Recruiting Post

For a few weeks now I've been wondering which characters Lost will concentrate on in their last few episodes. "The Last Recruit" gives us a clue--all of them. We saw just about everyone do their bits both on and off the island.

Things are beginning to coalesce, but we're still not sure where we stand. The show moved the pawns forward a bit, but we're still not bringing out the heavy artillery in this chess match. I'd call it a good episode, if not as powerful as the last couple.

We start where we left off last week--Jack's gang (I'll call them that now that Ilana's blowed up and Hugo is stepping back in the shadows) is hooking up with Flocke's. But it can't last long, that we know.

Flocke is happy to see Jack above all. The show has always been about the axis between these two, even with the real Locke dead. I think Flocke sees Jack as the final and most important piece in the puzzle he needs to solve.

Flocke pulls Jack away from the crowd and they talk. Jack wants to know if he's been behind everything all along. Flocke calls Locke a sucker for buying it all. But was Locke stupid, or is Flocke missing it. Flocke is smart and powerful, but he's not so smart that he knows everything, and he's not so powerful that he can get off the Island by himself.

Jack asks if Flocke was Christian. We sort of figured this out already, but it's nice to hear him say it. He says he was leading Jack to water (though Jack almost died chasing after Christian). He claims he's doing it all for Jack--Jacob trapped him on this Island like he trapped everyone else, he can't get away. But now that Jacob's dead, here's his chance. Flocke may be tricky, even evil, but I think he believes this.

Speaking of suckers, Locke is in the ambulance going to the hospital. It's not looking good. He can speak, barely, and he says to Ben (who's along for the ride) that he's going to marry Helen. Interesting. Near death, but he's not flashing to the island, he's flashing to Helen, who's dead in the Island timeline.

He and Sun are both on stretchers being led into the hospital, and Sun says (in Korean) "No! No! It's him! It's him!" She must be flashing to Flocke, because I thought she liked Locke. Even more interesting.

Meanwhile, nutty Claire has followed Jack and Flocke. She wants to see her brother. Guess MIB/Christian told her. The siblings talk. Claire's happy he's back, though we find out later she follows Flocke because he's the one who didn't abandon her. (Though she sure seemed on Christian's side even before they left the Island.) Jack says he's not sure he's leaving with Flocke, but she says once you talk to him, you're with him. There's that theme that both Jacob and Flocke can't be listened to, because they're very convincing. This might be right, but it's far from obvious it works on everyone. After all, Flocke had to go through a lot of candidates before he found the perfect pigeon in Locke (and Ben). Speaking of which, he admits he was Christian, but was he also Jacob every time they met in that cabin. It makes sense.

Back at camp, Sawyer is telling Hugo he wants to leave on the sub--not with Flocke--while Kate tells the same thing to Sun. But nutty Claire and zombie Sayid aren't part of the deal. Locke returns and looks like he's ready for a group hug. We're all together.

On the mainland, cop Sawyer talks to Kate the fugitive. No flashes between them, like Des and Penny, or Hugo and Libby. I guess that's because his flashes would come with Juliet, and hers with Jack. Sawyer jokes they keep getting thrown together--they remember the elevator ride at LAX. He says it looks like someone's trying to put them together. Which makes sense as a line, and as a reference to the Island, but also as a reference to the show--it did seem like the producers tried to put them together, but has it played out? Kate insists she's not a murdered by the way--in this world, maybe she isn't. Meanwhile, the Sayid multiplie murders get the attention of Miles and Sawyer. They have a surveillance shot and they're off.

Kate and Jack watch the camp, and discuss whether or not to believe Locke. Before they can decide, Zoe marches in (I always love it when people march into camps on this show) and she wants Des back. Zoe is a geophysicist who doesn't spend too much time doing geophysics. This time her job is to demonstrate how Widmore can blow them up at will, and gives Flocke till nightfall to return Des. (Like MIB gave the temple till nightfall.) She leaves her walkie with him, but MIB destroys it. Is this like how Jacob hated technology. Does Flocke have a problem with technology in general? Won't that cause trouble when he has to put his table in the upright position on the flight out?

Claire in LA. She's going to an adoption agency, and Des just happens to run into her. Amazingly, he's going to the same floor, but has a lawyer he wants her to see for free. I don't care how good a fixer he is, that's an amazing coincidence.

We know the (female) lawyer will be a character we've seen before, but who? Harper? Miss Klugh? Anna? Shannon? Turns out to be Ilana, not missing an episode, and looking good in a suit. By coincidence--except there are no coincidences in altaworld--she's Christian's lawyer and this is the Claire Littleton he mentioned in his will!

Flocke says they've forced our hand (and lies about having stole something from them). Time to move out. They're going to Hydra Island right now. Flocke tells Sawyer to get a boat for him. Is this finally the outrigger story? Nope, they fooled us again. Sawyer takes Kate with him. He has no intention for a rendezvous with Locke--he's made a deal with Widmore, and he wants to take the non-crazy Losties back with him (including Lapidus). I like all the cross-plans going on.

Flocke tells Sayid to go kill Des. So I guess he's not dead. Flocke reminds him of what he promised--which is Nadia. Sayid goes off to do his duty. When Sayid gets to the well, we see something weird. Last week, it seemed to be very, very deep. In the light of day, it looks like it's about twenty feet down. Des is down there sitting in the water, not too much worse for the wear. Couldn't he have climbed up?

They have a dialogue. Des is still pretty cool, and asks Sayid what is he getting for the hit? He asks even if Locke can bring her back, what would you tell her when she asks what you did to be with her? And we leave the scene on that note.

Back in LA, Sayid runs into Nadia's house. That's too bad. If Nadia's hadn't appeared again this season, she's have an amazing run of appearing in exactly one episode per season. Before Sayid can take it on the lam, Miles and Sawyer are at his house. Sawyer catches him flying out the back door.

On the Island, Sawyer and Kate get to the boat, and he tells her his plan. The big sticking point is Claire. Kate came to the island to bring her back, but Sawyer won't punch her ticket. We can feel this fight isn't over.

Flocke's party march through the jungle. How many times have we seen this shot? Jack's talking to Claire, trying to decide if he should trust Flocke. She does because he didn't leave her (as noted earlier). Flocke is worried about Sayid--he usually kills people much more quickly. He goes back to find him. Is this an intentional move to get Jack et al to run? Regardless, that's what they do. Claire sees them and follows, while the redshirts trudge on.

Sayid tells Flocke he did the deed. He even says check it out, but Flocke trusts him. Hmm. Hard to believe Des is gone. Indeed, it seems like we're seeing a little feeling coming back into Sayid.

Jack is having trouble finding the boat. Lapidus notes he better make it, since the Smoke Monster goes a lot faster than the do. Jack should say "I don't care, I'm a candidate--by the way, seeing as you're a pilot, I'd watch out."

They find the boat. They get on, and there's Claire on the shore with a gun. She's not happy about being left behind yet again. Kate makes it clear she came for her. He'll bring her back to Aaron, but not with Locke, who's no longer part of the group. Claire breaks down, gives up her gun and they bring her aboard (rather than shoot her). Claire notes Locke will be mad. Maybe, but they do know he needs them (most of them).

Jack, with son, is coming to meet lawyer Ilana for the reading of the will. He's calling his wife, I believe--maybe we'll get to meet her next week. He walks in the room and for the second time on Lost, learns he's got an adult sister named Claire. Ilana asks if he believes in fate. Speaking of which, before the will can be read, he has to rush to the hospital--I think we know who the patient's going to be.

On the boat, Jack is wondering what to do. Sawyer steers. I seem to recall Sun is good at sailing--maybe she could take over--but he gives the wheel to Freckles. He's surprised Jack followed orders--not his strong suit. But Jack feels something's wrong. He says it doesn't feel right to leave the island. Easy for you to say, you got to leave--I was stuck here for three years. But it looks like Jack has decided following Flocke's plans just can't be right. He wants them to leave, so do the opposite. Sawyer tells him to get off the boat. To my surprise, Jack jumps off--echoing Sawyer's jump off the helicopter (though that was a bit more heroic). Jack is convinced the island's not done with them, and as long as he's jumping off boats, he's correct. Kate is shocked, but not so shocked she jumps off. She's the kind who gets others to jump off.

Sun wakes up in the hospital. She's okay, and so is the baby. Jin says "it's over," which is always a dangerous thing to say in a movie or TV show. We pan to Jack walking with his son in the corridor. It's about 6 pm at this point, and asks his son if he can hang out while he does his job. No problem. Sure, how long could this surgery take, six, seven hours? I hope it's not a school night.

Jack looks at what he's got, and it's a tough case. Looks like a job for super doctor. He goes into the operating room and sees it's Locke--he remembers him from the airport (one of the better scenes this season).

Jack makes it back to the beach. (Be funny if he drowned.) Flocke and gang are waiting for him. Sawyer took his boat, but Flocke doesn't seemed too disturbed, almost as if he expected it.

Sawyer's gang gets to Hydra island and they're met by Widmore's goons. Sawyer figured he's got a deal, but no go. Get down on the ground. You just can't trust Widdy.

Meanwhile, a big moment. After teasing it for more than a season, Sun and Jin reunite. This knocks the aphasia right out of her head (though he's the one guy who could understand her Korean). They rush toward an embrace, going through the pylons set up to block Flocke. I thought one of them might get zapped, but it's not the same as the sonic fence, I guess. Or isn't on.

Widmore's people start firing at Locke. As usual, anyone with no name who hangs around Locke or Jack is in trouble. Jack flies through the air and Locke carries him to safety. It's gonna be okay, you're with me now. (The last recruit, or the only recruit?)

LOST

So how many recruits, or candidates, does Flocke need to get back? He needs them for some reason, but so many have come and died, how does it work? The plane is good for getting them onto the island, but do you need the same mechanism for getting off? How is the cork stopper deal working?

Also, just how "infected" or "claimed" are Sayid and Claire. It looked like Sayid could be talked out of killing Des, and considering what his actions mean. And Claire was touched by Kate's promise to get her back to Aaron, and was willing to abandon Flocke.

It's nice to see thing getting together in the altaworld. For too many episode the island material was more compelling, because even though we weren't clear on the strategies, the action had a purpose. Now that we know something's going on in the altaworld, we can see it moving forward. They're all meeting up, and perhaps getting enlightened. And sooner or later, they'll have to deal with the island world.