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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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." 
Then 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?
