Life Goes On - Recap by Jeff Jensen

It was the kind of episode Lost doesn't usually do, the kind of episode that the series is sometimes criticized for rarely giving us: an episode in which the characters stop and talk about what the hell is going on. The tone was set with Juliet at her soothing deadpan best, shushing up a roaring Sawyer and shooing him away so she could create some safe space — physically and psychically — to softly, gently quiz freaking-out Faraday about the time travel sickness turning Charlotte's brain into runny cherry Slurpee. The abundance of candid info-swapping, soul-baring, heart to hearts — Jack and Kate talking about The Aaron Problem; Miles and Faraday puzzling through the time travel nosebleeds during the Orchid (death?) march; Locke and Sawyer meditating in the necessity of one's past; Sawyer sharing his broken heart with Juliet in the darkness of the beach — imbued the proceedings with a sense of cool quiet and moving intimacy. After three hours and three episodes of confusing quantum leaps and dense mythological downloads, we needed an episode like this to get our bearings. It was like a long sip from a canteen full of cold water offered by a kind new friend after being lost at sea for who-knows-how-long. And yes, that was a Jin is alive! reference. (It just wouldn't be a Doc Jensen recap if I didn't try force a few things.)

Stuff actually happened in this episode, too. The Oceanic 6 portion of the Season 5 saga got an adrenaline shot to the heart. Dan Norton, the lawyer who wanted Aaron's blood, was revealed to be working for Ben, who was clearly trying to destabilize Kate's secure Los Angeles life so as to motivate her back toward the Island. (The beat with Claire's Mom provided for some momentary misdirection.) Sayid survived another abduction attempt by The Tranq Dart Goons. By the end, the whole crew minus Hurley had reassembled, at least for the moment — Kate's WTH?! reaction to Ben's presence didn't bode well for permanent reunion. Neither did Sun lurking in her car with her chocolate-box revolver, preparing to spoil the party by popping a cap into Ben. Meanwhile, back on Record Skip Isle, migraines exploded and master plans unfolded. Charlotte survived her time flash hemorrhage that concluded last week's episode (though showing signs of more memory damage), Juliet and Miles started brain cramping, and Locke found a light bulb blinking over his head. The Man of Faith figured that if they all trekked back to The Orchid — the Island's proverbial engine room — maybe he could play Scotty and put the breaks on this runaway enterprise. Of course he will: My guess is that Locke will discover the frozen donkey wheel and crank it back to the OFF position, which will send the Island into a skid (i.e., come to rest at a certain in space and time) and send him out the wormhole windshield and into his Jeremy Bentham off-Island moment. (I worked much too long on that paragraph.)

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