On the Island, they finally make it to the Hatch, but it’s a massive crater, helping out those of us trying to figure out when they jumped to. Sawyer wants to go back to the camp to see if people are still there so he can warn them, but Daniel says that’s not the way it works. They can’t change anything, and if they try to change things, they will fail. Time is a constant, and there’s no altering the history of events. As a huge fan of time travel, I’m very happy they’re addressing these important rules right away.

Locke hobbles to the now fallen drug smuggling plane to get a belt to tie off his bleeding leg. Richard Alpert shows up to help with the bullet in John’s leg. Locke wonders how Richard knew, and it’s because John told him, or rather, will tell him. Richard goes over some rules and tells John that the next time they meet, he won’t recognize him, so Richard hands John a compass to give him. Finally, before the next jump, Richard tells John that the only way to save the Island is to get the Oceanic 6 back, and that to do that, “You’re gonna have to die, John.”

There’s another time jump, and this time the drug smuggling plane is back on the cliff and the Hatch door is still buried. Rather than start from scratch, Sawyer rushes to the Hatch’s back door to knock and get some supplies. He calls himself “the Ghost of Christmas Future,” but Faraday keeps trying to convince him it won’t work because Desmond didn’t know him the first time around.

Juliet calms him down and they go back to the beach. Miles goes with them, thinking he has a shot with Juliet. Faraday notices Charlotte’s nose is bleeding and he’s quite concerned about it. He sends her ahead and goes back to the back door with a plan. He knocks until Desmond comes out, pointing a gun and asking “Are you him?”

Faraday isn’t, but he’s excited because Desmond is uniquely special and the rules of time travel don’t apply to him. Faraday tells him that if they make it back, everyone they left behind is in danger, and the only way to help is for Desmond to go back to Oxford where they met and find Faraday’s mother. “Her name is...” is all Faraday can get out before he time jumps.

Three years in the future, Desmond wakes up, just remembering this chance encounter with Faraday. Penny is there with him, and he goes up to the topside of the boat he and Penny are living on, preparing to set sail for Oxford.

Next on Lost: Stay tuned for our recap of episode 5.2 “The Lie.”

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Also, read our recap of Episode 5.2 "The Lie."

Easter Eggs for "Because You Left"
Easter Eggs for "The Lie"


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer