Lost is Over: The End is Here

Well, I only covered a season of this wonderful, sometimes frustrating, sometimes spellbinding show, and now it's over. While I feel rather bittersweet, it is but a television show, and life will continue on as usual. But like a friend leaving town, or the parting of souls, it will always be the good times that I remember most, and the journey that we took together. And what a long, strange trip it's been.

While Lost isn't exactly as valuable to me as my good friendships, the show and I have a bit of a history. It was my freshman year of college, and I was home from school for my Thanksgiving leave. Since I didn't really have any plans, or anyone to see, I decided that I was going to do absolutely nothing with myself besides sit on the couch and vegge out for the entirety of the break. My first day of vegging, since my parents didn't have cable, was looking to be rather boring. But in the morning of that first day, sitting on my parents' coffee table, was a pristine copy of Season 1 of Lost. I had heard of the show before, and seen bits and pieces of the pilot, but hadn't followed it in any detail. So I decided that Season 1 of Lost would be my friend for the break. The day before I left back for school, John and Jack had already opened the hatch, leaving my absolutely breathless and craving more.

The next summer, after the conclusion of Season 2 on TV, I decided that I would purchase it on iTunes so I could watch it and catch up for the season 3 premiere after the summer. I watched episodes much more sparingly over the summer, chugging out about 2-3 episodes a week, sometimes en masse. Since I had all summer to cover everything, I wanted to stretch it out so that I could have a very brief gap between the end of Season 2 and Season 3. And so it was, that on a trip to Memphis, Tennessee, on my trusty, shiny new video iPod, I watched the final 4 episodes of Season 2. I still to this day have not see any of Season 2 on a television quality or sized screen.

Then came Season 3. I began watching it with some of my friends on campus every Wednesday. It became a fast tradition for me because I realized how fun it was to watch the show with other people. Then, I got to join in on Thursday discussions with fans of the show. That thrilled me to no end. Not only do I enjoy talking about TV shows with other people, I love talking about shows that I think matter. So it went for the entirety of Season 3, and so the season ended with the death of many an Other and the beginning of John Locke's ascent to the throne of Other's Leader.

Season 4 was a bit of a oddball season for me. Not only do I not recall many of the circumstances in which I viewed the season, but I also don't even remember that well what all transpired on the show. I thought it was a strong season when I watched it, but in retrospect perhaps this was the weakest season. It was fairly short (a paltry 14 episodes if memory serves me), so perhaps that's why I don't remember it very well. What I do remember is the return of Michael, how Desmond needs a constant, and that six people make it off the island...only to HAVE TO GO BACK!

Then Season 5 started, and I think at this point some of the viewers started abandoning ship, because our heroes began travelling through time. I, however, found this subplot fascinating as it allowed our heroes to see the origins of the Dharma Initiative first hand. The roots of Ben and Charles' need for island dominance was explained a little better, and of course, we had the mysterious return of a not dead John Locke, who we later found out was not John Locke.

Finally, we wound up at Season 6, which introduced a new method of storytelling known forever now as the "flash-sideways". This alternate universe was what would've happened to the island members had the plane not crashed on the island. As events on the island began to come to a head, people in the alternate universe began to realize that their world wasn't exactly what it seemed. As the finale proved, this alternate universe was anything but what we all expected.

So, there was the finale. We gathered in my parents' house, and something about watching the finale where my journey through this show started seemed so surreal. Pizza, Code Red, friends and family all around; as Hurley said, "Feels like old times." And the finale really did feel a lot like Lost of old. As it drew to a close, I felt that "missing it" feeling creep up and I almost cried. The End was exciting, moving, revealing, and all-around a strong finish to a fantastic series. Was it the best it could have possibly been? I'm not really sure. There was a lot of mythology left unanswered and unexplained, but what other time did they have? The important thing left when all is said and done is the characters. The human element will always win out over mysteries needing explained. And I'm pretty content with that.

A lot of people felt that the alternate universe being a purgatory-esque place was a cop-out, but by that logic what wouldn't have been a cop-out? They magically transport back to the island somehow and everyone lives? More over, would any other ending have really worked? They could have ended it differently if they'd had another season maybe. My gut reaction to The End was mild disappointment at first, but after soaking it in and really chewing on it for awhile (I was up for hours afterwards), it felt perfect.

I'll compare it to the end of the Lord of the Rings: After the ring is destroyed, and everyone goes back to their normal lives, what then? The narrative is over, and the main characters have to "move on" from the most important event of their lives. What else is left to tell? They all go back to Hobbiton, save it from Sauroman, Frodo leaves, Sam has kids THE END. I mean what the hell is boating "Into the West" supposed to signify? And no, Lost is no LotR, but the narrative shares similarities. Lord of the Rings was high fantasy with an obvious goal in mind: destroy the ring. Lost was a high fantasy with a not-so-obvious goal: a mix of leave the island, or discover its mysteries, or save the world. Both stories were steeped in lore and magic. But in the end, what were both about? Character. Courage. Good vs. evil. People finding their purpose. Dominic Monaghan, probably also.

Like Lord of the Rings, Lost will always have more it could have told. But no one can argue that it was gripping television from start to finish. It was riveting, touching, gut-wrenching at times, and completely surreal. It was everything a television show was supposed to be and more. As far as dramas go, I would rank it up there with the best of the best. It was a cultural phenomenon.

I cannot wait to watch it all over again.

Lost is On: We're Gonna' Need a Bigger Finale

Okay so, What They Died For was a hugely supplemental episode, in that it supplemented last week by further delving into Jacob's "mistake" of the week previous. It also helps to supplement the finale, by setting us up with big implications (Smoke/Locke doesn't just want to leave, he wants to blow up the island). We saw the deaths (or possible death) of three characters in no time flat, and we saw Jacob passing the grail of protection down to Jack. Things were moving and shaking in the alternate universe as well, as the characters are finally coming together. We're very close to the end, here Hugo, and things are starting to get crazy.

First of all, what's the deal with Ben? Was it not like four or five episodes ago that he was swearing off helping the Smoke Monster? Now he's all "Let's go kill more people" after blowing Charles Widmore to kingdom come. And Richard, who I hope to God is not dead, got launched by the Smoke Monster just minutes before. I expect that if he has to die, they'll at least find him in the jungle and give him a proper, emotional death. I doubt they'd just kill him so hastily without any proper warning, especially after devoting an entire episode to his back-story. Part of me thinks that Richard should die though. It would be a final reprieve from being "Island Advisor"; a reprieve I'm almost certain he would like to have.

Where's Miles going? What part does he have left to play? I'd like to think he still has one, and that he's not just a loose string in the fabric of this narrative; the one character they forgot to kill off once he became useless. But who knows? Maybe his role is more than just main character mitigation. He is, after all, the Dharma Initiative leader's only son. Miles has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Of the team of "experts" sent to the Island by Widmore, he's the only one remaining, even counting Widmore himself. So since he's still alive, wandering through the jungle, he's got to have a part to play in the finale.

Meanwhile, Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley are walking through the jungle boiling for Smoke/Locke's blood. Then Hurley runs into little Jacob, who later leads him to big Jacob. He tells Hugo to gather them all up, because he's going to have a Q&A session with the remaining candidates. While this Q&A answered a lot of nagging questions, like why Kate's name was crossed out, it felt a little too short lived for me. Not that I expected more questions to be answered; it all just felt a little rushed. Not that I blame them for doing it that way. They have a lot of show left to cover, so they might as well put Jack in charge now since we all knew that was going to happen anyways.

The alternate universe came to a head as well, as all of the characters found their ways together through Desmond. He sprung Kate and Sayid out of the slammer via Ana Lucia (nice cameo, b-t-dubs), beat the living crap out of Ben, and through this "message" delivered to Ben, got Locke to visit Jack again. There are still many questions I have as to how the alternate universe is going to shape the real universe. The two will interweave somehow, but only the finale is going to be able to answer how for me. I know a lot of theories are out there, but as I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of speculation. I like to just let this show do its thing and let me soak it in. It's way more fun that way.

As for this finale event of the decade (it's seriously being marketed that way), I hope it's everything we all want it to be. I'm thinking that the last 10 minutes are going to be the most important minutes of the entire series. If they can execute those last few scenes well, then the show is a success, whether or not they answer every question. It's going to be a jaw-dropper either way, I'm sure. They've just built this show up to need that sort of a finale.

I'm going to be posting my thoughts not only on the finale, but also the whole of the series sometime after the finale is over. I'm not really sure when that will be done, because I'm hoping to go into some serious detail: exploring major themes, postulating on any remaining mysteries, character studies, etc. I love this show, and I hate to see it go, so I'm going to spend a good deal of time in order to dive deeper in. Maybe I'll see more of the big picture that way. In any case, Sunday is the day we've all been waiting for, so I hope everyone can kick back, relax and enjoy the show.

See you after The End...

All the Real Girls - Starring Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, Directed by David Gorden Green [8.4]

This movie was not, at all, what I was expecting it would be. Of course, I didn't really know a whole lot about it going in either. But from scene one to scene twenty-whatever, All the Real Girls kept catching me completely off-guard. It's not a perfect movie. In fact, it's not even close to perfect. Sometimes its flaws were as apparent as its more beautiful moments, and sometimes they seemed to walk hand-in-hand. But, this film is too intimate, realistic, funny, and downright honest, for these flaws to seem anything other than human.

I felt a sort of ghost empathy to the main characters, because they lead lives I felt I could have led. Paul and Noel fumble through conversations and dabble with simple affections like any young couple would. They pace their conversations at a normal, human pace. This is not a usual practice in movies - especially romances. Movies have made us to think we must be eloquent poets and perform over-the-top gestures to woo potential significant others. This movie proves that real life isn't like that at all. Real couples don't just spew out perfectly paced expressions of how they feel to each other all the time. They have to sit and think quietly, they say things they don't mean, and expect things left unsaid. Paul and Noel go through all of these things, all the while relenting that they cannot simply read each others' minds. If only things were so simple.

Much of the plot is lost in such ambiguity. While we understand that Paul has been sexually experienced with every girl in town besides Noel, we never really delve too deep as to why he chose to behave that way. Perhaps not even he really knows why. We also kind of get to know Paul's family, but not a whole lot of it is very well understood. We see that his mother is a widower, or perhaps a divorcé, but her character doesn't get much of chance to develop. We meet Paul's probably adopted niece Feng Shui, but like so many characters we don't really get to know her well.

Paul and Noel's chemistry goes from simple and subtle to electric in seconds. Their relationship hits notes both high and low throughout the film. It feels real. These are the kind of screen romances that I really enjoy watching, because we as an audience get to feel both the highs and lows as they really happen. And in real time. So much of their affection is felt in real time, which is rare in most movies, and yet that is how real life always plays out. It doesn't feel overly fantastic, or overly depressing. Everything that Paul and Noel go through is not beyond the reaches of any normal human, both physically and emotionally. None of us are beyond that kind of a connection. That makes everything they do, from laying in a blanket tent to kissing in a hot tub, seem completely real and beautiful.

There's also so much real, human emotion to be had apart from their relationship. Phrases like, "If anyone smiles at me ever again, I'm going to freak out." are diamonds of dialogue sprinkled throughout the film. Quips of obviously improvised dialogue also fly from start to finish. Quirky little sequences take place as well, like Paul racing a fleet of drag cars in his run-down Yugo which he calls his "truck". And Paul dancing in the bowling alley behind Noel is absolutely priceless. It's little scenes like these that give the film such a distinct humor.

The film doesn't so much end as it does part ways with the audience, leaving us to believe that these characters will continue on with their lives. What happens to them is left for the viewer to decide, mostly because none of the characters have decided where they're going yet either. This "ending" could be considered "happy", but we are almost certain that it's much more complicated than that. Isn't real life just as complicated anyways? Do we ever go through a period of our lives that seemingly "ends", or that we can say was completely "happy" or completely "sad"? Nothing is so simple as that, and All the Real Girls seems to be an exploration of that fact. While flawed, the film does what it set out to do, and with the kind of flare and humor rarely seen in modern film.

NFL Football 101: Run Up the Field, Score Touchdowns, Break Several Laws...PROFIT

Football season is just a few months away, which is a major check mark in the WIN column of my life. I am a huge fan of football. Of course, I have to root for my home town Chiefs, even though I know they'll be light years away from Super Bowl victory for yet another season. Winning the Super Bowl is serious business though, folks, and being a nationally recognized "good team" is even harder. The Chiefs of recent years have not been either. Although this pretty much blows for the die hard fans, it's actually quite a comfortable place for a rebuilding sports organization; one that prides itself in excellence of character and considers itself a cornerstone of sports history. This is why I like the Chiefs. No matter how agonizing a defeat is, they're always willing to dust off their cleats and start new next Sunday. That's the kind of football I like to see. The kind of football that's about character of heart, and at least seemingly not so much about the money or the talent.

While this may sound like a perfect formula for a morally ethical franchise, it isn't exactly a great formula for winning in the NFL. Being a contender in any professional sport involves inflated egos and raw talent over excellence of character almost nine times out of ten. Rarely, an extremely talented and versatile player is also a locker room leader and supporter, but this happens almost never in the modern era. Then there are the problem children, who while extremely talented on the field, are borderline retarded off the field.

Ben Roethlesberger is a perfect example. I personally believe that he's one of the most talented players to ever play quarterback, but I also think that he's a major douche and a moron. He has uncanny, natural ability to maneuver in the pocket and make split second decisions, but he also molests women. How can the NFL look past that? Well, like I said, he wins games. He's a gold mine and can sell overpriced jerseys for a legendary football team. He's the face of an organization. While his image is forever tainted by these accusations of something horrible that he's almost certainly guilty of, people can still look past his wrongs.

Look at Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez. The dude cheated at the game of baseball. He took steroids, lied about it, then later admitted it. Does he still play for the Yankees? Hell yes he does. He's one of the best in the game. And as we all know, the path to Cooperstown cuts right through the house that Ruth built. Will he be inducted into the Hall of Fame? I don't know. Maybe. But that doesn't really matter. He still plays a game that everyone knows he cheated at. How is that okay? In the eyes of the organization, anything is permissible if it means more money.

And I'm not saying that my precious Chiefs are even above that. They held onto Larry Johnson until he was useless as both a football player and as locker room resident. It took a public racial slur, a fan uprising, and poor execution on the field for them to finally pull the plug. Notice that without the latter of these reasons, the two former reasons for cutting LJ wouldn't have held water to the organization. While that doesn't make their decision wrong, it certainly speaks to the importance of talent to football teams. Some teams will cling to it no matter how awfully a player behaves off the field. And keeping LJ for as long as the Chiefs did was motivated by pure desperation. My belief, however, is that desperation should never motivate a team to keep anyone -- no matter how talented -- in the face of scandal. A team is almost always better off without a thorn in their side. Especially a thorn as big and whiny as Larry Johnson.

It seems as though these scandals taking place off the field have begun to escalate, and in some cases even worsen. Last year's loss of Chris Henry was particularly devastating. Then of course there was the Roethlesberger fiasco. The Michael Vick dogfighting ring incident was especially sickening. Adam "Pacman" Jones is still in hot water. Plaxico Burress is still in prison. A defensive legend, Lawrence Taylor, was recently outed as a sex offender.

Even with all of these seemingly mounting scandals, teams still continue to draft players with questionable character in exchange for their ability to leave jockstraps scattered on the AstroTurf. Because hey, the better the team, the better the profit. The bigger the scandal, the bigger the publicity. It makes me sick sometimes just thinking about the avarice, and yet I cannot help but be excited about the game I love. I prefer to think that this is only human of me. After all, we live to see ferocious competition between the greatest of the greats. Are we really so different than the Romans? Do we turn a blind eye to the destruction and loss of lives in the name of sport? I think we do sometimes. But not every sports legend killed his wife, and not every team holds on to destructive people.

I'm glad at least for that. I love the game of football, and I wish that character overrided talent more often than not. But that doesn't sell tickets. Human joysticks sell tickets.

Lost is On: Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Lost is driving some serious themes here. Oddly, it was almost refreshing to step away from the normal timeline and watch some origin story unfold. Much like last month's trip down Richard Origin Lane "Ab Aeterno", this episode was a much needed repose from the ever heightening tension of our main story arch. Unlike "Ab Aeterno", however, "Across the Sea" does not tie in with relevant future events, aside of course from the revelation as to who Adam and Eve are. Even that still seems a little odd, and like most of the episode, it's an obvious answer with unclear reasoning or explanation.

So rather than trudge through a usual episode recap, I'm just going to hit all the major points with a good old Q&A session. The questions I asked myself during the episode, and the answers I best came up with after some deep contemplation. Here we go!

Q: What drove this "Mother" figure into murdering Jacob and Man in Black's real mother so hastily?

A: She lays out Jacob in his swaddling clothes. But then comes this other, nameless child. "Mother" lays out "Nameless", and suddenly something hits her. Either she saw something in this "Nameless" child that was special, or it began to dawn on her that she needed these two children to carry out her lineage. The gears turn in her head, and she realizes that their real mother can't be a part of the equation, so she kills her.

Q: Why does Man in Black's real mother appear to him, but not to Jacob?

A: Man in Black's real mother explains this away with a simple, "Because, you are special." But I'm not so sure that's the entire story. Something tells me that Man in Black is being tempted by who he is about to become: the Smoke Monster manifesting itself as his dead mother, leading him down a path to where he would be turned against his "Mother" and eventually his brother until his brother disowns him and forces him "off the island".

My theory is this: When Man in Black is tossed into this golden light, his body dies - but his spirit is transformed. A "fate worse than death"; he becomes the epitome of evil. This is what the Smoke Monster wanted all along: a host. His goal is the same as Man in Black's goal because he convinced Man in Black that he wanted to leave the island. Then, perhaps the real goal of "Mother" was not to protect the "light", but to contain it and shield mankind from it. Jacob asks the question, "What's down there?" and his "Mother" replies "Life, death, rebirth, (etc., I'm paraphrasing)". So, basically I think that since Man in Black entered on hostile terms (Jacob threw his brother down the well, his brother didn't want to serve the island, etc. etc.), his soul came out corrupt and evil. And, like I said before, a host to the Smoke Monster. Or maybe I'm totally off-base. Either way, Man in Black wasn't always Smoke Monster, and now he is thanks to Jacob.

Q: How in the hell did "Mother" kill all those people and burn their village with no weapons, and in such a frail state? Moreover, why did she feel the need to kill them?

A:  As near as I can tell, she was harboring some super powers. Obviously she made it to where Jacob and Man in Black would live forever and not be able to hurt each other, so I wouldn't put it past her to blow some fools up Scanner-style. I also wouldn't put it past this show to dabble with the supernatural. So let's just assume that she popped all her cool-downs and wasted the suckers.

But why? Why if after Man in Black was so adamant about leaving the island? Surely she knew that he could do it with or without people to help him. So why waste human life? My guess is just to send a message to Man in Black. Maybe because she wanted him to kill her so that she would be free from the burden of Island Protector. This would certainly explain why "Mother" passed the chalice of protection down to Jacob, even though she clearly didn't want to.

Q: Who is this woman who bore Jacob and Man in Black? Where does she come from? And what time frame does all this take place?

A: I've already read theories as to her origin, and some have said that she is probably of Roman origin, possibly of Jewish decent as well (would explain naming her son Jacob). This would also explain the ability for a group of people to travel by water. Some have also postulated that the Island's local was somewhere in the Mediterranean at the time this story took place. It would explain a lot - her dark skin, the spoken Latin, and the almost Anglican-Barbarian-esque nature of her fellow shipmates. And her being named Claudia as well. Of course, I'm no expert on this subject, but this is the theory I've heard that I agree most with. The implications of this origin are beyond me, aside from the obvious assertion of Jacob and Man in Black's possible conception location that has relation to the divine. If they are Roman Empire in origin, that means they could come from the "Promised Land" area. But, again, this is just a theory.

Also, these boys do not have an established father. I'm not saying they were of immaculate conception, but this seems to be a running theme in this show - boys without a father.

Q: What the hell is Man in Black's actual name?

A: I don't think he has one. His real mother didn't have a name for him. She may not have even knew he was in there to begin with. Technology back then wasn't exactly able to tell something like that to an expectant mother. Jacob refers to him throughout the episode as "Brother". But, again, I think this is just because he doesn't have an actual name. I think up until now I was convinced that the show's creators were just hiding the name until the end for a big reveal. And they may still have a name for him. But for now, I don't think they really have any reason to keep something like that from us for so long. I mean, yeah, it'd be exciting if they did have a name for him, but after it's said, what else is left? People at home going, "OH MAN, his name is ESAU, I freakin' knew it!!"? I just can't see that happening at the end of the series.

This episode was a fun watch, and it was just as revealing as it was frustrating. Just when you felt like answers were coming, more questions start rapid firing. It's the kind of fun Lost loves to have, and I think that it will be happening even up until the finale. It's classic Lost. That being said, I cannot wait for the finale. I know that questions left unanswered kill some people, but honestly I think they're always the most fun. Besides, you can't end a show like this without leaving questions for people to postulate. What would the fun in that be? I hope I can find a party to share this finale with other Losties. I suggest that all my readers do the same.

See you all next week...the end is nigh.

Lost is On: I Wish You Believed Me

I hear there's rumors on the internets. I have been avoiding my usual Lost blogs like the plague. The reason? About a week ago, some script pages from the Season Finale leaked. While tempting, to be sure, I've put in years on this show. To give in to temptation would be as idiotic as a virgin having sex just weeks before their wedding. The end is nigh, so I will remain strong. Still more leaks have crept out, and I have read a few people who were disappointed because last night's episode was ruined for them as well. After watching last night, I can definitely understand their disappointment. So yeah, if you haven't watched the episode yet, don't continue reading this. Either way, these last few weeks are going to suck because I just want to talk about and read about what's going on with the show, and now I have to avoid the internet.

Well, ho-hum, what a fantastic episode you guys! I thought this was easily one of the best of the season. There is so much to digest here, but let's start with the flash-sideways to set the mood. We open with John Locke's face, and no "PREVIOUSLY, ON LOST..." to lead us in. Usually, this means that there's too much stuff to cover in this episode to recap anything, so get excited. Jack arrives to talk to John about his "accident" and how his "sac ruptured" (don't you just hate when that happens?). Jack also brings up the possibility of a surgical procedure that could, in theory, restore John's ability to walk. John's like, "No way, Jack-se", so Jack wants to know why he won't be helped.

This leads Jack on a mini-venture to talk to oral surgeon Dr. Nadler (aka BERNARD) about the accident that put John in a wheelchair. Of course, Bernard's all "Well, of course I remember what happened," or whatever. So Bernard sends Jack to talk with John's father, who is a crippled, dumb, and old guy (who sure plays a mean pinball) in an old folks home. So Jack confronts John again about his father as he's being checked out (don't you just hate it when the doctor brings up painful memories JUST as you're walking out the door? Geeze!). John relives for Jack what happened on that fateful day...which was a plane crash. He crashed his plane on its maiden voyage and put he and his father in a wheelchair forever (cue tiniest violin, Terry O'Quinn would like to thank the Academy). Basically, Jack says that John has to let go of what happened, because what "happened, happened", and hey, I can make you WALK AGAIN IDIOT. But, John refuses, and wheels away determined to get hit by another car.

MEANWHILE

Jack wakes up in a boat on Hydra Island while Sayid is cleaning a gun (I've seen this before, he thinks, perhaps). And for the tiniest moment, I'm afraid that Jack can't walk from the explosion laid on him last week. This turns out to not be true, because if Jack can't walk, neither can this plotline. So Smoke/Locke comes out of the woods and says that they have to spring the rest of the others free so they can escape on the plane. Jack says "I'll save my friends, and bid them farewell, but I will not leave this island." Smoke/Locke hopes Jack will change his mind, though he knows Jack won't. But for the time being, Jack does help the Smoke Monster free the others being held by Widmore. Later, Jack wonders out loud why they should trust Smoke/Locke, to which he replies, "Because I could kill you all, and there's nothing you could do to stop me." Wooooooo...I'm scaaaaarreed...

So they make their way to the plane, where Smoke/Locke discovers explosives in the plane (that he knew were there all along) and steals a dead guy's watch. Of course, all these things will come back into play very soon. After a brief word with his "followers", Smoke/Locke explains that they can't take the plane, because it's rigged to explode as soon as they turn the keys. So, now they have to take the sub. On the way, Sawyer tells Jack that staying's cool and all, but just help them escape by dunking Smokey in the water. So, when everybody's boarding the sub, Jack again explains that he aint leaving, and shoves Locke into the water in the name of John Locke. Widmore's people show up just in time to shoot Kate in the shoulder (a non-fatal wound, good Lord people learn how to shoot), so Jack has to follow Kate onto the sub to treat her. Sawyer is rushed into making the decision to dive hastily to keep Smokey out, and Jack unbeknowingly brings a now Smoke/Locke rigged C4 into the sub via his trusty backpack. Jack discovers this while hallucinating that his backpack is also a field medic kit.

Now comes probably one of the most brilliantly charged "bomb defusion" scenes I've seen in awhile. Jack realizes as the C4 clock ticks away that there's no way that Smoke/Locke can kill them, and that nothing is going to happen. The only way he can kill them is if they kill each other (i.e. attempt to diffuse the bomb and fail). Sawyer's like, "Grrr, grrr, I don't believe it," pulls some cords that Sayid said to pull, and the clock stops. But then, of course, the clock starts going again, only faster. Timex takes a licking but keeps on ticking. So, Sayid spews off instructions like he's reading script from the end of a car commercial, grabs the bomb, and halls-ass to the other side of the sub right as the bomb explodes. We all knew there was still good in Sayid, but good enough to die for the rest of them? CRAZY.

Hurley takes Kate out of the now sinking sub, and Jack grabs an unconcious Sawyer. Sun is pinned and she can't get out, so Jin decides that it'd be better to die with her than ever leave her again. So they stay together, hand in hand, and drown. Lapidus is, well we don't know what happens to Lapidus, but we do know he got beaned in the head by a large metal door, so he's probably dead too. And just like that, only Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley come to the shore alive. They all have a good cry when it all starts to hit them that three of their friends are dead. But they are alive. Smoke/Locke senses this (a presence he's not felt since...), and heads off into the jungle to "finish what he's started".

Finally, the show seems to be coming to head. We're getting a lot clearer idea of what is to come, I feel. Now all that remains unclear is what Ben, Richard, and Miles are up to, and when they'll come back to save the day somehow. We know that Smoke/Locke can't really kill the candidates, although it was his plan to try all along. I also get a sense that Jack and Smoke/Locke will have an epic dual, a clash of fates, towards the end of the series. This was inevitable, of course, because Jack and Locke have always been at odds with each other, only now that Locke isn't Locke at all, and Jack is starting to go Faith over Science, the tables have turned completely. 

I suppose also we need to find out what's going to happen in the alternate world. Will the other characters be back, perhaps? All the dead ones back to life? Perhaps. Although I must say, it would be kind of lame of them to toy with our emotions so much for no reason. Only time will tell...

See you all next week...