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Lost Recap: "There's No Place Like Home Part 1" Review

by Chris Flippo
05.20.2008

Last week’s “There’s No Place Like Home Part 1” was a set-up for what is sure to be a slam-bang finale. Though light on revelation about the island, the episode was filled with plenty of great character moments and interaction. Like “Three Minutes” and “Greatest Hits,” it was a set-up that packed plenty of punch on its own.

Picking up from last week’s “Cabin Fever,” this episode showed Locke, Ben, and Hurley as they journeyed toward the Orchid, a hatch that is apparently powerful enough to move an entire island (go to Wikipedia and do a search for the Casimir Effect). Meanwhile, Jack takes one of the Freighter Folk’s cool walkie-talkies and heads for the helicopter. However, he runs off before Sayid can come back with his warning.

In many ways, this episode was like a giant game of chess. Pieces are being moved for the checkmate: the Oceanic Six finally leaving Mystery Friggin’ Island. There have been few episodes where characters moved around the island this much. Sawyer and Jack head for the chopper and meet up with Frank. Kate gives baby Aaron to Sun before heading off into the jungle with Sayid. Shortly there afterwards, Sun takes the baby and heads over to the Freighter with Jin and Faraday.

Do you feel like you need a chart to figure where everyone is? Don’t worry. The episode did a better job with this than I just did.

The flash forward portion was the most interesting aspect of this episode. Instead of focusing on a single member of the Oceanic Six, part 1 of the finale was a collective flash forward, charting the experiences of each member as they get back to their normal lives.

The most interesting flash forward, surprisingly, was Sun’s. In it, she takes her money from Oceanic in order to buy a controlling interest in her father’s company, Paik Industries (how much money would she have had to receive?). However, this being Lost, the financial move is motivated by something far more sinister: Sun’s desire for revenge in the wake of Jin’s “death.” She says that her father is one of two men responsible for Jin’s death. Though I originally took this as confirmation that Jin is in fact departed, I realized that this means little: something is going to transpire in the finale that makes Sun only think that he is dead. Don’t worry, Jin fans. I think he’s going to be safe (at least for this season).

Though I was expecting the Oceanic Six to be pretty close in proximity by the finale, the truth is that they are more spaced out than ever. Hurley is over at the Orchid with Locke and Ben, Jack (along with Sawyer) are en route to rescue him, Kate and Sayid are captured by the Others, and Sun and baby Aaron are on the freighter. How they all get on the same life raft is now anybody’s guess. Of everybody on the island, why these six?

Here’s some other little things I noticed (as always, in no particular order):*Desmond and Michael look like they are about to play with some explosives (hell, it wouldn't be a finale without a little bit of dynamite). My theory is that the nifty little iPod on Keamy’s arm is directly attached to his heartbeat and to the freighter. If someone heroically kills Keamy, this could be the end for all the people on the freighter. Maybe Keamy's killer is the other person Sun blames for Jin’s death?*Sayid and Ben have had one hell of a season. Whereas season three seemed to be primarily about Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, season four seems to be focusing on Ben and Sayid. Of everyone on the show this season, they have had the bumpiest ride. Between losing Nadia and Ben, these two are currently giving Lost its emotional backbone.*I think everyone agrees that Juliet doesn’t seem to pose a threat anymore. Funny how a year ago we were all convinced she was the devil. In a year’s time, what might we be thinking of our other “bad guys?” My hunch is that by the end of season five we’ll be feeling the same about Ben. The last two weeks have made significant leaps forward in humanizing his character. Which brings me to…*I thought it was kind of heroic how Ben stepped forward to Keamy and his men while Locke and Hurley ran to the other side of the Orchid. Maybe Ben is indeed evil, maybe not, but remember, even Darth Vader had a soul.

*Cheech Marin is in this episode... which I think finally explains what the Smoke Monster is. (Sorry, but someone was bound to make that joke sooner or later)*I believe that at least one other person gets off the island and is not counted as an Oceanic Six (no real reason for this theory; it would just be a very Lost-like move). If I were to take a guess, I think it would be John “Mr. Clean” Locke. Think about it. There is a significant portion missing in the Oceanic Six timeline: right after they leave the island and right before the press gets a hold of them. My Theory of the Week is that Oceanic Six gave them their alibi and extracted the people who wouldn’t fit into their neat little story. What would the world say when a man who everyone believed to be confined to a wheelchair came back walking? Oceanic wouldn’t be able to explain this, so they sent Locke somewhere… else. (I’d go even further: Locke is the one in the coffin).

Well, that’s all I have for you this week. Join me in a couple of days as I give out the First Annual Lost Awards (you’ll see what I mean). Until then… Namasate!

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