Lost episode 14 “The Variable” *Spoilers*

Tonight was another amazing episode of Lost. The long awaited return of Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) was bittersweet. He was on the island long enough to thoroughly freak the Dharma crew out and then he met his end to the woman he tried his whole life to please.

The episode began back at Dharma-ville, where Sawyer a.k.a. LaFluer was currently holding Phil hostage for discovering the tape that showed him and Kate leaving the grounds to give little Ben to the Hostiles. Sawyer has included Juliet and Jack on his hostage situation and they hold a meeting with all of the members we love, Jin, Hurley, Kate and Miles to decide their fate. Sawyer’s two options are: 1 leave the island in the submarine before anyone knows they took it, or 2 escape into the jungle to start over. Part of the crew decides on option 2. Faraday arrives in time to freak people out some more by announcing that his mother is an “Other.” He asks that someone take him to the “Others” camp so he can speak with her, he gets Jack and Kate to take him. Sawyer was against this and adamant about not letting him go. But after a fruedian slip to Kate calling her “Freckles”, Juliet feels betrayed and gives Kate the code to shut down the perimeter security system.

Daniel, Jack and Kate decide to arm themselves before heading out in the jungle and as they are loading up, they are approached by Dharma members and a confrontation turns into a good old fashioned shoot out. Jack is once again a bad ass. They escape into the jungle and Daniel explains why he is here. In a matter of four hours, the Dharma initiative are going to have an accident where they are building the Swan station. If he can get them to stop and avoid having that accident, then it would in turn avoid having the plane crash that brought them all to this island, and prevent the freighter that brings him and Charlotte and Miles to the island. All in all, erasing the last four seasons of Lost.

So, as Jack, Kate and Daniel trek further into the woods, they come upon the Others’ camp. Dan decides to go in alone and guns blazing, he gets their attention. He demands to speak with Eloise and begins threatening Richard Alpert. Before he even gets to see her, she shoots him in the back. Daniel is baffled by this as he falls to the ground bleeding he says to her, “How could you send me when you knew what would happen?” In her confusion, she says “who are you?” Dan replies, “I’m your son.” LOST.

When the creators of Lost said early on, in this season, that this season would be answering more questions, they didn’t mention that it would also be posing new ones. For example, why would Eloise Hawking knowingly send her only son, Daniel, to his death? How will she benefit at all from the discovery of the island or the destruction of it? We know that Charles Widmore wants to get back to the island, but Eloise has shown no interest in getting back. Additionally, if the rest of the crew can complete Dan’s task and actually reset time, will that bring everything back to “normal”? Will Dan still be alive somewhere? Will any of the Oceanic members remember each other? Most importantly, will their crash inheritance mysteriously disappear?

Also, when is Locke gonna be awesome and get Ben and Sun back to 1977. I need that reunion of Jin and Sun. Seeing Desmond and Penelope have a loving moment tonight left me all gushy, but I also got a bad feeling when the nurse said, “This nurse will watch your son while you visit your husband.” Something doesn’t feel right. Eloise did say to Desmond that the island wasn’t finished with him yet.

Overall, this was an excellent episode that left me wanting more. I was surprised to hear that Widmore actually fathered Daniel Faraday, but it made sense afterward. Its finally starting to all fit together; all of the time traveling and the different people involved, None of it is frivolous. Next week’s episode is called Follow the Leader. Can’t wait.

I give this episode 4 “eye” can’t stop watching out of 5.

by Angela Davis