The War is Coming

LOST loves to make us wait for answers, and this year, it took 7 excruciating episodes for the show to answer the biggest question raised by last season’s finale: “What happened to John Locke?”

And it was worth the wait. Let’s recap…

Season 5—Episode 7: “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”

This episode begins on the sidekick island. Caesar—quickly emerging as a new leader—is rifling through things when Ilana finds him and shares this disturbing news:

“We found a man who wasn’t on the plane.” And then she adds, “He was wearing a suit and standing in the water.”

For a moment, silly me, I thought she was talking about Christian Shephard. But no, this is John Locke’s episode, and sure enough, it’s Locke staring wistfully across the water at the island (his island, perhaps).

Almost in passing, Locke and Ilana talk about the outrigger canoes. Ilana tells him there were three of them, but the pilot and a woman took off in one of them. (Lapidus and Sun, I presume—instead of “I presume,” I wanted to say “methinks,” but a certain woman pointed out that I’ve used this Shakespearean word in a couple of my recent posts, and shethinks I’ve taken a liking to it. Even though she’s right, I don’t want to admit it…so methinks I will “presume” from now on.)

(Twenty-Second Timeout: So if Frank and Sun took one of the outriggers, we haven’t seen that one yet this season. But we did see the other two outriggers at the old camp (safe to assume Locke led this crew there, no?), where Sawyer, Juliet, and the others stole one of them…so, if we want to try to keep things straight, I think we can assume Sawyer’s crew has one of the outriggers, Frank and Sun have one, and other is with Locke, or maybe Caesar…)

It’s interesting to note that Caesar and Ilana seem to have immediately taken charge. Then again, what else should we expect from a “Caesar”? I still contend that Caesar is working for Widmore (but if that were true, I’d think he would know what Benjamin Linus looks like…and at the end of this episode, I’m not sure he did). When Caesar came to meet John Locke, I thought I noticed Sayid in the background. If that’s true, then I’m wondering why he’s letting these two newcomers (are they newcomers to the island, or homecomers?) take command. Sayid seems like the natural leader (well, and Locke, of course)…but then again, we still don’t know how Sayid ended up in Ilana’s custody or why he ended up getting on that plane in the first place. So I’ll hold off on any Sayid-related assumptions until those questions are answered.

Like most of this season’s episodes, this one was rife with significant conversations, starting with this one:

Ilana: Nobody remembers you being on the plane.
Locke: I don’t remember it either.
Ilana: What do you remember?
Locke: I remember a lot.
Ilana: Like why you’re dressed up so nice?
Locke: No, I don’t remember that. But I can guess.
Ilana: So what do you remember.
Locke (pauses): I remember dying.

And then we flash back (not one of the island’s time flashes, but a typical LOST-storytelling flashback) back to the moment when Locke turned that underground wheel, back—finally—to the storyline we’ve been waiting for all season.

And right away, a question is answered for us: after turning the wheel Locke ends up on his back in the Tunisian desert—in a place very similar to the place (if not the exact location) where Ben landed after turning the wheel, and in the same country where Charlotte once found the skeleton of a polar bear wearing a Dharma tag.

John sees a camera watching him, but he lies unmoving in the desert until four men come and procure him, hauling him away in their pickup. The men take him to a doctor, and just before the doctor breaks (or sets) Locke’s leg, Locke notices Abaddon standing in the background.

After Locke regains consciousness, we see someone new sitting by his side:

Widmore: It’s nice to see you again, John.
John: Do I know you?
Widmore: I met you when I was 17, now all these years later, here we are. You look exactly the same…My name is Charles Widmore.

Widmore: Tell me, John, how long has it been since we met, since you walked into our camp and talked to Richard.
John: 4 days.
Widmore: Incredible.

(Note: This conversation moved much too fast for me to capture everything, but what follows are the snippets I managed to record.)

Widmore: I was afraid Benjamin might fool you into leaving the island like he did with me.

Widmore: I was their leader.
John: The Others?
Widmore: They’re not “The Others” to me.

--Widmore claims that Ben “exiled” him.
--We learn that it’s Widmore’s camera monitoring the spot where John appeared in the desert. And Widmore refers to this location as “the exit.”

John: Ben was already gone when I left. I chose to leave.
Widmore: So you came to bring them back. Those who left?
John: No.
Widmore: I understand you’re lying to me, but there’s something you should know. Your friends who left the island have been back for 3 years, and none of them have spoken a word of truth about where they’ve been.

John: I have to bring them back.
Widmore: And I’m going to do everything in my power to help you do that.
John: Why?
Widmore: Because there’s a war coming, John. And if you’re not back on the island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win. (Note: So there’s a war a-coming, eh? I’ll have more to say on that later…)

Other notes on the fundamental (or so it seemed) exchange between Widmore and Locke:

Widmore gives Locke the whereabouts of the O6.
Locke: You’ve been watching them?
Widmore: I’m very invested in the future of the island.

Widmore: I wouldn’t mention that I’m involved in this. No doubt your people won’t think very much of me after listening to Benjamin Linus’ lies?
Locke: How do I know you’re not the one who’s lying.
Widmore: I haven’t tried to kill you. Can you say the same for him?
Locke: No, you’re the one who sent a freighter to the island…something—they were talking too fast—something…C4…
Widmore: I needed Linus removed so you could replace him.
John: What makes you think I’m so special?
Widmore: Because you are.

Locke: He said I would die.
Widmore: I beg your pardon?
Locke: Richard said the only way I could get them to come back would be if I died.
Widmore: I don’t know why he said that. I’m not going to let that happen. (Note: Do we believe him? My gut tells me yes, but my gut might really be telling me to go get a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It can be really tough to interpret at times…)

--Abaddon is definitely working with/for Widmore (Let me pat myself on the back for a moment—ah, it feels good to be right every now and then)
--Abaddon is going to be Locke’s driver, and once again, Locke must allow Abaddon to push him in a wheelchair


Abaddon: The whole world thinks you’re dead. There must be someone who’d be happy to see you.
Locke: Please don’t talk to me. (Note: This was an odd response, I thought.)

With Abaddon escorting him, Locke visits Sayid, Walt, Hurley, Kate, and eventually a grave where his old girlfriend, Helen, is buried. Locke asked each of them (Walt being the exception...well, and Helen too, I suppose) to come back to the island. They all said no. Adamantly. Here’s the brief overview of each exchange.

Sayid—Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Sayid is building houses—or, in his words, doing “some real good.”

Sayid: You actually want me to go back?
Sayid: I’m not going back.
Sayid: For two years I was manipulated into thinking I was protecting everyone on the island. So who’s manipulating you, John? (Note: That question might be worth remembering.)

Sayid: Why do you really need to go back? Is it just because you have nowhere else to go?
Sayid: And if you change your mind, you’re welcome to come back here and do some real good.

Walt—New York City

Locke: You don’t look surprised to see me.
Walt: I’ve been having dreams about you. You’re on the island wearing a suit, and there are a lot of people around you. And they’re trying to hurt you, Mr. Locke.
Locke: Then it’s a good thing they’re just dreams.

Walt: So why’d you come to see me?
Locke: I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay.

Ah, and here we have our brief feel-good moment from tonight’s episode. I think this was our official goodbye to Walt Lloyd. I don’t think he really fits into the storyline (not to mention the fact that he no longer looks like his part in the storyline), but the show couldn’t leave him dangling like a loose end (not to be confused with the “loose end” that Ben took care of in last week’s episode). So they showed us a happy Walt—which is more than I had expected from a boy who lost his mother, then lost his father (but not until after his father revealed that he killed a couple people to help his son escape from some crazy “others” on an uncharted and magical island where monsters and polar bears exist…yeah, I’d say a smiling and seemingly well-adjusted Walt ain’t too shabby, all things considered.) And the writers did a nice job throwing in that bit about how Walt is having dreams of Locke on a beach, wearing a suit, while people want to kill him. Not only does that foreshadow the “coming war” we just learned about, but it also reminds us that Walt does have some special powers. It’s as if the show said, “Oh yeah, Walt still has unique abilities, and he always will…but it’s really not that relevant anymore….so just enjoy the fact that he’s growing up like a normal kid (somehow) and then turn your attention back to the story at hand.” And I was okay with that.

Then, as Locke prepared to leave:

Abaddon: I take it you didn’t invite him along.
Locke: He’s been through enough.
Abaddon: That’s 0 for 2, Mr. Locke. I might be mistaken, but I was under the impression that you had to bring them all back.
Locke: I only have to convince one. And the rest will follow. And I was under the impression that you were just my driver.

Oh, and if you were still picturing Walt’s smiling face and harboring those happy thoughts, go ahead and kiss those good vibes goodbye. Because as Abaddon and Locke get back in the car, we see Ben standing in the street watching them. And he isn’t smiling.

Hurley—Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute

Oh, Hurley. You never fail to make me laugh.

Hurley, not surprisingly, thinks Locke is dead. He has to ask a nurse, “Excuse me, am I talking to a dude in a wheelchair right now?” When the nurse casually responds, “Yep,” then good old Hurley freaks out. But it’s just a mini freak out, for now.

Hurley starts telling Locke that he doesn’t think any of the Oceanic 6 will want to go back. He says they have lives now. Jack’s a doctor. Sun has her kid. Kate has Aaron…and then he notices Abaddon standing across the way:

Hurley: Uh-oh, don’t look. We’re being watched.
Locke (looks): Oh, it’s fine. He’s with me. He’s okay.
Hurley: That dude is far from okay. That dude showed up saying he worked for Oceanic Air. He’s evil.

And with that, Hurley freaks out. But this time it’s a full-sized freak out. He screams for the nurse and says he doesn’t want to talk anymore, leaving Locke alone on the lawn, sitting helplessly in his wheelchair.

Abaddon didn’t have any words of encouragement for Locke, either: “That’s three visits now. You might want to step up your game, or we’re all in serious trouble.”

Kate—Los Angeles

What a strange exchange between Kate and Locke…

Kate: Have you ever been in love, John? I think about you sometimes. I think about how desperate you were to stay on that island. And I think that’s because you don’t love anybody, John.
Locke says he did love someone…talks about Helen…”it just didn’t work out.”
Kate: Why not John?
John: I was angry. I was obsessed.
Kate: Look how far you’ve come. (Note: If this comment was supposed to be sincere, it didn’t sound that way to me. It sounded like Kate was putting Locke in his place—whatever place that might be—and it just seemed, I don’t know, cold. Ruthless.)

I definitely think it’s odd that Kate was so quick to talk to Locke about being in love. It made me wonder whom Kate loves. Jack? Sawyer? That guy she killed a long time ago, the one whose airplane was in the safety deposit box? I wonder if this exchange wasn’t inserted to help reestablish the love triangle between Jack and Kate and Sawyer. The preview for next week’s episode also gave me that idea.

As they’re leaving Kate’s place, Locke confronts Abaddon about his inability to find Helen Norwood. Locke finds it hard to believe that Abaddon is truly unable to find her, and then we learn why he’s been unsuccessful…

Helen—Santa Monica, CA

Locke (reads her tombstone): What happened to her?
Abaddon: She died of a brain aneurysm. I’m very sorry, Mr. Locke.

Abaddon: Helen is where she’s supposed to be. As sad as it is, her path led her here. And your path…leads back to the island.
Locke: You make it sound like it’s inevitable.
Abaddon refers to the Locke’s death and asks if that’s inevitable…
Locke: You think I want to die? How could you think that’s a choice?
Abaddon: I’m just a driver…

Locke gets in the car, and then blood spatters the rear window behind his head.

The camera cuts to a different angle, and we see Abaddon take a slug in the chest. As Abaddon is collapsing on the back of the car, obviously dying, Locke climbs into the front seat and drives away…but he drives like a maniac (as if someone is trying to kill him, or something) and as he flies through an intersection, he gets blasted by a car.


In the next scene, Locke is back in a familiar location: yet another hospital bed. (If Locke believed in luck, I’m sure he’d swear he had the worst luck in the world.)

And just like earlier in this episode, when Locke comes to, he finds someone sitting beside him. Instead of Widmore, this time it’s Jack.

Jack: What are you doing here?
Locke: Jack, how’d you find me?
Jack: You were in a car accident and you were brought into my hospital. What are you doing here?
Locke: We have to go back.
Jack: Of course we do.
Jack: Because it’s our destiny. How many times are you going to tell me that?
Locke: Somebody is trying to kill me. They don’t want me to get back, because I’m important.
Jack: Have you ever stopped to think that maybe these delusions that you’re special aren’t real? Maybe there’s nothing important about you at all. Maybe you’re just a lonely old man who crashed on an island. That’s it. Goodbye, John.

But before Jack walks out of the hospital room:

Locke: Your father says hello…
Jack: My father is dead.
Locke: He didn’t look dead to me. (Note: This made me wonder if Christian knew this is what it would take to convince Jack.)

Locke: You have to convince the others to go back. You’re the only one who can help me. You’re supposed to help me.
Jack: We left. We were never important. You leave me alone. (Note: “We were never important”? What an odd thing for Jack to say…unless he knows it’s not true. Unless he feels like they are important, and he’s trying to deny that impulse.)

After Jack refused to go with him, in the next scene, Locke is stringing up a noose for himself.

But in his darkest hour...bursting through the door like a superhero, never fear yada yada yada, Benjamin Linus is here!

Locke is standing on a table with an electrical wire noose looped around his bald noggin, and he can only stare googly-eyed at Ben and his equally googly eyes.

Ben: What are you doing? John, please, stop!
Locke: How did you find me?
Ben: I had a man watching Sayid. I’m watching all of them. Keeping them safe. (Note: Really?)
Locke: Get away from me!
Ben: I’m trying to protect you.
Locke: Protect me? …You shot him. You killed Abaddon.
Ben: Yes, I did. (he goes on to claim that Abaddon would have killed Locke…but I don’t believe this)
Ben: He’s working for Widmore, and he’s extremely dangerous.
Locke: No, he helped me.
Ben: No, he used you. (Note: At this point, I didn’t know who to believe. I still don’t.)
Ben: You can’t do this. If anything happens to you…you have no idea how important you are. Let me help you.
Locke: There’s no helping me. I’m a failure.
Ben: No, John. You’re not.
Locke: I am! I couldn’t get any of them. I couldn’t get a single one to go back with me.
Ben: Jack booked a ticket…to Sydney tonight….whatever you said to him, it worked. If you can get Jack, you can get the rest of them…John, you can’t die. You’ve got too much work to do. And we’ve got to get you back to the island so you can do it…
Ben: Please, John. Come down… (Note: Wow, Ben seems so caring. Well, almost.)

Ben: You haven’t even been to Sun yet. Let’s start with her.
Locke: No, I promised Jin I wouldn’t bring her back.
Ben: Jin’s alive? (He looks genuinely shocked.) (Note: Does this change anything for Ben?)

Ben: Once we can get them all in the same place, I don’t know where we can go from there, but we’ll figure something out.
Locke: There’s a woman here in Los Angeles. She shouldn’t be that hard to find. Her name is Eloise Hawking.
Ben: Eloise Hawking?
Locke: Yes, Eloise Hawking. Why, you know her?
Ben: Yes, John. …and then, as if Ben only needed John to live long enough to spill Ms. Hawking’s name and whereabouts, Ben grabs the electrical wire and brutally strangles Locke. (Note: Remember when Ben shot Locke, but Locke didn’t die? Remember when Michael tried to kill himself, but “the island wasn’t done with him yet”? Well, apparently, this time, the island was okay with Locke’s demise.)

Ben strung Locke up to make it look like a suicide…and then he noticed Jin’s ring, and he pocketed it for later use.

But before he shut the door on Locke, Ben uttered these bizarre words: “I’ll miss you, John. I really will.”

(Note: I was so convinced that Ben was lying when he told Jack that he didn’t know that Locke had killed himself. But apparently, he wasn’t lying. He didn’t know that Locke killed himself because he knew that Locke hadn’t.)

The episode ends back on the sidekick island (I think I might try to coin that phrase, too). Caesar is reading something in a Dharma notebook, and John walks into the building (whatever building it is) and starts telling him a little bit about the Dharma Initiative. This conversation follows:

Locke: I spent more than 100 days on this island; I know a lot.
Caesar: So when we crashed, you were already here?
Locke: No
Caesar: When did you leave?
Locke: To be honest, the timing would confuse you.

Caesar talks about Hurley, the “really big guy with curly hair," disappearing during the flight. Caesar mentions the bright light, and says, “and that big guy was gone.” Then he asks, “So, Mr. John Locke, do you have any idea about what happened?
John: I think I might have an idea about how I came to be here.

Then Caesar refers to others who disappeared and mentions “those who got hurt.”

John, obviously, wants to see those who were hurt during the flight. So Caesar takes him to what appears to be a makeshift infirmary, and lying asleep on a cot, his arms wrapped around his chest and vivid cuts still apparent on his face, is Benjamin Linus.

Summary:

Locke:
This episode was good. But it was a mess. I can’t help but feel sorry for John Locke. He’s definitely being manipulated, by either Ben or Widmore. My guess is both. And Locke has to wonder if there might be some truth to the scathing comments from Kate (“I think about how desperate you were to stay on that island. And I think that’s because you don’t love anybody, John.”), Sayid (“Why do you really need to go back? Is it just because you have nowhere else to go?”), and Jack (“Maybe there’s nothing important about you at all. Maybe you’re just a lonely old man who crashed on an island.”). As viewers, I think we have to wonder about these statments, too.

Sure, Richard Alpert, Benjamin Linus, and Charles Widmore have all told Locke that he’s special. But is he special, or do they know he’s just gullible enough, hopeful enough, and maybe even crazy enough to do whatever they need him to do. Maybe what Desmond said last week is right after all; maybe they (we’ll leave this “they” ambiguous for now, since that’s less confusing than trying to define who the players are at this point) are playing some kind of game and they’re using our characters—Locke included—as the pieces.

Widmore:
After Locke arrives in Tunisia, Widmore offers him a brief synopsis of Island History 101, which was just great. I’ve been dying to know those things: Widmore was the leader of the hostiles/others, Ben tricked him, Ben exiled him…yada, yada…so that’s what happened!

But there’s a problem. We have no idea if any word of this is true. My suspicion: Widmore’s lying. This is just a hunch, but I think Widmore wanted control of the island, but I don’t think he ever had it. Maybe he and Ben were in a power struggle, and maybe Ben tricked him into exile. So maybe he thinks everything Ben has is rightfully his, maybe he believes Ben “took it from him” (which he said in a previous episode), but I have a feeling that’s debatable.

Ben:
So now that we know Ben killed Locke, we can assume he’s the evil one, right? Widmore is the good guy, and Ben is the bad guy. (I know at least one viewer—not me—who is trying very hard to draw clear-cut lines of right vs. wrong…) So is Ben clearly a bad guy?

My thoughts: No, not anymore than he was before. Sure, he killed Abaddon. But maybe Abaddon really is evil (as Hurley said, by the way). And yeah, he killed Locke. But Ben’s also the one who made sure Locke’s body made it back to the island. Ben was the one who met Jack at the Funeral Parlor, and he was the one who insisted that they “bring him, too.”

So even though the strangling seems pretty brutal, Ben’s motives could conceivably be decent this time. (Oh, probably not…but they could be.) When he shot Locke in his kidney hole and left him to die in the Dharma Death Pit…that was cold-blooded.

Right vs. Wrong
I mentioned the viewer, who will remain anonymous, who seems to want things to fit nicely into categories of good/evil and right/wrong. One aspect of LOST that has been fascinating to me is the ambiguous source of evil. A lot of people have died. And traced to the root, those deaths must surely stem from evil, right? Somewhere, there is a bad guy. Bad guys, probably. But that’s so open to interpretation right now. We think the survivors of Oceanic 815 are “good guys,” but that’s only because we watched their stories unfold first. Half of them killed people before coming to the island, and now, they’re all killing people. Every person on the island has adopted an “Us vs. Them” mentality, and on that island, no one preaches love or forgiveness. Instead, it’s “We were here first!” and “They took my boy!” and “This is our island!” and “You changed the rules!” and “it was a sacrifice the island demanded” and it never ends.

Ben and Widmore are certainly opposing forces. But that doesn’t mean either one of them is a “good guy.” And it’s this ambiguity, the unanswered “who is justified in all this?” question, that makes this show complex…and, well, good.

But eventually, as we have a little over a season and a half to go, we’re going to need a clear-cut “bad guy,” so to speak. Regardless of whether or not they’re “good guys,” we’ll always cheer for our Oceanic Survivors (most of them, anyway), but eventually we’ll need to know who their opposition is…and now that they’re back on the island, they’re going to need some clear objectives, too. In the past, they were focused on getting off the island. Now, Jack and friends are going to need a new mission…

Now if only there were a war to fight, or something…

“There’s a war coming, John…”
Widmore says a war is coming, but I think he’s wrong. I think the war’s already begun. The opposing forces are murky, but it certainly felt like this episode was a war for John Locke. A war between Widmore and Ben. A war between Locke’s faith and the doubts of others. A war between Locke’s belief that he’s special and his insecurities. And, just below the surface, where it has been for five seasons now, bubbling up and into view often enough, is an ongoing war between fate and free will.

Does free will exist? Does fate exist? Can one defeat the other? Does it matter? Not without stakes, and there are certainly stakes here. We don’t know what they are yet, but we will. Before this war is over, we’ll know.

May the good guys win…whoever they might be.

Notable Quotes:

1) Abaddon: I help people get to where they need to get to, John. That’s what I do for Mr. Widmore.

2) Abaddon: So that’s Michael Dawson’s son, huh? Boy’s gotten big. (Note: Ha.)

3) Locke: Jeremy Bentham?
Widmore: He was a British philosopher. Your parents had a sense of humor when they named you; why can’t I?

4) Caesar: You know him?
Locke: Yeah. He’s the man who killed me.

Prevailing Questions:

1) Do we care that Abaddon died? (Note: I didn’t, but Barbie did. I didn’t trust him, so I didn’t mind having him eliminated. But Barbie liked his character, so she was sad to see him go. I’m curious about how others felt.)

2) Ben has mentioned a couple of times now that he’s been doing everything he can to keep those on the island—and the Oceanic 6 back home—safe. Sayid just mentioned that he had been manipulated into thinking his work (presumably the murders he committed) had been done to protect his friends. So has Ben really helped keep them safe? Was that why he gave Sayid a hit-list? (My guess is no, but if the answer is yes, then why does Sayid think he’s been manipulated?)

3) Has Caesar been to the island before? What about Ilana? Why was Caesar on the flight?

4) It seemed like Ben was surprised to learn that Eloise Hawking was in L.A. If he didn’t know she was there, then does that mean that Ms. Hawking might be better-connected to Widmore? After all, Widmore gave Desmond her address…but then again, I suppose Widmore could have just had her followed. He seems to enjoy doing that.

5) How did Christian Shephard know to tell Locke to find Eloise Hawking?

6) Was Locke unconscious for a long time after the doctor fixed his leg? If not, then how did Widmore get to Tunisia so quickly? More importantly, how did Abaddon know to be there when Locke was carried to the doctor’s? (Note: I suppose they left Locke lying in the desert for awhile, so I guess that gave them some time to get there.)

7) When Ben arrived in Tunisia, he fought off a couple guys (with that handy telescopic steel baton—which is much more sinister than it sounds) who approached him with guns. At the time, I thought these were just your run-of-the-mill desert mercenaries who happened to find a stranger on their turf, but since we know that Widmore has a camera trained on that “exit,” does that mean those gun-toting men were Widmore’s guys?

Oh, there are still so many other questions, but I’ll go ahead and quit now.


—Thanks for Reading

The Ajira 8

Well, LOST made a liar out of me. Instead of airing “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” this week, the producers decided to run “316” first. According to Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, these two episodes are pretty much interchangeable, but I think it’s interesting that they chose to switch the order so close to the date it actually aired. Probably means nothing, but it’s interesting.

So let’s get this recap party started, shall we?

Season 5—Episode 6: “316”

“316” was more dialogue than action, and it seemed like every other line of dialogue was oozing with importance.

So where to begin? I suppose we might as well start with the opening of this episode.

We begin with a familiar scene: Jack on his back in the jungle. But immediately we can see that this is different. And he has a scrap of paper that says “I wish,” but the rest of the message is missing.

He runs through the jungle, comes to a waterfall, and dives into the pool below to help Hurley—who is floundering around in the water with a guitar case—and then he swims over to Kate’s body, which they find on the rocks. She’s fine…

But I’m wondering what in the world is going on. Is this real? Is it a dream?

And then, Kate says, “Are we?”

And Jack answers her question and ours, “Yeah, we’re back.”

Kate: What happened?

And then the image fades to black, and we see: “46 hours earlier.”

Summing up what happened in those 46 hours could be quite an endeavor, but I’m hoping to make this post a little more concise than the recent ones. So I’m going to highlight a lot of snippets, and I’ll do my best not to elaborate on everything.

One observation: When Eloise Hawking told Ben and the others that those present would “have to do for now,” did you see the look she gave Jack? I felt like that look said, “It will do, as long as Jack’s here.”

The LA-laboratory hidden beneath the church is the final (I think it’s the last one) Dharma station. The name? The Lamppost. As Doc Jensen mentioned in his column on EW yesterday, this is a pretty obvious reference to The Chronicles of Narnia.

Eloise Hawking tells us a few details about The Lamppost, including the ambiguous statement, “this is how they found the island.” Who the “they” is, I don’t know. Supposedly it was constructed over a pocket of electromagnetic energy, which is “connected to other pockets,” but “those who built it only cared about the island.”
(At a later date, I might want to spend more time thinking about those “other pockets” that we’re ignoring at the moment.)

Eloise goes on to say this, “Then a very clever fellow built this pendulum on the notion that they should stop looking for where it was supposed to be but where it was going to be…the island was always moving…why do you think you were never rescued?” (“clever fellow”—that’s another item I’ll revisit, I’m sure.)

And this: “They used formulas to determine where the island is going to be…in time.” And she explains that there are windows of time when they can predict where the island will be.

And this, too: “These windows don’t stay open very long. Yours closes in 36 hours.”

And this is when Desmond has had enough of the mumbo-jumbo Ms. Hawking is selling.

Desmond: I don’t believe this! You’re all going back to the island? Willingly?

I wasn’t able to keep up with the entire exchange, but I think I caught the highlights.

Desmond: I came here to deliver a message. Consider the message delivered.
Eloise Hawking: I’m sorry to tell you this, Desmond, but the island isn’t done with you yet.

Desmond to Jack: These people are using us. They’re playing some kind of game, and we’re just the pieces. Whatever she tells you to do, ignore it. (Note: In my character overview of Desmond Hume earlier this week, I think I suggested this exact idea.)

Desmond to Eloise Hawking: You said the island’s not done with me? Well, I’m done with the island.

I was also intrigued by Ms. Hawking’s non-reaction when Desmond announced that she is Daniel Faraday’s mother. I don’t know what kind of response I was hoping for. Maybe an acknowledgment of some kind, like a head nod. (Or maybe she could have at least corrected him by saying “adopted mother.” Since that would have confirmed my hunch, even though it probably doesn’t matter.)

Eloise Hawking tells them they need to be on the Ajira Airways Flight 316, and she says, “You all need to be on it.” For some reason, I didn’t take this literally. And yet, before the episode ended, there they were, seated neatly on the plane. (All except Desmond and Aaron, that is.)


And here’s the catch, according to Eloise: “If you want to return, you need to re-create as best you can, the circumstances that brought you there.”

Jack: We just get on that flight and we hope that it works? That’s all?
EH: No, that’s not all, Jack…at least not for you.

She takes Jack into a private room, saying what she has to tell them doesn’t concern Ben and Sun. In the room, she gives Jack a envelope containing John Locke’s suicide note. We also learn from Ms. Hawking that John hanged himself.

And then she reveals what might be the most important news:

EH: John is going to be a proxy, a substitute.
Jack: A proxy, for who?
EH: Jack, who do you think?

My money is on Jacob, just as Christian has been “speaking on his behalf.” Of course, I wouldn’t dare put much money on this. After all, this is LOST.

Eloise Hawking tells Jack to get something that belonged to his father and give it to John. (So maybe John’s going to be a proxy for Christian, not Jacob…and see already, I’m glad I wasn’t putting much money on Jacob.)

Jack, alone with Ben, makes the mistake of asking the former leader of the Others a direct question. Or maybe it’s just a mistake to expect a straight—and honest—answer. (And I’m sure the writers have a lot of fun with this, because this question, like some others Ben doesn’t answer directly, is one that viewers are itching to have resolved.)

Jack: who is she? Why is she helping us? How does she know all this?

Ben’s response says nothing about Eloise Hawking. Instead, he begins talking about the apostle Thomas. He talks about how Thomas is best remembered for doubting Jesus’ resurrection.

Ben: He just couldn’t wrap his mind around the resurrection. Legend has it, he even needed to touch the wounds to be convinced.
Jack: Was he?
Ben: Of course he was. We’re all convinced sooner or later, Jack.

Wow, that just seemed to be dripping with insinuation, didn’t it?

Then the enigmatic Mr. Linus tells Jack he’s off on a mission to fulfill a promise he made “to an old friend,” saying it’s just “a loose end that needs tying up.” (I have a suspicion about this errand of his, and if you read nothing else, scroll down to the bottom and read this thought—it’s the last question I ask. And for once, I hope I’m wrong.)

And then we have the episode where Jack gets his dad’s shoes from his grandpa Ray. Seem a little unnecessary to anyone else? Why couldn’t Jack just go to his mom’s house to get something that belonged to his dad? My answer: Because the writers needed to introduce Jack’s granddad because he’ll be important later. (I like the way this corresponds with my analysis of Jack Shephard, which I’ll post in my next Character Overview.)

For now, I’ll just highlight the eyebrow-raising elements of this encounter:

--Jack’s granddad has tried to run away from that (nursing home?) four times.
--Granddad Ray says, “One of these times, I’m going to get away. And they’re not going to find me, either.”
--A chunk of dialogue that might mean nothing:
Jack: I think I might be going away for awhile.
Ray: Where is ‘away’ exactly?
Jack: Somewhere better than here.
Ray: Touche.

So then Jack goes home, and he finds Kate in his bed. Which leads to this beguiling exchange:

Kate: Are you still going back to the island?
Jack: Yeah, I think I am.
Kate: Then I’m going with you?
Jack: Kate, what happened? Where’s Aaron?
Kate: If you want me to go with you, you’ll never ask me that question again. You’ll never ask about Aaron. Do you understand that, Jack?
Jack: yes
(Then they make out)

(My thoughts on Aaron are included in the questions at the end of this post.)

The next morning, Ben calls Jack. We see that Ben is calling from a dock or a wharf, and he’s bloody. “I’ve been sidetracked,” Ben says. So he sends Jack to pick up Locke’s coffin from Simon’s butcher shop.

Once there, Jack puts his dad’s shoes on Locke’s feet. And he takes the unopened envelope containing Locke’s suicide note, and he puts it in Locke’s jacket, saying, “I’ve already heard everything you had to say, John. You wanted me to go back, I’m going back.” (Jack gets this note back after the flight crew searched the coffin and found the envelope with Jack’s name on it.)

“Rest in peace,” Jack adds as he closes the coffin lid.

And now they’re ready to fly to Guam…or ready to board a flight headed for Guam, anyway. Jack’s there, with Locke’s coffin in tow. Kate’s there. And Sun. And Sayid (in handcuffs, escorted by a woman with a badge?). Then we see Hurley. And finally Ben—with his arm in a sling and fresh cuts still apparent on his face.

When Ben strolled onto the plane, Hurley just about went apoplectic.

Hurley: Wait! No! What’s he doing here? No one told me he was going to be here…
Ben: Who told you to be here, Hugo?

And with that Hurley shut up.

And then the episode ended with two more twists.

The first twist: Frank Lapidus is the pilot. I guess this answers my question from last week, when I wondered when we were going to see ol’ Frank again. He looks different without his beard, but it’s good to see him, nonetheless.

The second twist came after the plane crash (“flash” might be a more accurate description), after we relived the opening sequence with Jack, Hurley, and Kate. The three of them hear a van approaching, music blaring. We see it’s a Dharma van—but it doesn’t look rundown like the van Hurley used to play demolition derby with the bodies of a couple Others. The van stops, and out steps a gun-toting man in full Dharma gear. They all look at him, and then Hurley says, “Jin?”

Summary:
This was a fun episode. Watching the characters get ready to embark on another flight, getting in position for another plane crash, it was just fun. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I even felt a little bit excited—the way one feels before they embark on a vacation. I guess I’m just happy to see our 815-ers reuniting.

Observations:
1) We have our Ajira 8:

Jack
Sayid
Hurley
Kate
Sun
Ben
Frank
Locke
(But no Desmond or Aaron)

2) I know it’s been a few years now, but when the Oceanic Six first made it back to the States, they were widely-recognized figures. Wouldn’t it have raised some flags for someone—the flight crew, other people on the flight, or people at the airport—when they’re all boarding the same flight, but not sitting together (even though they obviously know one another)? Well, if they didn’t notice and think it was odd before, I suppose they probably will when those characters disappear after another plane trip together…

3) Frank Lapidus seemed to have no idea that they were headed back to the island. So he, for one, didn’t know they would be going back.

4) The actress who plays Eloise Hawking was cast perfectly…just like Locke and Ben. I thought her performance in “316” was stellar.

Notable Quotes:
1)
Ben claims he didn’t know about The Lamppost, which prompts the following exchange...
Jack, to Ms. Hawking: Is he telling the truth?
Eloise Hawking: Probably not.

2)
Jack: This is ridiculous.
Eloise Hawking: Oh, stop thinking about how ridiculous this is, and start asking yourself whether you think it’s going to work. That’s why it’s called a ‘leap of faith,’ Jack.

3)
Frank Lapidus: Is that Sayid? … Wait a second …We’re not going to Guam, are we?

4)
Hurley: Those seats aren’t open; I bought those seats—all 78 of them are mine.
Attendant: These people just want to reach their destination. Why wouldn’t you want them to be on this flight?
Hurley: It doesn’t matter why. Just let them take the next flight…

5)
Jack: The other people on this plane…what’s going to happen to them?
Ben: Who cares?

6)
Jack: Don’t you think it means something? We’re all on the same plane, together.
Kate: We’re on the same plane, Jack. That doesn’t mean we’re together.

7) Locke’s “suicide note”:

Jack,

I wish you had believed.

--J.L.

8)
Kate: The plane…where’s the plane?
Jack: Do either of you remember crashing?
Hurley: No…

9)
During the flight, Ben’s reading Ulysses, by James Joyce
Jack: How can you read?
Ben: My mother taught me.
(Note: Not only was this funny, it was also a lie. We know that Ben’s mother died during childbirth, and there’s no way Ben was that fast of a learner.)

10)
Jack: What is going to happen?
Ben: You tell me, Jack. You’re the one that got to stay after school with Ms. Hawking.

11)
Jack: Did you know that Locke killed himself?
Ben: No, I didn’t, Jack.
(Note: I think this is a lie)

12)
Jack: I feel like John needs me to read it.
Ben: Why don’t you then? Is it because you’re afraid?
Jack: Afraid of what?
Ben: Afraid that he blames you. Afraid that it’s because of you that he killed himself.
Jack: It wasn’t my fault.
Ben: No, Jack, it wasn’t your fault…I’m going to give you some privacy. (It seems like Ben wants Jack to read it…and I think Ben knows what it says, too.)

Questions that left me baffled:
1) Eloise Hawking referred at least twice to the “clever man” who built the pendulum in The Lamppost. Who is this “clever man”?
(Note:I have a feeling it’ll be someone we know, but right now, I can’t fathom who it might be.)

2) Eloise Hawking also referred to "other pockets" of energy, but where are these other pockets? And are they relevant?
(Note: I suspect the locations of these other pockets would be more interesting than relevant. If I had to guess, I'd throw out at least one option: the house where Isaac of Uluru lives—where Bernard took Rose hoping she'd be healed.)

3) Why is Sayid in police custody?
(Note: I wanted to come up with a theory here, but nothing seems to make sense. Even if he’d been arrested for something, why would they be taking him on a flight to Guam?)

Questions I’ll attempt to answer:
1) Where is Aaron?
My guess: Kate went back to that hotel and told Claire’s mom, Ms. Littleton, that Aaron was Claire’s son. And I think she left the boy in his grandmother’s custody. Of course, if that’s true, it doesn’t explain why she wouldn’t be willing to share this with Jack. Maybe she called up Sawyer’s ex (whose name I forget right now), and maybe Sawyer’s ex is going to raise Aaron along with Sawyer’s baby girl, Clementine (who wouldn’t be much of a baby anymore, I suppose).

2) So who told Hurley to be on that flight?
My guess: Our deceased rockstar, Charlie Pace. I think that’s why Hurley shut up right after Ben asked him who told him. It might also explain why Hurley is carrying a guitar case with him. I don’t remember Hurley playing the guitar in previous episodes. So I don’t know why else it would be a priority now. (If it was Charlie, then the real question for me is “How would Ben know that Charlie—or any dead person—was appearing to Hurley?”)

3) Will the man on Ajira Airways Flight 316 be a recurring character?
My guess: Yes, he’ll be back. The producers took the liberty of showing him three times. The first was when he offered his condolences to Jack after overhearing Jack explaining that the man in the coffin was “a friend.” Later, Hurley told this passenger he “might want to buckle up.” (Plus, I recently saw this actor in Traitor, a relatively new Don Cheadle movie, so even though he’s not a superstar, I think he’s too recognizable for a one-episode cameo.)

4) Who is this new character?
My guess: A Widmore operative. Widmore sent Desmond to Ms. Hawking. And he even knew the address for The Lamppost (although it’s possible he doesn’t know that the building hides a Dharma station). Widmore isn’t going to send Desmond off on an island-related errand without at least sending someone to keep tabs on him, is he? So I think this guy is a Widmore agent trying to get to the island with the Oceanic 6. Oh, and I think he’s been on the island before.

5) What’s up with Jin in the Dharma suit?
My guess: When the plane “crashed” it actually seemed more like one of the time-flashes. And Jack, Kate, and Hurley don’t remember the crash, nor do they see the wreckage. So maybe they were pulled through time—back to the period where/when the “constantly moving” island currently resides. And if Jin (along with Juliet, Sawyer, Miles, Daniel, and whatever is left of Charlotte) had already traveled back to that period, then maybe he’s posing as a Dharma member.

6) Where are Sayid, Sun, Ben, Frank Lapidus, and Locke?
My guess: I think they just haven’t found them yet. I think they’re all there. When Kate, Hurley, and Jack begin wondering where they are, I think the writers were hoping to make us think that they weren’t all there. But I think it was just playful misdirection. But then again, perhaps they didn’t all land in the same time period…but no, my guess is that they’re all there. (But I wouldn’t put any money on that.)


7) Where did Ben go when he said he had to take care of a “loose end”? And how did he end up bloody-faced with his arm in a sling?
(Before I share my theory here, I want to stress how hopeful I am that I’m wrong. When this thought first occurred to me, I was stunned. And I thought, “No, it can’t be!” And I hope it’s my response, not the thought that prompted it, that ends up being correct.)
My guess/fear: We should have immediately suspected evil when Ben referred to his "old friend." First of all, I'm not sure Ben has any old friends. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't be too concerned about making good on any promises to them. In a previous season, however, we do see him talking to an old acquaintance: Charles Widmore. Remember Ben's "you changed the rules" accusation? And do you recall how that meeting ended? That's right, with Ben informing his "old friend" that he plans to kill his daughter. Penny. Desmond's Penny.
And of course he could have assumed Penny was in the area, since he had just watched Desmond walk away from Ms. Hawking. Not only that, but when we last saw Penny, she and Desmond were on a boat with their baby, Charlie. And from where did Ben call Jack? I don't know if it was a dock, but it was certainly next to a body of water.

So I hope I'm wrong, but I think Ben's "loose end" was killing Penelope Widmore.

Of course, maybe his face is bloodied and his arm is in a sling because Penny (or Penny and Desmond) fought him off. But if that's true, if they fought him off, then I'd think Ben would have needed to run farther away from their boat before calling Jack.

As much as I'd hate to learn that Ben killed Penny, I can see why it would be a logical move by the writers. If Penny's dead, Desmond will come back to the island, even if it's only because he wants to track Ben down and get vengeance. And if Ben cares about one thing, it's the island. And if the island isn't done with Desmond (as Ms. Hawking said tonight), but he's refusing to come to the island, do I think Ben would do whatever it takes to bring Desmond back? Unfortunately, I do.


—Thanks for Reading

Character Overview: Desmond Hume

In last week's recap, I promised I would post a theory involving Desmond. I'm going to renege on that promise...but just a little bit. Instead of a full-fledged theory, I'm going to offer a character overview, which I think will be more helpful than a theory as we watch Season 5 unfold.

You see, I can't put all the pieces together and produce a completely cohesive theory, but I think I've connected enough puzzle pieces to make the picture a little clearer.

Enough babble, here goes...

"Desmond Hume's Worlds of Experience"

After claiming I will "make the picture a little clearer," I'm going to start with a tangent that will probably only muddy the waters. But hey, I spent a lot of time researching this, so I'm not going to take it out now...

What's in a name?
It's clear that the LOST writers love playing with names. C.S. Lewis, Henry Gale, John Locke, Edmund Burke, and others have proved this quite well.

The list of philosophers is especially noteworthy, including not only Locke and Burke, but also appearances by Jeremy Bentham, Mikhail Bakunin, Anthony Cooper, Rousseau, and...David Hume, in the form of our friend, Desmond David Hume.

What do we know about Hume, the philosopher? Well he was Scottish, for starters.

Like a certain John Locke, he was also an empiricist. Empiricism, simplified as much as possible, is the theory of knowledge based upon the idea that knowledge results from experience.

More importantly, Hume's empiricist ideas were based on what is now called the "Problem of Induction," which asserts that we can't know that something will always happen in the future the way it has in the past. (Sound LOST-ish yet?) For example, we can't know for certain that the sun will rise in the east based solely on the knowledge that it always has. Or in an example provided by wikipedia, and one that's especially relevant when considering LOST, the problem of induction suggests that we can't know that the laws of physics, as we know them, will continue to hold in the future.

Again quoting wikipedia (I'm almost done, I promise), I found this interesting: "C.S. Lewis, a 20th century popular theologian, argues in Miracles that the past-future variety of problem of induction can be easily solved by presupposing the existence of a consistent Creator who would create a consistent Universe. Such a Creator allows us to stipulate that the Universe works according to consistent rules, since the Creator would not create a Universe that was so contrary to his own nature. Thus, we can assume that once we have learned one of the Creator's rules, it will continue to hold in the future."

Also worth mentioning, considering LOST's interest in "free-will vs. fate": Hume was, again quoting wikipedia, "a classical compatibilist about the notions of freedom and determinism. The thesis of compatibilism seeks to reconcile human freedom with the fact that human beings are part of a deterministic universe, whose happenings are governed by the laws of physics."

So let's sum up this muddy tangent:

Hume believed that free will and fate are compatible. We are free to make our own decisions, even though our world/universe might be determining the final outcomes. And this determinism is due, at least in part, to the laws of physics. But he also believed that we can't be certain that the laws of physics will remain constant. Meaning, in a sense, that things can be changed...(anyone else thinking of Desmond's flashes, and the way he changed the future in order to save Charlie's life?)

So you might be asking, "What's the point?" Or, if you read the above closely, you're probably thinking, "Wow, that summary was a really mangled and juvenile interpretation of Hume's ideas." If the latter is true, then I stick my tongue out at you. As for the former, well...

There might not be a point. But then again, maybe there is.

Let's not forget Daniel's words to Desmond: "The rules don't apply to you. You're special. You're uniquely and miraculously special."

"What rules?" you ask. Hmmm, could it be that physicist Daniel Faraday is referring to the rules (or laws) of physics? I think so. If we pause and think about it, I think it's only fair to ask ourselves, to what else could Faraday be referring?

So maybe, just maybe, that philosophical mish-mash about Hume and empiricism and the importance of experiences...maybe that's just a way of reinforcing Daniel's claim that Desmond is "uniquely and miraculously special."

Just for fun, let's sum Hume's beliefs up in one word. Since he was an empiricist, I can't think of a better word than "experience."

Now let's combine that with Desmond's first name...

My knowledge of the French language is nominal at best, and it rarely comes in handy for anything. Ever. But for one rare moment, I thought it might have revealed something...

In French, "le monde" is "the world." And if you want to make that world plural, it would be "des mondes." "Des mondes" isn't exactly the same as "Desmond," but it's close...

And when you combine that with our one-word synonym for Hume:

"Desmond Hume" = "The worlds of experience"

Is that a stretch? Yes, definitely. But let's keep it in mind, anyway.

(If you'd prefer to extrapolate on a theory that Desmond's name is based on the
Desmond Rebellions, be my guest. And if you are so inclined, then I encourage you to note that Elizabeth I was the Queen of England, and she was the one who eventually put down the revolt, destroying the Desmond dynasty. After all, how did those Elizabethan soldiers travel to Ireland to put down the revolt? Well, by boat of course...and who provided our beloved Desmond Hume with his boat? That's right, good ol' Elizabeth, or Libby, if you prefer...dun dun dun...so extrapolate away, if you're so inclined...)

(One P.S. on Hume...I think it's ironic that LOST fans—or at least this one—would use Hume's name as a source for inferences, since he spent his life insisting that knowledge comes from experiences…it's kind of like, fifty years from now, having a fast-food chain name a platter of chili-cheese fries after Jenny Craig...but I really should get back to the point.)

If you've stuck with me this far, I appreciate it. And now I'll commence the overview.

I want to walk through Desmond's timeline, as we know it. But first, one last precursor.

I know I've referred to this before, but I must point it out again. Brother Campbell, the monk who eventually kicks Desmond out of the monastery, is shown in a picture (on his desk) with Eloise Hawking. We know that Eloise Hawking is a time-travel/island expert. We've also seen her sporting a robe (similar to the one Brother Campbell wore, no?) when she was working in her laboratory in a church in L.A. I think it's safe to at least suspect, if not assume, that Brother Campbell and Mrs. Hawking might be working together. And with that lodged in the forefront of your mind, here's what we know about Desmond:

Desmond's Daddy Issues
—According to Lostpedia, "Desmond did not graduate from university because he had to support his three brothers after something happened involving his father. The cause of the elder Hume's departure remains unknown."

My thoughts: So something happened to his daddy, but we don't know what. That might be worth remembering.

Desmond finds a calling…
—Later, Desmond is dating a woman named Ruth (for 6 years), but he ends up drunk in the street a week before their wedding, and he's having doubts, afraid to commit to her. (This, for me, is when things get interesting. Starting with this moment, Desmond's life is intersected at crucial moments by a list of people, all of whom, looking back, seem to have ulterior motives.)So, back to Desmond being in the street…

Again citing lostpedia, "Brother Campbell, a monk at a monastery in Eddington, Scotland, offered him help, which led Desmond to believe he had a calling to become a monk too. Desmond entered the monastery. He impressed and surprised Campbell by keeping his vow of silence, earning status as a novice monk and the title 'Brother.'"

My thoughts: So this monk appears out of nowhere and offers to help him. Coincidence? Chance? Fate? Or part of a plot by those who just might know Desmond is "uniquely and miraculously special."

Desmond Needs a New Calling
—After Brother Campbell finds Desmond drinking the monastery's wine one night, he tells him he doesn't think he should be a monk, but says Desmond "obviously is meant for a greater purpose."

My thoughts: Interesting... (For a second look at conversations Desmond has while in the monastery, see footnotes #1, #2, and #3.)

Desmond finds a Pretty Penny (pun intended)
—Then when Desmond leaves the monastery, he meets Penny and offers to help her load the wine into her vehicle. And the rest, as they say, is history…at least as far as the blossoming of the Desmond/Penny relationship is concerned.

My thoughts: Is it coincidental that he was expelled from the monastery just as Penny was arriving to pick up some crates of wine? Any chance Widmore, or Widmore and Brother Campbell (with perhaps a sprinkling of Mrs. Hawking), intended this? For a moment, I suspected that perhaps Penny was in on this, manipulating Desmond at the behest of her father and friends. But that would spoil the whole Desmond/Penny love story, so I chose to dismiss the thought, even if it might be true…
(See footnote #4 if you want evidence that suggests Brother Campbell subtly may have arranged the Desmond/Penny meeting.)

Desmond has Daddy-in-Law Issues
—Eventually Desmond goes to Widmore's office to apply for a job, but he reveals that he's actually not interested in the job. Instead, he would like Widmore's permission to marry his daughter. Widmore doesn't grant it. Instead, he says Desmond isn't worth enough to share his whiskey with him, and he certainly isn't worth his precious Penny (yup, intended).

My thoughts: (This is when we first learn that Widmore is a royal jerk. But then again, if Widmore knows that Desmond is special. If he knows he needs to be on that island, then maybe he has no choice but to turn Desmond away.)

Desmond Drops His Penny…and he goes (into the) Clink (I really tried—too hard, obviously—to make this a pun…and I apologize)
—We know that Desmond ended things with Penny and then, at some point, he enlisted in The Royal Scots Regiment. And according to lostpedia, "Desmond managed to reach the rank of a lance-corporal before being dishonorably discharged and serving time in the Southway Garrison military prison for failing to 'follow orders.' His exact offense is still unknown."

My thoughts: I just wish we knew more here.

"Pick a box, Desmond, any box…as long as it's the one I say"
—When Desmond is released from prison, a car is waiting for him. And who do we see inside that car but the beloved Mr. Charles Widmore. He shows Desmond that he has confiscated every letter Desmond wrote to Penny while he was locked up. He tells Des that this box represents his past, and he shows him a second box—full of money—and this one, he says, represents Desmond's future. But only if he ceases all contact with Penny.

My thoughts: I didn't realize it at the time, but since we've learned a little more about Widmore since this time, it seems especially odd that Widmore would try to buy off Desmond. Why? Well, because it doesn't seem like Penny is the top priority in Widmore's life. After all, when Des showed up for the "job interview" only to ask for Penny's hand in marriage, wasn't that the first time he'd ever met Desmond? (Maybe not, but it sure seemed like it.) And being the wealthy, important man he is, do we think it's logical that he would make this Desmond/Penny issue his top priority? It just seems odd to me. I think it's more likely that he was trying to keep Desmond away from Penny because he needs Desmond to go to the island and push the button.

(If you want to read that conversation between Widmore and Des, see footnote #5.)

Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away
—Desmond decides he's going to win his "honor back" by winning the Widmore-sponsored boat race around the world. One problem, he has no money and no boat…until he meets a woman at an airport who is quick to offer the boat that belonged to her recently-deceased husband. That woman is the one and the same Libby, the flight 815 tail-section surivor, the object of Hurley's crush, and the former resident of the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute.

My thoughts: Oh ho, Libby. Fool me once, shame on you… Libby might be my favorite mystery, but only because I think I figured her out awhile ago. At first, I really wanted to know why she was in that Institute. I really wanted to know how this sweet woman, this former psychiatrist (the same woman who was kind enough to offer her expensive boat as a gift to a man she just met), became a vacant-eyed, disheveled resident of Santa Rosa's.

And then it hit me! If we hadn't already known Libby, if we hadn't already thought she was a sweetheart, there's no way we would have believed that she would give away such an expensive boat just minutes after meeting someone. And then I realized, we wouldn't have believed it because we shouldn't believe it! So why would she give away that boat? Why was she in Santa Rosa's? Two questions, but one answer: Libby was just doing her job. I don't know if she's a Widmore employee or an accomplice, but either way, I think she was just carrying out business. Widmore, Hawking, and whoever else needed Desmond to have a boat to get to the island, so they concocted this plan to give him one. As for Santa Rosa's, remember Hurley's Connect Four-playing, number-spouting buddy, Lenny? After Hurley first suspected that "the numbers are bad," remember when he tried to visit Lenny to find out the source of the numbers? And remember how his request was denied because he wasn't family? (Until he saw a doctor who remembered him, that is.) So in Widmore's quest to rediscover the island, it makes sense that he would send someone undercover to learn something—if possible—from a guy who spouts "the numbers" non-stop. And if Libby really had been a psychiatrist (I have my doubts), then she's the perfect choice for an undercover assignment posing as a mental patient.

(If you'd like to read the Desmond/Libby conversation, see footnote #6.)

Desmond Flashes (At this point, my timeline is out of sorts. But I wasn't sure where to place this event. And really, can you blame me?)
—So after he turns the fail-safe key, Desmond starts getting flashes. And when he's riding in the helicopter on the way to the freighter, his consciousness starts jumping. And when Des finds himself back with Penny again, he decides this time he's going to propose. But when he tries to buy the ring, the jewelery store employee tells him he's not supposed to buy the ring. This employee is the now infamous Ms. Hawking. And she explains to Desmond that he doesn't/shouldn't propose to Penny because he needs to go to the island to push that button. She also tells Desmond that what is supposed to happen will happen. She says "the universe, unfortunately, has a way of course-correcting." She is implying that Desmond is powerless to change things.

(If you'd like to read their conversation, please see footnote #7.)

My thoughts: First of all, knowing what we know about Ms Hawking now, and also knowing that Damon Lindelof says she's a "temporal policeman," do we really believe that she spends her days polishing the display cases in a small jewelry store? I, for one, don't buy it.

I think she was there solely to meet Desmond.

But why does Ms. Hawking bother telling Desmond he can't change things? If he really couldn't change the course of history, then why bother to tell him? Why not just let him try, and fail? Unless, of course, he can change things. And I think we have reason to believe he can. Not only is he "unique and miraculously special," but by saving Charlie's life (albeit temporarily), he changed the course of the future. Would Penny's boat ever have been able to locate them if Charlie (the musician they needed to play "Good Vibrations" on the keyboard to disarm the jamming frequency) hadn't been alive to swim down into the Looking Glass?

I think Ms. Hawking, along with Widmore, Brother Campbell, Libby, and probably others, know Desmond is special, and that's why they're keeping tabs on him.

I have a related theory in regards to this. Ms. Hawking definitely seems to understand time travel. So it's not far-fetched to think she might be a traveler. If they know Desmond is special (I don't know how they know, although perhaps it could trace back to Desmond's father, the one who disappeared/died in a manner not explained to us. But the point is, these people, all or some of them, former islanders, know...), then maybe someone stopped pushing the button, and maybe the island blew up. So, being the time travelers they are, they needed to find someone in history who could change time, someone special. And they, working together, took the steps necessary (calling him a coward, making sure he couldn't be with the woman he loved, stripping him of his honor, suggesting he has a calling, etc., etc.) to make sure Desmond landed on that island, and to make sure he'd keep pushing the button, or develop the courage, in the words of Kelvin Inman, to "pull his finger out of the dam and blow the whole thing up."

Questions:
1) So, why and how is Desmond "uniquely and miraculously special"?
2) Is it possible that Ms. Hawking was lying about what Desmond was "supposed" to do? Maybe, left to his own devices, he would have purchased the ring for Penny, and maybe they would have married…and maybe it's only because of outside interference that he never followed through. You think?
3) Why was Desmond imprisoned? Because he didn't "follow orders"?
4) Why/How did Desmond's dad die when he was a kid? Who was his dad? Any chance he was an Other/Hostile who knew Widmore, Ms. Hawking, and the rest?


Other things to note:
1) Because of the system failure that occurred when he was following Kelvin instead of pushing the button, Desmond was the one who caused the crash of Flight 815.
2) Desmond was also the one who got the Oceanic 6 off the island, since it was his jumping consciousness that enabled him to make contact with Penny, prompting her to be waiting by the phone years later, and leading her on her epic quest to find him.

What's the take-away?

In short, Desmond is special. And I think Widmore and Ms. Hawking and others have known it for a long time, long enough to be altering and impacting his life in a way that will suit their purposes. His name, Desmond Hume, could be a clue about his ability to operate outside the laws of physics, potentially changing the past (or future).

Consequently, Widmore might not be a jerk. He might just be acting in the ways necessary to achieve an ultimate goal (and if we are to take Ms. Hawking's statements literally, this goal might involve saving the lives of all mankind). A brief tangent: Similar to this Widmore-might-not-be-evil thought, I've often wondered if Ben isn't evil. If he knows, because of Jacob, what is going to happen, maybe all his actions are based on a desire to make the process to that unalterable result as smooth as possible. If he knows someone is going to die, then instead of being sentimental or trying to save anyone, maybe he's just trying to expedite the process since the island/universe is going to course-correct anyway. If this is true, instead of being diabolical, Ben is more like a slave to fate.

Widmore, in contrast, would seem to have the opposite motive. If Ben is a slave to fate, carrying out Jacob's wishes, then perhaps Widmore is working with others (not the Others) to defeat fate, using someone like Desmond as the conduit.

(Of course, Ms. Hawking seems to be working with both Widmore and Ben, so I can't make any sense of that. But we'll save that for another post.)

Footnotes

Footnote #1: Dialogue from "Catch-22":

DESMOND: Are you firing me?
MONK: I am indeed.
DESMOND: You can't do that, I heard the call.
MONK: I'm sure you did hear the call, but the abbey clearly isn't where you were meant to end up. I have little doubt that God has different plans than you being a monk, Desmond. Bigger plans.
DESMOND: Oh aye, I'm sure he does.
MONK: He does! You've just spent too much time running away to realize what you may be running toward.
[The monk moves to leave]
DESMOND: Hey. What am I supposed to do now?
MONK: Whatever comes next.


Footnote #2: Dialogue from "Catch-22":

MONK: You do realize you are free to talk again, brother Desmond.
DESMOND: Used to being quiet I suppose. [He looks at the "Moriah Vineyards" label]
DESMOND: Moriah. I find the name the brothers have chosen for the wine made here, interesting.
MONK: And why is that brother?
DESMOND: Well Moriah's the mountain where Abraham was asked to kill Isaac. Its not exactly the most, festive locale is it.
MONK: And yet God spared Isaac.
DESMOND: Well one might argue then, God may not have asked Abraham to sacrifice his son in the first place.
MONK: Well then it wouldn't have been much of a test, would it brother? Perhaps you underestimate the value of sacrifice.

My thoughts: Interesting chatter about Abraham and Isaac…and perhaps worth remembering that Isaac is the father of Jacob.

Footnote #3: Dialogue from "Catch-22"

DESMOND: OK, yes, I was scared about the wedding, so I had a few pints too many, maybe I, I raised my eyes, and I asked am I doing the right thing, and that's the last thing I remember. And when I woke up, I was lying on my back in the street, and I dunno how I got there and, there was this man standing over me, Ruth. And he reached out his hand and he said to me, can I help you brother. And the first thing I noticed was the rope tied round his waist, and I looked at him and I knew, I knew, I was supposed to go with him. I was supposed to go with him, I was supposed to leave everything that mattered behind, sacrifice all of it, for a greater calling.

RUTH: Well its a good thing a bloody shepherd didn't help you up, or as I suppose you'd be off with the sheep wouldn't you? Next time you want to break up with someone, Des, don't join a monastery. Just tell the girl you're too bloody scared.

My thoughts: good thing "a bloody shepherd" didn't help him? Or is it a good thing that a "bloody Shephard" (as in Jack or Christian) didn't help him? Maybe it's nothing. Maybe.

Footnote #4: Dialogue from "Catch-22"

[Desmond enters the monk's office carrying his religious clothes in his arm]
MONK: I was afraid you'd let without saying goodbye.
DESMOND: No.
[He lays the clothes down]
DESMOND: I nearly took this with me.
[Desmond heads to leave]
MONK: If you're not in a hurry, brother Martin's heading into town in a few hours, he can give you a ride. That is, if you don't mind doing some heavy lifting.
[Desmond laughs]
[Outside, Desmond wheels cases of the vineyard wine to a car, as the monk chats with a woman]
MONK: All ten cases are ready to go. Desmond there is just getting the last one.
PENNY: Thank you, and my father sent the check in advance.
MONK: Please thank him for his generous donation. Always a pleasure to see you.
[The monk leaves, shaking Desmond's hand as he goes]
MONK: Goodbye Desmond.
[Desmond carries some of the crates round to the back of the car]
PENNY: I think we should be able to fit it all in the back, and if not we'll put the rest in the front. [She turns and looks at Desmond] Is that alright?
DESMOND: Absolutely.

My thoughts: "If you don't mind doing some heavy lifting"…that's just subtle enough, methinks.

Footnote #5: Dialogue from "Live Together, Die Alone":

[We see Desmond exiting the garrison as a limo pulls up. A man, Charles Widmore, rolls down the window.]
WIDMORE: You want a ride?
DESMOND: Not with you.
WIDMORE: Get in the car.
[Desmond gets in and notices boxes on the seat.]
DESMOND: Did you bring me a present?
WIDMORE: Actually, two presents. One of these boxes contains your past, Hume. The other, your future. Go ahead, open it.
[Desmond opens a box and finds it filled with letters which are unopened and addressed to Penelope Widmore, sent by Desmond.]
DESMOND: You're a bastard, you know that?
WIDMORE: The fact that she never received your sentiments is good for her. Good, because as far as she's concerned you've forsaken her. And that's the way it's going to stay.
DESMOND: Is it now?
WIDMORE: Penelope's moved on, Hume. She's getting married. [He opens the other box which is filled with money.] This is for your new life—away from my daughter. The conditions are simple—no contact, no calls, no posts. You just run away, Desmond.
DESMOND: And what makes you think I would just run away?
WIDMORE: Because you're a coward.

Footnote #6: Dialogue from "Live Together, Die Alone"

[We see Desmond at a coffee bar counter.]
DESMOND: Just give me which ever one has the most caffeine in it, brother. [he opens his wallet] Damn, um, I'm sorry. I've just arrived and I spent all my American money on a taxi.
LIBBY: [putting money on the counter] I've got it.
DESMOND: That's not necessary.
LIBBY: It's just 4 bucks.
DESMOND: I don't suppose you have 42,000 more of those do you?
LIBBY: Depends on what it's for.
DESMOND: I was joking.
LIBBY: No you weren't.
[We see Libby and Desmond sitting with each other. Libby is looking at a brochure for a sailing race. There's a picture of Widmore on the brochure.]
LIBBY: So, a sailing race around the world?
DESMOND: I have 8 months to get into the best shape of my life. I'll tell you what, miss, I'm going to win.
LIBBY: And what do you get if you do?
DESMOND: What really matters is who I win it for. [he pushes the brochure toward her]
LIBBY: [looking at the brochure] Charles Widmore.
DESMOND: He tried to buy me off. And when I didn't take his money, he took away the only thing in the world that I ever truly cared about.
LIBBY: Who is she?
DESMOND: His daughter. I was unsuitable on several levels.
LIBBY: And what' the 42 grand for?
DESMOND: It's a wee bit complicated. As of yet, I don't actually have a boat. [Libby looks sad] Sorry, did I say something wrong?
LIBBY: I have a boat. It was my husband's but he got sick. He wanted to sail the Mediterranean—he never—he passed away about a month ago.
DESMOND: I'm sorry.
LIBBY: I want you to have it.
DESMOND: I can't take your boat, miss.
LIBBY: But you have to. He'd want you to.
DESMOND: What was your husband's name?
LIBBY: David.
DESMOND: And what did he name his boat?
LIBBY: Elizabeth. He named it after me.
DESMOND: Then I thank you, Elizabeth. And I shall win this race for love.

Footnote #7: Dialogue from "Flashes Before Your Eyes" (my emphasis added, in bold)

MS. HAWKING: I have just the thing. [she shows him a ring] This won't blind any queens, to be sure, but still has the sparkle of life.
DESMOND: I'll take it.
MS. HAWKING: [surprised] I'm sorry?
DESMOND: It's perfect. I'll take it.
MS. HAWKING: No you won't. Give me the ring. Give it here.
DESMOND: I don't understand.
MS. HAWKING: This is wrong. You don't buy the ring. You have second thoughts; you walk right out that door. So, come on, let's have it.
DESMOND: I don't know what you're on about.
MS. HAWKING: You don't buy the ring, Desmond.
DESMOND: How do you know my name?
MS. HAWKING: Well, I know your name as well as I know that you that don't ask Penny to marry you. In fact, you break her heart. Well, breaking her heart is, of course, what drives you in a few short years from now to enter that sailing race -- to prove her father wrong -- which brings you to the island where you spend the next 3 years of your life entering numbers into the computer until you are forced to turn that failsafe key. And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of us is dead. So give me that sodding ring.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
MS. HAWKING: [when Desmond doesn't give her the ring] Oh, you're going to be difficult about this, I can see.
DESMOND: Who are you?
MS. HAWKING: Do you like chestnuts?
DESMOND: What?
[Scene switches to Ms. Hawking buying chestnuts from a street vendor.]
MS. HAWKING: Thank you.
[She notices a man climbing stairs from the Underground.]
MS. HAWKING: That man over there is wearing red shoes.
DESMOND: So, what then?
MS. HAWKING: Just thought it was a bold fashion choice worth noting.
DESMOND: This isn't really happening, is it?
MS. HAWKING: Sorry?
DESMOND: I've had a concussion. You're my subconscious.
MS. HAWKING: [amused] Am I?
DESMOND: You're here to talk me out of marrying Penny. Well, it won't bloody work.
MS. HAWKING: Oh, yes it will.
DESMOND: No, there is no island. There is no button. It's madness. I love her. She loves me. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her.
MS. HAWKING: No, Desmond, you're not.
[Suddenly, there is a loud crash behind the bench Ms. Hawking and Desmond have been sitting on. Some scaffolding has fallen and killed the man with red shoes.]
DESMOND: Oh, my God. You knew that was going to happen, didn't you? [she nods] Then why didn't you stop it? Why didn't you do anything?
MS. HAWKING: Because it wouldn't matter. Had I warned him about the scaffolding tomorrow he'd be hit by a taxi. If I warned him about the taxi, he'd fall in the shower and break his neck. The universe, unfortunately, has a way of course correcting. That man was supposed to die. That was his path just as it's your path to go to the island. You don't do it because you choose to, Desmond. You do it because you're supposed to.
DESMOND: I'm going to meet Penny in an hour. I've got the ring; she'll say yes; I can choose whatever I want.
MS. HAWKING: You may not like your path, Desmond, but pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do.
DESMOND: How much for the ring?
[Ms. Hawking looks disappointed and walks away.]
[Cut to Desmond walking down a street. He passes an Armed Forces Careers office, and eyes a recruitment poster with the tag line: Become a man you can be proud of.]

And one last piece of dialogue to consider:

LOCKE: Blow it open with what?
CHARLIE: With dynamite from the old ship in the jungle.
DESMOND: It would take an atom bomb, brother. Tell him not to bother.
LOCKE: You're sure it'll hold?
DESMOND: Aye, I'm sure.

My thoughts: "It would take an atom bomb" to blow up the hatch, eh? That's interesting since we know now that there's a 60-year-old atom bomb buried somewhere (maybe in that very hatch) on that island.

We'll Miss You, Red...

Wow, this was a good episode...


Season 5—Episode 5: "This Place is Death"

Tonight's episode was the most flash-tastic yet. By far. The island had our characters flashing and jumping through time even faster than before.

Yet in spite of the constant flashing, we learned a lot. Too much for me to go into all of it, so I'm going to do my own flashing, through the highlights:

FLASH—Smoky appeared again, snaring one of Rousseau's research buddies and dragging him down a hole outside some ancient temple (whatever it was, I wish we had seen more it). His friends and Jin tried to hold on to him, but his arm got ripped clean off. And down in the hole he went. Then flash! Jin's gone.

FLASH—Jin reappears and sees the standoff between Rousseau and her husband, when she's telling him he's sick. She decides not to shoot him, and he tries to shoot her. But alas, just as she later told Sayid, she had removed his firing pin. And then, bye-bye hubby.

FLASH—I was amused by Jin's choppy English responses when he was with Rousseau:

“Boat.”
“My wife.”
“Monster.”

It's good to have Jin back...

FLASH—Right about now, I took advantage of a commercial break to see that North Carolina had jumped out to an early 7 point lead at Duke. Go Tar Heels!

FLASH—Jin and Sawyer reunite when Sawyer aims his gun at the back of Jin's head. Sawyer tells him to turn around, and ta-da: We have our most touching moment of the night. Jin's eyes lit up like Hurley in an Apollo Candy shop, and Sawyer rushed over to give his ancient raft-mate a Texas-sized hug. (I liked that moment.)

FLASH—Add Sawyer to the list of nosebleeders.

FLASH—Kate (with Aaron in tow) and Sayid both abandon Ben and Jack. Only Sun stays with them, and she stays only because Ben says he can take her to someone who will prove Jin is still alive.

FLASH—The only non-nosebleeders: Daniel, Jin, Locke.

We learned a lot during these flashes, but a few of the developments necessitate a more thorough review.

Most notable, and most unfortunate, we learned for sure that the nosebleeds lead to death. With Daniel by her side, Charlotte Staples Lewis breathed her last. I really liked her character (and if you watch the special features on the Season 4 DVD, you'll learn that the actor's true personality is even more appealing than her character's—she just seems like she's always having fun), so it was a sad moment.

I thought it was interesting, however, that the writers allowed her to die happy, even if her consciousness was off in another time and place. Her face lit up, baffling Daniel, and she said, "But I'm not allowed to have chocolate before dinner." And then she was gone.

But she revealed a lot before she left. Such as:

1) She admits she grew up on this island, as part of the Dharma Initiative, but her mother left the island and raised her in England (her father stayed behind), and when she was growing up, Charlotte would ask her mother about this island, but her mother would claim it doesn't exist. (Note: See the end of this post to see how this news corresponds with a theory I've held since Season 4.)

2) The second revelation comes after Charlotte tells Daniel about how she's been searching for this island her whole life. Here's what follows:

Daniel: Why are you telling me this?
Charlotte: Because I remember something now. When I was growing up here, when I was little, there was a scary man who told me I had to leave the island and never come back. He told me if I came back, I would die.
Daniel: Charlotte, I don’t understand.
Charlotte: Daniel, I think that man is you…

(Note: I think it's interesting that Charlotte refers to him as a "scary man." Scary, huh? Scary and right, apparently.)

And the almost-revelation, after Daniel reveals to Charlotte that he sent Desmond to find his mother because she can help save them:

Charlotte to Daniel: How can your mother help us…
Daniel: She can… (Charlotte starts coughing before we can hear more.)

Anyone else feel teased by that?

FLASH—As if Charlotte's death wasn't depressing enough, another commercial break reveals that Duke is building a pre-halftime lead...when it rains, it pours...

There are four other developments I'll note, but I'll try not to get too long-winded. After all, I'm more interested in getting to my theories at the end of this post...

Un:
John, Sawyer, Jin, Juliet, and Miles head for the Orchid Station. They were relieved to find that it was there, and Juliet said something about this, then FLASH! No Orchid. But thankfully, a near-delirious Charlotte had told them, if the Orchid wasn't there, to look for the well. She said they'd find it there...and sure enough. they did.

(Note: Just before John descended this rope, I said to Barbie, "I wonder what happens if he's underground when the island flashes again...if it goes to a time before the tunnel is built"...and we almost got our answer.)

So John's halfway down the rope when the island flashes, and he falls the rest of the way. Meanwhile, in a cool I-didn't-expect-that moment, we see Sawyer holding the rope (he had been steadying it for John) and Miles tells him he can let go now...and the camera pans down and shows the rope sticking out of the dirt. (Note: So if the rope is stuck in the dirt now, because they traveled in time while Sawyer was holding it, I wonder if there's anything else on the island that seems out of place that is the result of a similar circumstance...)

deux:
At the bottom of the well that is no longer a well, Locke hears footsteps. Lo and behold, Christian Shephard, Mr. Mystery of Mysteries, appears again. And the dialogue between Locke and Christian is, um, uncomfortable. First, he scolds Locke for letting Ben turn the wheel. Then he confirms what Richard Alpert told John, that he would have to die.

Christian also tells John about Eloise Hawking, and he says that he needs to get "all of his friends back together," which is becoming a pretty common refrain. We see the big wooden wheel, which Christian says has "fallen off it's axle" (Is that what's causing the flashes), so John just needs to give it a little push. And so he does...

trois:
Jin was very adamant about Locke not bringing Sun back. And let's just say this is a monkey-wrench that I didn't see coming. He made Locke swear that he wouldn't go to Sun. Locke said, basically, "and what if she finds me?" Jin didn't waver for a second. "Tell her I'm dead. Tell her I washed ashore. Tell her you buried me." Then he took his wedding ring off and told Locke to show it to her. And he gave another one of his one-word sentences: "Proof."

quatre:
At the end of the episode, when they arrive at the place where Eloise Hawking is waiting, Ben produces Jin's ring and shows it to Sun. He uses this as proof that Jin is still alive, telling her that Jin gave it to John. Isn't it just like Ben to use Jin's ring for the exact opposite purpose for which it was intended...

...but was this part of a plan concocted by John and Ben? Or was it Ben's idea? I have a feeling we'll learn next week, in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham."

Let me also say this, in typical LOST fashion, the show ignored the storylines I expected, showing no traces of Desmond or Hurley in this episode…until the very tail end, when Desmond strolled in. No Richard Alpert either.

But next week, according to the preview at the end of this week's episode, we'll definitely see both Hurley and Desmond. As for Richard, I don't know...


Most Notable Quotes:

1)
As I heard it in my living room...

Barbie: She has been there before.
Scene cuts to Charlotte telling Daniel: I’ve been here before.

2)
Juliet to Locke: If whatever you’re hoping to do actually works, thank you.

3)
Ben: Hello, Eloise.
El: Hello, Benjamin. I thought I said ‘all of them’
Ben: This is all I could get on short notice.
El: I suppose it will have to do for now. Alright, let’s get started.

(Note: Doesn't it sound like Eloise is calling the shots here? She's not helping Ben as much as he's following her orders. Interesting. And—and this is a huge one—didn't Mrs. Hawking tell Ben just a couple episodes ago that he needed to get all of them together, or else it would mean the death of them all? So why would less than half of the Oceanic 6 be good enough for now? Unless they have a backup plan that will bring the rest along before that 70-hour window closes.)

4)
Desmond: What are you doing here?
Ben: I assume the same thing you are.
Desmond: You’re looking for Faraday’s mother, too?

5)
Christian Shephard: I said that you had to move it, John.

6)
Christian Shephard: All you have to do is give it a little push.
Locke: Can you help me up?
Christian Shephard: No, sorry I can’t.

(John is asking for help because a shard of something is sticking out of his leg, but Christian's response is fascinating because when Locke first saw him, Christian told John he was there to "help him the rest of the way." So he's there to help, but when John asks for help, he says he can't...which makes very little sense, unless Christian can't physically touch him...because he's not completely there...

7)
Christian Shephard: Say hello to my son.
Locke (as he’s flashing away): Who’s your son?

8)
Robert (just before Rousseau shoots him): It’s not a monster, it's a security system guarding that temple.

(Note: I want to explore that temple.)

9)
Sawyer: You speak Korean, Red?

(Note: Is that a nickname? Maybe the writers read my last post...)

10)
Daniel: Do you speak any other languages?
Charlotte: Just Klingon.

(Note: I'm going to miss Red.)

11)
Charlotte to Jin: Don’t let them bring her back. No matter what. This place is death.

12)
Ben (to Jack and Sun) If you had any idea what I’ve done to keep you safe, to keep all your friends safe, then you’d never stop thanking me…

(Note: Do we believe this?)

13)
Sayid (to Jack): I don’t want any part of this. And if I see you, or him, again, it will be extremely unpleasant for all of us.

(Note: I have a feeling Sayid is off to protect Hurley again. Where else would he go?)

Some questions:

1) Why haven't Jin, Locke, or Daniel had nosebleeds?

2) Is it possible that Daniel doesn't age, like Richard? (I must attribute this idea to my beautiful wife, even though I wish I had thought of it first.)

3) What in the world is Christian Shephard doing underground by the wheel. How does he know so much? Does anyone else think his presence is the most baffling thing in the world? (No, I don't think that's an exaggeration.)

4) So what's going to change Kate's mind? And Sayid? Hurley?


Three Theories:

1) Charlotte's Web...

I've been holding onto this theory for the past six months or so, and this week reinforced my suspicions. Charlotte says she was born on this island, but her mom left and her dad stayed.

What if Charlotte's mother is Annie, the little girl who was friends with Benjamin Linus. I've always thought Annie must have left, because I don't know that Ben would have gassed her with the rest of Dharma. If he had, I think we would have seen that subplot. Her disappearance from the story has always been suspicious, as if they've been waiting to spring her storyline on us when we least expect it.

So maybe Ben gets Annie pregnant, and they have a daughter, Charlotte. And maybe that's why Ben eventually takes Rousseau's daugther, Alex, because he knows he has a daughter somewhere but he can't be with her.

Problems with this theory:

When I first adopted this theory, I thought maybe Annie left the island because she was pregnant. Because women couldn't give birth on the island. And that's what really sold me on the theory. It would explain why Ben is so preoccupied with fertility research, even though Richard tells Locke that some of the Others are ready for a new leader because they feel like there are more important things to pursue.

But if Charlotte was born on the island, and she remembers seeing Daniel, then it seems she'd be old enough to remember her father. It also eliminates a possibility that Ben didn't know his daugther's name or what she looked like (which would have been the case if Annie had left while pregnant).

But if Ben isn't Charlotte's father, then one of the Others probably is. hmmm...


2) The "Old" Others

This theory isn't much of a theory, but bear with me.

I was developing this theory before Season 5, before we learned for sure that Widmore had been an Other. That revelation validated this theory in a big way.

I feel like there's a group of old people—former Others, most likely—who are working together off the island. And if they're not working together, they're important.

Here's a list of older people, belonging to roughly the same generation, who have proven to be important:

Mr. Widmore
Mr. Paik (Sun's father)
Mrs. Hawking
Brother Campbell
Matthew Abaddon (the black man who posed as an Oceanic representative when he visited Hurley, and the one who originally posed as an orderly and suggested Locke should go on a walkabout...I suspect that he was also an Other, but I think he's a Widmore operative now)
Christian Shephard (he seems to get more important all the time)
Richard Malkin (he's the psychic that Mr. Eko once visited after his daughter came back to live...and he's the psychic who gave Claire her plane ticket, insisting that she go to California to give her baby up)

Or maybe these people are just important because most of them are parents of our characters...but I think many of these characters are connected. Some of them in obvious ways, and others, perhaps, in ways we haven't seen yet.


3) The importance of Desmond, why Widmore might not be the enemy, and some thoughts on Mrs. Hawking...

Yes, these thoughts are all connected to one basic theory, and I'll post it soon.

FLASH—Don't worry, basketball fans, North Carolina ran away with the game in the last few minutes.


—Thanks for Reading