LOST: There’s No Place Like Home, Pt. 1

With a title like that, I almost expected our survivor friends to wind up in Oz, not their home towns! This was the set up for the big finale, and I’m presuming we’ll get more answers (and plenty of questions) about how the Oceanic Six became the only ones off the island. My observations (and questions, of course) about the show are after the jump. If you missed the show, go here to watch it online.

Since the show starts in the present, I’ll start the recap there (sparing you of the back and forth).

The survivors are on a cargo plane, with a pilot rubbing a rabbit’s foot. He says, “We need this thing. With the cargo we got back there? Bad mojo.” Then, a woman goes to talk to the survivors. She tells them they’ll land at a military facility near Honolulu. She tells them the press have named them the Oceanic 6. She tells them reporters will want to ask them questions, but they don’t have to answer. Jack says they’ll talk. He says, “We all agreed.” They’re all cleaned up and nice looking. So the Oceanic people gave them a chance to get all traces of island off themselves! Jack gives instructions to everyone.

JACK: We all know the story. If we get any questions that we don’t wanna answer, or that we can’t answer, let’s just keep our mouths shut. It’s okay. They’ll–they’ll think that we’re in shock.

SUN: We are in shock, Jack.

JACK: Well… then this should be easy.

Then, they get off the plane, greeted by loved ones. Jack’s mother is there to see him. Hurley’s parents are there for him. Sun’s parents are there. Is it weird that no one’s there to greet Sayid and Kate? I mean, didn’t SOMEONE miss those two? It was sad to see them standing there, watching these reunions.

Then it’s on to the press conference. An Oceanic woman is explaining what happened. I’m guessing she goes into all this detail to make sure the survivors have their stories straight – or hoping if she gives enough information the reporters won’t ask a lot of questions. Here’s her story:

Based on the location of the wreckage, our best estimate of the crash site is… here. From there, the survivors were carried by the ocean’s current to… here–an uninhabited island in the Lesser Sunda Islands known as Membata. As you’ve all read in your briefing books, on day 103… a typhoon washed up the remnants of an Indonesian fishing boat, including basic supplies and a survival raft. On day 108, the remaining six survivors, including Ms. Austen’s baby which she gave birth to on the island of Membata, used this raft to journey here– an island called Sumba. They then came ashore near a village called Manukangga. This photo was taken by the local fisherman who found them. WHAT?!?! How did they get THAT? Once it was discovered who they were, they were transported to Honolulu by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Then, a series of questions for the Oceanic 6:

REPORTER: Dr. Shephard! Can you tell us what it was like when the plane hit the ocean? How you survived.

JACK: It–it all happened really fast. I remember the impact. I remember the–the plane filling up with water. A group of us got to the emergency door, and, um… got out before it went down.

REPORTER: And those of you who survived–you swam to the island?

JACK: No. We had, uh, cushions. We had some life jackets. We were in the water for over a day before the current took us in. By then, there was only eight of us left.

REPORTER: Considering the ordeal that you’ve all been through, you look pretty healthy having been on an island for more than a hundred days.

HURLEY: Was that directed at me, Dude?

REPORTER: Well, actually, Mr. Reyes, you were worth more than $150 million at the time of your… death. How does it feel to know you’re going to get all that money back?

HURLEY: I don’t want it back, any of it. That money was bad luck.

REPORTER: (Speaking Korean)

REPORTER: What did she say?

SUN: She asked if my husband was one of the people who died on the island.

SUN: The answer is no. He never made it off the plane.

REPORTER: Ms. Austen… What was it like giving birth othe island?

KATE: Scary.

REPORTER: Your son–uh, Aaron? How old is he now?

KATE: He’s just a little over 5 weeks. Now, if he’s five weeks old, that would put their rescue in early January.

REPORTER: So that would’ve made you about six months pregnant when the U.S. Marshal service apprehended you in Australia for an outstanding murder warrant. Is that correct?

OCEANIC WOMAN: I’m afraid Ms. Austen’s legal issue is off the table. Next question.

REPORTER: Mr. Jarrah, given the amazing circumstances surrounding the survival of you six, is it possible there are any other survivors from the crash yet to be discovered?

SAYID: No. Absolutely not.

Wow! That’s definite! Or is it? I guess we may not know until the finale!

After the press conference, Sayid is told there’s someone to see him. It’s Nadia! Yay! They embrace and shed some tears.

Pregnant Sun goes back to Korea. She goes to her father’s office. She interrupts him in the middle of one of his shouting sessions. That breaks everything up. They’re alone. He asks about her baby.

SUN: Don’t pretend to be interested in my baby. We both know you hated my husband.

MR. PAIK: What did you say?

SUN: You heard me. You hated Jin.

MR. PAIK: Who do you think you are? I am your father. You will respect me!

SUN: Oceanic paid us our settlement for the crash. It was very significant. This morning, I bought a controlling interest in your company. So you will no respect me.

MR. PAIK: Why… would you do this?

SUN: You ruined my husband’s life. It is because of you we were on that plane. Two people are responsible for his death. You are one of them.

Then, she tells him they’ll talk about their business after she has the baby.

Hurley is back home. He appears to be alone. Then, he hears whispering. There’s a coconut on the floor, he kicks it. Then, he slowly walks through the house, grabbing a Jesus statue. He opens a door, and his family and friends are there. It’s a surprise party. His mother asks why he’s holding the statue. Hurley says he thought there might be a burglar. His mother says, “Jesus Christ is not a weapon.” Ha!

His parents have no clue what he’s been through. The birthday party theme: luau. I don’t remember seeing Sun at this gathering, but Jack, Kate, Aaron and Sayid are there. Did you notice Sayid had on a wedding ring on his finger? Did he and Nadia marry immediately?

Hurley’s dad has a gift for him. It’s that Camaro he had before he left for the island. It’s the same one we saw Hurley driving in the first episode of the season during a police chase. You remember it? He crashed it, ran into a store and saw Charlie!

Hurley looks panicked.

HURLEY: Is this some kind of joke?

DAD: What are you talking about?

HURLEY: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Did you do this?

DAD: Do what?

HURLEY: Those are the numbers! Right there! The numbers I won the lottery with!

DAD: Wow. What a coincidence.

HURLEY: No. No, not a coincidence. I don’t want this. I don’t want any of it!

Then, he runs off.

The next time we see them together, it’s at Jack’s dad’s funeral. He says a few words. “Goodbye dad. I loved you. I miss you.” Does he say that because he means it – or because he thinks it’s what people want him to hear. Then, a woman approaches him.

JACK: How did you know my father?

CAROLE: I believe I’m the reason he was in Australia when he died.

JACK: I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Why would he have come to see you?

CAROLE: Oh, he… he didn’t come to see me. I was still in the hospital. I never saw him. He came to see his daughter. My daughter, Mr. Shephard.

JACK: My father didn’t have a daughter–

CAROLE: Yes. He did. If you don’t believe me, check his phone records. That’s a weird thing to say. Would you like to know the–the strangest thing about all this, Mr. Shephard? My daughter was on your plane, too. She was on flight 8-1-5. You were in the air for six hours, probably just a few rows from her and you never even knew she was your sister. she was one of the ones who died when your plane hit the water. Her name was… Claire.

On her way out, she says to Kate, “Your son is beautiful.” Awkward. But, now Jack knows what we’ve known for a while. So, is this why he doesn’t want to see Aaron at first? Clearly, it’s the reason why he told Kate a few weeks ago, “You’re not even related to him!”

Back on the island…

Rose assumes it was Sayid and Desmond on the helicopter. She asks, “Why else would they have dropped that thingamabob right over us?” LOVE Rose!

Then, they hear the people on the helicopter on that GPS/phone thing saying they’re headed to The Orchid. Jack asks Juliet is she knows about The Orchid and she says she doesn’t know where it is. Jack says he has to go after them. Kate volunteers and their jungle adventure begins.

Once they go, Faraday gets this stressed look on his face.

FARADAY: Charlotte, did you hear what he said? They’re going to the Orchid. They’re using the secondary protocol.

CHARLOTTE: What are you talking about?

(He looks at his book, sees The Orchid logo – presumably from Future Faraday)

FARADAY: We have to get off this island. Right now.

Next, we see Kate and Jack walking in the jungle, that thing beeping. Then, a dazed Miles appears, followed by Sawyer holding Aaron. Kate asks about Claire.

SAWYER: We lost her.

JACK: You what?

SAWYER: She just walked off in the middle of the night. We looked for her for a day, but she was just gone. I was hopin’ maybe she went back to the beach.

JACK: She didn’t.

He asks about the GPS thing, Jack says Sayid must have tossed it out of the helicopter to them. Then, classic Sawyer returns. He says, “you better hope it ain’t Sayid, ’cause if he’s with those animals that just blew up half of New Otherton, you do not wanna tussle with ‘em.” New Otherton? HA! After a little more verbal sparring, Jack sends Miles, Kate and Aaron back to the beach so he and Sawyer can go after Locke, Ben and Hurley – apparently to just save Hurley. As they walk off, Sawyer tells Jack, “You don’t get to die alone.”

We see Sayid on the raft, approaching the beach. He tells them he plans to take them back to the freighter, in groups of six. He explains the guys on the chopper plan to kill everyone. Julie tells him Kate and Jack went after them. Faraday offers to take them back to the freighter so Sayid can go after Jack and Kate. Sayid says he trusts Faraday (did Desmond tell him about Faraday being his constant – or does Faraday just have that “”I’m not going to kill your friends” look about him?) Kate, Aaron and Miles show up and she decides to go with Sayid. She gives Aaron to Sun, who then get in the raft. Jin says to Sun, “I told you I’d get you off the island.”

Ben, Locke and Hurley are in some jungle area. Ben tells them they’re going to the greenhouse to move the island. Does this make you think of the greenhouse from another season, in a Locke flashback? Ben says they’re going there so they can move the island.

HURLEY: Well, if you could move the island whenever you wanted, why didn’t you just move it before the psychos with guns got here?

BEN: Because doing it is both dangerous and unpredictable. It’s a measure of last resort.

HURLEY: Awesome.

Then, Ben finds a trunk that was buried beneath some rocks, Locke opens it. Inside a tin are some crackers, which Hurley eats, only to be told by Ben that they’re 12 years old (is that a clue??) Then, Ben gets a mirror and starts shining it up to the mountains.

HURLEY: What are you doing, Dude?

BEN: Communicating.

HURLEY: Communicating with who?

BEN: Who do you think? All right. Now we can go.

LOCKE: Wait. What was that? What did you tell them?

BEN: None of your business, John.

Then, they set off for The Orchid. Now, if you go back and look at the episode where Ben was wearing that parka, it has The Orchid logo on it. Once they get there, Hurley brings up the fact that if they move the island, the guys with the guns will move, too. Then, Hurley says he wants to get off the island. Ben tells him it’s too late for that. They hide behind some trees.

LOCKE: What are we waitin’ for?

BEN: We’re waiting, John, because Charles Widmore, the man who’s trying to capture me and kill all the rest of you, knows about this place and knows that what we need is inside.

LOCKE: I thought you said you had no idea why he was trying to find he island.

BEN: I wasn’t being entirely truthful.

LOCKE: Yeah. When are you ever entirely truthful?

Busted! That’s what I want to know!

Back on the freighter, Sun and Jin spy Michael. He has a look of shame on his face when he sees them. He has fixed the engines. Sun and Jin go to Michael.

SUN: I don’t understand. How’d you get back to New York?

MICHAEL: We took Ben’s boat and we followed his bearing. A couple of days, we came to an island, you know, with people. I sold the boat… we hopped a cargo ferry back to the States. Didn’t tell anybody who we were.

SUN: And now you’re working for Ben?

MICHAEL: I do not work for Ben. I’m trying to make up for what I did. I’m trying to help you out here.

Desmond goes to the Captain and they fire up the freighter and intend to head to the island. However, since they need to be on that specific “305″ heading, they power down. Something is jamming the transmission and it’s not safe for them to go. They later find the boat is rigged with explosives!

In the jungle, Jack and Sawyer find the helicopter. The pilot is handcuffed to it. Sawyer calls him a “Yahoo,” and Lapidus tells them he’s the one who dropped the phone thingy. He also says he’s there to take them off the island. Is he rebelling against Widmore’s plan? He asks them to get a toolbox from the back of the chopper, to which Sawyer replies, “Can I get you boys a nice, cold glass of lemonade while I’m back there? Lapidus tells Jack that Sayid and Desmond stayed on the freighter, “because right now that’s the safest place to be. Because when the boys that I brought over here come stompin’ out of this jungle, you’re gonna wanna be long gone.” Then, he tells them where the bad dudes are and that they’re there to get Ben.

SAWYER: Hang on, Shaggy. Old Sawyer – LOVE him! You said the hit squad’s gonna grab Ben Linus?

LAPIDUS: Well, I don’t see what’s gonna stop ‘em.

SAWYER: What are they gonna do with the people that are with ‘em?

LAPIDUS: Nothin’ good.

SAWYER: Hugo’s with Ben.

Jack and Sawyer go off in the jungle, back on their mission to get Hurley.

Kate and Sayid come across some tracks, which she says are not Jack and Sawyers. Then, they hear someone. It’s Richard Alpert! This dude is everywhere! He tries to get Kate and Sayid to drop their guns, then some others appear, all wearing brown, and they take Kate and Sayid for a walk. To where, I have no idea!

Ben tells Locke his plan – kind of. He says Locke will go in the greenhouse. He says he’ll take care of the armed guys, then leaves Locke and Hurley. Ben walks up to The Orchid. Then, he’s surrounded by guys with guns, which are all pointed at him. He says, “My name is Benjamin Linus. I believe you’re looking for me.” Then, even though Keamy clearly wants to shoot Ben, he whacks him in the head with his gun.

OK. Not as many questions as in weeks past. But this was the big set up for the two hour finale. Don’t look for it next week (Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy will have their long goodbyes). Lost will be back in two weeks. Shout out to Lostpedia for helping me with some of the quotes! If you can’t wait for the finale, they have spoilers for that. Click at your own risk! I’m not brave enough!

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Tags: ksat, san antonio, lost, oceanic 6, jin, sun, michael, sayid, desmond, hurley, benjamin linus, christian, john locke, sawyer, claire, miles, nadia, aaron, jack, faraday, Rose, kate, charlotte, richard alpert, lapidus, lesser sunda islands, membata, manukangga, honolulu, coast guard, paik, there's no place like home, camaro, carole, the orchid, charles widmore

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