Broken Frontier

Tuesday night will never be the same, and the Wednesday morning watercooler just got a whole lot more boring. With the two-hour series finale set for this Sunday night, this weeks episode “What They Died For” marks the last time Lost will ever premiere during the second day of the work week. Coming after the bland and underwhelming “Across the Sea”, “What They Died For” is a big step up in excitement. Now that we have reached Lost's endgame, it's time to see the final pieces fall in place.

The episode opens with a close up of Jack Shephard's eye, which is how many important Lost episodes have begun in the past. But this time it's sideways-Jack's ocular unit in the frame. Jack notices blood on his neck (Hmmm...maybe he has to die in the parallel world to be Jacob's successor on the Island), but soon is having a charming family breakfast with his son David and still-pregnant Claire. Breakfast is interrupted by a call from the airline saying they've found Christian's coffin, but it's really the scheming Desmond. Sideways Des will seemingly stop at nothing to get everyone together in the parallel world, including turning himself in to the police. By the end of the episode Desmond's machinations have set up a reunion at a benefit concert.

On the island Jack and Kate's relationship comes full circle as Jack gives Kate sutures, reversing their roles from the Pilot episode. After, they briefly reminisce about their fallen comrades. Jack, Kate, and Hurley all go off in the jungle searching for Desmond. On their way, Hugo is accosted to give up Jacob's ashes by young-Jacob, who runs off into the Jungle after receiving them. Jacob soon re-appears in adult form, visible to all and ready to anoint his successor.

Jacob tells the candidates much of what we learned last week about the light at the heart of the island, and tells them that one of them will have to replace him as it's protector. It should come as no surprise that Jack takes the mantle from Jacob, and they go off and have a cup passing ceremony in Latin that seals the deal.

Richard, Miles, and Ben, who have all vanished as of late, meet up with Widmore and Zoe at the Dharma village. But when their party is crashed by the Man in Black, Ben quickly betrays Widmore and even shoots him himself. This act of loyalty is seemingly not unrewarded by MiB, as Dr. Linus of the flash-parallel seemingly gets his heart's desire. MiB and Ben go off, with MiB scheming to use Desmond to destroy the Island.

While this episode functions as a direct set-up for the finale, it is easily the best set up episode of the year. “What They Died For” continues Lost's spiral toward climax, as the two alternating timelines start to complement each other like two opposing sides of a game board. This episode neatly ties up the final details of Jack succeeding Jacob as the protector of the island (at least for now), and sets us up for what should be an explosive finale.