There's No Place Like Home, Conclusion
This season of
Lost has been so consistently entertaining and emotionally satisfying that my expectations for tonight were way beyond high. I almost knew going in that there was no way that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse could live up to them. As is often the case with this show, my instincts were dead wrong.
The very first scenes tonight provided a much-needed link back to the game-changing events that kick-started the entire Oceanic 6 storyline this time a year ago. I loved that the action picked up right where we left off as Jack screamed at Kate's car. She actually stopped, went back and let him have it, reminding him that his abandonment of Aaron and his drug-fueled stupor were certainly hurting his credibility. It was at this point that we first heard the name Jeremy Bentham, identified by Kate as the mystery man in the coffin. It was only after I did some research on the web that I was able to figure out, well before the final shot, who Jeremy Bentham would turn out to be (Click
here for some clues.)
"It's not an island. It's a place where miracles happen." As John pleaded with Jack to reconsider his desire to leave, we revisited one of the recurring struggles from the past four seasons- the clash between a man of faith and a man of science. Clearly, the island's defiance of reason, the confines of time and space and even, it seems in some cases, death, makes Locke's argument more easily supportable. Not only did his connection to the island heal his physical ailments, but it also set in motion his destiny as ultimate successor to Ben as leader of the island's original inhabitants (and conduit for Jacob's ongoing oversight.) And this was no coup. The eerie transition of power as Ben quietly and purposefully accepted his destiny as the one who would move the island- and be therefore unable to return- was peaceful and, in a sense, anti-climactic since it has been clear for a while that John was Ben's lady-in-waiting. The two finally made their way to the Orchid station and Ben had John watch yet another Dharma orientation video- the first to reference time-travel exploration (dismissed by Ben as "silly experiments.") As John listened to the warnings about keeping the chamber clear of any metals, Ben methodically loaded it up with as much metallic material as he could find. Apparently, plenty of fire power was required to blow a hole to the center of the island.
Meanwhile, back on the freighter, Desmond's experience with explosives disposal in the British Army definitely came in handy as he provided a one word explanation for the various options available to them in the room of C4- "Boom." Yet, oddly, it turned out to be Michael who was able to temporarily diffuse the situation (pardon the pun) with some liquid nitrogen, buying them a little time once Keamy's heart stopped beating and tripped the detonator. I was somewhat taken aback by Ben's cold-hearted "So?" when Locke admonished him for indirectly killing the innocent people on the boat, but Ben's normally calculating demeanor was overwhelmed by his passion in the moment. (This is not the first time we've seen this happen- remember Juliet's ill-fated romance with Goodwin?)
It was nice to see a little friendly interaction between Michael, Sun and Jin in the freighter's final moments. Sun excitedly spilled the beans about her pregnancy to her old friend and then Jin stayed behind with Michael as he tried to keep the battery cold as long as possible. It was touching to see Michael imploring his friend to return to Sun saying, "You are a father now." A moment later, Michael was unexpectedly confronted by yet another father, Christian Shephard (or was it Jacob?) who calmly said "You can go now, Michael" as the bomb detonated. My guess was that this indicated that Michael's purpose was now fulfilled and the island was now prepared to let him die a heroic death.
It was definitely a treat to see Walt come to visit Hurley in the mental hospital, though it was really disconcerting to see how much
Malcolm David Kelley has grown up. (Click on his name to see exactly how much he has changed since the first season.) It seemed that Walt had also been visited by Jeremy Bentham and now wanted to know why the Oceanic 6 were lying about the ones they left behind, including his father. "We're lying because it's the only way to protect everyone that didn't come back," Hurley explained. What is still unanswered is Walt's connection to the island and what larger role he has to play.
Later, Hurley received another unexpected visitor as Sayid broke the news about the now-deceased Bentham and told him that he was being watched and needed to leave the hospital. Hurley, in the midst of a chess game with an unseen Mr. Echo replied, "Dude I've been having regular conversations with dead people. The last thing I need now is paranoia." Sayid finally convinced Hurley to come with him with an assurance that they would not "go back."
There were a number of heart-breaking, tear-inducing moments tonight as well. As the helicopter lost fuel and it was clear that it couldn't support the weight it was carrying, Sawyer made the selfless decision to sacrifice his own rescue. After whispering a request into her ear, he planted a kiss on Kate that was definitely one for the books before leaping from the helicopter into the water below. (I also teared up when they quickly cut to Hurly after Frank mentioned they needed to drop a couple hundred pounds, knowing that he was wracked with guilt in that moment.) My only quibble with that moment was that it came at the halfway point of the show and it felt like it should have been a more climactic moment. (Anyone agree with that?)
Even worse than Sawyer's leap was Sun's agony as she realized the helicopter was leaving without Jin, followed by his assumed death as the freighter exploded and quickly sank. For the record, I am going to continue hoping that Jin did not perish in the fiery wreckage, but
Yunjin Kim's heart-wrenching portrayal of Sun in those moments was simply amazing. She made Sun's anguish truly tangible. For me, it all helped to clarify her ambivalence to Jack in their later interactions on the C-130 and her reactions when Hurley comes to visit Jin's grave. Later, her run-in with Widmore seemed to indicate that she has an axe to grind, though do we really know what game she is playing? It all points to the tight, consistent storytelling and craftsmanship at work that so many pieces of the puzzle made more sense at the end of tonight's episode.
As Ben turned the giant wheel at the island's core, a blinding light followed and then, in an instant, the island was no longer visible. A moment later, the damaged helicopter went down, taking Frank, Desmond, Jack, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, Kate and Aaron with it. Huddled in a lifeboat hours later, the group encountered a boat called the "Searcher" and in a twist I saw coming a mile away (anyone else?), it turned out to be Penny's boat. Again, it was very touching to see the long-awaited reunion of Desmond and Penny, but I felt like the emotional impact was lost in the midst of all the action. How is it possible that I was more moved by their fateful phone call in "The Constant" than I was by their shipboard reunion?
While a lot of questions remain after tonight's episode, one thing became crystal clear- the Oceanic 6 made the decision to lie at the behest of Jack, though it was Locke who really planted that seed. Jack did present a compelling case as he talked about the lengths Widmore had gone to plant the plane and the bodies. What would he do if he realized that there were survivors on the island? So as the Oceanic 6 faked their rescue, leaving Penny and Desmond on the run, it was certainly bittersweet on many levels.
The final moments of the finale, as Jack returned to the funeral home, was confronted by Ben and paid his final respects to Locke's alter ego, really set up what's to come in Season 5. We all know that the Oceanic 6 need to return to the island. But how will they get there? And what will they find? The thing that really amazed me about tonight's finale is that it set up those questions while still providing a modicum of closure. I did not think that this finale was as jaw-dropping as last year's for sure, but knowing that this story is leading us somewhere is really making for an enjoyable ride.
Some other notable moments tonight:
- Sawyer to Jack, just before they happened upon Hurley relieving himself in the jungle. "So what's the plan, Sundance?"
- The smackdown between Sayid and Keamy
- Ben getting revenge for Alex
- Hurley's first words to Walt, "You're getting big, dude."
- Miles' encounter with Rose as he helped himself to some peanuts- "I'm gonna keep my eye on you, Shorty."
- The strange exchange between Miles and Charlotte as he cryptically referenced her long term desire to "get back here" and his equally cryptic response, "What do I mean?" (Was this possibly setting the stage for a story around Charlotte's connection to the Dharma initiative or Ben?)
- As Sawyer and Jack stumble upon the carnage near the helicopter and Kate mentions that she didn't kill Keamy, Sawyer's mischievous query, "Which one did you kill?"
- Those few moments on the helicopter as Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer think they are on their way to rescue.
And last but not least...
- Sawyer coming out of the ocean. No shirt. Thank you.
I feel like I could go on for days but now it's your turn. Did you get the answers you were looking for? What were your favorite moments? Did anything disappoint you? What is in store next season. I know you will all have plenty to say and I can't wait to read it all.
Thanks for all of your comments and thoughts throughout this fantastic season. I will continue to post updates and news items as they come up. See you in January!
