s5e15: Follow the Leader

Previously on the Lost I didn't recap (because I didn't see it until Saturday due to school commitments): Faraday brings us back to the trend of flashback = dead. We learn that Widmore was his father (heavily foreshadowed before the late-episode reveal) and that his mother encouraged him to return to the island knowing full well that she would end up shooting him in the past. Before that, Faraday tells Jack and Kate that he thinks he can stop 815 from ever crashing by detonating Jughead to nullify the energy that Dharma is going to build the Swan station on top of, and Radzinsky has Sawyer in a tight spot after he finds Phil tied up in the closet. I liked that episode but I'm pretty sure I just covered everything important in it. Moving on!

Why, exactly, was Faraday so reckless with the gun? Anyway, he gets shot again, and then a couple Hostiles (the second of whom is Widmore) go all Planet of the Apes on Jack. Meanwhile, Eloise reads the inscription in Faraday's journal (which she gave him, decades later) and then says that Jack and Kate should be brought to their tent. Widmore can't figure out why Dharma has declared war. Eloise says these people aren't from Dharma. It's starting to fall into place for her, clearly.

Back to now-times. The non-aged Richard is greeted by Locke with a boar. Locke says he'll tell Richard where he's been "on the way." Richard notes that Locke seems different. "I have a purpose now," Locke says. Richard spots Ben and Sun trailing in and asks what Ben is doing here. Ben talks to Sun about Richard's long-term "advisor" job. Sun runs up and asks Richard if he was around in 1977, and if he remembers the Losties in the photo. Richard says that he was around and remembers meeting them very clearly, because "I watched them all die." Uh-oh.

Sun asks if Locke thinks it's true. "I don't think we went through all this for nothing," Locke says. He invites Ben on the trek with Richard. Ben asks if Locke is afraid that he'll "stage a coup." Locke says he's not afraid of anything Ben can do anymore. Ben says he'd love to come with in that case. Locke promises Sun that if any way can be found to save the Losties, he'll find it. Back in 1977, Jack and Kate get tied up and worked over by the Hostiles. Jack says to Kate that if they can do what Faraday said, everyone would be alive again, and "all the misery" is erased. Kate is a bit offended at the idea that it was "all misery." "Enough of it was," Jack says. Eloise comes in and asks why Faraday wanted the bomb. Jack says she wouldn't believe him. Eloise tells Jack about her meeting with Faraday in 1954 and that she just shot him and learned he was her son. "Explain to me, and you have my word I will believe you," she says. Jack says that if they do what's in the journal, "none of this will have happened." Complicating factor! The bomb is buried under Dharmaville.

Speaking of which, Sawyer's in big trouble. Radzinsky threatens him with death if he doesn't tell where Kate was going. Phil thinks he can get Sawyer to talk by punching Juliet. (Nice.) Somehow some Dharma guy quickly figures out to check the last sub manifest and realizes that Jack, Kate and Hurley were suspicious last-minute additions. Hurley is in the kitchen trying to stockpile food, then heads into the jungle. Dr. Chang sees him. Hurley meets up with Miles and Jin, and Dr. Chang catches up with them. He asks Miles if they're from the future. Hurley denies it, leading a delightful exchange in which Hurley can't come up with a plausible birth date or name the current US president, and then has to admit that he's from the future. Miles admits to being Dr. Chang's son, but no time for a catch - Faraday said to evacuate, so evacuate they shall. Unfortunately the rest of Faraday's plan will be tougher to implement since he's dead. Widmore looks at his face and wonders why he seems familiar. Eloise tells Richard to come with her and informs Widmore that she's taking Jack and Kate to the bomb. Jack asks who Widmore is to enable Richard to establish the Wid-Hawk ship. Back to 2007! 2007 Richard asks what happened to Locke and where he's been. Locke says he's about to find out and then asks to see Jacob. "That's not how it works," Ben says. Locke asks Richard if seeing Jacob will be a problem. Richard hems and haws a little but caves after Locke pulls rank. Locke says that they're almost to the plane. "What plane?" Ben asks.

It turns out that they're headed not for some big jetliner but to the Beechcraft that Yemi crashed in. Locke tells Richard what to say to time-traveling Locke, who we then see stumbling out of the jungle. "Who is that man, John?" Ben asks. "Me," Locke says. After the break, we get a repeat of the scene from earlier in the year with Richard helping Locke. Meanwhile, Locke and Ben look on. Ben asks the obvious question - how did Locke know when to be there? "The island told me," Locke says. He taunts Ben a bit about never being told things, and Ben taunts back, saying that it hasn't told him where Jacob is. Locke asks Ben if he's ever seen Jacob. Ben has no answer. Time-traveling Locke vanishes. (Quick aside: didn't the writers say "no paradoxes?" This is pretty darn close to one, if it isn't outright - Locke only knows what to do in the past because he told Richard to tell it to him in the future. It's a loop. Might be a problem unless there's some excuse for it... but I have no idea what that would be.) Richard comes back and says time-traveling Locke seemed convinced, especially about having to die; Richard says he's glad that didn't have to happen. Locke says that it did. Richard seems as shocked as anyone.

Dr. Chang wants to evacuate, but stumbles into Radzinsky's torture chamber. Radzinsky, mad with power, says that drilling at the Swan will go ahead as scheduled and that Horace isn't in charge anymore. Sawyer strikes a deal - put the women and children on the sub, and if Sawyer and Juliet get to go too, he'll tell them everything. Radzinsky asks Sawyer to draw him a map of exactly where the Hostiles are, and Michael Giacchino reminds us that "map" is a huge, huge callback clue. Meanwhile, Eloise reveals that the tunnels leading to the bomb require an underwater trip. Kate wants to go back and find the others, and asks Jack what he's doing aside from getting everyone killed. She makes to leave, but the Hostiles won't let her until Deus ex Sayid kills the one with a gun.

Jack fills Sayid in on the plan. Sayid says it won't matter because he already killed Ben and it made no difference. Kate informs him that he didn't exactly kill Ben. Sayid asks why they took him to the Hostiles to be saved. Kate asks when shooting kids and setting off bombs became okay. Jack sounds very Locke-ian when he says that the reason the three of them were pulled off the plane into 1977 was to change things. Kate says that if he's wrong, everyone dies. Jack says he's not wrong. Kate says he sounds like Locke and goes off to find the rest of the Losties, "because if I can't stop you, maybe they can."

The other Losties are watching Dr. Chang yell at his wife to make her leave, which Miles unfortunately has to witness. Then they see Sawyer and Juliet head for the sub. Hurley says Sawyer always has a plan. His plan appears to involve buying Microsoft. Sawyer says he should have listened to Juliet and gotten on the sub three years ago. Juliet asks why he talked her out of it. Sawyer just looks at her. Juliet gets into the sub; Sawyer turns and looks at the island. You think he'll miss something, but he just says "Good riddance" and heads below. Elsewhere, Jack follows Richard into the tunnel underwater, and when he comes up... he's in the Temple. Eloise and Sayid follow. Sayid seems eager either to be saved or to be "put out of [his] misery." "Let's get started," Eloise says.

Back in 2007, Locke returns to camp with Richard and Ben. Locke wants to go to Jacob right away (which Richard doesn't like) and also wants to talk to everyone there. He tells them that the entire group is going to see Jacob. Richard tells Ben that he's starting to think Locke is going to be trouble. "Why do you think I tried to kill him?" Ben asks.

Okay, time to set up the finale! Sawyer says they're free once the sub gets to where it's going. They exchange I love yous. Then... Kate gets dumped onto the sub! You didn't think this triangle would be resolved that easily, did you? Juliet looks unhappy. The CGI sub heads out to sea. Back at the Temple, Sayid asks Jack if he trusts Eloise, that the bomb might be to annihilate Dharma. It's occurred to Jack, but he trusts her because she's the one who helps them get back. Sayid isn't sure that makes her trustworthy. We come to the bomb, and everyone stares at it. "Well!" says Eloise. "Now what?" Back in 2007, it's time for yet another march, as the Others head for Jacob. Ben tells Locke that Richard isn't sure about the plan. Locke reveals to Ben that he isn't actually interested in reuniting the Losties; he's going to Jacob because he wants to kill him. Ben stares for a long, long time. I really expected a tiny "What?" right before the cut to black.

Next! Sawyer and Juliet and Kate get the sub turned around or something, and try to stop Jack. Some stuff in 2007 happens, including Frank asking "What's in the box?" (Frank is with Bram's group, so who knows what we might learn there.) Jack shoots up Dharmaville. Sawyer gets called out for looking at Kate but swears he's with Juliet. And more! Looks exciting.