Lost: Happily Ever After / Everybody Loves Hugo

Posted by: David A. Robertson  •  April 16, 2010 @ 10:31am

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

With apologies to Paul and anybody who reads these summaries/reviews, I submit this double-recap. You know, it's just been busy LAUNCHING MY NEW BOOK and I haven't had time to write them. So, to catch up I'm going to have a bit of a discussion recap, rather than a review, because I'm still trying to figure out what's going on and how it's all going to end. Because, isn't there, like, 5 episodes left or something?

"Happily Ever After" was a cool episode. But, again, it seemed like, as with "The Package", it was all setting things up for the finale. So, nothing REALLY happened. Well...it did, but nothing earth-shattering. These flash sideways, I've always known, as with most I'm sure, that they would come full circle back to the island reality somehow. The big reveal here is the beginnings of understanding what this reality IS. As Desmond is bombarded with EMP once again (and survives) he somehow jumps INTO his reality, seemingly aware of BOTH realities near the end. And, for sure when he wakes up in the island reality and then we see more of the LA reality. That's my take on it, anyhow. And maybe this is how Desmond is going to save everybody.

So, this episode is really learning: a) that Desmond is a major key to the survival of life as we know it and that has something to do with his being able to survive these huge EMP blasts. That, I believe, Widmore sent him to get captured BY the Smoke Monster and his crew (Sayid kidnaps him at the end). I think he's supposed to be with Locke but not sure why yet. And then b) the LA reality is some sort of...ummm...MATRIX-like reality, where the characters from the island are being kept in this other reality (their souls??), where everything they wanted has come true. Well...maybe not for Kate so far...but everybody else, really, seems happier than they were. However, LOVE seems to be the endpoint, where revelation comes and they remember the island reality.

So, writing that just made this way confusing. Suffice to say, Desmond meets Penny and they feel a connection they can't understand. And, Desmond on the ISLAND knows what's going on in the LA reality, and so is motivated to carry out his duty, whatever that may be. At the end of the HAPPY episode, Desmond wants the manifest for the plane. So, he is going to "wake everybody up", I gather.

Onto the next episode. And, really, everybody does love Hugo. This episode is a neat play on the season 2 episode called "Everybody Hates Hugo". Maybe it's not quite as good as that episode, but it's still a good one. Here, the LA reality sees Hugo meeting Libby. Libby thinks that she is crazy and commits herself to a mental institution because when she sees Hugo on a commercial, memories of some weird island existence come flooding back. Eventually, Hugo takes her out on a date, despite thinking that, yeah, she IS crazy, and they kiss. BAM, the memories come flooding back to him as well, of this island reality. This is very cool.

And, of course, Desmond is the one who seeks Hugo out and compels him to go see Libby at the institution. At the end of the LA reality, Desmond sees Locke and you think maybe he's going to work some magic on him, too. But no, he runs him over with his car. So he is clearly aware that Locke is the Smoke Monster on the island now, and that Locke must be killed. And by this act alone, we see that the two realities are maybe dependent on each other, that their "awakening" in the LA reality will affect the island reality in a significant way. And, if they die in one reality, do they die in both?? What's next for the LA reality?

On the island, essentially we have Hugo taking control and leading the group to Locke. Richard takes two of them to try to find another way to blow up the plane after Hugo destroys all the dynamite at the behest of Michael (a ghost). We learn that ghosts don't pass on from the island if they've done something not worthy when they were alive. Michael of course killed Libby. And the cop lady...Anna-Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez). This made me think of Walt, and what his deal was. I thought he was supposed to be a big saviour in the end and he TOTALLY dropped off the Lost world.

There is a really nice moment with Jack and Hugo, when Hugo tells Jack that he actually didn't see Jacob and just wanted people to listen to him. Jack says that he knew that, but thinks that maybe he isn't supposed to lead. Hugo says that maybe his not leading is what's going to get them in trouble...at any rate, they end up at Locke's camp...but that's AFTER:

Locke takes Desmond to a well...where Locke fell down, as Locke, last season to stop the time travelling I THINK. There, the Smoke Monster Locke can't believe that Desmond isn't scared of him. He ends up throwing Desmond down the well, hoping that he is killed. Or, rather, believing that he is killed.

At the camp, Hugo comes with his crew and negotiates a truce. Jack comes out and Locke and Jack share an intense stare-down. What's up with that?

Oh, and Ilana gets blown up!?!?!!!? What the heck??? That was really shocking, weird and seemed like it was done to kind of just get rid of her, because they were done with her character. Would anybody be stupid enough to toss a backpack full of unstable dynamite down?? That was the only thing I really didn't like in both of these episodes. She was a good character, I feel, and to just kill her like that...well, I'll tell you that it reminded me of how Boba Fett died. She just deserved better.

Finally, we see that boy again. And he is WAY older, is he not?? What's up with him? Jacob reborn??

Regardless, I think now, finally, we'll start to see the culmination of all this lead-in and build up. What are your thoughts?

Tags: Hugo, Desmond, Richard, Jack, Michael, Smoke Monster, Widmore, EMP, Hurley, Lost

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David A. Robertson is an award-winning Indigenous author and public speaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation. He has published over 25 books across a variety of genres.

Original Comments Posted (1)

fujitam says...

Hey, great recap! I thought Desmond ran over Locke in the alternate reality to get him to the hospital and to have him and Jack meet again. Might have been a stretch on my part, but I have a bad habit of trying to figure things out. Drives my fiance crazy when we watch the show together. Thanks for the recap, looking forward to the next one! Can't believe there are only a few episodes left!

Apr 19, 2010 5:45pm

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