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TV Recap: Lost Season Finale - Through The Looking Glass

By Steve West: 2007-05-24 01:43:10
TV Recap: Lost Season Finale - Through The Looking Glass When your show ends it’s first season with the biggest cliff hanger since “Who shot JR?” and the second ends in a similar fashion, exactly what is it that can be done to equal the shock and leave viewers with a revelation that your endless questions have an ultimate answer? For ‘Lost’ you simply throw a monkey wrench in your story and have the survivors of Oceanic 815 rescued. In an episode that reveals Charlie’s fate, Jack’s sacrifice, and what’s behind Mikhail’s eyepatch we are given two hours of ‘Lost’ that easily fits in at the top tier of episodes the show has ever produced. There’s a lot to cover, so fellow fans let’s dive right in. For convenience sake this recap is split into story sections, so if you just want to glance at what happened in the flashbacks you can do that.

The Island Story:

We return to the island as the Losties prepare to make the trek to the radio tower and the three shooters say their goodbyes. Sayid tells Jack that no matter what happens he has to keep moving. If Sayid has to die, he wants it to be because he helped his friends get rescued. Rose reminds her husband that he’s a dentist, not Rambo. Jin, in what I felt was a truly touching moment, tells his wife, “We have to go home,” when she asks why he’s staying behind. Something about him speaking English made the moment just a bit more poignant. So now the plan is fully in motion, and the Others are about to get an explosive surprise.

When the Others arrive at the beach camp Sayid, Jin, and Bernard line up their shots. Because they are under radio silence Ben’s frantic message to warn the team that Juliet has betrayed them goes unanswered. They creep up to the tents and both Sayid and Bernard hit their targets. Two huge explosions and seven dead Others later Jin is unable to hit the dynamite in his tent. The remaining Others capture the trio and Tom radios Ben. Ben immediately tells them to kill Jin in order to find out what’s going on. Bernard isn’t able to let it happen, and even though Jin tells him not to talk, he tells Tom where the Losties are headed and that Carl’s the one who informed them the Others were coming a day early. Ben immediately realizes that Alex sent Carl to help. As he makes plans to head out by himself to intercept Jack Alex demands she go with, to which Ben quickly agrees.

As the group continues the hike to the radio tower Kate stops with Sawyer and asks him what happened. Sawyer has been a bit un-Sawyer like lately, even referring to Freckles as Kate. Clearly killing Locke’s father is taking it’s toll on James Ford, and when Kate says she wants to go back to check why there were only two explosions he tells her he doesn’t want to go. Back with the group Sawyer tells Jack he’s going back. Kate has the same question everyone else did…why now when you just said you didn’t want to go back? He tells her he didn’t want to go with her. Jack doesn’t think it’s a good idea to go back unarmed, but Juliet steps up and says she knows of a weapon cache nearby. Jack let’s Sawyer and Juliet leave, but not before Juliet kisses him. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t notice Jack enjoying it all that much.

As Juliet leads Sawyer back to the beach they exchange quips. Nice to know that the Sawyer we know and love is still around, but it appears to be more clearly a façade than ever before. Juliet reveals that there is no weapon cache. Hurley then shows up to offer his help. He says that he simply wants to help. Sawyer looks at him and says, “Look at you Hugo…do you want to get us killed?” Hurley’s looked heartbreakingly devestated as he turned around and headed back. James Ford might have treated his friend like a jerk, but it truly appears he doesn’t want to risk anyone else getting hurt. He’s protecting him.

Speaking of which, back to the trek for radio power Kate stops to remove a pebble from her shoe when Jack talks with her. He tells her that Sawyer didn’t mean what he said, he was just trying to protect her. Kate asks why Jack is defending Sawyer when the act wouldn’t be reciprocated. He looks at her and says, “Because I love you.” It’s a small thing, but fans have been waiting for one of these two to say it. Rousseau speaks with Jack and tells him that she doesn’t want to be rescued; her home is on the island now. Not long after that Ben catches up and requests a private meeting with Jack.

Jack is extremely upset at seeing Ben, and initially doesn’t have any desire to talk. But Ben says that they killed seven of his people, the least Jack can do is give him five minutes. Jack begrudgingly agrees. Ben tells Jack that he made a decision that killed forty people, and history is repeating itself. Jack questions this, asking if the Others are surrounding them right now. Ben tells him that no, in fact the parachute woman is the dangerous one. Naomi will lead destruction to the island. Ben explains that she works for a group that’s been looking for the island and when they arrive, everyone on the island will die. Jack doesn’t believe him, so Ben uses the walkie talkie to call Tom at the beach where they have Jin, Sayid, and Bernard. Ben wants Naomi’s phone and he threatens to kill Jack’s friends for it. He tells Tom to shoot the prisoners if they don’t hear from him in one minute. Jack refuses to cave in, saying he will rescue everyone. The minute expires and we hear three gunshots over the walkie talkie. As an answer, Jack pummels Ben and then calls Tom. He tells Mr. Friendly that he’s leading his friends to the radio tower, get them rescued, and then he’s going to seek Tom out and kill him.

Jack drags the bloodied Ben back to the group and tells them to tie him up, Ben’s coming with. Alex approaches Ben and Rousseau follows after. Ben introduces them to each other. Kate goes to ask Jack what happened, and he tells her Sayid, Jin, and Bernard were killed and he let it happen. She asks why he didn’t kill Ben, and he tells her he wants Ben to experience the moment when they are rescued and he failed. Then Jack will kill him.

Finally back to the beach and Tom lets us breathe a sigh of relief when he says they should have killed the captives instead of putting bullets in the sand. Sawyer and Juliet are watching from the tree line as they assess the situation. They are outgunned, and clearly outmanned. As is often the case on ‘Lost,’ when there’s no hope left Hurley is around to save the day. Save it he does when he drives the VW Hurley Bus directly at the Others, killing one of them. If you thought that was awesome, things step up fifteen notches as Sayid uses his leg to snap another man’s neck. What’s that you say? It couldn’t get better? Tom Friendly is on his knees saying he gives up as Sawyer stares down at him. Sawyer shoots Tom in the chest, looking down at the man he says, “That’s for taking the kid off the boat.” Way to be a cowboy Sawyer. Hurley asks why he killed Tom when the man surrendered, and Sawyer says he didn’t believe him. Sad as I am to see Tom go, I didn’t either. And damnit it’s about time the Losties take some preventative action, rather than keeping these lying bastards around.

Hurley calls over the radio to tell the Others, “We got you bastards. And if you don’t want to get blown up, stay away from our beach.” Jack answers and Hurley tells him, and everyone, that Sayid, Jin and Bernard are all alive. They rejoice for a moment and then continue the trek to the radio tower. Naomi notices that the signal is no longer being jammed thanks to Charlie’s efforts, but she can’t get through because Rousseau’s message is interfering. They get to the radio tower and turn off the transmission. Naomi goes outside and gets a signal. Ben pleads with Jack to stop her, that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Jack says he knows exactly what he’s doing, and Naomi begins to make the call. At that moment John shows up and throws his knife into Naomi’s back, killing her.

Locke tells Jack to not use the phone. Jack is done with all these rules, and tells Locke to shoot him if he wants to stop him. Locke can’t do it and simply tells his friend, “You’re not supposed to do this.” Locke then walks away as a voice comes over on the phone and Jack answers it. The man tells Jack they can get a fix on their position and are coming to rescue the Losties. Holy crap, three seasons before the series ends and they get rescued. Anyone who says they saw it coming, without reading spoilers, is a liar. Minds have officially been blown. Too bad things aren’t as happy as they’d appear.

Charlie’s Story:

We’ve been wondering what will happen to Charlie. After seeing him at death’s door twice in the series (season one when Ethan strung him up and a few episodes ago when he nearly caught an arrow with his throat) there had to be a way to deliver the death in a meaningful way. It was a difficult task and ‘Lost’ delivered the goods, showcasing what great writing and acting this series really does have.

The two ladies in the Looking Glass hatch have Charlie tied up in a chair and are beating him for information. Other than a bloody face, it’s not too bad a situation to be in. When they ask him what he plans to do he smiles and tells them the truth, Jack Sparrow style. Charlie tells them that he’ll turn the jammer off, but they question whether he has the code. It’s a snag in the plan, but Charlie shrugs it off saying that he won’t need it. When asked what happens to him, he simply says that he’ll die. This doesn’t seem to sit well with the lovely ladies of the underwater hatch.

Back up top Desmond wakes up and realizes Charlie has gone down to the hatch. At that moment Mikhail shows up, after being ordered by Ben to go check out the situation the night before. He begins shooting at Desmond who immediately jumps in the water and swims to the Looking Glass. He surfaces and Charlie quickly tells him to hide before the girls return. Desmond hides just as the girls return and Charlie covers up by pretending to sing. Nothing like a round of “You All Everybody” to perk up your spirits. One of the girls heads to the locker to get a spear gun, which happens to be where Desmond is hiding, when Mikhail arrives and inadvertently saves the day.

He is clearly surprised to see anyone there, and also that the hatch is not flooded. So it would seem Juliet wasn’t lying when she told the Losties the hatch was flooded because she thought it was. Charlie finds this interesting and asks “Cyclops” why Ben would lie to him and also that the girls are jamming transmission from the island. Mikhail is upset by this and at that moment Ben calls in. Mikhail answers Ben’s call and is not happy with being lied to. Ben says that the jamming was for everyone’s security, that the island is facing a threat greater than anything it’s seen in many years. They must do everything in their power to stop it. Ben apologizes to Mikhail for lying to him. This seems to appease the one eyed man, and Ben tells him to kill Charlie and the girls.

Following orders Mikhail shoots one of the women, and as the other runs he shoots her in the back wounding her. As he prepares to kill her Desmond steps out of the locker and puts a spear through Mikhail’s chest. Charlie stops Desmond from killing the remaining woman, saying they need her. Charlie asks her for the code, and she is reluctant at first. He tells her that Ben obviously lied to them and telling him the code would be a nice way to throw it in his face. She begins saying the code but goes too fast for Charlie to get it written down. Before she dies she says the code is “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys.

Desmond goes to prepare some scuba tanks for their return to the surface as Charlie enters the room with the terminal. He hums “Good Vibrations” for a bit and then begins entering it on the numerical keypad. Once done the jamming equipment shuts off, but where’s the switch? Maybe fate doesn’t have Charlie in it’s clutches after all. Well, it was a nice thought. As he goes to leave, a transmission comes through. The woman on the other end is Desmond’s Penelope. Charlie asks if she’s on the boat offshore ready to rescue them, he also tells her they found Naomi. Penelope is not on a boat, nor does she know who Naomi is.

As he finishes up preparations Desmond notices that Mikhail’s body is missing. Seriously, is there any way this man can be killed? Back in the control room Charlie looks through the window to see Mikhail outside holding a grenade. He runs to the door and shuts it before the grenade blows. The room begins filling up with water and Charlie quickly realizes he has a message to pass on. Using his trademark marker he writes three words on his hand and presses it against the door window for Desmond to read. “Not Penelope’s Boat.” With that Desmond’s premonition comes true and Charlie is dead.

Jack’s Flashback, or Prepare to go through the looking glass, fall down the rabbit hole, and wake up in Mind Blown land

This week is a Jack-centric episode, and in his flashbacks he sports a spiffy beard and haggard demeanor. As Jack sat on the airplane asking for another drink I had a fleeting moment where I wondered how I never noticed he had a beard during the crash. Silly me, this is another flight. Where to and why are explained later, but ultimately we come to find it doesn’t matter. Instead of giving Dr. Shepard a drink the stewardess offers him the newspaper. Something in the paper catches Jack’s eye, and he rips it out of the paper. Oh goodie, we have our next big question of the series. What the hell is in the paper? Whatever it is Jack is clearly upset, and as he drives along a bridge late at night he attempts to make a call before hanging up. Jack stands at the edge of the bridge, ready to jump, when an accident occurs.

The midsection of the flashback is really just more of Jack being haggard and strung out. There are clues throughout about what’s really happening, but honestly it was very enjoyable to watch…there just isn’t a lot to say about it. Except of course that damn newspaper piece. Jack seems driven by it, and at the same time distraught over it. He arrives at a funeral parlor and is told no one showed up for the viewing. So clearly, someone has died. After stealing oxycodone from his hospital and just being a complete wreck Jack makes the call he tried to on the bridge at the opening of the episode. Whoever it is agrees to meet him at the airport.

Jack waits at the end of a runway in his car as someone approaches. The person walks into the light and is revealed to be Kate. Wow, we’ve just been thrown for a loop. The flashback was a flashforward and it looks like Jack and Kate are going to survive. Kate asks why he wanted to meet her, and he shows her the article. He wonders if she’d go to the funeral, and she asks why she’d go. Jack tells her that he uses the “golden pass” the airline gave them to take trips every Friday. It doesn’t matter where he’s going, he just wants the plane to crash. He doesn’t care about the other people on the plane, Jack just wants to get back. Frustrated and desperate he tells Kate they weren’t supposed to leave the island. She responds that they were, and leaves. Jack calls after her, “We have to go back!” Jack stands alone at the end of the runway yelling after the departing Kate, and that ends season three of ‘Lost.’

Trust me when I say we have questions and comments to be made during the hiatus. For now though, we’re going to let the episode sit and marinate in our minds. What the producers of the show have done with the recent episodes, and especially this one, is bring ‘Lost’ back to it’s season one greatness. Actually, I might be tempted to say that “Through the Looking Glass” is the best episode of the series. It’s certainly top 5 material. The question is now, do we see what happened between the rescue and the scene at the airport between Jack and Kate or is this a “Dark Tower” cycle and Jack has to keep doing it until he gets it right? Stay tuned to TV Blend over the coming months for news on ‘Lost.’ Until then you can discuss the show at our forums over here.



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  • Hmmm about the dead person being Juliet. The funeral director guy said that nobody came to the funeral. But wouldnt at least her sister come? Hmmmm I know it sounds kinda crazy but I don't think Jack has given up on Kate(unfortuately) hhmmm maybe Sawyer an Juliet might get together? Enough of my ramblings. Sianara
  • I tend to agree with most of the comments pertaining to the fact that last night's episode was both fascinating and confusing (as always!)
    After watching it a second time, I am convinced that the Jack memory is one of two things.
    The first is a future prediction where he gets off the island with the agreement that Juliet stays behind or is sacrificed in some way, which would be a feasible explanation for why he goes into a drunken state. He can't have Kate or Juliet. His reference to his father "up there" could be "Heaven" and not necessarily pertaining to his father being alive. The dead person in the coffin is most likely Jacob (a "J" name) who might very well be a real person being held captive somewhere below the shack. That could explain why the voice was heard. The mystery lies in explaining the fog and the movement of objects. This unknown antagonist (Jacob) seems to hold the necessary key to the island and asked John for "help," which could very well be to rescue him and get him off the island. Perhaps it could also be John, since he seems to be invincible on the island as well as the one force keeping them all on the island. Jack wanting to see Kate at the end is his final desperation for wanting to go back and mend things he could not fix on the island in some way.
    My second theory is that the entire show is a "mental hospital" experiment where all of our protagonists are only thinking they are on an island. The "Big Nurse" or doctor is Jacob. This would lead to the Jack memory being a flash forward where Jack and Kate are out of rehab. The plane scene is real, but Jack doesn't necessarily have a "gold pass." The dead man in the coffin in this case is possible
  • honestly, was jack's whole memory thing really a flash-forward? or was it really a flashback? I dont know what to believe. I think it may be a flashback because of Jack's reference to his father. It think it might be a flashforward because of Jack sayng that he wants to go back to the island and all that stuff. But also, maybe jack is the new Desmond. Also, i think that jacob is some weirdo spirit that can take the form of dead people (walt). Notice that we have not once seen an appearance of someone who we know is alive, for all we know something happened to walt and micheal on their way home. People we have seen in the form that we have seen walt in last nights episode include Ben's mom, that psyco guy from the hospital that hurley stayed at, Jack's dad, and others that i cant think of right now. - all have been proven dead or are very possibly dead.
  • At first I thought Juliet was in the coffin as well, but after seeing the screenshot of the article Jack pulled out of the LA Times, it says "Man found (????) Downtown Loft". It also looks like the name starts with a J. John Locke? Sawyer is James Ford. Jin? What I can make out of the article it mentions a "beam"...possibly a suicide by hanging?

    Check out the screenshot at:
    http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/
  • Interesting finale. Liked someone's reference to the "Dark Tower". Remember Desmond's "flashy thingys"? Mayhap Jack is now succumbing to the same? Did anyone notice the ocean was on the wrong side when the Losties were trekking to the radio tower after the commercial break? Theory on Jacob: Ben has a split personality and is telekinetic (only in the cabin?). Locke's back was to Ben when he "heard" Jacob plead, "help me." Don't think Charlie is dead. Don't think the Losties will get rescued. Too many mysteries to resolve about the island. Perhaps the "flashforward" is one of those dreamisodes where the opening of next season is Jack waking up with prophetic-like abilities (takes over for Walt/John). Maybe Claire & Aaron do get rescued but not everyone else. Desmond doesn't see or say anything about anyone else. Like the new, transformed Sawyer. Is that who Kate had to get back to in the flash foward? Who do you think is waiting for her in the alleged future?
  • I agree with what Appleby Mennym Says. It is not hurley, but I dodn't think it's John either. Because I don't think that Jack would get that emotional over John. I really think that it is Julliet. No one liked her except for Jack, that's why he was the only one to show up.
    I wonder if everyone left the Island when help came?

  • Is it entirely possible that Jack is so screwed up that he believes his father is alive, or maybe he's whacked out to the point that he used his dead father as a live metaphor to convince himself he hasn't hit the rock bottom he believes his father had. The mention of Jack's dad seemed to evoke pity or sympathy from the chief of surgery, I have to believe that if Jack's father was around, the reaction would have been more panicky, as in "Two drunken docs on the staff, I better do something.'' As for taking them off the island and following their adjustments home, it's way too early for that. Frankly, take away the mystery of the island and none of the characters is all that interesting or likable,
  • I dont think it was a flash-forward. I think everything that happened on the island in last night's episode was the flashback and the messed-up Jack is the present-day Jack. My theory is that when the show returns, we're going to get more flashbacks of how the losties got off the island as we learn what's become of them since then. Then the rest of the series will be about getting their lives back together while dealing with everything that happened on the Island.
  • Still digesting the whole episode, but I think the mysterious dead person has to be Juliet. Who else would no one from the island want to see buried, besides Jack, who was clearly upset. And Kate's intonation at his question suggested a disgust with the person-not on the other hand her inability to go to a funeral because she remains a fugitive (we can assume at the time of rescue the Losties covered for her.)
    The main questions are-where will they pick up? They may do a few episodes on the island showing the rescue-because there are still loose ends. Claire has to find out from Des what happened to Charlie. Locke will remain on the island, but where will he go? Jack has to make good on his promise to kill Ben. And then there is the issue of Richard Alpert. He emerged as a real source of intrigue, from his appearances in Juliet's & Ben's flashbacks, and he is told by Ben to lead the remaining others away. Is anyone concerned that the Others have people off the island, such as Mikhail (who may yet survive the grenade blast) who are capable of tracking down the survivors and killing them. This is why I believe Juliet was the first to die after the rescue, because of her betrayal. But there will be many more.
  • If Jack was in a "Flash Forward", why did he refer to his drunken father in the present tense? And, could the funeral be for Ben? Does Ben remind you of Bush or Rove? Too many questions for Lost.
  • The Frat Boys have done it again -- turned Lost into a road runner cartoon. What's with Whack-A-Mole Mickhail? Would somebody BEHEAD him next time? And why didn't Charlie zoom out of the room, seal the room shut from OUTSIDE, yell to Desmond to get the scuba gear and put it on before the place flooded (which was not going to take anywhere near as much time as putting on scuba gear takes.) It's an idiot plot device. Whoever's in the coffin, clearly it ain't Hurley. I suspect it's Locke, the Other Whack-A-Mole. Or possibly Walt the Messiah.
  • i see people are going to praise this as the greatest Lost episode ever, which i'll say its pretty good. but it suffered sorely by the lack of Locke's role, even his breif stint at the end didn't hold much weight cause we have no idea why he says "You aren't supposed to do this Jack." We could at least be treated to something that has upped the ante for Locke to go as far as kill Naomi, like he has some idea of the impending disaster it will cause rather then just being self serving due to his lack of desire to go back to the real world. But then there is the big revelation at the end, the flash foward BRILLIANT!! Wrong, if anyone had watched Battlstar, which at times has been a far superior dramatic show, but has also had its ow missteps similar to Lost Season 3, you would know that this flash forward was ripped right out of the OMG cliffhanger ending of Battlestar Season 2 which really made the fans sh*t their proverbial pants. But unfortunately, mostly nobody will know this and will tout this finale for Lost as the most brilliant thing since sliced pickles.
  • The episode was great....still I am holding out hope that Desmond will rescue Charlie and NOT let him drown. Claire and Aaron still need Charlie, they are the closest thing to a "nuclear" family on the island.
  • Wow! It was the best episode EVER! Thoroughly relished the entire 2 hrs. Wish there were even more. Had to rewatch the ending to make sure that it was what I initially surmised. I thought Sayid, Jin and Bernard were really dead. Happy Jack finally told Kate that he loved her. Deft storytelling. Can't wait for the new season. Still lots of questions like Who is Jacob?
  • Locke is apparently "not a killer" only when he has to face prospective victims -- he seems entirely comfortable doing the dirty from behind*. If J.L. is the unmourned Mystery Stiff in the flash-forward, well, Good Riddance...

    *It's been repeatedly established Locke can pin a mosquito to the wall with his knives - there was no need to kill Naomi; he could have stopped the outcall by winging her...

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