"The Beginning of the End"

Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse
Directed by Jack Bender


In which Charlie's warning about the impending rescue leads to a division among the survivors of Oceanic 815, one that becomes a source of regret for one of the castaways...

Status Report - Final Analysis




Status Report
It's been several months since the end of the third season, and much has happened in the meantime. "Lost" is still meant to be completed over the course of 48 remaining episodes, but the writers' strike has thrown a wrench in the scheduling and production. Even so, there is reason to be pleased. The story will be completed, one way or another.

This episode is clearly the beginning of a new phase for the story, building off the surprising flash-forward in the third season finale "Through the Looking Glass", one of the shining moments of the series to date. By virtue of its placement in the scheme of things, there were high expectations. The situation appeared to be straightforward: rescue was on the way, and it was not a good thing for everyone.

Surprisingly, the premiere doesn't focus on Jack, but in retrospect, that makes sense. Jack was the focus of "Through the Looking Glass", and while the writers could have continued with his story in the flash-forward, it wouldn't have been the right move. This was about the division in the tribe and the man who gives Locke enough credibility to make that division happen. Finally, Hurley gets the chance to shine at a critical moment.

Hurley has never been the leader, but his support has always been meaningful. Hurley has never broken trust with anyone else in the tribe, and he always seems to have everyone's best interests at heart. That could be why he ultimately feels guilty about his role in the division. Clearly his choice to follow Locke has unforeseen consequences, and he carries that burden in the future.

Based on Hurley's flash-forward, a general scenario for the rescue emerges. Out of all the survivors, only six make it off the island. They have agreed, probably prior to leaving the island, not to reveal that anyone else survived. There are a few possible reasons for that. The most unlikely reason is that everyone else is, in fact, now dead. More likely is the possibility that some of the survivors were killed, prompting the decision to claim the rest were dead for their own protection. However, the high percentage play is the notion that the vast majority of the remaining survivors were led into hiding, with the "Oceanic 6" pledging to protect them.

Of course, it's far more complicated than that. Hurley legitimized Locke as a separatist leader, the "man of faith" willing to give up everything for the interests of the island. It's not support for Locke's pseudo-religious fanaticism, but a bid for survival. Several of the survivors remain with Jack in the hopes of being rescued. Hurley later regrets going with Locke, which suggests some tragic turn of events soon after the division. Obviously, if Hurley is later in the "Oceanic 6", the current division is not maintained as a long-term status quo.

This helps to place Jack's decline, as seen in "Through the Looking Glass", in context. Hurley's breakdown must take place relatively soon after the rescue. Jack is more or less stable; it probably takes a while for the guilt and self-loathing to take its toll. It's reasonable to assume that one of the other "Oceanic 6" was the "man in the coffin", but it's too early to predict who else will leave the island beyond Jack, Kate, and Hurley.

The focus on Hurley also serves to remind the audience that nothing on the island is what it seems. Hurley finds Jacob's cabin, with Locke inside, and the effect seems to confirm that time and space don't quite work the same there. (That could very well be related to the intense electromagnetic field around the island.) Jacob appears to be similar to Jack's father, which connects very nicely with episodes like "White Rabbit".

This leads to more of the usual conjecture. People have seen apparitions on the island since the beginning. It seems to be related to the Cerberus security system ("the smoke monster"). They could be one and the same, but what if Cerberus is something that was wild and uncontrolled, and Jacob found a way to harness it? Perhaps the apparitions have always been Jacob, and Cerberus is related but distinct from it. That would certainly start connecting the dots. There's even a possibility that Charlie's "ghost" was related as well.

As important as Hurley has become, especially in the wake of Charlie's death, Sayid is also stepping back out of the background into prominence. It's sometimes hard to remember that Sayid was once a viable leader for the entire group, or that his influence was vital during the original struggle between Jack and Sawyer during the first season. For one of the iconic figures within the leadership (essentially, the tribal sheriff), he's been remarkably silent.

Now, by taking sides with Jack, he takes on a new role. The sides are interesting, to say the least. Locke, the tribal shaman priest, has the support of "natives" Danielle and Ben, Sawyer, the occasional merchant prince, and Hurley, who might as well be mayor and leads the "We Believe Charlie" faction. It's no wonder most of the survivors took Locke's side. The real question is how long the pro-Charlie faction will remain on Locke's side, when they see how Ben pulls his strings. However one puts it, Locke remains the religious leader, focused on survival and destiny, and he holds most of the cards.

Jack, the warrior chief, is backed by Sayid, the aforementioned sheriff, and they lead the more pragmatic faction. As such, they have no mystical reason to stay on the island, and no reason to fear the rescue. Desmond serves as the group's analogue to Locke, which explains why the third season was building him up as a potential Locke replacement, and his devotion to getting back to Penny makes his inclusion with this group logical. They also have the bulk of the medical staff in Jack and Juliet. Kate has never been well-defined in terms of her role, so it's hard to say what she brings to the table. This is a much smaller group at the moment, but that could quickly change if the pro-Charlie faction gets squirrelly about Locke's motivations.

For now, the rescuers could be Hanso, the Widmores, the heirs of Dharma, or all of the above. Naomi has a sister, which will likely become important. The rescuers are still having trouble getting personnel on the island (as evidenced by the wobbly helicopter), so events will have time to unfold. How Jack and the rest of the "Oceanic 6" come to the conclusion that they need to claim they were the only survivors of the crash itself is clearly the arc for the season.


Final Analysis
Overall, this was a very good start to the season. The current flash-forward serves as a good reminder of what happened in the third season finale, while adding vital clues to the future status quo. It also manages to establish a new status quo in the "present", which helps to push worthy characters into a more prominent role. While questions clearly remain, this is as good a starting point for the long march towards answers.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10




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