This Place Is Death!
(episode 5.05)
‘Wonderful title for an episode...
We find Sun in her car with Aaron and her gun when a phone call from her daughter interrupts her. Instantly, Sun has Ben at the business-end of a quality, American-made semi-automatic weapon. Ben talks his way out of a bullet…again.
We’re back to the Frenchies and Jin on the beach…they’re from Tahiti in 1988! Jin agrees on a little trek to the radio tower, then, on to a camp that isn’t there. We see who we presume to be Alex’s father hugging and smooching Danielle. In the jungle, things get freaky. “Monster,” Jin proclaims. One of their group is missing and they trek backwards—scared and confused.
Smokie’s finally back, and, he likes French food…one arm or less, please.
The French ship-wreck survivors pursue the Smoke Monster into it’s “hole” with it’s recent prey—time flash. Jin sees the severed arm of the French dude that was Smokie's lunch—years and years older and decayed. Jin finds a camp on the beach. We hear that the Smoke Monster is a security system guarding a temple. Danielle insists that the “thing” has changed her beloved. Danielle gets angry when her baby-daddy dry-snaps his weapon and delivers a little lead baby to his chest. Immediately, Jin encounters another time flash. The sound of a cocking rifle preludes a giggling hug between the beaten-up Korean and the sweaty Sawyer.
There is a great reunion scene…John Locke sellin’ his “island religion” and Charlotte poppin’ off some perfect Korean (she claims to speak Klingon, too).
Back at the pier, the Oceanic 6 have fractured. Ben is trying to talk his way out of death, Sayid is threatening death and Kate is scared to death.
Time shift.
And another—almost immediately.
Charlotte goes down while a couple of different noses start bleeding. She is insane with the sickness and rambles Korean to Jin. Finally, her face ashen and lips pale, she proclaims, “Don’t let them bring her back—this place is death!
Next, we’re in the car with Ben and Sun and Jack. Sun is pissed, Jack is sorry for leaving Jin behind. Ben pulls the car over and reprimands Jack and Sun for not being grateful enough for all he has done. Personally, I would have shot Ben at this point.
Locke’s group experiences another time flash…they have a brief debate as whether to leave Charlotte behind. Charlotte is lucid and delusional at the same time. Faraday won’t leave her. Locke leads the remainder of the party to the Orchid station. Again, time flash--the Orchid is gone. Undaunted, the group travels a bit farther and finds a well that Charlotte spoke of. Back with Faraday, she admits (‘cause she suddenly remembered) that she grew up on the island…as part of Dharma. We hear her tell of a crazy man (Faraday himself) that told her when she was a little girl that if she ever came back to the island, she would die.
Locke decides to try going down the well. Before he does that, Jin threatens to cut the rope leading down to the well if Locke tries to bring Sun back. Locke agrees and double-talks and the two make an interesting agreement. Locke heads down…his group gives him a freakin’ “unbelievable” vote of confidence before his decent. A time flash lands him on his ass at the bottom of the well and his group looking for something that is no longer (or was never) there.
Faraday and Charlotte…dramatic change in their storyline. *sniff, sniff*
Locke is screaming, in a hole, stuff poking out of him. Luckily, Jack’s dad is here to save him and “help him the rest of the way.” Christian is not happy that Locke didn’t turn the donkey wheel. Ben was not supposed to do it. But, life is apparently all about second chances. Doc Sheppard gives John specific instructions on where to go, what to do, who to do it to.
Christian watches Locke struggle toward the donkey wheel…this is a great scene—the wheel is sparkin’ and movin’ and “hungry for pushing.” John does it.
The final scene shows us Ben giving Jin’s wedding ring back to Sun. She agrees to go back to the island. Desmond shows up looking cool…looking for Faraday’s mother just like Ben. Ms. Hawking is a bit disappointed that all of “them” aren’t present, but, is still willing to get started. The old lady loves candles…and pendulums.
No doubt—the best episode of the season. Between this week and last weeks’ episodic-information-fest, the “possibilities” within the storyline have been dramatically reduced—yet, the “possibilities” with the storyline have achieved an infinite amount of “possibilities.”
I rate this episode 9 out of 10 Namastes.
Posted by Will on 11 Feb 2009 at 23:28 | LOST RECAPS
