Television Review: 316 (Lost, S5X06, 2009)

316 (S5X06)

Airdate: 18 Februarty 2009

Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
Directed by: Paul Edwards

Running Time: 42 minutes

In the final seasons of Lost, the production team was ostensibly tasked with streamlining the narrative, moving away from the sprawling mystery boxes of the early years towards a more focused and organised conclusion. However, an air of improvisation still permeated Season 5, suggesting that the show was struggling to fully abandon its initial chaotic energy. Nowhere is this more evident than in the production history of two Season 5 episodes: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham and 316. Both were written simultaneously by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, yet they were conceived with conflicting priorities regarding narrative placement. Originally, Bentham was slated to air first to conclude a major character arc, but in a move echoing the Season 1 precedent with episodes Solitary and Raise by Another, the decision was reversed to broadcast 316 first. This strategic shift fundamentally altered the tone of the season, as the audience was forced to digest a functional but often hollow episode before the emotional punch of Bentham.

The core premise of 316 is deceptively straightforward: it depicts the Oceanic Six’s return to the Island, or at least the attempt thereof. Following a brief flashforward or flashback in the cold open, the narrative resets to 2007 in Los Angeles. Here, Eloise Hawking, accompanied by a seemingly disinterested Ben Linus, briefs Jack, Sun, and Desmond. They are ushered into the Lamp Post, a massive underground facility constructed by the Dharma Initiative atop a significant reservoir of electromagnetic energy. This location serves as a staging ground to calculate the precise window for temporal or spatial travel back to the Island. The group is granted a strict forty-six-hour window to depart. The method of transit, inevitably, mirrors their first arrival: via a commercial airliner, specifically Ajira Airways Flight 316.

Desmond, however, opts out of the journey. Having suffered a temporal displacement that cost him four years of his life previously, he is unwilling to endure such trauma again. Meanwhile, a macabre logistical problem arises regarding the transport of John Locke’s corpse. Eloise insists that Locke’s body serves as a substitute for Christian Shephard, instructing Jack to adorn the coffin with items from the deceased father. Jack resolves this by visiting his grandfather, Ray Shephard (Raymond J. Barry), at a nursing home. He has preserved his son's shoes, which Jack retrieves. In a moment of intense personal turmoil, Jack also engages in sex with Kate, who evades his questions regarding why her son, Aaron, is not with her. The following morning, the group convenes at the airport, ready to depart.

Once aboard Flight 316, the stakes are raised. Hurley, seemingly utilising his wealth, has purchased all the free seats to prevent other passengers from boarding, ostensibly to protect them from the fate of Oceanic Flight 815. The passenger manifest is peculiar; Sayid appears handcuffed, held in the custody of a mysterious law enforcement woman, played by Zuleikha Robinson. Furthermore, a mysterious man, played by Saïd Taghmaoui, boards as a passenger, alongside Ben Linus. Jack discovers that the pilot is Frank Lapidus, who expresses a palpable lack of enthusiasm for the coincidence of the situation, quipping that the aircraft “probably don’t go to Guam”. The flight is not without peril; significant turbulence strikes, heightening the tension.

Upon waking, Jack finds himself back on the Island. He re-joins Hurley and Kate, none of whom can confirm if the other passengers survived a crash or their precise location. Their confusion is compounded by the sudden appearance of a Dharma Initiative van, driven by Jin in full uniform of Dharma Initiative.

It is highly probable that Lindelof and Cuse chose to air 316 before Jeremy Bentham because they sensed the Bentham was a stronger, more iconic episode that would suffer in comparison. Airing it second risked making 316 appear as a downgrade or a disappointment. Consequently, 316 is functional but generally uninspired. It tells the audience nothing they have not already deduced or guessed from previous seasons. Many scenes feel repetitive and unnecessary, serving as filler. The episode even features an Island-set cold opening that mirrors the series' very beginning, with references to that initial mystery repeated near the conclusion.

The exposition scene at the Lamp Post exemplifies this flatness. When Eloise Hawking explains the mechanics of arriving at the Island, the sequence feels like a routine exposition dump. This removes much of the mystique associated with the character and the facility.

Nevertheless, the episode contains solid components. Michael Giacchino’s musical score remains inspired and elevates the tension. The introduction of at least two new characters adds a fresh layer to the plot. Most notably, the flight sequence provides genuine suspense, dark humour, and macabre banter between Jack and Ben. Ben, in particular, continues to display his penchant for deception; he tells Jack that his mother, shown previously to have died at childbirth, had taught him to read. This lie highlights his tendency to lie even when it serves no benefit. Ultimately, while 316 acts as a necessary bridge, it struggles to transcend the feeling of being an obligatory procedural step in a journey that had long moved beyond mere procedural mechanics.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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