Mario Perez/ABCJacob! The Monster! The sickness! The frozen donkey wheel! Gaah! And a big death!
There was so much going on in tonight's episode of Lost, it almost felt like a good six episodes of revelatory goodness packed into one hour, right?
So while we try to stop our heads from spinning and noses from bleeding, and also try to forgive bosses Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse for killing off yet another fan favorite (why, why, why?), let's dish about what went down and exclusive scoop on what comes next…
WHAT WE LEARNED
Charlotte Is Dead: But don't cry for Rebecca Mader! Yes, the loss of Charlotte is a big blow to fans, but fear ye not. From what I understand, Mader got to seek solace in the arms (or, at least, shared movie-studio set proximity) of some guy named George Clooney after leaving Lost Island (Oahu), as she was cast in a movie with TV's sexiest-ever man. Not a bad consolation prize, right? According to my peeps, Mader's hiatus is as of yet undetermined in length, and I'm personally hoping we somehow see Charlotte again on her native island. Remember, this is time travel, people, so anything is possible! Shall we start the petition to bring her back below?
Geronimo! The long-referenced '70s band Geronimo Jackson (first discovered by Charlie and Hurley in the hatch) was brought back into the mix tonight as sickly Charlotte uttered, "Ohhh, turn it up! I love Geronimo Jackson." Seems she was (time?) traveling down memory lane, reliving her childhood as she lunged closer to death. And the revelation that Daniel Faraday was the "scary" man who warned her not to come back to the Island seems to make it clear that (a) Daniel found a way to go back in time and try to warn Charlotte not to come back to the Island in order to save her and (b) it didn't work because destiny cannot be altered.
That Was Jacob, Right? It certainly seems that Jacob is embodying the elder Dr. Shephard, as he appeared to Locke in the Orchid station to help him on his way. And note this: He could not help Locke physically, but he could hold a lantern. So either he's a sick bastard who likes to watch injured people squirm, or (more likely) he cannot have any physical contact with other human beings. Meanwhile, remember that Emerson insists he has no idea who Jacob truly is yet: "I haven't had any Jacob scenes yet, but they're out there. I mean, it has to be answered somewhere along the way. Jacob has henchmen that we never dreamed of." Any clues on who those henchmen might be?
Another Reason to Believe Ben Is Pure Evil: Ji Yeon might be the most adorable child ever, and the fact that Ben's shenanigans are tearing Sun away from her precious daughter makes Ben appear all the more Beelzebub, in my book—especially given that Charlotte warned Jin to keep Sun off the Island because "this place is death." Not to mention, the elder Dr. Shephard (Jack's father) mused to Locke tonight: "Since when did listening to [Ben] get you anywhere worth a damn?" Guy's got a point.
Another Reason to Believe Ben Is Pure Good: Yes, Michael Emerson (Ben) is a wickedly talented thespian, and, yes, we all know Ben is a conniving son of, well, Michael Emerson's wife in real life, but I'm sorry, Ben's car-halting tirade at Sun and Jack still seemed alarmingly forthright: "What I'm doing is helping you," he told them. "If you had any idea what I've had to do to keep you safe, to keep your friends safe, you'd never stop thanking me." Could that possibly be true?
Another Reason to Believe Ben Is Both: "I think Ben has the Losties' best interests at heart, to the extent that their interests coincide with his interests," Emerson himself tells me. "That makes it sound too selfish, but with the interests of the great contest or battle that he's involved in, the terms of which are yet unclear. I mean we know who one of his adversaries is, it's Charles Widmore, but I have a feeling we're going to find there are even larger players."
Jin's Plan Backfired: The very token he had hoped would keep Sun away (his wedding ring) is precisely what Ben used to lure her back to the Island. Something tells me he'll have mixed emotions when he sees her! Regardless, can I just say again how happy I am to have Daniel Dae Kim back on this show? He is the shiznit, and his scenes tonight rocked.
The Monster's True Purpose Revealed? "It's not a monster," Rousseau's baby daddy declared. "It's a security system guarding the temple." Sure, he was afflicted by "the sickness" and all kinds of crazy when he said this, but from what I understand the monster does have a lair (complete with hieroglyphics) and it certainly sounds legit.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
The Oceanic Six Are Going Back to the Island: And sooner than you think. But that doesn't mean everyone's holding hands again right away...
Spoiler Alert: Sources tell me that what lies ahead this season could bear the slogan "Same place, different time." (Can't they just meet at Sizzler?) In a way, it may remind you of that Jim Carrey-Kate Winslet movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as time travel/memories certainly can make reconnecting with love ones extremely difficult.
Holy Hot Kiss! Tonight's promo promises Jack and Kate will share some smoking-hot screen time next week. And let me tell you, I slow-mo'd that sucker over and over again and can tell you Evangeline Lilly and Matthew Fox really went for it, wide-open mouths and all. Holler! Should be some good TV.
What did you think of tonight's episode? And if you want Rebecca back on the show, don't forget to show your love below...