LOST Review: Happily Ever After

Like Desmond's flashes in Season 3, his mind-traveling in Season 4, and his changing the past and creating new memories in the future in Season 5, Season 6 showcased another reason why Desmond continues to be "special." This episode was the first big mind melter of the season. The big reveal is that Desmond pretty much traveled between the two worlds and actually experienced a flashsideways WITHIN the flashsideways world!!! Yep... that's huge. And now it's his mission show everyone the true path.

Tonight's slow-burning episode focused primarily on Desmond's unique ability and the now-kinda relevant flash-sideways. And since Easter was a few days ago, the LOST writers felt compelled to unleash a number of Easter Eggs and inside jokes throughout the episode. Charlotte and Faraday! The button! Suckshaft! Jughead! McCutcheons! The sailboat Elizabeth! Not Penny's Boat! Tour de stade! Minkowski! The only thing missing was Kelvin's cameo as the MRI operator, and why not? It would be just as random as Minkowski as a limo driver or Miles as a detective.

YOUR TALENT IS VITAL TO OUR MISSION:
There are a couple of weird things to consider with the brief set of events that occurred on the Island. The night starts with Desmond visiting an area that looks awfully similar to Ingen's base camp in the Lost World. He survives his Dr. Manhattan moment, we get to visit his sideways world, and then he flashes back and appears to remember it, right? One thing that struck me as odd is Desmond's immediate cooperation with Widmore upon his return. Ellie did tell him that he wants Chuck's approval more than anything else. Did that resonate with him? The even weirder thing is Desmond mindlessly following Sayid once he is "rescued." I've been scratching my head trying to explain these two events, and I'm coming up with nothing, so please post your theories below.

Also, what exactly is Widmore's intent? Andy and I were chatting about this earlier today, and my theory is this. I believe Charles told Jin they were looking for three pockets of electromagnetic energy. I find it hard to believe that Widmore doesn't already know where these things are since he was on the Island for 40 years, but whatever. I think we already know about two of these sites.... the Swan hatch and the Orchid station. Both had loads of energy harnessed for different purposes. Because of the incident at the Swan, a sideways universe was created. Because of the donkey wheel at the Orchid station, people could travel through time. Is this third pocket a place we haven't seen yet, and what sort of crazy properties will it have? Perhaps it can merge timelines or allow the LOSTies to transport their consciousness. I believe that Widmore still thinks he's doing the will of Jacob, but his logic is misguided. But it's not like he's a wild card. Jacob is fully aware of why Widmore is hanging around, and he'll probably get all he can out of Chuck before he is "sacrificed" like Michael. Widmore probably thinks he's a candidate, or that he can at least be the next immortal Richard, but we all know that will never happen.



NONE OF THIS MATTERS:
That was probably the smartest thing Charlie Pace has ever said (the dumbest thing? This), and it was said as him and Desmond were talking about their hallucinations. He saw what they were meant to do, what they were supposed to do, and this whole sideways universe is pretty much useless. I couldn't agree more!!!! But, out of this we do get something cool to chat about. What is the one thing that Desmond can show the castaways to convince them, just like Charlie convinced him? Will it be a tangible object like a person, or something more abstract like redemption or absolution? Charlie saw stupid Claire in his flash, while Faraday saw Charlotte (and yes, this storyline was very FlashForwardsy). Desmond saw lil Charlie and Penny. What might Jack see? Kate? Closure with his Dad? What about Kate? Will she see Jack, Sawyer, or maybe Aaron? Jin and Sun will easily see Ji Yeon, but what about Locke? Too bad we don't have more time to question this stuff further, but hopefully they'll resolve some of that.


DESMOND IS MY CONSTANT:
For some reason, Faraday chose not to share that most important journal entry with Desmond, but I guess he didn't need to. Faraday's dumbed-down explanation of the sideways universe is almost exactly like his dumbed-down interpretation of time travel to Sawyer at the beginning of season 5. The funny thing about this conversation is that Faraday believes that the nuclear bomb detonated when we are pretty certain that it did not.



DESMOND and PENNY:
Admit it; you thought something horrible would happen between these two. After all, this is the sideways world where things are kinda off. At first I thought Penny was married, and then I thought she would turn down his date offer, and then I started getting more and more out there. Maybe Widmore will track down Desmond at the stadium and shoot him!?!? Maybe the coffee shop doesn't even exist and Desmond is walking into a trap?!?!? But because no universe can keep these lovebirds from hooking up, Penny accepts his offer for coffee and giggles like a schoolgirl (and yes, I was happy... they belong together dammit!!!!).

Closing thoughts:

• I wonder how Smokey Locke will react to Desmond's arrival to the Island...
• Wouldn't it be better if Hurley was really skinny (meaning different actor) in the sideways world?
• What will happen if Smokey is put in the electromagnetic generator?
• How were Charles and Ellie able to reconcile after Charles' affair (which led to Penny)?
• WHY WERE WE ROBBED OF A CLASSICAL/ROCK n ROLL CONCERT?!?
• Is it weird that the flashsideways people are not only getting glimpses of another universe, but also of that universe's future?

B

UPDATED SEASON 6 RANKINGS
1. Ab Aeterno
2. the Substitute
3. Lighthouse
4. Happily Ever After
5. LAX
6. Dr. Linus
7. Sundown
8. the Package
9. Recon
10. What Kate Does