Television Review: Flashes Before Your Eyes (Lost, S3X08, 2007)

Flashes Before Your Eyes (S03E08)

Airdate: 14 February 2007

Written by: Damon Lindelof &
Directed by: Jack Bender

Running Time: 42 minutes

When Lost commenced its third season, the series appeared to be charting a markedly different course. Many of the island's more perplexing mysteries were being systematically resolved, and the narrative trajectory seemed to favour a more logical, grounded approach—something one might reasonably expect from conventional television drama rather than the labyrinthine puzzle box that had defined the show's earlier reputation. Yet the eighth episode of that season, Flashes Before Your Eyes, written by Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard, boldly reversed this trend. It returned Lost to its speculative fiction roots, layering fresh mystery upon the established mythology and employing narrative concepts that owed more to The Twilight Zone than to Gilligan's Island. The result was an episode that simultaneously confounded and captivated its audience.

The episode centres once again on Desmond Hume, the Scottish former soldier whose presence on the island had already proven pivotal. Flashes Before Your Eyes dedicates itself to unravelling the enigma of what actually befell him following the apparent catastrophe he instigated by turning the failsafe key in the Swan Station. The implosion of that underground bunker had left viewers with more questions than answers, and this episode takes upon itself the considerable burden of explanation.

The narrative opens in the present day, where Desmond, engaged in conversation with Hurley and Charlie, inexplicably rushes towards the sea. To the astonishment of all present, he manages to rescue Claire from drowning—a feat rendered all the more remarkable by the fact that Desmond was positioned too far away to have been aware of Claire's predicament. Hurley, ever the believer in the extraordinary, becomes convinced that Desmond possesses the ability to see the future. Charlie, characteristically sceptical, initially dismisses the notion. Nevertheless, the pair resolve to test their hypothesis by plying Desmond with whiskey in the hope of loosening his tongue. Desmond, despite appearing to enjoy the libations, remains steadfastly silent until Charlie provokes him by branding him a "coward." The remark triggers an unexpectedly violent reaction: Desmond attacks Charlie, choking him before abruptly composing himself and embarking upon a retelling of his experiences following the Swan Station's implosion.

What follows is a flashback sequence that fundamentally alters the series' conceptual framework. Desmond reveals that after turning the failsafe key, he suddenly found himself transported back to 1996, re-immersed in his former life in London. This is the point after two contented years with Penelope Widmore, when he contemplates marriage, notwithstanding his precarious financial situation. His attempt to secure employment with Charles Widmore's company ends in humiliation when Widmore not only refuses him but does so with particular vehemence when Desmond dares to request Penny's hand in marriage. Subsequently, whilst walking through London's streets, Desmond encounters Charlie performing Oasis's "Wonderwall" as a busker. He engages Charlie in conversation, asking whether the musician remembers him—a question that yields only bewilderment. Desmond experiences intense déjà vu and seeks out his friend Donovan (Shishir Kirup), a physicist, to discuss the tantalising possibility of time travel.

The flashback's most intellectually substantial sequence occurs when Desmond resolves to purchase an engagement ring for Penelope. The shop's proprietor, Ms. Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan) informs him with unsettling certainty that he will not ask for her hand in marriage. She proceeds to describe his future life on the island, articulating a philosophy of predestination: the future is immutable, and even with foreknowledge, the universe possesses mechanisms for "course correcting" to ensure that destiny runs its appointed course. Desmond, rendered even more despondent by this encounter, ultimately breaks up with Penny. His precognitive abilities later manifest during a visit to a pub, where he witnesses events he had previously miscalculated. The flashback concludes when he is inadvertently struck by a bat during a bar fight.

Returning to the present, Desmond confirms to Charlie that he does indeed possess precognitive abilities. However, he reveals that his recent actions—constructing the lightning rod and rushing to save Claire—were motivated by a desperate desire to preserve Charlie's life, as Charlie was destined to die on both occasions. Desmond delivers the grim pronouncement that, despite all his interventions, Charlie will ultimately perish.

The episode triumphantly restores Lost's science fiction credentials through its sophisticated deployment of time travel concepts, whilst simultaneously reinforcing the series' philosophical foundations. The narrative engages meaningfully with questions of predestination and free will, eschewing facile answers in favour of productive ambiguity. The script exhibits considerable dexterity in refusing to confirm whether Desmond genuinely travelled back to 1996 or merely experienced an elaborate hallucination.

Nevertheless, certain details prevent the episode from achieving unqualified perfection. Director Jack Bender indulges in superfluous cinematic references that detract from the narrative's integrity. Most notable is the scene in which Ms. Hawking demonstrates her precognitive abilities by pointing to the tragic fate of a man wearing red shoes—a transparent and somewhat heavy-handed allusion to a comparable scene in The Wizard of Oz.

More grievous still is the production's lamentable inattention to detail regarding its British setting. Whilst reasonable effort was clearly invested in reconstructing London streets within studio environments and Hawaiian locations, such industry is rendered effectively meaningless by elementary errors. When Desmond contemplates his future before a military recruitment office, the poster displayed features the wrong insignia, an incorrect service weapon, an erroneous name for the British Army, and—most damningly—employs American rather than British English spelling conventions. Such sloppiness is indefensible in a production of this calibre and momentarily ruptures the episode's otherwise persuasive illusion.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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