TV episode review US airdate 18 May 2010 (ABC) UK airdate 21 May 2010 (Sky1)

Ned Hartley and Martin Eden discuss the latest Lost episode. WARNING: Contains possible spoilers!

The Losties have a frank chat with Jacob, while Ben and Smoke-Locke meet up...

MARTIN: Penultimate episode! Wow, it’s almost over!! What did you reckon?

NED: Fantastic episode! OK, let’s tick off what happened; Widmore and fake-Tina Fey died (also possibly Richard), Miles is on the run, Jack became the new Jacob, the MIB is going to destroy the island, and Desmond isn’t dead (not that we thought he was). And in the Earth 2 universe, everyone is starting to come together at... a concert? A lot of stuff happened this week. Your reactions Martin?

MARTIN: Did you notice how quiet and lifeless Sideways-Universe Sayid was? That’s how I feel at the moment. I feel numb to Lost. I’m Sideways-Universe Martin. I just don’t think I care any more!! I feel very betrayed by the writers.

NED: See, I can’t understand anyone that would say that. Lost is and always was a television show, and at the heart of it Lost’s main impetus was to be entertaining. I thought this episode was entertaining as hell. While I can agree that various plotlines obviously aren’t going to be resolved, I think that had this series just given a series of exposition-led answers then it would not have been interesting to me at all.

MARTIN: But the writers created hundreds of questions, and I wanted some answers. If they had no intention of answering any of them, they should have made it clear. It’s like Twin Peaks – you watch if for the style and the atmosphere. You don’t really expect it to make sense and you don't expect answers. If I’d known that from the start with Lost, I’d have been happier.

And what are they doing?? Richard’s ‘death’ was almost comedic. Widmore gets a pantomime ending. They can’t make their mind up if Ben is good or bad. Great to see people like Rousseau, but what’s the point? And where are people like Penny? I’m full of rage and disappointment.

NED: Oh dear, perhaps you shouldn’t watch the finale then – it might make you turn into a big column of smoke! Personally I don’t think we’ve seen the end of Richard, but I could be wrong. I thought that Widmore’s death was shocking and unexpected; it very much reminded me of Ana-Lucia’s death. Those moments are why I love the show. The reason that I really liked this episode is that it felt like we were coming in to the very end. Lost can sometimes be guilty of spending too long moving the pieces around, but I can’t wait to see how this all plays out! Jack versus Locke! Survivors versus the smoke monster!

MARTIN: I think the finale could be exciting... But I do feel a bit ‘meh’ about it all now, sadly! Just not holding my breath any more. I remember how gripped I was in the past... How exciting and dark season five was, for example... It doesn’t feel the same to me.

NED: I think it’s more that any answers by their very nature are going to be disappointing. As Sherlock Holmes always says, it is the mystery that endures, not the answer. So, on that note, tune in next week for all the answers!

VERDICT
Martin: 7/10
Ned: 9/10