Explaining LOST - Whatever Happened, Happened

“Whatever Happened, Happened”

 

So it’s a Kate episode. This is going to be beyond awful. This will be trash TV. Let’s just see how this disaster starts off. When we last left this show, one of the most beloved characters just shot an innocent child in cold blood. Wow, this show is dark. Jin wakes up with a headache and answers his walkie-talkie. Jin tells Phil on the other end that Sayid went north and then he tends to Young Ben who is hanging on for dear life. Jin puts him in the (Ooo ooo) Dharma bus and drive back to the Barracks. Horace is explaining what is going on to the rest of the group. Jack asks how Sayid could have broken out and Horace snaps at him for speaking out of turn. Then he explains that he had help from one of the people in Dharma. At this point I decided to loudly say to the screen, “Sir, I think it’s Ben!” but he didn’t respond. Then I realize that I’m so silly. How can he hear me? He’s in 1977. Then I also realize it’s just a TV show and I decide to sit quietly to myself for awhile.

Meanwhile Ben’s dad asks Kate to work this winch for him. Kate is offended for a second and then realizes he wasn’t calling her a wrench. Yet she does that little cutesy shrugging her shoulders to remind everyone that she doesn’t know anything about being a mechanic. I hate you Kate. Jin’s learned English; why can’t you learn car stuff? Turns out the job is really simple. Flip a switch down and then up. Obviously Kate finds this challenging. Ben’s dad asks about Kate in a rather flirtatious manner, which made me think of a brand new theory. Young Ben is not actually the Ben we know. Sayid kills that Ben. Kate and Ben’s dad get it on. Kate gets pregnant. They name the child Ben after the son he lost. Thanks to Kate’s genes this child is the evil one. Another reason why I don’t write for the show. So Jin comes back with Young Bloody Ben and Ben’s Dad is upset. 

Flashback to 2005, when Kate has been off the island for maybe a couple of months. She’s with Aaron at somebody’s house. Aaron easily out acts everyone in this scene, because he’s adorable. Kate starts singing the song “Catch a Falling Star and Put It In Your Pocket.” Of course you all remember the Claire episode from Season One when she’s meeting the possibly adoptive parents for Aaron. All she asks is that they sing to Aaron that song. Nice touch they had with this episode, but too bad Kate is insanely unlikable. So who’s house is it? It’s Cassidy! Okay I’ll explain. This was Sawyer’s ex who had his child. They aren’t on good terms anymore and Sawyer has never seen his daughter. Cassidy and Kate crossed paths as well when Kate was trying to see her mom. Now Kate is there because Sawyer sent her.

Kate gives Cassidy a whole lot of money and decides to reveal the giant secret she is supposed to keep. Funny. I didn’t hear the part in Jack’s speech about how they have to lie to save everyone where there are exceptions. Hmmm. Nobody likes Kate. So Kate finds out about Sawyer’s daughter and says that he told her to take care of her. That’s a lot of pronouns. Cassidy asks why didn’t Sawyer come back with them and Kate tells the story about how he jumped out of the chopper. Cassidy says that was cowardly of him, which is actually a really fresh take on the action. I still think it was an act of bravery but it makes perfect that Cassidy would see it in that way. Yet despite all of the truth telling, Kate still lies about Aaron. Cassidy calls her out on it. Kate says she “has to” lie about that part.

Back in 1977, Sawyer is checking their TVs for Sayid. Kate comes down and asks what’s up. Sawyer tells her to get out because she’s a lowly mechanic and a bad one at that. Okay I added the last bit, but it was in his tone. Horace comes down and wonders what Kate is doing there as well. Aren’t we all asking this? She finally leaves as Sawyer and Horace investigate the crime scene. There is one clue that is almost neon, which is the janitor keys still in the lock. Horace realizes they only have three janitors on staff: Jack Shepherd, Roger Linus, and a guy named Willy who I can only assume has the last name of Pyburn. Sawyer tells Miles to hold our heroes in a house to keep them separate from everyone. He then proceeds to check on Young Ben where he sees Roger, Ben’s Dad, waiting outside. Turns out his keys are missing. I think Sawyer is this close to breaking this case. Juliet is operating and no one seems to question that she is supposed to be a mechanic. Young Ben isn’t doing so well. She doesn’t have the skills to fix him. Only a real surgeon. Like Jack.

Meanwhile Miles has gathered Jack, Kate, and Hurley into a house. Miles says it’s not house arrest. “You’re free to leave, but I’ll shoot you in the leg.” I like Miles. He’s nothing like Kate. Whoa, whoa, whoa. The writer’s credit finally appeared on screen. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wrote this episode? They are the executive producers of the show. They are the ones who have mapped out the whole series and they write the best episodes. Hmmmm. Maybe this won’t be a bad episode. NO! It’s about Kate. I hate her. This will be bad. So Hurley starts to examine his hand. He fears that he’s about to fade away like in Back to the Future. Miles says he’s an idiot and says time travel doesn’t work like that. Sayid always shot Ben and Ben always grows up. That’s how history played out. Hurley doesn’t get it, but Jack does. Sawyer busts into the house and tells Jack that he needs him to work on Ben. Jack says nope. Sawyer says that Ben will die if Jack doesn’t help. Jack still says nope. Seriously this is dark stuff. Also I’m not sure Jack truly understands the Hippocratic Oath because he breaks it all the time.

So Sawyer goes back to Juliet with no additional help while Kate brings up the valid point of that Ben is an innocent dying child. I mean, it’s not a valid point. Kate is bad. Jack says it doesn’t matter. Ben lives in the future and this has nothing to do with him. He says that 30 years from now Ben will ask Jack to operate on him and Jack will do it for Kate. He’s already done this once. Jack also brings up the Locke-ish point of what if the island is trying to fix everything itself and he’s just getting in the way. Kate says she doesn’t like the new you. Jack brings up the excellent point of “You didn’t like the old me, Kate” which was a fantastic point. So Kate walks out because she does that.

She goes to Juliet to give Ben some of her blood. Roger busts in there asking what is going on. He ends up hanging out with Kate while she gives blood. Roger puts two and two together and realizes that Ben got Sayid out of jail. He asks Kate if she has kids and she actually says no. She learns that Ben’s mom died at childbirth and hears about how Roger failed as a father. This really makes her sympathize with Ben, which is an opportune time because Ben starts shaking and whatnot.

Meanwhile awesomeness is ensuing. Hurley still doesn’t get time travel. I would describe it, but honestly the dialog is so fantastic that I would just end up writing a transcript. It’s like Daniel Stern in City Slickers. He will never get out to program the VCR and Hurley will never learn time travel. I’m also thinking the actor that plays Hurley (Jorge Garcia) doesn’t get it either. The only point Hurley makes that stumps Miles is why doesn’t Ben remember getting shot by Sayid in the future.

While that hilarity is going on, Kate and Roger are waiting outside of the hospital. We don’t see it, but I’ll imagine flirtatious dialog occurred. Juliet interrupts by saying that Ben is doing better, but still not great. Roger leaves to get supplies. Juliet says that there’s nothing she can do to save Ben. Yet she thinks of an idea. Perhaps the Others can help. That’s chilly. Does anyone else kinda like how Kate is wanting Ben to live and doing the right thing? I’m so conflicted.

So Juliet and Kate get Ben out of there like some crazy heist film. Actually they just go out the back door. Still sneaky. So Kate hops into an (Ooo ooo) Dharma Bus and drives into the jungle.

Flashback to 2008, when everyone is on the dock earlier this season. Kate leaves that dock and goes driving. Aaron is thirsty and tells Kate that he wants some milk. As every comforting parent would do, Kate decides to continue to drive in silence. Not even Radio Disney was on. So they go to the supermarket where Kate asks if he wants chocolate milk or regular milk. Aaron replies “Juice box” officially proving he has an abnormally low IQ. She asks a clerk who is putting away Gatorade where the juice is. Instead of just pointing to what he was putting away, he directs her to the other end of the store. For what normal place would juice boxes near the Gatorade? LOST really is one crazy show. Kate’s phone rings and it’s Jack. She refuses to answer and loses Aaron. This kid was a sprinter. Like he should have been two baby steps away but he gets to the other end of the store. Some lady with blonde hair who looks so much like Claire was taking him to security. That was some awesome casting but I had to do a double take. 

Back in 1977, Kate drives up to the Killer Stonehenge or sonic fence. I like my name better. Another (Ooo ooo) Dharma Bus drives up next to Kate and it’s Sawyer, which is good because Kate doesn’t know the code to turn off the Killer Stonehenge. Don’t know what her plan was for that. Anywho, Sawyer is there to help not stop Kate because Kate’s actually doing the right thing. My mind can’t handle this.

Flashback to 2008, when Kate and Aaron are visiting Cassidy again. Sawyer’s daughter, Clementine, opens the door and invites them in. Kate and Cassidy chat about how they are going back to the island and how crazy that is. You know what would be really crazy? If you time travel back to the 1970s! That is never brought up. The supermarket scene is brought up and Kate admits she was relieved when Aaron was gone. She admits that is pretty sad. Cassidy says that Kate originally took Aaron because she needed him. Sawyer broke her heart and she needed something to fix it.

Back in 1977, Sawyer turns off the Killer Stonehenge. Kate asks why Sawyer is doing this. He says that Juliet says it’s wrong for a kid to die (Thank you Juliet!) and so he’s doing it for her. Kate realizes that is exactly what Jack was talking about earlier so she knows his devotion to Juliet. So hopefully there is no more romantic rectangle going on here. So with Ben in Sawyer’s arms they go off into the jungle while Juliet is about to go yell at Jack. He’s taking a shower when Juliet interrupts him. Juliet is mad that he wouldn’t help Ben when he was dying. She says that it’s now up to Sawyer and Kate to save him. Jack says that he came back here to save them, but Juliet says that he came back here for himself. I love the progression of these characters and how they are trying to resolve so many of their inner struggles. It’s great stuff. 

So Sawyer and Kate are trekking through the jungle, much like the first four years of this show. At this time Sawyer finally gets to learn about Clementine. Sawyer comes to term with a lot of things and admits that he has grown up the past few years. He also mentions how he and Kate wouldn’t have worked out, which seriously should put an end to this romantic rectangle. Right? Yet all of the hostiles pop up with their guns a’blazing. Sawyer says he wants Richard Albert now. Don’t we all?

Back in 2008, Kate is at a hotel and it’s Claire’s mom’s room. Kate walks in and admits that Aaron is her grandson. She says that Claire is still alive somewhere on the island. She admits they lied about everything. Claire’s mom asks why didn’t Kate bring her Aaron in the first place. Kate admits that she needed him. She says that she’s now ready to pass Aaron off to her because she’s going back to the island to find Claire. Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. I actually like that reason. Actually I love that reason for her not having Aaron with her. Still no reason not to tell Jack, but I know that was for suspense. They play one of my favorite themes as Kate says goodbye to Aaron in a surprisingly good scene. 

Back in 1977, Sawyer and Kate are walking with the hostiles when Richard Albert awesomely comes out of nowhere. Kate asks him to save his life. Richard is confused to who she is, but moves past it. He says “If I take him, he will never be the same again…what I mean is that, he’s going to forget this ever happened and that his innocence will be gone. He will always be one of us. Still want me to take him?” They say yes and Richard takes Young Ben. One of the hostiles comes up to Richard and says they shouldn’t do this without telling Ellie and that Charles could find out. Richard says he doesn’t answer to them and takes Ben into the jungle. Now remember Ellie was the blonde chick who had Faraday at gunpoint when he was investigating the bomb and Charles is Charles Widmore. I guess they are in charge of the Others right now. What makes this more interesting is that it’s likely that Ellie is Eloise Hawking, Faraday’s mom. Dun dun dun.

So Kate and Sawyer head back to their camp while Richard walks with Ben. He approaches the very mysterious Temple and somberly walks into it. Flash to present day on the island where older Ben is now waking up to see John Locke sitting next to him. Ben looks very surprised and gets very scared when Locke says the fantastic final lines of “Hello Ben. Welcome back to the land of the living.” Locke does not look amused.

L O S T

So I ended up really liking this episode. As much as I didn’t want to, I ended up liking this episode and being to sympathize with Kate. Sure she may annoy me a lot but I no longer hate her. LOST is very tricky like that. Now next week will be insanely epic. It’s definitely about Ben and I’m not going to tell you what the previews say. Seriously this will be beyond epic.