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Mainland; Evening: We pick up at the Long Beach Marina where we left off last week. Gun in hand, Sun is about to exit her car when her phone rings, so she has a tense talk with her mother, and a sweet talk with her ridiculously adorable daughter Ji Yeon. Then she heads out to send Benjamin Linus to his likely well-deserved doom, but Ben swears Jin's alive and that he can prove it. Kate and Jack have a spat because she thinks he only offered to help her protect Aaron in order to get the back to the island. Jack seems offended, but it's sort of true, isn't it? Kate gathers the still sleeping Aaron from Sun's car, puts him in her own, and drives away. It's then Sayid's turn to storm off. He tells Ben he wants no part of this and then tells Jack that if he sees him or Ben again, "It will be extremely unpleasant for all of us." Kate's tires squeal to spell out, "Don't mess with the Sayid!" Ben convinces Sun to give him 30 minutes to get her to the person who has proof Jin is alive. She agrees, and with Jack, they get into the van and head off toward Ben's proof. En route, Ben has a hysterical, "Don't make me turn this van around," moment that you can't miss.
Island; Jin, Danielle and Crew: Jin wants to find his camp, but then realizes from talking to Danielle that it's 1988. The French Crew is looking for a radio tower so they can broadcast their distress signal, so Jin agrees to lead them to the tower. On their journey they hear the familiar-to-Jin sounds of the Smokeosaurus and realize one of their members, Nadine-with-the-canteen, has gone missing. Not for long, though. Nadine-with-the-canteen is soon smack-dab in front of their faces... erm... feet. Or, her corpse is, after it drops out of the treetops above. , the Smokeosaurus looms over a haughty, snotty, blond Frenchman, who tries to stare old smoky down. Bad choice. The Smokeosaurus grabs him by the ankles, drags him through the jungle a bit, and then tries to pull him into some hole that seems to go beneath some ruins. The Temple, maybe? Jin and the French crew try to save Haughty Snotty, but are only sorta kinda successful. Smoky gets the better part of him. Jin et al get... his arm. Ew! Haughty Snotty yells from the hole that he is hurt. Ya think? The Frenchies want to go in after him, and won't listen to Jin, who tries to stop them and who has already told them they're dealing with a "monster." He does stop Danielle, though, by reminding her of her unborn child. Soon, there's the familiar buzzing and light that Danielle does not seem to experience. She watches Jin writhe in discomfort, and in a flash he's gone. He won't encounter her again until that fateful day on which she shoots her whole crew, because they're infected with "the sickness." We see her kill her beloved Robert, and she almost does in Jin when she catches sight of him, but then there's a flash and...
Jin's safe for now, and finally meets up with Sawyer, with whom he shares a ginormous hug. Jin joins Sawyer, Juliet, Daniel, Miles, Charlotte and Locke on their trek to the Orchid. The gang is flashing in and out of time so quickly though, that Juliet's nose bleeds more and Sawyer's starts bleeding, too. Hey! Cut that out. Charlotte can't make it. She collapses and seems to be making mental jumps in time apart from the physical jumps, which are still happening. One thing is clear, she loves Geronimo Jackson. When she hears the crew wonder if the Orchid even exists in their current place in time, she tells them to find the well, but they look at her like she's nuts, and go on their way. Daniel stays behind with her, so she tells him that she grew up on the island but had to leave, and that a scary man told her she could never come back, and that scary man was him! She then dies. I think the island had it in for her because she said, "This place is death."
Locke and the rest make it to the Orchid, and then there's a flash and the Orchid is gone. They find Charlotte's well. Jin gives Locke his wedding ring and makes him promise to tell Sun he's dead and not to come back to Craphole, because it's Craphole. There's a flash while Locke's descending into the well, and once it passes, there's no well, just a rope sticking out of the ground. Sawyer starts clawing at the ground to dig Locke out, but Juliet's all, "Really, dude? C'mon." Meanwhile, Locke is in the underground chamber where the Frozen Donkey Wheel chills, and he's broken his leg. At first I thought there was a rock sticking into it, but when he didn't pull it out, I realized it was his shinbone sticking OUT of it. Ew again, Show. Christian Shepherd appears, and tells Locke that Locke should have moved the island, not Ben, and that listening to Ben is a bad idea. He convinces Locke that he has to gather all the people who left the island and take them to Eloise Hawking, who will get them back, and to prepare to sacrifice himself for this goal. On Christian's instruction, Locke pushes the wheel which had slipped off its axis, and everything grows bright. Shepherd says, "Say hello to my son," but Locke is gone before Shepherd can tell him who that is.
Jack, Ben and Sun finally reach their destination – a church. Ben gives Sun Jin's wedding ring as proof that Jin lives, and presses her to come with him back to Craphole. Suddenly, Desmond appears! He asks what they're doing there, and when Ben says he assumes it's the same thing he's doing there, Des replies, "You're looking for Faraday's mother, too?" Ben's eyes bug out even further. They enter the church and meet Eloise Hawking, who says to Ben, "I thought I said all of them." When Ben says this was all he could get on short notice, Eloise says, "I suppose that will have to do for now." She sizes up the group then says, "All right. Let's get started." And? She looks terribly pleased with herself. DUN!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!If I may anthropomorphize -- this show is a college student who screwed off for two and a half years, ended up on the six-year plan, and is now hell-bent on graduating magna cum laude. With a double-major. It's not just the time travel. It's not just the island/mainland split. It's not just the juxtaposition of science and faith. It's not just the acting (which is nearly flawless in this episode). There's all this mind-blowing development and a consistent emotional resonance -- a quality that was hit or miss in the early years. When I watch the "previouslies" I start conflating it with Battlestar Galactica: "All of this has happened before. All this will happen again" and Peter Pan: "All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again." And I'm searching on terms like Eternal return. What are you trying to do to me, Show? Never mind. Let's not quibble. Just keep doing it, please.
Previously on Lost... The word previously lost all meaning. Also? Lawyer Dan "Angela Chase's father" Norton, and an associate, served Kate with a court order which requires her and Aaron to submit to blood tests. So Kate goes on the run, and runs to Sun who is in L.A. Sun tells Kate to "take care of" them. Little cardigan-in-the-tropics-wearing, garden-growing Sun. She totally means nurture, right? Sun gets a dossier on (and photos of) Jack and Ben -- from "Surveillance Data Investigations, Inc." and some gourmet chocolates and a gun a.k.a. the best Emergency P.M.S. Pack with Perks, ever -- because sometimes, regular old chocolate just won't do. So ladies, did your men come through for Valentine's Day? At the Long Beach Marina, Kate tells Jack that Ben is the undisclosed client who's trying to take Aaron from her. Jack's all, nuh uh! And Ben's all "PSYCHE!" Sun takes this all in from her car, surely planning on how she can nurture him.Meanwhile, on Craphole Island, Charlotte collapses in a bloody heap. Locke declares that the strand-aways need to get to the Orchid and that this is all happening because they left. Meanwhile, the survivors of a shipwreck ride out a horrific storm in an octagonal life raft and find the best flotsam ever. JIN! On the beach, Jin freaks the freak out when he realizes the sweet, young French woman who rescued him is Danielle Rousseau...16 years earlier. And now you're all caught up, and it's time for the mind-altering installment of Lost.
Mainland; Long Beach Marina Slip 23; Evening: We pick up where we left off last week. Sort of. Here's how I recapped the last scene of last episode: Kate gets in his face and demands to know why Ben doesn't just stay away and leave her and her son alone. And maybe Ben needs to die to get back to the island, because he takes his life in his own hands when he answers: "Because he's not your son, Kate." The music intensifies and we zoom out from this not-so-tender scene, and then in on Sun. She's sitting in a nearby car, with a sleeping Aaron in the backseat. Upon the front passenger seat sits the surveillance photos of Jack and Ben, the investigative report and her purse, from which she removes... THE GUN! She opens the car door and we jump to... Notice the part in bold: "She opens the car door." I stand by that. I stand by it, because I watched it about five times before I wrote it, then checked once more after I wrote it, and just checked again, now. There's definite door movement. It's quick, but it's there. I've even checked in slow-mo. But that was then...
This is now.... Sun -- nostrils flaring -- watches Kate rip Ben a new one. Her cell phone rings. She picks it up with her right hand that is so not holding a gun. What the heck, Show? That's cheating. Did you neither read nor watch Stephen King's Misery? I hate that. Discontinuity aside...or wait. Was it? See, this is what time travel stuff does to me. Maybe this is a totally different visit to that moment at Slip 23 and maybe this time the phone rings because someone who can break the rules does and influences the caller to...oh frak. I can't go there or I'll never finish. Let's pretend, at least for now, that it was just cheating. Please?
Anyhow, Sun's caller ID picture shows a beautiful little Asian toddler. Sun picks up the phone, and it's her mother, who isn't actually a toddler. Age-appropriate Mama Paik is back in Korea, holding actual-toddler Ji Yeon on her lap, and asking Sun where she is. Asking that question over the phone was more in fun pre-mobile phone days. Sun tells her mother she's still in L.A., finishing up what she came to do, and will be on a plane home -- tomorrow. (Whenever that is.) Then Mrs. Paik puts Ji Yeon on the phone and oh my word I am DED of the CUTE.
The subtitles inform me that Sun tells little Ji Yeon, "I met a new friend for you in America. His name is Aaron." And let me tell you, the fandom is in a tizzy, thinking Sun means something more sinister by that -- something like taking little Aaron from Kate -- but I don't think so. I think she was just telling her daughter one of the few things about her trip that you could tell a three year old. I mean, what is she going to say? "I got a box of chocolates with a gun in the bottom layer, and I'm just about to blow out the brains of one of the men I hold responsible for your Daddy's death. Talk to you later, sweetie. Tell Halmoni to give you an extra hug and kiss from me."
Ji Yeon then says, "Come home, Mama! I miss you!" There are exclamation points in the subtitles, and everything. This child might be the most well-cast TV toddler, ever. She doesn't have that kids-show phoniness about her. She's just...well, she's so good, I'm pretty sure they've got her real mother on the other end of whatever phone line she's using. Even Halmoni Paik is delighted with her (of course she's the grandma, so er...never mind).
Sun struggles not to cry. "I'll be there soon." ...As soon as I blow out the brains of one of the men I hold responsible for your Daddy's death. I mean -- as soon as I figure out a way to pass off this little towhead as my own. I mean... "I love you, sweetie. Good-bye." Arrested Development fans are cracking up about Sun using the Korean word for goodbye there, because...of a...reason that...I do not know, since I never watched A.D. Yes, I know I should be ashamed. Anyhow, Sun hangs up the phone, picks up the gun (again!), exits her car, and heads straight for Ben who is now in the process of reminding Kate that Aaron is not actually her son (cheating, or time-travel rule breaking - you be the judge). Sun readies her weapon. Everyone turns to look at her, as she barks, "Move away, Kate." Jack holds out his hand, because he's such a gifted surgeon he can actually pinch a speeding bullet out of mid-air. Sayid looks on like you would have in high school, if you were hammered and a normally reserved kid was about to open an unexpected can of whup-ass on the class bully. He sort of knows maybe he should do something, but he really doesn't want to, because man, this is GOING TO BE AWESOME! Kate scurries to Sun's car to get Aaron, and although Jack tries to talk Sun out of killing Ben, she's not about to be dissuaded, because as she tells Ben, "If it wasn't for you, Jin would still be alive."
Ben says he didn't kill Jin and neither did anyone else, because Jin's not dead. Sayid and Jack stare at him. Jack almost looks like he wants to jump in, but if he were hammered and watching this fight in high school, this would be the moment where it looks like the bully might get the upper hand on the reserved kid, and while Jack doesn't want that to happen, he's really doesn't want to draw the bully's ire -- because the bully was just starting to treat him like a cool kid, which he really isn't -- not on the inside. Still holding the gun on Ben, Sun tells him he's lying, but Ben shakes his head. "Jin's still alive. And I can prove it." The music swells and we jump to...
The Island; Beach; Daylight: Jin -- looking alive if a little worse for the wear -- stares out at the ocean, as Danielle and her party fiddle around with their stuff on the beach. The blond man -- Montand -- to whom I will now refer as Haughty Snotty (because he is, and because I keep forgetting Montand) is holding up a radio, and trying to listen to a message. Through the static, we hear a man's voice say, "8, 15, 16, 23, 42." People are swearing it's Hurley's voice. I think it's possible (especially on 23, in my opinion -- although others think the 42 nails it), but I'm remaining agnostic on that, for now. I need to have enough grey matter left to finish this recap. Her pregnancy doesn't stop Danielle from running over to Jin and asking if he's okay. He's still trying to take in that she is who she says she is. He asks where she's from and she answers that they sailed from Tahiti. Jin asks when. Danielle says, "November 15," but what Jin really wants to know is the year. "1988." As Jin reels back, some of the other members of the team join Danielle. Jin says he needs to go find his camp. Robert asks Jin if he's been on the island before. With words and charades, Jin asks if they saw a helicopter.
In French, Haughty Snotty says, "First a boat. Then a helicopter. thing you know, he'll be talking about a submarine." And okay, I laughed at first thinking that was just a clever line, but they found Jin floating in the ocean, so they've got to believe he was on a boat at some point, right? Maybe Haughty Snotty and crew know more about Dharma and/or the Others, from the get-go. Haughty Snotty adds, "Come on. I know which way to go." Robert asks if he's sure. Apparently Haughty is looking for whatever antenna is making it possible for him to receive the message containing the numbers. They ask (with plenty of pantomime and drawing) Jin if there's a radio tower on the island. Jin confirms there is, but says he must find his camp, because maybe the helicopter went there. He doesn't know where his camp is from their current location, but he says he can find it from the radio tower (which I don't think he's ever been to), so he agrees with Danielle's suggestion to go with them to the tower and then find his camp. As the team moves out, Jin witnesses a tender moment between the pregnant Danielle and her husband Robert, and it just about rips out Jin's heart. To drive this home, Danielle waits for Jin, then asks him who he is hoping to find. Quietly, Jin says, "My wife." We jump to...
The same group walks through the jungle -- the strength of Haughty Snotty's radio signal is their sherpa -- but the radio isn't coming in now the way it was on the beach, so I'm not going to think too hard about this method of finding the tower, because it seems like the writers and directors didn't. Danielle seems to have a contraction, but assures her husband it was only a kick. They playfully argue about whether the baby will be a boy (Robert thinks so, and declares his name will be...er...the French Alexander) or a girl (Danielle says her name will be Alexandra). Jin looks on just a little too long, then averts his eyes. Robert wants Danielle to have some water, so they start looking for Nadine-with-the-canteen, who seems to have gone looking for poutine. Hey, maybe Dharma drops some in on those pallets. You don't know. Maybe Dharma uses poutine to construct the pallets. Haughty Snotty starts snitting that "this" is what happens when you bring "women" and that Nadine-with-the-canteen is probably off looking for "butterflies." Oh yes he does, but don't worry, poppets. He'll get his. Unfortunately, not before Nadine-with-the-canteen gets hers. Everyone looks and listens, but all they see and hear are the sights and sounds of the jungle -- chirping birds, buzzing insects, and the rattle-rattle-rattling of the SMOKEOSAURUS! Smokey, get Haughty Snotty, please. Crap, I jumped the gun. Danielle calls her team's attention to Smokey's "Jungle Songs for Electric Catarrh" (sorry). Robert asks what it is. The camera zooms in on Jin who says, "Monster."
Danielle wants to backtrack and find Nadine-with-the-canteen, but Jin insists they must go. Haughty Snotty tells him to shut up (I HATE this guy) and leads the team to their eventual doom. Reluctantly, Jin follows behind. The French frantically scream for Nadine, to no avail. Robert orders everyone to spread out and search. Just then, a landmine explodes, and Smokey starts roaring. And who should appear but Nadine...or her corpse, that is. She falls straight down from above, landing bloody at poor Danielle's feet. Jin screams for everyone to run, and they actually get the point, this time. Mr. Shut-Up is right out in front, which is just excellent. We finally see Smokey, who descends upon Haughty Snotty and drags his shut-up-ass through the jungle and into a hole that sits at the base of a Temple of sorts. The Temple I guess, where the Others were supposed to go during the great island relocation project, right? Everyone holds onto Haughty Snotty, but Smokey wins this game of wishbone. He gets all of Haughty Snotty into his lair...er...all except for his right arm, which Robert wins, but then hilariously flings aside. Oh Show, you're so gross. Didn't Vincent once bring someone an arm? How old was it? I mean, was there still meat on it? Was it rotting/rotted? I only have the vaguest of memories. ["I thought that arm belonged to the guy who drove the van? But I can't say for sure if that guy had one or two arms when they took him out so they could have their beer-filled joyride, and Vincent found another arm somewhere else and the van thing was a weird coincidence." -- Angel] Also, I'm suddenly thinking about Dr. Pierre Chang's glaring lack of an arm, and wondering how that happened, since he had both arms in the Marvin Candle flashback we got this season.
So anyhow, Haughty Snotty's in the hole, and that's a damned fine place for him, if you ask me. Throw his arm in too, Jin! He can't hear me. All the French people are too busy having noisy, Frenchified conniptions. They quiet down when Haughty Snotty starts yelling from the hole. He doesn't sound like a man who lost his arm. He sounds like a man being imitated by a Smokeosaurus, and I really couldn't be more thrilled by this development. Anyhow, Smokey Frenchifies that he's hurt and that they should all come in the hole because it is gone, now. Robert wants to go in. Jin gives him the, "No you don't, Mister," finger-in-face, but Robert and the rest of the guys all ignore Jin and any semblance of common sense they once had. Danielle wants to follow behind them, but Jin stops her and reminds her of her baby. She contents herself with grabbing her rifle and watching the hole. Just then, there's the buzzing sound of an imminent time-travel flash. The sky grows bright and Jin writhes in pain from the noise and light -- the noise and light that Danielle can neither see nor hear, because she's in the right time for her. It is only Jin who is not when he's supposed to be. Only Jin is lost in time. Oooooooooh. And then FLASH! Jin is in front of the Temple, alone. He checks out the Hieroglyphics. The hole is still in the ground at the Temple's base, and he nearly trips over a decomposing arm -- just another happy reminder that Haughty Snotty got his, so I don't understand why Jin looks so sad. Don't be sad, Jin. The bad French man is dead, or will be soon enough. Hush, dear. Jin takes off in the other direction. He scales a hill and is clearly feeling the heat of the day. He drinks dew from a leaf (I'm not writing fan fic -- I swear he does this). He turns and in the distance, sees a column of smoke rising in the sky, and heads off in that direction. Finally making his way to shoreline, Jin happens upon a ramshackle camp of sorts. A fire is all but smoldering embers now. He finds a music box (Danielle's -- the one Sayid fixed -- remember), a bag and some other stuff, and then hears the buzzing of flies. He stumbles past a violin, waves away the flies, and finds two corpses lying on the beach. It's Lacombe and Brennan (I think). There's shouting in the distance. Jin hides in the verge and approaches the source...
Danielle and Robert -- they're both armed. Robert's weapon is at his side. Danielle's is locked and loaded, and she screams at him to drop his gun. Robert calmly pleads with her to put down her gun and reminds her that he loves her. She yells that he is not Robert -- that he is someone else -- that the smoke monster changed him. He asks why she is doing this. She says he is sick -- the monster made him sick. Robert explains to Danielle that "it" is not a monster, but a security system that guards the Temple. He talks her into lowering her weapon, professes his love yet again, and says he doesn't want anything to happen to her or their baby. Danielle looks horrified, but acquiesces. She lowers her rifle and Robert raises his and fires. Jin looks on in shock, but the gun doesn't fire. Danielle removed the pin. She raises her weapon, fires, and shoots Robert right between the eyes. He falls dead in the sand. Jin rushes toward her as all this is going on, but Danielle reloads and says to Jin that he disappeared -- he's sick too. Now, I don't know if this means the rest of the French crew got time-jumping sickness from Smokey, or if they just got some sort of Smokeosaurus fever, and Danielle's comment is intentionally confusing. But? WHATEVER! Because she's shooting at Jin. And shooting. And shooting. He runs off into the jungle and then there's a buzzing and a bright light and a FLASH! (Thank heavens.) Remember last week when I wondered if the flashes have some sort of sentience or purpose? That scene there has me thinking they do. Jin flashes just long enough to see Danielle off Robert and then flashes again, before she can actually shoot him? C'mon. I'm just saying.
Jin is face first in the dirt. He rises and behind him, he hears a gun cock. A voice tells him to turn around slowly. IT'S SAWYER! Once they finally recognize each other, their reunion is just priceless. They both grin ear to ear and Sawyer rushes at Jin for a hug. Awww. Remember when nobody on the island liked either of them? Sawyer tells Jin he thought he died when the freighter blew up, but Jin says he landed in the water. Sawyer squeaks out something adorable like, "What do you say?" and laughs. Juliet and Locke happen upon this and Jin eyes them then turns back to Sawyer. "Where is Sun?" And we cut to commercial. When we return, Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte look on and discuss how Jin got back, and Daniel exposits that Jin has been jumping threw time along with them. A few feet away, Sawyer explains the flashes and time travel to Jin, who yells at him in Korean and walks over to (Run) DMC. He tells Charlotte to translate for him. She knows he's talking to her, because he caught her listening in on him and Sun last season, but she plays dumb, so Sawyer assumes Jin's talking to Miles, and says, "You heard the man -- translate." Miles says, "Um, he's Korean. I'm from Encino." HA! And no Miles, I'm pretty sure you're from Old/New/Whatever Otherton.
Jin addresses Charlotte in Korean. She looks around with a great who-me expression, then finally gives in. "He wants to know how you're sure his wife is off the island." Daniel looks at her like woah?! Charlotte seems pissed she had to out herself. Sawyer says, "You speak Korean, Red?" Miles says, "Obviously," and ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a match, don't you think? Miles and Sawyer, I hope there's lots of snarky back and forth in your future. And oh my word, what on earth is going on with Charlotte's shirt there? Oh. I see. It's a drop of blood. It's an unfortunately placed drop of blood. I really thought that was a nipple -- not an outline -- an actual nipple. Sheesh, wardrobe people. What's up with that? It's not only crass, it's offending my sense of symmetry. If you're going there, give the girl two, would you? There's a knock coming from inside my desk. It's the wee Locke who lives in my uppermost left-hand drawer. "Do I get to talk soon, Cindy? I haven't had much to do so far tonight, which is really strange since I'm pretty sure this all about me." Hush, wee Locke. TV Locke's going to talk, right now. He tells...wait, I'll quote, since someone's a little n-e-e-d-y. "Tell him, I'm sure. But none of it will matter if we don't make it to the Orchid." Charlotte gives Jin the rundown in Korean: the Orchid Station is a way off the island; Locke's going to use it to get the escape-aways to return, including Sun. Jin asks Locke why he's bringing Sun back. Locke explains that she never should have left. Uh...didn't Locke know about the island's pregnancy problem? That's a little harsh, there.
Mainland; Long Beach Marina Slip 23; Evening: Sun's still going off on Ben, because she's spent the last three years thinking Jin was dead. She wants to see his proof -- she wants to know how Ben knows Jin is alive. Kate, who has gathered the still sleeping Aaron from Sun's car, approaches her own. Ben tells Sun there's someone in L.A. who can give her the proof, and that same someone will help them get back to the island. Kate turns on Jack -- accusing him of only pretending to care about Aaron as a ruse to get them to go back to the island. I think she's got you there, Jack. Actually, I think Jack does care for Aaron and I know he cares for Kate, but he was so uncomfortable about the lie (which he insisted they tell), and knowing Aaron was his nephew, that she's at least got him on a technicality. The first time he's chosen to get involved in a long time has to involve Ben and a plot to return to Craphole? Motives aside, it just doesn't look good, Doc. Jack tries to explain himself, but Kate is in no mood to listen. She gets in her car and prepares to drive off. It's then Sayid's turn to storm off. Ben calls out to him, so Sayid tells him he wants no part of this. He then turns to Jack and says, "And if I see you or him (Ben) again, it will be extremely unpleasant for all of us." Kate's tires squeal to spell out, "Don't mess with the Sayid!" Sun's still got her gun right up against Ben's throat, so he knows he's got to cut his losses with Sayid and Kate for now, and save his own hide. He convinces Sun to give him thirty minutes to get her to the person who has proof Jin is alive, pointing out that she can shoot him -- but then she'll never know. Jack's not sure which side he's on. Finally, Sun says, "Let's go," and she, Jack and Ben walk toward the Reincarnation Van.
Craphole Island; Day:
Jin's English improves dramatically as the strand-aways approach the Orchid. He tells Locke he wants to go with him, but Locke insists he must leave the island alone and promises to bring Sun back. He walks off ahead of Jin and Jin gaze-burns holes in the back of Locke's head. (Hi, Mindy.) Charlotte's condition worsens as they make the trek. Daniel asks her if she speaks and other languages, but she says, "Just Klingon." Hee. I wonder if she learned Korean at the feet of Dr. Pierre Chang, as she played with his little boy Miles. Hmmmm? Daniel tells her although it makes empirical sense that the temporal shifts can be stopped at the Orchid if that's where they started, but this theory about bringing back the escape-aways: "That's where we leave science behind." She sort of stumbles back, and Daniel asks if she's okay. As she nods, another flash is ramping up, so Charlotte adds, "Oh, no!" Everyone is seems to be in great pain and we FLASH!
Craphole Island; Night: Just as the strand-aways spool down their FTL drives, another flash starts buzzing at them. Charlotte cries in pain, and Sawyer yells, "Come on!" Everyone holds their heads and we see them moving in and out in a new shaky-cam visual effect. It sort of nauseates me.
Craphole Island; Day; Again: The strand-aways pant, hold their heads and try to recover. Charlotte swoons and falls flat on her back. Daniel calls her name and the rest of the gang gathers around her. Sawyer points out that Juliet's got a little nose blood, and she returns the favor BECAUSE SAWYER HAS A LITTLE NOSE BLOOD! He really should take off his shirt and use it as a hanky. Charlotte seems to come to, but like Teresa Spencer, Daniel's earlier victim/patient/subject, she's not "present." She meets Jin's eyes and starts talking to him in Korean. Sawyer asks what she's saying, and then she slips into English. "Don't let them bring her back. No matter what -- don't let them bring her back." And her is probably Sun, but it could be Ji Yeon, and Ji Yeon could be Miles' mother in the future-past and oh my word, my nose is bleeding again, too. Everyone looks at Charlotte, but Locke looks at her with some menace. Charlotte then gets to spout this week's title: "This place is death." The music spins up, out and onto a commercial.
Mainland; Night: Sun's angry because Ben's thirty minutes are up and they're still driving. He tells her he didn't account for traffic. Jack apologizes to Sun for leaving Jin behind. Everything was just happening so fast, but... he knows they should have waited for him. Sun wants to know why he's telling her this, now. "Are you going to ask me not to kill Ben if he's lying about my husband?"
Ben keeps his eyes front, but he's all ears. Jack says, "After what he just did to Kate -- if you don't do it, Sun, I will." Excellent. Welcome back, Jack!
Ben steers the van to the side of the road, and screams to a sudden stop. Jack yells at him -- asking him what he's doing. Ben looks like an angry mother, and I mean that in the angry, maternal don't-make-me-turn-this-van-around parent sense. "What I'm doing is helping you. And if you had any idea what I've had to do to keep you safe, to keep your friends safe, you'd never stop thanking me." Did you hear the near-hiss on both instances of safe. I swear I've said that word, just like that. Oh, dear. Ben looks to Sun then Jack and decides to go the Full Monty Mommy, breaking out the and-another-thing codicil that follows every good parental rant. "You wanna shoot me? Then shoot me! But let's get on with it." Yeah! If he weren't driving, he'd totally be tapping one foot, while standing with both hands on his hips. "What's it gonna be?" Sun's eyes say, Give me a moment, but her lips say, "Drive." Ben nods, puts the van back in gear and returns to the road. Chagrined as any chewed-out children would be, Jack and Sun remain silent. I've taken that ride; it's going to be a long one, even if you just have another block to go. I'm just saying.
Craphole Island; Day: Jin hands Daniel the flask. He wets his hanky, again, to make like he's going to do something to help Charlotte, but he probably won't. Again. Charlotte says, "Why can't Daddy come with us?" So, do you think her Daddy is Ben? If so, could her Mommy be Annie? I know I threw that out sort of abruptly but it's just food for thought. Anyhow, Daniel tries to bring her back around, and Charlotte says, "You know what my mum would say about me marrying an American?" Daniel looks...er...still constipated. I don't know. A poster at the Buffista site noted that theirs is the chastest love she's ever seen. I have to agree. I can't figure it out, but I don't have to, because now Charlotte's bragging about knowing more about Ancient Carthage than Hannibal, himself. Locke says they have to get moving. Daniel wants them to carry Charlotte along, but Locke says that will just slow them down. Surprisingly, Sawyer's with Locke and adds, "The flashes are getting closer together. Maybe when your nose starts bleeding you'll realize we've gotta get out of Dodge, now." His voice softens as he adds that they'll come back for her as soon as they can.
Charlotte, lucid for a moment, tells them to go on without her, but Daniel refuses to leave her behind. There's yet another flash. When it concludes, Locke orders everyone to go, now. Charlotte's still with it, and tells Daniel that Locke is right. She then groans and leaves the present, and happily adds, "Oh, turn it up. I love Geronimo Jackson." When Juliet prompts him for a decision, Dan says he'll stay with Charlotte and they should go. Sawyer asks Locke if -- since they don't know when they are -- how do they know the Orchid will still be around. Locke has no clue. Back again, Charlotte says, "Look for the well. You'll find it at the well."
Sawyer looks at Charlotte with pity and fear. Softly, he says, "Yeah. We'll be sure to do that." They leave Charlotte to more of Daniel's love so chaste, he doesn't even let his hanky touch her face, and journey onward. Miles' nose bleeds some more along the way, but the trip is otherwise uneventful.
Arriving at the ruins of the Orchid, Locke proclaims that they're there. Juliet says, "Thank God. What are the odds that we would end up in the same time as this thing," which is the magic incantation for yet another flash. They're not only sentient -- they don't like a smartass, and so we FLASH in some direction, I assume way back, to a time when there was no Orchid. I'm pretty sure Sawyer buys my theory, because he turns to Juliet and says, "You just had to say something." Locke looks around, and seeming to catch sight of something he couldn't have possibly seen on account of all the JUNGLE around, runs through the thicket until he finds...the well. Miles wonders aloud how Charlotte knew it was there and we jump to...
Daniel and Charlotte: Charlotte is coughing and crying and generally dying, so it's time for her deathbed confession. She tells Daniel she's been there before -- that she grew up there at the Dharma Initiative, and then she moved away with her mum. Her father didn't go with them and she never saw him again. Back in England, whenever she asked her mother about the island, her mother would tell her it wasn't real -- just something Charlotte had made up. And then Charlotte Staples Lewis would hide in the fur coats of the wardrobe until she fell out into the snows of Lantern Waste. Er...or something like that. So that's why Charlotte became an anthropologist -- to find the island again, because um...the geography major was full-up? Okay, given how this season's going, I'll give the writers more credit than that, but just enough to cover, because on the face, that's still a pretty dumb line. Anyhow, Charlotte's been searching for the island her whole life. Daniel wants to know why she's telling him this, which seems like a weird question to ask. Why wouldn't she? Or why wouldn't he ask why she didn't tell him before. Charlotte explains: "Because I remember something now. When I was little, living here, there was this man -- a crazy man. He really scared me. And he told me that I had to leave the island and never, ever come back. He told me that if I came back, I would die." Daniel says he doesn't understand and I wonder how he made it through high school, never mind college, and grad school and super-scientist school. Crying, Charlotte says, "Daniel. I... I think that man was you."
Locke stares down the well and explains he's hoping to find a way off. When Sawyer asks him if he's expecting a subway (ha), Locke just pats him on the shoulder and says, "Goodbye, James," and prepares to descend the rope. Jin stops him and makes it crystal clear that he cannot bring back Sun. Locke protests that they all have to come back, but Jin wonders how Locke actually knows that, Locke admits he doesn't know. Jin grabs the rope in one hand and holds his machete (or a machete -- where'd he get the machete) with the other, threatening to cut the rope, and holy cow would you look at the guns on him! Oh, my. Locke seems oblivious to the loveliness that is Jin's arms, which is probably a good thing because he needs to concentrate. He contends that if Jin cuts the rope he'll kill "every one of us." Jin reminds them that the emperor has no clothes, i.e. "This island is bad." A beat. "You promise -- you don't bring Sun back. You don't bring my baby..." and it seems he means their (to him) unborn child (you know Miles' mother), but it's kind of sweet to think he sort of means Sun, too. Locke promises, but he would do anything to fulfill what he perceives as his mission du jour. He wants to know what he should tell Sun. He won't go to her, but if she finds him, he needs to know what to tell her. Jin insists that Locke tell her he died -- that he washed up and that Locke buried him, then he hands Locke his wedding ring. Locke tells everyone he'll be back as soon as he can, and you know he means that, because there's no place like home -- is there, Johnny?
He struggles to climb down the rope and Sawyer offers to lower him, but Locke says, "Where would be the fun in that?" And he breaks out his trademark, batshit-insane-but-truly-happy grin. Juliet offers him her thanks for trying to do whatever it is he's trying to do, and he tells her she's welcome. It's a nice, honest moment between these two characters who have had so few honest moments, and who have seldom received much appreciation for the things they've done, even those things which went or meant well. Locke grabs hold of the rope, and I've got to say his arms are nothing to sneer at, either. He swings there for a moment, then begins his descent. Before he disappears, another flash begins. Miles gets to say, "Uh-oh," and from Locke's point of view, we see the flash of light seems to have its genesis in the well. We see Sawyer and Jin outside the well, in shaky cam (which gives me such a headache). Sawyer grabs the rope, steadies it, or tries to, and yells for John to hold on. There's more flashing and then John loses his grip on the rope and plummets to the bottom of the (dry) well. He screams in pain. Oh, John!
Above ground, Miles, Juliet, Sawyer, and Jin try to adapt to the latest flash. We see Jin first, but it's Sawyer who breaks my heart. He's holding onto the rope, pulling it and his whole body seems to quiver, but he doesn't open his eyes. Finally, Miles breaks the silence. "I think you can let go of that, now." Sawyer looks down to see the rope now comes up out of solid ground, and there's no well to be found. He keeps pulling just the same, because he's Sawyer. Then yells, "No, no, come on, help me," as he tries to dig Locke out. Juliet pretty much says, "Really, dude? C'mon," but a little more gentle-like, because that's what Juliets do best.
Meanwhile, over at the This-Place-Is-Death place, Charlotte coughs and I realize she's probably choking on her own blood, which makes me gag. Hey, I'm not going through this alone, all right? Daniel pleads with her to stay with him. Seems like he could stand to hear Miles say, "I think you can let go of that, now," too. Daniel tells her that everything is going to be okay, because he has a plan -- which just means he talked to Desmond and told him to find his mother who can and will help them. Big plan, eh? Charlotte wants to know how Daniel's mother can help, and like all good boys, Daniel just knows Mommy can fix everything. Charlotte coughs violently, and Daniel dabs at the blood coming out of her mouth, but doesn't touch it -- still. Then her expression eases. She smiles so brightly it causes Daniel to say, "What?" She gets a mischievous look in her eyes then says, "I'm not allowed to have chocolate before dinner." She sighs, and looks to her right. And then falls silent. Daniel weeps her name, "Charlotte? Charlotte? Charlotte." He shakes his head. "No." The camera zooms out and we see him still kneeling over her lifeless form.
Respectful silence.
Down at the bottom of the well, Locke continues to scream in agony. He's got a rock sticking into his leg. Why doesn't he pull it out? I mean, I know it will hurt, but no more than leaving it in there. Is this a blood loss stopping-techni...oh my lunch. That's his BONE sticking out of his leg. He shouts out for "James" -- for anyone. The sound of footsteps approaching and the shadow that falls on the wall before him make him second guess his cries for anyone I bet. He calls out, "Who's there?" and it's none other than Doctor Christian "Loaded Name" Shepherd. Of course Locke doesn't know that (well, I think Locke knows his first name is Christian from when Christian told Locke to move the island; but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know the last name). Shepherd takes a lantern from the wall, and tells Locke he's there to help him the rest of the way. But first, he scolds Locke because he told Locke to move the wheel. Locke explains that Ben said he had to move the island while Locke had to stay and lead his people. Shepherd asks, "And since when did listening to him get you anywhere worth a damn?" Thank you Christian Shepherd or whatever you are (Smokey? Jacob?) that's wearing his face! And no wee Ben-who-lives-in-my-top-right-drawer, don't try that turn-this-van-around nonsense on me. I invented that shit. Okay, I didn't. Some mother (still being maternal with that reference; I avoid the other) did, way back whenever, and it probably involved a horse and cart, or maybe just a wheel, but you get my point you bug-eyed bastard.
Christian lets his words sink in for a moment, then encourages Locke to keep going. He tells him that he has to get every single one of his friends who left together, persuade them to leave, and then the L.A. Woman, Eloise Hawking, will tell him exactly how to get back to the island. When Locke (and to give him credit, he's probably remembering his promise to Jin here, at least in part) wants to know what happens if he can only convince some of them to come back, Christian merely says that he believes in Locke, because for some Others, Cryptic is the new Latin.
Locke, still lying on the ground, and in obvious pain, has a hitch in his voice as he tells Christian, "Richard said I was going to die."
Sherpa Shepherd looks down and then right at Locke. "Well, I suppose that's -- that's why they call it sacrifice." Tears of pain -- and maybe fear -- stream down Locke's face as he summons his resolve. And he does. "All right. Okay." He works to control his breathing. "Okay, I'm ready."
Shepherd confirms this is good, then explains about the frozen donkey wheel. It seems it has slipped off its axis, and all Locke has to do is give it a little push. Locke asks for help getting up, but Christian says he's sorry, he can't help. Make that Spirit Sherpa Shepherd, I guess. (Or Smokey. Or Jacob. Or just an obstinate ass.) And with his shin still sticking out of his...shin, John Locke rises up to face the future. He steadies himself on a column, and peers around it to see the wheel. It buzzes and flashes. Ignoring his own suffering, Locke moves forward toward the wheel which is moving back and forth, which explain all the jumps. And so much for sentience (or maybe not -- maybe this is what it would do unchecked, and what it would want to do, and maybe there's a reason for it and oh, the Cindy that lives in my rationality drawer says, "Let's put this recap to bed," so I will). Locke has a little trouble moving the wheel at first, but the trouble just seems to be getting it back on track. He's pulling it, not pushing it, and he backs himself up against the wall. Once it's on its course, the wheel moves quite easily for Locke (see, sentience), particularly when compared to how Ben struggled with it last season. A flash revs up. The underground chamber fills with light. The camera pans to Shepherd who says, "Say hello to my son." Before they're overwhelmed by the light, Locke asks, "Who's your son?" and then FLASH!
Jack, Ben and Sun finally reach their destination -- a church. Ben asks Sun's permission to reach in his pocket. When she nods, he takes out Jin's wedding ring and gives it to her as proof that Jin lives. She doesn't understand how he has it. Ben says that John gave it to her, and Jack -- who is finally getting more on the ball by the moment -- reminds Ben that he told him John never came to see him. Ben slips easily back into Otherese: "That's true, Jack. I went to see him." Yeah, in a casket you slippery eel. He says Jin gave it to John before he left the island. Sun wants to know why Locke didn't tell her, himself, leaving me to wonder what is meant there. Did Locke go see Sun and find himself unable to fulfill the promise, or is this clunky dialogue meant to be understood as, "Why didn't Locke come see me and tell me, himself."
Ben speculates that maybe Locke never had a chance before he died, which makes me think Locke never saw Sun at all, but who can tell with this crazy show. We could spend the rest of the season cutting between the strand-aways noses bleeding, and Locke, Sun and Ji Yeon having tea and talking about the weather. And? I'd still be picking apart every syllable, trying to figure it out. Ben then presses his case with Sun. "I'm sorry I had to bring you here before I gave it to you Sun, but all those people back on the island, Jin included, need our help." Work it, weasel. "There is a woman in this church, and she can tell us how to get back to your husband, but we're running out of time, Sun. I need you to decide right now. Will you come with me?"
Teary-eyed, Sun stares at the band of gold -- lying in her palm. When she looks up, the confident woman -- the woman who bought a controlling interest in her father's company; the woman who stared down Charles Widmore; the woman who encouraged Kate to commit murder if necessary; the woman who ordered herself an extra-special box of chocolates? That woman is gone. In her place is the frightened mouse who landed on Craphole and was too afraid to take off her sweater in the tropical heat. She looks at Linus. "Yes." He nods, and you can tell he's pleased he's manipulated her thusly. Evil.
A familiar Scots burr rings through the night. "What are y' doin' here?" DESMOND! Ben takes a moment to absorb who's just appeared before his buggy little eyes, then answers that they're probably there for the same reason Des is. Desmond's hair blows in the wind, and red lights flash behind him as he says, "You're looking for Faraday's mother, too?" Ben's eyes dart right, and then he turns that way and walks toward the church without a word to Jack, Sun, or Des. And again I wonder if Eloise Hawking (who most certainly must be Daniel Faraday's mother now and is, in all likelihood, Ellie from Camp Richard) is Charles Widmore's sister, and if Ben knows this, or if he's just figuring it out.
Ben walks into the church, followed by Sun, Jack, and then Des. Ben's wearing his poker face and says, "Hello, Eloise," just as Desmond is taking great care to shut the door. Eloise is lighting candles and extinguishes a long match in water, then turns toward the group. Poor Desmond's eyes fall out of his head and roll across the floor when he sees her, but she doesn't seem to acknowledge him.
Eloise says, "Hello, Benjamin," and then looks at his companions and adds, "I thought I said all of them." Ben says, "This is all I could get on short notice." Hawking takes a breath, exhales in a big sigh, and says, "I suppose that will have to do for now." She's a bit more cheery about this than I imagined she'd be. She might look at Desmond and smile right then, but he's not shown, and she seems to be sizing up the whole, small group, so it's too hard to call. "All right. Let's get started." Ben nods. And Eloise? She looks terribly pleased with herself. DUN!
Cindy McLennan also recaps How I Met Your Mother and is so glad that it's on hiatus for a couple of weeks, because Lost is still eating her brain. You can email her at CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com and convince her to buy the Arrested Development DVDs, and of course your Lost theories are always welcome and wanted, too.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see who we think Sawyer and Ben Linus should be dating in our Valentine's Day Match-Ups Gallery!