Lost – “Catch-22”

“Context-22”

The Wikipedia Links You’ll Need to ‘Get’ Tonight’s Episode of Lost

A full recap of the episode will follow after the link, but here’s some Wikipedia links that will help provide some context for the episode even if you haven’t watched it. I shouild really be working on my exam studying, so I won’t go into any further detail.

Catch-22 (Logic) – a situation in which an individual has to accomplish two actions, both of which are dependent on the other.

Catch-22 (Novel) – Historical Fiction novel from American author Joseph Heller.

Moriah – Biblical Mountain Range

The Binding of Isaac – A moment in the bible when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, and it’s all a big test of his faith.

These four links should give you a nice foundation for the episode; if you want all of the details:

[Previously on Lost: Charlie confronts Desmond about his psychic knowledge and then saves Claire’s life, and stops the lightning attack, and of course it was all to save Charlie. No matter what he does: he’s going to die. Get on with it already]

We open to Desmond, Gurley, Charlie and Jin traveling through the rainy jungle for some reason. Hurley and Charlie are discussing The Flash vs. Superman (Respective sides) while Desmond walks ahead…when Charlie steps in a trap and has a sharp knife fly into his throat. This is clearly a flash-forward.

And, it is, as Desmond wakes up after a long series of quasi-flashbacks of unknown origin to discover that he’s actually just fishing, and that Charlie is currently fine. One of these little flash future things, however, was Hurley discovering the cable in the sand. Desmond believes that someone is coming for them (Penny) and that the cable has something to do with it. Seems like a fairly logical assumption.

“LOST”

We see a newly coiffed Desmond in some form of monastery (we can tell from the church bells) and he accepts a robe of some sort from one of the individuals involved. It is a challenge of one’s patience and faith, what he’s getting himself in for. Some it lasts a week, some it lasts a month…and the guy never thought he’d last. He stands corrected, and for whatever reason his path has led to here…and he’s one of them. “Welcome Brother.” Heh.

We return to Jack picking amongst the rubble as Desmond and Hurley approach. Desmond is looking for a first-aid kit for a twisted ankle, which seems like a little bit of a lie to me. Desmond and Jack have an awkward moment of callback to the stadium stair-climbing incident, and then Desmond heads off with the first aid kit. Hurley acts all suspicious, and realizes that Desmond knows someone is going to get hurt. Hurley huffs and puffs and wants an explanation…and Desmond spills the beans about his “ideological jigsaw puzzle without a point of reference.”

Desmond realizes that he isn’t trying to keep something from happening, but rather that he is trying to keep something happening. This means, however, that there’s a Catch 22: in order for everyone to get off of the island, Charlie might have to die. I like this idea.

Sawyer decides to barge in on Kate while she’s changing, and is mesmerized by her figure. She jokes with him, and he asks her if she told Jack about the you-know-what in the bear cage. Sawyer knows he knows, and Kate knew he knew, so Sawyer decides he can get some afternoon delight. She refuses, and asks if he should make a mix tape. Any suggestions for songs? “Bear Necessities” is just terrible, and all I can come up with.

Meanwhile, Desmond is putting together his motley crue from the beginning of the episode, and next up is Jin. Desmond is perplexed, but Hurley thinks he can figure it out. Hurley decides to go with the “Camping” ploy, which seems to go over quite well for newly integrating Jin. Desmond, meanwhile, heads to get one more. That one, however, is Charlie…who realizes he has another vision. Desmond levels with him: someone is coming to the island, and tells Charlie that he can’t tell him anything else…and yet, he lies to Charlie and says that nothing bad is going to happen to him. Oooh boy, Desmond.

The Four Musketeers are setting out on their adventure, and Hurley denotes that they’ve found the cable. Jin digs it out of the sand, just as Desmond had seen in his dream, and Hurley grabs onto it in just the same way. Desmond suggests they camp here for the night, as opposed to confronting Rousseau’s death trap, and then we find ourselves back at the monastery.

Desmond is allowed to talk now, apparently, and the Brothers have chosen Moriah for their wine name. It’s not exactly the most festive name, and now they’re talking about some bible references that I don’t understand, but Wikipedia likely does. Meanwhile, speaking of sins, some guy walks in and decks Desmond. There’s some bleeding, and he asks for forgiveness (Both parties).

Meanwhile, Kate sits eating some oatmeal as Jack pops over for a visit. It is strange to have Kate back, and she really doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life anymore. Kate decides to do some dishes in the ocean, and Jack wants to borrow a spoon…which she licks first. Sexy, I guess? Jack says good night, and Kate walks off…well, not yet. First she has to see Jack and Juliet sharing some oatmeal and being all lover-dovey. Kate’s reaction is pretty well just what you’d expect: she goes to sex up Sawyer. Kate cries, which makes him all sorts of awkward until he realizes he’s gonna get some.

Meanwhile, Charlie is playing some creepy music on the guitar and Jin is presenting a ghost story with a flashlight…entirely in Korean. And still manages to scare Hurley, or kind of anyways. Desmond, meanwhile, sits off and spends some time with his photo of Penny, contemplating his Catch 22. Charlie wanders over to ask about the photo, and Desmond decides to describe Penny. Charlie is curious as to why she’s not with him, and Desmond says he’s a coward. He tried to run away, she tracked her down…and perhaps she never gave up. Perhaps she was looking for him.

And then, strangely, we hear a sound which seems disturbingly like a helicopter. Jin thinks it’s a rescue, but there’s really no way of knowing. Hurley notices that strange sounds are accompanying it, and with a splash it falls into the water. We see nothing in the darkness, but Jin spots something. High in the sky, there is a small red beacon flashing very, very lightly. Desmond: “Oh my god.” So much for the monastery.

Jin thinks it might be a palette, but Hurley thinks someone ejected…which seems possible, but it means it’s not a helicopter. Desmond, meanwhile, is going crazy and ignoring everything they say in order to trudge out into the jungle in the dead of night. Desmond lets a “she” slip, and insists they all go right now because it’s supposed to happen. Charlie is all “I ain’t going, then” and Desmond is all “Oh shit, but you’re part of the puzzle” so he goes with the first light as opposed to the splitting up the Musketeers.

Desmond stops by the puncher’s house and finds the puncher…and someone named Ruth who appears to be his sister. Desmond is a Novice Monk, it appears, and has stopped by to give her an explanation. He can never begin to explain what he did, it seems, as he left a week before the meeting. There was six years of dating, and then he just abandons her for a calling? Desmond had a spiritual moment where he asked if what he was doing was correct. He woke up in the street, with a Monk over him, asking him “Can I help you, brother?” And somehow he knew he should sacrifice in order to obtain a greater calling.

Ruth? Not so much having it. She suggests not joining a monastery next time, and just telling the girl the truth.

Juliet, meanwhile, spends some time building part of her structure. They joke about Christian’s alcoholism, and Sawyer stops by to joke with them about “Who’s your favourite other?” Sawyer, meanwhile, challenges Jack to some ping pong to prove his male supremacy. Sawyer jokes that if they don’t play every 108 minutes, the island will explode; Jack, meanwhile, jokes regarding Kate also noting how weird it was that they were back…which leads to Sawyer figuring out that Kate only slept with him due to the Juliet/Jack situation, and he’s thrown off his game.

The Four Musketeers are heading out, and Charlie insists that Desmond is hiding the next step…but Desmond ensures him he’s not. But he is. And Hurley, also, is having a coronary. Charlie finds a small hula dancer, and Desmond spots a backpack in a tree…with a copy of Ardil 22…and a satellite phone. That works, but has a dead battery. Within the copy of Ardil 22? A picture of Desmond and Penny. That’s just creepy, but this actually points to this being the bag of one of the Portuguese research workers who Penny had working for her, since Ardil 22? Is Catch 22 in Porugeuse. Catch 22, of course, is Joseph Heller’s novel about…well, just head to Wikipedia.

Kate is washing herself with some rainwater, and Sawyer stops by with a mixtape (Hee!). She decides to take it, and it appears to be The Best of Phil Collins. He stole it from Bernard (Bernard!), but the fun ends when Sawyer confronts her about her reasons for jumping his bone the other night. He notes she only needed to ask, but that’s not Kate’s way.

The storm clouds gather in the background as the Four Musketeers travel through the jungle. Desmond is still convinced that Penny ejected (Even thought I very clearly already disproved this: silly Desmond), and didn’t tell anyone because…oh Charlie. He just noted that they wouldn’t want to change anything because it would mean they wouldn’t get rescued. That’s not helping with Desmond’s moral dilemma, Charlie. Also not helping? The rain has arrived.

Desmond is drowning his sorrows in Moriah, good ol’ wine, and the other Monk is quite annoyed at his waste of wine…as opposed to the morals of drinking it? Well, it appears that Desmond isn’t quite cut out to be a Monk. Way to justify the guy’s initial trepidation, Desmond. He’s even beyond penance, and he’s a Brother no more. Harsh, can you de-Brother someone? That’s kind of harsh. Desmond heard a call, and this particular monastery isn’t meant to be his home. He doesn’t doubt he has visions, he has a calling, but rather that it’s to be found elsewhere. Turns out, guess where? On the island! How funny. Desmond asks what he’s supposed to do now…and it’s whatever comes next.

It’s still raining, and they’re still traveling through the woods. Jin wants to know who Penny is, and Desmond is pretty well ignoring everyone right now. Desmond thinks they will move faster when not talking. Uh-oh, Hurley just referenced The Flash. Which means something is missing here…the conversation is taking place, but where’s the whole parachute part of things? Desmond sees the trap now, it’s about to happen, the spear is about to go…and it goes. And Desmond tackles Charlie out of the way. And Charlie looks pissed. Which seems kind of stupid, considering he just had his life saved.

They continue to travel through the jungle, as Desmond is most certainly concerned about what he might have done. Hurley suggests they split up, and Charlie insists on doing with Desmond. Charlie confronts him about the whole knowing things. [Please note: Charlie still has the guitar with him, and it looks ridiculous] Desmond notes that he didn’t have to save his life, and…ooh, there it is! It’s God’s test of Abraham! There’s the Moriah connection! Meanwhile, Jin yells that we’ve found someone…and yet there doesn’t appear to be anyone in the suit which is not moving. It’s not Penny, Desmond, stop saying that.

Desmond is turning in his robes, it seems, and presents them to the Brother with a smile. The one thing I missed here originally was that there was a picture on the Brother’s desk…and in it was the jewelry store clerk from “Flashes Before Your Eyes.”

What does this mean? We don’t know. Meanwhile, Brother Martin is heading into town, they want a ride, and yet they want some heavy wine lifting done in the meantime. This particular moment, this calling, appears to be when Desmond met Penny…for she’s driving the car into which they’re placing all of the wine.

The show still seems to think that Penny is in the suit, which she’s not. Stop trying to convince me of this, show.

Desmond is spending some time discussing with Penny while he loads the wine. Penny didn’t know Monks could be fired, and in no uncertain terms he just got booted from them.

Desmond cuts down the parachute.

Penny makes the first move. Desmond is all “Shucks, really?

Desmond cuts down the parachuter.

“I’m Penelope. Penny.” “Desmond”

They reveal the corpse, and it seems to be alive in some shape or form. Desmond is all dramatic about it, and he opens the helmet to show…a young Portuguese girl who knows his name…and says it just before dying. That’s kind of a letdown for him, no?

“LOST”