"Namaste" (509) - Recap and comments

A satisfying Ep in which some loose ends were addressed and a couple of Familiar Names reappeared.

Ajira Flight 316 hasn’t crashed yet - and the co-pilot muses about Hugo’s Nerves of Steel. Frank appears to have embraced his Fate (possibly "knowing" that he was Supposed to Go to the Island) and does not warn the co-pilot of what’s coming. Frank’s "Flight Wings" brooch might mean something to Fans who know about these things.

The Time Flash Whiteout teleports Sayid, Jack, Kate, Sun and Hugo to 1977 and shuts off the jet engines - which the co-pilot manages to restart just in time for a heroic but surely non-survivable crash landing at Hydra International. During the co-pilot’s "Mayday" broadcast, we hear for a moment (in the background) a male voice reciting The Numbers.
The co-pilot, apparently not needed by the Island, has been impaled by a tree-branch whereas Frank, Sun, Caesar, Ilana, Ben etc apparently all have Work To Do.

Immediately post-crash, Caesar wakes Ilana whose first thought is to her prisoner and asks: "Jarrah"? Caesar introduces himself to her at this point, and we notice that Sayid has vanished. His 1977 Island arrival - with hands cuffed like Kate’s had been on Flight 815 - might have been, er, rough.

In response to Caesar’s question as to where everyone else was, Ben, looking creepier than usual, with one eye shaded (dark) and the other normal (light) announces that "They’re gone", followed (in response to Frank’s "gone where"? question) by: "How would I know?" As if. Ben’s Light/Dark eyes may be a hint that he, like The Island, is Schizophrenic.

Ajira Beach: Sun is fingering Jin’s ring the same way that Rose was fingering Bernard’s. Ilana approaches her and asks if she’s "lost someone". Frank announces that everyone should gather firewood, stay on the beach and hunker down for rescue. He seems to have forgotten the extreme unlikelihood of "rescue". In contrast, Caesar’s suggestion that the Ajirans explore the nearby buildings in search of food and communications equipment sounds smarter. Except that Caesar doesn’t end up looking for food or communications equipment. He’s looking for documents as instructed by his Boss. Caesar is a Natural Leader.

Caesar’s mention of "buildings and animal cages" appears to have alerted Ben (who’s been lurking near the beach/bush edge) as to his whenabouts - and he immediately leaves the beach area - with Sun and Frank in pursuit.

John is nowhere to be seen. I guess it takes 3 days for him to Resurrect.

When Ben circles around (or teleports around) behind Sun and asks her why she’s following him, she asks him where he’s going and he invites her to accompany him "back to our Island". His arm injury is already fully healed and he’s heading to the outriggers - stashed in place with the same Future Knowledge that dictated the construction of the air-strip. While Frank (who’s just arrived) discusses Ben’s Trustworthiness with Sun, Ben holds his tongue until Sun says that she "has to trust him" - at which point, Ben offers a slight nod before asking her if she’s "ready" to go find the canoes.

One of my favourite exchanges: "Sun, I want you to think about this, okay? This guy is dangerous. Sun, that boat I came here on, it was filled with commandos whose only mission was to get him."

"And how'd that work out for everyone?" Ben says. Boastful, but to the point. They’re all dead and Ben is exactly where he needs to be. Immediately after Ben tells F&S that he has "people I have to take care of" [as in "execute" ? - OR - as in St John who’ll still need lots of help?] and that "there's a small dock about a half mile [Wow - mighty close] due south across the water. It leads directly to a town where I used to live. There are resources there", Sun smites him with a paddle. I guess that’s how he ended up in the Hydra Injury Ward. If, when he wakes up and confronts St John he makes little or no mention of Sun and Frank’s Excellent Adventure, we’ll know that it was his Mission all along to send them on their way.

As Sun and Frank land their canoe at the New Otherton Sub Dock, we see that N.O. is in much worse shape than it was in 2004 and that the (2005) Processing Station isn’t nearly as vibrant as it had been 30 years earlier. Shortly after a brief Smokey visit (some shaking bushes and some Smokey chittering), we hear some Whispers immediately followed by some lights on inside the Station. So ... not only are S&F under close Observation, but "Christian’s" arrival is heralded on this occasion by Smokey and the Whisperers. If Smokey is Evil, then so is "Christian". Be that as it may, he seems to be acting as a Spirit Guide tonight, answering Sun’s question regarding Jin’s whenabouts and suggesting that there is a way for them to reunite. Note that "Christian" knows exactly what year Jack, Hugo and Kate had arrived. They were deliberately sent (or "pulled") to that year.

The final scene of the 509 Sun/Frank story is a picture of Jin’s 1977 DI Recruit Friends
Note that Sun and Frank did not head to Lostie Beach. At least, not yet.
　
Meanwhile, back in 1977:
Hugo is the first O6 Returnee to lumber over and give James a Bear-hug:
Sawyer laughs. "Easy on the ribs, there, Kong."
"Kong," Hurley says. "I've actually missed that."
"I've missed you too, Hugo." James has evolved, thanks to his Island Education
B Linus, Principal.

James and Kate have an awkward reunion, with Jack "hanging back" and wondering WTF is going on between him and James and Fickle Kate. Wasn’t it just a couple of days ago that she practically raped him?

James’ admiration for John’s "success" in bringing the O6 back is tempered by the news of his "death". Note that Jack is unwilling to use the "S" word.

After breaking the news that they’re in 1977 and discovering that both groups have been separated from each other for three (subjective) years, James announces that J,K and H will have to be "brought in" to Otherville, the alternative being camping in Hostile/Other Territory. When Jin hears that Sun was also on the plane, he rushes off to the Flame because "If a plane landed on the Island, Radzinsky will know".

Radzinsky. Kelvin’s Swan buddy - the guy who designed the Station, survived The Incident and The Purge, the guy who removed the Swan Orientation Film reference to the dangers of using the computer to contact the outside world, the guy who drew the Blast Door Map, who knew about the Chernobyl-style Swan concrete and the dumbing down of its computer. The guy who blew his brains out.

It was a good thing that Jin rushed to the Flame. Otherwise, Sayid would have been executed by "Quick-draw" Radzinsky.

After James tells J,K &H to stay put until he returns -"Don't go nowhere, don't do nothing until I can figure how the hell to explain where you came from." - he heads home to pack up some Dharma-compatible clothing for them to change into.

Meanwhile, Juliet, having observed the James/Jack/Kate/Hugo reunion is wise enough not to fly off the handle. To his credit, when she asks him what’s going on, James tells her straight that "they’re back". Note that it’s Juliet who reminds James that there’s a sub (conveniently) coming in that afternoon.

The Flame: As Jin bursts in on Radzinsky - who’s carefully building the Fuller Dome section of The Swan - Radzinsky asks: "Hey, you understand the concept of knocking?" We’ve seen this question before: Ben with Jack and Juliet the night before John blew up The Sub. I guess it’s no wonder that Radzinsky ended up at The Swan - since it appears to have been his "baby".

However, since he was in charge of Flame communications, he would presumably have known that the Swan was being watched by The Pearl. Note that the Swan was only in the Design stage in 1977 - and yet before 1980, The Incident, presumably triggered at the Swan, had already occurred. Those Dharmites must have been quick builders.

When Radzinsky asks Jin why he’s so agitated about a possible air-plane, Jin’s reply: "It just is" - sounds very much like something Ben might say. And with good reason. Jin knows something he cannot share with Radzinsky.

While James is rounding up J,K and H, Juliet is busily subverting the DI’s recruitment protocols. Since Amy’s conveniently off-duty, Juliet has the opportunity to insert names and files into the Sub manifest. We learn that all Submarine Arrivals involve Unconsciousness. An Altered State - again.

We also learn that the baby’s name is Ethan, which supports the Amy = Amelia theory. It seems that Ethan becomes a survivor of both The Incident and The Purge. Note the delicacy with which Juliet answers Amy’s question about a possible J&J baby: "I don't know. Timing's got to be right."

Meanwhile, back at The North Point, LaFleur drives up and kills the engine. He opens the bus and pulls out the clothes. "Alright, listen, you're all going to be the second batch of recruits coming off the sub pulling into port right now, so we ain't got much time. Nice suit, doc. Not exactly island wear. Try this."

"You want us to say that we were on the sub? How's that going to work?" Jack asks.
"Everyone gets knocked out before the trip, so no one meets each other until we process them." Since there’s only "10 minutes to make "Intake" ", there’s no time to debate The Plan. Note that James has become a decisive, effective Leader.

However, how long can Team JJJ maintain their Lie? Do they help trigger The Purge? Note that Richard knows that Team James are from The Future.

Meanwhile, back at the Flame, R&J react to an Intruder Alert and discover Sayid - not a Hostile prisoner as I’d predicted, but stumbling around in the jungle with his hands cuffed together. He’s glad (and mildly astonished) to see Jin, but their reunion is very short because Radzinsky arrives moments later to help "arrest" the "Hostile".

Instead of blindfolding him, they march him into the Flame - where he has the opportunity to see Radzinsky’s model/map. Radzinsky’s convinced that Sayid’s a Hostile Spy - which strikes me as a pretty stupid conclusion. Sayid’s in cuffs - and he’s crashing around in the jungle, setting off Motion Sensors. But whatever.

Meanwhile, back in the DHARMA Van, Hugo’s asking some smart questions:
"So it's 1977... and you guys are all members of the Dharma Initiative."
"Yep."
"You do realize, those dudes get wiped out, right? I saw the pit where all the bodies get dumped."
"What about it?"
"Well aren't you going to warn them? Aren't you going to stop it from happening?"
"I ain't here to play Nostradamus to these people. Besides, Daniel's got some interesting theories on what we can and can't do here." ["Whatever happened, happened"]
Jack leans forward. "Did you say Faraday? He's here?"
"Not anymore." [gone Time-travelling and/or working at the Orchid, I’d guess]

Upon arrival at the "Welcome to the Island" party, James tells J,K & H that their names are on a List and how the Welcome will unfold. When Hugo asks: "What if they start asking us questions we can't answer, like who's president in 1977?", James replies:
"It's not a damn game show, Hugo" Except maybe it is.

Once the newbies have been sent into the Processing Centre, James hears from Jin that he and Radzinsky have "found a hostile." "What's he doing in our territory?" Sawyer asks. "It's a violation of the truce." So ...the Truce includes Territories with Borders. Maybe Bea, in "Three Minutes" was still constrained by the Rules of a similar Truce.

When James arrives at the Flame, he’s very smart and very cool. All that Con Man training is sure coming in handy now. Sayid is smart enough too to understand his "role" - and thus avoid summary execution.
"My name's LaFleur. I'm head of security. I want you to listen real carefully to what I've got to say. If you do that, you'll be fine. Understand?"
Sayid nods.
"Identify yourself as a hostile," Sayid doesn't say anything so Sawyer adds, "The terms of the truce say that you have to identify yourself as a hostile or we've got the right to shoot you."
"We do not refer to ourselves as hostiles, but yes, I am one of them." Over Radzinsky’s ardent objections, James takes custody of Sayid and locks him up in the Otherville Jail, where he orders some food for the prisoner.

Meanwhile back at the Processing Centre, Jack gets promoted to Workman (not even Work Man) and Kate gets a blue jump-suit like Juliet’s, but with a flower (?) symbol on it. Maybe she’s in Gardening. I couldn’t read Hugo’s "role"

At the Namaste Party, the 1977 DI Recruit Pic is being taken - the very same Pic that Christian showed/will show Sun in 2005.

That evening, Jack and James have a powwow/confrontation:
Jack takes a deep breath. "I don't even know where to start. How about with Sayid?"
"I had no choice. He was running around in the jungle and got caught by my people. Seeing as how he can't tell the truth about how he got here, I had to improvise."
"Improvise."
"Uh huh. For now Sayid is safe, which is all that matters." [Just as "LaFleur" is deceiving the DI, Ben was/has been deceiving Somebody - and keeping the Losties safe]
"So, where do we go from here?"
"I'm working on it."
"Really? Because it looked to me like you were reading a book." [Jack the Hot-Head]
Sawyer chuckles. "I heard once that Winston Churchill read a book every night, even during the Blitz. He said it made him think better. That's how I like to run things [just like Ben]. I think.
I'm sure that doesn't mean that much to you, because back when you were calling the shots, you pretty much just reacted. See, you didn't think, Jack. And as I recall, a lot of people ended up dead." [More Leader Education for Jack]
"I got us off the island." [Only 5 1/2 of you - and not for long]
"But here you are, right back where you started. So I'm going to go back to reading my book and I'm going to think." He gets up. " 'Cause that's how I saved your ass today and that's how I'm going to save Sayid's tomorrow. All you've got to do is go home and get a good night's rest and let me do what I do." He opens the door and Jack walks out. "Now ain't that a relief?"
"Yeah," Jack says. ["letting go" ought to be a relief to Jack Workman]

Young Ben enters Security and announces that he’s bringing the prisoner a sandwich. He’s been on the Island long enough to be permitted this privilege. He is not a Newbie.

Young Ben asks Sayid: "Are you a hostile?"
"Do you think I am?"
Ben looks scared. "What's your name?"
"Sayid. What's yours?"
"I'm Ben." It may not have been intentional, but I thought Young Ben seemed (inappropriately) a little creepy.
Sayid looks startled and then says, "It's nice to meet you, Ben."

So ... Team James has been ignoring Young Ben for at least a year, maybe two or even three. OK, then.

Looking forward to the next chapter of the Ben/Annie saga.