[JB Sawyer]

Amazing. Spectacular. Stupendous. Thrilling. Awesome. Absolutely bloody brilliant. Use whatever adjective you want to describe this seasons finale episode, it goes down in history in Lost as being a truly epic 1 hour and 23 minutes of television. When Lost first captured our hearts and minds it was because of episodes like this. We’ve had finals like Live Together Die Alone and Through The Looking Glass, finals which many, including myself, will say never really lived up to Exodus. There’s No Place Like Home did. And more. There were many who cited that the flash-forwards simply wouldn’t work, claiming that the original of season 3 finale fame was merely used as a shock tactic. After all Lost was based on flashbacks. Many said flash-forwards had caused a distinct change in Lost, a change not necessarily for the better. They were wrong. There’s No Place Like Home gave the flash-forwards a fitting and utterly breathtaking conclusion. All season long we had been teased with the fact that 6 people, plus one Benjamin Linus, got off the Island. The television show that we had fallen in love with was based upon a group of survivors crash landing on a mysterious Island. So now to know that some of these people did indeed return to the real world, gave people a somewhat frightening glimpse at the end of a television series that nobody wants to end. As soon as the last of the Oceanic 6 were revealed, many instantly thought to themselves that the end of Series 6 was merely going to be their respective rescues. After all, the fitting end to a show about people trying to get rescued would be them getting rescued. And so for There’s No Place Like Home to show the events directly surrounding the Oceanic 6’s escape and rescue seemed a little premature, for lack of a better description. We now know everything there is to know about the survivors – from the plummet of Flight 815 to the escape from the Island for the lucky 6. Season 4 indeed has been extremely focused on the events after the 6 found rescue, a concept which seemed destined to be stretched to the shows very end. But did it seem rushed? Not a chance. Everything was impeccably timed, a ladder being slowly climbed to reach the summit that was There’s No Place Like Home. And it was a summit that the Lost writers could very happily place their respective flag on top of. They’ve been rightly criticised for shockers like SOS, Exposé and Stranger In A Strange Land, but it was this finale that finally cemented their undoubted abilities to write an epic and fabulously entertaining program. Whilst There’s No Place Like Home is undoubtedly a brilliant overall conclusion and episode/s, there are individual aspects of this amazing two hours of television that need to be developed further than just a mere couple of sentences. For anything about this episode, a couple of sentences just wouldn’t be good enough.

Ben. I’ll never agree with some of Ben’s actions. I’ll always condemn Ben for holding Juliet against her will and emotionally blackmailing her. I’ll condemn him for the senseless brainwashing of Karl. I’ll particularly condemn him for the capturing of young children, even if Jacob willed it. But this episode showed something that Ben so sadly needed: emotion. For so long Ben has been seen as a cold, calculated manipulator, able to detach himself from any emotion easier than Locke detaching himself from reality. But this episode showed that Ben is a real man, a real human being. For no moment of time am I excusing the aforementioned actions, but I will offer understanding over the murder of Lucifer Keamy. Many will cite the “So?” as being cold and malicious. But Ben had no reason to care about the boat. The only thing Ben had to care about was ripped from his hands by a murderer who proceeded to taunt him about said murder. As I’ve said repeatedly over the Execution of Anthony Cooper, man can’t separate his emotions from his actions. And to see Ben finally show those emotions – the exact same emotions that Sawyer showed deep in that brig – was beautiful. I only hope that those that showed understanding towards Sawyer will show the same towards Ben, and those that condemned Sawyer for committing the deed should surely do the same for Ben. Even though I believe it’s wrong to condemn Ben, I dislike hypocrisy and hope those that condemn one condemn the other. I will offer immense pride and sorrow for Benjamin Linus upon seeing him turn that wheel. Benjamin Linus loved that Island. He loved Jacob. Yet Jacob stabbed Ben in the back-literally. And so to see Ben sacrifice his place on the Island to save it, to see him look up at the heavens or merely the earth above him and tell Jacob that he “hopes he’s happy”, was bone-chilling. I always used to say that I don’t like Ben but think he’s one of the best characters on Lost. I now think he’s one of the best characters on Lost and I like him.

Sun & Jin – To those who said Jin wasn’t dead I think we can finally put the nail in the coffin of that theory. But when that boat exploded I don’t think there was anybody sat in front of their screens, be they computer or television, that didn’t have chills running throughout their bodies or tears welling in their eyes. I don’t believe personally that Jin’s death surpasses Charlie’s on the emotional stakes, but it was bloody emotional. And that was mainly due to the absolutely fantastic Yunjin Kim. Emilie De Ravin should take note. This is how you portray grief. This is real emotion. This is what happens when the one you love is ripped from you, their hands literally pulled from your own. Sun never got the chance to hold Jin, to tell him she loved him. Jin will never get the chance to hold Ji Yeon, to hold and kiss his daughter. And any bit of emotion that went through your body while watching that scene you can thank Yunjin for. That is how you mourn, that is how you react when your loved one is taken from you. Not the one episode trickle from Claire, but real emotion that comes screaming out of you. If I wore a hat I would gladly take it off to Yunjin. In keeping suit with this finale, it was purely amazing. Last episode, There’s No Place Like Home Part 1; we found that Sun blamed two people for Jin’s loss. Her father was one of them. The second may very well be Benjamin Linus, as we know that Locke has been visiting the Oceanic 6 and therefore will have told Sun what caused the C4 to explode – Ben’s murder of Keamy. This will obviously lead to Sun siding with Widmore in her quest to get revenge on Ben for causing the explosion that killed her husband. Yet the more deserving man to be labelled as Jin’s murderer would be one Jack Shepherd.

Jack – A.K.A Arrogant Prat Number 1. Where is the man that we saw in the Pilot? A man of integrity, a man that would be willing to help anyone around him, this was a Jack that most of us could warm to. And then it all slowly started to go down hill. Some of us lost faith in the doctor long ago, but those that didn’t must surely have after There’s No Place Like Home. If There’s No Place Like Home was a summit for the writers, then it must surely have been the deepest depth for Jack. The arrogance of this man must surely only be surpassed by John Locke. The idiocy is probably tied between Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Locke. However for his treatment of others within this episode Jack was truly sickening. The way he treated Sun upon her losing the man she loves was not only appalling and sickening, but was completely vile. To just bluntly tell her “He’s gone” was disgusting. Sayid attempted to comfort her, an obviously futile thing to attempt in such a situation but he made the attempt. Jack simply told her that the man she loved and cherished, the father of her yet to be born baby was simply dead. Locke has sickened me on many occasions over Lost’s tenure, but I honestly can’t pick out a situation where someone has sickened me as much as Jack in this very moment. As Hurley said a long time ago, for a doctor his beside manner sucks. It doesn’t just suck; it’s completely non-existent. However bad this was, it was only made worse by his action mere moments before, and the actions that killed Jin Soo-Kwon. Kate, very rarely the bastion of decency, wanted to go down into the cabin to get Jin. If she had done so, Frank would have held the chopper that moment longer, urged most likely by Sayid and, yes, Jack. However Jack puts his sickening affection for Kate ahead of Jin. He pulls Kate away from going after Jin, stating that he “won’t leave without her”. But you’ll feel fine leaving Jin won’t you Jack. Sun is right to blame Jack for Jin’s death. If he hadn’t been so infatuated with Kate, Jin would still be alive and may actually be holding Ji Yeon.

Des & Penny – From one relationship that will never get the chance to grow older, to one that has finally got its second chance. We’ve had Skate. We’ve had Jate. We’ve had Chaire. We’ve had Jacket (as much as I don’t want to be reminded). Yet through all of these nauseating love storylines there has only ever been one that truly matters. One that encapsulates both hearts and minds. That relationship between Desmond Hume and Penelope Widmore. Penny has devoted the past years to trying to find Desmond. He has devoted his to trying to get back to her. It was the one relationship that everyone wanted to succeed. Mass kudos have to go to both Henry Ian Cusick and Sonya Walger for making this relationship as beautiful as it is, as when they finally got to embrace each other I’m sure many people’s eyes welled up again. I’m not ashamed to admit that upon first watch mine did. I’m also sure that for a brief moment many people believed that it wasn’t going to happen. When Desmond was found face down in that water, and Jack started hammering away on his chest, more than one mind must have instantly had flashbacks to All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues back in Season 1 and Charlie’s hanging. Whilst this wasn’t as strung-out as that particular scene was, I’m pretty sure someone must have thought that we’d lost Dessy. But for the grace of God, sorry Darlton, we finally had the Des and Penny reunion. And it was everything any of us could have hoped for. It was intrinsically beautiful. The only downside is now it doesn’t look all that likely that Des will be in the following seasons, haven found his purpose for living. As he said to Jack, he has everything he needs now, which could point to a distinct lack of Desmond in the forthcoming two seasons. One other person who we definitely won’t be seeing less of unfortunately, despite his apparent death is one Jeremy Bentham.

Locke – A.K.A Arrogant Prat Number 2. The king of the prats. You’d think that seeing his bald head in that casket would have had me doing cartwheels in celebration. And for a moment it did. But then it dawned on me; from now on it’s going to be nothing but how Locke ended up in there. And that’s way too much arrogance than I can stand. Sometimes I do feel that I’m the only one that can see it. He’s so up his own backside it’s unbelievable. And worst off he tries rubbing his backside on everyone else. So what if Jack doesn’t want to believe John? Let him get on with his ways. OK it was pretty smart to tell him he’d need to lie, and yes you can occasional be right, but please don’t be so arrogant as to push your beliefs onto anyone who disagrees with you. He did it with Jack and unbelievably he did it with Ben. Did anyone laugh with disbelief when Locke asked Ben if he did know he shouldn’t put metallic objects in the Vault? Locke, you need to realise that Ben knows infinitely more than you do. You were really stupid enough to think that when you asked Ben if he knew he shouldn’t put metallic objects in there that Ben would go “Oh yeah”, and then take them all out. This somewhat insignificant interaction for me underlines what John Locke is about – pure arrogance. He reeks of it. Judging by the tone of Sayid’s voice, he’s not buying into the theory that Locke committed suicide; and I usually tend to believe Sayid. If someone did murder him then I will personally seek them out to give them a hug, medal and a piece of cake. However I personally believe that when Locke left the Island, which he obviously did to see the O6, then his life slowly ebbed away. This is also why Ben and Jack need to take Locke back with them. And because of this, I feel it’s guaranteed that Locke will unfortunately be a part of Lost right to the end.

But I shan’t focus on that. Instead I shall focus only on the brilliance and majesty that was There’s No Place Like Home. From Yunjin’s heartbreaking performance, to the heart-warming reunion of Des and Penny, to the heart-wrenching turning of the wheel by Ben, There’s No Place Like Home was simply majestic. That’s not only to add what will become of the Islanders (Jules, Sawyer etc), the boaties (Daniel plus redshirts) and the Island itself. This was simply everything I could possibly ask from a Lost finale, and I believe you’d be hard pushed to find a better two hours of television. Since you can really rate one half without the other I’d give Parts 2 and 3, 9’s respectively, but since this was really one big episode:

Overall Rating - There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3 - 10