Lost Episode Guide
Follow the Leader (S05E15)
Airdate: March 11th, 2009
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Episode Recap:
Previously on Lost....that nerdy physics guy (Faraday) died. We see a replay of him meeting Richard at the Others' camp, only this time from Kate and Jack's perspective. Kate wants to help Faraday, but Jack wants to see how this plays out. And then Faraday gets shot and Kate tells Jack they need to run. Which they do. But then Widmore and another guy come riding by on horses and rifle-whip Jack in the face. Jack needs to change into better clothes. The jumpsuit he's wearing is doing nothing for me.
Back at the Others' camp, 1977 Hawking is looking through Faraday's journal (she sees the inscription her older self wrote for him). Widmore arrives with Jack and Kate and asks what happened to Faraday. Hawking asks if Jack and Kate came with Faraday and Jack says they did. She has them put in her tent. Hawking tells Widmore that these people aren't Dharma people.
In 2007, Richard is assembling a little ship in a bottle on the beach. Some random women tells him "he's here" and we see Locke arrive with a boar slung over his shoulder (their dinner). Richard tells Locke he hasn't seen him in three years and wants to know what happened. Locke wants Richard to come with him on an errand and Richard notices something different about Locke. Locke says he has a purpose now.
Richard asks what Ben (who has just arrived on the beach) is doing back there. Locke says he helped him get back to the island. Ben tells Sun that when he left the island Locke took over the leadership of the Others. She asks who Richard is and Ben replies that he's an "adviser", who's has that job for a very long time. Talk about the over-simplification of the century.
Sun asks Richard if he was on the island in 1977 and shows him the photo of the Dharma recruits that feature Jack, Kate and Hurley. She asks if Richard remembers them. Richard says he does....he remembers that he watched them all die. Say whaaaaa?
Still in 2007, Locke goes to talk to Sun, who's upset by the possibility that their friends and Jin are dead. Locke doesn't believe it's true. Locke asks if Richard still has the compass he gave him...and he does. Locke asks Ben to join them and tells Sun to stay on the beach until he gets back. He promises her that he'll find a way to reunite them with their 1977 friends.
Flash to 1977, where one of the Others is enjoying slapping Jack and Kate around. Kate asks Jack what he meant by "putting things back the way they were supposed to be". Jack wants to follow Faraday's plan to avoid the incident, the button and the subsequent crash of Flight 815. He thinks that will bring back to life everyone who died on the island. That might kind of be awesome....to see all those dead characters again.
Kate takes that moment to bring up the fact that Jack's plan would wipe out their relationship. He basically tells her that enough of their relationship was a "misery" that erasing it would be better. Kate's upset, but, please, girl, Jack's got a point. And most of that misery was due to YOU and your complete inability to choose between two men. Suck it up.
Hawking enters the tent and asks why Faraday needed the bomb. Hawking tells Jack about meeting Faraday in 1954 and his instructions to bury the bomb. She tells Jack and Kate that Faraday said he was her son before he died. She wants to know what the heck is going on. Jack says that Faraday's death was an accident and maybe there's a way to change things. He wants to use the journal to change the future. Hawking asks Kate whether Jack is talking crazy and Kate, still reeling from the fact that Jack has finally got tired of all her sh*t, says he believes he's telling the truth.
Hawking agrees to take them to the bomb, but there's a problem. They buried it 20 years ago, but now someone has built a village over it. Dharmaville, in fact. Great. Hawking suggests that Jack and Kate just go back to Dharmaville to get the bomb, but Jack says that might be complicated, seeing as they're persona non grata.
Sawyer and Juliet, meanwhile, are tied to chairs in the Dharma security center and being interrogated by the jerk, Radzinsky. God, this guy is a total spaz. He wants Sawyer to tell him where Kate is (he's playing the tape of Kate and Sawyer at the sonic fence), but when Sawyer refuses, Radzinsky smacks him around. Horace tries to stop Radzinsky, but Radzinsky says this is to protect their people. Phil gets in on the smacking action too.
When we come back from commercials there's more beatings. Juliet wants Radzinsky to stop, but Sawyer refuses to answer questions. Radzinsky asks whether Kate took Faraday to the Hostiles and if Sawyer knows where they are. Radzinsky knocks Sawyer to the ground and Juliet begs him to stop. She tells him that they've known each other for three years and they're not bad people. Sawyer tells her not to tell them anything. Phil insists he can make Sawyer talk, even though Horace thinks this is pointless. Then Phil, who just took away Radzinsky's a**hole crown, smacks Juliet to make Sawyer talk. That gets Sawyer's attention. Phil, you bastard. You just hit a GIRL. Not cool.
A nameless security guy comes to tell Radzinsky they can't find Miles or Jin. He also says that Jack and Kate arrived with someone else....a guy they can't track down (Hurley).
Hurley's gathering up food while the Dharma alarm still blares. He makes his way through the village and is still carrying the guitar case. Dr. Chang notices him leaving. Hurley meets up with Miles and Jin. Miles says they're going to head to the beach, but Hurley asks whether they're going to save Sawyer and Juliet. That's a negative, according to Miles.
Chang arrives upon the trio. He says Faraday said they were from the future and he wants to know if that was the truth. Hurley denies it, but gets stumped pretty easily with historical questions and admits it. Chang asks Miles if he is really his son and Miles says he is. Chang asks whether Faraday was telling the truth about an accident at the Swan and evacuating people off the island. Miles doesn't know anything about that, but says Faraday must have been right. God, there are a lot of close-ups in this show, aren't there? Has it always been this way and I just never noticed it before?
Back at the 1977 Others' camp, Widmore is looking at Faraday's body and he asks Richard why he looks so familiar. Hawking arrives and covers Faraday's body. She has Jack and Kate untied and announces that she's taking them to the bomb. Widmore obviously isn't happy about that. Richard tells Jack that that guy is Charles Widmore as Widmore and Hawking discuss her plan quietly. Richard pretty much spells out that they're in love and involved. Hawking tells the group they're moving out.
In 2007, Locke, Richard and Ben are travelling through the jungle at night. Richard asks Locke where he's been for the last three years and Locke is surprised Richard doesn't already know the answer. Richard says the last time he saw Locke, he just disappeared. Locke says he wants Richard to take him to see Jacob, but Ben says that's not how it works. Even Richard is hesitant to bring Locke to Jacob. Locke reminds the boys that he's the leader now and he wants to see Jacob, damnit!
Locke, Richard and Ben arrive at the crash site of the Nigerian drug plane. Locke tells Richard to pay attention because he's about to have an encounter with Locke, the one they had where Richard took out the bullet from Locke's leg and told him he had to die in order to bring everyone back to the island. Then we see Locke staggering out of the jungle. Ben is totally freaked out, by the way.
Really? Is there really no paradox here with the same person existing twice in the same place at the same time? Is it because technically this Locke is from the future? And 1977 Miles isn't the same as Baby 1977 Miles? This still seems fraught with problems.
Richard approaches the injured Locke and we see a replay of that scene. Richard removes the bullet and now all of a sudden, Richard's knowledge of the bullet in John's leg makes sense. Ben is close by with Locke and is still freaking out about this. He asks how Locke knew exactly when this was going to happen and Locke says the island told him. Then he's all "didn't it ever tell YOU things when you were in charge?" Uh, that would be a "no".
Locke accuses Ben of never really seeing Jacob and they hear a pop....the injured Locke has vanished. Locke tells Richard that he did actually die after they spoke and Ben has the good sense to look a little guilty.
Chang arrives at the security station, telling the guards they need to evacuate the island. He asks what the hell is going on when he sees a bloody Sawyer. Radzinsky asks him why he isn't working at the Swan, but Chang says they're in danger. Radzinsky wants to continue drilling and when Chang tries to appeal to Horace, Radzinsky says he's in charge now. Sawyer says they aren't safe and they should put the women and children on the sub and get them away from the island. Awe....women and children first. Who am I, as a woman, to say no to that suggestion? Then Sawyer says if he and Juliet can go on the sub too, he'll tell them everything. Juliet agrees to leave. Radzinsky orders Sawyer to draw a map to the Hostiles.
Hawking, Richard, another Hostile, Jack and Kate arrive at a pool. Hawking says they have to swim to get to the tunnels. Kate doesn't want to go, she wants to return to Dharmaville. When she walks off, the Hostile points a gun at her. Jack steps in front of her and even Hawking doesn't want her to go, in case she reveals their secrets. Kate continues to walk away and we hear a shot. Turns out the Hostile guy is now dead. And who shot him? Sayid. Yeah, baby! He's baaaaaack!
Sayid, Jack and Kate are huddled by thsemelves as Richard asks Hawking what the hell she's doing. Seems Jack has told Sayid about his plan to erase the last three years of their lives. Sayid insists that he's already changed things because he killed Young Ben. Uh....actually, Kate says he didn't. Sayid's not happy that Kate and Sawyer took Ben to the Hostiles to be saved. Jack thinks that they were brought to 1977 to change things, but Kate reminds him that if he's wrong, everyone on the island will die. Ah, here's the stubborn Jack from earlier seasons.
Jack starts talking about destiny and Kate correctly points out that Jack sounds a lot like Locke. Jack says he was totally wrong about Locke (as in, maybe the guy had a point). Kate says she's going to find the rest of their people so they can all stop Jack and she leaves.
Back at Dharmaville, the people are all being ordered to evacuate. We see Chang order his wife and son to leave. Miles, Jin and Hurley are watching from the bushes. And Miles finally learns that his father didn't throw them out of his life....he made them leave to save them. Miles sees Sawyer and Juliet being brought to the sub. Hurley insists that Sawyer always has a plan.....yeah, to save his own ass.
As they walk towards the sub, Sawyer suggests they buy stock in Microsoft and place the right bets on the Superbowl. Ah yes, the old "get rich in the past by knowing the future" trick. Classic. It happened in Back to the Future 2, if I recall. Sawyer apologizes for making them stay on the island for the last three years. Juliet gets on the sub first and Sawyer takes a look back at the island and mutters "good riddance". Ah, Sawyer, methinks you'll be staying on the island....or you'll be back there soon enough.
Back at the pool, Richard and Jack dive in first. They swim through some tunnels and enter the Temple. Actually, Richard calls this place "the tunnels", but it looks like part of the Temple, at least. Hawking surfaces and joins them, along with Sayid and Jack is very happy to still have a friend. Richard gives them all torches and off they go.
Back in 2007 Locke, Richard and Ben arrive back on the beach and rejoin the Others and Sun. Locke wants to go see Jacob now, but Richard is hesitant. Locke also wants to address all of the Others (we learn there's another group at the Temple). I think Richard is getting kind of pissed with Locke's leadership style.
Locke tells the group his name and says they've all been accepting orders from a man named Jacob. Locke says he doesn't know why Jacob's existence and whereabouts are a secret. Sun asks whether Jacob can tell them how to bring back Jin and the rest of their people and Locke says he can. He also says Richard is going to lead him to Jacob now and he wants the group to come with him. The Others seem eager to go. Richard says he thinks Locke is going to be trouble and Ben's all "why do you think I tried to kill him?"
More people board the sub and Juliet asks what they're going to do when they get to Ann Arbor. Sawyer says that once they dock, they're going to run. I don't know if I like Sawyer and Juliet together. It's so weird. They exchange "I love yous". Uh-oh, turns out Kate was caught coming back to Dharmaville. She's handcuffed next to Juliet and Sawyer doesn't look happy about this. Actually, neither does Juliet, who was probably hoping Kate would just blow up.
The sub starts powering up and dives into the water, moving away from the island.
Hawking, Sayid, Jack and Richard are still moving through the tunnels. Sayid questions Hawking's motives. After all, detonating the bomb will blow up the Dharma people, which Sayid thinks is Hawking's real plan. But no, Jack says he trusts her, because in 2007 she's going to tell them how to get back to the island. Sayid doesn't buy it.
The group arrives at the bomb and Hawking asks what they're supposed to do next. Jack looks kind of stumped.
In 2007, it's now daylight on the beach and we can all flash back to the Season 3 finale, when Jack led the survivors up to the radio tower, because we see the Others walking away from the beach and I swear to God they're even playing the same music. Ben tells Locke that Richard has some concerns about the group heading to Jacob. Locke, on the other hand, is turning into a snarky leader. And then Locke says he doesn't want Jacob's help in reuniting with Jack and the others. He's going so he can kill Jacob. Ben is shocked.....again. Wow. Intense.
Come back next week for the two-hour season finale of Lost! Let's see if Jack really knows what the hell he's doing and whether the 1977 people end up back in 2007....or maybe vice versa.
Written by: Clarissa
clarissa@watchlostonine.net