I wonder if anyone else writing about this show found it hard to formulate thoughts about this penultimate episode, since it built up such a nice momentum going into the finale that I’m almost content to wait and see how it all plays out on Sunday. (I can’t believe this is going to be over on Sunday.)
So.
Things in the Sideways World are set to converge at David Shephard’s concert, part of the grand opening ceremonies for the new paleontology wing at Pierre Chang’s museum, funded by and named after Hurley.
I did not see that particular scenario coming.
Interesting, though, that this gathering almost mirrors the benefit thrown by the Widmores — we haven’t seen Daniel or Eloise since that episode, and just as Widmore snuffs it here, it’s like that particular narrative layer has folded up. (Maybe.)
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It felt as though the story was truly and finally settling in for a sit around the campfire to tell us everything we need to know. (Not necessarily WANT to know. But need.)
It was an excellent blend of quiet scenes, weighted with the full force of previous seasons, and explosive violent scenes. I loved the scene between Jack and Locke in the Sideways world, as I have tended to love all of their scenes together. Loved that Locke echoed his own words from Season 1: What if all this is happening for a reason? And loved that Jack replied with another Lostian echo: Don’t mistake coincidence for fate.
Loved Ben’s scenes with Alex and Danielle, particularly that they happen after Desmond forcibly shows Ben the world that should be, so that Ben must have gotten flashes of Alex as his daughter on the island as he watched her study. And that knowing look that passes between Ben and Danielle — I’m chalking that up to “I remember you” and not any sort of romantic moment. Because the latter is a little too much for me to handle right now.
(Sidenote: I think I’m going to institute coq au vin night.)
And Ben tells Locke that Desmond was there to help Locke “let go.” It didn’t occur to me before that letting go is something both Lockes would benefit from — Sideways Locke needs to let go of his guilt and martyrdom so that he can have the chance to walk again; Smokey Locke needs to let it all go — his rage, his vengeance, his plan to kill everyone, his plan to destroy the island. Seriously. Dude. Just let it go.
Which makes me wonder whether Ben’s apparent 180 (or 360, as it were) is his plan to get Smokey to let go. Because I’m 97% sure that Ben is playing Smokey, either for self-preservation (which is completely in keeping with his character) and/or to save the island (ditto). He needs Smokey to believe that he’s on his side, so he gives up Widmore (I have to believe that revenge was always at the forefront of Ben’s mind as well, especially after Miles and Richard bring up Alex). And in using Smokey to kill Widmore, Ben appears to, possibly, once again have the upper hand as he has always had with Locke, up until the point at which Smokey/Locke convinced him to kill Jacob.
Which is not to say that Ben wasn’t absolutely, completely CHILL-MAKING in these scenes. Sinister Ben, I have missed you. But please don’t be evil.
Can’t say I’m sorry to see Widmore go, either. Much better to have the fate of the island rest in the hands of the characters we really got to know over the last six seasons.
But oh, Richard. The minute he said “I’m going to go talk to him” I knew it would go wrong because one of the things we know for sure is that you do NOT let Smokey talk to you if you want to stop him. But I wasn’t prepared for Smokey to hurl Richard so violently into a tree. Can Smokey kill Richard as he couldn’t kill Jacob? I don’t see anyone coming back from that, immortal or not. And if Richard’s indeed dead, he got an even rawer deal than Ilana and all the people on the sub. (Although it might have been better that way, as I don’t think I could take another drawn-out death scene.)
And Jack stepped up to become the next Jacob. OK, first of all, the scene around the fire made me recant what I said last week, that perhaps the whole of “Across the Sea” could have been reduced to a couple of flashbacks within another episode. Had that been done, I don’t think Jacob’s words to Kate, Sawyer, Jack, and Hurley would have been as impressive or powerful. Second, I am fully on board with Jack’s choice. He made that choice from an understanding that it was his destiny — this is why he was brought to the island; this is why he was brought to the lighthouse. These are the answers he’s wanted. He made his choice as Season 6 Jack, not as Season 1 Jack, who would’ve stepped up out of a compulsion to have to be the one in charge, in control, at all times. Both Season 1 and Season 6 Jack are still powered by their need to fix things, but their motivations for wanting to do so are different.
What I didn’t buy so much was Hurley’s “At least it wasn’t me.” I may be saying so out of a slight sense of my own disappointment, but I caught in Jorge Garcia’s delivery more than a touch of regret that he didn’t step up before Jack did.
Other things:
Jack’s neck started bleeding — something he first noticed on the flight back from Sydney, still as mysterious as ever. A literal bleeding in of the original timeline into the sideways timeline?
We get teased with the prospect of finally seeing who David’s mom is. Any guesses?
Who let Desmond out of the well?
I liked the breakout scene, featuring Ana Lucia as a shady bribe-taking cop.
Strange men keep giving Kate dresses.
Speaking of Kate, what did you think about Jacob’s explanation for why her name was crossed out?
Finally, as we look toward the finale (!!), what do you most want to see happen? What’s left unanswered for you?
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