TV episode review
US airdate 20 April 2010 (ABC);
 UK airdate 23 April 2010 (Sky One)

Our gang prepare to leave the island, Jack chooses a side, and things get interesting in the sideways universe…

Oh dear. My more positive review buddy Ned is trapped in a sun-soaked hotel by volcanic ash, so you’re stuck with me reviewing Lost again (and regular readers will know that I have been moaning a lot about it recently!). I really had high hopes for this episode after learning its name, The Last Recruit, but sadly it’s another let-down.

Let’s try and be constructive…

The Bad: This season is just… hokey. It doesn’t seem to be at the standard of previous seasons. Look at the new Others (Widmore’s lackeys) – they look like something out of a sitcom. And suddenly they’re dropping bombs out of the sky on the Losties? Er, okay.

Sun’s search for Jin has become so tired that by the time they are finally reunited, I’m not sure I care any more. And, ouch, she can suddenly speak English again... So what was the point of that little subplot??

I’m no longer sure I can take smooth ‘sideways cop-Sawyer’ seriously, especially when one of his main tools of the trade is a garden hose.

Desmond’s not dead! He was thrown head first down a deep well, but no – now the well is revealed to be really shallow, and he’s okay! The writers don’t let him say much about this situation, but it’s okay, because Sayid has now apparently killed him (off-screen). Yeah, right.

I’ve completely lost track of who is on whose side, and I don’t really care. I have to try to remind myself of where people are. Where’s Miles disappeared to? What’s Richard doing again? And evil Locke just seems to spend his whole time sunning himself on the beach, rather than being evil. Let’s see him transform into Smokey! That’d be cool.

And now to the Good!

Evil Claire and Dodgy Sayid rock – more, please.

Ilana’s back – in the sideways universe. Very intriguing indeed!

And finally, there is a real sense that everything is slowly coming together. The sideways Losties look set for a massive meet-up, and the real Losties are pretty much all together now – or at least in big gangs. So can we just get on with it now…? Martin Eden

VERDICT: 6/10