Lost – Recap – Episode 18

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Oh dear, a new episode of Lost. Can my poor heart take it? You better believe it.

However, before we start with the mailbag and all that jazz, here’s a look at some non-conformist blog stuff:

What’s In My CD Player? Lullabies to Paralyze, Guero, Gasoline
Last Movie Seen? Cemetery Man
NCAA Tournament Bracket? Shot To Hell.
Watching 24 Instead Of The Championship Game? Depends on if the Tar Heels make it.
Loving 24? Of course.

Reaching inside the mailbag, but blowing the anthrax-like dust off it first:

In your recap you mentioned that your glad that this episode wasn’t the season finale. I bet this actual episode wasnt supposed to be the finale, just that episode number. I think that they were planning to have 4 people leave on the boat in this episode for the finale, but when more episodes were ordered, they had to scrap the completed boat and build a new one, because having the completed boat around and not leaving would have been dumb.

I would bet money that we get no major answers to anything in the finale this year. We will either get people leaving on the new boat, or the survivors of the wreck will make radio contact with somebody and then the Lost logo will flash across the screen.

Yeah, probably right about this episode not being meant to be the season finale. Whatever, I just want more. As to what will happen on the finale, that’s probably a really good guess. People leaving on the boat would be better than radio contact, though.

It’s good to know that they have extended the season. In that episode they gave a nod to the Claire centric episode with her dream. It was a good point to connect the two points together and let us know we will get answers. Otherwise if they ended it at this episode nothing would be answered. Like will Michael find out that Walk burned the ark down or what is Walt & Lockes connection to the island? What is in that hatch?
My guess could be like what the ending of a animated series called The Maxx. If you have seen it you’ll know what I mean. When they open the hatch and go through it.

Oh man, I just bought some episodes of The Maxx on VHS from a secondhand store. Maybe I should crack that sucka open and see what I can find. Maybe I’ll actually understand this e-mail. Anyway, missed the Claire reference, but that makes total sense now and it actually creeps me out quite a bit.

Excellent recap – I totally missed the “box factory” connection. I did want to alert you to the fact Sawyer was reading “A Wrinkle in Time.” I am not very good at putting all this stuff together, but since you are, I wanted to add that piece of information.

Ah, yes, Sawyer’s wonderful choice in reading. First “Watership Down” and now this. Well, there’s not much more to say here except that it’s another lovely tidbit that Lost just loves to throw at us.

Enough waiting, I’m on the edge of my seat and I need it! On with the recap!

Previously, on Lost: Locke has lived with his condition for four years, but the people organizing a walkabout in Australia can’t tolerate it.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with! Don’t ever tell me what I can’t do — ever! This is destiny, this is my destiny! This is — I’m supposed to do this, damnit!”

“How do you open a hatch that has no handle, no latch, no discernible way of opening it?”

Boone certainly doesn’t know.

We open this episode with a flashback as Locke is a clerk at a local Wal-Mart type store. He’s setting up a Mouse Trap display, and explains the inner workings of it to a small child. As the child springs the trap, Locke takes that distraction to go talk to a rather beautiful older woman who has waded her way through the shoppers. She wants to know where the footballs are, and Locke knows where they are, both regulation and Nerf. She looks familiar, like she’s been in something before. After she is helped by Clerk Locke, the trap is sprung and the man is stuck in the cage…

…as we go back to The Latch, with Boone asking if Locke wants his opinion (and then, in a weird thing, the closed captioning reveals that Boone has an extra line of “There’s no way to open this hatch.”) No matter what Boone says, Locke ensures that Boone needs some faith as the trebuchet should deliver enough force to break through the rather small glass window on the latch. Boone doesn’t quite know what a trebuchet is, much less how to spell it. What Boone Skywalker is more concerned about is Obi-Locke Kenobi’s resistance to tell his story to Boone, since they’ve been stuck at this latch for two weeks–and it seems they’ve made some progress, as the hatch is still being digged out and it definitely doesn’t look to be part of any non-science fiction ship. The trebuchet is raised, and the payload is delivered…but the weapon not only doesn’t break the hatch glass, but the glass destroys the entire weapon in quick fashion. An angry Locke doesn’t even notice a metal shard of the weapon in his leg until Boone points it out. Boone asks if Locke’s okay…and he is, despite the metal having been at least three inches deep on him. Uh-oh.

At The Campfire with Obi-Locke Kenobi, Locke pricks himself repeated times with a safety pin in both legs to no effect. And then he grabs a piece of firewood, blowing some of the fire off but leaving it hot, pressing it against the bottom of his foot. No effect. When it comes to Locke’s legs, all feeling is…

LOST.

And now, a word from our sponsors… Well, it was rumored to go down this way, and sure enough, it seems that Locke’s miracle recovery from being paralyzed from the waist down seems to be coming back to haunt him. I can already tell that this is going to be a good episode, but they’ll have to do a lot to top the first Locke-centric episode.

Returning to The Jungle with Boone Skywalker and Obi-Locke Kenobi as Boone is curious as to why the whole trebuchet thing didn’t quite work out. Locke dismisses the weapon as not being strong enough, but Boone is of the opinion that the glass simply won’t break. Beliving it to be more simple than that, Locke lays down a simple theory: It’ll break if enough force is applied to it. But what if it doesn’t? “The island will tell us what to do.” Boone asks what Locke means by that, but he doesn’t get a straight answer as Locke wants to go salvage some of the pieces of the shattered trebuchet. Locke has some difficulty carrying one of the new pieces around, but insists that he is okay.

Flashback, as we enter the Store Parking Lot with Locke and the Mystery Woman as Locke spots the woman, chasing her through the parking lot and getting hit by the bumper of a car backing out of the lot. Oh poo, that was low-impact. But it’s a fakeout as Locke is able to get to his feet, fooling most people into thinking that that accident caused his paralysis, but he finally finds the woman, who reveals herself to be his mother.

Going to Some Random Cafe with Locke and his “Mother” as Locke doesn’t believe that this is his mother, since he was raised in several foster homes. Cutting to the chase, Locke asks “mother” what she wants. She just wants to tell him that he’s special, and that he’s all part of a great plan that has already been set in motion and such. Locke asks about his father, but his “mother” scoffs, telling him Locke has no father. It was an immaculate conception. No jokes about Franco Harris, please.

Back to “real-time”, in The Garden of the Rising Sun with the Un-Sawyer as Sawyer quizzes Sun about which leaf to use. Apparently Sawyer is using the leaf for some purpose, but it isn’t working properly. Kate arrives just in time to hear the tail end of that conversation, but that’s Sawyer’s cue to skidaddle, and skidaddle he does. Sun tells Kate that Sawyer is having headaches, and that the assload of aspirin that Sawyer inevitably has isn’t working.

So we’re off to The Cave with Kate and Dr. Jack, as Kate tells the Good Doctor about Sawyer’s ailment. Dr. Jack isn’t up to it, however, as he thinks he’d only get a snappy one-liner for his trouble. Perhaps a new nickname, even.

Returning to The Hatch with Obi-Locke Kenobi and Boone Skywalker as the Young Padawan has given up faith in opening the hatch, convinced that Locke can’t open it. That almost sets Locke off, but Boone cuts him off before he can get too far. Locke insists that the island will show them the way to open the hatch, and that this is just a test. Boone just wonders what kind of sign will be sent. And like that, a small engine plane flutters through the air, smoke puttering out the back of it as it crash lands on the island. Boone is too shocked to comment on it, and suddenly things go wicked for Boone, with his face covered in blood and his shirt drenched in it. Locke turns and sees his “mother” pointing to something in the sky as Boone begins to repeat himself:

“Theresa falls up the stairs.
Theresa falls down the stairs.”

Locke finds himself in the wheelchair again as his mother continues pointing towards the sky. Locke struggles to get out of his wheeled prison, warning not to “take it back” as he falls out of the wheelchair…

…and wakes up in The Jungle at nightfall. Locke is noticeably shaken, and then opens his mouth in surprise at…something.

And now, a word from our sponsors… Oh man, that hallucination was crazy.

Coming back from the advertisements still in The Jungle with Obi-Locke Kenobi and Boone Skywalker as Locke wakes a sleeping Boone at daybreak. Locke is ready to roll out, with no time to explain what’s goin’ on.

And a flashback sends us to Some Random Room with Clerk Locke and Some Random Black Man, who presents him with a report of “Emily Annabeth Locke, in 10,000 words or less.” Sure enough, Emily Locke is John Locke’s mother, and she’s been institutionalized quite a few times, but simply for being a schizo and nothing else. John changes the subject to his father, but the private investigator doesn’t know if he wants to share this information with Locke, as it might not have a happy ending due to the fact the father might not even know of John’s existence. He makes sure Locke wants to know, and he does…

…as we truck along to the Cooper Residence with Clerk Locke, arriving as the son of Anthony Cooper. The security guard at the gate claims that he has no son, and Locke then notices the security camera watching his moves. He wants the guard to explain to Mr. Cooper that he doesn’t want anything, and his mother’s name is Emily Locke, just in case the guard and/or Anthony need any further proof. But that’s enough for an invitation. Inside the house, father meets son, as the father instantly realizes that he’s going to need a drink. As he pours the scotch for not only himself, but for his son, Locke explains that his mother found him, but mentioned nothing about a father. “I guess that makes me God, then.” Mr. Cooper then explains that Emily wasn’t going to originally give birth to John at all. But that plan changed and then suddenly Emily’s calling for money, saying that she’s putting John up for adoption. Mr. Cooper then makes some small talk, leading to Anthony offering to go hunting with John…as Locke does not have the same hunting prowess at this point.

Back at The Hatch with Obi-Locke Kenobi and Boone Skywalker as Locke explains his dream, assuming that the location of the plane crash must contain the object that is needed to bust the hatch open. Boone is skeptical, even wondering if Locke has been using the weird paste stuff that made Boone hallucinate so much he saw his sister get gnawed on by SOME KIND OF MONSTURRRRRRRRRRR, but Locke puts him in his place by asking about Theresa. He then goes into detail about the Theresa chant, neglecting to mention Boone’s blood-soaked body. Boone wonders how Locke knows about that, but Locke is more concerned about finding the downed plane.

Down to The Beach with Michael and Jin, as Dr. Jack arrives as well, noticing that construction is moving along quickly on Michael’s Ark II, as Michael says that the fire wasn’t a complete loss, since it has saved trial and error, now making it just a trial to deal with Jin, who’s language barrier continues to be a problem. Michael is starting to pick up on it, though: He knows the words “faster” and “idiot.” Dr. Jack then notices Sawyer going through his miserable headaches in the distance…

And now Jack wants to have a talk with Sawyer. Sawyer seems to be sensitive to the light as well as the regular headaches themselves, but Sawyer gets snippy and Jack starts to walk away, but Sawyer keeps him around, asking if it’s bad to be having these headaches. The Good Doctor explains that it depends on the cause of the headaches, and Sawyer dismisses that it could be anything like a tumor. Jack wonders what makes him say that, but Sawyer doesn’t seem to want to talk about it until Jack walks away. Turns out Sawyer’s uncle died of a brain tumor. He wonders if that runs in the family, but Dr. Jack simply asks Sawyer if he smells anything burning, or any other kind of phanton smells. Just the headaches does not equal tumor though. Dr. Jack offers to run a couple of tests, but Sawyer jokes that his insurance ran out. Sawyer makes sure that he can’t smell something burning as Jack walks away.

Welcome to The Jungle with Obi-Locke Kenobi and Boone Skywalker, as they both are in search of the plane crash, as Boone wonders how Locke managed to know anything about Theresa. Locke is sure Boone didn’t accidentally talk to himself about Theresa, and then Boone asks about the plane crash in the dream, wondering if that has any relation to the fact they were just in a plane crash…but Locke’s leg suddenly gives out and Boone wonders what’s up with that leg. Locke claims to be fine, but then finds a necklace hanging on a branch. Boone wonders if anyone hiked all the way out here, but Locke doesn’t think so. Whose bracelet is it, anyway? Locke yanks on some kind of rope that was holding a trap, as someone seemingly dressed in preacher garb…a rotten skeleton, that is, falls out of the tree.

And now, a word from our sponsors… Weird. And the flashbacks continue to reveal more about Locke. Who’s the preacher man, though?

Returning in a flashback to The Cooper Residence with John Locke, arriving for another day of hunting. But he walks in on his father hooked up to a dialysis machine. Turns out Mr. Cooper’s kidney is failing and he’s an old man on a long waiting list to get a transplant. Locke is worried but Anthony says that the dialysis will be fine for now, and it should ruin a good day of hunting for the two of them. Mr. Cooper is eager to go shoot some birds…

…as we return to The Jungle with Obi-Locke Kenobi, Boone Skywalker and The Dead Priest as Boone wonders how long he’s been dead. Locke notices the high-quality polyester, thinking that it could’ve been two years (the norm for clothing decomposition) or ten years. Locke notices gold teeth and then finds a wad of Nigerian money in the priest’s pocket. Boone wonders what a Nigerian priest was doing on a South Pacific island, but drawing a pistol from a knapsack, Locke begins to think out loud about whether or not this man is a priest at all.

Meanwhile, at The Beach with Sawyer as he washes his clothes, the headaches continuing to bother him and only getting worse as some random survivors work on fixing a tent on the beach. Sawyer yells at them and then goes back to his pain, but Kate interrupts this and now forces him to go to the Good Doctor…

…so, in The Cave with The Good Doctor and The Un-Sawyer as Dr. Jack runs several tests, including making his pupils react to different stimuli, and asking him a series of questions ending with asking him whether or not he’s had sex with a prostitute and whether or not he’s contracted an STD. Sawyer stomps off angry, and Kate thinks it’s just a cruel joke, but then Dr. Jack reveals that Sawyer needs glasses.

Switching back to The Jungle with Obi-Locke Kenobi and Boone Skywalker as Locke’s walking continues to get stilted and uneven. Boone is worried, but Locke simply writes it off as the shrapnel wound taking its effect. But Boone knows that both legs are going wrong and Locke gets angry at Boone, ending with him falling down once again. Boone is adamant on going back now, but Locke wants to remain in forward motion. Boone finally gets to hear about Locke being paralyzed for four years and the plane crash setting everything right again, but Boone also wants to know how Locke got paralyzed, something that Locke says doesn’t matter anymore. Locke just wants to know why the island is trying to take back his ability to walk, but he knows that the sign that he got in that dream has to mean something, and they have to find that plane crash. It’ll get them in the hatch. Boone helps Locke to his feet…

…and we flashback to The Hunting Ground with John Locke and Anthony Cooper, as Locke guns down a bird with ease, and Mr. Cooper compliments his son on a job well done. He then mentions that John’s mother may have been a little crazy, but he’s glad that it brought them together, while there’s still time. They set off to find the dead bird…

…and it’s back to The Jungle with Locke and Boone as Boone is now carrying the hobbling Locke along. They stop to rest, and Boone reveals that Theresa was his nanny. Boone then explains that his mother wasn’t around much, so someone needed to take the brunt of his hellraising. So he would always call for Theresa on the intercom, and one day she took a bad step, and broke her neck, while Boone was only six years old. There’s a pause and Locke starts laughing, offending Boone until Locke points at the thing that’s making him laugh: The crashed plane hanging out in a tree.

And now, a word from our sponsors… That was a neat series of scenes right there. For some reason, I think Sawyer would look much more reserved and awesome in glasses, especially when he would do the dramatic removal of the glasses for when the time is right. Can’t you just see Sawyer slowly taking the glasses off as the MONSTURRRRR appears before him. “Oh my god.” Just imagine Sawyer saying that in the Charlton Heston voice.

We’re still in The Jungle with Locke and Boone as Boone talks about the plane, with Locke confirming that it was the one in his dream. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been there, only that there’s something inside it that they need. And it’s going to have to be Boone to find out what that is. Boone seems unsure of himself, looking at the long climb ahead, but eventually is up for it. I can see how Boone is going to end up a bloody mess now.

But it’s time for a flashback, as we go to Some Random Hospital with Locke and Anthony Cooper, and as I suspected, Locke is going to give up his kidney to his old man. Mr. Cooper is thankful for his son’s help, but Locke assures him it was meant to be. “See ya on the other side, son.”

Returning to The Beach with The Good Doctor and The Un-Sawyer, as Dr. Jack breaks the bad news to Sawyer. “You’ve got hyperopia.” “That’s…what is that?” Turns out Sawyer is farsighted, something that is possible if you end up reading a little too much later in life. So here come the glasses parade for Sawyer, as each one turns out to make his vision worse. But Sayid has made a special pair of glasses, and it turns out to be just right for Sawyer…despite the design looking terrible with two lenses from different glasses. Hurley hits a slam dunk: “Looks like someone steamrolled Harry Potter.” Kate gets a good laugh out of it, and everyone walks off except for Kate, who gets a closer look at Sawyer with glasses, looking perfectly fine except for the design of the frame.

Cut to The Wall and Boone, as Boone continues to scale his way up towards the plane crashed high above in the thicket of trees that surround a wall. Boone struggles his way up as Locke watches intently. Boone makes it to the top of the plane, looking for an entrance. He peeks inside the window, and then knocks the hatch off, sending it far below to the ground. Boone enters, finding a map of Nigeria and the Sahara desert. But that’s too much movement and the plane starts to fall, jarring Boone down and having the pilot land on top of him, scaring the bejesus out of him. Locke needs to help Boone, asking what he sees. And Boone gives Locke his sign…a statue of the Virgin Mary with heroin inside. Boone continues to investigate, finding a radio. He gets static, but the plane continues to descend, and Locke warns Boone to get out while he still can. Boone sends out a Mayday transmission…and he makes contact. WHOA. Boone explains that he is a survivor of Oceanic flight 815…but the return transmission ruins everything: “There were no survivors of Oceanic flight 815.” Uh-oh. The plane takes its final descent, going nose first into the hard ground below, with the tail landing in front of it, the plane now upside down but Locke managing to stay out of harm’s way. Locke works his way over to save Boone, trying to run but finding himself in pain. He reaches the plane, sorting through the wreckage and finding a severely bloody Boone. Sure enough. Locke gives it his all to take Boone away from the wreckage…

And now, a word from our sponsors… Contact, but it’s useless. How nuts is that?

Home stretch, as we return to The Cave with The Good Doctor and Kate, as Kate thanks the Doctor for helping Sawyer. But Jack didn’t do it for Sawyer. Here comes Locke with Boone on his shoulders, as Locke lowers Boone near Jack’s operating table as Locke makes up a lie about where they’ve been, saying that Boone fell off a cliff where they were hunting. Boone’s chest is a bloody mess as Jack asks for something to stop the bleeding, and Jack wants to ask Locke exactly what happened, but he turns his back on Locke and he disappears.

Repetition of his name awakes Locke in a flashback as he’s in Some Random Hospital Minus His Father…the nurse compliments Locke on doing such a good deed, but Mr. Cooper checked out earlier, and is now under private care. He didn’t even leave a message for his son. And then here comes Emily, apologizing and saying that she needed some money. Mr. Cooper asked for Emily to go see John after the surgery. He used Locke for his KIDNEY. What a bastard. Locke is very angry, and he’s even angrier when…

…he arrives at the Cooper Residence and Eddie the Guard won’t open up. His father isn’t seeing guests. An angry Locke drives away, stopping his car to sob uncontrollably. The sobbing continues…

…in the jungle as Locke yells out to anyone who will listen why “he” has done this to him, having done everything he has been asked to do. Pounding on the hatch and sobbing away…a light floods the hatch. Locke is mesmorized by it, and my jaw drops.

End show. Holy bejesus.

A light turned on in the hatch. A LIGHT TURNED ON IN THE HATCH!!! WHOA BUDDY!

So this wasn’t as good as the first Locke episode, but it was still pretty damn amazing. Terry O’Quinn is a wonderful actor, and it’s no wonder Lost got good ratings this episode, good enough for ABC to ride to victory.

I can’t even begin to speculate on the light in the hatch, because that just came out of nowhere.