LOST: Season 6 Episode 17 & 18 - The End

Hello LOSTIES!!!!  You must excuse me, I am still wiping the tears away from an incredibly emotional 2.5 hour experience!  What an episode, what a conclusion!  The feelings for this episode will, no doubt, be all over the map.  The conclusion to the Sideways Timeline will be the cause for much debate about the whole point of the entire series.  From this blogger's perspective though, I can not think of a more fitting end to the show that captured our imagination for 6 years.  There is only one way to definitively END a story.  They need to show us the very "END"!  And folks, that's exactly what we got!  I will try to weigh in on my opinions throughout the recap of that very point.  But clearly, things are being interpreted in different ways.  And I am guessing this is by design!  The significance of the end will not escape me, but there is a significance in this blog posting at the same time.  This is my final LOST recap (do I detect some tears out there?  There are some right here!).   An era is about to end.  And while this blog is not going anywhere and I will be posting things in the future, there will not be a new hour of LOST to discuss.  So, this may be a bit emotional for all of us.  But we're going to get through it!   I will save my thanks and goodbyes for the end.  For now, I have to say that this final episode of LOST was one great THRILL of a ride!  I was on the edge of my seat, I was crying, I feel like I need to go buy something at Target (man how many commercials were there?  Can't believe I decided to watch LIVE!  The LOST-Inspired Target commercials were very funny though), and of course there was enough intrigue in the episode to leave us talking for days, weeks, months, years!   I cannot help but give this episode a major WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!   And my entire LOST experience one giant SUPER WOW!!!!  I dread this folks, but it's time to get to the next paragraph!


The End - "It only Ends Once, everything else is progress."  Everything that we have seen for 6 seasons and everything that was set up this season all culminates to one definitive ending point.  On the Island, Jack has been dubbed the "Protector of the Island" and he along with Kate, Sawyer and Hurley have been tasked with the need to kill Smokey before he destroys the Island.  Smokey has vowed to destroy the Island with the use of Desmond "the Fail safe".  He has seemingly recruited Ben to help him out in this task.   Richard was blown away by Smokey with his fate uncertain.  And Miles "RAN AWAY" from conflict to save his own tail.   Then in Sideways land, things to be shaping up where people are being "ENLIGHTENED" to where they are.  A Prison Break, a Concert and a Hospital play their parts in uniting everyone to where they need to be.  But there is one stubborn "last recruit" in Jack Shephard.  Considering how this one ended, I think we have to switch up our story lines.  Our Island story is coming first in our final recap!

Disclaimer: It is very surprising for me to see how many people are already coming up with different philosophies on how this show ended.  I definitely will keep to my normal style of recapping by posing various questions to ponder.  But there are some things that I accepted as FACT by the end of this show, and I cannot help but write the recap this way, especially when it comes to the Sideways resolution!  So, hopefully this may clear things up for some who are confused!   Here we go!

The Island

All the events that occur in the following storyline are REAL and happened while everyone was alive.  Don't let anybody fool you into thinking that they weren't! 

Assembling the Attack Plan


We rejoin Jack, Hurley, Kate and Sawyer after their encounter with Jacob.   Jack is standing in the waters where he was "REBORN" as the protector of the Island.  Kate and Sawyer watch from a distance, but then Sawyer moves in for a chat.

• Sawyer is very confused on everything that has just transpired.  Jack is in the same boat.   He does mention how he doesn't feel any different than he did before.  
• Gotta love Sawyer telling him to come down from his mountain and tell everyone what the burning bush had to say!  

• Jack then fills the other 3 in on the big plan.  Go to the bamboo forest close to their old camp (where Jack's journey began).   There they will find the "heart of the Island."  

• They resolve that the light must stay lit or "that'll be it for all of us."  This is probably something subject for interpretation, but it really seems like when putting all of these episodes together and seeing what was happening when that light DID go out, that if this Island's light went out, it may have had repercussions to the rest of the world.   If not pushing that button in season 2 caused an electromagnetic surge that could have destroyed the world, what's to say that distinguishing this power source and removing the metaphorical CORK wouldn't cause world destruction?   Yes, it is left very ambiguous in the end though and we can only guess.   That's going to drive many people bonkers!   And it probably drives people crazy when I say that I'm cool with it! 
• Anyway, they realize that both sides need Desmond, or more alarmingly, Flocke needs Desmond to put out the light.  Jack mentions that Jacob never said anything about Desmond, then Sawyer implied that he really didn't say much about anything!    This all set up to 2 more fantastic Star Wars lines to have in this final episode and both come from Hurley. 1.) "That's kind of true dude, he's worse than Yoda!"  We'll wait on the 2nd line for a second.  

• Because we have another great Sawyer line to get to.  "You all head to your heart of the Island and I'll go get the magic leprechaun out of that well."   I'm gonna miss this show! 
• Sawyer and Kate have a joking commentary referring to Kate's urge to always follow along with people.  But she sticks with Jack this time. 
• And then what better line to set up the final conflict than the one line that made it into all 6 Star Wars movies in one way or another?  "I've Got a Bad Feeling About this!"   Damon Lindelof promised at his recent Times Talk Live interview that the first 7 minutes of the episode would include some big Star Wars stuff.  He did NOT disappoint!  (Now, some may argue he DID disappoint in the FINAL 7 minutes of the episode, but alas...so the debate shall rage on for years to come).  
• Jack, Kate and Hugo head towards the Heart of the Island.  Kate asks Jack why he took the job, and he responds that he was supposed to.  He didn't take it because Jacob wrote his name on the wall.  Ever since he became BROKEN after leaving the Island and ruining his relationship with Kate, he believes that the Island is all he has left.   It's the only thing in his life he hasn't ruined.  
• Kate pretty much was picking up what he was putting down and let Jack know that he hasn't ruined anything.   She then says something that Sideways Jack tells Sideways Locke in the beginning of this season.  "Nothing is irreversible."   Awwwwwwwwww She still loves him!!  And the Jaters (including me) rejoice!

• Leave it to Hurley to keep them on task, "This would be so sweet if we weren't all about to die!"  Too true, Hugo, too true!   And they continue on their trek. 

Meanwhile, At the Well
Flocke is pulling up the rope from the well, thinking that it might come in handy in a bit at one of his next stops.  Ben catches Sawyer spying from behind a tree and escorts him towards the well with his gun.

• Sawyer and Flocke have a conversation about them both needing Desmond.  Sawyer assumes Flocke needs Desmond to destroy the Island. (Love that Sawyer called him Smokey too.  We all have called him Smokey, but I'm not sure he was ever called that on the show!)    Flocke implies that he will be leaving the Island.  We find out later that he has Desmond's sailboat lined up for this plan.  
• Flocke agrees with Sawyer that he plans to destroy the Island and then gets into the fact that this will, in turn, kill all of Jacob's precious candidates in the process.  Sawyer updates Flocke on the situation that there are no candidates any more.  Then he gives Ben one more elbow to the face for good measure (I'm glad he got one more beating before the show was over!), he grabs the gun and then heads off.   Since there is no more Desmond to be keeping him there.    

• With Flocke finding out that someone was the new Island protector, he had no interest in anything about Sawyer anymore.  
• Then in a BIT of a stretch, we find out that Ben thought Flocke was talking FIGURATIVELY about destroying the Island because he had promised it to Ben when he was gone.  So, if Ben had any resolve to help Smokey out, I think he lost the desire after this, just as we had speculated in the last recap! 

• Flocke apologizes that he left out the part where Ben could be in charge of the Island but that the Island would be on the bottom of the ocean.   Of course, this makes us think that the Sideways land was somehow a result of how things ended in this Island story.  But, it will turn out that the sunken Island has nothing to do with all of that.   He did invite Ben to come on his boat once he gets Desmond to do what he needs to do.  He'll sail away from the Island and watch it sink.  
• Oh wait, what's this?  A little bit of John Locke's tracking skills are at work as he spots some DOG TRACKS!   Whoever called it that Rose, Bernard and Vincent would rescue Desmond last week, VERY GOOD CALL (Lost Addicts Blog Commenter Paolo called this FYI)! 

Casa Nadler
Welcome back Vincent to the show!  And of course welcome back Rose and Bernard!  We see that Rose and Bernard's life hasn't really changed much after time traveling back to 2007.  They still have their cabin that they built and they're still remaining non-confrontational.  But, they broke this "do not get involved" rule when they rescued Desmond.

• Rose doesn't even know WHEN they are right now.  They knew they built the place in 75 and lived there for 2 years.  Then the sky lit up again (The Incident) and here they are.  They just don't care though.  They have been living their hippie lifestyle in peace.   She then asks Desmond to move on after he eats.  They do not want any conflict he has brought to interfere with their peace loving ways. 

• TOO LATE!   Bernard returns with no food but a whole lot of conflict!  Flocke has arrived and he pulls out his knife ready for blood.  Oh man, was anyone else here super nervous?  After seeing him off Zoe so suddenly with that knife, it definitely provided the fear that he might strike the marginally important characters of Rose and Bernard! 
• He gives Desmond the ultimatum to come with him or he'll kill Rose and Bernard.  While Rose and Bernard tell Desmond not to give in, he did the right thing!  How chilling was it when he told Rose "I'll make it hurt"?   Yikes this guy is creepy!  Kudos to Terry O'Quinn.  Give the man an Emmy for this season.  Seriously! 

• Desmond asks for Flocke's word that he won't harm them if he goes with them.   Once again Smokey is forced to give his word and he does.  And so it would seem that Rose and Bernard go on to live a happy Island existence and possibly lived a happy and cancer free existence for many years to come!  How do I know this?  It's all in Christian's speech at the end folks!  

• Desmond says he will do what Smokey wants.  And Smokey tells him chillingly "Yes, Desmond, you will!"  

Collision


Sawyer catches up with his crew and Hurley screams in fear of him coming out of nowhere.  "Easy Bigfoot, it's just me!"   Like I said, I'm gonna miss this show!  Sawyer won't be the only one joining this party.

• Sawyer reports what he had found out in his "Recon" trip.  Flocke has every intention of destroying the Island.  And of course, Desmond is not in the well, so Sawyer thinks they need to get to him first. 
• Jack sees the big picture and realizes that it doesn't matter WHO brings Desmond to the Light Cave.  They're all going to the same place.  Jack seems to have faith that he knows how to bring this conflict to an end.  
• Cue the awesome Michael Giacchino music we hear in every finale when we get some journeying across the Island!  That, and the wide panning camera shots always give these finales such an epic feel! 

• Meanwhile, Flocke, Desmond and Ben are journeying towards the cave of light as well.  Flocke asked Desmond if he knew where he was being taken.  Desmond said he assumed it was a place with a very bright light!  Flocke seemed alarmed that he knew this.  One could speculate on the reason that Desmond knew this, but I would suggest that he knew it because he had experienced it twice before now and survived it, and knew that is the reason he was here.  And he was hoping that by getting to this light again he could get back to his other plane of existence.  Of course, what he didn't seem to know is what exactly that plane of existence was that he saw.  We'll talk more on this later. 
• And what do you know?  Jack and crew, and Flocke and crew are marching right towards each other!  Smokey sums it up, "Well this is going to be interesting!" 

• Before Flocke can even finish his sentence, Kate has grabbed Sawyer's rifle and opens fire!  She is a woman on a mission to kill this man-thing for what he has done!   Naturally, the bullets are doing nothing but flying right through him, around him or whatever!  I love that Ben and Desmond hit the deck! 

• Sawyer stops Kate from shooting and Flocke just says "You may want to save your bullets." and walks right past towards Jack.  Well, Smokey, little did you know but that just gave Kate her Action Movie "One Liner" for a big event yet to come!  One that almost had me jumping out of my seat and cheering like when Hurley ran over the others with the Dharma Van on the beach! 
• You have to love Smokey's speech here to Jack.  "So, it's you.  Jacob, being who he is, I expected to be a little more surprised!  You're sort of the obvious choice. Don't you think?"   It was almost like Smokey took the place of Hurley for a second as the Audience's representation on the show!  I have always loved how they address what they think the fan's reaction will be within the show itself! 

• Jack was quick to clarify that Jacob didn't choose him, he chose to do it himself.   Then Jack, with his confidence at an all-time high, suggests that he cannot stop Flocke from reaching his destination.  Instead, he volunteers to go with him.  And then Jack tells him that Flocke THINKS he's going to destroy the Island, but this is not what is going to happen.   What will happen instead?  "I'm gonna kill you."   NIIIIICE!!!  Even if Jack was wrong, at least he was going down swinging! 

• Flocke looked a little nervous and just asked Jack how he plans to do that.   "That's a surprise."  Man, Jack got some quality lines in this one!  So, they agree to move onward to the cave together and see which one of them will be right.  

Operation: Blow Up Plane - Take 2
Don't worry, there was plenty to do for our Non-Season 1 and 2 LOSTIES as well!  Of course, we may have only thought that Miles was alive from this crew, but we were happily mistaken!  Miles returns to the barracks to rejoin with his crew.  

• He radios Ben on the walkie talkie which Ben has to turn down very quickly because he doesn't want Flocke to know he has it.  If there was any question whose side Ben was on, that little move cleared it up for us!  
• Well guess what guys? Surprise #1, Richard is still alive and Miles found him! 

• Miles updates Richard on what happened to him and how he got launched into the jungle.  He then offers to get him some help.  I agree with Richard.  Help from WHERE?   Anyway, since they have no idea what was going on with Flocke and Jack's respective missions, his resolve is still to blow up the plane.  Of course, with us being in the know, this really confuses us!  But it quickly makes more sense.   And yes, I remembered that Claire was hanging out on Hydra Island too so that would get her back into the story! 
• Later on, we see Miles and Richard at the dock getting read to take Flocke's outrigger over to Hydra Island.  Miles notices something different about Richard and then welcomes him to the "club".   Richard has a grey hair!  He is no longer immortal!   I guess maybe this ended with Jacob's death?  Maybe Jack taking over?  If anything, it signified that his obligations to the Island were complete.  But, to Richard, it meant more.  It signified that he still wanted to live!  

• They head on over towards Hydra Island but here some screaming on the way.  I think immediately we know who is screaming!  Surprise #2!  FRANK is still alive.  The producers did state that the oversight of him not being mentioned in the sub sinking would be corrected.  They sure were right!  Of course, he's been laying out in the Ocean for a couple days now but seems pretty fine a couple scenes later!  But, you know, Jin blew up in a freighter and was out at sea for a few days during some intense time travel.   This is child's play compared to that! 

• Frank quickly addresses the fact that if they leave on the plane, Smokey won't have a plane to leave the island with.  And, in a nod to the fact that he's been wearing that crazy shirt for 2 seasons now, he tells Richard "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pilot!"  GOOD TIMES!   So this story does have a "leave the island" plot after all!  It totally seemed like Frank had been brought back in season 5 and 6 for no reason whatsoever when we thought he was killed off a few episodes back. So this corrects all of that!

The Cave of Light
On their approach to the Cave, Sawyer wants to catch up with Jack's plan, since he thinks it's absolutely nuts that they're all going together.

• Jack tells Sawyer that is surprise to kill Flocke is Desmond.  He isn't exactly sure how it's going to happen but he said there has to be a reason that Jacob brought Desmond back to the Island.  Funny that Jacob implied that he didn't know how to kill Smokey but he knew enough to bring Desmond back?  Maybe he did know and just wanted Jack to figure it out for himself.  Jack refers to Desmond as a weapon.  Loved Sawyer's "That's a hell of a long con, Doc!"  

• The crew arrives at the outskirts of the bamboo forest.  Flocke thinks that only he, Jack and Desmond should continue on.  Jack agrees with this sentiment.   I love that Hurley runs after Jack and tells him that he believes in him.  Remember in season 4 when Hurley chooses to go with Locke instead of Jack?  So great to see these guys back on great terms.  Jack smiles and heads in to begin the fulfillment of his destiny.  

• One issue that I will mention about the finale is that they make various references to the weather on the Island, the coming storm.  And yes, it's all metaphoric.  I get that.  But Team Darlton had suggested that we were going to get more information about the Day turning to Night kind of weather that has always been on the Island.  Why we saw Jacob and the Man in Black sitting on a sunny beach, watching the Black Rock arrive and then a huge storm was summoned and sent the ship crashing into the statue in sliding into the jungle.  The Enhanced version of the Pilot episode that aired Saturday spoke of how the rain was used to symbolize that something BAD was about to happen.  That doesn't answer any questions about the elements and how they played a factor on the Island.  My only issue with this is that they said it would be in the show, and it wasn't.  If they never said that I would have been fine with it!   I guess this could be part of the 20 minutes of additional storyline that will be attached to the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Season 6 on August 24th.  I'll be first in line to buy it and blog about it! 
• Anyway, the reason I brought that up now is because we hear a roar of thunder and then we see Smokey, as John Locke (who always predicted the weather patterns on the Island), saying that it's going to be a bad one.  And it sure was! 

• They arrive at the cave of light and they spend little time taking the scene in.  They get right to work! Flocke ties the rope to a tree and they begin to lower Desmond down into the hatch...errr cave.  

• Then we find out what has been motivating Island Desmond ever since his zap of electromagnetic energy.   He begins to tell Jack that none of this matters.  Flocke destroying the Island, Jack destroying Flocke.   He tells Jack that when he goes into that light he is going to go somewhere else where they can all be with the ones they love and never have to think of the Island ever again.    He tells Jack of what he saw in sideways and how they say next to each other on Oceanic 815.   He said how Jack seemed happy and how the plane didn't crash.  He said he'd find a way to bring Jack there too.  And then we get it straight from Jack's mouth.   "I tried that once.  There are no do overs, no short cuts.  What happened happened."  Jack is of course referring to THE INCIDENT.  I guess some will look at this conversation and believe that what Desmond is saying is the truth.  But one thing that Damon and Carlton said in a recent interview (Times Talk Live) was that the Answer is in what they SHOW us, not what people say.  And what they show us by the end of this episode is that what Jack says here is right.   So we did get a big answer tonight folks.  Whatever happened, happened!  Jughead didn't reset anything.  Everything they did when they were in 1977 including setting off that nuke, was all part of what made the incident THE INCIDENT.   And upon re-watching the show, this will make the most sense.  When you watch that DHARMA orientation video and Marvin Candle (Pierre Chang) talks about the Incident, you will picture everything that they went through in that season 5 finale and know that this is what happened!  PERFECT.  Obviously, we need to still talk about Sideways land to get into this more.  But I am 100% sure that this is what we were meant to think.   Island Desmond was speaking the truth of what he saw, but what he didn't realize is what that vision actually WAS.  It was not a "do over."  It was something else entirely.   Everything they are doing, MATTERS. 

• They head into the cave.  And I am so glad they did.  I'd be the first to admit how hokey the entrance to that cave looked the first time we saw it.  But I didn't realize how big it was and how far the waterfall went down into the cave.  Very cool. 

• Jack asks Desmond if he knows what to do when he gets to the bottom.  Desmond says that he goes where the light is brightest.  They begin to lower him down.  Flocke starts to talk to Jack about how familiar this all seems.  And they talk about how they lowered rope into the Swan Hatch all of those years ago and Desmond was waiting down there for them.   He said if there was a button down there the 2 of them could fight about whether to push it or not.  Just like old times.  Jack isn't buying into it.  Jack tells Smokey "You're not John Locke.  You disrespect his memory by wearing his face, but you're nothing like him.  It turns out he was right about mostly everything.  I just wish I could have told him that while he was still alive."   YEAH JACK!!  Don't worry, you can tell him anyway!    Flocke continues to refer to Locke as a "sucker" and he wasn't right about anything.  And when the Island drops into the ocean along with Jack, he'll realize that.  While they resolve to see which one of them is right, we do get a shot of them looking into the cave exactly like they looked into the hatch in the final shot of season 1.   AWESOME symmetry! 

• Desmond gets to the bottom of the cave.  He sees a few skeletons in this cave.  Looks like the Man in Black was NOT the first person to venture in here.  But unlike Man in Black, these bodies didn't seem to be kicked out of the cave either like his body was.  I'm sure I could speculate on this for hours but I need to keep moving for now!  I do not, however, think one of these bodies is EVE (Mother) because her body was found in the other cave next to Man in Black's body.  

• And then Desmond sees it, the water mixed with the light and the proverbial cork ends up being an ACTUAL CORK plugging in some kind of hole.   I could speculate again about what this all signifies, and I'm sure many people out there will comment and give their theories on it.  I will save it for the discussion.  For recapping purposes, all we need to know is that EVE and Jacob both warned that the light must never be put out or it goes out EVERYWHERE.  This seems like unplugging this hole, while ending up being essential, also could have world wide stakes.  Desmond, without hesitation, moves towards the light with a big smile on his face.   A nice touch that I didn't notice the first time, Desmond's nose began to bleed as he screams and approaches the plug/cork.  That is something we saw various times during all of the time traveling of last season.  He reaches the center, not without some difficulty, and begins to pull at this plug.   We should note that a lot of the sounds that all of this activity was making sounded very similar to things we heard when they were all time traveling as well.  I am sure this, along with Rose talking about the bright white light again, is significant to remind us that all of the time travel that happened on the Island and the movement of the Island were all part of this core SOURCE of energy mixed with the water.  

• Once successful in pulling the plug, the light diminishes until it is gone.  And the water stops running. Instead, something else replaces this light.  And one might compare the look and sound to something quite VOLCANIC!   This is what I choose to believe since we always new there was a volcano somewhere on the Island.  (why not underneath?)    Smoke and Fire begin to rise out of the uncorked hole.  Symbolic of EVIL being unleashed?   Sure, why not?   But the immediate threat is that it seems the Island is about to start falling apart!  We hear Desmond scream in defeat "NO!!!!"  

• Meanwhile Flocke temporarily claims victory over Jack telling him that he was wrong.  He then says goodbye to him and leaves the cave. 

• Outside, the entire Island is shaking and rocks are crumbling everywhere.   Jack runs out and jumps after Flocke and slams him to the ground. Then he takes a swing at Flocke's face!  And then we see the man who cannot be injured in any way, has a cut on the face!!  We immediately think of when Rocky Balboa made Ivan Drago bleed in Rocky IV!   YOU CUT HIM!  He's a MAN!  He's not a machine!!  Another classic Jack line followed:  "Looks like you were wrong too!"  

• So yes, for whatever reason, unplugging that hole made smokey a mortal human being, capable of dying.  WHY?  We don't have to know why.  Why not?  Because we're not going to find out why!  There could be some subtext to it all and people will find it.  But, for me, it showed that Jack knew what had to be done and he made it happen!  
• Jack began to choke Flocke, but he wasn't quite done yet.  He grabbed a rock and slammed it into Jack's head.  OUCH!  Flocke runs off, but only so that we could be treated to a scenic and epic final fight on the cliffs.  How AWESOME WAS THAT?!?!  We'll get there in a second.

Catch-up on Escape Plan
Let's take a break to catch up with the other LOSTIES.  Miles radios Ben on the Walkie talkie again.

• Miles updates them on their plan to fly the plane off of the Island.  He instructs them to get over to that Island as quickly as possible. 

• While the radio is still on, Miles, Frank and Richard run into the other current resident of Hydra Island.  It's crazy Claire!   Claire thinks they are there to do Flocke's bidding and kill her.  We got treated to a little bit of the season 3 finale when Ben told Tom Friendly to kill Jin, Bernard and Sayid and we heard 3 gunshots.   We see Kate on the Walkie hearing gunshots while Claire shoots at everyone's feet.  Good times!  

• Richard stresses that they are not with Locke.  She tries to tell Claire that they have a chance to leave this island.  They can be free of everything Smokey ever did to them.  Richard then asks Claire to come with them.  Even though she no longer is posing a threat to them, she still refuses to leave with them.   Looks like she's going to need some convincing from Kate!  

Storm and Island Destruction

After the uncorking of the Island's heart, we catch see Hurley, Ben, Kate and Sawyer struggling to maintain their footing.  A tree collapses on Ben.  Who would have thought that we'd see these 3 other people fighting to save Ben Linus?   But sure enough, they do manage to get him free! 

• We get one more Sawyer jab at Jack as he states that "Locke was right.  This island is going down."   
• Miles checks back in with the crew.  We see Richard and Lapidus patching up the plane and prepping it for takeoff.   Finally, they took care of that broken windshield!

• Kate picks up the walkie and asks Miles about Claire.  She finds out that Claire does not want to join them on the plane to leave the Island.  
• Lapidus tells them that he needs like 5 or 6 hours to get the plane ready to go.   Richard tells him that he pretty much has one hour.  (seems like a very Kirk and Mr. Scott conversation from Star Trek!)  
• So now Kate and crew are on the main island and need to get to Hydra island in an hour?   It used to take them DAYS to travel back and forth.  Good thing there's a sailboat nearby!  And Ben had this information since he was "working" with Flocke.  It was/is Flocke's getaway plan.   

Jack vs. Flocke
Meanwhile, Jack wakes up and is a little shaky, he runs into the cave and screams for Desmond.  No response.  He knows he has no choice but to head out after Flocke.    We see Flocke on the cliff looking outward towards the sailboat in the stormy waters.   This is the cliff near the cave that he brought Sawyer back in the beginning of the season.  It provides the setting for one fantastic fight (and one ill-timed commercial break!).

• We hear Jack scream "LOCKE!!!!!!!"  They face each other from a distance.   And then both of them come running towards each other with one goal in mind.  KILL THE OTHER MAN! 

(pause for commercial)

• The clash into each other and begin to roll around the cliff.  They get up, they do some more fighting.  The scene was just awesomely shot and choreographed. No explanation from me could do it justice.  

• In the end, it became a battle for control over the knife.  But as they were laying having each other in a chokehold, what an amazing shot of part of the cliff just collapsing off of the Island!  

• Flocke grabs the knife and delivers a blow to Jack's side.  Oh no!!  He then gets the upper hand on Jack and throws him to the ground.  He puts the knife up to Jack's neck and we immediately can draw comparisons to the cut Sideways Jack keeps seeing in the mirror.  

• Flocke then tells Jack that he died for nothing.  This can't be how it ends can it?   I know as I was watching, I took a break from my finger nail biting to utter these words in hopes that rescue was coming.  "LIVE TOGETHER DIE ALONE!!"  
• Then, we hear a gunshot and we see it go straight into Flocke's back!   It's KATE!!!   And the crowd goes wild!  (except everyone that hates Kate)  

• And then in true Die Hard or any Arnold movei fashion, Kate gets to deliver her big catchphrase that Flocke helped set up.  "I saved you a bullet!"  NIIIIIIICE!  

• The Island continues to crumble and Flocke tells them that they're too late.   Jack has had quite enough of him and decides to just kick him off of the cliff!  And he doesn't just fall into the stormy waters.  No, he falls onto a very hard surface many feel below from where they are.  I would say that dude is SMOKE!  I mean...er TOAST!  

• RIP Smokey, Flocke, Man in Black - Whatever you want to be called. You were a truly worthy adversary.  And I still like you for taking out Keamy's crew at the barracks and ripping off Montand's arm!     

Goodbyes

• To expedite the leaving the Island process, Lapidus has to delegate some duties.  Because Miles worked as a maintenance man at some off-island apartment complex, he gets some duct tape and is sent to go adjust some electrical wiring issues!  Good times.  (by the way, I got feedback on Twitter that I use this expression too much.  In my opinion, this just means I never used it enough!)  
• By the way, we do see Miles working on this later and the only part I want to quote is this "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I DO believe in duct tape!"  GOOD TIMES! 

• Ben checks in on their status via Walkie Talkie and you gotta love Frank saying "Don't Bother me" and throwing the walkie aside!   Ben's response was quality too.  "Sounds like they're making progress."  
• Just to remind us that the Island is still falling apart, we get a greatly timed quake.  

• Sawyer insists they need to get moving.  Kate doesn't understand why it's still happening after Smokey has been destroyed.   Jack suggests that whatever Desmond turned off needs to be turned back on again.  The only man to do this?  Jack Shephard.   He tells them if it doesn't work, they still need to make their way to the plane.  
• They all seemed to catch on to what was being said.  Just as many had speculated.  In the end, Jack would need to sacrifice himself for everyone else.  It was the only way for this Island drama to come to a satisfying conclusion.  At least, I know I have said that several times.  
• Kate pleads for Jack to reconsider and that he should come with them.  It doesn't have to be him.  She tells him to let the Island sink.  He says that he cannot.  We are left to wonder why he can't.  But, since he has sworn to protect the Island, I would say that we are meant to believe that the stakes for the rest of the world are real.  Other people would probably argue that it's all pointless.  But I choose to believe there was a point to these 6 years worth of stories!  Of course, even if it was uniting these characters and giving them purpose and a new life, maybe that is enough in the end?  Naaaa, we need WORLD STAKES! 

• Then the goodbyes begin.  And it was a very emotional time. (have I mentioned I was a crying mess this entire episode??)  
• Jack and Sawyer have their handshake and reconcile their differences.   Jack wishes him luck, and he thanks him.  FOR EVERYTHING. awwwwww

• Then Ben tosses the walkie to Sawyer.  I got a little emotional when Ben opts to stay behind.  He says if the Island is going down, then he's going down with it.  Perfect.  

• I thought this might end with everyone deciding to stay with Jack in one more Live Together Die Alone moment.  But it was enough that Hugo decided to stay.  Of all of the people who would choose to stay in the face of danger!  This really got me!   Of course, he uses the ladder as an excuse!  Good stuff.  "I'm with you dude"

• He then approaches Kate and tells her that she has to go and get Claire on the plane.   Kate asks Jack to tell her that she will see him again.  He doesn't really respond.  But we know when the next time they see each other will be.  And it isn't in this world!  So, instead we get the moment that every Jater was waiting for.  One big final emotional kiss.  I would say in this moment and a moment we see later in Sideways, it shows that Kate made her choice.  Sure, maybe she and Sawyer end up together off Island.  We'll never know.  But her true love was Jack Shephard.  

  

• Whew, letting it sink in.  This was rough stuff!  And then they tell each other that they love each other and that is it.  Kate is a mess.  Jack moves on to fulfill his final mission.  

Saving the Island
Ben and Hurley help Jack back to the cave of Light (well darkness right now).   Hurley wants to know how they're all going to get down there.  But Jack informed them that he is going down there alone.

• Right now they think Desmond didn't make it, and Hurley wonders how Jack will survive.  Jack knows that he is not going to make it.  He tells Hurley that he is already dead.  That stab wound was going to get him in the end.   It's not suicide, it's what is supposed to happen.  What he's supposed to do.  

• And then he tells Hugo that HE has to become the Island protector.   Major kudos to anyone that called this after Hurley said "I'm glad it's not me" and when Jacob told Jack to hold the position "As long as you can".   Great stuff.  
• And of course, Hurley didn't want the role at all and he fought it.  But in the end he accepts only in the condition that Jack takes it back when he comes out alive.  So just like Jacob, Hurley is given the role reluctantly, but sorta by inevitable choice.   Very fitting that the passing of the torch is done via an Oceanic Water bottle too.  I guess the latin incantation over the water or wine wasn't important?  Maybe they showed us it being done differently each time to signify that it was up to the protector on how to pass the torch?  I'm fine with that I guess.   Anyway, Jack does tell Hurley
• And of course, Hurley didn't want the role at all and he fought it.  But in the end he accepts only in the condition that Jack takes it back when he comes out alive.  So just like Jacob, Hurley is "Now You're Like Me" and then he moves towards the cave.

• Jack is lowered into the cave and he ends up finding Desmond down there who is still alive!   Desmond is very aware that the light did not do what he thought it was going to do to him.  He said that he put it out!   He thought he would leave and end up in sideways.  Jack ends up sending Desmond back up and tells him to go be with his wife and kid.  I just knew they'd end up back together!!  Desmond did try to resist knowing he was the only one that could withstand the electromagnetism.  But Jack had already made up his mind.  

• By the way, this scene right here where Desmond is telling Jack he was right is the clearest indication you'll get that the ISLAND is not purgatory (I'm responding to 100s of comments on the discussion thread I posted on the blog here).   I cannot even fathom how this episode clarified that for people when the producers have said since Day 2 or 3 (obviously not 1 since we all guessed it in the beginning) that this story is not Purgatory.   Now, when we're discussing the Sideways story, let's raise the issue back up for debate. 
• You gotta love that Jack tells Desmond "I'll see you in another life brotha" before he goes to plug in that hole.  Great stuff. 
• Jack goes back, and with all his remaining strength, plugs in the hole!  He then collapses and waits for the inevitable. 

• After enough time passes, the light begins to shine again and the water begins to run down the waterfall and into the cave's light.  All becomes right with the Island!  But Jack is still sitting in the light.  He is all smiles with what is about to happen to him.  

• Hurley and Ben realize that he did it and begin to pull on the rope!   But they realize that it is Desmond who is brought up and not Jack.  Hurley screams after Jack.  But there is no response.  

• Desmond appears to be okay.  Hurley is still trying to cope with the loss of Jack.  (We'll get back to Jack's story at the end)  Ben tries to console Hugo telling him that Jack did his job.   Hurley realizes this is his job now.  And he has no idea what he's supposed to do.  Ben gave him some advice.  Hurley should do what he does best and take care of people.  Awwww  He says he can start by helping Desmond find a way off of the Island.   Hurley wonders how because people can't leave the Island.  Ben shrugs this off saying that this is how Jacob ran things.  Hmmm, are they telling us that the inability to find the island and leave the Island was all Jacob's doing?   If so, maybe we just found out how Jacob and "some" of the others were able to leave the Island whenever they needed to.  Of course, I still wonder how they got Anthony Cooper there so suddenly (Richard did that too...why didn't he just use THAT way off of the Island instead of fixing a plane and flying it?  Oh well, I'm not going to nitpick.  That's my only one for now!)  

• The point is, Hurley is going to get to make his own rules when he protects the Island.   He can find a better way to do things.  And then in an awesomely unexpected moment, Hurley asks for Ben's help.  He offers the role of his #2 to Ben.   He needs someone with experience.  And Ben humbly takes the role saying it would be his honor.   And there went the waterworks again!!! 

And so the torch has passed to Hugo Reyes to protect the Island for as long as he possibly can.  How long was this?  We never find out.  We only find out how it all ends.  And we'll get there. 

Escape 
Meanwhile, while the Island is still crumbling (pre-Jack "fixing") Kate and Sawyer end up taking a big dive off of the cliff to get to the sailboat, knowing they don't have much time.  Frank and crew are leaving while there is still ground to get off on.   Yikes that was a big jump!

• Fast forward to Hydra Island, they arrive on shore and the Ajira flight is ready to go.  They see it prepping to leave in the background and also see the Main Island crumbling.   But there is one more thing that must be resolved.  Kate needs to recruit Claire!  

• Kate pleads to Claire to come with them.  Claire knows that she is a mess and not fit to be a mother.  She doesn't even remember how to be one.  Kate tells her that nobody knows how until they are.   And Kate offers to help Claire.  In the end, Claire does decide to get on that plane.  And no, there will be no fulfillment of Desmond's vision seeing Claire and Baby get on a helicopter and leave the Island.  But we do see Claire get on a plane to GET to her baby! 

• Meanwhile Frank is getting ready to take off, but then sees Sawyer, Kate and Claire run right in front of them! 

• They all get on board and then head down the runway built in season 3 on Jacob's orders.  Built by Sawyer, Kate along with Juliet and various OTHERS.  And Richard, Frank, Kate, Sawyer, Claire and Miles all leave the Island safely to live their lives.  Claire will return to her baby and her mother.  There are SOME happy endings along with the uber Sad bittersweet ending.  

Flash Sideways

Are you still with me?  We're about halfway there!  In the sideways land, we continue the enlightenment of our LOSTIES in finding out why things don't seem quite right in Sideways Land.  And why they remember their Island lives.   I have to say just about every scene in Sideways Land had me in tears.  It was so well done, and when I rewatched the final 15 minutes of the show to justify that they had put together a fantastic ending, I cried again!  But let's dive in from the beginning.  

The Coffin / Church
The episode began with a musical montage of where our Sideways Losties are and Island Losties are.  In the Sideways land we also see Christian Shephard's Coffin arrive on an Oceanic Plane.   We see it reach the final destination of the infamous CHURCH where the Lamp Post station was in the Island timeline.  We see Desmond has already arrived there in the Camaro with Kate after their prison break-out last episode.

• He impersonates someone being employed by the church to sign for the coffin.   He instructs the man to take the coffin around back. 

• Kate asks Desmond when he returns to the car who died.  Desmond said that it was a man by the name of Christian Shephard.  Kate jokes at the irony of the name.  Really?  I man named "Christian" "Shephard"?   Especially with the heavy spiritual themes this final season brought about, the name is very ironic.  
• Long story short, this is a setup for a scene later to come.  A scene that I had been waiting for since season 1 and really hoped that it would be in the finale.  But we'll get to that in a bit.  
• Kate is still not sure what is going on and asks Desmond for some answers.  She wants to know why she was broken out of prison, she is wearing the dress and going to the concert.  She wants to know why she is here.  Desmond tells her that no one can tell her WHY she is here.  And he wasn't referring to the church.  He's referring to this sideways existence.  And it all makes sense by the end, even if it's not what people were hoping!  Desmond assures Kate that he is a friend and what he wants.  He wants to LEAVE.   This is probably meant to mirror the Man in Black's wishes to leave the Island.  But now people want to leave Sideways?  Huh?  Again, no sense in really questioning it, because it all makes sense in the end.   Desmond says that he will show Kate.  And we continue onward to the concert! 

Sayid and Hurley
So the enlightened Hurley is taking Sayid on a few errands to run.  The first is to grab Charlie for the big concert.  It turns out that the concert that Eloise Hawking was preparing for in "Happily Ever After" IS the same benefit that is in this finale.  I just assumed it was over by now.  But then again, it would seem that time doesn't really play a factor here.  Whoops, getting ahead of myself!

• Hurley brings Sayid to the motel where Sayid's "safe house" was in the beginning of season 5.  If you recall, Sayid broke Hurley out of the mental institution and brought him here.  There were people waiting for them with tranquilizer darts and everything.  And Sayid got shot.   Hurley thought by showing Sayid this tranq gun, it might trigger some memories.  No such luck.  

• Hurley tells Sayid to stay in the car.  If he doesn't, it's his choice but Hurley assures Sayid he will be happy he stuck around.  
• Hurley knocks on the door to Charlie's motel room.  He answers.  And...well, the look on Hurley's face says it all.  He is so happy to see his friend.  But Charlie isn't FULLY enlightened yet.  He just saw glimpses of his other life.  

• Charlie still is not interested in playing the concert.  Hurley suggested that this concert is the most important thing that he would ever do.  Charlie still isn't buying it.  Which led to an awesome scene of Hurley shooting Charlie with the tranquilizer gun!  Nice! 

• Sayid is shocked at what he just saw.  "That was Charlie, " is all Hurley says and then he drives on.  
• Note: we do see Hurley drop off Charlie at the concert.   This sets Miles in motion as he sees Sayid in the van!  He calls up Sawyer and sends him to the hospital to check on Sun who survived her gunshot wound.  She could be a target.  Nice! 

• Next we see them staked outside of a bar where Sayid asks why they're there. Hurley said that he's not allowed to tell.  Similar to what Desmond said as no one can tell them why they are here.   Hurley brings up THE RULES!  Of course, these are different rules than the ones that governed the Island.
• Hurley tells Sayid that he trusts Sayid as he should trust him.  He thinks that Sayid is a good guy and that he needs to not let other people influence him.   Maybe he heard he WASN'T good so many times that he started to believe in it.  He told Sayid he has to decide for himself who he is.   
• While Sayid is in denial still a fight breaks out outside of the bar.  We see a blonde woman come out of the bar yelling "Leave my brother alone!"  Hmmmmm  The woman gets thrown to the ground.  The ladies' man and hero in Sayid comes out and he runs to save a damsel in distress! 

• Who the attacker was makes no difference, but who the woman was?  Well, I think we caught on by now.  It's SHANNON!!  The both look at each other and the memories come crashing back!  Their Island relationship, their love for each other.  They instantly remember everything!  (by the way, I stand corrected on whom Sayid was referring to when he said to the Man in Black he wanted the woman back who died in his arms.  It would appear that Shannon may have been his true love.   Kudos to commenter Holly for calling me on this way back in episode 6 of this season "Sundown")

• And yes, it would appear that Boone was in on it too!  Poor Boone never had a love interest besides his step sister, but somehow he got enlightened.  We just didn't get to see it.  (Similar to Rose and Bernard who already seemed to be "in the know")   Boone said he went through a lot of trouble to get Shannon back from Australia to be here.   For all we know that could have been a nod to the producers going through a lot of trouble to get Maggie Grace back on the show for this finale!  (she was tied up with conflicting shoots earlier in the season).  

• The first of many tear-jerking Sideways reunions! 

The Hospital

• The minute we read the subtitle from Jin telling Sun that a doctor was going to come look at their baby, I think we knew who it was going to be.  I saw this scene unfolding before my eyes.  I could see how they were going to wake up!   The Season 3 Sonogram where Sun finds out the baby is Jin's!  (Episode: D.O.A.) 
• Before we get the doctor reveal Jin says if everything is alright "We can leave soon."  The word "leave" was used by the writers intentionally to fit in with the Sideways theme.  Jin and Sun just didn't know what they meant by it yet.  They feel like they're going to keep running from Mr. Paik (Sun's father) 
• So the doctor walks in an sure enough, it's JULIET!  Her last name is Carson here as it would seem she never married that Burke fellow.  (Of course, she did marry someone else, but we'll get to that) 

• Juliet realizes that neither of them speak english so she gets right down to business and begins the sonogram.  And we just know that it's coming!   She uses some of the same words she used in season 3's episode.  "It's a little cold" as she is applying that gel-like substance to read the ultrasound.  And then it hits Sun first.  She remembers!!  Then Jin looks at the ultrasound and he begins to remember.  The difference this time?  We see them remembering everything all the way up to their death.  So this is the first time where we can state that this definitely happened "AFTER" the Island timeline.  
• Both Jin and Sun are enlightened and Juliet just keeps talking about the baby's heartbeat.  Except now they understand every word!   She asks if it's a boy or a girl and Sun just speaks in English.  "It's a girl!"  Jin says "Her name is Ji Yeon"  and Juliet, still unaware of what is going on, tells them that their English is just fine!  NICE!  Btw, I was bawling like a baby again here! 

• Meanwhile Jack is prepping Locke for surgery.   Ironic conversation in more ways than one when Locke asks Jack if he is sure it's going to work.  Jack says yes, but of course there is always the chance that he could kill him.   We hadn't seen it yet, but Jack does finish off the Man in Black who was assuming Locke's image.   And of course the other meaning comes into play at the reveal towards the end of the episode!  Jack then tells Locke that he'll "see him on the other side."  All significant word choices by the writers I would say! 
• Locke asks Jack if he had ever gotten word on his father's body.  Jack said that he DID get a call and was going to claim him later.  Jack is convinced that if he can fix Locke he will be at peace.  Not being able to bury his father. 
• And the the next sideways scene is the big reveal of who David Shephard's mother is.  Drumroll......it's Juliet!  Good call everyone who said this from the beginning.  By the time we got to this episode I was torn between Juliet and Sarah, but Juliet definitely made sense for the way this was all going.  Of course, later on we will find out that the very existence of David Shephard is questionable.  Not questionable actually, his whole meaning for existence in this sideways land is to get Jack to deal with this father issues.  But, we'll get to that all! 

• Jack and Juliet seemed to have ended on pretty good terms because they are all smiles when they talk to each other.  Juliet even jokes about meeting this Claire that Jack has managed to keep secret during their marriage.  Of course, we know Jack had no idea about his sister's existence.  David ends up bringing Claire as his "date" to the big show. 
• Of course, on Juliet's way out she runs into Sawyer but they don't recognize each other this time around!
• Later on we revisit Jack after surgery and it appears that he has accomplished what he set out to do with Mr. Locke!  A nurse points out that Jack's neck is bleeding again.   This time though, it immediately follows us seeing the scene where Jack's neck gets stabbed by Flocke in the Island timeline.  The clues were all there, we just needed to hear it for ourselves at the end! 
• Then John Locke begins to wake up even though he shouldn't have so quickly.  Locke, then tells Jack what Juliet told Sawyer in the Island timeline right before she died.  "It worked"  Of course, Locke is referring to his legs but he is about to realize a whole lot more!  Jack tells Locke he needs to be patient as the recovery will take awhile.  But Locke is convinced that it worked.  He can feel his legs.  We then see John wiggle his toe!  And this sends a rush of memories back to John Locke starting with the plane crash when he realized he had regained sensation to his legs again!   LOCKE IS BACK!!!   Locke asks if Jack saw any of it.  Jack did not see anything.  Locke asks if Jack remembers and he starts seeing some things including the shot of looking down the hatch for the first time.   But Jack, in denial of what is going on, runs away.   Locke is ready to GO now.  Jack is trying to calm him down, but Locke is determined to leave to wherever he's supposed to go.  

• Jack says that they're not going anywhere and he needs to go see his son.   Locke then tells Jack that he doesn't have a son.   Locke tells Jack that he hopes someone opens his eyes as Jack just did for him.   Jack runs off to the concert.
• Meanwhile, Sawyer checks in on an enlightened Sun and Jin that just couldn't help but smile at "detective" Ford.   They tell Sawyer that they don't have to go on a hunt for Sayid.  They are safe and they'll see Sawyer there.   Where?  We're getting there! 
• Sawyer heads down the hallway and bumps into Jack.  They don't recognize each other.  Sawyer just wants some grub.  Jack sends him to the vending machine where he proceeds to pick out an Apollo bar and it gets stuck!  Juliet came back from the concert because she was called there for something.  She happens to run in on Sawyer!  She tells him to unplug the vending machine and that usually lets the candy bar out.  Lots of great flirtation between the 2 but then when the lights go out and she gets the candy bar.  It's fireworks for those 2.  THEY REMEMBER!!   (note that she said "it worked" again!).   Juliet says "We should get coffee sometime" and Sawyer says the machine ate his dollar.  She says the line we've been waiting for.  "We'll go dutch!"  And they hug and remember some more and they remember Juliet dying and man, if people hate the mushy part of LOST, this episode was not for them!   Whew, I'm trying to get this recap done, but I'm all in tears just watching it again and snagging pictures!   And as they're crying and remembering and then Juliet asks Sawyer to kiss him and just like his last kiss to her before she died he says "You got it Blondie!"   

• Whew rough stuff.  You still with me?  This is going to take years to read I know! 

The Concert

We finally arrive at the concert and everyone who wasn't anywhere else (Hospital, Bar) are here!  Lots of things going on here and of course David, Claire, Desmond and Kate all end up getting seated at table 23! (nice, one of the numbers made an appearance in the finale!)   Meanwhile Charlie is passed out on the couch.

• It ends up being Charlotte that wakes Charlie up.  Why?  Because he has a note on him that says "Bass Player, Wake me up for show."  Good times!  
• And then Charlotte and Daniel Faraday (Widmore) have their one scene where they see each other and somewhat recognize each other.  Actually, Daniel already has realized that something is off with this Sideways land.   Daniel is kind of showing off that he's playing in the band with Driveshaft.  But, as we learn later, it is not time for them to be enlightened.   Desmond tells Eloise Hawking that he is not going to take Daniel from her.  Well actually he said he wasn't going to take her son "with him".  So whatever that means, I guess when it was Daniel's time to leave he would leave!  But for now only certain people are to be enlightened and "leave".  

• When we get to table 23, Kate and Claire immediately recognize each other from earlier in the season.   And then Pierre Chang starts the band off and lots of stuff starts happening.  Charlie recognizes Claire, Claire sorta recognizes Charlie.   Claire goes into labor!  And then she runs off behind stage.  Kate follows!  I think we all saw where this was going too and started to discuss the possibility last week! 

• Sure enough, we get a scene where Kate delivers Claire's baby just like she did in the Island timeline.  And we get it at this point.  It wakes them both up!   It was highly emotional, but nothing compared to when Charlie arrives with blankets and Kate tells him to go up to Claire.  And then they remember everything.  EVEN THE PEANUT BUTTER PEOPLE!!!!  Ohh it was glorious!   Seriously, never have so many tears fallen in a single episode of TV!  

• Desmond then asks Kate if she understands.  And she certainly does, but there is one more task left for her! 
• Later on Jack finally arrives to the concert and we finally have the meeting of Jack and Kate in Sideways land.  Well, the OFFICIAL meeting, since the first time was just a bump on the plane that Kate quickly reminded Jack of.  Kate says this is NOT how Jack knows her though.  She goes up to him and puts her hand on his face.  
• He starts to see the Island again and all of his experiences with Kate.   She tells him how much she has missed him.  At this point in the episode, we know that they had said goodbye on the Island, so it's important to note that this is the first time they are really seeing each other since then.  And we don't know how long it has been for Kate.  We're getting there! 

• Jack doesn't understand what is happening to him, but Kate is going to bring him to a place where it all will be revealed.  

The Church

We return to the church where Christian's coffin was taken.  And John Locke is getting out of a cab.  Who is there to great him but an enlightened Benjamin Linus, with his hair and attire back to normal Island Ben stylings!

• We have some amazing closure with Ben's character when he apologizes to John Locke for killing him.  He was jealous because Locke was special.  

• John does forgive him for what Ben did.  And Ben says that means a lot to him.  But for some reason Ben decides not to join everyone in the church.  One might suggest that he needs to repent for some of the things he did in his Island life, so he feels he needs to stay there longer.  Maybe he wants to have a love life with Danielle Rousseau for a little bit before leaving.  I'm going to guess the former though, especially when we find out what is going on.
• Ben then tells John that he doesn't need to be in that chair anymore.  And sure enough, John stands up and heads on into the church! 
• When Locke goes in, Hurley comes out to talk to Ben.  He tries to tell Ben to come inside.  Ben says he is not coming.  At this point Hurley says that Ben was a great #2.  And Ben called Hurley a great #1.  If there was any doubt of WHEN this Sideways was taking place, that resolves it again right there.  This happened AFTER Ben and Hurley had served their time protecting the Island.  Of course, TIME doesn't really play a role here.  I'll say more in a few lines! 

• Jack and Kate arrive to the church.  And Jack recognizes this as the place where he was supposed to have his father's funeral.  Kate says that he still is going to do that.   She instructs Jack to go in around back and that everyone will be waiting for him when he's ready (to leave).  

Revelation

Back on the Island

Jack wakes up in the same place that Jacob found the Man in Black's lifeless body.  Jack is still alive though for the time being.  He is a little shaky just like when he was knocked unconscious by Flocke.   He is still bleeding to death from the stab wound that Flocke gave him.

In Sideways at the Church

Jack heads inside and he sees his father's coffin.   Mirroring both the season 1 scene where Jack opens his father's coffin to find it empty as well as when he opened Locke's coffin at the end of season 4, Jack approaches this coffin.  He touches coffin and begins to remember.

• We see scenes from seasons 1-6 of LOST.  Touching moments between him and all of the castaways, most notably Kate.  But I did see the scene where Sawyer told Jack about meeting his father in Sydney.  (always loved that scene!) 
• Jack realizes what is going on and when he lifts open the coffin it is empty once again!  But before we have time to dwell on it we hear a familiar voice call out to Jack and we know that the scene we've been waiting for forever finally is happening.  

• It's CHRISTIAN!  Jack cannot believe his eyes.  How can Christian be here, he died!  A fact that Christian indeed confirms.  So how is he here?  Christian challenges Jack to ask how is JACK here. 

• And there it is folks, right before our eyes.  Some of us may have even theorized on it briefly at times.  But Jack is there because he died!  They all died....EVENTUALLY.  The Flash Sideways is revealed to be a place where all of the LOSTIES could meet before moving on.   Yes, some will call it a Purgatory, and with Ben staying behind to do some serious penance, maybe that's right.  But this should no way be confused with the ISLAND events that happened from seasons 1-6.  THAT WAS REAL!  Christian said so himself.  Everything they experienced is real.  And this Sideways is REAL as well.  They all had to find each other and resolve some of their issues and then they were able to move on to whatever is next.  What is next?  Well, as I have stated for many seasons, I never thought that this show would prove or disprove the existence of Heaven or Hell.  And it stayed true to that.  It left it ambiguous for all faiths to be applied.  But they did prove the existence of some kind of afterlife.  But, honestly, they had done that right from the start too.  We have been seeing ghosts on this show from day 1.  And I even started to speculate (but then got scared of being laughed at and backed away from it) what if the Sideways Land was the home of where all of these Ghosts that have visited Hurley and other people come from?  They seem to be all knowing.  Charlie made comments to Hurley like "I am dead, but I'm also here."  Christian visited Jack off of the Island where Smokey couldn't get to.  Christian visited Michael and told him he could go now (of course that may have been the Island or Smokey but I'm not too worried about it).    Ana Lucia told Hurley that "Libby says hey"
• Another important distinction that Christian brings up is that TIME is of no importance here.  Everyone lived their lives.  Some died earlier, some died later.  But all of this awakening is happening now.   So Hurley may have lived for thousands of years as the Island's protector.   Kate may have went on to live a long life.  But they all ended up in this sideways land together because the Island time of their life was the most important thing that they all went through and they went through it together.   And now they'll move on together.   So maybe Desmond had a near death experience and that's how he saw the Sideways land?  Maybe when he turned that hatch key his life really DID "FLASH before his eyes".   It all really seems to tie together. 
• I know people do not like this ending, but I think they have had it in mind for quite some time.  And, even if people think that they don't want to rewatch the show now, I most certainly do.  I definitely want to rewatch season 6 to try and pick up on some clues IMMEDIATELY!  
• But how fitting is it that we get to see the definitive END of all of these characters?   Sure, there's lots of time in between that could be filled in if they really wanted to.  But it has been stated that the time they spent together was the most important.   And they Lived Together and most certainly will not go through DEATH, alone (thanks commenter Penner for that brilliant tidbit!) 
• And the icing on the cake of this scene is the reconciliation between Father and Son right before Christian "shepherds" the LOSTIES into their next plane of existence.  And what an emotional scene it was watching all of these former LOSTIES in one room, get reacquainted?   We see everyone paired up with their true loves as well.  Sayid/Shannon, Desmond/Penny, Charlie/Claire, Hurley/Libby, Jin/Sun, Rose/Bernard.  Then we have Locke there with everyone.  We have Boone there.  Aaron is there.  And of course Kate and Jack!  

• Everyone takes a seat to prepare to move on.  Christian opens the doors and a bright white light enters the room.   And the rest is up to speculation on where they went next! 

On the Island

We see Jack walking through the bamboo forest, where his journey began.  He falls to the ground in what we should assume is where he originally woke up.  Just like in the beginning, Vincent comes running out of the jungle but this time he takes a seat next to Jack.   Jack sees the Ajira plane flying overhead and he realizes his friends made it safely off the Island to live for another day and possibly many more years.  His job is done.  He did what he was supposed to do.  He saved his friends, he saved the world.  And now he can die in peace and meet up with his friends someday in the afterlife.  Just like we opened up on Jack's eye in the beginning, we now watch it close as he passes on to whatever is next.

BOOM LOST!!!!

WOW!!!! Just WOW!  Just watching it all again as I wrote this epic finale recap, it all just hit me again how truly great it was.  And how truly "SPECIAL" this show was from day 1 to this very day and quite possibly for years to come.  A perfect show?  Not by a long shot.  But you couldn't ask me to give it a more perfect send off.  It was truly beautiful.   Everyone is free to draw your own conclusions!  But I have no regrets in writing about this show for the past 5 years.  I wish I could do it for 5 more!  Yes, there are mysteries that still need answering.  But in the large scheme of things, I say they are not as important as what they accomplished.   That doesn't mean I won't begin to nitpick them after time passes and I'm ready to start doing so! 

So, let that be my first statement in saying that while the recapping is done, our work at this blog is far from finished!  There will be more posts everyone!  Not as frequent, no.  And I may need a little break after 18 straight weeks of writing them.  But I fully intend to write more!  There are 20 minutes of extra storylines that were filmed this year and will be included on the Season 6 Blu-Ray and DVD!  All with the intent on answering big fan questions!  You can be sure I'll take a stab at them in a blog.  The LOST Encyclopedia comes out the same date as the DVDs.  8/24.  I'll be there to discuss that as well.    We have formed a great community here and there is no sense in letting it slip away!  I will pursue other blogging efforts in the future so I urge you all to keep in touch to see what I might do next.   Definitely follow me on Twitter too!   I will keep people posted there on my next ventures.  

One final note of thanks to everyone who helped make this blog successful.  To all of my friends, family and co-workers who worked so diligently to make people aware of this blog.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!   I am forever in your debt.  To everyone that found this blog out of my shameless self-promotion, thanks for sticking around and spreading the word as well!   To my incredibly patient wife, thank you so much for putting up with me over the past 5 years as I decided to channel my LOST obsession into this blog that only progressively got more complex and busy over the years.  I promise to take you on that honeymoon now! (Just kidding, that's not why we didn't go yet! but it was still funny!)   And thanks for still marrying me last year even though you knew that this February to May period of your life was going to be truly hell!  :-)   Thank you everyone for all of your kind words over the years and for your many insightful comments.  This blog wouldn't have been half as fun without being able to go on the journey with each and every one of you.  And thank you last but not least, for your patience with me getting up this final recap.  It has been a very emotional experience for me but I am finally ready to say goodbye to LOST recapping.  (I think)

As I mentioned, please keep in touch as there will be more to come.  If you are done for good, I do not blame you.  I hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you in another life bruthas!!!   NAMASTE! 

Ending Credits

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Thanks to Apple, my iMac and TiVo Transfer for the ability to capture the wonderful Screen Captures. And by default thanks to ABC too for allowing me to post pictures on the blog!