S6E11 - Everybody Loves Hugo

While tomorrow marks the 2009 tax year deadline, I would like to focus on a far better date. One that is less stressful and exponentially more awesome. Today. Also known as… my birthday! I know what you’re probably thinking… crap, I didn’t buy him anything! Well never fear, because the LOSTies came bearing gifts.

PARTGOER: Dr. Chang
GIFT: Door stop in the shape of a dinosaur
REACTION: “You shouldn’t have... seriously.”

So Dr. Chang presents a man-of-the-year trophy to Hugo for opening a paleontology wing of whatever organization Chang now works for. While it was mildly interesting to see this alternate match up, I wonder if Chang should remember Hugo from the island. In one respect, Hurley was there with Chang before the bomb blew up, so theoretically while the bomb should have altered Hugo’s life, it would have only done so from 1977 and after. Chang, though, would have remembered Hurley. Then again, if alternate Hurley never went to the island therefore never time-traveled to the past, by blowing up the bomb, he essentially erased himself from Chang’s past. I think I’m getting a headache.

PARTYGOER: Libby
GIFT: A picture of us holding hands made out of elbow macaroni glued onto red construction paper
REACTION: “Oh, so they offer art classes at the uh… institution? That’s nice.”

Libby ambushes Hugo at the Mexican restaurant claiming they know each other. Despite not remembering, he seems more than interested, though is somewhat deflated when she rides off in the crazy van. In the end, she one-ups her pasta-based artwork with a reality-merging kiss. So far, it seems there are two established ways of seeing your alternate life. You must either come into contact with someone you loved (that you should not have otherwise met) or you must have a near-death experience. This theory makes me wonder if that is what Desmond intended to do in the end when he ran over Locke. After all, there isn’t a significant other from the island that can jog Locke’s memory so the only other option would be to bring him within an inch of death like Charlie experienced on the plane.

PARTYGOER: Ilana
GIFT: A backpack full of unstable dynamite
REACTION: “Maybe you should leave that outside…”

Wow. Didn’t see that coming. Kind of funny, though. I think Ben expressed it best when he pointed out how odd it was that Ilana was hand-picked by Jacob, himself, to protect the candidates and when it came down to it, she blew up only a day or two after telling them who/what they were. As if the island was done with her. Again, this points to there being something bigger in play than just Jacob or Flocke. This is underscored later on when we see another mystery kid taunting Flocke, presumably reminding him of what he can and cannot do.

PARTYGOER: Flocke
GIFT: A stick carved in the shape of… a stick.
REACTION: “How did you know I collected these?”

The natives are restless back at Flocke’s camp. Well, Sawyer at least who feels like they’re all sitting around doing nothing. Flocke says he’s waiting for the remaining candidates to come and Kate expresses her doubts. Meanwhile, Sayid shows up and leads Flocke to none other than Desmond. We know in the end, Hurley, Jack, and Sun did eventually come as he predicted so it makes me wonder how much Flocke already knew. Or if Flocke can manipulate or control the “trapped souls” like Michael and make them carry out his nefarious schemes.

PARTYGOER: Hugo
GIFT: Family-sized bucket of chicken and a check for $100,000
REACTION: “Awesome! Come on in.”

Seriously, if you want to win me over… show up at my house with a bucket of chicken. Either that or a hundred-grand. Hurley has a “chance encounter” with Desmond at Mr. Cluck’s and Desmond encourages him to pursue Libby. I suspect we’ll see more of Desmond carrying out his “alternate life interventions” for the remainder of the series. Hugo takes him up on the advice and bribes Libby’s psychiatrist to allow a meeting during which he asks her out on a date. Meanwhile on the island, Hurley decides he knows what’s best for the group and tries protecting them (and supposedly others) by blowing up the remainder of the dynamite. It seems that Jacob’s instructions about Richard knowing the next move is in conflict with what Hurley thinks. I wonder who’s correct? My money’s on Hurley.

PARTYGOER: Desmond
GIFT: Mellow dialogue
REACTION: “Yeah man… it’s like the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And like… smoke monsters.”

Very interesting interaction between Desmond and Flocke. Flocke suggests that the island “has it in” for him and Desmond counters with the likelihood that it has it in for ALL of them. Flocke agrees, but ultimately seems bothered by the fact that Desmond wasn’t afraid of him. Again, Desmond was in a very zen place. Kind of like the antithesis of how Sayid is acting now that I think about it. Another “ghost kid” pops up (different from the one that Flocke first encountered with Sawyer, I believe) and Flocke tells Desmond to ignore him. Again, I wonder if these manifestations are the island, itself, or at least some greater power. In the end, Flocke pushes Desmond into a well (perhaps one of the many electromagnetic pockets on the island) and while I doubt he’s dead, he’s out of the way for the time being.

PARTYGOER: Michael
GIFT: Revelation about what the whispers are
REACTION: “Oh… okay.”

Not that I thought “the whispers” were the answer to everything, but the revelation of them being “stuck souls” seemed somewhat anticlimactic. Michael indicated the souls were stuck because of “what they did” but I feel that goes against other ghosts or spirits we’ve seen throughout the series. Anyway, it seems Hurley is the new leader for now, at least when it comes to the other candidates plus Frank. Interesting that Jack decided to give up his default leadership role. I wonder if he still feels good about that decision after coming face to face with Flocke in the end. The expression on his face seemed to indicate he was beginning to have his own share of doubts. Meanwhile Richard, Ben, and Miles are off to execute “plan A.”

***

That’s all for now. The biggest thing I took away from this episode was the potential methodology of opening everyone’s eyes to their alternate lives. Charlie almost died. Desmond almost drowned, got exposed to heavy doses of electromagnetic energy (not recommended for anyone else), and came into contact with Penny who he would not have otherwise met. Hurley kissed Libby, who he also “shouldn’t have met” in the alternate reality. As for everyone else, I wonder what it will take to get them to “see.” For Locke, I imagine getting run over will did the trick. For Jack, maybe coming into contact with Kate. The reverse goes for Kate. For Sawyer, he’ll have to find Juliet. For Jin and Sun, I imagine it might have something to do with the birth of Ji Yeon (who exists in reality A, but might die in reality B considering Sun’s gunshot wound). For Sayid, I’m not sure. He’s already come into contact with Nadia, but then again she was already part of his life in both realities. If it must be someone who “wasn’t mean to be” then I imagine he’ll have to encounter Shannon in the alternate reality since he was starting to have feelings for her just before getting shot on the island. And finally for Ben… well, I’m not so sure he’s part of the bigger plan. Anyway, that’s my crazy theory for the week. What are yours?