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"316" redirects here. For other uses of "316", see 316 (disambiguation).


"316" is the sixth episode of Season 5 of Lost and the 88th overall. It was originally broadcast on February 18, 2009. The way back to the island is revealed to members of the Oceanic 6, but there's trouble ahead when not all of them wish to return.

Synopsis

On the Island

1970s

Jack’s eye opens as he awakens in a bamboo grove, dressed in a suit. He looks around in amazement then notices he's holding a torn piece of paper on which the words “I wish” are legible. Jack hears Hurley crying for help and runs through the jungle, along a stream, and to the top of a waterfall, where he sees Hurley flailing in the pool below, struggling to hold on to a guitar case. Jack dives into the water and helps Hurley out of the deep part of the water. They notice Kate lying unconscious on the side of the pool, and hurry over where Jack awakens her and informs her that they’ve successfully returned to the Island.

Off-Island

2008 (Flashback)

In Los Angeles, Eloise Hawking takes Jack, Sun, Ben, and Desmond into the basement of the church. There she opens a blast door, revealing a room containing a map, a Foucault pendulum, and various computers. She announces that this is a DHARMA Initiative station called The Lamp Post.

Eloise explains that The Lamp-Post was created years ago by the DHARMA Initiative as a way to find the Island. They knew that it existed but not where it was. Then, one day, one of the men realized that the Island was moving and worked out a series of formulas in order to predict where the Island would appear in the future. Using those calculations she has predicted where the Island will be in thirty six hours. After hearing this, Desmond realizes that Jack intends to return to the Island and angrily berates Jack and Eloise before storming off. Eloise then informs Jack that Ajira Airways Flight 316 to Guam will be heading over the coordinates where the Island will be and that all of his friends must be on it.

In another room of the church, Eloise gives Jack an envelope containing Locke’s suicide note. She explains that Jack must recreate the crash of 815 as closely as possible. Locke will act as a proxy for Christian Shepard and that Jack needs to give Locke something belonging to his father. Jack is skeptical, Eloise tells him “That’s why it’s called a leap of faith, Jack” and he leaves Eloise’s office.

In the main hall of the church, Jack sees Ben sitting in a forward pew, right from the center aisle. The camera angle shows Ben’s head framed by an arched stained glass window above some doors in the background, with a blue statue to Ben’s left, and a pink one to his right. Ben, wearing all black with hands together up to his nose as one would if praying, has his eyes open. Jack approaches, sits to the left of the aisle. Jack asks where Sun is, Ben says she left. Jack asks about Lock and his coffin, Ben says “I have a friend looking after it.” Ben rises and says “I’ll pick it up on my way to the airport” and walks to the votive candles, and lights one. They ask each other about Eloise, neither answer. Ben looks at the painting positioned above the candles by Caravaggio: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas. Ben tells Jack about Thomas the Apostle, noting Thomas’ bravery was not his claim to fame, but his doubt was. Jack asks if Thomas was ever convinced and Ben says “We’re all convinced sooner or later, Jack.” Ben walks toward the doors and Jack asks where he’s going to which Ben states “Oh, I made a promise to an old friend of mine--just a loose end that needs tying up. See you at the airport, Jack” and leaves. Jack turns and looks again at the Caravaggio.

Later, while drinking at a bar, Jack receives a phone call from an assisted living facility. There, an official tells Jack that the resident in question attempted to run away and that if it happens again they will have to transfer him to another facility. In a common room, Jack greets an elderly man named Ray. Ray, who is revealed to be Jack’s grandfather, had attempted to run away from his retirement home, going so far as to pack a suitcase. As Jack helps his grandfather unpack he notices a pair of black dress shoes. Ray admits that they are Christian’s and gives them to Jack.

Jack returns home and pours himself a drink, then hears a suspicious noise. Going into his bedroom he finds Kate lying on his bed. She asks if he is still planning on returning to the Island and then offers to return with him. When Jack asks why she changed her mind and where Aaron is she tells him to never ask her that question again. Kate then kisses Jack passionately.

The next morning, Jack prepares coffee and orange juice for Kate. She notices Christian's shoes, and Jack explains why he had put white tennis shoes on his father’s body back in Sydney. Kate leaves, telling Jack that she will meet him at the airport. After she leaves Jack receives a phone call from a bloodied Ben, who is calling from a pay phone at what appears to be Long Beach Marina. He claims that he has been “sidetracked” and that Jack should retrieve Locke’s body from Simon’s Butcher Shop. Jack travels to the butcher shop where he is let in by Jill. In the freezer, Jack opens Locke’s coffin and replaces Locke’s shoes with his father’s. A close-up of Locke's face shows that he is growing facial hair, even though he was cleanly shaved when Locke's dead body was first viewed in the casket a few days prior. He then places Locke’s suicide note in Locke’s jacket, claiming that he’s “heard everything you have to say” and closes the casket.

At the airport, Jack makes arrangements with the gate attendant for transporting Locke’s body. As he heads towards the gate a man offers his condolences. He then runs into Sun, who says that if there is the slightest chance of Jin being alive she needs to return to the Island. As they head to the gate they see Sayid, apparently handcuffed, and being accompanied by Federal Marshall Ilana. At the gate, Hurley, who is carrying a guitar case, informs the Ajira employee that he has purchased all the remaining available seats on the flight.

As the flight is about to close their doors, Ben comes running up at the last minute with his boarding pass. Hurley becomes agitated at Ben’s presence but Jack assures him that Ben is necessary. As Ben takes his seat, one of the flight attendants tells Jack that security had found something of his in the cargo hold and hands him Locke’s suicide note.

Once the plane reached 30,000 feet, the captain turns off the Fasten seat belt sign. Jack moves up a few rows and sits with Kate. He remarks how crazy all this is and how it's weird that they are all together again. Kate says "We're on the same plane, it doesn't mean we are together." The captain makes an announcement welcoming them to Ajira Airlines and informing him that he is Captain Frank J. Lapidus. Jack asks the flight attendant to tell Frank about his presence. Frank comes out and happily greets Jack but then he sees Hurley, Sayid, Sun, Ben and Kate. Upon seeing them he asks “We’re not going to Guam are we?”

Ben is reading "Ulysses." Jack asks him how he can read, and Ben answers "my mother taught me. " After a discussion with Ben, Jack reads Locke’s suicide note, which states: “Jack, I wish you had believed me. JL.” Shortly afterwards the plane encounters turbulence. As everyone buckles up, the turbulence increases and eventually the plane is engulfed in a flash of white light reminiscent of the flashes that accompany the abrupt changes in time on the Island.

On the Island

1970s

Jin dharma

Jin, lowering his rifle down as he recognizes Hurely, Kate and Jack.

Jack awakens in the jungle and hurries to the pool where he finds Hurley and Kate. None of them remember actually crashing and none have seen any other survivors, or wreckage of the plane. Jack suggests that they split up and search for survivors but before they can do anything they hear music. Looking at the jungle by the pool they see a new looking Dharma van pull up. A man in a Dharma jumper gets out and points a rifle at the three survivors. They then recognize him as Jin, who appeared to be recognizing them and seemingly astonished.

Trivia

General

  • The episode's title, obviously, refers to the flight number of the plane that returns the Oceanic Six to the Island. Coincidentally, the number of passengers on Flight 815, subtracting those who survived and at one point escaped the Island (Jack, Kate, Sayid, Sun, Hurley, Locke, Michael, and Walt) is 324 - 8 = 316.
  • Behind the plane that the Oceanic Six are taking off from you can see an Oceanic Airlines jet.
  • Behind the passengers being screened for departure is a poster for Oceanic Airlines.
  • The DHARMA logo on Jin's jumpsuit is mostly obscured by his collar, but appears to be a five-pointed sheriff's star, suggesting that he works for some sort of DHARMA security force.

Production notes

Recurring themes


  • The episode begins with Jack's eye opening. (Eyes)
  • A white rabbit with black spots appears during a magic show Jack's grandfather is watching. (Animals)  (Black and white)
  • Jack, after noting that Locke's suicide note has "been following" him, decides to open it. (Fate versus free will)
  • Ben tells Jack a story from the bible. (Religion)
  • It's revealed that Locke hanged himself. (Life and death)
  • Sayid is in police custody on the plane. (Imprisonment)
  • Jack tells Kate that he didn't feel that his father was worth "a nice new pair of shoes" "or the time it would take to go out and get them". (Parent Issues)
  • While in the Lamp Post station, Jack sees a photo of the island dated September 23,1954 (The Numbers)
  • Jack is seated in row 8 on Ajira Airways Flight 316 which departed from Gate 15. (The Numbers)
  • Ray, Jack's grandfather, has made 4 failed attempts to escape from his retirement home. (The Numbers)  (Imprisonment)
  • Frank Lapidus had been working for Ajira Airways for 8 months before piloting flight 316. (The Numbers)


Storyline analysis

  • Jack, Kate and Hurley return to the Island, possibly along with Ben, Sayid, Sun, and Frank Lapidus.
  • Kate loses Aaron.


Cultural references

  • Y: The Last Man: Hurley is seen reading a Spanish translation of the trade paperback Y: The Last Man Vol. 3: One Small Step. This comic book series is about the sole survivor of a deadly plague that wiped out every male on the planet Earth. It is written by Brian K. Vaughan who is also a writer on Lost.
  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The DHARMA Initiative station, the Lamp Post is a reference to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book in the Narnia series. In the book, a lamp post marks the passage between Narnia and the real world. In the episode, the Lamp Post serves a similar function with regard to the Island. In addition, the opening scene of the episode is a reference to the first chapter of Prince Caspian, the fourth book in the Narnia series. In the chapter, entitled "The Island," the children in the book return to Narnia via a mysterious island with ancient ruins. The first thing they do is play in the water.
  • Ulysses: Ben is seen reading Ulysses by James Joyce on Flight 316 before he leaves his seat. The novel is a story about the journey through Dublin on a single day (June 16, 1904) by its main character, Leopold Bloom. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse told viewers to read this book on one of the Dharma Special Access videos.
  • The Bible: John 3:16 -- John Locke on Flight 316 is bringing everyone back. This ties in to his suicide note that Jack should have believed in him. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse is also hidden in the source code of the Ajira Airways website.
  • The Bible: Ben tells Jack the story from The Gospel of John about Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is not remembered by the incredible bravery he modeled when he insisted that the disciples should follow Jesus to Judea, even if that meant their deaths, but rather he is remembered by his doubt concerning the bodily resurrection of Christ, a doubt only mitigated by putting his hands in Jesus's wounds.
  • The Incredulity of Saint Thomas: Ben looks at this painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610). This painting illustrates the Biblical story of Thomas doubting Jesus' resurrection. "Doubting Thomas" is a phrase used to describe someone who is very skeptical about something.
  • The Langoliers: In the Stephen King novel, an airplane takes off from Los Angeles and while in midair in travels through a time warp, leaving only a handful of survivors while the rest of the people on board disappear. For the survivors to travel back through the warp (or window) to their own time, they must recreate several key conditions of their original pass through said window.


Literary techniques

  • Sayid is seemingly under arrest on the flight, being watched by a officer similar to Kate and Edward Mars.
  • Hugo is carrying a guitar case, seemingly in place of Charlie Pace. (Symbolism) (Juxtaposition)
  • At the bar Jack's face is split in half by blue and yellow light symbolizing his internal struggle to believe what Eloise has told him. He then gets a call from his grandfather's nursing home which eventually convinces him to do as Eloise instructed.(Symbolism)


Episode references


Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: 316/Theories
  • How did Jack, Hurley and Kate get to the island from the plane?
  • Where are Ben, Sun, Sayid, Frank, Illana, Caesar, the flight attendent and the rest of Flight 316?
  • Why is Jin wearing a new Dharma coverall, and driving a new VW van?
  • Is anyone else from Flight 316 on the Island?
  • Who tells Hurley which flight to take?
    • Why does Hurley have a guitar?
  • How does Eloise Hawking know that John Locke killed himself?
  • How does Eloise Hawking end up running the Lamp Post station?
  • Who is the "fellow" that Hawking says conceived the equations that predict the Island's movements?
  • What happened to Kate during the period when she left the rest of the group and reappeared in Jack's bedroom?
    • Where is Aaron?
  • Who is the man in first class of Flight 316 with the Oceanic 6?
  • Why is Sayid handcuffed and being escorted on the plane?
    • Who is the woman accompanying Sayid?
  • Who is the old friend Ben made a promise to and what was it?
  • What causes Ben's injuries?

External links

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