"The Incident" (Season 5, Episode 16) Season Finale

Here it is: my last official Lost blog for 2009. Another milestone is that last night was the last Lost season finale that will end with a cliff hanger (and what a cliff hanger!). The producers promise closure with the series end next year. No Sopranos cut to black.

Jacob and the Other Man

• If you are religious in nature, you might believe that Jacob and the other man are God and Satan, both battling for the souls of mankind. Knowing that the creators of Lost are fans of the Twilight Zone TV series, my latest theory is that these two are aliens on a mission to prove if mankind is worthy of continued existence. Jacob has been tasked with proving we are worthy and does everything he can to alter lives for the better. The Other Man on the other hand (!) wants the race to fail to live up to its potential. They are brothers, perhaps princes, whose parents have put them on this island as a test. There have always been theories that ancient Egyptians could not have built the pyramids without the help of an advanced, technologically superior race. Perhaps these two are part of that and this is why there are the numerous Egyptian references.
• I liked the visual symbolism of Jacob's light clothes and the Other Man's dark clothing. It continues the black and white imagery from Season 1 that included Locke explaining backgammon to Walt and the mismatched eyes Locke had in Claire's nightmare.
  
• In each of Jacob's encounters in the past, he made physical contact with each person. With "Katie", he touched her nose; his fingers touched James's when he gave him the pen; his hand went to Sayid's shoulder after the hit and run; he also touched Locke's shoulder; with Jin and Sun, he placed his hands on their arms; he brushed fingers with Jack when handing him the candy bar, and with Hurley, he touched his shoulder before leaving the cab. Was Jacob imparting something to them or extracting something?
• Okay, so Locke isn't Jacob. In fact, Locke isn't even Locke! As least not since he showed up on the beach after the crash of Ajira 316. This would explain his noticeable change in attitude and increased level of confidence.
• So is the Other Man also the smoke monster? My co-worker Dean suggested this and that would explain why "Locke" didn't accompany Ben into the Temple for his encounter with Smokey. He couldn't be both at the same time. But does this mean then that Jacob is Christian? If so, is creepy Claire another incarnation of the Other Man?
  
• It is apparent that the Other Man could not harm Jacob so he needed to goad Ben into doing it. Although, Jacob seemed ready to sacrifice himself and readily allowed Ben's attack. Was his sacrifice for the greater good?
  

Best Lines

• "Oh, hell no." and "Son of a bitch." Rose's and Bernard's respective reactions to seeing Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate walk onto the beach.
• "I'm a Pisces." Ben's answer to Locke's query "Mind if I ask you a question?"
• "Well, it's a wonderful foot, Richard, but what does it have to do with Jacob?" Locke (or so we thought) commenting on what remained of the statue.
  

Did You Notice?

• Jacob was using a loom. In Greek mythology, the Fates determined an individual's destiny through the weaving of the Threads of Life. All the good and evil that befell someone was woven into their destiny and could not be altered. Is the tapestry Jacob was weaving the future he hoped to accomplish?
• Was the approaching ship the Black Rock? And could this be from where Richard/Ricardus originally came?
• The four-toed statue was revealed to be Taweret, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood.
• The boy with young Kate was her friend Tom, who we first saw in one of Kate's Season 1 flashbacks. He helped her get into the hospital to see her mother. It was also Tom's toy plane, which he was holding in last night's flashback, that Kate got from the security box during the bank robbery in the first season.
• As with most of Kate's flashbacks, a Patsy Cline song was playing in the store. This time it was "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray". Interestingly, it tells the story of a woman who loses her man to another woman.
  
• Richard confirmed that Eloise is pregnant, presumably with Daniel.
• Richard also revealed that it was Jacob that made him ageless.
• Seeing Ilana and her crew on the outrigger makes me believe it was them shooting at Sawyer, Juliet, and the rest on their outrigger during the rainstorm time jump earlier this season.
  
• When Baum wondered whether Lapidus would make a good candidate, to what was he referring? Immortality like the ageless Richard?
• Richard said he had left the island three times. We know that once was at Locke's birth and then to test him at his foster home. What was the third time?
• Was Jacob's delaying of Sayid crossing the street his way of saving Sayid or insuring Nadia's death?
• I do not remember if it was established before, but Richard referred to Eloise as the definite leader of the Others.
• Once again, Hurley and his Dharma VW came to the rescue.
• How good to finally see Rose and Bernard and Vincent the dog again. After theorizing that it might be Jack and Kate or Desmond and Penny, I now strongly believe that the Adam and Eve skeletons discovered in Season 1 belong to none other than Rose and Bernard after happily living out their lives together in the jungle.
• The language being spoken in Ilana's hospital ward was Russian.
• Had Jacob been imprisoned in his cabin? Is this why he asked Locke to save him? Or was this actually Jacob? Could it have been the Other Man and the circle of ash kept him captive. If so, who broke the circle to allow him to be released?
  
• What caused the destruction to Jacob's cabin? And what is the significance of the painting of the large dog?
  
• The book Jacob was reading prior to Locke's fall was "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Connor. It is a collection of nine short stories. The flawed characters of each story are fully revealed in apocalyptic moments of conflict and violence that are presented with comic detachment. The title story is a powerful depiction of a troubled mother-son relationship using the author's ability to expose human weakness and explore important moral questions through everyday situations. The story’s title refers to an underlying religious message that is central to the author's work: she aims to expose the sinful nature of humanity that often goes unrecognized in the modern, secular world.
• The DS ring that Sun found was Charlie's Drive Shaft ring that he gave to Claire.
• The operation in Jack's flashback was the same one he related to Kate in the pilot episode.
• The candy Jack tried to get from the vending machine is an Apollo Bar, the same type seen in the food pantry of the Swan station.
• In Juliet's flashback, the book on her parents' coffee table was "Mysteries of Ancient America".
  
• Of all of this episode's flashbacks, Juliet's was the only one not to include Jacob. Jack, Kate, and Sawyer who were all touched by Jacob were at the Swan station for the incident. Presumably, Juliet was the only one not to survive. Coincidence?
• Dr. Chang's left arm was injured during the incident, confirming why it was immobile during the orientation film seen in Season 1.
• Richard's answer to Ilana's question "What lies in the shadow of the statue" was in Latin and translated to "He who will protect/save us all."
• To whom was Jacob referring with his dying words "They're coming"? It obviously didn't please Locke/Other Man.
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Jack thought the hydrogen bomb weighed 10 tons.
• Sayid said it would take 2 hours to take the bomb to the Swan station.
• Radzinsky had been working on the Swan project for 6 years.
• "Locke" told his followers to take 5.
• "Locke" commented that Richard had been staring at him for 10 minutes.
• Richard stated that he had been off the island 3 times.
• Rose pointed out that the barracks were 5 miles away.
• As they approached the Swan station, Hurley told Jack they were 5 minutes away.
• Sawyer asked Jack for 5 minutes of his time.
• During the operation, Christian told Jack to count to 5.
• Sawyer was 8 years old when his parents died.
• Hurley told Jacob he killed 3 people.
  

Well, fellow Lost and Founders, we have reached the end of another season. Now, like expectant parents, we must wait nine months for the (sob!) final season. Does the reverse logo (black letters on a white background) in the previews indicate what the future holds - everything as we know it will be turned around? Check back in January 2010! Namaste.

Wednesday's Main Event!

Thanks to my co-worker Fabi for sending me this.

"Follow the Leader" (Season 5, Episode 15)

My favorite scene in last night's show and in my top 10 of Lost moments was the new and improved Locke explaining to Richard what he had to do and say to the "man" who was about to come out of the jungle at the drug plane crash site. Of course, we as the viewers knew this was the previously seen moment when Richard seemingly by magic appears when Locke needs medical care and instruction. Now knowing that it was Locke himself that coordinated it all (and watched it happen!) just blew my mind. Sort of like Ben, who seemed in equal parts awe and confusion of this uber-confident Locke.

Best Line

• "Why do you think I tried to kill him?" Ben to Richard after he admitted Locke might be trouble.
  

Did You Notice?

• Widmore with gun and on horseback charging through the jungle reminded me of the scene in "Planet of the Apes" when the gorillas captured Charlton Heston.
  
• Was the ship in the bottle that Richard was constructing a model of the Black Rock?
• Locke's appearance with the wild boar on his shoulders was reminiscent of a scene from Season 1.
  
• A little insight into Richard Albert when Ben tells Sun that he is an "advisor" and has had the job for a very, very long time.
• Did Richard actually see Jack and the others die or did they fake their deaths to maintain some timeline continuity?
  
• Jack should change his name to Jerk after his brutal comment to Kate that enough of their time together was misery. It's no surprise she chooses not to go along with him.
• Phil punching Juliet had to be the low point of this at times violent and bloody episode.
• The scene of Chang quizzing Hurley (When were you born? Who is the president?) was much needed comic relief. Hurley had previously commented to Sawyer when he first arrived in the 70's that being in the past might be an issue if he was ever questioned.
• As Eloise is about to leave camp, Charles questioned her decision to go "in her condition" and placed his hand on her stomach, apparently indicating she was pregnant with Daniel. And what makes their love complicated, as Richard commented to Jack?
  
• During the last commercial break, there was a glimpse of the new fall series "Flash Forward". The ad had a black screen with random flashes of various scenes (including a kangaroo!) with the question "What Did You See?" This new show details what happens when the entire world blacks out for two minutes and seventeen seconds and gets to see six months into the future. Could this be this fall's Lost?
  
• Kate joining Sawyer and Kate on the sub can be found in the dictionary under both "awkward" and "third wheel".
• I loved the scene of the sub leaving the island. (Although the previews for next week would indicate that somehow Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate end up back on the island.)
  
• The scene of Locke leading everyone off the beach hearkens back to the mass exodus where Jack and the Oceanic 815 survivors left their camp mid-series.
• If Locke is Jacob as I have previously speculated, is Locke's statement that he is going to kill Jacob more figurative than literal? Perhaps Locke and Jacob will merge or once Locke reveals Jacob's true identity than Jacob ceases to exist?
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Faraday gave Richard 3 seconds to tell him where the bomb is.
• Richard noted that he hadn't seen Locke for 3 years.
  
• Eloise said she shot Daniel 10 minutes earlier.
• Chang questioned whether Hurley was really 46 years old.
• Locke told Richard he had 3 minutes to get everything right prior to Richard's encounter with Locke at the drug plane.
  
• "Nemo" announced that the sub would be shoving off in 2 minutes.
  

Previews - Next week is it - the season finale. "The Incident" will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time after a recap show at 8 p.m. Rumor has it among the things we will learn are how Hurley got the guitar case and learned of the Ajira Airways flight, what the four-toed statue looks like from the front, and flashbacks into Sawyer's, Kate's, and Juliet's childhoods. And perhaps a more revealing appearance by Jacob?