There seems to be some ancient animosity between the two men: Paul is “Jacob” and dressed in white, while Titus is wearing black;
Jacob seems to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity while Titus very much does not. Before he leaves, Titus reminds Jacob of how very much he'd like to kill him, and will, once he finds the loophole that allows him to do so. Behind them, the four-toed statute is complete and appears to be a crocodile-headed Egyptian figure holding an ankh. I’d look the exact reference up but it’s already midnight and I have a long way to go. The things I do for you people.
Flash to Iowa: cornfields, pickup trucks. A boy and a girl go into a general store and the girl – Katie Austin – gets caught shoplifting a lunchbox. “Jacob” is there, however, and pays for the lunchbox, asking her if she’s going to steal anymore. Katie says no (yeah, right)
and he taps her on the nose.
On the sub in 1977, sedatives are being handed out.
Katie Kate says they have to get out of here so Sawyer points out that they’re currently under water. Kate tells him and Juliet how Jack wants to detonate the bomb to reset things. Sawyer says too bad, he’s not helping, and if Jack wants to blow up the Island, good for Jack.
At the bomb, Sayid is reading Daniel’s journal on how to remove the plutonium core from the bomb and detonate it. Richard thinks this, um, might be dangerous. Eloise want to know what else they have to do. Sayid says that after they remove the core, Daniel’s journal says they have exactly two hours to take it to the Swan station.
At the Swan construction site, Radzinsky is pissed that the drilling has been halted. Chang ordered it because the temperature got too high and he’s worried about Daniel’s foretold explosion. Radzinsky bulls on ahead, insistent that his experiment continue: “I came to this Island to change the world, that’s exactly what I intend to do.” Over Chang’s protestations, Radzinsky restarts the drill.
Locke leads his lemmings along the coastline in 2007. As they walk, Sun asks Ben who Jacob is; Ben says Jacob is in charge of the Island, as opposed to the “leader,” who is Locke, who ultimately answers to Jacob. He is snotty about it and I don’t blame him. Locke is being insufferable. Richard questions Locke about his resurrection; Locke thinks that given Richard’s own long experience, perhaps he might have the answer as to why it happened. Richard says he has never seen anyone come back from the dead so Locke retorts that he’s never seen anyone who’s ageless. Heh. Richard says that he is the way he is because of Jacob – which is sort of a non-answer. Locke says he thinks that what happened to him is the same – because of Jacob. Also, he adds, later they’ll need to “deal with” the
folk who passengers on the flight that brought Locke back. It’s not clear whether he means the Losties who’ve returned or Alana’s sinister crew.
Speaking of Alana’s sinister crew, they have paddled the big metal crate and an unconscious Frank Lapidus over to the big Island. When he wakes up, Frank wants to know why he’s been brought along – apparently he’s a “candidate” but what for? Alana doesn’t answer and her goons pick up the big metal box and head into the jungle. When Frank asks what’s in the box, they show him (but not us): “Terrific,” says Frank, looking dismayed.
Flashback, funeral, untold time ago. The camera focuses on a young boy – it’s young Sawyer at his parents’ funeral – but Jacob is there too, offering a pen when the little boy needs one to write his letter to “Mr. Sawyer.” After Jacob takes off, an older male relative tries to comfort the boy. James promises that he won’t finish the letter. Yeah, right.
Submarine, 1977. Kate is still trying to convince Sawyer to help her stop Jack. He says that he’s sticking to his choice and he’s leaving with Juliet. But then when the lackey comes with their sedatives, Juliet knocks him out by crashing the tray into his face! She announces that they’re not going to allow those people back there to die: is Sawyer in or is he going to whine about it. So they commandeer the sub and order the captain to surface, instructing him to continue on after they’re gone and not return to the Island. The fake CGI sub surfaces.
In the tunnels, Sayid has dismantled the bomb – lucky he decided to come along since I don’t think ol’ Jack could have figured this out his own self. Richard and Eloise look on nervously. Richard asks Jack what’s so special about Locke that he gets to be the Island’s leader these days. Jack smirks and tells Richard not to give up on him [Locke].
Locke’s Long Walk, 2007. Locke asks Ben why he hasn’t informed on him to Richard, and Ben admits that his dead daughter told him to obey Locke and so he is. Locke is like, um, really? Ben, grudgingly: yes. Locke: Okay, that’s awesome – so you have to kill Jacob then because I’m not going to do it myself.
Flashback to Sayid’s life in Los Angeles with Nadia before she was killed. They wait for the light to change to cross a street (I didn’t think anybody walked in L.A.?) and Jacob is there. He asks for directions and Sayid turns back, and poor Nadia is squished by a car in a very bad CGI accident. Sayid watches his wife die. Jacob disappears.
Bomb, 1977. They’ve got the core out and Richard leads them through the caves. He uses a sledgehammer to bust through a wall that leads into one of the Dharma cottages. Eloise tries to lead the way because she thinks she’s in charge, but Richard knocks her out (to save her from herself) and makes Sayid and Jack go on alone. I love Richard, all sexy with the self-preservation.
Luckily, so far there’s really been no interesting dialogue – just ACTION – so I haven’t had to pause the DVR much.
Upstairs in the cottage Jack and Sayid and their guns ponder their options: they don new Dharma jumpsuits and brazenly walk through the compound, hoping to hide in plain sight. They almost make it but Roger (Ben’s dad) sees them and shoots Sayid! NOOOO – not Sayid! Jack embraces his inner Rambo – since when does a city-boy surgeon know how to shoot so well? – before grabbing Sayid and making a run for it. A Dharma van pulls up in the nick of time: Hurley driving, Jin and Miles are in the back. They throw the injured Sayid into the van and take off. Jack helpfully shouts: “Drive!” No shit, Jack.
The fake CGI sub takes off for the mainland and Sawyer, Juliet and Kate paddle their little zodiac to shore, Juliet looking as though she’s already regretting signing on with Kate’s plan. When they land, they don’t know where they are but OMG VINCENT FINDS THEM!!!! Sawyer rubs the dog’s ears, marveling that he hasn’t seen him since the flaming arrows three years ago. Then: Bernard and Rose are there. And not that happy at being discovered: “Son of a bitch” says a shaggy, gray Bernard.
Bernard and Rose have been enjoying their “retirement” on their own in the jungle ever since the flaming arrows. Their hut is actually quite swank and they seem very happy. Sawyer is incredulous; Kate brings up Jack’s bomb. Rose: “It’s always something with you people.” Again, they seem completely happy and are not interested in the bullshit the Dharmites and the Losties and the Others are perpetrating. Both Sawyer and Juliet acknowledge that such a life would be nice, but ask for directions to the Dharma compound to continue their folly. And that I think is the last we’ll see of Bernard and Rose, and probably ol’ Vincent.
Frank and Alana, et al. Frank is still unhappily muttering about having seen whatever is in the big metal box. After trudging for ages, they stop at a clearing: they’ve found Jacob’s cabin.
Flashback. Alana is burned and bandaged in an a Russian hospital. Jacob is there. He speaks to her
in what is probably not Russian
but I don't know what it is (she doesn’t look very Russian) then switches to English, asking for her help. She says yes, she will help him.
Jacob’s cabin, 2007. Alana goes inside, alone. It’s empty, derelict. She pulls a knife and a piece of cloth from the wall and looks distressed. When she comes out of the cabin, she says that “he” isn’t there and “someone else has been using it.” They burn the cabin. She looks at the piece of cloth: it’s got a picture of the crocodile-headed statue on it. “Guess we know where’s we’re going.”
Flashback. Jacob is reading Flannery O’Connor’s
Everything that Rises Must Converge on a park bench. Suddenly, behind him, Locke hits the lawn after having been tossed out the window by his dad. As passersby call for 911, Jacob goes up to Locke and touches him on the shoulder. Locke opens his eyes immediately – and Jacob apologizes for what has happened to Locke.
Locke’s trek. They take a break at the Losties’ old beach camp. Locke asks Ben what happened that day back at the cabin when Ben took him to meet Jacob. Ben admits that he had been pretending about Jacob - which made the things flying around the room all the more surprising. Ben says that he was embarrassed to admit that he had never seen Jacob: “Yes, I lied. That’s what I do.” Ben then asks why Locke wants him to kill Jacob. Locke replies that despite Ben’s loyalty to the Island, he’s
a contracted cancer on it, he
performed all sorts of horrible acts, including was forced to watch his own daughter get gunned down, and got banished as repayment. Locke: Why
wouldn’t you want to kill him?
Wandering around the destroyed beach camp, Sun finds the cradle Locke built for Aaron. She also finds the Driveshaft ring that Charlie tucked in there for the little guy. This prompts a flashback to her wedding to Jin. Jacob is there and offers his blessing (in Korean, no less). They do sort of wonder who the blond guy with the excellent Korean is.
Dharma van, 1977, en route to the Swan construction site. If the writers kill off Sayid I will be PISSED. In between the gushes of blood, Sayid says that he needs to modify the bomb a bit with regard to the detonation: it needs to be there at the Incident (ooh – episode title!) or it won’t go off. But Hurley then has to stop the van because Sawyer, Juliet and Kate are standing there, well armed, in the middle of the road. Jack gets out to plead his case but Sawyer wants to speak to him in private first.
Locke’s Long Walk. Richard, who sweats no more than he ages apparently, pauses at the four-toed foot statue. Locke: WTF, why here? Richard: This is where Jacob lives.
Flashback to an operating room. Jack seems to be in control, except that he just cut something he shouldn’t have and starts to freak out. Christian steps up and tells him to chill out. Jack calms down (counts to five out loud) and fixes things. Later, he is cranky when his candy bar gets stuck in the vending machine. Hah. Jack bitches his father out for embarrassing him in the surgery. You know what: grow up, Jack. Meanwhile, Jacob hands Jack a candy bar since two came out when he put his money in.
Jack and Sawyer walk a little ways away from the group. Blah blah blah Sawyer’s life story blah blah blah … except for the fact that Sawyer’s parents were killed in
1978. Which is one year from their current place in time 1976, which was one year ago from their current place in time and, if he'd been so inclined, Sawyer could have taken the sub back to the mainland and (as an adult) stopped their murders. “What’s done is done,” Sawyer says, “ …What did you screw up so bad the first time around that you’re willing to blow up a damn nuke to get a second go-round? … What do you want, Jack?” It’s a girl, of course: effing Kate, whom Jack had and then lost. Sawyer’s like, um, she’s right over there, dumbshit, go get her.
Since he can’t change Jack’s mind, Sawyer starts whaling on him – yay! – screaming that he had a life here and Jack has ruined it. Unfortunately Jack seems to have learned to fight as well as shoot and gets some good licks in, until Sawyer kicks him in the nuts and lays him out. It’s an ugly beat down. This massive display of testosterone (in the making since S1, no?) is interrupted by Juliet who orders “James” to stop. Why? Because Jack’s right, she says, she’s changed her mind. Effing women.
Flashback. Two little girls, one blonde, one dark, are getting the news from their folks that they’re divorcing. The blonde girl is Juliet and she runs out of the room, not wanting to hear it. So Juliet doesn't like it when relationships end, we get it. I have a problem with this, however, because the clothing and furnishings in the house are ALL WRONG for when Juliet’s childhood should be.
Even on a second viewing, the household looks like one from the 1990s, not the 1970s which is about when Juliet would have been that age. That's a screw-up by the props folks.
Island, 1977. Sawyer chases after Juliet, all WTF? He needs to understand what is going on with her. She changed her mind when she saw him look at stupid Kate and she's just positive that he's going to leave her now. Juliet thinks that if Jack can make it so that none of the Losties ever come to the Island, then he should do it, because she can’t bear to lose Sawyer to Kate. Juliet clearly does not believe in “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” I repeat: effing women.
Swan station. Chang is concerned about the readings coming off the drill. From the compound Phil radios Radzinsky to report that Sayid etc. took off in a van with a bomb; Radzinsky puts his goons on alert. Meanwhile, Kate finds Jack lurking in the bushes, watching the activity at the Swan. He asks why she made him promise not to ask about Aaron. She says it’s because she was pissed at Jack making her come back to the Island. What is this, the writers trying to answer as many questions as possible as fast as they can? This tender moment is interrupted when an alarm sounds at the Swan site: the incident is imminent. “Are you with me on this?” asks Jack. Kate: “Yes.” Despite the fact that ONLY TWO MINUTES AGO SHE WAS READY TO PUT A CAP IN HIS ASS TO STOP HIM. COME ON! Kate sucks.
Flashback: Hurley getting out of jail. He complains to the officer that he killed a bunch of people and he’d really rather stay in jail. The cop says there’s a cabstand right out front. Jacob is already in the cab Hurley picks. He asks Hurley why he won’t go back to the Island. “Because I’m cursed,” says Hurley. “What if you weren’t cursed? What if you were blessed, able to talk to the people you lost?” Jacob assures him that he’s not crazy and tells him about the Ajira flight. So, in the interest of answering as many questions as possible, that’s why Hurley was on the flight - because some stranger told him to be. And the guitar he keeps carrying around? Jacob gave it to him.
Outside the Swan site, 1977. Hurley tells Sayid he’ll be fine (and not bleeding to death) just as soon as Jack fixes the future. Jack and Kate gets back to the van: Jack grabs the bomb as Sayid reminds him that it explodes on impact and thus Jack must get as close as possible. Did I mention that I do NOT want Sayid to die? Jack takes off into the jungle where he walks by Sawyer and Juliet without incident. The music swells dramatically.
2007, foot statue, nighttime. Locke stares at the foot while Richard sets up torches. Richard asks if he’s sure he wants to go after Jacob, because if he was patient Jacob would eventually come to him. Locke is done waiting. He, Richard and Ben climb up to the statue but then Richard gets upset that Ben's been invited along: only one leader allowed in at a time. Locke accuses Richard of making up the rules as he goes and insists that Ben is coming with him. At the pediment (?) under the foot, Richard opens a secret door then hands a torch to Locke, saying, “Tell [Jacob] I said hello.” Locke and Ben go inside. Ben is looking totally wigged out, but he calms a little after Locke hands him a
really big knife.
Back at the bus, Jin tries to staunch Sayid’s bleeding while everyone else sulks. Miles asks if it’s occurred to anyone that the explosion Jack is about to cause may actually be the “incident” he’s hoping to stop. Everyone stares blankly. “Glad you thought this all through,” says my boy Miles. They watch Phil and thugs drive up in a jeep and Kate worries that Jack will get caught. Sawyer and Juliet decide to cowboy up: “Live together, die alone.”
Jack stealthily (not) creeps up to the site but Phil sees him and everyone starts shooting at everyone else. Jack gets pinned down but then the van drives in, guns blazing out the windows. Guess they all just dismissed Miles's point out of hand. Sawyer clobbers Radzinsky in the head with a rifle butt and then grabs Phil at gunpoint. “Hurry up and do your business, Doc,” he shouts. Chang tries to shut the drill down but they’ve hit the energy pocket and the drill won’t stop. Jack poises the bomb over the drill hole – Sawyer and Juliet trade very sweet glances with each other – and everyone gets teary as Jack drops the bomb.
And then nothing happens. “This don’t look like LAX,” grumbles Sawyer. Instead, the drill machinery collapses under the magnetic force, which starts pulling all metal in the vicinity down into the hole. Chang’s arm gets crushed and pinned; Jack gets whacked on the head; Phil gets impaled by rebar (yay). Horribly, Juliet gets chains wrapped around her legs and is pulled into the drill hole. Sawyer grabs her hand but they can’t reach to get the chains off. It’s awful - I actually have tears in my eyes as he screams at Juliet not to let go, not to leave him, he’s got her. But they can’t hold on against the force pulling on her and she plummets down, down, down, screaming. That totally sucked.
Foot statue beach. Richard offers Sun some water but she asks if he’s got any booze. “Wish I did,” he grins. They are interrupted when Alana and her crew walk up, asking for “Ricardus.” “It’s ‘Richard’ actually.” She asks him “what lies in the shadow of the statue?” and he answers something in
Italian or Latin,
"Ille qui nos omnis servabit," which apparently translates to: "He who will save us all." Thrilled, she introduces herself and says she has something to show him. They open the metal crate and tip it over: there’s a body inside and it’s frakking
John Locke. They found him in the cargo hold of the Ajira flight. Sun asks, if that’s Locke, who’s in there [with Ben]? Good goddamn question!
In the rooms under the statue, "Locke" and Ben wander around until Jacob, lurking in a corner, speaks up. He notes that Locke found his loophole. Locke: “And you have no idea what I’ve gone through to get here.” Is Locke a reincarnation of Titus Welliver? Because I’d rather see more Titus Welliver, frankly. Locke tells Ben to get on with his assignment. As Ben steps up to Jacob, Jacob tells him that he has a choice: to do what Locke asks, or to go and leave the other two to discuss their issues. Ben has had enough: So after thirty-five years now you’ve decided to stop ignoring me? He’s pissed that Locke gets attention right away, not knowing that Locke isn’t really Locke: “Why him? What was it that was so wrong with me? What about me?” It’s sad. But Jacob is unmoved so Ben stabs him several times in the heart. Jacob collapses, muttering, “They’re coming,” and then Locke kicks him into the fire! Yeesh.
Back at the Swan, Jack regains consciousness and helps Kate drag a bereft Sawyer away from the drill hole, which is still sucking everything into itself. But at the bottom of the hole, Juliet wakes up. She’s not dead (yet) but she’s bleeding pretty badly and is unable to get up. She looks over and sees Jack’s unexploded bomb lying next to her . Grabbing a rock, screaming and crying, she bashes at that “sonofabitch” until it finally explodes into white.
2010: final season of Lost!
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