Apr 22, 2010

The Last Recruit

If I were to sum up "The Last Recruit" in a few words, I'd say moving right along. While the episode had no big wow moments or shocking revelations, it was a busy hour of moving the plot along toward the series end, just about a month from now. This episode was all about putting our Losties together in both the sideways world and on the island. Now that they are together, what happens next? Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a couple of weeks to decide since Lost takes a week off next Tuesday. Boo!

Flash Sideways Story
We pick up after Desmond ran down Mr. Locke. Ben accompanies Locke to the hospital in the ambulance, but he doesn't know much about him and is unable to answer most of the paramedic's questions. He didn't even know Locke's first name.

As they arrive at the hospital, they are rushed inside at the same time that Sun and Jin arrive (after Sun was shot in "The Package.") Suddenly, Sun recognizes Locke and says "It's him." Didn't seem like she felt good about recognizing him. I wonder if sideways Locke really is big, bad Man in Black? That seems to be what Sun was feeling.

This puts four of the main players at the hospital (Sun, Jin, Locke and Ben). Jack later joined them when he was called him for emergency surgery on Locke. Looks like Jack's the top surgeon, as Locke is in pretty bad shape, so they called in the best, Dr. Jack Sheppard. Jack recognized Locke, but it was unclear if he recognized him from the airport or "another life, brotha."

Jack arrived at the hospital with his son, who had joined him for the reading of Christian's will. There were a few surprises at that will reading. Firstly, Desmond had convinced Claire to speak to an attorney he knew, since she was going to an adoption agency. That attorney turned out to be the not blown up (at least in the sideways) Ilana. Ilana immediately recognized Claire's name and brought her in for the will reading. Desmond did his job and put the Sheppard kids together again.

Jack was surprised to learn he had a sister, and it wasn't clear if Claire knew Christian was her father before or if she had just learned this bit of info. Locke's arrival at the hospital interrupted the will reading, and Jack went into saving/fixing mode.

The other segment of Losties that came together were Sawyer and Kate, when Sawyer questioned her at the bureau. Actually, Kate did just as much questioning of Sawyer. Then Miles interrupts and points them toward the recent incidents at the restaurant. Their bad guy = Sayid. Miles and Sawyer arrest Sayid at Nadia's, and my guess is that he'll soon be booked and introduced to fugitive Kate (though she claims she didn't do any murdering in this time line).

That makes Group A now at the hospital and Group B at the police station. Hurley and Desmond are aware of the otherside, but aren't with either group ... yet. I wonder how this will all come together now that the major players are back together? Does Desmond still have work to do? Is his next stop Margaritaville to recruit Lapidis? Or perhaps its a coffee date with Penny?

The Conversation
Jack and Man in Black finally come face-to-face and have the conversation we've been waiting all season for. Jack feels him out a bit and gets the reason why he has taken the form of John Locke: basically Locke was stupid. He thought the island brought him there for a reason and pursued it until it got him killed. Thanks to Jack for bringing his body back in a wooden box. Man, the more the show moves on, the worse original Locke gets raked through the mud. I'm still holding out hope that there will be a happier resolution for the former box man.

After Jack beats around the bush a bit, Man in Black asks him straight up what he wants to know. Jack asks him about seeing his dead father on the island after they first arrived ("White Rabbit"). Man in Black confirms that he had taken Christian's form to show them where to find water and tries to convince Jack that he's always been trying to help them.

This brings up an interesting question. Were all of the appearances of Christian Sheppard really the Man in Black? Another Lost blog, Zap2It's Guide to Lost, has been throwing around the theory for a few years that there are two Christians. Knowing what we know about Man in Black (and that's not much), the two Christian theory looks more and more plausible. Since Man in Black can't leave the island, another "Christian" made appearances on the freighter (to Michael in "There's No Place Like Home") and at the hospital (to Jack in "Something Nice Back Home"). The appearance to Jack is the one where the smoke detector kept going off, which fans had speculating that it was really the Smoke Monster. Could the second Christian be a trapped soul, like Michael and the rest of the whispers? Or perhaps, the second Christian was Jacob himself? We don't know yet if Jacob could take other forms, but I'm betting he could.

Jack is the new Locke
On their way to Hydra Island, Jack has a bad feeling about this and tells Sawyer that they were brought to the island to do something. Jack says that the island isn't done with them, but Sawyer is having none of this crazy talk and tells Jack to get off his boat. Jack apologizes for getting Juliette killed (feels like so long ago now, but its only been a few days) and takes the leap of faith and jumps off the boat. Jack has completed his full-circle turn and is the new John Locke. He's faith is fully in the island and the reason he was brought there. Out of all the candidates, Jack is the one fully embracing Jacob's calling.

Deal's Off
Sawyer and his group arrive at Hydra Island, but they don't get the reception they'd hoped for. We finally got the drawn out Sun and Jin reunion, and Sun regained her ability to speak English, so that means less captions for us to read as there probably won't be much Korean spoken on the island anymore with both of them fluent in English now. I thought that's how the episode would end, but nope, another curve ball.

Zoe radios to Widmore and tells Sawyer the deal's off. The conman has been conned. Widmore starts to bomb Man in Black on the main island, and we're left to wonder what's his ultimate plan. He didn't send the freighter to rescue the Losties, and it looks like he's not there to help them this time either.

Jack's with him
Jack told Claire early in the episode that he hadn't made his choice to join team fake Locke yet, but with Man in Black saving him toward the end of the episode, he tells Jack that your with me now. What are the implications of Jack now seeming to team with the dark man? I still think Jack is the ultimate candidate to replace Jacob, so now that the groups have split up, Jack can keep Man in Black trapped by his decision not to leave the island.

Is this good news or bad news, since Man in Black had told Jacob that he would kill his replacements so he could leave? My feeling isn't that he'll kill Jack though. I think he sees Jack as the most influential of the candidates, and he's one that can convince the rest to follow him. Now Man in Black just has to convince Jack to do what he wants and not what Jack wants. Could this involve a certain teenage son that Jack could have in a sideways world?

Other Tidbits:
Was it just me or did Claire keep changing in the episode? It may have been just the order that they filmed the scenes, but some scenes she looked more dirty and disheveled and other scenes she seemed more like the old Claire.

Claire knows that it was Man in Black who was posing has her father. I think she knows a lot more than she's been leading on.

Seems like Sayid is changing too, and I don't think he killed Desmond as he told Man in Black. I think Sayid is realizing that Man in Black can never deliver what he's promising, and he's having second thoughts for joining him.

Jack recognized Locke from seeing his reflection in the mirror in the operating room. Another mirror reflection in the sideways time line.

No update on Team Richard this week. Wonder what's going on with them as they travel to Dharmaville and then ultimately to Hydra Island?

Other Recaps and Analysis of "The Last Recruit":
Next on Lost: "The Candidate" on May 4

*Photos from Lost-Media.com & losteastereggs.blogspot.com
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