Lost Reviews and News

Key Points from "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 and 3"

Season 4, Episodes 13 & 14 Episode Air Date: 05/29/08
Point 1
	The Season Four sendoff episode was possibly the densest two hours of LOST ever aired. Let's recap! This episode picks up exactly where Season Three left us.. With Jack screaming "We have to go back" and Kate driving away. For those who couldn't get a decent screen cap of Kate's license plate last season, you're in luck. Less than 100 yards down the tarmac, Kate hits the brakes and reverses all the way to bearded Jack. "We have to go back?", she echoes angrily. Through Kate we learn that the obituary Jack carried is for Jeremy Bentham - About a month ago, Mr. Bentham approached Kate, but she dismissed him as crazy. Kate berates Jack for believing "Him of all people". This narrows our list of potential casket dwellers to someone Jack shouldn't believe. When Jack explains that he did what Bentham said "because he said that was the only way to keep you safe.. Both you and Aaron" . At the mention of her young Membatan son, Kate slaps Jack and forbids him to ever speak the name of his nephew. Kate is angry at having to explain to the toddler why he will no longer be droned off to sleep with bedtime stories from Dr. Jack. Kate sets the stage for all the excitement that takes place on and around the Island when she says to Jack "I spent the last 3 years trying to forget all the horrible things that happened the day we left." As Kate speeds away again, I take note of the license plate - 4QKD695

Point 2
	The Island was never really big enough for Jack and Locke. Their already shaky relationship has deteriorated beyond repair since Season Three. It's only fitting that their paths cross one more time before Jack leaves the Island. Sawyer and Jack continue their trek to retrieve Hurley from camp Locke. When they stumble upon the Orchid, Sawyer respects the leadership structure and asks " What's the plan Sundance?" Before Jack can answer a ZZZZZZIIIIP! sounds from behind the nearby brush. They find the source of the zip - it's Hurley applying a fresh coat of urine to the nearby bamboo. He meets Jack's gaze with a "Sorry I went with Locke" expression. A few relieved hugs later, they turn their attention back to the Orchid. and to Locke - who is still looking for a patch of anthuriums . Lock and Jack's greeting is about as warm as a midfield handshake after a Jets Patriots game. Locke insists on speak to Jack alone. Jack insists he's only there to get Hurley and then get everyone off the Island, but he finally relents and agrees to hear what Locke has to say. This works for Hurley, who wasn't too keen on the idea of going back to the chopper. As he put it "Those Rambo Guys are taking Ben to the helicopter". While Jack chats with Locke, Hurley offers Sawyer some 15 year old crackers, assuring him that "they're good". As Sawyer munches on the crackers, he wished for a 12 year old Dharma beer to go with it. This lighter moment then turns serious as Sawyer has to break the news to Hurley about Claire. In the Orchid greenhouse, Locke tries to convince Jack that he is SUPPOSED to stay on the Island by playing the "destiny" card. The pair quickly exchange scorecards "You threw a knife at an unarmed woman" (point Jack), "You put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger" (point Locke). Locke accepts that he will never convince Jack to stay, so he pours his energy into illustrating for Jack exactly why it is necessary for everyone who gets off the Island to lie. A Man of Science and A Man of Faith till the bitter end, Jack tells Locke "It's just an Island", and Locke replies "It's not an Island. It's a place where miracles happen." What Locke says next is pretty ominous - "And if you can't believe that, just wait till you see what I'm about to do". Translation - "Be afraid.. Be very afraid" . Ben strongly advises Jack to be gone within the hour. As Jack turns to leave with Sawyer and Hurley, he gets some parting words of advice from Obi-Locke "Lie to them Jack. If you lie to them half as good as you lie to yourself, they'll believe you".

Point 3
	Keamy and his merry band of mercenaries are marching Ben (I always Have A Plan) Linus to the chopper. Ben surrendered himself to draw Keamy's men away from the Orchid long enough for Locke to sneak in. During the trek, Keamy gets conversational and asks Ben "What makes you so important?" He's curious as to why Widmore would pay so much to capture someone.. ALIVE. Ben has questions of his own, for instance Did Widmora instruct Keamy to kill Alex? Keamy never answers, as they come upon the helicopter. Lapidus is still cuffed to the chopper, and makes quite a bit of noise trying to free himself. This attracts attention from Keamy, who also notices that the toolbox has moved. While demanding that Lapidus tell him who gave the toolbox to him, rustling sounds from the nearby trees cuts the conversation short.. Another bush rattles and Kate emerges - she claims to have been running from Ben's peeps. Keamy quickly sends his own redshirts (named Kocul Lacour and Redfern) in pursuit - and directly into the Others' trap. As the wary soldiers scan the jungle floor for evidence of bare feet and stuffed teddy bears, they hear the jungle whispers. (Now does anyone else here think that the Others responded to one of those "Learn to Throw Your Voice" ads at the back of Walt's comic book?) While the red-shirts are distracted by the whispers, the ambush begins. One soldier is jumped from behind and has his neck snapped. Another is tripped up by bolas. A third takes a tazer dart to the neck. Ben, Kate, and Lapidus crouch during the ensuing crossfire. Kate whispers to Ben, instructing him to stay close - then she tells Ben to run. They take off together, but before Keamy can even take aim, a faint metallic click signals the arrival of an incoming grenade - which rolls to a stop between Keamy and the helicopter. (The Others have such an abundance of grenades in their arsenal - leading to rumors that some of the surplus grenades were actually being fed to prisoners). Lapidus screams "Grenade!", and Keamy boots it away to his unlucky sidekick Omar.. Omar goes BOOM! Keamy high tails it after Ben and Kate. Ben stumbles down an incline, allowing Keamy to gain on him. But before Keamy can close the distance, Sayid comes from the blindside and tackles Keamy - and the two roll down a hill to a clearing. What follows is one of the Island's greatest fights ever - easily surpassing Ethan Vs Jack I, and settling a spot or two behind Kate and Juliets mud fight. Keamy's gun fires left of Sayid's head. Sayid used his breakdancing feet maneuver to disarm Keamy, but before Sayid can squeeze off a round, Keamy kicks away the gun. As they both go after the gun, Sayid snatches a knife from a holster on Keamy's outfit and plunges it in Keamy's back just above his ribs. This evens the fight up for Sayid and he and Keamy fight hand to hand for a while. That goes nowhere, so Sayid picks up a board and whacks Keamy a few times. Keamy eventually gets the drop on his Iraqi foe and begins to choke the life out of Sayid by jamming a board under his neck. Bang! Sayid breathes a sigh of relief. Keamy has been shot squarely in the back by 2nd in command Richard Alpert. Ben thanks Richard for coming - I'm guessing Alpert was the one holding the other mirror. Ben asks Kate to cut him free, then he asks Alpert to spell out whatever deal he struck in exchange for Kate and Sayid's help. When Alpert tells Ben they were promised to get off the Island. Ben tells them to take the helicopter, and wishes them farewell. Kate's skepticism forcer her to ask Ben "So we can go? Off the Island? That's it?" Yep. That's it. Back at the chopper, Sayid and Kate work to free Lapidus from the handcuffs. Hurley emerges from the woods, followed by Sawyer, then Jack. Kate's eyes first meet Sawyers, then she turns away and tends to the wounded Jack. Sawyer busies himself by grabbing a hacksaw from the toolbox and uses it to help Lapidus break free. Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley buckle up and Lapidus flies the chopper away. As they head away from the Island, Lapidus notices that he's not getting very good gas mileage. Sayid confirms that the tank is leaking fuel - having been shot during Ben's escape. Despite throwing everything that wasn't bolted down off the copter, Frank determines they won't make it to the freighter without dropping another 200 lbs. Hurley no longer feels the urge to cannonball. Sawyer leans in towards Kate and whispers something to her - perhaps instructing her about some errand she would need to run one day when Jack was working late. After a jawdropping kiss goodbye, (Jack's draw dropped the lowest) Sawyer jumps from the helicopter, hits the water, pops back up, and swims towards the Island.

Point 4
	On the freighter, Desmond, Michael and Jin take a closer look at the explosives they discovered on board. We learn that Desmond spent 6 months of his Army career on explosive ordnance detail - just enough time to lean how to "blowyuselfup". Although this was likely a punishment for Desmond's bad habit of sneaking away to the year 2004 during drills, Desmond leverages this experience, becoming leader of the bomb squad. After following the stream of wires to a radio receiver, Desmond surmises that the detonation of the C4 mountain is triggered remotely by some device. The device, we learn, is the one strapped to Keamy's arm. As they discuss disarming the bomb, Desmond traces the various wires to their end and concludes that they all lead to "Boom". The bomb is powered by a car battery, but disconnecting it also leads to .. "Boom" Jin chimes in.. Jin's a quick study. Later on the deck, Sun spots Michael hauling gas. She asks him about the explosives and whether they can be turned off. Michael offers to send Jin out to her, and as he turns to leave, Sun shares the news with Michael that she's preggers. Michael flashes Sun a quick "it's not mine" look, then congratulates her. The can Michael was transporting is liquid nitrogen. His plan is to freeze the battery so that the explosives won't detonate immediately once the light goes red. This plan has one serious flaw.. there's only one tank. Michael freezes the battery while Jin and Desmond start mapping out where all the wires go. They conclude that all roads lead to boom, and that they need to get everyone off the boat. But as precious moments tick away on the freighter, the Helicopter arrives, running on fumes and desperately needing a place to land. After learning of the impending BOOM, Sayid quickly patches the holes and Lapidus fuels up. Running out of time, Kate, Hurley, Sun, Aaron, Sayid, Desmond and Lapidus take off from the freighter. As the copter rises above the freighter, Jin sprints across the deck and tries to signal their attention. Michael, who remained behind with the explosives to buy time for the rest, gets a visit.. It's Christian Shephard! Aaron's dead grandfather greets Michael with a dismissive "You can go now". A split second later the freighter explodes with a thunderous "BOOM", and Sun screams with grief as she witnesses the death of her husband. Yes, I believe finally that Jin is dead. And even if - by some miracle - the Island spared Jin, there is no way that Sun believes Jin is alive. CUE FLASH FORWARD SWOOSH! Sun is seen traveling in London. Her cell phone rings - it's her Mom and Ji-Yeon. After talking briefly to her child, Sun locates Charles Widmore and approaches him. Sun introduces herself as the "managing director" of Paik Industries. Sun has no patience for Widmore's attempt at petty small talk, so she cuts right to the chase. Sun tells Widmore to dispense with the pretense that he doesn't know why the 815ers are all lying. She then delivers this intriguing line - "you and I have common interests, When you're ready to discuss them, call me". In parting, Widmore asks Sun the very question we all want answered - "Why do you want to help me" We'll have to wait on that answer.

Point 5
	Here's the real meat of the episode, the big payoff that follows Cabin Fever's jawdropping moment - when Locke emerged from his powwow with Jacob's spokeperson Christian Shephard and tells Ben that "He wants us to move the Island". After Jack and Locke part ways at the Orchid, Locke follows Ben into the Orchid's very own Wonkavator. Ben explains that the elevator can go up, and sideways, and slantways.. but there was one special button.. one button that Ben had never pressed.. before now.. The elevator goes down... WAY Down, creaking and groaning as it slowly descends. "How deep is this station" Locke asks Ben, who provides this simple answer... "Deep" Once inside the "real Orchid", Ben flips on some lights and powers up a few assorted gadgets. Locke asks Ben if the Orchid is the magic box. (It Isn't) Growing weary of Locke's incessant questioning, Ben draws on his parenting skills - he sits Locke in front of the TV and pops in a video. The tape plays.. Hello. I'm Dr. Edgar Halliwax . You might remember me from other Dharma Training films like "The Looking Glass - Good Vibrations" or "The Hydra - Just the Bear Necessities"... Locke watches intently as Dr. Halliwax /Candle/Wickmund explains that the "unique properties of the Island Created a Casimir effect allowing the Dharma Initiative to conduct experiments with space and time." While holding Bunny 15, Halliwax introduces a large oval shaped chamber called "the vault". which was constructed adjacent to a pocket of Negatively Charged Exotic Matter. As he places #15 in the chamber, Halliwax cautions against placing inorganic objects - especially metals - into the chamber. While this video plays for Locke,, Ben is hurriedly filling this very chamber with steel trash cans and office chairs. In the video, the chamber closes around the bunny, as he is about to be shifted 100 milliseconds ahead in four dimensional space - seemingly disappearing for the briefest of moments. But the tape starts to rewind and we never see what becomes of Bunny 15. Locke turns his attention back to Ben and asks "You built a time machine? out of a microwave?" CLANK The elevator begins to move again. This time it's Keamy, pulling a page from Mikhael's playbook. Apparently Keamy's body armor protected him from Alpert's bullet. Ben hided in the shadows as Keamy starts monologueing - trying to taunt Ben into revealing his whereabouts. Keamy takes this opportunity to inform Ben that the device strapped to Keamy's arm is a heart rate monitor - which is hooked directly into the freighter secret stash of fireworks and set to detonate the moment Keamy's heart stops beating. Keamy warns Ben that by killing Keamy Ben will cause the deaths of innocent people on the freighter. Keamy then takes it up another notch by taunting Ben with the image of Alex bleeding out after Keamy shot her. Before Ben can respond to that, Locke steps forward and attempts to engage in meaningful exchange of ideas with Keamy. Keamy, never one for talk, springs forward to kill Locke. Ben emerges from his hiding place, swipes the legs out from under Keamy with his stick, then completely goes Joe Pesci on him punctuating his rant of "You Killed My Daughter" with repeated stabs to Keamy's neck. Locke desperately fights to keep Keamy alive. When Locke reminds Ben that if Keamy dies, so does everyone on the freighter - Ben replies with an icy "So?" Keamy, with his dying breath, declares to Ben that Widmore will eventually find him. Ben replies with a cocky "not if I find him first". When Locke screams at Ben "Why did you kill him when you knew it would destroy the boat?", Ben offers this rationalization - "Sometimes good command decisions get compromised by bad emotional responses." With that, Ben fires up the microwave chamber, and watches as the metal objects spark and erupt inside the chamber. "I'd better change" he says. And Ben does change - into the same Dharma parka Ben was wearing when he appeared in the Desert. "Where's my coat?" asks Locke. Ben tells Locke that he won't be going with him. Apparently, Jacob intended for Ben to move the Island. The reason Jacob told Locke to move the Island, but never told him how was because Jacob wanted Ben to suffer the consequences. Consequences? Yes, we learn that the price is quite steep for Ben, because whoever moves the Island can never go back. Ben gives Locke his torch passing speech, and tells John that the Others will now follow his lead. They shake hands, and part ways. Locke comes upon Alpert and the rest of the Others in the jungle near the Orchid. They greet him warmly and eagerly. Locke smiles. Ben picks up a tire iron and heads into the the bunny chamber. The metal that Ben ignited in that chamber had blown a hole through the chamber wall. Ben crawls through this hole, proceeds down a narrow passageway, and climbs down a small metal ladder. At the foot of the ladder is a frosted glass panel, which Ben shatters with his boot. Through this opening is an icy ladder leading down to a heavily iced cavern. As Ben climbs down the ladder, a rung breaks, and Ben crashes to the icy floor below, A piece of jagged metal from the ladder pierced his Jacket and cut his right arm. This is the injury Ben had when he turned up in the desert. Now I'll pause and give credit to the creators. The code that they've been using to describe the game changing moment of the season finale was "The Frozen Donkey Wheel". Considering that last season's game changer was nicknamed "The rattlesnake in the mailbox", I didn't know what to make out of "Frozen Donkey Wheel" But this year, the name describes the scene in vivid detail. You see, set into the Icy Stone wall was an enormous horizontal wheel - the type that actual donkeys would be attached to and made to pull. Ben uses the crowbar to break up the ice and after several attempts, he is able to get the wheel to budge. "I hope you're happy now, Jacob" Ben utters as he pushes hard against one of the wheel's handles. A reverberating sound fills the sky as the frozen donkey wheel begins to move. Ben weeps as he slowly rotates the wheel. With one final push Ben the wheel advances and Ben is engulfed by a bright shimmering light - or perhaps it was pixie dust. On the Island and in the Helicopter, the light gains in brilliance and is accompanied by a dull pulsating sound. With a final flash of brilliance, the light returns to normal, and there is a brief ripple in the sea where the Island had been only moments ago. The Island Has Been Moved!! This poses a problem for those in the Helicopter.. The Island was gone - even the little alcatraz island. Without fuel or a place to land, the chopper crashes into the ocean. A quick thinking Sayid had thrown a raft into the water ahead of time, After a scary moment with Desmond as Jack gives him frantic CPR, all survive the copter crash. We don't see the raftaways again until after dark. Jack sees Aaron snoozing peacefully in Kate's lap and asks how he's doing. Kate replies that he's doing fine, calling it a miracle. "I can't believe he did it" Hurley interjects "Locke.. He moved the Island". "No he didn't" Jack counters. Apparently the days events still haven't pierced through all of Jack's layers of stubborness. Hurley appeals to Jacks sense of logic - "Oh really? Because one minute it was there and the next minute it was gone. So unless we overlooked it completely, Locke moved it. Unless you have some other explanation" Since the best alternative Jack's mind could muster was to suggest that David Copperfield is on the Benjamin Linus payroll, but before he could suggest this, Lapidus spots an approaching vessel. Sensing that rescue may be iminent, Jack spells it out for the raftaways.. "We have to lie". Yes, Jack is actually following the advice given to him by John Locke... Based on how their relationship hahs deteriorated, this is nearly akin to Sayid working for Ben. Lapidus: I may be new to this group, but isn't this the place where everybody jumps up and down and starts hugging? Jack explains that they must lie about everything that happened since the crash. He makes a persuasive argument that anything they say which contradicts the discovery of the staged wreck of 815 will put all of them and anyone still on the Island at great risk. When Kate expresses her concern that they can't pull it off, Jack volunteers to do all the talking. The boat nears.. Sayid tenses, fully prepared this time should their would-be rescuers pull alongside the inflatable and declare "We're gonna have to take the boy" No worries this time. As the boat nears, we hear some foreign voices but Desmond's ears prick up when he hears one of the crew call out "Ms. Widmore". We see the name on the hull "PENNY'S BOAT", well it actually is called the SEARCHER. Remember that Christmas Eve call Desmond made when he was doing the Eloise shuffle through time? Well, forget all those verizon network guys that come with my phone - Penny's phone plan includes its very own tracking station which enabled Penny to trace the call from the freighter. PENNY'S BOAT hit the water that very day. Their teary and awkward smiley reunion kiss was the one happy outcome in this season finale. After Desmond introduces Penny to everyone on the raft, Jack gets right to business and says "We have to talk". A week later, Penny's boat nears an uninhabited island in the Lesser Sunda Islands known as Membata - nearly 3000 miles from where she picked up the raftaways. The future Oceanic Six will spend the next 8 to 9 hours catching some rays while drifting towards rescue. Jack says his goodbye's to Lapidus, then Desmond. After warning Demond "Don't let them find you", he tells Desmond "See ya in another life brutha". Desmond replies "Live togehter.. Die alone". The O6 take their seats on the rescue raft and paddle towards shore. Desmond and Penny ride off into their sunset..

Point 6
	At the beach, Faraday returns in the Zodiac raft, ready to make another run to the freighter. He believes the freighter is heading closer to the Island. Faraday implores Charlotte and Miles to be on the next raft with him. Despite the direness of Faraday's warning, Miles insists that he's staying. Faraday instructs Charlotte to be ready in ten minutes, then heads towards the zodiac, leaving Miles and Charlotte alone for this interesting exchange. Miles: "I'm surprised you want to leave. " This catches Charlottes attention. 'Sorry?' Miles presses - "All that time you spent trying to get back here." Charlotte: "What do you mean 'get back here'?" Miles : (playfully) What do I mean? This exchange apparently gets to Charlotte because she returns to Faraday and tells him that she's decided to "stay... For now" Despite the direness in Faraday's warning that "For Now" could be "Forever", Charlotte explains that she is "looking for where I was born". Charlotte kisses Faraday goodbye, then watches as he turns to load up more red shirts for another trip to the freighter. Juliet passes on the chance for a ride, saying she intends to stay until everyone is off. Didn't she learn anything when the sub blew up? Some time after Faraday leaves, Sawyer finally reaches the shore - breathing heavy from the long swim from the helicopter. When he sees Juliet drinking he asks if she's celebrating. But Juliet is drinking for other reasons - namely hopelessness and despair. She directs sawyers gaze towards the burning wreckage of the freighter. "Is that our ride home" Sawyer asks? It was.

Point 7
	Time to go through the rest of the off-island flashes. Walt Visits Hurley In Santa Rosa, Hurley gets a surprise visit from an old black woman. Actually, the visitor is really Walt. His grandmother just came along to make sure Hurley wasn't dangerous. Plus there was really no one left she would trust to accompany Walt on an airplane. Assuming that this takes place around three years after leaving the Island, then Walt would be thirteen. Hurley addresses Walt's growth by remarking "You're getting big dude" Walt expressed some disappointed that none of the O6 ever came to see him. He then tells Hurley that he was visited by Jeremy Bentham. (Everyone who bet on Michael being in the coffin can safely tear up your tickets now) Hurley explains to Walt that the reason they are all lying is to protect everyone who didn't come back.. Like my Dad? Walt asks.. "Yeah, like your Dad", Hurley answers, unfairly implying that Michael might still be alive. Sayid Visits Hurley Outside Santa Rosa, Sayid taps on the glass of a car window. Sayid asks the man inside for the time, then proceeds to shoot the driver in the chest. Sayid enters the mental institution and locates Hurley in the day room - playing chess against an invisible opponent. Sayid tells Hurley that he is no longer safe at Santa Rosa.. that circumstances have changed by way of Benthams death - which was ruled a suicide. Hurley responds "Why are you calling him Bentham, his name is..." but Sayid cuts him short, his paranoia is seemingly justified. Hurley agrees to go with Sayid as long as it isn't back to the Island. Just before leaving, Hurley captures the white rook with his queen and declares "Checkmate, Mr Eko". Kate Gets a Call Kate is awakened by the phone. She answers and hears nothing but a few clicks. "Hello. Who's there?" she demands to know and this time a voice responds. I couldn't distinguish any recognizable words - (perhaps it was Sawyer speaking in reverse, "selkcerF yeH") Kate hears a door creek down the hall in the direction of Aaron's room, so she puts down the phone, and grabs a handgun she had stashed in a box beneath the spare sheets. That's probably a violation of her probation. Kate bursts into Aaron's room and sees the figure of a woman beside the boy. Kate points the gun at her and yells "Don't you touch my son!". The woman turns around to face Kate, and it's .. CLAIRE. Rather than quibble with Kate over something as trivial as who has the right to scream "Don't you touch my son!", Claire delivers this warning "You can't bring him back, Kate" Claire gets up, walks swiftly towards Kate and says "Don't you dare bring him back!" Kate's frightened look is quickly replaced by a disoriented look as she awakens in her bed.. Yep, Claire's visit - and I suppose the phone call - was all just a dream. Kate catches her breath. Kate rushes to Aaron's room, and is relieved to find the little tyke slumbering peacefully.

Point 8
	Coffin Dweller Revealed In the episode's closing sequence, Bearded Jack returns to Hoffs Drawler funeral parlor. I presume that he drove there straight after meeting Kate at the airport. The place is already closed and locked for the night, but Jack can't really wait until till morning, so he uses a large stone to smash the door handle. Once inside the funeral home, Jack strolls by a row of caskets, then hovers above one with a blank Body Release Form attached naming the deceased as Jeremy Bentham. Jack tugs at his hair for a moment, then summons the courage to open the coffin. As Jack peers into the coffin, he is startled by a voice from behind him. "Hello Jack.. " As Jack turns, Benjamin Linus steps into partial shadow, bearing an eerie resemblance to Star Trek's Commander Data. "Did he tell you I was off the Island?" Ben queries. "Yes", Jack also tells Ben that both he and Kate were visited by Bentham about a month earlier. Ben presses "And what did he say to you?" Jack responds "He told me that after I left the Island some very bad things happened and told me that it's my fault for leaving, and that I have to come back. " Ben brings up Jacks recent enthusiasm for air travel. "That's dark Jack, very dark." Ben explains to Jack that he can't go back alone. The only way for him to return to the Island is for everyone to go.. Jack spouts a reason for each person to not want to go along with this. When Jack starts on Sun with "Sun blames me" , we have to wonder if Jack is the other person Sun holds accountable for Jin's death. Ben insists that this is the way it has to be and that he has a few ideas. As jack turns away, Ben says crisply "Jack, I said all of you. We're going to have to bring him too." (Ben motions towards the coffin).. The Eerie season finale music rises to a screech. Camera pulls forward... first it meets Jack's gaze, then swings above the casket's occupant. HOLY CRAP - the man in the coffin is JOHN LOCKE! And with that the episode ends. IT ENDS! After seeing the last "Bad Robot" run across my screen until next January, I stare blankly at my TV. Sniff!

Point 9
	The expanded version of Oceanic Six meet the press made last weeks episode required viewing. Here's what we learn that's new. When Jack finishes his story about how only eight of them made it to shore, he is asked "what happened to the other three? You see this reporter did his math correctly. Jack fields the question about the Island deceased and identifies them as Boone Carlysle - died a couple of days after the crash from internal injuries. Libby, who Jack claimed "didn't make it through the first week". (Hurley lowers his head at this). Charlie Pace - who drowned a few weeks before they were able to leave. The trick to successful lying is to believe your own stories. Omitting small details - such as which plane crash Boone sustained his injuries in - can make it less of a lie. Their story is quickly put to the test when the Korean reporter follows up by asking Sun if her husband was one of the people who died on the Island. If Korean Reporter had done her math, she would already know the answer from Jack's account. Jack flashes Sun a - "she's trying to trick you" glance, and Sun replies with a simple "No". Also in the expanded press coverage, Sayid reveals that he does not plan to return to Iraq. All Jack wants to do is put his Dad to rest. He may be dead, but Dr. Daddy has been doing anything BUT resting.

Point 10
	A few closing questions and observations: Best Line: Hurley "Checkmate Mr Eko" 2nd Best : Ben - "Sometimes good command decisions get compromised by bad emotional responses". 3rd Best : Rose - (to Miles) I'm gonna keep my eye on you, shorty! 4th Best : Hurley - (When asked by Sawyer what he thinks Locke and Jack are talking about) - "I dunno, leader stuff." I have questions and observations but will post these in comments. That's all I've got! Namaste! Be sure to drop by the "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
No new episodes until 2009 ... [quietly sobbing and rocking]
Review by Vacc. All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc.

Posted by Mac on May 29, 2008 11:59 PM | Email This

Getting ready to read review, but in meantime:

I don't remember seeing Rose and Bernard. Were they on or off the island/freighter?

→ 1. Posted by: Len at May 30, 2008 4:26 PM

The format is messed up....can't read half the text.

→ 2. Posted by: Len at May 30, 2008 4:30 PM

Whoa, it's really skinny... still reading...

→ 3. Posted by: The Duf at May 30, 2008 4:31 PM

help! points 1 and 2 are being cut off by the boxes at the side! anybody have any suggestions????

→ 4. Posted by: surefoot at May 30, 2008 4:33 PM

Please fix the margins...it's impossible to read the first part!

→ 5. Posted by: ss lostie at May 30, 2008 4:35 PM

I can't read half of it either. Hope the format gets fixed. I'll be checking back later.

→ 6. Posted by: Lynne at May 30, 2008 4:35 PM

Here's what I think Season 5 will be about. Ben will somehow convince the Oceanic 6 to get on a plane so they can crash on the island. Jack in his drunken stupor will probably seriously hurt himself, let's say he goes to the bathroom stoned on pills and drunk on vodka to throw up. While opening the door, he'll knock over a jar of bleach and blinding himself. Then, he and other members of the Oceanic 6 will get on a plane with Locke's coffin and fly to Paris, for example. On their way there, they will experience turbulence and crash on the island. Then mysteriously Jack will be able to see again. And he will see Locke just like he saw Christian Shepard.

→ 7. Posted by: Mr. Cube at May 30, 2008 4:37 PM

You can copy it and paste it in a word document and it looks normal. That's what I did.

Wendy

→ 8. Posted by: wendy at May 30, 2008 4:37 PM

The last time I saw Rose was when she said something to Daniel... Formatting up there is an issue, I'm getting Bug Eyed like Ben... O^O

→ 9. Posted by: Ted at May 30, 2008 4:38 PM

We never saw Bernard, but Rose was upset with Miles for munching on the Dharma peanuts...I guess we are to assume they are both still on island...Where ever the island is.

→ 10. Posted by: Jennifer at May 30, 2008 4:42 PM

Thanks to Wendy. Pasting it into Word works fine.

→ 11. Posted by: Lynne at May 30, 2008 4:44 PM

Didn't Daniel say the he had just ferried the last of the survivors to the freighter? If so, Rose and Bernard had to have been left to perish in the explosion. I didn't see either one on the raft when the explosion occurred. Maybe Rose and Bernard remained with Jules on the island.

→ 12. Posted by: Len at May 30, 2008 4:46 PM

Reposting from other thread. . .

Hey Everyone, I don't usually post because by the time i get to it everyone else has said much smarter things then I ever could. But here goes. . .

Last night episode was awesome. . .so much happened, but the last scene stood out to me when John was revealed. I said aloud "he moved the island again" and he was trying to get everyone together to go back, even Walt (who's like 30 now).

Then it hit me Widmore must have been on the island, maybe the leader before Ben, moved it and now is trying to get back too!

Or I could be wrong. . . who knows?

Also did anyone catch the commercial during the last break?? I was fast-forwarding and thought it looked fake and it was. It wanted you to visit - http://www.octagonglobalrecruiting.com/

What does that mean?? I'm so bad at figuring those out.

→ 13. Posted by: Murr at May 30, 2008 4:46 PM

Wow! I haven't even started drinking and already I can't see straight...:)

Wait...maybe the drinks are meant to HELP me understand.

→ 14. Posted by: meg at May 30, 2008 4:48 PM

Wow, that's quite a recap. Look forward to reading through it later tonight when I get home from work and the kids are asleep, and I haven't even gotten a chance to watch last night's ep because I had a conference call. I'm gonna be up until sunrise at this point just to catch up!

Woo hoo!

→ 15. Posted by: LostedIt at May 30, 2008 5:01 PM

I know one thing - I’M GLAD I’M NOT DOING THE REVIEW FOR THIS EPISODE!!!!! Good Heavens Vacc, I surprised we didn’t hear your brain explode sometime around 7 AM this morning! Talk about a seismic shockwave!

YOU ARE RIGHT. This episode has a density level of about 17 miles! But even with the questions remaining, a lot was wrapped up last night. At least for the moment.

Thanks for stepping in for MAC today. Go to bed and wake up when it’s next season.

I’m going to jot down a few notes and then go and watch the whole show again.
I’ll check back for all the comments later tonight. Thanks again vacc, for picking up the slack. (whoops - I’m a poet and didn’t even know it . . . )

1. Today’s ABC Good Morning America showed two alternative endings to last night’s episode - One with Sayid in the coffin and the second with Desmond in the box (THAT would have been terrible considering how long we’ve been waiting for the Penny/Dez reunion!) Afterall, he’s the guy who said he was NEVER going to go back to that island . . . I assume dead or alive.

2. So who’s the DOOFUS who writes the captions for the “enhanced” episodes? After informing us that one of the previous episodes was named after the “Wizard of Oz”, the “captioneer” then writes . . “The Wizard of Oz is also a story about people trying to get home from a faraway land.” . . Good Grief, Toto-Brain! If you’re smart enough to wade through LOST, I think you probably know the story behind the Wizard of Oz . . . . Except for little Mongolian children and lost tribes in the Amazon, is there anyone who doesn’t know this story? duh.

3. Charlotte has been on the island before. Is she ANNIE? Noooo . . probably not. Too young.

4. It would appear that Michael and Jin die. (Nice job on Hurley’s part to lie to Walt about his Dad’s fate. Maybe we haven’t seen the last of Walt yet . . .)

5. So - weird allegiance being alleged with Widmore and Sun . . . Maybe it’s not Widmore she blames as the OTHER MAN who killed Jin. Some bloggers this morning have ventured that it’s Jack . . . but I wonder if it’s not BEN. Afterall, why NOT team up the man who’s spending billions to find and destroy him?

However, I would hate for Sayid and Sun to come to that deadly turn in the road.

6. I enjoyed reading FenwayBen’s blog last night. (I stayed up late listening to my university team play for the NAIA National Baseball Championship) He was asking about what happened to the folks in the Zodiac, among others.

So where are Faraday and those six RedShirts in the raft. Sucked up in the island move? Hope so . . . because with the freighter blown to pieces and the isle evaporated in the mist, there just aren’t a lot of possibilities for landfall in the near future for those folks! Like FenwayBen, I hope Bernard and Rose weren’t on that craft!

7. How about that scene of the exploding freighter!?! Acting-wise, the gal playing Sun was unbelievable! I wanted to rip my own heart out watching her!

And then there was Sawyer’s sacrificial leap! No doubt in my mind that he told Kate about his daughter. Watching everyone’s faces was stunning - especially Hurley . . you could see the guilt about being the heaviest guy on the chopper in his eyes. No wonder he’s mental now! It ALL just keeps piling on.

8. As suspected, the website for Octagon Global Recruiting is part of the Dharma Initiative. I didn’t submit my name to see where it goes . . . I was afraid they might pick me for rabbit number 16!

9. Moving the Island? Nice wheel, Ben! But, into the past or into the future? (Of course - what a great episode for answers - now we know where Ben, lying in the desert, got the parka and the arm wound . . . Nice “bring it together” on the writers part.

10. And IF the next two seasons are all about getting EVERYONE back to the island, then does that mean that we will eventually see a Kate/Sawyer and a Juliet/Jack hookup reunion? It would seem to be the logical future-forward. I guess we’ll know in 28 months.

→ 16. Posted by: davidrh at May 30, 2008 5:02 PM

Great line vacc - about Ben's parenting skills. I was thinking the same thing!

Okay... a few observations:

1. Who is definitely on the island? I guess Rose and Bernard are unknown.
2. Who is the redhead? Was she born on the island? Has she seen Ben yet? If she is Annie, wouldn't Ben know?
3. Why is Walt so old? He looks like he's almost 20!
4. Are Penny and Des hiding from Daddy now?
5. Were the sounds associated with moving the island similar to those the smoke monster made?

I don't know, but I lost all desire for Keamy here in this episode. If only he wouldv'e just lept his mouth shut.

Ben was definitley hot in this episode...:)

→ 17. Posted by: meg at May 30, 2008 5:07 PM

Vacc,

Your reviews have a "wide stance". Be careful not to tap your toes, at least in Minnesota. (:-P)

→ 18. Posted by: Cecil Rose at May 30, 2008 5:10 PM

Oh, two more things:

Maybe Jin isn't really dead...we never saw bodies (okay, I admit I am just wishing here)

I agree with doch above when he says the other person Jun blames may not be Jack. Jack never finished his sentence...Sun blames me for....????

I think it HAS to be BEN!

→ 19. Posted by: meg at May 30, 2008 5:11 PM

For those of you who love jumbles... what words could be made from the mortuary name Hoffs Drawler?

→ 20. Posted by: JANET at May 30, 2008 5:13 PM

Vacc, good job! Thanks so much for pinch-hitting for mac.

Just a couple of quick comments:

I had originally thought that it would be Abbadon in the coffin, using the name Bentham.

When I saw Locke in the coffin, the first thing that came to mind was "It's a Locke in a box." (I assume w/socks.)

So if the O6 have to take Locke w/them to get back to the island, does that mean that a corpse in a coffin is a/the trigger to finding the island?

If it's a requirement to off one's father to become the island leader, was Locke voted off the island because he wasn't actually the one who killed Cooper, & Jacob found out that Locke was deceitful? Or perhaps Richard, who was the one who gave Sawyer's dossier to Locke in the first place, knew that Locke hadn't done the deed himself & played that card to totally discredit Locke in the eyes of the Others & Jacob?

Looks like the DUI curse struck again. RIP, Jin.

Saw this comparison on a review of the finale earlier today—Sawyer as Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities, who sacrificed himself to save the husband of the woman he loves.

Ben sure does look like Data!

→ 21. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at May 30, 2008 5:13 PM

Wow... sure seems that Miles had knowledge of the freighters looming demise, and curious that Jules was is no hurry to leave as well.

Daniel took the chauffeur duties to stall and ensure he'd never make it to the freighter, and
it didn't take much to convince Charlotte to jump ship as well.

More ammunition that this group again seem to always know a lot more than they ever let on.

→ 22. Posted by: NorCal Mark at May 30, 2008 5:18 PM

My format looks pretty good at 5:25 EDT.

Excellent recap VACC. I was only able to watch 3/4 of the last episode last night and so need to sit through it again. Well, maybe 13 times. I have to confess that I was excited to learn that Jeremy Bentham was in the coffin since the last time I saw him, he was stuffed and sitting on a chair in a glass box at University College in London. It now seems to be de rigueur to name Lost characters after famous dead people with intriguing traits for being famous.

In spite of all evidence to the contrary, I think there is a chance Jin is alive. I say this not out of an emotional need but because his quest to be reunited with Sun would make for interesting drama.

I am still bothered by Christian Shepard being the incarnation of the island Karma. Why him? Writers better have a good answer for that one.

But I am really looking forward to the new story line of the return to the Island and to what has been happening on the Island.

Meanwhile, time to watch the episode.

→ 23. Posted by: August Paul at May 30, 2008 5:28 PM

Just noticed this was here... reading it now.

BUT... I have to reply to a few things from the part 1 page.

I was screaming "GOT 'EM!!!" the whole episode.
1. WHen Jin died
2. When Walt visited Hurley
3. WHen Ben stabbed Keamey
4. When Locke was watching Ben and the Orientation film simultaneously
6. When Sun visited Widmore
7. When Widmore mentioned he golfed with Paik (I've been waiting for that)
8. When we saw Henrik then Penny
9. And... when Locke was shown in the coffin

(not in that order)

@ Jimmy - 827 (TNPLH PT1)
Doubt it.

Did anyone else think that Locke's legs were cut off or something -- that would explain the tiny coffin.

@ Meg - 828 (TNPLH PT1)
"2) Why didn't Hurley get out of he boat when they were trying to pull it out of the water??"

1. Maybe he ran out of breath and he figured he'd pass out and collapse if he stepped out of the raft.
2. He felt the bad luck would come if he touched Membata and he'd get shot by a native.
3. He was afraid the numbers will attack him (like all the objects in his party)

RE: Enhanced Episode
Revealed:
1. Boone Carlyle - Suffered internal injuries
2. Charlie Pace - Drowned a few weeks before they left
3. Libby - Didn't make it a few weeks

How did that make sense when the Korean lady asked Sun if Jin was one of the three that died on the island? (Jack already said who the other three were).

Now I'm going to read Vacc's most likely amazing review.

→ 24. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 5:28 PM

So I thought it was just my computer that screwed up the format... so I refreshed the page like a billion times and it didn't help.

Then I read that everyone else had the same problemo.

Now I must wait more.

→ 25. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 5:32 PM

Man! No Michael in coffin- No Sha-Mizzled!

When I threw out my "Walt must kill Michael" theory on the last blog, I missed a very obvious fact- he already was responsible for Michael's death, as explained in "Meet Kevin Johnson".

It was Walt's rejection of Michael that put him on the path of suicide and his eventual end on the freighter- in almost the exact fashion of Jack's rejection of his father leading to Christian traveling to Australia and drinking himself to death.

Kudos to Clementine for pointing out that emotionally, Walt directly killing Michael would not "fit". While Ben has no problems killing his father personally, and Locke can kill his father not with his own hand but with someone else's, the more compassionate Jack and Walt destroy their fathers by withholding their love, i.e. repudiating their relationship.

→ 26. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 5:33 PM

Several web sites have audio + video of Kate's phone call...backwards and forwards. It says something like...you have to get back to the island before it is too late. I can't tell who the voice is though. At first I thought Sawyer, but now I don't think so...anyone?

→ 27. Posted by: ss lostie at May 30, 2008 5:34 PM

→ 20. Posted by: JANET "For those of you who love jumbles... what words could be made from the mortuary name Hoffs Drawler?"

This was a clue from the season finale last year when Jack first visited the funeral home- it's an anagram for Flash Forward.

→ 28. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 5:38 PM

Nevermind... I did the copy and paste thing. Now I'm reading!!!

→ 29. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 5:39 PM

@ ilovebenjaminlinusxx

Do the cut and paste to a word document thing...it works.

→ 30. Posted by: ss lostie at May 30, 2008 5:39 PM

my first post: Please fix the format. It can't be read. Been waiting all day for this recap. "Thank you" to Mac for recaps all season.

→ 31. Posted by: Olle-Em at May 30, 2008 5:41 PM

If John Locke/Jeremy Bentham visited Jack and Kate off island, it's a good bet that he also visited Sun. I'm guessing that Locke told Sun that the freighter (and Jin) blew up because Ben killed Keamy. Ben then becomes the second person responsible for Jin's death, leading Sun to want revenge on Ben. This would explain how Sun's interests would be aligned with Widmore's.

→ 32. Posted by: Jimmy Puma at May 30, 2008 5:42 PM

***** SPOILERS *****
Oh my gosh so many Qs....and observations

1. I’m keeping a candle lit for Micheal and Jin. I'll take it to the bank. We SAW Boone die, his sister (cant rememebr her name dont care enough to look it up) , Eko, random losties but we didnt see Mike or Jin die. I think its open. Christian could have given Michael a little time to at least jump off the ship. The island time thing is always screwy. And it seemed they made a point to show Jin at the very FAR end of the boat right before the bomb exploded.

2. I can’t believe Locke is dead, he never gets a break, and why did the island let him die? It wouldn't let Michael kill himself? Does the island want to take over his body like it did Christian?

3. Again Jin isn't dead. I hope he isn’t. The Island took him with it., this is Bens leverage to get her back to the island.

4. So was that Claire telling Kate not to go back or Kate’s subconscious. Seems the new relaxed Claire was all about the island vibe.

5. Maybe that flashback of Locke’s birth thru the eyes of Alpert ….was actually a flashforward for Alpert, and when he asked “ pick the items that belong to you” , He meant like now, this life in 40 years or so.

6. Jack you are still my hero, even dark black bearded Jack ….

7. Why did Sayid seem bothered almost on the verge of tears looking at Kate after fighting with Keamy… I thought I missed something.

8. Protect who? Who is left on the island? For sure all we know is Juliet , Sawyer, Others people that don’t need protection I don’t remember who was on the small boat with Faraday. Seems like all the no named losties were boated to their death/ Maybe Jin, Michael other losties on the freighter ???

9. Why didn’t anyone warn the other people about la bomba on the freighter while the helicopter was getting fueled? There were life rafts Desmond was reaching for when he saw the helicopter. I didn’t see any when they panned back at the explosion from the helicopter.. WTH !!!

10. Seemed like a lot of trouble to go thru just to put a whole in the wall to get to the Donkey Wheel, why not just take an axe to it.

11. If the Others were back Rambo style why did they need Kate and Sayid to capture the mercs? Why the need to ‘ make an arrangement”?

happy postin'

→ 33. Posted by: JaneSweetz at May 30, 2008 5:45 PM

@ JaneSweetz:

Those aren't spoilers. That's just speculation on your part.

→ 34. Posted by: Callan at May 30, 2008 5:55 PM

@ Jimmy Puma

I TOTALLY agree ..

She wants to hunt Ben down...

→ 35. Posted by: JaneSweetz at May 30, 2008 5:56 PM

Why would Michael die from the explosion? Isn't his whole deal that he couldn't die no matter what he tried? He's probably alive.

→ 36. Posted by: ChrisTofer at May 30, 2008 6:00 PM

Wowsers!!!!

What a great finish to the season. I have posted some negative comments about the direction of the show this season, but the writers redeemed themselves with the finale. I still wonder about the future plot lines, but I will continue my alligance.

1. How can it be Locke if you can't die of the island? I hope someone can answer this question for me. my only guess id that he is faking his death to get the the SIX to return.

2. Which side is Sheppard on? I get this feeling that he is the opposite of Jacob , and more than just a messenger.

3. What college has Walt committed to? He is huge.

→ 37. Posted by: TruRuan at May 30, 2008 6:02 PM

@ Callan

Thanks , I didnt know wanted to be sure ... I didnt want to anger the blog gods...

→ 38. Posted by: JaneSweetz at May 30, 2008 6:02 PM

I want to know what happened on that boat for a week...hopefully a future episode might explain this. The last time the viewers saw Ben see Widmore, Ben threatened Penny's life. The last time the viewers saw Jack see Desmond, he told him "Don't let him find you"...Who will get to Penny first??? Ben, while they are hiding from her dad? Or her dad, trying to warn her while they are hiding from her dad?

I loved, loved, loved the scene with Jack and Locke outside the Orchid station. In the showdowns of all showdowns between the man of science and the man of faith, it looks like we finally have our winner...faith - he was right all along... Then why is it Locke in the coffin? Is that really Locke? Or when Ben turned the big wheel, was some sort of alternate island reality created, thus spawning and evil Locke? As in the Bad Twin?

We have even more confirmation about why Alpert would visit Locke as a boy...it is his destiny to lead the natives of the island. He just had to have the faith that the answer would be revealed to him. As intriguing as it was to learn that Locke could walk again in the pilot, who knew that the end of season 4 would explain that even further.

As someone mentioned in a previous post, I thought it rather odd that Juliet wasn't the first one in the boat to get the hell out of there. I also felt as though she and Daniel shared a glance that suggested they might know a lot more about each other then they are letting on to. Did anyone else catch that?

As far as Ben telling Jack that they all must go back, even Locke, then wouldn't that include Desmond? Walt? Frank?

A few random thoughts...I like how Sawyer - just like the original loyal friend and misfit Tom Sawyer - sacrificed himself for the sake of the rest of his friends. I like how Ben went "through the worm hole" that the vault left behind once it exploded/imploded - a nice connection to parallel universe/time travel theories. And lastly, I jumped for joy seeing Walt (even though he looks ridiculously older) and just hearing Eko's name....looking forward to possibly more of them in episodes to come.

Can't wait to see where the heck this thread winds up...

→ 39. Posted by: Vikki at May 30, 2008 6:03 PM

Vacc -- Awesome review! I knew you could do it!!! It is now evident why it took so long to write. =]

So much detail. I loved it.

I have a lot to say, but I wanted to point out one thing... Why did the Swan orientation video say "3 of 5" and this one say 6 of 6. Guess because it's a "secret station"?

So why does Miles know what Ben is capable of, but Keamy doesn't? Probably because he's some sort of psychic, but the way Miles said that to Ben was as if everyone knew.

That Sayid vs. Keamy scene was simply amazing. Very Bourne Ultimatium. Now we got two Jason Bournes.
1. Benjamin Linus <3
2. Sayid Jarrah

It seems like Locke "accepts" who Ben is. He didn't have much of a surprising reaction when Ben said the "So?" line, or any other time when he should be surprised.

Jin seemed really good at English. He understood all the big words Desmond and Michael were saying.

Right when he finally learns to communicate... BOOM.

So I guess that's why Sun isn't at any of the O6 "gatherings". She blames Jack for something.

At least she and Hugo are still close.

I was thinking that Charlotte was Annie as well. But then I realized that she has an accent, and I don't remember Annie having an accent. I guess she could have developed it over time.

I laughed when Jack tried to say "brotha"... I guess it was a nice thing to say to Desmond though. -- Considering the fact that when Desmond first said it to Jack, they "randomly" ended up seeing each other on a deserted island. (another life?)... looks like we eliminated the hell theory.

Miles is awesome. He's almost as cool as Ben... but not. I would totally date a (younger) Ben version of Miles.

Sorry I repeated some things that Vacc wrote in one of my previous posts.

I will now read the posts.

→ 40. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 6:30 PM

→ 27. Posted by: ss lostie: "Several web sites have audio + video of Kate's phone call...backwards and forwards."

The exact translation is "The Island needs you. You have to go back before it's too late". This is one of the most important scenes of the show- Kate receives a dream vision that both tells her to go back (the phone call) and to not go back (Claire).

Clearly, there are two competing forces here, both with some level of supernatural ability to communicate to the Oceanic 6, whether in dreams or as "ghosts".

If you accept the basic premise that destiny/the Island/the correct timeline required the Losties to be on flight 815, that they have a purpose on the island, and that the Oceanic 6 left before fulfilling that purpose, meaning they must return, that means:

1. Locke has been correct the entire time. Each time he has trusted his instincts, even when it required actions like destroying the submarine or killing Naomi, he was working towards the correct path. The one time he lost faith- refusing to let the numbers be pushed on the hatch- appears now to be a mistake if it led to the freighter being able to locate the island.

His belief is so strong, at a future point he will essentially sacrifice himself to get the group back to the island.

2. The visit from the ghostly Charley to Hurley are also "right"- the island does need them, they are supposed to go back, and Jack is not supposed to enjoy his domestic bliss with Kate and raise Aaron, because Aaron is also required to go back to the island.

3. The visit from Claire to Kate is "wrong", and is being generated by the opposing force. In fact, all of her actions appear to be wrong since the mercenary attack at the compound. She is either possessed, or similiar to Yemi, she is dead and her appearance is being used by some other force.

4. Christian (or something using his image) is not speaking for Jacob and is part of the opposing force. It is Christian who led Claire astray, seperating her from her baby (leading to Aaaron being one of the 6), and Christian, claiming to be speaking for Jacob, who told Locke to move the island (making it impossible for the 6 to return).

This is consistent with the one time Locke saw Jacob, when he heard "help me" as though Jacob was a prisoner or under some sort of spell or attack.

It is Christian's appearances to Jack post-rescue that start his descent into drug addiction and helplessness.

Note also that if Ben had originally given Michael a real bomb, the freighter never would have made it to the island, i.e. no escape. Christian releases Michael only after the helicopter safely makes it off the freighter.

4. Ben is not what he seems. For four years, viewers have been led to believe that Ben is working with the Others to protect the island. However it is Ben that gives Michael the boat, allowing Walt to leave the island, and Ben who gives the 6 the helicopter, allowing Aaron to leave the island.

Ben attempts to murder Locke when he finds that John can communicate directly with Jacob. It is Ben who pysically moves the island, making it impossible for the 6 to return- and affecting his own escape to where he can now manipulate events off-island.

In fact, I now suspect we've been brilliantly hoodwinked by some great writing- most of our information on the Others, Widmore, Dharma, the Island, etc- comes from Ben, a classic unreliable narrator. He is the ultimate manipulator, the ultimate deceiver. He has repeatedly lied not only to the survivors, but to his own people. He has shown no humanity and no remorse, and places no value on human life. He claims affection for Alex and Juliet, but treats them as possessions and kills those who would come between him and them.

5. We really know nothing about Widmore. I believe viewers have been led to believe he is evil, but our source has been Ben. It is Ben that tells everyone that the mercenaries will kill everyone and destroy the island, but in their actions, their only target is Ben- others are killed by Keamy as emotional blackmail to get Ben to surrender, which he does not do until his plans are in place.

We have also not be shown any scenes between Keamy and Widmore, Gault and Widmore, or Naomi and Widmore to verify his intentions towards the island. Is it possible that Widmore didn't even send the freighter, or stage the fake crash? Gault and Keamy could have met with anyone claiming to be Widmore, while Naomi met with Abaddon, so everyone must be considered an unreliable source until we learn otherwise.

→ 41. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 6:42 PM

I want to believe that Jin is not dead -did we ever figure out in ep "Ji Yuon" the flash forward when Sun had the baby and Jin's was a flash back what all that meant - I'm sure there is clue in there somewhere as to his fate.

→ 42. Posted by: liz at May 30, 2008 6:43 PM

On Jeremy Bentham: Locke's new nom de guerre is very, very signficant. Far ore so than the fun Rousseaus, Humes, Lockes, and Bakunins scattered throughout the show.

Not just because the historical JB, 18th-19th century philosopher and social reformer, had very curious ideas indeed on the usage that should be made of the preserved bodies of our deceased loved ones. And not just because the historical JB's own body (sans head) is indeed, to this day, viewable in some London museum, in a glass and WOODEN case. And not just because the historical JB, Utilitarian extraordinaire, was influenced by philosopher John Locke.

It gets way better. Bentham is well-known students of modern social theory, history, or philosophy, largely through the work of Michel Foucault. MF made famous Bentham's "panopticon" prison model: a design that allowed a warden to observe prisoners without the prisoners themselves knowing, at any given moment, whether or not they were being watched. This was to create in the prisoners a sense of invisible omniscience watching over them. The prisoners would then incorporate this awareness - its self-conscious and self-disciplining mentality - into their most basic sense of themselves. The panopticon's basic model was replicated in many other modern, hierarchical social institutions and was deemed, by MF, to have had a profound effect on modern consciousness as a whole.

All of this melds perfectly with the show's recurring eye-ball motif, with the omniscience theme - being in more than one place at a time, etc. - and with the pervasive paranoia that envelops the Losties and, especially it would seem, our Oceanic 6.

And ironically, it may even explain something that kept bugging me last night. Why would Oceanic 6 refer to Locke, even among themselves, as "Bentham" when they have always known him, through all their bonding island good times together, as Locke? I'm guessing they have been instructed to never refer to Locke by name, and that they comply with this, even to each other, out of self-regulating paranoia; as with the panopticon, they never know, at any given time, if they are being watched by some seemingly omnniscient force.

Anyway, I'm totally amazed that these Benthamite-Foucauldian themes are being played with on one of tv's most popular shows!

→ 43. Posted by: iheartsayid at May 30, 2008 6:46 PM

The second man Sun holds responsible for Jin's death? Got to be Charles Widmore...it was his men and his boat that most directly caused Jin's death. Widmore assumes that she wants to help him (she being a woman and all), but she never said that, just that they had shared interests. Maybe Sun will blackmail him, she obviously isn't afraid to play with the big boys and hits them where it really hurts, taking their power away.

→ 44. Posted by: Gail at May 30, 2008 6:53 PM

another great line when Ben returns to the Orchid to Locke "You couldn't find the anthuriums?" Locke "I don't know what they look like!"

→ 45. Posted by: liz at May 30, 2008 7:01 PM

So, I'm watching the finale over again right now and have some questions. Daniel has been frantically trying to get himself, Charlotte and Miles off the island (NOW) since he heard mention of the Orchid in the conversation they listened to on the phone/tracker that Lapidus dropped off the helicoptor. Initially, I thought that he knew things were going to go down at the Orchid with the mercenaries, Ben, etc. Guess it's dawning on me that he is so frantic because he knows that the Orchid is where you go to "move the island". And if he knows this and needs to get off the island PDQ...then he must know what happens when the island is "moved". He must know what happens to the people on the island when it is "moved". What happens...? It seems to me it's pretty bad...

→ 46. Posted by: boodle at May 30, 2008 7:03 PM

@ 41/mizzed:

Interesting take on the visit from Claire to Kate as "wrong" and generated by an opposing force.

...And speaking of "wrong," was it just me, or did Claire speak with a distinctly American accent last night? The actress is Aussie so it's doubtful it was just a stumble by Emilie de Ravin. And on this show, a little detail like a change in accent always ends up meaning something down the line. But maybe I imagined it.

→ 47. Posted by: iheartsayid at May 30, 2008 7:04 PM

...and lets not forget the Sawyerism to Frank "Hey Kenny Rodgers".

→ 48. Posted by: NorCalMan at May 30, 2008 7:05 PM

Honestly Vacc, I started reading the comments but I feel like I need to take a nap because my brain is drained from your amazing review.

RE: Good Morning America -- Alternate Endings

I heard they just do three different endings so that the actors don't know which one they're going to pick. I guess more security issues.

... But Damon and Carlton always knew which one it would be. This was just to confuse everyone else.

I'm so tired, but I must add to previous posts.

@ meg - 17
"2. Who is the redhead? Was she born on the island? Has she seen Ben yet? If she is Annie, wouldn't Ben know?"

... Charlotte was with "Camp Locke" when she first landed on the island. Ben gave everyone a detailed description of her and she didin't look very surprised.

Who is she? I have no idea... but I am curious.

"Ben was definitley hot in this episode...:)"

HECK YES. Especially at the end at the funeral parlor with Jack... mmm... OH and when he was pushing the "Frozen Donkey Wheel"... DANGG.

------------------------

Guess what everyone??? I've converted to "Lostinism"... I'm LOSTish!!!

I believe in "Jacob".

------------------------

I wonder why the island let Locke die.

@ iheartsayid - 43
Very interesting.

→ 49. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 7:09 PM

Re: Annie/Charlotte connections:

Charlotte's clearly too young to be Annie, but is she young enough to be the love child of teen-aged and hormone-charged Ben and Annie? (Was there ever a time when children could be born on the island?)

Granted, Ben has not shown any recognition of Charlotte as anyone with prior island history, but presumably Charlotte was sent away to safety at an early age during the island's interregnum era. And, oh sweet irony, maybe in the future he'll kill Charlotte, thus not once but twice inadvertently causing the death of a daughter!

→ 50. Posted by: iheartsayid at May 30, 2008 7:30 PM

Hi guys!

First off: Vacc, you da man! Thanks so much for your help.

Second: I'll chime in later with some thoughts (still processing ... still stuck at a conference ... BOOO!)

Third: Are the folks who were seeing formatting errors still seeing them? If so, drop me a line directly at mac at filmfodder.com. I'm trying to fix 'em.

→ 51. Posted by: mac at May 30, 2008 7:43 PM

What's this extended news conference footage everyone is talking about? Was this part of the enhanced episode last night? Is there a link online to any of this? Thanks!

→ 52. Posted by: Vikki at May 30, 2008 7:47 PM

@ iheartsayid: Thanks for that. I was trying to figure out how to talk about Bentham and Foucault in regard to Locke and Lost, and you did a great job of putting it all down in readable (and understandable) language.

But I also wondered about Bentham's status at college councils of the U of London ("present but not voting," I think is how they describe him). The presence that maintains, even after death, seems significant here.

What an ep! Thanks, VACC!

→ 53. Posted by: pkittle at May 30, 2008 8:02 PM

did any one else notice that when ben was pushing the wheel the sounds were similar to when desmond had to flip the switch at the end of season 1? so maybe locke caused the island to move already?

→ 54. Posted by: toni at May 30, 2008 8:07 PM

@ iheartsayid 50: My thoughts exactly. Is it also possible that Annie died during labor, and for whatever reason, Ben was told the baby died also only to be sent off the island? Could this be @ the hands of Richard & the others? Perhaps this is the reason Ben became Alex's father (as a replacement for the lost daughter)
On a similar note, did the original obit for Jeremy Bentham say that he had a teenage son. If this holds up, did Locke have a son? Also, does he even know about him?

→ 55. Posted by: RazzleDazzle at May 30, 2008 8:17 PM

okay,
WTF

1st off claire is not dead.
Desmond told charlie that if he drowned as fate had told it claire and aaron would get into a chopper and leave the island.
So either desmonds a big fat liar or the writers have something up their sleave

2nd micheals dead
as in an interview it states how he was upset to come back just to die
how sad, no micheal and walt reunion

3rd is it just me or is jack a twat
=]
xx

→ 56. Posted by: Hayley at May 30, 2008 8:28 PM

O==================================
@vacc

> As Jack turns to leave with Sawyer and Hurley, he gets some parting words of advice from Obi-Locke "Lie to them Jack. If you lie to them half as good as you lie to yourself, they'll believe you".

Yeah, he said it. But he never explains WHY it’s necessary, or HOW it keeps anybody safe. Did these people learn nothing from “& Days of the Condor”? Straight to the New York Times, sez I.

>During the trek, Keamy gets conversational and asks Ben "What makes you so important?" He's curious as to *why* Widmore would pay so much to capture someone.. ALIVE.

Thus proving himself smarter that 99 & 44/100 % of Losties.

>Ben has questions of his own, for instance Did Widmora instruct Keamy to kill Alex?

Thus confirming the above.

> A third takes a tazer dart to the neck. Ben, Kate, and Lapidus crouch during the ensuing crossfire.

And I keep wondering – do they then slit his throat or is he the newest Others recruit?

> Keamy has been shot squarely in the back by 2nd in command Richard Alpert.

Sadly, Richard H Alpert’s small arms training stopped short of the “two to the body, then one to the head” lesson.

>Ben asks Kate to cut him free,

Did you notice a certain hesitation on Kate’s part, wondering whether to cut his bindings or sink the blade to the hilt in his ribs?

>Later on the deck, Sun spots Michael hauling gas.

Was that pun intentional?

> Halliwax introduces a large oval shaped chamber called "the vault". which was constructed adjacent to a pocket of Negatively Charged Exotic Matter.

Or, as we say in engineering, “unobtainium”.

>Locke desperately fights to keep Keamy alive.

My solution: Strap the monitor to your own arm, john.

>consequences? Yes, we learn that the price is quite steep for Ben, because whoever moves the Island can never go back.

And we/Locke should believe this because?

> I didn't know what to make out of "Frozen Donkey Wheel" But this year, the name describes the scene in vivid detail. You see, set into the Icy Stone wall was an enormous horizontal wheel - the type that actual donkeys would be attached to and made to pull.

I didn’t remember that little bon mot from the writers, and the first thing I thought was “It’s the capstan (anchor puller-upper) from the Black Rock.”

> With a final flash of brilliance, the light returns to normal, and there is a brief ripple in the sea where the Island had been only moments ago.

Disappearing along with my suspension of disbelief. Oh, I’ll still watch, but convincing me that this is all rationally explainable gets harder and harder.

> We don't see the raftaways again until after dark. Jack sees Aaron snoozing peacefully in Kate's lap and asks how he's doing.

And we all still wonder “What has this nursing baby been eating the last few days?”

> Hurley appeals to Jacks sense of logic - "Oh really? Because one minute it was there and the next minute it was gone. So unless we overlooked it completely, Locke moved it. Unless you have some other explanation"

Hurley the pragmatist philosopher.

> He makes a persuasive argument that anything they say which contradicts the discovery of the staged wreck of 815 will put all of them and anyone still on the Island at great risk.

I’m not persuaded – straight to the NYT, I say.

Best line of the review:
> The boat nears.. Sayid tenses, fully prepared this time should their would-be rescuers pull alongside the inflatable and declare "We're gonna have to take the boy"

> As the boat nears, we hear some foreign voices

And what a mixture of foreign voices! Could anybody count how many different languages were coming from the good ship Babel?

>Assuming that this takes place around three years after leaving the Island, then Walt would be thirteen. Hurley addresses Walt's growth by remarking "You're getting big dude"

A brilliant way of coping with Malcolm David Kelley’s growth, since it’s about three years real time since we last got a good look at him in S-1.

>Ben explains to Jack that he can't go back alone. The only way for him to return to the Island is for everyone to go..

Thus contradicting what he said above. Who’s surprised?
O==================================

→ 57. Posted by: Cecil Rose at May 30, 2008 8:42 PM

RE: the whole Widmore and Charlotte trying to "get back" to the island. That was some very significant information the writers gave us there. My theory: Charlotte was born on the island (well, duh!) and she's also Widmore's daughter. Or maybe she was Ben's daughter and Widmore took her as collateral, the same way Ben ended up taking Alex. It would make sense with the whole "Everything you have you took from ME." Or something like that.
I thought Faraday and the rest of the redshirts were back on the freighter when it blew up. But, my continuity may be lacking, I'll have to rewatch a couple million times.
Is it January 2009 yet?

P.S. Muchos Kudos to Vacc for filling in for Mac! Those are some big shoes to fill!

→ 58. Posted by: Trinity at May 30, 2008 8:44 PM

ATTN MAC:

At least to me, the format errors are gone.

→ 59. Posted by: Cecil Rose at May 30, 2008 8:46 PM

Awesome review Vacc, you did great.

I also thought it was hilarious when Sawyer called Lapidus "Kenny Rogers", mostly because of Lap's reaction. Classic!

Michael is definitely dead now. Dr. Daddy clearly appeared to him to let him know the island was done with him, and he 'could go now'...meaning 'you can die now like you wanted to'. He was at ground zero of the explosion. No way he survived that.

Now on the other hand...Jin really could still be alive. I mean, what would you do if you knew the ship you were on was about to blow up and there was no chance of you getting on the chopper? Personally, I'd get a huge running start and jump ship. Then swim like a dolphin in heat. Maybe next season we'll see a flashback of that very scene play out. The only problem is...he didn't have anywhere to swim to. Once the island got moved he would basically have been Dharma shark food. Unless Faraday's little boat came along with the island 'red shirts' and rescued him. Of course, at that point they'd still have nowhere to go.

So IMHO, Michael=dead. Jin=?, but could be dead, and is dead as far as Sun & the rest of the O6 are concerned.. And I agree about Sun's reaction on the chopper. Totally believable and realistic. And heart renching. Awesome acting.

So I guess that means the island had no more work for Locke to do. But it still needs his corpse to come back? That would mean Desmond would also have to go back. Not sure if Walt should be included in that equation or not, but I would think so.

I really really wish they would've shown Mr. Eko playing chess with Hurley...just for a sec.

So as far as main cast members go... Sawyer, Juliet, Bernard, Rose, Claire, and Locke remain on the moved island, along with Miles & Charlotte, plus Alpert and his Other-cohorts. And maybe a few unnamed and faceless Flight 815 survivors. It will be very interesting to see what specifically happened to them all when the island was moved. Obviously nothing too bad or the process wouldn't exist.

So the donkey-wheel...I totally got the impression from it that the island was some sort of huge ship...or even space ship...and that was the steering wheel. Hope we get a very detailed description of what it was and how the island moving process actually works.

Can't believe the next episode is so far away...!

→ 60. Posted by: JoePike at May 30, 2008 8:49 PM

@Vikki 52

the extended news conference included details of the 3 that didn't make it in the story the 06 told.
There is a short clip of it at darkufo. I was cooking for a guest, and listening to the repeat of pt.1, and like, wait, wtf, that's not what I saw last week!

→ 61. Posted by: mtncbn at May 30, 2008 8:50 PM

Erratum:

Make that "3 Days of the Condor".

And of course:

GREAT JOB VACC!

→ 62. Posted by: Cecil Rose at May 30, 2008 8:52 PM

Wow … did I say wow? This episode left me with few preconceived ideas intact …

You know what struck me as odd though, in light of everything else that happened? The comment about getting a few hours of sunburn before being rescued … uh … they’ve “supposedly” been stranded on an island near the equator for three months, yet they haven’t gotten any sun until stuck in a raft for a few hours? Never mind …

I’ve read the first 50 comments or so, but want to comment on vacc’s review before diving into any replies to those (and some may be covered) …

Let’s start with the license plate … don’t know if it means anything, but why not throw it out there? 4QKD695 … any leet-speak people out there? Does this translate to anything easily recognizable in text-messaging format? Maybe acronym AQKDBGS? Anyone? So many possibilities, if there is any meaning at all (?) … the first thing that popped into my mind was “After Questioning Kate Declared Being Good Surrogate,” but that’s pretty weak, I know …

“The Island was never really big enough for Jack and Locke.” Hmm, this will come up again … I’ll hold off for now (because I think it’s my only really good thought, and I want to present more evidence before I say anything) …

“A few relieved hugs later” … and “relieved” is the operative word (after catching him watering the plants) … they didn’t really get “too” close to Hurley “for hugs” after that, did they? Couldn’t help but think of the grade school jingle, “no matter how much you jiggle and dance, there’s always a drop …” I know, childish, but as the scorpion told the frog, “it’s my nature.”

“As Jack turns to leave with Sawyer and Hurley, he gets some parting words of advice from Obi-Locke …” … Hmm, Obi-Locke? Hmm …

“Lapidus is still cuffed to the chopper, and makes quite a bit of noise trying to free himself” … for someone who asked for the tools, he seemed pretty damned clueless about how to free himself, especially under the circumstances!

“they hear the jungle whispers” … a remaining mystery … what the ?

“Sayid used his breakdancing feet maneuver to disarm Keamy” … seriously, couldn’t help but laugh, as all I could think of was the commercial for “Zohan” where the dude is like, “was that your foot?”

“Keamy eventually gets the drop on his Iraqi foe and begins to choke the life out of Sayid by jamming a board under his neck …” … but suddenly, where were the Zohan feet?

“Sayid breathes a sigh of relief. Keamy has been shot squarely in the back by 2nd in command Richard Alpert.” … Sayid would know better!

“His plan is to freeze the battery so that the explosives won't detonate immediately once the light goes red” … this whole thing annoyed me! Was there another battery involved (i.e., a 9V in the radio receiver?), or was the car battery supposed to power the whole thing? In either case, a physical “trip” mechanism connected to the battery (e.g., a solenoid that closes a switch upon losing power, and triggering a firing pin, or something along those lines), would’ve gone off when the battery was frozen. In the first case, an electrical trigger (maybe a capacitor that would release the firing charge upon cutting the battery line) would have caused the bomb to explode, just as surely as snipping any one of the wires. If there wasn’t a secondary power source (i.e, from another battery), then “cutting” the car battery power by slowly freezing it would most likely make the bomb inert. In any case, the scenario did not make any sense.

“[Widmore] asks Sun the very question we all want answered – ‘Why do you want to help me[?]’ … because she hates Ben, the “other one” responsible for Jin’s (supposed) death!

“… by taunting Ben with the image of Alex bleeding out …” … anyone else think more “Cobain” than bleeding out?

"Sometimes good command decisions get compromised by bad emotional responses." Hmm again … I swear, getting there!

"Where's my coat?" asks Locke … Here we go! Did anyone else think that sounded a bit like a whiny tag-along little brother yelling “but I wanna go too!!!!” Hence all my previous “hmm” comments … Locke is simply NOT a leader! He does fine on his own as independent-minded jungle master, but is honestly TERRIFIED of being placed into a leadership position! Obi-Locke? I don’t think so! Jack versus Locke on leadership issues? AGAIN, I don’t think so ... perhaps leading to the comment between Jack and Ben near the end in the funeral parlor. Locke blames all the terrible things that happened after the O6 left (yet to be seen), on Jack for leaving … why? Because Locke is NOT a leader! Notice how freaked he was when Ben told him the Others would follow his every word! “What should I tell them to do?” Hmm … the man has not a leadership bone in his body … he is NOT Obi-Locke, nor Han-Locke, nor Luke-Locke … he’s C3PO-Locke! I suggest this will lead to the “terrible” things that transpire on the island in the next two seasons … he is a false leader (e.g., having Sawyer kill Cooper … Jacob knows, but the Others do NOT). He may play one on the pre-island board games, but he is NOT a true leader, and when forced to perform as one, he will fold!

Getting into pre-season 5/6 speculation here, but think he WILL commit suicide off-island, upon realizing he was NOT the true “chosen one” after all (hmm … maybe Guyliner was right!), and “turned the frozen donkey wheel” himself to turn the reins over to someone who IS (who?) … distraught over not being able to return (and possibly being crippled again), he decides to off himself. Just my preemptive theory.

→ 63. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 8:55 PM

→ 43. Posted by: iheartsayid

I agree with previous posts- very nicely said. I think it also reflects Locke's character arc- he goes from a blank slate who is strong-willed and believes he has the right to do as he pleases (the Locke philosophy) to a group leader, who apparently leaves his home for the good of everyone else (the Bentham philosophy of all actions must benefit the happiness of the majority). Combined with the mummified corpse and the panopticon reference, and it's a pretty savvy name change by the writers.
*************

→ 57. Posted by: RazzleDazzle:

"On a similar note, did the original obit for Jeremy Bentham say that he had a teenage son."

The producers have said in interviews that the obituary will be rewritten. I don't think they were prepared for the fans who took the high-res screencaps and actually transcribed the original newspaper article clutched in Jack's hand in season 3.

→ 64. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 9:00 PM

Great great great review, vacc.

I took copious notes but don't have them with me now...here are a few things I remember:

*Widmore makes a comment about Mr Paik being a good golfer. That means Widmore plays, too. Hmmmmm...who WAS that on the golf course with Sayid??

*Why would Ben send John to find the secret door when John wouldn't have a clue what to do once he got inside?

*I felt more than a little cheated - changing Locke's name and putting him in the coffin. Feels like bait and switch. But TPTB did succeed in creating a WTF final scene.

Dense, yes. Nose is bleeding. Must get my notes!

→ 65. Posted by: lovelost at May 30, 2008 9:11 PM

Thanks vacc for stepping up and filling in for Fearless Leader. You did a great job!

I don't know why people are wondering who Sun considers to be the other person responsible for Jin's death... She knows it's Widmore and she's goin' fishing for him. Last night we watched her cast her net.

Sun will bring down both her father and Widmore.

Interesting about Charlotte, going back to where she was born.

Miles totally knew the freighter = death and he didn't say anything to anyone, well ok...he did suggest to Charlotte that she wanted to stay.

→ 66. Posted by: undaunted at May 30, 2008 9:12 PM

Wow! Three glasses of wine and the review is finally readable...thanks vacc! I only skimmed the skinny one.\

Okay...back to reading the posts. Wow, this was one action packed episode.

→ 67. Posted by: meg...MIF at May 30, 2008 9:13 PM

@Mizzed/64
"I think it also reflects Locke's character arc- he goes from a blank slate who is strong-willed and believes he has the right to do as he pleases (the Locke philosophy) to a group leader"

I just directly contradicted your premise in my #63 post, and still think I am correct. Having "faith" in self-determination is actually a long stretch from showing leadership qualities ... I think the epitaph from the "real" John Locke says it all:

"Near this place lies John Locke. If you ask what kind of a man he was, he answers that he lived content with his own small fortune. Bred a scholar, he made his learning subservient only to the cause of truth. This you will learn from his writings, which will show you everything else concerning him, with greater truth, than the suspect praises of an epitaph. His virtues, indeed, if he had any, were too little for him to propose as matter of praise to himself, or as an example to you."

He never claimed himself as a leader .. nor does "our" John Locke ... he is/was a man of ideas/ideals, not a leader, and ill-suited to the task when forced upon him ... philosophically suited or otherwise ... he pointed the way, but was not meant to lead ...

→ 68. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 9:27 PM

I know that Widmore or Jack seems like the likeliest "other" person that Sun blames for Jin's death. Isn't it possible though, that it is actually Kate that Sun blames? Remember that Sun was running to get Jin and Kate stopped her saying that she would go after Jin. She didn't follow through with her promise when she was stopped by (Jack?) and told there was no time and that she needed to get back to the copter. It would make sense that she would hold Kate responsible for not keeping her word.

→ 69. Posted by: ss lostie at May 30, 2008 9:35 PM

@ ealgumby - 63
All Quotations Kan't Determine Ben's Going Soft

Hint from the producers about Ben's character.

I know... weaker.

→ 70. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 9:36 PM

@ilovebenjaminlinusxx/72
"All Quotations Kan't Determine Ben's Going Soft"

My Beavis-Butthead "spidey" sense is tingling, but that's just too easy!

→ 71. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 9:44 PM

→ 70. Posted by: ealgumby

"Having "faith" in self-determination is actually a long stretch from showing leadership qualities."

I always enjoy engaging with you and following your line of thought. I agree 100% with your description of Locke as we have seen him...except...the Locke at the end of the finale is a different man, 3-4 years older and wiser. His name change is more than an alias- it represents his evolution as a person. For someone who has always been disconnected throughout life, the telling line from Richard at the end- "welcome home"- suggests he has found something real.

TPTB could have used any name for Locke's alias- why choose the name of a philosopher who started with Locke's thought, but then discarded it and evolved to his own, radically different way of thinking? To have a character be unchanged and unevolved over the type of mythic cycle the Lost team is creating makes no sense.

I posted this at the end of the last blog, but I think that D&C are using Joseph Campbell's monomyth cycle of hero development, just as George Lucas and so many others have acknowledged doing in the past.

Locke's story arc takes him from being an individualist unable to lead a group to a leader sacrificing himself as an individual, while Jack will develop from a group leader unable to connect as an individual to (presumably) a healthier person no longer compelled to always fix or lead the group.

Locke and Jack are always mirror opposites of each other in thought and belief, so why not believe their character development will as well?

→ 72. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 9:57 PM

@Mizzed/41
"Christian (or something using his image) is not speaking for Jacob and is part of the opposing force. It is Christian ... who told Locke to move the island (making it impossible for the 6 to return).

...

It is Christian's appearances to Jack post-rescue that start his descent into drug addiction and helplessness."

But this is self-contradictory ... why would Christian lead them off an island they cannot return to, yet goad Jack into wanting to return (via forcing his descent...)?

This I DO find on-point though ...

"In fact, I now suspect we've been brilliantly hoodwinked by some great writing- most of our information on the Others, Widmore, Dharma, the Island, etc- comes from Ben, a classic unreliable narrator."

Ben ... the great deceiver ...

→ 73. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 9:58 PM

I think the other person that Sun blames is Ben...hence, her willingness to align with Widmore. How would she find out about Ben killing Keamy? I bet O.I.L. (Off-Island-Locke) paid her a little visit too and gave her a summary of Ben and Keamy's confrontation. Remember Ben's reaction to Locke pointing out that he just basically killed all the people on the freighter..."So?"

This just dawned on me too...Ben told Jack that EVERYONE has to go back to make things "right"...wouldn't this then include Desmond? If so, how will he ever leave Panny again, especially after telling her that he won't? I agree, Sun's reaction to Jin's "death" (I'm not 100% convinced either...) wat heart and gut wrenching to watch, but I don't know if I can handle Des and Penny having to say goodbye again...

→ 74. Posted by: Vikki at May 30, 2008 10:03 PM

@Mizzed/74
"Locke's story arc takes him from being an individualist unable to lead a group to a leader sacrificing himself as an individual, while Jack will develop from a group leader unable to connect as an individual to (presumably) a healthier person no longer compelled to always fix or lead the group."

AH ... excellent thought! I relent (perhaps?) ... and think the Joseph Campbell ref is also well-suited ... in terms of Lucas lore, I suppose Han/Luke?Anakin all went through the same type of transformation ...

It would be JUST consistent enough for the Lost writers to turn the monomyth story on its head and have Locke fail though ... I think both sides have merit.

→ 75. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 10:06 PM

Wow...so many typos in that last post...sorry!

And thanks, mtncbn, for the tip on the news conference extra footage. I will check it out now...

→ 76. Posted by: Vikki at May 30, 2008 10:06 PM

great review of a great finale vacc. whatever you did fixed the margins. many thanks.

one thing did kind of bother me with the walt-hurley scene however. when michael and walt returned they had to live under assumed names. walt is old enough and bright enough to notice that he is no longer called walt, so why would he think any of the 06 would be able to look him up??

i also had a thought about why charlie, boone and libby are the 3 who made it off the plane. hurley is the weakest link in the lie because of his past mental problems. these three people were important to him during his time on the island so there is a possibility that he is liable to slip up and mention his love for libby or his friend charlie. by saying they survived the initial crash they can explain how he was able to meet and interact with them.

and an fyi for any of you who can get canadian channels - space (our sifi channel) is going to be running the entire series of LOST starting in september.

ok, back to reading. there has probably been 50 more posts in the time it took me to write this!

→ 77. Posted by: surefoot at May 30, 2008 10:10 PM

ealgumby: But this is self-contradictory ... why would Christian lead them off an island they cannot return to, yet goad Jack into wanting to return (via forcing his descent...)?
*********

His father's hauntings and Jack's resultant descent cut off Jack's influence from the rest of the group, especially Kate (and just as importantly, from Aaron), and drives him to suicide- until fate/destiny/universe/some force intervenes once more with yet another car crash.

(BTW, if someone can please explain the never-ending car crash theme, please do).

Last night's episode indicates that it was the return of Locke/Bentham, not Christian, that compelled Jack to change his mind about returning to the island, starting with his futile attempt to reestablish communication with Kate that we have now seen two finales in a row.

→ 78. Posted by: Mizzed at May 30, 2008 10:12 PM

Amazing finale...I do have to say though that after all the philosophy and mythology this show throws out, I was surprised that my last thought following that final coffin scene was "Weekend at Bernie's?!"

→ 79. Posted by: amada at May 30, 2008 10:13 PM

@Vikki/76
"This just dawned on me too...Ben told Jack that EVERYONE has to go back to make things 'right'...wouldn't this then include Desmond?"

I'm SO glad you reminded me of this thought ... also, what about Lapidus? Would Penny agree to go with Desmond? ... possible future source of conflict in Eden ... What about Walt? Does he need to go too? Do "they" need to keep his father's death a secret in order to get him to go?

→ 80. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 10:16 PM

@ ealgumby - 82
What about Bob?

... another lame joke.
=D (Evil smiley)

→ 81. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at May 30, 2008 10:28 PM

@Alaïs_Longthought/21:
"So if the O6 have to take Locke w/them to get back to the island, does that mean that a corpse in a coffin is a/the trigger to finding the island?"

Apparently, having a dead body on-board is NOT a requirement to finding the island (the freighter crew found it), but maybe it "helps" somehow? Did taking Naomi's body back to the freighter establish some kind of "link" that allowed them to come and go? Is this where Miles fits in?

"If it's a requirement to off one's father to become the island leader, was Locke voted off the island because he wasn't actually the one who killed Cooper, & Jacob found out that Locke was deceitful?"

I think Jacob always knew (else how the hell did Cooper get there without his knowledge?) ... the question is whether or not the Others (RA et al) knew ... I think they did not.

"Looks like the DUI curse struck again. RIP, Jin."

Ooo ... I hope you're wrong, but that DOES make sense.

→ 82. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 10:28 PM

What was Ben's plan when he surrendered to the soldiers outside the Orchid Station? It seemed to be to allow Locke to gain entrance to the station. But Locke would not have been able to move the island. So that Ben managed to move the island in the end was just luck. Or did Ben have a different plan from the start?

Speaking of ridiculous-seeming plans, why did Keamy think the threat to blow up the freighter would save himself? Any adversary he would meet up with very likely would not know about the device. Further, even if an adversary did know about the device, since Keamy is usually in "Kill" mode, the adversary is going to choose to kill Keamy in self defense. And then there's Ben who just wants revenge for his daughter regardless. So, Keamy, what was the point of the device? Seems too far-fetched.

→ 83. Posted by: Chad Brown at May 30, 2008 10:29 PM

I still don't understand why the O6 need to lie about their experiences. Admitting the truth is the only way to protect them from Widmore (or the real villain) - and the best way to rescue their friends still on the "Island." Lying only increases the risk that Widmore (or whoever) will kill them before one of them decides to admit the truth. Why protect the real perpetrator? It doesn't make sense - other than to keep a great show interesting.

Also why mention Boone, Libby, & Charlie as dying on the "Island" and omit Shannon - and the tailies? Very strange!

→ 84. Posted by: PAG at May 30, 2008 10:29 PM

@ILBxx/81
"What about Bob?"

Not the ref I would've expected ... wha?

→ 85. Posted by: ealgumby at May 30, 2008 10:34 PM

Ben has to leave the island because he moved it? And that is a Jacob "rule"? Does not make sense. Jacob supposedly told Ben via Locke and Christian Shephard to move the island. So why punish him for doing so? Unless Christain was not really authorized to speak for Jacob.

→ 86. Posted by: Chad Brown at May 30, 2008 10:35 PM

add yourself to the lost frapp map here!

http://www.frappr.com/thefuselage

→ 87. Posted by: jeremy Bentham at May 30, 2008 10:37 PM

@Chad Brown/83
"What was Ben's plan when he


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