Summary: Locke, Sayid and Desmond tell Charlie and Hurley what happened to Eko. Desmond suddenly runs off and saves a drowning Claire. Confused how Desmond knew she was in the water, Charlie and Hurley get Desmond drunk in an attempt to get answers from him. Desmond recalls what happened when he turned the key. He went back in time when he was living with Penny. He relives his life and realizes that he remembers everything that happened and that he has somehow time traveled. Attempting to correct his mistakes, Desmond decides to ask Penny to marry him but a mysterious woman tells him that he is supposed to leave her. Desmond resists but eventually gives in, thinking he is crazy. When he realizes he isn't crazy, Desmond is knocked out and sent back to the present. Desmond tells Charlie that he has continually had flashes of the future since then and that he has been seeing Charlie's death. Desmond can try to hold it off, but eventually Charlie is going to die.
The Good: The format break once again does wonders for "Lost". This episode is a spectacular standalone experience that works both as a piece of the overall story and as its own thing, similar to "The Other 48 Days". It worked extraordinarily well in that episode, and it does so here too. The plot is the most fantastical and complex that this show has ever been. The introduction of time travel to this story is wholly unexpected, but it works tremendously well since the show doesn't go too far with it and establishes a simple rule (the universe course-corrects) to ensure that things make sense. The mysterious nature of what's happening to Desmond is conveyed excellently throughout the flashbacks as Desmond has bursts of memories from the future which interrupt some fairly important conversations with Penny and Widmore. It's an effective way to keep us in suspense without taking away from the emotional importance of each of these scenes. Then when Desmond meets Charlie in another excellent scene, the story blows up and suddenly we are immersed into a time travel epic. The build up is superb, and I'm impressed at how much care was put into providing the viewers with a logical flow of information to prevent any confusion. Moments like the Charlie scene do this perfectly without ever feeling expository. Despite such a complex story, things always make sense and the stakes are always clear. Then we get to the emotional core of this episode which surrounds Desmond's decision to leave Penny because of his own cowardice. This story is a really powerful one, and it's a logical continuation of Desmond's character arc after what we learned about him back in "Live Together, Die Alone". Here we focus on the pivotal decision in his life that led to him coming to the island. Desmond's inner conflict is presented in logical fashion, and we can see both sides of the coin. We are given ample reason for him to propose to Penny, but then we also understand his doubts which pop up in outstanding scenes with Widmore and the mysterious exposition lady who shows up in the back half of the episode (see: The Unknown and The Bad). In the end, Desmond chooses for the second time to leave Penny. And by the time he realizes his mistake it's tragically too late for him to make amends (see: Best Moment). The opening scene with Locke and Sayid was another case of the show giving us some satisfying leadership. I liked that Locke pulled over Hurley and Charlie because he planned to tell everyone what happened to Eko instead of keeping it a secret. The Bad: The mysterious exposition lady was a wonderful addition to the episode, and provided a wonderful surprise. However, there are some big problems stemming from her introduction. It's going to be very tough for the writers to answer this character's existence and how she knows everything, and I'm not certain that the writers have any intention of answering this. If we never see this lady again, or if the provided answer isn't satisfying, it will make this episode feel weaker. Claire would have died in the time it would have taken Charlie to notice she's drowning, get in the water and save her. How would he have noticed anyways if she was already unconscious and needed CPR? It's a sloppy bit of writing. The Unknown: How and why did Desmond get a time traveling experience? Is this somehow linked to the visions he is getting of the future? How does the universe course-correct? Is this a confirmation that fate does exist in this show? Who is the mysterious exposition lady? How does she know all of this information? How does she know who Desmond is? Why is she working in a jewelry store? Just, who the hell is she? Is Charlie destined to die then? What does this mean for his story? How long will it be until he dies? Can it somehow be prevented? Best Moment: Right after deciding to go back to Penny to fix his mistake, Desmond gets knocked out by Jimmy Lennon. Once he wakes up on the island he realizes that he missed his chance, and upon finding the picture of him and Penny, he begs the world to give him another chance to do things right. It's a really powerful moment that is easy to empathize with, and it provides the strongest emotional beat of the episode. Character of the Episode: Desmond. Conclusion: Finally season 3 returns to form with a tremendous effort. This episode was unique, memorable, dramatic and poignant. Everything went together smoothly, resulting in an episode that not only delivers a fantastic experience, but also takes the series in a new direction. Score: 81
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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