Hide 'Em in Plain Sight
This episode makes it clear—well, clear for Lost at least—that Benry can bring people to the island on a whim. We've seen him send at least two people away, however. If he acquires people by "killing" them in a car accident and doping 'em with happy juice and delivering 'em to the island, what happens when he sends 'em away, like he did with Michael and Walt at the end of season two? My theory of the moment is that Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute is what happens. If you don't remember it off the top of your head, Santa Rosa is the loony bin that has been home to our own Hurley; Lenny, who gave Hurley 4 8 15 16 23 42 in the first place; Libby, who was there at the same time as Hurley while blasted out of her head on something; and, oh yeah, Locke's birth mother (back in the day). I think one of the Hanso operatives wipes out your old life, and then drops you off at Santa Rosa with a new identity intact. You can explain till your face turns blue about the plane crash, the island, the monster and the hatch in the ground, but really, isn't that the craziest fever dream you ever heard?
Hot Chicks from Heaven Is it wrong that I like parachutist Naomi and want her to make out with Sayid? Plus, a big hells yeah to Penny and her piles of cash for trying to find her man and perhaps accidentally rescuing the 815ers as well. Not that it seems like Jacket (Jack + Juliet) are gonna let that happen. Oh, Mira Furlan and Terry O'Quinn eyeing each other warily over a case of dy-no-mite is television gold. More please! This was actually an all-star episode.
Nerd Alert! A Star Wars fan friend emailed me to dish that when Princess Leia was being kept as a slave girl, she used her chains to strangle her captor, Jabba the Hut, just like Sawyer used chains to strangle Cooper to death. I'm guessing the parallel is plenty intentional (given the multiple and massive Star Wars posters I've seen in Damon Lindelof's office), and I love the irony of slaves strangling their masters with the chains that once bound them.
What Lies Ahead This week's episode was the kick in the pants that jumpstarts even bigger action, bigger shockers and bigger reveals in the final three episodes. I know you don't believe me ('cause it doesn't seem possible) but it's true! So, stack up on some adult diapers and hyperventalatory goods (paper bags? inhaler?) 'cause everyone will be talking about the final few episodes—including next week's Benry flashback (we get to see young Ben with long hair!), the following week's Charlie-centric ep (we get to find out if he dies) and the season finale, with a game-changer everyone will be talking about.
