It Worked

At the first commercial break, I had my doubts. That’s putting it mildly. The truth is, I was disappointed. I told Barbie, “I really wish they didn’t go this route.”

I didn’t like seeing Jack sitting on Oceanic 815 not recognizing Cindy the flight attendant, or Rose, or Desmond (even if he did look familiar). I felt like we’ve all invested too much in the last five seasons, and I didn’t want to see a final season in which the characters’ history together has been obliterated—wiped out.

I didn’t like that the “Reset” idea actually worked. And I even had the audacity to think that, had I been writing the final season, I could have come up with something better… (feel free to point at me and laugh)

You see, I wanted to see our Losties still lost on the island, finally finding some answers for this epic, mythological, time-travely journey they’ve endured together…not on board Oceanic 815, on a entirely new path.

But then, much to my surprise, the Lost writers gave us both. The best of both worlds (or is it? Only time will tell…).

And as the two-part premiere progressed, the alternate reality (which the Lost brain trust of Cuse and Lindelof is referring to as a “sideways reality” because they don’t want to suggest that only one reality is really real) actually started to grow on me.

I liked watching Sayid help Jack save Charlie, who, contrary to what Doc Jensen wrote, was not trying to kill himself by stuffing a bag full of heroin down his throat. (C’mon, if a drug addict wants to off himself, he doesn’t ingest drugs still wrapped in a plastic baggie. Clearly, he was trying to hide the drugs.) I liked watching Sawyer size Hurley up for his next long con (I think), and I thoroughly enjoyed it when Sawyer subtly allowed Kate to get off the elevator, knowing she was a fugitive. The conversation between Locke and Boone (with Frogurt sleeping in a seat between them) was perfect.

I loved discovering that Kate had stolen Jack’s pen. And of course I enjoyed it when Kate beat the crap out of the annoying marshal who is always a little too gung-ho about bringing her in.

But best of all (in sideways reality, anyway), was the conversation between Jack and Locke. It was refreshing to see the two of them being civil to one another, both of them—each in his own way—still untainted by the recent years. Jack, still the good-hearted spinal surgeon who hasn’t turned into a disillusioned, suicidal, mangy-bearded pill-popper. And Locke, stilll…well, I guess it was just nice to see him still breathing. (I’ll get to the other version of Locke we saw last night…)

And I loved that Jack (still trying to fix things) told Locke that nothing is irreversible (just think of all the undertones to that statement, as our Losties, apparently, have just reversed years of death and destruction…or have they?). And personally, I hope Locke shows up for that free consult. (Isn’t it odd to see Jack giving Locke faith?)

And yet, this sideways reality isn’t showing us what might have been. Cuse and Lindelof have been clear about that. They want viewers to know that this reality isn’t what would have happened if Oceanic 815 never crashed. Whatever caused this (presumably detonating the Jughead bomb) changed things prior to the time when Oceanic 815 departed Sydney. For one, there’s no Shannon on the plane. For two, Desmond is there (and then he isn’t?). For three, Hurley believes he’s the luckiest guy in the world (which was another nice touch, wasn’t it? Because we’d like for Hurley to be the luckiest guy in the world, wouldn’t we?).

So when will we learn what all changed? And what caused it? I’m guessing it won’t be until the end of the season, but I’m not too worried about that right now.

How much of the off-the-island, sideways reality will we see this season? I have no idea. Personally, I prefer the on-island story (which I’m about to get to; I promise), but I can already envision scenarios I’d like to see in sideways world.

But in every scenario I’ve imagined so far, the sideways reality always leads to the island. It must. But wait, the island is under water… still, the two timelines must be reconciled. The threads must be connected. Alternate. Sidewise. Whatever you want to call it…it’s connected to the story we’ve followed for five seasons. And it will reconnect in a tangible way. Maybe not with all the Losties, but with the ones who matter most. It has to.

As for the on-island events…well, that’s what really set my head spinning. While the sideways reality seemed somewhat tranquil—and maybe a touch bittersweet—back on the island, things just got…scary.

I guess one should expect devastation when a group of people decide to blow up a hydrogen bomb, but what the Losties got was one dead Juliet (after a touching final kiss from Sawyer), one mostly dead Sayid, a dead Jacob (appearing only to “I have a gun and I know how to use it” Hurley), and a ringing in their ears created, presumably, by leaping thirty years forward in time to the present where Jacob was just killed “an hour ago.”

Crazy as all that sounds, it’s mild compared to what was happening over at the statue’s foot…

While the sideways reality showed us our characters at ease (all of them relatively tranquil and content, except for Charlie “I should have died” Pace, and Kate “I’m always fighting and running” Austen…well, and John “I lie about going on walkabouts” Locke). But on the island, we saw savagery. Juliet’s blood-smeared face. Sawyer’s death glares for Jack (Kudos to Josh Holloway for being a better actor than I thought he was, first with Juliet’s death and then with all his barely controlled rage). And if Sawyer seemed savage, he was a cupcake compared to the Locke Monster (which is what I will be calling Fake Locke/Man in Black from now on).

Locke Monster took the scathing looks to a whole new level. Scratch that. He took everything to a new level.

Sure, he seemed pretty subdued at first. All he wanted was Ben to fetch Richard for him so the two of them could have a little chat. So Ben, with no choice but to embrace his role as Locke Monster’s errand boy, went outside to get Richard.

I found myself wanting Ben to tell Richard and Ilana the truth, but no. He lied. (“That’s what I do; I lie.”)

But Richard knows Ben is up to something. His not-so-composed response: “I’m going to go talk to John, but before I do, I think you should talk to him first…” as he drags Ben over and throws him in the sand next to Locke’s dead body.

Shortly after this, Richard reminds Ben they’ve known each other for 30 years, and he implores him, as a friend, to tell him what happened in the statue.

And then Ben, for a moment, managed to be scarier than Locke Monster, offering the creepiest line of the episode: “Do you want to know what happened, Richard? Why don’t you go inside and find out?”

Instead, Bram and friends drag Ben inside with them. And as soon as they learn Jacob is dead, they shoot Locke Monster (is that what Jacob would have wanted?), but it didn’t work anyway. Locke Monster morphed into the Monster (“There’s no need to resort to name calling”), and killed all of them. Even Bram who almost survived by surrounding himself with a ring of ash, until Locke Monster turned his billows into a fist, punched rocks out of the roof, which then knocked Bram out of the ash circle of safety…where he was promptly impaled.

Immediately thereafter, Ben tries to slink out of the statue…and then Locke Monster is back again (as Locke, not the monster)…and he says, “Sorry you had to see me like that.” (To which, Ben had to be thinking, “Not as sorry as I am.”)

Just before Locke comes outside, Richard sees the fireworks that the Temple People have shot off (more on the Temple People soon). And was it just me, or did he looked stunned? Scared, maybe?

Then Locke Monster appears and immediately, guns are drawn. Richard quickly orders everyone not to shoot him (not that it would have mattered anyway, as Bram and the rest of his dead team could attest…well, if they weren’t dead).

Then comes one of the most intriguing exchanges (and I’ll paste it here just as I transcribed it while watching the episode):

Locke: Hello, Richard. It’s good to see you out of those chains.
Richard: You?
Locke: Me. (And then he beats the crap out of him.)
Locke: I’m very disappointed in all of you. (HUH?)

Then he picks Richard up and walks off…

For the moment, I’m going to ignore the revelation that Locke Monster and Richard know one another, and I’m going to avoid speculating about their history. Instead, for now, I’m just curious why Locke Monster took Richard with him, where he’s going, and why he told the rest of the people that he was “very disappointed” in them.

I feel like understanding this exchange would reveal so much about the history of the island, Jacob, Locke Monster, and the mysterious Richard Alpert. Unfortunately, I don’t understand any of it right now. And that’s bugging the crap out of me.

Meanwhile, Sayid’s dying. And Jacob’s ghost tells Hurley to take him to the Temple. (Wow, I’m actually going to gloss over all of this; that’s how much there is to think about.)

Skipping on to the Temple…

Finally, we see it. And it lives up to my expectations. For those who don’t read Doc Jensen or regularly frequent lostpedia, the Japanese-speaking guy who appeared to be in charge is named Dogen. And his translator (who sort of resembles John Lennon) is named…Lennon.

But first, the Whispers. I think we finally got some answers…I think. Our Losties heard these whispers in the tunnel underneath the temple just before they were snatched by the Temple People. What causes the Whispers? I don’t know. But I think they might signal the presence of the Temple People. The whispers mean they’re near…maybe?

Anyway, more about Dogen. The dude knows English, but doesn’t like “the way it tastes on his tongue.” Which is fine, I guess. Except that we waste precious Lost seconds waiting for Lennon to translate everything Dogen says. But it adds another mysterious layer, so whatever, it’s cool.

And since we know the Lost writers are big fans of Stephen King’s work, it’s worth quoting this from lospedia: “In Stephen King’s epic novel, The Dark Tower, a “dogan” is a secret base used by the Wolves, a mysterious group that periodically emerges from hiding to abduct children.” (Although perhaps it’s worth clarifying, for those who might be interested in reading it themselves, that The Dark Tower is a seven-book series, and the Wolves exist only in the fifth book, Wolves of the Calla. And we’re moving on…)

Anyway, Dogen ordered the rest of the Temple People to shoot our Losties, but before they do, Hurley spoke up. He dropped the Jacob name, produced the guitar case with the over-sized Ankh (I was going to write about how unnecessarily and comically large it was…but Doc Jensen beat me to it and robbed me of my moment), which Dogen promptly broke—producing, what else, a list. Or was it?

Some seem to think it was a list of our Lostie’s names, and this makes sense, I suppose. Because after reading it, they asked each Lostie to identify him- or herself. But when Hurley demanded to know what the note said (since he’d carried it across the ocean and through time and all), Lennon said, “The paper said that if your friend there dies, we’re all in a lot of trouble.”

More on Sayid in a minute, but first I want to thank lostpedia for translating Dogen’s Japanese for me. Because I think it’s beneficial to know that before he told his people to shoot them, he said, “They should not have come here. Nobody is allowed to come here.”

Nobody, huh? Because I seem to remember Richard bringing a dying Benjamin Linus into that temple—even though he entered through a main entrance (didn’t he??) and not via the underground tunnel. So maybe people can come in there when they’re escorted by an Other. Or by a high-ranking Other.

Anyway, to start wrapping this beast up, the Temple People have a healing spring (that looks sort of like an Old Roman bathhouse), but it’s muddy and they don’t seen to know why. Long story short, they submerge Sayid trying to save him, he revives, then dies (presumably by drowning).

When they pronounced Sayid dead, I loved that Jack started doing CPR. Maybe it was just me, but it was nice to see Jack trying to save someone’s life again. What I don’t understand is why Kate says, “Jack, stop! Jack…what are you doing? He’s dead!”

Has Kate already forgotten when Jack saved Charlie’s life after Ethan strung him up in a tree? Has she forgotten that Jack refused to stop doing CPR, that he refused to stop punching Charlie’s heart to make it start beating again? Has she forgotten that it worked?

So shouldn’t she expect that Jack will keep trying? And shouldn’t she suspect, at least on some level, that it just might work? (“Nothing is irreversible.”)

I don’t know, but I was sad that Jack listened to Kate and stopped trying so quickly.

But no matter, whether it was Jack’s doing, or the island’s, Sayid breathed again. Or someone using Sayid’s body did…

Already, I’ve heard/read chatter that Locke Monster has taken control of Sayid’s body. Or that Jacob is using Sayid’s body. Personally, I don’t buy either of these things.

I don’t think the Temple People would be shooting off fireworks and barring the door to keep “him” out if Locke Monster can animate the bodies of those who die in the friendly confines of their temple walls. (Besides, when he takes on Locke’s form, Locke’s body still exists—it’s still lying on the beach right now, as a matter of fact. But it was Sayid’s actual body that reanimated. Not a replica; the real deal.)

As for Jacob? I don’t know, but I just feel like he’s somehow above this—above possessing a recently deceased body. Plus, he’s dead. I mean, if he could pick a dead body to go on living in, why wouldn’t he just use his own?

That being said, Jacob does have a certain tie to Sayid, doesn’t he? Remember when he appeared to Ilana and asked for her help in last season’s finale? And remember why Ilana showed up on Ajira 316? To escort Sayid… Coincidence? I think not. (Sidenote: Notice that the writers didn’t send Ilana into the statue to die with Bram and the rest of their buddies. Clearly, they’re not done with her yet.)

Plus, Jacob’s ghost appeared to Hurley and told him how to save Sayid. (He never tried to save Charlotte. Or Daniel. Or Juliet, for that matter.) Not to mention the gigantic ankh with Jacob’s note, which may or may not have said that if Sayid dies, they’re all in a lot of trouble.

Sudden epiphany: What if that note in the Ankh didn’t specifically spell that out, but instead suggested that if any of those on the list died, they’d be “in a lot of trouble.” Maybe they’re all important… and Sayid’s life took top priority because, well, he was the only one dying. Hmmm, I like that.

Okay, so then Hurley lets it slip that Jacob ain’t coming because he’s dead (“What, you guys didn’t know?”), and chaos ensues. The Temple People scurry about, preparing for a war or a Fourth of July party; I couldn’t tell which. They’re scattering ashes, barricading walls (is that supposed to hinder the guy who can turn into a floating Smoke Monster?), and shooting off the aforementioned fireworks. Oh, and they’re scared. (“There’s a war coming, John. And if you’re not on that island, the wrong side is going to win.”)

All in all, an outstanding way to kick off the season. I expected a lot, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Dominant Themes:

Freedom:
I think the freedom theme was the strongest in this episode. First of all, Locke Monster tells Richard that it’s nice to see him without his chains. Could it mean that Richard was a slave aboard the Black Rock? Or is it more likely that the “chains” are figurative? I’m putting my money on figurative chains, because Locke Monster says this to Bram and the other Others:

“I’m assuming that you are, what? Jacobs bodyguards? and that you came all the way to this island to protect him? Well I have good news, Jacob burned up, right there in that fire. Therefore there’s nothing left for you to protect. You can go. You’re free.”

I’m going to have to watch that scene again (and I plan to), but I thought I saw surprise on Locke Monster’s face when Bram fired at him. Was he surprised that “Jacob’s bodyguards” didn’t want to be freed? Or that they didn’t feel like they were bound? Did he honestly think they were going to be happy that “there’s nothing left to protect”?

Meanwhile, Locke Monster himself has been freed from Jacob. (Jacob: “I was killed by an old friend who tired of my company.”)

In Sideways World, Kate frees herself from the marshal’s custody (although she’s still in cuffs).

And finally, there’s Sayid, who seems so tortured by his past (as a torturer…and a killer), that only death could free him from his torment. But has Sayid been freed?

Snippets (thoughts I had while watching, quotes, questions, other odds and ends):

—Whoa, Sawyer just kicked Jack in the head!
—Juliet’s alive! …and now dead. (If she has to die, it was a good way to do it.)
—Sayid’s dead! …and now alive. (I didn’t think he was really dead…but I didn’t believe Charlie and Mr. Eko were really dead, either. So what do I know?)
—Best line of the night goes to Hurley: “I’ve got a gun”…(tries to cock it…keeps trying…) “…and I know how to use it.”
—The Jacob appearance was sweet; I wasn’t expecting it (nor was I expecting him to tell Hurley that only Hurley could see him)
—Think Hurley will see Jacob again???
—Jacob: I was killed by an old friend who tired of my company.
—Locke Monster wants to go home…
—When will we learn Locke Monster’s real name? (I’m going to predict episode 6.)
—Are they going to give Locke’s body a proper beach burial? I hope so. And I hope it’s next week.
—John Locke’s final thought while Ben strangled him: “I don’t understand.”
—Desmond on the flight? Why did he disappear? (Did he?) …Could he be the key to reconciling the two timelines? (Maybe that would explain why Desmond has historically been fond of saying, “See you in another life, brutha…”)
—Jack is taking the blame these days (for Juliet…for Sayid….”I didn’t shoot him, but it’s my fault.”). I don’t know what to make of that.
—Ben seemed to be remorseful for killing Jacob. (“Why didn’t he fight back?”) Did he think Jacob would stop him? Is he truly remorseful?
—Why did Jacob’s body vanish? (Why did Locke Monster kick it into the fire? Just frustration? Hatred? Or for another purpose?)
—So what are the Temple People, anyway? Devout Others? (How did Cindy and Zack and Emma, the two kids from Oceanic 815, join them so quickly?)
—Why was Ben living at the Barracks with some of the Others, instead of at the temple? (Methinks I need to check the exchange between Locke Monster and Ben in season 5, when Locke Monster questioned the decision to live in the old Dharma buildings.)
—So what does that giant ankh (that came from Jacob and was delivered to the Temple people) say about the ankh that Dharma Paul had in his possession when he was killed by others, and the one Horace found in Amy’s sock drawer on the day Ethan was born? Doesn’t that suggest that Paul, or Paul and Amy, or Paul, Amy, and Horace might be tied to the Others? But if so, then why did Others execute Paul and plan to kill Amy?
—On a map in a previous season, the Temple was listed as a Dharma station. But the Temple we saw didn’t look connected to Dharma. At all. Can anyone explain that?
—A great exchange:

Ben: What are you?
Locke: I’m not a what. I’m a who.
Ben: You’re the monster.
Locke: Let’s not resort to name-calling.
Ben: You used me. You couldn’t kill him, so you made me do it.
Locke: I didn’t make you do anything.

—Another:

Locke: When he first came to the island, he was weak, pathetic, and irreparably broken. But despite all that, there was something admirable about him. He was the only one who realized how pitiful the life he’d left behind really was.
[…]
Ben: And what do you want?
Locke: And that’s the great irony here, Ben. I want the one thing John Locke didn’t. I want to go home.

—Touching:

Hurley to Sayid: Goodbye, Dude. If you ever want to talk, I’m around.
Hurley to Miles: What?
Miles: Nothing.

—And this:

Kate: You know what you said back at the hatch? He’s just trying to help us.
Sawyer: I ain’t gonna kill Jack. He deserves to suffer on this rock just like the rest of us.

—And then there’s this, which I can’t make sense of at all: If the Temple People live in the Temple…and they are barring the walls to keep “him” (Locke Monster) out…but Locke Monster is also the Smoke Monster…and the Smoke Monster comes from under the Temple…and it’s apparently a “security system guarding the temple”…um, can somebody explain to me how all that fits together?

That’s it for me. Next week I’ll try to have this done by Wednesday morning. I’m expecting big things from “What Kate Does.”