WRITERS: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof DIRECTOR: Jack Bender
CAST: Matthew Fox (Jack), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Michael Emerson (Ben), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Sam Anderson (Bernard), Blake Bashoff (Karl), Marsha Thomason (Naomi), Mira Furlan (Rousseau), Lana Parrilla (Greta), Tracy Middendorf (Bonnie), Tania Raymonde (Alex), Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert), Kate Connor (Doctor), James LeSure (Dr Hamill), L. Scott Caldwell (Rose), Brian Goodman (Pryce), Ariston Greene (Jason), Andrew Divoff (Mikhail), M.C Gainey (Tom), Julia Bowen (Sarah) & Sonya Walger (Penny Widmore)
WARNING! SPOILERS! WARNING! SPOILERS! WARNING! SPOILERS!
Ben confronts Jack about their attempt to call for help, Sawyer plans to rescue the hostages on the beach with Juliet, while Charlie struggles to block the underwater station's jamming signal...Breathtaking. That's really the only word to describe it. Lost doesn't put a foot wrong with its finale: tension, exhileration, enlightenment unpredictability, poignanacy, heartbreak and startling moments, they're all here in abundance. Anyone who ever doubted Lost should hang their heads in shame, as Through The Looking Glass proves the show has no intention of losing momentum.
Events continue immediately from part 1 and the pace never lets up. Just when you grow comfortable with the finale's intentions, Ben arrives to plant a seed of doubt in Jack's head (and yours). Is parachutist Naomi really on their side, or will contacting her boat inevitably lead to the death of everyone on the island? Who can Jack trust -- devious Ben, or mysterious Naomi?
Meanwhile, Sawyer and Juliet return to the beach to rescue Sayid, Bernard and Jin -- who were captured by the Others during their explosive assault. It's the least interesting part of the finale, atleast until Hurley arrives (in his own inimitable style) to save the day. I've always enjoyed how the writers poke fun at Hurley's size size, but never let him become the victim. A nice moment of humorous derring-do from the big man.
The most emotional scenes are to be found in the underwater station. Charlie manages to escape from gun-toting Greta and Bonnie, with the help of Desmond, despite one-eyed Mikhail's arrival. Dominic Monaghan continues his sterling work from part 1, culminating in a tearjerking moment of prophecized self-sacrifice. It's a haunting sequence that hits you with more punch than you might expect. If you never cared for Charlie, who was often extraneous to the bigger storylines, this episode will make you reconsider his part in the show's dynamic. A small part of Lost's heart dies here.
Writer-producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof even take the time to answer smaller questions littered throughout season 3. The reasoning behind Karl's treatment in the "brainwashing room" is mentioned (although the explanation seems a bit odd) and Juliet reveals why Sawyer was made to cut stones by the Others. It appears they're building a runway. For whom is a question that goes unanswered for now...
Towards the end, all the plot strands begin to converge satisfyingly, building to a conclusion that focuses on Jack's call to the outside world (good or bad idea?), Charlie receiving an incoming transmission and a late appearance by injured Locke.
But, of course, it's the "game-changer" in the denouement that most frazzles your mind. Here, we slowly realize the flashbacks of Jack's tumultous off-island life are actually flashforwards! This brave new move by the writers throws up all manner of questions and thoughts. Whose casket was Jack viewing? Who else escaped the island, beyond Kate? Why does he talk about his father as if he's alive -- isn't he supposed to be dead?
Through The Looking Glass is superb television from one of the greatest mystery shows ever produced. It's easy to get swept along by excitement, but there aren't many TV shows that are as complex, intelligent and involving. The writers have managed to pull the rug out from under their audence (again) and news that the show now has a definitive end-date can only be good news for fans fearing the greedy network would try and milk Lost beyond its natural end.
For now, it'll be a frustrating eight-month wait to see what the distress signal will usher in, but I'm already quivering with excitement. This is phenomenal storytelling from a modern classic.
