10. Making a Monster
"Don't worry brother, I'm not going to kill you." - Jacob
In the long awaited Jacob/Man in Black flashback episode, we see Jacob and MIB were brothers raised by an unstable Island Guardian who posed as their Mother, though she really murdered the real one. As a boy, The Man in Black grew distrustful of his "Mother" and leaves to join some stranded people hoping they will help him leave the Island. Some thirty years later when MIB does find a way through some complex scheme of using the energy at the Island's core with the water to turn the Donkey Wheel that will someday be under The Flame station, Mother takes it upon herself to bludgeon her nameless stolen son, break his magic well, and kill everyone in his camp (which leads me to believe there may have been a smokie before Smokie). The Man in Black isn't too happy about this, so he kills Mother, who was too happy about that, who is then avenged by her newly Island Guardian appointed son Jacob. Since Jacob can't kill his brother, he opts instead to toss him down the cave where the Island's source of energy lies. Unfortunately when a regular person touches this energy they experience something "worst than death." I can only translate that into meaning that once a normie touches the energy their soul is stripped from their body, resulting in a dark ghost that is just as emotionlessly empty as the shell it once inhabited. That's my theory, but what we see is that lovable pillar of black smoke jetting out of the cave and into the jungle. It leaves The Man in Black's true body behind where it becomes "Adam" of the Adam and Eve (Mother) skeletons the castaways found in the cave in season 1. Interesting, if not really confusing.
9. Jacob's list
"This is why you are here. This is why all of you are here." - The Man in Black
Promising a morose Sawyer the answer for his Island blues, The Man in Black brings him to the cliffs on the edge of the Island. After climbing down a treacherous ladder, MIB and Sawyer find a cave down below. Inside is a desk, ontop of which are scales: on one side lies a white stone, on antoher side lies a black stone. The Man in Black tosses the white stone into the ocean. He leads Sawyer further into the cave until they reach a place where Jacob, a man with a fondness for secret lists, made his largest and most important list. The Candidate list, the list of those who he found eligable to replace him. The numbered surnames are written in chalk all over the walls, the majority of which are scratched off. The remaining candidates: 4. Locke, 8. Reyes, 15. Ford, 16. Jarrah, 23. Shepherd, 42. Kwon. MIB scratches off Locke's name of course. He tells Sawyer, again cynically that if he is a candidate he has three choices: 1, do nothing and possibly get crossed off the list. 2, stay behind and protect the Island, though he claims "it's just a damn Island!" and there is nothing to protect it from = Jack? 3, everyone just leaves the Island with him. Sawyer, seeing clearly this Man in Black is not as saintly as he would like himself to appear, agrees only with the hidden agenda that he will leave MIB in the dust once they have a way off the Island. Little did he know, his conman wisdom mixed with heroic selflessness is what plays him and his friends right into The Man in Black's own sinister long con.
8. Man in Black, Man of Faith
"You should know, he was very confused when you killed him." - The Man in Black
After revealing to Ben his true nature, The Man in Black proceeds to creep him out even further by revealing some unsettling insight into the man Ben killed, the man this Monster now looks like: John Locke. MIB apparently knows exactly what Locke was thinking when Ben killed him: "I don't understand..." and mocks him for his flaws. MIB further explains his hatred for Locke, and thus humanity, by classifying Locke as simply an angry, pathetic weakling and the only thing that set him apart from everyone else was that he was the only one who chose a life on the Island instead of the "pitiful life he left behind." In this we gain knowledge of what kind of person, or creature, The Man in Black is. He is clearly angry, frustrated, and cynical. We also know that if there was one person he hated more than Jacob, it was Locke. And finally we get his motive. Ben fearfully asks him what he wants, and he says he wants to go home aka Smokie's coming to town. Even more frightening than the thought of The Man in Black unleashed upon the world is the fact that all of these lines are coming out of the mouth of John Locke, or at least his form. It is very spooky and a complete 180 idealogically speaking.
7. The Man in Black's army unites
This is the incredibly creepy scene at the end of the Sayid centric episode "Sundown." After Sayid kills head honcho Temple Other Dogen, The Man in Black is allowed to wave right through The Temple and kill anyone who doesn't join him. Most of the heroes escape through a secret door. Ben tries to get Sayid to leave with him, but MIB's zombie-like foot soldier stays behind. After everyone who stayed to fight is dead, and when "Catch a Falling Star" plays in the background, Sayid, Claire, and Kate make their way through the ruins of The Temple. Outside they meet The Man in Black and his group of Others who were scared enough to leave. He is satisfied to see his two heroes turned zealots Sayid and Claire arrive, but has to do a slasher villain head tilt upon noticing the "unclaimed" Kate joining him. After this, The Man in Black takes the lead and moves out with his army, ominously trekking into the night. Seeing MIB's terribly content face heading toward us at the end, leaving total single-handed destruction behind him, I only had one thing going through my head: he is just getting started.
6. Sideways Jack and Locke discuss "letting go"
"What makes you think letting go is so easy." - Locke
The Sideways World gave us many satisfying and beautiful character moments with the un-Island experienced heroes, who now try to live out their lives in Los Angeles (could be interpreted as "Lost Angels"...no, okay.) But a particularly great scene was one where Jack and Locke come face to face in a world where their relationship cannot be ruined by leadership disagreements, pushing a button, a dead Boone, a dead Naomi, or whether or not 40 people leave an Island. They'd probably be good friends. Locke is struck by a car driven by a highly enigmatic Sideways Desmond and he is rushed to St. Sebastian Hospital with history teacher Ben Linus at his side, ironically. Miracle surgeon Jack manages to save Locke's life, and offers a surgery on his spine that could allow him to walk again. But Locke strangely declines. Jack tries to figure out why. This leads him to Locke's father, a man "he loves more than anything" (LOL), only to find Mr. Anthony Cooper is in a vegetative state so he won't be handing out answers any time soon. So Jack decides to try Locke once more. Increasingly frustrated and emotional, Locke relents and tells Jack that he had gotten a private pilot's license and was taking his dad out in his plane as a passenger, but the plane crashed after a malfunction. The accident left Cooper in his current state and Locke a paraplegic who regrets destroying he and his father's lives. Jack has a harsh but honest response: Locke's father is, for lack of a better word, "gone" just like Jack's and that Locke should not punish himself by staying paralyzed. Jack tells him he "can let it go", even though he himself doesn't know how to. Locke doesn't want to listen and starts to leave. He is stopped briefly when Jack tells him the last thing he told Jack in the other world: "I wish you had believed me." This scene while filled with tear jerking emotion, was also hilariously ironic: Locke destroys his father's life; Locke loves his father deeply; a plane crash is what caused Locke's paralysis; Jack tells someone to "let it go"; basically a reverse of Jack and Locke's "IT'S NEVER BEEN EASY" speech from the Hatch occurs. I just throught this was great.
5. Ben's confession
"I'm sorry, and I know there is no way you will ever forgive me because...I can never forgive myself." - Ben
In season 6, after the revelation that the despised anti-hero had murdered both John Locke and Jacob, Ben was scorned by everyone else now more than ever and left in a powerless position. He became a quiet follower who may as well have been happy to have a group who didn't care enough to tell him not to tag along. Here we see what Ben, formerly the smooth, cold, and manipulative mastermind, truly is. He is a weak man wanting acceptance and purpose. After his recent and important murders are revealed, he finds himself going from one hero like a lost puppy to the next wondering if there is anything they would like him to do. Ben Linus actually asks politely for an order. When Jacob disciple and castaway de facto leader Ilana makes him dig his own grave with his own death following, Ben is offered his position of power over the Island again by The Man in Black. Ben makes a mad dash for a gun MIB left him and gets the drop on Ilana. But instead of killing her as old Ben would have done, he wants to explain himself. After four seasons of lying and remaining aloof, an emotional Ben opens up to a person he doesn't even know. He confesses to Ilana his responsibility for his daughter's death, an unnecessary sacrifice he made for Jacob and The Island. He reveals that he has devoted his entire life to The Island, and for his power, but that no one cared and he has ended up destroyed and outcast. He admits his vulnerable state when he killed Jacob and apologizes. All Ben wants is to join The Man in Black, someone he believes will give him purpose. But, where he would expect others to have no pity for him, Ilana tearfully allows him to join her. Almost in a daze, he walks back to the beach camp with her, lays down his gun, and helps Sun set up her tent. Benjamin Linus, a killer and bad man in every sense of the word, begins to walk the path of redemption for the first time.
4. Why they were lost
"I'm not really sure where to begin." - Jacob
After terrible tragedy has left many of the people who've been on the show since the beginning dead and their mystical killer is on his way to wreack further havoc, the fading spirit of Jacob gathers the final four castaways: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley and tells them why they were supposed to be on The Island. They are there to correct his grave mistake. To kill the unnatural, uncontrollable force of evil Jacob was responsible for creating. The Man in Black, the Monster that has plagued the Island for what has probably been thousands of years. A great thing happens when Sawyer questions Jacob for meddling with their lives because of something he did. Jacob, always intolerant toward ignorance, tells him that he "didn't pluck them out of some happy little existence." He tells them that they were lost in the world and that the Island was where they could find themselves. They needed it as much as it needed them. That's a great answer, in my opinion. Finally it comes time to decide who will be the Candidate to replace him. But where it was primarily an act of fate that brought them to The Island, Jacob suggested that one would have to choose to become The Protector of The Island out of their own free will. Jack, the man of science turned man of faith, volunteers and is given the strange ritual by Jacob that he himself was given so long ago. It was good to see someone explain to these very confused people why the hell everything that happened after that plane crash happened, and even better to look at how far Jack has come in his journey.
3. Richard's origin
"Get up, we need to talk?" - Jacob
After three seasons of wondering who the hell this ageless guy is, we get our very refreshing Richard Alpert flashback story. We see Richard was once Ricardo, a poor farmer living on The Canary Islands of Spain. Was it just me or was Richard the Spanish, 1800s version of John Locke. I mean, his wife is dying, he accidentally kills a douchebag doctor to get medicine for her, is captured right after finding out wifey did die, is denied absolution from an even douchier priest before execution, is saved from execution by becoming Magnus Hanso's (Dharma Initiative creator Alvar's granddad) slave, slave ship/Black Rock plows into Egyptian statue and onto Island via tsunami, trapped and starved for days while being harrassed by Smoke Monster and boar, sees apparition of dead wife who tells him they are in hell, she gets "caught" it would seem, a Man in Black rescues him and tells him to kill "the devil" = Jacob if he wants to save his wife and escape hell. After this things start to look up somewhat for Richard. On the beach, Jacob beats Richard down and, frustrated at how senseless he is about the situation, convinces him everything MIB said were lies. He then tells him the importance of the Island: It is the only thing that keeps pure evil (MIB) from seeping into the world and that he brings people to the Island to prove that not everyone is as bad as The Man in Black. I really loved how Jacob presents this God complex mindset to Richard: I will bring people here where the right path is, but I expect them to know the difference between right and wrong, I won't tell them anything for that matter. And Richard kind of shows how flawed that idea is, because if Jacob doesn't help the people he brings to the Island The Man in Black is allowed to step in and manipulate them for his own gain. Jacob pauses: "...Huh...Never really thought of that." Knowing a bright man when he sees one, Jacob offers Richard the job of intermediary to the people to the Island. He will help them get on the right track. When Jacob can't bring his wife back or absolve him of his sins, Richard wants to live forever possibly so he won't go to hell or to serve penance so he can find redemption. Jacob can do that. And so begins Richard Alpert's own little saga. It was very poignant and bittersweet. After a few seasons of flashforwards, time travel, and ultimately flash sideways, it was refreshing to see a classic old flashback tale of tragedy having to do with one of the few mysterious characters left.
2. The Man with The Plan
"We did exactly what he wanted." - JackThroughout the season, the very unnerving Man in Black has claimed that he wants nothing more than for he and everyone who ever came to the Island to be free of it forever and go home. But that Jacob's candidates were crucial to leaving, he could not do it without them he said. Despite being separated again and again, MIB and the castaways/candidates ended up together once more. After killing most of Charles Widmore's forces, whom he claimed were trying to kill them, The Man in Black reveals that Frank Lapidus' Ajira plane is too dangerous to risk flying in and that they will have to escape using Widmore's submarine. Sawyer, sticking with his long con idea, tells Jack that since he's staying behind anyway, to keep The Man in Black off of the submarine so everyone else can escape. They arrive at the submarine, and go in in groups to get onboard. While half of the group gets inside and takes over the sub, Jack and MIB are the last to head for it. As MIB tries to persuade Jack to leave with them, Jack knocks him into the water. Immediately after, Widmore's men arrive and a shootout ensues. Kate is shot, forcing Jack to get on the sub to treat her wound. As MIB and Claire kill Widmore's men, Sawyer has the submarine take off. While looking through his bag for medical supplies, Jack finds MIB has planted a ticking time bomb of C4 inside with them. Through a Mulder-esque conclusion, Jack determines everything The Man in Black has done has been so that they would try to leave him behind to escape in a place they would not be able to get out of so he could kill them then. And also that since there is a timer on the bomb, he wants them to inadvertantly set off the bomb and kill themselves, since he can't do it himself due to Jacob's Rules. Sawyer, obviously, doesn't believe Jack and tries to disarm the bomb but instead makes the timer tick faster. Jack was right. Sayid tells Jack to find Desmond because he could help stop MIB, and then bum rushes the bomb to the other side of the sub where it explodes in his hands, killing him. As the submarine sinks, Sawyer and Frank are knocked unconscious, Hurley has to carry Kate to safety, and Jack and Jin try to free Sun from fallen debris. Jin convinces Jack to save Sawyer's life, and tries his hardest to save Sun, his wife who he has been reunited with all too recently. Sun tries to get him leave but he doesn't want to ever leave her again. They kiss tearfully and then drown together. Jack carries Sawyer to the beach where he finds Kate and Hurley. He breaks the news that Sun and Jin are dead too, with this and the deaths of Sayid and Frank (seemingly), the group breaks down in tears. Grief stricken, Jack walks to the waters, as if he thinks he can go back, and then comes to terms. Realizing they are all gone, he painfully begins sobbing. Meanwhile, the villain who caused it all looks out at the ocean unsatisfied, grabs a gun and walks off to "finish what he started." This whole scenario tore me up inside and I'm sure many other Lost fans to pieces. I would have cried had I not been so angry. After this we all had the same idea the survivors had: "We have to kill him."
1. All of the final episode/What it all meant
"We've been waiting for you." - John Locke, last line of the series
I'd be writing for days if I had to describe why I loved this entire episode, one of the best Lost has ever had thankfully, so I will include my favorite parts.
JACK VS. THE MAN IN BLACK: The plans of the players of light and dark worked when Desmond pulled the stone cork from the Island's heart: The Island was crumbling slowly as MIB wanted, and MIB is mortal as Jack wanted, but so is Jack. The Man in Black stood at the cliffs where he planned to climb down and board Desmond's boat the Elizabeth (Libby!) to escape the sinking Island to freedom. He smiled triumphantly, than was startled when his latest enemy, Jack Shepherd showed up and shouted out the name of the man MIB looked like. They both stood on opposite ends of the cliff, staring each other down in the heavy rain. Jack had the prepared, bloodthirsty smile he has when about to fight. The Man in Black, enraged, draws his knife. They take off after each other. What ensues is another, and arguably the most epic, fist fight Lost has given us. It ends when Jack tries to strangle the life out of MIB, who manages to get a hold of his knife and shank Jack in the gut. As our villain tries to ram the blade in our heroe's throat, he goes on telling him how his death is meaningless. But Kate shows up and puts a bullet in this nameless bastard's spine = irony? Jack gets to his feet, and the defeated villain looks on at the Island's impending destruction and tells them: "You're too late." Jack, having enough of this thing, literally boots him off the Island and down the cliff where he meets his death on the rocks below, a killing very reminiscent to Jacob's. And thank god, I must say. No, thank you Jack! The man with fixing in his blood just fixed the Island's biggest mistake. And that was for Sayid, Sun, Jin, Eko, The Oceanic Pilot, Montand, your murdering mother. Good riddance, Smokie.
THE KISS TO END ALL KISSES: After their combined efforts in killing The Island bogieman, Jack and Kate are at a point of separation once again. Frank is about to pilot the Ajira plane off of the Island, Kate wants desparately to leave, Jack feels destined to stay and save the Island. Realizing they will never see each other again, they kiss there on the cliffs just as the sun has come from out of the clouds and blanketed them in a serene light. They part ways, sadly telling each other they love one another. After this scene alone, I never thought I'd say this, Jack and Kate are one of my favorite couples on this show.
JACK AND HURLEY'S GOODBYE: Once they get to The Source, Hurley wonders how Jack will survive if no one goes down to help him bring back the light, to which Jack says nothing, submitting to his own death. Hurley's reaction broke my heart: "No...", he goes on to say that the Island needs Jack, but really you can see Hurley doesn't want to lose another friend. Jack finally tells him the one the Island has always needed was Hurley, which does seem like the most logical choice if you look back on the whole series. Hurley tearfully and reluctantly agrees, telling him it is only until Jack comes back. This was really sad. Jack and Hurley were the first true partners when the show began. But yeah Hurley, who was my choice for candidate, has always been the best of a collection of flawed people: who else was collection and passing out airline food packs in bulk right after the crash. It was a good choice, but a sad goodbye. One of many sad goodbyes in this episode.
BEN AND HURLEY'S PARTNERSHIP: After saving Desmond and the Island, Jack has died. The newly appointed Protector of the Island Hurley lets out how scared he is to the one person who stayed behind. The very redemptive Ben Linus. Hurley doesn't know what to do, but Ben assures him he will end up taking care of people in the end. He also tells him that seeing as how he's in charge, he can have his own Rules instead of living in Jacob's shadow. This helps, but it's not enough. Hurley is a good person, but he doesn't work so well alone (remember Dave?). So Hurley asks Ben if he will help him. Ben accepts. This was such a sweet scene. It really brought back that old hero and villain sharing an Apollo bar in silence memory where I knew Hurley and Ben would end up having an interesting relationship. It was good seeing Hurley pretty much be forgive and forget regarding Ben's past. It was great seeing Ben's humble expression at finally being invited in the loop, unlike Jacob. I think with Hurley's loving and easy going personality and Ben's intellect and experience, they could make the best Island Protector/Island Advisor team yet. A lot better than the cold and very complex sneaking around thing Jacob and Richard were fond of. It certainly seemed that way later. Great moment, giving way to great expectations.
EVERY ENLIGHTENMENT SCENE: Every time a character in the sideways world was enlightened to their past lives I choked up. They were all so beautiful. The birth of Aaron was once again powerful, but that was moreso because of Kate and Claire's reaction to the real birth. Icing on the cake to that was the tearjerking moment where Charlie and Claire remember and embrace. Jin and Sun remembering through a Juliet operated sonogram, and their spark of perfect english. It was just great seeing them in an upper scene after the tragic submarine sinking. Also loved Jin and Sun's impressed reactions when meeting "Detective Ford." The Sawyer and Juliet awakening was multidimensional, it went from funny to funnier to touching. Sayid meeting Shannon and their awakening was a breath of fresh air; I didn't realize how much I missed their little romance. I'm also glad she was his constant, seeing as how he hadn't mentioned her since season 2. And hey Boone, I always liked him and I was glad he was in on Desmond and Hurley's plan. Then finally John Locke's powerful enlightenment. He sees his toes wiggle after Jack performs the miracle spinal surgery and remembers everything. I especially loved the overjoyed smile at seeing his one-time friend and full-time rival Jack. It was wonderful having the great and mystical and seemingly flawless John Locke back. All of these were beautiful moments with great performances all around. If only we got Desmond enlightening Penny, or Ben's full enlightenment.
CHRISTIAN'S REVELATION: Jack is brought to a Los Angeles church (a church that he was going to have his father's funeral at, and the church where The Lamp Post was located). He goes into a back room, while everyone else who had been enlightened would be waiting in the chapel. In the backroom, a minister's office I guess, is the coffin of Jack's father, Christian Shepherd, surrounded by a variety of symbols from different religions. Jack touches the coffin and is flooded with memories of his past life on the Island, the enlightenment he had been rejecting. Once it is over, he opens the coffin and, like in season 1 on the Island, it is once again empty. He closes it, saddened deeply. A voice startles him. It is his father, Christian Shepherd, right in front of him. Jack asks how he is there, to which Christian asks the same question of him. Jack realizes that he had died, and tearfully embraces his father. Christian reassures him (and all the pissed off fans) that they are real and everything that happened was real. Everyone who was enlightened were not enlightened to a life in an alternate reality but a life before their deaths. Christian tells Jack they are in a place where time doesn't exist, a place where they could find each other. Some died before Jack, some after. It is a place where they can remember what they did and to let go now that it's all over. All that's left is moving on into the unknown. This seemed like a fitting end, the lives after and for the rest of the Island days were left a mystery and we were instead graced with our heroes' final journey. A journey into peace.
THE END OF IT ALL: In the afterlife we get the satisfying reunion scene where Christian escorts Jack into the church chapel where the people he lived with, fought with, and died with are there waiting. It was good because on the Island characters are very frequently split apart, but in this scene they are all together and happy. He shakes hands with Locke (finally), hugs Boone (a man he failed to save), Desmond (a friend even long before the Island), Sawyer (a rival turned ally), and Hurley (a trusted partner and friend). Finally he is led to his seat by Kate, the woman he loved. Everyone else take their seats as well, as Christian in his white tennis shoes strolls to the door and opens it. A light envelopes the room, a light not unlike the one at the Heart of the Island, and they all look about in wonder at what comes next.
Intertwined with this scene, is that of Jack's last moments on the Island. He wakes up near a stream after restoring the light. Dying, he makes his way into the jungle until he arrives back in the bamboo forest where his journey first began. Losing strength, he collapses and lies down looking into the sky. Vincent wanders over and lies down next to him. Looking up, Jack sees his friends fly away home on their plane and he smiles happily. As the light goes out of his eyes, and the light fills the room of the church in the afterlife, Jack closes his eyes in a reversal of the show's first image.
After all of this, the only Your Modest Guru as a Lost fan can say is this...
Perfect
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