By Chip Zdarsky

While the ending and final season wasn’t perfect and left a lot of unanswered questions, I have no regrets about spending the last six years watching and mildly obsessing over Lost.

I’m going to miss…

• …writing my little Lost notes
• …talking to Erwin via AIM during commercial breaks
• …commercial breaks with Cindy the few times we got to watch it together
• …sending Cindy one word reviews for the West Coast airing during the final season
• …coming into work the next morning and reading What Alan’s Watching, Tuned In and The Watcher to get my favorite television columnists opinions*
• …waiting for people to over to my cubicle the next morning to talk about it to get their opinions and theorize with them
• …getting into work a little bit early so I can start working on my blog post for the day**

I may be disappointed by how it ended but I can’t help but be a little sad that it’s gone.

There are other great dramas that are still on the air (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Fringe, Sons of Anarchy, Friday Night Lights) but with Lost and 24 (which also ended this week), I doubt I’ll ever be as emotionally invested in a television show like this again.

I guess I can get married and have kids now.

I can still reminisce over my favorite moments of the first (superior) five seasons.

* I stopped Doc Jensen after Season Three.  Lost recaps shouldn’t be eight pages.
** I wrote 84 Lost-related posts and I only started blogging the show at the start of Season Three

What I Liked:

• Character-wise and action-wise, I loved the finale.  While there were things about the finale (and season six as a whole) I had issues with, when Jack’s eye closed at the end, I wasn’t disappointed and I didn’t say, “What the fuck? What about (insert unanswered question)?” I was just happy.  Although I may have been happy that I don’t have to do this (as if I ever did).
• The season went a long way in redeeming Jack as a character and giving Matthew Fox a lot of great moments.  You could almost say the same for Kate and Evangeline Lilly except…well…I still wouldn’t have been mad if she died.  I can’t deny that her scenes were among the best this episode (Delivering Aaron while remembering the island, saving Jack for once, her LA X reunion with Jack).  But the MVP for this episode…
• …was Jorge Garcia.  From the look on his face when he saw Charlie in LA X to his reaction to Jack making him the protector of the island, no one on this show has grown more as an actor than Garcia.  He’s a long way from just saying “Dude“
• The reunion/realizations in LA X were handled well especially Jin/Sun/ and Sawyer/Juliet.  Considering Sawyer/Juliet reunion, once we got a general idea what was going on in LA X, was the one everyone was waiting for, I was surprised it didn’t let me down.
• I enjoyed all of the island action (except for some of the Glowing Well stuff) especially the final confrontation between Jack and notLocke
• Lapidus and Alpert live! No matter how improbable Lapidus’ survival was (he took a bigger blow -TWSS – than Sawyer), it was great to see “Chesty” floating in the water and ultimately getting people off the island
• The return of Rose, Bernard and Vincent. I figured it was them who freed Desmond from the well and I’m glad they lived out their lives the way they wanted, not getting involved.
• The last image of the series was fitting and I’m glad Vincent showed up so Jack didn’t die alone.

What I Didn’t Like:

• I’m not in love with the LA X = purgatory concept.  While it was great to have  goodbyes to some of the characters and, more importantly, some of the relationships we grew to love over the years, I was still a little disappointed.  I tried to avoid *wanting* something to be the way I had imagined but I wanted the sideways world to tie in directly into the Island world.  Now knowing “what happened, happened,” I wish we had spent more of season six on the island.
• While I was still more entertained than not, now that it’s over, it’s safe to say that season six was kind of a mess.  So many abandoned threads/plot holes, I could strain pasta with them.  Cuse and Lindelof may have known what the ending was going to be but they definitely didn’t know how to get there.
• When Jacob described the island as a cork to Richard in “Ab Aeterno,” I thought that was a metaphor.  I didn’t know there was an actual cork.  Seriously?
• Really? No Michael and Walt in LA X?  Christian’s “there is no ‘when’” explanation gave the producers a total out to deal with older, taller Walt.  I better find an interview saying that Harold Perrineau and Malcolm David Kelley didn’t want to or were unavailable to appear in the finale.
• Jack’s plan to help notLocke use Desmond to destroy the island: The dumbest Jack idea EVER
• Ben’s lack of a plan.  So was he really siding with notLocke for control of the island or was he just playing along.  Considering his penultimate turn, it was kind of annoying he was just following whomever wherever.
• Really? Hurley chose sinking with the island over climbing down a ladder?  They could have found a better motivation to keep Hurley around.
• Shannon was Sayid’s true love?  Really?

Lines of the Night (LA X quotes in italics):

• “Christian Shephard? Seriously?” - Kate
• “Well, Doc, how about you come down off the mountain top and tell us what the hell the burning bush had to say for itself.” – Sawyer to Jack
• “Jacob didn’t say anything to me about Desmond.”
  “Doesn’t sound like he said anything about anything.”
  “That’s kind of true, dude, he’s worse than Yoda.” – Jack, Sawyer and Hurley
• “I’d ask you along, but that would take all the fun out of me telling you can’t come.”
  “I guess I’ll just have to resist the urge to follow you anyway” – Sawyer and Kate
• “When you said you were going to destroy the island, I thought you were speaking figuratively.” – Ben
• “I think there was a dog here.” – notLocke
• “So, Rose, tell me, how long have the two of you been living here?”
  “Oh, we built this place in ’75 and lived here a couple of years and then the sky lit up again, so God only knows where in the hell we are now. So, Desmond, I don’t mean to be rude, but after you eat, I’m going to ask you to move on. We broke our rule with you.”
  “What rule was that?”
  “We don’t get involved. Whatever got you tossed inside a well, that’s the kind of drama Bernard and I don’t want to have anything to do with.” – Desmond and Rose
• “Do you have any idea where I’m taking you, Desmond?”
  “Nope, but I assume it’s a place with a very bright light.”
  “What makes you say that?”
  “Oh, just a hunch.” – notLocke and Desmond
  “What happened?”
  “You thought it’d be a good idea to talk to the black smoke. He responded by throwing you into the damn jungle.” – Richard and Miles
• “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a pilot.” – Lapidus
  “So it’s you.”
  “Yeah, it’s me.”
  “Jacob being who he is, I expected to be a little more surprised. You’re sort of the obvious choice, don’t you think?” – notLocke and Jack
• “This doesn’t matter, you know.”
  “Excuse me?”
  “Him destroying the island, you destroying him. It doesn’t matter. You’re going to lower me into that light and I’m going to go somewhere else. A place where we can be with the ones that we love and not have to ever think about this damn island again. And you know the best part about it Jack? You’re in this place. You know, we sat next to each other on Oceanic Flight 815. It never crashed. We spoke to each other. You seemed happy. You know, maybe I can find a way to bring you there too.”
  “Desmond, I tried that once. There are no shortcuts, no do-overs. What happened, happened. Trust me, I know. All of this matters.” – Desmond and Jack
• “I think you’re a good guy, Sayid. I know a lot of people have told you that you’re not. Maybe you’ve heard it so many times you started to believe in it. But you can’t let other people tell you who you are, dude. You have to decide that for yourself.” – Hurley
• “This remind you of anything, Jack?”
  “What?”
  “Desmond going down into the ground. If there was a button down there to push, we could fight about whether or not to push it. It’d be just like old times.”
  “You’re not John Locke. You disrespect his memory by wearing his face, but you’re nothing like him. Turns out he was right about most everything. I just wish I would have told him that when he was still alive.”
• “He wasn’t right about anything, Jack, and when this island drops into the ocean and you drop with it, you’re finally going to realize that.”
  “Well, we’ll just have to see which one of us is right, then.” – notLocke and Jack
• “I saved you a bullet!” – Kate to notLocke after shooting him
• “I hope that somebody does for you what you just did for me.” – Locke to Jack
• “I don’t believe in a lot of things but I do believe in duct tape.” – Miles
• “Kiss me, James.”
  “You got it, Blondie.” – Juliet and Sawyer
• “You’re not supposed to die, the island needs you!
  “Hurley, it needs you.”
  “What?”
  “It needs to be you, Hugo.”
  “It’s supposed to be you.”
  “It was only supposed to be me so I could do this. But if someone has to take care of the island, if someone has to protect it, then it should be you. I believe in you.”
  “Alright, I’ll take it, but it’s only temporary. As soon as you get that light back on, I’m pulling you up and I’m giving it right back to you, deal?”
  “Deal.” – Hurley and Jack
• “I’m still here. You were right, Jack.”
  “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” – Desmond and Jack
• “Desmond, you’ve done enough. You want to do something? Go home and be with your wife and son.”
  “What about you, Jack?”
  “I’ll see you in another life, brother.” – Jack and Desmond
• “I’m very sorry for what I did to you, John. I was selfish, jealous. I wanted everything you had.”
  “What did I have?”
  “You were special, John, but I wasn’t.”
  “Well, if it helps, Ben, I forgive you.”
  “Thank you, John. That does help. It matters more than I can say.”
  “What are you going to do now?”
  “I have some things I still need to work out. Think I’ll stay here a while.” – Ben and Locke
• “It’s my job now. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
  “I think you do what you do best, take care of people. You can start by helping Desmond get home.”
  “But how? People can’t leave the island.”
  “That’s how Jacob ran things. Maybe there’s another way. A better way.”
  “Will you help me?”
  “I’m sorry?”
  “I could really use someone with, like, experience. For a little while.”
  “Will you help me, Ben?”
  “I’d be honored.”
  “Cool.” – Hurley and Ben
• “You know, you were a real good number two.”
  “And you were are great number one, Hugo.” – Hurley and Ben
• “Where are we, Dad?”
  “Well this is a place that you all made together so that you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. That’s why all of them are here. Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them and they all needed you.”
  “For what?”
  “To remember, and to let go.” - Jack and Christian

Questions: (Is there a point?)

• Why was Desmond ultimately aware of the purgatory while living in real-time?  Did he “kinda” die when Widmore tested his ability to absorb electromagnetic energy?
• Why was notLocke and Richard made mortal after Desmond pulled the cork?
• Why was Jack bleeding in purgatory?
• How did Jack end up outside the cave at the end?
• Was the ceremony to make someone protector of the island as simple as giving them some water? Jacob must feel really dumb for making people learn all that Latin.
• How did they create this purgatory where they would work through issues that plagued them in real life?  Who creates a purgatory where you get shot (Sun) or your family gets beat up and you have to shoot and kill other people (Sayid)?
• Why was Penny in the purgatory when she never stepped foot on the island yet Charlotte and Daniel were absent?
• What will I blog about now?  Suggestions?

What I Liked:

• The symmetry of Jack giving Kate stitches (Kate gave Jack stiches in the pilot episode)
• The defeated look on Sawyer’s face for most of the episode
• The return of Evil Ben.  I don’t know if he’s really on notLocke’s side but he’s definitely not on Widmore’s side
• The look on notLocke’s face when Ben shot Widmore
• The return of Every-Man-For-Himself Miles.
• I feel a little better about “Across the Sea.” There was information in that episode that was necessary for Jacob to give the surviving 815ers the download without leaving us with more questions.  I still question the timing of the episode…and Janney’s Latin.
• We all knew it was going to be Jack who accepted the role as the new Jacob so I’m glad we didn’t spend too much time on this
• The flash sideways was just getting certain people into the right place but I did enjoy the scene with Ben having dinner over at Danielle and Alex’s and Ben’s reaction to being told that he’s the closest thing Alex has to a father

What I Didn’t Like:

• This remains to be seen but if Richard died like that, I’m going to be pretty pissed.

Lines of the Night:

• “They had a little girl, you know. Her name is Ji Yeon. Jin hadn’t even met her yet. Locke did this to them. We have to kill him, Jack.”
  “I know.” – Kate and Jack
• “I will not let you hurt Mr. Locke again.”
  “I’m not here to hurt him. I’m here to help him let go.” – LAX Ban and Desmond
  “I lived in these houses a long time, Miles, I think I can remember how to get there.”
  “Well I lived in these houses thirty years before you did, otherwise known as last week, and I have no idea where we are.” – Ben and Miles
• “What’s that? The secreter room?”
  “That’s where I was told I could summon the monster,” Ben says. “That’s before I realized that it was the one summoning me.” – Miles and Ben
• “The bomb on the sub, you said he couldn’t kill us.”
  “I’ve been wrong before.”
  “I killed them, didn’t I?”
  “No. He killed them.” – Sawyer and Jack
• “These are both great plans. I’m going to go with surviving. If you need us, we’ll be running through the jungle.” – Miles
• “I’m going to talk to him. I know this man. All he wants is for me to join him. And if I can get him to leave with me, maybe that will give the rest of you a chance.” “Good luck with that” – Richard and Miles
• “If you don’t mind me asking, where’s her father?”
• “He died when Alex was two. That’s probably why she’s so attached to you.”
  “Excuse me?”
  “All the interest you’ve taken in her, all the help you’ve given, you’re the closest thing to a father she has.”   – LA X Ben and Danielle
• “He doesn’t get to save his daughter.”
  “Ben, you never cease to amaze me. Fortunately he’d already told me what I needed to know, so no harm done.”
  “Good. Did you say there were some other people to kill?” – Ben and notLocke after Ben shoots Widmore
• “I brought all of you here because I made a mistake. A mistake I made a very long time ago, and now, because of that, there’s a very good chance that every single one of you and everyone you’ve ever cared about is going to die.”
  “What mistake?”
  “You call him the monster. I’m responsible for what happened to him. I made him that way, and ever since then, he’s been trying to kill me. It was only a matter of time before he figured out how and when he did, someone would have to replace me. And that’s why I brought you all here.”
  “Tell me something, Jacob. Why do I have be punished for your mistake? What made you think you could mess with my life? I was doing just fine until you dragged my ass to this damn rock.”
  “No you weren’t. None of you were. I didn’t pluck any of you out of a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn’t find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you.” – Jacob and Sawyer
• “Why did you cross my name off of your wall?”
  “Because you became a mother. But it’s just a line of chalk in a cave. The job is yours if you want it, Kate.” – Kate and Sawyer
  “I’ll do it. This is why I’m here. This is what I’m supposed to do.”
  “Is that a question Jack?”
  “No.” – Jack and Jacob
• “I thought that guy had a God complex before…”
  “James.”
  “I know.” – Sawyer and Kate
• “How long am I going to have to do this job?”
  “As long as you can.” – Jack and Jacob
• “Can I ask you something?”
  “Shoot.”
  “If you can turn into smoke anytime you want, why do you bother walking?”
  “I like the feel of my feet on the ground. It reminds me that I was human.” – Ben and notLocke
• “What did Widmore say to you?”
  “He said Desmond was a fail-safe, Jacob’s last resort in case I found a way to kill all of Jacob’s beloved candidates. One final way to make sure that I never leave this place.”
  “Then why are you happy that he’s still alive?”
  “Because I’m going to find Desmond, and when I do, he’s going to help me do the one thing that I could never do myself. I’m going to destroy the island.” -  Ben and notLocke

Questions:

• Why did Jack wake up with the blood on his neck again?
• What the hell were Ben, Richard and Alpert doing in the two days that have passed since they split from Jack and company?
• Where is crazy Claire?
• Why are there younger manifestations of Jacob and MIB running around the island?
• Why did Jacob wait so long to manifest himself to the 815ers?
• Why is LA X Ana Lucia “not ready”?
• What is LA X Desmond expecting to happen at the concert?
• Is Richard dead?
• Who helped Desmond out of the well?
• How is notLocke going to destroy the island with Desmond?

What I Liked:

• Well, now we know who Adam and Eve are.
• I enjoyed the performances by Ryan Bradford (Boy in Black), Mark Pellegrino (Jacob) and Titus Welliver (MIB)

What I Didn’t Like:

• Let’s just pretend this episode never happened. There have been bad episodes of Lost before (The Jack tattoo one for example) and “Across the Sea” wasn’t a bad episode – well-filmed, acted, nice little Aesop fable (sans a moral) – but I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in an episode of Lost.  Listen, I’m a huge Lost apologist.  Even episodes that my friends have hated, I’ve been able to find a redeeming quality in but “Across the Sea” just left me baffled.  If this was episode three of the final season, I might not have been that perturbed by this episode but at this late stage of the game (two episodes left), this episode left me with so many questions that a) I think are important and b) I’m 85% sure we won’t get the answer to.  At no point during “Across The Sea” are  the motivations of Mother (Allison Janney) EVER made clear and since her actions appear to be the driving force for the entire battle  between Jacob and MIB, I find that to be extremely problematic.  At the end of the episode, I commiserated with MIB because we both have no idea why he’s not allowed to leave the island.  Jacob and MIB represent the two types of Lost fans: those who are willing to accept the show despite its flaws for love (Jacob) and those who want answers and, in not getting them, get frustrated and get angry (MIB).  After tonight, I think I’m rooting for MIB.
• There was too much information we were just supposed to take at face value (“You’re Special.”; “I’ve made it so you can never hurt each other.”)
• Allison Janney’s Latin-by-way-of-South-Dakota made me laugh
• The fact that Jacob was always wearing white and BIB/MIB was always in…well…black was a little heavy-handed even for Lost

Lines of the Night:

• “I only picked one name.” – Claudia upon discovering she was having two babies
• “Jacob told you what I found.”
  “Of course he did. Jacob doesn’t know how to lie. He’s not like you.”
  “Why, what am I like?”
  “You’re special.” -  Mother and Boy In Black
• “What’s dead?”
  “Something you will never have to worry about.” – BIB and Mother
• “Because they’re dangerous and I didn’t want to frighten you.”
  “What makes them dangerous?”
  “The same thing that makes all men dangerous. They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same.” – Jacob and Mother about the other people on the island
• “Does that mean that we can hurt each other?”
  “I’ve made it so you can never hurt each other.” – BIB and Mother
• “What’s in there?”
  “Light. The warmest, brightest light you’ve ever seen or felt. And we must make sure that no one ever finds it.”
  “It’s beautiful.”
  “Yes it is, and that’s why they want it. Because a little bit of this very same light is in every man. But they always want more.”
  “Can they take it?”
  “No, but they will try. And if they try, they can put it out. And if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere. And so I’ve protected this place, but I can’t protect if forever.”
  “Then who will?”
  “It will have to be one of you.” – MIB, Mother and Jacob about the Cave of Light
• “He said you killed our mother. Is that true?”
  “Yes. If I had let her live, she would have taken you back to her people and those people are bad, Jacob, very bad. I couldn’t let you become one of them. I needed you to stay good.” – Jacob and Mother
• “Why do you watch us, Jacob?”
  “I watch because, I want to know if Mother is right.”
  “Right about what?”
  “About them.”
  “Oh, you mean my people. You want to know if they’re bad. That woman may be insane, but she is most definitely right about that.”
  “I don’t know. They don’t seem so bad to me.”
  “Well that’s easy for you to say, looking down from above. Trust me. I’ve lived with them for 30 years. They’re greedy, manipulative, untrustworthy, and selfish.”
  “Then why are you with them?”
  “They’re a means to an end.” – MIB and Jacob
• “What’s down there?”
  “Life. Death. Rebirth. It’s the source, the heart of the island.”
  “Just promise me, whatever you do, you will never go down there.”
  “Would I die?”
  “It’d be worse than dying, Jacob, much worse.” – Jacob and Mother about the Light
• “It has to be you, Jacob.”
  “No it doesn’t! You wanted it to be him! But now I’m all you have.”
  “It was always supposed to be you, Jacob, I see that now. And one day you’ll see it too, but until then, you don’t really have a choice.” – Jacob and Mother
• “Why wouldn’t you let me leave, Mother?”
  “Because I love you. Thank you.” – MIB and Jacob

Questions (even though I don’t know what the point is):

• Who (or WHAT) is Mother and how did she come to be the protector of the island?
• Why did she kill Claudia?
• Why is Jacob such a snitch?
• Where is the source of the light?
• What made MIB special?
• Why was MIB able to see his mother’s ghost but not Jacob?
• Is Mother made it so that Jacob and MIB couldn’t hurt each other, how come Jacob beat the shit out of his face twice?
• How in the hell was Mother able to a) drag MIB out of the cave, b) fill in the cave and c) wipe out ALL of MIB’s people?
• Why was MIB able to kill Mother?
• What happened to MIB when Jacob threw him into the light?

What I Liked:

• Well….damn!  I knew Sayid was bound to die (again) and, after his conversation with Desmond, he would have one last heroic act before he did so good for him but…
• JIN AND SUN!?!? C’mon! So soon after they got back together?  That was just cruel.  I know the stakes needed to be raised but…why couldn’t it have been Kate?
• No more questions or doubts what notLocke’s intentions are.  You could almost see the excitement on his face as they got on the sub.
• In LA X, Terry O’ Quinn and Matthew Fox had some great Emmy clip worthy performances
• R.I.P. Lapidus who died as he lived, frustrated.
• The entire episode was pretty action-packed and tense which is great considering how many chatfest episodes we had this season

What I Didn’t Like:

• It bugged me to no end that in Sun’s pleas to get Jin to leave her behind in the sinking submarine she never once invoked Ji Yeon as a reason for him to live.  It would have been nice to at least see him struggle with that decision
• It’s highly improbable that a) Hurley made it through a hole in the submarine with water entering carrying an injured Kate, b) Jack would be able to swim an unconscious Sawyer to safety AND operate the breathing apparatus for him and c) they ended up at the same beach.
• I guess we’ll never find out which Kwon was a candidate
• In the minority column, we’re down to Miles, Hurley and Richard (depending on your opinion on Spaniards)

Lines of the Night:

• “Why should I trust you?”
  “Because I could kill you, Jack, right here, right now. And I could kill every single one of your friends and there’s not a thing that you could do to stop me. But instead of killing you, I saved your life and now I want to save them too. So will you help me?” – Jack and notLocke
• “He wouldn’t have killed me, James.”
  “That cave I told you about, where all the names were written, your name was there too, but it was crossed out. He doesn’t need you, Kate.”  – Kate and Sawyer
• “This is what he wanted. This is what he’s been waiting for. Everything that he has done has been to get us here. He wanted to get us all in the same place at the same time, a nice enclosed space where we had no hope of getting out of…Locke said that he can’t leave the island without us. I think he can’t leave the island unless we’re all dead. He told me that he could kill any one of us whenever he wanted. So what if he hasn’t because he’s not allowed to? What if he’s trying to get us to kill each other?” – Jack
• “Listen carefully. There’s a well on the main island a half mile south of the camp we just left. Desmond’s inside it. Locke wants him dead, which means that you’re going to need him. Do you understand me?”
  “And why are you telling me this?”
  “Because it’s going to be you, Jack.” – Sayid and Jack
• “I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you again.” – Jin to Sun
• “You know, the first time you and I met, back at the airport, you told me that my father was gone. And, uh, it hurt to hear that, but I knew you were right. Your father’s gone too, Mr. Locke.”
  “No, no he’s not.”
  “Yes he is and you can punish yourself as much as you want, and that’s never going to bring him back. What happened, happened, and you can let it go.”
  “What makes you think letting go is so easy?”
  “It’s not. In fact, I don’t really know how to do it myself. And that’s why I was hoping that maybe you could go first.”
  “Good-bye, Dr. Shephard.”
  “I can help you, John. I wish you’d believed me.” – LA X Jack and Locke
• “It sunk.”
  “What, the submarine? But, they were all on it. Everyone. They’re all dead?”
  “Not all of them.”
  “Where you going?”
  “To finish what I started.” – notLocke and Claire

Questions:

• How did notLocke know there was C4 on the plane (he grabbed the watch first then went on the plane showing he already knew what he was going to do)
• When did notLocke find time to construct a makeshift bomb with timer?
• Is Claire back on the side of good like Sayid ended up?  She seemed to be genuinely concerned for the rest of her friends
• Where are Miles, Alpert and Ben?  They had a huge headstart on Jack and company.
• Where are Rose and Bernard?  I just want some sort of confirmation they are somewhere.
• What is/was Widmore’s game plan?
• What did Sayid mean when he told Jack, “Because it’s going to be you”?
• What is the meaning of the music box that Christian Shephard left for Claire?

What I Liked:

• The flash sideways are finally coming together
• Finally! Jin and Sun are reunited!
• Desmond appealing to Sayid and possibly converting him back from the Dark Side…at least momentarily
• Jack’s jumping off Sawyer’s boat after he’s given a “You’re on Team Sawyer or you’re off”
• LA X Sun freaking out when she saw Locke
• Sawyer calling Lapidus “that pilot who looks like he stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie” and “Chesty”
• notLocke revealing he was the one on the island walking around as Christian Shepard
• Kate’s speech to convince Crazy Claire not to shoot her and to leave the island with them.

What I Didn’t Like:

• LA X Sawyer’s conversation with Kate about continuing to run into one another was a little too on the nose
• Lapidus ruining Sun and Jin’s emotional reunion with the worst line ever: “Looks like someone got their voice back.”
• While I thought Evangeline Lilly did an amazing job in her plea to Claire, I still wanted her to shoot
• While Sawyer and Kate have witnessed Claire’s crazy, I find it hard to believe that Hurley and, especially, Jack would abandon Claire because Sawyer said so

Lines of the Night:

• “Why John Locke?”
  “Because he was stupid enough to believe that he’d been brought here for a reason, because he pursued that belief until it got him killed, and because you were kind enough to bring his body back here in a nice wooden box.”  – Jack and notLocke
• “The third day we were here I saw…I chased my father through the jungle. My dead father. Was that you?”
  “Yes, that was me.”
  “Why?”
  “You needed to find water. This may be hard for you to believe, Jack, but all I’ve ever been interested in is helping you.”
  “Help me? To do what?”
  “Leave. But because Jacob chose you, you were trapped here before you even got here. Now Jacob is dead. We don’t have to be trapped anymore. We can get on an airplane and fly away any time we want to.”  – Jack and notLocke
• “John Locke was the only one of us that ever believed in this place. He did everything he could to keep us from leaving this island.”
  “John Locke was not a believer, Jack, he was a sucker!” – Jack and notLocke
• “No…No! It’s him! It’s him!” – LA X Sun upon seeing Locke at the hospital
• “I never had much in the way of family, so it really means a lot that you’re coming with us.”
  “Actually, I haven’t decided if I’m coming with you.”
  “Yeah you have. You decided the moment you let him talk to you, just like the rest of us. Whether you like it or not, you’re with him now.” – Claire and Jack
• “What about Sayid?”
  “Sayid ain’t invited, he’s gone over to the dark side.”
  “Yeah, but you can always bring people over from the dark side. I mean, Anakin.”
  “Who the hell is Anakin?” – Hurley and Sawyer
• “Well, don’t you think it’s weird? You and me on the same flight, having that little meet up in the elevator? Then a week later, boom! Out of all the cars in Los Angeles you smash into mine. It’s almost like someone is trying to get us together.” – LA X Sawyer to Kate
• “First chance you get, double back. Hoof it to this spot. There’s an old dock. Grab Hugo, Sun, and Lapidus. Kate and I will meet you there.”
  “What about Sayid and Claire?”
  “Sayid’s a zombie and Claire’s nuts. She gave up her ticket when she tried to kill Kate and I ain’t going to let that happen again. That’s Hugo, Sun, and the pilot, only them.”  – Sawyer and Jack
• “So what will you tell her?”
  “What do you mean?”
  “This woman, when she asks what you did to be with her again, what will you tell her?” – Desmond and Sayid
• “Wait, you didn’t say Claire.”
  “She ain’t coming. The Claire you came back for is gone.”
  “I promised I would bring her back.”
  “That was before she started drinking Locke’s Kool-Aid. She’s dangerous. You really want her around Aaron? Let’s go. We ain’t got much time.” – Kate and Sawyer
• “I’m promising you! I was there when he was born and I never should have raised him. It should have been you. I came back to get you so that you could be with him again. It’s the only reason I came back to the island, Claire. Please, come with us. Go home.” – Kate to Claire
• “I know I was a little late to the party, Captain, but you mind filling us in on what your game plan is?”
  “The plan, Chesty, is to land on Hydra Island, get ourselves nice and cuddly with Widmore until we get a chance to jump on that sub. Then I’m going to put a gun in someone’s face and make him take us home.”  – Lapidus and Sawyer
• “We were brought here because we’re supposed to do something. And if Locke, that thing, wants us to leave, maybe he’s afraid of what happens if we stay.”
  “Get off my damn boat.”
  “What?”
  “You’ve got a decision to make and you make it now. Either you’re here with us and you keep that damn crazy talk to yourself, or you’re going in the water.”
  “James, this is a mistake and I know there’s a part of you that feels that. This island isn’t done with us yet.”
  “Yeah, well I’m done with this island. You want to take a leap of faith, Jack, then take it. Get off my damn boat.”
  “I’m sorry that I got Juliet killed.” – Jack and Sawyer
• “I never stopped looking for you.”
  “We’ll never be apart again. I promise you.” – Sun and Jin
• “Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay. You’re with me now.” – notLocke to Jack

Questions:

• How messed up is ABC for implying that Sayid shot Desmond in their preview for this episode?
• Did Sayid shoot Desmond? If not, did he leave him down there?
• Is it still possible for Sayid and Claire to be turned back from the dark side?
• Who is David’s, Jack’s son, mother?
• Did Desmond know what he was doing when he brought Claire to Ilana?
• Why did Widmore renege on his deal with Sawyer?
• How did Team Widmore miss notLocke that badly is that had a clear shot and he didn’t move?  I know it wouldn’t have killed him but they missed him by a good 7 feet
• Why did LA X Sun freak out when she saw Locke at the hospital?

What I Liked:

• I like the new in-charge, slightly badass island Hurley even though he’s winging it as much as jack had been in the past
• Libby! This is the first flash-sideway that made me hope that at the end of everything LA X doesn’t get wiped out so that hurley will finally get his chance with Libby.  It sucked when she was killed off so early so I’m glad we got to see the date that never was
• Ilana got Arnzted! Maybe the reason Jacob was never proactive is because he’s not very good at it.  Who casually drops a bag of dynamite? Worst guardian EVER!
• Team notLocke and Team Jacob are together finally so we can finally get moving to the end game
• There was something hilarious about Desmond running down Locke in LA X

What I Didn’t Like:

• The explanation for the Whispers?  Eh.  I think it should have remained an unexplained mystery if that was the explanation.  It seems tacked on like, “Let’s give them something…anything”
• Jack’s “I’m just along for the ride” attitude.
• Again, I wish we could have gotten to the Desmond-aware-in-LA X sooner because it feels like we’re going to be rushing in the next few episodes

Lines of the Night:

• “You need a woman in your life, especially one who has not nursed you.” – LA X Carmen Reyes to Hurley
• “Well, how did you know my name?”
  “Well, if I tell you, you’re going to think I’m crazy.”
  “No I won’t.”
  “Hugo, do you believe that two people can be connected, like soul mates?”
  “I guess.”
  “You don’t remember me, do you?”
  “Should I?”  – LA X Hurley and Libby
• “You were only able to come back to this island because you all did it together. If we’re going to get on that plane and leave, it has to happen the same way. We’re waiting for your friends to get here, Kate. Hugo, Sun, Jack. And that’s the only way we’re ever getting off this God-forsaken rock.”
  “Well, I don’t see that happening”
  “Well let’s just hope you’re wrong” – notLocke and Kate
• “We get more dynamite, otherwise she died for nothing.”
  “Maybe she died to tell us to stay the hell away from dynamite” – Richard and Jack
• “No, this one actually lives in the looney bin. I mean, I saw the van. She’s full on nuts. I mean, she started sane, but then she told me that we already knew each other, and that, I’d remember.”
  “Tell me something, did you believe her when she said she knew you?”
  “Yeah, kind of.”
  “Well I say, go with your gut. You know, maybe you should try to find out where she thinks she knew you from before you give up on her.” – LA X Hurley and Desmond
• “Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?”
  “What’s that?”
  “Ilana. There she was hand picked by Jacob, trained to come and protect you candidates. No sooner does she tell you who you are, then she blows up. The island was done with her. Makes me wonder what’s going to happen when it’s done with us.” – Ben and Jack
• “A warning might have been nice, there, Hugo.”
  “I did say run.”
  “Why’d you do that?”
  “Michael told me to.”
  “Who?”
  “Michael. He’s one of the people who come back and yell at me after they die. He told me I had to stop everyone from blowing up the plane, so, no more dynamite, no more blowing up.”
  “That happen a lot? Dead people yelling at you?”
  “It happens enough.”
  “And you just listen to whatever they say?”
  “Dead people are more reliable than alive people.” – Miles and Hurley
• “A few days ago I was watching TV and one of your commercials came on, and the moment that I saw you, it was like I was hit over the head. All these memories came washing back of my life, only, it was another life.”
  “What kind of memories?”
  “There was a plane crash. And I was on an island.”
  “And I was there?”
  “I think so. We knew each other. Liked each other. And then when I got here, it was almost like I’d been here before. And, for some reason, Hugo, I have a memory of you being here too.” – LA X Libby and Hurley
• “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m crazy.”
  “Yeah, probably, but we’ve all got something, right? I mean, it takes a lot of guts to go up to a total stranger and tell him you know them from some bizarro alternate universe. I’m scared just saying hi to a girl.”  – LA X Libby and Hurley
• “I don’t have to prove anything to you, Richard. You either come with me or you can keep trying to blow stuff up. Your call, dude.” – Hurley to Richard
• “So what do you think we should say to Locke when we get there? I mean, how do you break the ice with the smoke monster?” – Hurley to Jack
• “Ever since Juliet  died, since I got her killed, all I’ve wanted was to fix it. But I can’t. I can’t ever fix it. You have no idea how hard it is for me to sit back and listen to other people tell me what I should do, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe I’m supposed to let go.”
  “Unless you letting go gets us killed. Going to see Locke was my idea, not Jacob’s.”
  “Hurley, you asked me to trust you. This is me trusting you.”  – Jack and Hurley
• “You’re stuck on the island, aren’t you?”
  “Because of what I did.”
  “And, there are others out here like you, aren’t there? That’s what the whispers are?”
  “Yeah, we’re the ones that can’t move on.” – Hurley and Ghost Michael
• “Have you been here before?”
  “No, it’s just being here with you feels so familiar. It’s like a date we’ve never had. Wow, I sound completely insane, don’t I?” – LA X Hurley and Libby
• “Whoa, dude. I think I’m remembering stuff.”
  “You are? You mean, I’m not crazy?”
  “No, I don’t think you are.” – LA X Hurley and Libby
• “The reason I wanted you to see this, Desmond, is because Charles Widmore is not interested in answers, he’s only interested in power. And he brought you back to this island so that you could help him find what he’s looking for. After all, this isn’t the only well.”
  “And that’s the reason you wanted me to see this?”
  “Why aren’t you afraid?”
  “Excuse me?”
  “You’re out here in the middle of the jungle with me. Not a person on earth even knows you’re here. Why aren’t you afraid?”
  “What is the point in being afraid?” – notLocke and Desmond before notLocke pushed Desmond into the well

Questions:

• How did Hurley get THAT far ahead of Richard that he was able to blow up all the dynamite and have enough time to escape the blast radius?
• What’s LA X Desmond’s plan here?  Is he just going to make people realize that everything isn’t right and help them find love like some bizarro universe Ricardo Montalban?
• Why did LA X Desmond run Locke over?  Was it to bring him close to death so he’d get an island flash or because notLocke was a dick to him on the island?
• Who is the creepy kid that Locke and Desmond saw in the woods? He’s different from the kid that Sawyer and notLocke saw in “The Substitute”
• Why did notLocke push Desmond down the well?
• What other ghosts on the island can’t “move on”?
• If the Whispers are souls who can’t move on and only Hurley can talk to the dead, why can everyone hear the Whispers or is Hurley the only on who can really hear them?

What I Liked:

• For those keeping score, there has only been one bad Desmond episode (“Catch 22″).  When there’s an episode that focuses on Desmond, you’re guaranteed two things: 1) One of the sci-fi aspects of the season come into focus and 2) Henry Ian Cusick will give a great performance.  Check and check.  Did you see the way his upper lip quivered when Widmore told him he was back on the island.
• After Desmond, my second favorite non-815er is Daniel Faraday (now Daniel Widmore) so I was glad to see him being his twitchy self
• I’m not even going to try to figure out what the flash sideways are (and I don’t think we’re supposed to really know) but we know what they aren’t: an epilogue and, more importantly, reality
• When Desmond got the flash of Charlie’s “Not Penny’s Boat,” I practically cheered out “Finally!”
• I loved all the little callbacks: the MacCutcheon scotch, Penny running the tour de stade this time, the pier where Desmond got shot, Eloise saying “What happened, happened”, the return of George Minkowski

What I Didn’t Like:

• I wish we could have gotten to the reveal that the flash sideways weren’t reality a little sooner but it’s a nitpick

Lines of the Night:

• “The island isn’t done with you yet.” – Widmore to Desmond
• “I hate to resort to forcing this on you, Desmond, but once it’s over, I’m going to ask you to make a sacrifice. And I hope, for all our sakes, that you’ll help me.”
  “Sacrifice? What the bloody hell do you know about sacrifice?”
  “My son died here for the sake of this island. Your wife, my own daughter, hates me, and I’ve never even met my grandson. But if you won’t help me, Desmond, all of this will be for nothing. Penny, your son, and everyone else, gone forever.” – Widmore and Desmond
• “That man is the only person I’m aware of in the world who has survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event. I need to know that he can do it again, or we all die.” – Widmore to Jin
• “I bet it’s a boy.” – LA X Desmond to Claire at the baggage claim
• “Have you ever been in love?”
  “Thousands of times.”
  “That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about spectacular, consciousness altering love. Do you know what that looks like?”
  “I wasn’t aware that love looked like anything.” – LA X Charlie and Desmond
• “There was this woman two rows in front of me in handcuffs, sitting with a cop. He looked at me. He knew I was holding. If I didn’t take action, I’d be caught. So I got up and went to the lav, proceeded to eliminate the evidence by swallowing my stash. And at that exact moment, we hit turbulence and I choked. The entire bag of heroin was stuck in my throat. Uh, it’s over. Everything starts to go dark. I’m slipping into the abyss and then, I see her.”
  “Her?”
  “A woman. Blond. Rapturously beautiful. And I know her. We’re together. It’s like we’ve always been and always will be. Feeling this love, and just as I’m about to be engulfed by it,” he snaps his fingers, “I open my eyes and this sodding idiot is standing there, asking me if I’m okay. But I saw it. Just for a moment I saw what it looked like.”
  “Well that’s just poetry, brother. You should write a song about that.”  – LA X Charlie and Desmond
• “You think I’m going to play a rock concert after this? This doesn’t matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it. You want to try to stop me? Good luck.” He walks away and Desmond asks where he’s going. Charlie says, “If I were you, I’d stop worrying about me and start looking for Penny.” – LA X Charlie to Desmond
• “Stop talking, Hume. I’ve heard what you’ve had to say, now you listen to me. I want you to stop.”
  “Stop? Stop what?”
  “Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a serious problem. This is, in fact, a violation. So, whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for, you need to stop looking for it.”
  “Do you know what I’m looking for, Mrs. Widmore?”
  “I don’t know why you’re looking for anything. You have the perfect life. On top of it, you’ve managed to attain the thing you wanted more than anything, my husband’s approval.”
  “How do you know what I want?”
  “Because, I bloody do!”
  “I need to see that list or you need to tell me why I can’t.”
  “Because you’re not ready yet, Desmond.” – LA X Eloise and Desmond
• “Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume?”
  “Excuse me?”
  “The first time I saw her, I was walking through this museum a few weeks ago. She works there, she was on her lunch break. She was eating a chocolate bar. She has these incredible blue, blue eyes, red hair, and as soon as I saw her, right in that moment, it was like I was already in love with her, and that’s when things got weird.” – LA X Daniel and Desmond
• “Imagine something terrible is about to happen, something catastrophic, and the only way to stop it from happening is by releasing a huge amount of energy. Like setting off a nuclear bomb.”
  “You want to set off a nuclear bomb?”
  “Just listen. What if this, all this, what if this wasn’t supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life and for some reason we changed things? I don’t want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume, I think I already did.”  – LA X Daniel and Desmond
• “I’m really sorry we had to do this to you, Desmond. But as I told you, your talent is vital to our mission. So if you just let me explain.”
  “It’s alright, I understand.”
  “What?”
  “I understand. You told me you brought me to the island to do something important.”
  “Yeah.”
  “When do we start?” – Widmore and Desmond
• “What happened to you?”
  “What do you mean?”
  “What I mean is, twenty minutes ago you were beating the crap out of Widmore with an IV stand, and now you’re Mr. Cooperative.”
  “A lot can happen in twenty minutes.” – Zoe and Desmond
• “Actually, there is one thing, George. Can you get me the manifest from my flight from Sydney? Just the names of the passengers?”
  “Sure I can. Mind if I ask you what you need it for?”
  “I just need to show them something.” – LA X Desmond and George

Questions:

LA X

• Why is Eloise also aware in all timelines (even without Daniel’s notebook)?
• What did Eloise mean when she told Desmond, “This is, in fact, a violation”?
• Who is Penny’s mother?
• If “love is the constant” (as I am understanding it) that helps people realize that the flash sideway isn’t necessarily real, why haven’t Jin and Sun noticed since they are each other’s love?

Island:

• How did Desmond survive the initial electromagnetic event?
• How does Widmore know all this is happening?
• What does Desmond think Widmore is asking him to do?
• Why did Desmond go with Sayid after agreeing to help Widmore?

What I Liked:

• A great showcase for Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim (who have pretty much been dragged from one place to the other for the last season and a half), particularly, in showing Sun’s frustration with all these plans regarding destiny when all she wants is to leave the island and the emotions washing over Jin as he sees pictures of his daughter, Ji Yeon, for the first time.
• Kevin Durand’s extra-hammy Keamy.  It was both bad and entertaining.
• The return of Andrew Divoff as Mikhail.  I had to laugh when Jin shot him in the eye at the end
• The scene between notLocke and Claire about Kate’s usefulness
• Sayid swimming up to the dock looking like an extra in Apocalypse Now
• The return of Desmond!

What I Didn’t Like:

• It’s kinda ridiculous that Sun and Jin are STILL not together
• Aphasia?  Really?  Where are Seth and Amy when you need them?
• The flashsideway was okay.   Nothing special.

What I Absolutely F*cking Hated:

• That stupid V countdown clock in the corner for the ENTIRE episode.  What the f*ck is wrong with you, ABC?

Lines of the Night:

• “Want some cocoa?”
  “Where’d you find cocoa?”
  “I didn’t. Pretend.” – Sawyer and Kate
• “I don’t feel anything.”
  “Excuse me?”
  “Anger, happiness, pain, I don’t feel it anymore.”
  “Maybe that’s best, Sayid. It will help you get through what’s coming.” – Sayid and notLocke
• “Unless Alpert’s covered in bacon grease, I’m not sure Hurley can track anything.” – Miles about Hurley’s ability to bring back Alpert
• “I promised I would reunite you two. It took me a little longer than I thought it would, but he’s with my people, back at my camp across the island.” He holds his hand out. “I can take you to him right now.”
  “I don’t believe you. You killed those people at the Temple.”
  “Those people were confused. They were lied to. I didn’t want to hurt them. Any one of them could have chosen to come with me. And I’m giving you that choice, Sun, right now. I would never make you do anything against your will. I’m asking you. Please, come with me. Jin is waiting.” – notLocke and Sun
• “When we go home, Aaron’s not going to know me. I’m a stranger to my own son. He thinks Kate’s his mother. Is her name on the wall?”
  “No, Claire, it isn’t. Not anymore. But I need Kate.”
  “Why?”
  “Because I’m three people shy of getting us off this island and Kate can help me get those people on that plane. But, once she does, then whatever happens, happens.” – Crazy Claire and notLocke
• “What’s up with the guns? You two going somewhere?”
  “We’re taking a boat ride to the other island.”
  “What do you need a boat for?  Can’t you just turn into smoke and fly your ass over the water?”
  “Do you think if I could do that I would still be on this island?”
  “No, because that would be ridiculous.”  – Sawyer and notLocke
• “Obviously you’re not John Locke. Everything else I know is a combination of myths, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night.”
  “I think you know more than that, judging by these pylons.” – Widmore and notLocke
• “A wise man once said that war was coming to this island. I think it just got here.” -notLocke to Widmore
• “She hits her head and forgets English? We’re supposed to buy that?”
  “Says the man who communes with the dead.” – Miles and Lapidus
• (In Korean) “Yes, I understand you, you idiot, but if you think I’m going to help you destroy our only way off this island, you’re insane!  I came here to find my husband, so I could bring him home, not so I could save the damn world! She [Ilana]  says I’m important. If that’s true, you need me! So understand this, I’m not going anywhere!”
  (In English) “I don’t think she wants to come.” – Sun and Hurley
• “I don’t think you realize how unhappy Mr. Paik was when he found out that you were doing his little girl. Well you know the 25 grand that you were supposed to deliver? That was my fee for popping you. And from what I hear, anyone who works for Paik knows the cardinal rule, hands off the bosses daughter. But you, you couldn’t resist her, could you? The heart wants what the heart wants.”
  (In Korean) “Thank you.”
  “I’m sorry.  Some people just aren’t meant to be together.” – LA X Keamy and Jin
• “Well maybe you should put a mercenary in charge instead of a geophysicist.” – Zoe to Widmore
• “I have a daughter too. I know what it’s like to be kept apart. I understand the one thing you want is to be reunited with your wife and daughter, but it would be short-lived if that thing masquerading as John Locke ever got off this island. Your wife, your daughter, my daughter, everyone we know and love would simply cease to be. I came here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” – Widmore to Jin
• “Sun, come with us and I’ll help you find Jin. I’ll help you find him and I’ll get you both on the plane and as far away from this island as you can get. I promise.” – Jack to Sun
• “Where’s Sayid? You lose him too?”
  “When you were over there, James, you mentioned that Widmore had someone guarding a room on the submarine. Something they didn’t want you to see.”
  “Yeah, so?”
  “I don’t like secrets.” – Sawyer and notLocke

Questions:

No more LA X questions because really what’s the point?

Island:

• Who are the three people notLocke feels Kate will help him get?
• Why was Kate’s name taken off the cave?
• What happens if you actually take notLocke’s hand?
• Why do the pylons keep out Smokey?
• Why are Widmore’s team trying to identify pockets of electromagnetism on the island?
• How does Smokey plan to get off the island?
• Why does Smokey need the candidates to leave?
• If the same thing happened to Claire and Sayid, how come Sayid has turned into a non-feeling being and Claire can barely contain her emotions?
• What is the significance of bringing Desmond to the island?