"The New Man in Charge"

Let's talk about LOST!  The New Man in Charge.

Here are my notes  about the long awaited 12 minute epilogue; which I will write up in the vein of the Missing Pieces Mobisodes. Remember to click the pics because they're posted here for a reason.

Epilogue "The New Man in Charge"

Orote Peninsula, Guam: Dharma Logistics Warehouse
                                                      THE PRESENT   {uh, as in "gift"}

Two Dharma men {Provisions} are working in the warehouse.   We get a shot of the printing press label maker with  its "backwards/mirror image" plate.

Glen- "How soon do you get those peas labeled?"
Hector-"I don't know. Couple hours."    {He hand cranks and hand cuts the labels.}
Glen- "Hurry it up, man. I already got the rest of the palette loaded."
Hector- "I don't know why you're always in such a hurry, man."  {The fucking White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland!}
Glen- "That's why. We're gonna miss our launch window. I don't wanna be up half a night loading damn boxes."

Ben- "Excuse me."   {Ben wears an Island shirt under his blazer.}
Glen- "Who the hell are you? How'd you get in here?"
Ben- "My name is Benjamin Linus. I'm from the Home Office."
Hector- "Nobody from the Home Office has ever come out here."
Ben- "There's a new man in charge, he sent me."
Glen- "Sent you to do what?"
Ben- "Tie up a few loose ends. Your services are no longer required, gentlemen. Closing this place down. So, you're free to go."
Hector- "But we've been loading the palettes under the drones for like...20 years now."
Glen- "What are we supposed to do?"
Ben- "This is your severance pay. I'd say you can do pretty much anything you want." {Ben hands them envelopes of American cash in hundreds}
Glen- "So, work with the Dharma Initiative?"
Ben- "The Dharma Initiative hasn't existed in almost 20 years."
Hector- "That's not true. We still get a teletype before every drop."
Ben- "It's automated. Comes from the Lamppost station in L.A.. There hasn't been a person posted there since you two started. That's why the man in charge has me going around closing up shop."
Glen- "Lamppost station?"
Ben- "I've already said more than I should've. Before you leave, please lock the doors, turn out the lights."
Hector- "Wait. You can't just walk out of here. We deserve answers!"
Ben- "All right. Before I go I'll let you each ask a question. But just one. So, make it count."
Glen - "Where have we been sending these palettes? Where are they dropped?"
Ben- "An Island."
Glen- "How's that possible? The coordinates are different every time."
Ben- "The Island moves."
Glen- "How does the Island..."
Ben- "Uh-uh! One question. Your turn." {Technically Glen got to ask three.}
Hector- "We're on Guam. So this Island is somewhere in the tropics, right? So explain this. Polar bear biscuits. How is there a polar bear on a tropical island?"
Ben- "Polar bears, actually. Plural. You guys have a DVD player?"

Ben- "So we watch it together and then we all leave. Is that a deal?"
Hector- "Deal."
Glen- "Deal."
Ben- "Sorry about the quality. It's a transfer from an old Betamax." {Ben pockets a Dharma granola bar and eats a Dharma granola bar}

The film/dvd begins...{Be warned! This video is riddled with skips, warps, glitches, and missing bits.}
1 of 6

Dr. Pierre Chang {Wearing a Swan station logo medical/lab white jacket}-  
"Hello, I am Dr. Pierre Chang. And this is the orientation video for station one of the Dharma Initiative, the Hydra.  For purposes of security, please do not divulge my name to any outside parties. I wouldn't want to have to resort to using an alias in the future.   The chief purpose of this station is to conduct biological and behavioral research on various animal, bird and marine subjects. {6 caged rabbits}  Here are some of the duties you may be asked to perform... {A crazy voice says "Hurley. Hurley"} ...Genetic alteration.  These fascinating hybrids, or "hy-birds" as we call them, will be released and monitored to see how they adapt to the unique properties of the island... successful advanced studies in larger mammals.  Ursus maritimus, or polar bears, possess a keen sense of memory and adaptability.  These traits make them ideal candidates for electromagnetic studies that will be conducted at a secondary site where their comfort in cold temp... It's important when dealing with the bears that you do not show affection or become attached in any way.  Also, do not underestimate their intelligence and cunning. These rules must always be followed. I repeat, the bears are not your friends.  Rewarding the bear with a fish biscuit, once it has successfully performed a complex puzzle. After the training is completed, you will tranquilize the bear. Affix this tracking device around the subject's neck.  At which point it will be transported to the Orchid station for the next phase of research.  Remember, be sure to confirm that the female bears have not been impregnated before transport, as the electromagnetic levels at the Orchid have an extremely harmful effect on early term gestation.   As you've already learned, we do animal research here at Hydra.  Unfortunately, one must consider the most dangerous animal of all... humans.  And so, there is another more secluded test site, where we are conducting significantly more sensitive work. The island's indigenous population, some of you may have heard them referred to as "Hostiles", are acquired on the main island, sedated and brought here, to Room 23. {A "dummy/mannequin" is shown strapped in, in place of a person.}   Because the subjects are unwilling participants, security personnel should always be present during these sessions. Under no circumstances are you to engage subjects in conversation.  The purpose of these interrogations is to better understand the Hostiles' way of life, their origins, and particularly their worship of an island deity they refer to as "Jacob".    After the research team has concluded their tests, inject this into the back of the subject's neck.   Then place these goggles over his or her eyes. Hitting this switch will commence the visualization while the drugs take effect.  {The lights turn off, loud techno music plays while the video shows images and quotes} The dream-like quality of the film combined with the cutting edge pharmaceuticals will create an amnesia of sorts.  Any memory of his or her interrogation will be effectively wiped clean.   While these interrogative measures may seem extreme, rest assured, they are vital...to temporary truce with the Hostiles is not violated.  This concludes your orientation of the Hydra station. Good luck and remember do not discuss the nature of these experiments with other members of the Initiative.  
Enjoy your time here on Hydra Island. Namaste and good l..." 

The two men are stunned.

Hector- "I think we're gonna need to see that again."
Ben-"Sorry, we're out of time." {Ben collects his DVD}
Hector- "What did they do to those bears? And what the hell's a 'Hostile?"
Ben-"Goodbye, gentlemen. I have another call to make. Namaste."  {There is an obvious buzzing of a fly/bug}

SANTA ROSA MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE

Ben is wearing the same clothes as he wore to the warehouse in "Guam".
Ben- "Hello, I'm here to see Keith Johnson."
Nurse Susie Lazenby- "Are you on his visitor's list?"
Ben- "No. But I'm sure if you give him this note, he'll want to see me."


Walt, a kid in a grownup mental institute,  plays Connect Four solo in the game/rec room.
{The same familiar artwork and colorful cutouts decorate the room}
Ben- "Hello, Walt." {He doesn't call him Keith}
Walt-" What are you doing here?"
Ben- "Like my note said, a friend of yours sent me."
Walt- "I don't have any friends."
Ben- "We all have friends. Even me."
Walt- "You here to kidnap me again?"
Ben- "I'm genuinely sorry about that. But what's done is done. I can't change the past. I can only take responsibility for it. Walt, I understand what you've had to go through. I know the difficulties you've had pretending to be someone you're not.   {Walt takes off the legs of the Connect Four grid} Walt, I'm here to help you."
Walt- "Why?"
Ben- "Because you're special. And I bet nobody's told you that in a very long time."
Walt- "What good does that do me?"
Ben- "We need you. You have work to do. Starting with helping your father."
Walt- "My father's dead."
Ben- "Doesn't mean you can't help him. Will you go with us, Walt?"    {Ben places a wrapped DI granola bar on top of the red game pieces. Walt picks it up.}

Outside the building at night, Ben is encouraging cautious and unsure Walt as they walk through the picnic area and get into a blue Dharma van.
Ben-"Come on, it's OK. You ride shotgun."
Hurley-"Dude."
Walt- "Hurley."
Hurley- "It's great to see you, Walt."  {Jacob music plays}
Walt- "I kept hoping one day somebody would come back for me. They said I was crazy."
Hurley-"You're not crazy, dude. Not even close. You just need to get back to the island, that's all. It's where you belong. It's where you've always belonged."
Walt- "Why?"
Hurley- "I wanna talk to you about a job. All right, Ben, let's get out of here. It's time for us all to go home."
Ben starts the van and they drive away.

Things to Note...Questions to ask...
* Everything blurs together!  "This Place"-the "Island"-Guam-Santa Rosa-On "Island and off "Island", etc.
* Ben and Hurley travel to and from the "Island".   If you have to be sedated to "transport" to the "Island" then who sedates and wakes the other?!! lol
* The {"Hy"- "high"} bird is in a covered darkened cage...SLEEPING!  Drugs! Altered State of Consciousness!
* Confined. Alone. Solitary. Shutoff. Shutdown
* The Hydra Station is number 1; the Orchid Station is next step of the research.
* Computers, Programs, Drones, Machines. {"acting" on behalf of a human.}
* Drugs-High (hy), Hallucinogens, Sedatives, Tranquilize, Injections, Hypnosis, Brainwashing.
* Mind games, manipulation.
* GAME. Rules.
* Dream.  Dreamlike
* Mental health. Feeling alone. Lost. Santa Rosa.
* Tabula Rasa
* The Lamppost station is automated; hasn't had a person there in 20 years and The Hydra video shows a dummy/mannequin in place of a human
* What is real and what is not real?
* The "date" on the printout is not a real date.
* The "Island" is a place of learning.  An Institute is also known as a place of learning.
* Faraday's rat maze
* Tests. Experiments.
* Challenges
* Walt's name is Keith Johnson.
* Walt is presented with a "job".
* Walt is not 20 years old and we just learned the DI hasn't existed in almost 20 years.
* What does "dead" really mean?
* Walt is wearing a zip up hoodie like Michael and Hugo wore in Everybody Loves Hugo
* You need to consume a Dharma food product to be "transported" to the "Island".  The use of sedative and/or hallucinogen is what brings you to the "Island"
* The Island moves...is the "Island" really a ship?
* The handle on the door to Room 23 is like one that is on a refrigerated room or meat locker.
* Candle, Halliwax, Wickmund all represent "light".
* The Lamppost's "church" ends up being the place where Jack, Christian and friends are embraced by the warm bright "light".  The "light" lives in all of our hearts and the heart of the "Island".  Ah, lovely metaphors at work.
* The Dharma Initiative info from the film/dvd brings us back to the information we learned in the first ARG "The LOST Experience". 
 - I also want to provide you with The Psychology test video from The LOST Experience from back in June of 2006.

Vocabulary and Research...
* Logistics-word comes from "Pertaining to logic"

* Hydra- Also means a persistent or many-sided problem that presents new obstacles as soon as one aspect is solved.

* Drone-
   1). A Bee, a male wasp, a male ant.  (BUG)
   2). An abbreviation referring to one of two psychoactive drugs (Mephedrone "Methoxymethcathinone"), commonly known as methedrone

* Hostile-  opposed in feeling, action, or character.
   2). characterized by antagonism
   3). angry, aggressive, not warm, unfriendly or hospitable
   4). enemy
   5). alien

* Bear- carry, convey, transport, ferry, fetch, move,pack, take, transfer
  - Mental state, Endure,
  -Refuse to throw away,
  -Give birth.
  -Bare- To uncover, reveal or expose.

* Peas are contained in a pod.
* Indigenous-inherent; feelings indigenous to human beings.



What the "hex" going on?!  Well, people, things and places are not what you think...Ha, imagine that.

First...For those of you who feel disappointed that we didn't get a look at life on the "Island" under its new management...We did!!  Because it's all "the Island". 
They are NEVER out of the confines of the "ISLAND" or whatever the "Island" really is. We've all been down the rabbit hole which just happens to be over the rainbow in OZ.

It is obvious (and not all in my head) events and places we've seen in the six years happened within the "confines" of the "Island" adventure.  It was shown all over this 12 minute epilogue.
This also connects my Wizard of Oz-Alice in Wonderland idea...what we saw happened in a sleep state and/or altered state of consciousness where things are blurred together. 

This Zen Buddhism based journey involves altered states of consciousness and levels of consciousness (sleep state), and states of existence/being along the path.  The "Island's" role in this may also be aided with the addition of mediation, sedation, drugs, hypnosis, and/or even a computerized merged reality experience...the matrix.

If everything is really occurring and blurred within the confines of a specific space, one with distinct boundaries, then we still need to wonder...where this place is.   Is it all completely in the mind, consciousness/subconscious {with the use of drugs and or meditation aided by machine/computer}
or is it literally on an island or in a building or a prison, or are they on a ship in confined pods?  Is it possible that this adventure can happen all while you're in the comforts of your own home?

Let's look at the first part of what we're shown:
The "cutting edge" out of existence Dharma Initiative has only two clueless dudes in "Guam", hand cranking labels and packing pallets on autopilot (Automated) for 20 years! They don't even know about the Lamppost station. Really?!   These people are literally "trapped in a fucking box"!
Not only are we being shown the DI surviving under an auto-piloted front, but we're also seeing more people who are metaphorically "stuck" and oblivious that there is a whole entire world out there that they could and should be living in.  These two men are living in a redundant cycle with no comprehension of how to do it any other way.
Interestingly Ben, who just turned Glen and Hector's lives upside down,  limits the men's questions and is obviously restricting them from learning more even though they are curious.  Ben's entire demeanor is very mysterious and cunning and kind of suspicious.
Walt, a child who is residing at a mental institution for adults {I've only ever seen adults there}, is called upon by Ben via Hurley.    Hurley, Jacob-like, wants to talk to Walt about a "job" but also refers to Walt belonging on the island and also feeling positively that it's time to get out of there and that it's time for all of them to go home.  Is it just Walt's turn to watch the "Island" or is he "indigenous/hostiles" to the "Island"  {Ahem, as Candle mentions "there are"} and is he just being returned?   And I must ask what Walt's "special" role on the "Island is; although now we see he must become the new man in charge.  Is his role to take the place of the Jacob or MIB identity?   {John was "special" and connected with Smokey.}   Hurley states it's time for "all" of them to go home, so if the "Island" and the outside world are not really of the same space is Hurley gathering up all the natives to return them to the "Island" as well, or are they just all ready to go home?  Where is home?   It must be somewhere over the rainbow.

Are we still the victims of a Long Con?   Well, there continues to be a game element and the story still reeks of "Smoke and Mirrors", magic, illusion and lots of razzle freakin' dazzle.

The still seemingly vague and inconclusive {glitchy} information we received from the Hydra orientation film connects many things we learned in the first ARG, The LOST Experience.  Do I disregard any of that valuable time consuming researched shit load of information I learned with playing that game?  Nope.  Because we know and accept this story is multi layered.  Nevertheless, I found this Hydra Orientation film to be filled with a plethora of insight and answers.

We have been fed hints to breeding and "using" the natives of the "Island" all of these years along with the path to enlightenment part of the story.   Keep in mind the story is a wonderfully huge metaphor being narrated via all the puzzling problems and imagery we see on and with the "Island".    So the information Candle gives us can be perceived as him talking about Jack, John and the rest of the  people on the "Island" and not "bears" and "birds". 

But who knows, maybe Walt is a hybrid {or really  a "hy" bird, as in they're all "high", again as Candle outright states},  maybe they all are.   Or they're all Hostiles, native to the "Island" and they're the ones being broken down and reprogrammed. 

Marvin Candle's drivel about the viewer not telling anyone his name lest he be reduced to needing an alias is total nonsense, but his statement, "The Hostiles are acquired on the main island, sedated and brought here" is not.
Think about it...Are we really talking about "hostiles", as in natives to an actual island or are we really talking metaphorically about angry and lost people?  Have we witnessed the literal kidnapping of natives to an island and their being used as test subjects by the Dharma Initiative or about is it about a lost person who can't bear his burden any longer and is in need of a life changing journey to put him in the right light so he can live the life he is meant to live.  That may be a form of therapy or rehabilitation.   It very well may be that it is a combination of some of these clues.
We can watch the orientation footage literally, accepting the information Candle is telling the viewer as facts regarding the D.I. and their "programs".   And you can watch it understanding the subliminal and metaphoric connections to Jack, John, Hurley and the rest of the Castaways while ignoring the bits about the DI and their programs.  Of course you can also watch it while mastering how all of those factors fit and work together.

The visual of the white rabbits in the orientation video again for  me, correlates to a trip down the rabbit hole and not to some gobbledygook Marvin Candle's video is trying to distract us with. 

Hurley, the new man in charge, seems to be literally moving stuck people forward; liberating them.
Bah! Maybe he's just pushing the clueless people out.

"This Place"...the "Island" is a place of learning.  It doesn't matter if  you think it's run by a bunch of crackpot scientists, doctors, inventors, the military, actors, gamers or it's a real island that you can go on a journey to find yourself,  you're purpose there is not only to be challenged and tested, but you will learn, heal and be free and reborn.   It is part of the journey to enlightenment.

I do want to reflect on a moment we spent with Hurley and his adventure on the "Island" with his being confused on whether "Island" events are real or part of his subconscious.  We're given so much important information from his friend, Dave.  Dave hints to things being faked.   But more importantly is the dialogue Dave has about the "need to wake up" Hugo.
Dave tries to get Hurley to fall back off the cliff, not so he can kill himself but so it will "wake" him up.   Hugo perceives the going over the cliff as an act of physical death but what it really represents is a metaphoric "death", an ending and a means to bring you back to life.  It is very Zen.

So with this "Big Finale" it's time for us all to go home.   After all, Home is where your Heart is.  
It is also where you end up after you run all the bases on the field, or you work your way all the way around the game board indicating the completion of the game...back to home.

Now, if you're ready and only if and when you're really ready...
Come on, do it, I know you want to...Close your eyes, tap your heels together three times and think to yourself...There's no place like...Home.
...And now you can wake up.
At least until your next adventure, that is.

Love to all who are "LOST"™

The Candidate

Let's talk about LOST!   The Candidate.

Dr. Jack Shephard wakes up Mr. Locke from his surgery.   Locke's eyes slowly open to blurry vision and then clarity.
Jack-"Mr. Locke, can you hear me? {Jack smiles} Welcome back."
Locke, who is on oxygen, realizes he knows him. Jack replays them being on the same flight from Sydney and how Locke lost his knives.  He explains to Locke that he was rundown by a car and just came out of surgery {Dural sac ruptured) but he thinks he got everything back where it belongs.  Jack uses his penlight to look at Locke's pupils and also reveals that while was operating he got a look at the initial injury to his spine and put him in a wheelchair.  Jack was hoping Locke could tell him how that happened because he feels he's a candidate for a new surgical procedure they're developing and if it works it could restore feeling to his legs, in fact he may even walk again. Jack seems pleased.
Jack-"If you'll give me a shot, Mr. Locke, I think that, that I can fix you."
Locke thinks about it for a few seconds and declines the offer. This response stuns the good doctor and he goes on to explain that there's minimal risk and the benefit...Locke cuts him off, "I said no." {He smiles.}
Helen barges into the room relieved to see John. This is the first time they let her see him. Indeed they are relieved to see each other. Very happy Helen thanks Dr. Shephard for saving him. {She kisses Jack on the cheek and hugs him tight} Locke smiles at this.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Jack opens his eyes/wakes up. He is in the outrigger.

Kneeling Sayid {working on a gun} welcomes him to Hydra Island. Jack is a bit confused.
Sayid-"At least you didn't have to paddle."

Over at the cages the Widmore team is setting up the pylons. Seamus and goons lead James, Frank, Hugo, Claire, Kate, Sun and Jin. Seamus demands James get in the cage but James there's no way he's going back in there, so he grabs dough boys rifle and a shot rings out a few feet away indicating Widmore's arrival. Widmore threatens Kate's life if James doesn't drop the gun. James feels Widmore isn't going to kill them because he's throwing them in the cages.
Widmore-"I have a list of names. Ford. You're on it. As are Reyes and the Kwon's. Kate Austen she's not.  It doesn't matter to me if she lives or dies."
Nervous Kate doesn't want James to listen to Widmore. James relinquishes the gun to Seamus and in return Seamus hits James with the rifle and throws him in the cage.
Widmore tells James, "You may not believe it but I'm doing this for your own good."
James-"You're right. I don't believe it."
Widmore asks one of his goons if the fence is "live" yet. He's told it will be in about an hour. Widmore doesn't have an hour and tells them to work faster.   Seamus looks nervous.
Widmore-"He's coming."

Bernard is crafting/working/drilling on a set of fake teeth.  He is so into his grinding away at the mold/impression that he doesn't hear Jack say "Hello" a few times.   Jack heard the drill, walked in and asks if the man knows where he can find Dr. Nadler.   Bernard removes his glasses and mask. {He doesn't have his doctor name on his white Dr. shirt.}
Bernard-"Well, you can find him right here. And if you're not a patient, you can call me Bernard."
Jack introduces himself as a surgeon at St. Sebastian and is hoping to get a look at one of Bernard's patient files.
Jack-"His name's John Locke. And our records said that you had done some emergency oral surgery on him about three years back."
Bernard-"And what are you looking for exactly?"
Jack-"I wanna know how he was hurt."
Bernard asks Jack why he's so interested in Mr. Locke. {He has a peace about him while waiting for Jack to answer.}
Jack explains he met Locke a week ago on the same flight back from Australia.
Bernard-"Oceanic 815.  I sat across the aisle from you. Memory serves you were flirting with my wife Rose when I was in the bathroom. It's pretty weird, huh?"
Jack is curiously stunned, "Yeah."
Bernard-"Maybe you're on to something here. Now I can't break patient confidentiality and tell you something I shouldn't. But I can tell you that when I treated Mr. Locke there was another man in the same accident with him." {Bernard writes something on a notepad.}

Jack-"Like that was three years ago, you just remember that?"
Bernard-"Of  course I do, Jack."
He hands Jack the paper and wishes him good luck, "I hope you find what you're looking for."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Disoriented and confused Jack is still sitting in the outrigger asks Sayid what happened. Sayid informs him Widmore's people fired a mortar attack on them. "Locke saved you."
Sayid shares some water with Jack from his canteen. The rest of Sayid's group who weren't killed scattered into the jungle, "It's just the three of us now."
Jack-"Why did he bring me here?"
Locke appears and tells Jack it's because Jack's friends got themselves captured and now they're going to have to rescue them.
Jack-"Rescue them from what?"
Locke explains Widmore has them in a cage about a half a mile inland.   Jack tries to ask a question but Locke cuts him off, "You know I would ask him, except I don't think he's gonna give me a straight answer. But I can't imagine that his intentions are good. If we move right now we can break your people out run for the plane and be off this island before Widmore knows what hit him."
Locke arms up Jack and readies him for the mission.
Jack-"They're not my people. And I'm not leaving the Island."
Locke-"Well, Jack, I'm hoping you still change your mind about that. But your friends do want to leave, and since they just ran away from me, on my own boat, I'm gonna need your help convincing them they can trust me."
Jack-"Why should I trust you?"
Locke looks right in his eyes and reveals, "Because I can kill you, Jack. Right here, right now. And I can kill every single one of your friends and there's not a thing that you can do to stop me. But instead of killing you I saved your life, and now I wanna save them too. So will you help me?"
Jack contemplates while looking over at smirking Sayid and back at Locke.

James and Kate pace in the cage. James asks her, "Feel like we're running in circles back in these cages? 'Cept last time the gun was to my head." {And yes you fucking are!}
Kate insists he wouldn't have killed me.   James comes clean about the cave he told her about, the one where all the names were written.  "Your name was there too...but it was crossed out. He doesn't need you, Kate."
Jin and Sun chat about the baby who is with Sun's mother. Jin tells her about Widmore's people finding her camera on the plane and he showed Jin the pictures.  Jin thinks their daughter is so beautiful. Sun presents Jin with his wedding ring and places it on his finger.
The power is cut to the Hydra cage area where the lights and pylons were energized.  Seamus and goons find somebody cut the power and Seamus instructs a team to the generator now.  The monster sounds, breeze is heard.
Hurley-"And we're dead."
Smokey arrives and in its classic mechanical tic tack, clinking manor, takes out Seamus and the goons, all the while the Lostie's watch from the cages. Smokey even knocks over one of the travel sized pylons.
Kate struggles through the bars to reach the keys that are conveniently hanging out of Seamus' pocket. Hurley tells her to hurry because he feels, "When that thing's done with them he's coming for us."
Anxious Frank isn't waiting so he kicks at the door to his cage.
Kate still can't reach, but it doesn't matter because Jack shows up to help them all out.
Kate asks Jack what he's doing here.
Jack-"I'm with him." {Nodding in the direction of the mechanical smoke sounds}

Frank is leading the group to the plane; which is about a 1/4 mile just over the ridge. Kate seems a little excited as she asks Jack, "So you're coming with us now..."
Jack lets her know he's taking them to the plane but he's not getting on it, "I'm sorry Kate, I'm not meant to go."
Kate looks sad. James thanks the Doc for coming back for them. Everyone readies with their weapons when they hear something approaching. It's just Sayid.
Jack lets them know it's okay, "Sayid's with us. He's the one who turned off the generators."
James feels the more the merrier. They need to go because Locke's waiting.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
The woman at the desk is asking Jack if he's a relative of Mr. Cooper and what  the nature of his visit is. This is the SUN PALMS NURSING HOME.  Helen happens by with a tulip plant.  He confesses to her that he's there to see Anthony Cooper about the accident he was in with Mr. Locke. Jack asks if she knows him. This makes Helen curious and worried. She pulls him to the side and asks him to please go.   Jack tries to explain he's there to help "him".    John told Helen about the operation and he doesn't want it and  Jack wonders why.   Helen wants him to leave this alone, "You saved his life. Why can't that be enough?"
Jack replies with a bit of desperation in his voice,"Because it's not."
Helen leads Jack into a cafeteria with patients, while Housekeeping is being paged to call 23.
Jack seems surprised when Helen wheels over a catatonic Anthony Cooper; John's father. {He just stares and drools.}

{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke marches strongly over to the grounded Ajira plane.  The guards fire at Locke but their bullets have no effect on him.  He breaks the neck of one and shoots the other.  He takes the digital watch from one of the dead men and heads up the "Gilligan's Island" made steps into the plane.

On board he follows a set of Red, White and Black wires that connect to something.
Frank is happy when he arrives with the group to the plane and wonders what it will take to get this baby to fly.   James is first to see a dead guy.  Sayid examines the first body and determined his neck's been broken.  Locke walks out of the plane and admits he broke it. "If it's any consolation, Widmore knew that I would kill these men."  He goes on to explain they were only guarding the plane for show. If Charles had really wanted to keep Locke from actually getting on board he wouldn't have moved his little fences.
Hugo is puzzled, "Woah... wait, now he wants us to leave the Island?"
Locke-"No, Hugo. He wants to get us all in the same place at the same time... a nice confined space we have no hope of getting out of... and then he wants to kill us."
Apparently kill them with {He presents 4 bricks of C-4 from the backpack}.
Locke-"I found them in one of the overhead compartments, wired to the electrical system of the plane. If we would've turned it on... boom."
Jin-"So what now?"
Locke-"We can't be sure he didn't put more explosives on the plane. It's not safe. If we're gonna leave the Island, I think we have to take the submarine."
That's what James has been saying all along. Concerned Hugo states that "He's not supposed to leave the Island. I mean, Alpert said..."
James-"Screw Alpert. He ain't here. {says to Locke}That's twice you've saved our asses. Guess I was wrong about you."
Locke smiles and thanks him. "That submarine is gonna be heavily defended. We're gonna need everyone."
Jack will help him but he's not going with him. Locke feels that's fair enough.

Claire runs over to Locke and tries to apologize. Locke tells her its alright and he understands why she went with them.
Sawyer very quietly tells Jack,"Hey doc, listen up... you don't wanna leave this Island, that's your own damn business. But I'm gonna ask you for one last favor. I don't trust that thing one bit, so here's what I need you to do... once we get to the dock you make sure it doesn't get on the sub."
Jack-"How am I supposed to do that? You saw what it did back there."
Sawyer-"Just get it in the water I'll take care of the rest."

Over the PA we hear "CT test to Trauma 3. CT test to Trauma 3."
Jack is literally standing over Locke.
Jack-"Mr. Locke, are you awake?"
Locke  is sleeping but speaks, "Push the button."
Jack looks confused, "Mr. Locke, can you hear me?
Locke, still sleeping says, "I wish you had believed me."
In the distance Jack hears Claire's voice. She's in the hallway.  Jack leaves sleeping Locke and walks over to Claire.
Claire was just looking for Jack; the lawyer told her he worked there.

In a little break room Jack buys an Apollo bar from a vending machine.  He offers it to Claire but she declines.   Jack apologizes for having to run out of the will reading the other day, as he had an emergency.  Claire doesn't mind and notes this is as awkward for her as it is for him.  She tells Jack, "Never even met this man."   She has a white box.
Claire-"Anyway, the, uh, lawyer gave me this. She said, uh, there’d be more stuff to come, but that my father especially wanted me to have this."
She presents a pretty wooden box from the white cardboard box that is roughly the size and shape of a shoe box. {Box within a Box!} "Do you know why or what it's supposed to mean?"
Jack doesn't have any idea, "But, then…I, I didn't know about you either."
Claire asks how their father died.
Jack-"He was found in an alley outside a bar in Sydney. He drank himself to death. I flew down to bring his body back…but then, uh… the airline lost it."
Claire:-"I just flew in from Sydney a few days ago."    Yeah, last Wednesday; Oceanic flight 815, they're both puzzled.  Jack takes a look at the wooden music box that plays "Catch a Falling Star".

Jack-"I’m sorry. I...I wish I knew why he wanted you to have this."
Claire-Yeah, me, too. {puts it back into the white box} Well, um. It was nice seeing you again. Thanks for trying to help."
Jack- Where are you staying?
Claire-Uh, just down the road…a motel."
Jack-Why don't you come stay with me?"
Claire- "Stay with you? I mean, we're…we're strangers."
Jack- "No, we're not strangers. We're...we're family."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke and his little armed group are staking out the sub. Locke puts the backpack down. {I only see one backpack}
James feels just ‘cause there ain’t any goons on the dock, doesn’t mean they ain’t on the sub so he calls the play. "We’re goin’ in hard. Got it? Lapidus, Hugo, Jin, Sun, you’re with me. The rest of you wait 30 seconds, head down the dock behind us. {to Jack and Locke} You think you two can get our backs?"
Jack-"Absolutely."
James-"All right. Let’s go home."
He heads down into the sub hatch and the rest follow. 
Over the intercom in the sub we hear "After engine room, power the bilges. After engine room, power the bilges, please."
James and Frank burst into a room demanding to know where the captain is.  They are led to the captain where Frank knocks out the guy who led them there.
Threatening James tells "Hoss" to get ready to fire this thing up.  Frank will guard the captain while James retrieves the rest of the group.
Locke hands Jack one of two backpacks and they head toward the sub.  Locke asks Jack if he's sure he won’t reconsider.   Jack is sure.
Locke-"Whoever told you, you needed to stay had no idea what they were talking about."
Jack-"John Locke told me I needed to stay."
Jack pushes Locke into the water.
Kate-"What happened?"
A shot is fired and Kate is hit in her left shoulder!  This makes Jack snap! He automatically flips into angry commando mode! {Just like at Dharmaville before the "Hydrogen bomb incident"}
There's a shootout.  Jack fires a rifle, then a handgun!
Sayid covers Jack while he carries Kate down into the sub.   Sayid calls out for Claire {who shoots a man out of a tree}
Sawyer hears the shootout.

Locke climbs out of the water onto the dock with his backpack and he is pissed off!  He's got some constitution!  He fires back at Widmore's men just like Jack did!   Claire is surprised.
Inside the sub Jack tells James Widmore’s people shot Kate and he tells Hurley  he needs a first aid kit.  James heads up top to get Claire who is still involved in the shootout.
James-"Claire!"
Locke turns and calls out, "James!" {turns and shoots an approaching bad guy} He seems concerned as he runs toward James.   James gives Locke the ol evil eye, abandons Locke and Claire on the dock, closing the hatch on them.
Inside the sub James yells out to Lapidus, "If you can hear me…DIVE! DIVE!"
Lapidus tells the Captain, "Let’s go!"    The sub starts moving out.

Claire sees the sub leaving, drops her gun and runs after the sub telling them to wait.  Locke stops her.
Down in the sub shocked Jack asks James what he's doing.
James-"What we came here to do…leaving."

Locke tells upset Claire it’s alright.
Claire-"No! They’re leaving us."
Locke-"No, trust me. You don’t want to be on that sub." {He mischievously grins a bit like the Cheshire cat and watches the sub move out.}

Inside the descending sub, bleeding Kate is upset Claire is still up there and has been left behind.
James is concerned about Kate, "Is she gonna be okay?"
Hurley can't find the first aid kit. This troubles Jack. {Yet it is right next to Frank's head! Is that kit written in black?}
Jack has Jin get his pack so he can get a shirt out of it to use for pressure.  Jack tells Kate to relax, everything will be OK. He thinks the bullet went straight through.  Jack reaches into the backpack and reveals a bomb with a digital watch for the timer, counting down; 3:54
Hurley-"Dude, where did that come from?"
Jack-"Locke…We did exactly what he wanted."
As the sub continues its descent Jack says they have to get to the surface.    Jin radios Frank to tell him to take them up.
Frank yells, "We're diving!"
Sayid has the bomb while Jack tends to Kate.
Hurley-"Dude, how'd that get on the sub?" {Are you fucking kidding me?! He just heard from Jack he said "Locke"}
Jack-"Locke put it in my pack!" 
Jin wonders why he would do that when he wanted to go with them.
James-"Damn right he did, that's why I shut his ass out!"
Jack-"He wanted you to shut him out!"
He asks Sayid how that thing works, "Can we shut it off?"
Sayid explains it's Jury rigged to the battery which detonates the explosives. It's at least five minutes until they're up, according to Frank.
James-"We ain’t got five minutes. What’s it gonna be Sayid?"
Sayid-"These wires...they’re leads from the watch. If we disconnect them from the battery, technically speaking, the bomb should be inert."
But you need to pull them out simultaneously and he's not sure...James moves him aside.
2:46 on timer.   Jack tells James to wait and not pull the wires out because he feels nothing is going to happen.
James feels if he doesn't pull the wires that Locke's gonna blow them to kingdom come.
Jack-"No, he’s not! Locke can’t kill us....This is what he wanted. {2:27} This is what he’s been waiting for.  Everything that he has done has been to get us here.  He wanted to get us all in the same place, at the same time, a nice, enclosed space where we had no hopes of getting out of."
Jin doesn't understand.
Jack-"Locke said that he can’t leave the Island without us. I think that he can’t leave the Island unless we’re all dead. He told me that he could kill anyone of us whenever he wanted. So, what if he hasn’t because he’s…he’s not allowed to. What if he’s trying to get us to kill each other?"
James-"Stay out of my way, doc."   {1:54}
Jack-"Now if he wanted that thing to blow up, why would he put a timer in it?  Why not just throw it inside?"
James doesn't care and Jack still feels nothing is going to happen.  But James feels it's not Jack's decision to make.
Jack insists "He can't kill us!"
James isn't going to stand there and do nothing.  Jack looks James in the eye wanting James to trust him that they're gonna be okay.  {1:35}
James-"Sorry, doc, I don’t."
James pulls all the wires from the timer and it pauses at 1:31 and then countdown runs faster.
Sayid needs for Jack to listen carefully. "There’s a well on the main island, half mile south from the camp we just left.   Desmond’s inside it.  Locke wants him dead, which means you’re going to need him. Do you understand me?"  {Technically they just left Hydra Island. lol}
Jack-"Why are you telling me this?
Sayid-"Because it’s going to be you, Jack."
Sayid grabs the bomb, runs down the hall and into another compartment and the bomb explodes!  The alarms sound.
The sub starts filling up with water.   Lapidus checks out what happened and is knocked down with a door that bursts off its hinges.
Sun is pinned against the wall with what looks like a metal box with wires poking out of it.   Jin tries to free her!  Sawyer tries to help him.  Jack instructs Hurley to get Kate out of there while he takes care of everyone else.   He gives Hurley an oxygen tank.
Hurley-"I have to go after Sayid?"
Jack-"There is no Sayid!…Listen to me. Take this tank and buddy-breathe and swim out where the blast hole is, okay? Hurley, you can do this, okay?'
Hurley listens.   Jack joins in trying to free Sun while the sub is sinking.
James-"Push!"
Jin-"One three."   1...2...3!    They remove the giant metal box but Sun is still trapped and James gets knocked out by a large piece that fell on his head.  Jack pulls him from the water.  The sub creaks and moans.
Jin works hard to free Sun but she wants him to go save himself.   Jin won't leave her at all, "I’m going to get you out of here."  He tells Jack to save unconscious James out of there and he'll get Sun free.
Jack gives Jin an oxygen tank because he feels he can get James out of there without it. {WTF?!}
Jin-"No, you can’t Jack….Just go!"
Jack knows he's "leaving them" and swims with Sawyer out through the blast hole up from the depths.
Jin tries to catch his breath while trying to free his wife and she begs him to go.
Jin holds her face," I won’t leave you....I’m gonna get you out of here."
Sun still begs him to go.
Jin says something in Korean and knows they're doomed, "I won’t leave you. I will never leave you again…{in English} I love you, Sun."  They kiss and hold each other.
Sun is crying, "I love you." {And add to that the heart wrenching music that has me crying like a damn baby!}

An orderly is pushing Locke down the hospital hall and wonders if someone is meeting him.  Locke confirms his fiancée, Helen. "She’s, um…{he sees Jin with white roses and does a double take at him. You see Jin get let into the room behind Locke}…probably stuck in traffic….Hey, I’ll take it from here. I’m pretty good at this."
The orderly wishes him the best of luck and Locke thanks him.
Jack is happy he caught Locke, "I hadn’t have a chance to say goodbye yet."
Locke-"Well, goodbye…and thanks again, Dr. Shepherd." {Shake hands.}
Jack confesses he went to see his father. Locke is shocked.
Jack-"When you didn’t want the surgery, I felt like I had to understand why…and, uh, I thought that if I could find out why you’re in this chair, that maybe…"
Locke-"I was in a plane crash. I had my, my private pilot’s license for a week, and, uh, I begged my father to be my first official passenger. He was terrified of flying.  But, I looked him right in the eye...I told him that he could trust me.  And we barely got off the ground. I still don’t re...I don’t remember what I did wrong, but it was my fault. It was my fault. This man, who I loved more than anything, will never walk, or talk or…"
Jack-"You know, the first time you and I met, uh, back at the at the airport…you told me that my father was gone...and, uh, it hurt to hear that, but I knew you were right. Your father’s gone, too, Mr. Locke."
Locke-"Uh, no, no, he’s not.
Jack-"Yes, he he is, and you can punish yourself as much as you want and that’s never gonna bring him back…What happened, happened…and…you can let it go."
Locke-"What makes you think letting go is so easy?
Jack-"It’s not. In fact, I don’t really know how to do it myself. And, that’s why I was hoping that…maybe you could go first."
Locke laughs through his tears, "Goodbye, Dr. Shephard." 
Jack calls out to him, "I can help you, John…I wished you believed me."
Locke stops, seeming to let that register and then wheels off.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Jack pulls James to the beach and is relieved when James breathes.
Kate-"Jack…I couldn’t find you. I couldn‘t find you."   They hug.
Hurley asks if James is okay and Jack tells him he got hit pretty hard, but he’s breathing.
Kate-"What about Jin and Sun."
Jack shakes his head indicating they didn't make it.
Kate and Hurley cry hard from this loss.
Jack walks away from them and stands at the water's edge and cries.

Locke is standing on the dock looking out to the water, he tells Claire, "It sunk." {He sounds a bit sad}
Claire-"What, the submarine? They…they were all on it, everyone…What? They’re…they’re all dead?"
Locke- "Not all of them."   Now he seems angry; he takes his backpack and rifle.
Claire-"Wait. Wh, where are you going?"
Locke-"To finish what I started."   This man on a mission walks away.




The Candidate is a GREAT episode!!!
What is going on in Locke's head and what is he seeing in his sleeping mind?
Locke is punishing himself from guilt and holding on to all that pain. He feels he obligated to stay paralyzed not only physically but emotionally.
I was very sad to see a few of our Lostie's move on but I expected it and expect even more loss.  In the off "Island" info of last week the Kwon's found what they were looking for and Sayid did too with his closure with Nadia, so he sacrificed himself in the game/journey.  In my opinion it's when those types of things happen, i.e. they find what they're looking for (love, closure, healing, forgiveness, letting go, over addiction, enlightenment, etc.) or in other instances a person is getting to close to unseating the leader or they aren't needed in the game/on the "Island"  any longer they are removed from the playing field and move on.   If one still doesn't find what they have lost then it seems you have to start all over from the beginning.


Things to Note...Questions to ask...
* Locke is indeed emotionally "paralyzed"
* Family. Relative.
* Same accident.
* Wires. CT scan. Head. Dreams. Subconscious.
* Mental and physical disabilities.
* Lapidus isn't on Widmore's list.
* Hurley can't find the first aid kit yet it is in the control room right next to Frank.
* We learned earlier this season that unconscious people can't hold their breath yet we see they are led to the surface from some very deep water.
* It was Sawyer's free will decision to call the shots on the sub mission and to pull the wires on the bomb. {Even if Locke knew he would do that.}
* Sawyer was wrong about getting that thing/Locke in the water.
* Alcoholics-Desmond, Christian, Jack.
* Locke doesn't seem threatened by the pylons and being in the water isn't a factor with anything.
* Does Locke have a thing for blowing up submarines?  He took C-4 from the Flame Station.
* There's always a way to go "further down below".    "The depths."
* In the "Pilot episode, part 1"  Jack admits to Kate to taking flying lessons but it wasn't for him.
* Could part or the entire adventure be part of a world of make believe, subconscious and/or altered state.

Willy Wonka:
Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three
Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination.
Take a look, and you'll see into your imagination
We'll begin, with a spin, traveling in, the world of my creation.
What we'll see, will defy explanation
If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it. Wanta change the world? There's nothing to it.
There is no life I know, to compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free... if you truly wish to be.

Vocabulary and Research...
* Dental impression: Accurate representation of a person's dentition and other areas of the mouth. From an imprint of a person's teeth and gums in wax or plaster, a dental impression forms a "negative" of those teeth and gums, which can then be used to make a cast or model. This may be used for the fabrication of dentures, crowns or other prostheses. Common materials used for dental impressions are sodium alginate, polyether and silicones - both condensation-cured silicones and addition-cured silicones, such as polyvinyl siloxane.
- A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant and is typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement.
* Tulips: is a poem by American poet Sylvia Plath about her experiences in a mental hospital. The poem was written in 1961 and included in the collection Ariel published in 1965.
- TULIP: Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life. Calvinist theology is sometimes identified with the five points of Calvinism, also called the doctrines of grace.
- Tulip: is an information visualization framework dedicated to the analysis and visualization of relational data.



I don't know how else I can illustrate to you the metaphors and subliminal information that is displayed within the story. We are still shown the Castaways' journey to "this place" is necessary to heal their emotional and psychological  pain.   The "Island" adventure's challenges blur with "outside world" issues and events in an effort to reach some sort of resolve.

Not everything we see is totally black and white, nor are people and things always what we think they are.  The goal, besides one person being the victor of the "Island" journey and game, is for "balance" not only on the "Island" but within each "person".

One thing we can bank on is the game element.   Jacob and MIB is each other's adversary. Both of their aim is to prevent the other from achieving their goal.
Locke neatly sets it all up for us in Deux Ex Machina when describing a game he played with his brother.  It's wonderful when he explains the concept and goal of the game Mouse Trap that directly connects to what we've seen on the island.
Yes, of course the concept of chess is being played out, incidentally after all these years I really need to see who the Queen is in all of this.
I find it important to go back to the first game reference we were shown, Backgammon.
In the game of Backgammon the pieces are known as checkers, stones, men, counters, pawns, or chips.  It's interesting that the objective is to remove (bear off) all of one's own checkers from the board before one's opponent can do the same. 

Even though I always question if things are real or not, and give many examples and use descriptive analogy, it still is important to mention that until we know what the "Island" actually is, we're in the dark.  Ultimately it may be that the "Island" will represent different things to all of us.

Jack does see himself in Locke. This episode is one that I'll use as an example of an instance when Jack and John seem to be talking at themselves and not necessarily to each other.
Exploring the psychology of seeing the yin and yang of particular beings, i.e. Jacob and the MIB and also Jack and Locke, is part of the LOST story.  They do indeed at times have that intense opposition while maintaining such closeness. 

Locke is doing whatever he needs to do to win the game and to go home/leave.  I can totally see Locke doing some terrible maneuvers in this battle, but is there a chance at all that he is doing it to free as many of them as possible and in turn freeing himself?   Or is it all just evil, to kill for the sake of killing?
Is the greater good to end the game, to leave, or just replace the two main players?   Jacob feels it only ends once and I guess that will be when we see who will be the last one standing.

Locke and Jack know that letting go isn't easy.  Locke is ready to go home/leave- as a matter of fact Dr. Shepherd gives him permission to let go as he himself cannot "let go" just yet.    At this point Jack feels his destiny is the "Island" just as Locke once did. 
It's going to be Jack.
Will Jack learn to let go over the next few hours or will he be the one destined to stay bound to the "Island" to relive his misery over again...or worse?

Love to all who are "LOST"™

It's VERY important to revisit:
The Man from Tallahassee  {Locke and his issues with depression and Anthony Cooper. Plus he blows up the sub.}

Orientation 

There's no place like HOME.

Through the Looking Glass    {Sayid tells Jack he's willing to sacrifice himself}

Born to Run  {We see the MRI Magnetic Resonance Imagining sign}

Maternity Leave  {Sun mentions that a mother should never leave her child}

Some Like it Hoth

This image rang a bell with me when I saw the bandage on  Locke's head and visited Dentist Bernard.

Disclaimer: I never claim to know everything about the show and my thoughts by no means make me right! The things I share here are my views and/or opinions. I don't claim to catch every single detail either! You all know I hate spoilers! And I stand clear of reading certain sites as to not take me off my own course of research. The one thing I don't need to do here is rehash all of the obvious clues from an episode; we all know what they are. Understood? Let the fun begin! I'll only note things that I know come up as clues later, but need to be noted when they first show up and things I find that will be of importance.

Happily Ever After

Let's talk about LOST!   Happily Ever After.

Desmond's eye opens.
Zoe is adjusting his IV.   Desmond's vision is very blurry and then clears.
Zoe-"I know you're disoriented, you've been unconscious for the last three days. But you're off the IV sedation now, and I've just given you a shot to help you wake up ."
Desmond-"Are you a nurse?"
Des is told he's not in a hospital anymore; he had to be moved.
Desmond wants to find his wife, "I want to see Penny!"
Widmore appears and tells him that's not going to be possible.   Desmond looks up, sees Widmore and says what Desmond always says when he realizes someone is familiar, "You."

Desmond is groggy and confused. He asks Widmore what happened to him, "Where am I?"
Widmore- "You were shot...By Benjamin Linus. Do you remember that?"
Yes, Desmond remembers.    He wants to talk to Penny and calls out for her.
Widmore- "She's not here. But I assure you both she and your son are perfectly safe. I'm really sorry for taking you away from them but I didn't have a chance to explain, and if I had you never would have come with me. "  
Desmond wonders, "Come with you where?"
Widmore reveals he brought him back to the island.
Desmond is furious; he actually twitches with emotion. Widmore confesses he can't imagine how Des must be feeling.
Desmond freaks and starts to beat Widmore with the IV pole. Two of Widmore's bodyguards restrain Des and Widmore warns them not to hurt him.
Desmond-"You take me back! You take me back right now, you hear!"
Widmore sternly replies that he can't take him back,"The island isn't done with you yet."
Desmond cries out apparently in pain.
Widmore tends to his injured head.

Jin asks Widmore what Desmond is doing there.
Rather than explain, Widmore feels it will be easier to show him.  Widmore instructs Zoe to take Jin to the generator room and then he'll be along for the test.    Concerned Zoe mentions that test isn't scheduled until tomorrow and Widmore is aware of that.  He demands they get them ready now.   Zoe looks troubled.

Zoe escorts Jin past an area where there is a huge white box with large wires and power cables running to it.   As Jin stops to get a closer look, Zoe hurries him along as there is no time for sightseeing.

Inside the "control room" Zoe informs Seamus that they're bringing Hume down now. {The room is filled with lots of electronics, computers, generators, gages, coils, transformers. etc.}
Their time frame isn't good and the generator probably hasn't been run in 20 years.   {Uh, then how the hell is everything else getting power?  Oh yeah, two "rats" on a big wheel!} 
Jin inquires what they are doing there.   Zoe reveals they are running a "little test".
Seamus calls out to the team, "All right, let's see where we are? Can we get a functioning  EM field going, people? Let's try a power test. Generator on full, please."

Seamus-"Here we go. On my count... three...two...one...and power on."
He pulls a lever and the equipment attempts to start up but fails.
Frustrated Seamus feels there's a  faulty contact somewhere.  He has Simmons go down and check the circuits on the solenoids, and warns Angstrom {The White Rabbit!} that he's going in next.

Simmons checks the huge coil with his trusty yellow meter.  Zoe watches via computer screen/monitors.

The tech in the control room found the bad breaker on the jenny and brings it back online.
Zoe freaks, No!"
He flips the switch and the solenoids ignite; the room is filled with intense bright white light.
Seamus yells for them to turn it off.
Zoe, Seamus and Jin hurry to check things out and find Simmons smoking burned body.
Widmore arrives asking Zoe if "Are we ready?"   He is unaffected by Simmons sacrifice to get the machine running.
Desmond is dragged into the room and can't help but see the body that was in there before him. As the body is being removed Widmore stops them, uncovers it, seems to 'take a moment'.
Desmond is dragged into the room and strapped into the waiting chair. {Mind you Des is supposedly still coming out of a three day sedation and a gunshot wound!}
Widmore-"I know how this looks, Desmond. But if everything I've been told about you is true, you'll be perfectly fine."
One team member confirms Desmond doesn't have any "metal, keys or change" on him. {Important Desmond words!}
Motivated Widmore states,"Course he doesn't, you idiot. I hate to resort to forcing this upon you, Desmond. But once it's over I'm going to ask you to make a sacrifice. And I hope for all our sakes you'll help me."
Desmond-"Sacrifice? What the bloody hell do you know about sacrifice?"
Widmore-"My son died here. For the sake of this island. Your wife, my own daughter hates me. And I've never even met my grandson. But if you won't help me, Desmond, all of it will be for nothing. Penny, your son, and everyone else, will be gone forever."
Widmore and the team exit and close the door.
Desmond starts yelling and fighting his way out of the chair. He friggin Hulks out and literally breaks out of the chair.
In the control room Widmore instructs them to "turn it on."
Jin-"No! If you want me to help you with whatever you're doing here, you need to explain to me..."
Widmore-"That man is the only person I'm aware of in the world, who has survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event. I need to know that he can do it again.... or we all die. Turn it on!"
The machine starts up and Widmore asks if they have full power.
Seamus is hesitant to throw the three levers. {1 red, 2 black)} Impatient Widmore uses his forearm and pulls the three levers
Desmond is yelling for the bastards to, "Let me out!"
The coils start up and the room gets bright with the white light; Des physically reacts to the effects of the machine, then....

...Desmond is at LA  X staring at the flight information board. {The board flashes Oceanic 815 ARRIVAL, meanwhile its passengers are already walking around. A sign shows F-2}
Hurley passes by and informs Desmond,"It's carousel four."
Desmond-"Sorry?"
Hurley-"You were on the Sydney flight, right?"
Desmond-"Yeah."
Hurley-"Our bags on carousel four, I double checked it with the dude at the counter." {Double checked}
Although Desmond didn't ask him for the update he politely thanks him anyway.
Claire struggles to pull her bags off the carousel.  Desmond tells her to "Hang on..." lends her a hand and asks if she has anymore bags. She does not.
Desmond-"Boy or a girl?"   He didn't mean to pry.
Claire-"Oh no it's fine, I just umm, I don't know what it is."
Desmond-"All right. Well you're braver than I. I'm not a big fan of surprises. Oh excuse me, that's mine."
He takes grabs his bags from the carousel while Claire is looking around for someone.
Des notices this-"So, have you got someone meeting you?"
Claire-"Uh yeah, uh maybe they got the flights messed up or something."
Desmond-"Because I've got a car picking me up. You now, if you need a ride I'd be more than happy to give you a lift."
Claire declines because there are cabs. The enjoyed meeting each other.
Desmond declares the baby to be a boy.
Claire-" What?"
Desmond-"Bet it's a boy."

Whistling RayBan sunglass wearing George Minkowski is the driver waiting to pick up "Hume".
Desmond sees his sign,  "Looks like I'm with you."
Friendly George takes Desmond's bags and asks "Take you back to your hotel?"
Desmond is checking his cell replies, "The office."

As George directs him to the limo he makes small talk. "So uh, you flew in from Sydney huh?"
Desmond-"That's right."
George-"And what, what were you doing uh down under?"
Desmond-"I was closing a deal for the boss."
George-"Oh good for you, congratulations. Hey listen, if you need anything at all while you're in town, I know everyone. You need a reservation? You just pick a restaurant."
Des feels the room service at the hotel is excellent.
George-"You uhh, you looking uh for some company? I noticed that you weren't wearing a wedding band. And there are a lot of lovely ladies offering their uh companionship."
Focused Desmond tells him he's not looking for any companionship, "I'm here to work."
George-"Guess that's why you're the boss's right-hand man, and I am the driver. Okay. Got it."

Desmond arrives at Widmore's office and is sent right in by the receptionist who inquires about his flight.

He enters the office and is greeted by a happy Charles Widmore, who welcomes his friend to L.A.. {The receptionist knew Desmond, this couldn't be his first time in LA then...could it?}  The two happy friends hug.

Desmond is looking at Widmore's replica of a sailing ship. {The office is filled with black and white and things seem to not be in the same place}

Widmore is on the phone, "I don't give a bloody damn what he did, or how much it's going to cost. Just get him arraigned and get him out of there."
Widmore-"Sorry Desmond. Looks like our celebration of the Australian deal is going to have to be cut short. You are aware that my son is a musician?" 
Desmond-"Yes. I've heard he's quite talented." 
Widmore-"Yeah he is, quite. {Watch how he says that!}  Anyway, my wife is putting together one of her charity events and uh, the boy had a crazy idea to combine classical music with modern rock. You heard of a band called Driveshaft?"
Desmond hasn't heard of them.
Widmore-"Their bass guitarist overdosed and uh a, got himself arrested. And now, if I don't get this junkie to my wife's event she will, simply put... destroy me."
Desmond-"So you want me to babysit him?"
Widmore-"I know it's beneath you, but I need someone I can trust to do the job right."
Desmond-"Say no more Charles, it's done."
Widmore-"Huh. You really do have the life, son.  No family, no commitments. Ahh to be free of attachments."
Desmond feels he's a blessed man. Yet Widmore claims  he is blessed to have Desmond in his employ.
He toasts Desmond, "A drink, to celebrate your indispensability."
He pours two glasses of MacCutcheon whiskey.
This surprises Desmond, "That's your sixty-year-old Scotch, Charles."
Widmore feels nothing is too good for Desmond.
Desmond toasts-"Sláinte."

Desmond arrives at the AIRPORT COURTHOUSE; Superior courthouse, as junkie Charlie is exiting with a female lawyer. {Des' reflection in the door.} She checks her cell.
The lawyer walks directly to Desmond and correct inquires/assumes/knows it's Mr. Hume.
Desmond-"That's right."
She informs Des that bail's all been taken care of. "Remember he's not allowed to leave the state."
Charlie is going through the plastic bag that contains his personal effects.  Desmond introduces himself to Mr. Pace, conveying that Charles Widmore sent him.
Charlie defies authority, dumps the bag on the ground and walks away.
Desmond-"Hey! Where you going?"
The lawyer tells Des, "He's all yours."
Charlie purposely crosses the street walking directly in the path of oncoming cars.
A driver yells out, "What's wrong with you?! Idiot!"
Charlie heads directly into JAX bar. {Jack's Bar}

Desmond looks at his watch and seems a bit annoyed. He follows Charlie into the bar. {The following conversation is very important}
He'll have whatever Charlie's having.  "One drink, then we go."
Charlie-"So what's your job then, to babysit me? What are you, Mr Widmore's chief lackey?  Henchman?" {Shinny DS ring}
Desmond-"No title. Plenty of perks though."   He gets to meet charming people.
Charlie-"Well, cheers then. Tell me perky, are you happy?"
Desmond-"Quite."
Charlie-"No you're not."
Desmond-"Well I've got a great job, lots of money, get to travel the world. Why wouldn't I be happy?
Charlie-"Have you ever been in love?"
Desmond-"Thousands of times."
Charlie- "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about spectacular consciousness altering love.  Do you know what that looks like?"
Desmond-"I wasn't aware that love looked like anything."
Charlie-"I've seen it, mate. On the plane back from Sydney."
Desmond-"Is that so? Well we were on the same flight, so...maybe I saw it too."
Charlie-"Trust me, you didn't."
Desmond- "Oh? Enlighten me."
Charlie-"There was this woman, two rows in front of me, in handcuffs, sitting with a cop.  He looked at me, knew I was holding. If I didn't take action I'd be caught. So I got up, went to the lav, proceeded to eliminate the evidence by swallowing my stash. And at that exact moment we hit turbulence. I choked. The entire bag of heroin is stuck in my throat. It's over, everything starts to go dark, I'm slipping into the abyss and then I see her."
Desmond- "Her?"
Charlie- "A woman. Blond, rapturously beautiful, and I know her...we're together. It's like we've always been and always will be.  {He's euphoric for a moment} This feeling, this love... and just as I'm about to be engulfed by...I open my eyes and this sodding idiot is standing there asking me if I'm okay. But I saw it, just for a moment I saw what it looked like."
{Like when Locke looked into the eye of the Island and what he saw was...beautiful?!}
Desmond-"Well that's just...poetry, brother. You know you should, you should write a song about that."
Charlie-"Yeah yeah, I know what you're saying, poor suicidal rock star. But I've seen something real, I've seen the truth."

Desmond- "No that's not the truth. You want to know the real truth, Pace?  Right now you have a choice... you can keep on drinking, or you can come with me.  Now before you make your choice, realize that if you stay here, it will very likely result in the extermination of your musical career."
Charlie-"And if I go with you?"
Desmond- "In twenty minutes you'll be luxuriating in a five star hotel, right on the harbor front, and Charles Widmore - one of the most powerful men in this town will owe you a favor."
Charlie- "Doesn't really seem like a choice."
Desmond-"There's always a choice, brother."

Desmond and Charlie ride in the car and "You All Everybody" plays on the radio.  Charlie's band Drive Shaft's first single; fondly claims that to be "The beginning of everything great. You like it?"
Desmond-"Sure, for what it is."
{It's looks like they drive right by the backdrop used in the photo Des and Penny used in their infamous photo.}
Charlie feels sorry for him "You think you're happy. You think you've got it all, this...your life. But, you don't."
Desmond- "Why, because none of it's real?"
Charlie-"All right, Mr. Hume. How about I offer you a choice?"   He can either show Des what he's talking about, or Des can get out of the car. Desmond scoffs at this.
Desmond-"Why in God's name would I want to get out of the car?"
Charlie pulls the wheel purposely driving the car into the water.
Underwater.
Desmond gets out of his seatbelt and tries to rescue unconscious Charlie. 
Desmond actually yells-"Charlie! Charlie! Come on" while submerged under the water. {Muffled sound}
Desmond swims out of the driver's window; the sun roof/moon roof is open.   He takes a deep breath and dives down to get Charlie.  Desmond can't open the passenger door even though the lock is open.
Charlie nonchalantly opens his eyes and  holds up his left hand to the window. Desmond immediately "Flashes" to the moment Charlie informs Desmond it's "NOT PENNY'S BOAT".
Charlie stares then closes his eyes, seemingly becoming unconscious again. Desmond miraculously gets his door open, unstraps the seatbelt, and pulls unconscious Charlie to safety.  Des calls out for help.

In the hospital Desmond is being examined and questioned by the female doctor.  She shines her pen light into his eyes to check pupil dilation.   He is stitched up on the right side of his forehead.  
Dr.- "You sustained a pretty bad bump in your accident. Any nausea?"
Desmond- "Nope."
Dr.- "Double vision?"
Desmond-"No. Listen, I need to find the man I was brought in here with."
Dr.- "How about hallucinations?"
Desmond-"What do you mean?"  {He doesn't know what hallucinations mean?!}
Dr.-"Hallucinations. Seeing things that aren't there."
Confused Des isn't sure.  The Dr. informs him the C.A.T. Scan was inconclusive and she's sending him downstairs for an MRI.
Desmond tells her he doesn't have time for this and needs to find the man he came in here with.
Dr.-"I'm afraid you're not finding anyone until we know what's going on inside your brain."

The MRI tech asks Desmond if he's wearing  any metal, carrying keys or change. "Any metal inside your body, pacemakers, pins, bullets, steel plate inside of your head?"
Desmond-"No. Nothing."
The tech notes Desmond didn't list an emergency contact, no friends or family. He just put down his employer, Charles Widmore.
The tech explains this machine is super loud. "You're gonna want these. {gives him ear plugs and straps him to table.}  And you need the button."
Desmond-"The button?"
Tech-"The panic button. You need to stop, press it. Try not to 'cause we'll have to start all over again from the beginning. I'll be in that booth over there. You'll be able to hear me. Thirty minutes, okay?"
Desmond is sent into the machine.

 The machine starts along with its {familiar} noises.  With his eyes open Desmond "sees" images, as if movie clips are being displayed above him in the bright light:  Charlie drowning, Penny smiling, kissing Penny,the birth of Charlie, toddler Charlie, kissing Penny. He hears Penny's voice whisper...  "Desmond."
Des freaks out, "Hey! Let me out of here!"
He pushes the panic button!  The overhead light in the machine is off.
The tech pulls him out, "What happened, man? Are you all right?"
Panicked Desmond needs to find the man he came in there with.  He takes out ear plugs.

Desmond is at the nurse's station  talking to an uninterested nurse. "His name is Charlie Pace. He came in an hour ago. Just give me his room number."
The nurse informs him if he's not a relative that's confidential information.
Desmond-"Look, we were in an accident together. I need to see him!"
There's nothing she can do.   Just then Dr. Jack Shephard happens by.
Desmond-"Hey. Excuse me. Um., were you on the same Oceanic flight from, umm, Sydney."
Jack-"Yeah, yeah, you were sitting next to me. Desmond, right?"
Desmond-"Yeah, that's right. Listen. I wonder if you can help me, brother. I need to find someone. He was on our plane. He's somewhere in the hospital."
Jack-"Hold on. He was on our plane and now he's here in the hospital?"
{Yeah, Jack the same dude you saved on the damn plane!}
On cue Charlie Pace is running away from a nurse and yelling "None of this matters!", right past Desmond and Jack.
Desmond takes up the chase after Charlie.   Charlie runs down the stairs and exits on the 2nd floor. {Wearing his black and white vans.}
With Charlie finally cornered, Desmond asks him, "Why you runnin'?"
Blue eyed Charlie-"Cause nobody here can help me. Now let me go."
Desmond-"Why’d you try an kill me?  Charlie insists he didn’t try to kill him, he was trying to show him something.  Desmond wants Charlie to show him his hand. {What is this...Poker?!}
Desmond-"Your hands. Show me your bloody hands now."
Charlie is intrigued and wonders,"You saw something, didn’t you? In the water. What was it?"
Desmond grabs Charlie’s hands
Charlie-"What are you looking for, mate?"
Desmond-"Who’s Penny?"
Charlie-"I don’t know. Ah. You felt it, didn’t you?"
Desmond-"I didn’t’ feel anything."
Charlie-"Then, why are you accosting a man in a dressing gown?"
Desmond-"All right. Come on. We’re leaving."
Charlie-"Whoa! You think I’m going to play a rock concert after this? This doesn’t matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it. You wanna try and stop me, good luck."
Desmond-"Hey, where you going?"
Charlie-"If I were you I’d stop worrying about me and start looking for Penny."   He walks away.

Widmore is on the phone with Desmond being told that Charlie is gone.
Desmond-"He escaped.  He knocked over a doctor with a bloody crash cart and then ran out of the hospital.
Widmore-"And you let him go?
Desmond-"He’s a junkie who drove my car into the ocean, Charles. I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."
Widmore is thrilled Desmond survived but when he gives Desmond a job to do he expected him to do it.
Desmond fluffs it off as "just a bloody concert."
Widmore-"I tell you what, Desmond, if you can’t deliver Pace, why don’t you tell Mrs. Widmore, it’s just a bloody concert."   He hangs up on Des. {Des pushes the elevator button-he's on the 3rd floor!}

George opens the limousine door for Mr. Hume and remarks about him never having met the boss’ wife; and wishes him luck with that.

Snooty and annoyed Eloise is directing workers {young man dressed in Black and White.} in preparation of her event. "Please, tell me, how someone in your line of work is not aware that the butter knife is placed handle to the right, blade facing left? Just so."  {Daniel is playing classical music on the piano.}
Desmond introduces himself to Eloise. "My name is Desmond Hume. I work for your husband."    {She knows this is Desmond and is shocked to see him}
Eloise-"Of course, Mr. Hume. Charles has told me so much about you. It’s a travesty we haven’t met before. Well, it’s about time."
Desmond-"Well, the feeling is mutual, Mrs. Widmore."
Eloise-"Oh, please. It’s Eloise."
She wonders what crisis forced Charles to send his best fix-it man into the bowels of charity balls.
Desmond is deeply sorry and informs her that Drive Shaft won’t be able to perform alongside her son. "And, uh, I take full responsibility…"
Eloise- "Don’t worry about it."
Desmond is confused by her accepting attitude. "Excuse me?"
Eloise-"Oh, my son will understand. I suppose if one employs certain so-called, rock stars, certain unpredictability comes with the territory."
Desmond-"Yeah. You’re not angry?"
Eloise-"Oh, not at all dear. What happened, happened. Thank you so much, Mr. Hume, for coming and telling me in person. A pleasure meeting you."
Desmond-"And you."
Eloise corrects a worker to center the flower arrangement.   Desmond wishes her a good evening.
A man is going over the guest list and is heard mentioning: Leifer, Stefanie, plus two. Markey, Mary, plus one. Milton, Penny solo. Pepper, Nicholas, plus one.
The name Penny catches Desmond's attention and he asks the man about it.
Man-"And who are you?"
Desmond-"Um, I work for Mr. Widmore, may I see the list?" {He takes it.}
Eloise grabs the list, "You absolutely may not. That list is confidential.'
Desmond begs her pardon, but he's entrusted with confidential items every day.
Eloise-"Are you questioning me?"
Desmond- "No, I just want to look at one name on that list.  And, if for some reason, that’s a problem…"
Annoyed Eloise-"Come with me."
She demands the cooking staff to get out.  Desmond apologizes if he's overstepped his bounds.
Eloise-"Stop talking, Hume. I’ve heard what you’ve had to say. Now, you listen to me. I want you to stop."
Desmond-"Stop? Stop what?"
Eloise-"Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a serious problem. It is, in fact, a violation. So, whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for….You need to stop looking for it."
Desmond- "Do you, do you know what I’m looking for, Mrs. Widmore?"
Eloise-"I don’t know why you’re looking for anything?   You have the perfect life. On top of it, you’ve managed to attain the thing you wanted more than anything, my husband’s approval."
Desmond-"How do you know what I want?"
Eloise-"Because I bloody do."
Desmond-"I need to see that list…or you need to tell me why I can’t."
Eloise-"You can’t because you’re not ready yet, Desmond."  She walks away from him.
Desmond-"Ready? Ready, for what?"
Confused Desmond walks back to the limo.
George assumes things went badly. Desmond asks if there's any alcohol in the car. Of course there is, as a matter of fact he's told "Whatever you need. So, uh, where to, Mr. Hume?" {Of course, what ever they need, the "Island" gives them.}
Desmond-"Just drive, George."    There's a knock on Desmond's window.
Daniel-"My name is Daniel, Daniel Widmore. We need to talk." {Why is Daniel dressed very "dated"?}
Desmond-"Look, uh, Mr. Widmore, um…"
Daniel-"Dan, please. Call me, Dan. Mr. Widmore is my father."
Desmond-"Dan, if this is about Charlie Pace not being able to perform with you, I’m, I’m very sorry."
Daniel-"Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume?"
Desmond-"Excuse me?"
Daniel-"The first time I saw her I was walking through this museum, a few weeks ago. She, she works here.  She was on her lunch break. She was eating a chocolate bar. She has these incredible blue, blue eyes, red hair. And, as soon as I saw her, right, right in that moment, it was like, it was like I already loved her. And that’s when things got weird. {he takes a notebook from his bag.} That same night after I saw that woman, I woke up and I wrote this."

Desmond-"So what is it?"
Daniel- "I’m a musician. I have no idea. So I took it to a friend of mine at Cal tech. He’s a math whiz. He said this is quantum mechanics. He said these equations are so advanced that only someone who’d been studying physics their entire life could have come up with them."
Desmond-"So what do they mean?"
Daniel-"Okay. Imagine,  imagine something terrible is about to happen. Something catastrophic, and the only way to stop it from happening is by releasing a huge amount of energy.  Like setting off a nuclear bomb."
Desmond-"You wanna set off a nuclear bomb?"
Daniel-"Just listen. What if, this, all this, what if this wasn’t supposed to be our life?   What if we had some other life and for some reason, we changed things? I don’t want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did."
Desmond-"Listen, mate, um. I don’t know what any of this has to do with me, so…"
Daniel-"Why did you ask my mother about a woman named Penny? It happened to you, too, didn’t it? You felt it." 
Confused Desmond doesn't know; he doesn't know what he felt. Daniel says he does, "You felt love."
Des feels that's impossible because he doesn't know anything about this woman, "I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know if she exists. She’s an idea."
Daniel-"No, Mr. Hume. She’s my half-sister. And I can tell you exactly where and when you can find her."
{That's one hell of a coincidence Desmond's love is Dan's half sister.}
Guess where he can find her? At the stadium, running a Tour DeStade.
Desmond walks right up to her and asks "Are you Penny?"
It is.
Desmond smiles, "Hello. I’m Desmond."
Penny shakes his hand and says hi.

Desmond opens his eyes; he is inside the huge white box.  He looks at his right hand.
Seamus sees Desmond and seems surprised, "He’s okay."
Widmore is pleased,"How are you, Desmond?"  {Desmond's eyes are checked with the pen light.}
Desmond- "Fine. How long was I unconscious for?"
Widmore-"Well, No more than a few seconds."
Desmond seems peaceful-"Will you help me up, please."
Widmore-"I’m really sorry we had to do this to you, Desmond. But as I told you, your talent is vital to our mission. So, if you just let me explain...."
Desmond-"It’s all right. I understand."
Widmore-"What?"
Desmond-"I said, I understand You told me, you brought me here to the Island to do something very important."
Widmore confirms that.
Desmond-"When do we start?"
The group is walking back and  Zoe asks Desmond what happened to him.
Desmond-"What do you mean?"
Zoe-"What I mean is, twenty minutes ago you were beating the crap out of Widmore with an I.V. stand and now you’re Mr. Cooperative."
Desmond-"A lot can happen in twenty minutes."
Zoe agrees, "That thing fried your brain."   {That thing! The smoke monster has recently been referenced as "that thing"}
Desmond smirks, "Did it?"
Zoe-"Whatever, doesn’t change the fact that you’re gonna...."
Armed Sayid attacks a couple of the workers and tells Zoe to run.
He tells Desmond he doesn't have time to explain, but these people are extremely dangerous. "We need to go, now."
Desmond-"Aye, of course. Lead the way."  {Ah, there's my pirate! lol}
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Penny-"Hello?! You okay?"
They are at the stadium. Apparently when Penny shook his hand he fainted. She must have quite an effect on him.
Desmond must look familiar to her because she wonders if they've met before.
Des thinks "we’d remembered it if we had."
Penny makes sure he's all right.
Desmond- "Yeah, I’m fine. Hey, listen, um, would you like to go for a coffee?"
Penny- "What, now? I’m a sweaty mess."   {Doesn't she have a charity ball to be at?}
Desmond-"I just fainted in front of you. I’d say we’re even."
Penny tells him of a coffee shop on the corner of Sweetzer and Melrose; she'll meet you there in an hour. They both are smitten!
Happy Desmond heads back to the limo where George asks, "So, did you find what you were looking for?"
Desmond-"Yes, George, I did. Corner of Melrose and Sweetzer, please."
George-"You got it. And if there is anything else I can do for you, Mr. Hume, you just name it."
Desmond-"Actually, there is one thing, George. Can you get me the manifest from our fight from Sydney, Oceanic 815? Just the names of the passengers."
George-"Sure I can. Do you mind if I ask you what you need it for?"
Desmond-"I just need to show them something."



Happily Ever After is a GREAT episode!!
All I can say is...you were given a shot to help you wake up. This was a "wake up call" for all "Island" residents and at home viewers!   I think it's pretty obvious that the "LA  X" bits aren't what you thought they were.
It's interesting to see that Widmore took Desmond by force; he didn't give Desmond a choice.  Locke gives his people a choice.
In this version we see that Desmond's will to have Widmore's respect won out over love, but his life was incomplete.  Also interesting is that Widmore adored Desmond until he couldn't "watch" Charlie.
With the difference of  things we've been seeing brings me back to the possibility of  each person having their own individual journey or is it simply that we're just seeing the different "go-arounds" tested/done until  it is done right. {Run the test 10 times and see what the outcomes are.}  After all, a lot can happen in twenty minutes!

How believable was the huge white box with the two coils that supposedly produces energy, radiation, electromagnetism and such? It  isn't even a completely enclosed room providing safety from exposure of all that shit!  Plus I hate how they throw the word catastrophic around.

Things to Note...Questions to ask...
* Recycle.  The same places, people, names, dialogue, props, etc.. {Reuse-rebirth}
* Head-consciousness.   What's going on inside your brain and  inside of your head.  It doesn't get any fucking clearer than that!
* Because none of it's real. 
* Ear. Earplugs. Loud. Hear.
* Eyes. Eye color.  Look. See. 
* White Rabbit.  Alice in Wonderland.  Through the Looking Glass. Down the rabbit hole.
* Penny Milton. Half sister.
* Disoriented. Groggy. Sedated.
* Remember. Forget. Deja vu. Familiar.
* Manifest. Idea. Imagine. Wish. Believe.
* Machines. Generator. Power. Radio.
* Wires. Cables. Monitors. Attachments. Driver. Button. Computes. Online.
* Test.  Power test.
* C.A.T. Scan.  MRI.  Magnet.
* Game. Stadium. Bet. Sacrifice. Rules. Violations. Start. Stop. Start over from the beginning.
* Hospital. Jail.
* JAX bar. Jack and Christian.
* Tour DeStade, bar, pen, alcohol/liquor, hospital=Jack
* Mental health. Crazy. Addiction. MacCutcheon whiskey. Junkie.
* Maybe they need to learn how to contain their own anger or learn what to do with their own stored up energy/emotions.
* Playing roles. Changing roles.
* Perform. Solo. Rock star. Musician. Concert. Song. Poetry. Write/wrote.
* Drive Shaft's first "come back" show in L.A. was {Originally}supposed to be with Meatcoat.
* Enlightenment. Free of attachments.
* "There's always a choice."
* Desmond on the plane had a wedding band on, yet this Desmond is not married. That is NOT a continuity error! We're seeing proof of different versions of things.
* Why was Daniel's last name fucking Faraday? Why is it Widmore?
* Half sister. Combine two forms of "music/something" to make a new "one".
* Why is Jin privy to the big white box?
* Desmond is Charlie's babysitter. {Guard}
* Widmore and Desmond have a head injury.
* We had no Flash Whoosh and only once at the end scene did we get an Air plane engine/sounds-rumble to signify the change in "scene" for Desmond.
* "It happened to you, ".   George says a similar line to Desmond aboard the freighter.
* Heart.
* Which version (if any) is the real current run through?   Did Widmore send Desmond over just to babysit Charlie?
* Piano players on the "Island:  Daniel, Jack, Ben, Charlie and Sun.  Although we must mention that we've seen Sun and Daniel have a disconnect from the music.

Vocabulary and Research...
* Idea: an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks.
I encourage you to read more on "Idea" as is connects to the LOST story and the philosophy of it's character's namesakes.
* Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, literally translating as "health".
* Carousel. Merry go round. Ferris Wheel. Loop. Circle.
* White Rabbit: a character in Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- In The Looking Glass Wars,  the White Rabbit is re-imagined as Bibwit Harte, an albino tutor with super-sensitive hearing.
- Jefferson Airplane recorded a song called "White Rabbit", with references  to this character and the Wonderland saga in general as metaphors for drug-induced experiences.
- Neo is told to follow the White Rabbit in the Matrix 
-A synchronized set of strobing lights on the approach end of an airport runway Approaching Lighting System.




Over the past five years I have given countless examples of things happening in their heads, minds, consciousness, sleeping, the hum of the magnet {a piece of medical equipment}, machine, wires, cables, computers, drugs, hallucinations, dreams, manipulated imagery, ship, test, learning, different versions, two, two sides, underwater, mental health, jail, game, journey, perception and enlightenment etc.. This episode outright spelled it out for you all, and this episode did indeed tie it up with a pretty little bow.

Here are the links to my previous notes for Flashes Before Your Eyes, Catch 22, The Constant, The Variable
Other important notes: The Beginning of the End,  Deus Ex Machina, Man of Science Man of Faith.

Desmond has "Flashes" much like we've seen in his other centric episodes.  Is he time traveling?  No.  Again I'll state... he just may be "remembering"  other "go-arounds" on  this little "Island" (testing) adventurous journey.

The truth got literally SHOVED in Desmond's face by someone (Charlie) who is off the "grid".
Desmond must be playing this game waaaay tooooooo long to keep on missing the point, so Charlie "PUSHED".  But we did also see Desmond give his enlightened statement to Charlie of "There's always a choice".   Who is pushing whom?  Either way, someone is affecting the way Desmond is seeing things.  In fact it's a violation.  A violation by which side?  Hmmm.

The only way to get out of this level is to get to see, feel, hear and know truth.
We  have seen "players" in the adventure/journey assume roles of guides, guardians and keepers of the path.  The "lost" person must face challenges and the truth about themselves/someone/something and when they find what they are looking for, {themselves/something/someone; to forgive, trust, love, see truth, etc.} then they can move on.  And for some, if they are getting to close to the "truth" about the "Island" itself or close to unseating the leader, then they are removed from the playing field/game board. 

Just for a moment forget about the sideways stuff, the stupid time travel, hieroglyphics, quantum physics, bizarre gizmos and gadgets, other universes, smoke monsters and all the other illusions, magic and distractions and look at what the story is really about...
Try to see the "truth" or my favorite word...enlightenment. The answers are indeed right in front of our eyes as they have always been.

If there are people out there who still think they're watching a show only about a plane crash, another universe complete with time travel, alternate time lines due to blowing up a hydrogen bomb and such, and have not learned that in addition to those fantastical things that this story is a very human story...then I am sorry, I don't think my notes will show you anything to help you find your way.

Keep in mind the phrase "Happily Ever After" is traditionally a closing sentiment at the end of a "fairy tale"

Love to all who are "LOST"™

Charlie literally reaches out to his fellow "Island" friends in need!
Happily Ever After, Through the Looking Glass, The Beginning of the End.

Disclaimer: I never claim to know everything about the show and my thoughts by no means make me right! The things I share here are my views and/or opinions. I don't claim to catch every single detail either! You all know I hate spoilers and I stand clear of reading certain sites as to not take me off my own course of research. The one thing I don't need to do here is rehash all of the obvious clues from an episode, we all know what they are. Understood? Good! Let the fun begin! I'll only note things that I know come up as clues later, but need to be noted when they first show up and things I find that will be of importance. It will get very exciting as we progress into the story.