Lost Season Finale Early Review

Wow. I don’t even know where to begin. First I’ve never written a teaser for a review before, but this episode clearly deserves one, and it’ll probably be a while before my review for the final two parts goes live.

Although the season may have ended officially May 22^nd, it didn’t really end until the two part finale of the best season of “Lost” yet aired. “There’s No Place Like Home Parts 2 & 3” had just about everything you could ask for. Some great action sequences (Sayid and Keamy’s epic fight), long awaited answers (Locke is the man in the coffin after all), added bodies (RIP Keamy, Michael, Jin (?) and Locke (who may be pulling a Christian)), romance (Desmond & Penny at last!) and the mystery that “Lost” expertly pulls off. There were so many cheers, gasps and one major tearjerker. By the end I was exhausted in the best way possible. This is the early leader of my favorite episode for 2008 (Ball’s in your court “Battlestar Galactica”).

It’ll probably be a while before the review goes online, since this episode demands several rewatchings and will likely be longer than any review previously, dethroning my review of last season’s finale, the current title holder. But this has priority over my retro reviews I promise at least that.

For a TV season that was filled with several lows, mainly the writer’s strike cutting down many shows’ orders and benching several favorites (“24”) or several favorites underperforming (“The Wire”, “The Office” & “Heroes”), this season stood out even more. The shortened season, added to the knowledge of the show’s end date, made the writing tighter with fewer “filler” moments. This episode is a perfect example of that: luckily there were commercials to catch my breath and scoot back from the edge of my seat.

If my initial judgment stands, this season will end with an average of 8.57, a tremendous achievement that few shows will likely touch. Put that in perspective, the other show I reviewed this season, “Heroes”, ended its mediocre second season just above dead average at 7.09. Not to mention 3 episodes got the coveted “Perfect 10” score. This episode cemented this season as the best yet and one of the best seasons of television in recent memory.

Preliminary score: 10/10

Lost: Season 4, Episode 12: There's No Place Like Home, Part 1

There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1
Original Airdate: May 15, 2008
Writers: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse
Director: Stephen Williams

Of course, this episode has to be seen as the beginning of a three part finale; introducing the conflict and placing characters where they need to be for the complication and resolution phases. Like the island story, the flash forwards serve as the starting point for the flash forward arcs we’ve seen all season and by the end of the three hours will likely move past Jack’s meltdown in “Through the Looking Glass”, presumably the last event chronologically so far. This part basically begins to fill in many of those blanks of how the Six go down their respective dark paths as they prepare to leave the island in the present. After all that great build up comes the pay off we’ve been waiting for.

The moment when the hangar door opens and the Six (well, three of them) are reunited with their families is rather powerful. As the show is about those on an isolated island, rescue has been something we’ve been expecting and promised from the first episode. With all the stuff that’s happened on the island, it can be easy to forget that the survivors have friends and family in the real world who believe (or believed in the case of the Six) that they were dead. For them, their nightmare is over, their children are home.

Nadia not being there could be as simple as she isn’t a blood relation to Sayid. It’s worth mentioning that of the Six, Sayid’s parents are almost entirely unknown. Sayid’s parents weren’t there likely because Sayid went against his country to save Nadia’s life. Sayid’s father, in the little we know of him, was a war hero in the Republican Guard.

Regardless, Sayid meeting Hurley’s parents is a great beat, emphasizing the strange assemblage of people on the island who never would’ve met otherwise. Hurley’s mother and Sayid couldn’t have had more different lives.

Kate’s mother, although she forgives Kate by not taking the stand against her, apparently hasn’t forgiven her when she gets off the plane. But why wouldn’t Sam Austen, the man Kate believed was her father, be there? He cared about Kate to give her a head start before calling the cops when she visited him after she killed Wayne. He likely could’ve pulled the strings. Perhaps it would’ve been distracting to have Austen and Sayid, who met in the flashbacks from “One of Them”, together in a scene without acknowledging their past encounter. Whatever the reason, Kate’s return reinforces the idea Sawyer’s brought up that they have nothing back on the main land.

Kate, unlike her adult counterparts, has yet to have that rock bottom moment leaving the island. Granted she goes through a hardship in her trial, but that’s pretty easy compared to the other four. The furthest flash forward she’s in, she doesn’t want to get involved in Jack’s self destructive “we have to go back” rage and seems content with her life. The biggest reason why she is doing so is because of Aaron, not to mention leaving California would violate her probation. If anything is going to motivate Kate, it’s going to involve someone targeting Aaron, likely because of the psychic’s warning about someone other than Claire raising him. Maybe it’ll happen when she returns from that moment with Jack things start to unravel.

With the darkness surrounding the adults, what is Aaron feeling? Yeah, he is only two, but that could lead to him drawing prophetic images like Locke did in the previous episode. Maybe he’ll be directed to knowing who his real mother is.

The press conference has some interesting moments, primarily with how Karen Decker (Michelle Forbes of “BSG”, “24” and “Star Trek” fame, hopefully we’ll see more of her) aids the Six in dodging questions that address the holes in their story, like them looking too well for being stuck on an island for over three months (a nitpick among some critics of the show despite evidence explaining it) or that Kate couldn’t have been six months pregnant with Aaron when the plane crashed. Some criticized the reporters for approaching the Six with skepticism, despite the viewer knowing it was justified. However, they had to let the audience know that the faults in their cover story weren’t completely ignored by the public. Not to mention this story would be ripe for tabloids, which thrive on scandal. Or perhaps they were working for a media outlet owned by Widmore.

(Editor’s note: the paragraphs that are supposed to be here refers to scenes that weren’t included in the original broadcast, but may be a part of the encore on May 29^th. They are at the end of the review for spoiler reasons.)

In “The Shape of Things to Come”, I was critical of the show not showing us Nadia’s death in the narrative. However, there was a clear reason behind that. Knowing that going into the reunion between Sayid and Nadia only intensifies the tragedy of its inevitable end. With the emphasis on non-linear storytelling this season, knowing what will happen has taken a backseat to filling in the blanks for what happened between the island time to the flash forwards, but it’s used very well in this episode.

Hurley, no sooner off the plane, begins to fall back into his belief that he is bad luck. Claiming that the lottery money is cursed at the press conference was just the beginning. It’s worsened by the return of the numbers on the odometer of the car he’ll eventually crash in a chase from the cops. Not knowing how the Six get off, it still makes sense he’d be the first to splinter under the guilt.

Sun, opposed to the other Six, is taking a more aggressive and less nihilistic tactic in dealing with getting off the island by taking control of her father’s company. The big question is just how big a settlement could Oceanic give the Six that would allow Sun to take over her father’s company without Oceanic going out of business? Not to mention shouldn’t Oceanic shell out money to the relatives of those who died or “died” in the crash? This is the only problem with the episode, but it could be easily explained. The five other banks mentioned could be the five adult members of the Six (perhaps saving Aaron’s as a college fund), not to mention Hurley’s lottery money. Whatever it is, this scene’s punch more than made up for any logical problems, this paragraph aside.

During her confrontation, she claims that two people are responsible for Jin’s “death”, Paik being one of them. There are four choices for the other person: the person who literally kills Jin, Widmore, Jack or herself. Sun may have taken control of Paik to get close to Widmore, whose association with Paik has been mentioned in non-canonical supplements. Jack may make a choice on island that leaves Jin behind. As for herself, Sun has often lied or hurt others for her benefit. So getting off the island at Jin’s expense or to go further, taking the blackmail money forced Jin to work as one of Paik’s enforcers would be in character.

Fans have been speculating how Jack and/or Claire would discover their secret relation. Jack implied in “Something Nice Back Home” that he knew, and many believed that knowledge was partially responsible for his depression in season three’s flash forwards. It turns out Claire’s mother, who was considered a vegetable with no chance of waking up, got better and traveled to LA for Christian’s “funeral”. The moment is filled with irony: she mentions that they didn’t know who they were on the plane, then compliments Aaron, without knowing it’s her grandson. This is the turning point for Jack, much like Nadia’s death is for Sayid and Charlie’s appearance is for Hurley.

Claire’s mother visiting Jack opens the door for other relatives and friends of non-Six members to visit. It was theorized that Kate’s favor to Sawyer involved helping Cassidy with Clementine. Not to mention that Walt is around, albeit on the other side of the country, keeping a low profile. Also would Penny have any contact with them, possibly as the person who brings them back?

On the island, Sawyer and Sayid show up to warn the respective sides of Team Jack, Juliet on the beach and Jack over extending himself trying to find the helicopter, of the mercenaries true objectives. It’s odd that Sawyer would mention Keamy and his men blew up “half of New Otherton” but failed to mention six people, including Rousseau, Alex and Karl, were killed. Perhaps another casualty of an overstuffed episode or they couldn’t find a way to have Jack feel genuine sympathy for the three characters we never knew.

While I initially assumed the satellite phone was meant to keep them away from the mercenaries, that turned out to be completely false. Frank is obviously one of the good people, so between this and the Zodiac, they have to work on getting the castaways off the island and onto the freighter.

However, that turns out not to be the safest place either. Theories that Keamy’s device is connected to an explosive come closer to being confirmed with the C-4 in one of the rooms of the freighter, presumably the source of that transmission that’s keeping it from moving. Ironically, staying on the beach may be the survivors’ best bet. Some believe this is how Jin dies (if he’s really dead), but it may explain why Sun believes Jin is dead. If Sun leaves the freighter and doesn’t know if Jin got off, seeing it explode would lead to some logically grim conclusions. Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good for at least the red shirts that came with Sun and Jin (one of whom, like in the raid on New Otherton, was wearing a red shirt).

Michael is the likeliest choice for who is in the coffin, so he’ll likely survive whatever will happen on the freighter. The emphasis on “the island” not allowing him to die because he has “work to do” seems to point towards to his demise when he’s finished that work and found redemption, but so far he hasn’t done much to earn that. It’s hard to be sympathetic when he gets defensive over the awkward reunion between him and the Kwons. His relationship with Jin, which was once friendly, has reverted to the antagonism they had in the early episodes, albeit stronger. Assuming he is the one in the coffin, they’re going to have to turn his character around fast.

With all the hints and theories, The Orchid finally comes into play this episode as the place where Ben can move the island. This element has been teased for almost a year now, with its Orientation outtakes released at last year’s ComicCon considered part of the canon along the Missing Pieces that aired leading up to the premiere. So far they only tease with information the video presented (the greenhouse station is a façade for something darker), but that’ll clearly be dealt with in parts two and three. Whatever it is, Daniel knows about it and it genuinely scares him.

Ben asserts that he always has a plan and considering his track record, he’s telling the truth. Of course it’s interesting that that plan involves him voluntarily walking up to the mercenaries and turning himself in. Now the likely scenario outside of using his skills as a master manipulator is having the surviving Others intervene.

In the review for Ben’s episode, it was theorized that Ben likely teleported off the island during a chaotic moment in the finale. It’s worth noting that not only does Ben not have the baton he’ll use to kill and disarm the Bedouins who find him, but his clothing doesn’t match either, at least not with that dark shirt. As the present island time comes closer to the flash forwards, fans are clearly going to notice these details.

The return of The Others is a welcome development. They had to write out Nestor Carbonell to accommodate his work on “Cane”, but with that canceled, he’s back. The Others were the logical choice for who Ben was communicating with on that mirror and now he needs them to help defend the island, head to the Orchid or prepare for moving. Possibly the reason he wasn’t one of The Others killed in the season three finale is that they knew this moment was coming and needed someone the audience recognized.

It’s also interesting that The Others don’t have a menacing presence in this episode. Had this been any previous season, this would’ve had us worried about Sayid and Kate’s fates. Now The Others are almost heroic. The castaways need help against the mercenaries, and The Others can provide that. It’ll be interesting since the muscle of The Others were killed in the beach raid. Regardless of their history, they now have a mutual enemy they have to work together to defeat and that’s a great dynamic.

Moving the Oceanic Six across the island and elsewhere is too deliberate to be an accident. This season’s clearly going to end with those six leaving, but getting to that point is left wide open for speculation. It’s a safe assumption to believe the four still on island will convene at The Orchid, Jack coming to help Hurley and Sayid and Kate with The Others per Ben’s orders. That leaves Sun and Aaron on the freighter. With powerful explosives ready to destroy the freighter, it could easily set her up to get away off the freighter to save herself even if that means leaving Jin.

Then there’s the question of the people with the Six on island and what happens to them. Sawyer, despite fulfilling his Han Solo role as the tough guy who grows a heart, is far too central to the show to be killed off at this point in the game (perhaps he’ll get the frozen carbonite equivalent for “Lost”). Same is true for Locke. Richard will likely survive as he has a back story that will illuminate some details about the island hinted at in past episodes. As for Desmond, Michael and Jin, it may be expected they’ll be on the freighter when it explodes, but I doubt it. The reasons for sparing Michael and Jin have been mentioned earlier. Many fans (myself included) will be very upset if Desmond’s story doesn’t end with him living happily ever after with Penny, not to mention he is one of the central figures to the Widmore saga. Perhaps Penny will arrive at the freighter to rescue those in danger of the C-4. Their heartfelt conversation in “The Constant” would easily light a fire under her to find the boat Desmond is on and considering it’s owned by her father, she has enough resources to make that possible.

This episode is another big step for the season. Between the emotional moments in the flash forwards to the musical chairs the castaways are playing, the season is heading on a collision course with something big. The big question, though, is can it top or come close to topping last season’s game changing finale?

Overall Score: 9/10

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: This is a review of an episode’s deleted scenes that may be present in the May 29^th encore.

According to The Transmission, a fan podcast, scenes removed from the conference offer some big pieces of information. That they were cut is only a testimony to the sheer amount of information prevalent in the episode. When Sun translates the Korean reporter’s question, they reminded the viewer that the Paiks, like everyone alive in Sun’s life besides the woman who arranged her exodus, had no clue their daughter spoke English. Other interesting tidbits include that Oceanic paid for Kate’s legal fees and were likely the reason why cops weren’t waiting to pick her up when she got off the plane.

But the biggest piece left on the cutting room floor addressed the question “If eight got off the plane, two died and one was born, how is it ‘Oceanic Six’?” Jack then reveals three other people who got off the island in their cover story: Charlie, Boone and Libby, who Jack claims had a head wound and couldn’t remember who she was. Since “Eggtown”, fans have been speculating who these people were and what their importance was. Using dead castaways is likely to protect the Six should another 815 survivor pop up elsewhere. I’m in the camp that who the other people are isn’t that important to the Oceanic Six mystery, but maybe there is an Easter egg connecting the three and how they really died.

Lost: Season 4, Episode 11 Review: Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever
Original Airdate: May 8, 2008
Writer: Elizabeth Sarnoff and Kyle Pennington
Director: Paul Edwards

Locke hasn’t had much to do character wise this season. The writers clearly want to keep what happened to those still on the island a secret so most of the cast, whose back stories have been explored well enough, didn’t get much in the way of centric episodes (it’s odd this season didn’t do a Sawyer episode). This episode is the closest this season’s gotten to a traditional flashback episode. Locke’s role on the island is about to become very important. He’s been claimed as the new leader and protector of the island and as the episode ends, the enemy has touched down on its soil. So it’s a good choice to explain how Locke got there, which goes back to beyond his birth.

This episode serves as a worthy companion piece to “The Man Behind the Curtain” in many ways. It revisits several settings and elements like the cabin, the mass grave, Jacob and Horace’s Sisyphus-esque cameo. They both deal with how the respective character gained control as protector of the island, including premature birth around the same stage in the pregnancy, losing a mother named Emily (albeit in different ways) and encounters with Richard Alpert involving some element of island mythology they wouldn’t know otherwise, in Locke’s case his picture with a man in peril an a pillar of smoke. Some suspect that Locke’s flashbacks at 5 and 16 coincide with Ben’s birth and arrival on the island. The flashbacks also feature another actor playing the character at greater length than other episodes, where it’ll be relegated to the prologue or first act. Highlighting the similarities fits this episode, as Locke begins to have some sort of respect for Ben.

In the “Meet Kevin Johnson” review, I remarked how the island keeping people alive wasn’t that far fetched an idea considering how other characters have been spared from harm by some providence (Michael himself was spared a gunshot to the head this week). This couldn’t be more appropriate for Locke. Born three months premature to a mother who just got hit by a car, he warded off illness and grew up otherwise healthy and that doesn’t even compute surviving an eight-story fall with only a broken back or a plane crash that should’ve killed everyone on board.

Following Alex’s murder, Ben is showing something we’ve never seen him show before, resignation. Of course, losing his daughter is a big contributor to this sleepwalking, but the big piece is that he feels his time on the island as its protector is over. It’s hard to believe that Ben has become sympathetic to some degree. The moment where Hurley shares his candy bar (which looked like a brand name and not Dharma) comes off as oddly touching. With that, we have to consider his future where he has a renewed resolve in the war between himself and Widmore and what happens between now and the moment he arrives in the Sahara that reinvigorates him.

Horace’s remark that he’s been dead for twelve years has generated a lot of discussion about contradicting the timeline or even retcon. That statement would place The Purge at 1992, four years after Rousseau arrived on the island. Shortly after she gave birth Alex was taken. So how exactly was Ben a father to Alex for four years if he had to maintain a façade of loyalty to Dharma? It’s possible Horace isn’t a reliable source of information as he is a vision, but hopefully there will be an explanation in a future Ben episode.

With the cancellation of “Cane”, Nestor Carbonell is free to return as Richard Alpert, and he plays an interesting part in this episode. Alpert, who resembles John Hamm from “Mad Men” in this episode, once again shows his lack of aging appearing in young Locke’s life after he’s born and at five years old. This also has been accused of retcon with Locke not remembering him when he first encountered him on the island last season. Obviously he wouldn’t remember him after birth (the flashbacks serving narrative function). As for when he picked the wrong item of the six, would it be realistic for someone to remember what a guy he met for two minutes forty years earlier looked like?

In the DVD commentary for “The Man Behind the Curtain”, Damon Lindelof compares Alpert’s role in The Others’ society to the Panchen Lama, second to the Dalai Lama who finds what they believe is the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama when the old one dies. This is recalled when Alpert asks Locke to pick what item “belongs” to him, which is similar to a well known test to determine the new Lama. If the previous leader(s) did die(d), that adds credence to Locke’s flashbacks at 5 and 16 to take place parallel to Ben’s birth and arrival on the island. They also reference X-Men with Alpert’s description of a school for people who are “extremely special”.

It’s interesting that The Others’ front, Mittelos (in this episode Laboratories), tried to recruit Locke as a teenager. Perhaps Juliet was picked to come to the island for something other than her expertise in fertility.

Then we have Abaddon appear as an orderly at Locke’s rehab facility planting the idea of going on a walkabout, the thing that would get him to Sydney and eventually the island. Now it may be that Abaddon and Alpert are their respective opposite. Widmore, suspecting Locke was the heir apparent for the island’s throne, sent Abaddon to put the gears in motion that would take him there in hopes that it would give him access Ben would never allow. This may foreshadow his return in the finale.

Christian appearing in the cabin, claiming to speak on Jacob’s behalf is one of the trippier moments of the episode. Why Jacob wouldn’t appear directly could point towards more manipulation and “the island’s conning Locke” theory that was popular in the second season. There had to be something with Jack’s father’s body not being in the casket when he found it back in the first season and now we’re seeing the beginnings of that answer.

Claire, acting a little under the influence, doesn’t seem that concerned with Aaron (some have criticized her for not caring more for Charlie this season as well). Assuming she isn’t dead, it would be a fair assumption to believe that Christian (Jacob) took Claire to the cabin for safekeeping as the mercenaries prepare to invade the island. Since the cabin doesn’t have a fixed location (except when Locke finds that map), it’s safe to protect her so she can raise Aaron when the dust settles. However, why is Aaron, under the care of Sawyer and Miles heading back to the beach, “where he’s supposed to be”? This may refer to a temporary caretaker and they failed to consider someone else taking him off the island in the battle.

The idea that the island can move has been around for a while, at least as far back as the introduction of Eko’s plane. There’s no way a Beechcraft 18 could make it from Nigeria to the island. The mobility of the island may explain how the Real Henry Gale’s balloon got to the island as well. Moving the island may be through time as well as/instead of space, which adds another layer of complications to the mix.

Jacob’s decision that the island needs to be moved could explain how only the Oceanic Six make it off the island, as well as Ben’s appearance in the desert wearing a parka with the same Dharma logo on the top secret plans Keamy claims will help them locate Ben. It all ties to what many believe is The Orchid Station. Ben and presumably Widmore know that station is where they need to be to move the island. That place may be cold or the island may move somewhere colder shortly before Ben jumps to the Sahara. The Oceanic Six may be the first six people the Zodiac raft picked up before the island moves, where the castaways can’t find it on a second run or as they speed away from the island.

Gault, the captain Michael warned Sayid and Desmond couldn’t trust, turns out to be not more than a patsy. Keamy, who has become a formidable antagonist, walks all over Gault and is the only one of the two who had knowledge of the plan to “torch the island”. Gault may have been hired simply because he can command a ship.

A lot of emphasis is made on the device strapped to Keamy’s arm, so much that he thought that was enough of a deal to get Gault to stand down (or perhaps part of a con to distract Gault long enough to get a gun and kill him). An initial theory is that it’s some heart rate monitor, where if it goes too low it’ll set off some explosives, likely on the freighter. Whatever it is, it’ll likely play a big part in the finale.

One major stupid moment occurs when Gault, who has Keamy at gunpoint, turns away to ask what the device strapped to Keamy’s arm is. This is the guy who slit an innocent man’s throat and threw his body overboard to prove for point a minute earlier and he’s going to look away for a second? This was an ultimate contrivance where they had an otherwise reasonable character do something stupid so the story could reach a certain point.

Desmond staying on the freighter may spell his doom, but it also may be why he isn’t one of the Oceanic Six. I’m reluctant to say Keamy’s device causes the freighter to explode, as it would be too similar to the raft pack left to die by The Others in “Exodus Part 3”. Some suspect in a twist of cruel irony, Penelope finds herself on the island shortly before Locke “moves” the island, reversing the dynamic. It would be interesting because Desmond’s cowardice was partially responsible for both. That may be interesting, albeit tough since Sonya Walger has two other shows to juggle.

Obviously the confrontation between the mercenaries and the castaways isn’t going to end well. Knowing the future, Jack misreading Frank’s warning of the satellite phone as a method to find Keamy rather than avoid him, will likely prove a fatal mistake. That makes Sawyer and/or Sayid’s arrival to warn them of their true intention likely to happen too late in the proceedings for Jack and company to do anything about it.

This episode does a good job of giving Locke, who hasn’t had as much to do this season, a major spot in the storyline as the showdown between the castaways as a whole and the mercenaries on the freighter draws close. This season has so far hit most of the right marks and the road to the finale is no exception. The tension is high and with only a few people guaranteed safe and major answers on the horizon, it looks like the finale will easily deliver on many of the promises this season has made.

Overall Score: 9/10

Lost: Season 4, Episode 10 Review: Something Nice Back Home

Something Nice Back Home
Original Airdate: May 1, 2008
Writer: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Stephen Williams

This episode has generated some debate. Following a classic episode is never easy: “The Other Woman”, which followed the classic “The Constant”, was the lowest rated episode of the season. It’s also a bit of a throw back to previous seasons, with a heavy emphasis on character development rather than major reveals and action as the last episode did. While it may be labeled “filler”, it does offer some explanations for how Jack got to his meltdown in “Through the Looking Glass”.

Jack’s appearances in Kate’s and Hurley’s flash forwards hinted at the stupor he wound up in in his first one. There had to be something to get Jack from slipping a little liquor in his orange juice to popping pain killers like they’re M&Ms. Playing house with Kate, while it may have satisfied some shippers, went against what was supposed to happen and those things are trying to “course correct”. The prescription is the first step towards his addiction and falling out between him and Kate.

Ultimately, Jack and Kate turn into versions of their parents: Jack’s an alcoholic who is unreasonably jealous and Kate is drawn to that. We don’t know much about Kate and her mother’s relationship besides her mom not understanding Wayne was a bad guy, but its possible Kate was a stabilizing figure like Aaron is to Kate.

Like Hurley, Jack is getting visions of someone close to him, in Jack’s case his ever mysterious father. This contributes to his falling apart in the future as it did for Hurley. The second time Jack sees his father, it’s after he changes a battery for the smoke detector. With that, the obvious implication is that his father is the Smoke Monster. It’s probably misleading and some other island force (Jacob?) calling the Oceanic Six back.

With that, what would the island do to draw back Sayid, Sun and Kate? For Sayid and Sun, Nadia and Jin respectively would be appropriate, even if Jin is still alive on the island. For Kate, that figure might be harder. Claire would make sense, tying into the “you’re not supposed to raise him” threat Hurley relayed to Jack. Targeting Aaron will be the only way Kate would be willing to give up her domestic, stable life to go back.

Kate’s favors for Sawyer are likely those helping Clementine and Cassidy. Kate & Cassidy had a brief friendship in “Left Behind”, so perhaps that back story was meant to do more than fill a flashback quota. Sawyer’s recently stepped up as at least a protector of several people, notably Claire, Aaron and Hurley. In addition, Cassidy must’ve heard of 815, seen Sawyer’s name among the casualties and then seen an opportunity when Kate pops up with the Oceanic Six.

It’s interesting that in the Oceanic Six mystery, Sawyer had to option to leave with them, but chose not. Sawyer this season has been nobler than expected, acting as a protector towards Claire and her baby. With Claire missing in the end of the episode, he may stay behind because she’s still missing.

Sawyer staying behind appears to have gotten under Jack’s skin. It’s likely whatever Jack’s actions that got him off the island were, they sounded right at the time, but time has worn that down and he’s justifying his guilt away. In that anger, Jack also makes a statement that could be read as acknowledgment that he learned that Claire is his half-sister. With family involved, that must make that guilt even worse.

Rose questioning why Jack’s fallen ill could be a turning point in his leadership. The other person to get seriously ill with no provocation is Ben and that was one of the pieces that lead to the end of The Others’ control of the island. Jack assertion that they’ll “be ready” when the freighter arrives lacks the confidence and inspiration his words against The Others had just over a week earlier on the island. What did Jack do to anger the powers on the island to make him sick? The clear answer would be contacting the freighter and allowing them to arrive. This ties into his flash forwards, as living with Kate and Aaron goes against Aaron being raised by Claire.

In another shipper moment, Juliet remarks that Jack isn’t interested in her the way he is towards Kate. It does make sense, as she picked Sawyer last season and Jack was willing to be unhappy if that meant she could be happy. While the writing indicates that Jack and Kate will wind up together, Jack and Juliet made a more convincing couple.

Claire’s fate is the cliffhanger that ends the episode. Since her house was attacked, some have theorized that they are pulling a “Sixth Sense” by having Claire be dead already. Miles’ interest in Claire and her baby is the strongest hint of that, but it may be just a red herring. This seems unlikely as it has been done many times before and would be hard to earn a satisfying resolution to that.

A more interesting venue would be the things she saw. A cut scene from the previous episode was Claire having some vision just before the mercenaries blew up her house. In this episode she mentions not “seeing things” anymore, which gets the attention of Miles.

The imagery of Miles with the hood over his head is clearly a call back to Charlie, but why that is isn’t clear yet. Are we to believe they’ll be a couple or will he make some contact with Charlie?

After the ambush of the mercenaries, to see five come out and only one is limping is a major disappointment. If anything, Keamy should’ve been the last man standing. This could imply some more rules Ben and Widmore are following, where he only sent the Monster to wound the men, but that cheapens the original action of Ben, having lost his daughter, unleashing hell as his last route out of the situation. However, it’s likely that they have some degree of understanding of it, which may explain why they didn’t suffer a similar fate to Seth “Pilot” Norris or Eko.

The appearances of the graves effectively dashes any hopes of Rousseau surviving, but that moment offers some insight to how Miles’ gift works. He hears the dialogue uttered by Rousseau and Karl in their last moments in a more personal and intense manner than the rest hear the whispers. It possibly offers solid evidence that he is genuine as he knows their names without having given them, but he might’ve heard about them during his captivity.

One thing worth asking is how Rousseau and Karl were buried. Keamy and his men, the people responsible for those actions, wouldn’t take time to throw them even in their shallow grave. The likeliest of solutions is that Frank, one of the “innocent” people on the freighter, did it out of the decency in his heart. If this episode does anything for the freighties, it’s have them dealing with the actions of their violent counterparts. This may be similar to Dharma itself, where the hippies suffered the same consequences that those who fought with the hostiles did.

Daniel and Charlotte are certainly feeling the ill will on the beach, as no one trusts them after their lie is revealed. Things will obviously get worse when Sawyer and Miles (maybe Claire) arrive and inform them that the mercenaries slaughtered at least six of their people. Going to the medical hatch earns some good will, albeit not as good as Juliet got from Sun last season.

Jin’s threat to Charlotte recalls his days as an enforcer for Mr. Paik. However, the decent man who loves his wife and unborn child above all else is still there. He’s putting them above all others to get them off the island. This selflessness, in contrast to Sun wanting to save herself above all else, may be the biggest reason behind Sun’s guilt in her flash forward.

Overall, this episode does a good job bridging that forceful post-strike return and the end game. Every character gets a little development, which is welcome just before the season’s climax. There’s only one normal episode left before the three-part finale, which means things should be accelerating once again.

Overall Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 4, Episode 9 Review: The Shape of Things To Come

The Shape of Things To Come
Original Airdate: April 24, 2008
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn and Drew Goddard
Director: Jack Bender

Since his introduction, Michael Emerson as Ben has been one of the show’s greatest assets. He has become crucial to the story as a worthy adversary of the castaways and a counter to Locke, using his skills at manipulation to get what he wants. If this episode does anything, it solidifies Ben’s status as one of the most compelling characters on TV. This episode could be called “Michael Emerson’s Emmy Reel”. In addition, this first post-strike episode brings the show back with a vengeance: creating an atmosphere of dread, intrigue and a million questions as the stage for the series’ end becomes even more complex.

Ben is an oddity among the flash forward centric characters. With only one flashback episode to date, his back story is still ripe with unknowns to explore. The biggest problem with “The Man Behind the Curtain” was the flashbacks felt incomplete and may have suffered from significant cuts. While this episode doesn’t answer any questions posed by that episode, his future is more important in terms of the season’s story.

The questions come the second his flash forward begins. The clear implication is that Ben transported from the island, likely within a few days or weeks from current island time, to October 2005. How does Ben go from the island to the Sahara desert? His story about taking “The Elizabeth” is clearly false. The evidence indicates that he was transported to Africa. The big clues are the steam evaporating off his body, his look of shock and the Dharma parka he wears. The name on it, Halliwax, recalls the Orchid training video released at last year’s ComicCon. It may be safe to assume that the station can teleport objects like a human being. The station may be cold, or Ben was preparing to be transported somewhere cold. Some have guessed that the fluid he vomits is the same drink Richard gave Juliet before she arrived on the island, which may be an element in this travel. Ben’s position when he wakes up recalls Jack after the plane crash and Locke after The Swan explosion/implosion as well.

One can assume that when things get even worse on the island, Ben retreats to this station (it will be referred to as The Orchid only if confirmed on the show) and transports off. The polar bear in “Confirmed Dead” might’ve been chasing him, explaining the arm wound and how a Dharma polar bear wound up around the same location Ben did, albeit far enough into the past to die and decompose when an archeological dig finds it.

Ben is known for his constant manipulation and strategizing. Whether he’s the top of The Others’ food chain or regularly beaten to a pulp, he’s thinking of how he can use the situation to his advantage. No sooner does he arrive in the future and hear Sayid’s name on a television does he figure out how to use Sayid to accomplish his own goals. Some suspect that Ben put the hit on Nadia to persuade Sayid to join him. The problem with that theory would be how he could orchestrate it assuming he traveled ahead in time mid-crisis.

Sayid working for Ben in the future was one of the biggest shockers of the first half of the season. This episode explains how that happened: Ben manipulated Sayid, grieving over his murdered wife and life long love Nadia. Sayid’s major flaw has always been his habit of letting his emotions get the best of him, which is why he was such a brutal torturer. It’s evident when he gunned down Bakir, emptying his gun and continuing to pull the trigger (reminiscent of Jack Bauer doing the same to Victor Drazen in the first season of “24”).

Having Nadia killed off camera might’ve been the result of strike rewriting. Nadia was one of the first elements of Sayid’s character shown: she played a crucial role in getting him out of the Republican Guard and on to the island. It would make sense that we’d see her death on camera. Whatever the reason, it’s sad to see another romance end in tragedy. Obviously, “Lost” has gone into darker territory this season and that is just symptomatic of that.

In the present, the long awaited war between the castaways and freighties begins proper with the assault on The Barracks. Of course they exploit the Sword of Damocles hanging over Claire’s head by shooting a rocket through her home, only to have her survive with a few cuts and scrapes. Is this teasing meant to be similar to Charlie’s frequent brushes with death, or perhaps a hint that she is still alive in the future?

There is a moment of unintentional humor when Sawyer is attacked. The mercenaries kill three red shirts (one of whom actually had one on) with one kill shot each, but they can’t hit Sawyer even if he was leaning on the broad side of a barn. Considering the rest of the episode, Ben’s explanation that they wanted to rattle him enough to make him want to give up Ben makes it less silly than it comes off. If that’s the case, how do they know Sawyer’s personality enough to figure he’s the one to do that? With The Others, they had access to all the characters histories, but as far as we know the freighties don’t.

One has to wonder what the mercenaries’ plan was had they not encountered Alex since getting access to Ben hinged entirely on her. Many suspected Ben sent her into that ambush knowingly under the assumption that she would not be harmed because of “the rules”. Ben has always been in control, so this episode explores the moment when he loses that.

Each week I think they’ve finished raising the stakes, but this episode goes further. Alex’s murder makes the threat of the freighties real. Ben constantly warned Jack in the finale that contacting the freighter would result in the deaths of everyone on the island, so they had to produce some bodies when they arrived. Karl and Danielle were the first to fall in the last episode and now Alex. With uncertainty hovering over Jin and Claire’s heads, more will likely follow.

Alex’s death scene is unrelentingly intense. Audiences have been conditioned to expect the stand off to end without her being harmed at the last second, making that gunshot all the more chilling. Ben denying his love for Alex, with the cracks on his face evident that he is lying, being the last thing Alex will ever hear is heartbreaking. In this episode Michael Emerson did the impossible: he made us feel sorry for Ben. Of course it comes through Alex, a sympathetic character who didn’t deserve her horrid fate, but Emerson deserves major credit for that moment.

Despite being a big part of the public perception of “Lost”, the Smoke Monster hasn’t appeared much. However, when it does there is something to be learned about it. This episode explains that Ben has some control of it, ruthlessly unleashing it to tear the mercenaries apart. The secret room inside Ben’s secret room is also worth noting. With hieroglyphics and its design, it may connect with the various ruins seen elsewhere on the island. It makes sense that Dharma would want to have one of their homes connected to this room, especially if it can activate the Monster. There is also the question of Ben’s soiled appearance when he returns, which implies that the passage is unfinished or badly dilapidated.

Ben wanting to keep Locke and Hurley safe because of their connection makes sense, and may begin to explain why Hurley’s one of the Oceanic Six. Possibly Jacob would want someone he chooses to contact off the island when whatever bad events cause the Six to leave. Locke stays to protect the island directly and Ben abandons his plan out of self preservation by escaping to Africa.

On the beach, Jack’s taking the first steps towards the downward spiral he was engulfed in in the flash forwards. Knowing that episode, the signs, like the self medication in secret, are a cause for alarm. The other element occurs when Daniel confesses that the freighter crew has no intention of rescuing the castaways. Ultimately Ben and Locke were right that those on the freighter couldn’t be trusted and Jack, who against their wishes, insisted on calling them, has to live with that fact. Neither side ended up well in this situation, since those who tried to avoid the freighter just got massacred or are trekking through the jungle looking for the next step.

With the cast on the beach relatively small, Bernard gets a moment to shine when he calls out Daniel’s lie about the message the freighter relayed. Considering his age, he might’ve used morse code in combat (his age makes him a likely candidate for a Vietnam veteran). Whatever his connection, it makes sense the castaway to suggest using morse code would know what was being sent. His character has been defined largely through Rose, who hasn’t been seen since the premiere, so this is a great way to get him into the story and flesh him out more.

With all the talk of time irregularities and travel, perhaps the people on the freighter aren’t lying about what happened to the doctor and that he is still alive in the freighter’s timeline. There have been several references to time working differently off island. Perhaps he’s killed towards the end of the season, but the body finds itself ashore now.

The final scene with Ben and Widmore raises the stakes higher while giving us some insight into their relationship. It seems that Ben and Widmore were once on friendly terms, but that changed when Ben “took” the island. This changes the context of the purge. What was once a war between the natives and an invading force is now seen as a power play: Ben’s fell swoop to take the island and cut Widmore off from it.

Some have theorized that Widmore is one of the “hostiles” or original inhabitants of the island much like Richard has been theorized to be. Perhaps Widmore was a mentor to Ben, who he betrayed to have more control over the island. The past relationship they had could be why they follow rules of engagement over the island. It may explain why Ben can’t kill Widmore, but can go after Penelope in retaliation for Alex. Some have theorized that Widmore and Ben are each others constants, which may be interesting. The history behind this relationship will likely be a major element of the series from here to the end.

It’s worth noting that Widmore doesn’t have control of the island in the future. Since the end of the finale, it’s been assumed that the freighties had control of the island and that Jack felt the need to rescue the castaways from the police state the mercenary side created. Perhaps the ordeal of this season has caused the island to wage war against the people on it. Whatever it is, it adds another level to the Oceanic Six mystery.

As if the episode didn’t raise the stakes enough, Ben closes the episode by threatening to kill Penelope out of revenge. Desmond and Penelope had enough going against them, but now we have to worry about Penelope’s survival on top of Desmond getting off the island. Many fans are hoping for a happy ending for this couple and they are certainly making sure they go through hell before they can find happiness. With several romances ending in tragedy, this one would cause a major uproar if it did the same. It does give Desmond, the other major player in this story, a huge motivation. It also may play into Sayid should Ben leave it to him to do it. Sayid bonded with Desmond over being away from a woman they loved in “The Constant”, and Ben coercing him to eliminating Penelope may be a turning point in his future timeline. There’s potential for some great showdowns and drama here!

This episode is another knock out. The momentum in the series doesn’t miss a beat despite the writers’ room being closed because of the strike or the series being off the air for over a month. The episode is a showcase for one of the strongest actors and characters in the show, solidifying his status in the series presumably through the end. The war is on and if this episode and its title are any indicator, there’s going to be some dark stuff ahead.

Overall Score: 10/10

Lost: Season 4, Episode 8 Review: Meet Kevin Johnson

Meet Kevin Johnson
Original Airdate: March 20, 2008
Writer: Elizabeth Sarnoff and Brian K. Vaughn
Director: Stephen Williams

Had the strike gone on longer than it did, this would’ve had to suffice for the season finale. Thank God it was resolved, because most of the fandom would probably contemplate going into a coma to alleviate the wait. It would’ve been bittersweet for a season that hit so many high marks to end prematurely. In addition, “Lost” didn’t rework its season to give the viewers closure as “Heroes” did (although “Heroes” had a far less satisfying season), assuming they couldn’t produce more episodes within the standard TV season. With six more episodes being produced, this unbelievably satisfying and entertaining season can get a proper resolution.

Lindelof & Cuse compared this episode’s ending to when Ana-Lucia and Libby were shot, which is appropriate. The season is about to shift, rather than close. Had they rewritten this to accommodate a longer strike, they might’ve revealed more about the freighties and how the Oceanic Six got off the island, but it would’ve been premature. Instead, the episode delves into what happened to Michael after he sailed off the island in the second season finale while showing a glimpse of who the freighties are.

Of course, Michael being Ben’s inside man was the worst kept secret in “Lost” history, a product of the producers knowing there was no way to keep it a secret (“24” and “Prison Break” did similar press with returning cast members). Considering his character, it makes sense for him to return. Michael’s major fault he’s trying to atone for, unlike his fellow castaways, happened after the crash. Yes he wasn’t a part of Walt’s life until after Walt’s mother died, but taking two lives to get him back from the Others trumps anything else. With most of the cast trying to find redemption, Michael’s story wasn’t done yet. Also, the unanswered questions with Walt are too big to go unanswered.

So we see a brief glimpse of his life post-island (although no shot involving how he got back) and it isn’t pretty. He’s in a funk similar to Jack in his flash forwards. He’s drowning in guilt and it’s estranged him from Walt, now living with his grandmother in secret. He lost everything he cared about and attempts suicide several times, but ironically sees redemption in The Others when Tom recruits him to be Ben’s inside man.

Tom’s line that the island won’t let Michael kill himself has generated some controversy, but it isn’t as corny as it might’ve sounded. Consider Locke suddenly losing control of his legs in “Deus Ex Machina”, which saved his life as well as Desmond’s since Locke’s frustration gave Desmond hope when he contemplated suicide. In that same category could be Jack’s suicide attempt in “Through the Looking Glass”, where a car crash literally pulled Jack from the ledge. Some have theorized the island orchestrated those things to keep key players around, so it’s hardly a whipped up concept.

With the episode devoted to what happened to Michael during the third season, many must’ve expected some bigger reveals regarding the freighties, who Michael infiltrated as the eponymous Johnson, but really this episode is about setting up Michael’s possible redemptive arc. While Michael is haunted by his past, he sees stopping sadists with no consciences as a way to redeem himself.

This connects to Ben’s conversation about Michael sparing the “innocent” on the freighter. While anything Ben says should be examined with heavy skepticism, this claim isn’t that off. Daniel, Frank and Minkowski (before he got sick) are all friendly, whereas several crew members kill time by shooting at plates with machine guns that could liquefy someone, blowing off questions about rescue. Assuming Ben is manipulating Michael and he doesn’t care if there are “innocent” people on the freighter, why would he give them more time to get the message that would lead them to the island? It’s also worth noting that of the dead on the freighter, none died because of anything Michael did as far as we know.

Tom’s “evidence” that the plane crash was staged adds another layer to the differing stories to who was behind the Flight 815 cover up. Since Tom has receipts and photos, it’s the most convincing so far. However, it’s worth wondering how The Others found out about this expedition and in such a short time. Since the two sources of information are The Others and Widmore, neither should be considered a legitimate source yet, but some connection is there.

After teasing the reveal of the gay cast member and hinting at it well over a season ago, it turns out it was Tom. One of the things I like most about this reveal is that they don’t make a big deal about it (although I’m sure homophobic groups will make it sound like they were in your face). Like many shows that excel in having a diverse cast, it is about the characters over their ethnicity, gender or sexual preference.

Since her sudden death late in season two, Libby has been a major mystery. She never had a proper flashback episode to illustrate her backstory. All we know is at one point she was a patient at Hurley’s hospital when he was and gave Desmond the boat he shipwrecked on the island. While her return might’ve offered huge reveals, instead it teases and leaves plenty of room for interpretation. For some reason (likely them not getting Michelle Rodriguez to fly in for a cameo), her death weighs heavier on him than Ana-Lucia. When he’s ready to blow up the freighter, Libby’s ghost discourages him from doing so, accompanied by off-island whispers. Some theorized that Libby was an insider among the castaways, but for who varies by who is speculating. Whatever it is, it may be theorized she worked for Widmore or someone else opposing Ben.

One thing worth exploring was how Michael and Walt assimilated in Manhattan. Going in, it wouldn’t be off to assume that they were picked up by the freighter people and he made up a bogus story per Ben’s orders. The “cabin fever” that provoked Regina to kill herself could’ve been the result of Walt and his abilities, recalling “It’s a Good Life”. However, that blank is not filled. Michael must’ve lived somewhere where they don’t ask questions, because the media, family and friends of the castaways and especially Widmore would want to learn what Michael knows and it’s unlikely he’d be allowed to move back into his old apartment. Maybe that’s nitpicking, but it’s a major missing piece in the story that may lack a logical explanation.

Another controversial element in the episode is the timeline of Michael’s flashbacks. Michael left the island around Day 67. So in roughly two weeks (considering when Tom was on island last season), he managed to return to the mainland, heal from his gunshot wound and later suicide attempt and get on the freighter. It seems like the writers have taken a page from “24” regarding time compression.

Sayid ratting Michael out makes total sense. Of the castaways, Sayid perhaps is the most skeptical of Ben’s motives. In addition, it’s coming from Michael, who nobody trusts because of his betrayal. It discredits the suspicion in Sayid’s mind that the captain is a threat as well. With what we know of the Oceanic Six, it’s safe to assume turning him in is a terrible mistake. Some viewers were expecting Gault to explain that he knew all along that Michael was a spy and that was part of the plan or he was one as well, but no such luck.

One interesting piece was that The Temple appears to be another Dharma Station (bringing the total to nine, not including The Orchid) and not something connected to the ruins we saw in “Live Together, Die Alone” and “The Brig”. The Others’ appropriation of Dharma technology and facilities was an interesting part of the third season and as more is revealed. How this place is a special sanctuary above the other stations and locations on the island is wide open for discussion.

Considering Ben’s talent at manipulation, it wouldn’t be a far off guess to believe that he knowingly sent Rousseau and Karl to be killed to prove a point to Alex. His possessiveness was evident when he sent Goodwin to die two episodes ago. However, how he could pull that off is a point of contention. The Others at The Temple do not have the muscle.

While Karl is likely dead, the same may not apply to Rousseau. Although we know many of the broad strokes of her story, a flashback episode detailing how she managed to survive on the island for 16 years before the crash could illuminate a lot. Some fans would likely find it hard to forgive the writers for promising a Rousseau episode and killing her off before that happened. This may be more wishful thinking since Rousseau’s arc was essentially completed when she reunited with her daughter, and most of her backstory has been told through exposition rather than scenes.

This episode does a good job of transitioning us from the first half of the season, filling in some blanks regarding a long missing character. While major reveals weren’t there as some may have expected, the season is moving beyond its introductory phase and things are about to get even more interesting as the war starts.

Overall Score: 8/10