Lost: Season 5, Episode 15 Review: Follow the Leader
Follow the LeaderOriginal Airdate: May 6, 2009
Writer: Paul Zbyszewski & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Director: Stephen Williams
As the series has gone on, the idea of designating every episode as being centric to a character or more has become not as essential to telling the story. Technically, this episode is classified as a Richard-centric episode, although it isn’t the Richard episode fans were probably expecting. Certainly Richard’s backstory is one we all really want to know about, but Richard is more the piece connecting the two time frames (if only there was a word for that). This episode has more in common with “Because You Left” & “Namaste”, in that it is far more about plot, which makes sense to have an episode like this at the end of the season as it was beginning and middle.
The leader in question is Locke, who returns and turns The Others society upside down, a little like he did in “The Man Behind the Curtain”, only this time he comes out demanding that everyone go see Jacob, as well as bringing up serious questions about how they can follow a man they’ve never seen and as far as they know, may not exist. His new leadership is much more overhaul of the status quo than a passing of the torch.
By the end of the episode, Richard’s observation that Locke is different is more than a stray quote. Knowing when the flash where Richard helped Locke with his gunshot wound in the season premiere took place is one thing that may be similar to Locke’s instincts in the first season and his desire to be more open reflects a character who has been manipulated too often by secretive people, but it’s the quote at the end that’s telling, where he declares that he doesn’t care about the other survivors so much as his ultimate goal: killing Jacob. Locke would never dismiss the other people on the island for the sake of his grand mission. Of course, knowing what the finale holds explains that.
Another element of time travel that spurred a lot of debate was the compass, which this episode reveals exists in a time loop. Since Richard gave it to Locke in 2007, who gave it to Richard in 1954, where did it originate in the first place? Not to mention that as it goes through this time loop it’ll wear down and break. I know a lot of people have speculated about this to death, but for me, that’s one of the fun parts of time travel fiction.
In 1977 the various groups prepare their Plan Bs: Jack & Sayid get ready to set off the bomb, Jin, Hurley & Miles head to the beach and Sawyer, Juliet & Kate are exiled off the island. Jack has his motivations for setting off the nuclear bomb, but seriously, wimpy Jack is starting to get annoying. His ultimate motivation to forget about Kate is just selfish and whiny. He mentions saving those who died, but he’s far more interested in getting over a girl? Are you 15 Jack and reading Twilight?
Regardless, he gets assistance when Sayid finally resurfaces after a few episodes in the jungle. Sayid certainly has a lot of motivation to help Jack: if it works, his love Nadia will live, as well as make up for him making Ben the man he is (there wasn’t enough wah wah trumpet for the reaction he gets after saying he killed Ben Linus) and if doesn’t, he has enough of a death wish that he wins either way.
Hawking begins her path to Temporal Policemanhood by helping Jack & Sayid get to the bomb. Of course, the shock of shooting her son from the future is enough to have her go with the plan to alter future. Obviously, according to the timeline we’ve followed for the past 5 seasons, that plan failed, dooming her to make sure she kills her son. However, for 1977, she justifiably wants to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Of course, Kate isn’t on board with the plan to reset the clock. Why would she? She got away with a murder that would’ve landed her in jail for the rest of her life because of what she went through on the island. Not to mention she’s right when he compares Jack’s dedication and Sayid shooting a kid to the darkest parts of Locke’s obsession. Jack’s turnaround is just heading to the other extreme.
Back at Dharmaville, Sawyer and Juliet are harshly grilled by Radzinsky and his security detail. I give Eric Lange & Patrick Fischler as Radzinksy and Phil respectfully a lot of credit: these guys have been great antagonists to the Losties and here they are really awful. I don’t think I’ve ever been rooting so much for a fictional character to kill himself as Radzinsky. As for Phil, punching Juliet certainly had fans ready for him to get comeuppance.
With their hands tied both literally and figuratively, Sawyer and Juliet bargain their freedom, resulting in exile from the island. Though they have to face the real world without any friends or family being aware of their existence, they have each other, and knowledge that can make them rich, as Sawyer jokes on the dock. However, this happy moment is quickly torn asunder when Kate shows up. Come on Kate, you had a really good centric episode and seemed to have direction, now we fall back into old habits.
One small problem I had: when Radzinsky asks who the third infiltrator is, Phil says the fat guy. Then they cut to Hurley grabbing as much food as he can. Seriously? Was Giacchino’s tuba guy out sick as well? I know that Hurley grabbing food makes sense as supplies for him, Jin & Miles, but that transition felt cheap.
Jin, Hurley and Miles find an unlikely ally in Chang. After finding them on the run, Chang quizzes Hurley on 1977, and Hurley fails hilariously (Hurley believing the Korean War was a trick question was particularly funny). There’s even a nice call back to Hurley’s concern about being asked who the president is (Carter), which is where Hurley officially gives up. So Chang takes it upon himself to get the evacuation going.
While watching the evacuation of the island, Miles figures out that Chang, who previously loved him and his mother, rudely demanded they leave because he knew that was the only way they would listen. Certainly the reveals here and from his flashback are huge moments in Miles’ life that finally illuminate pieces of his past. Maybe he can heal from this.
With the evacuation, I wonder why Ethan returned, as he’s seen with Ben as a young boy, yet Charlotte & Miles didn’t return until almost 30 years later. Seems odd unless he was brought back via off island recruiting.
The penultimate episode of the season leading to the two hour finale has been pretty solid the past three seasons and this episode is no exception. It separates the Losties like most finales and certainly sets the stakes pretty high for what they want to do and what that will mean for the rest of the series.
The leader in question is Locke, who returns and turns The Others society upside down, a little like he did in “The Man Behind the Curtain”, only this time he comes out demanding that everyone go see Jacob, as well as bringing up serious questions about how they can follow a man they’ve never seen and as far as they know, may not exist. His new leadership is much more overhaul of the status quo than a passing of the torch.
By the end of the episode, Richard’s observation that Locke is different is more than a stray quote. Knowing when the flash where Richard helped Locke with his gunshot wound in the season premiere took place is one thing that may be similar to Locke’s instincts in the first season and his desire to be more open reflects a character who has been manipulated too often by secretive people, but it’s the quote at the end that’s telling, where he declares that he doesn’t care about the other survivors so much as his ultimate goal: killing Jacob. Locke would never dismiss the other people on the island for the sake of his grand mission. Of course, knowing what the finale holds explains that.
Another element of time travel that spurred a lot of debate was the compass, which this episode reveals exists in a time loop. Since Richard gave it to Locke in 2007, who gave it to Richard in 1954, where did it originate in the first place? Not to mention that as it goes through this time loop it’ll wear down and break. I know a lot of people have speculated about this to death, but for me, that’s one of the fun parts of time travel fiction.
In 1977 the various groups prepare their Plan Bs: Jack & Sayid get ready to set off the bomb, Jin, Hurley & Miles head to the beach and Sawyer, Juliet & Kate are exiled off the island. Jack has his motivations for setting off the nuclear bomb, but seriously, wimpy Jack is starting to get annoying. His ultimate motivation to forget about Kate is just selfish and whiny. He mentions saving those who died, but he’s far more interested in getting over a girl? Are you 15 Jack and reading Twilight?
Regardless, he gets assistance when Sayid finally resurfaces after a few episodes in the jungle. Sayid certainly has a lot of motivation to help Jack: if it works, his love Nadia will live, as well as make up for him making Ben the man he is (there wasn’t enough wah wah trumpet for the reaction he gets after saying he killed Ben Linus) and if doesn’t, he has enough of a death wish that he wins either way.
Hawking begins her path to Temporal Policemanhood by helping Jack & Sayid get to the bomb. Of course, the shock of shooting her son from the future is enough to have her go with the plan to alter future. Obviously, according to the timeline we’ve followed for the past 5 seasons, that plan failed, dooming her to make sure she kills her son. However, for 1977, she justifiably wants to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Of course, Kate isn’t on board with the plan to reset the clock. Why would she? She got away with a murder that would’ve landed her in jail for the rest of her life because of what she went through on the island. Not to mention she’s right when he compares Jack’s dedication and Sayid shooting a kid to the darkest parts of Locke’s obsession. Jack’s turnaround is just heading to the other extreme.
Back at Dharmaville, Sawyer and Juliet are harshly grilled by Radzinsky and his security detail. I give Eric Lange & Patrick Fischler as Radzinksy and Phil respectfully a lot of credit: these guys have been great antagonists to the Losties and here they are really awful. I don’t think I’ve ever been rooting so much for a fictional character to kill himself as Radzinsky. As for Phil, punching Juliet certainly had fans ready for him to get comeuppance.
With their hands tied both literally and figuratively, Sawyer and Juliet bargain their freedom, resulting in exile from the island. Though they have to face the real world without any friends or family being aware of their existence, they have each other, and knowledge that can make them rich, as Sawyer jokes on the dock. However, this happy moment is quickly torn asunder when Kate shows up. Come on Kate, you had a really good centric episode and seemed to have direction, now we fall back into old habits.
One small problem I had: when Radzinsky asks who the third infiltrator is, Phil says the fat guy. Then they cut to Hurley grabbing as much food as he can. Seriously? Was Giacchino’s tuba guy out sick as well? I know that Hurley grabbing food makes sense as supplies for him, Jin & Miles, but that transition felt cheap.
Jin, Hurley and Miles find an unlikely ally in Chang. After finding them on the run, Chang quizzes Hurley on 1977, and Hurley fails hilariously (Hurley believing the Korean War was a trick question was particularly funny). There’s even a nice call back to Hurley’s concern about being asked who the president is (Carter), which is where Hurley officially gives up. So Chang takes it upon himself to get the evacuation going.
While watching the evacuation of the island, Miles figures out that Chang, who previously loved him and his mother, rudely demanded they leave because he knew that was the only way they would listen. Certainly the reveals here and from his flashback are huge moments in Miles’ life that finally illuminate pieces of his past. Maybe he can heal from this.
With the evacuation, I wonder why Ethan returned, as he’s seen with Ben as a young boy, yet Charlotte & Miles didn’t return until almost 30 years later. Seems odd unless he was brought back via off island recruiting.
The penultimate episode of the season leading to the two hour finale has been pretty solid the past three seasons and this episode is no exception. It separates the Losties like most finales and certainly sets the stakes pretty high for what they want to do and what that will mean for the rest of the series.
Overall Score: 8/10
posted by Matt @ 3:54 PM
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