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