Lost: Season 3, Episode 8 Review: Flashes Before Your Eyes

Flashes Before Your Eyes
Original Airdate: February 14, 2007
Writer: Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard
Director: Jack Bender

Of the mini-season, the biggest mystery brought up not connected to The Others was Desmond’s sudden precognition. While the Swan explosion seemed to return both Locke and Eko to their original paths, it threw Desmond on a different journey altogether. Of course, Desmond’s character wasn’t developed to the point where Locke or Eko were last season. With this new gift, he has a new foundation to develop his character now that his old reference point is gone.

Turning the failsafe key in last season’s finale caused Desmond to see his life flash before his eyes. Not only did he see moments from his past, and experience several days leading to the day he broke up with Penny in 1996 (even with a song from 1997 creeping in to the mix), but in current time he can see the future. Unfortunately for him, the journey he undergoes in the lucid flashback negates this gift, making him believe that no matter how many times he prevents things like Charlie’s death and breaking up with Penny, they will eventually come to fruition. These moments explain Desmond’s despondent behavior at the end of “Further Instructions”.

Some have criticized “Lost” since the second season for flashbacks that offer little to the story or retread moments already covered. While this wouldn’t be a problem for Desmond, who has had only one flashback, they try something different from the formula by having him lucid during his flashback. What works favorably in this is that Desmond’s memory isn’t complete. Only exposure to things from the island or reminiscent from it jogs his memory. It isn’t until he encounters Charlie after Widmore’s brutal rejection that things start to fall in place. It also solidifies Donovan’s skepticism and validates the Ring Lady’s authority later.

Why is it that whenever someone in a movie or TV show deals with time travel/alternate reality/dimensions, they happen to have a friend who is a physicist? Perhaps the most obvious answer would be to explain to the audience what is happening without having the layperson suddenly become way too smart. Also, it is to reinforce the notion that whatever the hero is going through is impossible, leading to the reveal that it is.

The Ring Lady, appropriately named Ms. Hawking, is an interesting character. She could be just another person who is in a similar ordeal to Desmond’s and is well aware of what to expect. She may have tried to prevent something from happening so many times and the eventual defeat wore her down. Or she may not be a person at all. There have also been comparisons to The Oracle of The Matrix films, an older woman who seems to know a lot about this alternate reality, including Desmond’s story. Some have theorized that The Monster manifested as her, possibly to sabotage Desmond.

This episode recalls, among other things, Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece “Slaughterhouse Five”. In it the protagonist has become “unstuck in time” and spends the book flashing forward and backward through his life; reliving his marriage, duty in World War II and alien abduction. Desmond similarly goes back to when he broke up with Penny back to the island where he lies naked among the hatch ruins. If it has happened after this flashback, we can only assume that it happened to be the moments he saved Charlie from dying.

Time travel is a tricky narrative device. One can go far with elaborate scenarios of even a small alteration of the past. Someone goes back in time and kills a bug, then in the present the world has been annihilated by nuclear war. If Desmond really did travel backward, did he do something in the lucid flashback that changed current events? You could argue that Desmond traveling back in time was what caused him to break up with Penny, but for that to work, he had to get on the island, which he wouldn’t have done had he not broken up with Penny. This type of circular logic can be extremely confusing and will be kept to a minimum in these reviews, same as how an electromagnetic discharge could cause time travel.

As we saw in “Live Together, Die Alone”, Desmond’s issue with facing his fears is his major flaw to overcome. Because he doesn’t confront Widmore directly, he tries to impress him by achieving things Widmore values. It is hinted that the break up is what made him go into the army, which is something we assume Widmore admires. This is why he participated in Widmore’s race, which resulted in his shipwreck on the island. What these events have in common is that both acts fail miserably. Using this timeline, Desmond’s time in the army was less than three years not including his prison sentence. Desmond’s mission to save Charlie could be a major stepping stone for him, as some have cited the “Wonderwall” (which Charlie sings in the episode) lyrics as foreshadowing. As he has found it so hard to face his human problems, he is now facing a battle with fate, the outcome of which may finally give him the courage to face his fears.

Like Jin’s story, class plays a big role. When Desmond checks in and during his interview, his Scottish accent is noticeably toned down. Even in America, certain accents can make a person seem lower in stature. Widmore flaunts his status during the MacCutcheon speech as well. Also it’s no surprise that Desmond’s flat is no where near the quality of the one Penny gave up to live with him.

Charlie’s suspicions of Desmond, which have been evident in the last few episodes, appear to be rooted in the belief that Desmond was moving in on Claire. There have been hints as Desmond saving her life twice, looking like Claire’s Knight in Shining Armor. The image of Desmond carrying Claire out of the water while Charlie helplessly stands with the rest of the castaways is certainly one that would make him feel insecure about his newly found reconciliation with Claire. While that wouldn’t explain how Charlie would think that Desmond orchestrated these events, jealousy can easily overpower logic.

Assuming “the universe” as Ms. Hawking called it can course correct, is the universe trying to prevent something by killing Charlie? Is saving Charlie setting up someone else to take his place or something worse that would happen with Charlie around? It could be that the universe is neutral and without an agenda.

While this flashback takes up about 75% of the episode and doesn’t offer a major reveal into the mythology, it doesn’t feel wasted at all. Instead, it offers ruminations on the fate vs. free will debate, a big piece of “Lost”. At times, it recalls moments from “The Twilight Zone”, with most of the episode taking place in this weird flashback. It also gives two characters major pushes for their stories.

Overall Score: 9/10