Lost Recap Season 6, Episode 9 "Ab Aeterno" by Jeff Bond

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'Ab Aeterno' (from the beginning of time) Excelente! Magnifico!

I'll admit, I tend to proclaim that each episode of LOST is better than the last (unless, of course it's an obvious filler episode as next week's will undoubtedly be) But last night's Richard-centric episode? HoHo, it's definitely up there as one of my top five episodes of LOST of all 6 seasons so far. The 'flash-sideways' story telling technique of this season was totally cast aside with no apologies from the creators. They probably knew that we wouldn't care. No need for those pesky X's for this recap
installment to help you distinguish character A from his counterpart B. Evidently our cast is all from Universe 1.0. I'm stalling on how to begin my recap because the three time lines that occur in this episode cause a bit of a problem for my own writing technique so I'll start like this.......

Flashback to the Russian hospital seen last in the season 5 2- part finale 'The Incident'.

Ilana is bandaged and one eye is left unsheathed as was the case last season. She is recuperating from, still undetermined, traumatic wounds. Jacob enters wearing a dapper BLACK suit and BLACK leather gloves. (I'm all but convinced that he wears these gloves so he doesn't accidentally waste his 'touch' on those he isn't planning on touching.) The scene unfolds exactly as we saw it unfold originally. Jacob requests Ilana's help and his over expressed phrasing of "Will you help me, Ilana?" seems to imply to this writer that he is making abundantly clear as per the rules that she is going to be helping of her own free will. She agrees to do so. This is where
the new footage appears. Jacob tells Ilana he'll need her to protect 6 people....the 'candidates'. He'll give her a list of their 6 names. Her mission is to lead them to the 'temple'. Once there, she'll need to find Ricardus who will know what to do next. He reminds her that THIS is what she's been 'preparing for'. Got it!

Now I'll take you to Tenerife in the Canary Islands in the flashbackier time of 1867. Exactly 140 years into the past from what is now the islands 2007 present. Did the math? Cool.

Richard is on horseback trudging rapidly through the countryside. He arrives at his modest cottage home and rushes to the bedside of Isabella who is very ill. She addresses him as 'Ricardo' as they both speak in Spanish with subtitled translation. Isabella coughs up blood. She's getting worse. Ricardo will head back out to get the doctor and hopes to be back by 'sundown'. He'll bring with him what money he has but, Isabella insists he take her cross pendant and chain from around her neck (which is made evident that it holds very strong meaning for the two) It will now be used for payment. Ricardo is hesitant to leave her side but Isabella insists, saying, 'Close your eyes...we'll always be together'. They kiss and, with 2 minutes of superb acting, top notch writing and Michael Giacchino's Academy award winning score, I feel like I'm as familiar with the love of this newly visited super couple as I was with the love that drove Penny and Desmond, episode after episode, in previous seasons. F*ckin' LOST. It gets me right here (softly pounding on my chest). You know you love it.

Ricardo is next seen hightailing through the rain and darkness to 'Rite Aid'....sorry....the town doctor who is living quite lavishly. His servant tries to stop Ricardo from interrupting the doctor's meal. Ricardo excuses is interruption but the doctor isn't very disturbed. He hardly looks up from his meal at all. As meat drips from his mouth, he gestures for the butler to get Ricardo some towels because he's getting his floor wet. How do you say 'douchebag' in Spanish? Oh yeah, 'douchebag'. The doctor won't be returning with Ricardo to 'El Soccorro' (Spanish for American Football, I think) out in that weather but he has the medicine Ricardo needs to make his wife well. Whoa whoa whoa, easy there Ricky, money talks, bullshit walks....so let's have at those doubloons shall we? Ricardo doesn't have enough in coins so he offers the cross necklace to the doctors dismay. He doesn't accept Christian trinkets as payment. Must be Jewish....Buddhist? Ricardo insists he can work off the debt somehow. He pleads and begs....begs and pleads....until somehow the doctor is on the floor bleeding from his 'fro, dead. Accidente! Accidente! Is there a doctor in the house?? Oh, nevermiiIIIiind. Some how in the midst of their struggle the medicine winds up in Ricky Ricardo's hand and he flees the scene. He hasn't enough time. He has to save Izzy B! Upon his return to the cottage it is clear that she wasn't able to hold in there any longer. Lawmen arrive at the house and Ricardo is arrested for the murder of his primary care physician.

In his prison cell, Ricardo catches up on his Queen's English Bible studies. A slimy priest enters. The kind of slimy priest that molests little Latino Canary Island boys and dresses in womens pantaloons in private. He inquires about Ricardo's English and Ricardo divulges that he had been learning the language for the voyage he and his wife planned to take to the 'New World'. (Shades of Sun and Jin) Richard is reading Luke 4:37 which I found for you below:

And (A) He came down to (B) Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and (C) they were amazed at His teaching, for (D) His message was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! (E)What business do we have with each other, Jesus of (F) Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--(G) the Holy One of God!" But Jesus (H) rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For (I) with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out."

A passage about Jesus casting demons from his followers bodies! It is my conjecture that the smoke monster may be just that, a demon cast out of his body and trapped on the island where he continues to take the form of dead relations of it's unknowing inhabitants. Until, of course, the more sensible scientific portion of this series kicks back in after it's pretty lengthy hiatus and makes better sense of this all. Whattya think? Just another 'red herring'?

Ricardo asks to be absolved of his sins. He confesses to the accidental murder and Padre Slime ball refuses. He cannot be absolved of murder he can only do penance, atone for his sins, but he hasn't the time required....he is scheduled to be hung the following day! The priest insists the devil awaits Ricardo in hell. He suggests that maybe God will have mercy on his soul. Way to
comfort him in his final hours padre Pio. Some time has passed and the priest again enters Ricardo's cell accompanied by two prison guards. They blindfold Ricardo and drag him down the hall where Whitey awaits. I mean Jonas Whitfield. For the extensive purposes of this recap I'll be referring to him as 'Whitey', possibly 'The Man' or Cracker-ass Cracker'. Whitey checks Ricardo's teeth and gums, like Michael Vick used to check his prized pit bulls, and demands to know if Ricardo speaks English. (More shades of the Sun & Jin storyline). Ricardo admits he does. Whitey will take him! Today's Ricardo's lucky day He'll be venturing to the 'New World', after all, as a his slave (which suddenly doesn't sound so bad after facing being hanged in a matter of hours) A slave on the elusive 'Black Rock' ship owned by Magnus Hanso, that is. Yes THE Magnus Hanso, whose grandson Alvar was one of the founding members of the DHARMA Intiative! (along with the DeGroots)

Aboard the 'Black Rock', Ricardo has been shackled up in the holding area below the deck alongside three other Spanish speaking slaves presumably from the same location he was taken. The ship is experiencing a storm, one might say, of biblical proportions. One of the slaves, who can see out an opening in the ship, reveals they are nearing an land. The island, unfortunately is being guarded by 'El Diablo'...the devil himself! When what the prisoner sees comes into view, we are excited to see the massive statue we've come to know as that of Taweret, god of fertility. The one that looks out unto the ocean from LOST island! Before we can reach for more dip for our Ruffles brand potato chips the ship, resting on a massive wave that rises higher than the statue itself, bashes into the statues jawline. 5 minute break for juice. I'm getting excited just writing this all.....take 5 people!

OK, long camera pan up to 'Black Rock' which is now in it's final resting place, smack dab in the middle of the island. In the ship's lower level the three Latin slaves are still shackled and chatter is heard above on the boat's deck. "God spared us" one slave remarks...."At least SOME of us", he adds. Whitey Whitfield is heard looking for Captain Magnus Hanso. I couldn't make out what was said though. 'Bring me to Hanso' or something along those lines. Did Magnus survive the shipwreck? He WAS on the boat, right? Anyone? Anyone? Anyway, with that, Whitey comes down to the lower level, draws his sword and plunges it into the hearts of two of the slaves. The third, with a paid speaking part, begs for his life but he, too, is offed. At first I thought Whitfield might be infected but he offers up some slave owner logic which explain his madness to Ricardo: "No fresh water, limited supplies, five officers left" he mumbles, "If I freed you....you'd try to kill me." Aight, sounds good to me...carry on than Cracker!. Not so fast! Some familiar 'roller coaster & adding machine tape' noise coupled with 4 or 5 screams of horror later and we can assume his 5 officers just got dispatched above by Smoke Thing. Hell Yeah! Whitey pauses his murder spree to see what's going on. As he peers from below through a large storm grate, we're delighted to see fantastic amounts of blood messing up his navy blues as it drips from above. Before any of us can react, Smoke Thing seeps below through the grate and busts Whitfield up through it. Ouch! This is the kind of stuff that, we forget, just doesn't happen on regular network programming. I love this show!

Like an alien insect, Smokey lurks down the stairs and comes smoke to face with Ricardo. Ricardo looks into it's darkness and than clenches his eyes closed tightly. The Smoke Monster is doing his familiar scanning technique, complete with paparazzi like photography noises, which he once used in the present-past on Ecko and Locke in previous seasons. When Ricky opens his eyes he finds Smoke Thing has vanished. Some time later, we're outside the hull of the ship again, following a gorgeous blue butterfly down to the lower level where Ricardo is trying to dislodge a large nail from the floor board and uses it to scrape at the metal bolt bit that connects his shackles to the ship. He's, again, asleep and time has apparently elapsed once more. There's a wild boar feasting on a corner dead man. The boar notices Ricardo and charges in his direction making Ricardo lose reach of the nail which was his only tool of escape. Ricardo sleeps some more and there's an indication, by notches scraped into the wall, that he may have been down there shackled up alone for 5 or 6 days already. He awakens to the familiar sound of a woman looking for survivors....Isabella! She comes to him and tells them they are both in hell. She says they both have to get out of there before 'the devil' returns. She's looked into his eyes and sees only evil. We hear Smokey approaching the ship again and Ricardo insists Isabella save herself. She, reluctantly, flees up the stairs and we hear her accosted by the Smoke Monster.

Time goes by and Ricardo is awakened from more sleeping by 'MIB', the 'Man in Black' what we know to be the earliest human form of the Smoke Monster. He touches Ricardo on the shoulder, pours him a mug full of water and introduces himself as 'a friend'. Ricardo double checks with him what he learns from Isabella that they are in 'hell'. "I'm afraid you are," MIB confirms. MIB says he didn't come there on Ricardo's ship....he's been there a long time ('Ab Aeterno',maybe?). MIB tells Ricardo HE has her. 'You know who', he continues. He will
help Ricardo escape because he knows how it feels to want to be free....and, as it just so happens, MIB has the keys to Ricky's shackles. If he helps him, Ricardo assures him he'll do ANYTHING he aks of him. Careful, Rick, that's how men wind up blowin' other guys. Just sayin'. MIB tells Ricky the only way to escape this hell is to 'kill the devil'...and it sounds as if Ricardo is down. A deal is made and Ricardo is unshackled. "Good to see you out of those chains." MIB says. I phrase we've heard him utter to Rich before, in this world's future after finally disposing of Jacob. This most likely confirms to Richard who's really in the Locke suit, if he has any doubt.

Outside the ship, MIB sits on a throne similar to the one in Jacob's foot hideaway. MIB feeds Ricardo
as he catches him up to speed on where to find the 'devil' and what to do when he finds him. He passes him what appears to be a sheathed version of the exact same dagger and passes along the same instructions Dogen gave an infected Sayid a few episodes ago in order to dispose of the present form of the Smoke Monster Locke. He is to plunge the dagger into the devil's heart before he can utter a word or it 'will be too late'. Ricardo wonders how he can do that when the 'devil' is made of black smoke. "No, I am" MIB corrects him. "The devil betrayed me as well, he tells Ricardo. HE TOOK HIS BODY & HIS HUMANITY. But, none of this will bring Isabella back to Ricardo, MIB tells him.

Richard has agreed to the deal by the looks of the next scene. He has stumbled out to the beach clearing, alone, to the base of the statue where he will confront the 'devil' of his own free will. Note the damage done to Taweret's statue and that the head and parts of it's body lay right in the ocean in front of it. Probably sunken and covered by more water over time. Jacob sucker punches him from behind and quickly defuses the situation and scoops up the dagger. "Who gave you this?" Jacob demands of Richard. Richard disregards the question and begs to know where Isabella is. Jacob seems sincere in having no idea who Ricardo is talking about. He asks if Ricardo has met a man in the jungle, a man in black. Ricardo indicates that he has and that man has sent him here to kill the devil who has his wife. Jacob reassures Ricardo that he is not dead and the figure he saw was NOT his wife..that they are not in hell. Apparently either there's some neat fish Jacob suddenly wants Ricky to see or Ricardo needs more convincing that he's not dead because Jacob effortlessly drags him out into the water and proceeds to dunk and drown him several times. If he were already dead should he be afraid to drown? Wow, that's some tough love, coach. Ricardo wants Jacob to stop because he 'wants to live'. According to Jacob, this is the 'first sensible thing (Ricardo) has said. Now they need to talk.

Richard dries off and is offered a mug of wine that Jacob pours them from an old skool bottle. (Jacob's team has got the better drinks at least. Maybe he can turn water into wine, though...haha) Ricardo asks Jacob what's in the statues foot. Jacob responds that nobody comes in there unless Jacob invites them in. So NOT what Ricardo asked you, dum-dum. I gather Jacob's not in the mood to divulge the contents of his summer home to a complete stranger. "Are you the devil?" Ricardo wonders. Jacob hesitates but assures him he isn't with a firm 'No'. He did bring Ricardo's ship, though. "Why?" Ricardo presses. Jacob takes a drink of the wine and lifts the corked bottle. He indicates to Richard that the wine in the bottle is what Ricardo calls 'hell' or what some might call 'malevolance, evil...darkness' swirling around inside. (Kinda like what's growing inside Sayid and Claire?) The CORK keeps the darkness where it belongs. The island is the world's cork. Jacob says MIB believes man is corruptible because it is in his 'very nature to sin'. Jacob brings them there to prove him wrong. Their past doesn't matter. (I can't rap my head around why a glorified jailer is entertaining his prisoners game of righteousness. Any ideas?) Ricardo wonders just how many others Jacob has brought to the island. Jacob answers that it was MANY others and that they are ALL dead. Ricardo suggests that he
intercede..to help them, but Jacob insists they can help themselves. The question of who's right and who's wrong is meaningless if Jacob steps in to help. "Why SHOULD I step in?" Jacob asks in a defiant tone that reminds be of when he asked Ben '..What about you' in his final breath. "If YOU don't" (step in) HE will". Ricardo threateningly assures him. Jacob takes a moment to think and it appears Ricardo has a point. Why should MIB intercede on the this test of free will and righteousness but Jacob shouldn't. Ricardo has just landed himself another payless job. He will be Jacob's intermediary, interceding when Jacob won't. In return Richard will....umm...get his wife back. No. Richard wiiiiiill be absolved of his sins. Nope. "Than I want to live forever" Richard blurts out. Time, a luxury Ricardo didn't have when he was in his holding cell back on the Canary Islands. Presumably he'll use all the time in the world to make his penance. "That, I can do", says Jacob and with a touch, Jacob has granted him his wish. Ricardo returns to MIB's outdoor throne room and hands him a white rock like the one seen on the scales in the caves in 'The Substitute' episode. MIB knows this means that Ricardo has joined allegiances with his nemesis and points that if he does so he will NEVER get his wife back. Kindly, MIB gives to Ricardo, Isabella's cross and chain. Ricardo 'must have dropped it back on the ship'. The MIB says that if Ricardo ever changes his mind, his offer still stands. Ricardo takes the cross and buries it at the foot of the MIB's throne.

In 2007, Team Jacob gathers around a campfire after 'sundown'. Ilana, Frank, Sun, Jack, Ben & Hurley discuss the issue of the 'candidates'. Sun says Ilana told her she is one (To be exact, she specifically told her that 'Kwon' is a candidate and didn't know which...Sun or Jin. My lollipops are still on baby JiYeon!) Sun indicates that Ilana also named Jack and Hurley amongst the 'candidate' list. Damn this is all mind blowing. Can you imagine what must be going through these castaways' heads after remaining alive after 2 plane crashes and some time travel and countless other b.s.? Now having to digest being a 'candidate' for a seemingly Immortal beings' career path? Anyhoo, Frank asks what they do now but Ilana doesn't know. Ricardus does. Richard sits behind them a little whacked out after suicide attempt. He let's out an unsettling laugh and tells the team he has no clue. (he reminds of Daffy Duck a little lately. ..a little self centered and completely batshit crazy) He just tried to commit suicide, does he look like he has a plan? Guess not. "Everything that Jacob ever says is a lie" , Richard offers. At that, Richard is up on his feet and in Jack's personal space. He let's Jack in on a little secret. Jack's dead.....they're all dead. Literally dead...and in
hell! Richard announces he's done listening to Jacob, it's time he starts 'listening to someone else. Richard grabs a torch and heads in the jungle, alone. Ilana says she's going after Richie. Jack's sure Richard's lost his mind and doesn't care anymore. Ilana know's who Richard is going to go listen to and Ben has the 'line of the evening': "Oh, THIS should be interesting", he says. Sun tells Jack they mean Locke. But Locke's dead, of course. "Your pathetic consolation is not exactly Locke", Ben remarks to Jack. Great!...I remark This whole discourse reminds me that Jack has no idea there's been a Locke-like figure walking around the island since Ajira crashed. I get chills. In a way, Locke has been Jack's, sometimes friendly, nemesis. Men of Science, men of faith. When one believes in the powers of the island, the other has no faith. When one gains faith in the island, the other has lost it. Now here's Jack after his 'Lighthouse' epiphany and he learns there's a new version of Locke roaming around. The team is interrupted by Hurley standing and speaking Spanish to himself. No clue what he said. I don't understand Hurley's version of Spanish. Anybody catch any of that? Jack thinks he speaking to Jacob. Hurley insists he ain't. Who he IS speaking to has "...nothing to do with Jack," Hurley apologizes. Anyway, Ben's pretty sure Richard doesn't know anything. They've known each other since Ben was Harry Potter and Richard hasn't aged since.

The next day, Richard is seen arriving at the MIB's vista throne room. He drops to his knees and digs up the cross which he buried there over a century ago. The cross is pretty clean and pretty close to the surface. My guess is that this indicates that Richard has dug it up from time to time to reminisce. Richard is ready for a team change. He pleads to the heavens for a response from the MIB, "does the offer still stand.?...You said the offer would still stand!" My head swirls with the thought of how many times he may have had a weak moment and changed his mind or come in contact with
the MIB, since 1867, trying to seduce him over the century as well.
Maybe never. Just a thought. "What offer, dude?" MIB says. (Haha... I meant Hurley says but, that would be funny) "You're wife sent me...Isabella" Hurley offers (my eyes well up...sniffle) she wants to know why Richard buried her cross. Isabella comes into our view. She's standing right next to them. Eye to eye with her man. "He doesn't believe you." Isabella whispers to Hurley. "Sometimes it takes people a while", Hurley comforts. Very 'Jacob' of you, fatty. "Close your eyes" Hurley's words become one with Isabella as they speak to Richard in a surreal Whoopi Goldberg/Oda Mae Brown moment from the movie 'Ghost'. Isabella lets Richard know it's not his fault she died. He did his best for her and suffered long enough. She insists she and Richard as 'already together' as she did at her death bed. I believe they will be any time he wants to close his eyes and imagine her to be. Richard has accepted his new destiny. He puts the cross back on his neck in remeberance of his love as she vanishes from our sight. "She kinda said one more
thing," Hurley interrupts, "She says you have to stop the man in black from leaving the island or todos los vamos infierno....we all go to hell!" Pan to Smoke Thing/MIB who has been watching them from a distance in his Locke suit.

Pan to MIB in his 'Deadwood' suit also looking out into the clearing...but back in 1867. Jacob joins his side as I
hang on every word: JACOB: Good morning MIB: mornin' (reminds me of the Loony Tunes Road Runner episodes when The Coyote and the sheep dog used to punch in for work, than be at each others throats all day...than punch out at 5pm) JACOB: Did you get my present? MIB: Don't gloat. It doesn't become you. JACOB: So you tried to kill me. MIB: Expecting an apology? JACOB: No, wondering why you did. MIB: 'Cause I want to leave. Let me leave, Jacob JACOB: As long as I'm alive you'll NEVER leave MIB: Well, that's why I want to kill you...and I WILL kill you. JACOB: Even if you do, someone else will take my place. MIB: I'll kill THEM too.

With that, Jacob gives MIB the wine bottle he had used to describe the paradox of the island prison to Richard. "Here," he says "something for you to pass the time. See you around." he adds. "Sooner than you think," MIB retorts. Jacob leaves and MIB turns the bottle over cork still in place....and bashes the bottle on nearby rock. Releasing onto the ground without removing the cork.

As usual, Things I'm pondering:

• Seems like MIB's rules on how to slay Jacob is for a different reason than why Dogen infers MIB be killed in the same fashion.(i.e. before they speak a word) Although Smoke Monster/Locke was seemingly unharmed by the dagger to his heart when Sayid hesitated and stabbed him AFTER he spoke, Jacob was finally done in by Ben after saying quite a bit to him. I suggest that Smoke Monster can't be killed in his human form because he isn't quite real. Jacob however is a physical being who will be able to talk his slayer out of harming him by telling him the truth about the situation if given the chance. 9 times out of a billion the truth will probably stop a would-be assassin. This all makes me wonder how many unsuspecting assassins MIB has sent out against Jacob over the generations. I guess this means it's abundantly clear that Dogen just wanted Sayid dead when he sent him to kill Smoke Monster/Locke because it doesn't appear that Jacob and his people want MIB dead, just imprisoned.
• MIB tells Jacob, 'the devil', has taken his body and his humanity. It's starting to sound more and more like Jacob and Smoke Monster may be one in the same in some metaphysical fashion. I'm now wondering if the MIB is some sort of demon exorcised from a body they shared. Left to roam free in smoke form like that of the demon in the passage of Luke's Bible entry.
• I'm still wondering what HAPPENED to Ilana? She got must up something awful. Wonder if it factors in somewhere.
• This 19th century wooden ship taking down a towering statue seems to be giving people a little bit of trouble. I too am in disbelief but I've seen a lot crazier things happen on the island. If it helps, note that the largest wave we've ever seen before slapped into the statue of Taweret with unimaginable force, as well as the ship. The ship just made it through the collision safely, somehow. . We just don't know what exactly Jacob does to bring these vessels to the island...how safely they can make it through harsh situations like this.

What are you pondering? Can't say enough about this episode. I've watched it twice so far, I plan on watching it again with pop-ups and I'll probably sneak a fourth viewing of it in before the week is up. Next weeks episode is set around Sun or Jin, I believe. What's in the package!?! ......Probably just another helping of LOST! (and just my size too, thanks grandma)

Link to last weeks recap Season 6 Episode 8 'Recon':

Lost "Recon" Recap on C-C-D by Jeff Bond

- JB