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L.A. Reality: Jack has an appendectomy scar, but it's from when he was a child, not a castaway, so unless Juliet was a Doogie Howser, she probably didn't do the deed. He's got the same mother (with better hair), and the same old Daddy Issues, too. But a few things are new -- like his waxed chest! Why did they do that to Foxy? First Rose's cancer, now this? This new reality is starting to suck.
Oh yeah, I should mention Jack has a tween or young teenaged son, David, and sees him once a month. They get along as exactly as well as you'd expect from a father-son Shephard team. David (who we later see reading The Annotated Alice) goes to school at St. Mary's Academy. We first meet him there, when Jack is late picking him up. The boy's mom (we don't find out who she is) is out of town, so he's staying with Jack, but that doesn't mean he wants to be with Jack any more than anyone on this show has, ever. Poor dear man. Come on over here and I'll feed you comfort food that, coincidentally, will put hair (back) on your chest.
Jack leaves David at home while he goes to help Mama Shephard find Christian's will. When they finally do, they puzzle over an unfamiliar name in it: Claire Littleton! When Jack gets back to his bachelor pad, David is gone. Jack locates him by sneaking into his ex-wife's house (she hides her key under a bunny statue) and listening to the kid's phone messages. David has an audition tonight (September 24th) at a local conservatory.
Upon arriving at the audition, Jack passes the sign that says, "Welcome Candidates" and enters the auditorium in time to hear the kid play. He's proud and moved, and he and another father -- a Japanese man -- DOGEN -- share a few words about how pressured kids sometimes feel. Outside, David tells Jack that he hates to play for him, because Jack enjoys it so much. No. Really. Jack does his best not to repeat the sins of the father, and tells David how Christian always told him he didn't have what it takes. He doesn't want things to be like that between them. He just wants David to know he loves him, is proud of him, and that he could never fail in Jack's eyes. Not a bad patch job, all things considered.
Island Reality: Jin is saved/captured by Claire -- who captures Justin, as well. Claire, who tends to Jin's wound as she fusses about the danger of infection, has a little bassinet in which she keeps a decorated...baby doll...baby boar corpse. She insists the Others have Aaron and she's going to kill Justin unless he comes clean. Jin explains that Kate took Aaron when the Oceanic 6 left the island, but Claire axes Justin, right in the stomach anyhow, which is too bad, since he's the first Other who ever acted like he might talk. Somewhere in there, Claire tells Jin about her father, and her other island friend who have been keeping her company lo these three years. All this helps Jin realize that Claire is insane in the membrane, so he lies that he was lying about Kate taking Aaron off island. Claire is relieved, because had Kate done so, Claire would have to kill her. Oops.
Meanwhile, Jacob sends Hurley on a secret mission to assist someone who must come to the island. Because he must convince Jack to join him, Hurley tells Jack the magic words: "You have what it takes," supplied by Jacob, naturally. Hurley has written all of Jacob's instructions on his arm, because it's a lot to remember. He also twists the truth (telling Jack that Jacob will meet up with them) to keep Jack in line. They stumble across Kate (who is looking for Claire!), the rape caves, Adam and Eve, Christian's coffin and Shannon's inhaler along the way, and finally arrive at a lighthouse which nobody but nobody has seen in the last five and a half years, but we're not bitter.
The lighthouse is old -- pre-electricity, so it uses a series of mirrors to get the job done. While Hurley is asking Jack for help in setting the dial to 108 degrees, Jack notices reflections in one of the mirrors. The first seems to be a church. Jack looks at the dial and realizes that there are names all around it. Shephard is at 23 degrees. He makes Hurley turn the dial to that setting and sees a reflection of his childhood home. It's a freaking Mirror or Erised! Jack flips out, because J.K. Rowling is likely to sue [and also maybe the family of Lewis Carroll -- Angel] and besides, he wants to know about Jacob and why he's been watching him throughout his life. Hurley has no answers, so Jack smashes the lighthouse mirrors to bits, storms out, and sulks on a nearby cliff.
Meanwhile, Jacob appears to Hurley and makes it clear that although he is waiting for someone to arrive on the island, "they" will have to find it without the lighthouse. His main objective in scheduling the field trip was twofold. First of all, Jack is here because he has to do something; he has to find that out for himself. Some people can learn that in the back of a cab; others need to sulk, seaside. Secondly, Jacob had to get Hurley and Jack out of the Temple, because SOMETHING BAD IS COMING!
Speaking of... Before Jin leads Claire off to the Temple (where he lies that Aaron is) Faucke shows up. Jin understandably addresses him as John, so Claire corrects him: "That's not John. This is my friend." Something bad is coming, indeed.
I haven't graded this episode yet. I've got to think on it some more, but don't let that hold you back. I am loving Hurley's growing confidence; he rocked his Temple scene with Dogen. "Why don't you go wait in the courtyard." The Jack-David reconciliation may have been every bit as moving as Helen and Live Locke's. Foxy certainly knocked it out of the park, but since we never knew David before now, I feel a little cheap for letting it manipulate me to the extent that it did. Cuse and Lindelof played this one a little too close to the vest for my liking. Hurley's: "Well, time, how about you tell me everything upfront? I'm not big on secret plans," doesn't exactly speak for me, but at this late stage of the game, I need a little more than old asthma inhalers, and smashed coffins and numbers and names I already saw.
I'm starting the full recap now, so until then, please join us in the forums, where we keep our Mirror of Erised.
Watch the full episode now!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously, on Lost: In the new reality, Oceanic Flight 815 lands and Jack learns that Christian's coffin has gone missing. Meanwhile, back on Craphole, the Losties make their way to the Temple. The Templars drown dip Sayid in the polluted spring a.k.a. Murky Mikvah. Oh noes, Sayid is dead. Oh hurrah, he was just kidding! Later, Dogen tortures Sayid. He's not kidding in the slightest on account of having no sense of humor. When Sayid cries out in pain at being shocked and branded, Dogen determines Sayid is infected. He gives Jack a green pill to administer to Sayid, saying it will kill the infection, but neglects to mention that it will do so by killing the host a.k.a. Sayid, since it's poison and all. When Jack wants to know what the hell is up with that, Dogen says there is a darkness growing in Sayid. Jack is all, "How do you know?" Dogen says, "It happened to your sister." Speaking of, Jin gets snared in a nasty trap. Before Templars Aldo and Justin and kill him, Feral Claire shoots them, killing Aldo and wounding Justin. When Jin turns to his savior, he can't believe his eyes. "Claire?"
Currently, on Lost; L.A. Reality: Jack arrives home from work. The camera pans through his apartment, making sure to linger lovingly on the worst photo-shopped picture I've seen on network TV. It's an old one of the family Shephard; Christian is in a light suit; Margo wears a brown dress; Jack is in a tuxedo. Is it a prom picture? A wedding shot of a young groom and his folks? I can't decide because I'm so distracted by the my fambly iz pasted on YAY!-ness of it all. There's also a picture of Jack and Christian at the hospital. They're... smiling. New reality, remember? Jack strips off his scrub shirt and throws on a blue-and-white striped button-down, shirt. And WHY OH WHY HAVE THEY WAXED MATTHEW FOX'S CHEST? Reader Joyce sent me an email reminder that Jack was similarly bare-chested in "Something Nice Back Home." She thinks this is a link between the two realities and says Kate must prefer the baby-ass smoothness she experienced with Sawyer's (waxed) chest. I say pshaw. You know Kate wouldn't mind some conveniently located hair to pull. Anyhow, Jack washes his face and then looks in the mirror, because that's what this season -- this final season -- this show -- is all about: smoke and mirrors. I'm working furiously to enjoy the ride, which necessitates remaining in denial about how much of time I've devoted to smoke and mirrors, so let's get back to Jack. He's now pondering his appendectomy scar, which we know he got on the island, courtesy of Juliet. How does it all shake out on this side of the looking glass?
Just then Jack's mom, Margo, calls. Jack tells her that Oceanic has tracked Christian's corpse to Berlin. Don't sweat it, Margo. Perhaps that's where our baggage goes to rest. Even Marlene Dietrich left some there. Margo's main reason for calling is to bemoan the fact that she can't find her late husband's will. Wouldn't it be just like Christian if he had it with him when he died? Jack says he'll come over and help. But he also makes it a point to ask his mother when he had his appendix out. She says he was 7 or 8 years old; he collapsed at school. Christian wanted to perform the operation, but they wouldn't let him. "Don't you remember?" Jack says he does, but his face is etched with confusion and doubt. It's then that he notices the time (an analog clock reads 2:51 and 29 seconds). Jack cuts the conversation short. He's got to go. He's late. He's late. For a very important date.
We cut to Jack driving up to St Mary's Academy. He's late picking up his SON --David -- and his massive, massive attitude. I'd say the boy is about 13 years old. So Jack? Waxed chest or not, I feel ya. Apropos of who knows what, David Shephard (Dylan Minnette) is the sixth character shown or referenced who bears "David" (meaning "beloved") as a first name. The Biblical David is, of course, the musical shepherd boy who became king. Psalm 23 is a Psalm of David: The Lord is my Shephard shepherd...
Island Reality; Temple Court of the Gentiles: Jack is gazing into the Temple moat when Yoko finds him there and says, "I was afraid you'd left." Jack says, "Is leaving an option?" When Yoko says everything is an option, but clarifies that he'd have to stop Jack from leaving, Jack appreciates his honesty. Yoko then says Ford, Austen and Kwon aren't coming back, "Are they?" Jack says, "No, probably not." Dogen appreciates Jack's honesty. They form a mutual appreciation society and decide the first hazing ritual will involve a skinny-dip in the Murky Mikvah. Their first rush candidate? Lennon.
Across the way, Hurley and Miles play a homemade toss across/tic-tac-toe game, with leaves serving as the Xes and some sort of giant, mutant calamari rings (or possibly rope circles) serving as the Os. When the game is a tie, yet again, Miles snarks how that's a "shocker" and bows out. Hurley asks if he's hungry. Miles eyes his friend up and down and says, "Hungry?" He doesn't even bother to suppress his smirk, but Hurley ignores it. "I could eat." Stop that, Show. Just stop it.
When Hurley enters the Murky Mikvah Mezzanine, the mikvah steps are empty at first glance, to us, but not to Hurley. He sees a man there, and then we do, too. Hugo asks where he might find the kitchen. The familiar voice replies, "It's all the way down the hallway, Hugo." Hurley stops dead in his tracks to get a good look at this man who is lit by a stray beam of sunlight. It's Jacob! He rises, approaches Hurley, tells him he needs his help, and suggests Hurley get a pen, because he's going to have to write a few things down. "Someone is coming to the island. I need you to help them find it." Okay, Jacob. Someone -- or them? Must we be this cryptic so late in the game? Apparently so, because here comes the title card to ensure we get no more details.
L.A. Reality; Jack's Pad: Jack follows David to his room and tells him he hooked up cable in there so David can watch the Red Sox! David thanks him, as he'd damn well better, because this is 2004, baby. If I may intervene from the future, David, please feel free to skip tonight's game, unless, like your Dad, you think you're the reason we can't have nice things.
Jack notices David has been reading The Annotated Alice and tries to engage him in conversation, but David is a young teen AND a Shephard male, so um... nope. He walks out on Jack, who is trying to remind his son of his childhood love of Kitty and Snowdrop -- Alice's black and white kittens. Out in the kitchen, David grabs a soda, and Jack gestures for him to take off his headphones. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you, David." David says, "Why? We see each other like once a month. Can't we just... get through it?" Yeeowch!
Jack's phone chooses that moment to ring. David looks at his father with wide, expectant -- almost hopeful eyes, but when Jack decides to answer the phone, the boy's face returns to its usual hurt, disappointed expression. Jack asks for a moment, and David stalks off to grab some Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. More white than black. It's Margo on the phone, reminding Jack he was going to come over and help her find the will. He tells her he's on the way and once he's off the phone, he invites David to accompany him to grandma's, but David says he'll pass. But I've got to call bullshit on one detail from this new reality. A teenaged boy only takes one cookie, and then he neatly folds the bag shut and secures it with one of those chip-clip things? C'mon. Anyhow, Jack tells the kid he'll be home in an hour or so, and then they'll eat. Enjoy talking to his back, Jack.
Island Reality; Court of the Gentiles: All the Templars stare at Sayid as he approaches Jack. He asks Jack what's up with that, but Jack advises him to ignore them. Sayid won't be put off so easily, so he takes one for the fans. "You told me these people think I have an infection. They wanted you to give me some mysterious pill which you instructed me not to take. Then you disappeared. What are you hiding from me?" Jack replies that the pill was poison, that the Templars wanted Jack to kill Sayid, which yeah, but they didn't tell Jack that until after he tried to swallow the pill. I hate it when TV characters converse in this half-assed manner. But Jack loves it. "Whatever it was that they think happened to you, Sayid, they say it happened to someone else, too." When Sayid asks, "Who?" Jack just looks at him. Even though I know better, I'm going to pretend Sayid gets his answer, but if so, we don't see it, because we cut to...
Jungle: Claire frees Jin from the bear trap. His leg wound may be the goriest thing I've seen on this show. Jin asks how her long she's been out there. Claire nearly spits out her words. "Since you all left. How long ago was that?" Jin, taking his revelation cues from Jack, doesn't explain that he, Sawyer, Juliet and Miles never left. Oh no. He just says, "Three years." Claire says she has to get Jin somewhere safe, but when she gets him to his feet, he passes out from the pain. We cut to...
Temple Corridor: Hurley keeps checking his arm on which he's written Jacob's instructions in blue ink. Lostpedia.com has a screen cap here. If you click the picture, you'll get the full resolution. He's scanning the walls for a hieroglyph that looks the same as the one he's written on his arm. Just as he finds it, Dogen startles him. "What are you doing?" Hurley sucks at bluffing, so Dogen tells him he shouldn't be there and orders him to go back to the courtyard. Jacob appears behind Dogen (only Hurley can see or hear him) and tells Hurley to tell Yoko he can do what he wants. "Tell him you're a candidate." When Hurley does so, it's Yoko's turn to be startled. "Who told you that?" Hurley looks at Jacob's face and finds his courage. "It doesn't matter. Why don't you go back to the courtyard." Go HUGO! Yoko cusses him out in Japanese, but leaves Hurley be, just the same.
Once they're alone, Hurley asks Jacob what Dogen said. Jacob says, "You don't want to know." My Japanese begins and ends with "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto," but I'm going out on a limb and saying that was a big threat. If you search our episode thread, Google or Lostpedia, you'll find a translation. Anyhow, Jacob reminds Hurley he's supposed to bring Jack along on his mission. Hurley protests; he can do it alone, and besides, Jack is really hard to talk into stuff. 日本語. Jacob insists that Jack has to accompany him. Hurley pleads his case. "Okay, it's bad enough you already made me write down way too much stuff, and I just lied to a samurai, so if you have any idea how to get Jack to go on your little adventure, I'm listening, dude." Jacob smiles, and we cut to...
Court of the Gentiles: Outside, Hurls approaches Jack and tries to act all covert. "Be cool. Act natural. Keep your voice down. [...] I'm going to get up and go. Wait ten seconds and then follow me." Of course, Jack can't just play along and wants to know where they're going. Hurley tells him Jacob told him about a secret tunnel and said Hurley and Jack have to go... Jack interrupts; he's not going anywhere. Hurley says, "I told him you'd say that, so he told me to tell you: 'You have what it takes'." Neither Jack nor we need a flashback to remember Christian Shephard spewing the destructive opposite of that at wee Jack, in "White Rabbit". Since Jack's biggest button has just been pressed, he rises to his feet. "What did you just say?" Hurley says, "He said you'd know what that meant." Jack's nostrils flare. "Where is he?" Hurley tells Jack that Jacob is "kind of dead" and turns up when he wants, "Like Obi Wan Kenobi, but... if you want to talk to him, he's where we're going, dude." Oh Hugo, your mother and father would tell you not to lie. Anyhow, Jack nods and says, "Well then, let's go see Jacob." Commercial.
Jin wakes up alone in Claire's lair, which is littered with all manner of things including clothing, a box of explosives, an oar, and a tacky, vinyl blue and white baby bassinet, covered in discolored tulle. When Jin uses the oar as a crutch to hobble over to the bassinet, he peers inside to find a dead... baby boar's head attached to a body made out of animal fur. Jin takes a moment to let the crazy hit home, but when he hears Claire returning, he throws himself back down to the ground before she can see that he's been snooping. Excellent choice, Jin.
Claire pushes Justin inside her tent, whacks him behind the knees with her rifle and ties him up. She demands to know where he's hiding her son. Justin is not answering, so she leaves him to clean up Jin's wound. "If there's one thing that will kill you around here, it's infection." Oh, Claire. Jin asks Claire if she's been out here all this time, by herself. Claire says, "No, I'm not by myself." I want her to hold up her awesome, homemade baby doll as proof, but she just steps back outside the tent. Justin tells Jin they've got to escape, now. Jin says "It's okay; I know her." Justin says, "No, I know her. If we don't get out of here, now, she's going to kill us both." Raise your hand if you think he's half right.
Jungle: Hurley and Jack plod along until they stumble upon Kate, down by a creek. She turns her gun on them, and when she realizes it's Jack, she... doesn't shoot! Perhaps they'll get back together. She tells him Jin went back to the Temple, "And, um... Sawyer's on his own." Not exactly, Kate. Wait until you see his smoking new mate. Cough. Despite Hurley's tip that there's a secret entrance to the Temple, Kate tells the guys she's not returning. She's going to look for Claire at the beach camp. Jack tells Kate Claire won't be there and that the people at the Temple say something happened to her, but didn't say where she is.
Kate makes to leave, but Jack tries to stop her and even tries to include her on the mission, despite Hurley's insistence that she isn't invited. Jack points out that he's inviting Kate, but since he fails to mention that the Templars told him Claire is infected, why would Kate listen? Since he has yet to express concern over his lost sister, why would we? If these people haven't learned to be more forthcoming with one another in all this time, why should we care what they say to each other -- at all? The wee, unwaxed Jack sitting in my lap crawls up my arm, perches on my shoulder and whispers in my ear. Okay, wee Jack. I'll give you that one. Wee, hairy Jack points out that we are dealing with Kate, so that information about Claire would probably only spur her on. At any rate, there's no reunion between these two in sight. Kate's, "Jack, it's okay; just go; I hope you find what you're looking for," makes that pretty plain -- even, it seems, to Jack.
L.A. Reality; Stately Shephard Manor: As Jack and Margo search for Christian's will, she bitches about how her late husband couldn't just give it to his lawyer, like normal people. Jack smiles, "Why would he make it easy on us, now?" Margo pours herself a drink and offers one to Jack. When he refuses, Mom tells Jack, "Good for you." Now, we saw him take a drink on the plane, so I don't think he's on the wagon. Perhaps in this reality, Jack has been freed from the sins of the father (Numbers 14:18). Margo turns the subject to David. Jack is surprised to learn David was all broken up at Christian's funeral, but in his own defense, he points out that he's a non-communicative kid. Mom says it runs in the family. Jack says that was totes different, since he was terrified of his father. Margo says, "How do you know David isn't terrified of you?" Jack laughs along with me, but his eyes don't. "Why would he be?" Margo tells Jack to ask David, and then she finds the damned will. Right on a shelf, right behind Christian's desk. In a bright white envelope, embellished with bright green. I hope Jack schedules her an appointment with St. Sebastian's top ophthalmologist. At any rate, she sits and starts leafing through the will. I hold my breath and wait for it. Finally, she says, "Jack, did your father ever mention a Claire Littleton?"
Island; Claire's Lair: Claire drops what looks to be surgical instruments into a pot of water she's got boiling outside, and then sits down to sharpen her axe. Meanwhile, inside, Justin tries to get Jin to untie him, so he can snap Claire's neck, as he's certain she's going to kill both of them. Jin ignores him, which is good, because just then, Claire comes back inside. She tells Jin she's sorry he got stuck in the trap. She stitches up his wound and tells him how she had to stitch herself up once after they shot her right in the leg. Jin asks if she's been living in her lair since "we" left. Jin, you never left, dude! Claire says she moves around a lot, in order to hide from them. Then she and Justin start bickering about whether the Templars have her baby. Jin asks how she can be so sure they do. Claire says first her father told her (who, coincidentally, must have provided her with her surgical training), and then her friend told her. Jin's all, "Your friend? Who's your friend?" Claire says, "My friend. You're still my friend, aren't you, Jin?" Of course he is, Feral Claire. Please do not kill the Jin before he and Sun reunite. Once her patient is all stitched up, Claire turns her attention toward Justin. She rises and picks up her axe. "Okay! So, now, it's your turn." Commercial.
Jungle Trek: Hurley apologizes to Jack for "wrecking" his "game" with Kate. Jack explains that was pretty well and truly wrecked back in L.A. Hurley thought they were going to have a dozen babies and live happily ever after. Jack says how he'd be a terrible dad, and I know that's what you're trying to tell me, over in the L.A. reality, but damn it, Show, you've got to show me. I'm with Hurley, who says Jack would make a great dad. And Hurley knows from bad fathers, Jack.
Just then, the guys stumble across Shannon's asthma inhaler. They're at the rape caves! Inside, Hurley finds the Adam and Eve skeletons. "I totally forgot these were in here, man! Wait a sec... What if we traveled again, to like... dinosaur times, and then we died and were buried? What if the skeletons are... us?" That's it. Fair warning, Show, I'm never going to think those skeletons belong to anyone other than Bernard and Rose (or possibly Jacob and Esau's parents), so I hope that's where you're going. Meanwhile, Jack inspects the old pieces of the plane and tells Hurley how he originally found the cave by chasing the ghost of his dead father in the "White Rabbit" episode. "He led me here. That was his coffin, before I smashed it to pieces." Since Hurley never met Christian, he asks Jack what was up with the smashing. Jack answers: "Because he wasn't in it." Heh.
L.A. Reality; Jack's Bachelor Pad: Jack brings home pizza and soda, but David is gone. Is Kate his mother? Sorry, but with the running and all, I couldn't help but go there. Anyhow, Jack calls David, but just gets his voice mail. He leaves a general apology/slash message: "If I did something to upset you, I'm really, really sorry. I'm going to drive over to your mother's house. I know she's out of town, so if you are there, just don't go anywhere." Yeah, good luck with that, Jack.
David's Mother's House: House number 233 is dark and no one answers the bell, so Jack gets the key hidden under a rabbit figurine and lets himself in. David's room is a mess, but Jack looks around and seems surprised or possibly chagrined to find sheet music for Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, which a young Daniel Faraday played long ago and far away. [Maybe Daniel is his mother? - Z] Jack looks at the mirror and finds a strip of photos (you know, like from one of those photo booths) of him and David. He smiles sadly. He then notices David has messages on his answering machine. The first one is from a Dr. Summerland at the Williams Conservatory. She's calling to confirm his slot, "Friday, the 24th at 7 PM." Jack checks his watch and sees that it's about 6:20 PM. While Jack jots down a note, the message plays. It's one Jack left when he went to Sydney to retrieve Christian's corpse. Of course he doesn't tell the boy that why he's there. "Something happened. And I--I just needed to hear your voice." As the message plays, Jack blinks and swallows. His eyes grow misty but I see no tears. "Um... I guess I'll try again, later. I love you." Jack looks back at the pictures of himself and his son. His eyes are at super-gloss now, but no tears fall. He blinks again and we cut to...
Island Reality; Jack And Hurley's Excellent Adventure: As Hurley leads the way, he says, "This is cool, dude. Very old-school." Jack says, "What?" Hurley explains: "You know. You and me... trekking through the jungle, on our way to do something that we don't quite understand. Good times." Heh. Jack doesn't respond, because how could he, so Hurley asks him, "Why'd you come back -- you know -- to the island?" Jack turns the question back at him, so Hugo tells him about Jacob visiting him in L.A. in the cab, and telling him he was supposed to return. Jack laughs. Hurley says, "What? If you have a good reason for coming back, let's hear it, man." Jack: "I came back here because I was broken, and I was stupid enough to think this place could fix me." Jack turns from Hurley, but if he's crying, it doesn't count until we hear sobs or see the tears on our TV. Hurley apologizes, and a dry-cheeked Jack turns back to him and asks how much further they've got to go. Hugo says they're not far now. They come upon a clearing, wherein sits a big, honking lighthouse, right on the edge of a cliff. The light flashes once. Jack speaks for me. "I don't understand. How is it that we've never seen it before?" Hurley shrugs. "I guess we weren't looking for it..." That is low, dude. Low. We've had fans listening to backwards voice overs, screen-capping brainwashing films, performing major mathematical equations, re-reading classic literature, economists, and philosophers, and scouring sacred texts. There is nothing for which we haven't looked. So screw you, too, Show. Serenity now. Serenity now.
Claire's Lair: Claire demands to know where Aaron is, and is ready to do Justin in, because he insists his people don't have the tot. They argue back and forth, and when she swings her axe back, Jin tells her to hold on. Claire is pissed. She rants that they stuck a huge lighthouse in the sixth, final and abbreviated season her with needles and branded her. She has a mark on her arm that looks like it came from a poker, much like the one Yoko used on Sayid. She gives Justin one more chance to tell her where her son is. Jin blurts out: "Kate took him! Kate took Aaron. She took him with her when she left the island. [...] He's been with her -- with Kate, for the past three years. Aaron is three." Claire, like her big brother before her, fights off the tears, but her lip trembles as she lowers her axe. Justin confirms that Jin is telling the truth, and begs to be set free. I can't tell if Claire is actually crying, because her wig of wingnuttery blocks my view. But anyhow, in exchange for his life, Justin promises his silence. Claire seems to be considering his offer, but she's actually just gathering her strength. She axes Justin right in the gut. As he dies, he slumps forward as far as his bonds will allow. Once her vorpal blade [has gone] snicker-snack, Claire steps out of her lair, leaving Jin wondering anew at Claire's batshit insanity. Commercial.
Lighthouse: As the men approach, Jack asks if Jacob is inside. Hurley says he guesses so, which smells like fudging to me. As he struggles with the door, Jack cracks, "Does it say anything on your arm about the door being jammed?" Ha! When Hurley says no, Jack kicks it open like the action hero he longs to be and we cut to...
L.A. Reality; Williams Conservatory: In the lobby, Jack sees a sign welcoming all candidates. Subtle, huh? He reaches the auditorium just as David begins his audition with "Fantasie Impromptu." Jack is entranced, as he watches his beautiful boy make beautiful music. I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord... I'm sorry to earworm you with the overused "Hallelujah" but if I don't pass on the infection, it will consume me. Jack's eyes are now at super high-gloss. When David finishes, he rises and thanks the judging panel before walking off stage. Jack's tears still insist upon defying gravity. The broad smile on his face is his only weapon in fighting them off. Just then an Asian boy I like to think of as "Sean" asks, "Is that your son?" When Jack says it is, Sean says, "He's really good," before walking off to his own father's embrace. His father is none other than Yoko!
Yoko encourages his son in Japanese. Once the kid is gone, Yoko says to Jack: "They are too young to have this kind of pressure, aren't they?" Jack agrees. Yoko adds, "It's hard to watch and be unable to help." He waits a beat to give me time to take in the gravity of his words. He's talking about Jack and his fatal flaw in both realities. He's talking about parenthood. And perhaps, he is talking about his own, other reality -- that is the Templars' role on the island. Before my head implodes under the weight of these ideas, Yoko adds, "Your son has a gift. How long has he been playing?" Jack... doesn't know. Yoko smiles at him, but his smile totally says, "FREAK!" Jack returns and uncomfortable grin and walks away.
Lighthouse: Hurley and Jack reach the top. As they catch their breath, Hurley babbles about the workings of the lighthouse, including a fire pit (which is full of only ash, no embers, despite the fact that the beacon was shining when Jack and Hurley first arrived). Around the fire pit there is a huge dial. Above the dial there are 4 mirrors. "I guess they used a mirror because electricity hadn't been invented yet." Where's Sawyer to snark, "Gee Captain Obvious, ya think?" We know why Miles isn't there. He's dying of starvation back in the Court of the Gentiles. Whatever. Jack's not looking for them. He's looking for Jacob. Hurley obfuscates and insists they begin their task.
Reviewing his arm, Hugo leaves Jack by the side of the dial as he goes off to yank Jack's a shiny, metal chain. "Tell me when it gets to 108 degrees." As Hurley pulls the chain, the gears start moving, but Jack is transfixed by the mirror. He sees a pagoda (where Sun and Jin wed!!!), then a church (maybe where they met Eloise Hawking; or maybe the site of the Ford parents' funeral). When he spots something else, his eyes nearly bug out of his head, and he barks at Hurley to stop. He explains he saw something in the mirror, but when Hurley checks, there's nothing there but ocean, so he returns to the chain.
Jack inspects the dial more closely and realizes there are names corresponding to all the degrees. He sees familiar ones like Ford, Jarrah, and Kwon. "Shephard" appears particularly bold, as if it's just been written in. It's all in caps, right to number 23 (nb: Lostpedia has a list of the names/numbers -- there are some differences between those on the dial and those in Faucke's cave; notably, Austen appears at 51 degrees at the lighthouse; and a previously unreferenced Wallace appears at 108). Jack tells Hurley to turn the dial to 23 degrees. Hurley tries to argue that's not what Jacob wants, so Jack takes charge of the chains and makes the adjustment, himself. Once he reaches 23 degrees he stops. Stately Shephard Manor is reflected in the mirror. Are we Through the Looking Glass, or is this the Mirror of Erised? In the episode thread, Chyromaniac jokes that the inscription above the mirror reads: seus siyd dadru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Ha!
Anyhow, Jack is thrown to see his house there. He first refers to as his "home" and explains the image to Hurley; it's the house in which he grew up; he hasn't lived there since he was a kid. Jack then demands to see Jacob immediately. He wants to know if Jacob has been watching them the whole time. Hurley doesn't know. Jack gets really stompy when Hurley explains that he can't just make Jacob show up and answer questions. Finally, Jack grabs a brass telescope approaches a now nervous Hurley. Jack, you know I love you, but if you hurt Hugo I will cut you. Jack asks all his questions over again, but when Hurley cannot satisfy his need for answers, Jack screams, "WHAT DOES HE WANT FROM ME?" Hurley screams back that he doesn't know, so Jack raises the telescope and smashes the mirrors to bits, which seems immensely dangerous, immensely impulsive, immensely counter-productive, and yet? Immensely cathartic. Thank you, Jack. I can now continue to enjoy the ride. Commercial.
L.A. Reality; Williams Conservatory Exterior: Just as David is unlocking his bike from the rack, Jack approaches him. "You were great in there." When he recognizes his father's voice, David's fear is palpable. "You... saw me?" Jack smiles kindly and nods. David is disgusted with himself for missing a couple of notes, but Jack insists it sounded perfect to him. He then leans on bike rack, closing all distance between him and his son. "David, you scared the hell out of me." David figured he could get to the audition and back before Jack left Stately Shephard Manor. Jack: "I didn't even know you were still playing." David says that he made his mother promise to keep it a secret from Jack. Gee, why are these Shephards divorced? David explains: "It was always such a big deal with you. You used to sit and watch me practice. You were so... into it. I didn't tell you I was coming here, because I didn't want you to see me fail." Okay, I'm not buying what they're selling, because they're still only telling rather than showing Jack's parenting failure. But there's no sense dwelling on that when we're about to be expertly manipulated by Matthew Fox and the talented boy playing Jack's son. Let's give them a fresh paragraph, yeah?
With his son pushing his buttons in this reality, Jack reels back slightly and then sighs. "You know, when I was your age, my father didn't want to see me fail, either. He used to say to me that -- he said that I didn't have what it takes. I spent my whole life carrying that around with me. I don't ever want you to feel that way." His eyes are brimming with tears. When will gravity have its way? Not yet. Jack continues: "I will always love you." His voice cracks, but his cheeks remain dry. "No matter what you do, in my eyes, you can never fail. I just want to be a part of your life." David's "Okay," is raspy. Man and boy share a small, soft grin. Jack says he's got some pizza back home. "Are you hungry?" David's smile grows. "Sure!" They nod, and David finishes freeing his bike from the rack. Jack picks up his boy's coat. "Let's go home." They never cry. I bawl. The monster's gone. He's on the run, and your daddy is here.
Lighthouse Grounds: Jack sits upon a high seaside cliff -- staring off into space -- time -- his life. Meanwhile, Jacob appears to Hurley who is also outside, but back down by the lighthouse. When Jacob asks how it went, Hurley expresses his disappointment. "Where were you, man?" Jacob says that doesn't matter, since Jack wouldn't have been able to see him. Hurley chides Jacob for not giving him more information. Amen. He also adds, "Thanks for the seven years of bad luck, by the way." Hee. Jacob just points at Hugo and says, "You've got ink on your forehead." Hurley points out how that is hardly relevant at the moment, as his mission remains unaccomplished, thanks to Jack's temper tantrum. "Whoever needs to get to the island is totally screwed." Jacob takes this in stride. "Oh, I'm sure they'll find some other way." Hurley says, "So, everything you wanted me to do didn't get done, and you don't even care?" A beat. "Wait a minute. Did you want Jack to see what was in that mirror? Why?" Jacob says it was the only way for Jack to understand how important he is.
Hurley complains that if that was the plan, it backfired. Jacob remains patient and calm. "Jack is here because he has to do something. He can't be told what that is. He's gotta find it, himself. Sometimes, you can just hop in the back of someone's cab, and tell them what they're supposed to do. Other times, you have to let them look out at the ocean for a while." Hurley says, "Well time, why don't you tell me everything up front? I'm not big on secret plans, okay?" And although I truly don't want to know everything at very this moment, the spirit of Hugo's request resonates with me, Jacob. Jacob couldn't care less what I want. He's got his own concerns. He tells Hurley, "I couldn't risk you not coming, Hugo. I had to get you and Jack as far from that Temple as I possibly could." Hurley joins in our chorus: "Why?" Jacob says, "'Cause someone is coming there. Someone bad." Hurley springs into action. He wants to warn the Templars. Jacob says he can't. "I'm sorry. It's too late." Speaking of which...
Claire's Lair: Claire returns to find poor Jin staring at Justin's remains. She explains that if she hadn't killed him, he would have killed her. Now Claire is all feral and out of her mind, but I don't think she's wrong about that. She sits to Jin and adds, "Glad you didn't untie him." She also wants to know why Jin said Kate was raising Aaron. Jin thinks quickly. "I was lying." He explains he wanted to save Justin's life. Claire is not amused, so Jin adds, "But you were right; the Others have your baby. Aaron is at the Temple. I know because I saw him there, but you'll need me to get to him." Good show, Jin! He explains that there's a secret way in (though I'm not sure how Jin knows about that). Claire thanks him and adds that she's so glad he was lying. "Because if what you said was the truth -- if Kate was raising Aaron? I'd kill her." Jin doesn't have to hold his poker face too long, because just then the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, [comes] whiffling through the tulgey wood. Er... that is to say Faucke enters Claire's lair. "Am I interrupting?" Jin looks up at him in amazement. "John?" Claire smiles, cocks her head and addresses Jin like he's the silliest goose that ever did honk. "That's not John. This is my friend." Faucke and Claire smile at each other and then at Jin. Dun! Title card. Bad robot!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! It's finally over. I'm struck by how good "Lighthouse" is, considering that at several points, it made me want to take a brass telescope to my TV. Alice speaks for me about this episode, and probably the series writ large: "Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas -- only I don't exactly know what they are!" [Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.] Right now, I'm wondering if Jacob and Esau are the Walrus and the Carpenter, or if they're Tweedledee and Tweedledum? Have I ever mentioned my middle name is Alice? Is this all just and only a game?
I keep flashing back to the young blond boy we saw in episode 6-4. In my head, I get a glimpse of two boys -- probably brothers -- stranded on an uncharted, magical island. They bury their parents (who maybe they ate) in a cave. I can't help but wonder how close to Lord of the Flies such a pair would come.
, I decide Jacob is God and Esau and/or Smokey-Faucke is a version of Milton's Satan from Paradise Lost. Then I start thinking about how each group of island inhabitants feels threatened by new arrivals and how they have battled for primacy, wittingly or not. I go from the U.S. Army and their hydrogen bomb, to Richard's group of natives, to the Dharma Initiative, to the hostiles under Widmore's de facto leadership, to Rousseau's crew, to the Others under Ben's de facto leadership, to the original Lost-Aways, to the Tailies, to the Strand-Aways under Locke and Sawyer, to the Returnees under Jack and Hurley, to Ilana's crew and so forth. Then I remember the statue of Tawaret, start pondering the Israelites' time of toil in Egypt, the lost tribes of Israel, the various permutations of the Temple in Jerusalem, and I wonder how far back it reaches. Then the nosebleeds start. I know I've gone long(er) this time, so I'll wrap this up with some stray thoughts and questions....
Original recipe Locke was way into using the sweat lodge as a meditational/revelational tool. Was he actually summoning Smokey, even then?
Who is David's mother? He looks like he ought to be Kate and Jack's son. He's even got freckles, but Kate is too young to have a child this age -- okay, maybe she's not biologically too young, but she would have been awfully young at conception, which would mean L.A. Reality Jack is seriously creepy, gross, and probably felonious. It could be Sarah, but that seems unlikely to me, somehow. If David's mother is a character we've already met, my money and hopes are on Juliet. She and Jack could have met in college, or med school and married young (considering their professions). It makes a sort of sense, and completes a love story that was only ever teased. If David's mother is not a character we've already met, how wrong is it that I hope she's played by Paula Devicq? Whatever you think or want to be true, cast your vote in our "Question of the Moment" poll, over in the righthand sidebar.
Now, I am of two minds regarding L.A. Reality Jack and his journey. I assume the two realities are going to dovetail at some point, so I have considerable patience for this newer one. But when David first appeared, it was difficult to care about him. I don't know him, and with the finale in sight, I will never know him all that well. And regardless of my seemingly enthusiastic speculation in the paragraph, I'm seriously annoyed that we don't know who David's mother is. Still, I find it effective that with his baggage left far behind (in Berlin), Jack is finally able to push through his own father issues -- and does so well enough that he reaches his wounded boy. Physician heal thyself, indeed.
I'm still wondering the nature of the infection -- and in fact, how many infections there are. Is infection a matter of perspective? Is Claire infected, or just crazy and vulnerable? Was Danielle infected? If so, was her crew infected with something else? Is freedom infection just another word for nothing left to lose? Is Kate dead meat?
I keep thinking about the nature of religion and faith. This is not to bash -- I have my own beliefs, but the Others (hostiles, natives, etc.) are believers, right? None are infallible. Some seem frequently inclined to do the will of God Jacob (Richard, most of the time, and possibly Ilana, and probably Hurley). Others (heya, Ben and more recently, Yoko) seem perhaps more thoroughly corrupted by the power bestowed upon religious leaders and decide all of their actions must be the will of Jacob (hey again, Ben). Some follow blindly (I'm thinking of the women who maintained the Hydra station, and, sadly, original recipe Locke). Some question (Juliet) and correct course once they see where blind obeisance leads. There's always an "us" and a "them" on Craphole. There are always orthodox, heterodox, heretics, martyrs, saints, heroes, cowards, seekers, agnostics, atheists, apostles and apostates. Oh dear, there goes my nose, again.
I'll close with what, is to me, the most important question of all. Why did no one tell me that Pepperidge Farm has brought Tim-Tams in the U.S.?!?!?!?! Good thing I don't have a brass telescope right now. I'm just saying. Join me here Wednesday morning for my recaplet of "Sundown," which despite its title, seems to focus on Sayid. In the meantime, come on over to the forum, where we'd never lie to a samurai.
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If you have any Tim-Tams, please e-mail them to Cindy McLennan at CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter, as she gyres and gimbles in the wabe.