Lost Rehash S6.14: The Candidate

I’m not exactly sure how to express myself.  I really wasn’t expecting everything to go down like this, but then again, I kind of was.  But definitely not as shocking and emotional as it was.  No.  And it was close.  I mean, I was probably on the borderline for tears there, and that’s only happened a handful of times in the LOST run. In one fell swoop, one sneaky masterful plan, Sayid, Jin, and Sun were killed, in addition to Frank (I’m guessing) and the rest of the sub crew.  And what seemed like spontaneous decision by unLocke (opting for the sub as opposed to the plane; adding the watch to the bomb), I have to wonder how the thing would have played out if different actions were taken.  Was Jack right?  Would the bomb have blown up if Sawyer hadn’t pulled those wires?  Yeah, it probably would have, but still, I have to wonder.  And does it matter which Kwon was the Candidate?  And why didn’t Kate die?  (Okay, my loathing of Kate has actually abated quite a bit, and now she just gets on my nerves from time to time.)

“The Candidate” was an amazing, heartbreaking, exhilarating episode, one that will definitely be burned into memory.  Beloved characters died.  Sayid, seeking retribution and forgiveness for all of his past mistakes, (predictably) sacrifices himself to keep the others alive.  Still, the force of the bomb pins Sun up against the wall, and after some failed attempts, everybody leaves her behind but Jin, who stays with her until it ends, promising to never leave her again.  Their conversation was very moving, and you could easily see the love in their eyes.  I hate to say it, but the tragic scene was beautiful.

In the Flash-sideways (FS) things are moving quickly.  Locke has recovered from his surgery and Jack is telling him that he is a candidate for a new procedure that could restore feeling to his legs.  Locke refuses, and we later learn that he’s punishing himself over a mistake he made that led to the loss of his legs, as well as a complete near-vegetative state for his father, Anthony Cooper.  In the process of learning about Cooper, Jack meets Bernard and learns that he, too, was on Oceanic 815.

I’m wondering if the FS reality exists while Jack (and/or Locke) stays in the dark about the Island.  He seems to be on the edge of enlightenment, but he never quite makes it over.  Will he soon meet Kate and things click in place for him?  Is the coincidence of getting tangled in Oceanic 815’s web digging at him?  Whatever the case, I’m very curious about what the FS is. 

Thoughts and Observations

• Have you noticed that many of these episode titles could refer to either time-line?  Are they misleading on purpose or are they truly dual sided?  “The Candidate” was John Locke being up for advanced surgery; Sayid told Jack that “he was the One”, which I assume meant the Candidate.  “The Last Recruit” was Jack falling under the tutelage of unLocke, but it could’ve also been Locke falling under the scalpel of Dr. Shephard.  And “The Package” was Desmond, but it was also the gift Jin brought to the States to deliver to Keamy.  There are plenty more of these things, and I wonder if they have any special meanings or if they’re just literary techniques.
• Sayid’s self-sacrifice was easily predictable, but it was still a blow to seem him die.  I’ve always liked the man.  Seeing him off himself to save the others was definitely in character, especially if he was hoping it would atone for all his wrongs.  Too bad Sayid had such a short season.
• I can see Sawyer dying in a similar way Sayid did, sacrificing himself.
• My feelings for Jin and Sun have always varied.  Sometimes Sun was just a whiny spoiled rich girl, selfish and irksome.  Sometimes she was a loving wife and caring lady.  Jin was a hardcore Korean mafia type, abusive and absent, but he was a loving husband and a compassionate man.  Their death wasn’t terrible, but it was sad, especially considering that they left Ji Yeon behind. 
• Witnessing Hugo, Kate, and Jack’s sorrow at the loss of three of their friends felt like I was trespassing onto something deeply personal and that I should give them a moment.  It’s stuff like this that makes LOST the greatest show to have ever aired.
• I have no idea what to think about Widmore’s crew.  What’s their game?
• Is Desmond going to get out of that well next week?
• As reported by everybody in Hollywood, the finale has been extended to 2.5 hours now.  Awesome, I say!
• I never trusted you unLocke.  You tried to say that you were good and didn’t have any evil intentions.  Bah, not once did I believe you, and you proved me right tonight you evil man/smoke/deity thing.
• It’s crazy all the lines that are being re-used in the FS.  “I wish you had believed me,” Jack said to Locke.  “What happened happened.”  Ahh, too many things.
• This episode will take some processing time and some time to decompress.  Great stuff.