Across the Sea.

Let's talk about LOST! Across the Sea.

Because I am tied up for the next couple of days I cannot write out my detailed notes as usual, but I will as soon as I'm home. This episode was so wonderful that I needed to get some thoughts down.

Profound metaphors galore!

Coming out of this episode found me with the hope that fans would relate to the metaphors of the story and find some of their answers within the magical images set before us.  The first answer I need to put before you, even though it is out of order in relation to the episode, is the confirmation of a game.  The confirmation has been given to us many times, although many fans choose to ignore it's there.
Note that viewers are led to believe (via neighboring episodes) that the Boy in Black represents the Man in Black, the "Smoke Monster"... Locke.

Game On!

Our answer came quite simply by the boys and it will not get any clearer than this.
Jacob- "What is it?"
Boy in dark- "It's a game. You play it."
Jacob- "How do you know?"
Boy in dark- "I just know." The boy in dark assigns the pieces determining who is which color.
The boy in dark-Black and Jacob-White.
Jacob wants his brother to teach him how to play and he will, but he has to promise not to tell "mother" because she'll take it away.  Jacob wants to play.  The boy in dark has insight to things being "off" with this woman who is raising them.  The Senet game is played according the rules the boy in dark instituted.  When Jacob tries to cheat/illegal on a move in the game, the boy in dark calls him out on it explaining when he/Jacob makes up his own game everyone else will have to follow "your rules."

In current time we have MIB/Locke playing by Jacob's rules.
It's interesting "Mother Island" claims she left the game there for the intuitive boy in dark to find.

Down the Rabbit Hole

I jumped out of my chair when we saw Queens of a chess board (of sorts).  The red-orange (pregnant and limping) queen, Claudia, emerges from under the water to gaze at the beautiful "Island."
Claudia delivers two sons (twins) via the assistance of a stern and forbidding looking woman with no name who lives in the caves.  This woman claims to be there solo and also arrived there by accident.  We are in the midst of the women speaking another language {Latin?-the language of the "enlightened" and Claudia w/Spanish and an Italian mix} which they apparently understand and then automatically in an instant switch to the very comfortable modern English.  Claudia has many questions but "Mother Island" feels "Every question I answer will simply lead to another question. You should rest. Just be grateful you're alive", so enough said.  Well, other than her telling Claudia that if there's other people on the "Island" she will find them.

"It" is coming

Claudia is told she delivered two boys, but she wasn't prepared with more than one name option for her "son". {She only refers to a single "him"}
"Mother Island" kills the natural mother with a rock. {Eko kills Others with a rock.}

There must be something more

The boy in dark finds the "planted" Senet game and is excited to have something to engage his brain and entice him into dreaming about life outside of the confines of the "Island".

Eyes in the Back of my Head

While “Mother Island” weaves her new fabric Jacob enters the cave; she knows without turning around that it is Jacob who entered and not the "other" boy.  She also knows he isn't telling the truth about what they/two boys were doing.  Jacob firstly mentions his brother is down at the beach staring out at the ocean. And then mentions they we just walking.

Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places

She asks Jacob if he loves her and he obviously has reservations about her, but says yes anyway.

When "Mother Island" sits with the boy in dark it is revealed Jacob told her what he found and mommy claims that's because Jacob doesn't know how to lie.   Are you fucking kidding me?! We literally just saw Jacob do it!   “Mother Island” tells the curious boy "He's not like you... You're... special."   Mama lets the boy in dark keep the game as she claims it really came from her.  The boy in dark's imagination had hoped it came from somewhere else... from across the sea.
“Mother Island”- "There is nowhere else. The island's all there is."
But the inquisitive mind of the boy in dark wants to know where "we" came from.  Mama claims the boys came from her and she from her mother; all reproducing without the mention of a man.
* A reminder from Emily Locke- “I want to tell you that you’re special. Very special. You are part of a design. You do realize that, don’t you? That our meeting, me finding you… this is a sign of things to come. Great things.”

The boy in dark inquisitively notes the word "dead" when mother mentions her mother is dead, and he wonders what that is.  Mama touches him and confidently tells him, "Something you will never have to worry about."

We then see Jacob and his brother chase a boar through the jungle. The boy in dark says "Hurry up! He's getting away!"  The boys lose the boar but in the distance hear it squeal out in pain.  Quietly they sneak a peek to find men with their kill. The boys hide.

The human doesn't see things as they are, but as he is.

The upset duo informs “Mother Island” that they saw people who looked like "us", and want to know where they came from. Mother insists "They're not like us. They don't belong here. We are here for a reason."   By the way she says that line while looking directly at the boy in dark/John Locke.  The boy in dark takes full advantage of asking questions, "What reason?"  Her only answer is "It's not time yet..."
She blindfolds the boys and leads them on a trek through the jungle while admitting she knew about the people and didn't tell them because they're dangerous and she didn't want to frighten “you.” "Mother Island" explains the thing that makes all men dangerous, "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt and it always ends the same", yet she was every bit of that as well.  Again the boy in dark/Lock the "thinker" wants to know where they came from.  Mother only says "another part of the island. And you're never to go looking for them. If they found you they would hurt you." {Apparently that's not true because he ends up living with them for 30 years. But I understand the sentiment- as people will be people, with big egos and selfish behavior, etc.}  The boy in dark knows "We’re people. Does that mean we can hurt each other?"   Mom conveniently made it so they could never hurt each other.   But evidently that's not true either.  She feels that's just what people do.   It is apparent that this woman has no faith in "men"/people.  That's why Hurley/Hugo even feels he can trust the dead more than the living because living people can hurt you.

"Mother Island" brings them to the place, the reason they're here ... The light.  They are at a flowing stream that flows right down into a tunnel with the warmest most beautiful bright light anyone has ever seen or felt.

Trust Issues x 10

"Mother Island"  warns them not to go in there and to make sure no one ever finds it.  "A little bit of this very same light is inside of every man. But they always want more."
Jacob- "Can they take it?"
"Mother Island"- "No, but they'll try. And if they tried, they could put it out. And if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere."
She claims to be the protector of the light, but can't protect forever.  One of the boys will have to carry on.  It sounds like "Mother Island" is keeping the light trapped in an effort to thwart people from having it, and breaking hearts. She really is protecting her own broken heart.

Dream within a Dream

The boy in dark can see the image of his dead birth mother, while Jacob cannot.   She wants to show the boy where he came from. "It’s across the island a place you've never seen."   He learns that 13 years ago the day before he was born their ship wrecked.   Dead Mama enlightens him to their being many things across the sea. "You come from across the sea too."  {Dead mama-manifestation of the smoke monster- "Mother Island". Hmmmm...}

“I've looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful.” 

The boy in dark won't live a lie so he gathers his and Jacob’s things and wants to leave and never come back.  He reveals "Mother" lied about EVERYTHING including her loving them. This infuriates Jacob and he beats him up.  But the boy in dark confronts "Mother Island" sharing that he now knows the truth and he's going to go home; the boys don't belong there.   Mama tells the boy in dark that no matter what he's been told he could never leave this island, but the boy knows that's not true; one day he will prove it.   He walks away from the two.  When the boy in dark looked at the light he saw the "truth" and wanted to live his life according to the truth, not the crap "Mother Island" was feeding him.  His thoughts were to be formed on the basis of fact, science, logic, reason, "gut feeling/clarity", and freedom, and he wasn't going to be influenced by this woman, her "Island" traditions or any other dogma.
The boy in dark/MIB/Locke is an enlightened "freethinker".

“The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side” 

"Mother Island" admits to Jacob she killed their birth mother because she would have taken them back to her "bad people" and she couldn't let that happen, as she needed him to stay good.
Jacob-"Am I mother?"
"Mother Island" says yes.  Jacob feels she loves "him/Boy in Dark" more than him. Clever mom claims to love them in different ways.  Jacob will stay with this insane murdering baby napper of a woman and this makes her happy.

Big Boys Play Games Too

Jacob and his brother have been having secret covert sessions to play the game.  Jacob says mother never asks about Man in Black, but that's a lie.  Jacob "watches" the little villagers and their behavior to see if they are really bad.  He doesn't think they're so bad.
MIB-"It may be easy for you to say... Looking down at us from above. Trust me I've lived among them for 30 years, they're greedy, manipulative, untrustworthy, and selfish."  But he puts up with their ways because they're a means to an end.  He tells his brother, "I'm leaving, Jacob."  He proves the magnetic field of the island to Jacob by throwing his dagger at the well.  He explains he and the smart men discovered that metal behaves strangely.  They dig, explore and invent.  MIB begs Jacob to go with him but Jacob declines.  Jacob is loyal, I'll give him that.  But is his loyalty based in ignorance and fear?   "Island Mother" kept him close at hand seemingly because in my opinion he was the one amendable for coercion.  That is a concept we only thought pertained to Castaway John Locke.  Her sheltered mind was limited by her ignorance, pain and fear.

To everything there is a season

Everything dies! 
Jacob is the one that doesn't want to leave this island, "It's my home." (He's comfortable there- used to the way things are.)
"Mother Island" approaches the work site and appears down in the well where MIB is heating coals. He shares with her his time with the villagers learning and exploring a way to find the light that she didn't want him to have and share.  He explored the idea of "What if I can get to it from someplace else?"   He removes a small piece of stone to let in a bit of the beautiful light that shines on the wheel.  The special man knows how to do all this. They even invented a wheel that will help him on his quest to get back to where he belongs.

MIB/Locke says goodbye to his mother. She bids him goodbye; but smashes his head against the stone wall; knocking him out.
  
There is no Choice...You Must Believe in Free Will

Mom wakes sleeping Jacob, "It's time."   She's letting MIB/Locke go.
In the night she leads Jacob to the tunnel that houses the light.  When asked what's down there she replies, life, death, rebirth... it the source, the heart of the island. {Hmmm...Enlightenment!} She wants Jacob to promise her he'll never go down there because it would be worse than dying. She gives him some wine as some sort of promissory communion to accept the responsibly of protecting the light, and finding his replacement when the time comes.  Jacob doesn't want the responsibility but knows he's got the gig by default.  When he drinks the liquid she poured she claims, "Now you and I are the same."   Well, now that Mother and Jacob are the same... the evil, flawed shoe must fit.

Free will is the purported ability of agents to make choices free from constraints. 

MIB/Locke regains consciousness outside of the well in the daylight and not inside the well where he was knocked out by the "mother".   Mother has destroyed the well.  He sees black smoke rising in the distance and discovers the village is burned and his people are killed.

The Game Continues

Jacob notes that a storm is coming and will see "Mother Island" back home.  Mom sets off to the caves where she finds her stuff is destroyed and the Senet game is there.  {Locke destroyed a few things while on the "island" too. His reason was to keep the people/Jack who needed to be there, to stay until they are ready to go home.}

MIB/Locke Slays the Monster!  (He let go of the metaphoric monster that caused part of his life long suffering)

He plunged the knife into "Mother Island" before she could speak a word, all in retribution for her terrible act of killing the other "Island" residents, trying to kill him, stopping him from leaving and to stop her from continuing her bad ways.   "Mother Island" thanks him.   Jacob walks in seeing the aftermath and not understanding beats up MIB/Locke.  MIB/Locke doesn't fight back with Jacob.

Jacob brings/pulls MIB/Locke to the beautiful light and throws him face down into the stream that floats him unconscious into the light.   It is important to note that Jacob actually tells MIB/Locke "Don't worry brother, I'm not going to kill you" before he throws him down onto the rocks.  Black smoke is released.   Jacob is sad and confused.  He finds his brother dead on some rocks at a stream.  Jacob cries.

Jacob lays the dead woman and the man with the white/black stones to rest in the caves- together.   "Goodbye brother."  Jacob only bids his brother goodbye- not the woman who raised him.

They are all guilty of everything "Mother Island" told the young boys.

All aboard the Crazy Train 

Mental Health and issues with reality!
"Mother Island" was indeed insane and evil. Don't try to tell me she wasn't!  She stole two newborns and killed their birth mother so she could keep them and mold them to her own distorted beliefs. She lied, manipulated, controlled and sheltered them from the truth.  She destroyed, burned and killed the village and its residents.   She also felt that the other "Island" people would want the "Island" light so "she" kept the light hidden, claiming to be its protector and hoping it would never be found.   In this episode I saw a woman who lost faith in a man/men, people and herself.  She seems to be trapping her own "light" in an effort not to get hurt again.  But in her stealing the boys and trying to make her own little emotional safe haven, "MIB/John Locke the Curious" was going to expose her for what she really was.  Unfortunately the scars of this entire mothering experience left MIB/John Locke with pain and confusion and even more motivation to finally close that unhappy chapter of his past and finally leave this place.

ASS U ME

See how the viewer can assume certain things and yet when the truth is revealed it really means something else.  How about that!  There's a plethora of this in our story.  You can assume who the "monster" is in this episode, who is the next Jacob, who is the next MIB, what the “Island” is, who is on what side, who is really Jacob, which baby was whom, and all those wonderful fantastical things, but we were shown under no uncertain terms not to assume anything!   With the reveal that Adam and Eve where really “Mother Island” and her stolen child was one of the greatest bits of information we've ever gotten.

Things to note...Questions to Ask...

* Mental Health issues.
* Push
* Children
* MIB/Locke owns the dagger.
* In House of the Rising Sun, "Adam and Eve" are laid to rest in two separate alcoves.
* Boy in Dark/MIB/John Locke is an enlightened free thinker, independent and wants to live in truth, while Jacob doesn't seem very bright and is fine to live under the unhealthy thumb of "Mother Island"
* Jacob does illustrate anger and vengeance. He is more of a follower than a leader.
* Jacob is a liar.
* Wine.
* Do you think that we'll find that John Locke was an alcoholic too?
* Am I the only one who finds it weird that the "boys" aged and then stopped aging at a certain point? * "Mother Island" is evil.  Mom burned the village and its people. {Fire- Smoke- we've seen this  relate to Kate. But fire is a form of cleansing.}
* Children without "fathers".
* People who look the same but are different. Where did we come from?  Do I entertain the "alien" word again or do we chalk it up to created images within the experience?
* Magic healing paste.
* Different languages.
* Ship.  Wheel.
* Are we to believe there is only a finite amount of "light"?
* Imagination. Make believe. Create. The mind creates positive and negative thoughts and beliefs.

* In addition to us already being aware that Locke's mother was crazy, John Locke tells Eko in The Cost of Living, that he saw a bright light and it was beautiful.  And in Deus Ex Machina we learn about Locke's love of playing games with his brother.

Vocabulary and Research...

* Across the Sea is the fifth song from Weezer's second album, Pinkerton. The song appears on Come On and Kick Me!: The String Quartet Tribute to Weezer and Only in Dreams: Classical Music Inspired by Weezer.  The song was written by Rivers Cuomo at the same time I was very depressed and very lonely, thoughts of becoming a monk and mommy issues.

* The Other is a 1972 psychological horror film about twin brothers who have fun with their shenanigans but the end reveal is that one of the twins has really been dead the entire time.

* Senet, a board game a from pre-dynastic and ancient Egypt. The oldest hieroglyph representing a Senet game dates to circa 3100 BC.  The full name of the game in Egyptian meaning the "game of passing."  The Senet game board is a grid of thirty squares, arranged in three rows of ten .  A Senet game has two sets of pawns (at least five of each and, in some sets, more).

* Claudia: was a Vestal Virgin, who conceived Romulus and Remus.  In Roman mythology Vesta pertains to a Roman goddess, the Sacred fire of Vesta, and the Temple of Vesta.  The College of the Vestals and its well-being was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome. They cultivated the sacred fire that was not allowed to go out. The goddess of the hearth and home, collecting water from a sacred spring, preparation of food used in rituals and caring for sacred objects in the temple's sanctuary.  By maintaining Vesta's sacred fire, from which anyone could receive fire for household use, they functioned as "surrogate housekeepers", in a religious sense, for all of Rome. They were also put in charge of keeping safe the wills and testaments of various people such as Caesar and Mark Antony, and guarded sacred objects. The Vestals were freed of the usual social obligations to marry and bear children, and took a vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests.


“Enlightenment is imagining figures of light, but making the darkness conscious.”  
You know that for me this story of struggle with deep, deep emotional pain, confusion and the need to be free of it, is happening under the guise of a game. It is about Dharma, walking your path, finding what you lost and enlightenment.  Clues to all of these things, including truth, balance and enlightenment were right in our faces.

The Wheel
The Light = the Truth. LOVE and HOPE

I find it disgusting that this woman took away every aspect of innocence and hope with the child/children.  She was not nurturing, caring and both boys knew she did not know how to love.  She was selfish (because she lived in fear)... The Fucking End!

Again we seem to get hints to the concept of two halves really being parts of the whole and then again two completely independent people.  I can see traits that seem exclusive to the Jacob we already know, yet here we get a clearer picture of him, and traits that what were thought to be exclusive to Boy in Dark/MIB {Locke} are not, but are shared by both.  The reference to there being "two" boys seems to come predominantly from "Mother Island."  If you re-watch you can see the natural mom, even though was told there are two, only refers to one- "him."  There are other times within the episode they are really referred to in a singular manor.

"A little bit of this very same light is inside of every man. But they always want more." 

Nowhere does "Mother Island" say the light is evil incarnate!  She only mentions if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere.  When Jacob asks "mother" about what's down there, she tells him it's life, death, rebirth... it the source, the heart of the island.  That my friends, is some more enlightenment talk for ya!   Light is the good part of man and this Queen Bitch is keeping it from them. I feel like I'm leaning toward someone having to do this all over again, hence we need another plane to crash.

"Only when you are ready to open your eyes, ears, mind and heart, in the LIGHT you will find TRUTH." -Karen Mauro


 Love to all who are "LOST"™

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.

Sundown

Let's talk about LOST!   Sundown.

An L.A. cabbie tells Sayid the meter doesn't stop until he gets out. Sayid has been sitting in the yellow cab outside of a lovely suburban home. Sayid pays the man, "Keep the change."{Keep the change!}  Sayid brings yellow roses to the door, takes a deep breath and rings the bell. {Sayid's reflection.}
Nadia answers the door and is very happy to see him. She is married with two children; a boy and a girl. The children are happy to see that their Uncle Sayid is here.
The boy- "Where were you Uncle Sayid?"
Sayid shares he was in Sydney and when the girl asks "Where's Sydney?" a man replies that it's in Australia. The man remarks with intimidation about Sayid bringing flowers for his wife, but it was in fun as this is Sayid's brother, Omar.

Nadia pours tea and the little girl asks what he brought them from Australia. Sayid sends the children to look in his bag on the couch.  Nadia feels it's good Sayid showed up, the children missed him.
Omar- "We're lucky he even showed up. The world traveler off on his exotic business trips."
Sayid- "Translating contracts for an oil company is hardly exotic...and it's painfully dull."
Omar mentions there's little adventure in the world of dry cleaning.  Nadia feels Omar is being modest as he's just opened up a new store.  Sayid congratulates him. Omar's cell rings and Nadia reminds him that they spoke about cell phones at the dinner table.  Omar looks at the caller ID with wide eyes and determines dinner is over, "This is business."
Nadia asks Sayid if he received her letters.  He did.
Nadia- "You never wrote back?"  Sayid doesn't answer. The kids run in excited over the awesome gift Uncle Sayid brought them back... a Boomerang. {Really?! It comes back around.}

The little girl tells her mommy they found a picture of her in Uncle Sayid's bag.  Omar hangs up the cell and looks over at Sayid and the family at the dinner table. Sayid sits "thinking."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble} 
Sayid walks through the passageway and barges into Dogen's room. "I want to talk to you. I want some answers."  Dogen is reading a book, "Answers to what?"
"Let's start with that machine. You hooked me up to this thing. You stuck needles in me. And you called it a test."
Dogen- "For every man there is a scale. On one side of the scale there is good. {holds up right hand} On the other side, evil. {holds up left black gloved hand} This machine tells us how the scale is balanced. And yours tipped the wrong way." {Which way?}
Sayid- "And that's why you tried to poison me." Dogen confirms and thinks it would be best if Sayid was dead. {He says that with great hatred.}
Sayid-"You think you know me but you don't. I'm a good man. So if you're trying to kill me..."
Dogen attacks him and they fight! Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting! They tear up the place until Dogen is about to plunge an artist's paint brush into his throat and the baseball rolls and off the table. {The ball doesn't really bounce like it should. It hits the ground in 4 perfect tiny hops in the same spot and stops dead on the rug.} This triggers Dogen to stop his attack. He tells Sayid, "Go. Leave this place. Never come back."

{Dogen picks up the baseball from the floor not off the rug, and with his left black gloved hand -evil-}

Locke asks Claire if she's ready. They are standing just beyond the reflecting pool of the temple. {Apparently they were able to get that close without upsetting the people in the temple.} Claire- "Why does it have to be me? You can send Sawyer or Jin...or you do it yourself." 
If Locke could do it himself he wouldn't be asking Claire. If Claire goes in there she wants to be sure he will do what he said he would do; She wants her son back.
Locke- "I always do what I say." {That's true.}
Apparently that's good enough for her because she starts to head out. Claire asks him if he's gonna hurt them.
Locke-"Only the ones who won't listen."  And that's good enough for Claire too so she heads in.

Omar approaches sleeping Sayid on the couch and Sayid bolts awake with a defensive maneuver. {Just like Kate did when she pulled the gun on Jack in Lighthouse.} It's 2:30 in the morning. {Sayid is wearing a blue tank top. Did he just favor his left shoulder?} Omar confesses he's in trouble with the man he borrowed money from to open the second store. {Didn't borrow it from a bank} Omar paid the loan back but the man says Omar still owes interest every month, "For as long as I own my business." Sayid offers to lend Omar money if that's what he needs. What Omar needs is for Sayid to convenience these people to leave him alone.
Sayid- "Convince them?"
Omar doesn't want Sayid to forget who he's talking to; he knows what Sayid did in the war. "You were an interrogator for the Republican Guard. I know what kind of man you are."
Sayid- "If you think I'm going to hurt someone just because you made a bad business decision..." Omar claims it's not about him; his life savings are gone and they could lose their home.  He knows Sayid cares about Nadia and plays off that angle, "If you care about us, about her...you will do this Sayid."  Sayid apologizes, "I'm sorry. I'm not that man anymore."  Omar is annoyed.

{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}

Tank top wearing Sayid walks through the courtyard and picks up a back pack to prepare for his "leaving."  He explains to curious Miles, "I've been banished."
Miles-"Banished? For what?"
Sayid- "Apparently I'm evil. These people say I'm better off dead."  He finds that surprising considering they were the ones who saved his life.  Miles corrects him saying they tried to save him but "You were dead, man. For two hours."  When Sayid sat up "they" were just as surprised as the rest of them. "So whatever brought you back...it wasn't them."   Just like that Claire barges into the courtyard with her hands held high in surrender mode.  Lennon tells the armed shoe-less Others not to shoot her and asks her, "What are you doing here?"   Claire informs Dogen, "He wants to see you." {No one is freaking out that the crazy haired woman from the jungle is there. The one who they tortured.}  Dogen says something to Lennon the translator, but Claire just tells him to speak English. {So she knows he can speak English too. Then what's the fucking point of having a translator when everyone can hear you speak English?!}
Dogen- "Who wants to see me?"
Claire smirks, "You know who."
Dogen- "If he wants to see me...then tell him to come in."
Claire- "No...He wants you to go to him. He's waiting outside beyond the outer wall."
Dogen isn't a fool, knowing if he steps outside the temple he'll kill him. Claire suggests he send someone he won't kill and she walks away, but Dogen has her stopped.  In Japanese Dogen instructs Lennon to put the girl in the hole until this is resolved and then bring Shephard and Reyes to his room immediately. Lennon explains that will be difficult because they can't find them.  Dogen yells in Japanese, "Look harder!"
Sayid and Miles watch as Claire is escorted away.  Dogen says to Sayid, "Come with me."  Sayid thought he wanted him to leave.  Dogen looks frustrated and tells Sayid that things have changed. So Sayid follows him.
In Dogen room, Dogen digs in the dirt of a large boxed planter to unearth a rectangle carved wooden box. {Box within a box.} Dogen asks Sayid if he knows where his friends Shephard and Reyes went. Sayid does not know but asks what Claire is doing there and what was she talking about. Dogen dusts off the earth from the box by using a small paint brush.
Dogen- "She's a confused girl... under the influence of an angry man. {Sayid asks what man} For years he has been trapped... but now Jacobs' gone... he's free.  This man will not stop until he has destroyed every living thing on this island.  He is evil incarnate."  Dogen doesn't want Sayid to speak to him; he wants him to kill him. "He will come to you as someone you know, someone who has died. As soon as you see him... plunge this {special dagger} deep into his chest. If you allow him to speak it is already too late."
Sayid- "Since I've been here I've been drowned, beaten and tortured all at your hands. Why would I ever do anything for you?"
Dogen- "You said there was still good in your soul- then prove it."

Uncle Sayid lovingly puts his niece and nephew on the yellow school bus.  Nadia runs out of the house upset over something. 

Sayid and Nadia enter through the double doors at the hospital.  Dr. Jack walks right by them. {File in his hands} They are wheeling Omar into surgery.  He suffered a punctured lung and internal bleeding. The EMTs think Omar was mugged.  Sayid is motivated and tells Nadia to stay with Omar.  Upset Nadia realizes it wasn't a mugging and pleads with him, "Whatever you're thinking of doing...don't do it. I don't want you to, please...Just go home. Wait for the kids...make them feel safe, Sayid. Will you do that, Sayid?"   Sayid hugs her; rubbing her head.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Sayid walks through the jungle and Kate appears, "Hello, Sayid?" {Sayid knows Kate; did she die and come back?} Sayid says hello. Kate asks him if he's leaving but he's not exactly sure.
Kate- "What'd I miss?"
Sayid tells her to ask Miles and he walks on.

Kate enters the courtyard of the temple. {I thought she wasn't going back to the temple.}

Miles sits alone playing solitaire and seems happily surprised to see that Sawyer sent her packing. Miles thought about going after him too but knew Sawyer would end up berating him until he turned around and came back. That's pretty much what happened with Kate.  Miles welcomes her back to the circus and informs her the Australian chick came back. "The blond, the one who had the baby.  She just strolled in here a couple of hours ago acting all weird, still hot though." {Is he blind?  The chick needs a makeover! lol} Kate looks confused and concerned and asks where Claire is. 

Sayid walks through the jungle sporting his backpack and the Dogen issued "special dagger."  He stops to take a drink and cool down. Wind and growls rustle the trees around him. The sounds of the monster clicks are heard so he readies himself with his "special dagger."   John Locke steps out of the trees and says, "Hello Sayid."   Sayid plunges the dagger into Locke's chest but we see the blade had no effect on him at all.  Locke pulls the long blade out of his chest and asks, "Now why'd you go and do that?" {Gray shirt. No blood. I love the ash on the back of Locke's head!}  Locke offers the dagger back to Sayid, "Take it. I won't bite."
Sayid-" What are you?"
Locke feels Sayid seems to have some idea about that considering he stabbed Locke in the chest without even saying hello. "What did they tell you?"
Sayid- "They said you were evil incarnate."
Locke-"Feel sorry for you."
Sayid-"Why?"
Locke- "Dogen, the man who sent you out here... knew that you had no chance of killing me. And he believed that I would kill you if you tried. {he smiles} And this wasn't the first time that he tried to get someone else to do it for him, was it?" {Is this Jacob, Locke or Sayid talking?} Sayid knowing the answer to that question says "No."
Locke- "Then shame on you... for being talked into it so easily."
Sayid wonders what Locke is trying to talk him into as he hasn't killed him. Clearly there's something he wants. Locke only wants him to deliver a message, that's all.  Sayid asks why he didn't have Claire deliver the message.  Locke feels it would mean a lot more coming from Sayid.
Locke- "Sayid, if you'll do this for me...{he is thinking and then says with sincerity} What if I told you that you could have anything you wanted? What if I said you can have anything in the entire world?"
Sensitive and hurting Sayid replies, "I would tell you that the only thing I ever wanted... died in my arms. And I'll never see it again."
Locke- "What if you could?"
He smiles as Sayid stares at him hopeful and hypnotized.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Sayid is repairing a broken carved vase/vessel with an eye dropper/glue. He shows Nadia the result of an unfortunate incident involving a Boomerang.

Nadia asks what time the kids went to bed and Sayid tells her about two hours ago. Sayid lets her know the only information he shared with the kids was that "Daddy had an accident and that he's going to be fine."

Nadia shares he's still recovering from surgery but, "He's awake now."  She goes on to say that the loan issue is Omar's responsibility, "He brought this on himself."   Nadia asks Sayid why he didn't want to be with her.  Sayid carries her picture around and he cares about her but she wonders why he pushed her towards his brother.  They hold hands.
Sayid- "For the last 12 years I've been trying to wash my hands of all the horrible things I've done. I can't be with you. Because I don't deserve you."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Sayid walks through the jungle. He comes upon Dogen by the water; it is raining. Dogen asks him what happened but Sayid walks up to the Others and announces "There's a man in the jungle... about a mile south of us, by the outer wall.  He sent me back here to give you a message. He wants you to know that Jacob is dead. And because he's gone... none of you have to stay here any longer, you're free. The man that I met... is leaving the island forever.  And those of you who want to go with him should leave the temple and join him. You have until sundown to decide."
Cindy- "What happens at sundown if we stay?"
Sayid-"You die." {Like the pregnant women?}
Dogen, who remains quiet, shows concern.

Kate is hurrying through the Temple hall when she is stopped by Lennon, asking when she got back. "Are Ford and Kwon with you?"
Kate-"Where's Claire?"
He wants answers first but Kate pushes him up against the wall demanding to know where Claire is. Lennon gives in, "You should let go of me, okay?"  He leads Kate to a deep hole/pit in the ground that is holding Claire; he gives her two minutes.

Claire is singing "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket never let it fade away.   Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket save it for a rainy day. Oh love may come and tap you on the shoulder one star...
Kate- "Claire. It's me." She asks Claire if she's okay, and happy surprised Claire can't believe she's here.  "Did they capture you too?"
Kate- "No. No. Why did they put you down here? What happened?" {Kate is/was not captured} Claire goes on about how the Others took and have Aaron.  Kate explains to Claire that they don't have Aaron, "I took him....I took him off the island. You were gone and we couldn't find you so...I raised him.   And he is the most beautiful amazing little boy. But I came back here to rescue you so that you could be with him. So that you guys could be together again."  Pissed off Claire who switches to a smile tells her, "I'm not the one who needs to be rescued, Kate."  Lennon tells Kate time's up and drags her away. "You wanted to see her. So Let's go!"  From the bottom of her isolation hole Claire tells Kate, "He's coming and they can't stop him." 

In the courtyard some Other's are leaving the temple while Lennon is trying to get people to hold on and calm down. He tells Sayid he created a panic here.  Sayid was asked to deliver a message and he did, "What your people do now is up to them."  {Free will.} Lennon tries to talk Cindy into her staying by telling her they're all safe here, "As long as we stay in the temple he can't touch us." Cindy- "You heard him. Jacob's dead.  And if it isn't safe here anymore...We can't take that risk."  She leaves with the kids in a Temple exodus.  Lennon tries to get them to listen; this is a bluff, "He can't come in!"
Miles asks Sayid what happened out there, "One minute you're banished the next you're telling everyone they're gonna die."  Sayid confirms that's the sum of it.  They're not getting out of there yet. Sayid takes out the dagger and claims he has to return it.
{ Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Sayid is approached by men in a black SUV.  The bald man asks if he's going to pick up the kids.  He wants Sayid to get in the car and when he doesn't the man speaks Iraqi, saying they'll go pick up the kids together.

Sayid is led to the back kitchen of a restaurant where he is met by a man in a suit who is proud of his egg making abilities. {Sayid always ends up in a kitchen.} The happy man offers to make him fired eggs, even poached eggs.  Martin Keamy already knows Sayid Jarrah.  Keamy asks how Sayid's brother is doing; while he's eating his eggs.  Keamy even mentions in a mock concern about him getting mugged in front of his own store; at least this way he's still around to take care of his own family.  "You do wanna take care of his family, don't you?"  Sayid nods yes.  Keamy, who can see that Sayid is a direct kind of guy, explains that Sayid's brother borrowed money from him and like anyone who borrows money or has a loan has to make payments.  Sayid shares that his brother said he paid everything he owes but Keamy still wants more.
Keamy-"Sayid, that's a lie. Your brother does owe me and somebody is gonna pay me that money." Sayid- "Did you put my brother in the hospital?" 
Keamy eats and wonders that Sayid thinks it was him and claims it wasn't. He feels it's a dangerous world, after all Sayid knows that as he's from Iraq.  Sayid hits the thug behind him, uses him as a shield when the other thug fires the gun,  killing his thug friend.  Sayid has the gun and shoots the other thug and holds the gun on Keamy.  Nervous Keamy tells Sayid "It's done. Your brother doesn't owe me anything, the debt's forgiven. Alright? Good? Kay? Just relax and forget about it."

Sayid- "I can't" and shoots Keamy in the chest.  Just then there is banging coming from the freezer. It's Jin tied up, his mouth covered with Duct tape/electrical tape. Sayid removed the tape and Jin speaks in Korean.
Sayid- "Who are you?"
Jin- "No English."

Dogen sits on the steps of the spring holding the baseball. Sayid enters and Dogen speaks, "You let him talk to you."  Sayid explains he stabbed him in the chest like you told me to. Then I let him talk to me.{drops the dagger on the ground} That's twice you've tried to have someone else kill me. You had the opportunity to do it yourself... why didn't you?"
Dogen- "I was a business man once, in Osak. I worked at a bank. I was good at my job. Very successful.  And one Friday I was promoted.  My associates took me out to celebrate. I had too much to drink. Every Friday I picked my son up from baseball, he was 12.  The accident was very bad. I survived.... but my son...and then... in the hospital... a man came to me... a man I had never met. And he told me that he could save my sons life but I'll have to come here to this island... where I'd have a new job... and I could never see my boy again." 
Compassionate Sayid asks, "Who was this man?"
Dogen- "His name was Jacob."
Sayid feels Jacob drives a hard bargain. Dogen wonders if the man outside offered Sayid a similar bargain; and he did.
Dogen- "It is sundown. Will you choose to stay or go?"
Sayid would like to stay and this surprises Dogen.  Sayid grabs Dogen and pulls him into the spring, holding him under the water.  Dogen appears to die; finally releasing the baseball from his hand. Lennon runs in asking Sayid what he did and pulls Dogen from the spring. Lennon asks Sayid if he realizes what he just did, "He was the only thing keeping it out! Idiot.  You just let it in!"  Sayid picks up the dagger and slits Lennon's throat.  Sayid knows what he did.

The smoke monster sounds are heard. Miles hears it. The sound of trees snapping, metal and machine sounds are getting louder.  Kate grabs Miles tells him to run.  The smoke monster clicks and cranks its way, grabbing and tossing people in its path.   Kate runs to get Claire while Miles seeks shelter in a room. With his back against the door something starts pushing at it. It's Ilana, Frank and Ben. Ilana asks where Shephard, Reyes and Ford are. Miles says they're gone; they're all gone and he's the only one that's left, he and Kate got separated. Miles doesn't know Ilana.  Frank tells Miles they can play catch up later, if he wants to live he better move his ass. Ilana asks about Jarrah and Miles informs her he was headed to the pool room. Ben leaves to get him before Ilana could stop him.

Kate runs into the room with the deep hole/pit holding Claire. She kicks a rolled up ladder into the hole and tells Claire they have to get out of there now.  Claire is very content where she is and shares with Kate she'll be much safer here. With the approaching smoke monster, Kate dives into the hole, holding on to the ladder and watches the monster barrel overhead, passing over the hole. The smoke seems to contain the screams of people. As it passes over Claire smiles and Kate looks at the smoke with a sort of peaceful wonder. {Did she see something beautiful too?! Just like Locke did.}

Ben arrives at the spring to find floating Lennon {Dogen} and Sayid now sitting on the steps with blood dripping off the dagger. Ben tells Sayid he knows a way out of there, "There's still time."

Sayid smiles telling Ben, "Not for me."
Ben backs away seemingly afraid, and then runs.

As they run down the temple hallway Miles ask Sun where her husband is; he took off yesterday. Excited and surprised Sun says, "What? Jin was here?  He's alive?"
Miles- "The last I saw of him, yeah."
Ilana is looking over the hieroglyphs on the wall.  The monster is nearby.  Nervous Frank wonders if she has a plan or is she gonna keep staring at the wall. Ilana pushes the glyph with the circle and it opens a hidden doorway and she gets everybody inside. The smoke monster rushes right past their escape route.

Sayid, Kate and Claire walks in slow motion to the tune of Catch a Falling Star. The scene is very dream-like. Kate automatically picks up a rifle.  They walk out to meet up with Locke and the residents who decided to join him. Locke shares a "mission accomplished" look with Sayid and Claire, but gives a strange look to Kate, who seems puzzled to see Locke. Locke leads his flock.

The "Island" has its very own Willy Wonka "Veruca Salt" Eggdicator to determine if residents are a good egg or a bad egg.  Besides that, Keamy scared the shit out of me with his whole Christopher Walken delivery of the "eggstravaganza"!  Are these glances of events “if” Oceanic didn't crash or just a peek down into the rabbit hole with Alice?  But then we still need to ask if the "Island" exists and Oceanic didn't crash would Jacob still have visited and marked his replacements or would all that be moot?

Let's explore a couple of things...
Are there deals being made with the devil on one side?  Does the possibility exist that one side is trying to guide with the hope of finally bidding good riddance to the past and also finding what is lost?

Jacob: He left the island and marked his potential replacements {Including Locke}. He went out of his way to recruit these people, and for Dogen in his weakest moment, promised him something but he had to sacrifice his "freedom" and go to the “Island”. Was that so he could protect Jacob on the "Island"?

Locke: Claims to be "freeing" people and their being bound to Jacob. At this point this seems to be his purpose. I love that Locke is invulnerable. But if he is invulnerable Jacob must be too.  How else would they have been able to exist all these years. lol   And shouldn't Locke be aware that Jacob isn't really "dead."  He must know he really isn't dead and just using this temporary loss of Jacob to better his strategy.

 Things to note...Questions to ask...

* Boomerang. Loop. Do over. Circle.
* Temple. Head. Mind. Brain. Wired.
* Machine.  Being hooked up to a machine.Wires.
* Needles. Surgery. Hospital. Doctors.
* Accident. Incident.
* Games. Cards. Risk. Pool.
* Time. Late.
* Sayid with yellow roses. In The Long Con Sawyer refers to Sun as Tokyo Rose.
* Yellow. Blue.
* Kids.
* Two brothers.
* "This Place" a place to go to find yourself or to torture yourself?
* I believe drunk/druggie/broken Jack flew every Friday in his "Flashes" hoping to get back to the island.
* A few of the Castaways have been shown with children in their "Flashes" but Kate was only around Aaron in utero.
* Baseball.   As much as I always come back to Christian and Jack with this reference, baseball was one of the "Island" references presented to young John Locke on the table.
* Deals. Business. Bargain. Loan. Debt.
* Bank.
* School. Learn. Tests. Challenges.
* War. Guard. Soldier.
* Sayid is to deliver a message. Jin delivered messages for Paik.
* According to Locke he tells Sayid Dogen "knew that you had no chance of killing me. And he believed that I would kill you if you tried".  But Claire suggested sending someone out that "he" wouldn't kill and Dogen sent out Sayid. So he knew Sayid wouldn't be killed.
* I feel like when Sayid asks Locke "What are you?" he is really questioning himself.
* I sometimes feel like "Jacob" and Locke are the same being and at time switch places. I know that sounds confusing and weird, but...
* "Someone you know, someone who has died."   Well, Sayid was dead for 2 hours.
* If Sayid is evil then why would Dogen ask if he will choose to stay or go. Wouldn't he want him gone no matter what?
* Killed Dogen in the "Spring". Will he come back to life as well?
* Where is Sawyer going to fit in all of this? How is his role going to play out? Maybe the "Island" needs a sheriff.
* Eggs.
* Catch a Falling Star was sung by Christian.  A lullaby/to sooth a baby.  The end scene with this was very dream-like. Not only dream-like but a bit nut house/sanitarium-like, delusional/hallucination.
* Sayid- "I would tell you that the only thing I ever wanted died in my arms. And I'll never see it again."Sayid does not say it's a person at all, only says "thing/it". If it is a person Shannon and Nadia died in Sayid's arms.
* Why is there is no mention about having to contain any electromagnetism at all, or any references to those issues anymore?  Are they no longer important?  Were they ever important?
* Wouldn't it be kinda cool if we discover when all this is over that the real names of the Castaways' are Jacob, David, Omar, etc..
* This episode connects to One of Them from season 2.
* Is someone finally being "awakened"?
* Is this Locke's way of bringing the family back together?

Vocabulary and Research...

* The Brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing, balance, taste and smell.It controls sleep, actions, motor skills, sensory, neurotransmitter system, language,cognition/thought and so much more. The electrical activity of the brain can be described with spikes and waves.
* In medicine, sundowning, aka sundown syndrome, occurs in patients with certain forms of dementia and psychosis.
* Boomerang: a curved piece of wood used as a weapon and for sport. They come in many shapes and sizes depending on their geographic or tribal origins and intended function. Most recognizable type is the returning boomerang, which is a throwing stick that travels in an elliptical path and returns to its point of origin when thrown correctly. Returning boomerangs were also used as decoy birds of prey, thrown above long grass in order to frighten game birds into flight and into waiting nets. -Boomerang (programming language), for bidirectional transformations of text.
* Solitaire, aka Patience, often refers to single-player card game  involving a layout of cards with a goal of sorting them. It is possible to play the same games competitively (often a head to head race) .  The term solitaire is also used for single-player games of concentration and skill using a set layout of tiles, pegs or stones rather than cards. The game typically involve dealing cards from a shuffled deck into a prescribed arrangement on a tabletop, from which the player attempts to reorder the deck by suit and rank through a series of moves transferring cards from one place to another under prescribed restrictions.
Variations of Solitaire are: Above-Below,  Apollo, Beehive, Black Hole, Brigade, Caesar, Casket, Clock Patience/Clock Solitaire, Chessboard, Concentration, Courtyard, Compass, Falling Star, Fly, Following, Fortress, Gate, Golf, Grandfather, Great wheel, Knaves, Labyrinth, Memory,  Mirror, Parallels, Peek, Wish, Zodiac.



I hope we are finally getting to the core of Sun and Jin's role in the whole truth regarding the "Island". The moral of this episode is balance.  As I've touched on in the past we all are made of good and bad, yes, even us good guys.  Every day we are faced with simple and hard choices and decisions that our "scale" plays a part in.  The battle for balance lives within all of us. This brings me back to times when we've seen Ben visit Widmore and he is literally half in the dark and the light. Locke uses the same imagery.

There's no denying the "Island" is on the cusp of the war for balance.  I wonder which side will win. This episode was filled with action and it was dark.  I also feel this was a set up episode for the information yet to come.
Balance: Every man has a scale, and here with the off "Island" events Sayid was being tempted by both sides of the scale.  But I believe this is also reflected in the on "Island" events too. Sayid is a torturer or better yet a soldier.  His brother Omar made it clear he was relieved Sayid showed up because he needed his skills to help battle an opponent but Nadia didn't want him to act upon the side to which she knew he would lean toward.  On the "Island" Sayid skills seem to be needed by both sides. Can Sayid the sensitive soldier ever find true balance?

Light, dark and balance = Two halves of a whole.

Love to all who are "LOST"™

 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.