Wednesday, April 21, 2010

6.12 The Last Recruit

Summary and Spoilers

It’s all coming together in the alternative universe, and Desmond is the unlikely organizer. I never saw Desmond as the one who would be on a mission, assembling a select group of castaways and eliminating those who he does not favor. I also never saw Desmond as the type of guy who would run over Locke in a wheelchair, unless he thought that Locke was sleeping with Penny – and even then, I saw him as more of a belligerent husband/boyfriend. "Penny! Why’d ye doo eet?" "He said he liked my cat-in-the-hat smile, Des!" Anyway, Desmond did overrun Locke, and this week, hopefully we’ll find out why. But first, we’re going to find out what kind of reception Unlocke gives to Hurley and his mob.

Unlocke takes Jack away to ‘catch up’. In response to Jack’s questions, Unlocke admits that he assumed the bodies of various dead people, including Jack’s father Christian. Unlocke used the body to lead Jack to water. Jack can’t completely disassociate this ‘thing’ from the body it inhabits, but there are no similarities. Unlocke views Locke as a sucker who believed in the island. Unlocke simply wants to leave, and he cannot leave, for some reason, unless everyone leaves with him.

Claire arrives to end the meeting, renew her brotherly love with Jack, and warn him ominously that now he must go with Unlocke – there is no choice.

Meanwhile, Sawyer, Kate, Sun and Hurley are scheming to make their own private escape in the submarine. People like Sayid and Claire are not invited.

Zoe shows up in camp alone, demands the ‘something’ (Desmond) back that Unlocke took, and when it is not given, radios her home base and sends a demonstration of their firepower – an aerial bomb explodes a few feet away. She says they have until nightfall to return what they took. She leaves her walkie-talkie. Unlocke immediately crushes it and says, "Well, here we go."

Unlocke organizes Sawyer to get a boat and meet the group at the bluffs and from there to sail to the other island and get on the plane. While Unlocke goes off to plot something with Sayid, Sawyer organizes Kate to come with, then pulls Jack aside to tell him his alternative plan: to avoid Unlocke and the group at the rendezvous point, and instead to leave on Whidmore’s sub. He tells Jack to get Hurley, Sun, and Frank and meet at a different rendezvous point. Jack is conflicted about leaving Sayid and especially newly discovered sibling Claire, but Sawyer makes a point when he says Claire lost her ticket when she tried to kill Kate. Now this is getting exciting! It gets even more exciting when we see Unlocke order Sayid to kill Desmond.

Sayid goes to the well. Desmond sits at the bottom in a puddle of water. Sayid points the gun but first explains to Desmond what he was promised in return: the woman he loved and lost will be returned to him. Desmond is able to halt Sayid by asking what he will tell this woman when she asks how he got her back.

Sawyer and Kate reach the boat, and Sawyer tells about the ‘ditch Locke’ plan. Kate is not happy about Claire not being invited, especially since she promised Claire she would get her off the island.

Back at the main group, Unlocke is concerned that Sayid has not joined them as planned. He goes back to investigate. Jack takes the opportunity to grab Sun, Hurley and Frank and to split off to the real rendezvous point. Claire is excluded but she sees them leave, and the hatred in her eyes is palpable.

Unlocke finds Sayid and grills him on the shooting of Desmond. Sayid stares him down and says he did kill Desmond, and invites Unlocke to check. Unlocke backs down and they continue back toward the group, but there is a tiny smirk on Sayid’s face, as if live is returning there for the first time in a long time.

Jack’s group finds the boat. As they get ready to sail, Claire arrives with rifle pointing toward them. Kate talks her down and convinces her to join them, by telling Claire sincerely that the only reason she came to the island was to bring her back. Claire drops her gun and hops on board, but also warns that Unlocke is going to be very angry when he finds out they are gone. They sail away, but Jack tells Sawyer that it doesn’t feel right to leave the island. Sawyer tells Jack to side with them completely or to get off the boat. In response, Jack jumps over the side. Do we have a candidate here?

Jack swims back to the beach and is greeted by Unlocke and a small group of armed disciples. On the other island, Sawyer and gang are greeted by Zoe and her armed disciples, but they drop weapons when they recognize each other. There is a long awaited tearful reunion between Sun and Jin. But Zoe’s call to Whidmore brings the guns back up again, and Zoe says the deal is off.

Bombs explode around Unlocke and his people, stunning Jack. Unlocke carries Jack to safety, comforting him with the ominous, "Don’t worry. It’s gonna be okay. You’re with me now."

Alternatively:

Locke, badly injured, is taken away in an ambulance; he is able to share the name Helen Norwood when asked who to notify. He shares this space with paramedics and Ben. Bullet-ridden Sun and bruised Locke arrive at the hospital on side by side stretchers; Sun gets very agitated when she sees him.

Sawyer captured and is now interrogating or flirting with Kate. He’s picked up on the weird coincidence that they were on the same flight and met up again, but he just uses it as a pickup line. This angle is thwarted when the observant Kate figures out that maybe Sawyer doesn’t want anybody to know that he went to Australia. They are interrupted when Miles shows security camera footage of Sayid leaving the Keamy crime scene.

Claire arrives at the adoption agency and runs into Desmond. He heads her off and suggests she come with him to see the lawyer with whom he has an appointment. It’s Ilana, and when she sees Claire, she says they have been looking for her.

Sayid, fresh from resolving the Keamy problem, arrives at Nadia’s house and packs quickly, telling her that he can never come back again. Before he can leave, he is arrested by Sawyer and Miles.

Jack and his son have arrived at the building as Claire and Desmond. They are here to hear Christian’s will read, which of course explains why Claire is there. A hospital emergency call intervenes; Jack asks that the will reading be postponed.

Sun awakens in the hospital with Jin waiting by her side, reassuring her that she and the baby are okay. In the hallway, Jack tells his son that he had no idea that he had a half-sister. Jack goes off to attend to his patient – and it is John Locke, the man whom he promised a free consultation. It is the ultimate coincidence – like someone is still pulling all the strings.

Comments

The stage has been set for the final episode of Lost, with at least two tremendous personal battles about to ensue. Sawyer is pitted against Whidmore, while Jack is left to defeat Unlocke. There’s little doubt in my mind that Unlocke, Whidmore, and Jacob are all basically evil – or at least, the three of them could disappear forever and the world would be a better place.

The wild cards in this are Desmond and Sayid. Desmond cannot be dead, and it is unclear whose side he is on. Likewise, Sayid also appears not to be dead, and he will make his own decision as to who to fight for. Both are tremendous assets.

Lost Quotes

Jack: You look just like him.
Unlocke: Does that bother you?
Jack: No, what bothers me is I don’t know any idea what the hell you are.
Unlocke: Sure you do.

Claire: Hey, what’s going on?
Hurley: People trying to kill us again.

Desmond: So what did he offer you? If you’re gonna shoot me in cold blood, brother, I think I have a right to know what you’re getting in exchange for it.
Sayid: He told me I could get something back I lost.
Desmond: And what did you lose?
Sayid: The woman I loved.
Desmond: And where is she now?
Sayid: Dead.
Desmond: And what makes you think Locke can bring her back?
Sayid: I died, and he brought me back.
Desmond: So what will you tell her?
Sayid: What do you mean?
Desmond: This woman, when she asks you what you did to be with her again? What will you tell her?

"We’re gonna ditch Locke. You, me, Jack Hurley, Sun, and that pilot, looks like he stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie."
- Sawyer

Kate: I promised I would bring her [Claire] back.
Sawyer: That’s before she started drinking Locke’s Kool-aid.

Hurley: I think we should stick to Sawyer’s plan or he’ll be really pissed.
Jack: This is Sawyer’s plan.

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