I always have the greatest difficulties writing something about set-up episodes. It’s obvious why: the pieces on the board are moving, preparing for a tactical strike, but how that plan will work out remains a mystery.

The Episode…

I love how, ever since the fourth season, you can pretty much take the “moving pieces on a chess board” metaphor literally. There was no way we could know that Claire would be joining the team, or that Jack would be staying behind. I even remember seeing promo pictures for this episode and being convinced Jack was with the group when Sun and Jin were reunited. Something was wrong with that scene, by the way. It wasn’t nearly as emotional as I thought it would be.

I’m not one for explosions and guns and stuff, but the moment where Jack and Locke got hit by a bomb was nothing short of awesome. It appears that the stunt team – who, apparently, kick ass – is pulling out all stops for the last few episodes. I understand perfectly: after LOST, it’s back to the real world for them – a world not nearly as flammable and explosive.

It appears the sideways stories are coming together. Two epicentres are forming: there’s Sawyer’s police station on the one hand, and Jack’s hospital on the other. I wonder how they will connect those two threads in the end? They have nothing to do with each other. Unless a deus ex machina comes along, I don’t see how they can pull it off. But they will – they always hide their dei very cleverly…

The Questions…

I wonder what happened with Sayid and Desmond? It’s obvious that Desmond is alive, and that Sayid has somehow woken up from his evil dream thing, but what exactly happened? Will they ever tell us, given there are no flashbacks? Is it actually important? I mean: we can practically guess what the talk was about. About how the dead don’t come back (well, Sayid excluded), how he has to move on, blah blah. But still, leaving it open is odd. Maybe there was no time?

In All…

As I said: setup. It’s incredible when you realize that this is the season that started with the temple. Remember the temple? The game must have changed a dozen times since they left that place, and even if the stakes were already high back then, they seem to be even higher now. I can’t really judge before I’ve seen the final episodes and rewatched the entire season, but season six? It’s pretty damn good.

Favourite Quote: Claire: “What’s going on?”
Hurley: “People are trying to kill us again.”