When Home's No Place Like Home - Part I

As the Lost world goes, "There's No Place Like Home" begins about as far away as it possibly could from the place where "Cabin Fever" ends. Locke's declaration that they need to move the island is decidedly disjointed from the briefing the Oceanic Six receive on their plane ride to Hawaii, especially when viewed on the linear storyboard of the series' progression. If a viewer watched the fourth season for the first time on DVD and saw the episodes back-to-back, I doubt they would expect the return to civilization immediately after Christian tells Lock to transport the island. This jump in the narrative appears a second time in Part I of "There's No Place Like Home," as the episode ends in seemingly disjointed fashion from the genesis. We know the six somehow end up together, but exactly how? Jack is with Sawyer tromping after Hurley, who is with Ben and Locke at the Orchid. Meanwhile, Kate and Sayid are nabbed by the roaming band of Alpert-led Others, who reappeared just in time for the end of the season. Further, Sun has Aaaron on the freighter, as Desmond, Michael, and Jin try not to mess their pants when they discover explosives line the ship.



How do the six reunite? Where do the six reunite? How do they reunite without Jin, Desmond, Michael, Sawyer, etc? Obviously, that point is one of the large setups of the first part of the episode. Many times the idea of entropy comes up when dissecting Lost and this episode could easily add fire to the flame. We begin with the ordered return to the world at large, build toward chaos as the six are scattered on the island, and will ultimately rebound to order when they reunite. That order-to-chaos-to-order progression obviously contains one cog too many for the natural universe, but it works well in storytelling. Figuring out a plausible way to get them all to the freighter or to have Sun get back to the island is daunting; there are many ideas out there, I won't even give it my best shot here.


"We're Not in Kansas Anymore, We're on Oahu"

Arriving in Hawaii was a touching and revealing scene. Hurley's parents are overjoyed and, true to his word, Cheech is still there. Sun embraces her mother, but seems awfully distant from dear old dad. Jack's mother probably received the best gift of her life, since she finally discovered she didn't lose his father and her son in one basic blow. Sayid understandably has no family, but he immediately finds warmth with clan Hurley. Kate, on the other hand, has no one but her "son," which is interesting when you juxtapose that idea against the fact that, later in the story, Kate seems to be the least willing to return to the island, meaning she is most likely the most fulfilled in the real world.

The abbreviated press conference features a well-woven lie and just one question for each of the six. Jack seems content with the story, perhaps indicating that he negotiated some sort of deal with whichever power forces the plot to arrive at the point where the six might escape. Hurley, retaining his humor, calls a female reporter a dude and remarks on his girth before renouncing his wealth. Sun appears to be the most ill-at-ease with lying, though she sticks to the story when asked if her husband made it off the island. Kate gives a succinct answer to how it felt to "give birth" on an island: "scary." Sayid receives the most important query. The reporters wonder if other survivors might have possibly escaped the crash and definitively answers, "No, absolutely not." I surmise that this answer is the key to the negotiation the six leveraged to go home. They agree to stick to the story that everyone else is dead and they can get back to their lives. The key question then becomes, which person or persons made the agreement? Ben? Widmore? Abaddon? A combination?

Doctor Dumbo or Doctor Common Sense?

Flashback to the island (notice how we're getting closer to the point where island time might very well become flashback fodder, with post-island time becoming the present), all those who took jabs at Jack for stating he thought the chopper wanted the beach survivors to follow now have their feet firmly implanted their mouths. Dumb idea, right? After all, he received confirmation from Daniel that the freighter crew never intended to save the survivors. So why follow to mercenaries with ill intentions? Stupid Jack. Except all those people forgot Lapidus in their judgment. Frank has a plan and, though it might ultimately fail, Jack wasn't acting as unintelligently as everyone expected.

When Jack and Kate run into Sawyer, Miles, and Aaron, Sawyer looks more fatigued than we've ever seen him. He is especially distraught as he relays the fact that Claire is missing. Though Captain Nickname and Doc Hero verbally spar, the scene shows just how similar the two have become. Though Sawyer does not possess the technical skills of Jack, he has grown into a protector and, based on his body language and mental state, he has realized it is not as easy as it might seem. Though he passes it off, Sawyer cannot let Jack go to the chopper on his own.

After all, in the past Sawyer confided to Jack that he was probably the closest thing he has to a friend on the island. The Lost world tends to separate Jack and Sawyer as opposites, largely due to their affections for Kate, but in reality they are extremely similar, right down to their taste in marooned women. The end of the first hour of the finale shows the two in tandem, attempting to save their friends, working as one to save Hurley, with Jack again muttering Sawyer's mantra: "son of a bitch" (the situation is obviously the child of fate, the fickle bitch).

Preservatives Work Well

Elsewhere, the well balanced trio of John, Ben, and Hurley move toward the Orchid. While Hurley chows down on 15-year-old soda crackers, Ben flashes a signal to an unseen person with a mirror. By the end of the episode, most people assume the message went to the Others, but really we have no evidence to corroborate any theory at this point, since Ben deflects questions about the sequence.

Later, Hurley poses an important question. He asks Ben that if they achieve the movement of the island, doesn't that mean Keamy and crew will move with them? Ben can only answer that he is working on that aspect. We also receive confirmation that the spot referred to in the second protocol - the place Ben would go if he knew a firestorm was coming - is the Orchid. This revelations strengthens the theories that Widmore and Dharma are connected.

The Ferry of Death?

Meanwhile, Consta-Necktie Daniel becomes ferry-man as he shepherds survivors to the freighter. Dan became extremely distressed when he heard Keamy was heading to the Orchid. Dan either knows about the second protocol, which would mean Gault was even more out of the loop than he seemed, or surmised a second protocol existed when he heard about the play on the Orchid. If he did know beforehand about the second protocol, the pure intentions many of the four freighter mainstays have exhibited might come into question. While they still seem to have the best intentions for humanity in general, the only character I'm absolutely convinced about at this point is Lapidus. He almost goes out of his way to help the survivors, while Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles all feature a self interest in some part of the island. My instincts tell me they will all turn out to be beneficent, but obviously only time will tell.

A great deal of viewers expressed wonder that Jin didn't knock Michael out within seconds of discovering him on the freighter. I find it illogical to think Jin would act in such a fashion; I would most likely find myself extremely shocked to see Michael on the ship and would probably tend to my exploding head before I thought about jacking him in the face. Michael managed to fix the engines, but the mountain of C4 and its wiring are interfering with the ship's computers, so they can't approach the island and its reefs until that problem is solved. The device on Keamy's arm seems unavoidably connected to the explosives. If Keamy's heart stops sending a pulse, the boat will go boom. I fear for Desmond's life, which would be an extremely difficult loss for the show. Is the island Michael reached in his story about getting to New York the same island we see in the photo of the Oceanic Six being rescued?

Power Finance 101 with Professor Sun


The first flash forward beyond the point of the press conference displays Sun on a financial tear. She waltzes up to her father, dismisses his flippant questions about the pregnancy before she tells him that she bought a "controlling interest" in his company with her Oceanic settlement. More than a few viewers scoffed at the ability of Sun to purchase 51% of the company with that sort of compensation, but stopped before they contemplated that perhaps her story is a cover. Sun could easily have received money from another interested party. Is it possible that the bond we see between Hurley and Sun in the "Ji Yeon" points to a combination of forces? Hurley certainly has a lot of cash at his disposal.

In "Ji Yeon" Hurley says something to the effect of "Let's go see him," referring to Jin. The duo visits his grave marker, but perhaps the statement was a larger sentiment about finding Jin, alive and on the island? Widmore and Sun's father have established ties (thanks to the Lost Experience), so perhaps Sun and Hurley have teamed to use his resources to relocate the island?

The Numbers are Back

It is no stretch to see how Hurley could have this motivation. Since the beginning of the season, he has displayed the want to return in flash forwards. His feeling begins almost immediately after arriving home, as he can't seem to escape the island or the numbers. At his island-themed birthday party, a DJ spins Geronimo Jackson as a kid with a shirt emblazoned with "42" walks by.

Shortly thereafter, Hurley's father shows him the restored ride, but before the giddy Malomars-lover takes it for a spin, he notices the full set of numbers on the odometer. Interesting to note, in the opening scene, one of the pilots holds a rabbit's foot for good luck because the cargo they carry is "bad mojo." Attached to the keys Cheech gives Hugo is a similar rabbit's foot.

Jack, Meet Your Nephew

Jack's flash forward, during his father's funeral, is chock full of interesting developments and lines. Jack mentions that he fittingly mapped out the eulogy of his father on the back of a cocktail napkin. The scene undoubtedly will give fits to the people who cannot understand Jack's father issues. Coupled with the compliment he gives Christian in "Something Nice Back Home," Jack tells his "deceased" father that he loved him. Obviously Jack has started to sort out his feelings for his father, which are much deeper and more troubling than many want to admit. What a lot of people also cannot understand is that these troubles, even when faults are forgiven, still leave lasting imprints that just cannot be "gotten over," as some suggest.

Still, the big bomb in the scene is that Jack learns that Claire is his half-sister. The news comes from the now-coma-less mother of Claire, who unknowingly, ironically notes the good looks of her grandchild. The info floors Jack, which perhaps points to the possibility that Claire is alive and still on the island, which triggers a guilt in Jack for leaving. This scene could be the first seed in Jack's psyche that the six indeed need to go back. Of course, the way he reacts could also simply mean that Claire is dead and Jack does not know how to comprehend the fact that his sister is already gone. Also, Jack turns around to view Kate holding his nephew.

Click Your Heels in Two Weeks

The reemergence of the Others was a great scene. The Ageless One, Richard Alpert seems to possess some inside information about the situation, of course unspoken. My guess is that Ben summoned them to the Orchid, at which point they will engage Keamy. I count at least 15 Others, including Richard, as they march during the scene that shows the disparate locations of the Oceanic Six. Ben gives himself up to the soldiers, knowing that their orders are to keep him alive. I find Ben's line to John to be one of the most comical in the show's history. Well, the line is really made by the look Emerson gives Terry O'Quinn, as if Locke is a precocious high school kid fresh out of the locker where he was stuffed. "How many times do I have to tell you, John? I always have a plan."

And that sentiment is the resounding coda of the first hour. In "Cabin Fever," Ben seemingly passed the Chose-One torch to John, but no one doubted that Ben might still be pulling strings. John might be the Chosen One, but his crown as the guy in charge lasted all of one episode, as he takes orders from Ben in "There's No Place Like Home." Who knows how it will turn out, but Ben still has a plan in motion.

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I Have a Fever and the Only Prescription is More Cabin

Of all people, Buddy Holly opens Season 4's 11th episode, "Cabin Fever." The young performer, who is eternally stuck in time thanks to his untimely death, provides a timely subliminal, Lost-ian message. Not only does he signal a flashback, but the song also hints at the future: "Everyday it's a-gettin closer, goin faster than a rollercoaster." Not only are we nearing the end of the season, but, indeed, every day during Season 4 has been one closer for the next "Chosen One" to discover his destiny.




The Leader of the Pack

We discover the young lady taking in Buddy Holly is actually Emily, five or six months pregnant with someone familiar: John Locke. Like her son will do so many times in the future, Emily defies authority and hits the road for a date with a man twice her age. Unfortunately, her poodle skirt never made it to the sock hop, as a car cut her down as she sprinted away from Grandma Locke. The result was a trip to the ER and the premature birth of her son. As seems fitting for John's character, his mother never gets to hold him when he's born. John spends his first few months in an incubator.

Even when Emily gets the chance to hold John, she balks, unable to bear the weight of motherhood. Who would have thought the first parent to deny and abandon John wouldn't be his father? The long line of people walking out of John's life started early. But all was not lost, for waiting outside the viewing room was a face we've yearned to see for quite some time: Richard Alpert. That's pretty early in John's life for the unaging one to show up. Perhaps John is special, indeed.

The parallels between Locke and Ben's origins are now overt. Both were born early to mothers that suffered some kind of accident. Both drew attention from Richard, who seems to bend time and space at will. It might be important to note, however, that John's mother did not die and Richard seemed to stumble upon Ben in the jungle, instead of seeking him, as he did with John. Perhaps Locke is destined to be the greater "Chose One?"

Later in the flashback, Richard visits John in a foster home, under the pretense that he runs a school for special children. Two things to note in the pre-test scene: John's already playing Backgammon and he already drew a picture of the Smoke Monster, which obviously nets Richard's attention. Richard then lays out six items - a baseball glove, a book of "laws," a vial of sand, a compass, a Mystery Tales comic book, and a knife - and asks John to pick out the ones belong to him "already." The wunderkind starts off seemingly well, as Richard seems pleased that he selects both the sand and the compass. But when John foreshadows his love of knives, Richard immediately ends the exam and deems John not ready for the school. What is the significance of these items? Could the vial be full of the same sand that encircled Jacob's cabin in Season 3? Why is the knife an incorrect choice? Is there a third correct item and, if so, which one was it? The comic, by the way, is a relic of the Silver Age of comics, a period that would make it contemporary with the scene. A nice find for the writers, as the mysterious tale features a hidden city.

High-School John was stuck in a locker, Screech-style, before we learn that Richard Alpert is still keeping tabs on him. Check the inside of John's locker. Our old friend Geronimo Jackson and a black-and-white photo of a mysterious man adorn the locker. Mittelos Laboratories, the same "company" that recruited Juliet, wants John to attend their summer "science camp." John, however, whips out his mantra as the teacher/guidance counselor tries to tell him he can't be one of the popular kids: "Don't tell me what I can't do." While the line is inspiring when Locke uses it in the future, he just seems like a stuck-up wannabe here.

Rehabbing in an orderly fashion

The most interesting scene of the episode, in my opinion, centers around John's rehab after his father threw him from a building. While we might have expected Richard Alpert to show up in the episode, to our surprise the orderly telling John not to give up is Matthew Abaddon, last seen badgering Hurley at the mental institute and assembling the scientific Dream Team with Naomi. Some viewers have noted the abundance of Abaddon's usage of "Mr. Lock," which mirrors that of Walt. Is Abaddon connected to Walt? Is Abaddon a time-warped Walt? A short discourse on miracles leads Abaddon to suggest a walkabout to Locke. (Note that the poster on the wall as they wheel toward Locke's room says "Get back into the game.") Did anyone else notice that Abaddon has a patent on the creepy persona (nice, bloodshot eyes)? We learn a bit about the mystery man. The dialog seems rather important:

Abaddon: You know what you need, Mr. Lock? You need to go on a walkabout.

Locke: Uh, what's a walkabout?

Abaddon: It's a journey of self-discovery. You go out into the Australian Outback with nothing more than a knife and your wits.

Locke: I can't "walkabout" anything. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a cripple.

Abaddon: Is that what you are, Mr. Locke? I went on my walkabout convinced I was one thing and I came back another. I found out what I was made of, who I was.

Locke: And here you are. An orderly.

Abaddon: Oh I'm a lot more than just an orderly, John.

(elevator opens)

Abaddon: When you're ready, Mr. Locke, you'll listen to what I'm saying. And then when you and me run into each other again, you'll owe me one.

Not only do we receive some sort of confirmation that Abaddon is also a special character, but he knows John is special as well. Notice the only usage of "John" comes when Locke questions Abaddon's occupation. He breaks character as wise orderly just to let John know that something strange is afoot. He reverts to "Mr. Locke" to deliver the last bit of info: they'll see each other again. Also, note the walkabout reference to the knife, the same item John was not supposed to choose during his test with Alpert.

Lincoln Logs

On the island, future John, Ben, and Hurley trek through the jungle in search of Jacob's cabin. Both defer to John, the new "Chosen One," who has them bunk down for the night so he can receive instructions in dreamland. Locke's dilated pupil "awakens" to the sounds of someone chopping wood. A character we probably never thought we'd see again, Horace Goodspeed, is clearing a tract of land for, surprise, a cabin. His D.I. uniform fits well over the tie-dyed shirt, as he starts to chat with John. Horace informs John that he's been dead for 12 years and that Jacob has been waiting for John for a long time. Eerily, the tree he cuts down reappears upright twice and Horace repeats his greeting. This scene is yet another piece of the larger motif of circularity that permeates Lost. Not only are the dead still circulating in the jungle, but their actions and even seemingly-irreversible acts (cut-down tree) are all looping. With each instance, the circularity theory gains more and more credence.

Of course, Horace was all a dream. We see a second eye-shot and John wakes to find Ben already awake. In one of the funniest moments of the episode, John was dreaming of Horace while Hurley had visions of Mallomars. Ben, feeling left out, notes that he used to "have dreams," which shows he understands that his prophetic visions have shifted wholly to the domain of Locke.

John digs around in the pile of Dharma bones, the spot where Ben shot John at the end of Season 3. Ben notes to Hurley that the act was "pointless," perhaps a nod that Locke cannot be killed on the island. Interestingly from Ben, we learn that he was not the leader of the Others during The Purge. Locke pulls schematics for the cabin from Horace's body.

Ben and Locke then come toe-to-toe in another parallel. Locke cajoles Hurley to stay with the group, convincing Hurley in the process that it was his idea. Ben notes the similarity between the two, as this sort of manipulation is Ben's calling card. John retorts, however, "I'm not you." Ben has an excellent response: "You're certainly not." Apparently John still has a way to go.

The two share an intriguing exchange, as Ben for the first time airs his frustration with what has happened to him. Once the "Chosen One" himself, Ben then suffered the "fickle bitch" of destiny, netting a tumor and a dead daughter. John surprisingly offers apologies, but Ben realizes those outcomes were his fate, in stark contrast to High-School Ben who thrashes against any fate he can't stomach. John's on his way to embracing the fatalism of his life, however.

At the cabin, Ben and Hurley let John rendez-vous with the undead alone. John has fully assumed the spot as the man, while Ben and Hurley share an Apollo Bar (they have great on-screen chemistry). Of course, Jacob is MIA, but Christian Shephard appears in casual clothes, with legs crossed, passing the time until John arrived:

Locke: Are you Jacob?

Christian: No, but I can speak on his behalf.

Locke: Well, who are you?

Christian: I'm Christian.

Locke: You know why I'm here?

Christian: Yeah. Sure. Do you?

Locke: I'm here because I was chosen to be.

Christian: That's absolutely right.

Before we can grasp exactly what that means, creepy Claire shows up in the cabin. For the first time in the series, Claire appears older and bears an "I'm-in-the-know" grin. John wonders why she's there, but Christian implores him to ask the important question, you know, because there's not enough time, as usual. John discovers that to save the island, they need to move it. Another circularity: John, once unable to move even himself, is now tasked with moving the biggest thing in the show.

And that's when it's clear that Abaddon had complete foresight. Of course he knew John would not and could not embark on a walkabout in the Outback. John's entire trek, to Australia, on the plane, on the island, has been his walkabout. The dialog in the cabin shows he went in as one thing and came out another. Now John knows what he's made of, whom he is. Lost is John's walkabout.

Beating Kevin Johnson

An enraged Keamy discovers that Michael as Kevin Johnson informed Ben about his identity. Mirroring "Meet Kevin Johnson," Keamy tries to kill Michael, but his gun misfires. Again Michael couldn't be offed, which seems to indicate that the island has granted him death-protection. Why is this ability only available to some people? Why is Michael special? Is he forced to atone for his transgressions, invincible until he saves his friends?

Keamy is dead set on getting back to the island. He bullies just about everyone on the boat to make it happen, even usurping the leadership of Captain Gault. Apparently Keamy and the captain were both in control, as they each had a key to a safe that, by protocol, they were supposed to open together. Keamy seems to know more than the captain, however, as he knows the safe hides a second protocol, which features the Dharma logo for the Orchid and the place Ben will be going next. When the captain wonders how Widmore would know where Ben would head next, Keamy only replies, "he's a very smart man." Many people have speculated that this place must be the cabin, but it could really be anywhere, from the Temple to the Orchid (if they are different places). One thing is for sure, Keamy wants to wipe the island clean.

Armed with this knowledge, Gault shows a side we have yet to see. In "Meet Kevin Johnson," Gault was presented as a character in the know, fully on the side of Widmore. He believed Ben needed to be "extracted," which is what he was tasked to do. When Gault realized he wasn't privy to everything, he questions the entire mission. He then attempts to hide Sayid and Desmond, who would rather take the raft back to the island to ferry survivors to the boat.

The most interesting aspect of this scene, however, comes from Omar's pocket. In freighter time, he just receives the Morse-code transmission sent by Farraday two episodes prior. Another piece to the time conundrum. Obviously, the body of the doctor washes up on the beach before the Morse even reaches the freighter. Does time slow down as you move away from the island?

After his protective move in "Something Nice Back Home," Lapidus solidifies his role as a good guy in this episode. He wonders why Mike hadn't informed him about being a survivor, but balks at the idea of Widmore putting the plane on the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps this info is legit, but it could easily be outside of Frank's realm of knowledge.

The two see Keamy being armed with some sort of gadget to his arm. Not even the captain knows what it is. Bomb? A bit small to be overly explosive.

Ready to raft back to the island, Desmond tells Sayid he's not going with him. He'd rather wait for Penny on the freighter. Does anyone else think Desmond won't have a choice at some point and will step foot on the blasted island once more?

Omar tells the doc that he received a message about the doc's body washing up on the shore. The seeming paradox was answered as Keamy slits the doctor's throat in response to Frank's attempt at derailing the mission. Keamy then murders Gault as well. Lapidus hops in the chopper quick-like. He does, however, hatch a plan. As the helicopter reaches the island, he drops a pack with a homing device to Jack, Juliet, Kate, etc, at the beach. I'd love to know what the papers were in the pack.

Interestingly, the pack lands right next to Aaron's cradle. Obviously, the placement of John's wooden gift is not an accident. More foreshadowing of Aaron's importance?

Click Your Heels

In what seems a flash, the season is set up for another showdown in the finale. How will Locke and company manage to move the island? Will Jack become disillusioned again as he marches the survivors a second time toward rescue? Or will his wariness of the freighter folk prove useful in another way? The preview for next week's episode also promises more Oceanic 6. Nice, but I'd rather see more of the remaining Others and Richard Alpert. Regardless, Locke has been chosen and now he knows it.

One thing that sits with me after watching the episode, though: Ben seems resigned to being out of control. Yet we've seen him whipping through the real world, taking things into his own hands. How the balance between John's authority and Ben's know-how plays out will be very interesting.

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