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"Whatever Happened, Happened" is the eleventh episode of Season 5 of Lost and the 97th episode of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on April 1, 2009. Kate struggles to save a young Benjamin Linus from a gunshot wound at all costs.
Synopsis
Flashback
Cassidy is surprised by Kate's visit
2005
Kate carries an infant Aaron to the door of Cassidy's house. The two women reunite, and Cassidy speaks of seeing Kate on the media coverage of the Oceanic Six. Kate reveals that Sawyer's whispered request on the helicopter was to find Cassidy and his daughter Clementine and make sure they were cared for. She hands an envelope of money to Cassidy and talks to her about Sawyer, telling her the story of what really happened on the Island. Cassidy says that Sawyer was a coward and only jumped off the helicopter because he couldn't face a future with her (Kate).
2008
After the events of "This Place Is Death", Kate leaves the marina where the survivors gathered with Ben and stops at a grocery store to buy milk for Aaron. While at the store, she briefly loses Aaron and finds him walking with a woman, who from behind looks like Claire. Kate is reunited with Aaron at the store, and goes to visit Cassidy again. Clementine answers the door, greeting her as "Auntie Kate." Cassidy counsels her that she is scared that Aaron will be taken because she took him. She says Kate took Aaron to heal her broken heart from Sawyer.
Kate hands Carole Aaron's picture
Kate kisses Aaron farewell
Kate visits Carole Littleton and tells her that she has a grandson named Aaron, that Claire survived the crash and that she claimed Aaron as her own to protect him and because she needed him. She tells Carole that he is sleeping in a room two doors down and that she's told him she's leaving him with his grandmother while she's away. She then tells Carole that she's going back to the Island to find Claire and bring her back to her son.
On the Island
1977
Jin wakes up and finds Ben's bleeding body. He places him in the van and heads back to the Barracks.
Horace explains the situation
At the Barracks, Horace briefs the gathered DHARMA personnel on the prisoner's escape. When Jack steps forward to ask questions, Horace regards him suspiciously and states that the prisoner must have had help from "one of us" since no Hostiles were seen crossing the fence. Later, Roger Linus approaches Kate and asks for her help operating a winch to move the burned DHARMA van. Roger and Kate seemed to have a connection as they talked. Jin arrives and, as he carries Ben to get aid, Roger sees his injured son and runs after them.
Juliet tries to save Ben
As Sawyer examines the security monitors, Kate approaches him to ask what happened to Ben. A suspicious Horace arrives and discovers them talking. Horace finds a janitor's set of keys still in the lock of the holding cell. He states that there are only three people with these kinds of keys, including Roger and the new arrival Jack. Seeing that things are spiraling out of control, Sawyer orders Miles to keep Jack, Kate and Hurley in a house and keep his eyes on them in order not to complicate matters. Sawyer approaches Roger to ask for his keys. Roger says he must've left them at home.
Kate struggles to do nothing
Juliet tries to save Ben, but can not stop the bleeding. In a house, Hurley and Miles try to figure out the consequences of Ben's shooting and time travel. Sawyer tries to recruit help from Jack, but he refuses telling Kate that he already saved Ben once. Jack claims that he's done trying to fix things and now puts his trust in the Island. Kate remarks that she doesn't like the new Jack, but Jack reminds her that she didn't like the old him.
Miles argues with Hurley about time travel
Kate arrives at the infirmary and donates blood to keep young Ben alive. As Kate and Roger sit at Ben's bedside, he admits that he may not have been "the world's greatest father" since Ben stole his keys because of him.
Inside the house, Hurley is trying to understand the unanswered questions of time travel. Miles explains to him that they are in their present while everyone else are in their past. Hurley wonders why a future Ben couldn't remember that Sayid, the guy who tortured him in the future is the same guy who shot him in his past. Miles has no answer.
Juliet is able to stabilize Ben, but can not heal him. Juliet tells Kate that the Others may be able to save his life. She secretly helps Kate load Ben into a van, and Kate drives out to the sonic fence. Sawyer catches up with her and helps her rather than stopping her. He says that he's doing it for Juliet--because Juliet feels it's wrong to let a child die.
Sawyer and Kate bring Ben to the Others
Juliet bursts into the house, dismisses Hurley and Miles, and confronts Jack as he's getting out of the shower. She asks why he came back and why he refused to help Ben. Jack responds that he was supposed to come back, but doesn't know why yet.
Kate and Sawyer carry Ben into the Others' territory. Stopping by a stream, she tells him about Cassidy and Clementine. They discussed their relationship. Sawyer said he and Kate would not have lasted. He said he had some growing up to do. The Others surround them, and Sawyer demands to be taken to Richard.
Richard takes Ben into the Temple
The Others escort Sawyer and Kate into the jungle, where Richard emerges. Richard recognizes Sawyer, but asks why Kate is there. After Sawyer asserts that Kate is with him, Richard asks if the boy is Benjamin Linus. Sawyer asks if Richard and Ben have met, which Richard does not respond to. Richard explains if he takes Ben, he will not remember any of this, will lose his innocence, and will "always be one of us." One of the Others tries to stop Richard from taking Ben, saying that Ellie and Charles won't be happy, but Richard asserts that he doesn't answer to them. After Kate hands over Ben, Richard carries him through the jungle alone. He approaches the wall of the Temple. After a pause, Richard pushes open a stone door and takes him inside.
2008
Locke welcomes back Ben to "the land of the living"
In the makeshift infirmary in the Hydra, Ben wakes up to find John Locke looking at him. As Ben's eyes widen in surprise, John welcomes him back to "the land of the living."
Trivia
General
- The episode was first broadcast on April 1st, 2009 (i.e., March 32nd), and it shares the central theme of the story March Has 32 Days from Mystery Tales No. 40, the comic book that was one of Richard's items presented to John Locke as a test in "Cabin Fever". In the 1956 story, a time traveler tries to alter history when he relives a day in his own past after struggling with the question of whether it would be possible to do anything differently if he had the opportunity to go back in time, just as Hurley and Miles struggled over the question. In the Summer 2008 ARG, the Lost creators embedded the hidden comment "March Has 32 Days" as a clue in the ARG's first email.
- Kate sings "Catch A Falling Star" to Aaron when he is asleep. Claire and Jack's father Christian used to sing Claire this song when she was an infant. This was the same lullaby that Claire asked Arlene Stewart to sing to Aaron when she was going to give him away for adoption in "Raised by Another". This song also plays in Aaron's would-be nursery in The Staff as the mobile spins in the episode Maternity Leave.
- The episode title, "Whatever Happened, Happened" was previously said by Daniel on two occasions while trying to explain that the past cannot be changed.
Production notes
- Daniel and Desmond do not appear in this episode. Sayid and Sun appear in footage reused from "This Place Is Death".
Bloopers and continuity errors
- In the supermarket, Kate is clearly wearing stabilizers on her heels. She is no longer wearing them when she goes to visit Cassidy.
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 |
- Roger discusses his bad parenting. (Parent issues)
- Hurley and Miles discuss the effects of time traveling. (Time)
- Miles calls Hurley "Tubby,". "Idiot" and "Dingbat", Sawyer "Boss," Sayid "Your maniac Iraqi buddy". Sawyer calls Kate "Freckles" and Jack "Doc". Hurley calls grown-up Ben "Big Ben" and young Ben "Little Ben". Roger calls Sawyer "Chum" and "that Bastard" and Sayid "that animal". Clementine calls Kate "Aunt Kate". (Nicknames)
- Miles and Hurley are playing dominoes when Juliet comes in to talk to Jack. (Games) (Black and white)
- Kate reveals to Cassidy and Carole Littleton that she isn't Aaron's biological mother. (Deceptions and cons)
- Sawyer lies to Horace about why Kate was at the surveillance cameras. (Deceptions and cons)
- Jack, Kate, and Hurley are under house arrest. (Imprisonment)
- Kate, Sawyer and Juliet conspire to save Ben's life. (Life and Death) (Deceptions and Cons)
- Kate tells Carole that Claire was 8 months pregnant when Flight 815 crashed. (The Numbers)
- Kate describes Aaron as good to Carole. (Good and bad people)
- Kate leaves Aaron with Carole to return to the island and look for Claire. (Sacrifice)
- Kate states that Claire is alive. (Life and Death)
- Richard warns that Ben will "never be the same" after being brought to the Temple. (Rebirth)
- Hurley achieves a sense of superiority by asking a question (about time) no one can answer. (Relationships)
- Locke tells Ben, "welcome to the land of the living." (Life and death) (Character connections) (Irony)
Storyline analysis
| 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 |
- Richard Alpert says he doesn't have to answer to Ellie or Widmore. (Leadership)
- Sayid, Juliet, Jack, Kate and Sawyer are responsible for the person Ben will become. (Fate versus free will) (Character connections) (Time) (Irony)
- Jack refuses to operate on Ben this time around. (Juxtaposition)
Cultural references
| Cultural references (direct references only) |
|---|
| Art • Automobiles • Games • History • Literary works • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science |
- Back to the Future: Hurley looks at his hand, waiting to see if he disappears, like in Back to the Future. In the movie, Marty McFly would look at his hand if he was being erased from existence because he interacted with his parents past making it so that his mother didn't fall in love with his father. (Movies and TV)
- "Catch a Falling Star": Kate sings "Catch A Falling Star", written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, to Aaron when he is asleep. (Music)
- Cassandra complex: Hurley and Miles' discussion and plot of the episode reflects the Cassandra complex -- i.e. the curse of having knowledge of the future, but being unable to alter the path of events or any ability to convince others as to the validity of one's predictions. The "curse" comes from Greek mythology. Cassandra was a daughter of Priam, the King of Troy. Struck by her beauty, Apollo provided her with the gift of prophecy, but when Cassandra refused Apollo's romantic advances, he placed a curse ensuring that none would believe her warnings.
- "She's Got You": When Kate first visits Cassidy, this song by Patsy Cline is playing in her car. Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash in 1963. "She's Got You" also was heard playing in Kate and Claire's barracks house in "Eggtown", and other Patsy Cline songs have been associated with earlier Kate flashbacks. (Music)
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 |
- Sayid, Jin, Juliet, Jack, Kate and Sawyer are somewhat responsible for the person Ben will become. (Irony)
- Sawyer saves Ben's life, only to have Ben threaten to kill him later in life. (Irony)
- Roger talks to Kate, who killed her father, of how bad of a father he's been . (Irony)
- Jack refused to save the young Ben because of who he would become. As a result, Kate had to take Ben to Richard, which is what made Ben the man Jack hated. (Irony)
- Cassidy asks Kate if Sawyer, "that son of a bitch", is still alive. (Regularly spoken phrases)
- John welcomes Ben back to "the land of the living", while he's supposed to be dead. (Irony)
- Juliet says she couldn't "fix" Ben. (Regularly spoken phrases)
Episode references
- Kate sings "Catch a Falling Star" to Aaron, just as Christian sang it to Claire. ("Raised by Another") ("Par Avion")
- Sawyer and Cassidy had a child together, whom he subsequently set up a bank account for. ("The Long Con") ("Every Man for Himself")
- Hurley questions why Ben didn't remember Sayid in 2004. ("One of Them")
- Juliet sends Roger to The Staff for supplies. ("Maternity Leave") ("D.O.C.") ("Something Nice Back Home")
- Jack references being locked in a cage by Ben. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
- Jack mentions saving Ben's life before. ("Not in Portland")
- Kate visits Cassidy, whom she had previously met before the crash. ("Left Behind")
- Richard implies that he has met Ben before when speaking with Sawyer.("The Man Behind the Curtain")
- Juliet mentions that the doctor is busy at The Looking Glass ("Greatest Hits") ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
- Juliet says she is going to have to tell Sawyer about taking Ben to the Others, but will give Kate a head start. Kate planned to give Sun and Jin a head start when they planned to move to the Barracks, before telling Jack. ("Ji Yeon")
- Kate tells Carole about her daughter's disappearance ("Something Nice Back Home") ("Cabin Fever") ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")
- Kate reveals what Sawyer said to her before he jumped out of the helicopter. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
- Ellie and Charles Widmore now appear to have authority among the Others. ("Jughead")
- Carole mentions her meeting with Jack. ("The Little Prince")
- Miles explains Daniel's theories about time travel to Hurley ("Because You Left") ("LaFleur")
- The burning DHARMA van distraction is discussed. ("He's Our You")
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Whatever Happened, Happened/Theories
- Who does Richard answer to?
- What is it at or about the Temple that is capable of healing Ben?
- Why will Ben lose his memory and innocence when he is healed?
External links
- ABC Medianet Press Release (3/16/09): [1]
