Television Review: There's No Place Like Home, Part III (Lost, S4X14, 2008)

There’s No Place Like Home, Part III (S4X14)

Airdate: 29 May 2008

Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
Directed by: David Bender

Running Time: 42 minutes

There's No Place Like Home, Part III is the definitive conclusion to the fourth season of Lost, a narrative feat that successfully delivers on the promises made by the showrunners while adhering to the show's enigmatic nature. The episode provides a substantial amount of closure, resolving long-standing plot threads and offering answers to the audience's most pressing questions regarding the mechanics of the Island and the fate of its inhabitants. However, in true Lost fashion, it simultaneously introduces new enigmas and leaves the narrative hanging on a dramatic cliffhanger that teases the conflicts to come in the subsequent seasons. It is a conclusion that feels earned yet frustratingly brief, a hallmark of the series' commitment to mystery.

The most significant revelation in this installment is the precise mechanism by which the Oceanic Six escaped from the Island. The episode elucidates a sequence of events choreographed with high stakes and emotional weight, driven almost entirely by Ben Linus's decision to eliminate Keamy and activate the freighter's dead man switch. This action dooms everyone else aboard the Kahana. As the freighter prepared to detonate, Desmond Hume attempted to signal Frank Lapidus, but the latter, faced with a critical fuel shortage, was compelled to land. This creates a suspenseful race against time, as the helicopter is forced to touch down amidst the chaos. In the ensuing evacuation, Jin Kwon's attempt to assist Michael Dawson in using nitrogen fire extinguishers to delay the explosion is ultimately futile. Frank Lapidus, prioritising the survival of the most crucial passengers, forces the helicopter to lift off, leaving Jin behind. The visual of Sun Kwon watching the Kahana explode, knowing her husband likely perished alongside Michael, is a crushing moment of despair that anchors the episode's emotional core.

Simultaneously, on the Island, another shift in reality occurs. Locke and Ben's operations at the Orchid Station lead to a spectacular moment of island mechanics. Ben explains that moving the Island requires a drastic action he must take, resulting in his permanent departure. He tells Locke to take his place as the leader of the Others, while he dons a parka and enters another hidden compartment which is unusually cold. Here, Ben locates the frozen wheel and turns it, creating the strange effect that would move the Island. This act not only relocates the Island but also sends Ben to the Sahara months into the future. The visual composition of this sequence is striking, providing a stark contrast to the chaos on the freighter.

The tremors caused by the Island's movement are felt far and wide, affecting the boat carrying Faraday and the other survivors. Sawyer manages a desperate swim back to the shore, only to be greeted by a despondent Juliet, who drinks rum while watching the smoke from the destroyed Kahana on the horizon. The Others, witnessing Ben's departure and Locke's successful return, finally accept Locke as their new leader, marking a pivotal shift in their hierarchy.

The escape is not complete until Frank Lapidus attempts to return to the Island's coordinates. However, the Island has moved, leaving nothing but open ocean. With fuel critical and no landing spot, Frank is forced to crash land the chopper. Against all odds, all eight survivors of the crash survive and manage to inflate a life raft. Their salvation comes from the sea in the form of Penny Widmore's boat, the Searcher. Penny's reunion with Desmond is a heartwarming moment, and the survivors immediately begin strategising the cover-up of their experience. A week later, the deception is fully realised as the Oceanic Six arrive on the Indonesian island of Membata, posing as the sole survivors of a plane crash.

The narrative pivots to late 2007 with a series of flashforwards that illuminate the consequences of their return to the mainland. Sayid Jarrah visits the Santa Rosa Mental Institution to collect Hurley, after having killed one of Widmore's agents who was surveilling the facility. Sun Kwon travels to London to meet Charles Widmore, offering her newly acquired wealth for a joint search for the Island. Kate Austen is haunted by a dream of Claire Littleton warning her not to bring Aaron back to the Island. Finally, Jack Shephard, arriving shortly after meeting with Kate at the airport, breaks into Hoffs Blar funeral parlour where he is approached by Ben. Ben tells him that they indeed have to return the Island and that they would also have to bring recently deceased "Jeremy Bentham," who is revealed to be John Locke.

Directed by Jack Bender, There's No Place Like Home, Part III offers visually interesting sequences, although it lacks the breakneck pacing of Part II. The scene in which Ben operates the frozen wheel is particularly well-composed, aesthetically intriguing, and provides another opportunity for Michael Emerson to show his acting range. The scene in which Locke triumphantly arrives among Richard and his new followers is also one of the more memorable, serving as a visual confirmation of his status. However, that cannot be said for the somewhat underwhelming Kahana explosion, which suffers from relatively poor CGI.

The writing in the episode is more interesting, demonstrating the subtlety of Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof's craft. They make an interesting depiction of how the Oceanic Six left the Island and their ordeal with Frank's helicopter actually matches their alleged ordeal during the Oceanic 815 crash, adding a layer of thematic resonance. Furthermore, the scene in which they are picked by Penny's boat is in some ways similar to the scene that ended Season 1 finale, although with much more favourable outcome, a subversion that delights the audience.

The revelation that "Jeremy Bentham" is actually John Locke – a detail so important that the production team made two fake endings, with Sawyer and Desmond in casket to avoid spoilers before the May 2008 premiere – puts events of this episode into a different perspective. It turns out that Locke's Island utopia didn't work and that he had found reasons and ways to leave it and return to our world. This twist fundamentally alters the audience's understanding of his character, revealing that his journey was not about saving the Island, but about finding a way to bring his friends back, even if it meant deceiving them.

The season finale also plays with Sun's newfound alliance with Charles Widmore, as well with the still unresolved fate of Jin. Unlike Michael, who is confirmed dead by presence of the ghostly figure of Christian Shephard before explosion, Jin is not seen dying. This leaves his fate tantalisingly open, a narrative device that ensures he remains a central figure of speculation. Finally, Sawyer ending with Juliet on the Island allows for further melodramatic complications, making the great love square between Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Juliet a real possibility. This dynamic adds the necessary emotional complexity to the final stretch of the series, ensuring that even as the show moves toward its conclusion, the interpersonal conflicts remain as gripping as the supernatural mysteries.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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