It only ends once.

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If I only had two words, my review would be: NO WAY.

We only have 19 days left until this show is over. And for the last several weeks, Charlie and I have wondered quietly and on this blog about when stuff was going to start to happen. Granted, we’ve had some crazy episodes this season and quite a bit HAS happened. But at the same time, there has been a lot of set up…a lot of moving of pieces and storylines to get everyone in the right place before…

Well, to use Flocke's word…BOOM.

Tonight, we had BOOM.

And all you people who have been going back and forth about who is the bad guy and who is the good guy…and is Flocke really actually GOOD, but being portrayed as bad…BOOM. Do you believe that now? BOOM. Flocke is bad. Flocke is very bad.

While I’d never admit this in public, I’ll admit it to you all, my friends on the Dharma Blog (and yes, I recognize the error in that statement): I teared up. I really did. We lost three original characters (and one awesome pilot) tonight in a matter of 8 minutes time. Believe it or not, we haven’t lost an original cast member (I’m talking season 1, episode 1 cast) since Michael died at the end of season 4. And his death certainly didn’t have the gravity that tonight’s losses had.

But before I go into obituaries for the long-suffering-but-now-redeemed Sayid, the star-cross’d lovers Jin and Sun, and Captain Frank J. Lapidus (who just stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie), we need to take a look at the entire episode. Tonight moved the storyline big time. And it makes sense that it did, since we only have four and a half hours left.

(“Wait. Four and a half hours?” you ask.)

Yep. ABC announced last night the finale on Sunday, May 23, will be 2.5 hours long, not 2 hours long.

Chances of Maggie going to work on May 24? SLIM TO NONE.

Let’s dissect “The Candidate.” Deep breaths, everyone.

Alternate Timeline: Locke recovers.
Sure enough, the invincible John Locke managed to beat fate once again this episode, surviving Desmond’s erratic (but purposeful) hit-and-run. And who was there to greet him when he awoke? None other than Jack, the spinal surgeon extraordinaire whom Locke had met just a week before on Oceanic 815. Jack explained that, while he was operating on Locke, he took a look at his spine and determined that Locke was, indeed, a candidate for a special new-age ninja surgery. Surgery that could give Locke feeling in his legs. Surgery that could maybe even allow him to walk again.

But Locke wasn’t interested. At all. This was, in fact, not new information to us. Jack had already proposed this possibility of surgery while they were waiting at the luggage counter at LAX. And while Locke had dialed the number from Jack’s business card a few episodes back, he hung up without engaging in conversation and subsequently tore up the card.

His adamant refusal, once again, seemed a little far-fetched to me. It wasn’t until later in the episode that we found out why he was so opposed to the surgery. Locke’s injury, as we came to find out, was caused by a plane accident. And not just your typical commercial-airliner-on-a-deserted-island plane crash (that’d be a cool t.v. show, by the way). But it was a single engine, didn’t-even-make-it-off-the-runway crash. And Locke was at the controls with his father at his side. The result? Locke was paralyzed. His father, Anthony Cooper, was also critically injured, losing both his mobility and suffering a severe, life-altering head injury.

And Locke blames himself.

So why would he refuse the surgery? As he explained it to Jack, he doesn’t deserve it because of the pain his mistake inflicted on his father. Jack did his best to change Locke’s thinking, telling him to forgive himself and move on with his life. Jack also invoked phrases we’ve heard time and time again in this show. “What happened, happened.” “I wish you believed me.” It was a powerful scene, yet Locke left, not entirely convinced but certainly with a lot to think about.

It’s a small world after all.
Talk about coincidence. Alt-Jack was definitely feeling some déjà vu throughout the episode as he continued to come across individuals who had flown with him on Oceanic 815 the week prior. Dr. Bernard Nadler, D.D.S., provided him with a gulp moment as he shared the name of Anthony Cooper. Claire, his newfound sister, gave him wide eyes when she revealed a beautiful, mirrored music box from Christian’s estate, playing the tune “Catch A Falling Star,” which has been part of this show from season 1. And of course his new patient, John Locke, left him with a bit of disbelief about the whole situation, when he chose to not trust him to do the surgery.

I find it interesting that this whole realization process is 180 degrees from, yet exactly the same as, what we had in the first season of Lost. As you’ll recall, we had a group of strangers who, through flashbacks, we watched connect in the most bizarre and unexpected ways. Now, we have a group of people we know very well. Yet, in the alternate world, we are watching them make connections again in new and profound ways. Although I’m not really sure how the alternate world is going to shake down, I dig how they are making it work. And I don’t think it is all for naught. And I do think it is going to be a significant part in the end game, though I don’t really get how that is going to happen. At all. I’ll let Charlie tackle that elephant in the room next week…

Back on the island.
At first, the island was pretty predictable. Hydra Island will forever be the site of the polar bear cages and the shark tank. So, I wasn’t too shocked when Widmore’s new prisoners were thrown back in the cages. Widmore made it pretty tense, stating that Kate wasn’t on his list and he couldn’t care less if she lived or died. Sawyer caved, Kate was saved. Interesting foreshadowing? I think so.

After Smokey showed up and Jack freed the gang from the cages, it was time to head to Ajira, where Flocke was waiting. Several of the moments prior to their arrival were very odd, causing me (and several of you) to wonder what was going on. Flocke finding the watch. Flocke finding the C-4 in the plane. Flocke visibly switching backpacks with Jack.

But I certainly didn’t expect things to go to hell so quickly and so permanently.

I was expecting Jack to get Sawyer to believe in the island once again. However, it looks like Sawyer ended up being a loophole for Flocke. In my book, Jack was right: that bomb was not going to go off. We don’t exactly know what the rules say, but we know this much: Flocke cannot kill the Candidates. However, once Sawyer decided to unhook the wires and alter the bomb, its eventual explosion suddenly became Sawyer’s fault, not Flocke’s. Poor Sawyer. Yet, I have to wonder if this moment will give him a newfound understanding of the situation that killed Juliet…a death he has been blaming Jack for since episode 1 of this season.

But back to tonight.
I am still SHOCKED that Sun and Jin were killed off tonight, despite the eye rolling that I have done in 80% of their scenes this season. These two had a chance to be happy, to find their happy ending. Not to mention, they have a child! Ji Yeon! (Need I remind you all how much I love the children of Lost?) However, Jin foreshadowed this inevitable ending when he said “I will never leave you again” during the last episode. While we didn’t see it going down so quickly after their reunion, I think we all saw their deaths coming.

And Frank? Well, my rule of thumb on Lost is that unless I see the dead body, I don’t believe they are dead. Sure, he was hit by a large steel door in a sinking submarine, knocking him out into a torrential rush of flooding waters. But it is FRANK we’re talking about here! Maybe he woke up and swam out! Maybe not. But maybe.

As for Sayid, “there is no Sayid.” I actually think he got the death that he deserved: big time redemption. He saved everyone. He spilled the beans about Desmond, giving Jack critical details about his importance. And then he sacrificed himself. Quite the ending to an incredible character. While season 6 Sayid has been more creepy than not, I’m going to miss him.

Where the bleep do we go from here?
It looks like we’re going to get a huge mythological reveal next week with the super top-secret Jacob / Man in Black flashback episode. Much more on that in my preview next week.

However, it likely means we have two weeks to digest this week’s episode. For now, a quick refresher on who is who and where and why and how. And stuff.

1. The Remaining Candidates.
Well, the final three have been revealed: Hurley, Sawyer, and Jack. But there was that small, extremely important conversation between Jack and Sayid that leads me to wonder if we’re actually already down to the final Candidate:

Sayid
“There’s a well on the main Island, half-a-mile south from the camp we just left. Desmond’s inside. Locke wants him dead. Which means you’re going to need him”

Jack
“Why are you telling me this?”

Sayid
“Because it’s going to be you, Jack.”

So, does this really mean that Jack is going to be the Candidate? Does Sayid somehow know that Jack is destined to become Jacob? Or, is Sayid just implying that Jack will be the person who eventually takes down Flocke, and that Desmond will play a critical role in the process?

2. The Remaining Not - Candidates.
Very few people left after this week. KEY: Desmond. Sorta key: Kate, Claire, Widmore, Dirty Tina Fey, Richard / Ben / Miles, and a few nameless randoms who are on Widmore’s team

Once their grief subsides, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate are going to head off to find Desmond. It seems inevitable that Des will tell them what the need to do at this point, which will likely set up the end game. However, Flocke is apparently on his way to finish what he started. With the rules of engagement, I’m not sure how he is going to carry out this plan. I suppose he could somehow get Claire to do his bidding, but she seems a little unstable to trust with such a big task. Dare I suggest Ben jumps to the dark side and helps Flocke out? Yes, I dare…

Moments to rewatch this week.
This was one of the best-acted episodes to date in my book. Jin and Sun’s death was pretty incredible. Locke’s confession about the plane crash to Jack was powerful and poignant. Jack standing on the beach, mourning the deaths of Jin, Sun, and Sayid was epic and very real (and classic Jack).

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend a rewatch of this week’s episode. Pretty incredible stuff…and likely so much more than my mind can digest at this late hour.

Final Review.
And so, I will sign off with my last review of the blog. A bittersweet moment, but also kind of exciting. Like you, I am anxious to see how this story will end. (It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.)

But I’m also very cognizant of the fact that Lost’s departure will create quite a void. Thank goodness the new season of the Bachelorette starts the day after the finale.

(Kidding.) (Only kind of.)

I look forward to your comments today.

It’s been a pleasure, folks.

BOOM.

Namaste,
Maggie

18 Snarky Comments:

LJLA said...

Two thoughts:

1. Is Jin dead? I am not so certain about this.

2. What if "by finishing what he started" Locke is going to kill Desmond. I don't think he believed Sayid when he told him that he killed Desmond. Thus Locke is going to finish him off.

Island Girl said...

LJLA's question makes me think-What if Frank came to, swam in to find Jin, pullled him out and made it to the beach? We never did see Sun and Jin after their hands separated? Maybe I am grasping for straws, but remember the scene earlier this season with Frank and Ben? Frank tells Ben that he was supposed to be the pilot on flight 815, but he overslept and Ben tells him that the Island got him anyway? Maybe he has one more heroic deed to do.

I am so glad that Sayid was able to redeem himself. It was a great ending for his character.
Thanks again for all your efforts, Maggie and Charlie!! It has been great.

Laura C. said...

Locke seemed surprised that the sub didn't surfac: could it be that he had hoped they wouldn't disarm the bomb an lived? Now some died and everything is messed up

I also thought that if Jacob touched you, you are a candidate and cannot die. Re: scene with Richard in the black rock. Did thy really die or is it fake because the alt reality will prevail? Or they did really die because they were off the island.

Also found it weird that sun and Jin do not talk to each other Korean, but I guess thad to the audiences benefit
did they ever explain why sun lost her English?

Did you notice Locke has a scar on his face- I thought he was invincable.

Why did sawyer want jack to push him in the water? He said " I'll take it from there" is it so he doesn't turn into black smoke?

Laura C. said...

Also where is Richard et al ?

maggie said...

Lots of great questions. I'll see what I can do...

LJLA: First, congrats on finishing law school! Woot! You're a rockstar.

Now to your questions. Is Jin really dead? Per my policy (not dead unless I see your body), I cannot be absolutely certain that he and Sun (and Frank) are dead. The Titanic-like scene of their hands slipping away from one another was pretty powerful in my book. I'll admit that I will be SHOCKED if it was Frank pulling an he's-only-passed-out Jin away and swimming to the surface. Totally shocked. I just don't think it is going to happen with only 3 episodes left. However, crazier things have happened.

Per your question about Locke and where he is headed. I'll agree with you that Locke is probably on his way to Desmond's Well to "finish what he started." However, I think he also knows that whoever survived the sub sinking is also on their way to Desmond. So, it looks like he might get two birds with one stone. I think that his primary purpose at this point, however, applies to both Des and Jack et.al.: kill everyone.

Re: Laura's questions...

If you are a Candidate, you can't be killed: Laura, you are right...that is true. So how did both Kwons die? I know you all think I'm kidding...but I'm sticking to my guns that the "Kwon" on the wall of the cave and the lighthouse wheel is actually their daughter, Ji Yeon. This would explain how both Sun and Jin were 'allowed' to die. If Ji Yeon is the candidate, then they are not safe and definitely could be killed. Now I could be absolutely wrong on this and I have no proof...but for what it's worth. That's where my head is at.

Also, I totally agree that it was WEIRD that Sun and Jin were speaking in English in their cage scene. Boo.

Yes, I've noticed Locke's scar under his eye before. Not sure where it is from.

Sawyer's suggestion to push Flocke into the water reminded me of someone's comment earlier in the season about why Flocke can't get to Hydra: he can't turn into Smokey and fly over water. In addition to needing all the candidates to leave with him, water is also what traps him on the island. This is why he had to take the outrigger to get to the island...he couldn't "Smokey" across. Perhaps Sawyer's thought is that if you get Flocke in the water, he won't be able to go all Smokey on everyone. Does that make any sense?

Island Girl, thanks for the feedback!

Anyone else out there? Bueller? Bueller?

Laura C. said...

But if it's ji yoen, widmore and flobke would know and widmore wouldn't have explicitly said 'the kwons' in the 'list' he wa given and flocke wouldn't care so much about getting them together. I think maybe they potentially die bc they are not technically on the island? Not sure. This could also mean sun (and jin) might mysteruously wash up on the shore.

Locke also got dry incredibly fast. Probably just continuity.

Island Girl said...

Locke got that scar under his eye back in season one. I can't remember exactly how, but that's when it happened.
If the candidates cannot be killed, why did Alana train to be their protector? I thought only Richard couldn't die, because of his special request to Jacob?

Nathan A. said...

To build on LJLA's thoughts, most of which he stole from me during a conversation we had at 1:30 this morning...

I do think Jin survived. We saw the hands release underwater and were supposed to assume that they were dead. I think Jin finally let go and got out.
My problem with this scene (besides the fact they speaking English and not their native tongue with death staring them in the face as someone else pointed out) was the Sun didn't play the child card to get Jin to leave. If she really wanted him to leave, why didn't she tell him to get out of there so their kid had at least one parent? Maybe this is what finally caused Jin to let her go and get out.

(paraphrasing here)
Flocke: The sub sank?
Claire: So they're all dead?
Flocke: Not all of them... I going to finish what I started.

At first I thought this was a sign that Flocke knew that several people escaped from the sub. But Lincoln (LJLA) suggested that they he was talking about Desmond as the unfinished business. I think this makes sense. I don't think Flocke knows about the survivors. He didn't see them escape and crawl onto the beach. Flocke/Smokey have some pretty powerful powers (is that redundant?), but god-like omniscience isn't one of them, as far as we've seen. So I think when he said "not all of them" are dead, he was talking about Desmond (b/c he didn't buy Sayid's story), not the sub crew, whom I think Flocke assumes are all dead.

Aimée Jodoin said...

I think Locke got that scar during the original crash... It's been there the whole series.
I'm pretty sure that both Sun and Jin are dead, but I'm not sure about Lapidus. He was just hanging around the whole season and hasn't done anything important yet besides fly them there. And if that was his important thing, you'd think he would die like as soon as they got to the island..
Also, I think being touched by Jacob did not make them invisible. Only the MIB cannot kill them. They even said that in this episode! But since Sawyer pulled the wires on the bomb, it technically wasn't the MIB killing them, it was Sawyer.
And Jack walking away from them to cry was really typical Jack, trying to be the leader and make it seem like everything is okay and that they shouldn't worry, even more so now that he has all this faith in the island. I bet he's going to act like everything is okay in the next episode.
And I can't believe that Jack wasn't so freaked out when they locked him onto the sub. He didn't want to leave, so why wasn't he mad?
So yeah. I think Sun and Jin and Sayid are definitely dead. :( That was crazy. Three main characters died in one episode! I wonder how many more people they're going to kill off before the end. My guess is that Sawyer will either die or will have to stay on the island for the rest of his life. And hopefully (sorry) Kate will die...
I really don't want Miles and Richard and Jack to die. But I WANT Ben to die. Well... Namaste?

Aimée Jodoin said...

ha! I said invisible. But I meant invincible.

amigokin said...

I think Lapidus is dead. A proof of that is Alt-Lock is a pilot and the plane is still there.

I think the two worlds will eventually merge and and our favorite bold guy is going to save us all with his flying skills! xD

Dave Hanson said...

I think FLocke knew that some of them survived because if they had all died that would mean he would have "won" his battle with Jacob - I would assume if that happened he would feel it or be transported off the island or something.

Chris Beutler said...

I agree with Dave. Remember the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean (the only brilliant one) when Barbosa shoots his minion to see if the curse is lifted? And the minion, in surprise, yells "I'm not dead! You...shot me!?"

I think Locke had a similar moment there. He thought either a) the sub would resurface and someone would frantically throw the bomb out or b) they'd all die and by virtue of killing all the candidates, something would happen. What that something is, who knows, but it didn't, so he knows they're not dead.

A few other thoughts...

One of these is wrong: 1) the "MIB can't smokey across water" theory, or 2) MIB, when he claimed to Jack he inhabited Christian's body. Remember when Christian appeared before Michael when he was trying to disarm the bomb on the freighter? How did he get there? Hmmmm....

And while I also hated that Jin and Sun spoke English to each other in the sub, I had bigger problems with that scene. I know we've had to suspend reality for this show and accept some sci fi stuff, but that had nothing to do with sub bomb scene. You're telling me a C4 explosion a) creates that small of a hole and b) there isn't some messed and deadly pressure change? They were "5 minutes" under the ocean, and water is just leaking out? I'm not a physicist but it seems like the result of that bomb would've been catastrophic and probably would've killed everyone instantaneously.

But, it is Lost, so....cool.

(I'd like to see a bonus video of Sun getting lost in heaven and frantically asking people "Have you seen my huss-band?"

the Mayor said...

Also, a thought occurred to me during the ep...perhaps there will be no replacement MIB, because it will actually be WIB. Jack, Claire -- siblings. Cain and Abel.

Laura C. said...

@Chris - to ur point, why try to arm and disarm the bomb is the first place? Just throw the bomb in thewater and run away?!

bret welstead said...

A few thoughts...

1) It seems to me that Widmore might have been on the right side all along. The reason I say that is that Ben, supposedly following Jacob's orders, might actually have been following MIBs orders, because I believe that all those times in the cabin were encounters not with Jacob, but with MIB. Sure, Widmore might have hired some unsavory people (Keamy, Abaddon), but I think he is on the side of Jacob, and perhaps has been from the beginning.

2) I think the unfinished business Locke was talking about has to do with Widmore. I don't think Locke knows that Desmond is alive. I don't think Locke knows that some survived the sub explosion (thought I do like Chris's theory on that). So I think he's going after Widmore and/or Ben and Richard. OR maybe it has to do with that boy in the woods.

3) I was watching the episode again today and caught a theme that Charlie brought up months ago: mirrors. When Jack and Claire are looking at the music box, they are both shown reflected in the music box mirror.

4) I think the Kwons are dead. I think Widmore had Kwons (plural) on his list just because he wasn't sure which of the Kwons was a candidate. And I'm not so sure on the whole "Jacob touched them so now they can't die" idea. According to Lostpedia, Jacob touched Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Jack, Sayid, Hurley, Richard, Ben, and Sun and Jin simultaneously. Locke has died. So it's very possible that the Kwons and Sayid are dead now.

5) I think Ji Yeon may be "Kwon" on the list, since Jacob touched Sun and Jin at the same time.

bret welstead said...

However...

Someone else needs to watch the episode and tell me what they think: does it look like Jin's hands move quickly away from Sun's in that final underwater scene? Right at the end, it looks like they move, instead of drift away.

Maybe one of the Kwons survived?

Nathan A. said...

bret said:
"I believe that all those times in the cabin were encounters not with Jacob, but with MIB."

Wasn't there a ring of ash around the cabin? So either it was Jacob in the cabin trying to keep smokey out... or it was MIB trapped in the cabin. Hmmmm...