This week we got a chance to see the flash-sideways featuring Hurley, who is also the first character in the flash-sideways to find his true love. Yes, Desmond was able to track down and have coffee with Penny, and Sawyer caught Kate during a police chase, but good ol’ Hugo Reyes got the girl first and it was a good thing.
The girl, of course, was Libby, who was tragically taken from Hurley moments before their first date thanks to a gun-wielding Michael. In the flash-sideways they finally get their date and a first kiss that has been a long time coming. But this was the end of the storyline; there was plenty more going on than just this.
Hurley is still rich thanks to the lottery, but he doesn’t feel cursed. He also was never in a mental hospital, which means he never heard his fellow patient repeating the infamous numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42) that led to his lottery win in the flashbacks seen in the first two seasons. So what numbers did he use to win in this alternate reality?
He’s a philanthropist, and entrepreneur, and a lonely guy according to his mom (sadly, Cheech Marin wasn’t in the ep as Hurley’s dad). We do, however, get to see Miles’s dad who is the emcee at a dinner honoring Hurley at the start of the flash-sideways. Another familiar face, Desmond, also appears on several occasions. More on that later.
Set up on a blind date by his well-intentioned mother, Hurley meets Libby who isn’t his date, but rather is a patient from a Santa Rosa mental hospital on a field trip. What she says to Hurley shakes him to the core: she feels like they’ve met before. Determined to find out what she means, he goes looking for her and after shelling out a generous donation to the hospital, gets to see her.
Libby tells Hurley about the “visions” she’s had about the two of them, and Hurley believes her. But it isn’t until their date on the beach (where she isn’t killed) and they kiss that Hurley flashes through a series of moments that make him realize that they truly do know each other in some alternate reality.
There is a connection to Libby and Desmond that was explored in season two. She was the person who donated her boat to Desmond for his around the world boat race that eventually landed him on the Island. We also know that Libby was in the same mental institution as Hurley in the flashbacks in previous seasons. Despite these two events, and her presence on the Island prior to her murder, we know very little about her past and who she really is. But what matters most is that she and Hurley finally connected and got together.
Back on the Island, we got our first big character death in a while: Ilana. Jacob’s protector went out Arzt-style after gathering dynamite from the Black Rock with the intention of blowing up the Ajira plane. People sure like to destroy ways off the Island, remember Locke blowing up the sub? But Ilana never got the chance and she blows up to the shock of everyone.
So it’s back to the Black Rock for more dynamite, but where’s Hurley? There he is, running away from the Black Rock screaming. But why? BOOM! He’s blown-up the Black Rock, which pisses off Richard, and the team begins to split into two (a common thing on Lost). Why do they split? Because Hurley apparently sees Jacob who tells him that they all need to go and see “Locke.” Richard, Miles, and Ben refuse, and go their separate way, which leaves Sun, Jack, Lapidus, and Hurley traveling off to the camps where “Locke” and company are.
Of course, Hurley confesses to Jack that he lied about Jacob being there, and Jack says that he knows. Jack has come a long way from being the main man of reason on the Island we saw in season two, to now being a man of faith like Locke once was. It’s an interesting transformation.
All of this plays right into “Locke”’s plan, since he needs the Oceanic Six all in one place to get his wish of escaping the Island. And, thanks to Hurley’s lie, the Six come together at the “Locke” site.
We also see Desmond again, who was captured by Sayid while Widmore’s people were transporting him. “Locke” takes Desmond for a walk, tries to find out why he’s there, and then tosses him down a well. Is he dead? Logic dictates that he isn’t since he’s an integral part of what will happen to the Island. But you never know.
Michael also makes an appearance in the episode and reveals an interesting tidbit about the Island. We all know about the whispers in the jungle. Rousseau heard them as well as most of the other characters. What are they? They are the souls of the people who can’t escape the Island. They are trapped for eternity with no hope of escaping. I wonder if they will be able to escape if The Man in Black gets off the Island. Could that be why no one wants him to leave? Are these the souls of evil men and women who have committed bad deeds on the Island?
And finally, in one of the most shocking moments this season, Desmond pops up at the school where Locke is a sub (we’re in flash-sideways mode again). After a brief conversation with Ben about the nature of his visit, Desmond watches Locke roll toward the street in his wheelchair. Desmond speeds toward him and hits Locke, jettisoning him from his chair into a heap on the ground! Desmond speeds off, leaving Locke in the street and a frantic Ben calling for help!
Is this similar to Sayid trying to kill Young Ben? Did Desmond see something during his flash-sideways/electromagnetic experience that made him believe that if he killed John Locke that he could alter the course of history? Why did he run down a man in a wheelchair? What could his motive have been?
But one thing is for sure, this next episode must be a Locke-centric ep. Especially since they ended on such an intense note.
A lot happened in this episode and we all know that more is on the way. Only four eps left until the big finale, which will air on Sunday, May 23. If you have any comments, questions, theories, or are just sick of the show at this point, feel free to let us know.
See you next week for the Lost recap of episode 612: “The Last Recruit.”