Well, that was a downer. It's hard to say anything positive about an episode in which three of our friends are murdered. That's not to say it was a bad episode, just that it's hard to have positive feelings about it. I don't think this is one I'll be revisiting on the DVDs for years to come; yet it was inevitable that we would lose people as the finish drew closer. Hopefully the bloodletting will be at a minimum from here on out. And I hope all of you folks that held to the notion that the Man in Black was good have been disabused of that notion. After all, it was one thing when he ripped an innocent pilot out of the plane, or when he killed Mr. Eko, or when he killed Dogen and Lennon. People made every excuse in the world for that thing. But I don't think they'll be doing so any longer.
2004X
The episode opens with Locke's eye, waking up from his successful surgery. But Jack got a look at his initial injury and now has made it his mission to fix him. He tells John of a new experimental surgery for which he might be a candidate and wants to know how the injury occurred, but John does not disclose, declines the offer, and has a tearful reunion with Helen, who profusely thanks Jack for saving her fiancé.
Jack attempts to dig up some info on his own, going to see a dentist who did some oral surgery on Locke after his accident. Of course, it's Bernard. Bernard is not particularly surprised to learn that both Jack and Locke were on 815, and of course offers up that he was on board as well. Like his wife, he seems to know a lot more than he lets on. He points Jack in the direction of Anthony Cooper (who was injured in the same accident as Locke), offers that he might be on to something, and says that he hopes he finds what he's looking for.
Jack goes to see Anthony Cooper, at a nursing home. As he awkwardly tries to explain to the receptionist why he'd like to see him, Helen comes in bearing flowers and tells Jack that Cooper is Locke's father, and asks Jack to leave him alone. We soon see why, as Cooper is in bad shape, unaware of his surroundings although still able to sit upright.
Jack is at Locke's bedside as Locke is in some state between sleep and consciousness. He mumbles "Push the button" and "I wish you had believed", but nothing further comes of it. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack sees Claire and goes out to meet her. This is an episode of despair, but I love these two and this is the cute brother-sister moment that we didn't get on Island, so cherish it for what it's worth because it's all downhill from here.
Jack gets a couple Apollo bars from the vending machine but Claire declines. He apologizes for leaving Ilana's office so abruptly, but she understands. She asks about how their father died, and he tells her that he drank himself to death in Sydney, and that he was bringing the body back on 815. Of course they both note the weirdness. Claire has been given a trinket from her father, and she wants to know why he wanted her to have it so badly. Jack is unable to help, but we the audience know exactly why it is so important--it's a music box that plays "Catch a Falling Star." They are both reflected in the small mirror on the inside of the box. She gets up to leave, but before she can go Jack asks where she is staying and offers her to stay with him. Claire declines, saying they're just strangers, but Jack says "No, we're not strangers, we're family". Claire is visibly touched by this, and at least something good has come out of this soul-crusher.
Locke is leaving the hospital, and Jack is able to catch him before he leaves. Locke explains that he had his pilot's license for less than a week when he convinced his father, who was terrified of flying, to come on a ride with him, and before he knew it he'd crashed the plane. He's suffering from some serious survivor's guilt. Jack recalls their conversation at LAX, in which Locke told Jack that his father was gone, body or not--and Jack tells Locke that HIS father is gone too. He can choose to punish himself, but he should let it go--whatever happened, happened (this conversation drops so many classic LOST lines it's hard to get them all). Locke, in a little bit of a reversal of their confrontation over the button in "Orientation" (with the subject changed from believing to letting go), asks why he thinks letting go will be so easy. Jack says it's not--in fact, he's not too good at it himself, and so he was hoping Locke could go first. Locke scoffs and wheels himself away. Just before he goes, Jack says "I can help you--I wish you believed me", and while I was expecting this to trigger memories given his semi-sleeping mumbling earlier, no such luck.
On Island
Jack wakes up, disoriented and in an outrigger. Sayid, making a fire, welcomes him to Hydra Island and recounts the motor attack. Meanwhile, Frank, Jin, Sun, Hurley, Sawyer, and Kate are marched to the bear cages. Sawyer refuses to comply, managing to grab one of the science guy's guns, but Widmore puts a gun to Kate's head. He explains to Sawyer that he is only interested in Jin, Sun, Hurley, and Sawyer, so apparently he's working off of the same candidate list that we've seen. As they're locked up, Widmore tells Sawyer that he's doing it for their own good, which Sawyer does not believe. Widmore is also upset that the fence is not ready yet--it will be in an hour, but they don't have that much time--he's coming.
At a convenient point in Jack and Sayid's conversation, MiB emerges from the jungle. He asks for Jack help in breaking his people out. Jack retorts that they're not his people (i.e. he's not their leader), so MiB changes-up to "your friends". Jack asks why he should trust MiB, and he replies that he could kill all of them at any time, and no one could do anything to stop him, but he hasn't. Jack agrees to help, but does not agree to leave the Island with them.
Locked up, Sawyer muses about how it feels like they're going around in circles (good news James--it only ends once, everything else is just progress). Kate insists that Widmore wouldn't have killed her, but Sawyer explains that he saw her name carved out on the cave wall. Meanwhile, Jin and Sun talk about Ji Yeon and she gives him his ring back. Then the lights go dim, Widmores goons are thrown into confusion, and the Monster attacks, with the requisite noises, smoke, lightning in the smoke, crushing of opponents, etc. Kate tries to reach the keys of one of Widmore's goons; she can't but Jack shows up and frees them, explaining that "I came with him" [Monster].
As they walk through the jungle towards the plane, Sawyer thanks Jack for coming back for them, and Jack tells Kate that he's not meant to leave and won't be joining them. Sayid comes from the jungle, and everyone trains their guns at him, but Jack explains that it's cool and that it was Sayid who took out Widmore's generators.
MiB stakes out the plane himself, easily killing the sentries Widmore has posted (who hilariously fire on him to absolutely no effect), one with a brutal neck snap and the second with his partner's gun. He lifts a watch off one of them and ascends into the plane, finding C4 stuffed in the overhead luggage compartment and wired to the plane's electrical system.
MiB explains to the Lostaways that Widmore knew the guards would be killed; he wanted them all on the plane, in a confined space, so that he could blow them all up. Sawyer notes that this is the second time MiB has saved them and says "I was wrong about you". The new plan is to head for the sub, which of course has been Sawyer's plan all along. MiB leads the group off, and Claire goes up to apologize for joining the escape party; MiB waives it off as understandable. Sawyer pulls Jack aside, declares that he doesn't trust "that thing", and says that while it's Jack's choice to stay, he would appreciate one last favor--Jack keeping MiB off the sub. Jack asks how he might achieve that, and Sawyer says anyway will work--just get him in the water and I'll do the rest.
The group executes a tiered raid on the sub, with Sawyer, Frank, Jin, and Sun going in first while the rest cover them. They successfully commandeer the sub, and as MiB and Jack go to board, MiB again asks Jack to reconsider, saying that whoever told you that you needed to stay was wrong. Jack responds that it was John Locke that told him to stay, and pushes the Monster into the water.
But Widmore's men arrive and open fire, and there is mass chaos. Kate gets shot, and so Jack helps get her down on the sub. Everyone is on board, except Claire and MiB. Sawyer goes up to get Claire at Jack and Kate's behest, but when he sees Locke coming too he closes the door. He orders the sub pilot to dive immediately. Claire sees the sub leaving and is horrified at the prospect of being left behind again, but MiB restrains her and explains that the sub is the last place she'd want to be. Both Jack and Kate are upset at Claire being left behind, and of course Jack wants no part of leaving the Island.
Down below, Hurley can't find the first aid kit so Jack asks him to get his pack, looking for something to put pressure on Kate's wound. In Jack's pack? C4 wired to a timer that's already under four minutes (Swan, anyone?), which Jack correctly deduces was planted by MiB. Now we know what a seemingly immortal being wanted with a Widmore goon watch. He says "We did exactly what we wanted him to do", and glares at Sawyer. Jack may have messed up Operation Jughead, but this one's on Sawyer, and he's only going to compound his mistake.
Jack is on fire--he's got the rules all figured out. Because they're candidates, MiB can't kill them, he needs them to kill themselves. If they just let the timer run down, nothing is going to happen (again, the Swan, with Jack's position the same except now he's right). Everyone looks at him as if he's nuts, but especially Sawyer. Sayid thinks that if they remove two wires simultaneously, it will disarm (this harkens back to the bomb scene in "There's No Place Like Home"). Jack begs them not to, but Sawyer says it's not his call and pulls the wires. The clock stops for a few seconds--then starts counting down fast.
Sayid tells Jack where to find the well that Desmond is in. Jack asks why he's telling him this, and Sayid takes the bomb and runs off, redeeming himself but also blowing himself to bits (later, Jack will tell Hurley "There is no Sayid", which is the funniest (dark) line this episode has to offer). Unfortunately, the ship still gets breached, and water starts pouring in, overcoming Frank. In all the chaos, Sun is trapped behind some sort of cabinet. Everyone does what they can to try and free her, but one-by-one people leave. Jack sends Hurley off with Kate. Sawyer gets knocked out by some later calamity, and Jin insists that Jack take him away.
That leaves our two star-crossed lovers alone for the saddest moment the series will ever offer. Despite all of his efforts, Jin cannot free Sun. She begs him to go, but he insists that he will never leave her again We've heard that before, but this time it's going to stand up. We see the sub drift towards the ocean floor and their hands finally slip apart, both with wedding rings on.
Jack emerges with Sawyer on the beach--the latter is breathing. Kate and Hurley make their way over, asking what happened to Jin and Sun, and Jack breaks the bad news. Kate cries, Hurley sobs, and Jack gets up and stands on the water's edge, looking up at the heavens. At least this time he was right.
Still on the dock, MiB tells Claire that the sub sank. Claire is alarmed, asking if they're all dead. MiB replies that not all of them are, and starts walking away. Of course Claire asks where he's heading, and MiB replies "to finish what I started".
Random thoughts:
* Bernard's appearance in 2004X brings back the question of what he and rose are doing on Island. Were they killed in the Incident or are they still out there, potentially able to lend a surprising helping hand in the closing hours?
* What are Miles, Richard, and Ben going to do when they get to Hydra Island and discover all of the crazy stuff already went down? Confront Widmore, join forces, other?
* Jack's glare at Sawyer on the sub is great--now the latter, who rode Jack so hard for the Jughead fiasco, has blood on his hands too.
