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.