Thursday, May 24, 2007

"Lost' Season 3 Finale - "Through the Looking Glass"

Jackie's TV Blog, Lost
Whoa... now, this was a good season finale! The only real shame is that we'll have to wait until February of 2008 to pick up with it again. At this moment, I still have the excitement of the much better recent episodes and the finale on my mind.


But who knows what might be occupying my mind by February?

The finale had flash-forwards instead of flashbacks and it was no particular character-centric, although leaning a bit to Jack in the flash-fowards. There were sad moments and I moment I outright cheered for Hurley, the Hero of the Day!

The Flash-Forwards

Future Jack is off the island and, while he's still a doctor, he's one with plenty of issues -- more than he had before Flight 815 (and there were a lot then!). He's hooked on heavy-duty prescription painkillers and drinking, too. Eep. Oh, and he has a beard and looks very unkempt. He's suicidal, too. After ripping a funeral announcement from a newspaper, he was going to jump from a bridge, but instead saved a woman and child in a car crash right by him.

LOST Season Finale - Bearded Future Jack

Somehow the Flight 815 passengers have been issued Golden Passes and can fly anytime on Oceanic. Jack, perhaps believing he was never meant to leave the island, uses his pass for all it's worth. After all, he just might crash again and return to...?

Jack was the only one to show up to th funeral of what seems to be a mutual friend (or acquaintance) of his and Kate's. We didn't find out who it was who died, but Jack had hoped Kate would show up for the funeral. She didn't. He talked to her and she was a bit distant with him. She was with another man who also wasn't shown. Could it be Sawyer? The funeral itself was in a rough urban area and it really shook him up. Hmmm.

At the hospital where he works, Jack also made mention of his father as if he was still alive, but I think it may have been his condition talking. I don't think the past before the crash could have all been any sort of illusion.

On the Island

As we all pretty much guessed, Locke walks among us... or them, to be a bit more accurate. After all, as I have often said, Locke is a Key to the island. I believe his character is crucial to the whole thing. We had last left him in a DHARMA skeleton-filled burial ditch, shot by Ben because Jacob spoke to him.

LOST Season Finale - Walt

He thought he was once again paralyzed and was about to kill himself with a nearby gun when Walt (of all people) showed up. Walt told him he had work to do then went away as quickly as he had appeared. Walt seemed to have aged a heck of a lot more than the days since the crash!

Jack was still leading the 815 crash survivors to the radio tower, leaving Sayid, Jin, and Bernard behind as the shooters. Yes, to shoot the dynamite-rigged tents and kill the ten Others they knew were on the way.

Meanwhile, Ben knows that Juliet betrayed him and he's irked, very irked. I don't think Ben is used to not being in control. He took Alex and headed toward the radio tower. He told Alex he was bringing her to her new family and her "bio-mother." Richard Alpert and Mikhail, as well as the all the Others, found out Ben lied about the Looking Glass. Uh-oh.

What did Ben think would happen when he met up with Jack and the others from the crash? Ah, but then Jack (who increasingly annoys me with his ways) thought he should listen to what Ben had to say. Sigh.

When Jack spotted Ben's radio, he grabbed it and the two had a long talk.
LOST Season Finale - Ben Beaten

Ben wanted them to call off the plan to contact Naomi's ship. He said he wasn't sure if Naomi was who she said she was. He was scared what might happen if contact was made. Now, was he truly scared of the unknown? Or was he more scared that a way off of the island would be realized? I actually got the feeling it was the former. Ben also told them that the three shooters had all died at the camp. Yeah, right!

That got him a real beating from Jack as Jack went all kinds of crazy at the news. But it was a beating which left him alive... at least long enough to introduce Alex to her mother, Danielle Rousseau. Oh, I'm sure he lived.

Just as Naomi contacted the freighter ship, Locke came out of the woods and nailed her in the back with a flying knife. Then it was a standoff between Locke and Jack. Locke, not wanting Jack to contact the ship, threatened him with a gun. But, like he couldn't kill his father, he couldn't kill Jack either.

Jack contacted someone and was told that help would be sent. Locke can kill a stranger, but not anyone he knows, I guess. You would have thought this would be a kill situation for him. Locke wants to remain on the island more than anything else in the world.

LOST season Finale - Juliet and Jack Kiss

Sawyer and Juliet headed to the camp to see the status of Sayid, Bernard, and Jin. But, before they left, Jack and Juliet kissed. Oh-la-la. The kiss didn't go unnoticed by Kate.

The real action at the camp with the dynamite -- Oh, no! Eek! Jin missed! Only seven of the ten were killed! The three remaining (Tom, Ryan, some Other dude) quickly turned the tables and took Sayid, Bernard, and Jin hostage.

Sawyer and Juliet were watching from the nearby woods after rebuffing Hurley's attempt to help them. Like with Charlie in the last episode, Hurley is shunned on a heroic mission once again. Sawyer wanted to "get them" but they were unarmed. So, who saved the day? Hurley! Yep! He got in the DHARMA van and rammed right into them! Sayid, bound and gagged, killed one by breaking his neck with his legs. And, Sawyer jumped into action grabbing the gun of one of the downed Others.

Sawyer turned the gun on the last Other alive, Tom. Tom said he gave up and seemed like he would cooperate with whatever Sawyer demanded. BANG. Sawyer shot and killed him. "He said he was giving up," said Hurley. "I didn't believe him," replied Sawyer.

The Prophet and His Vision Through The Looking Glass

Sigh. We knew that Charlie couldn't keep being saved by Desmond. After all, the different deaths would keep happening until Charlie's actual death occurred. But our heroin addict sneaky guy from the series start has grown into a man and into a hero in his own right.
LOST Season Finale - Charlie held hostage
Those armed women in the Looking Glass Station were Others. They beat and tortured Charlie to make him talk. After all, the guy is on a suicide mission. What they wanted to know wouldn't change what he had to do to save his fellow 815 survivors. He saw what he wanted to see -- the communications chamber had a flashing yellow light. He knew that's where he wanted to go.

Greta and Bonnie were wo-manning the station as per Ben's orders. Back at the Others' camp, Ben's lie about the station had been exposed -- he had told them that the station was flooded and that Bonnie and Greta were in Canada on an assignment. Mikhail (Eye-Patch Dude) took off for the Looking Glass and Richard seems none too pleased with Ben once again.

When Mikhail got to the station he found out Ben was also lying about the ability to jam distress signals. He killed Greta, and tried to kill Bonnie. But Bonnie had already given Charlie the code he needed for his "mission." LOST Season Finale - Mikhail With No PatchThen Desmond, who just can't stop saving Charlie in spite of himself, showed up and killed Mikhail. (How many times can one guy die on a show?)

Charlie, going by Desmond's description of his vision, shut off the jamming mechanism. Then he received a radio call from Penny Widmore, Desmond's gal pal. He told her that Desmond was alive. But... it turns out Penny doesn't have a clue who Naomi is! She didn't send her!

He was going to tell Desmond but Mikhail the Undead (who needs to wear that eye-patch!) showed up once again. Sheesh! Charlie, in his last act, one of a true hero, flipped the switch, sealed the communications chamber to save Desmond so that he wouldn't be killed. He scrawled a note about Penny/Naomi and held it to the window as the chamber filled with water and he drowned... as per Desmond's prophecy.

I know Charlie hasn't always been the most popular character, but I rather liked the Hobbit. I'm going to miss him.

And, for sure, I'm going to miss this show for the nearly-year it will be gone.

Argh.

What did you think of the finale?

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW! I'm so glad I avoided the spoilers that came out before the show. I was completely blown away by the future-flash. Can't wait for next season.

Charlie had such a conflicted story last season that I forgot why I liked him. But, darn those Lost writers, they made me like him again and then they kill him off!

Anonymous said...

Jackie, I haven't watched the finale yet so I'm not here to comment on that. I'll get back to you on that.

However, I just saw the first commercial for Hell's Kitchen and I was wondering if you are going to be blogging for that? I hope so. You do such a wonderful job. Please let me know.

Thanks,
Pickles:)

Anonymous said...

Can Ben possibly be telling the truth this time? I mean, if he is, I'm sure he has an ulterior motive for doing so, but he said Naomi was one of the bad guys and if Jack and friends went on the boat, they would all die. And then Penny says she doesn't know any Naomi. Will Desmond get back in time to warn Jack? Arrrgh! And that kiss Juliette gave Jack...hmmm. Soon after that Jack tells Kate that Sawyer didn't take her back to the beach because he didn't want anything to happen to her. Jack said that was the same reason he hadn't wanted her to come back to Ben's camp (zoo, whatever) to save him from the Others. Kate said why are you sticking up for Sawyer? He wouldn't do it for you. And Jack said, "Because I love you." Wowie! That really caught Kate by surprise. me, too! As for Charlie, I saw him in an interview on E!News tonight and he was asked if his charactor was really dead and he said it would be news to him if he (Charlie )wasn't. Then he said "I didn't like being a bridesmaid, only there to facilitate other people's storylines." "Time to move on." Well, good-bye, Charlie! You're right, Jackie, this was a GREAT finale! Maybe, I will be back in February, after all. We'll see.

Deanna said...

I thought it was an OK finale. I didnt care for the "fast forward" look into Jack's life. I did like to see him back to his normal self. Hated to see Charlie go. Happy to see Locke still ticking along and now Im wondering if Ben and his people really are as bad as we thought. Maybe the ship off shore is the bigger threat and Ben seeks to only take whatever measures necessary to protect his people from that.

What a great touch for Jack to tell Kate he loved her... Awww!

February will not get here quick enough...Lol!

Anonymous said...

I wondered why Jack had that lousy beard from the start. Why was he acting so strange. Then we are let known it was futureworld! Ok more twists. When Jack met the woman at the runway I thought it was Kate, but wait he did not know her b4 the crash....lightbulb time.

Hurley finally got to be the hero. There is a reason for all on that island. Like finding the car! Maybe Hurley's luck had been changed too by the island!

The message on Charlie's hand to Desmond was "Not Penny's Ship", unfortunately too late for Desmond to warn Jack. But if they are about to be rescued what will we be seeing for the next 3 seasons? I want them on the island.

I do not know why Locke just did not put a bullet thru the satellite phone. Instead he just gave up and walked away!

Walt is 3 yrs older, but 90 days island time. Next time we see him, he will be an adult. LOL

It was kind of touching Ben's answer to Alex, why he did not want her with Karl. Get pregger's die. So Ben does have some feelings after all.

I want to know Mikail's story. Why does he not die? Who was in the casket? How did Locke heal so quickly? On and on. I do not want to wait till 2008 @@ !

Great recap Jackie.

Anonymous said...

how can it be jacks future when he tells the dr to talk to his dead, who is dead? .. i think it wasw sawyer in the casket
debbie in calif

Anonymous said...

oops lol i meant jacks DAD is dead, so how can he refer to him in the future?

Anonymous said...

I won't be a happy camper if the remaining three seasons are post-island-future-world. It is kind of funny tho cuz leading up to this episode everybody's been saying well whatever happens we know they won't be rescued because then the show will be over...

Charlie's heroism was heartbreaking. And Hurley saving the day was fantastic.

Ben lies and manipulates and murders so much who can ever believe him when he occasions to tell the truth? Especially since he offers no info or facts to back up his claim that "Others good, Naomi/Boat People bad". Ben also seems bewildered as to why anyone would willingly leave the island so lets review; smoke monster, kidnapping, murder, imprisonment, death by pregnancy, medical experimentation...the Others have been very bad hosts and their guests want to go home! Jeez Ben, get a clue.

Finally, I'm peeved that we saw neither hide nor hair nor chair of Jacob. Wow, nine months is a really long time...

Lili

Anonymous said...

Anon 1143p...has to be the future, Jack wants to go BACK to the island, plus he did not meet Kate till after the plane crash (were/are we supposed to think that???)!!!

Lili, I guess we have to pretend we are preggers and wait 9 months to see what is what. IMAO

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a great finale! I loved all the twists and turns and unexpected shift in the story line.

In the future-flash besides the fact that Jack talked about his father as if he was still alive, I thought it was interesting that Kate no longer seems to be a fugitive.
She was in the custody of a U.S. Marshall for killing her step-father and various other crimes when the plane crashed. Hmm...
More questions for us to ponder and puzzle out during the long 9 months ahead.
LynnB

Anonymous said...

The name of the funeral parlor was Hoffs/Drawlar which is an anogram for "flash forward".

The lost forumn I read (which is up to a whopping 72 pages) has screen captures of the newspaper clipping Jack had. It really is a news blurb about someone dying, but keys parts are unreadable, such as the person's name. I can give more details of the clipping, but I wasn't sure how much info is welcome here. It could be considered a spoiler, though really, like most things Lost it raises more questions than it answers.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't too happy with future Jack. He needs a shave, a detoxing, and a life. Who paid for the casket and buriel if NO ONE showed up for the viewing?? Who did Jack call on the bridge to say, "I just read....".

My guess about the casket? Locke. Jack said he wasn't either friend or family to the deceased. I think Kate's reference to "he's waiting for me (or whatever)" is Sawyer.

Is this the present future or the future just a several months after being "rescued"? Jack's scraggly beard suggests a long time.

tbc

Anonymous said...

Jack's 'flash forward' had many dream qualities to me. And that would fit with the plot line, since we never saw them get off the island (and since the series continues for a few seasons, it would fit if they didn't get off). For one thing Des told Charlie he saw people getting in a helicopter...might not to be rescued though. Maybe kidnapped or such. Maybe a fight with the so-called rescuers puts Jack in a coma type state where he 'dreams' about being back home and Ben's threat weighs heavily on him.

Here are the reasons Jack's future seems not real to me:
1. The jerkiness of the scenes are the way dreams happen...not fluid in movement. Jack mentions his dad as if he is alive, and that also shows Jack's fears (which is what comes out in dreams) that he will end up just like dear old dad. Jack sees himself as a person who saves other people and he did that in his dream.
2. Funerals are big dream topics. If it is real, I think it is Ben...since Kate wouldn't want to go to his, but Jack would feel as if he led to Ben's downfall if Ben had to leave the island. After all Ben was the Wizard there, but will only be every man back in reality. Or a dream funeral would again show fears that no one was there to care for whomever it is.
3. Kate looked more like the way Jack would imagine her when off the island and little like she might actually look. Much too uptight and put together to be Kate. Not to mention the warrant waiting for her 'back home'.
4. Their meeting "you know where' Jack says, is 'at the end of the runway'. Very dream like talk and symbolic.

5. Jack and Locke were friends and had just had a major confrontation. Jack in the flash forward is agreeing with Locke about staying on the island. That also fits with a dream feeling.

6. Seeing the boy in the waiting room was pure dream feel. Because the boy appeared alone, injured but alive and waved to Jack as if to say, you saved me. (or you fixed me) Same with the ex wife appearing.

I could go on, but won't. I don't know what we will find out when Lost continues, but will enjoy the anticipation and the guessing throughout the summer.

Thanks Jackie for giving me a place to have my say. And to read what others think. Sue

Anonymous said...

Sue: VERY Interesting! A lot to think about.

Anonymous said...

I just rewatched the tape and I have two thoughts; the flash forward glimpse--maybe its like the movie Back To The Future--they did something wrong on the Island and now their future is all screwed up. Jack wants to get back to the Island to "fix it" and then make all their futures OK as a result.

Two; Kate's face at the airport meeting is so noticibly different looking. At first I thought it was because she was wearing make-up and presumably she didn't on the Island. But now I think it's more than that. I think she had plastic surgery specifically to change her appearance, so she could lie about her identity "in the real world" so she wouldn't get rearrested for killing her stepfather. It's not like she would stand around waiting to go to prison, she would rather stay on the Island than go to prison right?

Obviously I'm too obsessed with this show and I need Jackie to start blogging Big Brother so I can trade one obsession for another.

Lili

Anonymous said...

Deanna said "wondering if Ben and his people really are as bad as we thought."

Remember it was Ben and "his people" who gassed to death the 40 odd Dharma members, including his own father. They are definitely not the good guys....

Tom

Anonymous said...

A point...when Jack was hurt after saving the mother and child in the accident, his ex came and SHE was VERY Pregnant, which you do not want to be on the Island....so was it a dream and dread for Sun and maybe Kate? Too many questions and answers in the far future!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what an amazing show. Thanks for the blog Jackie. To be honest, if they did not get picked (which they have) for next season, good enough for me. Liked it all, especially future Jack. Who was in the casket? Who is Kate with (Sawyer, duh) in the future? Awesome.
Smoky

Deanna said...

Lili- I too thought Kate looked different at the airport meeting w/ Jack. I almost wondered at first if it was her or not. I think u may be on to something w/ that plastic surgery thing.

Tom- I do think Ben and his people are bad, but maybe they have done the things they have done to protect themselves from a bigger threat. The woman from the ship w/ the radio lied to them about who sent her there and Ben seemed really scared about her presense and her radio phone. The Dharma people seemed a bit creepy and more cult like then Ben and his cronies do, so maybe he really is just trying to protect his people. Just thoughts, because it would make for interesting TV if the two groups formed as one and fought a bigger evil... :)

Anonymous said...

I'm wondering if the reason Jack is so abjectly miserable in future world is because he loves Kate and can't have Kate? He seems to reach for her like she is a life raft and she seems resigned and adament about her not-with-Jack-situation. I'm just thinking that her future world circumstances/choices are totally connected to her being a wanted fugitive and yet she is not in jail. So there had to be lies/deals/new identities or something. Maybe she got "home", escaped the "authorities", changed her identity and now she can never be seen with Jack because she is in hiding? And he is heartbroken?

Anonymous said...

How on earth could Ben and his posse find out diddle on Naomi/Boat People? The hut with all the internet access was blown up. They walked away from their village. AND THE LOOKING GLASS HATCH HAS BEEN BLOCKING ALL TRANSMISSIONS! So I don't see how it would be possible for Ben to find out squat unless invisible chair guy told him and how the heck would he know, he doesn't even like flashlight let alone real technology.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait until February...
I like the idea about jack's future being a dream. I also think charlie's death was dream-like and fits this theory. For real Charlie could have escaped. Run away from the window and swim out (like the swim in) with Desmond. The radio jamming signal was already of....Second option would be to swim out of the broken window, once the compartment was completely filled.
Mark

Anonymous said...

Didn’t jack’s father die before they came on the island?!! Then in the future flash why did jack say to the other doctor “why don’t you go get my dad and we’ll see who is drunker?” does he return to life?

Anonymous said...

Awesome finale! So much to ponder over the long wait ahead...

Mark: I'm sure Charlie didn't try to escape because he believed that if he changed the sequence of events, it would change everything-then Claire and Aaron would not be rescued.

Anon 5:42: Although I've always thought that Jack's dad is still alive (but he probably isn't), I think Jack said what he said simply out of being messed up on painkillers and alcohol.

I don't think we have to worry about them being rescued too soon. I'm sure Naomi's boat is either a threat that will unite our guys and the Others, or it will meet an untimely demise as it approaches the island.

Paul Levinson said...

Good recap. I actually predicted the flip from flashbacks to flashforwards in my review of Charlie's Greatest Hits episode, the week before ... I thought the finale was a masterpiece! Flashforwards...

Anonymous said...

I'm really going to miss Charlie. I think it was a big mistake to kill him off.

I'm having "withdrawal" symptoms: "Lost", "Heroes", Dancing w/the Stars", "Idol" etc! Can't wait for Big Brother.

~Susan from MA

Anonymous said...

A shocking finale to the series. I wonder if the next season talks about Jack's attempt and success in getting himself back on the island again, only to find out how much it changed.

I guess there was no escape for Charlie, since everything seemed to be in slow mo during that time, I think there was little or no time for Charlie to get out of the room and slam it shut, not to mention the fact that the door could only probably be locked from the inside. Maybe the pressure from the water could have pushed even then the door off its frame. And I think the station could have flooded if he hadn't. Desmond then would have drowned too. I was looking at the window wondering if Charlie could have fit himself through the window, and I doubt he could. It looked to small to me and even if he could he wouldn't have made it up fast enough to the surface before he drowned.

Ben seems to have shown good and bad sides to himself. But I can at least understand him a bit. He can' t allow the plane crash survivors from leaving I guess because if they all start reaching the civilization,the island might be discovered by their unknown enemy. Walt and his father were allowed to leave because they were just two and probably cannot be used to trace back the islands position. He couldn't have introduced them to become part of his people since he knew that they might be too uncontrollable and would still try to leave. Or maybe he might have even thought them as unworthy.

Any way, I think Naomi's people are from the Dharma initiative. From the flash backs of Ben's past in previous episodes it seemed apparent that the "Others" and the Dharma initiative even then were at odds and killing each other. Ben just sided with the Others and took back the island. But now it seems to me Dharma has just found a way back into the island again.

Locke and Jin should have practiced shooting. I guess I doubt that Locke could have shot the satellite phone without shooting Jack's hand off.