Lost Review: Waterworks

Tuesday’s episode of Lost has left me sitting in shock and I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of the Lost fanbase felt the same way. In an episode full of plot advancement, a flash-sideways with a significance I’m still trying to figure out, and Death swinging his scythe without mercy, “The Candidate” is likely to be an episode many won’t forget.

In the flash-sideways Jack has an obsession with trying to convince the recovering John Locke to undergo an experimental surgery that will allow him to walk again. Jack says John is a candidate for the spot. John is a candidate for a procedure that will set him free from his bounds? Is this foreshadowing of the possible outcome of Jacob’s candidate? Looking back at the titles of this season’s episodes it becomes quite clear that most of them seem to be an occupation for the characters.

In search of more information on Locke’s injury Jack finds himself visiting Bernard, who happens to be Locke’s dentist. Not given much to go on Jack is given the name Anthony Cooper, Locke’s father. After inquiring through Helen about Locke’s father, he is brought to the nursing home where a paralyzed, wheelchair bound Anthony Cooper resides.

Back at the hospital Claire visits Jack to learn about the death of their father and the significance of the item that was left to her in the will. Jack takes a look at the item only to have the same reaction I did. What the hell is up with the music box? Anyone remember anything from the past because I can only think of Danielle’s Music Box back from season five that Jin stumbled across. Claire heads out to leave for her motel, but Jack stops her offering her a place to stay at his house since she is family.

Jack sees Locke again as he is being discharged from the hospital. Locke informs Jack that he was in a plane crash that led to his disability and his father’s paralysis. Locke was a newly trained pilot and carries the blame for the accident on his shoulders. Jack tells Locke his father is gone and that he should move on. Hoping to convince Locke for a final time, Jack says he wants to help him, but Locke leaves in silence bringing the flash-sideways to a close.

On the island the Losties captured by Widmore’s group are brought to the cages, but are instantly broken out as Jack, Sayid, and Locke (in the form of Smokey) wreak havoc amongst Widmore’s crew. The group heads to the airplane to fly off the island, but are greeted with dead bodies that were once guarding the plane. Locke emerges from the plane saying he killed the guards and that the plane was booby trapped with C4 that would have gone off if the plane was started. Instead of taking the plane off the island, Locke convinces them they need to storm the Submarine.

The Losties come across an unguarded submarine and take it easily as they infiltrate group by group. A shootout breaks out when Jack shoves Locke into the water. I guess Widmore’s men didn’t want to open fire with the smoke monster around. Kate takes a bullet in the chest, which doesn’t kill her. The few seconds where I thought she was dead was short-lived as Jack carries her to the submarine.

Locke emerges from the water and makes quick work of Widmore’s henchmen with precise marksmanship. I guess being a smoke monster allows you to have great aim with a handgun. The submarine leaves leaving Claire and Locke on the dock alone. Claire cries out, but Locke says it’s better that she isn’t on the sub.

In the submarine Jack tells Jin to give him his backpack which contains the first aid kit. Opening the bag to retrieve supplies to heal Kate, Jack stumbles across the bomb Locke had found in the plane. Sawyer tries to defuse the bomb, but it only speeds up the process of the countdown. Sayid, realizing that there is nothing they can do about stopping the bomb, reveals that Desmond is in a well on the main island and runs off with the bomb as it explodes. The sub takes massive damage as water starts to seep in. Frank Lapidus is killed as a door blasts open from water pressure knocking him unconscious.

Jack grabs an oxygen canister and hands it to Hugo. He tells him to take Kate and swim for the beach. Jack, Sawyer, and Jin try to pry the trapped Sun from the wreckage. Sawyer is knocked unconscious from a falling object causing Jack to grab him and go. Sun, still trapped, tells Jin to leave her, but in one of the most emotional scenes of the series Jin tells her he won’t leave her ever again. The two hold onto each other as the water slowly rises bringing them to their watery grave.

On the beach Jack and Sawyer wash up on shore. Hugo and Kate rush up saying they can’t find Jin and Sun. Jack informs them that they didn’t make it leading to an emotional breakdown amongst the characters. On the docks Locke informs Claire that the submarine has sunk, but not everyone is dead. The episode comes to a close with Claire asking where Locke is going. Locke responds, “to finish what I started.”

This episode was an emotional rollercoaster. It was heart wrenching to watch Jin and Sun, a couple who has been separated for three years, to finally get back together only to be killed in the next episode. The emotional breakdown on the beach also brought up another issue I’ve been having with season six. It has been becoming harder and harder to have proper character development with the concentration mostly on the plot this season. It was great to see the Losties showing that they are still human and have emotions amongst all the craziness surrounding them. Also what is the deal with Charles Widmore? Was he on the submarine? Did they really kill him off camera? I seriously hope the creators weren’t that lazy.

With the villain finally set, candidates becoming narrowed down, and the series finale only weeks away, Lost is winding down to its final moments at an incredible pace.

For other opinions about this episode, read Last Minority Standing by Nicole C and And Then There Were Four by Liz Cooper.

Season 6, Episode 14: The Candidate (original air date May 4, 2010)

For more on Lost, click here.

Tuesdays, 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Mario Perez.