LOST - This Place is Death

Can I call it or what? Charlotte did indeed bite the dust in last night's episode of LOST, right after speaking the line that provided the episode's title. After speaking in Korean to Jin, she warns him "Don't you let them bring her back. This place is death!"

It was mostly an island-centric episode. Although it began with Sun about to blow Ben's head off until Ben told her Jin was still alive. Whoosh! We're on the island with Jin and the shipwrecked Frenchies. He finds out from Danielle that the year is 1988--which understandably freaks him out a bit. The Frenchies are still receiving the numbers transmission and get Jin to lead them to the radio tower.

On the way, Nadine goes missing. I'm thinking to myself, could it be the smoke monster? And then there's a rumbling growl. The Frenchies ask Jin what it is. "Monster," is Jin's reply. Was that the "familiar friend" of which George spoke? Or perhaps was he referring to Christian Shephard? I thought it would be Jacob, but if he was referring to Christian I was still close: Christian is after all an agent for Jacob.

But back to the smoke monster: it regurgitates Nadine. Apparently not a fan of French food. Although it heads for Montand next. Was anyone surprised by that? He was being such a prick, I knew the smoke monster would snatch him next even if he wasn't wearing a red shirt. Even the human chain formed by Jin and the other Frenchies isn't enough to retrieve Montand from the clutches of Smoky and all that's left of him is an arm.

Robert and the others follow Montand into Smoky's lair, but Jin stops Rousseau from following. Then there's a flash and Jin is left alone with a slightly dessicated arm of Montand (that's "bras de Montand" in French...). Jin follows a plume of smoke back to the beach where flies are buzzing around the bodies of Lacombe and Brennan. Rousseau is holding a gun on Robert, accusing him of not being Robert but of being infected by the monster. While Jin watches she shoots him and then turns her gun on Jin.

As Jin runs into the forest to escape Danielle, there's another flash and when it stops he hears a gun cock behind him. But it's not the crazy French woman, but Sawyer! There's a brief and sweet reunion, but immediately Jin asks "Where is Sun?" Sawyer tries to explain the concept of time travel to Jin who gets frustrated due to his limited English. He demands that Miles translate. Looking at Sawyer Miles says, "He's Korean. I'm from Encino." But Charlotte, as we learned last season, speaks Korean and is able to translate for Jin.

As the group continues on to the Orchid, Daniel asks Charlotte if she speaks any other languages. "Just Klingon," she jokes. Then there's a flash, and another flash--and Charlotte collapses. Both Sawyer and Juliet's noses start bleeding. Locke wants to leave Charlotte saying she'll only hold them up, but Daniel refuses to abandon her. (Pretty heartless of Locke given that they're both Geronimo Jackson fans...) Sawyer asks Locke what if the Orchid isn't there when they get there and Charlotte tells them to look for the well.

While the others continue on, Daniel stays with Charlotte. She tells him, "I've been here before." She left the island when she was a little girl and her mother always told her it wasn't real, but that's why she became an anthropologist--to find her way back. When she was little a crazy man scared her by telling her if she ever came back to the island, she would die. "Daniel, I think that man was you!" Daniel tells her he contacted Desmond and told him to find his mother. "She can help us!"

But it's too late for Charlotte.

The others reach the Orchid, but right then another flash occurs and when it's over the Orchid is gone. Locke finds the well and starts to go down into it. Jin tells him not to bring Sun back. He gives Locke his ring to give to Sun and tells him to tell her that he's dead. Locke promises and starts to descend the rope into the well. "Sure you don't want us to lower you down?" Sawyer asks. "Where would be the fun in that?" Locke responds.

Locke's lowering into the well was reminiscent of his entrance into the hatch. Of course another flash comes and John falls to the bottom of the well. When the flash stops, the well is gone for Sawyer, Juliet, Miles and Jin.

But in whatever time frame Locke ended up in, he's injured at the bottom of the well. This is where Christian appears. He tells Locke that HE was supposed to move the island, not Ben. Hmm...so did Ben accidentally dislodge the wheel when he moved the island? Christian tells Locke the wheel slipped off its axis and needs a little push. (It needed more than a "little" push when Ben turned it!) As Locke turns it, Christian calls out "Say hello to my son!"

Of course, Locke has no idea that Christian is Jack's father.

Off the island, Sun agrees to allow Ben to prove that Jin is alive. They drive to the church where Eloise Hawking is doing her calculations (the same Eloise Hawking that Christin told Locke would help them return to the island and apparently Daniel Faraday's mommy), but before they enter Ben pulls out Jin's ring and hands it to Sun. He tells her she has to decide right now if she's going back with them.

Sun say yes.

At that point, Desmond arrives and asks "You're looking for Faraday's mother, too?" They enter the church where Eloise Hawking is not pleased that only 1/3 of the Oceanic Six are there. Ben tells her that this was the best he could do on short notice. (Wondering why Desmond didn't appear to recognize the weird woman who sold him the engagement ring...)

"Let's get started," says Eloise.

For more immersion in LOST, check out the recap at Lostpedia, the screencaps at Dark UFO and Liz Kelly and Jen Chaney's Dueling Analyses on washingtonpost.com