5.16 - The Incident

Title’s significance: Jack’s plan at The Swan may or may not be the “incident” we’ve heard so much about.

Recap: For the first time in LOST history, Jacob gets his own flashbacks, beginning with a meeting with his nemesis when The Black Rock came to the island; the Man in Black hates Jacob and wants to kill him but for some unspecified reason can’t. Off-island, Jacob visited a shoplifting Kate, Sawyer at his parents’ funeral, Sayid at the time of Nadia’s death, Ilana after a mysterious injury, Locke after his fall, Sun and Jin at their wedding, Jack after his “count to five” surgery, and Hurley before he boarded Ajira 316. Jacob seems to know ahead of time that these people will be where they are, and he makes a point of touching almost all of them.

In 1977, the submarine sails away from the island as Kate tries to talk Sawyer and Juliet into stopping Jack, who works with Sayid to remove the plutonium core from Jughead. Dr. Chang tries to stop Radzinsky from drilling at the Swan site, but Radzinsky won’t hear it. On the sub, Juliet sides with Kate and stages a takeover, and as Jack and Sayid move the plutonium core, Roger Linus recognizes them and shoots Sayid, initiating a firefight. But Jin, Miles, and Hurley arrive just in time to stage a getaway. Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate make it back to the island to find Rose and Bernard living in the jungle with Vincent. Wounded, Sayid modifies the bomb, but they’re stopped by Sawyer, who tries to talk Jack down, but the two get into a violent fight, stopped only when Juliet professes her faith in Jack. When Radzinsky learns that Sayid escaped with a bomb, he calls for backup, but Jack’s already at The Swan. Miles posits that Jack might actually cause The Incident, not avert it, but they go to save Jack from Phil and his gunmen. Jack’s group overtakes the Swan site, but the drill’s already hit the electromagnetic pocket, so Jack tosses the bomb in – and nothing happens. The electromagnetism starts tearing the site apart and sucking Juliet in. As debris rains down, we see Juliet still alive, and she strikes the plutonium core again and again – eight times before it detonates.

In 2007, Locke is leading The Others to Jacob. Richard asks how Locke came back to life, and Locke suggests that he wants to kill the other survivors of Ajira 316. Ilana and Bram bring Frank and a mysterious box to the main island, and Locke reveals that he wants Ben to kill Jacob. Bram and Ilana go to Jacob’s cabin, noticing that the ash around it has been disturbed; the cabin has been abandoned for some time, and Ilana burns it. Ben confesses to Locke that he staged the meeting with Jacob back in Season Three because he was embarrassed he’s never met Jacob; Sun finds Charlie’s DriveShaft ring at the beach camp. Richard’s group comes to the four-toed statue, where Richard reveals Jacob has been living, and Locke brings Ben inside for an audience. Bram and Ilana come to the statue, looking for “Ricardus” – Richard, who knows what lies in the shadow of the statue; Ilana opens the mystery box and out rolls… the corpse of John Locke. Inside, gloating that he’s “found his loophole,” UnLocke eggs Ben on to kill Jacob; Jacob offers Ben the choice not to kill him, but Ben feels betrayed and stabs Jacob. Before dying, Jacob mutters, “They’re coming,” which distresses UnLocke, who then kicks Jacob into the fire.

As Juliet detonates the bomb, the screen goes to white instead of black.

Thoughts: One of the best episodes of the season, written by Damon & Carlton and directed by Jack Bender (one of the most underrated contributors to LOST). The wonderful thing about this episode as a finale is that it has connections to scads of previous episodes but it puts the plot so far forward that I simply cannot wait for the next episode – it’s even more agonizing knowing that, for the first time in a long while, the next episode isn’t immediately at my fingertips. And for whatever reason, I was really emotionally invested in Sawyer and Juliet this time around; I want to see these two end up together.

Favorite moment: For Part 1, it’s almost certainly the opening scene between Jacob and his nemesis, but I loved Rose telling Kate, “It’s always something with you people.” For Part 2, it’s either when Ben tells Sun of the statue, “It was like that when I got here,” or Ben’s angry confession to Jacob.

Characters introduced (in order):

• JACOB, ageless man of mystery and apparent deity-figure of the island
• JACOB’S NEMESIS
• CAPTAIN BIRD, Dharma submarine captain

What we learned:

• The statue was still standing when The Black Rock came to the island.
• Jacob doesn’t age.
• Ben reveals that Jacob is “in charge of” the island.
• Jacob is responsible for Richard’s agelessness.
• Rose and Bernard have been living in the jungle all along.
• Bram says that his team are the good guys.
• Ilana is working for Jacob.
• Ben staged the meeting with Jacob.
• Sun has Charlie’s DriveShaft ring.
• Jacob speaks fluent Russian and Korean.
• Juliet’s parents divorced when she was young.
• Jacob posits that Hurley’s curse might actually be a gift.
• Hurley got the guitar and the information about Ajira 316 from Jacob.
• Dr. Chang hurts his arm at the Swan site.
• Phil is killed at the Swan site.
• Richard knows the answer to the riddle.
• Locke has been dead all along and his form manipulated by Jacob’s nemesis.

Questions:

• Why does Jacob’s nemesis want to kill him?
• How did Jacob and his nemesis come to the island?
• Why did Jacob visit the survivors of Oceanic 815 before the crash?
• What is significant about Jacob’s touch?
• How is it that Jacob manages to not age?
• What’s a “candidate,” and is Frank one of them?
• How was Ilana injured?
• How do Ilana and Jacob know each other?
• What does Jacob need from Ilana?
• If Jacob hasn’t been using his cabin, who has?
• What happened to the rest of the statue?
• Who built the statue?
• Who tore the statue down?
• Who’s coming?
• Is Jacob really dead? Can he even die?
• Did Jack & Co. prevent the incident – or cause it?
• What happens to those in 1977?
• What happens to those in 2007?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• This episode needs to be required viewing for anyone ready to watch the final season.
• This episode finally introduces Jacob to us, apparently a being of great power and perhaps even omniscience. Jacob is going to be a central figure in the final season.
• The introduction of Jacob also sparks questions about destiny, fate, and free will. Are the survivors really in charge of their lives?
• Jacob’s nemesis appears to be impersonating Locke, and I’ve long suspected that UnLocke is also the smoke monster. Don’t be surprised if this turns out to be the case.
• “Just because two people love each other doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be together.”
• If the Jughead plan works, are we going to see Richard Malkin again, now that he presumably wouldn’t have kept Claire and Aaron together?
• Did Jack & Co. prevent the incident – or cause it?

5.15 - Follow the Leader

Title’s significance: A lot of leadership roles change hands in this episode – Dharma leader, Others leader, Hostiles leader, survivors leader.

Recap: After Daniel is shot, Widmore takes Jack and Kate hostage, and Eloise realizes that Faraday really was her son. Jack tells Kate he plans to complete Daniel’s plan, and Eloise agrees to bring them to Jughead. Radzinsky and Phil rough up Juliet to get Sawyer to rat on Kate, which he does; Hurley bolts from the camp, but Dr. Chang follows him to Miles and Jin, revealing that he’s willing to help by evacuating the island. Chang warns that there’s a “cataclysmic” incident coming, and Sawyer agrees to spill the beans in exchange for a seat on the submarine. As Eloise is about to kill Kate for trying to run, Sayid saunters out of the jungle and agrees to join Jack’s plan, but Kate still refuses to help; Jack, Richard, Eloise, and Sayid swim to Jughead, buried in an underwater cavern. Kate makes it to the sub, which departs the island with Sawyer and Juliet aboard, too. In 2007, Richard builds a model ship when Locke and Ben return to camp with Sun in tow, but Richard reveals that the survivors in 1977 are all dead. Locke promises Sun he’ll find the rest of their people, but first he brings Richard and Ben out into the jungle. Locke reveals that he wants to meet with Jacob; while there, Locke directs Richard to help a wounded man in the jungle – himself, when the island was time-skipping. Upon returning, Locke addresses his people, saying he thinks they deserve to meet Jacob, but Locke reveals that his master plan is actually to kill Jacob.

Thoughts: When I first heard this was a Richard-centric episode, I thought, “Oh, boy! I can hardly wait – answers on the most enigmatic man on the island!” But no, Richard’s just the “constant” that holds the two timelines together. Fortunately, the episode does hang together, even though there are two vastly different plotlines, each heading toward its own inexorable ending. One thing to watch out for is how ‘involved’ Locke is all of a sudden. Hmm…

Favorite moment: Hurley tries to disprove that he’s from the future by telling Dr. Chang that “There’s no such thing” as the Korean War. Either that, Sawyer’s get-rich off-island scheme, or the revelation of the truth of Locke’s encounter with Richard.

Characters introduced (in order):

• MITCH, Dharma security fellow

What we learned:

• Ben calls Richard “a kind of advisor.”
• Eloise was pregnant with Daniel when she killed Daniel.
• Richard helped Locke back in “Because You Left” at Future Locke’s insistence.
• The compass is caught in a time loop.

Questions:

• Are the survivors in 1977 dead? If so, how?
• Has Ben ever seen Jacob?
• What’s the function of The Tunnels?
• Why does Locke want Jacob dead?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Richard notices that there’s something different about Locke, and we all know what that means…
• Richard tells Sun that the survivors are all dead in 1977. Was this the effect of the Jughead plan, is he lying, or has time not reset yet?

5.14 - The Variable

Title’s significance: Daniel believes he’s discovered the “Variable” that can rewrite history.

Recap: Flashbacks give Daniel some depth, exploring his mother’s obsession with destiny. Not particularly fond of Daniel’s girlfriend Theresa, Eloise pushes Daniel to do his research; after the discovery of Oceanic 815’s “wreckage,” Widmore visits Daniel, confesses to staging the crash, and hires Daniel to go to the island, promising it will heal him – Eloise encourages him to go. In 1977, Daniel’s submarine lands on the island, and he begins interrogating Jack about how he came back to the island, claiming that Eloise was wrong about coming back to the island. Sawyer brings Jack in on the captivity of Phil, and Daniel goes to The Orchid (where the season actually began, remember?) and asks Dr. Chang to evacuate the island before the Swan site releases electromagnetic energy; Daniel admits he’s from the future to validate his claims. Sawyer and his group caucus about leaving The Dharma Initiative, and Daniel wants to visit the Hostiles; Jack and Kate help him, but not before Daniel tells young Charlotte to leave the island. A gunfight ensues when Radzinsky tries to stop them, but they escape, and Daniel reveals that the energy trapped under The Swan could have the power to rewrite time so that Oceanic 815 never crashed – the only catch is that they have to detonate Jughead. Though Kate thinks this is insane, Jack’s comfortable with that, and Daniel goes into The Hostiles’ camp looking for Eloise; Richard Alpert meets him, Daniel asks about the hydrogen bomb, and Eloise shoots Daniel – learning only too late that he’s her son. In 2007, as Desmond is rushed to the hospital, Eloise visits Penny, apologizing that Desmond is enmeshed in some conflict larger than himself. Outside the hospital, Widmore and Eloise clash over the matter of sacrifice, and we learn that Daniel is Widmore’s son.

Thoughts: I kind of wish that Damon and Carlton had gotten to write the 100th episode of LOST, but as it is this episode is still pretty good. Daniel’s mysterious mission is well-handled, not revealed until it’s absolutely critical that we know what he’s up to. This episode lays ground for some very major developments, particularly ones that are going to be of the utmost importance in Season Six. The episode “Jughead” finally pays off, and the seeds are sown for the finale.

Favorite moment: After seeing Radzinsky stomp around with his gun, Hurley mutters, “That’s not good, right?”

Characters introduced (in order):

• No new characters introduced in this episode.

What we learned:

• Theresa was Daniel’s girlfriend.
• Widmore was funding Daniel’s research.
• Daniel’s work with electromagnetic radiation made him and Theresa fritzy.
• Widmore is Daniel’s father.
• Eloise knew that Daniel would die if he came to the island.

Questions:

• When did Eloise leave the island, and why?
• When did Daniel learn that his mother was a Hostile?
• Why would Eloise send Daniel to the island, knowing he would die?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Daniel reveals the details of what I’ve colloquially called “The Jughead Plan.” But will it work?
• What conceivable reason would Eloise have for sending Daniel to die? Is it just course-correction or is there something larger at stake like, oh, the fate of the world?

5.13 - Some Like It Hoth

Title’s significance: This episode title puns on the ice planet from “The Empire Strikes Back” as well as the cross-dressing comedy “Some Like It Hot,” in which the protagonists must disguise themselves in order to protect themselves.

Recap: In Miles’s flashbacks, we learn that his power is for real and kicked in when he was very young. When his mom was dying, Miles asked about his father, who abandoned them when Miles was young; Lara tells her son that his father is dead. A father hires Miles to find out if his son knew he loved him before Naomi tries to hire Miles. Later, Miles was stopped by Bram, who told him not to go to the island, but Miles wouldn’t listen; Miles later confessed to Mr. Gray that he had lied about his son. In 1977, Horace brings Miles into the “circle of trust” and tells him to bring something to Radzinsky; Radzinsky gives Miles a dead body and tells him to bring the body to Horace, who sends Miles to Dr. Chang. Kate returns to camp, but Roger notices that Ben is missing, which leads him to panic. Hurley carpools with Miles to The Orchid and discovers the body in the trunk, which Miles identifies as Alvarez who died when a filling in his mouth was blown through his brain. But Hurley promises to keep Miles’s secret as Roger becomes suspicious of Kate’s involvement in Ben’s disappearance; Dr. Chang gets upset about Hurley knowing the secret, but Hurley again promises to keep a secret before Miles reveals that Dr. Chang is his father. Roger asks Jack about Kate, but Jack advises him not to do anything rash since he’s completely soused. Hurley and Miles drive Dr. Chang to The Swan site, and Hurley encourages Miles to connect with his father. Meanwhile, Phil reveals to Sawyer that he knows that Sawyer and Kate took Ben, but Sawyer decks him to protect his secret. Later that night, Miles and Chang head for the submarine dock, where a new scientist is coming in – Daniel Faraday.

Thoughts: Miles is like a dark hybrid of Sawyer and Hurley, so this episode is pretty funny but it’s also very dark, too. There’s a lot of gloom and doom which makes it a little difficult to enjoy on rewatch, but there’s enough important information trickling through to make this a worthwhile endeavor.

Favorite moment: “Polar bear poop, got it.” That, or the revelation that Hurley is writing “The Empire Strikes Back” – “Let’s face it, dude. The Ewoks suck.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• LARA CHANG, Miles’s mother
• HOWARD GRAY, bereaved client of Miles
• FELIX, deceased delivery boy for Charles Widmore

What we learned:

• Miles’s power isn’t bogus.
• The Swan was built in Hostile territory.
• Miles’s ability requires a body to work most efficiently.
• Pierre Chang is Miles’s father.
• Miles was hired to speak to the dead bodies on the island in order to find Ben.
• $3.2 million was double what Widmore was offering.
  

Questions:

• Who killed Felix?
• Where’s Daniel been?
• Why is he returning to the island now?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Now that we know Miles’s ability is legitimate, I’m wondering which of our dead castaways he’ll be talking to this coming season.
• Miles says that a body leaves behind feelings and impressions – is this how Jacob’s nemesis was able to impersonate Locke?
• Bram isn’t working for Ben, and he’s not working for Widmore. Is he on Jacob’s team, and if so, is this team really going to win?

5.12 - Dead Is Dead

Title’s significance: Reversing his position with Locke, Ben tells Sun, “Dead is dead. You don’t get to come back from that.”

Recap: Ben gets flashbacks that first feature his recovery in the camp of The Others and his first meeting with Charles Widmore. Years later, Bad Haircut Ben (variant action figure) abducts Alex from Rousseau with young Ethan’s help; at Widmore’s orders, Ben was supposed to kill Rousseau and Alex but disobeyed. After The Purge, Ben exiles Widmore, and years later he attempts to make good on his promise to kill Penny before Desmond stops him. In 2007, Ben tells Locke that he knew he’d come back to life, but Locke’s not buying it. Ben confesses that he broke the rules by coming back and that he was going back to the main island to be judged by the smoke monster. Ben tries to play Caesar against Locke, admitting to Locke that killing him was an unfortunate necessity to bring everyone back. When Caesar tries to stop Ben and Locke from taking a boat, Ben blows him away with his own shotgun, and Locke suggests that Ben needs to be judged for killing his daughter. At the barracks, Ben finds Sun and Frank in his house, where he learns about who’s in 1977 and reveals that Locke’s not so dead. Frank returns to the Hydra island as Ben summons the monster, but only Locke comes stumbling out of the jungle and says it’s time to go to The Temple. At The Temple, Ben asks Locke to apologize to Desmond for him, and Bram and Ilana seize control of the 316ers’ camp. Ben falls through the floor in The Temple, into a chamber where the smoke monster emerges and judges him; the monster then takes the form of Alex and tells Ben not to hurt John Locke.

Thoughts: Ben’s been overdue for a set of flashbacks, and this set is just as good as the last one, answering so many more questions about Ben while setting up for the rest of the season. I’m surprised this episode wasn’t written by Damon & Carlton, though I’m sure they were looking over the shoulders of the episode’s actual writers. This episode is also noteworthy for confirming every one of my suspicions that the smoke monster is Jacob’s nemesis, but more on that in the Roundup.

Favorite moment: It’s a tie between Ben’s apparent murder of Desmond (seconds before he gets back up) or the judgment of Ben.

Characters introduced (in order):

• No new characters introduced in this episode.

What we learned:

• Bram and Ilana are in cahoots.
• Ben claims to have known that Locke would come back to life, but he tells Sun he was lying about that.
• Ben kills Caesar.
• Ben was ordered to kill Rousseau and Alex, but he refused.
• The secret chamber in Ben’s house leads to a cavern and a pool that Ben drains in order to summon the monster.
• Ben exiled Widmore for having a family off-island.
• The smoke monster seems to reside inside of The Temple.
• The smoke monster's function seems to be to judge people.

Questions:

• What’s in the crate that Bram and Ilana have?
• Why did Ben tell Rousseau to run from the whispers?
• Was Caesar just a giant red herring?
• Why can’t Locke remember how he got out of the coffin?
• How does Locke know where The Temple is?
• Who built The Temple?
• What lies in the shadow of the statue?
• What does the riddle mean?
• Who are Bram and Ilana really working for?
• What doe the hieroglyphics in The Temple mean?
• Why doesn’t the smoke monster want Locke harmed?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Was Caesar a red herring or not? He seemed very important, and with an old-timey name like Caesar he might have connections to Jacob, but this isn’t the first time that seemingly main characters have been whacked without warning (see “Exposé”).
• Big hint for the “Jacob’s nemesis is the smoke monster” theory – Ben summons the smoke monster to come out of the jungle, but only Locke emerges, and we already know that UnLocke is Jacob’s nemesis.
• The Temple hints at an Egyptian connection, also at some kind of connection between the smoke monster and the statue under which Jacob lives.
• Note also that Locke disappears when Ben goes to be judged; the monster takes the form of Alex, disappears, and then Locke shows up again, only after the monster tells Ben to obey Locke’s every word. Seems awful suspicious to me. To recap, UnLocke = Jacob’s nemesis = smoke monster.

5.11 - Whatever Happened, Happened

Title’s significance: This episode draws its title from Daniel’s repeated aphorism that time travel can’t change the past because “whatever happened, happened.”

Recap: Kate’s flashbacks reveal that Kate visited Cassidy and Clementine after returning to L.A., at Sawyer’s wish. After almost losing Aaron in a supermarket, Kate takes him to Carole Littleton before rejoining Jack. As the Dharma folks try to figure out who torched the Dharma van, Roger starts to get a little interested in Kate, but his affections are put on hold when Jin arrives with the wounded young Ben. Juliet struggles to save young Ben as Sawyer realizes that Roger’s keys were used to free Sayid; Jack refuses to save Ben, even at Kate’s insistence that she doesn’t like the way he’s changed. Roger deduces that Ben stole his keys, and Hurley stumps Miles by asking why Ben doesn’t remember being shot by Sayid. When Juliet hits a wall on Ben’s surgery, she mulls bringing him to The Others, and Kate volunteers; Sawyer joins her at the sonic fence, while Juliet tears Jack a new one about not helping Ben. Kate tells Sawyer about Clementine as The Hostiles arrive, and Richard Alpert agrees to help Ben, cautioning that Ben will “lose his innocence and... always be one of us.” Richard brings Ben into The Temple; in 2007, Ben awakes to find Locke sitting by his bedside.

Thoughts: Maybe not Damon & Carlton’s finest hour, but still a pretty good episode that fills in a lot of gaps about Kate’s time off-island. What’s tantalizing about this episode – and promising, since we know that these guys never do anything without getting around to explaining it – is the situation with Ben at The Temple. I have a sneaking feeling we haven’t seen the last of The Temple. Also, a really powerful performance from Evangeline Lilly in this episode.

Favorite moment: Hurley and Miles discuss time travel – “This is really confusing... Say that again?” That, or Cassidy muttering, “Well, Jack sounds like a piece of work.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• No new characters introduced in this episode.

What we learned:

• Sawyer told Kate to visit Cassidy.
• Kate is a universal donor.
• Cassidy and Claire’s mother know the truth about Oceanic 815.
• Widmore and Ellie are the leaders of The Others in 1977, but Richard doesn’t answer to them.

Questions:

• When Harper told Juliet that she looked “just like her,” did that have something to do with Juliet’s time trying to save Ben in 1977?
• How did The Temple heal Ben?
• What’s going to go down between Ben and the man he supposedly killed?
• Did Ben know that Locke would be revived?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Can the past be changed?
• Miles tells Hurley, “Any of us can die!”
• With so many people who know about the lie that the Oceanic 6 told, is this going to be a problem later?
• Kate leaves Aaron with Carole, except we’ve been told time and time again that Claire is the only person who can raise Aaron. Is Kate going to have to reunite Aaron with Claire, or does the prophecy of Richard Malkin no longer apply?

5.10 - He's Our You

Title’s significance: Sawyer compares Oldham to Sayid by saying, “He’s our you.”

Recap: In flashbacks, Sayid kills a chicken, kills the last name on Ben’s list, plays charity worker until Ben asks him to return to the island, and drinks MacCutcheon with Ilana before she apprehends him in Peter Avellino’s name. Young Ben promises to free Sayid, but Sayid won’t talk. Horace tells Sawyer that they’ll have to use Oldham, a crazy interrogator who lives out in the jungle, but Sawyer tries to stage a confession. Dharma Chef Hurley (variant action figure) brings Jack and Kate breakfast and reveals that Sawyer and Juliet are an item. Roger Linus and Sayid exchange barbs, and Sayid sees firsthand how awful Ben’s dad was. Sawyer can’t stall any longer, so Horace brings Sayid to Oldham, who drugs Sayid in pursuit of the truth. But Sayid’s story – that he was on two planes that crashed and that he’s been time-traveling – is too farfetched for the Dharma folk, who believe he’s fooled their drugs. Dharma votes to kill Sayid, who tells Sawyer he has a “purpose,” but young Ben stages a rescue to free Sayid. The escape is almost thwarted by Jin, but Sayid knocks him out and shoots young Ben right in the chest.

Thoughts: It’s been a while since we saw an old-school flashback, but the show’s evolved so far past the flashback era that it almost feels like a waste of time – except for the bits about Ilana, which we know ultimately to be a giant colossal red herring. The rest of the episode is pretty good, slightly mysterious, and ending on a terrific cliffhanger. One thing that bugs me, though, is that Oldham is this season’s Isabel – intriguing with hints of a larger importance, but ultimately fading away.

Favorite moment: I love William Sanderson, so it’s great seeing him as this crazy old bat living out in the middle of nowhere.

Characters introduced (in order):

• OLDHAM, psychedelic Dharma interrogator

What we learned:

• The names on Ben’s list were accomplices of Charles Widmore.
• Nobody likes Radzinsky.
• Ilana was apparently hired by the family of Peter Avellino to capture Sayid.

Questions:

• Why does Oldham live all the way out in the jungle?
• Why does The Dharma Institute need someone like Oldham?
• If whatever happened, happened, what ramifications will Sayid shooting Ben have?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Ilana clearly has a purpose for getting on Flight 316, and we can assume it has something to do with Jacob’s instructions to her in the finale flashback. Why does Jacob need Sayid on the island?

5.09 - Namaste

Title’s significance: “Namaste” is the salutation used in the Dharma videos and at Orientation. It means “I humble myself to you,” though a variant that may be appropriate for this show is “I acknowledge the universal spirit within you.”

Recap: In 1977, Sawyer’s jarred to see Kate back on the island, but he has a hard time explaining that the island time-traveled back to the Dharma days. After learning that Sun is on the island, he takes off for The Flame while Sawyer tries to come up with a story for Jack, Kate, and Hurley, and Juliet worries that Kate’s presence is going to change things. Radzinsky reports that there’s no plane. Sawyer slips the new arrivals into the submarine manifest, and Jin pursues a Hostile – it’s Sayid. At orientation, Jack meets Pierre Chang and gets assigned to janitorial duty, while Sawyer brings Sayid back to the barracks for imprisonment. Sawyer revels in the role reversal with Jack, and Sayid gets a meal brought to him... by a young Ben Linus.

The episode technically begins with a flashback to the crash of Ajira 316; Frank miraculously lands the plane on the Hydra island. In 2007, Frank tries to rally the 316ers, but Ben scampers off into the jungle as Caesar tries to take a leadership role. Frank and Sun stop Ben from leaving the Hydra island – by clubbing him with an oar – and take a longboat to the main island. When they dock, Frank and Sun find New Otherton in disrepair; inside one of the houses, Christian beckons them on and reveals that Jin and the others are in 1977 – “You have a bit of a journey ahead of you.”

Thoughts: “Namaste” was a little better than “LaFleur” because it focuses a lot on getting a problem resolved, but there are so many characters involved that it’s tough to get bored for very long (“LaFleur” spent too long with one set of characters without really building any suspense along the way). One thing I really love here – credit writers Paul Zbyszewski and Brian K. Vaughan for this – is almost every island role is reversed here: Sawyer is leading Jack, Kate is now second fiddle to Juliet, Jin speaks better English than everyone, Sayid is imprisoned with Ben visiting him, and Hurley... well, Hurley’s still the same ole “Kong” we know and love. Some things, I guess, never change, and thank Jacob for that.

Favorite moment: The scene with Christian, Sun, and Frank in the barracks has a great sense of atmosphere developed in a relatively short amount of time.

Characters introduced (in order):

• RADZINSKY, paranoid Dharma jerk
• BRAM, 316er

What we learned:

• Radzinsky was a member of The Dharma Initiative.
• Radzinsky designed The Swan.
• The Swan is one of the newest Dharma stations, being built at least after 1977.
• Horace and Amy name their son Ethan.

Questions:

• What is the function of the runway?
• Why wasn’t Sun transported back to 1977?
• It’s been three years – where’s Daniel?
• Who’s president in 1977?
• Why does Ben really want to get to the main island?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• No real mythological import is given to this episode.

5.08 - LaFleur

Title’s significance: The episode takes its title from Sawyer’s new pseudonym for himself, “LaFleur.”

Recap: The last time flash before Locke fixes the island takes Sawyer’s crew to a time when the four-toed statue was still standing. A final flash stops the island in time – in 1974. They find Daniel an emotional wreck, promising not to tell Charlotte what she said he told her. At the sound of gunfire, Sawyer’s group finds Others attacking a Dharma picnic, and they rescue a woman named Amy, who tells them that they’ve just violated “the truce.” Using earplugs, Amy tricks them into crossing through the sonic fence; Horace interrogates Sawyer, who weaves a story about a shipwrecked salvage vessel looking for The Black Rock. Daniel deduces that the island is no longer skipping in time but sees young Charlotte at the barracks; an alarm sounds, signaling a Hostile incursion, and it’s Richard Alpert strutting into the barracks. Sawyer tells Richard the truth about the dead Hostiles, revealing that he’s waiting for Locke to return. Having successfully avoided a situation with Richard, Sawyer buys two weeks on the island; Juliet wants to leave, but Sawyer convinces her to stay – with him.

In 1977, Phil and Jerry find that Horace is drunk out at the sonic fence with dynamite, so they go to wake up their security guy LaFleur – who’s actually Sawyer. Sawyer retrieves Horace and brings him back to his wife Amy, who’s pregnant. Though Juliet’s working in the motor pool, Sawyer asks her to help deliver Amy’s baby; Juliet’s reticent after her failures with pregnant women before, but Sawyer suggests that maybe the baby will still be safe. Juliet successfully delivers a son, and she and Sawyer retire to their home for dinner, professing their love for each other. Sawyer visits Horace, who’s hung-over but who’s also a father; thinking of Paul, Horace asks if three years is long enough to get over someone, and Sawyer instantly thinks of Kate. The next morning, Sawyer gets the call from Jin that the 815ers – Jack, Kate, and Hurley – are back.

Thoughts: Not as electrifying as the last two episodes, “LaFleur” was good in a setting-up kind of way with a lot of character-driven moments, but on rewatch it wasn’t as gripping as other episodes have been this season. This I blame primarily on the fact that, once you know that Sawyer and his crew join The Dharma Initiative, there’s really nothing rewarding or suspenseful in rewatching the episode.

Favorite moment: Sawyer-centric episodes always make it difficult to pick a favorite moment, but the character-driven confrontation between Sawyer and Richard takes at least one piece of cake.

Characters introduced (in order):

• JERRY, Dharma Initiative member
• ROSIE, sultry Dharma girl
• PHIL, snappy Dharma worker
• AMY, Horace’s pregnant wife
• PAUL, Amy’s first husband

What we learned:

• The four-toed statue was part of a much larger full statue, possibly of Egyptian origin.
• Locke did stop the island in time.
• Sawyer joins The Dharma Initiative as head of security.
• Charlotte’s body disappears with the last flash.
• Amy was married to Horace.
• The Dharma Initiative could have children on the island.
• The sonic fence doesn’t keep The Hostiles out.
• The Hostiles had a truce with The Dharma Initiative.
• Jack, Kate, and Hurley “crashed” in 1977, while the other 316ers seem to have “crashed” in the present.

Questions:

• What was the nature of the truce between The Hostiles and The Dharma Initiative?
• This will probably not get answered, but where does Amy fit in since we know that Horace and Olivia were married?
• When did the island stop letting women have children?
• Why doesn’t the sonic fence stop The Hostiles?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• I hope we get more details on the truce, but I’m sure that most of the Dharma plotline is over and done with by this point.

5.07 - The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

Title’s significance: Pretty self-explanatory on this one. This episode covers Locke’s time as Jeremy Bentham off-island.

Recap: Caesar and Ilana discuss their plane crash and the fact that a few people “disappeared” from the plane; what’s more, somehow Locke is alive again! Locke reveals that he was at one point dead, but he doesn’t know why he’s alive again. Locke flashes back to turning the wheel and being transported to Tunisia, the same spot Ben came to and which is now under video surveillance. After being rescued by some nomads, he meets Charles Widmore, who reveals he was once leader of The Others and that three years have passed since the Oceanic Six left. Widmore helps Locke track down the Oceanic 6 and sends Matthew Abaddon to help Locke. First they visit Sayid in the Dominican Republic, but he’s busy doing charity work and isn’t interested. Next, Locke visits Walt, who admits he’s been having dreams about Locke but who doesn’t know what happened to Michael; what Locke doesn’t know is that Ben is following him. Hurley initially believes Locke to be a ghost, but he stops listening when he sees Abaddon. Kate won’t sign on because she thinks Locke’s never loved anyone, and Locke learns that his love Helen died of a brain aneurysm. At the cemetery, Abaddon is shot, and Locke speeds away – into a car crash; he’s brought to Jack’s hospital, where Jack refuses to concede that Locke may be right about anything. Despondent, Locke attempts to hang himself, but he’s stopped when Ben arrives; Ben talks Locke down by telling him he’s not a failure, but he kills Locke when he gets the chance and makes it look like a suicide. Back on the island, Locke and Caesar talk about why some people disappeared on the flight, and Locke sees that Ben is one of the people from the plane; none too happy, Locke reveals that Ben killed him.

Thoughts: Back to back Damon & Carlton episodes? What have I done to deserve such a boon? This is another one of those great “answers” episodes in the tradition of “Meet Kevin Johnson” and “The Other 48 Days.” There is an abundance of answers in this episode, with hints of a larger storyline that you just know is going to get fleshed out in Season Six. This episode really gives Terry O’Quinn a chance to shine in what turns out to be his last performance as Locke (from here on out, he’s just Jacob’s nemesis pretending to be Locke), so stay tuned for more on how he’s still on the show.

Favorite moment: For pure shock factor, it’s Abaddon’s death, but I really treasure the scene between Locke and Ben in the hotel room, because (again) these two are the top actors on the show; Ben’s last line – “I’ll miss you, John. I really will.” – epitomizes what’s great about the character, because he just might be sincere.

Characters introduced (in order):

• No new characters introduced in this episode.

What we learned:

• Locke was transported off-island after turning the frozen wheel.
• Widmore remembers meeting Locke in 1954 – this makes him about 70 years old.
• Widmore was once the leader of The Others before Ben exiled him.
• Widmore set Locke up with the Jeremy Bentham identity.
• Abaddon “help(s) people get to where they need to be.”
• Helen died in 2006.
• Matthew Abaddon is killed by Ben Linus.
• Locke told Ben that Jin is alive; Ben also took Jin’s wedding ring.
• Locke didn’t commit suicide; Ben murdered him and made it look like a suicide.

Questions:

• How do Caesar and Ilana know each other?
• How did Locke come to be alive again?
• Is this really Locke?
• Where did Frank go, and who did he take with him?
• What went down between Widmore and Ben, and when?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Spoilers – it’s not really Locke. It’s Un-Locke, most likely Jacob’s nemesis and perhaps even the smoke monster. So why Locke’s form, and why the charade?
• Widmore speaks of a war coming to the island, but between whom, for what, and who will win?
• How much of what Widmore says can we trust, anyway?
• Jack says that Locke isn’t special, which of course runs contrary to all that I’ve been saying on this blog all along. Final word, Season Six?
• Who’s on the side of good – Widmore or Ben? Are either of them good?