Measure of Last Resort

Before I blog about this week’s episode “Across the Sea”, I have a little more to say about last week’s episode, which has created quite a stir in the LOST community. A lot of fans have been bashing the episode and some people have gone so far as to say that it has ruined the series for them. My opinion is simple…I feel that fans reacted more to what the episode was NOT instead of what the episode was. It was a brilliant story with excellent acting. It was NOT the story of the island’s origin. It was NOT an episode that dealt with the Egyptian mythology or how Tawaret was built. I was personally hoping for all of those things and with only a few hours left in the series, the episode left me a bit deflated because I realized those stories would not be told. However, with a second viewing and with my hopeful anticipation for that other information put aside, the episode really blew me away.

Now onto this week’s episode…

Desmond Is Unique

We’re not sure exactly what Charles Widmore said to unLocke after he told him that Desmond was a “measure of last resort”, but we know what unLocke plans to use him for. His ability to withstand the effects of electromagnetic energy will be quite important in the finale, but I’m just as interested in his abilities in the sideways timeline. First he wakes Ben up by beating the snot out of him and telling him that he’s trying to help Locke “let go”. Then he turns himself in so that he can orchestrate Kate and Sayid’s escape (with the aid of Hurley and Ana Lucia). I really liked the way he asked Kaye and Sayid to trust him and promise him that they’d do something for him if he helped them. This concert at the museum that everyone is going to is going to be some reunion.

Don’t Get Freaky

Jack’s neck is bleeding again, just like in the season premiere. Why? Who knows, but it’s nothing a nice bowl of Super Bran for breakfast with your son and half-sister can’t cure. Jack will be headed to the concert too because David is performing, but he seems to react a bit funny when he learns that David’s mom will be there too. David makes him promise not to get freaky and then Jack gets a call from Desmond who claims to be from Oceanic and says that they’ve found his lost cargo (Christian’s coffin).

Danielle Kidnaps Ben

In a nice little twist, Alex’s mom makes an appearance and they have Ben over for dinner, but not before he protests and Danielle says, “You’re coming to dinner even if we have to kidnap you”. Excellent line! After dinner, Ben learns that Alex’s father died when she was only two and Danielle explains that Ben is the closest thing she’s ever had to a father. Ben’s emotions in this scene were excellent and there was a nice moment between Danielle and Ben as he blamed the onions for his tears.

Time To Let Go

Locke’s visit to Jack in the office can be summed up with the reuse of some favorite lines from episode’s past. Locke says that maybe this is happening for a reason and Jack counters with the suggestion that Locke might be mistaking coincidence for fate. Regardless, Locke has seen enough to know that he’s finally ready to get out of his chair and walk again.

30 Years Ago or Last Week

Miles was in the episode just long enough to deliver a couple of very funny lines including the comment about “being in Dharmaville last week, otherwise known as 30 years ago” and then calling Ben’s room behind the secret room, the secreter room. This is before he split on his own for fear of unLocke killing him.

Evil Ben is Back

Granted, we still don’t know exactly what he’s up to, but Ben definitely has his evil flag flying high. After explaining that the “secreter” room was where he used to summon the smoke monster and now he realizes that it was actually summoning him. The long-awaited confrontation with Widmore was short lived as unLocke slit Zoe’s throat and then Ben repeatedly shot Widmore after Charles spilled the beans to unLocke about Desmond. Ben’s motivation was that it was unfair for Charles to make a deal with unLocke that could save his daughter Penny when he has no chance of saving his own daughter. Loved his lines, “Can I get you a glass of lemonade?” and “Didn’t you say there were some other people to kill”?

We’re Very Close To The End

Jacob finally has a pow-wow with some of his island visitors and while I have to wonder why he didn’t just do this from the start, I also have to remember that everything happened for a reason and I don’t believe someone like Jack would ever willingly choose fill Jacob’s shoes unless he had the experiences he’s had. I think the Q & A session with Jacob and the gang was perfect. Not too much information, but just enough to satisfy me in terms of why them.

…And Found

I find myself with less and less to say about these episodes as the series winds down. Maybe it’s because I’m tired or maybe, and more likely, it’s because I said all I have to say. I’m only going to write one more blog and it won’t be a recap of the finale. It will be character focused like I anticipate the finale will be and I hope that by analyzing each character’s journey, we can all find something to take away with us. Jacob said he chose each of them because they were flawed and alone. He said they needed “this place” (the Island) as much as it needed them. Well, I believe the reason many of us watch the show is because we see little pieces of each character’s flaws in ourselves and we all want to learn and grow from experiences, even if they are not our own. We have all been LOST. Now it’s time to be found…by ourselves.

Sunday…The End!