What They Died For

Well, here we are at the penultimate episode of LOST. And like the "Penultimate Supper", there will be everything in it including wait staff, a donkey and not one but THREE Christs in it! But more on that later. But first, I'd like to thank the Sweetness of Cheekness for drafting me (chloroform was used) into providing this guest recap for the last regular episode of LOST. And I must say it was a good one. It was nice of him NOT to force me to write about one of those crappy "first half of the final season" episodes; then I would've written this as snarky as all get out! However, since this was such a good episode, I will just carry on in the tradition we know so well. I apologize in advance for it's length but since this is the first and only chance I will ever do a LOST episode recap (and because the episode was chock full of junk and stuff), I feel it requires some detail.

The show opens with the traditional eyeball; and fittingly it's Jack. But this, of course, is in the "flash sideways" and Jack wakes up in his extremely non-descript bedroom. Gazing at his foxey mug in the mirror (mirrors, again, folks) he notices that slight scar on his neck that he noticed in the season premiere is now all icky and bloody. Yuck, Jack you should see a doctor. Oh, you ARE seeing a doctor. In the mirror, that is. Of course, immediately the demon child (read: Jack's son) pops his scary head around the corner and announces that he's made breakfast. The culinary expedition consists solely of opening a box of "Super Bran" which Jack rightly points out does not constitute "making breakfast". New house guest Claire appears in the dining room (for a second there, I thought we were going to get the "reveal" of who the mother of Jack's son is but that they're saving for the finale, I suppose). Claire sits down to a nice bowl of Super Bran (I guess we can count on the Shepherd clan being VERY regular in future) and announces that baby Aaron has been kicking a lot. He obviously knows big events are coming and is getting a little rammy. There will be a concert tonight where we will glimpse Jack's "ex"; is this a school concert or is it the same concert everyone else will be talking about in this episode (where presumably we'll be seeing Charlie as well)? The phone rings and a nice representative from Oceanic Air tells Jack they have found his father's body and it will be arriving before the end of the day. Only it's sneaky ole Desmond (disguising his voice) and masquerading as an Oceanic employee. Remember how Abbadon did the same thing when he visited Hurley in the booby hatch? Incidentally, a nice touch is that our three Shepherd family members are having their Super Bran in the same dining room that Jack & Kate had their breakfast back in the Oceanic 6 days right before they were going to return to the island.

Back on the Island, our Losties look like hell. They've been through a lot! Jack is stitching up Kate's bullet hole (ohhh yeahhhh!) in, of course, that nice circular plot way TPTB like to engage in; naturally this refers back to the original pilot episode when Jack has Kate stitch HIM up. Hell, Jack. Don't you have any little vodka bottles for Kate?!? That's harsh! I guess there are no air-hostess carts on subs. Kate, in a lot of physical AND emotional pain, starts talking about Ji Yeon and how Jin never even got to meet her before his death. She looks into Jack's eyes with her steely blues and informs him that (Un)Locke did this and they have to kill him. Jack knows this. Sawyer watches the flotsam wash up from the sub wreck (do those life preservers count as red shirts???) feeling guilty for causing the death of Sayid, Jin and Sun. Our 4 intrepid Lostketeers decide they need to go off and find Desmond; since UnLocke wanted him dead that means Des will be a great help to them. So off to the well.

Back in the flash sideways, it's Locke's first day back to teaching at the school (anagram, anyone???) when none other than Desmond is sitting in his car looking for all the world like he's about to run Locke down again and finish the job. Dr. Benjamin Linus, however, confronts Des as the hit and run driver and attempts a citizen's arrest. (Love it! Love it!) Unfortunately for Ben (but par for the course in this series), he gets the snot beaten out of him by Desmond. Sidebar: Exactly how many times has Michael Emerson been featured wearing his "got the snot beaten outta me" makeup in this series? I'll bet he's been in it more often than not. Anywho, this contact with Desmond seems to trigger a "memory flash" in Ben as he sees Desmond in the old reality beating the tar out of him down at the wharf when Ben tried to kill Penny. Let me semi-address something here. Apparently there's this theory that anyone who dies suddenly has extra insight/knowledge/memory of events back on the island. I don't know where this came from but I never felt that was what TPTB are trying to illustrate. After all, Ben is not dead on the island (or even unconscious or asleep) and, as we shall see later in the flash-sideways, he seems to "know" to believe Desmond -- the guy who ran down a paraplegic and just beat the snot outta him. Also later in the episode, Sayid (who is dead) has no idea what's going on in the jail cell and later escape. Also, quite as many "alive" people as "dead" people have demonstrated some sort of "knowledge/insight/memory" of the "other" reality. To repeat what I said I don't know how many weeks ago in the comment section, it's obviously contact with Desmond (or Desmond's "influence") that is giving the characters insight; whether they are dead or alive back in the Island reality is really irrelevant. This, of course, is simply my own theory since I do not research the internet for spoilers or theories but simply come up with my own. Back to the flash-sideways where Des is still pummeling Dr. Linus. Desmond informs Ben that he's not here to hurt Locke but to help him let go.

Back on the Island, Ben, Miles and Richard are heading back to New Otherton to get some C4 explosives Ben has hidden in his secret room (and NOT in his cookie jar). They plan to blow up the Ajira plane, as you recall. Miles doesn't recognize the route (even though he lived there in the 70's for 3 years). Do locations on the Island move about like Tardis rooms??? It does seem like no one can find quite substantial locations until they are "meant" to. Once arriving in Dharmaville, Miles gets all "wonky" sensing a dead body which, it turns out, is Alex. Richard tells Ben that, after Ben left, Richard buried Alex's body. An emotional Ben thanks Richard. The trio go inside Ben's house and behind the bookcase into the secret room. Ben reveals the "secreter" room inside the secret room. Ben explains to Miles that this is where he went to "summon" the monster before he realized that it was summoning Ben. Ben gathers all the C4 to blow the plane to hell when a noise is heard in the kitchen. They encounter Zoe who is crouching down (apparently picking up burnt Juliet biscuits or something). Moments later, Charles Widmore appears and informs Ben that, if he shoots him, "your last chance of survival will be gone". Widmore orders Zoe to go back to the dock, remove their equipment and sink the outrigger. Zoe leaves and Widmore asks Ben why they are here. Richard unhesitatingly tells Widmore they are getting explosives to blow up the plane. Ben's stunned look of "What the F---, Richard!" is priceless! Widmore informs them that he's had the plane rigged with explosives since he arrived and, as usual, he's 3 steps ahead of Ben. When Ben asks how Widmore got here, Charles says that Jacob visited him after "your people" blew up his freighter -- wait, so he's saying "The Others" blew up the freighter??? But surely Steamy Keamy (who had the device strapped to his arm) and Widmore's people did that. Could Widmore be lying here? Naahhhhhhhhhh, never! Widmore continues: Jacob made him see the "error of my ways" and told Charles everything he needed to know "for this exact purpose". Before we can get any clarification, Zoe breaks in on the walkie-talkie saying UnLocke is here. Widmore recalls Zoe to the barracks (she never got a chance to reach the outrigger). I'm supposing we can now expect the scene where our Losties are being pursued in the second outrigger by gun-toting whoevers (one of who gets shot) before our heroes move through time. Widmore tells them that, if they don't want to die, they need to hide in Ben's secret closet. So much for Widmore being "3 steps ahead" of everybody; he didn't know enough to avoid THIS situation, now did he??? Widmore's master plan: let's hide from UnLocke in Ben's closet.

Back in the flash-sideways, Ben is getting medical attention after Desmond's pummeling. He's staring in a mirror for quite a while. Once again, the mirrors and "insight". Whassup, whassup? Mr. Locke visits Ben and Dr. Linus informs him of everything that happened with Desmond. Locke starts to phone the police but Ben says that Desmond said he wasn't trying to hurt Locke but to "help him let go". Locke hangs up the phone. Cut to the LAPD police station where we see the cop hanging up from Locke's phone call. Desmond just happens to walk into the police station at that very moment and asks to see a detective. The cop (apparently with a bad case of hemorrhoids) walks Des up to Detective James "Just the facts, ma'am" Ford just after Miles "Book 'em, Dano" Straum is seen putting on a tie for the concert that is going on tonight for his father. Desmond tells James that he is the suspect in the hit-and-run on Locke and the assault on Ben. James escorts Desmond to the prison cell where we find Sayid and Kate. Just where Desmond wanted to be since he's obviously arranged all this to happen exactly as he wanted it. Desmond is this reality's "Jacob" in that he is manipulating events in order to somehow "undo" the flash-sideways, apparently. Just look at his wonderful grin!

Back on Cork Island: On the way to the well to find Desmond, Sawyer asks Jack why UnLocke didn't just kill Desmond. Obviously it's against some sort of "rule", Jack says. Guilt-wracked Sawyer asks if Sayid, Sun and Jin died because of him. Jack tells Sawyer no, they died because of UnLocke. This is ultimately true and a really nice gesture from Jack; however Sawyer is definitely responsible more directly because he boneheadedly pulls out the wires to the bomb when Jack (who has consistently always been right this season) told him not to. Sawyer seems to have taken over the newly-vacated position of "Mr. Always Wrong" previously held by Locke and Jack. Ah well, it's only fair, I guess. They should all get a turn. Hurley sees young teenybopper Jacob in the trees who, as usual, promptly vanishes . . . only to pop up right behind him demanding the bag of Jacob's ashes. Teenybopper Jacob snatches the ashes and runs. Hurley pursues and find adult "Jacob's ghost" sitting at a campfire. By the way, that's another Charles Dickens reference (Desmond's favorite author) as "Jacob's ghost" could make one think of Jacob Marley's ghost in "A Christmas Carol". Did Jacob give Alana instructions to gather his ashes? After all, if Jacob will permanently disappear once his ashes are completely burned away, did Alana save them so that he would be around to instruct Hurley on what to do? Jacob's ghost tells Hurley to bring his friends because the end is near. (Yeah, only 5 days to go).

UnLocke disembarks the outrigger onto the dock and sees Widmore's equipment there. So obviously he knows Charles is somewhere nearby and will merely be testing Ben later when he asks if he knows whose equipment is at the dock. Widmore and Zoe hide in Ben's closet (I love writing that). Ben's not interested in hiding; he says UnLocke is going to find him eventually and he might as well confront him and get it over with. Miles says, great as both plans may be, he's gonna hightail it out of there and run away through the jungle. Ben asks for Widmore's walkie-talkies and gives one to Miles so that he can contact Miles if he needs him. Uh oh. Can a walkie-talkie equal a red shirt??? After what's coming, I think Miles better turn off the walkie fast. Richard thinks he "knows" UnLocke and is going to talk to him; all UnLocke wants is for Richard to join him, he says, so if he goes with him it might by them a little time. Ben hangs back while Richard walks out into the compound and is quickly scooped up by the Smoke Monster and hurled off camera. I don't think this is meant to appear as if Richard (the immortal) is dead, just in case you were wondering. Squirrely Ben calmly sits himself down on the front porch. Shortly, UnLocke comes around the corner and sits next to Ben stating: "Just the man I was looking for." UnLocke needs Ben to kill some people for him. Why would Ben do that? Because, once UnLocke succeeds and leaves the Island, it'll be allllllllllll Ben's. OK, says Ben. Do you know whose equipment is at the dock, says UnLocke. Ben says it's Charles Widmore's. Any idea where he might find Widmore, UnLocke asks. "He's hiding in my closet". Damn! What a great moment! I can't wait to see Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson starring in the new sitcom of "The Odd Couple" coming this fall!

Back in the flash-sideways: Alex invites battered old pathetic Dr. Linus to dinner. Fresh from the car pool lane arrives Rousseau (YAY!!! That was another great moment). It's Coq au Vin night (obviously made with wine from Jacob's jug, I suppose). After dinner, Ben asks where Alex's father is and Rousseau says he died when she was 2. Rousseau appears so sweet and domestic here that I can't help but thinking she's got him wrapped up in her meat freezer downstairs! Rousseau thanks Ben for the interest he's taken in Alex and explains he's the closest thing to a father Alex has ever had. This affects Ben tremendously. Very sad.

Back on the Island: Ben takes UnLocke to the hidden closet. UnLocke tells Ben to wait outside because he doesn't want to see this. Ben says: "I want to see this!" Oooooooo! UnLocke confronts Widmore & Zoe and says how nice it is to be able to talk without a fence between them. UnLocke asks who Zoe is and, when Widmore orders her not to talk to him, UnLocke slits her throat. (YAY!) When Widmore asks why, UnLocke explains that when Widmore told her not to talk to him she became "pointless". (Double YAY!) Actually, Zoe has been revealed as the person who actually shot Kate so having her throat slit was EXACTLY the point! (Triple and fourfle YAY!). UnLocke wants to know why Widmore came back to the island. In order to motivate him, UnLocke says that once he gets what he wants and leaves the island, the first thing he's going to do is kill Widmore's daughter Penny. Unless Widmore tells UnLocke what he wants to know. Widmore says that he brought Desmond back because he has a "unique resistance to electromagnetism and he was a measure of last resort". Charles won't say more in front of Ben so UnLocke has Widmore whisper in his ear. While doing so, Ben pumps several bullets into Widmore (so much for being 3 steps ahead of Ben all the time) and says, in the best line of the night (if not the season): "He doesn't get to save his daughter!" Whoa! That's what you get for not playing by the rules, Chuck. Luckily for UnLocke, Widmore had already told him what he needed to know. Ben leans against the door frame and says: "Did you say there were some other people to kill?"

Hurley, Jack, Kate and Sawyer meet Jacob's ghost around the fire. They can see and hear him. Uh oh! Does that make Hurley suddenly superfluous?!? Kate gets snarky with Jacob and asks if it was Jacob who wrote their names on the cave wall and is that why Sayid, Sun and Jin died. Jacob says he's very sorry. "Very sorry?!?" Kate scoffs. Hurley softly warns her "Kate." Kate wants to know that they didn't die for nothing. Jacob says he will tell why he chose them and tell them everything they need to know to protect the island because, by the time the fire burns out, one of them will have to start doing it. Camera immediately cuts to Hurley. Uh huh. Foreshadowing here? Remember, in my comments way back at the beginning of the season, I thought that Hurley was being set up to become the island's protector. We'll get to this some more a little later.

But first, back in the flash sideways: Mr. Locke visits Jack at the hospital. Locke explains all the "coincidences" from them both sharing flight 815 etc. Locke thinks maybe this is all happening for a reason and maybe he should allow Dr. Shepherd to fix him so he can walk again. Jack says that he still wants to fix him but he thinks maybe Locke is mistaking coincidence for fate. Um, an echo of Mr. Eko, anyone??? No, Locke says he is finally ready to get out of the wheelchair.

Back at Jacob's Island Cookout Fireside Jamboree: Jacob brought them all to the Island because he made a mistake, long ago, and created what they call "the monster". Jacob made him that way and ever since the "monster" has been trying to kill Jacob. It was only a matter of time until he succeeded and then someone would have to replace Jacob. That's why Jacob brought the Losties here. Sawyer demands to know what right Jacob had to interfere with their lives; he was doing just fine. Jacob snaps: "No you weren't. None of you were. (He's right, you know -- and I'm gonna quote Jacob in his entirety here because it's pretty important) I didn't pluck any of you from a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were all like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn't find out there. I chose you because you all needed this place as much as it needed you." Kate asks why he crossed her name off the cave wall. Jacob explains: "Because you became a mother. But it's just a line of chalk in a cave. The job is yours if you want it, Kate." So much for all the "heavy theory" among LOST fans about Kate's unsuitability as a candidate. Told ya it was no biggie. Jack asks what the job is. Jacob explains there's a light at the heart of the island that needs protection. Sawyer adds: "Your monster friend said there was nothing to protect it from" but Jacob says: "From him! You have to do what I couldn't." Jack surmises that Jacob wants them to kill UnLocke and wonders if its even possible. "I hope so," says Jacob, "he's certainly going to try to kill you." Jacob informs them that he's not going to pick which candidate to succeed him but he's going to give them what he never had: a choice. Kate asks what happens if none of them chooses. "Then this ends very badly!" answers Jacob.

Jack volunteers. This is why he's here and what he's supposed to do. "Is that a question, Jack" asks Jacob. "No." replies Jack. "Good!" sighs Jacob with relief. "And I thought that guy had a God complex before!" scoffs Sawyer. "I'm just glad it's not me." sighs Hurley. Oh BOY, what a case of more foreshadowing, methinks. When TPTB go to the trouble of having Hurley say this, it must be for a reason and I've already said what it is. Jacob takes Jack to the river of flowing polar bear pee. Jacob explains that the light at the heart of the island is past the field of bamboo Jack first woke up in. When Jack protests there's nothing out there, Jacob tells him that there is and now he'll be able to find it. Tardis rooms again, everybody! Jacob bends down to the water and asks Jack for a cup. Notice here how Jacob doesn't seem to be able to look Jack in the face while he's doing this. Jacob holds the water in his hands, appears to speak his Latin mumbo-jumbo over it, fills the cup with river water and tells Jack to drink. Jack asks how long he'll have to do this job and Jacob replies: "As long as you can." Jack drinks and looks at Jacob with a puzzled expression. "Now you are like me" smiles Jacob just as "Mother" had way back when. So OK, I'm sure I don't have to point out what's wrong with this scene. We've seen, first when Jacob made Richard immortal and then when Mother made Jacob the island's protector, that the same old wine bottle was used. Never water. And certainly never water from a flowing river that wasn't even blessed IN THE CUP but merely leaking through Jacob's hands. Seriously, wouldn't you have waited till the water was IN THE CUP to talk your Latin hoo-hah over it . . . unless it was all for show? Whatever little bit of water remained in Jacob's hands while he was "blessing" it or whatever, the water he later filled the cup with came from upstream -- the "blessed" drops were long downstream by then. Also the fact that poor Jack had to drink river water that was probably 43% polar bear pee, Dharma Initiative experiment run-off and dysentery leads me to believe the title of the finale SHOULD be called "Jack Gets the Trots"! Either this whole ceremony was a sham (and we know Jacob isn't above subterfuge) or else Jack isn't the island's "Mr. Right" but simply the island's "Mr. Right Now". As I've already conjectured before (with no secret spoiler knowledge), I think, as Jacob said, Jack has "something important to do" but then will be killed and someone else will have to take over as the island's protector at a moment's notice. Enter Hurley, who we've seen has been changing from "comic relief" to more authoritative and capable of leadership this season. As you know, up until now, all the other major candidates we have around now have been seen to have a major purpose in the show while Hurley's purpose (and importance) have yet to be explained. He is the one who first had contact with the mystical "numbers". He is the one who has the ability to see people. He is the one, above all the other characters on the show, who has been shown to be the most truthful, the most straight-forward, the most frankly noble and unsullied of them all. That's just the feeling I've had about where Hurley's character is ultimately going and, until I'm proven wrong in the finale, it's still where I think he's headed. He will become the benevolent "Buddha-like" figure of the island who has been seen to have the least flaws of anyone, the kindest heart and the highest concentration of "goodness" of any other candidate.

Back in the flash-sideways: Desmond, Sayid and Kate are being transferred to county. In the van, Desmond announces that it's just about time to leave. And just who are you exactly, Kate scoffs and Sayid says he's the crazy guy who turned himself in. Desmond smiles (he does that a lot in the flash sideways) and says he's the crazy guy who's going to help them all escape. But they are going to have to trust him. And there's something he needs both of them to do and they have to promise they'll do it. Sayid and Kate, half-incredulously, promise. The driver of the police van stops and lets them out; yes, it's Ana Lucia in yet another splendid cameo from this episode that REALLY really works. "Where's your friend with the money?" Ana Lucia asks Desmond. Hurley arrives in a Hummer and gives Ana Lucia the bribe money for letting them escape. "Hey, you didn't tell me Ana Lucia was gonna be here." Hurley tells Desmond. "Do I know you, Tubby?" snaps Ana Lucia. "Oh no," Hurley recovers, "we've never met." Obviously, through Desmond's influence, Hurley is now fully aware of the two "realities". I wonder if we'll see Libby involved in all this come finale time as well? It looks like Desmond is rounding up every Lostie he can (much more successfully than Ben and Mrs. Hawking managed to do, by the way). Ana Lucia prepares to leave saying to Hurley "Nice not knowing you." "She's not coming with us?" Hurley asks Desmond. "No," Des replies, "She's not ready yet." VERY interesting statement. Sayid goes off with Hurley in the Hummer for their mission (whatever it may be) while Des pulls a black dress out of the trunk of Hurley's Camaro (which Hurley has also left at this rendezvous point) and informs Kate that they're going to a concert.

UnLocke and Ben arrive at the well and discover that "Dark Sayid" did not kill Desmond and, in fact, someone has helped Desmond to escape. Ben asks what Widmore told UnLocke and he's told that Desmond was Jacob's fail safe. Just in case UnLocke managed to kill all of Jacob's precious candidates, Desmond was meant to be a final way to stop UnLocke and make sure he never leaves the island. But UnLocke plans to find Desmond and make him help UnLocke do what he's never been able to do before: destroy the island.

After a lackluster first half, the final season has been getting better and better and I'm fully expecting that the series finale is going to be a real hum-dinger. But rest assured you're going to need to get out your hankies. Well, that was my one and only LOST episode recap. I hope it wasn't too painful for you! I just wanted to take this time before signing off to thank the Cheeksmeister not only for opening up this forum for my little guest appearance but also for all the hard work he's been doing over the years on this blog. It's no easy job to do week after week, it requires a lot of episode scrutinizing, a lot of typing and a lot of time and effort. Week after week, he's been here doing it and I just wanted to congratulate him on a job very well done. This particular LOST fan appreciates it and has enjoyed reading it week after week. So, that's it for me. Thanks for reading and enjoy the series finale of LOST. It's been a long and mystical road, a television (nay, cinematic) experience unlike anything ever seen before. Or ever will be again. Goodbye and namaste.