LOST 6.16 What They Died For – recap by Evie

Lost 6.16  “What They Died For”

recap by Evie

I am so glad we have technology that allows us to rewatch our favorite TV shows the next day. I can’t even remember what Jacob said they died for, which is the title of this episode.

It starts off with Jack waking up in his bed and going to the bathroom mirror where he sees his neck is bleeding. I’ve already lost track of how long it’s been since they landed at LAX but I’m going to assume this is the same cut on his neck that he noticed he had on the plane. I’m predicting that the cut is from the final battle with Smoke Monster Locke but that’s as far as my theory goes.

Jack and his son are at the breakfast table eating Super Bran and Aunt Claire wakes up and joins them. The phone rings and its Oceanic Air telling Jack that they found his father’s casket and it will be arriving later that day. Actually, it’s Desmond on the other line. I don’t think he works for the airline unless Charles Widmore owns the company. Desmond is key to making sure everything happens like it’s supposed to and things are falling in to place.

On the beach, the sun is rising and the Lostees are still sorrowing over the sinking of the sub. Jack stitches up Kate’s gunshot wound in her shoulder. Kate is devastated that Sun and Jin died and she’s PO’d that Locke is responsible. They start discussing how they are going to kill Locke. Sawyer is finally conscious and sitting up and Hurley is just hanging out with him. They have got to be wondering how they will ever get off the island now. The sub is gone and the pilot is dead so they can’t use the airplane. They all seem despondent and tired and angry. Jack tells them they need to find Desmond because if Locke needs him dead then they need him alive.

At the school where Dr. Benjamin Linus and John Locke teach, Desmond is watching from his car. Locke has recovered enough to be back at work and the students are glad to see him. Des starts his car but Ben stops him and yells for someone to call the police. Des gets out and punches Ben and pins him to the hood of his car. Ben tells him that he will not let him hurt Mr. Locke again and Des tells him that he is not there to hurt him but to help him. Ben asks Desmond who he is and Des continues to smack him around to jog his memory. Ben sees flashes of the time at the harbor where Desmond was punching him after he showed up to kill Penny. I think of Desmond as an angel stepping in to knock some sense in to everyone.

On the island we finally see Ben again. I’ve been wondering what he’s been up to and couldn’t remember where we left him. Miles and Richard are with him. And Miles just answered one of my questions. They are walking to the Dharma barracks and Ben says he’s taking a short cut and he should know the fastest way because he lived there for so long. Miles tells him he lived there 30 years before Ben did, which was last week. So Jack has had the cut on his neck for a week or so. They are going to the barracks to get explosives. They are hidden in Ben’s secret room behind the book case. That’s the place where Ben could pull the plug to summon the monster. But Ben finally realized that the monster was actually summoning Ben. As they get closer to the house Miles’s ghost-detecting senses activate. He hesitates telling Ben who he is hearing but Richard tells him it’s Alex, Ben’s daughter; after she was murdered Richard buried her there.  Ben thanks Richard and they proceed inside the house. While they are in the secret closet to gather all the C4 to blow up the airplane, they hear a noise from the kitchen. Ben brings his rifle and discovers Zoe, whom he has never seen before and who is my least favorite new character. Widmore is with her and he and Benjamin finally meet again. Ben is stunned that he was able to return to the island. Widmore tells Zoe to go to the dock and fetch their supplies from the outrigger then sink it. Ben warns her not to move and Widmore tells Ben that he better not shoot him because he is the last hope for survival. Finally! We’re going to get some background on this rivalry or game they’ve been playing! Zoe leaves, and Widmore asks Richard what he’s doing there. They speak to each other as if it hasn’t been years and years since they last saw one another. I would be like, “Wow, Richard! You really never age. You look exactly the same as the day Ellie shot my son, Daniel. What’s been happening here while I’ve been gone?!” But no, the conversation is focused on Ben. Widmore tells Ben that he’s had the plane rigged with explosives since the day he got back to the island and he’s always been three steps ahead of Ben. He reveals that Jacob visited him shortly after his freighter was blown up. (They have one more chance in the final episode to explain how Jacob goes to and from the island.) Jacob convinced Widmore of “the error of his ways” and told him everything he needs to know for this exact purpose. He begins to tell what that purpose is but Zoe interrupts on the walkie talkie. Locke is in the canoe coming toward them and Widmore tells Zoe to high-tail it back to the house; they all need to hide.

At the school, the nurse is anointing Ben’s wounds and patching him all up. He looks like he did after Desmond beat him up at the dock and was in a sling. He corrects the nurse when she calls him Mr. Linus. It’s DOCTOR Linus. That was my first clue that Ben might not be as nice as he was pretending to be. Locke rolls into the room and asks him about the incident in the parking lot. Ben tells him about Desmond and his visions when he was hitting him. Ben told Locke that the man wasn’t trying to hurt him but said he was trying to help him to let go and Ben believed him. This stopped Locke from calling the police because he remembered that Jack Shepard had told him that he needed to let go of the pain and guilt he was carrying from the plane crash in which his father was severely injured.

At the LAPD, Miles is getting ready to go to his father’s presentation at the museum. I wonder what name his father will have. He’s had several aliases on the show all having to do with candles. Desmond shows up and asks to speak with Detective James Ford. He turns himself in for running over Locke and for beating up Ben. Des is put in a cell with Sayid and next to Kate.

Jack and Sawyer are looking for the well where Desmond was left by Sayid. They are concluding that Locke didn’t kill Desmond himself because he can’t kill them. Sawyer is carrying the guilt and burden of be responsible for the sub sinking and the deaths of Sun, Jin, Sayid, and Lapidus. Hurley and Kate are following them through the jungle. Little 13-year-old Jacob appears to Hurley and demands he give back the ashes that he took from Ilana’s things after she died. They are his ashes after all. The kid bolts, and Hurley takes off after him. Hurley stops at a campfire because he sees grown-man Jacob and asks where he’s been. Jacob tells him that it doesn’t matter he’s here now. Hurley asks if he saw the kid run by with his ashes. He tells Hugo that the ashes are in the fire and that when the fire burns out he’ll never see Jacob again. Hurley needs to go get his friends because they are very close to the end. My friend facebooked me, “Yes, Jacob we ARE very close to the end!”

Smoke Locke gets off the canoe with his back pack and rifle. Widmore and Zoe decide to hide in the hidden room but tells them he’s going to be in the jungle; and Ben and Richard decide to wait for Locke. He asks for Widmore’s walkie talkies, keeps one and gives the other one to Richard. Richard wants to talk to Smoke Locke. He knows him as the man in black and thinks that if he joins him he’ll leave the rest alone and give them a chance at survival. Locke has transformed, and at full speed and force slams into Richard. We didn’t really see where Richard lands so I’m not sure if Smokey can kill the immortal man. Ben sits on the porch and Smoke Locke approaches telling him he’s just the man he’s looking for. Ben says, “Well you found me would you like some lemonade?” Locke tells Ben that he needs him to kill some people. Ben wants to know why he would do that. Locke says that once he leaves the island Ben can have it all to himself. Ben says, “Alright.” It’s not an enthusiastic statement but Locke takes it as an agreement that he’ll do the dirty work. Ben tells Locke that the outrigger down at the dock belongs to Charles Widmore and that he is hiding in the closet. Ben, Ben, Ben.

At the high school Ben is walking to his car and Alex approaches him to find out what happened to him. She offers him a ride home with her mother. Danielle Rousseau insists that he also come over for dinner. She appreciates all he’s done for her daughter. Alex’s father passed away and Ben has been the only father figure she has ever known. Ben becomes teary-eyed.

In the Dharma house Ben follows Locke to the secret room. Locke advises Ben to wait out in the room and warns him that he’s not going to want to see this. Ben tells him he wants to see this. He just can’t wait for the revenge that’s due to Widmore for killing his daughter. Ben insincerely apologizes to Charles. Locke moves toward Widmore and tells him that it’s nice to be able to talk face to face without those fences between them. Locke asks Zoe who she is and she begins to give her name when Widmore stops her from speaking. So Locke whips out his knife and slices her throat. Locke explains that because Widmore told her not to talk, that made her pointless. Locke tells Widmore that he’s going to get what he wants: he’s finally going to leave the island. However, he just needs to motivate Widmore to tell him why he came back to the island. Unless he answers him the first thing Locke is going to do when he gets off the island is kill Widmore’s daughter, Penny. Widmore believes he will kill Penny whether he talks to Locke or not, but Locke promises that he won’t. Widmore tells him that he brought Desmond Hume back to the island because of his resistance to electromagnetism; he is a measure of last resort. He doesn’t say anything further because he doesn’t want to reveal anything to Ben. Locke asks Widmore to whisper to him, and as he leans in and begins to speak, Ben fires his weapon and shoots down Widmore. Ben tells Locke that Widmore doesn’t get to save his daughter. Rats! It’s over? Just like that? The season finale better explain the Widmore/Linus situation better. Locke isn’t too concerned because Widmore already told him what he needed to know, so no harm done. After Ben kills Widmore, Locke tells him that he never ceases to amaze him and Ben asks who else he needs to kill. Ben, Ben, Ben.

It’s nightfall when the Lostees get back to the campfire. Jacob says Hello to each of them and calls them by name. Hurley points out where Jacob is standing, but everyone can see and hear Jacob now. Kate asks about the names on the wall. She asks Jacob if Sun and Jin and Sawyer are dead because he wrote their names on the wall. Jacob says that he’s very sorry. Hurley tries to get her to settle down but she insists on being told what they died for and that it wasn’t for nothing. You go girl! If it was Jack he wouldn’t demand answers he would just change the subject.  Jacob invites them to sit and he’ll explain why he chose the candidates, and about protecting the island, because once the fire burns out one of them is going to have to do it.

Jack is sitting in his office at the hospital clinic and John Locke drops by for a visit. Locke notices a family photo on his desk of Christian, Jack and Jack’s son, David. Jack tells Locke it was taken last Thanksgiving. There is no mom in the picture. Locke tells Jack that they were on the same plane from Sydney and Jack gave him his business card, which Locke tossed in the trash. Then a few days later he is hit by a car and ends up being treated by Dr. Shepard. Jack still wants to fix him, but Locke still doesn’t want to be fixed. Locke tells Jack about Desmond wanting to help him let go. Jack wants to know if Locke thinks he sent Desmond to run him down. No, Locke didn’t think that, but he suggests that maybe all this is happening for a reason and that Jack is supposed to fix him. Jack tells him not to confuse coincidence with fate. Locke tells him that he is ready to get out of the chair.

At the campfire, Jacob begins by telling Jack and Kate and Hurley and Sawyer that he brought them all to the island because he made a mistake a very long time ago. Because of that mistake there is a very good chance that they and everyone they love is going to die. That mistake was the monster. He explains that he made the smoke monster who he is, and ever since then he’s been trying to kill Jacob. He tells them that he realized sooner or later Smokey would find the loophole to the rule that they couldn’t kill one another, and he would need a replacement; and that’s why he brought them to the island. Sawyer expresses his annoyance at being brought to the island. He says that in his life he was doing just fine and they shouldn’t have to pay for Jacob’s mistake. Jacob corrects him and tells them that none of them were doing alright. He didn’t pluck any of them out of a happy existence; they were all flawed and alone just like Jacob. They were looking for something that they couldn’t find, and they needed the island as much as it needed them. Kate asks why her name was crossed off the wall and it was because she became a mother to Aaron. He adds that it was just a line of chalk in a cave, but she can have the job if she wants it. Jack asks what the job is. Jacob tells them that there is a light at the center of the island and their job would be to make sure it never goes out. Sawyer tells him that his monster friend said there is nothing to protect it from. Jacob tells them that they must protect the light from the monster. Jack says ,”So you want us to kill him. Is that even possible?” Jacob says, “I certainly hope so because he is going to try to kill you.” Wait a second. Jacob isn’t even going to tell them what they have to do? He must have a lot of faith that one of these guys is going to figure it out. Hurley asks who Jacob is going to pick. He tells them that he is giving them the one thing he never had: a choice. Kate asks what if no one chooses to do it. Jacob says, “Then this ends very badly.”

My favorite line of this episode.

It’s no surprise that Jack volunteers. He believes this is why he’s here and what he’s supposed to do. Jacob tells him that it’s time. Jacob takes them to a stream and tells Jack that the light is located in the heart of the island which is beyond the bamboo field where Jack first woke up after the crash of Oceanic 815. Jack had never found anything past the bamboo field but Jacob assures him that he’ll be able to find it now. Sawyer comments to Kate about “his” God complex. Not sure if he was referring to Jack or Jacob. Hurley says he’s just glad it’s not him that has to protect the island. Hmmm…famous last words? Jacob asks Jack for a cup, which he happens to have in his backpack. Jacob touches the water in the stream and says a chant. He fills the cup with water and tells Jack he will have to do the job of protecting the island as long as he can. Jack takes a huge drink of the water. Jacob tells him that now they are the same.

At the LAPD Sayid, Kate, and Desmond are loaded onto a truck for transport. Kate tells Sawyer that he can still let her go free; she restates her innocent and she knows that he believes her. No, Kate, it doesn’t work like that. In the back of the truck Des tells the other two that it’s time to leave. Kate asks, “Who are you?” Sayid tells her that he’s a crazy person who turned himself in. Desmond explains that he ran over a guy in a wheelchair and will accept being called crazy, but still asks if they want to get out of there. He tells them that the driver knows where to stop and after he sets them free he is going to ask each of them to do something and they need to promise that they’ll do it. The truck stops and Ana Lucia un-handcuffs them. Hurley pulls up in his hummer and pays off Ana Lucia. Hurley says to Des, “You didn’t tell me that Ana Lucia was going to be here.” She has no idea who he is. “Oh, yeah,” Hurley says, “we’ve never met.” (wink, wink to Desmond). Ana Lucia gets back in the police truck and Hurley asks Des, “She’s not coming with us?” Des replies that she’s not ready yet. Hurley has his Camero waiting for Desmond and Kate, and Sayid is to go with Hurley in the Hummer. Desmond pulls a black dress out of the trunk and tells Kate that they are going to a concert.

In the jungle, Ben asks Locke why he bothers walking if he can just turn into smoke anytime he wants. He says that it reminds him he’s human. The two arrive at the well where Desmond was supposed to have been killed by Sayid. There is a rope extending down into the well and Ben comments that it looks like someone helped him out. Locke corrects him and says, “no someone helped me out.” He tells Ben that Widmore told him Desmond was a failsafe. Jacob’s last resort of keeping him on the island in case none of the candidates worked out. Locke is happy that Des is still alive because he’s going to find Desmond so he can help him destroy the island.

The end is near.