|
Lost 4.13: "There's No Place Like Home: Part II" |
|
Friday, 30 May 2008 |
|
|
By John Keegan
Visit Critical Myth for an archive of John's TV Review archives, with more than 1100 entries.
| Prior to airing the final two hours of the finale, the ABC network re-ran the first hour, which had aired two weeks earlier. This made it very simple to see the finale as it was originally intended (even if it was a daunting and exhausting experience). Without that immediate touchstone on events, the finale might have been less cohesive. As it was, the writers once again demonstrated their ability to build a story to a massive conclusion.
So much happens in this finale that it’s amazing to consider how far the story has progressed. If the series was fundamentally altered in "Through the Looking Glass", shifting forever away from flashbacks to teasing flashforwards, all the indications are that the story will now shift once again. With major characters both on and off the island, fighting different aspects of the same (apparently protracted) war, it's almost a given that the story structure will once again shift and expand.
That is reflected in this episode, where events are epic in scope. Surprisingly, the various narrative threads are easy to follow; some other popular series tend to lose focus and stability as the big picture takes control. Various aspects of the finale all deserve attention: the island, the Kahana, the helicopter, the beach, the Searcher, and the flashforwards.
It's interesting to see Locke tell Jack what needs to happen once the survivors leave the island. From a certain point of view, it's exactly what needs to be done, if one believes that Widmore is the true threat to the island. Yet, in retrospect, it's now apparent that Locke was utterly and disastrously wrong. Lying about the island only delayed the inevitable, and while Locke won that argument, the battle between reason and faith continues. It also underscores the fact that both men are leaders, but both men are highly flawed.
Ben's rescue by the Others is an impressive early sequence, because now that they've been demystified to a certain extent, it's hard to remember how potent they are as opponents. How many of them have lived long enough to learn those serious Island Ninja skills? Motivations, as always, are hard to fathom in the midst of so many changes, but Richard is definitely following orders to facilitate Ben's departure.
Meanwhile, back on the beach, Daniel's harried attempt to get off the island is overshadowed by an important new plot point. From a story perspective, it makes sense for Miles to stay on the island; from the moment he was introduced, he was the obvious conduit for learning about Jacob and the non-corporeal aspects of the island. Charlotte seemed to be designed solely to expose interesting connections about the past of the island. Now, it seems rather clear that she was born on the island and thus could be more implicated in the war then anticipated. (And that might explain some of her attitude as well.)
Once Ben and Locke are in the Orchid, things get truly interesting. Once it is realized that Ben has no intention of ever returning to the island, his actions make sense. It's all about the war for him now, and wars have casualties. Ben kills Keany out of personal revenge, and recognizes that his own inability to control his emotions led to his downfall as leader of the Others. That could presage Locke's eventual fall as well; his history demonstrates how his stubborn pride undermines his potential greatness.
Finally Ben's departure from the island takes place, and the circumstances are clarified. Basically, the process is related to the same thing that happened with Desmond after "Live Together, Die Alone": a very old device (notice the markings on the stone cave under the Orchid) is used to unleash pent-up electromagnetic energy from the anomaly previously under the Swan Station. This has a much wider effect, basically tossing Ben forward in time and across the planet while "moving the island". The device itself is a little ridiculous, but clearly technology on the island is not what the modern world has come to expect.
But it is interesting to note that at least two of the Dharma stations were designed to harness and control natural aspects of the island itself. The Swan capped off and controlled the electromagnetic anomaly at the heart of the island's unusual nature, and the Orchid likely worked in tandem with the Swan to harness the space-time-altering potential. That's not necessarily a new concept, but that could explain why Dharma was considered a threat by Jacob (beyond the possible connections to Widmore). Jacob could require the full expression of the island's nature to maintain himself (which may explain why Ben pushed so hard for Locke to question the purpose of the Swan station in the second season).
Action on the Kahana is directly connected to Ben's final encounter with Keamy. As expected, Keamy was wearing a dead-man's switch, and the only question was when the Kahana would explode and who would go with it. Michael is probably dead, having fulfilled his redemptive purpose. Jin's journey could also be seen as over, but they specifically kept the camera on the helicopter's perspective. It's quite possible that Jin survived; after all, Daniel and his Zodiac was on the water on the way to the Kahana during the time leading to the explosion, and there's some potential that all of them were close enough to the island to move with it. (And could this tie into Daniel's notion that Desmond will need to be his "constant"?)
Most of what happens on the helicopter is designed to bring the Oceanic Six to their eventual rescue. There are a few surprises. Sawyer's heroic decision to sacrifice his possible rescue for the sake of the other survivors solidifies the changes that took place after his cleansing revenge on the original "Sawyer". And once the island moved, it was surprising to learn that Frank and Desmond survived the crash (especially since the odds of all of them living, particularly the baby, were pretty damn small).
That did, however, set the stage for the Searcher's arrival, paying off Penny's ongoing search for Desmond, the final scene of "Live Together, Die Alone", and the events of "The Constant". Desmond's reunion with Penny was easily one of the most emotional moments of the finale (and one of the best hidden secrets), and continues to prove out the producers' statements that the Desmond/Penny relationship is one of the key components to the puzzle that is "Lost". Given what Ben says in "The Shape of Things to Come", there's every reason to believe that Desmond and Penny Widmore will remain a part of the story.
With so much happening on the island, the flashforwards almost felt excessive. All of them, however, managed to broaden the context of "Through the Looking Glass" well beyond Jack's personal descent.
Walt's discussion with Hurley reveals that the "man in the coffin", called Jeremy Bentham, came to see him recently. At that point, it was clearly misdirection; it would be too obvious for Ben to have been the man who died. Given that it was eventually revealed as Locke, it does bring up some important questions: how did Locke get off the island, and what happened to push him to contact all the survivors back in the "real world"?
Sayid, probably under Ben's orders, arrives at the mental institution to retrieve Hurley. Despite his assurances, it's very likely that Sayid is preparing Hurley for a return to the island. Presumably, Sayid is already partially aware of why Locke left the island and what needs to be done (at least, as much as Ben allowed him to know). Also, based on the timing, Sayid appears to be grabbing Hurley around the same time as "Through the Looking Glass".
Sun has not only taken firm control of Paik Industries, but she has used her resources to gain access to Charles Widmore. In a twist that will certainly play a huge role in the drama to come, Sun exposes the lies of the Oceanic Six to Widmore, offering to tell the full truth. Sun promised in the first part of the finale to punish the men responsible for Jin's death. It would appear that she is offering to help Widmore to get to Ben, but it's also possible that Sun is actually laying a trap for Widmore. If Sun is working with Widmore, then it will definitely make any return to the island by all parties a lot more difficult.
It was never going to be easy to convince Kate to return to the island with Aaron, but Claire's apparent communication to Kate in her dream definitely throws a wrench in the works. It also brings up a very important question. If Ben was cast off the island by Jacob, is his insistence on getting everyone back to the island the right move? Did Locke also fall out of favor, forcing Jacob to send him away to find a replacement (someone like Walt)? In other words, is Ben taking Locke's original intention and twisting it to force something unexpected?
What if Ben has a plan to end the conflict once and for all by drawing everyone who was ever on the island back to it, thus forcing a resolution and protecting the island through sheer force of will? Perhaps Ben, cast out by Jacob just as he supplanted someone else, might want to end the cycle by cutting the island off from the rest of the world completely. What is clear is that the war between Ben Linus and Charles Widmore, from the moment that the island "moves", becomes more personal and the Oceanic Six remain pawns in the game. |
|
|
