'Lost': Confirmed Dead

Even though this is only an hour-long episode, this is one of my longer recaps, people. And if I'm warning you ahead of time, you know that I must be telling the truth. If you take public transportation to and from work, as I do, print this bad boy out and read it on the way. Then again, in this economy, maybe you should save yourself the ink and just read it onscreen. But trust me, Lost fans: it's worth getting through, as buried in here is the answer to everything that's going to happen in Season 5, beyond, and behind as well. Don't worry: it'll all make sense by the end. Maybe.

Here we are, Lost fans. The episode that, like Charles Widmore, changed the rules. It's both the literal and figurative midpoint for the series. Season 4 felt NOTHING like what came before it, and we have the revelations contained within this episode to thank for that. Find a comfy seat, kids: this is a long one. Even for me. I know. Fear all that click "Continue reading."

Charlie Pace. Has-been rocker, cleaned-up druggie, would-be baptizer: this is your life! The first and only Charlie-centric episode of Season 3, it's also the finest Charlie-centric episode in Lost history. Then again, that's slightly faint praise, as almost anything would be better than him throwing up in a copier. That being said, there's nothing faint in my praise of this episode, which provided wonderful character moments and arranged the pieces for the mind-blowing season finale.

There have been times during the We Have to Go Back campaign where I look at the next episode on the list and go, "Screw it, I'm going to review a Buffy episode instead and hope no one notices." But then there are episodes I circle weeks ahead of time, looking forward to the day I can rehash them for you, Lost fans. And this is one of those circled episodes. Crackling with tension, drama, and more mythology than you can shake a Jesus stick at, people.

Intimate. Brutal. Terrifying. No, I'm not talking about the return of According to Jim on ABC, I'm talking about the hellish chamber play that is the final third of this episode. It's a long-awaited showdown between two people you perhaps never suspected would ever have anything to do with one another. Astute fans of Lost may have suspected the twist revealed in this episode, but no matter what your level of surprise, watching Sawyer's moment of "catharsis" is truly a harrowing moment.

Now things are starting to get really, really good. Not that Catch-22 wasn't excellent, mind you, but this one, like Manos, takes it up a notch. (See 0:44 for the reference.) I'm a Lost mythology freak: I talk about it all the time, and the strangers on the bus are getting pretty annoyed about it, let me tell you. But all the mythology in the world is merely academic unless there's a personal stake added to it. And this episode does that in spades.

Much thanks to all that have visited the site over the past few days. We've had semi-unprecedented traffic round these parts thanks to the "Lost as Facebook" entry posted Sunday. So welcome one and all!  And welcome to the over one hundred of you that joined our Facebook group since that entry went live: there's lots to absorb over there as well. For instance: new Season 5 footage! Kate! Aaron! Mysterious clients! Court orders! It's juicy stuff, and we're discussing it there right now. But right here, right now, we'll be continuing the We Have to Go Back series with some Desmond Hume goodness.

Here's my plea to Darlton: in Season 5, give me at least one Juliet-centric episode, and make sure it rocks as hard as this one. Seriously, "The Other Woman" was a major downer after the stellar episodes featuring Dr. Burke in Season 3, with this surpassing the admittedly awesome "Not in Portland." More than a little of the We Have to Go Back campaign has felt like actual work: but these last eps of Season 3 are pure pleasure to recap. Strap in, kids: this is Lost at its finest.

Here's something rare: a Kate-centric ep that's a must watch! I know, I'm as shocked as you are. No toy planes to be found anywhere, I promise. Moreover, we get a major monster download, with the creature doing two things we've never seen it do before. Throw in a great Sawyer/Hurley B-plot and you have the start of a great final run of episodes to close out Season 3 of Lost.

In the years and decades to come, how will Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro be treated at Lost-Cons? Heck, will they even bother to show up? Tough to say, although time heals most wounds. Needless to say, were there a Lost convention today, with each Lost actor at an individual table, not many would be lining up to get the autographs of Nikki and Paulo. (They'd be fighting for Shortest Line Duty with Michelle Rodriguez, I fear.) But hey, I'm not here to posit the crowd psychology at a fictional geek-fest: I'm here to talk about the life and death of two of Lost's most infamous characters.