It only ends once.

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