Lost series finale recap – “The End” S6E17 (airdate 5/23/10)

Well, here goes six years of my life … This final episode will, of course, be largely about Jack as the erstwhile hero of the show. Sigh.

The opening music montage shows Jack’s father’s casket arriving at LAX, and Alt-Jack prepping for Alt-Locke’s surgery, and then Island Jack reeling in the face of his new job. And then Alt-Ben having tea, and Island Ben loading a gun and sending shifty looks over to Not-Locke. In fact, the opening montage checks in with everyone and their Alternate reality doppelganger. And then it starts for reals.

Alternate 2004. Desmond is there at a church to sign for Christian’s casket. He is sooooo pretty – I’m going to miss ol’ Desmond. Kate waits for him in Hurley’s Camaro, dressed in the party dress, pouting and wants to know WTF is going on. Desmond deflects her questions, basically telling her to keep her panties on and it will all come clear.

Island. Kate is clearly in her “I love Jack” phase as she gazes mopily at him while he ponders his new role. Sawyer confirms that Jack is now the new Jacob and asks for what the plan is. Jack tells him and Kate and Hurley about the glowing cave that he needs to protect. They realize that they need to collect Desmond before Not-Locke does: Sawyer tells the other three to head to the glowy cave while he “collects the magic leprechaun out of that well.” Heh. He’ll meet up with them later. He and Kate snipe at each other good-naturedly until Hurley mutters that he’s got a bad feeling about all of this.

Alternate 2004. Hurley and a surly Sayid drive up to a grungy motel in Hurley’s big yellow Hummer. Hurley is pretty cute, teasing Sayid because he remembers everything and Sayid doesn’t. Sayid waits in the truck while Hurley knocks on one of the motel doors. A drunken Charlie opens up and Hurley grins like a total goof to see his old friend again. It’s very cute. He tells the little Brit that he has to play at the Widmore benefit concert and when Charlie tells him to sod off, Hurley shoots him with a tranquilizer and drags him to the Hummer. Sayid, almost outraged: “What was that?” Hurley, dumping his friend in the backseat: “That was Charlie.”

Island. Kate nags Jack about why the hell he took the job Jacob offered, getting all intense and I’m bored with this scene until Hurley interjects: “ This would be so sweet if we weren’t all about to die.” Over by Desmond’s well, Sawyer thinks he’s being sneaky, spying on Not-Locke, but Ben gets the drop on him and marches him up to the big bad at gunpoint. Sawyer snipes with “Smokey” for a bit about his plans to destroy the Island then punches Ben in the face, grabbing his gun at taking his leave. Not-Locke lets him go without protest. Ben is protesting however, about Not-Locke intending to use Desmond to destroy the Island – when he thought Not-Locke was going to leave the Island under his care. Not-Locke says he’s sorry Ben misunderstood but he’s welcome to join Not-Locke on his boat when the Island sinks. Not-Locke then bends over, noticing a dog’s paw print in the mud by the well.

Vincent! Rose! Bernard! It is they who have rescued Desmond from the well. Unfortunately, Not-Locke has remembered his tracking skills and shows up at their camp in due course. He tells a still-woozy Desmond that if he doesn’t come with him, he’ll kill Rose and Bernard – very painfully. Desmond is more than willing to go with Not-Locke, wishing to spare these good people, who only want to be left alone. He, Not-Locke and Ben leave, leaving the couple alive and well. Do you suppose we’ll ever see them again?

It’s beginning to sound stormy as everyone marches through the jungle. Not-Locke seems preoccupied and grumpy, Desmond is strangely chipper, and Ben – sneaky little guy that he is – almost gets busted by Not-Locke when Miles tries to call him over the walkie-talkie. Miles, you see, has found pretty Richard, bruised but still alive. They’ve still got the C-4: Richard insists that they have to get across to Hydra Island and blow up the plane.

Alternate 2004. Miles arrives at the Widmores’ mansion, early for the benefit concert for his father’s museum, and catches a glimpse of Sayid in Hurley’s big yellow Hummer. Miles calls Detective Sawyer/Ford and tells him to go check on Sun - the only survivor of that restaurant massacre. Sawyer heads to the hospital. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Juliet (yay!) is the OB doctor assigned to check on Sun’s baby. She’s very sweet to Sun and Jin, noting on Sun’s chart that they don’t speak English. But when Juliet starts the ultrasound, both Sun and Jin’s memories of the Island come crashing in. They are shaken by the sudden recollections, and so very happy. And both of them have regained their English. Also, Juliet seems to be having much more fun here than on V.

Island. Sawyer catches up with Jack, Kate and Hurley, telling them that Not-Locke plans to destroy the Island and also that he couldn’t find Desmond. Jack says it doesn’t matter: they’re all heading to the same place – the heart of the Island – and that’s where it’s going to end.

Alternate 2004. Jack checks in on Locke before the surgery, offering encouraging words, enough to make Locke relax a little. It’s nice to see Terry O’Quinn smile – haven’t seen that much in recent episodes.

Island. As Miles and Richard load the outrigger, Miles notices that Richard has his first gray hair. Richard grins – thrilled by his impending mortality. As they paddle across the strait to Hydra Island, they find lots of flotsam, jetsam and dead bodies from the sub wreck. They also find Frank Lapidus, waterlogged but amazingly alive. Of course he’s alive: they need a pilot for that plane – and, as Frank points out, if they fly the plane off the Island, Not-Locke won’t be able to use it for his own escape.

Speaking of Not-Locke: his group and Jack’s meet in a mountain meadow. Kate immediately starts firing at Not-Locke until Sawyer grabs her gun away. Not-Locke sneers that she should save her bullets. He also sneers when he notes that Jack was the “obvious choice” for Jacob’s replacement. Jack is calm, saying that he volunteered for the job. He’s also calm when he says that he is going to go with Not-Locke and Desmond to the Island’s center. And there, he’s going to kill Not-Locke. Not-Locke: “How you gonna do that?” Jack: “It’s a surprise.” Heh.

Alternate 2004. At the hospital, we learn that Juliet is Jack’s ex-wife and mother of his alternate son David, and they still get along pretty well. Jack gives them tickets to the benefit concert, saying he can’t go but maybe they could take “Aunt” Claire instead. As they all disperse, Sawyer shows up, flashing his badge at the on-duty nurse and looking for Sun.

Island. The gang stops at the edge of the bamboo forest, Not-Locke insisting that it’s just to be him, Desmond and Jack going forward. As they move out, Hurley tells Jack that he believes in him. Soon enough, the good, the bad and the Scottish are at the glowing tunnel. They tie a rope around Desmond’s waist, planning to lower him into the tunnel. Desmond says that all this doesn’t matter - Not-Locke destroying the Island, Jack destroying Not-Locke - because Desmond is going to go into the light and to a place where everyone is where they’re supposed to be. He tries to convince Jack that he’s in that other place too – that they sat next to each other on the Oceanic flight – but Jack brushes him off. There are no shortcuts, no do-overs – all of this matters. And then they drop Desmond into the light.

Alternate 2004. Sayid is getting way tetchy when Hurley makes him wait in a back alley. Hurley says he can’t tell him what’s going on – there are rules – but to just wait and trust him. Sayid rolls his eyes. But then a couple of guys stumble into the alley, one beating on the other. Sayid stares intently but doesn’t move until a blonde girl chases after them, shouting to leave her brother alone, and the beater starts smacking her around. Sayid rushes over to the girl, quickly dispatching the thug, and helping her to her feet. And it’s Shannon, whose memories of the Island come back the moment Sayid touches her arm, and as he gazes at her, he remembers too. Smoochies! Hurley watches their reunion, grinning goofily, until Boone pokes his head in the window. He’s slightly bloodied from his beating, but grinning as well, in on it too. He chides Hurley for taking too long and Hurley tells him it takes however long it takes. They watch Sayid and Shannon, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

Island. Miles finally reaches Ben on the walkie and Ben yells at him to NOT blow up the plane. Miles is like, well duh, we’re flying it off this Island so get your ass over here. Then Miles is interrupted when Crazy Claire, rifle cocked, shows up. She accuses them of coming to kill her but when Richard explains that they’re going to try to get free of Not-Locke, she pauses. He asks her to come with them and she says no and goes back into the jungle. Meanwhile, on the other end of the walkie, Kate is screeching about Claire.

Not-Locke and Jack lower Desmond down into a pit where the light fills a pool. They bicker, Jack now believing everything that John Locke ever told him and Not-Locke saying that no, Locke was wrong about everything. They agree to disagree as Desmond reaches the bottom.

Alternate 2004. At the benefit, Juliet gets called back to the hospital, leaving Claire and David to go in together. Backstage, Charlotte, looking crazy-hot, wakes a hung over Charlie up for the show and then flirts a little with Daniel Farraday/Widmore, who looks ridiculous in his dorky little hat. Out at the tables, Desmond has arranged for Claire and Kate to sit at the same table. They are a little disconcerted by this. But no matter, because now Daniel is about to play the piano, accompanied by Driveshaft. [They couldn’t come up with anything a little more organic? Like Driveshaft would do this.] But no matter, because when Charlie takes the stage, he sees the pregnant and glowing (and heavily made-up) Claire and does a double take. Claire uses this moment to go into labor, of course. Kate follows to help and Desmond the manipulator just smiles.

Island Desmond, however, wades into the glowing pool of water at the base of the pit which causes some electromagnetic pulse. Desmond screams for a bit, before pulling a large stone plug out of the pool which causes both the water and the light to drain out. Then a rumbling red light, volcano-like, bubbles up and Desmond starts to scream, “No!” Well, that can’t be good. Not-Locke and Jack hear him – Not-Locke notes that he was right and Jack was wrong – and they scramble out of the tunnel as a small trembler shakes them. Once back out in the jungle, Jack jumps on Not-Locke. There’s a short struggle before Not-Locke clobbers Jack in the temple with a rock, dropping him. He grabs his backpack and strides off, leaving Jack bloodied on the ground.

Alternate 2004. Claire and Kate go backstage where Claire’s labor begins in earnest. Charlie shows up and Kate sends him off for water and blankets. In the audience, Eloise tells Desmond that she thought she told him to stop this and he mildly replies that he chose to ignore her. She asks what his plans are and he says that once “they” know, they’re all leaving. With tears in her voice, she asks if he’s going to take her son too and Desmond is kind, saying “Not with me, no.” Meanwhile, Kate delivers Claire’s baby, just like she did back on the Island and this causes both women’s Island memories to come cascading back in. When Charlie comes back with a blanket, Aaron is in Claire’s arms. She looks at Charlie, remembering him, and his memories come back too. It’s very sweet and I confess that I teared up a little. Smoochies!

Island. Earthquakes! Ben heroically pushes Hurley out of the path of a falling tree, getting himself trapped underneath instead. Kate, Sawyer and Hurley struggle to move the tree. Miles calls them on the walkie, telling them to hurry their asses up – they’re leaving in an hour. Ben pipes up: Locke has a boat and I know where it is – get me out of here and I can get you to the plane on time.

Jack comes to and staggers back into the no-longer glowing tunnel, shouting for Desmond. When he gets no answer, he runs off into the jungle. He finds Not-Locke on that big cliff, the boat tossing below in the rising waves. Jack screams his enemy’s name and they come at each other in slo-mo. After the commercial, the fight is on. Long story short, Not-Locke stabs Jack in the side (like where Christ was stabbed by the Roman’s spear, no?) but Kate shows up and pops a cap in his ass, snarling, “I saved you a bullet!” As a final insult, Jack kicks him over the edge of the cliff for good measure where he smashes on a ledge far below. Thus endeth Not-Locke – somehow more easily than I would have thought.

Alternate 2004. After the spinal surgery, Locke comes out of the anesthesia unexpectedly quickly. (Also, Jack has a strange cut on his neck, right where Not-Locke stabbed at him during the fight on the Island – proof of the realities bleeding together). The spinal surgery worked: Locke can feel his legs and wiggles his toes to demonstrate. Jack is awfully surprised at the rapid recovery. But no more so than Locke, whose Island memories flood in in a rush. When he asks Jack if he remembers, Jack gets a little flash too but shakes it off, resistant. He tells Locke that he has to go see his son and Locke, smiling gently, says, “You don’t have a son, Jack.” Jack doesn’t find this funny at all and leaves immediately. Locke calls after him: ”I hope that somebody does for you what you just did for me.”

Elsewhere in the hospital. Sawyer finds Sun and Jin getting ready to leave the hospital. They both grin at him hilariously, realizing that he still doesn’t remember the Island. Sun brushes off his offer of protection from Sayid and Jin just smiles as they leave, “We’ll see you there.” Sawyer, totally perplexed: “See me where?”

Hydra Island. Somehow, Frank, Miles and Richard get the Ajira plane working. Big Island. Sawyer, Hurley and Ben – miraculously freed from the tree – join Jack and Kate on the cliff. Jack says that despite Not-Locke’s death, it’s too late and he’s got to try to stop the Island from sinking. Kate argues but Jack is resolute. Sawyer and Kate are the only two leaving, however, since Ben says he’s going down with the Island and Hurley says he’s sticking with Jack. Ugh, whatever: Jack and Kate kiss and tell each other they love each other. I just roll my eyes and press fast-forward.

After the commercial, Sawyer and Kate are running out of time to get to the boat and the fastest way down is to jump off the cliff. So they do, then surfacing and swimming for Not-Locke’s sailboat.

Alternate 2004. Sawyer heads for the vending machines, doing a double take when he passes Jack in the hospital corridor. His candy bar gets stuck and he’s in the process of molesting the machine when Juliet catches him. She tells him the trick: unplug the machine and the candy will fall right out. He does, it does and she hands the candy to him. Their hands touch and their memories return in a rush. They are shocked at first, then drawn to each other, clutching and crying. Again, I confess that I cry a little too when Sawyer tells her he’s got her, and this time he does. Smoochies!

Jack gets to the Widmore estate long after the concert is over, but Kate finds him. She remembers him, of course, but he’s still resisting although he knows he knows her from somewhere. She touches him briefly and he backs away with a jerk, “What is happening to me?” She tells him that she knows he doesn’t understand, but if he’ll just come with her, he will.

Island. Jack, Hurley and Ben reach the no longer glowing cave and Jack takes this opportunity to hand off his Jacob-duties to Hurley, saying that he believes in him. Hurley screams and shouts and finally, reluctantly, says okay, but it’s only temporary and he’ll give it back when Jack returns. Ben and Hurley then lower Jack into the pit. He finds Desmond, collapsed on a rock slab. Desmond is babbling, hurt: “I put the light out! It didn’t work – I thought I’d leave this place! - I have to put it back” Jack says he’ll put the stone back and Desmond cries no, it’ll kill anyone but him. Jack tells him to go home and be with his wife and son, and he’ll see him “in another life, brother.” He ties the rope around Desmond’s waist so Ben and Hurley can pull him back up.

Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer have made it to Hydra Island where Crazy Claire is sitting on the beach, watching the other Island slowly fall into the sea. They can hear the Ajira plane’s engines revving up as Frank begins to move it into position. Claire is afraid to leave the Island in her current condition, saying she doesn’t want Aaron to see her crazy like this, but Kate convinces her that it’ll be okay. They run for the plane, jumping up and down on the runway until Frank sees them. Smiling, the pilot tells Richard to open the cabin door to admit the late arrivals.

In the pit, Jack struggles to replace the stone plug . He manages to do it, but at first it appears to be a case of too little, too late. Richard and Miles drag Sawyer and the two women aboard the Ajira plane and Frank powers it up again. Everyone looks like they’re praying as the plane rushes down the runway …and takes off, just barely clearing the trees. The good news: back in the pit, the light comes back on and the stream starts flowing again. Jack is crying again, of course, but I think he’s a little happy this time too. The light blazes brighter and brighter and above, Hurley, having pulled Desmond to safety, screams Jack’s name.

Alternate 2004. Now everyone is gathered at the church where Jack’s dad’s body was delivered. John Locke shows up in a cab, in a wheelchair again, but smiling. He finds Ben sitting outside and asks him if everyone else is already inside. Ben has something he wants to say: “I’m very sorry for what I did to you, John, I was selfish, jealous, and I wanted everything you had.” Locke: “What did I have?” Ben: “You were special, John, and I wasn’t.” Locke says that if it helps, he forgives Ben. Ben thanks him sincerely, saying that it does help. Locke asks him what he’s going to do next and Ben says that he’s got some stuff to work out – he thinks he’ll just stay outside for a bit. He adds that he doesn’t think Locke needs the chair anymore. Locke stands up, smiles, and says good-bye to his old nemesis, walking up the stairs and into the church.

Island. Desmond lies unconscious by the stream flowing into the now glowing tunnel but Ben thinks he’ll be okay. Hurley asks him if he thinks Jack is gone and Ben nods, saying that he did his job. Hurley cries plaintively, “It’s my job, now – what the hell am I supposed to do?” Ben suggests that he do what he does best – take care of people, like helping Desmond go home, for instance. Hurley protests that no one can leave the Island but Ben scoffs that was how Jacob ran things, and maybe Hurley can find another way, a better way. Hurley asks Ben if he’ll help him – he could use someone with his experience, at least for a little while. Ben looks surprised and pleased to be asked. “Cool,” says Hurley.

Alternate 2004. Hurley comes out of the church to see if Ben is coming in. Nope, he’s not. Hurley tells him that he was a good #2 and Ben nearly tears up at this, saying that Hugo was a great #1. “Thanks, dude,” says Hurley. Out front, Jack and Kate drive up. He recognizes the church as the one he was going to have his father’s funeral in. Kate just says that he should come inside when he’s ready.

Island. Jack has washed up in the creek where Esau washed up after the Smoke Monster took his life. He’s very shaky and bloody.

Alternate 2004. Jack lets himself into the church through the back, coming upon his father’s casket in an anteroom. As he runs his hand along the wood, his Island memories come flooding back. (And boy doesn’t Matthew Fox look young in those early episodes!) He still doesn’t look like he understands and when he opens the casket, there is no one inside. This is because Christian is standing behind him. Jack: “Dad? How are you here if you died?” Christian: “How are you here?” Jack, putting the pieces together: “I died too.” And this is where I shake my head, because this was Mr. Mouse’s theory ALL ALONG.

Jack starts to cry (again, because that is what he does). Christian hugs him, telling him it’s all okay. Jack asks his dad if he’s real and Christian says, “Yes, I’m real, you’re real, everything that happened is real and all those people in the church are real.” But all dead, confirms Jack. Yup. Jack wants to know (as do I) where they are. Christian tells him: “This is the place that you all made together so you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. You needed them and they needed you … to remember and let go.” Jack notes that Kate said they were leaving but Christian corrects him: “Not leaving – moving on.” Jack wonders where to and his father leads him into the church to find out.

The two Shepherd men walk into the church where all the Losties are milling about, clean and shiny and hugging each other. John Locke is the first to greet Jack. Then Desmond, and Boone, Sawyer, Bernard and Rose, everyone. After a little while everyone sits in the pews, and as Christian opens the door to the church, light fills the room. Everyone smiles and looks up.

Island. Bloody Jack staggers through the jungle, alone. He looks tired. When he reaches a clearing, he falls down. And then, as he’s dying, darling Vincent runs up, licks his face, and lies down next to him so Jack doesn’t have to be alone. (I might have teared up there too.) We end the show as we began the show: on Jack’s eye, this time closing as the plane flies overhead. And the last scene is a couple of shots of the Oceanic wreckage.

Random immediate thoughts: I think that means none of them survived the wreck at all? And Mr. Mouse was totally right: the Losties have been dead since the plane crash and their struggles were just to be able to reconnect and let go. In which case all that time travel crap and pushing buttons crap and Walt’s psychokinesis crap and electromagnetic crap and fish biscuits – it was all red herrings and roads to nowhere. Ugh. Although I like the thought of Desmond being some sort of an angel, guiding the Losties in the two realities, whether he knew what he was doing or not.  I do think the actors did a great job when their characters’ Island memories came crashing back ... but it diluted the impact of seeing all these characters die, having them back again. Anyway, I didn’t love it but I’m tired and it’s late and I can’t think of how they might better have ended it right now … what did you all think?

Previously on Lost