Finally, an episode that takes full advantage of the flash-sideways and properly illustrates everything viewers love about Lost.  ‘The Substitute’ is the type of episode that I expect from the final season.

The Candidate

The idea of the candidate is further explained by Not-Locke.  Evidently, Jacob has been looking for a replacement to protect the island, and in doing so has developed a sequence of numbers that pertain to certain individuals in the world.  You guessed it, Sayid, Jack, Hurley, Locke, Sawyer and either Jin or Sun have all been assigned one of the six numbers of ‘the numbers’.

What’s interesting is that if this is the only purpose of the numbers, then it is not the all-commanding rule to becoming a candidate.  For example, Straume has been crossed out even though he is alive.  Illana has also voted Frank as a possible candidate.  And the biggest mystery is why figures such as Dogan or Richard are not candidates at all, even though they seem more qualified than any of our Losties.  In addition, Kate is not a candidate even though she has come in contact with Jacob.  The plot thickens…

The Flash-Sideways

The best thing about the flash-sideways is that it gives a tragically misguided Locke closure.  In the alternate world, Locke is still handicap, but he is also happily engaged to Helen.  While he is not the man of faith we’ve grown accustomed to, he still has the encouragement of familiar faces.

It’s interesting to note that in this reality, Rose is the strictly no-nonsense figure who pushes Locke to accept reality while Hurley is the happy-go-lucky man who fully believes in luck.  In essence, they are the complete reverse of who they would’ve become had they crashed on the island.  Either way, the most important message these encounters present is that Locke is not alone.  He is not a lonely man doing a thankless job of preserving the island, but a regular guy who is trying his best to be happy.

Of course, the ironic and hilarious encounter with Ben is simply icing on the cake.  It would seem even without the influence of the island, Ben has to be the one in charge.  This flash-sideways, unlike the previous episode, gives me moments I never even knew I wanted.

Overall

The balance between emotional resolution and a continued exploration of mythology in ‘The Substitute’ is pitch perfect.  It is a good reminder of why I fell in love with Lost in the first place.

Rating: 9.8/10

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