Lost Redux: So The Island Is a Circuit Breaker?

Tonight's very odd episode with no series regulars spilled some long-awaited answers

By Kristin Dos Santos May 12, 2010 5:03 AMTags
Lost, MARK PELLEGRINO, ALLISON JANNEY ABC/MARIO PEREZ

"Every question will lead to another question. You should rest. Just be grateful you're alive."

Oh whatever, Allison Janney. We know we should have stopped asking questions long ago, but dammit, we have things we need to know before Lost ends!

Thankfully, tonight's crazy weird episode—no series regulars and C.J. from The West Wing?!—spilled some serious mythology. So what did we learn? What lies ahead? And what did Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace tell me about the finale? Dig in...

WHAT WE LEARNED

The Island Is a Circuit Breaker: This episode was written by Lost masterminds Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse themselves, so we should pay extra attention to every word of Island mythology spilled tonight, including Allison Janney's explanation of the light dome:

"A little bit of this very same light is inside every man, but they always want more. They can't take it but they would try. And if they tried, they could put it out. And if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere."

We know from Jacob's previous "cork"/"wine" analogy that the Island is the device that keeps all the evil from spilling out into the world. We know from Charles Widmore that if it does escape, it's the end of "everyone we love." And we know from tonight's episode that the Man In Black absorbed all the light of the Island, becoming the embodiment of pure evil (the Smoke Monster). MIB wants off the Island, but can only do so if all the candidates are dead. And he can't kill the candidates himself--which is why we've seen him "scan" Losties throughout the six seasons. (Who could forget that scene with Smokey coming face to face with Eko and flashing scenes of his life before him?)

ABC/MARIO PEREZ

Jacob and MIB Are Twins (?!) Who Were "Raised By Another": It's pretty clear that Allison Janney's character (may I call her Mama MIB?) was told precisely what to do when she saw twin boys born on the Island (one seen afterward adorably smiley in white swaddling; the other pitching a fit in dark). It was written all over her face as the second MIBaby popped out, right before she apologized and killed their mother, Claudia. Janney later told Jacob why she killed his biomom:  "I needed you to stay good." This, naturally, raises all kinds of questions: Is this why women cannot survive childbirth on the Island, because the babies are pure, innocent beings and they must be protected? Is this why Claire was told Aaron should not be raised by another?

Damon Lindelof told me: "Aaron is important; he definitely figures in the end of the show. Not integral, but important." Is it possible that Aaron--still presumably a pure soul--is the one remaining candidate who (I'm pretty sure) has not yet been revealed? If my memory serves me right, in episode nine, Ilana said there were six candidates left, though we only know of five. And in the lighthouse episode, Jack was told to turn the wheel to 108 degrees, but we never saw who was there. There must be another, right?

Who Will Be the New Jacob? After seeing the similar essence of Allison Janney's character and Jacob tonight--and that neither of them seemed capable of lying--it begs the question: Which remaining candidate seems the most honest and pure? Does this mean we can rule out Sawyer the con man? Is it relevant that Hurley can see the dead à la MIB? Is it possible the new Jacob will be someone we haven't seen coming, like Aaron or Jack's son, also a Shepard? Or maybe Desmond, who certainly has seemed eerily Jacob-like lately.

Argh! Allison was right. Just more questions. (*Shakes angry fist in air.*)

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Poor Man in Black Never Got a Name…Or Did He? Scoop! Insiders tell me that Mr. Big, er, MIB does have a given name though I don't yet know if it will be revealed. (Hint: It's not John, à la SATC's Big and despite his current corporal housing situation.)

A Boone and Shannon Reunion in the Series Finale…? That's what I'm predicting after running into Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace (separately) this past week. When asked how her return to Lost Island was, Maggie (Shannon) said, "Amazing." When asked if that meant she actually returns to the actual Island, she said, "It was full circle and very poetic." Hmmm…

Ian (Boone) mentioned that he was shooting the finales of Lost and The Vampire Diaries at the same time, saying: "I went down [to Hawaii] to shoot the last episode, which was one of the coolest human experiences I have ever had. [Editor's Note: As opposed to your vampiric ones? Awesome! Carry on…] It was just the core group of that cast all together in one day. It was like the last day of school, man. It was like the last day of senior year. I was so proud to watch these people who have become like my family, finishing six years of incredible storytelling and all the trials and tribulations that go with that."

Sniff. Anyone else starting to get really sentimental about this show ending? That said…

I'M HAVING A LOST FINALE PARTY! Sorry, didn't mean to shout, but I want to make sure you fellow fans know: I'm putting together a finale screening party for the big night, May 23, here in Los Angeles, and will be inviting some of you fans. Check back tomorrow for details on how you could be able to attend, and make sure you're following me on Twitter @kristindsantos for all Lost party and Lost finale week updates.

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Believe it or not, there is life beyond Lost. See what's next for the series stars in our new gallery!