"What's It To You?" 5x03: Jughead

Hey Losties,

This episode was the bomb! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) But I did thoroughly enjoy this one. I was worried about, and kind of expecting, a little let-down after last week's episodes, but luckily my fears were unfounded. More time travel (yes!!!); a cute, er, intriguing new character (and one old one...well, he's old now, but we saw him as a young man tonight, which you could also think of as now, but...is my nose bleeding yet?); secret military island presence (you knew that was inevitable), complete with a corroding H-bomb; an abandoned time-jumper; and we see Charlie, but a Charlie you didn't meet until tonight!

I'm really trying to keep this one down to a sane level of recapping for me, and reading for you, so we'll see how I do. And as you may or may not know, I like to recap on my own first, without looking online for any details, so I hope I do well with the facts, too. (Of course, I'll update you in the coming days with anything I missed or got wrong.)
Let's get to it!

Episode 5x03: Jughead

The episode begins with Desmond running through what looks like a South Pacific island marketplace, based on the wares and the people there. We see a large sign that says something like Mabuhay,


which I thought might be the name of this location. He's shouting for someone named Ephraim Salonga (at least that's what I made of it). He's a doctor, and Des brings him to his and Penny's boat. It turns out that Penny is in labor! With Dr. Salonga's help, Penmond (or is it Denny?) have a brand new baby boy to rock to sleep on the boat.


Next, we seem to flash forward a few years to a time when their son is a toddler. Des is telling him about the island that he once was on...Great Britain, and of course Scotland. (He totally Scooby-Doo'ed me, I admit it!) Penny adds that he forgot to tell their son about how his grandfather tried to kill all of daddy's friends on a different island. Des assures her that this trip to Oxford U. will be in and out. He's going because of what Faraday told him about everyone being in danger, and he has to do this. Nothing cowardly about that.

We then are shown the Remainders tromping through the jungle. Charlotte is still having headaches, and now dizziness and double-vision. (Really, aren't they all kind of having double-vision lately if you think about it...?) They come to the creek, where they agreed to meet Sawyer and the others, but Miles notices a tripwire and explosive charges hidden on the ground.


He tries to warn two "redshirts" (those random background people that never speak), but it's too late -


they get Arzt'ed. Suddenly, as the Remainders that do speak are staying low for dear life, a group of men emerge with bows and arrows, and a woman joins them with a rifle.


They accuse the Remainders of planting the explosives. She asks who their leader is, and Miles totally and immediately sells out Faraday. She aims the barrel of the gun at him and says, "You just couldn't stay away, could you?"

• Who knew Desmond and Penny would have a baby? Not me - I'm spoiler-free. It's also awesome that they named him Charlie (I could hear the awwwww's in the air from my house), but more on that later. I was trying to figure out the timing of it all. They must have done a lot of "reuniting" once Penny found Des and the O6, and had him pretty close to nine months after that. Three years later, he looks to be about three years old. I could be wrong - I'm used to 10 year-olds, not toddlers.
• New Girl, who we learn later is named Ellie, made it sound like she knew who Faraday was with that line at the end of the scene, but it turns out she doesn't. (Well...more on that later.) Instead, she thinks he's with the Army. Unless I'm missing something very big and obvious, I thought that was an odd place to have us think something that they would just deny in the next scene, you know? Yeah, maybe they tricked us (well, me at least), but was the mind game worth it for only five minutes? I'm probably making too big a deal of it. Moving on, then...
  

Despenny's boat is docked in the Thames.


Penny is concerned about Des going to Oxford, but he again assures her that he'll be back by dark, and then they'll be done with all of it. He promises her. Penny then makes him promise that he'll never go back to the island, and he says, "Why in God's name would I want to go back there?" So I'm taking bets now - will they get back to the island this season, or Season 6?

Ellie is taking Faraday, Miles, and Charlotte to her camp. She asking them where the rest of their people are. She says there were 20 of them. (There was probably more to this scene, but that's all I have written in my Pearl Station composition book.)

Locke, Sawyer, and Juliet have the two survivors of Locke's rock and knife attack from last week with their hands behind their heads.


Sawyer says he would love the two men with them, but since they have no rope to tie them up with, he'll have to kill them. Then one of the men says something to the other in a mysterious language. Juliet, though, speaks it, too - it's Latin. She tells the group that one asked the other, "Why aren't they wearing their uniforms?" Sawyer asks why they're speaking Latin, and she says, "They're Others."

Back to Miles, Faraday, and Charlotte. We see Miles doing those creepy jerky head movements he does when he's picking up signals from the dead - he tells Faraday that they just walked over four U.S. soldiers who have been dead under a month, and one of them died of radiation poisoning. In true Faraday character, Daniel asks, "Did any of them mention what year it is?"
They come to the Others camp.


Richard walks out from a tent and says, "I assume you've come back for your bomb."

• It's only now, as I type this recap, that I think I understand who's who. (I never said I was the brightest crayon in the Crayola box...) If the following is painfully obvious to you, then just skip this bullet point. My thinking is that Richard and Co. are the Others (duh). Some of them are wearing Army-issue jumpsuits because they "borrowed" them from the Army soldiers that Richard said he had no choice in killing. For example, the soldier who turns out to be Charles Widmore (can't wait to get to that part!) is wearing one, even though he isn't Army. Richard thinks that our Remainders are U.S. Army, and they're back for the H-bomb that was left hanging around by the real U.S. Army. Got it?
• The Others speak a dead ancient language. Would you expect anything less? Still waiting to see the Temple and the four-toed statue...
• I really like that the writers had the Army on the island. I love hearing about secret military experiments (like the much-denied Philadelphia Experiment, for one, which was supposedly meant to test a cloaking device involving electro-magnetism I believe, but instead they teleported the ship in the experiment with disastrous results), so it's fun to think that the island was one of those experiments.

Desmond arrives at Oxford in some badass sunglasses, and when he asks a woman at an information desk where he can find someone by the name of Faraday, she says there are no Faradays on record.


He leaves but walks around the building a bit, and comes across a physics building.


There is a door with a fumigation seal over it,


but he forces his way in and finds a room full of equipment covered in sheets.


He uncovers a chalk board, papers on the floor, a framed picture of Daniel and a blonde woman,


his purple light machine,


and Eloise's (the rat, not the woman) maze. Suddenly, a man has entered behind him and says that Desmond is not the first one to poke around in there.


He tells Des that all the equipment was left behind by Faraday, who wanted to send rat's brains back in time. Des says that he was told that there was no Faraday at Oxford, and the man says, "after what he did to that poor girl," he wouldn't want anyone to know Daniel worked there, either. Des asks him what girl he's talking about, and all the man says is that he won't be upset that he broke his lock if he tells his mates that all he found was some rubbish left behind by a madman.

Faraday, Miles, and Charlotte are brought into one of the tents and are left on their own. They talk about how the Others must think they're in the military, and Daniel says that it's best if they let the Others keep thinking that. They clam up when Richard comes in, sarcastically asking if he's interrupting. He says that his men tell him that they won't give up where the rest of their squad is, and Daniel stands up to Richard, playing the part of the hardened soldier in his own Faraday way, and basically asking why he should tell Richard. Richard points out that it was (he thinks) Daniel's people who came to their island and fired on them first. Daniel answers back that he doesn't know anything about that, and that the people in his group are scientists here to recover the hydrogen bomb on the island. He tells Richard to let him diffuse it. When Richard asks him how he knows Faraday won't just set it off and wipe out the island, Faraday says, "because I'm in love with the woman sitting next to me," obviously meaning Charlotte, "and I would never do anything to hurt her." Charlotte looks at him with a mix of shock and...something. This seems to convince Richard, and he leaves Faraday with the warning that if he tries to do anything out of line, he will hurt Charlotte.

Next we see Locke walking with the others and looking at his compass, while Juliet tells the rest of the group that knowing Latin is "Others 101." One of their captives tells them that their friends are either captured or dead because Sawyer blurted out that they were going to all meet at the creek. Sawyer answers back that he's sorry he didn't say it in a secret language. Juliet then starts speaking to one of the men in Latin, asking him to take them to their camp. It's not until she asks them if "Richardo" Alpert is there that one of the men agrees to do so. Then without warning, the other man snaps his neck and runs into the jungle. Locke raises his rifle as if to shoot the runner, but doesn't. Sawyer can't believe it, grabs the gun, and fires off one shot, but he misses and the man gets away. He asks Locke why he didn't shoot, and Locke says, "Because he's one of my people."

• Faraday seems to relish playing the tough guy in this episode. It's funny to see that side of him, especially when he gives Richard attitude.
  
• "Others 101:" an intensive, all-inclusive course that acclaimates you to the island the Others way. Course curriculum includes Latin, martial arts, weaponry (bows and arrows - both generic and flaming, electric paralyzing darts, and more), disguises, trapping intruders in nets, and making delicious hamburgers. Muffin baking will not be covered.
• My note at the commercial break at this point in the show: "It's only 9:30?!"
  

Desmond show up at a house nearby Oxford, we assume. He knocks, and a woman in a red smock or coverall (it also had a patch on it, but I couldn't make out what it said) answers. Des is looking for Teresa Spencer, and the woman at the door is her sister. He says that he knows her because of Daniel Faraday, and she definitely recognizes that name. She says that he should definitely come in, then, and we all get the feeling that what's inside can't be good. Desmond walks into a room to find a girl who appears comatose being spoon-fed by a man. She is hooked up to various medical equipment.


Des asks if she can hear them, and the woman says, "No, Teresa's away right now." Desmond doesn't understand, and the woman says that she comes in and out of consciousness, and sometimes she asks for her dolly, and other times she is talking to her father...who died five years ago. She tells Desmond that Daniel abandoned Teresa in this state, and ran off to the States 10 years ago. She says if it wasn't for Widmore, Charles Widmore, who found Daniel's research and has been supporting them ever since, she wouldn't have the care she has now - God bless Charles Widmore.

Back in the tent, Charlotte tells Daniel that he didn't have to tell that story about him loving her - that he could've come up with another story that would convince them. He says, "I said what I said...because I meant it." Ellie comes in and takes Daniel out of the tent as he gives Charlotte a smile. Once Daniel is outside, Charlotte's face drops and she starts crying. Outside the tent, Richard unties Faraday's hands and says that he's going to tell him the truth: he found 18 soldiers on the island, and in the end was forced to kill them. Daniel asked who forced him to kill them, and Richard says that just like Daniel (he thinks) has been given orders, he has a chain of command that he needs to follow. All of a sudden, the man who escaped from Locke's group runs in, telling Richard what happened. Richard asks him if he doesn't think that they'd follow him right into the camp, and the man says, "They're led by an old man - do you really think he knows this island as well as I do?" Ah, the naivete of youth. In the distance, Locke, Juliet, and Sawyer are watching the camp. Locke asks Juliet about Richard, and she says that "he's always been here," and when he asks her how old Richard is, she says, "Old." She asks Locke why he's interested, and Locke says that Richard was about to tell him how to save us before the bright light came back. Locke begins walking down to the camp to finish his conversation with Richard, to the protest of Juliet. Locke says, "Fair enough - I'll give you a 10-minute head-start." As Locke walks away, Sawyer points out to Juliet that Ellie appears to be playing Cambodian death squad with Faraday by leading him into the jungle at gunpoint, and asks her, "What about you? You wanna stay here in Crazytown, or go rescue the geek?"

As Ellie is walking with her gun at Faraday's back, Faraday keeps looking at her. She calls him on it, and he says, "You look just like...someone I used to know." Ellie says she doesn't believe he and his friends are military. Daniel says that he's their best chance at disarming the bomb, and she counters with, "Okay, then go disarm it." She points her gun toward a tall wood-framed tower with a big, fat H-bomb gently dangling above the ground in the center.


After the commercial, we see Daniel up on the tower inspecting the bomb, which has the name "Jughead" (we have a winner!) stenciled onto it.


He notices some white corrosion along one of its seams,


and immediately climbs back down. He urgently asks her if they have an lead or concrete, because they need to fill the seam with either substance and bury it. She is still resisting him and asking how he knows this, and he finally blurts out that he knows because in 50 years, the island is still here. She has a noticeable reaction to this, cocks her gun, and says, "What did you say?" He tells her how he is from the future and that nothing bad is going to happen with the bomb, that everything on the island is still there 50 years from now. (Or then. Whatever.) Then Sawyer appears behind her with a gun at the ready and tells her to "drop the gun, Blondie!" and Juliet, ever the embodiment of calm, says, "Why don't we all put our guns down?"


In the next scene, we see Desmond storm into Charles Widmore's office.


He says that he knows Widmore has question for him, and he's not answering anything. Instead, he has some questiond for Widmore, and when he gets answers, Widmore will never see him again. "Where is Daniel Faraday's mother?" Desmond says he knows that Widmore has been funding Faraday's research for 10 years, and so he must keep tabs on his relations. Widmore asks Desmond, "Is Penny safe?" Desmond asks him again, "Where's Faraday's mother?" Widmore takes out an address book and says that she's in L.A. He writes the address down and hands it to him. "I imagine she won't be please to see you. She's a very private person," he tells Desmond. Desmond turns to go, but Widmore tells him to wait. "Deliver your message, and then get out of this mess," he tells him. "Don't put Penny in danger." He says that he's getting involved in something that has been going on for many, many years, and that wherever he's been hiding, he needs to go back there.

Back at the Others' camp, Locke comes strolling in yelling for Richard. The man who escaped from Locke's group tells Locke to stop and takes aim at him, but Locke ignores him except to vaguely put his hands up.


Richard comes out and asks who he is. Locke tells Richard his name, and Richard asks if that name is supposed to mean something to him. Then Locke says, "Jacob sent me." That name does mean something to Richard. He tells the man to put his gun down, but the man balks at this idea. Richard grabs the gun and puts it down himself, and says, "I said to put the gun down, Widmore." (Losties everywhere gasp!) Locke, bemused, says, "You're name is Widmore? Charles Widmore?" Young Charles Widmore says, "What's it to you?" Locke says, "Nothing."

After our final commercial break, we see Desmond back on the boat with Penny and young Charlie. Penny asks if he found Daniel's mum, and he says no, she died. Desmond isn't a good liar. When Penny calls him on his lie, he tells her that she's in L.A. But, Desmond says, it's over. He promised her it would be done after his visit to Oxford, and his life now is her and Charlie (which is the first time they call him by name). "I won't leave you again, not for this, not for anything." But Penny knows him too well: "You'll never forget it, Des. So...I guess we're going with you." He seems relieved, but as they embrace, she looks worried and is crying.

At the camp, Locke and Alpert are talking. (I'll admit right now, I didn't write every detail of this scene - let's just say I was mesmerized by how the conversation went, and what it means for what's going on.)


Richard says, "So I gave you this?" referring to the compass. "Why don't I remember?" he asks. Locke tells him it's because it hasn't happened yet. Locke asks Richard to tell him how to get off the island, and Richard counters that that's priveleged information. Locke says that Richard told him that he'd tell him how (in Richard's future, and Locke's past). And besides, he says, I'm your leader. Richard sort of laughs this off, saying that they have a very selective process to choose their leaders. So Locke begins to tell Richard when he was born, and that he should come visit him (!). But then Locke starts to experience a flash, and begs Richard to tell him how to get off the island - too late. Everything has disappeared except for Locke and the other Remainders. Locke is crushed. Faraday runs to Charlotte, who still has her hands tied, and unties her. Miles says, "Yeah, I'm okay too, thanks." As Charlotte looks at Daniel, she begins to looks woozy, her eyes start to roll back, her nose really starts gushing blood, and she collapses.


Daniel is holding her in his arms, totally helpless to do anything.

LOST

Some final thoughts for now:

• So Locke tells Richard to visit him after he is born - wow! I'll have to go back and rewatch that scene when Richard actually does visit Locke as a child to see how the compass fits in to the test he gives young Locke. It's past 1:00am, and there's no way I'm going to get every nuance of what this scene fully means, but I can already tell I'll be thinking about it a lot. I'm wondering, though, how Locke thinks Richard will do this. I know Locke is aware of what Richard can do...but is Richard himself? My next point might explain a little more about what I mean...
• I'm surprised by something, and maybe I'm missing something, but does Alpert really not know about time travel? He seemed totally clueless about the compass and how he gave it to Locke in the future. If he knows about the ability to time travel on the island, would he be so surprised? Is he pretending not to know for some reason? If he isn't aware of this property of the island, is this the event that sets the Others in search of something on the island that allows them to time travel, which then leads to the Orchid? Is Richard truly ageless then, rather than someone who looks the same age because he time travels? If I'm not understanding something, please set me straight.
• We now have three Charlies: Charles Widmore, Charlie Pace, and Charlie Hume. I'm tempted to wonder: is it at all possible that Charlie Hume turns out to be Charles Widmore? (No way - that would mean that Penny's son is her father, which is a) creepy, and 2) impossible, I think - it would be an endless loop, wouldn't it? I don't know, I can't think right now.) Could Charlie Hume be Charlie Pace? Well, Charlie Pace's father was a butcher who looked nothing like Desmond, and his mum didn't look like Penny, so unless he was adopted, I don't see it. But who knows with this show.
• Two more pieces in the Hawking-Is-Faraday's-Mother puzzle (which isn't much of a puzzle at this point) - Faraday's mother is not listed anywhere in Oxford's records (because she's using the name Hawking instead - her maiden name, maybe? An alias?), but she is in L.A. now. As is Ms. Hawking.
• And about Ellie: The blonde hair (which I'm sure will someday turn to a lovely shade of white)? The vaguely British accent? Daniel thinking he's seen her somewhere before...? The name Ellie, short for...Eloise? As in Eloise Hawking? As in Daniel's (theorized) mother??? Would Daniel be "allowed" to meet his mother as a young woman, or is that "against the rules"? Something to think about...

And speaking of thinking, I am incapable of any more of it tonight. So, I hope you enjoyed "Jughead," and I'll post again with more soon.

For now,
Namaste, and Good Luck!

~Matt