Follow along! The episode guide for “There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1” is in Finding Lost — Season 4, pp. 159-170.The beginning of the three-part ender, where we see what really happened when the Oceanic 6 first returned to civilization. So much to love in this episode!
Fun things I noticed:
• I ♥♥♥ Carmen Reyes. That scene of her running to hug Hurley and then Sayid is just… sigh. I ♥ her.
• This episode once again raised the question about Sayid’s parents: Are they dead? Or are they just hard-hearted? Kate seems completely alone at the airport, while Sayid is enveloped by the Reyes family, but no one shows up for him, either. We know what a hard person his father was, but what about his mother?
• Does anyone else find it strange that Juliet knew all about the Looking-Glass station – even though Mikhail and everyone else were surprised to discover it existed – but she didn’t know about the Orchid? Maybe it’s the toppermost of the top-secret places on the island.
• Sawyer: “You don’t get to die alone.” That still makes me laugh out loud.
• There’s a LOT more on the DVD than was shown in the original TV version of the episode: we see new questions from the reporters, Sayid is asked a question, Jack’s father is brought up by another one. I’m surprised in all the extra footage there’s no reaction shot of Sun’s parents when she leans forward and speaks English for the first time. You’d think they both would have fallen out of their chairs in shock.
• Why didn’t a doctor ever notice that Sun had conceived the baby post-crash? An ultrasound can usually figure out the date of conception to the exact day, give or take a day or two. You don’t think they would have noticed that the baby had been conceived a month and a half AFTER her husband had supposedly died?
• I still remember being on the edge of my seat in that final week between this ep and the finale: we know the O6 will be leaving together, yet at the end of this episode Kate and Sayid are with the Others, Hurley’s with Locke, Sun and Aaron are on the freighter with Desmond, Jack is with Sawyer, and Ben has been taken by Keamy. How will they EVER get back together to get off the island?! ;)
Things that have new meaning:
• I love the disgust with which Ben tells Hurley those crackers are 15 years old. In light of S5, those crackers are still a mystery. Is it possible they’re actually not old at all, but somehow time-jumped? Wouldn’t you love it if at the beginning of S6 they’re all back in 2007 and Miles says to Hurley, “You’re the one who wanted to rewrite Empire” and Hurley says, “Dude, that was THIRTY YEARS AGO. Let it go.”
• Who could Ben have been communicating with? Jacob doesn’t seem to be an option anymore in light of S5. Could it have been Richard? Someone suggested on my site that he could have been communicating with an earlier version of himself (and then when I posted that suggestion over on DocArzt, I was told that was one of the stupidest things ever suggested in the Lostverse… but I’m not sure it should be dismissed so summarily).
• There’s Alpert in ratty clothes again! I forgot we saw him dressed like that in this episode. By S5, he’s completely well put-together (always in a dress shirt with the sleeves up) but here he’s not. In case you weren’t watching Lost at the time, the reason Alpert suddenly begins showing up at the end of S4 rather than being a large part of the entire season is because he’d moved over to another series, Cane, which was on CBS, and CBS refused to let him do guest spots for ABC. Then Cane was cancelled and he was free to come back. Whew.
• What if the Temple allows you to see the future? Is it possible that when Ben was taken there and “lost his innocence” as a boy, that it allowed him to see across time, and so that’s how he always knows what’s going to happen? That’s why Alex’s death might have been a surprise to him (it wasn’t in what he’d seen) and why he could march right up to Keamy and know he’ll be just fine.
37 comments:
When the O6 get off the plane to meet their families and the press, my eyes are always drawn to the moms. Hurley’s mom, Sun’s mom, and Jack’s mom are the ones I love to watch. And speaking of family stuff, when I see Sawyer holding Aaron in this episode, I’m reminded of the fact that Josh Holloway now has a baby daughter of his own, and he’s super-happy about it, so I’m super-happy for him. Ah, the circle of life.
Nikki, a seemingly VERY minor mystery in the Lostverse is how the crackers in the tin stayed fresh and good for 15 years. Originally, I thought that on an Island with downright magical properties, maybe there’s a sort of stasis field for food storage. Then I read your suggestion that maybe time is “moving at such a strange pace that even if they were left in that spot 15 years ago, the crackers are only a few days old.” And the next sentence speaks volumes: “Stranger things have happened.” No doubt! All we know for sure is that later when Hurley shares the crackers with Sawyer and says, “They’re good”, we can see by the expression on Sawyer’s face that they really are good.
I was looking at the people on the Zodiac raft headed to the freighter, and believe it or not, it was during this rewatch that I realized for the first time that all of the nameless characters are going to be blown to bits when the C-4 explodes. Along with an unknown number of ship’s crew. It’s really hard to care about (or even notice) background fictional characters to whom you’ve never been introduced.
I love Hurley’s old beater car with the dieseling engine and no shocks. And shouldn’t we have a whisper transcript for the party guests right before the big “Surprise” moment at Hurley’s party? That might be fun.
I never noticed the actual mileage on the restored Camaro because seeing the Numbers was such a freaky moment. But over 480 THOUSAND miles – that’s amazing!
Right after Claire’s mom told Jack about Claire, we see him looking all stunned like he’s gut-shot and moving shakily towards Kate. And then they cut the scene (Was it for a commercial break? I forget.) So we don’t know if he somehow kept it to himself, or if he blurted out, “Claire is my half-sister!” I really wanted to see the next beat of that scene.
Somehow, Ben knew that there would be anthuriums growing right in front of the elevator to the Orchid Station. Does this mean that he has been there recently? Does someone tend the plants in the greenhouse above the Orchid? I don’t know anything about anthuriums. Do they bloom all the time? Maybe they thrive on neglect. Maybe the anthuriums are ALWAYS there because they’re indestructible. This bugs me just a little bit. It’s another piece of the puzzle that is Ben Linus.
As Nikki points out in her book, it's mind blowing to have the rescue stuff here in the middle of a "lost on a desert island" tv series as opposed to the ending.
Boy I love this show!
"Kate seems completely alone at the airport, while Sayid is enveloped by the Reyes family"
Since the sound was muted during that scene, I added my own dialogue for Hurley: "Mom, you gotta meet this guy! He can, like, kill people with his legs. Cool, huh?"
My wife did not appreciate my addition.
Oh, and I also want to add that the scene of the rescued people meeting their parents reminds me of the ending of the Goonies.
Hey Nikki, remember when you asked everyone to submit a mystery that we really hope will be solved by the finale of the show?
I'd like to add the crackers…seriously? How/Why are they still good?
Claire's mother has one of the worst Australian accents I have ever heard ("Her name was . . . Cleah"), the only Australian accent that is worse was the woman who wanted to adopt Aaron in "Raised by Another".
I remember watching this episode for the first time, and thinking that the scene with Hurley and the crackers was hysterical.
@Gillian Whitfield: I gotta agree with you there. As an Aussie, I cringe every time I hear that woman. Makes me feel sorry for the numerous Aussie actors who must have been passed over for the role. "Cleh"? What the hell's a "Cleh"? Mental.
Also, Nik, I could be wrong (and I often am), but with the Looking Glass, wasn't it a case of Ben telling every-Other that it was just out of commission, rather than every-Other not knowing it existed? I thought they knew it was there, because that was what allowed the sub to come and go, and Ben told everyone it was broken or flooded because he didn't want anyone leaving the Island. And I'm totally prepared to be wrong, but that's the way I thought it was.
Carmen Reyes is my favorite! I want a Mama Reyes of my own :)
@Nikki: I had never considered that about Sun's pregnancy. Questions were raised about Aaron, but never about Ji Yeon. Hmmmm...
they’re all back in 2007 and Miles says to Hurley, “You’re the one who wanted to rewrite Empire” and Hurley says, “Dude, that was THIRTY YEARS AGO. Let it go.”
HA!!!
I always find it funny how disconcerted the airline rep is at the beginning. She's expecting them to be all happy and excited and they all look like they're going to a funeral.
So, I guess Jack's mom has forgiven him for his dad's death?
Kate to Jack and Sawyer: "What? You fighting each other now?" Me: Ummmmm... did they ever NOT fight with each other?
I ♥ the reunion with Sayid and Nadia. ;-; It was just sad knowing already that she died before long.
Carmen: "Jesus Christ is not a weapon." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
I also ♥ Hurley's dad. Sure he made some mistakes, but he's been a pretty stand up guy since coming back. Maybe he originally returned for mercenary reasons, but he really does care for his son.
Ben: "I wasn't being entirely truthful." Really!?! What a shock!
And, one of my all time favorite Ben lines, mainly for the way that Emerson delivers it... "How many times do I have to tell you, John? I always have a plan!"
Verification: StGall - the patron saint of nervy people
Nikki I always assumed that Ben is communicating with Richard about his plan to give himself up to Keamy so that Richard can come to the rescue.
Also, you brought up the ending where we wonder how they all end up together. That ending scene with the musical score is just awesome. It builds and builds and then we get to the line, "I'm Benjamin Linus. I believe you're looking for me."
@ SonshineMusic: I liked your comment about Hurley's dad, he really has changed from the guy who left his family and came back only for the money.
Also, your Ben quote is one of my favorites too.
And I agree with your comment about Kate. I started to wonder, maybe she never realized that Jack and Sawyer are not that fond of each other? It doesn't seem possible, but still I have to wonder.
@Sonshinemusic - I must agree, I love "How many times do I have to tell you, John, I always have a plan!" But the best Ben line (with many close runner ups) - "I wasn't being entirely truthful." HA
What does Daniel's little book say? He knows about the secondary protocol and says we have to get off this island NOW. He knows exactly what is going to happen. I could see how he would know about the orchid, but the protocol (You ask this question in your book, Nikki)?
I also love how Jack can hold on to his illusion of correctness in the face of abundant evidence to the contrary.
The other thing I am still wondering (and tell me if I missed it) is why they chose Boone, Libby and Charlie as the three survivors. Those three may have the absolute least in common of anyone on the island. Except that they died.
After seeing S5, I am still not sure why Hurley says he should have gone with Jack? So he didn't see the cabin? He ended up with Jack anyway. Maybe he meant he shouldn’t have helped JL.
@Nikki - I like your theory about the crackers. Yet another mystery which I am sure will be solved in Season 6. Maybe.
I think they chose Boone, Libby and Charlie in case one of the Oceanic 6 let slip that they knew one of them. But that begs the question of why they didn't also include Claire, Bernard and Rose, at the very least.
I had forgotten that Hugo introduced Sayid to his parents and they apparently invited him and Nadia to Hugo's party. So why didn't Mrs Reyes recognize Sayid later when he was unconscious on her couch?
re JS "The other thing I am still wondering (and tell me if I missed it) is why they chose Boone, Libby and Charlie as the three survivors."
I think the producers were asked that very question, and their response was, since it wasn't true, it doesn't matter why Jack chose those three. So I guess we'll never find out.
@JS: I think the writers had always had an idea the Boone was coming back, that his role had been important. Afterall, there has been much made about the domino connections between Boone's dropping the flashlight Locke tossed him, finding the hatch, his eventual death and Locke pounding on the hatch etc etc. In fcta for each season, Boone's name or the actor appeared. So is Boone really that important to events unfolding? We'll have to wait and see.
Libby's another one that seems odd. But with Watros not coming back to the show, I guess that line has been dropped. But hey, Charlie is coming back. Did the writers have a vision about the 3 month gap for Flashforward? I think it was always part of evil Ben's plan. (Imagine had they gone back in time, and Hugo had grabbed ahold of past Charlie before a flash. Since the rule is whatever you are holding comes along for the timetravel ride, then Charlie would have come along. But that possibility is in the past, and it would have made a mess of the plot line).
When Hugo's dad gives him the keys to the Camaro, Hugo sees the numbers and runs away. But the Season opener is Hugo driving in the car. I guess he got over his initial dislike of the car as cursed.
When Claire's mum talks with Jack, is that a moment of disbelief or shcok at receiving the news; or is it Jack wondering how oh crap, we didn't think of this wild card dropping into our lie.
How poor is Paik Industries that Sun can be given a financial settlement from Oceanic and she buys a controling interest in the company? I always had the impression Paik Industries was in the range of hundred of millions of dollars, still controlled by family interests, with overseas business contections. A settlement of say 30 million wouldn't be close to buying a controlling interest in the company. Unless Sun had always had a significant amount of shares, but I didn't think Mr. Paik would have given her that. I had always thought Hurley had contributes his wealth to buy out Paik. Anyway, this is a show about an island that travels through time. So big deal, Sun bought the shares.
@Nikki - Brilliant spot about Sun's conception date......and Ben communicating with himself in the past/future.....thats not sucj a stupid idea you know.
@JW- "Mom, you gotta meet this guy! He can, like, kill people with his legs. Cool, huh?"
hahahaha
@SonshineMusic-"So, I guess Jack's mom has forgiven him for his dad's death?"
I think if your only child were to come back from the dead (figuratively), that it would be pretty easy to forgive, just to have them alive and well. Also the line, "Jesus Christ is not a weapon" is my all time favorite Carmen Reyes line!
@studiorose- "So why didn't Mrs Reyes recognize Sayid later when he was unconscious on her couch?
I was wondering the same thing! Maybe when he was unconscious on her couch, he was face down, but how could anyone mistake that hair?
@Nikki- concerning Sun's DOC, maybe her Dr. DID notice a descrepancy, and she paid him/her off to not ask any questions. I wouldn't put it past her. OR, maybe once they were away from the island and running in real-time (not island-time) her DOC changed (like maybe the fetus grew more on the island so when she got home it seemed like she'd been pregnant longer).
Jack-"This should be easy" huh? Right!
Sayid looks over at Jack as he is recounting their tale to the reporters, and he has this look on his face that is almost amusement, like he can't believe all that is coming out of Jack's mouth.
I too love the Hurley eating the 15yr old crackers. He goes right for them w/o any hesitation, and pops them in his mouth. haha! Maybe the tin's lid was super airtight, so they just got a little stale, and when all the oxygen was used up, they were ok. But then again, maybe Ben was just there last week and he was LYING!(oh no, I cant believe it! Not Ben!)
Hi Nikki, per usual an absolutely awesome post about one of my fav episodes.
There are so many great scenes in lines in this episode I don't even know where to begin. I did notice once again that there is someone sitting behind the Oceanic 6 on the plane, as even Ms. Decker nods to them on the way by. Why would the Oceanic 6 be discussing their plans with someone sitting there?
Love the Reyes family! "Jesus Christ is not a weapon". Carmen is just so cool. It's no wonder Hurley is such an awesome person. Although throwing a tropical island themed party is really too much. And Sayid's comment of "Interesting choice of themes" to which Hurley replies "Yeah dude, that just don't get it" is hysterical.
"You know, those crackers are 15 years old" and Hurley just shrugging and eating them. HAHAHA!
Ben's "How many times do I have to tell you John, I always have a plan" is just said so perfectly by Michael Emerson. In my opinion, Season 4 was the season of Ben, and he did not disappoint in any way.
Love Sawyer's "That guy is stubborn. Hold up, you don't get to die alone" really makes me love Sawyer's character even more.
The ending montage, with Ben walking into the foliage while John and Hurley crouch and watch; Jack and Sawyer walking away from the plane with the guns; Kate and Sayid being led away by Richard and the Others; and of course Ben's famous "I'm Benjamin Linus. I understand you are looking for me" gives me chills. Michael Giachino is a musical genius!
I just posted this on another board and would love some feedback.
I read a theory quite a while ago (can't remember where) that the reasons for mentioning Boone, Libby, and Charlie are as follows:
Boone because Locke mentioned him talking to someone on the plane's transceiver, and it was never revealed to the Tailies so no one ever knew that he was actually talking to Bernard. They assumed it might have been someone off the island and didn't want to take a chance at someone coming forward.
Libby as an homage to Hurley, and also because they believe she may have been working for Widmore.
Charlie because he was famous, and they thought his fans would get together and cause chaos until they did indeed manage to bring the plane up with his body in it.
I don't know how true these are, but they seem to make sense in some ways.
Also, does anyone remember when they showed this on TV (and in repeats on G4) at the press conference, they ask Hurley a question about why he never lost weight? This didn't make it onto the DVD.
Ok, enough rambling. Nikki, I finally bought all your books and have read through them in one week. Love them!!!!! You are awesome!
Lisa
I too am a Mama Reyes lover
- the 'JC is not a weapon' is
definitely one of the best!!
I felt so sorry for Kate at the airport. She
seemed to have just an inkling of hope
that maybe her mom would have forgiven
her & showed up. Why didn't anyone include
her in their family hug like Hurley did for Sayid?
Maybe Jack did later & we didn't see it?
And I almost felt a twinge of sympathy for
Mr. Paik when Sun snubbed him!
@Susan & Sonshine - Cheech probably has
changed some since he first came on the scene
and surely he is delighted to see Hurley
but look at the way he kinda squirmed a
little when Hurley said he didn't want the
money. He's not totally a new man!
@Fred - yeah, I think Jack is completely
floored by the news of Claire being his
sister & hasn't yet been able to process
this new monkey wrench in the plan!
@studiorose & crazyinlost - about why Carmen
didn't recognize Sayid on the couch - maybe
she did recognize him but her question was
just another way of saying 'what the heck
is wrong with him?'. (Of course, she said 'dead
Pakistani' instead of 'Iraqi' cuz like all Hispanics
look like Mexicans, all Mddle Easterners
look Paki!)
Nikki, anyone who thinks the idea of Future Ben on the cliff communicating with Present Ben is a stupid one must feel pretty dumb after season five.
I'm not saying it's true, just that the idea is certainly valid and interesting.
@JW Oh, and I also want to add that the scene of the rescued people meeting their parents reminds me of the ending of the Goonies.
Ha! Me too.
@Batcabbage: regarding the Looking Glass and Orchid stations, and the Others general knowledge of each, I've always thought of it the way you do. The Looking Glass isn't unknown; the fact that it's still working is.
Something to remember about Jack...for a long time he avoided Kate because she was caring for Aaron. I think for some grownups the idea that their parents are divorcing or that one has had an affair hits them really hard. I think that's what happened to Jack, and he was almost in denial about his dad having an affair and a kid. Add to that the fact that Claire was lost on the island (and Jack would blame himself for that even though she chose to go with Locke) and I think that explains his behavior pretty well.
@Susan: I like your idea about WHY Jack is staying away from Kate and Aaron. It makes sense to me!
@Tiasabita- interesting thought! I actually think it's funny that she calls him Pakistani, maybe an homage to his East Indian roots?
Great episode! -- Great analysis, Nikki! -- Great comments, everyone!
@Marebabe: I also love watching the moms at the airport reunion. That scene always makes me cry. Hurley looks so dazed and sad in the plane and then when he sees his parents he snaps out of it and becomes so happy and runs to them. The expression on Mrs. Pak's face really says it all!
I too wondered about those losties who came to the freighter with the first group. Once the zodiac gets to the freighter, you never see them again. I guess we aren't really supppose to notice or care about the background characters, but you gotta kinda wonder sometimes.
Nikki: I too wondered about the date of Ji Yeon's conception raising some questions. I thought that it could have easily been solved by saying that Jin was one of those who made it to the island, but then died. That way Ji Yeon could have been conceived when she was without anyone questioning their story. Saying Jin was one of the eight that made it to the island would not have threatened their lie in any way as far as I can see.
I love the way this episode ends with everyone spread out in different places and you have to wonder how the Oceanic six came together by the end. It really is a wonderfully put together episode -- the whole of season four really is!
@Lisa- I remember the Hurley weight-loss question being there (I origionally saw it on G4, since I have only been watching the series just over a year, when they put them on SyFy and G4 the first time). But I didn't catch the omission this time on the DVD. Good catch!
I have a question that I hope someone can answer for me: Some of the comments have mentioned that in the lie the Oceanic 6 told, they said that the three survivors that made it to the island, but died there were Boone, Libby, and Charley. I never remember hearing this in the episode or reading it anywhere. Can someone tell me where this information comes from?
@Pamalamb: That info was from the 'enhanced episode' that ABC screened, and never appeared in the first airing. From Lostpedia:
This information was revealed in the enhanced episode aired on 5/29: Jack named the other three survivors as Boone Carlyle who died of massive internal injuries very soon after arrival on the Island; "a woman named Libby" who also died within the first week; and Charlie Pace who drowned just a few weeks before they got off the Island. Sayid also confirmed that he will not be returning to Iraq, saying "there is nothing for me in Iraq."
Thanks Batcabbage for the info. Now that you mention it I think I do remember something about this from before.
No problem at all, Pamalamb. As a matter of fact, I can't remember where I first saw the scenes, being that here in Australia we don't get the enhanced episodes. In fact, we're lucky to get anything other than re-runs of Skippy or Neighbours. :)
Verification word: nogleg - a palsy of the lower limbs, most commonly occurring around Christmas.
@Batcabbage-I posted a response to you on part 2 by mistake! Check it out!
@crazyinlost: Cool, just saw it, and replied there. :)
I always look forward to your rundowns of Sawyer's nicknames in FL, Nikki. Didn't Frenchie and the Kids open for Deflated Ghost Chicken? (15-Year-Old Crackers, by the way, was hands-down DGC's best album.)
...
The plane lands in Honolulu, so, for the first time, Hawaii gets to play itself on this show.
Observations like this are so much fun.
...
Your opening comments in FL4, which JW mentioned, echo my own thoughts. How crazy is it that the very moment — the very line of dialogue, really — wherein we discover to our amazement that some people, at least, made it off the Island, we discover that Jack wants to go back? The answer is very, and about as crazy as the fact that a series ostensibly about castaways trying to get home flashes forward to scenes of them having made it home, yet is still full of suspense and insanely compelling mysteries.
SM: I guess Jack's mom has forgiven him for his dad's death?
Yes, but Kate's mom still blames him (force of habit).
...
Verification word: mistylog — What you get when you have to hose down the fireplace.
Nikki: Why didn’t a doctor ever notice that Sun had conceived the baby post-crash? An ultrasound can usually figure out the date of conception to the exact day, give or take a day or two. You don’t think they would have noticed that the baby had been conceived a month and a half AFTER her husband had supposedly died?
I'm with you on lots of the unnecessarily "because it's a TV show" points about Aaron's size or Claire's amazing loss of pregnancy weight, etc., but if I were trying to answer this one I'd probably go with the fact that, at least if it were a Korean doctor checking Sun out, he wouldn't consider it his place to raise the point with her.
Nikki: Who could Ben have been communicating with? Jacob doesn’t seem to be an option anymore in light of S5. Could it have been Richard? Someone suggested on my site that he could have been communicating with an earlier version of himself (and then when I posted that suggestion over on DocArzt, I was told that was one of the stupidest things ever suggested in the Lostverse… but I’m not sure it should be dismissed so summarily).
I think it's entirely possible that it's a duplicate of Ben from the past or future. And I can't help but think of Bill and Ted — somewhere Ben has to leave himself a note to be in the right place at the right time to communicate with himself.
Nikki: What if the Temple allows you to see the future? Is it possible that when Ben was taken there and “lost his innocence” as a boy, that it allowed him to see across time, and so that’s how he always knows what’s going to happen? That’s why Alex’s death might have been a surprise to him (it wasn’t in what he’d seen) and why he could march right up to Keamy and know he’ll be just fine.
Dude! This is a totally new and mind-blowing theory to me.
Something to remember about Jack...for a long time he avoided Kate because she was caring for Aaron. I think for some grownups the idea that their parents are divorcing or that one has had an affair hits them really hard. I think that's what happened to Jack, and he was almost in denial about his dad having an affair and a kid.
Or he felt guilty for helping Kate lie about Aaron being her son. And his guilt continues, because he and Kate will not hand Aaron over to his grandmother, for fear of being caught.
It's strange that so many fans saw nothing wrong with Kate and Jack's lies about Aaron.
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