Season 4, Episode 12: "There's No Place Like Home"

I thought this was more of a filler episode, leading us up to the big season finale. Alot of things going on, but no answers...

I did like how we got to see (sort of) how the survivors get off the island and what happens when they first get home. Also it was interesting to see the loved ones waiting for them. Kate had no one. Sayid had no one (although Nadia came afterwards). Sun's parents were there but she didn't really seem happy to see them. Jack, who we always thought "had nothing to go back to" had his mother there.

Obviously, as we had already learned, they had a specific "story" about what happened: The plane crashed in the water and eight of them were able to get out of the plane and used flotation devices to get to shore, but only the five of them made it to the island. Then, on the island, Kate gave birth to Aaron, which was the sixth person. They also said that Jin died in the crash, as well as everyone else on the plane. Then, they were able to use a raft to get to a nearby island where they were then picked up by the Coast Guard and brought back home. (I'm wondering if that part is true or not?) Also, very interesting that they said it was on Day 108 that they were rescued. If you remember from the second season, 108 proved to be an important number. This is the sum of all six numbers (4+8+15+16+23+42= 108). Also, in the hatch, every time they pushed the button the clock would reset to 108 minutes. The number 108 is an important number in the Dharma philosophy. It means a harmonious universe or the center of the universe. As we saw back in the second season when we first see the murals/drawings on the wall inside the hatch, the number 108 written on the wall, painted inside of a sun.

I liked how we saw a glimpse into each of the survivors lives when they first got home. Sun finally is able to stand up for herself. I love how she told off her father. Although, I'm kind of wondering - given her father's history as a "hit man" - if he will try to hurt her or kill her later on as she starts to take over his company. Clearly he is from the era that believe women should not be respected. And I wouldn't put it past to him to try and kill his own daughter if she has more "power" than him.

Hurley - once again - sees the numbers that brought him so much bad luck. I believe this is probably what sets him off and sends him back into the mental institution. He cannot escape from "the numbers." Also, when he was in his house (thinking there was a burglar), did you hear the whispers? This is similar to the many times in the jungle when we hear "whispers."

Jack gives his father's eulogy - although I kind of think that he does know that Christian Shepherd is not actually dead. When Kate tells him afterwards that he did good, he responds that he's gotten good at it. I think what he means is he's gotten good at "lying" - that he had to pretend to give the eulogy, even though he knew he was not dead. I think he will come across his father on the island, before he leaves. Although, obviously it wasn't until just now that he learned Claire was his sister. This would explain why he had a hard time seeing Kate with Aaron, knowing that was his nephew and that Claire is either dead or still on the island. He could possibly feel guilty for leaving her behind, or not being able to "save" her (if she dies).

We are left with a lot going on back in "present time" on the island...but sort of left hanging. We've got Locke and Hurley outside of the Orchid station - with Locke waiting to go inside based on Ben's instructions. Ben has given himself up to Keamy and has just been knocked out. Although, as he said, he ALWAYS has a plan. I am wondering if Ben is in fact "good" and is giving himself up in order to save the island. By giving himself up, that allows Locke to get inside the station and do whatever he has to do there to apparently "move" the island. If Ben's motives are in fact to help the island, he may just be doing the "good" thing here. He did always say he was one of the good ones...and clearly Keamy and his team are the "bad" ones.

Meanwhile, Jack and Sawyer have found the helicopter, and apparently are off to find Hugo, now that they know he is with Ben and is possibly in danger. Jin and Sun (and the four other "extras") have just been brought to the freighter, apparently where it is "safe" - although now we come to realize it is full of explosives. (This is obviously what was strapped to Keamy's arm last week). Then we also have Kate and Sayid who are kidnapped by Richard Alpert and the Others. Although, I don't think they are the bad guys. They had to "kidnap" them in order to get them to come with them, but I think they are going to help them. Maybe they are even the ones that help them get rescued?

As of right now...they have been on the island for about three and a half months. We know they get "rescued" on day 108. (The crash was on September 22, 2004...so that would mean day 108 is around January 7th. A few episodes ago, it was Christmas Eve, and probably about a week has past in Lost time since then. So it's coming soon...

Looking forward to the season finale...and FINALLY getting some answers (I hope). Atleast we know we are going to find out who is in the coffin. As I've written a few times, I have a couple different theories on who is in the coffin, and why:

Ben - this seems too much of an obvious choice, but definitely would make sense. No one shows up to his funeral, he is neither friend nor family of Jack, and Kate has no intention of going to the funeral and shows no remorse over his death. If it was Ben, I think that the reason Jack was so distraught after reading of his death is because he realizes that Ben is the ONLY person who has any idea of how to get back to the island, so in a way Jack loses all hope of ever being able to go back. We know that once he reads about this person's death, he tries to kill himself, and he tells Kate that they have to go back. If Ben is dead, Jack would realize that he will never be able to go back, because Ben is the only one in the "real world" that would be able to find the island again.

Michael - back a few episodes ago, the one with Michael's backstory, I wrote how I thought it could be him in the coffin. This still seems to be reasonable, as we have seen that Michael had tried many times (unsuccessfully) to kill himself. We know that "the island" won't let him kill himself until his work is finally done. If that is true, then it could be Michael in the coffin, meaning that he finally carried out his "task."

Christian Shephard - my final thought on who it could be in the coffin. As I said above, I'm pretty sure that Jack is going to run into his father on the island, before he is rescued. Once he realizes that his father is a part of all of this, it is going to tear him apart. So, I think that when he goes to the funeral parlor and he tells the director that he is neither friend nor family, that could be a "trick" for us, because we know that it's his father, so we would never guess it was Christian in the coffin, but if Jack finds out who he really is and his involvement in all of this, I think that he would sort of "disown" him as his father, leading him to say that he was NOT family. Though, obviously he would still be distraught. But, no one would be at the funeral because everyone else already thinks he is dead. I also noticed that when Jack was giving the eulogy for his father's funeral, he started out by saying "Ten months ago I wrote the eulogy for my father on the back of a napkin at the airport in Sydney...." Okay, 10 months ago??? We know they were rescued after about 4 months....so that's another six months before this "funeral." Why did they wait six months if he supposedly "died" ten months ago? Seemed a little strange to me.

Anyway, so those are my thoughts. Watch it be NONE of those three in the coffin! So, I am curious...leave a comment and let me know who your vote goes to for who you think is in the coffin (one of my three guesses, or someone else??)