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"There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3" was the thirteenth episode of Season 4 of Lost and the second and third parts of its 3-part, 3 hour season finale. It was broadcast on May 29, 2008.
Synopsis
On the Island
Locke and Ben exit the elevator and find themselves in the Orchid Station. As they walk inside, Locke observes the various equipment and a nearby television. He looks to Ben and asks if that's the "magic box". Ben looks back at Locke with an absurd look and answers "no". Ben then offers Locke a video tape to answer all his questions about the station. Locke puts it in the television and Dr. Edgar Halliwax appears. In the video, Halliwax instructs to not place metal objects inside the "vault". The vault is seen as a chamber that holds the power to travel time to whatever is inside it. Locke looks at Ben and sees him piling metal obejects inside the vault.
Ben turns the wheel beneath the Orchid.
After killing Keamy, Ben sought to go beyond the vault. Locke stopped him and demanded to know why Ben killed Keamy, knowing it would end the lives of many innocent people on the freighter. Ben admitted it was the wrong thing to due and that his grief over Alex clouded his judgment. Ben tells Locke not to make the same mistakes as the new leader. Locke is confused and reluctant to let Ben leave. Ben offers a handshake, apologizing for all the misery he has inflicted on Locke. Locke accepts the handshake and Ben darts off into the vault.
Inside, the explosion opened a pathway into the island interior. Ben went into a tunnel that lead to a series of stairs. After falling down and cutting himself, Ben stood inside a dark and icy room. There, across from Ben, was established a wall with a large wheel. Ben proceeded to turn the wheel, though with great difficulty. The more the wheel turned the brighter the room became. Outside, the entire island emanated an otherworldly noise. Suddenly, a light enveloped the Island and everything within the light disappeared. Ben, himself, is shot foward through time to the events of "The Shape of Things to Come".
Off the Island
Directly after "Through The Looking Glass", Kate stops the car, gets out, and proceeds to talk to Jack. She condemns Jack for wanting to go back to the Island and for showing her the obituary for Jeremy Bentham. Jack tried to calm her down, but she refuses to listen. She gets back in the car and speeds away - leaving Jack to himself. Jack drives to the funeral parlor, and breaks the doornob off the door. As he stands near the casket, Ben enters the room. Ben tells Jack that he has heard that he has been riding passenger planes. Jack says he was visited by Bentham, who said that bad things happened on the island after he left, and it was Jack's fault for leaving. Bentham also stated Jack has to return to the island to correct the wrong things. Ben then goes on to explain that the entire Oceanic Six must return to the island, as well as the man in the casket, who is revealed to be John Locke.
Trivia
General
- Each year the producers have a special name for a secret scene in that year's finale. This years special name turned about to be literal - "Frozen Donkey Wheel", referring to the frozen wheel Ben has to turn to activate the teleportation of the island.
- During her flash-forward dream sequence, Kate receives a garbled phone call. When played backwards, the message states: "The Island needs you. You have to go back before it's too late."
Production notes
- This is the only episode of season 4 in which all credited cast members appear.
Bloopers and continuity errors
Recurring themes
| Recurring themes |
|---|
| Animals • Black and white • Character connections • Children • Coincidence • Death • Deceptions and cons • Dreams • Economics • Electromagnetism • Eyes • Fate versus free will • Games • Good and bad people • Imprisonment • Isolation • Leadership • Life and death • Literary works • Mirrors • Missing body parts • Nicknames • The Numbers • Pairings • Parapsychology • Parent issues • Pregnancies • Psychology • Rain • Redemption • Relationships • Religion • Revenge • Salvation • Secrets |
- The Oceanic Six lie about what happened during and after the plane crash. (Deceptions and cons)
- Sawyer refers to Jack as "Sundance". (Nicknames)
- Desmond and Penny are reunited. (Relationships)
- Michael dies and Jin's fate becomes unknown in the freighter explosion. (Life and death)
- Sayid kills a man at 8:15 (Numbers) (Life and death)
- Charlotte has been on the island before. (Secrets)
- Hurley says that Jack and Locke are talking about "leader stuff". (Leadership)
- Kate dreams of Claire after she is off the island. (Dreams)
- Ben claims that the person who moves the island can never come back. (Sacrifice)
- Dr. Halliwax does experiments with rabbits. (Animals)
- Sun tells Michael that she is pregnant. (Pregnancies)
- Hurley lies to Walt about Michael's death. (Deceptions and cons)
- Michael hears the whispers before Christian appears. (Whispers)
- Sawyer calls Frank "Kenny Rogers." (Nicknames)
- Hurley is playing chess in his room when Sayid appears. (Games) (Black and White)
- Sawyer jumps out of the chopper so that the others can make it to the Freighter. (Sacrifice)
Cultural references
| Cultural references (direct references only) |
|---|
| Art • Automobiles • Games • History • Literary works • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science |
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Sawyer calls Jack "Sundance". (Movies) (Nicknames)
- Kenny Rogers: Sawyer calls Frank "Kenny Rogers". (Music) (Nicknames)
Literary techniques
| Literary techniques |
|---|
| Comparative: Irony • Juxtaposition • Foreshadowing Plotting: Cliffhanger • Plot twist Stock characters: Archetype • Redshirt • Unseen character Story: Flashbacks • Flash-forwards • Flash sideways • Framing device • Regularly spoken phrases • Symbolism • Unreliable narrator |
- Jack says "see you in another life, brother". (Regularly spoken phrases)
Storyline analysis
| Storyline analysis |
|---|
| A-Missions • Crimes • Economics • Leadership • O-Missions • Relationships • F-Missions • Rivalries • S-Missions |
- Faraday transports people to the freighter. (F-Missions)
- The Others rescue Ben Linus from Keamy. (O-Missions)
- Ben tells Locke the Others are ready to listen to him after his departure. (Leadership)
- Jack breaks into the funeral parlor. (Crimes)
- Ben kills Keamy. (Crimes)
- Desmond and Penny are reunited. (Relationships)
- Locke tells Jack he wants to let bygones be bygones. (Rivalries)
Episode references
- Jack tells Desmond "See you in another life, brother". ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")
- Ben puts on the Halliwax Parka, and cuts his arm as he descends deeper into the snow and ice covered section of Orchid station. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
- Ben asks Locke for his weapon back. ("The Shape of Things to Come"), ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")
- Locke asks Ben if The Orchid is the "magic box". ("The Man from Tallahassee")
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3/Theories
On the Island
- Where did the Island go?
- Why does Miles decide to stay on the island?
- What is Charlotte's previous experience with the Island?
- How does Miles know about Charlotte's previous Island experience?
After the rescue
Locke
- Why is John Locke using the alias "Jeremy Bentham"?
- How did John Locke die?
- How did Locke get to the mainland?
The Oceanic Six
- Where did Sayid and Hurley go?
- Why did Claire tell Kate not to bring Aaron back?
Miscellaneous
- What happened to Faraday and those on the raft?
- What "bad things" happened after the Oceanic Six left the island?
- How does Ben know what is happening on the island?
- What is Octagon Global Recruiting?
- Did Jin survive the explosion on the freighter?
External links
- ABC Medianet Press Release (05/12/08): Press Release