Lost thoughts, May 5

May 5, 2010
Television
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Random thoughts, theories, and questions from last night’s Lost:

“Because it’s going to be you, Jack.” The last words of Zombie Sayid before he became Pop-Goes-The-Sayid. A confirmation that Jack is “the candidate”, the numero uno choice to become the next Jacob, a job he seems more than willing to assume.
“You’re a candidate.” Sideways Jack to Sideways Locke, explaining that Locke could be able to walk again with a new experimental procedure. But…
I wondered a couple of weeks ago if Jacob and the Man In Black exist in the Sideways world. Such a premise might not be so farfetched after all. Last night’s Sideways storyline showed a guilt-ridden Locke who couldn’t forgive himself for incapacitating his father, Anthony Cooper. Even when he had a chance to walk again, Locke chose the punishment of the wheelchair, a penance that not only caused physical and financial hardship but strained his relationship with true love Helen. By not letting go of that guilt, by not realizing that his father is gone and what’s done is done, is Sideways Locke setting himself up for the same tragic ending that his Island counterpart experienced? More on that in a second.

Interesting shared “mirror moment” in the Sideways world with Jack and Claire as they opened their father’s music box (to the tune of “Catch a Falling Star” no less).
Widmore’s list coincided with the list from the cave, meaning that Kate, whose name was crossed out, wasn’t on Widmore’s list. Therefore, she wasn’t important to him. But Kate’s name wasn’t crossed out in the Lighthouse. Even if she’s not officially a candidate, she’s still important to the final outcome.
I also speculated last time that perhaps Widmore’s ultimate motive is to remove both Jacob (and his candidates) and Smokey so he can lay ultimate claim to his precious Island. After seeing the C4 loaded up in the Ajira plane, I’m thinking that might be a fair assessment. That would also explain his list. Widmore lived on the island before. Perhaps he found (or was shown?) the cave and has carried around these names for all these years.
I have to think Jack was right in the sub: Had they left the bomb alone, it wouldn’t have detonated. But what then? The sub swims away, Jacob’s candidates still in tact. No, Smokey isn’t defeated, but no one has yet officially replaced Jacob. I can only assume that the group would be brought back to the Island at some point to finish the job.
Oh, Sun and Jin, you break my heart. After finally reuniting last episode, you die Titanic-style in this one. But there’s one big difference between Kate and Leo’s death and yours: You have a daughter. I’m sure Jin didn’t want to leave his wife, but now little Ji Yeon will grow up without either parent.
Did it seem as though Zombie Sayid wasn’t very, uh, zombie-like this week? Either his visit to the magical Desmond wishing well cured him or the writers did in time for him to make his heroic sacrifice.
Interesting that out of all the people that originally survived Oceanic 815, only 6 are still alive (Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Claire, and presumably Walt). (Well, and Cindy the Flight Attendant and the rest of Smokey’s followers who scattered into the jungle. And by “scattered into the jungle,” I mean we’ll never see them again on the show so we don’t have to count them.) It’s the Oceanic Six, version 2.0.
Now that Island Sun and Jin are dead, will we still see them in the Sideways world? We saw Jin strolling down the hospital hallway with flowers in his hand after his Island self died, so I say yes. Which leads me to an idea of how the series will end:
I speculated a few weeks ago that there will be (must be) some kind of reconciliation between the Island universe and the Sideways universe, a course correction if you will. And of course Desmond plays a critical role in facilitating that reconciliation. (Hence Sayid’s statement to Jack that he’ll need Desmond.) After seeing the Sideways world play out a little more, we see how Sideways Jack is becoming the same default leader of the Oceanic passengers that he became on the Island and how Locke is descending to the same angry, bitter point that his alter ego did. In other words, the Sideways world is mirroring in many ways the Island world, albeit without a plane crash or an actual island. I’m betting that in the end, there is one last final flash as the two universes reconcile and the Island universe is nullified. The Sideways timeline becomes the only timeline; Sun, Jin, Sayid and everyone else who died on the Island are once again alive; and everyone lives happily ever after. And as a final scene, Jacob and the Man In Black (now in the body of Locke) appear on the beach of a new island, and the MIB promises Jacob that one day he’ll find his loophole.