each other?

But Sawyer can't trust Jack's instincts, and pulls the wires. For a second, it appears Sawyer's right, but then it quickly becomes obvious that he was horribly wrong. If Jack is right, Sawyer, who only wanted to save his friends, is responsible for the deaths that follow. Poor Sawyer.

One thing I've noticed since notLocke ordered Sayid to kill Desmond is that Sayid seems a little less bat-shit crazy than normal. He's still not balanced or anything, but the messianic fervor we saw in his face is missing. And it is clear that he wants to survive, as he desperately tries to disarm the bomb. When it becomes clear the bomb is Sawyer-proof, at the least, Sayid becomes the Sayid we know. He tells Jack:

Listen carefully. There's a well on the main Island, half mile south from the camp we just left. Desmond's inside it. Locke wants him dead, which means you're going to need him....[in response to Jack asking why Sayid is telling him this] Because it's going to be you, Jack.

Sayid then takes the bomb and runs as far away from his friends as he can, until the bomb explodes in his hands. Sayid dies to save his friends. Sayid has done many terrible things, so his death is not all that big of a surprise. That he died trying to save his friends makes it all the better.

The explosion destroys the sub, and everyone has to get out. Jack sends Hurley and Kate out of the sub. But Sun is caught by flotsam, and Jin, Sawyer, and Jack work to free her. Nothing works. Sawyer is knocked out, and Jack must save him.

Jin could have left Sun to her fate, but he couldn't. They just spent three years separated by the explosion of a different type of boat, and he wasn't leaving her, as he promised he wouldn't. As they drowned, and their hands separated, I couldn't help but remember Charlie Pace's watery death.

Wait just a minute...DID THEY JUST KILL THE KWONS? They brought them back together just last episode, only to KILL THEM?

Kate, Hurley, and Jack weren't the only ones sobbing that night.

Fred Koehler, I mean Seamus, probably died as well, killed by the Smoke Monster. There's also some debate as to the fate of Lapidus, who was apparently knocked out on the sub as it sank. Time will tell.

We have four left, five if you count Claire. Hugo, James, Kate, and Jack. notLocke knows they live, and he now plans to finish what he started.

Some questions:

What did Sayid mean when he told Jack that "it's going to be you"?

Which team will Claire join?

In the sideways timeline, is the Anthony Cooper we met the same that conned Jim Ford's parents?

Why is Kate's name crossed out?

Where are Richard, Miles, and Ben? What role do they play?

Why does notLocke fear Desmond?

So, what happens next? I don't know. But I'm eagerly looking forward to it.

The Last Recruit

So, we didn't get a lot of character development and we didn't get a lot of mythology in The Last Recruit. Instead, we got a lot of chess moves as the characters in both timelines became aligned.

First to address - the reunion of Jin and Sun. I found it beautiful and nicely understated. This has never been a flamboyant couple - they are relatively low-key, unlike the flashy Desmond and Penny. Don't get me wrong, I love Desmond and Penny, but Jin and Sun were the real romance to watch, because of all the betrayals, heartbreaks, and separation they have endured. We know their relationship at a far greater depth than we do Des and Penny. The reunion didn't make me cry, but it made me intensely happy. And it was meaningful that Sun's aphasia was cured at the sight of Jin.

We also had a number of parallels between the timelines. I'll list them:

• Jack and Claire met for the first time with the knowledge they were siblings
• Jin and Sun have happy news
  

Well, that's two. But we saw two things we've seen in the past. It wasn't Sawyer who swam in the ocean for a purpose but Jack. That was pretty cool. And Jack's hearing impairment after the bomb went off reminded me of Kate's impairment after Jughead went off.

I'm going to do this a little differently, since the episode was all over the place, and with the exception of notLocke, we really didn't learn anything all that new.

Sideways Timeline

The whole purpose of the sideways timeline in The Last Recruit was to bring the Oceanic non-survivors together. John and Sun arrived at the hospital at the same time, and Sun could see something in John when she looked at him - she's afraid of him. Was she remembering John Locke or notLocke? Jin, of course, is with Sun. Jack eventually arrives at the hospital to operate on John. Jack even recognizes John.

Jim Ford questioned Kate about how odd it was that they met again, "It's like someone's trying to put us together." She, in turn, answers a question a number of my readers had (but not my ignorant self) - why he didn't bust her in the elevator at LAX. She figured it out: if he busted her, then everyone would know he had gone to Australia.

Miles interrupts their tete a tete to get Jim in on the bloodbath at a nearby restaurant, where two Koreans were found alive, but unable to speak English. So, with three dead bodies, they had to rely on ATM cameras to identify their suspect. Meanwhile, Sayid rushes to Nadia's home to pack up and explain things to Nadia, but Miles interrupts (he interrupted a lot last night). Sayid runs back, to be tripped with a garden hose by Jim. Jim's now arrested two of his fellow passengers.

Before Jack gets to the hospital, Claire meets Desmond at a building where she's to meet with an adoption agency. Just by coincidence, Desmond has an appointment with his own lawyer, and encourages Claire to meet with the attorney before going to the agency. Desmond was more than a little creepy-stalker in his interactions with Claire, and his eyes had that same Messianic gaze we saw at the end of Happily Ever After. But Claire went along, and met with Ilana Verdansky (at last! A surname). It turns out Ilana has been looking for Claire. Because Ilana must be Christian Shephard's estate attorney. When Jack and David Shephard join the meeting, Claire reveals to Jack that his father is also her father.

2007 Timeline

There was a lot of moving on the Island too. Zoe demands the return of Desmond (but Widmore's people never returned Jin) and shows off Widmore's firepower. notLocke's response after she left? "Well, here we go." He sends Sawyer off to bring a sail boat to a certain point. Sawyer takes Kate with him, but not before conferring with Jack. notLocke then sends Sayid to shoot Desmond to death. Sayid looks reluctant, but notLocke reminds him of his promise. Sayid looks at him with his bat-shit crazy eyes (his eyes are either blank or bat-shit crazy - there's been no in between).

Sayid finds Des, who looks back at his would be assassin: "So, what did he offer ya?" When Desmond finds out that Sayid's prize is dead, he responds, "What will you tell her?" Sayid pauses...

Sawyer tells Kate his plan for Jack, Hurley, Sun, and the pilot (who looks like he could be in a Burt Reynolds movie) to join them at a different place from where they were supposed to meet up with notLocke. Kate is justifiably horrified at the idea of leaving Claire (but she never mentions Sayid) behind. They join up with Jack, et al, to discover that Claire followed them. And Kate talks to her, convincing her to join them, reminding her that Kate should have never raised Aaron - Claire should have. It's one of Kate's finest hours. Claire joins them, noting, "He find out we're gone, he's going to be mad."

Sayid meets up with notLocke, explaining he's a little late because he just killed an unarmed man and "needed a moment." None of us believe him, including notLocke, but Sayid encourages notLocke to check the well if he doesn't trust him. notLocke doesn't take him up on it.

Jack and Sawyer have a moment on the boat. Jack doesn't feel right leaving the Island:

Doesn't feel right...leaving the Island. Because I remember how I felt the last time I left. Like a part of me was missing. We were brought here because we were supposed t odo something, James. And if Locke...if that thing wants us to leave, maybe he's afraid of what happens if we stay.

Sawyer's having none of it, telling Jack to either leave the boat or keep his mouth shut. Jack decides to jump in the ocean. Kate wants to turn around, but Sawyer refuses to let her.

Jack is greeted on the beach by notLocke, who notes, "Sawyer took my boat, didn't he?" Sawyer, Kate, Claire, Hurley, Sun, and Burt, I mean Frank, come ashore on the Hydra Island, to be greeted by Zoe and her guns. Jin joins them, reuniting with Sun. Widmore then calls off his deal with Sawyer, so all our heroes must kneel in the sand with big guns pointed at them. In the meantime, Zoe sends another bomb to notLocke.

Jack hears it, but not in time. He is deafened by the blast, but notLocke rescues him, commenting, "It's going to be okay. Your with me now." That doesn't make me feel very comfortable.

notLocke

notLocke is the only one that will get an individual entry today, because he answered a few questions for us. First, we saw the first meeting between Jack and notLocke. And Jack continues his uncharacteristic penchant for asking questions. Why John Locke:

Because he was stupid enough to believe he'd been brought here for a reason. Because he pursued that belief until it got him killed. And because you were kind enough to bring his body back here in a nice wood box.

Who else did you look like? Were you the ghost of my father? Why?

You needed to find water...This may be hard for you to believe, Jack, but all I've ever been interested in is helping you....[To] leave. But because Jacob chose you, you were trapped on this Iland before you even got here. Now, Jacob's dead. We don't have to be trapped...We can get on an airplane and fly away whenever we want to.

And of course, everyone has to leave together. We just don't know why. Jack is skeptical - John was the only one who believed. notLocke interrupted him, "John Locke was not a believer, Jack. He was a sucker." Hmm...It almost sounds like self-loathing, doesn't it?

notLocke greets the morning with an apparent full contingent of candidates happily, "So nice to have everyone back together again." You know, without Jin, or the real Locke, or a sane Claire and Sayid. Among other missing parties. But the group isn't together for long, thanks to Sawyer.

So, we basically learned that the Smoke Monster was Christian on the Island. We don't know if he was always Christian or just some of the Christian time we saw. After all, we did see Christian in LA once. Was the Smoke Monster also Kate's black horse? Mr. Eko's brother Yemi? Hurley's imaginary friend Dave?

Thoughts

Claire's assertion that she was abandoned by everyone but notLocke is delusional. Christian/notLocke collected Claire when she was with Miles, Aaron and Sawyer returning to Jack's camp. She left Aaron, he wasn't taken from her. She told John Locke she was okay. By the time the survivors were able to escape, they had no time to find her. And not all of them escaped. Quite a number of them found themselves bouncing through time on the Island. So, while I understand where she's coming from, I think some of her cohorts should feel a little less guilty about leaving her behind. I'm just saying.

notLocke must think he has the primary candidate in Jack. It seems logical to assume it is Jack, as the signs have been pointed that way since episode one. But I am hoping that it's not that easy. Maybe it's Hurley? Wouldn't that be cool?

So, all in all, a very busy episode, with a lot of movement and not much else. And next week there will be no movement: ABC is airing a repeat of Ab Aeterno.

Everybody Loves Hugo

I worked hard Wednesday night, trying to get this published on a timely basis. But at 9:30, I realized that I was exhausted, and couldn't do justice to the remainder. That's my sorry excuse for tardiness!

Did you recognize the voice of Pierre Chang before he showed up? The actor was uncredited, of course, but it was a pleasure to see him again. I rather hoped to see Charlotte and Miles, but I guess we're not so lucky.

Hugo Reyes in 2004

In the sideways timeline, Hugo made his millions not by use of the numbers but by a worldwide chain of Mr. Cluck's Chicken stores. But Hugo cares about more than just chicken, as he's also a philanthropist. And his latest philanthropy was the opening of a natural history museum.

Sadly, women don't seem to be impressed with Hurley's accomplishments, including his own mother. All she wants is for Hugo to find a nice girl. So she sets him up on a blind date with Rosalita. Who knew that filthy rich men could have such a problem meeting women?

Rosalita is a no-show, but someone even better shows up. Libby tells him he might think she's crazy, and wants to know, "Do you believe that two people can be connected, like soul mates?" But she's crestfallen when he doesn't recognize her. Hugo is crestfallen when he realizes that the only woman who seems to be interested in him is a psychiatric patient at Santa Rosa. A place where Hugo's never been before.

By the way, psychiatrists never take patients on field trips. Not that it makes a difference in the story. But this is one area in which I have some experience.

Another area in which I have some expertise in is using food to soothe the disappointments in my life, but Hugo has taken that to a much higher level than I ever have. But suddenly, there's Desmond, and I'll have thoughts on that below. In the meantime, Des strikes up a conversation with Hugo, albeit awkwardly. He listens to Hurley's tale of woe with Libby, then asks the million dollar question: "Did you believe her when she said she knew you?...I say go with your gut." And Hugo does.

It takes a bribe, but Hugo is allowed to visit Libby. And despite the fact that she still seems to be quite delusional (for anyone but a character on Lost), Hugo is still smitten, and asks her out on a date.

So we finally get to have the date that we wanted to see in Season 2, with Libby and Hugo on the beach (he didn't forget the blankets this time!) with all kinds of cheese. And then, they kiss. It was a sweet kiss, long enough for Hugo to suddenly have memories of his other life, and his feelings for Libby. The boundary between the timelines blur.

Desmond Hume in 2004

Desmond was the biggest surprise of the night for me. He clearly has the manifest, and has connected to two of his fellow Oceanic passengers. His connection with Hugo was sweet. He was like a matchmaker. But he's a bit creepy in how he followed them to the beach. And he looked mightily pleased with himself - how did he know that Hugo felt the other world?

But then Desmond did something that totally surprised me. For the first time in the sideways world, the last scene was not about the person who was centric to the episode. Instead, we were treated to Desmond running down a wheelchair-bound John Locke. I was truly stunned.

So, why did he do it? Is he trying to kill John since John is dead in the other world? Or was he trying to give John a similar near-death experience like his own so that John could have glimpses (or more) of the other world?

Whatever Desmond's intention, he certainly seemed to be confident in what he was doing. How did he gain this knowledge?

And just an aside - when he fished in his head for the name of his "son"he came out with "Charlie"? Was that a memory for the other world?

Libby in 2004

It's not clear to me whether Libby was on the Oceanic flight, nor how long she has been in Santa Rosa. We learned from her doctor that she has difficulty with reality (but really, who doesn't?).

She was watching TV, when she saw a Mr. Cluck's Chicken commercial, starring Hugo. Suddenly, "It was like I was hit on the head. I had memories of my life, only it was another life." She remembered a plane crash, being on an Island, and Hurley at Santa Rosa. She seemed clearly attracted to Hugo, but she knows that if Hugo remembers, like she does, then she's not crazy.

If Libby was not on the Oceanic flight in the sideways timeline, then she is the second non-Oceanic passenger to experience the blurring of the timelines. Perhaps like Daniel her mental health problems makes her more susceptible to this. I don't know. I think we'll learn more in future episodes.

Hurley in 2007

Poor Hurley. The dead people all yell at him, and the latest is Michael Dawson. Why doesn't Libby come to him? Instead, it's her murderer. And Michael needs Hurley to prevent everyone from getting killed. And why Hurley? "People are listening to you now, Hurley." But Ilana's not listening. She's all over the place. She's handling dynamite, a little loosely, and dismisses Hurley's suggestion to be careful. Sadly, he ended up with bits of Ilana on him. Poor Hurley.

But after Ilana dies, Hugo suddenly joins the dynamite bandwagon. Hunh? It turns out, he's pulling a Locke - he blows up The Black Rock! As Richard has an apoplectic fit, Hurley notes, "I'm protecting us." When Miles questions Hurley's trust of dead people, Hurley responds, "Dead people are more reliable than alive people."

Ilana's group breaks up at this point. Hurley tries to sway everyone's opinion by decreeing that Jacob told them they have to talk with notLocke. Richard calls his bluff, telling Hurley to ask Jacob what the Island was. Hurley stood his ground, "I don't have to prove anything, Richard." It's not enough for Richard, Ben, or Miles, who leave for the Barracks to find more explosives. Jack, Sun, and Lapidus stay with Hurley. As they try to find notLocke, Hurley starts second-guessing himself, and confesses to Jack: Jacob didn't tell him anything. Hurley's surprised when Jack confesses he knows Hurley lied. Among other things (see Jack later), Jack points out, "You asked me to trust you."

As they walked to notLocke's camp, they heard whispers, similar to what's been heard through the years. And Hurley realizes what they are. He walks away from the group, calling out to Michael. When he appears, he says, "You're stuck on the Island, aren't you?" It turns out the voices are of those who can't move on.

And so it was, that under the guise of developing a truce with not-Locke, that Hurley delivers three candidates to notLocke. We'll see what happens to that soon.

Desmond Hume in 20o7

Sayid's present to notLocke waited patiently at the tree to which he'd been tied, because, after all, "I have no where to run to, bruthah." When asked why Widmore brought him to the Island, he replies, "Considering I was kidnapped, you'll have to ask him." And he identified notLocke as "John Locke."

Does Des really think notLocke is John, or is he deliberately being vague? Whatever, his demeanor leads notLocke to send Sayid back to the camp and take Desmond on a trip. On the way there, they had a conversation:

notLocke: If I didn't know bettter, I'd say this Island has it in for you.
Desmond: Well, there's nothing special about me, bruthah. This Island has it in for all of us.

Des and notLocke talk about the well, but Desmond's casual demeanor appears to unnerve notLocke. So, he askes, "Why aren't you afraid?" Des answers, "What is the point in being afraid?" notLocke must not like having his questions answered by questions, so he pushes Desmond down the well. Des is no longer calm, as he screams on his way down. Somehow, Desmond is a threat to notLocke. And we don't know why. Yet.

Ilana in 2007

Well, RIP. That was sudden, unforeseen, and disappointing. I really thought we were going to get to know Ilana better and understand her role with Jacob and the Island. Instead, we get memories of Arzt as she handles unstable dynamite with casual disregard for her safety. After her acceptance of Ben into the group, I just expected more. We didn't get it.

Jack Shephard in 2007

So, Jack trusts Hurley. Even when he knows that Hurley is lying. He then follows Hurley to the lair of Jacob's adversary. Why?

Ever since Juliet died...ever since I got her killed...all I've 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 maybe that's the point. Maybe I'm supposed to let go....you asked me to trust you.

Jack knew that Jacob's adversary looks and sounds like John Locke, his own personal adversary, but he still looks shell-shocked when he's finally face-to-face with him. notLocke, on his part, just smirks.

Michael Dawson in 2007

Well, technically, Michael is dead. But we have since learned that he is actually still on the Island, "Because of what I did." As such, he's able to join the dead people who yell at Hurley. What he needs from Hurley? "Just don't get yourself killed." Oh, and if Hurley ever does see Libby, to apologize for him. Why does he need Hurley to survive?

notLocke in 2007

I guess it is only fair that Desmond ran down John Locke in the sideways timeline. After all, notLocke just threw Des down a well. It reminded me of when Ben threw John Locke into the DHARMA dead-body gorge and shot him.

notLocke was clearly not pleased to see Desmond, and seemed to debate internally what to do with him. Why did Charles Widmore bring you here? Do you know who I am? How do you know it was electromagnetic energy? He's not as surprised this time when someone else sees the annoying boy (this time taller and more brunette).

notLocke takes Desmond to one of the many wells on the Island (do they correspond to the electromagnetic spots Jin mapped 30 years earlier?). Apparently, the well is so old that it was built by hand because people wanted to figure out why the spot made the needle on their compass spin. They had compasses but not shovels? notLocke lectures Desmond on the power hungry Widmore, but finally, exasperated by Des' unusual demeanor, asks, "Why aren't you afraid?" Desmond responds, "What is the point of being afraid?" So notLocke tosses Desmond down the well shaft. I guess that's why maybe you should be afraid, but maybe there really is no point in actually being afraid.

And how pleased notLocke looked as Hurley, Sun, and Jack walked into his camp. Like a cat with feathers in its mouth.

Richard Alpert in 2007

Richard had a plan, and nothing was going to sway him from it, not even the death of Ilana. As noted, he has an apoplectic fit when Hurley blows up The Black Rock. He is certainly not a very calm person this episode.

Best Quote that Really Didn't Fit Anywhere

No theories today, as I've integrated them above. But there was one great quote that just didn't fit above. Ben, pondering Ilana's death:

There she was, handpicked by Jacob. Trained to come and protect you candidates. Then she blows up. The Island was done with her. Makes me wonder what's going to happen when its done with us.

Happily Ever After

When I heard the title of this episode, I just assumed that it was about the sideways marriage between John Locke and Helen. Instead, it seems that it was an attempt by someone, Eloise perhaps, to make Desmond happy so that something didn't happen. Or doesn't happen. Or something. But the best laid plans...

So, to begin:

Desmond in 2004

Desmond is a different man in the sideways universe. He's a successful businessman employed by Charles Widmore, a man who thinks so highly of Desmond that he's willing to share his MacCutcheon whisky with him. Des is so satisfied with his life that he's not interested in the restaurants or prostitutes that Minkowski offers him. Desmond's satisfaction with his life is driven home by Widmore: You really do have the life. No family, no commitments. Oh,to be free of attachments.

Desmond might have continued believing this had he not been asked to babysit Charlie Pace. Charlie challenges Desmond's assertions of happiness, and essentially lands them in a marina, perhaps the same one where Ben shot Des? While trying to rescue Charlie, Des has what could be a hallucination - Charlie's hand with the message, "Not Penny's boat." Perhaps Des would have passed unscathed had he not been sent through an MRI for another electromagnetic experience. He sees images of Penny and his life with her. He's smitten. But confused.

Unable to wrangle Charlie for his charity concert, Desmond is ordered by Widmore to notify the dragon lady wife. She takes the news surprisingly well, but interrupts when Desmond tries to take a look at the charity ball guest list. He then hears something that sounds vaguely familiar to us, but not to him:

You listen to me. I want you to stop. 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...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've wanted more than anything. My husband's life...You're not ready yet, Desmond.

So what does he do now? He gives up, ready to drink his sorrows away. But he's interrupted by Widmore's son, Daniel. Who is as strange in the sideways as he is on the Island. Daniel points the way for Desmond to find Penny, his half-sister. She likes to exercise just like Jack and Desmond do. But unlike Jack, when Penny shakes Desmond's hand, Desmond faints. After agreeing to meet Penny for coffee, he asks Minkowski to get the manifest from Oceanic 815. Why? "I just need to show them something." What indeed, Mr. Hume?

Charles Widmore in 2004

Widmore is a man who appreciates a hard worker. Perhaps he likes Desmond in this sideways because Des hadn't met Penny yet. But he clearly lives in fear of his wife, finally sending Desmond to deliver the bad news about Charlie's absence.

What confuses me about Widmore in 2004 is that he doesn't seem as hooked into the alternative world as his wife is.

Charlie Pace in 2004

So Charlie's in LA to perform at a charity event with Daniel. But Charlie's attachment to the sideways world is just as tenuous as it was in LA X. He walked through traffic without a concern for his own safety. He bugs his babysitter:

Have you ever been in love? I'm talking about spectacular, consciousness altering love...[describes choking on the bag of heroin] and then I see her...a woman, blond, rapturously beautiful. And I know her. We're together. It's like we've always been...I've seen something real. I've seen the truth.

For some reason, he decides that Desmond must experience a near-death experience too, so he takes control of Desmond's car and drives them into the marina. After he figures out that Desmond did experience something, he tells Des, This doesn't matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it...Start looking for Penny.

At some point, I had to wonder, where the hell was Liam? He had been trying to get information on Charlie in Recon.

Daniel Widmore in 2004

In the sideways reality, Daniel is a talented classical musician who has never studied physics. However, he looks as uncomfortable in this timeline as he did in the other one. For some reason, he recognizes the importance of Desmond, and stops him, asking if Des believes in love at first sight. He describes seeing Charlotte Lewis and falling in love with her. After meeting her, well, "things got weird." He wrote complicated quantum mechanics equations in his journal (not the same one) that only someone who's studied physics their entire life could write. It makes Daniel realize: What if this wasn't supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life, but for some reason, we changed things?

And it appears that Daniel, who was probably responsible for the change to begin with, now wants things back to normal. He thus tells Des that Penny isn't an idea, but his half-sister.

Eloise Widmore in 2004

Eloise apparently manages to put fear into just about everyone around her, including her husband and Minkowski. Widmore was so scared of her that he ordered Desmond to tell her about Charlie's disappearing act.

Her servants certainly seems to be in awe of her. Desmond is expecting the worse, so he misses her expression of dismay upon meeting him. But she covers, and seems remarkably sanguine when given Desmond's news, telling him, "What happened, happened." But then she hears Desmond asking about Penny. The gloves are off.

Suddenly, we're back in Flashes Before Your Eyes, where Eloise clearly knows more about what is going on than just about anyone except the producers. She's angry, and clearly determined that Desmond continue his "perfect" life. But we're less clear this time on why, other than her belief that Desmond is not ready. For what? What has she done?

George Minkowski in 2004

Minkowski and Desmond shared a common problem in Confirmed Dead - their consciousnesses wee traveling around. Minkowski died, apparently because he had no constant, as Des did. Now he's a chauffeur, one who can connect a person with just about anything, including women. And airplane manifests.

I have to admit to wondering why Minkowski didn't chauffeur Desmond and Charlie around.

Jack Shephard in 2004

Jack's appearance is only remarkable for his surprise upon learning that two other people from his Sydney flight were at the hospital. Too much of a coincidence, perhaps?

Penny Milton in 2004

Penny likes to exercise, and doesn't seem all that bothered when strangers address her by name. She even agrees to meet this handsome stranger at a local coffee shop. I guess she decided to not attend her stepmother's charity event.

Desmond in 2007

No surprise that Desmond is unhappy to find himself back on the Island. His hostility and aggression prior to the electromagnetic experiment were all in character for him. But afterward...he's calm. He interrupts Widmore's explanation, asking, "When do we start?" He's extremely...understanding.

When faced with Dead-Eyed Sayid, Desmond's eyes appear a little maniacal as well, or perhaps messianic. I'm not sure which. Des tells Sayid, "Lead the way."

Charles Widmore in 2007

Widmore is almost apologetic about bringing Desmond back to the Island, but after being attacked, he tells Des, "I can't take you back. The Island isn't done with you yet." We've heard that before. And who decided that the Island isn't done with him yet?

Widmore wants to put Desmond through the electromagnetic experiment, despite a man's recent death in it. "If everything I've been told about you is true, you'll be perfectly fine." Then, "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." He lists his own sacrifices, all to his family - his dead son, his daughter who hates him, and his grandson whom he's never seen. But those sacrifices will be for nothing if Desmond doesn't help him because otherwise Penny and everyone else will be gone forever.

Why did Widmore do the experiment on Desmond? Because Des survived one catastrophic electromagnetic event. The experiment was to see if he could survive another.

Widmore is happy that Desmond survived the experiment, but continues to be apologetic. Was he surprised at how compliant Des was?

Thoughts and Theories

This is one episode that is full of suggestions and questions, all clearly leading up to the final episode.

We entered the sideways universe in a completely different fashion than we have heretofore. There was no hint of the sideways until the experiment started, when we suddenly found ourselves among the clouds. We then saw Desmond, looking either at himself or the location of his luggage carousel at LAX. We then stayed in the sideways universe, without fail, until Penny and Desmond touched. Suddenly, the experiment is over, without music or any other sign that we had returned to the Island. I thought at first that the experiment ended the sideways timelines. When we returned to it, I thought perhaps Desmond failed somehow by following Sayid. But now I don't think so.

It seems that the sideways timeline is a creation of sorts, I'm not sure by whom (Jacob? Man-in-Black? Eloise?), to perhaps keep Desmond pacified. Someone decided that this life they created for him was the perfect one, under the impression that his whole goal was to earn Widmore's respect, not Penny's love. But Charlie Pace interfered, or perhaps the Oceanic flight, and the worlds are now colliding in Desmond's mind. He knows now that something is not right.

He's not alone. All the Oceanic survivors appear to be aware that something is off, but Charlie is the first to experience a conscious awareness of the other timeline. He believes it is a near-death experience that gave him that awareness, so he helps Desmond connect to it as well. The only other party who appears to be conscious of the other timeline is Daniel. However, he had no near-death experience and was never an Oceanic survivor. He's just...Daniel.

But Desmond is not connected to the other timeline just by his near-death experience. Indeed, if that had been all, he might have succeeded in rationalizing it away. But he is asked to undergo an MRI, a process that includes the use of electromagnetic energy (recall the questions about metal?). The MRI connected him to the other timeline more clearly, as he saw his first meeting with Penny, and even the birth of their son. He didn't just see it, but he felt it. And he knew it was real.

What made Desmond return to the Island? Was it touching his constant? Was it the clarification that this is what his life's goal should have been? We don't know.

I don't know who Eloise is working for, but she does not appear to be working with Widmore in either timeline. Is she working for Jacob or the Man-in-Black? What sacrifice does Widmore want Desmond to make? What did Desmond understand after traveling through the electromagnetic experiment? Is he supposed to do something in 2007, 2004, or both?

So much to think about. I am curious as to what you might have thought.

The Package

Well, Sun finally gets to actually do more than complain about finding Jin this week. Although, when you think about it, that's pretty much all she did in the 2007 time line in this episode. Mostly in Korean. However, in 2004, she's a hot tamale!

In case you haven't heard, there's been a wedding amongst our Lost actors - Yunjin Kim married her long time boyfriend over the weekend. They won't go on honeymoon though until after they finish filming Lost.

Well, enough celebrity gossip. Let's get on with the show!

Sun in 2004

It turns out that Sun and Jin are not married in our sideways timeline. Thus, she and Jin have different rooms. But when Jin comes over to tell her he's going to Keamy's restaurant, Sun takes control, using her feminine wiles to seduce him. It turns out, Jin asked her to button her sweater on the plane not to control her, but to maintain the illusion that they aren't lovers. For that is clearly what they are. The next morning, she tries to talk Jin into running off with her (in the original timeline, she was going to run away from him), stating she has something to tell him. But they're interrupted by Keamy, who wants to know where his money is.

Sun has a plan - she'll get it from her super-secret account! With Mikhail Bakunin (!) as her translator, she goes to the bank, only to find her father's closed her account. Back at the restaurant, they find what Sayid left, but Jin has escaped, and after Bakunin shoots off two rounds, Jin shoots him dead. But not before Sun is shot in the stomach. She reveals what we already figured out - she's pregnant!

Did you notice Sun looking at herself in the mirror before letting Keamy in? She looked a little confused, like she didn't recognize herself...

Jin in 2004

Jin has apparently put his life in his hands by having an affair with the boss's daughter. He should be relieved customs took his money - he never asked what it was for, but we learned it was Keamy's fee for killing Jin! Apparently, no one's allowed to sleep with Sun.

Jin is far more nervous about the missing money than Sun, and doesn't jump at her offer to run off with her. He might have been talked into it, however, had Keamy not interrupted their idyll. He begs Keamy to not tell the boss that Jin and Sun are having an affair, and goes to the restaurant with Keamy and Omar. He's in the refrigerator tied up when Sayid shoots the kitchen up. Sayid gives Jin the tools he needs to escape, and he shoots Bakunin dead. Sadly, Sun is shot as well. It's then he learns he's going to be a father.

Sayid in 2004

So, is Sayid just as dead in the sideways timeline as he appears to be in 2007? The helpful man on the plane who kicked the bathroom door down to rescue Charlie from his drug overdose wouldn't set Jin free. Of course, in Sayid's defense, it probably would have been foolish to release a stranger who doesn't speak any language he knows right after killing Keamy et al. But there was something cold in how Sayid notes, "I don't know why you're here and I don't care." At least he gives Jin the box cutter.

Martin Keamy in 2004

No surprise to find out that Keamy works for Mr. Paik. Is he a contractor or is their relationship more permanent? Does he act as a loan shark for Mr. Paik too? He's still a heartless killer who doesn't care about the lives he disrupts. I was a little surprised that Sayid's bullets didn't kill him, but I'm going to guess (hope?) that he's dead now.

Mikhail Bakunin in 2004

How fun to see him again! Apparently, Mikhail is a friend of a friend of Keamy's. And he's a genius with languages, apparently knowing Korean. Sadly for him, he's doomed to lose that eye in any timeline, including this one.

Sun in 2007

Sun is clearly tired of all the stalling and all the talk about destiny and candidates. She just wants to find her husband. She retreats to a place where she's retreated before - the garden she grew so lovingly all those years ago. Okay, just 3, but still.

She's alone at the garden when she's approached by notLocke. And she's clearly uncomfortable, if not frightened. He promises to provide her with what she's been wanting - to be reunited with Jin - but when he stretches his hand out to her, she does what (so far) no one else has done - she runs away from him. Sadly, she doesn't look where she's going and runs into a tree, sustaining brain trauma.

The brain trauma induces a weird form of aphasia, in which she can only speak Korean but can understand English. Remember the first season when she pretended she didn't understand English? Further, we see that when Richard returns with a plan, Sun is the only one who doesn't fall in line. Instead, she goes off, in Korean, basically telling Richard that she will do nothing that will destroy their only way home.

We then get what would have been one of the best scenes in the night if ABC hadn't put a "V" tag on the corner, hiding what Sun was writing. Sun is staring out into the ocean when Jack joins her. He's figured out that just because she can't speak English doesn't mean she can't write it (I do believe that speech and writing are controlled by different parts of the brain). She didn't follow notLocke because she didn't trust him, but she does trust Jack. He promises to find Jin, if she goes him to the Hydra Island. She takes his hand.

I had forgotten how close these two had been in the first season. It was nice to see again, especially after all the animostiy Sun felt toward Jack after Jin "died" in the freighter explosion.

Jin in 2007

Well, Sun may not be able to speak English, but Jin sure can! Almost like a mirror to the first season!

Jin's having nothing to do with notLocke, and once notLocke leaves the camp, he gathers his stuff. When Sawyer tries to talk him out of it, Jin makes it clear that he wants to leave "before that thing comes back." However, it's taken out of his hands when Zoe and Frederick - I mean Seamus - shoot them all with darts. It turns out that Jin's the guy.

Jin wakes up in, of all places, Room 23. We've seen that place before! Jin finds the subliminal experiment video, which he quickly turns off. It turns out that Jin is "the guy" because during his time in the DHARMA Initiative, he worked on a map that showed the electromagnetic pockets on the Island. But Jin holds his ground - he'll only talk with Charles Widmore.

Widmore did one of the nicest things for anyone I've ever seen him do - he shows Jin the pictures of his daughter on Sun's camera. Jin knew he had a daughter, but he's never met her and never seen pictures of her. Did you cry when watching? I wanted to. He's so proud. I hope that we get to see him meet her.

For reasons not clear to us, Widmore decides that Jin needs to see Widmore's "package", which is not a what, but a who.

Ben in 2007

Like Sun, Ben is restless to move, and isn't confident that Richard will actually help them out. While out gathering fruit, he finds Sun unconscious. After bringing her back to Ilana's camp, he finds Ilana staring at him.

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 talking.

I found that to be extremely hilarious. You may be allowed in the fold, Ben, but they still don't trust you.

Claire in 2007

I am going to take a stand and declare that Claire hasn't really forgiven Kate for taking and raising Aaron. She's curious - is her name on the cave? No. Kate's? Not anymore. She comments that she is a stranger to her own son and that Kate's his mother now. But that's okay. Once notLocke is finished with Kate, Claire can do whatever she wants to her. I don't think that bodes well for Kate.

Desmond in 2007

Well, big surprise that Desmond was locked in that room in the submarine. I know it was supposed to be a big reveal, but it really wasn't. Instead, it was the eye contact between the drugged Desmond and the numbed Sayid that really hit home. These two once worked together. No longer.

Jack in 2007

Jack's back! He's like the leader we had in Season 1. Only, he's different. Because now he believes in that which cannot be seen. He trusts in Richard and Jacob. He tries to talk to Sun about the business of candidacy but backs off when it's clear she wants to hear none of it. But after her confrontation with notLocke, he approaches her again, giving her a tomato that he'd found in her garden. He makes a deal with her - come with them and he'll help her find Jin.

I kind of have to wonder - why does she have to come with him? Couldn't he help her find Jin whether she joins him or not?

Ilana in 2007

Ilana is only second to Jack in her devotion to Jacob, holding faith that Richard will return, and that he will have the answers for them. An extremely patient woman, she finally has a chance to change clothes. But she also lets us know that she still thinks Ben is a big liar.

Kate in 2007

Kate has an extremely minor role this week. Sawyer spends a lot of time talking with her. Claire glares at her.

Miles in 2007

There's only one reason to bring up Miles from this episode. As Ilana expressed faith that Hurley would find Richard and bring him back, Miles snarks, "Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley's tracking anything." Oh, Miles.

notLocke in 2007

notLocke was a little out of control this week. Jin doesn't trust him, Sawyer continues to confront him publicly, Sun runs away from him, and Widmore's people shoot darts at his people while he's gone.

We learned a little bit about why he's gathering candidates - he needs them all to leave the Island. And the fact that he didn't take Sun with him after she was knocked unconscious indicates that they really do have to follow him of their own free will.

notLocke is not very comforting with the man he makes his second in command. It's okay that you're numb, Sayid, because it will help you get through what's coming. What's coming? And how does notLocke know about it?

notLocke clearly doesn't like Kate very much. He lies to Claire about whether Kate's name was in the cave and whether Claire's name was. No matter what Claire feels about Kate, and she clearly doesn't mean Kate well, notLocke needs Kate to help him get the other three candidates on the plane. Once that's done, "Whatever happens, happens."

notLocke is justifiably angry that his camp was attacked and Jin taken. Not that Jin would have stayed in his camp. So he takes Sayid and goes to the Hydra Island. And confronts Widmore. Widmore stays behind the safety of the pylons. When asked, Widmore denies taking Jin. Whether he lied or didn't know we just don't know. Either way, notLocke gives one of the great lines of the night, "A wise man once said that war was coming to this Island. I think it just got here."

Richard Alpert in 2007

The other Man in Black returns to Ilana's camp, and he's the man we've known through the years. Decisive and determined, he makes his plans to prevent notLocke's escape from the Island. Perhaps fortunately for him, he doesn't understand Korean. His ears would have burned.

His plan to prevent notLocke's escape? Blow up the airplane on the Hydra Island.

Sawyer in 2007

Sawyer is disturbed that Jin is planning on leaving notLocke's camp. I'm not sure why. He definitely takes offense when Jin questions Sawyer's willingness to listen to notLocke. They don't get a chance to finish the argument, thanks to Zoe and Frederick - I mean Seamus.

Sawyer confronts notLocke when he announces that he and Sayid are going to the Hydra Island on an outrigger. He wants to know why notLocke doesn't just smoke on over to the Hydra. notLocke responds: "Do you think, if I could do that, I would still be on this Island?" Sawyer responds, "No, because that would be ridiculous." He has a point.

When notLocke returns from the Hydra Island without Jin or Sayid, Sawyer asks about them. It's good to know that he still cares about his friends. I don't know what kind of relationship Jin and Sawyer had during the three years of their time together in the DHARMA Initiative, as it doesn't appear to have made them close like Sawyer and Miles. But Sawyer's still looking out for him.

Sayid in 2007

Sayid is the logical one to choose as a second-in-command. I would. But when promoted, Sayid says, "I don't feel anything. Anger, happiness, pain. I don't feel it anymore." He doesn't feel enough to even be terribly bothered by this numbness. But he is slightly bothered by it. At least, enough to comment on it.

Sayid can swim, and he takes on the mission of finding out what is in Widmore's locked room. As he comes out of the water, all Apocalypse Now, he comes eye-to-eye with an equally numbed Desmond. But they did recognize each other.

Widmore in 2007

I noted Widmore's kindness to Jin earlier. It's not the first time we've seen him be kind. I'm thinking of his conversation with a 12-year-old Ben in Dead is Dead. But I also felt that he was manipulating Jin. Big surprise, hunh? As Jin looks at his daughter's pictures, Widmore states:

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 left this Island...Everyone we know and loved would simply cease to be.

Like notLocke, Widmore has lost a little control over his own camp. Zoe bags and tags Jin too soon, because Jin was about to leave notLocke's camp. I assume that his verbal confrontation with notLocke was too soon for his own taste.

Widmore's still a mixed bag, however, as evidenced by his decision to drug his own son-in-law and bring him back to the Island. Also, knowing the time frame, I think it is safe to say that Desmond is probably still recovering from the gunshot wound he sustained from Ben. Maybe the Island will heal him quickly. However, Desmond's presence as the Package does not bode well for Widmore's relationship with Penny.

Zoe in 2007

Zoe barely warrants a mention, except that she apparently bagged and tagged Jin too early for Widmore's plan. She points out that he perhaps should have found a mercenary to do the job instead of a geophysicist. I guess she doesn't know what a disaster the mercenary Widmore hired made of things.

Well, now that we've got that done: Questions:

Whose Side is Widmore On, Anyway?

For a long time, we thought of Widmore as the "big-bad" of the Island, the one willing to do anything to return to it, seemingly to engage in evil-doing. When Miles was "kidnapped" by Bram after being hired by Widmore to return to the Island, Bram told Miles that he was on the wrong side of the war coming up.

Yet it now seems that Widmore and Ilana have the same goal - preventing notLocke from leaving the Island. Will they join forces? Or are their methods for achieving this goal so far opposed to each other that they can never work together?

What's the Connection Between the Sideways Timeline and the 2007 Timeline?

There has to be a connection. We just don't know what it is. Until recently, it appeared that the lives of our characters were better in the sideways time than they had been. Jack resolved some of his father issues and improved his relationship with his son. John Locke confronted his own feelings of helplessness and deepened his relationship with Helen, whom he plans to marry. Kate escaped, at least for a little while. Ben's a high school teacher.

But, while Nadia lives, she is not Sayid's lover, despite their obvious love for each other. Sawyer's life is still overshadowed by what happened to his parents. Kate was caught. And Sun was shot in the stomach.

So, what is this timeline? Is it the result of Juliet blowing up Jughead? Or is it what would happen if notLocke escapes? Is it the beginning of the end, the ceasing of what all knew and loved as predicted by Widmore?

There's so much more, but I'm exhausted. What did you think?