Lost Episode 6.14 The Candidate

Close on an eye and it flickers open. John Locke looks up into Jack's face, and he says he knows him. Jack says yes, they were on the same flight from Sydney together. They met in baggage claim. Jack explains a car ran Locke down, and Locke just came out of surgery. Jack then tells Locke that when he was operating, he got a look at the original injury to Locke's spine. He wants to know how it happened. Locke asks why, and Jack explains he thinks Locke's a candidate for a new procedure that could restore feeling in his legs. Locke could even walk again. So if Locke will give him a shot, Jack thinks he can fix him. Locke says no, and before Jack can protest, Helen walks in. She's happy to see Locke. When she notices Jack, she gives him a big hug, thanking him for saving Locke.

WHOOOSH to Hydra island at night. Sawyer, Kate, Sun, Hurley, Claire and Lapidus are Widmore's prisoners and are being marched into the polar bear cages. Another team is setting up the portable pylons around the perimeter. Sawyer manages to get a rifle away from one of the men, but Widmore fires off a gunshot and everyone stops. He orders Sawyer to drop the gun or he'll kill Kate. Sawyer doesn't believe him, but Widmore says he has a list of names. Ford, Reyes and the Kwons are on it – but not Kate Austen. It doesn't matter to him if she lives or dies. Kate tells Sawyer not to listen to him, but Sawyer drops his gun and they're locked in the cages. Widmore asks if the fence is live yet, and one of the guys says it will be in an hour. Widmore orders them to move faster – he's coming!

WHOOOSH to Bernard's dentist office as Jack walks in. He explains that he has a patient named John Locke, and his records show that Bernard performed some emergency oral surgery on him three years ago. Bernard asks what Jack is looking for exactly, and Jack says he wants to know how Locke was hurt. Bernard asks why he's interested, and Jack says they met over a week ago on the same flight from Australia. Then yesterday he was run down in the street, and Jack was the one called in to do the surgery on him. It's almost like their meetings are happening for a reason. And Jack doesn't know why, but he just felt like he could help Locke. Bernard tells Jack that he and he wife, Rose, sat across the aisle from Jack on the flight from Australia. Rose said Jack was flirting with her while he was in the bathroom. Pretty weird coincidence, huh? Bernard says he can't break patient confidentiality, but he can tell Jack that when he treated Locke, there was another man with him: Anthony Cooper. Bernard wishes Jack good luck. He hopes Jack finds what he's looking for.

WHOOOSH to Hydra island as Sayid paddles up in an outrigger. Jack regains consciousness and sits up. Sayid tells him there was a mortar attack and Locke saved him. Jack asks why they're there, and Locke steps out of the tree line and says Jack's people were captured, locked in the cages, and they have to rescue them. If they move now, they can break them out, run for the plane and get off the island. Jack says they're not his people and he's not leaving the island. Locke says he hopes Jack changes his mind because his friends want to leave, and Locke is going to need Jack to convince them to trust him. Jack asks why he should trust Locke, and Locke says because he could kill Jack right now and hasn't. He could kill every one of Jack's friends, and there's nothing Jack could do to stop him. But instead Locke saved Jack's life, and now he wants to save the others, too.

At the cages, Sawyer can't believe they're locked up again. It's like they're running in circles. Kate tells him Widmore wouldn't have killed her. But Sawyer tells her the cave where their names were written -- Kate's name was there and it was crossed out. He doesn't need her. Jin and Sun spend the time catching up about Ji Yeon, and Sun gives Jin his wedding ring back.

Then suddenly – the lights go out and the generator shuts off. It's dark. Silent. Eerie. Widmore's team begins to panic – and then TIKKA TIKKA TIKKA. The group hears the smoke monster. It roars and attacks. Seamus is pile-driven straight into the bars of the cages, killing him. The monster rampages through the jungle as muzzle flashes go off and men scream. Kate stretches her arms through the bars reaching for Seamus's keys, but they're just out of reach. Then another hand reaches in, and Jack is there grabbing the keys. Kate asks what he's doing there, and Jack says he's with Locke. He unlocks the cages, and they run out.

WHOOOSH to a nursing home as Jack is requesting to see Anthony Cooper. Walking up behind him is Helen. She asks why Jack is there. Jack says he's there to see Anthony Cooper and asks if Helen knows him. She asks what he wants with Anthony. Jack says he wants to know about Locke's accident. Helen tells Jack to leave. Jack says he can help Locke, that there's a procedure – but Helen interrupts him and says she knows about the operation. Locke told her, and he doesn't want it. Jack wants to know why. Finally, Helen breaks down and says if Jack wants to "talk" with Mr. Cooper, let's go talk to him. She leads him to the dining room where Anthony Cooper is being fed – and Jack's face falls. Anthony is paralyzed from the neck down. He's catatonic, head drooping, eyes glazed over. Any recognition, any consciousness, is long gone. Helen tells Jack that Anthony Cooper is Locke's father.

WHOOOSH back to Hydra island as Jack leads everyone to the plane. Sayid emerges from the brush, and Jack tells them it's okay. Sayid is with them – he's the one that turned off the generator. Sayid tells them Locke is waiting, and they take off. At the Ajira plane, Locke kills the two men guarding it and takes a digital watch from one of the men's wrists. He goes inside and inspects the plane. He finds a tangle of wires running along the edge and follows them to an overhead bin. He opens it and is annoyed with what's inside. The group reaches the plane and see the dead men. Locke fesses up, says he killed them and that Widmore knew he'd kill them. They were only guarding the plane for show. If Widmore wanted to stop Locke from getting on board, he wouldn't have moved his little fences.

Hurley is confused. So now Widmore wants them to leave the island? Locke says no, he wants to get them all in the same place at the same time and then he wants to kill them. Locke holds up bricks of C-4 explosive. He found it in one of the overhead compartments wired into the plane's electrical system. If they turned it on – boom. Who knows if Widmore put more explosives on the plane? It's not safe. Locke suggests they take the submarine. Sawyer's all for it – it's what he's been saying all along. Hurley asks if he trusts Locke, and Sawyer says they need him. Hurley tells him that Locke isn't supposed to leave the island, but Sawyer doesn't care. Locke has saved them twice now. Locke says it'll be dangerous taking the sub. Widmore won't give it up without a fight. They take off, but Sawyer hangs back with Jack. Sawyer doesn't trust Locke one damn bit. Sawyer knows Jack doesn't want to leave the island, so Jack has one job and one job only – once they're at the dock, Jack has to make sure Locke doesn't get on the sub. Sawyer tells him to just get Locke in the water, and he'll take care of the rest.

WHOOOSH to Locke's recovery room as Jack checks in on him. Locke mumbles something, and Jack asks if he's awake. Locke is talking in his sleep and says push the button, it's a two-man job. Then Locke mutters he wishes that he'd believed him. Jack looks up and notices Claire in the hallway. They go to a break room to talk in private. Claire knows it's as awkward for him as it is for her. She never even met Christian. The lawyer gave her a music box and said that her father especially wanted her to have it. She holds it out for Jack to see. Claire asks if he knows what it's supposed to mean. Jack has no idea. Claire asks how their father died, and Jack says they found him in an alley outside a bar in Sydney. Jack flew down to pick up the body, but the airline lost it. Claire says she also just flew in from Sydney. Jack asks if it was Oceanic flight 815, and Claire is surprised. How'd he know? Jack opens the music box and it plays "Catch a Falling Star." He gives it back to her and says he wishes he knew why their father gave it to her. Claire starts to leave, but Jack stops her and asks where she's staying. Claire says at a motel down the road. Jack asks her to stay with him. Claire says she's a stranger, and Jack says no. She's family.

WHOOOSH to Hydra island as Jack's group plan their takeover of the sub. Sawyer, Lapidus, Hurley, Sun and Jin will go first, then Sayid, Kate and Claire will follow thirty seconds later. Jack and Locke will provide cover from behind. Sawyer's group races down the dock to the conning tower. They open it, and Sawyer slips inside. He captures a guy, and they head to the bridge. Sawyer tells the captain to fire the sub up.

Locke and Jack start down the dock after Kate's group. Locke asks Jack to reconsider, but Jack says no. The real John Locke told him he needed to stay. This catches smoke monster Locke off guard – and Jack uses the surprise to punch Locke in the chest and knock him off the dock into the water. Kate and Claire are climbing into the sub as gunfire erupts from the tree line behind them. Sayid and Claire take cover behind some crates and barrels and return fire. Kate is shot in the shoulder, and she collapses onto the dock. Jack races over and grabs her, carries her to the opening and shimmies down the ladder. Sayid hands Kate down to him, then starts down himself. He sees Claire and tells her to come on, now!

Inside the sub, Jack calls out for a first aid kit. Sawyer hears the gunshots and asks what's going on. Jack tells him Widmore's people shot Kate and that Claire is still up there. Sawyer climbs up the ladder and looks out. A very unhappy Locke is pulling himself out of the water. Gun fire erupts behind him, but Locke is unfazed. He points his gun and shoots Widmore's goon! Locke sees Sawyer and starts running for the sub. Claire is watching the tree line –Locke is getting closer – so Sawyer slams the hatch door closed. Sawyer calls out to Lapidus to go! Dive! Jack asks what Sawyer is doing, and Sawyer says what they came to do – they're leaving.

On the dock, Claire cries out for them to wait! Locke says it's okay, but Claire says they're leaving them. Locke tells her to trust him. She doesn't want to be on that sub.

Inside the sub, Hurley can't find a first aid kit. Jack tells Hurley to look for his pack. He's got a shirt in there he can use for pressure. Jin hands Jack his pack. Jack starts looking through it and stops. He's shocked and surprised. Inside is the bomb from the plane with the bricks of C-4 taped together and rigged with the digital watch Locke took from Widmore's guard. It reads 3:50 and counting down.

Jack realizes they did exactly what Locke wanted. He says they have to get to the surface, and Jin calls to Lapidus in the bridge telling him to take them up! Then Jin asks why Locke would plant the bomb – he wanted to come with them. Jack realizes that Locke wanted them to shut him out. Jack asks Sayid if he can turn it off. Sayid says the watch is rigged to the battery, and the battery detonates the explosives. Sawyer calls Lapidus asking how long 'til they get to the surface. Lapidus guesses at least five minutes. They don't have time! Sayid points out that if two wires are disconnected from the battery, the bomb should be inert – but both wires would have to pulled out at the same time.

Sawyer reaches past Sayid to pull the wires, but Jack stops him. Jack says nothing is going to happen. Locke can't kill them, so this is what he wants. Everything he's done has been to get them together in the same place at the same time. Locke said he can't leave the island without them, but Jack thinks he can't leave unless they're all dead. Locke said he could kill them whenever he wanted, but what if he didn't because he's not allowed? What if Locke is trying to get them to kill each other? If he wanted to blow them up, why put a timer on the bomb?

Sawyer doesn't know but says it isn't Jack's decision to make. Jack insists that nothing will happen, that they'll be okay. Sawyer refuses to sit there and do nothing. Jack says they just have to trust him. Sawyer apologizes and says he doesn't – and before anyone can stop him, he yanks both wires out simultaneously.

The timer stops... and then BEEEEP! The countdown resumes three times as fast! Sawyer looks at Jack and realizes he just made the single biggest mistake of his entire life. Sayid tells them to listen to him carefully. There's a well a half mile southwest of the camp they left. Desmond is inside it. Locke wants him dead, which means they need him. And then Sayid takes off running down the corridor away from them! He comes to a bend, follows it around – and then KAAA-THWOOOOM!!!

The bomb goes off! The sub rocks violently, and everyone is thrown off their feet. Water rushes in. Sawyer and Jack realize that Sayid just blew up! Sawyer asks where is everybody? Hurley is there in shock. Water is now around their knees. Kate is unconscious in the water. Jack picks her up and turns her over. Jin calls out – Sun is pinned under a toppled cabinet. Jin and Sawyer try to lift it, but it's too heavy and wedged in. It won't budge.

Jack sees a cabinet marked emergency evacuation and opens it. Inside are two small scuba tanks with regulators. He gives one to Hurley and tells him to get Kate out. Hurley wants to go after Sayid, but Jack says there is no more Sayid. Kate is shot and needs his help. They can share the tank and buddy-breathe. Hurley takes Kate and the oxygen tank and leaves. Jack goes to Sawyer and Jin and tries to help pull the cabinet off Sun. It still won't move. Sun watches in terror – and then another hull in the sub collapses. A metal air scrubber falls and hits Sawyer on the head. He falls into the chest-deep water unconscious. Sun tells Jin to save himself. Jin says no, he's getting her out of there. Jin tells Jack to save Sawyer. Jack knows what Jin is doing and that his only choice is to save Sawyer, so he takes the second scuba tank and dives into the water with Sawyer. Sun tells Jin he has to go, but Jin says he won't leave her. He'll never leave her again. He takes her hand and says he loves her. She says she loves him, too, and they kiss as the water rises above their faces.

Soon the room is flooded, and Sun and Jin's hands float there for a beat still clutching each other... and then their hands slowly release from each other and drift apart.

WHOOOSH to the hospital as an orderly wheels Locke out of his room. The orderly asks if someone is meeting Locke, and he says yes, his finacée. Jack rushes up to say good-bye. Then Jack says he went to see Locke's father. When Locke didn't want the surgery, Jack needed to understand why. Locke says he was in a plane crash. He had his private pilot's license for a week and begged his dad to be his first official passenger. His dad was afraid of flying, but Locke looked him in the eye and said he could trust him. They barely got off the ground. Locke still doesn't know what he did wrong, but it was his fault. His fault that a man he loved more than anything will never walk or talk again. Jack reminds Locke of what he said when they met at the airport – Locke told Jack his father was gone. It hurt to hear but Locke was right. And Locke's father is gone, too. Locke can punish himself all he wants, but it won't bring his father back. Locke asks what makes Jack think letting go is so easy, and Jack says it's not. He doesn't really know how to do it himself, but he was hoping Locke could be the first to go. Locke is taken by Jack's honesty and sincerity but can't do it. He says good-bye and wheels away. Desperate, Jack calls out after him that he can help him. He wishes Locke would believe him. Locke stops, considers it but wheels away.

WHOOOSH to the island as Jack struggles out of the surf pulling an unconscious Sawyer behind him. Kate and Hurley are there and run down the beach towards him. Jack says Sawyer is okay. He hit his head pretty hard but he's breathing. Kate asks about Sun and Jin, but Jack shakes his head. Kate starts to cry. Hurley holds her, tears streaming down his own face. Jack watches them cry, then walks into the surf, unable to hold back his own grief, and stares off into the dark distance at Hydra island.

On the Hydra island dock, Locke stands at the end staring at the main island. Claire is a few feet away, clutching her knees and crying. You'd think as loud as Jack is shouting you'd hear him, but it's very quiet here. Only the sound of the breeze and the lapping waves as we push in on Locke... and he looks angry.