There’s No Place Like Home SE4 EP12

“Those are 15 years old, you know.”

It was like old folks home on Lost last night. All of our old friends returned for the homecoming of the Oceanic Six and back on the island, the camps reshuffled to mix up the dynamics that have been in place for most of the season. It was comforting to see some things (the numbers and the Others) we haven’t seen in a while, if only to let us know that the writers haven’t forgotten about them.

Back in Kansas
The Oceanic Six are on a cargo plane. Miss Decker, a rep from the airline, comes back to brief the Six on what they can expect. “There will be press there,” she warns. “But you don’t have to talk to them.” “We’ll talk to them,” Jack says, speaking for the group. Accusatory looks are shot at Jack. No one answers. Miss Decker, satisfied that Jack is the group’s representative, returns to the cockpit. Jack then goes over the drill with the remaining Six: “We all know the story, if they ask us something we don’t want to answer, we just won’t answer. It’ll be ok. They’ll think we’re in shock.” “We are in shock, Jack.” Sun answers. The Six land and are greeted by their families; all but Kate and Sayid, who have no one to greet them.

Miss Decker is at the podium, laying out the false story of the Oceanic Six’s survival. They crashed near Membata Island then a typhoon took them to Sumba Island (This story jibes with the general location of the submerged wreckage recovered sometime earlier). We open the floor for questions, but the reporters are suspicious, grilling the survivors. After all this time on the island, how come you look so well? They ask about Hurley’s money, to which he replies he doesn’t want any of it. Then a reporter asks about Kate’s “pregnancy”: So Kate was six months pregnant when the federal marshalls caught up to her? Miss Decker to the rescue, “Miss Austin’s criminal record is off limits.”

They survive the briefing and Miss Decker tells Sayid that he has a visitor outside. It is Nadia and they have a long awaited, emotional reunion.

It is several months later and Sun now visibly pregnant, goes to see her father. He is in the midst of an argument with lackeys, “How could this happen? I told you to use 5 banks!” When he sees Sun, he dismisses the lackeys and inquires after Sun’s pregnancy. “Don’t pretend you care about my pregnancy. You hated my husband.” He father is shocked at Sun’s disrespect. She says that there are 2 people who are responsible for Jin’s death, and he is one of them (Is Sun the other?) Then she tells her father why she is no longer afraid of him: “I got my settlement from Oceanic. It was very generous. Enough to buy a controlling interest in your company.” SNAP!

Hurley arrives home to a deserted house. There is a coconut on the floor and whispering all around. Hurley, creeped out and having “Other” flashbacks, tells himself he can’t believe he’s going to do this and grabs a statue and yanks open the closed curtains to reveal…his surprise party. Hurley’s mother, seeing him ready to brain someone with the statue scolds him, “Hugo. Jesus Christ is not a weapon.” A little reunion ensues, Kate with Aaron and Sayid and Nadia. Hugo’s father walks up as they are talking, “So what are you guys talking about? Building a fire, hunting boars?” Uncomfortable looks are exchanged: Hurley is talking too much. Hurley’s dad takes him out front to show him the present he got him. Hurley is adamant: he does not want anything that was gotten with the money. “No, no no—I got it before the money.” Hurley’s dad lifts the garage door to reveal the muscle car beautifully restored (and ready to crash into skids full of fruit). “I restored it after the crash. It was a way to be close to you.” His dad tells him. They get in to take it for a spin and Hurley looks down at the odometer and promptly freaks out: 4 8 15 16 23 42 THE NUMBERS!!!!. “Is this a joke?” He asks his dad, who has no clue what Hurley’s talking about. Hurley gets out and runs for his life.

Jack’s is speaking at his father’s wake. “I wrote down what I was going to say on a cocktail napkin and he would have hated it. Dad always said that the only good thing about a wake is the free booze. So what I’m going to say is not for him, it’s for me. Goodbye dad. I loved you. I miss you.” At the end of the service, a blond Australian woman with an enormously distracting mole on her chin approaches Jack. “I am the reason you father is dead—he was in Australia to see my daughter.” As she struggles to get this story out, we are all sitting at home on the edge of our seats: Is she going to tell him her name? Is Jack going to make the connection? “She was on the plane with you for six hours, a few rows away. You never knew she was your sister. Her name was Claire.” As she leaves, she pauses to admire “Kate’s” baby. “He’s beautiful.” She says as she walks out, leaving a stunned Jack and Kate in her wake.

The Moving Men
Locke, Hurley and Ben are trekking through the jungle to the Orchid Station. Hurley has questions about moving the island, like “Why didn’t we move it BEFORE those guys with guns go here?” Good question, Ben answers, “Because, Hugo, moving the island is dangerous and unpredictable and is a measure of last resort.” They find a Dharma chest with a cracker tin and mirror. Locke tosses the tin to Hurley who immediately begins chowing down on saltines. “May I have that mirror, please?” Ben asks. He takes the mirror and flashes codes towards the mountain. “What are you saying?” Locke asks him. “None of your business, John.” Hurley still can’t get over this whole moving the island thing. “So if we move the island, won’t the Dudes with guns move with it?” “Probably. I’m working on that.” Ben replies. Charles Widmore knows about the Orchid and knows that they need what is there. They arrive at the Orchid, but it’s too late. They see Merc movement in the trees. “They’re already here.” Ben growls.

But Ben always has a plan. Ben gives himself up to the Mercs to give Locke time to get into the Orchid greenhouse and gives him instructions on how to take the elevator down to the real Orchid station. “What they want is inside the Orchid Station.” Ben says. “I thought you said they only wanted you,” Locke retorts. “I wasn’t being entirely truthful.” Ben admits. “When have you ever?” Locke complains, and not surprisingly, Ben does not answer.

Ben then gets up and gives himself up to the Mercs. Ben has been a little depressed lately due to his loss of “Island Chosen One” status and if I didn’t already know that he lives to fight another day, I’d swear that he is ready to sacrifice himself for the island. He introduces himself to the delightfully evil Keamy: “I’m Benjamin Linus. I believe you are looking for me.” Keamy pulls a gun and holds it point blank to Ben’s forehead, which causes Ben to blink (You can almost hear him thinking: “Hey, wait a minute—I thought they wanted me alive!”). Then Keamy pistol whips Ben and knocks him out.

Misguided Attempts at Heroism
Jack and Kate trek off into the jungle to track the copter. Jack begins to bleed around the stitches. He lies to Kate, telling her he is fine and Kate knows he is lying. Suddenly, Miles, Sawyer and the Baybay stumble out of the jungle right into Jack and Kate. Sawyer tells Jack that the people from the freighter have just blown up New Otherton. Jack claims responsibility for sending Sayid and Des on the helicopter, hands the Baybay to Kate tells her to get back to the beach and treks off once again. “Hold up, Doc. You don’t get to die alone.” Sawyer grumbles, following close behind.

They soon find the helicopter with Frank handcuffed in the back. Frank explains how the Mercs are going to blow up the island, and tells Jack and Sawyer they need to get off ASAP. When Sawyer hears that the Mercs are headed for Ben and the Orchid, he hangs his head. He looks at Jack, “Hugo is with Ben.” Jack sighs in frustration. They both know they can’t leave Hurley behind to the Mercs.

Sayid lands on the beach and decides to go after Jack and Kate. Daniel tries to talk him out of it, but Kate arrives back at the beach with Aaron and tells Sayid that he’ll never find Jack without her. She hands the baby off to Sun and follows Sayid back into the jungle. Daniel begins ferry survivors to the freighter on the zodiac.

Meanwhile, the freighter has been repaired, but they can’t take it to the island because something is jamming the radar. Des, Jin and Sun search the ship and come across and entire room of C4 explosive, wired to blow. Jin tells Sun to take the Baybay back up top.

Kate and Sayid are tracking Jack and Sawyer, when Kate discovers another set of tracks that have doubled back behind them. They see movement up ahead, pull their guns and call the bogey out: It’s our friend Richard Eyeliner! Kate and Sayid are surrounded; apparently they have stumbled into a whole nest of Others. Who’d have ever thought we’d feel relief that Kate & Sayid have been captured by the OTHERS?

As the music comes up, we see a montage of where we are leaving our Lostaways for two weeks until the two hour finale: Sayid & Kate being marched off, presumably to the Temple where the Others are holed up, Jack & Sawyer looking for Hurley, Sun, holding Aaron, looking over her shoulder at the hatch in the freighter where Jin, Desmond and Michael are contemplating what to do about the room full of C4, and Locke, moving off to take advantage of the opening Ben has given him.

In Two Weeks
There continues to be no place like home (for parts 2 and 3) as we have been exquisitely set up for the season finale. FYI, my daughter scored a sweet three-week externship with the Preston and Steve Morning Show which includes the Lost party at the Trocadero on May 29. She is hoping to be able to attend. I will keep you all posted through the Blog on any developments that may benefit me (or you!) on this front.