"Lost" recap: We're off to see the Jacob

Last night's episode of "Lost" was perhaps the most head-throbbingest (no, that probably isn't a word) of the whole season. About three quarters of the way in, my husband turned to me, sighed and said lamented that the show always gets super complicated right before the season finale. Too true.
Yet, even with all the complicated time travel stuff, it was still a pretty solid episode, featuring the return of Sayid (everybody together now: Woooooo-hooooo!), the ever-increasing confidence of John Locke, the ever-increasing anxiety of Ben Linus, the growing complexity of the Jack-Kate-Juliet-Sawyer love quadrangle and not one, but two Richard Alperts. Oh -- and it looks like we might get to see Jacob sometime soon. Yay! With all this going on, it probably doesn't matter that all the time travel gobblety-gook gave me a migraine. Here are some more of my thoughts on this week's episode of "Lost," titled "Follow the Leader."
* We pick up where we left off, with Eloise shooting Daniel, only to realize that he very well could be her son. Turns out, Daniel is absolutely dead (for now. Sigh. You just never know on this show, which is getting to be a problem). Kate and Jack are found peepin' in the bushes, and the Others aren't pleased. But Ellie has some sense of what's going on. She remembers Daniel from when he told her to bury Jughead back when she was a teenager. Here's a question -- if she remembered Daniel, why was she so quick to shoot him? Well, regardless, she regrets her actions now, particularly after seeing that Daniel was carrying a journal inscribed with her handwriting. Desperate for answers, Eloise looks to Jack and Kate for help. Jack tells her of Daniel's plan to undo everything -- including his murder by his own mother -- and Eloise seems to be on board. Kate, not so much.
* About that. As much as I dislike Jack and Kate, I have no beef with the performances of Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly. Fox in particular does an excellent job of conveying Jack's desperation and arrogance. A perfect example is the scene between Jack and Kate in the Others' tent. Jack explains that, if Daniel's plan works, all their misery will be undone. Kate points out that, if it's all undone, she and Jack never will have met. He seems OK with that, and she's hurt. He points out that, ever since the crash, their lives have been full of misery. It's then that they have this crucial exchange.
Kate: It wasn't all misery.
Jack: Enough of it was.
Heartbreaking, and it poses an interesting question: would you be willing to forgo meeting the love of your life if it would save lives, and if it would save you a lot of suffering? Usually, I don't give a damn about the Jack-Kate relationship (or about any relationships involving Kate or Jack), but this scene put their on-again-off-again romance in a new light.
* OK, let's talk about what would have happened without the crash. Jack's reasoning, as usual, is flawed. Without the crash, Kate would be in jail. Locke would be in a wheelchair. Charlie would be addicted to drugs (but at least he'd be alive, so who knows what to think about that). Still, Sayid might have been reunited with Nadia sooner without the crash, and maybe, in that version, she wouldn't have been murdered. Ana Lucia would be alive. Also, if I recall correctly, Sawyer had some sort of emotional turning point after killing the man he thought was Sawyer (and quickly figured out wasn't). Without the crash, maybe he makes peace with his past, and gets to know his daughter. Or maybe he goes to jail for killing a guy in Australia.
I could talk about this for a while (I haven't even touched on what it would mean for the freighter folk), but let's move on to the present day islanders.
* Regardless of what the outcome would be, it appears that the Jack/Daniel plan doesn't work, because modern day Richard tells Sun that he watch Jack, Kate, etc. die back in the 70s. Sun is deeply dismayed. She's slightly comforted when Locke tells her he's going to fix everything. But then, there's something off about Locke and Richard, of course, notices.
"You seem different, John," he says. The beatific Locke replies "I have a purpose now." Richard is, quite reasonably, freaked out by this.
* I'm gonna dive into Richard a bit more now. So, as Ben pointed out, Richard is not the leader of The Others but a "sort of adviser." Who appointed him? The Island? Jacob? Was he just born a regular guy, and morphed into this strange, ageless guy? Or was he always special? Who is he? Why is there? And why does he always seem to pick men to lead The Others (I'm assuming Charles is the leader in the 70s, since we know he used to be the leader at some point. And if that's true, I'm a little miffed that it wasn't Eloise. She's just as tough as Charles. Why can't she lead? You know what -- let's form an Others female empowerment movement right now! Ok. End of rant).
*Quick discussion of Locke in the jungle with Richard and Ben. How did he know that he would be coming out of the jungle? And why did he tell Richard to tell that Locke that he had to die? I know the Island told Locke to do it, but why? Because it had always happened? And how does a freakin' island talk? What is UP with that?
* Great moment -- Richard offering Locke the bullet that was in his leg. Hee-hee.
* Richard and Ben both are dismayed that Locke wants to see Jacob -- and that he rallies the Others around this cause. Apparently, this is not behavior befitting a leader, and Richard is flummoxed, which he expresses to Ben. Ben smugly states that this is why he tried to kill Locke. That smug smile is quickly wiped off Ben's face when he realizes that Locke's pilgrimage to Jacob isn't about saving the 1970's crew, but about killing Jacob. What? Why? Locke, you don't even know Jacob! How could he have possibly pissed you off to the point where you'd want to kill him?
* Let me mention that I loved the scenes with Locke and Ben this week. For the first time, Ben has no control over a situation and the panic and horror on Michael Emerson's face was priceless. That last moment, when Locke reveals his "I'm gonna kill Jacob" plan, Ben's face is a mask of complete shock, and Emerson does that whole "Good heaven, I just released my bowels" look better than anyone.
* Quick shout out for the shot of Locke's army traveling to Jacob. It was absolutely beautiful and creepy at the same time. Good work, folks.
* Ok, back to the 1970s. Jack, Kate, and Eloise continue their mission, and Kate, dependably, starts whining and wants to bail. An Other tries to prevent her from leaving but is quickly shot by...SAYID! Yay! He's back, and he still, unfortunately, thinks Ben is dead. Kate reveals that she saved Ben and Sayid asks why. Kate is understandably taken aback and utters one of the night's best lines: "Since when did killing kids and detonating hydrogen bombs become OK?" As much as I dislike Kate, I'm with her on this one. Anyway, she leaves and gets caught. More on that in a second.
* I'm running out of time, so I'm going to skip the Others water Olympics (oh, and the rediscovery of Jughead), and discuss what happened in the Dharma camp. When Sawyer doesn't reveal Kate's location, even after being pummeled by Radzinsky, Phil hauls off and hits Juliet, hoping this will get Jim to talk. It doesn't. Eventually, Chang, realizing that this group is from the future (and that Miles is HIS Miles), intervenes and tells Rad and co. to load Jim and Juliet onto the sub. This leads to moment of tranquility between Sawyer and Juliet, as they realize they're about to be free. They exchange googly eyes and "I love yous" on the sub...then someone mentions they found another of the turncoats. Yep, it's Kate. D'Oh! Juliet looks absolutely miserable. Great work by Elizabeth Mitchell in that scene. I wanted to hug her.
* Also wanted to hug Miles, as he watches his father cruelly cut ties with his mom, because it's the only way to get her and Miles on the sub, and off to safety. The look on Miles' face as realizes that he father abandoned him to save his life is heartbreaking. Of course, Hurley realizes what seeing this must do to Miles and offers a heartfelt "Sorry, dude." Nice moment.
Well, that's all for this week. I might be late posting the season finale recap next week, due to a personal engagement, but I promise to offer thoughts on the episode as soon as I can.
That's it for me.

"Lost" recap: My mutha was an otha

Gotta say, I had high hopes for tonight's episode of "Lost." For one thing, it was the series' 100th episode, and many shows try to do something big to mark that occasion. For another, the episode was titled "The Variable," a scientifically-skewed title that brought to mind one of last season's most beloved and twistiest episodes, "The Constant."
Admittedly, it was a decent episode, giving us some solid back story on Daniel and Eloise (and helping explain why both of them seem so cuckoo), and advancing the main plot a bit. Yet it wasn't a spectacular episode -- certainly not up to the standard of "The Constant," but also paling in comparison to the two excellent episodes that preceded "The Variable," "Dead is Dead" and "Some Like it Hoth."
I guess the problem is, though I like (liked?) Daniel, I just don't feel as connected to him as I do the other characters. Maybe it's because he's just so strange and otherworldly -- and not in a badass Ben Linus way. Daniel just always seemed like a cipher to me, an intriguing yet spooky character that I admired but just couldn't warm to. Even Ben, the show's probable villain, is more engaging. I want to know what's going on in Ben's mind because I sense it's a deep, dark, complicated place.
Daniel's mind seems like it's all equations and hypotheses and theories about destiny. Oh, and a deep love for women who will eventually experience terrible suffering because of him... or shoot him.
Still, though I found it underwhelming, the episode provided plenty of fodder for discussion. We learned just HOW close Eloise and Charles Widmore really were; whether Desmond survived Ben's gunshot; and how the assault of Phil will affect the islanders.
Below is a rundown of some thoughts about, observations on and highlights from "The Variable."
* First, we must talk about Desmond. I guess I was so relieved that Ben didn't kill Penny that I didn't realize how hurt Desmond was. I was pretty worried about ol' Des when I saw him being wheeled into the hospital on that stretcher -- partly because it would be sooooo typical of "Lost" to spare Penny, only to murder Des. It was even more stressful when an unusually frazzled Eloise showed up at the hospital and apologized to Penny for her role in Ben's attack. Then, near the end of the episode, when a frightened Eloise admitted that she didn't know if Des was going to be OK, I almost wet myself. Thankfully, Des was fine (though I am a bit worried about little Charlie. Why would Penny leave her son alone with a nurse she didn't know right after she and her entire family had almost been killed. Wouldn't she be hanging on to her tot for dear life?)
* Ok, with Desmond out of the way, we can discuss Daniel. Following his return to the island, Daniel ends up where we always knew he would, in the Orchid, bumping into Dr. Chang. That's, of course, how the season started. Turns out, Daniel was there to persuade Chang to get his people off the island because there was going to be an electromagnetic event that day. The event leads to the building of the Swan, which eventually leads to Desmond's failure to push the button, which leads to the crash, which leads to the arrival of the freighter, blah, blah, blah.
Basically, Daniel later informs Kate and Jack, if he can stop that electromagnetic event, he can keep everything that followed from happening. Daniel also helpfully explains that this is possible, despite his previous assertion that the past can't be changed and that whatever happened, happened.
Apparently, he had not previously taken into account "the variables," i.e. himself and the others on the island. Because of them, things could possibly change. All they have to do is detonate the H bomb and...Ok. I have to stop. My brain is throbbing just thinking about it. Let's move on, shall we?
*Eloise's chilly demeanor and insistence on concepts like destiny make a whole lot more sense now that we know she unwittingly killed her son (or, at least, it appears that he's dead. I won't believe it for sure until his body is buried. Or possibly burned). I imagine shooting your child is more palatable if you believe it serves a higher purpose.
* Quick question -- when did Dan test his time travel experiment thingie on himself? We saw him test on the mouse and knew he tested on Theresa. Did he get sick from testing his mouse? Or did he test on himself in between the mouse and Theresa? Or, did we see him test on himself, and I've developed a case of Faraday-itis that has caused me to forget this incident? Please offer suggestions.
* Still not entirely sure why Daniel is crying when he sees the Oceanic 815 wreck on TV. Is it because, somewhere in his brain he knows the manufactured crash will lead to his mother shooting him? Is it because, somewhere in his brain, he know the crash will lead to the death of another woman he loves? Or has he just gone bat-poop insane?
* So, we've learned that Widmore is Daniel's father. Sort of shoots a big hole in my theory that Widmore was Charlotte's father. I suppose Widmore could be her father too...but ewwwww!!
* Speaking of Charlotte, Daniel finally gets around to freaking out the 1970s version of his red-headed lady love this episode. That led to what was arguably the most touching moment of the episode. Little Charlotte is eating chocolate when Daniel sees her. When she spots hims, she mournfully states "I'm not allowed to have chocolate before dinner." If I'm not mistaken, those were also adult Charlotte's last words. Awww. Poor Daniel looks heartbroken. Must say, though I sometimes find his character opaque, Jeremy Davies is excellent as Faraday, doing his best to pull back the curtain on this enigmatic guy and show us some semblance of a human being.
* Charlotte isn't the only one that Daniel freaked out. When he informs Chang that a) he's from the future and b) Miles is Chang's son, Miles wigs big time. However, I'm guessing his fervent denial that he and Chang share blood only served to convince Chang that Miles is his baby son, all grown up. Then again, I thought Widmore was Charlotte's dad, so what the hell do I know?
* With Phil/Jimmy Barrett tied up in the closet, Sawyer and Juliet know it's only a matter of time until their perfect Dharma life is torn asunder. They gather Jack, Kate, Hurley and Jin and take a vote on whether they should return home on the sub, or go back to the jungle. Jungle is winning when Daniel turns up and suggests a third option: taking a day trip to the Others' camp. Jack is for it, as Daniel has already told him that coming to the island was a mistake. Kate is wavering. Sawyer, looking to sway her, gazes in her eyes and calls her Freckles. Juliet then blurts out the code for the fence and tells her romantic rival (oh yeah -- and Jack and Daniel, too) to scram.
* Best line of the episode, while arming themselves for the journey to the Others' camp, Kate tosses Daniel a shotgun. The perplexed egghead looks at her and asks "Do you have anything for a beginner?" Ha!
* This light moment is followed by an intense shootout with Radzinsky and his merry band of black jumpsuit-wearing goons. Jack and co. escape and Radzinsky is calling for blood. He heads back to Sawyer's to ask "LaFleur" why he isn't being a better security dude. Sawyer hems and haws bit, but the jig is up when Rad-man finds Phil in the closet. D'oh! Sawyer and Juliet are busted.
* When Jack, Faraday and co. get to the Others' camp, Faraday asks for Eloise. Instead, he finds Richard who insists Eloise isn't there. Faraday then demands to see the bomb. Richard hems and haws, as Daniel sticks a gun in his face and threatens to pull the trigger. A trigger is indeed pulled, but it's Eloise doing the shooting. She shoots Daniel and apparently kills him. As he dies, Daniel gazes at his mother with a look of horror and betrayal. You knew this would happen, he tells her, but you let me come back here anyway.
Sigh.
Tragic. Yet somehow way less exciting than prolonged scenes of Hurley and Miles bantering in a microbus. I'm not sure why.