Lost: The Beginning of the End

Plot: Upon learning of Charlie's fate, the group on the beach head in to the jungle to warn Jack and the others that the people on the boat may not be who they say they are. In a flashforward, Hurley is re-committed to a mental institution, having had a number of disturbing Island related visions.


Last season, the finale really threw a spanner in to the works of many theories, making a lot of them redundant. I also felt that it put a lot of the mysteries in to context. Maybe there isn't an explanation for the polar bears, the four toed statue, or the smoke monster and maybe that doesn't matter anymore. I think the sooner people realise that, the happier they'll be with the show.

Lost has been the light at the end of a rather dark and strike filled tunnel for a few months now. I've never seen such hype surrounding a show that's four months away from airing. It's hype that's been building steadily for a while now and has really become quite feverish in the past couple of weeks. It's been helped by confessions of writers that mistakes may have been made last season and a willingness to come through on a number of promises. Not necessarily answers, but resolution at least.

So here did begin the end. It was a tense, very taut and emotionally charged episode in which we learn a little more about the post-Island future, specifically relating to Hurley. We see him involved in a high speed police chase, after apparently fleeing a store in fright. Upon his arrest he begins shouting 'don't you know who I am!? I'm one of the Oceanic 6!' What that refers to, I don't know. But we get some idea through the episode that some of the group may have been left behind on the Island. Visions of Charlie don't help matters. He's dead, that's for certain, but he's also appearing to Hurley in order to remind him that 'they' need his help. It really helped to personify the Island as an entity, invading upon all aspects of the castaway's lives, both on and off the island, before, during and after their time there.

We also see future Jack in the episode, it's made clear that this is before we saw him in the season 3 finale. He looks well, appears to be busy doing doctor stuff, but he has time to visit Hurley in the institution. Jack is thinking about growing a beard to escape media attention, Hurley wonders if they should go back to the Island. Jack's only concerned about whether Hurley will 'tell' or not. It's clear that something bad happened and it's clear that the Island hasn't got to Jack yet.


So on the Island, the two groups begin travelling. The beach group travel to warn them that the people on the boat may be bad, while Jack's group travel to the beach in order to get rescued. Jack has quite a lot to deal with, especially since Locke stabbed Naomi. He tries to buy time with the people on the boat, fearing what will happen if they find out that Naomi is hurt. Naomi herself disappears in to the jungle, Kate tracks her down. Naomi contacts the boat, covering for the fact that the Islanders hurt her. Maybe she's not as bad as she seems, or maybe their task is beyond simple retribution.

Hurley is with the group travelling from the beach and is somewhat distraught by Charlie's death. He gets separated from the group and finds himself at Jacob's cabin. He peers through the window, seeing Christian Shephard sat in there. Maybe it was a hallucination, or maybe the Island guided him there. I don't know, but it was great to see that the Jacob plot hasn't been left dangling. Jacob is probably the most intriguing mystery left on the Island and I'm certain that it'll be covered throughout this season. Linking Christian Shephard in to it escalates the intrigue and I can't even begin to speculate how he fits in to all of this, but we have seen him on the Island before, as he appeared to Jack in one of the early episodes of season 1.

The groups eventually run in to each other in the jungle. It's an emotional moment as partners are re-united and Jack's group are told of Charlie's death. Claire, is understandably upset, but Hurley gives a fine speech to try and ensure that he didn't die in vein. This is where everyone has to make a choice. Jack is dead set on getting rescued, but Locke and now Hurley are certain that Charlie's actions have proven that they'd do better to stay on the Island. Sawyer joins Hurley and Locke, along with Claire, Alex and Carl and Ben and Rousseau. Rose and Bernard stick with Jack, as well as Kate and what looks to be the bulk of the rest of the survivors.

What's interesting is how this is discussed by Jack and Hurley in the flashforward. Hurley shows regret for going with Locke. It's all water under the bridge, says Jack. But crucially, both groups have been represented in the future. I've talked before about my feeling that a large part of the success of Heroes is down to the tension brought about by knowledge of future events. The flashforward mechanic could really be a boon to Lost. Indeed, this is already an impossibly tantalising little mystery and I'm almost chomping at the bit to see what could possibly have gone so wrong on the Island.

At the very end, Jack and Kate are in the jungle, when a man parachutes from a passing helicopter. 'Are you Jack?', he says. Jack says nothing, but it's clear that a million things are running through his head. He may be there to rescue them, but he may also be there to kill them.

The Beginning of the End really worked well to maintain the pace and the tension of the end of the last season. The beginnings of season two and three failed in certain aspects as they got too hung up on unfolding resolutions to the events of their respective finales in elaborate detail. That made the beginnings of those seasons tedious and laborious. This season 4 premiere, however, has really progressed the plot forward in a wonderful way. Rescue may be around the corner, but I'm damned certain that there'll be a lot of drama and excitement to accompany it.

9 out of 10