'Lost' - "Greatest Hits"

Uh-oh. Next week is the two-hour season finale starting at 9 PM ET/PT. And, we don't know what's up (or not) with John Locke? Is he dead? Alive? I think we'll see that he's alive next week, but that's just a guess on my part. I want to see the battle of wills between Locke and Ben, don't you? The Others seem ready to jump ship and get away from Ben.

This week's episode was Charlie-centric. Is it his time to finally die? After all, Desmond said that the "accidents" won't stop until he's dead. Will he finally stop saving him and let destiny run its course?

In the Flashbacks
The flashback sequences were a bit different from the norm. Directly after they were shown, the present-day cut to Charlie had him listing them on a piece of paper. Now, if he were only singing, "Memories, misty water-colored memories..."

In the first one, his band's song started playing on the car radio just as the band was going through bad times and ready to split up. The second one featured a child Charlie at a pool with his father and brother. He's scared of the water and his father kept encouraging him to jump in. "I'll catch you, I promise!" When Charlie jumped in and found out he was alive, he was thrilled with himself.

The third flashback was when his brother gave Charlie the DS ring he wears. It was their grandfather's ring and a family heirloom pass down to your son kind of thing. They used his initials, DS, to create the band name DriveShaft. Charlie's brother thought that Charlie was more likely to settle down and have a family since he (the brother) was so drug-involved.

The fourth flashback had Charlie saving Nadia (Sayid's once upon a time lady) from a mugger in an alley outside The Convent. He acted on instinct, got her purse back, and was surprised at his own bravery. She told him he was a hero. "Don't let anyone ever tell you different."

The last flashback was just after the plane crashed... when he met then very pregnant Claire. He reassured her that everything would be okay. They're alive on a beautiful island and a helicopter would soon rescue them. In present day, he listed this memory as "#1 - The night I met you."

On the Island
Jack told all of the Flight 815ers that Juliet had told him everything about Ben's plan to kidnap the pregnant women. Juliet tried to fit in as Miss Not An Other telling them that she was leaving the tapes just to look like she was playing along with Ben.

In a bit of an out-of-character move, Danielle Rousseau agreed to work with Jack by retrieving dynamite from the Black Rock slave ship. So, that's what she was doing there last week when Locke was tricking Sawyer into killing his father.

Why would Rousseau do this? She usually keeps to herself and doesn't get involved with happenings which don't directly affect her. And... why did Locke act like it was run-of-the-mill for her to be in the ship getting dynamite? I thought perhaps he knew why she was taking it. But, if it's Jack's plan, Locke wouldn't know about it at this point.

Juliet had been instructed to mark the three tents of pregnant or possibly pregnant women (Sun, Kate, who - my mind must be going unless they want Claire, the ex-pregnant). The plan is to rig those tents with dynamite and blow up the kidnappers.

Sayid took Jack aside and wanted his help. Rousseau's distress signal was interfering with the phone/radio of Naomi's. As he told Jack that they needed to go to the transmitter, Juliet interrupted them. She told them that Ben had all the signals blocked from the underwater Looking Glass Station. She also told them that Ben said the station was flooded and inoperable. (So how does it still block the signals?)

Meanwhile, Charlie knew that Desmond had another one of his visions. He insisted he tell him. Desmond told him that he saw a helicopter rescue Aaron and Claire, but that he (Charlie) had to die in order for it to happen. How should he die this time? By drowning in a hatch with a flashing yellow light while flicking a switch. Desmond didn't know when it would happen and neither was aware of the Looking Glass Station discussion.

Charlie overheard Juliet, Sayid, and Jack discussing the station and how someone needed to go to it, but it would be a suicide mission. Charlie instantly volunteered.

Then Karl, Alex's boyfriend, came ashore in an outrigger. He told them that Juliet's one of "them." Um, yeah. They know. He then told them the plans had changed -- the kidnapping would take place tonight. The Others were on the way, ten of them.

Why the change in plans? Six hours previously, Ben returned to his camp after shooting Locke and leaving him in the DHARMA burial ditch. When questioned about where Locke was, he immediately started ordering the change. "If anyone does anything stupid, kill them," Ben ranted. He gave Alex back the gun and Richard seemed very disturbed about the missing Locke and the changes.

Alex ran to the woods, gave Karl the gun, and told him to warn them. "You owe them. They saved you," she told him. "But your father will really kill me now!" "Is he my father?" Eep.

So, the 815ers had to change their plans, too. They had three tents set up, needed three guns. Karl gave them Alex's gun. Only the three shooters would remain at camp; the others would all go to the south beach of the island. Sayid insisted it was time for Jack to act like a leader. He should lead them to the radio tower.

Charlie and Desmond took off for the Looking Glass Station, but only after Charlie had some last moments with Claire and baby Aaron. Charlie's destiny must be fulfilled. When Claire took Aaron to leave the campsite with the others, the DS ring was shown in Aaron's crib.

Hurley tried to go with Desmond and Charlie, but Charlie told him he couldn't. When Hurley persisted, Charlie told him he was too big for the boat. He immediately regretted saying it, hugged Hurley and let tears stream from his eyes.

Oh, but then, as Desmond and Charlie were just about over the station, Desmond told Charlie he'd go because Claire and Aaron depended on Charlie. Would he save Charlie once again? Nope. Charlie whacked him on the head with an oar, then swam down to the station.

He swam down and into the station, then swam towards light desperately seeking air. He got to the Moon Room of the station, low and behold... above a deck there was air. He collapsed after bringing himself to the walkway.

Only, things aren't exactly right. Nuh-uh. Two heavily-armed women with guns (character names of Greta and Bonnie according to previews) draw down on him.

LOST [thunk]

Hmmm... those women. They either work for Ben or...?

The episode wasn't as good as most have been lately, but I still rate it pretty high. I want to know about Locke's immediate fate (live or die) before January, though. What did you think?