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"There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3" are the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes of Season 4 of Lost, and the second and third parts of its three-part, three-hour season finale. The episode comprises the eighty-fifth and eighty-sixth produced hours of the series as a whole and was originally broadcast on May 29, 2008. The Oceanic Six finally escape the Island. In the future, the identity of Jeremy Bentham is revealed.

Synopsis[]

Previously on Lost[]

On the Island[]

In the Orchid's greenhouse[]

FinalMeet

Jack and Locke at the Orchid.

Jack and Sawyer catch up with Hurley at the Orchid. Locke is trying to locate the elevator to the underground area. Locke tells Jack that he has to lie when he gets off the Island to protect it. Locke also tries to persuade Jack to stay on the Island and fulfill his destiny, suggesting that the Island is a place where miracles happen. Jack argues that there are no such things as miracles, and chooses to leave with Hurley and Sawyer for the helicopter, although Hurley warns them that Keamy and his men were headed there.

At the helicopter[]

Ben is taken by Keamy to the helicopter, where they find Frank still handcuffed, but trying to free himself with aid of the toolbox. As Keamy begins to question him about who gave him the toolbox, Kate comes running out of the jungle.

4x13 KeamyKate

Keamy holds Kate at gunpoint.

When asked by Keamy why she was running she claims to be being chased by "his people", pointing to Ben. Keamy orders two members of his team to search the jungle, as he and the remaining team form a perimeter. Keamy orders Kate onto her knees next to Ben, with whom she exchanges knowing glances. As the team searches the jungle, the Whispers are heard by everyone immediately before the Others quickly ambush and begin eliminating the mercenaries.

The Others then begin to trade gunfire with Keamy and his remaining team, while Frank, Kate, and Ben take cover. One of the mercenaries, Redfern, is incapacitated with an electrical stunning weapon, while Keamy takes cover behind a large rock. Kate tells Ben to stay close, then gives him the cue to run into the jungle. As Keamy breaks cover to chase Ben and Kate, Frank yells, "Grenade!", as one lands at Keamy's feet. He kicks it away, inadvertently lobbing it to land at Omar's feet, and dives back behind the rock. The grenade explodes and kills Omar. As the debris settles, Keamy stands, and after presumably realizing he had just unintentionally killed Omar, grunts in anger and chases after Ben and Kate.

Alperthelp

Richard and the Others, moments after saving Sayid.

As Keamy nearly catches them, Sayid tackles him and the two engage in a fierce fist fight. During the fight, they both desperately try to reach Keamy's gun. At one point, Sayid manages to get it and point it at Keamy, only to have it kicked out of his hands. As they grapple to again retrieve the gun, Sayid quickly unsheathes the combat knife strapped to Keamy's leg and stabs him in the side of his torso, between his body armor. This only infuriates Keamy, who then beats Sayid to the ground. As he bends over to retrieve his knife, Sayid hits him from behind with a tree branch. The fight continues, and eventually, Keamy gains the advantage, pinning Sayid and strangling him with the tree branch. Just as Keamy appears to be killing Sayid with the branch, Richard Alpert arrives and shoots Keamy four times in the back. The rest of the Others emerge out of the Jungle, as Ben and Kate come running back.

4x13 RichardBen

Ben thanks Richard.

Kate helps Sayid to his feet and Ben thanks Richard for coming, who tersely responds, "My pleasure." Kate then picks up Keamy's bloody combat knife and Ben asks her to cut him free from his restraints. After an awkward pause, she does so, as Ben asks Richard nonchalantly over his shoulder, "What was the arrangement?" Richard replies, "They help us free you, and we let them off the Island." Ben quickly replies, "Fair enough", tells Kate and Sayid that the helicopter is theirs, wishes them a safe journey back, and turns to leave. Kate and Sayid are understandably surprised, and Kate asks nervously, "So we can go... off the Island? That's it?" Ben stops, turns to face them, and after another awkward pause, he concisely replies, "That's it." Kate and Sayid then return to the helicopter, while Ben returns to the Orchid.

On the freighter[]

3x13 JinMichaelC4

Michael and Jin check the C-4.

Michael finds a canister of liquid nitrogen and, after explaining his plan to Jin and Desmond, sprays the nitrogen on the bomb's battery to freeze it and prevent electric current from igniting the C-4 Desmond found rigged to the boat. While he buys time before the bomb goes off, Desmond and Jin frantically search for a way to safely disarm the explosives.

Back on the Island[]

On the beach[]

4x13 PeanutsAnyone

Miles and Rose argue about peanuts.

Daniel comes back from the freighter with an empty raft. He tells Juliet about the freighter and how it is going to try to get as close as possible. Dan goes to get water while Juliet is getting the next group ready. She thanks him for helping the survivors.

Meanwhile, Miles is helping himself to food supplies under Rose's watchful eye. Charlotte is packing her bag. Dan arrives and tells the two of them that he will be making his next trip in 10 minutes and that they need to be on the boat. Miles tells him that, while he realizes the situation is dire, he is going to stay on the island. Daniel then leaves to continue preparations for the next trip.

Charlottebye

Charlotte doesn't want to leave the Island.

Miles is surprised that Charlotte wants to leave the Island, after all that time she spent "trying to get back" to it. Charlotte asks what he means, but Miles is evasive.

Some time later, Charlotte approaches Dan and tells him that she is going to stay on the Island "for now." Dan points out that "now" on the Island could mean "forever." Charlotte replies, "Would it make any sense if I told you I'm still looking for where I was born?" They part affectionately, with Charlotte pronouncing his name as "Danielle," and Daniel, now alone, goes back to the crowded raft. Juliet tells Dan that she will not leave the Island until everyone is safe aboard the freighter, reassuring Dan that "we'll still be here when you get back". Daniel seems troubled. He boards the raft with a few survivors, and they leave for the freighter.

On the helicopter[]

Sawyerjump

Sawyer jumps.

Frank, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and Hurley board the helicopter and take off to the freighter. Along the way, Frank notices that the helicopter is leaking gas, from a stray bullet hole. Because fuel is so low, Frank doesn't think they'll make it to the freighter. He tells them to throw out anything that isn't bolted down. The passengers follow his orders, but he claims that "losing another few hundred pounds wouldn't hurt." Hurley is visibly distressed. After sizing up the situation, Sawyer whispers in Kate's ear something which sounds like "I have a daughter in Alabama. You have to find her and tell her I'm sorry." He kisses her and jumps from the helicopter, enabling the rest of the passengers to make it to the freighter.

In the Orchid[]

Hescoming

Locke and Ben await an unexpected visitor.

Ben finds Locke with Jack. Locke is unable to locate the entrance to the elevator because he doesn't know what anthuriums look like. Locke has not yet explained to Jack that they are going to move the Island but there is no time. Ben shows Locke the anthuriums, they enter the elevator, and descend. 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 "is this the magic box?" Ben looks back at Locke with an absurd look and answers "no".

4x13 OrchidVideo

The first frame of Orchid Orientation film.

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 explains that The Orchid is not really a botanical research station. Instead, The Orchid was designed to investigate 'unique properties' of the Island, it is these properties create a kind of Casimir Effect. He points to a white triangular door, calling it the vault. Halliwax explains that the vault was constructed adjacent to what they believe to be a pocket of negatively charged exotic matter. Halliwax then warns the viewer never to place any metal objects inside the vault. Halliwax then places a white rabbit inside the vault, closing the doors and stating that they will send it 100 milliseconds into the future. Then the VCR starts rewinding by itself. Locke looks at Ben and sees him piling metal objects inside the vault. The elevator starts to ascend suddenly and Ben asks Locke if he can have his weapon back.

Keamyorchid

Keamy taunting Ben.

The elevator descends again and opens to reveal Keamy - still alive. Keamy pulls out a knife and carefully enters the Orchid. He begins to explain to Ben, who is hiding away, that if Ben kills him the entire freighter will be destroyed and many innocent people killed. While he is speaking, the Orchid orientation video is running properly and is visible in the background on the monitor on which Locke had been viewing it earlier; Halliwax's subdued voice is detectable at one point. Keamy begins to mock Alex's death, but suddenly Locke appears.

Locke explains that he has no conflict with Keamy and that Keamy should allow the innocent people on the freighter to live. Ben, noticing Keamy is distracted, charges out with his collapsible baton and attacks, knocking the knife from Keamy's hand. Keamy tries to bend down to grab his knife, but Ben hits him again causing him to stand right back up. Ben then whacks Keamy in the face, knocking him down. Once Keamy is knocked down, Ben grabs Keamy's fallen knife and stabs him twice. Locke pulls him off in an attempt to save Keamy and those on the freighter, but the damage is done and Keamy is left dying. Locke tells Ben that he just killed everyone on the freighter, to which Ben coldly responds, "So?". Keamy tells Ben that Widmore will find him. Ben replies, "Not if I find him first." Despite Locke's best efforts to save him, Keamy dies.

Back on the freighter[]

Ucango

"You can go now, Michael".

When Keamy dies, the bomb is armed, but it does not explode immediately because of Michael's ingenuity in keeping the battery cool with the nitrogen. With the bomb armed, Michael tells Jin and Desmond to leave, but Jin stays behind to attempt to determine a way to disarm the bomb. As the helicopter arrives at the freighter, Desmond is frantically waving at them and warning them of the bomb about to go off. Frank lands anyway, and hurriedly starts filling the tank and patching the leak. Michael realizes there isn't much liquid nitrogen left and tells Jin that he should leave the boat because he will soon be a father. Everyone gets back on board the helicopter, including Sun and Desmond.

Freightergoesboom

The freighter is destroyed.

Sun begs her fellow passengers to wait for Jin. Jin tries to run to safety, but he misses the helicopter as Frank takes off immediately after refueling. Sun becomes frantic as Jin yells for rescue from the freighter deck. Back in the freighter, Michael runs out of nitrogen and begins to hear whispers. After the whispers stop, Christian Shephard appears in the room containing the explosives, telling Michael, "You can go now..." The Kahana explodes, killing Michael and presumably everyone else on board. From the helicopter, Sun cries out in desperation over the presumed loss of her husband.

Back on the Island again[]

On the beach[]

4x14 JulietSawyer

Juliet and Sawyer on the beach, seeing the smoke from the freighter.

Juliet is on the beach, alone, with a bottle of rum. Sawyer arrives on the beach after having leaped from the helicopter. Seeing the bottle, he asks what Juliet is celebrating. Juliet tells him that she is not celebrating and points to the smoke emanating from the destroyed freighter.

In the Orchid[]

4x14 LockeBenGoodbye

Ben and Locke saying goodbye.

After killing Keamy, Ben operates the vault console and the metal inside creates an explosion, opening a hole in the rear, where Ben seeks to go. Locke stops him and demands to know why Ben killed Keamy, knowing it would end the lives of many innocent people on the freighter. Ben admits it was the wrong thing to do and that his grief over Alex clouded his judgment. Ben tells Locke not to make the same mistakes as the new leader. Locke is subsequently confused. Ben tells him that there is a price to pay to move the Island. The person that moves it must leave it and never return there. Locke is reluctant to let Ben leave but Ben offers a handshake, apologizing for all the misery he has inflicted on Locke. Locke accepts the handshake and Ben, wearing a dark shirt that he was seen wearing when he appeared in the desert ("The Shape of Things to Come") and Halliwax's parka, darts off into the vault.

Meanwhile, Locke left the Orchid and heads to Richard and the Others, following Ben's instructions. At his arrival, all of the Others look surprised and Richard tells him "welcome home."

FDK

Ben banishes himself for the Island's sake.

Inside, the explosion has created a jagged opening into a long, low passageway in the rock behind the vault. Ben clears the opening, then enters the passage until he reaches a ladder, which he descends. At the bottom of the ladder, Ben breaks a layer of ice revealing another old and damaged wooden ladder. While descending further, a rung breaks and he falls down, cutting his right arm and ripping his jacket on the ladder. At this point his condition appears to be identical to the condition he was in when he appeared in the Sahara Desert.

Islandmoves

The Island "moves".

Ben finds himself inside a dark and icy room, where stones are covered in hieroglyphs. There, across from Ben, is a wall with a large wheel. After looking up and declaring, "I hope you're happy now, Jacob," Ben proceeds to turn the wheel, though with great physical and emotional difficulty. The more the wheel is turned, the brighter the room becomes. Outside, the entire Island emanates an otherworldly noise and the sky turns purple. Suddenly, a light envelops the Island and everything within the light disappears.

Back on the helicopter[]

Atsea

The raft at sea.

While the helicopter is heading back to the Island, a bright light floods the sky and the Island vanishes. Low on fuel and with nowhere to land, Frank tells them to put on life-jackets and prepare for impact. Jack tells Frank to fly to another island, but Frank responds that there is no other island. Sayid throws a life raft into the water moments before impact. After the crash, the survivors swim towards the inflated raft. Frank rescues Desmond, who is floating face down in the water. Desmond is not breathing, but Jack resuscitates him.

After the Island is moved[]

Searcher

The Searcher intercepts the life-raft.

Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, Frank and Desmond continue to float on the life-raft. Everyone is quiet until Hurley observes that "Locke moved the Island". Jack becomes agitated and disagrees, to which Hurley challenges him to put forth a more plausible explanation, after which they're again sitting in silence. Soon after, Frank notices a nearby light and realizes it is a ship. Everyone begins shouting and the ship begins pulling up beside the life-raft. At this point, Jack suddenly remembers Locke telling him to lie about what has happened to them, realizes that it must be done, and hastily shares this plan with the others in the life raft.

Desandpenny

To each other's surprise, Desmond and Penelope reunite.

Onboard the Searcher, a crewman, who is actually Henrik from the listening station, frantically moves back and forth and calls out for "Ms. Widmore." Penelope exits the bridge to see what was happening. Desmond hears Penny's voice as she directs the Searcher crewmen to help the people aboard the raft. He calls up to her, "Penny!" and jumps onto some netting to pull himself up to the ship and rushes to meet Penelope on the deck. Reunited, Desmond quickly introduces Penelope to the others from the life raft. Jack tells Penelope seriously that they need to talk.

A week later, the Oceanic Six prepare to depart from Penelope's freighter with a well established cover story, while she, Desmond and Frank stay behind. Jack tells Desmond to be careful now that they know what Widmore is capable of, then quotes Desmond — "See you in another life, brother." The Oceanic Six get on the life-raft and head for the Island of Sumba and back to civilization.

Flash-forwards[]

Los Angeles International Airport (Jack & Kate)[]

Kateangry

Kate confronts Jack.

Picking up exactly where the final scene of "Through the Looking Glass, Part 2" left off, with Jack calling after Kate's car "We have to go back!" Kate reverses the car, gets out, and confronts Jack. She condemns Jack for wanting to go back to the Island, for calling her for two days straight while high on pills and for showing her the obituary for Jeremy Bentham. She explains that Jeremy Bentham had met with her and she knew from the first moment that he was crazy, and that she can't believe Jack would trust him. Jack says he listened to Bentham because he was told that it was the only way to save Kate and Aaron. Kate slaps him for abandoning Aaron and tells him not to even say his name again. Jack tries to apologize, but Kate tells him she spent the last three years trying to forget all the horrible things that happened on the day that they left. She tells him she won't go back, gets back in the car and speeds away.

Santa Rosa Mental Institution (Hurley & Sayid)[]

Walthurley

Walt visits Hurley.

Walt visits Hurley in the mental institution, with his grandmother standing by to make sure Hurley isn't "dangerous." Walt asks why nobody came to visit him after their rescue. Hurley apologizes, but Walt adds that one person did come to see him: Jeremy Bentham. Walt asks why the Oceanic Six are all lying. Hurley whispers that they are lying to protect the people that remained on the Island. "Like my dad?" asks Walt. "Like your dad, yeah," replies a visibly nervous Hurley.

HurleySayid

Sayid comes for Hurley.

Sayid arrives at Hurley's mental institution late at night and executes a man in the parking lot. Sayid finds Hurley playing chess, apparently alone, opposite an empty chair. Sayid wants Hurley to come with him, "somewhere safe." Hurley replies that he has not seen Sayid in "like forever" and doesn't understand why he should join him. Sayid replies that "circumstances have changed": Bentham is dead, having supposedly killed himself two days ago. Hurley does not want to call Bentham by this alias and is about to call him by his real name when Sayid stops him, adding that they are being monitored. Hurley says that he has been having regular conversations with dead people, and the last thing he needs is paranoia. Sayid replies that he has just killed a man who had been watching Hurley for a week and that paranoia keeps him alive. Sayid assures Hurley that they are not going back to the Island, merely "somewhere safe." Hurley accepts, but just as he is about to leave the room, he makes one more move on his chessboard and says, "Checkmate, Mr. Eko."

London (Sun)[]

Sunwidmore

Sun goes to see Widmore in London.

Sun approaches a restaurant in London while talking to her mother and Ji Yeon Kwon, now speaking, on the phone. Charles Widmore emerges from the restaurant. Sun approaches him and presents herself as the daughter of Mr. Paik, and the managing director of Paik Industries. Widmore recognizes the name and inquires about her father. Sun confronts Widmore with the knowledge that he is aware of her true identity, adding that Widmore knows that the Oceanic Six have been lying about their experiences. She then suggests that she and Widmore have common interests. She gives him her Paik business card, suggesting he call when ready to talk. Finally she reminds Widmore that the Oceanic Six "are not the only ones who left the Island." Widmore, surprised, asks why she would want to cooperate with him. Without answering, she leaves.

Kate's house (Kate & Aaron)[]

Claireaaron

Claire's manifestation warns Kate.

Kate wakes in her home to the sound of footsteps, but sees no one. Then, the phone rings. A male voice, speaking in reverse, says, "The Island needs you. You have to go back before it's too late." She hears footsteps again and retrieves a gun from her closet. Checking on Aaron, she confronts the intruder bent over his bed, only to find that it is Claire, who is holding Aaron's hand. She warns Kate not to bring "him" back to the Island. Suddenly Kate wakes, realizes she had been dreaming, and quickly checks on Aaron; there is no intruder and no sign of Claire. She then looks at Aaron and says "I'm sorry. I'm sorry".

Hoffs-Drawlar Funeral Parlor (Jack)[]

Benparlor

Ben at the funeral home.

Jack, still apparently drunk and high, drives to the funeral parlor after hours. He breaks in and approaches the casket, noticing that no one has yet signed the release form for Bentham's body. Ben suddenly enters the room. Jack says that Bentham had told him Ben was off the Island, Jack and Kate having spoken to Bentham about a month prior. Bentham had said that after Jack left the Island "some very bad things happened" and it was Jack's fault for leaving.

Coffin

The late Jeremy Bentham is revealed to be John Locke.

Bentham added that Jack had to come back. Ben replies that he has heard about Jack riding passenger planes, hoping they'll crash; Ben describes this as "very dark". Ben tells Jack he is here to let him know that the Island won't let him come alone: "all of you have to go back". Jack says he doesn't know where Sayid is, Hurley is mentally unwell, Sun blames Jack for Jin's death, and Kate won't even talk to him anymore. Ben says that this is the only way: all of them have to do it together, and that Ben has a few ideas about how it is to be done and is willing to help. However he specifies that all of them must return, including the deceased Bentham, who is revealed to be John Locke.

Trivia[]

Comparison-viadomus-vs-4x13

Comparison of Sumba beaches.

  • This episode was split into two parts for international DVD and Blu-ray releases along with worldwide streaming versions. All US pressings of the season 4 DVD and Blu-ray contain the movie edit.
  • This episode followed the trend of previous season finales in that a major subject throughout the season is blown up or destroyed during it. Whereas Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3 featured the entrance to the Hatch, the Swan station itself, and the Others respectively, this season concerned the Kahana freighter.
  • This is the last episode of the series to follow the continuous present-day narrative timeline which started the day of the crash in "Pilot, Part 1". It ends when a caption of "One Week Later" announces the passage of time after the life-raft crew are found by the Searcher.
  • During the original airing of this episode, a commercial for Octagon Global Recruiting aired. This organization was looking for applicants for the DHARMA Initiative. Their recruitment drive began in San Diego on July 24th - 27th, 2008. This was the same date as ComicCon '08.
  • Juliet is drinking rum from a bottle labled "DHARMA Initiative Rum" with a Swan logo on it. At the top is a plastic label identifying it as "Mount Gay Rum - Barbados."
  • The inaudible whisper that Sawyer tells Kate appears to be "I have a daughter in Alabama, you need to find her. Tell her I'm sorry". This video enhances the dialogue. However since Sawyer's daughter, Clementine, was living in Albuquerque, then it would be safe to assume that was what was truly said, and not Alabama as the video states.
    • In the French television dub on 8/16/08, what Sawyer says to Kate in the helicopter could be heard as: "Ma fille n'a jamais su qui était son père, je voudrais que tu lui dises" (My daughter doesn't know who her father was, I want you to tell her).
  • When reversed, the inaudible phone call Kate receives in her dream appears to be "The island needs you; you have to go back before it's too late." [1]
    • The scene is shown with audible audio at the beginning of the clip show Destiny Calls.
  • This episode shows the last time Sun and Jin see each other until "The Last Recruit".
  • The Portuguese-speaking Searcher crew members are the same people seen in the tracking station in "Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2".
  • The song playing on Jack's car stereo as he drives up to the funeral parlor is "Gouge Away", by the Pixies. The first time we see Jack driving up to this location ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 2"), Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice" is the song playing on the stereo. Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain has admitted in interviews that he subconsciously "ripped off" "Gouge Away" in order to write the smash Nirvana hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Production notes[]

  • For the only time in Season 4, all current cast members appear in the episode.
    • This would be the last season finale where all cast members credited appeared in the episode.
    • Ken Leung (Miles) and Rebecca Mader (Charlotte) appear only in the first half of the episode. In the "Lost: On Location" segment on the Season 4 DVD, they were shown shooting scenes for the second part, but their footage was cut.
    • Jeremy Davies (Daniel) doesn't have any lines in the second half.
    • A deleted scene involving Daniel and Miles, labelled Lost Journal, can also be found in the DVD extras.
    • Emilie de Ravin (Claire) only appears briefly in the second half of the episode (Kate's dream).
  • This was the final episode to feature Harold Perrineau (Michael) credited as main cast member.
    • Also, this was the final episode to credit Emilie de Ravin (Claire) as a main cast member until Season 6.
    • Other than his name's appearance on the lighthouse dial, this episode marked the last reference to Mr. Eko. All other main characters were mentioned in the final season, and all but Nikki and Paulo actually appeared in the closing episodes or the epilogue.
  • This episode was originally planned to air as a one-hour episode, making it just "Part 2" of the finale. The first draft of the script was 85 pages long, which was 30 pages too long. In order to tell the story they wanted to tell, Damon and Carlton asked the network if they could have an extra hour for the finale. (There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3 audio commentary)
    • Due to this change, the finale had to be moved back a week to make room in the schedule.
  • Vincent is briefly visible in the background when Daniel first returns on the Zodiac. This is his first appearance since "The Shape of Things to Come".
  • This is the second time an episode of Lost featured footage filmed outside of the United States. The London scene between Sun and Charles Widmore was filmed in London due to Alan Dale performing on stage in the West End production of Spamalot during the filming of this episode. The first time was four episodes earlier during "The Shape of Things to Come". Both scenes were shot on the same trip by the film crew. (2008 Yearbook)  (Official Lost Podcast/May 2, 2008)
Alternate ending 3

Sawyer in a fake ending.

  • Each year the producers have a special name for a secret scene in that year's finale. This year's special name -- "Frozen Donkey Wheel," refers to the unveiling of who lies within the coffin in the final scene, and not the actual ice-covered wheel Ben has to turn to activate the teleportation of the Island.
  • In order to help maintain secrecy, two fake endings were shot. All endings were the same up until the reveal of the coffin's occupant. In one ending it was Sawyer, in another Desmond. These were aired on Good Morning America on May 30, 2008. [1]
  • This episode was re-edited for the DVD release (Regions 2 and 4) and cut into two parts so that it could be viewed as two stand-alone episodes of Lost instead of being a 2-episode-length finale. The scene where Ben stabs Keamy was moved later into Part 2 to end it with Ben saying "So?" Part 3's teaser (before the LOST title screen) ends with Desmond telling the helicopter not to land. The Region 1 DVD release keeps Parts 2 & 3 as one full episode, the way it originally aired in the US.
  • This episode features Malcolm David Kelley's first speaking role since "Through the Looking Glass, Part 1".
  • An audio commentary by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse for this episode is available on the Season 4 DVD.
    • This episode is the only season finale that has an audio commentary available on the DVD.
    • During this audio commentary, Damon Lindelof makes a passing reference to Lostpedia.
Alternate ending2

Desmond in a fake ending.

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

  • The final flash-forward scene from "Through the Looking Glass, Part 2" is slightly re-edited in the "previously on Lost" segment at the beginning of the episode, adding a new shot of Kate's car driving off which then leads into the first scene of this episode. However, "Through the Looking Glass, Part 2" ended with Jack turning around and walking towards his car, while in this episode, he is still watching Kate's car drive off when Kate stops and changes to reverse gear.
  • Richard Alpert is shown lowering the gun after shooting Keamy in the back. After a brief reaction shot from Sayid, Richard is again shown lowering the gun.
  • Jack and Sawyer trek from the chopper to the Orchid while Keamy's team escorts Ben from the Orchid to the chopper. They never cross paths. Then, Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley trek back from the Orchid to the chopper while a wounded Keamy pursues an escaped Ben from the chopper to the Orchid. Still no one crosses anyone else's path.
  • When the helicopter first takes off from the Island, the right leg of the stunt pilot can be seen. He is wearing shorts unlike Frank, who is wearing pants throughout the episode.
  • When the helicopter takes off, there is a clear shot of its underside. There is no fuel leakage from the gunshot hole. Once they are above the water, it starts to leak.
  • Keamy says a signal from his heart monitor will detonate the explosives on the boat as soon as no heartbeat is detected, but no radio transmitter is capable of broadcasting a signal from deep underground.
  • Before Keamy came down the elevator, Ben had moved the metal trash can and the metal stool into the chamber. After he's killed Keamy, is he seen moving the same trash can and stool into the chamber.
  • When Ben climbs down the ladder to the icy cavern and falls, the crowbar lands behind him. In the next shot, it is in front of him, slightly under his knee.
  • Frank's helicopter is shown hitting the water surface with a high forward speed, then tilting forward and breaking into pieces. Actually, a helicopter that runs out of fuel (or somehow loses power) can still perform a controlled descent using autorotation, so it is very unlikely that Frank's helicopter would have crashed the way it did. During an autorotation, a helicopter pilot would never have both hands on the stick flying it like an old bi-plane. They would have their right hand on the stick (Cyclic) and their left hand would be on the collective which is to the left of the seat, controlling their rate of descent.
  • When Desmond tries to keep the helicopter from landing he is saying go back there is a bomb. No matter how loud he yells they would not hear him in the helicopter. The engine and the blades whipping would drown out all sound outside of it.
  • When Hurley takes Aaron from Kate on the raft, the first shot shows him with a life jacket; in the next shot, he is not wearing a life jacket.
  • When Desmond introduces Penny to the rest of the raft survivors, Kate can clearly be seen to be holding a doll as a substitute for Aaron.
  • When Desmond is lifted into the liferaft after the helicopter crash, he is clearly barefoot, but when he climbs on the Searcher, he is shown to be wearing socks and boots. It is unlikely that these items could have been retrieved from the sea after the crash.

Music[]

The Season 4 soundtrack includes the following tracks from this episode:

Analysis[]

Recurring themes[]


Cultural references[]

  • Jeremy Bentham: (February 15, 1748–June 6, 1832) was an English philosopher best known for his advocacy of utilitarianism. Bentham's positions included arguments in favor of individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the end of slavery, the abolition of physical punishment (including that of children), the right to divorce, free trade, usury, and the decriminalization of homosexuality. In 1785 he designed the Panopticon - a type of prison which allows an observer to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) prisoners without the prisoners being able to tell whether they are being watched. After his death, Bentham's body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet; this preserved body, called the "autoicon", has been on display at University College London since 1850, and every fifty years is brought to the College Council meeting where Bentham is listed as "present but not voting."(Philosophers)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Sawyer calls Jack "Sundance", after the Sundance Kid, one of the main characters in this western. (Movies and TV)
  • Kenny Rogers: Sawyer calls Frank "Kenny Rogers", after the bearded country singer. (Music)
  • Gouge Away: Jack is listening to this Pixies song on the way back to the funeral home. The song tells the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. (Music)
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: The famous picture of the White Rabbit is seen on Aaron's bedroom door. Also, the path that leads to the frozen wheel from the Orchid's Vault, where time-traveling experiments on rabbits were conducted, alludes to the beginning of Alice's Adventures where she follows a white rabbit — who is obsessed with time — down through its hole. Ben quite literally follows the path of the white rabbit seen in the Orchid Orientation video only to go down into a mysterious hole with strange qualities. This is a rare case in which the writers have very literally integrated a referential literary passage into the plot as opposed to merely alluding to it. (Literary works)
  • Rambo: Hurley tells Jack he shouldn't go to the helicopter because "those Rambo guys" are heading there. John James Rambo was a troubled war veteran and a Green Beret in a series of movies that highlight his survival skills and special ops training. "Going Rambo" has become synonymous with a person who uses excessive gun violence. (Movies and TV)
  • Molly Fisher: Hurley is seen opening a Fruit Roll-Up with the words "Molly Fisher" on it, where the name of the flavor should be. "Molly Fisher" is the name of a mysterious rock in Kent, Connecticut, near a body of water known as the Hatch pond. It appears to have inscriptions of runes and hieroglyphs that have yet to be deciphered.[2][3] (History)

Literary techniques[]

  • We learn that the person in the coffin in the flash-forward from "Through the Looking Glass, Part 1" is a man named Jeremy Bentham, only to discover at the end of the episode that Jeremy Bentham was simply an alias for John Locke. (Plot twist)
  • "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" begins with a flash forward to the Oceanic Six's arrival in Hawaii, introducing their theme. Excluding the last scene, the three-part finale ends with their return to civilization, now part of the real-time narrative, set to a variation of that same theme. (Framing device)
  • This episode contained flash-forwards for all of the members of the Oceanic 6. (Flash-forwards)
  • Jack says to Desmond, "See you in another life, brother." (Regularly spoken phrases)
  • Ben blows up the freighter, not caring he killed innocent people, the same reason he gave Michael why he shouldn't blow it up to begin with. (Irony)
  • Keamy was killed by his own knife. (Irony)
  • Christian says to Michael, "You can go now." (Regularly spoken phrases)
  • Sun screams, "We have to go back!" (Regularly spoken phrases)
  • In Kate's dream she tells Claire - thinking she was another person - not to "touch [her] son". (Irony)
  • In flash-forwards, multiple references are made to a mysterious character named Jeremy Bentham, before the audience knows the real identity of this character. (Unseen character)
  • The helicopter crew tries to get to the freighter, thinking that it will save their lives. At the same time, Desmond, Michael and Jin want to get off the freighter because they are all about to die when the bomb explodes. (Irony)  (Juxtaposition)
  • The scene where Locke meets the Others as "his people" is filmed from downside up. Locke is seen at the top of a cliff looking down, as a mythical figure, by people who are sitting, kneeling or just getting up slowly. This is intended to picture Locke as a savior, the chosen one, a divine entity that deserves to be adored by those people. (Symbolism)  (Archetype)
  • Jack, a man of science, feels compelled to accept the logic of Locke, a man of faith, concerning the lie that will have to be told to the outside world. (Irony)
  • We are led to believe from the flashforwards that the Oceanic Six left the people on the Island, while in fact the Island has "left" them. (Irony)
  • The Orchid Orientation video clearly states not to put any metallic objects inside the Vault, yet this is exactly how Ben uses it to gain access to the Wheel. (Irony)
  • Locke tells Jack, if he doesn't believe the Island is miraculous, "just wait till you see what I'm about to do". (Foreshadowing)
  • Michael dies from trying to prevent a bomb from exploding on the freighter, after previously attempting to blow up the freighter with a different bomb. (Irony)
  • Michael being visited by Christian Shephard and told he can go strongly foreshadows and mirrors the final scene of the series. (Foreshadowing)
  • After the Island vanishes, it is not seen again for the remainder of the episode. The fate of the people on the Island are left unknown. (Cliffhanger)
  • Desmond and Penny are reunited, but Sun and Jin are separated by the events of the episode. (Juxtaposition)
  • Jack told Locke "it's an Island, John, no one needs to protect it." Upon returning to the Island in 2007, Jack accepted the job as protector of the Island from Jacob. (Irony)
  • In the main timeline, we leave Locke on the Island at his apex, having become the leader of the Others. In the last flash forward, we find him off the Island, dead. (Juxtaposition)

Storyline analysis[]

  • 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, indirectly killing numerous people aboard the freighter. (Crimes)
  • Desmond and Penny are reunited. (Relationships)
  • Locke tells Jack he wants to let bygones be bygones. (Rivalries)


Episode connections[]

Episode references[]

Episode allusions[]

  • Survivors on a raft again spot a rescue boat in the season finale and are pleased to see it turn around. But this time, to Frank's disappointment, they don't "start jumping around and hugging". ("Exodus, Part 2")
  • Jack tells Desmond "See you in another life, brother." ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")
  • Sun watches as the freighter explodes, apparently killing Jin. ("Ji Yeon")
  • Christian tells Michael that he can "go now," meaning he's finally able to die. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
  • 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")
  • Sawyer whispers something to Kate on the helicopter before he jumps out. Sawyer is asking her to perform the favor that causes Jack to become angry in the future. ("Something Nice Back Home")

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: There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3/Theories
  • Why does Ben claim that anyone using the wheel can never return to the Island?

External links[]

References[]


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