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"The Lie" is the second episode of Season 5 of Lost, originally broadcast as the second hour of the Season 5 premiere on January 21, 2009. It is the 84th episode of the series. The remaining survivors start to feel the effects caused by the island being moved, and Jack and Ben begin their quest to reunite the Oceanic 6 - along with Locke's body.

Synopsis

Flashback

502boat

The Oceanic Six debate whether or not they should lie to the public

On the Searcher, the Oceanic Six, Penny, Desmond, and Frank discuss what to tell the world when they return to the mainland. Hurley tells Jack that their lie will be found out, while Sayid worries that it is risky, and a decision that will affect the rest of their lives.

Jack remains adamant that they must lie, and asks if they are all okay with it. Reluctantly, everyone agrees except Hurley, who believes that people will listen if they all tell the truth. Jack tells Hurley that lying will protect the people left on the island from Charles Widmore.

Penny tells Hurley that calling her father off is an impossibility, and Jack says that no one will believe Hurley anyway. Hurley argues that if others verify his story, people will believe it, and looks to Sayid for support. Sayid agrees with Jack that they have no other choice, much to Hurley's dismay.

Hurley tells Sayid that he will remember the decision and that when Sayid needs his help one day, he will not get it.

On the Island

5x02 NeilAndRose

Neil and Rose argue over the current cirumstances

At the beach, the survivors gather wood in order to start a fire. While Rose and Bernard bicker over the best way to do so, Neil "Frogurt" approaches and tells them that they have bigger issues right now. Sawyer and Juliet discuss the Zodiac raft still being with them at this point in time. Juliet mentions that whatever they had with them when they moved is "along for the ride."

Daniel returns to the beach, and is confronted by Sawyer and Juliet. Daniel lies about what he was doing in the jungle, telling Sawyer that he left his pack behind and had to find it. Juliet says that they should take the raft and head to a shipping lane, which Daniel immediately disagrees with, saying he needs to calculate a new bearing, and that in order to do that, he needs to determine where they are in time. Miles declares that he's going to find something for people to eat, while Juliet looks on sceptically.

File:BeachFire.jpg

The beach camp, after the unexpected attack

At night, Bernard is still attempting to get a fire going, while the other survivors wait impatiently, especially Neil. Charlotte says she has a headache still and states that she forgot her mother's maiden name earlier, a fact that Daniel doesn't seem to find odd. Charlotte asks if he knows what's happening to her. Before he can answer, Miles strolls out the jungle with a dead boar, saying he found it. Neil begins to insult the survivors about their current predicament, complaining that, among other things, they can't even start a fire, and is suddenly hit in the chest with a flaming arrow. Suddenly, the camp is set upon by a rain of fiery arrows from an unknown group. The survivors begin to run for the trees, with both Miles and Sawyer narrowly escaping. As they escape, several other survivors are shot down.

OurIsland

Jones threatens Juliet

Later on, Sawyer and Juliet trek through the jungle to meet up with those who survived the attack. They hide as they see three figures walk by in front of them, figures they don't recognize. As they debate their identity, they are grabbed by a group of three men, and one of them (identified as Jones on his jumpsuit) forcefully asks with a strong British accent "What are you doing on our island?!," demanding to know how many of them there are, and how they got there.

Despite Sawyer's attempts to reason with him and provide the information he wants, Jones orders one of the other men (labelled Mattingly) to cut Juliet's hand off, while she is held down by the third man (Cunningham). Suddenly, stones fly through the air, knocking Jones and Mattingly over, and Juliet grabs one of their guns. Just as Mattingly gets up with a knife and is about to attack Sawyer, another knife flies through the air, killing him.

As they hold the other two men at gunpoint, Locke reveals himself, pulls his weapon out of the dead man's chest, and greets Sawyer and Juliet.

Off-Island (2008)

Hurley

5x02 AVisitFromAna

Ana Lucia's ghost instructs Hurley on his next moves

5x02 DoIKnowYou

Hurley is recognized as a Lottery winner

Hurley drives an unconscious Sayid somewhere safe after the events at the safe-house. He attracts the attention of a police vehicle by hitting a trashcan on the curb and he anxiously pulls over. As the police officer approaches the window, Hurley opens it and realizes it is Ana Lucia. She scolds him for pulling over and driving like a maniac. She asks Hurley what he would have done had she been a real cop, especially because there are pictures of Hurley covered in blood with a gun in his hand. She instructs him to get some more clothes and then to take Sayid to someone he trusts. She advises him to stay away from cops and not get arrested. She turns to leave, but pauses and nonchalantly says, "Oh, yeah, Libby says 'Hi.'" Hurley looks behind and realizes there is no sign of Ana Lucia, or a police car. Hurley starts the engine, and drives off.

Later on, Hurley attempts to revive Sayid on his own, but to no avail. He takes some cash off Sayid and walks into a gas station where he buys some new clothes for himself. The girl at the cash register says she recognizes him, and Hurley sees a report on the TV screen behind her about him and the murdered people that Sayid killed at Santa Rosa and the safe-house. Hurley says that she's got him mixed up with someone else, but she claims that he's the guy who won the lottery and crashed in that plane. Hurley leaves quickly and drives off.

Kate

5x02 SunAndKate

Sun shows Kate a photo of Ji Yeon

As Hurley pulls out of the gas station, Kate pulls in. Not knowing what to do, she contemplates phoning Jack, but thinks better of it. Her phone begins to ring however, and she answers it to a person we cannot hear. She expresses relief that the person is in LA, and they agree on a place to meet. When Aaron asks where they are going, Kate responds "to see a friend."

Kate takes Aaron to a penthouse of a large hotel where they meet Sun. Sun shows Kate pictures of Ji-Yeon and states that she'd like Aaron and Ji-Yeon to play together. Kate tells Sun about the lawyers who came to visit her asking about testing her and her "son." Sun tells Kate that they weren't interested in exposing their lie, they just wanted Aaron. Sun tells Kate that she needs to do what she must to take care of Aaron, and that she didn't rescue Jin from the freighter like she said she would. Kate apologizes, but Sun says she doesn't blame her for what she did. She asks Kate how Jack is.

Ben

5x02 BenAndJill

Ben and Jill discuss Locke's corpse

In a hotel room, Ben is seen taking something out of a vent space, and placing it in his bag without Jack noticing. He tells Jack that he flushed his pills down the toilet, to which Jack responds that he was going to do the same thing. Ben tells Jack to go home and pack anything that he wants "in this life," because he won't ever be coming back. "Good," Jack replies. Ben says he's going to keep Locke's body safe. Jack asks Ben why he needs to keep Locke's body "safe" if he's dead. Ben doesn't answer the question, but tells Jack he will pick him up in 6 hours.

Later on, Ben arrives at a butchers' and begins talking to a woman named Jill. She knows who he is, and that he has Locke's coffin in his van. Ben asks her if Gabriel and Jeffrey had "checked in yet," which Jill confirms. She comments that everything is moving "right on schedule." Ben tells Jill to keep Locke's body safe, or everything they're about to do won't matter at all.

Hurley

5x02 ReyesForTheRescue

Hurley and David look at Sayid's unconscious body

5x02 HugoAndBen

Ben shows up at Hurley's house, much to Hurley's surprise

David is at his mansion, watching an episode of Exposé, when Hurley arrives carrying Sayid on his back. David claims that Sayid is barely breathing. Hurley tells him what happened, but David believes he's lying to him. The LAPD arrive at the mansion, and David tells them that he hasn't seen Hurley. Hurley doesn't give much away when questioned by his father, but tells him they can't go to a hospital, and Hurley says he has an idea. Hurley notes that the police are staking out the mansion, and David asks his son if he is, in fact, crazy. Hurley tells him he has a good reason to lie. Carmen Reyes returns home, and tells Hurley that Sayid is not breathing. As Carmen asks Hurley what is going on, David leaves the house in his car, nervously waving at the police as he drives past. Hurley tells his mother all about the island, the whole truth and breaks down. She comforts him and says she doesn't understand it, but she believes him. David meets up with Jack and asks if he can trust him. David shows Jack that he has Sayid in the back of his jeep. Jack wants to know who is with Hurley at the mansion, and takes Sayid to a hospital. David tells Jack to stay away from Hurley. At the hospital, Jack rings Ben and tells him that Sayid has shown up. Ben looks worried about this.

Jack treats Sayid, who awakens and attacks Jack. When he realizes who it is, he calms down and expresses anxiety about where Hurley is and who is with him.

Back at the mansion, Ben scares Hurley by appearing at his house. Hurley doesn't trust Ben, but Ben attempts to persuade him to come with him, saying that he'll take Hurley to Sayid and Jack. He tells him that he can help him, and get him back to the island where he won't have to lie anymore, where it'll all be over. Hurley thinks about it for a moment, possibly remembers Sayid's admonition never to do what he is told by Linus, and runs out the front door to surrender to the police outside, telling them to get him away from the house, where Ben stands and looks on as Hurley smiles.

Ms. Hawking

5x02 Hawking'sEquations

Ms. Hawking writes out several equations on a chalkboard

502Pendelum

The pendulum tracing

Later, a hooded figure is seen in a strange room with computers and a chalk board on which she is adding an equation to others already on the board. A Foucault Pendulum can be seen in the background, tracing with a chalk on a large map. The map features several sets of intersecting lines in the Pacific Ocean and at least one set in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida. The figure appears to be working out the co-ordinates of the island using a computer very similar (but not identical) to the ones found in the Pearl and the Swan. There appears to be a Dharma logo on the monitor, perhaps The Lighthouse, as well as on a number of Dharma binders on either side. The screen flashes "Event Window Determined" and the figure ponders the pendulum.


Hawkingben

Ms. Hawking warns Ben

The figure goes up some stairs into a room where we see Ben lighting some candles in what appears to be a church. Ben is told he only has 70 hours to complete his work, to which he says he needs more. The figure is revealed to be Ms. Hawking. She states that if Ben can't get all of the Oceanic 6 members back in 70 hours, then "God help us all."


Trivia

General

  • Lapidus fetches two bottles of Jekyll Island Red Ale, a prop beer brand from Independent Studio Services also seen in the shows Dexter and Rules of Attraction.
  • The "bowtie" badge on the front of Hurley and Sayid's Chevrolet Blazer is covered up.
  • Jack Bender's dog, Ms. Honolulu, is pictured on the "I love my wirehaired" shirt, but Hurley selects a shih-tzu shirt instead.
  • Jack treats Sayid with a intramuscular shot of adrenaline. This drug is used mainly in emergency cases (i.e. cardiac arrest, apnea) and to treat anaphylactic reactions. Usually, the shot is given intravenous.
  • The fourth shift has been dated to having taken place around the 1940s given Jones and his men's clothes as well as their guns.
  • The Foucault Pendulum is tracing over a giant map. Alaska can be seen in the upper left and Australia in the lower left.
    • Foucault pendulum is a device to prove the rotation of earth: normal penduluns always swing the same direction, no matter how you turn it, therefore it`s own rotation is due to the rotation of the earth. But all pendulums would always rotate along the same point (directly under the point where it's held) therefore it could not be very useful to find any location on the map, as the "intersection point" of the lines would always be the same.


Production notes


Bloopers and continuity errors

  • Ben blows his match twice. The first time, the camera is positioned behind the candles, as Ms. Hawking enters the church. Then there is another shot from the other side of the room, where we see Ben performing this same movement.
  • The same photo (of two men at a slaughterhouse) is used both behind the counter and next to the door at Jill's butcher shop.
  • The oxygen tank that Jack uses to revive Sayid in the hospital is empty, with its indicator well into the red "refill" zone.
  • The SUV's emblem is first taped over with black tape when Hurley gets pulled over, then is silvered over when they leave the gas station.
  • In the scene where the survivors are running from the burning arrows one of the extras that is hit in the chest can be clearly seen wearing fire protection on his face.

Recurring themes



Storyline analysis


Cultural references

  • Watch Mr. Wizard: Sawyer calls Faraday "Dr. Wizard" - corrected to "Mr. Wizard" by Miles - a reference to the multi-decade science show for children that appeared on television. (TV series)
  • Dream Police by Cheap Trick is playing in the convenience store that Hurley stops in to buy new clothes. (Music)
  • Weekend at Bernie's: Hurley placing a pair of sunglasses on an unconscious Sayid is reminiscent of this movie. (Movies and TV)
  • Slaughterhouse-Five: The slaughterhouse picture evokes the book Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr in which the protagonist Billy Pilgrim "has become unstuck in time". (Books)
  • Foucault's Pendulum, The scene where Ms. Hawking is using a pendulum to pinpoint a secret location on a map refers to a similar scene at the climax of this novel by Umberto Eco. The novel deals with a trio of writers and publishers satirizing the use of conspiracy theories, superstition, and numerology rampant in submitted manuscripts. Their satirical theory inadvertently becomes realized by inspiring the true believers. (Literary works)
  • Star Trek Neil is a classic Star Trek "Red Shirt" character. (Note that both the shirt he is wearing and the one that Sawyer takes from him are both red.) (Movies and TV)
  • The Godfather: Hurley mentions an hospital-scene from this 1972 film, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Mario Puzo. (Movies and TV)  (Books)
  • Cuisinart, mentioned by Neil, is a brand of small kitchen appliances, popular in the United States. (Ideologies)
  • Ben and Ms. Hawking are in what appears to be a church or monastery. (Religion)

Literary techniques

  • Ana Lucia tells Hurley that he has to get Sayid somewhere safe because they have "work to do." (Regularly Spoken Phrases)
  • Hurley tells Sayid that when he needs his help he won't get it - he spends the rest of the episode trying to find help for Sayid. (Irony)
  • Neil is hit with a flaming arrow after saying that they "can't even get fire." (Irony)
  • Neil, who was known for making frozen yogurt burned to death. (Irony) (Juxtaposition)
  • Several random islanders are killed by the flaming arrows. Neil is wearing a red shirt when he gets shot. (Redshirt)
  • Sun presents the same moral dilemma to Kate as Ben did to Michael. What would you do for your son? (Juxtaposition)
  • Hurley surrenders to the police and is arrested, after Ana Lucia tells him, "stay away from the cops, do not get arrested." (Irony)
  • Ms. Hawking presents to Ben the same dire warning she did to Desmond when he wanted to change the future. (Juxtaposition)  (Plot Twist)


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: The Lie/Theories
  • Who is Jill from the Butcher Shop?
  • Ben asked Jill if Gabriel and Jeffrey had checked in yet. Who are they?
  • What is Ben's relationship with Ms. Hawking?
  • Who are the soldiers that attack Sawyer and Juliet?
    • Why do they claim it is "their" Island?
  • Who are the assailants that attacked the beach camp with flaming arrows?
  • What does Ms. Hawking expect to happen in 70 hours?
  • What did Ben put in his bag?
  • How does Ms. Hawking know when the Oceanic Six must/can return to the Island?
  • Why does Ben avoid Jack's question about Locke being dead and needing protection?

External links

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