"Everybody Loves Hugo"

“Does that happen a lot? Dead people yelling at you?”

Greetings Losties!

Well, well, well! What a FABULOUS week for Lost – whoo-hoo! I’ve always felt Hurley was going to be one of the most important people on the show, and tonight he made game-changing decisions that put him in the forefront of the action. Hats off to another stellar performance from Jorge Garcia (Hurley), and nobody does doe-eyes like Cynthia Watros (Libby – eeee! I love her!)!

After the episode, I sat and thought. A LOT…

And I came to some interesting conclusions – granted everything is cobbled together from theories I’ve read (Doc Jensen, I’m crediting you here) along with my own crazy-Tara talk, so I might be totally wrong.

But here’s the thing, I think that reason Desmond went to run over John Locke in the Off-Island Timeline (Timeline A), was because now that the Scottish Boy Wonder is aware of the connection between the timelines, he realizes that the big bad is inside Flocke and tries to kill him via the alternate timeline. Meaning that the real John Locke has been dead and gone since Ben killed him. That all that stuff with him being a substitute teacher and whatnot, was all just bullshit. All Smokey in disguise; seems kind of sad.

Doc Jensen takes it a step further (after you wade through all his arguments about existentialism = Lost), he argues that Flocke/Locke have never been the real John Locke. But that John Locke is alive and well, in the body of Frank Lapidus.

Now while your first reaction might be, WTF, Tara!?! What the heck are you talking about!?!?” just think about it for a minute. Remember when Ilana and Bram dragged Lapidus from the plane and had a discussion about whether or not he could be a candidate? Well… that kind of makes the theory work? Right? I mean, there’s not much evidence to support it, but part of me just entertained the notion and it couldn’t help but sit well with me. I don’t know…When I watched the episode again, watch Lapidus. He reminds me A LOT of the old John Locke... Or maybe that's just me missing the old John Locke.

Alright, let’s break down the episode –

TIMELINE A (OFF-ISLAND)

We open on an awards banquet for everyone’s favorite squillionaire, Hugo Reyes. A colorful slideshow of Hurley’s life as a philanthropist is narrated by Dr. Pierre Chang (heh!). Hurley turns to his hot date, his Mom, on their way out and mentions they have another charity dinner for the Human Fund next week.

And, bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa! I love, love, LOVE it! In this alternate timeline universe, George Constanza (of TV’s classic sitcom, Seinfeld) has done it! He’s legitimized his fake charity, “The Human Fund” – and Hurley’s his main benefactor! Just. Too. Very. Awesome.

Back to the action, Hurley’s Mom doesn’t seem too thrilled to be Hurley’s standing date to all these events and suggests he stop being a wuss and find a lady friend. He backs away from the topic, but she insists and tells him that he has a date tomorrow with a girl named Rosalita. Hurley looks scared, so his Mom gets all scary and serious – she holds his face and says, “She’s gonna love you. And if she doesn’t we will find someone who does!” (SLAP) – Sending Hurley straight into --

TIMELINE B (ON-ISLAND)

Have you noticed that the timeline jumping is becoming more frequent – whenever anyone gets knocked unconscious, has their consciousness altered in any way (read: the slap), or when they have a near-death experience. Interesting…

Cut to Hurley talking to the one woman who did have the potential to love him, if she were buried in Boone’s Magical Cemetery. So, Hurley sits and talks to her.

It’s interesting to note that Hurley, who can communicate with DEAD people, has never been visited by Libby. Later we’ll learn that the voices on the island are really the people who did bad things on the island and are trapped their (hence Ana Lucia showing up all over the place). I have some issues with this concept that I’ll get into later, but if you go off of this theory, it kind of makes sense that Libby wouldn’t be around to talk to Hurley because she isn’t actually trapped on the island. She didn’t do anything but date the lovable fat guy. She rules!

Ilana interrupts Hurley’s talk-fest with a pile of dirt to tell him that she’s going to The Blackrock to get dynamite. They’re going to blow up the Aijra plane. She asks what he’s doing out there, and he tells her the Cliff Note’s version of the Hurley and Libby Saga.

Libby was in the tale section. Libby and Hurley were supposed to go out on a date. Libby died.

Ilana’s like, “Sorry.” And leaves.

She’s a cold piece, that one.

Hurley’s sob time is interrupted by the weird whispers, and then Michael (yes, Dead Michael), pops out of nowhere. He tells Hurley that he’s there to stop him from getting everyone killed. Hmmm… But can we believe him? Part of me doesn’t really think that Hurley should. That his talking spirits may not be nice ones.

Jack breaks up Hugo and Michael’s chat to tell him that they’re leaving. Hurley doesn’t tell Jack that he’s been talking to Michael.

TIMELINE B (OFF-ISLAND)

Cut to Spanish Johnny’s, where Hurley’s waiting for his date. And, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, it’s LIBBY!!!!! YAAAAY! She says hello, and wants to sit. He thinks she’s his blind date, but she’s not.

She saw him from across the room, and then gets all SERIOUS and grabs his hands. She asks if two people can be connected, like soul mates. He replies, I guess. Then she asks the jaw-dropper – “You don’t remember me, do you?” To which he replies, “Should I?” And WOAH! She remembers HIM! FROM THE ISLAND! Wowsers! For me, this was a total game-changing moment -because Libby's the first person we've seen who's actually been able to harness their memories from one timeline and pull them into the other, with some level of coherentness. her memories are so vivid that she thinks she's crazy

And they’re interrupted by a white-haired Doctor (same guy from Season 1) who pulls Libby away, apologizing for bothering Hurley. Libby earnestly implores Hurley to know that everything she said, she meant it. Hmmm… because she didn’t really say much.

But he watches her get into a van marked “Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute” – the same place Hurley was kept before. Woah!

TIMELINE B (ON-ISLAND)

Ilana shows up with dynamite. LOTS of dynamite! She says she’s been training her whole life to protect them and they have to trust her. Through what she says, it becomes kind of clear to me that the Jacob who talks to Ilana and Richard might not be the same “Jacob” that talks to Hurley. Hurley might be talking to EVIL dead people, evil manipulative dead people who are having him help the Man in Black. Because Jacob gave pretty clear instructions to both Ilana and Richard, then again he did give Hurley a forty-step route to the lighthouse… I don’t know, it just seems like Hurley so easily manipulated that he’s be a good target to utilize this way. I hope it’s not the case, for the character – I love the guy! Hell, everybody DOES love Hugo! I don’t want to see him get played like a puppet, but something tells me these dead people aren’t all they appear to be.

Oh! But on the flip-side of that, I totally just thought of something that makes me contradict myself! Hurley’s powers are clearly real, otherwise he wouldn’t be getting messages from both sides. I mean originally, Isabella told him he has to STOP the Man in Black, which he passed on to Richard, which inspired Richard’s plan. Now, he’s getting messages from Michael that Richard’s plan is going to get everyone killed. So, the question remains as to whether or not Hurley’s magical spirits are displeased with the method with which Richard’s choosing to defeat the Man in Black, or is he just getting messages from two opposing teams?

Back to the story, Ilana says, “That thing is evil, because God helps us if it ever leaves this island, because”—BOOM!

Ilana.

EXPLODES!

Guess all that training didn’t involve using caution with old/sweaty dynamite? Sorry, that was bitchy. But really? How extensive could it have been with all that dynamite swinging?

Cut to Flocke’s Camp, where Flocke sits, calmly carving a stick (remind anyone else of Mr. Eko, much?) Sawyer & Kate are pissed. He wants action. Flocke tells them their waiting for the other Oceanic Sixers to get back – because they can’t get off this “God-foresaken rock” until all of them try at it together.

Sayid shows up and asks to speak to Flocke privately. Sawyer is getting VERY cranky.

Sayid shows Flocke what Widmore was hiding on the submarine – Desmond. Flocke looks at him sideways – with recognition?

Cut back to the Jacobette’s – Hurley sifts through Ilana’s things. He finds a copy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’sNotes from Underground, a novel whose themes echo the series, as it is about free will and about the fact that determinism or fate is not valid because people can sometimes to things without reason or purpose just to prove that they have free will, as when Hurley later goes to see Flocke just to prove he can.

Hurley also finds Jacob's ashes in Ilana's little pouch. He pockets those, and something tells me that this will be important later!

Richard wants to go back to The Blackrock and get more dynamite, Hurley says they need to go see Flocke. But they decide to go with Richard’s plan.

TIMELINE A (OFF-ISLAND)

As Hurley buries his sorrows in chicken, Desmond stares at him. He comes over and asks if Hurley was on Oceanic 815. Desmond eyes the bucket of chicken Hurley is inhaling and notes that it’s a lot of chicken. Hurley says he’s depressed. Desmond, cleverly, asks, “What’s her name?” Hurley tells him about Libby – how he met her on a blind date, thinks she’s great, but that she’s looney tunes.

But when he talks about their connection, how it felt real, Desmond tells him to go for it. In an almost eerily omniscient way. And Desmond’s number, #42 (heh!), is called and they part ways.

Did this scene remind anyone of the scene where Libby gave Desmond her boat to sail around the world for love? Is he returning the favor to her?

TIMELINE B (ON-ISLAND)
Flocke and Desmond talk – Desmond seems to have an almost eery sense of omniscience. It’s like he’s Jacob or something. He looks at Flocke like he knows a big secret. Flocke conducts an interview – he learns that Widmore kidnapped him because of his ability to withstand electromagnetism.

Flocke asks, “Do you know who I am?” And Desmond looks at him without a beat of hesitation and says, “Sure I do. You’re John Locke.”

Flocke’s return gaze is what makes me think he really might be the real John Locke. Which would be an insane head trip! Oy.

Desmond’s response results in Flocke leading him to the well of the frozen donkey wheel and throwing him down it. Again, maybe it’s because Flocke is really Locke, or because Flocke knows what Desmond intends to do to him in the off-island reality.

Cut to Jacobettes – they arrive at The Blackrock, just as Hurley blows it up. Richard’s pissed.
Hurley and Miles have a discussion about the dead people Hurley speaks to. Miles seems surprised that Hurley’s dead people yell at him. Red flag!

TIMELINE A (OFF-ISLAND)

Hurley bribes his way into seeing Libby at the mental hospital. They meet in Hurley’s old play place, the rec room (remember that Connect Four set?) And did you check out the drawing on the chalkboard! Holy island allusions!

Libby tries to explain to Hurley their connection – how she saw him on a Mr. Cluck’s commercial and all these memories from the island (TIMELINE B) came rushing back to her. She remembers the plane crash, the island, liking Hurley – WOAH! She also remembers being at the mental hospital before, AND she remembers Hurley being their too!!!! WOAH.
She tells him that it’s these memories that are making her crazy. Hurley, sadly, doesn’t feel the same way. So, she thinks she’s crazy. But he still wants to date her.

TIMELINE B (ON-ISLAND)

Desmond and Flocke are trekking to the well, and Flocke starts to pull his usual psycho-babble double-speak. Remember the good old days, when Ben did all the psycho-babble double-speak that had everyone doing his bidding? I miss the days when Ben rules supreme… now he’s the Greek chorus of the show – noting that the minute Ilana told everyone what her mission was, she blew up. Very insightful Mr. Linus, very insightful!

But anyway, they’re walking and Flocke’s doing the talking, interview-style. He mentions Desmond being in the station for three years pushing a button (almost with pure agitation written on his face – like the whole time Desmond was doing it, it was pissing Smokey off hardcore!). Flocke says, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this island has it in for you.” Desmond counters back with, “Do you know better?” This makes Flocke turn around, “Excuse me?” Desmond says, “There’s nothing special about me, brotha [LIAR! Desmond is TOTALLY special!]. This island has it in for all of us.” To which Flocke replies, “Yes it does.”

Then, a freaky phantom kid appears only this time, it looks like a different kid. He’s a brunette, not blood, and is standing there, smiling in a really creepy way at the two of them. Desmond asks Flocke if he knows the kid, Flocke angrily yells at Desmond to ignore the boy. Who the heck is that kid?!? The kid runs away and Desmond and Flocke continue to the well. [LIAR FLOCK! Those freaky kids have to mean something! I call shennanigans!]

Over at Jacobettes, they argue more. Damn… they do a lot of arguing! Jack wants them to talk. Hurley knows what they need to do – talk to Locke. He tells him that Jacob’s telling him to go talk to Locke. Richard calls Hurley’s bluff and asks him to ask Jacob what the island is. Hurley says he doesn’t have to prove anything, it’s Richard’s choice to go or to stay. Richard knows he’s lying, because Jacob never directly tells them what to do. The team splits up – The Plane Crew (Richard, Miles, and Ben) on one side and the Locke Crew (Hugo, Jack, Sun, and Lapidus) on the other side.

As Hurley’s group treks through the jungle, Sun writes her one line of the episode, “Do you think we made a mistake?” Lapidus says, probably.

Hurley and Jack discuss how to make conversation with a smoke monster. Hurley confesses that he didn’t see Jacob earlier. Jack knew and tells Hurley that he’s unable to fix what needs to be fixed. That it’s hard for him to be a follower, but maybe that’s the point – that he needs to let go. Jack puts his trust in Hurley, Hurley confesses he has no idea where they’re going.

WHISPERS – to which Hurley screams out, “It’s cool! I think I know what these things are!” And runs off through the bushes to chat it up with Michael. Michael confirms that the whispers are those stuck on the island because of what they did. Michael also apologizes to Libby through Hurley – it’s kind of a touching moment. Yay! Closure for Michael!

Okay, I buy that for Ana Lucia, but what did Yemi do? Huh? What did Christian Shepard do on the island that was so bad? He was already dead! What did Ben’s Mom do that was so bad? And why did the whispers always precede an attack by the others? So many questions…!

TIMELINE A (OFF-ISLAND)

Libby and Hurley finally get their picnic on the beach date! Yay!!! So cute! They chat and kiss – and when they kiss it happens! He sees pictures from their time together – he remembers her, too! She’s not crazy! Score all around!

Cut to Desmond, creepily spying in a car – watching the scene unfold with a sense of omniscience.



TIMELINE B (ON-ISLAND)

Flocke and Desmond gets to the well. Flocke talks about the well – about how old it is, that they built it buy hand looking for answers. The well is on a pocket that makes compasses spin. Flocke tells Desmond that Widmore brought him to the island to see the well – to know that Widmore isn’t looking for answers, but for the exploitation of the island.

Flocke wants to know why Desmond isn’t afraid. Desmond says, “What is the point in being afraid?”

Flocke, smiles, then frowns. Then throws him down the well.

Ahhh... so that's what he should be afraid of - hmm...

When he returns to his camp, Flocke tells Sayid they don’t have to worry about Desmond anymore. Sawyer questions Flocke’s whereabouts, and is about to lay into him again, when Hurley negotiates a peace treaty. Hurley just wants to talk and Flocke gives him is knife and his word.

Then, Hurley brings the other Jacobettes out of hiding - minus all the characters that Flocke doesn’t really care about or need. They play that Lost reunion music that we’ve heard so many times before, the kind that makes us feel all warm an gooey, until we know that big bass blast of weirdness is coming. Kate and Jack make eyes at each other. And Flocke looks at Jack like he knows him, smirking while saying “Hello, Jack.”

TIMELINE A (OFF-ISLAND)

Desmond sits outside of a school, as the bell ring and students pour out. He looks like a total child molester stalking the school that way, and one of the teachers (Ben Linus – awesome) calls him out on being pervy. It’s apparent that he’s looking for John Locke – who he sees wheeling himself to his car. Desmond continues to watch Locke as he talks to Ben. To avoid being labeled a total skeeze, Desmond says he’s scoping out the school for his son, and automatically answers “Charlie” – his son on the other timeline’s name!

As Locke begins to wheel away Desmond wraps up his chat with Ben, pulls away, and drives at full speed STRAIGHT INTO LOCKE!

Locke goes FLYING over the car and lands in a twitching heap on the other side of it – not dead,
but close! Ben calls 9-1-1, as Desmond drives away without stopping.

And one can only wonder if, as Locke is writhing there, an inch from death – is he flashing back to his island world, too? And who is he? Flocke or Locke? As I discussed before, it’s a bit crazy!

Bad Robot!

Next week: Did you catch Sun’s note, “You did this to me!”? Who do you think she’s writing about? Did you see Desmond in the well? Sayid taking aim with a pistol? Locke in tracktion? A map? And a bunch of other AWESOME stuff?

I can’t wait!!!!!

Because this has been such a long recap (embedded with questions), I’ll just ask a few this week:

TARA’S MINI LIST OF QUESTIONS

1. Why is Locke carving a staff?
2. Why did the Man in Black push Desmond down the well?
3. Why did the mysterious boy appear to Desmond and Locke?
4. Once the Island is done with someone, do they always die?
5. Why did Desmond hit John with his car?
6. In Timeline B, does Desmond really have a son?
   
   And a new list segment I’m starting called:

TARA’S LITTLE TIDBITS

It’s just little miniscule observations and outside info I’ve acquired via being insane! Enjoy!

• Jorge Garcia's real-life dog Nunu appears in one of the pictures with Hugo, during the montage at the beginning of the episode. The mysterious boy had dark hair in this episode, whereas he had blond hair in "The Substitute".
• After the Black Rock explodes, Miles asks Hurley who Michael is. Miles knew Michael when he was calling himself Kevin Johnson.
• Similar to Desmond's experience in "Happily Ever After", Hugo is recalling future events from the original timeline. It is not clear in the episode how many days have passed since the successful landing of Flight 815 - which presumably took place on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - but although Hurley did not meet Libby before Day 48 on the Island in the original timeline. Their planned first date was to take place on Day 64 - Wednesday, November 24, 2004.
• The existence of the well implies the presence or previous existence of another energy pocket on the Island, similar to those located by the DHARMA Initiative at the Swan and the Orchid.
• The Asian woman sitting in the table next to Hugo in the Hugo-Desmond scene at the restaurant is the same as the one that appears at the very first shot of the Hugo-Libby scene at the beach.

Next week looks highly promising – until then, Losties!

Namaste!