Overthinking Lost: Season Five

We made it, guys!  Season five!  We’re here!  I finally finished watching all of Lost.  I am officially caught up.

Does that mean this is my last Overthinking Lost post?  Hardly!  This is only the beginning.  There is so much packed into these last seventeen episodes that it doesn’t seem fair to write just one post about it.  So, starting this week, I’ll try to tackle some of the show’s main themes: faith versus science, fate versus free will, and so forth.  Along the way I’ll try to make some predictions, too, about what may be to come.

This week’s topic: faith versus science!  Which side is winning?  Which side will win?  But first, my recaps for season five.

Episode 5.1 (“Because You Left”): Remember how I said that too much plot happened in the fourth season?  Well, everything just got plot-ier.  Back on the mainland, Sayid tries to break Hurley out of the institution but then gets shot with some poison darts.  Sun meets with Charles Widmore because she wants to kill Ben, and a lawyer visits Kate demanding she take a maternity test to see if she’s really related to Aaron.  Back on the Island, time is out of sync for some mysterious reason, and Faraday describes it in the same exact way Dr. Farnsworth explained it in that old Futurama episode.  Ah, the old needle slipping on a record player metaphor.  Gotta love it.  Sci-fi writers better come up with a better analogy, though, because I’m not sure I even know what a record player is.  Is it some kind of larger iPod?

While skipping around in time, Locke gets shot by Ethan and is told by Richard that he needs to die and bring the Oceanic Six back–or else!  Faraday talks to 2001-Desmond and tells him to visit his mother… and also Faraday was back in the 70s grooving with the Dharma Initiative.

I’m sure even more things happened in this episode but these are the things I remember.

Episode 5.2 (“The Lie”): In the past, Jack et. al agreed to lie about what happened back on the Island.  Hurley’s like, “Uh, why?” and Jack gives a dumb answer about protecting their friends.  To which Hurley and I say, “Um, the Island just disappeared.  Trust me, no one is finding that thing.”  Jack gives another dumb, illogical reason and everyone else agrees with him.

Back in the present (?), everyone on the Island is busy hopping through time, so I decide to call them “The Island Hoppers.”  “Juliet and the Island Hoppers.”  I’d listen to that band.  Anyway, the Island Hoppers get flaming-arrowed and arrested by some 1950s Army men, who believe they own the Island.  Meanwhile, back on the mainland, Hurley saves Sayid by bringing him home to Cheech Marin, who brings Sayid to get some medical attention.  Some medical attention… Jack Shephard-style!

And then.  And then Sayid tells Hurley the thing I want to frame and put on a wall next to all the Losties so I can point to it whenever they’re about to do something really, really frigging stupid: “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T TRUST BEN LINUS.”  Jesus, if I lived in Lost Land and that sign actually existed, I’d be pointing to it all day.  Really, Losties.  STOP TRUSTING BEN LINUS.  Thanks.

Episode 5.3 (“Jughead”): On the mainland, Desmond tries to track down Faraday’s mother, but only finds out that A) Faraday’s research, which was funded by Charles Widmore, was shut down, and B) it was because he screwed up and unstuck this poor girl (I’m assuming some grad student slave) in time.  Back on the Island, Juliet infers that the 1950s Army guys are really Others, because they can speak sexy, sexy Latin.  These 1950s Others are worried because there’s a fricking unexploded hydrogen bomb leaking radiation over the Island, so Faraday tells them to bury it.  Locke meets up with Richard, who of course is also there, and tells him to witness his birth in 1956.  And then my brain implodes because, oh, the paradoxes.  I bet Richard is also his own grandpa, and Charles Widmore’s ultimate goal is to go back in time and kill Hitler.

Episode 5.4 (“The Little Prince”): On the mainland, Jack worries that the same guys who are trying to kill Sayid are after Kate, so he meets up with Kate while she’s following that sketchy lawyer guy from the first episode of the season.  The lawyer is Claire’s mom’s, but she’s suing Oceanic, not Kate—and also he’s Ben’s lawyer, too.  On the Island, everyone’s still time-skipping and trying to find the Orchid, ‘cause Locke’s convinced (based on his wacko logic) that going there will magically fix the time skips.  And it will, because this is Lost, and that’s how things work in this crazy universe.

Episode 5.5 (“This Place is Death”): Back in 1988, Jin, who wasn’t dead, hangs out with Rousseau and her crew of French scientists, who are being eaten up and possibly brainwashed by Smokey the Monster, which is protecting the Temple Ben Linus mentioned back in the fourth season.  In the present, Ben convinces Jack and Sun to go back to the Island via Faraday’s mother, Eloise Hawking, and also Desmond is there, too.  Thankfully, Desmond is smart enough to say, “Oh, no.  There’s no way in hell I’m trusting you crazy people”; he runs off.

Back on the Island, Charlotte dies of time sickness—although shouldn’t she be okay because she has Faraday as a Constant?  I’m really not understanding this Constant thing, am I?  I need to watch that episode again.  Locke finally makes it to the Orchid, where Christian Shephard tells him the time skips are his fault because he was supposed to move the frozen donkey wheel, not Ben.  Also, for the billionth time, Locke must die and bring the Oceanic Six back to the Island or bad things dun dun dun.

Episode 5.6 (“316”): In this episode, a lot of nothing happens until finally Jack, Hurley, Sayid, Ben, Kate, Sun, and even a beardless Frank Lapidus are on a plane flying back to the Island.  Then there’s a flash of light and suddenly they all find themselves back on the Island.

Episode 5.7 (“The Life and Times of Jeremy Bentham”): In this episode, Locke pushes the donkey wheel and ends up in Tunisia convalescing in a hospital set up, it seems, by Charles Widmore.  Widmore gives Locke info on the whereabouts of the Oceanic Six, and says that he was once tricked by Ben, too, into pushing the donkey wheel.  (Widmore should have read my sign.)  Locke goes on adventures trying to convince the Oceanic Six to come back to the Island, but the Universe is conspiring against him.  Not only does no one want to come back, but most of them are dicks to him, especially Jack and Kate.  They like pointing out how obsessed and lonely he is, and also his girlfriend Helen died.  (Katie Sagal!  Noooo!)  All of this combined freaks Locke out and makes him decide to kill himself, but Ben talks him out of it.  Again I point to my framed sign, but sadly Locke doesn’t read it.  Once Ben gets the info he needs out of Locke, he chokes a bitch.  Then Locke’s body returns to the Island and he comes back to life—or does he?!

Episode 5.8 (“LaFleur”): Finally, an episode that (mostly) makes sense!  (Those time skips really weren’t good for my sanity.)  Due to Locke’s pushing the donkey wheel back on track, the time skips stop for good, leaving The Island Hoppers back in 1974 along with the Dharma Initiative.  Sawyer and Juliet save Amy, a Dharma lady, by killing some Others who had kidnapped her.  Richard, of course, ain’t happy, but Sawyer fixes everything by telling the truth.  Wow, that’s new for Sawyer, isn’t it?  I mean, for Jim LaFleur.  Three years later, The Island Hoppers are now working for the Dharma Initiative, Sawyer and Juliet are a happy if (I think) ill-matched couple*, and Jin finds Jack (and Kate—hello, love quadrangle!) and the rest wandering in the wilderness.

*I know, everyone in the world loves this couple but me.  I do, however, like that Juliet seemed to make Sawyer into a mellower, saner guy.  I was going to write a post about how Hurley should be the leader of the Losties, but “LaFleur” and “Namaste” made a really good argument for our friend James.

Episode 5.9 (“Namaste”): In 2007, Frank Lapidus lands the Ajira flight, and Ben and Sun run off to the main island.  Or, they would have, but Sun bashed him over the head with an oar.  I love Sun.  In 1977, Jack, Kate, and Hurley get initiated into Dharmaville, and Sayid gets captured as a Hostile.

Episode 5.10 (“He’s Our You”): In the past, child Sayid liked to kill chickens.  Then he killed people for Ben Linus, and then he was captured by Ilana the mysterious bounty hunter.  In 1977, Sayid is taken to Oldham (the “he” of the title), who gives him a truth serum.  Later, Ben Linus lights a VW bus on fire and breaks Sayid out of jail.  Sayid thanks him by shooting him in the chest.  In my little notebook, I write, “YES!” even though in my heart I know Ben’s going to survive.  Still, props to Sayid for trying.

Episode 5.11 (“Whatever Happened, Happened”): In the past, Kate became closer with Cassidy but becomes more and more worried that she’ll lose Aaron.  Ultimately she decides to leave Aaron with his grandma and find Claire for him.  Hey, Kate finally has a motivation that doesn’t involve her running away from something AND doesn’t involve boning someone!  Good for her.  Meanwhile, in 1977, Juliet tries to fix up Ben but needs Jack’s help.  Jack says, “Nahhh.”  Heh.  Suck it, Ben.  Unfortunately, Juliet, Kate, and Sawyer (on Juliet’s orders) kidnap dying Ben and bring him to Richard, who brings Ben to the Temple to heal him and “take his innocence.”  Ewww, Richard.  The kid’s twelve.  You’re, like, 200.  Or 2200.  Either way, it’s creepy.

Episode 5.12 (“Dead Is Dead”): In the present, Ben decides to find Smokey and be judged for his sin of letting Alex die.  Smokey’s cool with it, mostly.  Anyway, he lets Ben live.  Alex’s ghost (or maybe Smokey pretending to be Alex, or maybe Someone Else pretending to be Alex) tells Ben to do whatever John Locke says or else.  In the flashbacks, Ben steals Alex from Rousseau even though Widmore told him to kill her.  On the mainland before the Ajira flight, Ben tracks down Penny to fulfill his promise to Widmore.  Ben shoots Des (no!) but hesistates before killing Penny when he sees baby Charlie.  Then Des lays the smackdown on Ben, which is why he’s all bruised and battered when he gets on flight 316.

Episode 5.13 (“Some Like It Hoth”): In the past, Miles could sorta talk to dead people, and also he had no dad.  In 1977, his dad is, unsurprisingly, Pierre Chang.  Phil has the security tape showing that Sawyer and Kate brought Ben to the Hostiles, so Sawyer beats Phil up and stuffs him under the sink.  Hurley and Miles bond over their ghost whispering abilities and The Empire Strikes Back, and Faraday returns to the Island.  I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Episode 5.14 (“The Variable”): In the past, Eloise Hawking withheld her love from her son, Dan, pushing him to nurture his genius gene.  In 1977, Faraday warns Pierre Chang not to dig under the Swan, because it will cause The Incident.  Faraday also reveals to Jack and the gang that he plans on exploding Jughead at the Swan site to prevent The Incident, thus changing the timeline and preventing Oceanic 815 from crashing in the first place.  Faraday runs to the Others, demanding access to Jughead, and then his mom, who is pregnant with him, shoots him in the heart.  Worst.  Mother.  Ever.

Episode 5.15 (“Follow the Leader”): In 1977, Richard and Eloise decide to help Jack find Jughead so they can prevent The Incident and reset the show.  Kate thinks this is all a Bad Idea, and I… I agree with Kate.  What the hell, show?  Since when do I ever agree with Kate?  This is getting spooky.  Back in Dharmaville, Phil and Radzinsky have Sawyer and Juliet all tied up; Sawyer makes a deal that he’ll draw them a map to the Others if he and Jules can get a ticket on the next sub out of there.  Kate is also captured and put on the sub for maximum awkwardness.  Pierre Chang finally believes that Miles is his son, that he and Hurley are from the future, and that he needs to follow Faraday’s advice and evacuate the Island of non-essential personnel before The Incident happens.  In 2007, Seemingly Alive Locke (the new Leader) hangs out with Sun, Ben, and Richard and then brings them and all the Others on a trip to visit Jacob.  Did I say visit Jacob?  I meant kill Jacob.

Episode 5.16-17 (“The Incident”): In the 1800s, Jacob and a friend I’ll call Esau for the time being hang out by the foot statue to watch the Black Rock arrive and talk philosophy.  And by “philosophy,” I mean that Esau wants to kill Jacob.  Hey, just like Locke!  That’s… weird.  Jacob, however, has other plans besides dying.  He flashbacks throughout the 20th century, patting Jack and Kate and Locke and Hurley and Sayid and Sun and Jin on the back, and helping Ilana recouperate from some mysterious wounds.  He also gives Hurley a guitar case for some reason.

In 1977, Kate convinces Juliet and, by extension, Sawyer, to get off the sub and stop Jack from blowing up the Island and resetting the show.  When they get back to the Island, they meet up with Rose, Bernard, and the dog, who are all super-cute and also my heroes.  Jack and Sayid remove the bomb core from Jughead and sneak into the Barracks, but Roger Linus (!) shoots Sayid.  Hurley, Jin, and Miles come in a VW bus to save them and bring them to the Swan.  But before they get there, they need to convince Kate, Juliet, and Sawyer.  Sawyer and Jack come to fisticuffs—Jack wants to reset history so he can get Kate back (which is both nauseating and illogical), while Sawyer would prefer to keep history going for Juliet (which is both cute and reasonable).  After all this, Juliet changes her mind again and so does Kate for some reason, and they all run to blow up the Swan.  (Except Sayid.  He’s not running anywhere.)

In 2007, meanwhile, Richard and Locke lead everyone to the shadow of the statue to find Jacob.  Locke and Ben go inside for a visit.  Also, Lapidus, Ilana, and Bram catch up to them, and Ilana has a surprise: the crate she’s carrying is filled with Real John Locke’s body!  Zuh-wha?  Then who is in the statue?  Why, it’s Esau (I think)!  He’s taken John Locke’s form!  Which is super-depressing, really, because that means Locke really did die back in that motel room.  I hope he either comes back for reals in season six or gets a proper send-off.  Anyway, Fake Locke manipulates (!) Ben Linus (!) into knifing Jacob, although if you ask me Jacob wanted to die.  You know, like Dumbledore?

But let’s get back to 1977.  Jack tosses the bomb core into the hole that’s eventually going to be the hatch, but it totally doesn’t blow up!  So… the dynamite they found on the Black Rock was more volatile than A FRIGGING NUCLEAR WEAPON?  Eh, sure.  I’ll accept it, for the drama.  Just like I accepted Sun’s not being flashed off the airplane with everyone else.  Anyhoo, the hatch starts electromagneting, and some metal spikes impale Phil (yay) and drag in Juliet (boo).  Sawyer tries to drag Juliet back up, but this is a season finale here; she ain’t getting out of there alive.  She falls down the hole and smacks the bomb core a few times to make it explode.  Then flashy flashy flash flash and the show is over.

Wait…WHAT?!

Throughout these five seasons of Lost, many conflicts have been set up: light versus dark, Good versus Evil, fate versus free will, progress versus cyclical time.  Today, I want to look back and what I had thought was the most important conflict of all in the show: the conflict of science versus faith.

If you look back to my very first post from so many weeks ago, you’ll see that I thought at the very beginning that the final conflict in the show would turn out to be between Jack and John Locke.  This Sunday (Sunday, Sunday), the Ultimate Showdown!  The Man of Science versus The Man of Faith!  Of course, the season finale just changed everything.  Now it seems like the big conflict is going to be the conflict between these two heavy hitters, Jacob and his mysterious evil-looking friend.  As time travel has gained importance over the past two seasons, fate versus free will has arguably overtaken science versus faith as the main question of the show.

But does that mean that the science/faith question has been answered?  I’d argue no.  To see that, we’ll have to take a closer look at Jack and John Locke.

Let’s start with Jack.  Jack is the Man of Science, but what does that mean?  It doesn’t only mean he’s a doctor, of course.  It means he’s (theoretically) rational, logical, empirical.  He believes in what he sees and what he tests.  He doesn’t just believe for the sake of believing like some other people John Locke!

Rational, logical, empirical: Jack Shephard was all these things… back in season one.  Back then, Jack got a lot right.  He was right about “live together, die alone,” and I still think he was right to move everyone to the caves.  He wasn’t right about everything, but back then it was clear that he was at least making mostly-sensible decisions based on the facts on the ground.

Well, that’s changed.  Consider Jack in the first half of season five.  He wants to get back to the Island; that much is clear.  But why?  Because he’s depressed?  Because Kate dumped him?  Because John Locke told him leaving was the wrong thing to do?  Whatever the answer, it’s clear that season five Jack isn’t thinking rationally.  He’s being led by his emotions and by his selfishness—and he’s calling it “destiny.”

When he gets back to the Island, Jack gets worse.  He decides to blow up a nuclear weapon, which will either kill hundreds of people, including his friends, or reset the show completely.  His desire push the reset button could be seen as noble—after all, it would mean Charlie, Boone, Shannon, and lots of other people wouldn’t have died—but it also would have meant that Aaron would be given up for adoption, Ji Yeon and (probably) little Charlie would never be born, Kate would be in prison, Sawyer and Juliet wouldn’t hook up, and no one would have their Islandside redemption.

Jack doesn’t think about any of these things.  He just thinks, “If I stop the plane from crashing, maybe I can get Kate back.”  And aloud he says, “This is my destiny.  I can feel it.”

As Kate says, “Where have we heard this before?”  Jack has basically turned into John Locke.  The Man of Science has lost his rationality and become The Man of Faith.  And, like John Locke, Jack comes to believe he has a destiny.  Actually, he has to believe it.  It’s an emotional, not logical, need.  Locke needed to feel he was special to make up for his miserable life, and Jack now needs to feel he is special so he can fill the Kate-shaped hole in his heart.

Jack’s also stopped asking questions, too.  That’s what a Man of Science would do, ask questions.  But when he gets to the Lamp Post, does he say, “Hey, Eloise Hawking, who are you?  How do you know about this place?  How did the Dharma Initiative know to build it here?  How does it work?  How do you know Ben?  Why is Desmond here?  Are you really Dan’s mother?  How do you know John killed himself?  How did you get his letter?  And what do you know about the Island?”  No.  Jack does not ask any questions.  He just rolls with it, because he has faith.  “Take Ajira flight 316?  Okay, if you say so.”  Season one Jack would never be so trusting.

And that’s a bummer.  I would have like the answers to some of those questions.

Okay, Jack’s turned into the Man of Faith.  Now take Locke.  Locke was always the Man of Faith, but what does that mean?  Well, faith meant a lot of things over the five seasons of Lost.  Locke had faith in himself, that he was special.  He had faith in the Island—after all, it healed his legs.  He had faith in the Dharma Initiative, and the timer… until he didn’t, and then it blew up.  Then he had faith in it again.  He had faith in Jacob, and in Christian Shephard, that they were telling him the right things to do, and that they had his and the Island’s best interests in mind.  And, like the philosopher of the same name, John Locke had faith in humanity.

But where is John Locke now?  It turns out Locke’s faith was wrong.  He wasn’t “special,” in a good way.  He was only special enough to be used as a pawn by a (probably) evil deity in some sort of mystical chess game.  He had faith in the Island, but the Island didn’t prevent his death.  He had faith in Jacob in the cabin, but that may have been Esau in disguise, tricking him.  Christian Shephard, too, was probably either Esau or one of his evil minions.  Locke had faith in humanity, but then Ben Linus tricked him and strangled him to death.

Turns out John Locke’s faith was wrong, wrong, wrong.  If he were still alive, I’d bet he’d become an skeptic and start looking at the world in a darker, if more realistic and logical way.  In other words, he’d become Jack.  In other words, he’d become the Man of Science.

The first five seasons of Lost, therefore, show two arcs that mirror one other.  Jack starts out an unbeliever and turns into a believer.  Locke starts a believer and then is proven wrong, wrong, wrong.  So which side will ultimately win: science or faith?  Here are some (insane) theories on what might happen next:

Option 1: The “Jack Self-Actualizes” Ending

Jack continues down his slippery slope into irrationality, becoming the Island’s new official Man of Faith—maybe even the replacement Jacob now that real Jacob is dead.  Real Locke returns somehow, maybe as a ghost or something, and realizes how wrong his faith was.  He becomes the new Man of Science.  In 2007, Jack and Locke kung fu fight!  Metaphorically speaking.  What I really mean is that they arrange themselves on opposite sides of this war that seems to be coming: Jack’s on Jacob’s side, because he now has faith in Jacob and the Island and himself, and disillusioned Locke is on Esau’s side, maybe to get back at Ben.  Locke does kill Ben, but is ultimately defeated by Jack and his Faith Forces.  (Jack and his friends Live Together; John Locke Dies Alone.)  In this ending, Jack also destroys his father’s ghost, because A) the ghost was one of Esau’s evil puppets and B) his father never had faith in him.  Jack can move on now, because he finally has faith in himself, and faith in the universe. He and Kate get married and live happily ever after.  Awww.

Option 2: The Childhood’s End Ending

Jack’s plan to blow up the Swan fails, so he becomes disillusioned with his faith and reverts to his old Man of Science self.  As for Locke, well, it turns out Fake Locke IS Real Locke’s ghost; he’s not Esau but just working for him.  Here’s how it happened: after Locke died, Christian Shephard, acting on Esau’s orders, came to Locke’s ghost and explained that he really was special all along.  Locke needed to die so he could come back to the Island and kill Jacob; Esau explains that Jacob is evil and will destroy the Island—which is true.  Jacob’s ultimate goal is to break humanity out of its cycle of violence and help them evolve to a higher plane of existence.  Doing that will destroy the Island, which is fine, because no one will need it anymore.

Ghost or not, Locke likes being told he’s special, and he still has faith that Christian Shephard is working for the good of the Island, so he agrees to be used by Esau.  Jack logically decides to join up with Richard, Ilana, and the Others to fight evil Esau, because Esau wants to kill them all.  Using the Power of Science!!!, Jack and co. win, and humans begin to evolve to a higher level of existence.  I’m thinking psychic angels.

Option 3: The “John Locke* Was Right” Ending

*the philosopher

Jack’s plan to blow up the Swan succeeds, leading to a reset, except the living main players (like Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and so on) hold onto their memories.  Jack, the new Man of Faith, and 2004 Locke (also a Man of Faith) join forces to defeat Esau, who wants to annihilate the violent human race.  (He has no faith in us, you see.)  But the power of love and a belief in the inherent goodness of mankind saves the day!  Jack and Locke allow themselves to die for the greater good, each having faith that their sacrifices will be rewarded.  Humanity lives on: Sun and Jin play with their daughter; Claire’s reunited with Aaron; Kate and Sawyer bond over the tragic deaths of Jack and Juliet; Hurley and Miles become partners in a ghost whispering organization and get a spin-off airing on ABC, Thursdays at 9/8 Central.  And, in heaven, (I can’t believe I’m writing something so sappy) Jack hugs his dad while Locke, Charlie, Libby, Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko, Juliet, and all the rest look on, smiling.

Option 4: The Power of Love Ending

In this version, Real Locke doesn’t come back to life in any way, shape, or form.  Jack’s plan to blow up the Swan fails, and he and the rest return to 2007.  Even so, Jack remains the Man of Faith, because true faith cannot be shaken by an exploded nuclear bomb.  (Alternatively: his faith is shaken, but he and Kate get back together, so he gets his faith in humanity back.  Blah.  I can definitely see the writers doing this.)  Either way, Jack remains the Man of Faith, and Fake Locke/Esau is now the Man of Science, because he believes in the empirical evidence that proves that mankind is an evil, corruptive force.  Jack’s faith in humanity and the power of his love—along with the love of Sun and Jin, Sawyer and alive Juliet, Des and Penny, Rose and Bernard—solidifies into some Great Care Bear Stare of Faith and Love that destroys Fake Locke/Esau.  (What about Sayid, Miles, and Hurley, you ask?  They’re all dead because they’re not in a couple.  Same goes for Ben and Richard.  This is the Power of Love ending.  Singles not welcome.)

Option 5: The “This is What I Hope Happens” Ending

After Jacob’s death, Esau skeedaddles out of Ghost Locke, leaving him to be his usual, badass self, and instead takes over Ben Linus, seeing as that would probably be a lot more fun.  (And it is.)  Jack flashes to 2007 to catch up with Real Ghost Locke, and somehow they realize that science and faith aren’t necessarily mutually-exclusive concepts, especially when you interpret the word “science” as “logic” and the word “faith” as “belief in yourself and the inherent goodness of humanity.”  Jack and Locke kiss and make up and, using their dual powers of logic and optimism, defeat Super Esau/Ben Linus and save the world.  The end.

Option 6: The “What Will Actually Happen” Ending

The last seventeen episodes are completely surprising and unpredictable in every way.  Still, they are (hopefully) awesome.

Next time on Overthinking Lost: Destiny!  Destiny!  No escaping that for me!

A note on spoilers: Now that we’re all done watching season five, spoilers for everyone!  Write whatever you want in the comments!  The only thing I will not accept is spoilers for the coming season.  For instance, if you know which actors are returning, or if you heard something spoilery at Comic Con, I don’t want to hear it.  Speculation, however, is a-okay.