LOMGST! Lost Recap(ish) - Happily Ever After

Today my life unexpectedly became an explosion of unforeseen real-world roadblocks, keeping me from writing the proper recap we both deserve. And so, at the risk of disappointing y’all (sorries!), this week I’d like to open the floor up to everyone present and ask for your input about what the hell is going on with this show. Because, really, your guess is probably as good as mine at this point.

Help a brotha out, won’t you?

First, a little something to whet your appetite:

Alright, brotha. A smattering of questions/thoughts to get the ball rolling:

So Desmond is, like, Electromagnetic Wave Man (Anti-Electromagnetic Wave Man)? What do you think THAT superhero costume would look like?

Subquestion: What does the island need him for, exactly? How does he relate to keeping Faux Locke on the island (and if he doesn’t, what purpose DOES he serve)?

Can ANYONE keep all these timelines straight at this point? SERIOUSLY. And, like me, are you starting to wonder if that isn’t sort of the point — ie, that the fluidity of multidimensional space-time is incoherent, and perhaps much of what we learn in the other timelines is really of little significance to the “real” timeline? (And correct me if I’m wrong, but it does increasingly seem — particularly in light of this episode’s machinations — that there IS a One True Timeline, One Timeline To Rule Them All, etc.)

A week or so back I commented that I’d roll with any reason the producers could come up with to bring Charlie back for a cameo, but UGH. Poor Charlie. He’s the archetype of Jaded, Self-Destructive Rock Star in this dimension of space-time, no? He even looked… harder somehow. Darker. There was no Charlie-esque spark in his eyes, yanno? Sad. Sad.

Relatedly: The One True Timeline appears to be haunting those who’ve sidestepped it: Desmond, Charlie, and of course my sekrit boyfriend, the delicious Daniel Faraday. It seems they’re all living these ghost lives, seeing flashes of The Real only in unconscious/dream states. Interesting though that all of their glimpses of that life they should’ve lived center around love — the love thwarted when they shifted over to this other track in space-time.

I couldn’t stop thinking about that earlier episode, “The Constant”, throughout this one. Anyone else feel twinges of that episode here? I actually had to stop the show (thanks, Tivo!) and watch some clips from it in some sort of vain attempt to refresh my memory regarding Desmond’s relationship with Charlie and Faraday (Not that it helped much, but if you want a good cry I highly recommend watching this clip) (SNIFF.). What I *was* reminded of, however, was that Daniel Faraday wrote that if anything goes wrong, Desmond was to be his constant. Which is interesting, since The Constant appears to be love, if Desmond, Charlie, AND Faraday’s experiences as they played out in this episode are anything to go on. (Huh? Yeah, I know. I have no idea either.)

I don’t know about you, but the scene that stands out to me most in this
episode is the conversation between Desmond and Eloise Widmore, who, it seems, still remembers all that Desmond has forgotten about The One True Timeline, and knows far more than that besides. When Desmond overhears one of the musicians gathered at Eloise Widmore’s lavish shindig mention a “Penny,” he becomes insistent about seeing the guest list. Eloise will have none of this, and pulls Desmond aside:

. . . . .
Eloise: “Stop talking, Hume. I’ve heard what you have to say. Now you
listen to me. I want you to stop.”

Desmond: “Stop? Stop what?”

Eloise: “Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a
serious problem. It is, in fact, a violation. So whatever you’re
doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for… you need to stop
looking for it.”

Desmond: “Do you… do you know what I’m looking for, Mrs. Widmore?”

Eloise: “I don’t know you’re looking for anything. You have the perfect
life, on top of which you’ve managed to attain the thing you wanted more
than anything… my husband’s approval.”

Desmond: “How do you know what I want?”

Eloise: “Because I bloody do!”

Desmond: “I need to see that list. Or you need to tell me why I can’t.”

Eloise: “You can’t because you’re not ready yet, Desmond.”

Desmond: “Ready? Ready for what?”
. . . . .
You’ll pardon me if I just have to say, at this point, LOMGST!!!!! And also: WTF?!?!

I found the ending interesting — how did Desmond’s glimpses of this alternate life change him from someone who wanted to beat the living crap out of Widmore with an IV pole to someone who actively wants to help him? Is Desmond’s revelation simply that what happens on the island ripples out through space-time and so, uhh, he’s gonna help stop that shit? Something else? Is Widmore on the side of “Good” (since the show seems increasingly to be operating out of these good/evil, black/white poles, I presume he’s one or the other)?

Looks like next week’s episode is All About Hurley, which makes me absurdly happy. Think we’re gonna find out he’s The One (ie, The Candidate To End All Candidates)? I mean, jesus, we’re kind of getting down to the wire on this show, and I’m guessing it’s time to let it all hang out, no?

Where’s this all heading? What’s it all about? How does the endgame look to you? HELP ME, DAMMIT!