LOST: The Candidate

Ok.... deep breaths, everyone.... are we all composed now?  No? Well, just read this through the tears then. I'll probably be typing this through tears anyway. My notes for the episode weren't as great as they usually are. I knew that there would be death on tonight's episode, so I was in a constant state of tension waiting to see who it would be. They really wanted you to think it was Kate, huh? Alright.... here it goes. I'm going to do brief recaps for each "section," starting with Sideways, because that was less emotional. And I'm an avoider, so I don't want to talk about what happened yet.

2004:
Locke is recovering from surgery, and Jack is there, proud of his handiwork as always. Such a surgeon. Jack tries to convince Locke that he should have experimental surgery to fix his spine saying Locke is "a candidate." Isn't everyone a candidate at some point? Oh, we are talking about a candidate for surgery... Anyway, Locke refuses, which bugs Jack so he is now on a mission because the words "leave well enough alone" mean nothing to a surgeon. First he goes to see Bernard, who performed oral surgery on Locke after his accident that left him paralyzed. Bernard points out that he was on the same flight as Jack and Locke. Jack thinks it is weird, but moves on when Bernard gives him the name of the other person in the accident: Anthony Cooper. Then he goes to see Anthony Cooper in a nursing home. Helen is also there, and tells Jack to back off. She knows about the surgery and says that Jack doesn't understand the situation. But she lets him see Anthony who is catatonic. Hmmm.... it seems everyone is getting a chance to redeem themselves in this reality, but maybe some people, like Anthony, are just being punished. Back at the hospital, Jack is in Locke's room while he sleeps. In his sleep he mumbles a few things, one being "push the button." Is he having his "flash?" Claire comes to see Jack to show him a music box Christian left for her. She asks how he died, and Jack tells the story leading to Jack finding out Claire was also on Oceanic 815. Sideways Jack is starting to get a bit more than a little weirded out by all these coincidences. (Remember, he has already encountered Desmond as well who was on 815 in this reality.) Claire opens the box, it is empty, and I believe it played "Catch a Falling Star." Jack also invited Claire to stay with him while in LA. Later, Locke is leaving the hospital, and in the hallway passes Jin on his way to see Sun. (WOOOO!! We'll get to the reason behind the "woo" soon enough. *sob*) Jack tries to convince Locke one last time to do the surgery, but Locke says he deserves it. He was flying a plane, made his dad go on, and then somehow crashed it. He is being punished, and does not want to walk when his father is stuck they way he is. Jack says he needs to move on and to believe in him. This seems to give Locke pause for a moment (again, I think maybe he has had his flash) but he still leaves a disappointed Jack alone.

2007:
Well, it's time to talk about the island portion of the episode. I don't know if I want to. Sigh..... here it goes...... First we see Jack is on Hydra with Sayid. Then we see Sawyer and company being forced into the bear cages by Widmore's people. When Sawyer starts to refuse (afraid it will bring up all those sexy time memories with Kate?) Widmore threatens to kill Kate. Sawyer knows the man ain't joking, so goes on in. When Kate question Sawyer, believing Widmore never would have shot her, Sawyer informs her that he totally would have - her name is crossed out in the cave meaning she is dispensable. Sorry, freckles. Back on the beach, Locke tells Jack that they are going to rescue Sawyer and co. from Widmore so they can all head to the plane and leave. Jack says he will help, but isn't going. When Jack asks Locke why he can trust him, Locke says that he can kill them anytime, but he doesn't. Seems like some shotty logic to me, but Jack let's it go. In the cages, Sun gives Jin their ring back and they discuss their daughter (remember, Widmore showed Jin the pictures). And then the power goes out all over Hydra and we start to hear those all too familiar sounds that mean Smokey has arrived. Smokey kills the guards and Sawyer and co are trying to escape because they think Smokey is there to kill them after the whole "stealing his boat" incident. But here is Jack, ready to unlock them, saying "I'm with him." Sawyer and Jack kinda make up a little and Sawyer thanks him for the save. Awww... you adorable boys. Locke gets to the plane first and kills the guards and he steals a watch from one. (For those who watch a lot of action movies, or 24, it should start to become real clear real quick where this episode is going.) Then he goes on the plane, and finds some wires. When Sawyer and co. get there he shows them that Widmore was going to try to kill them all... it was a mess of C4 attached to the wires on the plane. Off to the sub instead. Hurley points out that Richard was really against Locke leaving the island, but Sawyer acts like it doesn't matter because Locke has saved them twice. Buuuuttt, before they head to the submarine, Sawyer asks Jack to keep Locke from getting on the sub. Claire apologizes to Locke. Ok.... I'm not going to do a whole play by play for the getting on the sub thing, but here's the gist: Everyone but Jack, Locke, Kate, Claire and Sayid go on the sub. Those 5 follow, but are shot at by Widmore's people. Jack pushes Locke in the water, Kate gets shot. Jack, Kate and Sayid end up on the sub leaving Claire and Locke behind. Claire is going to have some MAJOR abandonment issues if she ever gets off this island. Locke tells her while sporting some crazy eyes, "Trust me. You don't want to me on that sub." Bum bum buuuuummmmm.
Ok.... deep breath.... here it goes. Everyone is trying to help Kate. Hurley can't find a first aid kit, so hands Jack his backpack. Which is not his backpack, but instead Lockes. With the C4. Which he used the watch to turn into a bomb with about 4 minutes left. Sayid starts to return to his old self - trying to disarm the bomb. Did everyone notice how his voice and face went back to "real Sayid" here instead of "trance-like Sayid?" Jack realizes that this is exactly what Locke wanted. He can't kill them. BUT, if he puts the bomb in there and they try to disarm it and fail, then it isn't Locke who killed them, but it is the group killing themselves. He needs them all dead so he can leave the island. Sawyer in a move that is so epically worse than Jack killing Juliet with the hydrogen bomb, pulls the wire from the bomb, making it so that it is no longer Locke who is the one who would be killing them. The timer starts hurdling towards 0, so Sayid tells Jack about Desmond and how he is the key and Widmore is going to kill him, and then grabs the bomb and runs. (REDEMPTION!) While he saved them from the blast, it did not save them all from the sub sinking. Frank gets knocked out by a door (I'm not sure if he is dead. He has not been counted in any "season ending death tallys," so I'm thinking there is hope for him.) Hurley takes Kate to shore while Sawyer, Jin and Jack try to help Sun stuck behind a cabinet. Sawyer gets knocked unconscious in the process, so Jack takes him to shore leaving Jin and Sun behind. And you know what happens next. I don't need to say it right? Good. Cuz I'm not gonna. (Though, I will say Kev and I both wondered why Sun never told Jin to leave to go be with their daughter.)
Jack gets to shore, and Kate collapses on him, scared because "she couldn't find [him]." Looks like there may be hope for Jack and Kate shippers after all. Jack tells them what happened with Jin and Sun, and everyone starts sobbing. When Hurley cries... well break out the tissues because there is no stopping your own tears. On the dock, Locke tells Claire the sub sunk, but not everyone went down with it, so he is off to "finish what he started." And I say again.... bum bum buuuuummmmmm.

Ummm... I don't have any quotes this week. Just the few I put up in the recap. Nothing too funny going on in this episode. I do offer a bit of comfort. Like I mentioned, Jin and Sun and Sayid are all still alive in the Sideways reality. Maybe the redemption on the island will help out Sideways Sayid and his legal troubles. My constant hope for this season is that the Sideways reality is where everyone ends up. Or I should say, everyone but one who is left on the island as Jacob's replacement. This has to happen, right? RIGHT??!!???  I have cried a lot on this show. I cry a lot on every show, frankly, but this show has been particularly rough, what with all the deaths. But that episode... that was sob worthy like almost no other. I don't know if my theories can really offer much in the way of support after all that so here: *hugs*  Feel better??
Comment me, so I feel better too.