Lost - Through the Looking Glass

**** / ****

In Through the Looking Glass, there's a particular emphasis on *not* leaving the island. Jack, in full beard, diminishing state, hooked on Oxy and booze, off the island, is about to jump from a bridge when a car collision behind him (caused by his presence distracting the driver swerving as a result) calls for him to be hero one last time. There's nothing satisfying about this latest rescue. He is still employed by the LA hospital despite clearly showing signs of laboring addiction. A news clipping he tears from a paper, phone calls to Kate that go unanswered until she finally agrees to meet him near an air strip once because someone she belongs to might learn this, stealing Oxy from a medicine cabinet, and seeing his ex pregnant after she's called to the ER due to her listing as an emergency contact; these scenes in Jack's life off the island reinforce why Ben and Locke were both right... getting off the island, all that effort, the killing and body count, did not improve at all. In fact, Jack is so miserable he tries to find a way *back* to the island.
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Charlie gives his life for Claire and Aaron’s rescue. So that the signal in The Looking Glass jamming any outgoing messages or communication off the island could be stopped, Charlie knew from Desmond’s “vision” that the end result of his mission would be his own demise. Bound to a chair, taking repeated punches to the face by the two guards wanting to know details as to why Charlie was there, he eventually does tell them that Juliet was the one responsible for finding The Looking Glass station. But Desmond awakening on the outrigger and swimming to The Looking Glass after Mikhail fires a gun at him from the beach does set in motion the signal’s end through a series of uncanny developments. Mikhail ordered by Ben to murder Charlie and the guards despite their loyalty to him (and Jacob), Desmond shooting Mikhail with a harpoon to subdue him, Charlie learning of the code needed to cut off the signal (Good Vibrations in note is typed to shut it off!), Mikhail setting off a grenade that indeed does flood the signal room, Charlie actually communicating momentarily with Penny, Charlie learning the freighter isn’t hers, Charlie keeping Desmond from harm (and seeing Penny on screen), Charlie drowning right before Desmond’s eyes while informing him through magic marker ink that the freighter isn’t funded by Penny, and perhaps Charlie dying just for many to leave the island with a future of misery awaiting back in “civilized life”; all of this seems quite heroic, and Charlie isn’t to blame for what happens to Jack once he leaves the island, returning to LA where he becomes a mess, but I can’t help but ask myself what if he doesn’t go to The Looking Glass. I guess the next season reveals whether or not Claire and Aaron’s life off the island was worth such a sacrifice. Mikhail smiling as he is about to set off the grenade with Charlie preparing for what that would do to him; it is quite an impact.

You know, we have been prepared for it. Ongoing since the middle of the third season, Charlie’s fate has been foretold to us. At some point Desmond knew Charlie would not escape the inevitable. But its build kept us aware that Charlie would go at some point. So we were waiting like Charlie for that ending. I just kind of let out a sigh and as a helpless Desmond watches his eyes so open and last gasps giving way to death, he accepts (as we must) that it was just meant to be. The universe was done with Charlie. I guess I did take him for granted, although as the episodes leading to the third season finale were coming to the end, it wasn't lost on me that a valuable member of the cast would soon be gone. There were times he just got on my nerves, aggravated me, and could be a bit off-putting. But the third season definitely gave Charlie a solid recovery from where he once was to how he finished. He gave his life for those he loved...Jack is often called a hero, but Charlie belongs right next to him.

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Locke’s story isn’t done. As he was lying in that Dharma Death Pit, contemplating suicide, seemingly dying and losing feeling in his legs, the island sends a messenger…the “phantom image” of Walt telling him to get up. Locke had work to do. Who would have thought that Locke and Ben (despite their rivalry) could be on the same page regarding leaving the island? But Jack would have none of it. It was up to him to communicate to the freighter after Locke silences Naomi, the parachute girl, with a knife. Ben tries to talk Jack out of radioing the freighter and receives punches to the face when pulling a trick regarding the murder of Bernard, Sayid, and Jin. Although the tent dynamite trap is successful in taking out *some* of the Others, Bernard, Sayid, and Jin nonetheless are captured by Tyler, Tom, and another foot soldier for Ben. Ben’s communication to his men to kill them if Jack doesn’t surrender Naomi’s radio, and the façade’s emotional wallop, produces quite a celebratory pummeling. Ben had it coming. Ben even tells Jack that the 40 he killed during the “purge” was for betterment of the island. Ben tells Jack that communicating to the freighter spells doom (the apocalypse) for his entire camp. Ben persists in emphasizing that leaving the island and talking to the freighter is absolutely perilous. The two part finale never fails to reinforce this than when bearded Jack off the island deteriorates. Who was the funeral for and why did no one attend? Jack even asks Kate why she didn’t attend, with her reacting “as if” before heading back towards whatever life currently occupies her time. Kate’s standoffish attitude to Jack is quite fascinating. But the “I can’t live with the lies anymore” Jack response certainly intrigued me. There is a span of time between communication to the freighter and Jack’s “future” off the island to answer lots of questions ping-ponging throughout my mind. Trust me: it has been hard not to want to just bury myself in spoilers. But the shock of what happens next is really cool.

Locke was shot primarily because he heard Jacob speak. His attempt to convince Jack not to talk to the freighter and failure to do so--with the addition of what we see in "flash ahead"--the island (or universe) dictating how things will transpire takes a certain hit. Or does it?, I ask myself.
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Sawyer wanting to return to the beach and Juliet accompanying him sure alters the situation involving Bernard, Sayid, and Jin! Seemingly readymade victims for Ben to execute at his leisure, surviving as they do, Sayid, Bernard, and Jin sure seem to have fate on their side! Hurley and the van don’t just drive around a patch of island green…they take out Ben’s main footsoldier, Kyle! And Sayid snaps that Other with his feet with relative ease! And Sawyer has been waiting two seasons of Lost to get even with Tom for shooting him and taking Walt. Juliet pointing the gun at Tom as he crawls for his weapon (the weapon she takes), as Sawyer has him right where he wants him, Hurley questions why he’d shoot the unarmed Other…Sawyer saw this as a righteous act of vindication. Ben has lost so many in this war with Jack’s Oceanic camp. Alex does ask him why Ben won’t just let them leave the island…Ben seems to know more than anyone else, yet he conceals this. Throughout three seasons of Lost, the lack of communication between the two factions has led to all of the violence and death. Trying to conceal and lie instead of the two camps just talking to each other, what has resulted from all of this? Many of the people Ben has lived with for years are dead. Jack and those still alive in his camp reach the radio station thanks to Rousseau’s guidance, cutting off her distress signal. Jack takes dead Naomi’s radio and calls up the freighter. All of this loss seems for naught.

At least Ben explains to Alex that he didn't want her pregnant, offering his reasoning behind trying to keep Karl from her. Alex even finally meets her mother, and vice versa. Rousseau gets to caress the face of her daughter, in quite a dramatic moment. 

Rose saying goodbye to Bernard, Jin and Sun hugging lovingly before departing each other, Claire and her baby seemingly on the verge of getting off the island: there are other big emotional moments to glean from this double episode finale.