This was an episode that showed why the epic television drama is potentially the most powerful cinematic device out there. There is no other medium that can deliver the kind of long-term set-ups that result in as stirring an episode as we watched tonight. From the payoff of a mystery that dates to episode 1x9 (what are the whispers?) to the multiple callbacks to episodes past (so many that I doubt I'll do better than scratching the surface in covering them all), you just can't do that in 120 minutes, even with a big screen and a budget in the millions.
2004X
Did you recognize the voice right away? How nice to see Dr. Candle again, as a presenter of his museum's man of the year award to generous benefactor Hugo Reyes. One of the shots in the montage sure looked to me like the same tree from the cemetery where Jin was "buried" in Korea. He gets an awesome dinosaur statue, although unfortunately we don't get a Charlotte, Faraday, or Miles cameo. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reyes has plans for her son--fixing him up with a woman, a blind date no less.
Hurley waits for Rosalita at Spanish Johnny's (are the creators Springsteen fans? "Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night"--"Incident on 57th Street"), and Libby approaches him. He thinks she is his date and is instantly smitten. She is disappointed that he does not remember her, from a different live, giving a similar love at first sight/soulmates spiel to the one we heard from Charlie and Faraday last week (were any of these relationships even consummated? Perhaps LOST is actually the world's most drawn out abstinence PSA). Then Dr. Brooks from Santa Rosa comes to take her away, leaving Hurley confused.
Hurley sits at a Mr. Cluck's, in a surly mood and eating an entire family bucket. Desmond is there and invites himself to sit down at Hurley's table. He probes about Libby and finds out that Hurley believed her when she said she knew him. Desmond encourages him to seek her out and find out where she knows him from, then collects his order from the counter (#42). Of course, on Island it was Hurley who tried to figure out where he knew Libby from.
Hurley sits in Dr. Brooks' office, just like in "Dave" (complete with Island picture on wall) and, after initially being rebuffed in his attempt to speak to Libby, bribes him with a $100,000 donation to spruce up the rec room. He goes there to meet Libby, while someone (not Lenny, as a man walking around looked more like him) plays Connect Four. Libby describes memories of "another life", triggered by seeing one of Hurley's commercials on TV. She remembers a plane crash, an island, and the two liking each other. She also remembers that she had been at Santa Rosa in that world too, and so was Hurley. Hurley still doesn't remember, cracking about a "bizarro, alternate universe", but he asks her out on a date anyway.
The two lay out a blanket for a beach picnic, and Libby says it's off as she remembers the date they never had ("Two For the Road"). They kiss, and Hurley flashes his Island memories just like Desmond did last week, and tells Libby the one thing he's always wanted to hear--"you're not crazy". Desmond sits in his car, watching--like Jeremy Bentham, only successful.
Desmond sits in his car at a school. Ben (er, Dr. Linus) approaches, apparently thinking him some kind of pervert. But Desmond's just waiting for John Locke, who he creams, hit-and-run style. I'm guessing he wants to facilitate a meetup between Locke and Jack.
The Jacobians
Hurley sits at Libby's grave, wondering aloud why she never talks to him unlike many other dead people. Instead, he gets the whispers and Michael, to add insult to injury. Michael urges him not to go along with Ilana's plan, which will get everyone killed, and it will be Hurley's fault. Hurley wonders why he should believe him now. Michael points out that people listen to Hurley now, and so as a leader he will share in the responsibility.
Ilana's plan is to go the Black rock to get dynamite with which to blow up the Ajira plane. After she retrieves it, she elaborates that she wants to take the outriggers, of course...they keep teasing us with "The Little Prince" from the other perspective. She also talks about how her only aim is to protect the candidates, how everyone will be dead if "that thing" leaves the Island, and then pulls an Arzt.
Hurley looks through Ilana's sack (apparently seeing something that springs him into action). He jumps into the argument going on between Jack and Richard--Richard wants to go back and get more dynamite, Jack wants to think it over. A lot of Jack's reticence is based on the fact that he promised Sun he'd get her and Jin off the Island, but Hurley agrees that it's their only choice.
As they hike to the Black Rock, Ben expresses his cynicism about Ilana's death right after she'd fulfilled her purpose (informing the candidates of their importance), and wonders aloud what will happen to the rest of them. They arrive at the ship, with Richard instructing that he will be the only one to handle the dynamite, but they realize they've lost Hurley. He makes his presence known, running and yelling at them to do the same as the Black Rock blows up.
Yes, they really did blow up the Black Rock. Richard laments that "we're all dead", and Hurley confesses to Miles that Michael told him to do it. Miles is incredulous, but Hurley retorts that "dead people are more reliable than alive people."
Alpert hasn't deviated from his explosive plan; now he wants to go to the Barracks and get grenades. Hurley objects, saying that Jacob (who he claims is standing right there) told him to go talk to Locke. Richard calls his bluff by asking Hurley to ask Jacob what the Island is, and he also cites the fact that Jacob never told them what to do. Hurley replies that he doesn't need to justify himself to Richard, and the camp splits, harkening back to "The Beginning of the End". Once again, a camp of friends (or at least semi-friends) splits over a disagreement in course of action, but this time rather than Hurley spurning Jack, it's Jack following Hurley. Richard, Ben, and Miles go off together, leaving Hurley, Jack, Sun, and Lapidus. Richard disdainfully says "Don't get in our way".
It's now night, and they walk with lit torches in a shot that looks straight out of "Exodus". Sun writes to ask Frank if they made a mistake, and he says "probably" (and I should note that their friendship, forged in the aftermath of the Ajira crash, is a lot of fun too). Meanwhile, Hurley confesses to Jack that he didn't talk to Jacob, but Jack already knew that. Jack wants to fix "getting Juliet killed", but he can't--it's hard for him tot take orders, but he was supposed to let go. Hurley doubts himself, but Jack reiterates his trust right before the group is startled by the Whispers.
Hurley thinks he knows what they are though, and he goes of alone to find Michael. And sure enough, there he is, confirming for Hurley and the audience that the whispers are the voices of he and others who are stuck on the Island because of what they've done. Hurley asks how he can help, and Michael says "don't get yourself killed", and asks Hurley to apologize for him to Libby.
Locke's Flocke
MiB sharpens some sort of stick (a divining stick maybe?); Sawyer snarks about it the dark man explains that it will tell him what to do when it is time. Sawyer asks why they're not doing anything about Jin being taken, and MiB says that there is a difference between doing nothing and waiting--he's waiting for the other candidates to come, using the precedent of Ajira 316 to explain the importance of group action.
Sayid returns. He didn't kill Widmore's people, as he didn't see any point to doing so when he got what he went for--Desmond, who he has tied to a tree. MiB goes to talk to him, and Desmond is very calm as he says that he thinks he's John Locke. MiB offers his hand, and Desmond takes it.
As they walk through the jungle, Desmond opines that the Island has it for all of them (it certainly seems as if he's just telling MiB what he wants to hear). A kid appears again, probably the same one although perhaps a little older with darker hair, and now displaying a sort of derisive laugh. This again flusters MiB, who won't tell Desmond (who can see him too) anything about him.
They arrive at a well, maybe the same one from "This Place is Death" near the Orchid station, but possibly not. He says that Desmond must be wondering how deep it is and Desmond replies that he just read his mind (a nice reference to Monster scanning). MiB explains that the well is very old and was hand-dug by people searching for answers--answers to what made their compass dials spin. They didn't find those answers, though. MiB says that Widmore is not interested in answers either, just the power that these spots (and there are others) contain.
MiB asks Desmond why he is not afraid at being alone with him, deep in the jungle with no one in the world knowing where Desmond is. Desmond asks "What's the point in being afraid", and the Monster tosses him into the well.
He returns to camp, telling Sayid "we don't need to worry about [Desmond] anymore". Hurley emerges from the jungle, appealing to MiB to have a peaceful conversation with his people. MiB gives him is knife as a symbol, and the rest of the group emerges. Jack and Kate look particularly happy to see each other, but when Locke smugly says "Hello Jack", Jack looks a little confused and off his game. Hopefully he won't fall for the Monster shenanigans that are sure to follow.
Random thought:
* I likened Desmond's role in 2004X to that of Jeremy Bentham, only successful. Why is he successful? Well, he seems to operate on Jacob's rule of a little push, whereas Locke went for the hard sell, kind of like the Man in Black does. At least until he runs over Locke.
