Lost - "Some Like It Hoth"

This is the kind of Lost episode I love. There may not have been a lot of big picture movement (although we'll dig into some of the very interesting tidbits we got), but we got a lot of insight into one of the show's most interesting characters, mixed with some genuine humor and pathos. I think back on episodes like "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" or "Greatest Hits," and I'd put this one in the same realm as those.

"Some Like It Hoth" was all about Miles, the mysterious ghost whisperer from the freighter. In flashbacks, we learn that he was being raised by his single mother when his power first manifested himself, creeping out a seven year old about as much as he could take. Meanwhile, on the island, Miles has to put his gift to use. But, to back up a step or two, it started when LaFleur gave him a call to dispose of the incriminating security tape of him and Kate taking Ben to the Others. Miles is on it when he gets interrupted by Horace. Horace wants Miles to deliver something to Radzinsky, after taking him into his circle of trust (dirty hippie!). Miles makes the trade and gets a deceased body, who, Miles finds out through his mojo, died when a filling shot from his teeth and through his head. I guess those "unique electromagnetic properties" are causing trouble for the workers on the Swan (but more on that later). Miles has to deliver the body to Dr. Chang at the Orchid, which is also where Hurley is going (delivering lunch!) so he hitches a ride and quickly surmises the additional passenger in the back.

Meanwhile, when Miles was an angry teen, he went to visit his mother to try and get information about his father, in order to better understand his power. Mom isn't terribly forthright, because Dad wasn't interested in the family or raising a child or anything. Meanwhile, on the island, we, along with Hurley, find out that Dad is none other than Pierre Chang. Miles said he figured it out when, on his third day with Dharma, his mom got in line behind him in the cafeteria. This sets Hurley off on a mission to get father and son to reconnect. Despite the horrifying revelation that Pierre Chang enjoys country music and general awkwardness, Miles and Chang do connect, kind of, in an oblique sort of way. But not before Miles and Hurley fight, leading to the big reveal of the episode: Hurley's been writing the screenplay to The Empire Strikes Back (with a few changes) to help George Lucas. They also stumble upon the construction site for The Swan and Hurley watches as Dharma engraves the numbers onto the Hatch, meddling with powers they cannot possibly comprehend.

Meanwhile, in flashback world, adult Miles goes to see Hank from Breaking Bad and lies to him about his dead son. Then he runs into Naomi, who's looking to recruit him and tests his skill on a dead man who was delivering the receipt for the fake plane and the photo of exhumed graves to Widmore (confirmation that Widmore's behind the cover-up? Or proof that Ben's the one who planted it? More on that later). Miles gets 1.6 million dollars to go to the island, but someone doesn't want him to go. That someone? Ilana's friend from "Dead Is Dead" and assorted others. They tell Miles that he can't handle the island's many secrets (including what lies in the shadow of the statue). Miles only cares about money and wants 3.2 million (double Naomi's amount) not to go. They respectfully decline and go their separate ways. Then Miles goes to Hank and tells him he was a bad father (letting out some of his own issues).

In the week's C-story, Kate takes too much of an interest in reassuring Roger Linus, which makes him very suspicious. So, its up to Jack Workman to calm Roger Workman, using his power of disdain for those who drink on the job. Jack talks Roger down and saves the day, but its a hollow victory because Miles dropped the ball on the cover-up and Jimmy Barrett (or whatever he's calling himself these days) found the videotape. He's not too bright, so he goes to LaFleur first, demanding an explanation. Instead Sawyer clocks him in the head.

Miles gets a well-earned catharsis when he stands outside the window of Chez Chang, looking in at Pierre reading to little Miles. Its a poignant and moving character moment. Then he goes to the dock to welcome the island's newest visitors from Ann Arbor...including Daniel Faraday!

All in all, it was a very strong episode that felt a lot more like older Lost episodes than anything they've been doing recently. It was also a nice pitstop before the mind-bending craziness that looks like its coming in these last few weeks.

A-

The Theory Down:
5. What lies in the shadow of the statue? I'm guessing its Jughead.

4. What has Faraday been up to for the last three years? I'll bet it involved looking up his Mom and probably warning little Charlotte about not coming back to the island. Either way, "The Variable" looks like its going to be insane.

3. Not to seem Jughead happy, but I'm pretty sure that the bizarre electromagnetic properties of The Swan are related to the nuclear warhead that the Others presumably encased in concrete and buried deep underground. Its clear that the bomb is going to come back at some point, and given that everything seems to be leading up to The Incident that's referred to in The Swan orientation film, I'd bet that's going to be coming back into play very soon.

2. So why would someone be delivering physical evidence of the Oceanic cover-up to Charles Widmore if he ordered it? Proof that its happened? Because wouldn't the worldwide newsstory be proof? Perhaps it was Ben who was behind the whole thing. Either way, I'd bet it was one of Ben's men who killed the courier.

1. We got a little more insight to the Shadow of the Statue people and its clear that they're anti-Widmore. I've been trying to work out some inconsistencies with the workings of the Widmore-Linus war and I've come up with an answer: they're actually on the same side. Both Ben and Widmore are ultimately on Team Jacob or what they'd call "the good guys" while Ilana et. al. are "the bad guys" who have come to take over the island. So, while Widmore and Ben have been bickering with each other and scorching the Earth, they ultimately want the same thing. Either way, I think what we're seeing is the show laying the groundwork for its Season Six endgame.