6.15 What They Died For

Summary and Spoilers

Yeah, what did they die for? Why couldn’t they all stay alive until the happy ending? Let’s find out.

On the beach, in the aftermath of the sub explosion, Jack stitches Kate’s bullet wound using no anesthetics. Kate grieves for Sun and Jin and together, they promise each other that they will kill Unlocke for his crime. Soon, they are joined by Hurley and Sawyer. Jack has taken over the leadership role again. His first stop is to fetch Desmond from the well.

Miles, Ben, and Richard are on a quest to get a stash of C4 that Ben stowed when he was leader of the Others. At the Others compound, Miles is spooked by the spirit of Ben’s daughter. Richard tells Ben that he buried her after Ben left.

Inside a locked safe in his secret room, Ben grabs all the C4 so they can blow the plane to ‘hell’. As they load it into a satchel, they hear a noise in the kitchen. They are joined by Zoe and Charles Whidmore. With Ben’s gun trained on him, Whidmore tells Zoe to go back to the dock and sink the outrigger.

Now listen carefully to this part and help me figure it out, because I suspect we are getting to the key points in resolving this ‘mystery’. Whidmore says (and I believe him) that after his freighter was destroyed, he was visited by Jacob. Jacob convinced him of the error of his ways. Whidmore has now returned to the island with a mission. But just as he is about to tell Ben what the mission is, Zoe radios to say that Locke is approaching. She is told to run quickly and return to them, so they can hide. The alternative to hiding, says Whidmore, is  dying.

As Jack and Sawyer head for Desmond, they discuss why Unlocke did not kill Desmond. Perhaps he was unable to because of one of those ‘rules’ that he seems to have. Sadly Sawyer muses that if that is true, if Unlocke cannot kill them, then Sawyer killed Jin, Sun, and Sayid by not trusting Jack about the bomb. Jack tells him that Unlocke killed them.

Hurley sees the ghost of Jacob as a young boy. The boy asks or demands ashes. Hurley does not know what he is talking about. The boy grabs the ashes and Hurley pursues him. He finds Jacob at a campfire. Jacob throws the ashes in the fire and tells Hurley that this is the last time he will see him. Jacob says they are "…very near the end".

Unlocke is coming and everyone has a different strategy. Whidmore and Zoe hide in the secret room. Ben just wants to stand there and deal with it. Richard goes out to meet Unlocke; his plan is to offer to join him and therefore buy some time for the Others. Why do I get the feeling that Richard is about to die (assuming Richard can be killed at all). Sure enough, the Unlocke who meets Richard is the smoke monster, and Richard is blasted off into the air. Unlocke then shows up as a man and asks Ben to kill some people. In return, Unlocke says when he leaves the island, Ben can have the island to himself. Ben agrees and then tells Unlocke where Whidmore is hiding.

As Unlocke approaches the hidden room, Ben is asked to wait outside, but he insists on watching. Unlocke slits Zoe’s throat without a second thought. He has a deal for Whidmore, however: he wants information, and, in exchange, he will not kill Penny after he leaves the island. All Whidmore has to do is tell Unlocke why he came to the island.

Whidmore says that he brought Desmond, a man resistant to electromagnetism, to the island to – and then whispers the reason to Unlocke so Ben cannot hear. Just after he finishes, Ben shoots Whidmore numerous times so that his daughter cannot be saved. But Unlocke says he already heard what he needed to know.

Jacob now visits Kate, Sawyer, and Jack. They all can see him, not just Hurley. Jacob explains that Sun, Jin, and Sayid died because their names were on the wall. Kate expresses her anger; Jacob asks them to sit down so he can explain why they were chosen, why they died, and how to protect the island, because when the fire burns down, one of them is going to start protecting it.

Jacob explains that he brought all of them here because he made a mistake a long time ago, everyone on the earth is in danger. Long ago, he created the monster that is Unlocke. Unlocke has been trying to kill him for ages. When he finally succeeded, that meant someone had to replace him. Sawyer complains that his life was fine until Jacob derailed him by bringing him to the island. Jacob contradicts him, saying that all of them were lost just as he was, and they need the island. Even Kate is eligible; her name was crossed off the list because she became a mother. Jacob says that they must protect the island’s light by killing Unlocke. Jack wonders if this is even possible.

Jack volunteers to take Jacob’s place; he is finally sure that this is why he is here. Jacob explains where the light is (past the bamboo). Jacob performs a ceremony, asking Jack to drink ‘consecrated’ water. Jack’s eyes reflect new knowledge and new power. "Now you’re like me," says Jacob.

Unlocke leads Ben to the well where he asked Sayid to kill Desmond. Desmond is gone, but Unlocke is still pleased. He plans to find Desmond and use him to destroy the island.

Alternatively:

Jack awakens in his room, wondering why he has a small bleeding wound on his neck. After some banter with his son about an upcoming concert, Claire wanders into the kitchen. A phone call from Oceanic Airlines informs Jack that his father’s coffin has been found and will be in LA by the end of the day. But the call is being made by Desmond, from inside his car.

This is one angry Desmond. He’s back at the school where he ran Locke over. When Ben sees him and blocks his car, Desmond moves Ben out of the way by punching him repeatedly in the face. Ben momentarily remembers the last time Desmond did that to him. Desmond does say that he is there not to kill Locke, but to help him let go.

Ben gets his wounds attended to in a medical ward. While there, he runs into Locke. Ben tells Locke that the man who ran him down came back and attacked him – until Ben ‘saw something’. Locke is about to call the police until Ben tells him that the man said he was trying to help Locke ‘let go’. Locke terminates the 911 call. Coincidentally, Desmond is at the police station, wanting to talk to someone. There, he confesses to Sawyer and Miles that he is the man who did the hit and run and who beat up Ben. He is placed in jail, where he shares a cell with Sayid. Kate is in a nearby cell. It is all coming together, although I have no idea what ‘it’ is.

Alex sees Ben’s bruises and offers him a ride home with her mother, Danielle. He also gets a dinner invitation. Danielle is very grateful for Ben’s mentoring of Alex, made all the more important because Alex’s own father died when she was two. Ben is brought to tears by her remarks.

Locke visits Jack at his office. Locke is exploring the strange coincidences involved in how many times their paths have crossed, and how the man who ran him down also said he was trying to help him let go – which is the same thing that Jack had said to him. Locke believes these things have happened because he was meant to have Jack fix his body.

Sawyer packs up the prisoners Sayid, Desmond, and Kate and sends them off to county prison. Kate tries to convince Sawyer to let her go, but he refuses. In the back of the van, Desmond says it is time to leave, but they must trust him. Kate and Sayid both think he is mad, but what they might as well try something. Desmond says he will set them free if they promise to do something for him after they are free. They both promise. Soon, the van stops, the back door opens, and Ana is there. She’s a corrupt cop who made a deal with Desmond – money for release. Soon, Hurley drives up and gives a fat envelope to Ana. Hurley takes Sayid with him; Desmond gives Kate a small dress, tells her they are going to a concert (Driveshaft?) and tells her to get in the Camaro. Remember Hurley’s Camaro? That’s the one.

Comments

The present and the alternative realities are closely intertwined now. Characters past and present are becoming aware of their ‘other’ existence.

Lost Quotes

Sawyer: The bomb on the sub – I killed them, didn’t I?
Jack: No. He killed them.

"You should get your friends. We’re very close to the end, Hugo."
- Jacob

"Did you say there were some other people to kill?"
- Ben, anxious to keep this spree going

"I didn’t pluck any of you out of a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn’t find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you."
- Jacob

"I thought that guy had a god complex before."
- Sawyer regarding Jack

"Now you’re like me."
- Jacob to Jack

Ben: Let me ask you something.
Unlocke: Shoot.
Ben: If you can turn yourself into smoke whenever you want, why do you bother walking?
Unlocke: I like the feel of my feet on the ground. Reminds me that…I was human.

Ben: What did Whidmore say to you?
Unlocke: He said Desmond was a failsafe – Jacob’s last resort in case god forbid I managed to kill all of his beloved candidates. One final way to make sure that I never leave this place.
Ben: Then why are you happy that he’s still alive?
Unlocke: Because I’m gonna find Desmond, and when I do, he’d gonna help me do the one thing that I could never do myself. I’m gonna destroy the island.