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?

Ab Aeterno

Wow. What an episode. A number of things happened in Ab Aeterno, providing answers to some questions, perspectives on some characters, and ideas about what the nature of the Island really is. I think we can also put to rest the idea that Jacob might be God, or at least, the Judeo-Christian God.

Let's start first with what we learned about the candidates.

The Candidates

We return to the same scene between Ilana and Jacob that we saw in The Incident. Jacob never touched her, but we got more of the conversation. He needs her to protect 6 people - they are the remaining candidates. Flash forward to 2007, where, around the campfire, Sun announces that she, Jack, and Hurley are three of them. Ilana didn't correct her, but didn't she tell Sun earlier that she didn't know which Kwon was the candidate? Oh, well, nothing like confidence.

After Ilana brings them from the Temple, she's to ask Richard what to do next. And, at this point, we realize that Jack's intervention with Richard in The Black Rock did little other than prevent his suicide. He's still agitated, and announces, "You're dead. We're all dead....We're in hell." He then stalks off into the jungle, determine to find someone else to listen to.

It's at this point that Jack learns something rather vital - Richard wants to talk with Locke.

Jack: Locke is dead.
Ben: If it's any consolation, it's not exactly Locke.

One of Hurley's two best lines of the night comes when Jack demands to know to whom Hurley's speaking: Sorry Jack, but this has nothing to do with you.

Go Hurley!

The rest of our time focuses on Richard's story.

Ricardo

Ricardo's story is a sad but unfortunately not uncommon one. In 1867, the man comes home to find his tubercular wife coughing blood and burning with fever. He rides half a day away in the pouring rain for a doctor, to find the doctor is a venal man only interested in money. There's a shoving match, the doctor falls backward and dies, and Ricardo takes the medicine from the doctor's hands. But it's too late, Isabella, his wife is dead, and the police (or the Canary Island version of them) are banging on his door.

In prison, he's reading his English Bible when a priest brings him food and asks if Ricardo is prepared to make his confession. Which Ricardo promptly does. But when he asks to be absolved of his sins, the priest refuses. The only way Ricardo can earn the grace of absolution is through penance, which Ricardo won't have time for, seeing as he's scheduled to die the next day. "I'm afraid the devil awaits you in hell.'

I don't think much of this priest. I know enough about the sacrament of reconciliation to know that if you are truly sorry for your sins, you will be forgiven. And I'm convinced that Ricardo was truly sorry for killing the doctor. But this is just an aside.

As Ricardo is prepared for hanging, a Mr. Whitfield is given the opportunity to check Ricardo's hands and teeth. If Ricardo speaks English, he's good to go. Where? The New World. Whitfield announces, "This man is now the property of Magnus Hanso."

I'm pretty sure the New World to which Ricardo was headed is not America. I suspect it to be Australia or some other prisoner colony. I also want to point out that Hanso must be an ancestor of those who set up the Hanso Foundation. If you keep up with the activities of the producers at various Comic Cons, you then know that the Hanso Foundation funded the DHARMA Initiative. But this Magnus Hanso was killed in the shipwreck.

The trip to the New World looks completely miserable for prisoners, especially when there's a storm and shipwreck. The prisoners survive, but Whitfield decides he must kill the prisoners before they kill him. He's about to kill Ricardo when the Smoke Monster makes his appearance, killing all the officers, but, after pondering Ricardo, leaving him alive.

Ricardo, who really looks like he's wearing eyeliner in one of his close ups, tries to escape from his chains, but fails to. At one point, he awakens to find his now-dead fellow prisoners being eaten by a boar (yuck). But then, a miracle happens, as Isabella, his dead wife appears to him. Yes, we're dead, we're in hell. We must escape the devil. She runs from the ship, apparently to be killed by the Smoke Monster.

And so finds the Man in Black (not Jacob, as I had at first thought) nursing Ricardo back to health. He confirms that Ricardo is in hell and that the devil has Isabella. He agrees to help Ricardo, but only if Ricardo promises to do anything the Man in Black says. Ricardo is in no shape to refuse. He's shocked when he hears, "I'm afraid there's only one way to escape from hell. You're going to have to kill the devil."

So, if you eat a boar that has just recently eaten your friends, does that make you a cannibal?

The Man in Black gives Ricardo some instructions on how to kill the devil that we've heard before. The devil has to be stabbed in the stomach with a fancy knife before he says a word (apparently, the devil "can be very persuasive."). When Ricardo points out it is hard to stab black smoke, the Man in Black (I really wish we had a name) admits that he is the black smoke. Ricardo loses trust. He hears, "The devil betrayed me. He took my body. My humanity." And the Man in Black promises to reunite Ricardo with Isabella.

I still think it's not fair to get ticked with people when their alleged victim speaks before they really have a chance to stab. And let's face it, Sayid had been dead and Ricardo nearly so. What are people thinking?

The last thing that I expected Jacob to do was to beat Ricardo up. This is not the kind, gentle Jacob of The Incident. Indeed, this guy is all edge and irritation. He even dunks (or baptizes) Ricardo in the ocean after Ricardo protests once too often that he's dead.

And finally, we learn something about Jacob after he admits to bringing Ricardo's ship to the Island.

That man who sent you to kill me believes that everyone is corruptible because it's in their very nature to sin. I bring people here to prove him wrong. And when they get here, their past doesn't matter.

Ricardo is confused when he learns that everyone Jacob has brought to the Island has died and that Jacob never helped them.

I wanted them to help themselves. To know the difference between right and wrong without me having to tell them. It's all meaningless if I have to force them to do anything. Why should I have to step in?

Ricardo then says the thing that apparently Jacob has been needing to hear for years, "If you don't, he will." To which I say, duh!

Jacob realizes the truth of what Ricardo says, and offers Ricardo a job to act as his intermediary between him and the people he brings to the Island.

What's in it for Ricardo? Well, Jacob can't bring Isabella back, and he can't absolve Ricardo of his sins, but he can make Ricardo live forever. And Jacob puts his hand on Ricardo's shoulder, and Ricardo's fate is sealed.

Ricardo brings a white rock to the Man in Black (subtle), who seems unsurprised that his plan has failed. He then gives Ricardo the necklace with a cross that Isabella had given Ricardo to pay the doctor for her medication. I'm as confused as Isabella as to why he buries it.

Fast forward over 140 years, and now Richard is wearing black (I just noticed that - has he always?) and digs up his cross. He then yells to the Man in Black that he's changed his mind, and ready to follow him. He hears a noise, and is angered that it's not the Man in Black, but Hurley.

One things the producers do well is heartbreaking romantic scenes. Perhaps some viewers found the conversation between Richard, Isabella, and Hurley to be treacly, but I did not. I loved it, and wanted to cry. In the conversation, Isabella reminds Richard that they are always together, and that there was nothing he could do to save her. She also tells him that he needs to stop the Man in Black from leaving the Island, "If you don't, we all go to hell." Okay, so Hurley said the latter in Spanish, but whatever.

The episode ends back in 1867, with Jacob asking the Man in Black why he wanted to kill him. Really? You don't know why? I guess that was his first attempt. The Man in Black promises that he will kill Jacob and whomever takes Jacob's place.

And so much falls into place.

Thoughts

There's been a lot of discussion as to what is the nature of Jacob and the Man in Black. Good, evil, God, devil. I do believe that the Man in Black is evil, somehow, even if at most selfish, but I suspect he's more than that. But I'm not as convinced that Jacob is all good, and I'm sure he's not God. First of all, God kicked Lucifer out of heaven. He never dedicated himself to keeping Lucifer in one place. Perhaps Jacob is an angel of sorts, sent by God to keep this evil within bounds, but I'm not so sure.

Jacob himself seems to have a lot of rough edges in 1867. He brings The Black Rock onto the Island, but does nothing to prevent the Man in Black from killing the passengers and crew. How can they prove they can choose good if they're killed immediately? And why would he start punching Richard before talking with him? What's that comment about not letting anyone in his foot (okay, the foot of the statue, but it sounds better my way) unless they're invited? He sounded really irritated.

Richard may have thought that his 140 years as Jacob's intermediary was pointless, but I disagree. I think that Richard must have humanized Jacob to a large degree. Perhaps Richard was the first real human Jacob interacted with. But what a difference between Jacob in 1867 and Jacob over a hundred years later. In 1867, he petulantly demanded to know why he should intervene with the people he brought to the Island. But we saw him pay for Kate's lunch box, give James Ford a pen, congratulate Sun and Jin on their wedding, give Jack a candy bar, ask Sayid for directions, and perhaps revive John Locke after a fall from eight stories. And who can forget his conversations with Hurley? He didn't know Richard's name, but he certainly knew these eight intimately.

When Jacob talked with Ilana, he knew that only six candidates remained. We know that one named Kwon, Hurley, and Jack are candidates. It's doubtful that Ben, Miles or Lapidus are. There were eight people Jacob touched in The Incident: Kate, Sawyer, Sun, Jin, Jack, Sayid, John Locke, and Hurley. I personally think it's fair to say that John Locke and Sayid are no longer candidates. Locke was killed by Ben, and Sayid has apparently gone to the dark side (Darth Vader would be proud). That leaves six. A lot of hay has been made that Kate is not a candidate since we didn't see her name on the ceiling or on the lighthouse thingie. But just because we didn't see it doesn't mean that it wasn't there.

It's getting late, and I have a feeling that rambling could occur if I stay on, so I'll sign off. I'll be curious to hear what you have to say about this episode. It's definitely a hard one to not think about.