Lost, Season 6 – “The Lighthouse”
While not quite living up to the excellence of last week’s near-perfect episode, this week’s Lost provided another solid hour of quality television. In “The Substitute,” we learned that Jacob kept a list of the castaways in a cave, with many of the most prominent characters matched up with one of the famed numbers that have plagued Hurley since Season 1. We also found out that “Smoke Monster Locke” is recruiting the more disgruntled Losties, starting with Sawyer, in what looks to be an offensive front against Jacob’s followers, a la Randall Flagg in Stephen King’s The Stand. This week, the list and the numbers pop up in another unexpected place, and Jacob’s plan for the castaways takes a few unexpected turns.
The main story of “The Lighthouse” revolves around Jack, whom the not-quite-dead Jacob seems to have big plans for. At the beginning of the episode, Jacob appears to Hurley for the first time since they arrived at the Temple and tells him that he and Jack need to journey to an unseen-until-now lighthouse to try to signal some unknown guests to the island. At first, Jack refuses to go, but he quickly changes his tune when Hurley tells him that he “has what it takes.” When they reach the lighthouse, Jack and Hurley find another copy of the list on the wheel used to turn the mirrors that signal the boats, and when trying to turn the wheel to 108 degrees, Jack catches a glimpse of his childhood home when it lands on his name at the 23 degree mark. Instead of patiently waiting to find out what’s going on, the ever-cool-headed Jack decides to smash all of the mirrors and go sulk at the edge of a cliff. When Jacob reappears to Hurley, he doesn’t seem too upset about Jack’s antics, however, stating that Jack is destined for greatness but needs to find out how to get there himself.
This week’s “flash-sideways,” which take place in what I have dubbed “the Hunky-Dory-Verse,” we find out that Jack has a teenaged son that he’s trying in vain to connect with. In a surprisingly heartwarming turn, Jack seemingly exorcises his demons regarding his own father when he tells his own son that he “has what it takes” to do whatever he wants to do. He also runs into a ponytailed Dogen, who I’m guessing never made it to the island as well in this alternate reality. My “Groundhog Day” theory has still not been dashed, but we’ll see if it continues to hold water as this final season continues.
The other big story in this episode revolves around Claire, who has been living basically on her own in the jungle for the past three years while most of her fellow Losties were off gallivanting through time. Two weeks ago, she rescued Jin from a couple of the Others from the temple, and after she takes him back to her shelter to patch him up, she takes one of the Others captive and interrogates him, asking what they’ve done with Aaron, whom she thinks is still on the island. At first, Jin tells the obviously-deranged Claire that Kate took Aaron, but soon changes his story after Claire murders the Other with an axe. Hopefully we’ll see more of what Claire has been doing in the years since she disappeared after that attack on the Others compound back in Season 4 and possibly find out what she was doing hanging out with Christian in Jacob’s cabin as well.
The past five seasons of Lost have provided some of the most gripping moments of television I have ever watched. It’s still too early to determine whether this final season will provide a satisfactory conclusion to the saga, but producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, both of whom wrote this episode, are ensuring that the journey will be interesting up until the end. This issue was light on “Holy Crap” moments but kept the plot rolling and earns 4.5 out of 5 Creepy Fake Babies.
I couldn’t hear the song Jack’s son was listening to, but is it safe to assume it was by Driveshaft?
Great review Ben. But it’s Jenny, not Claire.
Jacob wanted Hurley to turn the wheel to 108 degrees…if you add up the famous numbers 4, 8, 15,16, 23, 42 you get 108. Is this a coincidence?
If i remember correctly, 108 was also the bearing that Ben gave to Michael in Season 2 finale…to get out of the island.
JP, I doubt anything on this show is a coincidence
And, everyone, please feel free to join our forums to discuss Lost, TV, comics, or whatever…
Why would these numbers have any special meaning on Lost? Everything on this show is a coincidence, as we all know.
@Kerouac: Jenny?
Little disappointed with the episode this week.
Flash sideways: Jack hasn’t noticed his appendix scar until now? His mom says he had it taken out when he was four. He ‘kinda’ remembers…? This just didn’t make any sense.
On the Island: Why did Jack smash the mirrors? Seriously. I get he’s brooding and angry, but it just felt like it was forced. He just saw some magical reflection which indicates to him that someone/Jacob has been watching them the whole time! Why is his immediate response anger? Anyone would be completely dumbfounded! The writers should have given us some concrete reason why he would resort to anger and smash the mirrors. Perhaps Hurley could have asked the honest and logical question, “Why?”, then Jack could have rightfully responded with, “Why doesn’t really matter…” And then he could have spelled out since they’ve been brought to the island, several people have died and his life has been ruined. For what? Then Jack could have gone off, demanding to see Jacob and destroying the mirrors.
@MrCubbins: Hmmm… Jack had his appendix taken out on island by Juliet. He didn’t have this scar before the flight in the original timeline. Looks like the new timeline and the one we already know are being mixed up in a way.
Jack thought he’s being led to nowhere. Returning to the island seemed like a good idea because his life was in ruins, but apparently (to him) coming back to the island was pointless after all. Bearing all this frustration, he took it all out on the mirrors. I assume Jacob knew this would happen and he didn’t have use for them anymore. It was all meant to show Jack that his existence (both in general on the island) does have a purpose.
Tomer, interesting theory regarding the bleedover from the previous reality. Question, though: if coincidences and unexplained phenomena from the Hunky Dory Verse are the result of bleedover from the core Lost reality, is it possible that similar occurences in the core Lost reality were bleed over from previous realities? Could the show be about people course correcting time and space? Perhaps the world was originally a FAR worse place, and in every reality, people learn about themselves and get things a little more “right.” The island would therefore be the tool by which this change, this course correction, is implemented. As long as the Losties don’t do anything to go back and erase its existence, the Hunky Dory Verse may stand as the “best” reality, and with the island’s destruction therein, there may be no more chance of hitting reset. The Hunky Dory Verse, while not perfect, may be the best reality the universe has to offer.
Sounds good. Problem is, there’s a good chance that fate will face the players with each other (like it was done already) and may cause a possible friction in the new reality, like Jack finding an unfamiliar wound on his neck, an old scar he can’t remember and a mysterious yet familiar fellow plane passenger and disappears the same way he arrived. Or Kate aiding Claire. And Locke’s life gets involved by people he knew in another reality. At best, it’s just like a “What If…?” story where characters we know have a new life/role and we see familiar faces here and there. Otherwise, it could be fate’s (or some shadowy figure) way to reconnect them anyway despite the lack of event or place that brought them together in the first place, forcing a reunion in this new reality for whatever reason.
Mmm… their destinies may be inexorably intertwined, regardless of whatever else does or doesn’t happen in the world around them.
Mr. Cubbins makes no valid points.
Something is going on in this other universe, and the scar is simply an indicator of that, as is Jack’s sort of remembrence of Desmond on the plane (I disagree with the whole “he remembers him from the stadium” simply on the grounds that in the original universe, when meeting him in the hatch, he remembered exactly who he was.) Somehow, the two universes are connected, and thoughts (and scars apparently) cross back and forth.
Also, Jacks anger is completely justified and not from out of no where. Think of all the crazy stuff he’s been through, and now you add that the supposed good guy has been spying on you since childhood?
I’m glad “Hunky Dory Verse” is catching on, at least with Kerouac.
He He…Locke-Ness Monster.
Do I remember correctly that Jack wanted to take out his own appendix? If that is indeed correct, I like how they looped in the “Your father wanted to do the procedure himself but they wouldn’t let him” part.
You DO remember correctly, and yeah… I thought that was a pretty nice nod.
Kerouac: Who’s “Jenny”!?
I loved this episode, like I’ve loved them all.
But it was the “we can only show you a few seconds from next week’s episode” that really got my spine-tingling!! ^_^
Just thought about something: So far it seems the new reality is a happier one, mostly. While John seems to have a good relationship with his father* Jack and Christian seem to share the same fragile, demanding father-son relationship from the other reality. It makes a good plot deice (Jack growing up to become a better father than his own dad) but I’m wondering if there’s something more into it.
* With that, it seems doubtful the elder “Tom Sawyer” was the same evil douchebag who pushed his son through the window in the other reality.
I also like the casting of David Shepard. He looks like a young Matthew Fox and for a time I wondered if he was wearing a wig… Their miserable and brooding glares, however, are very similar.
^ I noticed that as well…that was some fantastic casting. I also thought Young Ben Linus from last season looked uncannily similar to Michael Emerson.
I don’t see that, but the kid was a good young Ben on his own. And IIRC, he already played Ben a couple of seasons ago too.
The Shepard kid also reminds me of Logan Lerman (Jack and Bobby, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, runner for the new Spider-Man reboot). At least, when he was 12-13.
I wondered if the kid was actually Fox’s.
And Tenime, Jenny was a joke. I’m proud of Ben for getting his facts right this time, but wanted to bust his balls.
@Kerouac: I thought the same thing throughout the episode.
HA! Just don’t do this to us fans ever again…
IS MY ANATOMY KNOWLEDGE OFF OR WHAT? THE SCAR WAS ON JACK’S LEFT SIDE AND THE APPENDIX IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. ??
If I’m remembering correctly, the scar was on the right, but we were seeing it in the mirror, making it appear to be on the left. No?
David: Dylan Minnette
Nope. Not Matt’s son. (Though, apparently, Fox likes bangin’ strippers, so maybe!? Lol)
Not sure about this, but…
I think Jack doesn’t quite remember Desmond because they met at the stadium that Desmond was training at for his race around the world, which was sponsored by Charles Widmore, who was on the island in 1977 and presumably perished when the bomb exploded (in the sideways timeline when the island is now underwater). So if Widmore’s dead, he doesn’t grow up to sponsor a race that Desmond competes in. This also raises the question of Faraday and Penny Widmore also not existing in the sideways timeline. Hmm.
Ben was also on the island (taken to the temple, to be precise) at the time of the “explosion”, yet we’ve seen him as a teacher in the new reality. I doubt anyone could survive such a destruction.
Here’s a mind fuck…
In the core Lost reality, the Losties are still on the Island. They could still, theoretically, go back in time and interact with the past, having effects on that entire timeline. For example, in some round about way, it could be the fault of one of the Losties that Ben ever ended up on the Island in the first place.
In the sideways reality, the Losties never went to the Island, at all. Therefore, in that reality, Ben never would have gone to the Island. The Ben that got shot by Sayid in ’77 wouldn’t exist, and instead the Ben of the sideways reality would’ve grown up on the mainlaind, perfectly “normal.”
I don’t think so.
There’s something more mystical into it, the explosion in ’77 changing lives and faiths way beyond what happened since. Same as John’s relationship with his father is good, cluing that he might have never abandoned his son. He was born two decades before the explosion and I highly doubt there will be more time travels just to “fix” Locke and Ben’s lives, or anything else that happened before the island. At the least, I hope that’s not the case because as much as I love time traveling, overuse tends to screw things up.
Just had a thought: We assume that the flash-sideways are an alternate reality of the one we know with the characters crashing on the island and all; but what if the flash-sideways are the core timeline that was always meant to be, and everything we knew so far was a twisted version? Jacob and the MiB got some access to these people’s lives, took relationships (strong and random alike) and played with them, pushing for certain events to play differently to fit their eternal game. Jack always had a troubled relationship with his father and his first marriage never worked out, but take away his son and he has nor emotional connection to his world, being easily manipulated. Hurley is a lucky new millionaire – but what if it comes with a curse? Add to that a fragile mentality, and you get a perfect pawn. Alter Locke’s life so that his father abandoned him, the father becomes the cause of his deficiency, his greatest love will never work and keep John’s desire to overcome his problems and prove the world he can do anything – especially with all these changes in affect.
We still have to see what’s up with the others to be certain if that’s true, though.