Episode 5 - The Lighthouse

So I think it goes without saying that I loved this episode, and mostly because hot-damn Jack looked pretty good throughout the entire episode! But we also got to see a little rogue Claire, Hurley and Miles, and the numbers!

SUMMARY

Off-Island 2004
Jack is giving his mother an update on the location of his father's coffin via the phone when he takes a glance at his scar from his appendectomy. He rushes over to school to pick up his son David who clearly is angry with him for being late. They return to Jack's apartment where David only visits once a month. Jack leaves to go to his mother's to help her find his father's missing will. While there he asks about his appendicitis scar and mentions how he doesn't really remember getting his appendix removed at a young age. They talk about Jack's relationship with this his son and he realizes that he has a relationship much like Jack and his father's. She finds the will and begins to read it asking Jack who Claire Littleton is. Jack returns home to find that his son has left. He leaves some worried messages and decides to head over to his mother's house to see if he's there. He enters the house with the hidden key and wanders up to David's room. Once inside he listens to his messages and discovers he's at a school tryout for music. Jack rushes over to the try out and is brought to tears (shocker!) while listening to David play the piano. He then runs into Dogen as they discuss how hard it must be for their sons to handle all the pressure. Jack approaches David outside and they resolve their issues.

Island (2007)
Back at the temple Jack and Dogen discuss how they've been honest with each other and how Jack doesn't think Kate, Sawyer, or Jin will be returning to the Temple. Hurley and Miles are clearly bored with the Temple and wander off to find food. Hurley runs into Jacob in the spring and he tells Hurley he has a mission for him and he needs to bring Jack, oh and write it down on his arm. When Hurley decides to go alone he runs into Dogen and Jacob. Jacob tells Hurley to tell Dogen he is a candidate and can do what he wants. Jacob urges Hurley to convince Jack to come with him so Hurley tells Jack that Jacob thinks he "has what it takes". Jack decides to follow Hurley through the jungle where they run into Kate. The talk briefly and part ways as Kate runs off looking for Claire. Hurley and Jack come across a lighthouse and Hurley says they need to turn it on. Once inside Jack realizes that the mirrors on the dial are a way for Jacob to watch over their lives off the island. There were names written next to each degree with only a few remaining that weren't crossed off. Jack gets angry and demands to talk to Jacob, when Hurley tells him he can't Jack smashes the mirrors and runs out to the cliffs. Jacob appears to Hurley and explains this was his plan all along.
Also on the island, Jin has been taken by Claire. He wakes up in her very Rousseau-esque hut and she fixes Jin's leg. She's also gone back for a prisoner and while she's out, the prisoner tries to convince Jin that she is going to kill them both. Claire returns to question him about the whereabouts of Aaron. Jin informs Claire that Kate took Aaron. Claire decides to kill the prisoner and Jin changes his mind about Aaron, lying to Claire that the Others do have him at the Temple and he will take her there to get him. She agrees saying otherwise she would have had to kill Kate. Her friend returns and we find out that it's Smokey aka Locke.

Wow I didn't think the summary would be that long! So just a fun fact - last night was the 108th episode of LOST!

1. Okay so clearly I love love loved this episode because I got lots of Jack! And boy oh boy did he look amazing in this episode, man looks good in a suit! haha but we got some serious insight on both versions of Jack. In the off-island world he's willing to allow himself to change with his son. He recognizes his faults and that he is becoming more and more like his father, so he decides to change and open up to his son. The island Jack however is still very stubborn, for example smashing the magical mirrors right away without thinking "hey, these are magical, maybe they can help me!". But it seems like Jacob knew that would happen anyway, I mean its not like he needs them anymore since they're all on the island, and is happy with the result that Jack is now thinking about the repercussions of discovering this information.

2. So the producers have confirmed that both realities are in fact real. This means that one is the alternative to the other, they both exist. So I think at this point the two realities have to collide and I think its beginning to happen with the deja-vu like experiences the characters are having. For example; Jack and Kate recognizing each other, Jack having a mysterious cut in the pilot episode while on the plane, and in this episode, Jack not remembering any details about his appendectomy. Each character seems a lot happier in the reality where the plane never crashed; Locke accepts his disability, Jack mends his relationship with his son, Claire decides to keep her baby, etc. I don't think the producers can exactly make us choose one or the other reality since they are so different and we've spent 5 years being invested in the island story so will they somehow have to come together?

3. The way this plot is shaping up reminds me a lot of the Matrix series. There's the obvious deja-vu moments mentioned above which are explained as glitches. There's the search for a leader like Neo = candidate = Jack! And we even have 2 realities. Now it's been a while since I've watched the Matrix series but in the end doesn't everyone die and they restart the Matrix for the last time? So Jacob is apparently searching for his replacement but let's say he does find his replacement in oh say, Jack. So Jack takes over to Jacob, but take over doing exactly what? What would be the point of Jack taking over for Jacob, so they can watch everything happen again? Would this mean that Smokey would stay as Smokey or does someone have to take his place? Again I think the only thing that can explain why the island needs a protector is we need to find out why the island is so important! Without that key factor, why do we even want Jacob to find his replacement? Whats the point of it starting all over again, unless, like the Matrix, its the last time and a winner is finally declared (humans vs. machines in the case of the Matrix and Good vs. Evil presumably in LOST). I'm still trying to work out the details on this theory but its thought provoking to say the least!

3. Rogue Claire is really something. What is with that hair?? ... I have no idea but its safe to say that this episode confirmed that Claire has actually been "claimed". And she's on Smokey's side. So I think it's also safe to say that Claire isn't Smokey, but they're as she put it, friends. So it looks like Smokey has the ability to claim people which my best guess means that they still have remnants of their former lives, but they're in fact some other being or lack of themselves that inhabited their bodies after they died, much like a zombie! Now I don't think John Locke's body has been claimed the way Claire and Sayid are looking to go, I think the Smokey has just transformed into looking like Locke since we have Smokey as Locke and Locke's actual body which was buried. Mostly from this revelation I was hoping we could finally give Smokey a name.

4. Kate almost shot Jack! That would have been a hot mess - and while their interlude was brief I'm sticking by my guns that they love each other. Kate doesn't care that Sawyer went off on his own and she knows that she will come across Jack again in the jungle. Why you may ask? Duh he's going to be looking for Claire and so is she! And Jack will save her because Claire will think Kate has Aaron and try to kill her. Also Claire will bring them together off-island because he will track down Claire who is still friends with Kate and they will also end up together then! Ha I know it's wishful thinking but it's my blog!

5. So Dogen appeared in the off-island side-flash. This has to have some significance but I can't quite tell what yet. He and Jack spoke of the pressures their young children were facing but I can't tell how it relates to their situation on the island other than to further prove that all the people on the island were destined to connect in one life or another. But it seems to be coming clear that Dogen is very much like a Richard Alpert. He follows whatever Jacob says no questions asked. He even appears to have to follow whatever Jacob's candidates say.

6. The lighthouse was really cool. It seems like its sort of like Jacob's cabin in that it can move around which would explain why Jack and the gang have never come across it. The big dial had 360 degrees on it with a name written next to each one. As we saw on the cave wall, the names and numbers corresponded. So is the dial Jacob's way of keeping track and the cave wall Smokey's way of keeping track? It seems like this was Jacob's way of keeping tabs on his candidates off the island. So I want to ask this question, does it mean he was watching them their whole lives and based on their decisions and actions they either became candidates or were crossed off? So if it was their actions that led them to the island, then why did Jacob visit them in their former lives to touch them to direct them to the island? God I have a headache just from trying to write that sentence.

7. The numbers have been appearing a lot lately and giving us a glimpse into what they mean. On the dial 108 was crossed off next to the name "Wallace" so that might be important or it might just mean candidate 108 named Wallace failed. This was the 108th episode and all of the numbers add up to 108 so me thinks he will appear somewhere. But I gotta tell ya, I don't want any new characters! I want some concrete answers and I want them now. Oh random thought, were the other numbers ever in play because if you take into account that before Rousseau showed up, the random transmission of the numbers were calling out to the losties. So maybe this too is just a trick, UNLESS the crossed out #s are from previous lives or something? But I don't think so because if I recall correctly we see some other familiar names crossed out. Just a thought.

8. So again we're seeing the relationship between Jack and his father reexamined over and over. Jack realizes he is the same way to his son as his dad was to him, but he finds a way to change it. Jack's life has been a constant struggle to prove to his father and himself that he has what it takes in life and when he is assured of this by Jacob he is determined to get an answer.

9. The bodies! This is something I've been wanting them to address forever! And it was nice that they didn't forget but I didn't get any answers. So Hurley confirmed my original thought is that they know who they are but with time travel this is where they ended up. Jack also opened up about how he found the caves, via the ghost of his dead father. I think it's safe to assume that Smokey claimed Christian so that begs us to ask the question why was he seemingly helping Jack to find the caves?
10. Free Will - it all comes back to this. Jacob had to lead Jack to the lighthouse so he could realize that he is special. Jacob points out that he couldn't just tell Jack and that some people just do as their told, like Hurley getting on the plane just because Jacob told him to. While all Jack needs to do is discover things on his own and sulk about it on a nearby cliff. So is free will the main difference between the two worlds then? Since the off-island world is arguably a world where they are free from the influences of the island then is that the correct world where their choices would have inevitably led them that way? And if they've been guided to the island in the other reality then wouldn't they not have had free will or was this tied in with their destiny? Think it over!

Okay although I thought the episode lacked in concrete answers we definitely have enough to mull over in terms of theories. But rest assured that I, like you, am getting frustrated for some answers and if I know LOST like I think I do, they will throw us a bone soon!

xo
B