Episode 601 - Lost (finally) Lands at "LA X"

Na-ma -f_ckin'-ste, y'all! it's been too, too long since we've had new Lost to discuss, but here we are, at the start of Season 6, the "Swan" song of Lost. This is your only warning - if you have not seen the two hour premiere, "LA X" (space intended to be there), read no further (but seriously, why would you be reading this?) But if you saw what I saw (or think I saw) this week, then jump headlong in...

...but first a word from our sponsor. Seriously, people, what's the deal with spam messages getting posted as comments to my posts??? Isn't the fact that I need to keep setting up new email addresses to stay away from you bottom-dwellers enough? Now you have to mess with my blog? You're lower than graffiti artists. Go away. Now, back to our program.

The Temple revealed! The Smoke Monster unmasked!! Jughead's effects in graphic, confusing detail!!! All this, plus a little too much Rose/ Bernard PDA, in "LA X"!

Aside Number 1: If you've seen the episode, by now you've figured out that the narrative conceipt of Season 6 is what the producers are calling "Flash-Sideways," in which we get two seemingly mutually exclusive stories of the same characters. For the time being, I'm going to refer to the characters who begin Season 6 fully aware of the events of the past 5 seasons using their familiar names. The characters who landed in L.A. on Oceanic 815 will be known henceforth as either "alterna-Jack" or "Locke2." And to avoid any further confusion, the guy who we thought was Locke while the "real" Locke was still dead in a casket is "Flocke," short for "faux-Locke." Just so's we're all clear...

Alternaverse
"LA X" introduced us to a parallel universe/ alternate timeline (pick your Star Trek/ Marvel Comics terminology of choice) in which, thanks (presumably) to the detonation of Jughead in the Swan pit, Oceanic 815 never crashed, and the characters arrived, safe and sound, in L.A. Indeed, our first look at these characters only covered the events of the (mostly) uneventful flight, and their arrival at the airport, without any details of their lives since returning from Australia. But one thing became very clear, very quickly - the changes in their lives did not begin with not crashing on the island. Rather, there are already apparent changes in these alternaLosties' backstories that are manifest. The obvious conclusion from this is that the many ways these people's lives intertwined before the crash were not a coincidence, at all, and the fact that the Swan hatch was never built seems to have created a chain reaction that changed a number of these people in slowly revealing ways. Of course, we also got hints of Eloise Hawking's "Course Correction" theory at work...

Alterna-Jack
As is customary with Lost, we mostly got Jack's perspective on things. What was clear from the outset is that there have been a few subtle changes. Check out this video comparing the similar events from the Pilot episode with "LA X"...




So anahoo...Jack2 gets only one extra vodka from Cindy2 (two before) and gets comforted by Rose2 (rather than vice versa). The initial look on his face suggests an awareness, if only subconscious, that this place he finds himself is somehow...off. His initial conversation with Rose2 starts what I thought was an awesome trend of double-entendres throughout the alterna-clips. In particular, Jack2's comment, "looks like we made it," and Rose2's response, "we sure did," while ostensibly about surviving some turbulence, could just as easily refer to the fact that their plane did not break up and crash on an island, as it did at that point in "real" life.

The next change (not a change, but the natural progression of not having crashed) is that Bernard2 returns from the tail-section restroom, and rejoins Rose2 in their seats. Jack2 then hits the can himself, only to find a shaving cut just opened up under his collar. But note the look on Jack2's face as he takes a long gaze at himself in the mirror. Is it that he can't believe he's here (even if he doesn't know why)? Or is that just the toll of the stress of fetching his dead father and going through rough turbulence?

Aside #2 Here's course correction at work - this cut thing seems to have happened at almost the precise moment that Jack realized he had a serious cut on his back after the crash. It's as though Jack2, much like Jack, is somehow "meant to" be cut and bleed at that moment, even if this version is considerably more innocuous...

When Jack2 returns to his seat, he finds that the aisle seat, previously empty, is now occupied by a man we recognize as Desmond2 (for now - more on this later). This, of course, is another marked departure - Desmond was never on flight 815. Rather, he arrived on the island 3 years earlier, and his failure to hit the button caused 815 to crash. As for what Desmond2 is doing flying from Sydney to L.A. rather than "saving the world, bruthah," your guess is as good as mine. In any case, Jack2 seems to recognize Desmond2, but they chalk it up to that weird feeling people get when someone looks familiar.

Aside #3 - the "for now" bit is my hedge - given Des2's disappearance (see below), and Faraday's claim that he's uniquely special makes me wonder if Desmond will somehow find himself experiencing both timelines, and clueing in our alterna-characters about their other destinies...

Also, and thanks to "Doc" Jensen for this, the book Desmond2 is reading is a work by Salmon Rushdie, the most famous quote from which is "what's the use of stories that aren't even true?" Something to ponder as we continue down the alternaverse rabbit hole this season...

As the Jack2/ Desmond2 exchange ends, we get a really funky camera move, out the window, into the water, to the floor of the ocean, where we see...the Dharma barracks? And the Dharma shark? And the ankle and foot of the Tawaret statue? The obvious implication is that, sometime after Jughead blew, the island sank. This is why Desmond is not there to push the button, and why the island doesn't drag 815 down. The questions asked by this reveal, though, are (1) when exactly did the island sink (the fact that the aforementioned structures are still intact suggests it was not immediately following the blast, because I can't imagine pre-fab houses surviving an H-bomb) and (2) how did it sink?

Cindy2 then pages for a doctor, and explains to Jack2 that a passenger has been locked in the lavatory and won't respond anyone's knocks. Sayid2 also makes an appearance, and assists by kicking in the lavatory door. They find Charlie2, not breathing. After a tense moment, Jack2 clears Charlie2's airway of the bag of heroin that had been lodged in there. Charlie2 comes to, and, in another double-entendre moment, asks, "Am I alive?" To which Jack2 responds, "yeah, you're alive."

As Charlie2 is escorted away by air marshals, again echoing the course-correction theme, he grouses at Jack2 that he was supposed to be dead, and Jack2 should have let him die. More of the double-meaning smacking us in the face. The message? What's done is done, doc. Stop messing with things.

Jack2 returns to his seat and finds Desmond2 is gone. We knew Desmond2 was seated, "officially," elsewhere on the plane. Did he go back to his seat, or back to our "regularly-scheduled programming?"

After touching down, while in Customs, Jack2 is paged to the courtesy counter. They inform Jack2 there was a mix-up with Christian's coffin, and not only is it not on the plane, they don't know where it is. Jack2 is upset because, well, his dead dad is missing, and the funeral is only 2 hours away (that's a bit of excessively tight scheduling, eh?)

Aside #4 - I can't help but wonder at this point, was Christian ever loaded onto the plane? We never saw his body after 815 crashed. Maybe the empty casket was someone else's? Or maybe this mixup is just alternaverse's lamer version of the same mystery, i.e. what happened to Christian Sheppard?

Anyway, more on Jack2 when he crosses paths with Locke2 in a bit...

Alterna-Sayid - there don't apear, thus far, to be so many changes in Sayid2's story. Just as always, he seems bound for L.A. to try to find Nadia2. We see him look at her photo both on the plane, and in the customs line. For now, that's all the Sayid2 we get. But I'm sure that will change, particularly given what happens to Sayid Prime...

Alterna-Kate - We'll come to realize before long that Kate2, even though she's being escorted in cuffs by the same marshall, in fact, did not kill her father. Rather, another man died. The meaning of this is not yet apparent. What is apparent is that there is no plane crash this time to free her. Rather, Kate2 needs to effectuate her escape after landing. She swipes Jack2's pen on the plane, then uses the old lock pick in the bathroom technique...except it doesn't work right. The marshall tries to hurry her up, and she decks him, takes his gun and jacket then tells some women that a man in the bathroom attacked her. This buys Kate2 time ...

...and she hops into an elevator with happy-go-lucky Sawyer2. Sawyer2 spots her handcuffs, but when security muscles their way in, he nonchalantly blocks their view of Kate2's cuffs, then galantly escorts her out when the door opens, enabling her escape.

As she looks for a route with no cops, Kate2 spots a TSA employee entering a code in a locked door. She enters the same code and escapes to the taxi line, where Frogurt is miffed at her innocent attempt to swipe his cab. She gets in line behind Hurley2, but, when she sees the angry marshall pointing her out to the cops, she hops into the first cab she can find. Alas, Kate2's cab already has a passenger - Claire2! Holding the driver at gunpoint, Kate2 demands they drive, and drive they do! Where on Earth is Kate2 going? Perhaps next week's episode, "What Kate Does," will explain that.

Aside #5 - I loved how we could only see Claire2's head and shoulders. In other words, we have no idea if she's pregnant. I posit she is not. To the extent there is no island anymore, there is also no force that needed Aaron to arrive. Perhaps, in this world, Claire2 knew who her father was, and flew in for his funeral? Update - thanks to my friend, Windy, for pointing this out, but after I posted this recap, ABC updated the "bug" widget on top of the blog with a preview clip that made it clear that Claire2 is, in fact, pregnant. Still, I think the ambiguity was intentional...

Alterna-Hurley - we got a glimpse of this Hugo2 in one of the two Comic Con preview clips this summer (the other was Kate2's). Unlike the meek, uninspired Hurley who won the lottery only to buy the franchise that used to employ him, Hugo2 bought the whole Mr. Cluck's chain. And he doesn't think he's cursed - in fact, he says to an annoying fan (Arzt2!) that he's the luckiest man alive, ever since he won the lottery. This prompts his neighbor, Alterna-Sawyer, to warn him not to announce his lottery winnings, lest people try to take advantage of him.

Aside #6 - We didn't spend too much time with Hurley2, but he raises some questions...like why doesn't he think he's cursed? If the island sank, did Leonard ever hear a DHARMA transmission of the numbers? If not, what numbers did Hugo play and win the lottery with? And where did he get them? I'm sure we'll see more of Alterna-Hugo as the season rolls on. Also, as Arzt pointed out, what was the multi-millonaire owner of a major corporation doing in coach?

Alterna-Sawyer - On my first viewing, I smelled Sawyer2 hatching a scheme to con Hugo2 out of his lotto winnings. On my second viewing, I found his warning to be a bit more sincere. And then I realized - this Sawyer2 doesn't strike me as a lifelong angry man who just the night before murdered - in cold blood - the wrong man, only to be forcibly deported from Australia. This man is relaxed and fancy-free, even if he's world-wise enough to help Kate2. Interesting. But, again, we only got a glimpse of Sawyer2, so I'm sure there will be more to his story.

Alterna-Locke - Locke2 meets Boone2, who reveals he tried to break up Shannon's relationship, only to fail. This change, the producers say, is meaningful (though it was in fact inspired by the unavailability of Maggie Grace to return to the show). Boone2 makes a dramatically ironic comment that if the plane goes down, Locke2 is the guy he stick with, after Locke2 tells him that he's coming back from walkabout...the same walkabout that Locke Prime was not allowed to go on. This begs the question of whether Locke2 is wheelchair bound (we learn later that, yup, he is). But this Locke2 is not the angry, bitter victim we've pitied for 5 seasons. He's more at peace, even when filling out a claim form for his lost bag o' knives. There, Locke2 meets Jack2, and philsophizes that the airline didn't lose Christian2, but only his body. Jack2, for all his differences, still has to fix things, so he asks Locke2 what got him in the wheelchair. He explains he's asking because he's a spinal surgeon. Locke2 says his problem is not amenable to surgery, but Jack2 insists, in that cocky "I saved my wife after a lethal car crash" way, that "nothing is irreversible (more nods and winks). Jack2 gives Locke2 his card, and offers a free consult (which, c'mon, we all know Locke2 will take him up on, as these characters will all need to start interacting more for the story to make sense).

Alterna-Sun and Jin2-We first glimpse the Kwon2s as Sun2 - in the same demure outfit and hair we saw in the pilot - smiles at Rose2 and Bernard2's canoodling. Jin2 looks up from the watch he's delivering for Sun2's dad and asks what she's staring at. Much more optimistically and brashly than you'd expect from Sun Prime, Sun2 tells her how sweet Rose2 and Bernard2 are. Jin2, however, is still very much the die man his other self was before the crash, and responds only by ordering - albeit gently - that Sun2 button up her top button.

At customs, Jin2's bag is searched. He is unable to explain what "business" he is on, since his English is not up to snuff, but he gets hauled off for further searching and questioning when the agents spot a large pile of wrapped American cash in his luggage. Sun2 is asked, after Jin2 is taken, if she speaks English, since that could help sort things out. After staring blankly, Sun2 says, "no...English."

Aside #7 - I feel like this is an ever-so-slightly softer version of Jin. I wonder if the money was always in his case, i.e., is this his plan to run away with Sun2 after he delivers the watch? Or is the money indicative of even deeper, nastier work for Paik2? If the Kwon2s are closer, then perhaps Sun2 isn't lying when she says she doesn't speak English. On the other hand, it may not yet be desperate enough a situation to risk getting found out by Jin2. I wonder if Jin2 shoots blanks?

So that's about it for our alterna-characters. We're told by the producers (on Jimmy Kimmel Live, right after the episode aired), that it is significant that we didn't see Libby, Ana Lucia, Eko, Michael or Walt on the plane, though in Walt's case, it's partially because Malcolm David Kelley has aged too much to look like he did in 2004. But where last night got real trippy was in the reveal that the characters not only were on the plane, and it didn't crash, but that they also were back on the island we all remember in 2007. One final observation - is it just me, or is seeing these people leading "normal" lives just a little weirder than the time-hopping, smoke-monster-infested, ziggurat-housing island story? (For the producers' quick explanation of what we should be understanding about the altered reality, click on the title of this post).

Island

Our first glimpse of what happened on the island post-Jughead comes in the form of Kate starring in Lost's signature extreme-close-up-of-opening-eye shot. Kate, who had been in the Swan site pit, wakes up at night in a tree, her hearing muffled, steadies herself, then climbs down. The first thing she sees is the back door to the Swan hatch - translation: detonating Jughead did not prevent the hatch's construction. She then finds Miles, before getting a hint of what time she's in when she looks in the hole before her feet and finds the area in its post-implosion condition. Translation: whenever she is, it's at least late 2004.

Aside #8 - it was clever to start this sequence with Kate. At this point in the narrative, we had not seen Kate2, leaving it totally plausible that some characters got zapped back to the plane, while others still lived in their as-we-knew-it timeline. Of course, we soon figured out this was not the case...

As Kate looks around, she spots first, Sawyer, then Jack, lying on the ground just outside of the pit. There was some obvious subtext the fact that she paused for a moment before deciding to rouse Jack first, ahead of Sawyer. Wait a minute - how can Jack be here? He's back on the frikkin' plane!!!!

When they've all figured out where they are, Sawyer's rage boils over. He is not the least bit subtle in pointing out to Jack that Juliet's dead, and it's all his fault. And Jack (giving, in my mind, Matthew Fox's best performance to date on the show), really can't escape the dual bad feelings of piercing guilt and shock that his plan didn't work. Sawyer kicks Jack, who looks to Kate, as if to say, "but...destiny?" but he has no meaningful response to Sawyer's accusations.

Back at the van, Hurley is still holding Sayid, who is still bleeding from the bullet he received from Ben's dad. Jin is also there. Why did these guys end up still by the van, while the characters from the Swan site got more scattered from this time jump? Jin tells Hurley they must have traveled through time, because this is what he experienced before (white flash, loud noise, headache, different time of day). They hear Sawyer shouting, and Jin goes to find them. Sayid asks Hurley, "when I die, what do you think will happen?" It's as though Sayid has clued into the "redemption" theme of Lost, and realized his fallen short. As Sayid blacks out, Hurley hears some rustling. Out steps Jacob, who says to Hurley, "Hello, Hugo. Got a minute?"

Down in the pit, while the arguing continues, Kate hears something. They realize it's Juliet, and she's trapped under the rubble of the Swan implosion. They all start to try to dig her out, but one large beam can't be budged. Jin goes to get the van, which had chains in it.

Jacob tells Hurley he died about an hour ago (i.e. nobody else but Hurley will see him), killed by "an old friend who tired of his company." Can't help but wonder if he meant Ben, or the man in black. Jacob tells Hurley to take Sayid to the Temple to be healed, that it's crucially important that he not die. He says that he'll find the way by asking Jin to take him to the hole in the wall where the French team went, and he urges Hurley to bring the guitar case.

Prediction - Hurley will end up being the "new" Richard Alpert. Now that Jacob's dead, Hurley will be the only available prophet for him to talk to in order to direct the Others. It's cool how this was set up in the season finale, when Jacob suggested to Hurley that it's a blessing, not a curse, to be able to talk to the people he's lost.

Jin arrives, and they load Sayid into the van before going to bring the chains. Hurley asks Jin, "dude, if I asked you to take me to the hole, where you were with the...French team, would you know what I'm talking about?" Jin, matter-of-factly, ponders this, then admits, "yes." But there's no time for that, now. They arrive, and hook the chains up to the beam. It gives, and Sawyer finds a way in. He finds, Juliet, still barely clinging to life. Sawyer tries to reassure her, but when she deleriously fails to recongize him for a moment, he knows she's slipping. When she recalls who he is, she's upset. She says she banged the bomb, because she wanted to send him home, and now she sees he's still here. After he gets her free, Juliet recongizes him again, and says, "James - kiss me." In the worst-written Sawyer line, ever, he responds, "you got it, Blondie," and plants one on her lips. Her dying words are, "I have something to tell you, and it's very important..." but she never gets to give her message.

Aside #9 - it broke my heart to see Sawyer find Juliet again, only to lose her all over again. I still have hope that somehow Sawyer will find Juliet2 when the two worlds converge...

Sawyer carries her out, and stares daggers through Jack. "YOU did this," he accuses. Again, Jack is utterly speechless.

Sawyer covers Juliet's body, as Jack says he can't stop Sayid's bleeding. Hurley gets the courage to speak up, and announces they have to take him to the temple. When Jack asks why, Hurley confirms that, since Jack can't save Sayid, they have to trust him to. Sawyer says he's not going. Kate offers to help him bury Juliet, but he says she should help Sayid. He does, however, ask Miles to stay behind. Kate says she'll leave a trail for them to follow, but Sawyer says he ain't following anyone.

After Sawyer and Miles finish burying Juliet, Sawyer tells Miles he wants him to do his thing and find out what Juliet was trying to tell him when she died. Miles gives it a whirl, and after contorting a bit on the fresh grave, looks up and says, "it worked." Sawyer pleads, if it worked, what did she say? But then Miles explains - that's the message. "It worked."

Aside #10 - presumably, Juliet was referring to the Jughead plan. How did she know? Did she get some inkling from the "white light" moment she must have experienced? Is this message to Sawyer step one in reconciling the two worlds?

The Beach

We rejoin the Others brigade where we left them, gathered around the statue of a big foot. Inside, Ben stares incrudulously at the fire where, presumably, Jacob has burned to nothingness (I didn't see anything in there that looked like a cooked demi-God, did you?) Flocke cleans off the knife that Ben used to do the deed, and tells Ben he can stop staring. Ben's shock is palpable. He wonders aloud why Jacob didn't try to stop him? Flocke boasts it's because he knew he was beaten (whatever the exact loophole was, Flocke clearly reveled in it). Flocke orders Ben to get Richard, and tell him he wants to talk to him.

Outside, Sun and Frank watch as Richard has a heated discussion with Ilana, Bram, and some of their group. Richard insists nobody gets to see Jacob unless they're invited in, but Ilana tries to convince him they were invited. Frank relates to Sun his doubts that these are the "good guys."

Aside #10 - Saying that once, in the finale, is a witty quip. Saying it twice makes me wonder, should we really doubt that Jacob and his chosen acolytes are good guys? It sure seems like Jacob's adversary uses the nastier techniques...

Out comes Ben, and he tells Richard John wants to see him. Ben lies and says, of course, everything is fine with Jacob (his own guilt? Planning to pass the buck to Flocke, by saying Jacob was fine when he left?). Richard angrily grabs the nape of Ben's neck, shoves him nose-first to the ground by the corpse of the real John Locke, and says, "fine, I'll talk to John, but maybe you should talk to him first!" The look of terror and confusion on Ben's face is precious.

Richard agains asks Ben what happened. As Ben reiterates that he should go inside, Bram decideds he's done waiting, and he takes a couple of flunkies in with him. Ben goes in, too, and tells Flocke that Richard isn't coming. When Bram and company arrive, Flocke brags about Jacob's death. Bram's people open fire, their bullets apparently striking the back wall, but not affecting Flocke. Flocke ducks behind a column, disappears, and suddenly Smokey arrives. Smokey starts ripping into team Bram. Bram, meanwhile, opens a small sack and dumps a ring of the type of ash that encircled "Jacob's" cabin around himself. This, miraculously, stops Smokey. But Smokey isn't about to give up. It smacks the ceiling, sending a stone plummeting that staggers Bram. Immediately, Smokey is upon him, impaling the big gunman on a piece of Jacob's loom. Smokey dissipates, and suddenly Flocke is there. He smiles at the terrified Ben, saying, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

Aside #11 - Yes, yes, yes!!!! You wanted answers? How about this? Smokey is not a thing. It's a man, albeit one with a fairly unique set of abilities, including shape-shifting. Is there any doubt now that Smokey was also Yemi? Or ghost Alex? Or that all of these things were just the man in black who told Jacob he wanted to kill him as much as 160 years earlier? We also found out what the ash was for - whatever it's made of, it stops Smokey in his tracks. But you better use a big ring, or else Smokey can just chuck stuff at you. The how of it all is still fuzzy. But the what is finally revealed!

As Flocke lines up the bodies, Ben stares at him, mouth agape. Finally, he forms the words, "you're the monster!" Flocke smiles and says, "let's not resort to name calling." Flocke then goes off on a rant about how joyfully pathetic Locke was, beginning with the last thoughts that went through John's head as Ben strangled him - "I don't understand." He then berates his doppelganger by saying John Locke was weak, pathetic, irreperably broken, and yet the only one of the 815 survivors who realized how pitiful the life he left behind truly was. Ben asks what Flocke wants, and he smiles that, ironically, he wants the one thing John Locke didn't - to go home.

Aside #12 - Let's unpack this. First, just how on Earth did Flocke know what Locke was thinking when he died? I get that he can read minds with that flashing lightning thing, but how did he know what Locke was thinking in L.A.? Especially given that, apparently, Flocke is trapped here on the island? Next, it can be no coincidence that John Locke was dismissed as "irreperably broken" by Flocke in the same episode where Jack2 told Locke2 that there are no irreperable injuries. Not sure where that's going, but I'd put a finger on it for later. Finally, what is home? Flocke has been here for a long, long time. It seemed beating Jacob was all he cared about from what little we knew about him. Indeed, it's clear now that not even Ben had more insight into this person/ creature. So what's home, and what, aside from killing Jacob, does he have to do to get there?

Outside, Richard sees a small fireworks display (more on that in a second - the important thing is that this confirms, if there had been any doubt, that the time-hopping Dharma-suited Lostaways are now on the same island at the same time as Sun, Frank, and Flocke). Ben and Flocke emerge, alone. Ilana's remaining people raise their guns, but Richard shouts not to shoot him. Flocke addresses Richard, saying how good it is to see him out of the chains. Richard suddenly seems to recognize who Flocke really is, just in time for Flocke to knock his block off. Flocke picks up Richard's unconscious body and tells those assembled - Others, Ilana-ites, Sun and Frank (and perhaps all or none of them in particular) that he's "very disappointed in all of you," then tramps off, past "his own" body.

Aside #13 - There are several ways to try to interpret the Flocke/ Richard exchange. I prefer the most obvious - Richard was a slave on the Black Rock. Whatever the answer, it's clear he was bound in some way before. It's odd to me that Richard only seemed to figure out who Flocke was after he revealed he knew Richard's past. Wonder what Richard has to say when he wakes up. For what it's worth, Nestor Carbonnell claimed at the big premiere party in Hawaii that Richard's backstory is coming (they just shot it), and it's told in a way that really blew him away.

The Temple
The rest of the action in "LA X" took place at the one locale we'd heard so much about, but never saw before - the Others' Temple. As Jacob promised, Jack and crew found the Temple by going through the underground hole that first the Frenchies, then Flocke and Ben went into outside the outer wall of the Temple area. There they find Montande's one-arm-short-of-a-clap body (Jin tells Hurley it was the smoke monster that did it to him), and carry Sayid gingerly around the hole that Ben made when he caved into Smokey's chamber. Suddenly Kate, then Jin, disappear, as Jack hear's the whispers. Before long, Jack is alone, when two Others grab him. They drag him through the passage, and out to a clearing, where his companions are. And where, at long last, we see...the Temple.

We also get our first glimpse of the group of Others who reside at the Temple. Unlike their counterparts from the DHARMA barracks and beach camp, who seemed to prefer contemporary clothing, these Others wear frocks and vests straight out of a 60s revival hippie commune. They also seem even more aggressive than their house-loving counterparts. I couldn't help but wonder if Locke was on to something when he accused Ben's crew of being pharacies for daring to live with electricity and modern convenience. Also, the Temple Others answered a small but lingering question - what happened to Cindy and the kids, Zach and Emma, who had been taken from the tail section, but who were not among the group that waited with Richard for Locke's return?

The temple Others are led by Dogen (trust me, that will be his name), a Samurai-looking smile-deficient man who we learn knows English but chooses not to speak it because he doesn't like how it tastes on his tongue. Dogen is aided by Lennon (trust me, that will be his name), an even less smiley uber-hippie with stoner glasses, who translates for Dogen.

Twice Dogen orders the Lostaways shot, even after Cindy says they were on her plane, only to reconsider based on Hurley's actions. First, Hurley says Jacob sent them to save Sayid. On the second kill order, Hurley refers them to the guitar case Jacob had him bring to the island. Inside is a giant ankh (an egyptian symbol, at a Mayan-type ziggurat), which Dogen unceremoniously breaks over his knee. Inside is a piece of paper. We don't see its contents, but presumably it includes one of Jacob's lists. Lennon asks who these people are. They identify themselves, and Dogen gives a nod. The Others lift Sayid and start to bring him inside. When asked what the paper says, Lennon responds that it says if Sayid dies, they're all in trouble.

Inside is a bubbling pool. The fact that it appears muddy and not clear alarms the Others. Dogen cuts his own hand with a knife, then sticks it in the water. On two viewings, I couldn't quite tell if his hand healed but stayed bloody, or didn't heal, but the implication was clear - this pool holds the secret of the island's healing power, but there was concern it wouldn't work. Lennon ominously warns that there are risks to what they're doing, but Jack tells them to proceed. The Others take Sayid, looking very Christ-like as they carried him, into the pool, and hold him face-down in the water as Dogen turns over a big hourglass. Sayid starts to thrash, but they hold him down. As Jack tries to intervene, he ends up on the wrong side of Dogen's Kung Fu fury. The last grains of sand fall, and Dogen orders Sayid to be lifted out. They briefly examine him, before Lennon declares he's dead. Jack, still being Jack, tries CPR, but Kate convinces him to let go.

As the Lostaways sit around, mourning yet another loss (Jack already blames himself), Cindy and the kids bring them food, and the Others shove Miles and throw an unconscious Sawyer into the room. Miles boasts that his boss took out a bunch of Others before he was hit with a rock.
Hurley is taken for a private chat with Dogen and Lennon in some sort of hydroponic room. When Hurley reveals that Jacob's dead, they spring into action, and sound the battle stations alarm. The temple gates are shut and barricaded, and ash is spread around the outer wall. A rocket is sent up - the fireworks glimpsed by Richard et al on the beach. Hurley comments about how this seems to mean he and his friends won't be getting out, but a scared Lennon tells him, "it's not to keep you in. It's to keep him out!"

Aside # 14- this brings up an intesting theme - was the ring ash around the cabin meant to keep someone in or out? Given that Smokey seemed to have free range for a while, I think the ash was how Jacob stayed protected in the cabin. But why the sense that he was really always in the foot statue? And why no ash around that area to keep Flocke out?

Hurley says good-bye to Sayid, but Miles, sitting nearby, has a look that I interpreted to mean this guy isn't quite dead. But when Hurley asks what's up, Miles says nothing. Sawyer wakes up, and seems almost amused that they've been caught by the Others...again. But Kate smiles and says she thinks they're protecting them this time. Sawyer sits up and shoots a nasty look at Jack. Kate gives Sawyer a pleading, "please don't kill him" look, and Sawyer responds, "I ain't gonna kill him. Jack deserves to suffer on this rock just like the rest of us."

The Others come and ask for Jack. He refuses to go, saying they can tell him whatever they have to say right there, but they insist they cannot. There's a brief struggle, that's interrupted when Hurley calls Jack because...Sayid just sat up! Looking confused, Sayid asks, "What happened?"

Aside 15-In case you're wondering, the producers have said that, no, Sayid was not possessed by the spirit of Jacob (Jimmy Kimmel asked them when they appeared on his show Tuesday night), but we should be wondering what did happen to Sayid? It stands to reason it's the same thing that changed Ben after Sayid shot him, and after Richard warned he would lose his innocence. Of course, Sayid has no innocence left to lose, but it will be interesting to see what happened to him. Perhaps it will explain in part why Cindy, the kids, and the other tailie abductees so fully embraced the Others after they were taken.

It also appears that the war that was coming is now under way. Is Widmore alligned with Flocke? Does Ben know who he's alligned with? If Jacob was spending all of his time in a giant foot, why does his death make the temple vulnerable? Wasn't smokey hanging out there before?

Anyway, I'm intrigued by the new dual-reality story line, and hope it pays off. Between Juliet's message to Sawyer, my belief that Desmond will bounce between worlds, and the fact that in Alterna-verse there's probably still a living Daniel Faraday, I think the two worlds will collide. If you want more of an explanation of what is going on, click on the title of this post to go to an interview with Damon and Carlton about the new "flash-sideways" storytelling. Until next week, in the homage-ly-entitled "What Kate Does," Namaste, and welcome back!