LOST 4.13 & 4.14 – "There's No Place Like Home" (Part 2 & 3)

Writers: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
Director: Jack Bender

Cast: Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Matthew Fox (Jack), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Ken Leung (Miles), Harold Perrineau Jr. (Michael), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Michael Emerson (Ben), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte), Jeremy Davies (Faraday), L. Scott Caldwell (Rose), Malcolm David Kelley (Walt), Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert), Kevin Durand (Keamy), Anthony Azizi (Omar), Francois Chau (Dr. Marvin Candle), Alan Dale (Charles Widmore), John Terry (Christian Shephard), Sonya Walger (Penny Widmore), Jeff Fahey (Frank) & Starletta DuPois (Mrs. Dawson)

"Lie to them, Jack. If you do it half as well as
you lie to yourself, they'll believe you."

-- John Locke (Terry O'Quinn)

To review both episodes scene-by-scene would take a very long time to read -- so I'm going to try and be briefer in my summary, comment on all the revelations, and chew over where the fifth (penultimate) season could take us...

The opening recap positions this episode as not just the climax for season 4's mystery of the Oceanic Six, but also a direct continuation of season 3's flashforward cliffhanger. The future bearded and dishevelled Jack (Matthew Fox) is reprised from Through The Looking Glass -- screaming to Kate (Evangeline Lilly) that they "have to go back!" to the island. Only now, it continues with Kate making it clear she can't believe he wants to go back. She also seems upset that Jack showed her the obituary of Jeremy Bentham -- a man they both know, but whom she claims is crazy...

On the present day island, Jack and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) arrive at the Orchid station and find Hurley (Jorge Garcia) and Locke (Terry O'Quinn). Jack wants to take Hurley back to the helicopter and for them all to escape to the freighter, but Locke reveals how Keamy (Kevin Durand) and his armed men are heading that way with Ben (Michael Emerson). Not only that, but Locke is embroiled in his own personal mission (to find the subterranean DHARMA station below the Orchid and "move" the island, as Jacob suggested.) Jack doesn't get the full details of his crackpot scheme, but refuses to stay on the island as Locke hopes. Realizing he can't get through to stubborn Jack, Locke asks him to at least lie to the outside world if they manage to escape – to protect the island from future invasion.

Heading back to the chopper, Keamy's team are attacked by the Others. Kate and Sayid (Naveen Andrews) are amongst them, having agreed to help free Ben in return for safe passage off the island. After an intense fight, pitting the Others' primitive weapons against machine guns, Keamy's team are all killed. Ben is released from his restraints, and Keamy is shot in the back as he's about to asphyxiate Sayid.

Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Sayid and Hurley get in the chopper and leave the island for the freighter, as Ben returns to the Orchid station. Locke has had difficulty finding the hidden entrance, so Ben reveals the secret elevator and they travel down to the underground station together. Arriving inside, Ben starts to fill a white chamber with metallic objects, as John watches a DHARMA instructional video from Dr. Marvin Candle/Halliwax (Francois Chau). In the video, Candle talks of "exotic matter" existing just beyond the white chamber (The Vault), and the experiments being conducted seem to have been related to "time-travelling bunnies". Crucially, Candle warns that you must never put metallic objects into The Vault– which is exactly what Ben is doing...

At that moment, the Orchid elevator is activated and Keamy arrives in the station – having survived his gunshot to the back thanks to body-armour. While taunting Ben, Keamy reveals that he has a heart-rate monitor attached to his left arm, which will detonate explosives on the freighter if his heart stops beating. Locke makes his presence known and calmly distracts Keamy – before Ben leaps out and, in a moment of blind fury over his daughter's murder, slashes her killer's throat. Keamy lies dying on the floor, with Locke struggling to keep him alive and prevent the freighter's destruction...

On the freighter, Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Michael (Harold Perrineau Jr) have discovered Keamy's booby-trapped bomb and are unsure how to disarm it. It appears their only option is to try and freeze its charge with a canister of liquid nitrogen – but once the bomb's triggering light goes red, they'll only have 5 minutes to abandon ship before it inevitably explodes.

On the returning helicopter, Frank (Jeff Fahey) discovers they're leaking fuel because a bullet penetrated the fuel tank during the island skirmish. The passengers try desperately to lose extra weight, by throwing superfluous items overboard into the sea, but with the freighter out of range, it's not looking good. Sawyer makes a brave decision -- whispers something in Kate's ear, kisses her passionately, then leaps out into the ocean below. Without his weight, the chopper closes in on the freighter...

Unfortunately, Desmond is on deck signalling that they can't land. Keamy has died under the Orchid station and triggered the bomb. Frank has no choice but to set the chopper down, and there's a hectic dash to try and repair its damaged fuel tank so they can evacuate people from the stricken freighter. Michael opts to stay behind and continue trying to freeze the charge, giving Jin the chance to be with his wife and unborn child. The chopper loads up with as many people as possible, but is forced to take-off without Jin. Sun (Yunjin Kim) screams in horror as she spots her husband running out onto the deck below, but it's too late to go back. Below deck, Michael gets a visitor from ghostly Christian (John Terry), who tells him "you can go now", just before the freighter explodes. Sun is aghast as she watches the fiery wreckage sink into the ocean.

On the beach, Sawyer swims ashore and finds Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) sat alone with a bottle of rum. He thinks she's celebrating something, but realizes she's actual drowning her sorrows – as the freighter is now just a plume of grey smoke on the horizon. Sawyer considers his lucky escape and tragic death of Kate and his friends...

Below the Orchid, Ben tells Locke that only one person can move the island, and it's a one-way trip. He tells Locke to return to the Others, where they'll accept him as their new leader. Locke shakes hands with his "predecessor" Ben, before leaving. With Locke gone, Ben turns on The Vault and the metallic objects inside cause the system to blow a hole through its back. Ben, wearing a DHARMA parka, moves through into a dark passageway, eventually finding a ladder down into an icy cave. He slips, slashing his arm on the splintered ladder, before arriving at a frozen donkey wheel (shaped like a Dharmacakra, fact fans). With considerable effort, Ben twists the wheel around, churning up golden particles in the cave wall beyond...

As the helicopter heads back to the island, everyone shields their eyes from a blinding light that starts to emanate from the land mass. Sawyer and Juliet also notice it on the beach. In a bright flash, the island vanishes. Everyone on the chopper is astonished, and the fuel is once again running low. With nowhere to land, the passengers inflate an emergency dinghy and take crash positions. The chopper smashes into the ocean. Everyone regroups, thanks to their life-jackets, and haul themselves into the dinghy. Jack, Sayid, Sun, Aaron, Kate, Hurley, Frank and Desmond are left to reflect on the impossibility of what they've just witnessed.

In a bizarre stroke of luck, a ship becomes visible in the distance and the survivors begin signalling for help. At this moment, Jack realizes that Locke was right – they'll have to lie about what really happened to them. Whoever staged the fake Flight 815 crash-site won't take kindly to them revealing the truth about the island and this deception, so they agree to invent a story that fits with what the world thinks happened. Fortunately, the rescue ship turns out to belong to Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger), who reunites with her boyfriend Desmond on deck. She reveals how she managed to get a lock on his position thanks to his phone call (see: The Constant).

Awhile later, Desmond and Frank have decided to stay aboard Penny's freighter. They help Jack and the others stage a fake beaching of their dinghy on the Indonesian island of Sumba – setting in motion the miraculous tale of survival and escape the Oceanic Six become world-famous for.

Throughout both episodes, there are brief flashforwards for the Oceanic Six. It's revealed that the flashforwards have been taking place 3 years after island events in late-2004, meaning the year is 2007. In the Santa Rosa mental institution, Hurley is visited by Walt (Malcolm David Kelley; able to play his age again), who knows the Oceanic Six are lying about what happened on the island. Hurley tells him they're lying to protect those they left behind, and Walt takes that to include his dad. Hurley looks guilty -- as we'll eventually learn that Michael died in the freighter explosion.

Sayid arrives to spring Hurley from Santa Rosa, shortly after killing a creepy man parked outside the facility. One of Widmore's goons, keeping tabs? Sayid mentions to Hurley that "circumstances have changed", as someone called Jeremy Bentham apparently killed himself a few days ago. Hurley leaves with Sayid, after winning a chess game with the ghost of Mr. Eko.

Sun, now the controlling partner of Paik Industries, goes to see Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) in London (the real location, again) and makes it clear she knows that he knows the Oceanic Six are keeping secrets. She leaves, but not before giving him her business card -- clearly wanting to cooperate with him, for whatever reason...

Kate is visited by the ghost of Claire (Emilie de Ravin) in the middle of the night, who she finds sitting by the side of her son Aaron's bed. Claire warns Kate not to take her baby back to the island.

Jack, bearded and half-drunk, visits the funeral parlour last seen in Through The Looking Glass, where the coffin containing the mysterious Jeremy Bentham is being held overnight. He breaks inside, finds the casket, and opens it. At that moment, Ben arrives and the two men discuss recent events. Ben knows Jack wants to return to the island, but he says the only way back is if everyone who left return together. Jack is unconvinced he can persuade the rest of the Oceanic Six to go back, but Ben offers to help him. As Jack starts to leave, Ben stops him – explaining that by everyone, that includes Jeremy Bentham. The closing shot rises above Bentham's open casket, revealing a clean-shaven John Locke inside...

Once again, it was a marvellous end to a season that has reenergized Lost, thanks to the masterstroke of pincer-gripping the island narrative between flashbacks/-forwards. While it ultimately lacked the game-changing delirium of the season 3 finale, it made up for it by actually answering a few big questions, ending some long-running subplots, and filling in plenty of gaps in our knowledge of the Oceanic Six. More than any other season, it really felt like a chapter in a novel had reached an end, while obviously teasing you with what's on the next page...

So Locke is now the leader of the Others, having succeeded Ben. It'll be interesting to see that new dynamic, and I'm hoping it will mean a larger role of Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert next season. He clearly has more knowledge of the island than Locke, so will Locke's new standing and acceptance bring him definitive answers about the island? Or will Alpert become as vague and puzzling as Ben? Whatever happens, we know Locke will change his name to Jeremy Bentham and leave the island in a few years time, to try and regroup the Oceanic Six. But if Jeremy Bentham is just a pseudonym (like Ben's use of Dean Moriarty), why didn't the Oceanic Six call him John Locke? It's been 3 years since they left the island, so has Locke's new moniker become imbedded? Or, let's be honest, was it just an easier way to sustain the Bentham/coffin mystery until the final scene?

The Orchid station scenes were very strong, as we now know that time-travel is a definite by-product of the island's unique, magnetic properties. I don't think anyone guessed Ben would blow a hole through the "time chamber" into a frozen subterranean cavern, then push a frozen donkey wheel around to move the island! We know he didn't die doing this; he instead travelled through Space-Time to the Sahara desert (see: The Shape Of Things To Come; events here explaining his slashed arm.) It's remains to be seen why Ben immediately sets about recruiting Sayid as a hitman – or who his targets are. I still think it must be Widmore employees, and other enemies of the island, but we'll see. I'm also interested to see how Ben plans to get back to the island, and why a return relies on everyone going back together. Equilibrium seems to have been upset by the Oceanic Six's departure, explaining the appearances of ghosts, whispers and "the numbers" to try and spook the Six into coming back.

We also lost two main characters in this finale: Michael and Jin. Jin's fate has been known for awhile (since the flashforward of Sun and Hurley beside his grave), it still came as a shock when it happened. A few people have suggested Jin might have survived the freighter explosion, which would make a nice twist... but, really, he'd surely die out in the ocean alone. And wouldn't Penny's ship have taken the time to search for any possible survivors, anyway? I know we didn't see that, but it's hard to believe they didn't go back to make sure before heading to Sumba.

I actually wasn't expecting Michael to die. I actually thought his preternatural ability to cheat death might extend to defusing the bomb and saving the freighter, but it seems the island (personified by Christian again) had other plans. So, Michael's fate is sealed and Harold Perrineau leaves the show once again, although I'm sure he'll be back in a few flashbacks -- or perhaps as an island ghost to encourage Walt to return to the island?

Yes, Walt made a proper return that didn't necessitate shadows and skewed camera angles to disguise the fact he's aged 4 years in reality. Now that the show's chronological jump to 2007 fits with Malcolm David Kelley's true age, will Walt return to the show next year for a more substantial role? Is his return to the island necessary? In the early days, Walt was presumed to be a significant character, and I'd love to see rumours that he's "special" returned to. Maybe he's the next Locke-in-waiting?

It was also a surprise to see the Desmond/Penny subplot reach a conclusion, of sorts. Amidst all the spectacle and disaster, their reunion was a welcome burst of happiness. The two actors have been magnificent in creating one of the show's more resonant romances, so I was very glad to see them find each other. But how will their story continue in season 5? Will Charles Widmore be told his daughter has found Desmond, or will they elope and never darken his doorstep again? Of course, in The Shape Of Things To Come, Ben arrived to threaten Widmore – saying he'll kill his daughter as revenge for Alex's murder. So it seems likely Desmond will have to defend Penny from this threat. Will Sayid be tasked with killing Penny for Ben?

As for Frank, I kind of think that's the conclusion of Jeff Fahey's role on the show. It was great to have someone with pure intentions introduced for a season, and we might see a few return appearances for fan-pleasing kicks, but I'm not expecting a significant role in season 5 and 6.

And what about those left behind on the island? If there's one thing that has me a bit worried about season 5 it's how the writers will choose to present the story, now that half the cast have left the island. On the island we have Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Charlotte, Faraday and Claire (if she isn't a ghost now). Is that a compelling bunch of characters to see continue the island-based adventure? Maybe Charlotte and Miles will finally get a chance to develop their characters as a result. It would appear the islanders left behind are going to spend 3 whole years on the island, believing everyone else died in the freighter explosion. 3 years! These four seasons have only covered 3 months! And where's the threat going to come from? It's said that "bad things" happened after the Oceanic Six left -- but there's less chance of outside invasion, now the island has moved, and the "villainous" Others are under the control of Locke -- who wouldn't want to harm his friends...

My guess is that season 5 will delve deeper into the ancient history of the island, so maybe we'll get to meet island natives -- of which Alpert is one, perhaps. The Others were all headed to the still-unseen Temple, remember – plus, there were lots of runic symbols sprinkled throughout season 4 (on Ben's secret doorway and in this episode's frozen chamber). And who built that old donkey wheel? Might we finally get some definitive explanation for the Black Rock ship and, yes, the four-toed statue seen in season 2 finale and not mentioned since? I would imagine so.

There's even a subtle hint that Charlotte (Rebecca Mader; totally wasted) was born on the island and has spent her life trying to get back, to explain her own family history. Mader's 29 years old, so her character was likely born in 1979, too. While that's not the distant past, some gaps in our chronology might be explained as she, presumably, searches for her parents next season. Is she Alpert's daughter, perhaps?

Overall, There's No Place Like Home was another thrilling climax, as we've come to expect from Lost's finales. It was a bit choppy at times, and the tight production schedule unfortunately resulted in some messy CGI effects (the crashing helicopter was particularly poor), but the imagination and sense of conclusion was a good trade-off. I did find the evacuation of the freighter confusing -- because what happened to the dozens of people shipped there from the island? Did all the islanders -- like Bernard, Rose and (please no) Vincent the dog – just die in the blast? I don't think the writing managed to give a satisfying answer there; the story kind of got away from them. Oh, and I guess Desmond's vision of seeing Claire get on a helicopter in season 3 can be discounted now?

The finale didn't leave my head spinning like season 3's brilliant twist, but I'm genuinely excited to see where the writers take things from here. A part of me is scared they've gone a step too far in extracting the best characters from the island, but I've learned to keep faith with Lost. Like Benjamin Linus himself, they always have a plan...

Burning Questions

-- Where/when did the island go?

-- Why did the Orchid video-tape start rewinding itself?

-- Can Ben physically never return to the island, because he moved the island?

-- Why did Miles decide to stay on the island?

-- What is Charlotte's history with the island?

-- How did Locke die? Why did he change his name to Jeremy Bentham? Why did he leave the island to contact Walt, Hurley, Kate and Jack? Why has his scar gone?

-- Who is Locke's "son", mentioned in Bentham's obituary?

-- What "bad things" happened after the Oceanic Six left the island?

-- Where is Sayid taking Hurley when they leave Santa Rosa?

-- What is Sun's agenda with Widmore?

-- Do Frank, Desmond and Walt have to return to the island?

-- What did Sawyer whisper to Kate before he jumped out the helicopter? It seems likely he gave her the "secret mission" Jack caught Kate carrying out in the future. But what is it?

-- Where the hell is Rose, Bernard and the other islanders who abandoned the freighter?


1 June 2008
Sky One, 9.00 pm