Summary: In flashforwards, Desmond goes to Oxford to find Daniel's mother but finds that all records of Daniel have been wiped from the institute. Desmond is directed to visit Theresa, a girl who Daniel left in a catatonic state. Desmond learns that Widmore funded Daniel's research and learns from him that Daniel's mother is in LA. He and Penny decide to go there. On the island, Juliet determines that the people who attacked them are the others. Daniel, Miles and Charlotte are captured by one of them, Ellie. The others think that they are US soldiers and Daniel goes along with it. He discovers that the soldiers left a hydrogen bomb on the island and that they were killed after refusing to leave. Daniel is taken to the bomb by Ellie since he claims he can disable it. Daniel tells Ellie to bury the bomb. Sawyer and Juliet arrive to save Daniel. Locke enters the camp and speaks with Richard but doesn't get anything useful out of him. The time jumps again and the others' camp is gone. Charlotte has a deadly nosebleed and falls unconscious, possibly dying.
The Good: Desmond's story is disconnected from the rest of the episode but it's still really engaging. For the most part, it starts as a mysterious exploration of Daniel's past, with Desmond learning more and more shady details about Daniel's time in Oxford. The mystery is developed really well, and the scenes with Desmond are good. What was missing was the emotional aspect, and I was worried that Desmond would be a simple bystander in his own episode. But the mention of Widmore completely turned that on its head, and it eventually became clear that this episode was about Desmond overcoming his own cowardice to confront Widmore to save the people on the island. The confrontation with Widmore is a terrific scene with Desmond taking control of the conversation to get what he needs. Widmore's response suggests that he does respect this response, and I was surprised to see genuine concern from him regarding Penny. Clearly Widmore is scared of the threat that Ben poses to her. That confrontation was a really suspenseful and well-written scene that served as a strong climax for Desmond's story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The island story is superb, and it's dripping with tension and mystery. What impressed me the most is the pacing, which has been outstanding since season 4 started. This was particularly exceptional though. The slow reveal of the story with the others fighting against US soldiers who left a bomb on the island was perfectly paced to make every small reveal have an impact on us. Moments like Daniel bringing up the hydrogen bomb, Juliet determining the two men are others, and Locke learning that the man he's been hunting is Widmore were a delight to watch. I'm also very pleased to see the time travel being used to resolve some loose threads remaining in the series. We know that the US army is involved with the others because of the army knofe from "The Other 48 Days", and it was so satisfying to see that built into a complete storyline that also gives us some fascinating insight into the history of the others, something that I hope we will learn much more about in these final two seasons. It was also nice to get confirmation that there is a process in choosing the next leader of the others, and even though all the little details likely don't line up with previous seasons, it's good to get some idea of how the others function, especially with how badly season 3 failed at giving us concrete answers about the others. Surprisingly, this episode doesn't have much emotional resonance, which is rare for "Lost". But even without that, this still managed to be terrific because of how satisfying it was to watch. We know and love all the characters in this episode, and they have been written very well since the start of the series. Because of that, "Lost" is able to do a fast-paced plot-heavy episode with tremendous success because if you are still watching at this point, you are already invested in everything that is happening. Without actively having a reason to emotionally engage, we are somehow able to be invested in what's happening anyways. It's a testament to the success of this show that an episode like this is so engaging and so much fun to watch without having a particularly compelling emotional core. I was still utterly fascinated by Locke's conversation with Richard, Daniel's investigation of the bomb and the ending moments of the episode as Charlotte potentially seems to have died. These dramatic moments were elevated to a higher level because "Lost" has been so consistently surprising and interesting for four seasons straight now. Having a consistent high quality always pays dividends when you get to the later episodes of a TV show and this is a prime example of that. The Bad: The one weak aspect of this story is Daniel's romance with Charlotte. Charlotte still hasn't been properly fleshed out as a character (likely an unfortunate consequence of the shortened season 4) so it's difficult to understand her or what her relationship with Daniel is. As a result, I can't properly buy into Daniel's love for her as an emotional beat in the story. It makes moments like Daniel's confession of love and the horrifying final scene less powerful than they could have been. I wish that Charlotte had been given more time to develop as a character in the last season. The Unknown: What happens to the bomb? Do the others bury it like Daniel said they should? What did Daniel do to Theresa? Why did he immediately leave afterwards? Does this have something to do wiith why he was a "head case"? Why was Widmore invovled with funding his research? Did Widmore put him up to the task? Is this why Daniel was on the boat? He's Widmore's scientist? Why does Ellie remind Daniel of somebody? Does he know who she is? Will Penny's choice to go with Desmond be a terrible idea? We know Ben wants to kill her and he is in LA. Is Charlotte dead? Best Moment: Desmond's scene with Widmore. Character of the Episode: Daniel. Even though this was a Desmond episode, Daniel was at the center of everything. Conclusion: This was a superbly paced episode, and one that delivers hugely because of how good "Lost" has been up until this point. This was really gripping to watch and I enjoyed every second of it. Score: 73
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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