LOST 4.5 – "The Constant"

Writers: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse
Director: Jack Bender

Cast: Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte Lewis), Jeremy Davies (Daniel Faraday), Matthew Fox (Jack), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Sonya Walger (Penny Widmore), Jeff Fahey (Frank Lapidus), Fisher Stevens (George Minkowski), Graham McTavish (Sergeant), Darren Keefe (Billy), Kevin Durand (Keamy), Anthony Azizi (Omar), Alan Dale (Charles Widmore), Marc Vann (Doctor) & Edward Conery (Auctioneer)

While travelling to the freighter by helicopter, Desmond is struck by a strange condition that causes him to jump through time, between 1996 and 2004...

"Who are you? How do you know my name?!"

-- Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick)

Lost plants a foot into overt science-fiction: using the sweeping romance of Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) to anchor a story stretching across Time and Space -- resulting in a temporal mind-puzzle with an emotional heart…

The helicopter that left the island, piloted by Frank (Jeff Fahey) and carrying Sayid (Naveen Andrews) and Desmond, hits some turbulence as Frank enters a thunderstorm – which has some rather strange side-effects for Desmond, as they go slightly off-course. Suddenly, we're thrown back to 1996, where Desmond's in his Royal Scottish Regiment military barrack, being chewed-out by his Sergeant (Graham McTavish) for slack inspection response. The only excuse Desmond can muster is he was having a dream about being in a helicopter over the ocean, about to enter a thunderstorm...

After another flash, Desmond jolts awake in the helicopter, disorientated and now frightened by his surroundings. Sayid does he best to keep Desmond from panicking, but it's clear he's suffering from some kind of amnesia; unable to recognise those around him, or where he is...

The freighter appears on the ocean below and Frank manages to land the chopper. Two crewmen, Keamy (Kevin Durand) and Omar (Anthony Azizi), rush out to assist them, with Sayid particularly confused by Desmond's memory lapse and crazy behaviour. Eventually, Desmond is taken to sick bay to recover, with Omar and Keamy locking him inside...

There follows a series of flashes for Desmond, whose consciousness seems to be leaping forward in time from 1996 to 2004, explaining why he's unable to comprehend the "present day" '04 events. In '96, Desmond remembers holding a photo of Penny in the helicopter, so decides to contact her...

In '04, Desmond finds he's sharing sick bay with Minkowski (Fisher Stevens) -- the man Jack has been speaking to on the sat-phone for the past few days. Minkowski has been strapped to a bed and drugged, apparently suffering from the same condition as Desmond.

On the island, Jack (Matthew Fox) demands answers from Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) and Daniel (Jeremy Davies), who both seem unconcerned that the helicopter still hasn't reached the freighter – despite the fact the journey only takes 20 minutes. Daniel decides to explain to them that the perception of time is different on the island, compared with off the island.

Indeed, Sayid is confused that they left the island at dusk but have arrived on the freighter at midday, but Frank doesn't have an explanation for him. Sayid asks for the sat-phone to call the island, and Frank agrees to hand it over in exchange for Sayid's gun. The deal is made, and Sayid calls Jack – explaining to him that Desmond has been taken ill. Daniel is particularly concerned, asking is Desmond has been exposed to high doses of radiation or electro-magnetism recently. Apparently, he says it's possible for people to "get a little confused" when leaving the island – but it's certainly not amnesia.

Desmond continues his occasional trips back to '96, managing to contact Penny from a phone booth, but upset when she asks him not to call her anymore, before hanging up. In '04, a doctor arrives to pacify Minkowski with more drugs, promising to help Desmond with his condition, before Sayid arrives with Frank and the sat-phone is passed to Desmond. The doctor hits a panic button, forcing Sayid to keep the sick bay door closed from freighter personnel, as Desmond talks to Daniel...

After being told Desmond thinks he should be just outside Glasgow, circa 1996, Daniel tells him to get a train to Oxford and find him there – armed with two pieces of information as convincers: the settings 2.342 and 11 Hz, and the name "Eloise".

In the next flash, Desmond has travelled to Oxford and finds a longer-haired '96 version of Daniel, working as a university lecturer. Initially dismissive of Desmond's story as a prank by colleagues, he's convinced by the mention of "Eloise" and shows Desmond his laboratory. Eloise turns out to be the name of a rat, and after Daniel enters the settings 2.342 and 11 Hz into a strange contraption, he succeeds in "temporally-displacing" his rat – causing it to become "unstuck in time". This is demonstrated when Eloise amazingly finds its way around a newly-constructed maze in seconds, having actually spent a near-future being taught the correct route.

Back in '04s sickbay, Minkowski reveals that someone destroyed the radio room and the crew have been ordered never to answer incoming calls from a "Penny Widmore". Back in '96 again, Daniel explains to Desmond that this time-travelling of his consciousness forward in time 8 years will eventually lead to death, unless he has a "constant" to focus on mentally in both time-zones. Desmond realizes Penny can be his constant, so tries calling her – but her number is now disconnected.

Thrown back to '04, Desmond knows he has to contact this era's Penny somehow, and Minkowski offers to show them the radio room, where Sayid might be able to repair the sabotaged equipment. All three are stunned to find the locked sick bay door has been re-opened, by an unseen "friend" onboard...

In '96, Desmond arrives at an auction house to find Penny's father, Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), just as he becomes the successful bidder for a ledger that belonged to the first officer of sailing ship The Black Role (its contents unknown to anyone but the family of the seller, Tovard Hanso.) Charles agrees to speak with Desmond, and gives him Penny's address – if only so he can see for himself that she's moved on, and he's no longer part of her life.

In '04; Sayid, Desmond and Minkowski find the trashed radio room and Sayid starts trying to get the comms working – as Desmond spots a calendar, noticing it's 24 December 2004. Minkowski explains this is where he started having episodes like Desmond's – shortly after he used the ship's tender to see the island with a colleague called Brandon, who died soon after. Minkowski becomes unstable during another episode, sadly slipping into death.

Desmond is back in '96 and goes to Penny's new London address. She isn't happy to see him on her doorstep, but agrees to hear him out. What he says doesn’t make much sense, but he promises she'll never hear from him for 8 years – but he'll call her on 24 December 2004. She reluctantly agrees to his bizarre request for her phone number (which she can't change for 8 years) and Desmond leaves.

Now back in '04, with a working radio, Desmond recites Penny's phone number and the call is placed. At her London home, a Christmas tree sparkling behind her, Penny answers her phone and is amazed Desmond has somehow kept his word – despite being marooned on an island. It's clear from their frantic conversation that she's been trying to find him for the past 3 years, and they are both head-over-heels in love – despite this troublesome separation. The battery on Desmond's phone dies, but having found his "constant" Desmond appears to have been spared Minkowski's sad fate.

On the island, Daniel leafs through his notebook of scribbled scientific notes, eventually arriving at a page where he's scrawled the words: "If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be my constant."

Time-travel stories are always good fun, so this episode is especially helped by the pleasure gleamed from the notion of a dislodged consciousness jumping across time. It's also nice to see a lack of obvious paradox, although I'm not sure I comprehend some of the subtleties in the idea of Desmond leaping from '96 to '04. After anchoring himself by forming a connection with a "constant" (itself a slight leap in believability), are we to assume '96 Desmond spent the next 5 years of his life aware he'll one day find himself on a freighter in the South Pacific?

Putting aside the brain-ache of dismantling The Constant's Slaughterhouse-Five-style time-travel mechanics, what really makes this episode work is the wonderful Henry Ian Cusick (a great addition to the show's cast, second only to Michael Emerson) as Desmond. There's genuine charisma, passion and sadness to Cusick's performances, and his ongoing storyline with Penny is one of Lost's stronger back-stories – not to mention one of few romantic storylines that really works. Compare Desmond/Penny to the practically-forgotten Sayid/Nadia.

Sonya Walger should also be commended for her work on this series, only ever appearing on the show as an occasional guest star (once a mere cameo), yet she's managed to bring a real depth and believability to Penny, and her quest to be reunited with her lost love. The scene when Penny and Desmond finally connect via phone was beautifully played by both actors and a nice reminder that Lost (outside of its labyrinthine plots and shadowy mysteries) can really make its characters leap from the screen whenever necessary.

The Constant also worked neatly as a "Christmas episode", with Penny essentially receiving a phone call from a ghost from her past on Christmas Eve. It was a spine-tingling and fitting pay-off for this constantly-involving storyline. For fans, the knowledge that Charles Widmore purchased a ledger from the Black Rock ship (now shipwrecked on the island) back in 1996, is also a sizeable piece of Lost's overall puzzle to arrange on the board.

To be picky; I'm sure there was a time when Lost's producers assured us the show would have real-world explanations for all its mysteries – but time-travel is most definitely a stretch into science-fiction. I'm fine with that, but it does mean other mysteries of Lost could now be explained using fantastical means (yes, I'm looking at you "smoke monster"). Oh well, as long as everything is kept logical and doesn't become totally implausible – I'll be happy. I can just about cope with time-travelling consciousnesses. Just.

Overall, this was a very entertaining and precisely-executed episode by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, but it was really brought to life by the impressive Cusick and Walger Jeremy Davies also continues his excellent work twitchy Daniel, but I was disappointed to see Fisher Stevens make his on-screen debut and departure in the same episode! Hopefully he'll reappear in a few flashbacks to come.

Burning Questions

-- Does Desmond remember the events he experienced in Flashes Before Your Eyes?

-- What is written inside the ledger that belonged to the Black Rock's first officer, and why did Charles Widmore want the ledger?

-- Does Daniel remember Desmond coming to see him in 1996, and vice versa?

-- Why were the freighter folk under orders not to answer Penny's calls?

-- Why did Minkowski have knowledge of the present, whereas Desmond did not?

-- If this side-effect struck Desmond because of his proximity to the electro-magnetic discharge in The Swan station, is Locke also susceptible to that consequence?

-- Who sabotaged the radio room, and why? Was it the same "friend" who opened the sick bay door to help Sayid and Desmond escape? Is that person Ben's spy? And is that spy Michael?

-- Is Minkowski's fate an example of the fabled "Sickness" Rousseau's crew all died from?


2 March 2008
Sky One, 9.00 pm