Follow The Leader (Or How Jack Got His Groove Back)

Well, that was interesting. Okay, it was awesome! It was widely rumoured that Follow The Leader was a Richard centric episode and I know a lot of people were eagerly anticipating learning about his backstory. I, too, am a bit disappointed that we didn't learn anything new about Richard. Or did we? I'll get back to that later. First, let's get to what went on, shall we? Follow The Leader didn't have any flashbacks or flashforwards, it just travelled along two parallel lines. One in 1977 and the other in 2007. This episode was about what it means to be in the position to lead and what happens when the masses disagree with you (paging Horace Goodpeed). Also, it's about what happens when one decides to take charge of one's own destiny, grab the proverbial bull by the horns, so to speak.

1977

We pick up where The Variable left off. Daniel has just been shot and killed by his mother, and I am ready to crucify Eloise at the stake for murdering her son. Kate and Jack are about to flee when Charles Widmore comes upon them and captures them, taking them into the Others' camp. We see Eloise flip through Daniel's journal and an odd look crosses her face. Sort of like recognition, maybe? She realizes that Jack and Kate are not Dharma and tells Charles to put them into her tent, where she tells Jack and Kate about her encounter in 1954 with a young man who told her he was from the future and then disappeared before her eyes. She adds that she just shot and killed that same man and that he told her he was her son. With her frame of mind opening wider and wider to understand what just happened, she was ready to believe Jack when he told her that they can undo what just happened. They just need to get to the hydrogen bomb. Oh, is that all? Just follow the simple instructions in the journal and voila, all will be undone! But, Eloise is willing. We don't know it yet, but I'm sure she is pregnant at that time. Eloise decides to take Jack and Kate to the hydrogen bomb. Ooops, one problem. They buried it underground, but Dharma sort of built their town right on top of it!

Jack has found his purpose, and boy oh boy it's a doozie! Kate doesn't understand why Jack would want to erase all that has happened over the past three years. She's convinced that what ever happened happened and nothing is going to change it. When she tries to leave Jack to find the others, Eric the Other aims his rifle at her and is about to shoot her when he himself is shot. Sayid pops up out of the bushes and aims his gun at Richard and Eloise, who readily surrender. As an aside, did anyone else notice that just before she put her hands up she dropped something into her bag? I wonder what it was.

Jack explains to Sayid what the plan for the bomb is, much to Kate's displeasure. She has everything to lose if Daniel's plan works and Oceanic 815 doesn't crash, but lands safely in LA instead. Remember, she was a fugitive on her way home to be prosecuted for a couple of murders. Sayid, on the other hand, has a whole new life to gain if Jack succeeds. He was on his way to LA where he knew his beloved Nadia lived. As a plus, neither Ben nor Charles would be a threat to Nadia's life in the future. Can you imagine how tempting it would be for Sayid if there were even an inkling of a chance that he could have a long life with Nadia.

Richard and Eloise lead them into a pond and through a long underwater tunnel to where they secured Jughead. Of course, no one really knew what to do from there and dear Eloise is going to have to learn to understand her son's journal really quick.

Meanwile, back in Dharma village of the damned Sawyer and Juliet are about to feel the deranged aggressiveness of Radzinsky, and pimple faced Phil (at least it looks like a pimple just beneath his right nostril) looks on in glee. He's gonna get payback, I'm sure. Horace tries to be the leader but ole Stu has staged a coupe of his own and taken charge. Peace loving Horace hasn't got the stomach for what happens next. When Sawyer refuses to talk, Phil takes it out on Juliet.

Of course, while Sawyer is on the receiving end of Stu's fist, Hurley is raiding the Dharma kitchen for food, then sneaks away. He is followed by Dr. Chang, who needs to know the truth. In one of the best scenes of the episode, certainly the funniest, Peirre quizzes Hurley. He was doing pretty good until he couldn't remember who the President of the US was in 1977. Miles and Pierre had a quick bonding moment and then they went their separate ways. Miles, Jin and hurley to the beach, Pierre to evacuate the island.

Dr. Chang rushes to find Horace, and stumbles upon the beat fest, demanding that the island be evacuated now. If they keep drilling at the Swan and even of cataclysmic proportions is going to happen. Radzinsky says it's the drilling will go as planned and tells Pierre that he is in charge now. Sawyer makes a deal. "Well tell you everything you want, just put us on the sub." Or something like that. But not before Radzinsky demands a map to the Hostiles, which Sawyer provides. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm thinking that map is the same as the one Daniel has in the future. Dharma is evacuating the island of all non-essential personnel. Miles, Jin and Hurley watch from the bushes and are surprised to see their friends being led to the sub. When Hurley asks what the plan is to rescue them, Miles tells him there isn't one. Besides, there are thirty guys with guns against two (Hurley doesn't have one).

Sawyer and Juliet board the Galaga. He tells her that they'll be okay. In the real world these guys have no authority. They'll buy Microsoft and bet on the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 and be rich. On the sub they affirm their love for each other. So sweet. Just as the sub is about to be closed a pompous and smug Phil arrives with Kate. She too, is being deported. He took great joy in telling them that she was caught coming into town!

When last we see the Galaga it is diving below the surface heading to parts unknown.

2007

In 2007, we see Richard with the ultimate hobby. Building ships in bottles takes diligence, excellent eyesight and more patience than I could ever muster, not to mention a steady hand. And didn't that ship look like a model of the Black Rock? It did to me. Anyway, he is told that He is back and Richard leaves his tent. He is met by John Locke, boar on his shoulders. John brought dinner, which is an effective way of winning people over.

Richard notices something is different about John and tells him so. John has a purpose, a new reason for being on the island. Something tells me that this new John's purpose may not be a good thing. But, hey, he brought dinner, right? John had brought Sun and Ben as well, and when Ben explains that Richard is an advisor, and has been one for ever and ever amen, Sun approaches him to ask about their 1977 friends. I have to say, I was not believing him when he said that he watched them all die. I called out, NOOOOOOOO and my dogs gave me that "you are disturbing me" look! John assured her that he would find a way to reunite her with Jin. If what Richard said was true, then it will only be in death that Sun sees Jin again.

Locke takes Richard and Ben on an errand. They must move quickly as there isn't much time. I honestly did not expect that that errand was to the Beechcraft where Richard took the bullet out of his leg. I should have seen it though. The signs were there. The Ajira water bottle on the beach, the flashing survivors being shot at. Out of the bushes stumbles flashing Locke and Richard attends to him, telling him that he must get the others to come back and that he'll have to die to do so.

While Richard is busy with flashing Locke, John and Ben have an interesting conversation that made me giggle. But I stopped giggling when John practically accused Ben of never seeing Jacob, and by the look on Ben's face, John's assumption is correct. There's something odd about that, but I can't seem to pin point exactly where my doubt originates. Anyway, we hear a POP and see Richard kneeling over nothing. Richard tells John that flashing John appeared to be convinced of what he had to do, then added that he was glad that John didn't have to die in the end. I loved the look on Richard's face when John told him that he did have to die.

Back at the beach camp John wonders if there are more Others and learns there are more at the Temple. He tells them that for far too long they have been blindly following orders from some unseen omnipotentate and that has to stop. If someone is giving orders, then John, for one, wants to know exactly who is giving them. His people agree and Richard and Ben acquiesce to take them to Jacob. Early in the morning the Others depart on their pilgrimage to find Jacob. Ben tries to distract him by telling him that Richard has some concerns about his leadership. When that doesn't work, he tries to remind him that he promised to reunite Sun with Jin, but to no avail. John doesn't care about reuniting his people. He's going to kill Jacob!

BOMBSHELL!

I'll post more tomorrow after I have watched the episode for the fourth time. We are having some rather severe weather right now that keeps knocking out power. I'm okay on the laptop, but my Internet connection is dicey right now.

Let me know what you think. As always,

I love excellent conversation.

Arcticroses.