“We’re very close to the end.”

I almost don’t want to write about Lost anymore. I know even if I don’t, it will still end, but I think writing and reflecting adds more finality to it. I don’t even know if I will be alive enough to put together coherent thoughts on the finale on Monday morning, but at that point, there will probably be nothing that I want to do more, even though I’m not going to want to do it anyway. (If that makes any sense…)

So, onto last night’s superb penultimate Lost, which had me on the edge of my seat and leaning forward (literally) from the moment the episode began. This was also the most “quotable” Lost in quite some time – most of my notes are my attempt to write down direct lines. All in all, a great setup for the 2 ½ hour madness sure to come on Sunday.

But before I get to Sunday…Zoe! Dead! Widmore! Dead! (And daaaaaamn!) Richard! Dead?!? Rousseau! Alive (and kinda pretty)! Ana Lucia! Alive (and still more awesome than when she was on the Island)!

First off, I totally think Ben is playing MIB. I think that he absolutely wanted revenge on Widmore for Alex’s death, but he also wants MIB to trust him, so he killed two birds with three gunshots when he took down Chuck.

It would be a fitting use of Ben, who, when we first met him, was the puppetmaster, always playing everyone else to his own (and apparently MIB’s) advantage. After leaving the Island at the end of season 4, the show has neutered him a bit and he has been played more than he’s been the player. But now, I think he sees the truth of his life and his past mistakes and to find his redemption, he will play a key part in bringing down MIB.

When Ben, Miles and Richard went to Ben’s old house, Ben said that he was told that he could use that room to summon Smokey, but now he knows he was being played. I took this to mean that Ben’s idea of Jacob has been played by MIB this whole time. I guess that’s a lot of meaning to take from one brief exchange, but I think it’s a logical assumption, and not just because it’s something that I had already guessed at.

This may also mean that Widmore wasn’t really ever the bad guy; he was just colored that way because of his antagonistic relationship with Ben. If Ben was unknowingly working for MIB all this time, he actually was working against the Island, so when Widmore says that his actions are done for the sake of the Island, he’s probably telling the actual truth.

That scene with Jacob and the candidates around the fire was pretty awesome too. I loved the simple, logical explanation for candidates. We’ve always known that these people were flawed, and who better to see these flaws than the imperfect Jacob himself. He has spent his existence trying to correct the mistake that he made, and though I know he said that Jack’s job now is to protect that light in the center of the Island, I feel like he’s not telling Jack the whole truth. Jacob said in last year’s finale “It only ends once.” And I think it ends with Jack and company destroying MIB and then getting to choose to leave the Island without a protector. (Though I’d still like to be right about my theory from last week about Ben.)

What I also liked about Jacob’s explanation was his handling of Kate. He says that he crossed off her name because she became a mother – she had a more important job. Not only does that provide a satisfying explanation, but he goes further to say that that the chalk line really means nothing – if she wants to choose to be the new Island guardian, she can. The “rules” are not hard and fast, but their meaning comes from each person – kinda what I was getting at last week. This also probably means that “Kwon” referred to Jin because Sun was a mother, but it could still refer to both, because if Sun chose to be protector (I don’t really think either of them would have chosen that), then Jin could be Ji Yeon’s father. Regardless, it’s a cow’s opinion.

And as much as I like Mark Pellegrino, I’m glad that the finale will be about “our” characters and will (seemingly) be Jacob-free. That makes me feel better about the show’s endgame –it won’t be about 2 brothers fighting over the lives of the characters that we love – it will be about our characters and their choices and how they shape the end of the series. Also, I was pretty shocked that Jack took the mantle this week – just another way that the show can still surprise me.

I know I’ve written a lot about the good that the show has done for Jack this season, but he had another one of those moments this week, when he insisted that Sawyer not take the blame for the deaths on the sub. That was a really nice moment for both characters and really well played by Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway. (Holloway also had a great non-verbal scene on the beach as he watched the life preservers wash up on shore.)

Adding to the character redemption of season 6, Kate also had quite a few moments this week. I already mentioned her stuff with Jacob (during which she also asked questions, therefore being logical and awesome!), but flirty Sideways Kate was as fun as she was the last time we saw her and Island Kate’s mini-speech about Jin/Sun and Ji Yeon was moving and made me sad all over again. That speech was certainly one of my favorite Kate moments ever.

I love everything that Henry Ian Cusick is doing with Desmond in the Sideways world – from the awesome fake accent when he called Jack about Christian’s body, to that permanent knowing smirk – I just loved everything about the Sideways world, and I can’t wait to get answers about that in the finale.

Also, Hurley knows the whole truth about the Island! Veeeeeeeeeery interesting. (And I just love seeing Michelle Rodriguez now.)

Callbacks to past Lost episodes: the opening on Sideways Jack’s eye and Jack patching up Kate, the mirror of her doing the same to him.

And here is that collection of quotes that I loved so much:

“I lived in those houses 30 years before you did – in other words, last week.” – Miles (Which, in fact, really isn’t true, because young Ben lived there at the same time as Miles, but still funny nonetheless.)

“What’s that… a secret-er room?” – Miles (again)

“Can I get you a glass of lemonade?” – Ben to MIB on the porch of his house after MIB “smoked” Richard

“You told her not to talk to me – that made her pointless.” – MIB (A well-delivered bad ass line that was quickly trumped by…)

“He doesn’t get to save his daughter.” – Ben (Who once again, redefines “bad ass.” I mean, damn, that still gets me 12 hours later. Perfectly played and delivered by Michael Emerson.)

“I thought that guy had a God complex before.” – Sawyer (He just can’t help himself.)

and, of course…

“We’re very close to the end, Hugo” – Jacob

Sunday is too far away and too close. It’s gonna be a long (and very quick) 5 days.