And more...

We are officially 2/3's through the final season with 6 total hours left! After being absent for pretty much the entire season LOST wasted very little time in bringing back the master of time and space back into the fold...

"Happily Ever After"

Parallel Universe: Reflection: Every character so far this season has either looked into a mirror or somehow has had their reflection shown in the parallel universe. A nice visual reference to the two universes. When Desmond is looking at the arrival board at the airport, we see his reflection.

Widmore's office - Lot's of visual references to Desmond's previous life: Charles Widmore has a model boat in his office that is clearly identical to the "Elizabeth" the boat Desmond got from Libby to compete in Widmore's race around the world which led to him crashing onto the island. The painting in the background of Widmore's office of the black and white scale is a reference to the scale we saw in Jacob's cave earlier the season. Also just a reminder of one of the prominent themes this season. Widmore pours Desmond some MacCutcheon whiskey. In the other timeline, when Desmond met Widmore, to tell him he planned to marry Widmore. Widmore only poured himself a shot of this particular whiskey. Saying Desmond wasn't worthy of a glass.

And then it finally happened! The two universes finally collided and the payoff was awesome. Charlie had a near death experience and saw a blonde hair woman... clearly Claire. Desmond then finds himself in a similar situation thanks to Charlie and has a crazy flash to when Charlie died on the island. The flashes continue for Desmond. He is given an MRI and a panic button if it get's to intense for him. This was a nice nod to him pushing the button in the hatch for 3 years. He now sees his love: Penny. So far there seem to be two recurring things happening with these flashes to the other universe: traumatic experiences bring them on and they connect you to your true love.

The Widmore fundraiser: Pretty interesting pin Eloise Hawking or should I say Widmore in this universe is wearing: two parallel lines with stars at the end of each. Another nice visual reference to what is happening. So what's happening with Eloise? Clearly she gets alarmed when Desmond wanted to see the guest list to meet Penny.

My take is that: in this universe Eloise escaped the island before it sank with Charles while she was pregnant with Daniel. At some point she started getting flashes to the island universe. She has what she always wanted in this universe: a happy life with Charles and one in which her son is alive and is pursuing his childhood dream of music. One where she doesn't have to push him towards science knowing that it would lead to his death at her hands on the island. She is simply trying to protect the life that she is living. Desmond finding Penny could potentially bring a domino effect and ruin all of this. She is obviously aware that in the other universe Desmond was yearning for Charles's approval in regards to Penny. She makes sure to mention to Desmond that he finally got what he had wanted: her husband's attention. This of course doesn't make sense to Desmond yet.

Then Daniel Faraday or I should say Widmore in this universe. Tells Desmond about the red head girl he saw at the museum. Clearly a reference to Charlotte. We know this because Miles told Sawyer that the girl he was setting him up with worked at the museum with his father. Another reference to love being a trigger to these flashes to the other universe. As soon as Daniel saw her he went home that night and wrote advanced space/time theories that he could possibly have no knowledge of. We also get a pretty clear indication that the hydrogen bomb is what led to the birth of this universe. Daniel goes on to make an interesting statement about how maybe they are all living lives that they are not suppose to be living?

Meeting Penny: Desmond finds her at the stadium where she is running all of the stairs like Jack and Desmond were both doing when they met one night in L.A. He then faints apon touching her. I believe that this is the moment when he woke up in the other universe. He then wakes up and they set their first date. Desmond now starting to realize what is happening asks his limo driver, George Minkowski - he was the communications officer on the freighter who died because he tried to take a boat to the island and went on the wrong bearing. When he got back to the freighter his conscience kept shifting to his past life. He was unable to find his constant and passed away. Desmond asks George for the manifest to Oceanic 815 so he can share his experiences with them.

Island timeline: We learn why Widmore randomly showed up at the hospital after Desmond had been shot: to take him to the island. They are really trying to do a great job of screwing with our minds over if Widmore is good or not. All the way to the point of having him have a sad look on his face over the dumb worker who got killed by the electromagnetic blast.

I don't believe Widmore is aware of the other universe. At least not the island universe Widmore isn't in my opinion. He simply needed to test Desmond to make sure he could survive another blast because I do believe the man in black being in smoke form is in some sort of relation to the electromagnetic energy. Widmore needs to somehow use Desmond to stop him. Who told Widmore about Desmond surviving the previous blast? It has to be Eloise Hawking. She was at the hospital the night Widmore showed up. She has Dan's journal and Desmond and the rules of time and space not applying to him are all over that journal.

Desmond wakes up and it's only been a few seconds since he was blasted by the electromagnetic energy. He is totally cooperative to Widmore's plan. It's as if he is aware that he needs to sacrifice himself for the greater good. This is interesting because his son is alive in this universe. Not in the other. It's almost as if he knows that the other universe is the right one and he and Penny will be happily ever after there and eventually with their son.

The only part of this episode that sucked is that soulless evil Sayid killed all of Widmore's goons but let's Zoe live! Ugh, get rid of her now please! Desmond goes with Sayid no sweat. I think he does this because he knows Sayid will lead him to other Oceanic survivors. Which is exactly what Desmond wants in my opinion. Just like the parallel version of himself wants to open up the oceanic survivors to the island universe. The island universe version wants to open them up to the parallel universe.

So why is Desmond coming across as this Jacob like being? He even has his own version of one of Jacob's list - the 815 flight manifest. I think it's simply because he got blasted with the electromagnetic energy yet again. Making him even stronger "with the force" if you will. When Desmond got hit by it when he turned the fail safe key in the hatch. He became unstuck in time and was able to consciously time travel randomly through his own life. After being hit by it again, his conscience is now able to go into another universe. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that he is aware of more then his own conscience as well. But of other survivors lives too. I don't think Desmond will be the most important part to the end game of Lost but I do believe he will be a prominent part along with everyone else. Jack, Hurley and Locke being the other major factors. Yes I said it... Locke! Deal with it.

"Everybody Loves Hugo"

The title of the episode is a play on the season 2 episode "Everybody Hates Hugo" which was about Hurley's fear about being in charge of the food at the hatch would make everyone hate him.

Parallel universe: We see Miles father at the museum fundraiser giving Hurley his statue. The Man seems to have aged quite well since this is suppose to be taking place in 2004.

We learn that Libby was in the mental institution voluntarily. We never really learned why she was in the mental institution with Hurley in the island universe. One can kind've guess that since there are differences between the universes that she was just at some point in her life really crazy. Then got better. Fate brought her and Hurley together again on the plane.

Now for a small side track...

My crazy Libby theory that I've always stuck too: Libby gave Desmond the boat he used in the Widmore race. She mentions it was her husband's boat and he had died. She happens to mention that her husbands name is David. Hurley went to the mental institution because he blamed himself for the death of two people when he added to much weight to a deck. We know Hurley had an imaginary friend named Dave. My theory is Dave was Libby's husband and he died while being with his boat that Libby gave Desmond. The death was accidentally caused by Hurley. Libby went nuts over his death and got put in the institution. The same one that happened to belong to Hurley. None of this actually really matters. But I do believe regardless, Libby was truly crazy in the island universe for a period of time.

Back to the episode: Desmond wastes no time doing his thing by encouraging Hurley to track down Libby. When he does they go on the date they never were able to: a picnic at the beach. She mentions the island and the crash and them being together. Hurley starts to remember his island life when he kisses her. Again, love seems to be a trigger to the other universe. Desmond looks on with approval.

Desmond then goes and waits for John Locke outside of the school he is substituting at. After feeding Ben a bs story about finding a school for his son Charlie. Interesting! Desmond mentions having a son and his name yet in this universe he doesn't Me thinks his island memories are appearing at a rapid rate due to the electromagnetic blast. He goes and runs over John Locke. Man the cosmos really have it out for this guy! He can't even get a break when he accepts what he can't do and tries to live a happy life in the wheel chair!

My thoughts on Desmond's motive: Some people are throwing around that Desmond remembers what the MIB disguised as Locke did to Desmond on the island. That Desmond really believed the MIB was the real John Locke and he wants revenge in this universe. I'm not buying it. I really believe Desmond is totally aware that the MIB is not the real Locke. I think he hit him with his car because Desmond is aware that traumatic experience can spark memories to the island universe. Since Locke didn't have a love on the island, since Helen was off island, Desmond thought this was the best way. Paging Dr. Shephard to emergency! This of course will lead to what I thought was inevitable: Locke being operated on by Jack.

Hmmm Locke being rushed to hospital with Ben most likely at his side. Charlie already in the hospital, Claire in the hospital, Jack works in the hospital, Sayid's brother was put in the emergency room thanks to Keamy's goons, so it's not a stretch for Sayid to stop by and visit. Jin is rushing a pregnant/bleeding Sun to the hospital. Who will deliver the baby? My cousin Ryan said Juliet. I think he is 100% right. I am convinced Juliet and Jack work together and are divorced. When Juliet was dying in Sawyer's arms and she randomly talked about getting a cup of coffee her brain was traveling to the parallel universe. Which is why she told Sawyer via Miles that "it worked" meaning the bomb. I'm guessing Sawyer and Miles will bring Kate to the hospital to question Claire since they helped each other. The point is everyone is meeting at the hospital. The big conscience altering climax will happen at the hospital with the big event being Jack and the operation on John Locke. Could someone look at Locke in the parallel and remember him as the MIB? Definitely. Most likely it's Sun, who on the island got knocked out running away from him and waking up not able to speak english. Which I feel like might be the parallel universe bleeding over to the island universe.

I feel like somehow Locke and Jack will have a huge role in the parallel universe in deciding fate. I think Locke will die in the parallel and he might know that he has to. Why? Because somehow him dying in this universe will make him reborn on the island. Call me crazy but I'm going with it. I'll save it for another time, but there are way to many hints at him coming back on the island.

Anyways... Island timeline: Really dug the return of Michael. Not one of my favorite characters but like how they used him to explain the whispers and that he was able to be given a final moment to apologize to Hurley for his actions.

THE ISLAND IS NOT PURGATORY! Yes there are souls who are stuck there because of their actions, hence the whispers. Notice though how Michael told Hurley that if he saw Libby again to tell her he is sorry. Well Libby died on the island. If the island was purgatory she would have been one of the whispers along with Michael. Michael wouldn't have to ask Hurley to tell her he is sorry then. She was obviously able to move on. So no it's not purgatory. But if you screw up and make wrong choices you will be stuck there. Pretty interesting how we always thought the whispers were these scary dangerous things. Going back it's more like the opposite. They were almost trying to warn people of real danger that was coming.

Does Richard Alpert really now know what the hell he's doing? Jacob claimed Richard would know what to do next. I think Richard does know what to do next: stop the mib from leaving. He just is going about it the wrong way.

Illana's death was awesome. Was hoping we would get some more on her. We got the basics and I think that will be it. Hand picked by Jacob, trained her whole life for an important mission: protect his candidates. I love how although the MIB and Jacob are the major players and the island is like the game board and everyone else are the pieces. That the island it's self is alive in a way. Or at least it has a conscience. Michael couldn't kill himself until the island was done with him, Frank missed flying Oceanic 815, but the island got him in the end anyways. As soon as Illana revealed the candidates importance she was no longer needed. Cool stuff.

Interesting how the people the MIB actually needs are the ones who decide to go with Hurley. The candidates: Hurley, Jack, maybe Sun? The pilot of the plane... Frank. Really enjoying the "take a back seat man of faith thanks to John Locke's death" version of Jack.

The MIB's camp: I really actually am intrigued by the stick the MIB is carving.

Loved the Desmond not being afraid by the MIB scene. Notice how the MIB seems very interested to learn that Desmond was blasted by electromagnetism. I am convinced he being in smoke form is connected to this energy. We see the mysterious boy again who was seen earlier this season to remind the MIB about the rules. I'm going with the obvious choice: Jacob as a kid. I don't think anyone else would have quite the effect on him. I think whatever happened to the MIB, happened when he and Jacob were kids. It definitely has something to do with with the MIB's mother since he randomly has mentioned her to Kate.

It also has something to do with the wheel that is able to move the island. Because the MIB talks about people creating wells on the island in search of answers. Something tells me this goes back to his early days. The well that he throws Desmond into is not the same Well that Locke went down. That well had eventually been destroyed and the orchard station was then built. The MIB clearly sees Desmond as a threat. I think he is aware that Desmond not being afraid can have an effect on the people in his camp. He needs to eliminate the threat. I do believe MIB might be accurate when he says Widmore is looking for nothing more then power. I still think he is out for his own gain.

Namaste!