LOST Rewatch Week #23: There's No Place Like Home, Parts 1-3

Hello patient Lost friends, and welcome to my final Lost Rewatch analysis of Season 4. Like many of you, I am very excited for the release of S5 on Tuesday, and have pre-ordered it on Blu-ray to continue and finish the Rewatch before 2/2/10!


So let's cut through the ice and turn the wheel together to see what happens next...

Cracker Jacked

Watching this finale again, I noticed that Ben specifically mentioned that the crackers in his hidden mirror box were fifteen years old. I started pondering if ageless Alpert, young Ben or younger Ethan had placed the box there in 1989. That type of Orchid security and communication system was probably put into place because Widmore was still on the island; the war between he and Ben had just began, after all (their relationship soured that year when Ben took Alex from Rousseau to raise as his own child).

Foreshadowing Dialogue

Ms. Decker: "They're referring to you as the Oceanic Six. That's not the best branding as far as we're concerned, but it's catchy."

Faraday, to Charlotte: "We have to get off this island right now."



Hurley: "If you could move the island whenever you wanted, why didn't you just move it before the psychos with guns got here?"
Ben: "Because doing it is both dangerous and unpredictable. It's a measure of last resort."

Sun, to her father Mr. Paik: "You ruined my husband's life. It is because of you that we were on that plane. Two people are responsible for his death; you are one of them."


Jack, about his father: "Not much of a wake, because I won't even be able to bury him."

Kate, to Jack: "I've spent the last three years trying to forget all the horrible things that happened on the day we left. How dare you ask me to go back!"


Locke: "I want you to reconsider leaving the island; I would like you to stay. You're not supposed to go home."
Jack: "And what am I supposed to do? What was it that you said on the way out to the hatch? That crashing here was our destiny?"
Locke: "You know, Jack. You know that you're here for a reason. You know it. And if you leave this place, that knowledge is going to eat you alive from the inside out, until you decide to come back."


Locke: "If you have to go, then you have to lie about everything, everything that happened since we got to the island...it's the only way to protect it."
Jack: "It's an island, John - no one needs to protect it."
Locke: "It's not an island, it's a place where miracles happen. And if you can't believe that, wait until you see what I'm about to do."
Jack: "There's no such thing as miracles."
Locke: "We'll just have to see which one of us is right."


Locke: "Lie to them, Jack. If you do it half as well as you lie to yourself, they'll believe you."

Miles: "I'm surprised you want to leave. It's just weird, you know, after all that time you spent trying to get back here."
Charlotte: "What do you mean, get back here?"
Miles: "What do I mean?"


Locke, discovering the Vault beneath the Orchid: "Is this the magic box?"
Ben: "No, John, it's not."


Locke: "You just killed everybody on that boat!"
Ben: "So?"


Faraday: "There is no 'for now.' If you don't come with me now, 'for now' could be forever."
Charlotte: "Nothing's forever."


Sayid: "Bentham's dead. They said it was suicide."

Sun, to Charles Widmore: "You and I have common interests. Call me. As you know, we're not the only ones who left the island."


Ben, to Locke: "Sometimes good command decisions get compromised by bad emotional responses. I'm sure you're going to do a much better job of separating the two than I ever did." 


Ben: "You're not coming with me."
Locke: "Jacob told me what we had to do. You don't get to make all the decisions."
Ben: "He told you what to do, but he didn't tell you how because he wants me to suffer the consequences. Whoever moves the island can never come back." 


Alpert, when Locke takes Ben's place as the leader of the Others: "Welcome home."


Ben, turning the Frozen Donkey Wheel: "I hope you're happy now, Jacob."

Ghost Claire, to Kate: "Don't bring him back. Don't you dare bring him back!"


Jack: "It's been a pleasure, Frank. I hope we never see each other again."


Jack: "Don't let him find you. I'll see you in another life, brother."
Desmond: "I guess you will."

Ben: "What did he say to you?"
Jack: "He told me that after I left the island, some very bad things happened. And he told me that it was my fault for leaving. And he said that I had to come back."
Ben: "I'm here to tell you that the island won't let you come alone. All of you have to go back."


Frozen Donkey Wheel

In the beginning of S5, we see Dharma building the Orchid station in the 70's. One of their drills melts, and they show a scan that reveals the Wheel. Pierre Chang tells them that if they can harness the energy beneath it, they can manipulate time. 

I have to wonder WHO installed the wheel in the first place, if it was indeed from the Black Rock ship (which Jacob may have brought to the island in the 1800's), when it was last used to move the island, and if they did use polar bears at some point to test the time travel and exit portal (thus, the polar bear and Dharma collar in Tunisia). Given the arctic conditions of the chamber containing the Wheel, I'd also like to know who last iced it in under the Vault. 


Ghost in the Machine



I wonder if we'll ever find out why Jack chose Boone, Charlie and Libby as the names of the passengers who initially survived the crash only to perish shortly thereafter. What is striking to me is that all three have since appeared in ghost form to those who are still alive...

Oceanic Airlines

They HAD to know that the plane at the bottom of the ocean was not flight 815, let alone an Oceanic plane. I've always wondered if Widmore was either a major shareholder of Oceanic or if they somehow worked together to get those exact passengers to the island for a reason that has yet to be revealed...

Additionally, does anyone else find it odd that Oceanic simply took Jack at his word when he told them the concocted story about the crash?

Significant Moments/Firsts

We hear that the rescued survivors are being called the Oceanic Six.

We learn the name of a new Dharma station when Keamy refers to the Orchid.

Claire's mother reveals to Jack that she had an affair with his father and that Claire is his half-sister. 

We find out that the name on the obituary is Jeremy Bentham, that this man has visited most of the Oceanic Six...


Kate reveals that they have been off of the island for 3 years.

We see Walt off island for the first time since he and Michael were allowed to leave the island at the end of S2 (not including his Taller Ghost Walt appearance to Locke). He visits Hurley at the institution.

Sawyer jumps out of the helicopter to lighten the load and ensure the safe arrival to the freighter, sacrificing his opportunity for rescue. 


Before he jumps, Sawyer whispers a favor in Kate's ear. That favor turns out to be finding his daughter Cassidy and giving her money.

In addition to Ghost Charlie, Hurley can see and chat with Ghost Eko. (And Ghost Ana Lucia later in S5)


We see the Frozen Donkey Wheel beneath the Orchid and Vault for the first time, and find out that it must be turned to move the island. 

There are hieroglyphics in the chamber around the Frozen Donkey Wheel.

The island literally disappears.


The helicopter crashes, and all passengers survive. 

Ben kills Keamy.

The freighter blows up, killing everyone aboard.

Ghost Claire makes her first appearance, off island.


Penny and her crew rescue Desmond and the Oceanic Six after they survive the helicopter crash.


Ben is recruiting Jack and the rest of the Oceanic Six back to the island. 

We finally see that Locke is Jeremy Bentham, the man in the coffin that Jack is obsessed with. 

Secondary Protocol

At least four people knew about the Secondary Protocol: Ben, Widmore, Faraday and Keamy.  

• Obviously Widmore created it because he was familiar with the island after being stationed there, he knew where the Frozen Donkey Wheel was located and that Ben would head for it as a last measure to save/move the island.
• In addition to the fact that Widmore is his father, Faraday knows about it because has he traveled back and forth in time to the island.
• Keamy was instructed to use it when all else failed while trying to capture Ben, and Captain Gault was given authority to open the safe with Keamy but did not know what the orders inside pertained to.

Keeping Faraday's time travel in mind, we have to consider whether or not the Secondary Protocol was created because of events that have already happened....

The Sun of All Fears

Right before Sun confronts her father to tell him that she bought a controlling interest in his company, his business associates tell him that whoever did it "used five different banks." 

The Bank of Sun, The Bank of Hurley, The Bank of Jack, The Bank of Kate and The Bank of Sayid. Oceanic did pay out huge settlement money to each, enough for most of them to spare large sums to assist Sun.


The Time Warp


Pierre Chang's (Dr. Halliwax) Orchid Orientation video reveals the time traveling properties and possibilities on the island, and will probably serve as the scientific explanation for how and why we will more than likely see the survivors in a different era and location (or alternate reality) when S6 begins after the detonation of Jughead.

The Visual and the Visceral

We all know how much Benjamin loves bunnies, and that is why I get a kick out of the two rabbit's feet keychains that appear in the S4 finale. First, the rescue co-pilot ironically grasped onto one while escorting the Oceanic Six to their press conference. 

Then Hurley's father presented one to him on his birthday, attached to the keys to his restored car. And how can we forget that Roger Linus had one on his Dharma van keychain, which later Vincent delivered to the beach. 


Ben & Richard Alpert


One of the more intriguing, lingering mysteries to me is the true nature of the relationship between Ben and Alpert. Their simple exchange in the S4 finale, after Kate and Sayid helped Alpert rescue Ben, remains very odd in tone:


Ben: "Thank you for coming, Richard."
Alpert: "My pleasure."

Late in S5, we discover that Alpert is considered to the an 'advisor' to and for the island, which I interpret to mean that he is Jacob's right hand man (and why Alpert has always worked with Ben but cautiously so). 


Jeremy Bentham


After the S4 finale aired in May 2008, I became very interested in researching the real Jeremy Bentham, and secretly created a separate site where I posted vague clues and anagrams that related to Lost, Locke and the real Bentham's philosophies. If you're interested, the site is still up and open, and I recommend that you start with the first entry (6/5/08) and read chronologically. 

Hurley

One of my favorite Hurley scenes in S4 is his surprise party; in particular, Mrs. Reyes statement that "Jesus Christ is not a weapon."


Juliet & Sawyer


Regardless of which couple you're rooting for, you had to know at the end of S4 that they were setting us up for a possible Juliet & Sawyer relationship. 

Once Jack and Kate left on that helicopter, the choices for island love slimmed down considerably...


Ms. Decker

Is this really all we are going to see of her? Naturally I do not trust that she truly represents Oceanic Airlines. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Widmore is also lining her pockets.


Miles


In the late Dharma 70's, Miles was just a baby and would not have played with or known young Charlotte. So the only way that he must have known that she grew up on the island is that he has communicated with a deceased member of her family...


Christian Shephard

Back when Locke went in the cabin to see Jacob, Christian said he was there to speak on Jacob's behalf. So when Christian appeared to Michael on the freighter right before it blew up to let him know that the island would finally let him die ("you can go now, Michael), he was clearly delivering that message on behalf of Jacob. 

So here is my question - is Christian only used by and/or loyal to Jacob? If so, will we see a showdown in S6 between he and Jacob's nemesis, NotLocke? 


Penny Widmore


Is anyone else curious why Penny has both a remote tracking station and a rescue boat staffed with seemingly only Portuguese employees?
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I still love this finale because of the intensity and jaw-dropping moments like the helicopter crash, freighter explosion and Sun's reaction (which I still contend was equally heartbreaking and Emmy-worthy) and the island disappearing. That scene alone inspired me to change my entire Lost site logo in homage, and it has remained as such ever since. But I am so ready to re-examine Season 5, and I hope that you're along for the ride!


Thank you for your patience, comments and feedback!


-Jo