Without a doubt, The Last Recruit was more of a transitional episode, getting characters and plotlines where they need to be in order to set up for the penultimate episodes. Though it wasn't as action-packed and intriguing as last week's episode, we needed this one so that the remaining episodes of the series can be fantastic.
The start of this episode picks up right where Everybody Loves Hugo left off, with ALT-Locke being hit by Desmond. He's accompanied by Ben to the hospital, where he crosses paths with Sun who is being hospitalized after being shot in The Package. Oddly enough, Sun seems to recognize Locke, exclaiming, "It's him! It's him" in Korean. Now, whether she's just delirious from blood loss, or truly recognizes him due to the bleeding of the two realities (or something else) is something else to speculate.
When Sun wakes up in her hospital room, Jin informs her that her and the baby will be fine (though I wonder what would've happened if Ji Yeon died in the ALT-reality and was alive in the other). Outside, Jack and David are walking around when Jack gets called into surgery. After being informed of the victim and injuries, he looks down and notices that it's Locke, whom he recognizes from LAX (or from the island!?). Considering Jack and Locke's conversation in the premiere about "irreversibility," it will definitely be interesting to see the outcome of the surgery and if Jack will be able to fix Locke.
Elsewhere, Claire is making her way to an adoption agency after her near-labor in the season premiere. At the sign-in desk, a very creepy Desmond approaches Claire and offers his help in providing legal representation during the adoption process from a lawyer he is going to see. Desmond persuades her to take up his offer and as they both make it to the 15th floor, the lawyer, Miss Verdansky, appears and is shown to be Ilana (really? Verdansky? Does that really fit with 'Ilana'? I wonder if that's her name in the island-reality too). As Claire is introduced, Ilana states that they have been looking for her.
In the same building, Jack and David arrive (prior to operating on Locke) to hear the contents of Christina's will (speaking of Christian, did Oceanic ever find his body?). Ilaa introduces Jack to Claire (possibly the reason Ilana was looking for her was due to Christian mentioning her in his will?). Apparently, Jack didn't know about Claire being his half-sister in this reality either. Almost immediately after, Jack gets a phone call--to operate on Locke--and apologizes for having to leave.
At the police station, Sawyer talks with Kate and receives a call about the incident at Keamy’s restaurant. He sees the surveillance tape showing Sayid at the scene of the crime and they go to find him.
Immediately after the event at Keamy’s, Sayid goes back to Nadia’s and begins to pack his things to leave, saying that he’s not coming back. Miles shows up at the door, but Sayid has gone—he runs out the back door where Sawyer ends up catching him, which pretty much concludes the flash-sideways storyline for this week. I can see why the Claire, Jack, Locke, and Sun stories were included but I can’t help but feeling that the Sayid and Sawyer/Miles bits were kind of thrown in there. Now I’m not saying that they didn’t serve a purpose, but they might have fit in better in a latter episode where the focus was more on them both on and off Island.
Now that everyone is joining together again on the Island, it seems fitting that they would do the same in the ALT-reality. It’s also nice to see the “glimpses” of the other reality through each character’s perspective which shows that the writers are showing this us for a reason…I just wish I knew what it was.
After a much-anticipated confrontation, Jack finally meets with Flocke, remarking how much he looks like Locke and is mystified, having no idea who he is. Flocke then goes on to say that he chose Locke’s body because Locke was stupid enough to think he was on the island for a reason. He also reveals that he also was responsible for Jack seeing his father all those times on the Island, taking his form to lead him to water back in season one. Though at this point, can we really believe him? Some of his appearances definitely seem “MIB” influenced (i.e. robotically walking through the jungle, standing in the ocean, etc.) but others seem as if it was actually Christian. What purpose would MIB serve in telling Locke in the frozen wheel chamber, “tell my son I said hello,” or sitting there in the jungle holding Aaron? Scare tactics for Jack, influence and trust for Claire? Something just isn’t adding up here and it’s hard to swallow that MIB was Christian all the times we’ve seen him.
In an end to their conversation, Flocke remarks to Jack that John Locke was not a believer but a sucker. Damn you, MIB. Damn you. It’s comments like that that reinforces the idea that he needs to go. Fast.
(I don’t know how they’ll do it but the writers need to bring Locke—the real Locke—back somehow. Seeing that he was used right up until the end is probably the most tragic ending to any of the Lost characters so far. Watching the MIB manipulate others through Locke’s body and use of his memories is almost as bad as watching Ben murder Locke and calls for some smoke monster ass-kicking.)
Now back at camp, Flocke says how nice it is to have everyone together again. Soon after, Zoe emerges from the bushes and demands him to return Desmond. Expectedly, he puts on a show claiming that he has no idea what she’s talking about.
She then uses her radio for her group to “show them what we’re capable of” and a bomb explodes nearby. Zoe gives Flocke until night to return Desmond and leaves.
We know that Widmore wanted Desmond to see if he could survive another electromagnetic event, but other than that, what do we know about his reasons for abducting him? Nothing. Is Widmore expecting another event similar to the Swan’s detonation? His purpose on the Island is pretty vague so far, so anything could happen. Oh, and Zoe, bombs are great for attacking people, but I’m afraid they probably won’t have an effect on century+ old smoke monsters.
After Zoe goes off (and I can’t believe he let her) Flocke states that Widmore has provoked them and makes planes to gather everyone up, go to the Hydra Island, and get on the Ajira plane. He gives Sawyer a map to get a boat and instructs him to bring it back to get them. However, Sawyer goes against Flocke and tells Jack, Hurley, Kate, and Sun to meet them at the dock where they’ll go to Hydra Island themselves to meet with Widmore, with whom Sawyer previously struck an “agreement”. Putting his plan into action, he also explains that Claire isn’t coming with them and “gave up her ticket when she tried to kill Kate.” This was rather surprising coming from Sawyer being that he reacted so strongly in season 4 to Claire’s Dharma house being blown up and his attempts to bring her to safety. I guess infected people aren’t allowed to go on boat rides.
Back on the island, Flocke orders Sayid to kill Desmond. Sayid is unsure at first, but then Flocke dangles his promise of brining Nadia back to him in front of him. With that, he goes off where he finds Desmond in the well (which was surprisingly shallow and empty) and draws his gun. Facing death, Desmond plays on Sayid’s fading emotions and asks if Sayid were to get Nadia back, what would he tell her that he did to be with her again?
While Flocke is leading his group, Claire tells Jack that she trusts Flocke because he is the only one who didn't abandon her, revealing Claire’s inner-child-like emotions and true feelings after being left behind. After Flocke goes off to find Sayid, Jack gathers Hurley, Sun, and Frank and they leave for the boat, unknowing that Claire is following them.
Meanwhile, Flocke finds Sayid and wonders if he really killed Desmond. At this point, the audience knows about as much as Flocke; did Desmond’s persuasion work and save his life, or did Sayid’s darkness prevail?
Sawyer and Kate arrive and meet up with Jack’s group, preparing to leave. Questioning their actions, Claire comes out of the jungle with a rifle and Kate confronts her saying that she can trust them and that the only reason she came back to the Island was to reunite her with Aaron–-a promise more reliable than Flocke’s. Claire agrees to go with them but when he (Flocke) finds out that they left, "he's going to be mad."
On the boat, Jack tells Sawyer that it doesn't feel right leaving the Island and believes that they were brought back to do something. If Flocke is trying to get them to leave, maybe he is afraid of what happens if they stay. Not liking Jack's "crazy talk," Sawyer tells Jack to get off the boat and that if he wants to leave, he can leave. Quite literally, Jack takes a leap of faith into the water and goes back to the main island (in a way paralleling Sawyer’s helicopter jump in the season 4 finale) while Kate unsuccessfully attempts to go back to get him.
They arrive on Hydra Island and immediately following, Widmore's people confront them, the two sides divided by the portable pylons.
Unexpectedly, another long-awaited moment is brought to life as Sun notices Jin and they reunite for the first time since the freighter explosion in the season 4 finale. Though, I can’t help but think that their current happiness is short lived, a prelude to death and destruction in the near future.
During their moment of happiness as they both run towards the sonic fence, I was fearing for them both. I was sure that their joy would take hold of them, make them forget the pylons, and were about to be zapped, ending their reunion in tragedy. It would have been horrible and unfair, yet amazing utilization of irony and twisting the audience’s expectations.
Shortly after, Sun regains her voice (seemingly by being brought back to Jin) but their reunion is cut short by Widmore’s crew holding the new arrivals at gunpoint, emphasizing that Widmore’s deal with Sawyer is off. Zoe makes sure that Flocke is located on the main Island and orders Widmore to fire when ready.
Jack eventually makes it back to the Island and Flocke meets him, remarking that Sawyer stole his boat. The bomb that Zoe ordered lands almost directly on them both, but both are unscathed. Jack is disoriented but Flocke tells him not to worry because "you're with me now."
For a transitional episode, The Last Recruit was fairly entertaining; definitely not the best of the season but not the worst either. Hopefully some greatness was sacrificed so that next week’s episode and the remaining ones after can be fantastic.
Jack getting screen time with Flocke as well as Claire was highly-anticipated as well and along with the reunion of Sun and Jin, we were treated to a lot of “catching-up” on the Island.
With the Losties held at gunpoint and Jack “protected” by Flocke, it’s clear that Widmore’s often-referenced war is coming soon. Though, what is the “war” exactly? We still don’t know too much about it other than Widmore is certain of its coming and that picking the wrong side will result in horrible consequences. Does the war tie in with the rules, an equally vague topic? The specifics of it such as why and how it’s coming and how it will take place are unknown as well, but I’m sure once we finally see it that it will be one of the best pieces of Lost ever.
With Lost returning in two weeks with The Candidate, I’m wondering if the title suggests that we’ll find out who will be replacing Jacob. Hmm…the thought brings up another question: why does Jacob need replacing…wait, why does the Island need protecting…what is the Island? It’s an endless chain of questions (that hopefully be answered before the series finale on May 23rd)!
Until next time...
Namaste
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