LOST Season Six: LA X (Parts 1 and 2) Review

This is the first of my LOST Season 6 recaps. Each post will cover two episodes. Most of these will be moderately stream of consciousness and will not exactly follow the narrative that the episodes followed. Enjoy.

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Wow. LOST has been a ride so far this season.

The season opened with the shocking "LA X," which opened with an almost shot-for-shot scene that matched the scene that followed the first opening way back in 2004.

Wow. This strange turn of events threw me off initially. What the heck is going on? Why didn't the plane crash? What the heck is going on? Why is the island under water? What the heck is going on? Why did Desmond seem to appear and then disappear almost as soon as he appeared? Needless to say, for almost two hours I was gripped, confused, and extremely happy LOST had returned.

Jack appears to recognize Desmond, even for just a moment. Hmmm. Okay, so Jack saved Charlie's life on the plane (he apparently was choking on his heroin). Cue the "Maybe I was supposed to die" ominous line and music. Perhaps not subtle enough folks. Perhaps a bit more subtle than Boone's "subtle" performance where he says he'd follow Locke. Leslie Arzt chews the scenery... again. Can he get blown up again? Please?

Jin and Sun appear to be pretty much unchanged from their "real" selves - Sun is submissive, and pretends she doesn't know English. There has been some speculation that she really doesn't know - but that would destroy the entire scene where she struggles to answer the person, and finally does with a "No English."

Okay, everything is alright. Wait, no it isn't... They're back on the island. "They" being Kate, Jack, Sayid, James, Miles, Hurley and Jin wake up, disoriented from their "travel" back to the present day from the 1970s. Juliet is nowhere to be found. Distraught, James attacks Jack, blaming him for all of this. And who can't blame Jack - the plan apparently failed. Juliet somehow survived the fall and explosion - and is trapped below the wreckage of the Swan. James is able to dig to her, but she dies while apparently trying to order coffee. I suspect that the coffee ordering will play a part in a future episode.

They all travel their separate ways, with most of the group traveling to the Temple after Jacob, in all his dead glory (Ben killed him in the season finale), tells Hurley to take Sayid there to save his life.

Sun, Lapidus, Richard, Ilana and Bram wait with the others outside the Temple. Ben exits the Temple, fresh from killing Jacob. Bram and his men drag Ben back into the Temple - and discover that not only is Jacob dead, but that Locke isn't really Locke (they already knew that since they saw the body). When you start hearing the "tika tika" sound - shit's about to hit the fan. Sure enough, Locke turns into "Smokey" and decimates the whole group. Bram attempts to save his life by putting ash around him, but "Smokey" is able to circumvent it by hitting something into the circle to knock him out. Ben and "Locke" (who I will keep referring to as Locke) exit, with Ben confused, but quickly realizing what he is. Richard appears to be the most shocked - and is quickly knocked out and picked up by Locke. He announces that he is "very disappointed" with everyone on the beach.

Well, damn. The Temple is full of trademark "DOUCHE-BAG OTHERS" - I have a theory that the only way to become an Other is to at least act like a complete asshole, scumbag, or psychotic. Looks like Cindy in all her ratty hair has caught this bug. Well Lennon and a Japanese man named Dogen appear to be in charge. Interesting - we've never seen these guys before and they appear to be pretty high up in The Other's power structure. Interesting. Okay, all this talking has made sure that Sayid is dead. Dead as a... whatever is dead. Remember "Dead is Dead." But... apparently he isn't. Sure. Hey "Sayid."