Lost – Season 7, Episode 9: “815”

(No “Previously on Lost” sequence)

 

Episode 7.09: 815

 

 

A closed eye – Hurley’s. He is laying down in a hospital bed, asleep under covers, breathing through a nasal tube, while a vitals monitor nearby beeps calmly.

 

Surrounding him in the room are his friends – Walt, Kate, Sawyer, Claire, and Miles, each quietly bearing looks of concern for him. And unbeknownst to them (except Walt), ghosts Jack and Locke are also there. Jack looks more optimistic. Locke looks more concerned as the living do, as he sits in his wheelchair, wearing his striped white shirt.

 

And at last, everyone starts to slowly leave the room, leaving Hugo to recover in peace, turning the lights off. The room is dark, barely visible for our viewing sake. We have one last shot on Jack and then Locke, before they are vanished as we see an overhead shot of the room, Hurley laying alone.

 

The monitor still beeping, we close on Hurley as he lays. And we begin a transition – with a new sound effect we’ve not heard before, like a few seconds mix of a plane lift off (0:11 – 0:13) simultaneous with a plane dive (0:01 – 0:03). And we are not transitioning into a flashback, nor a flash-forward, nor a flash-sideways, but something else entirely. We are transiting into a flash-stasis. Whrrrshhrhsh…

 

 

We are now standing in a vast white room, illuminated by sunlight through its large glass windows. The place is heavily crowded with people, and we can see escalators nearby. We recognize this as the terminal of Sydney Airport. The cinematography seems to add a subtle and mysterious glow to the environment, and the music is softly brushing with ambience.

 

And standing in the midst of the terminal is Hurley, looking as he did at the start of the series – his curly hair more bushy around his ears, wearing a gray shirt with a striped blue one over it and dark pants. In one hand is a suitcase, and the other are two tickets, both for Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, for a date of September 22, 2004 at 2:15 pm, taking off from Sydney, Australia, though the destination is oddly smudged on both tickets.

 

The music escalates ominously, as Hurley looks up around, thunderstruck with bewilderment. And he can only say:

 

HURLEY: What?!

 

Hurley looks around left and right – and there are only crowds of strangers walking around. We can see him looking, feeling alone and confused. What is he doing here? He can’t tell if this is time travel, afterlife, or just plain insanity.

 

He looks back at his tickets, and then looks ahead. We hear a soft, mystical piece of music, as we can see a bald man rolling himself down in a wheelchair – Locke.

 

And Hurley heads in his direction to catch him, just anyone he can talk to about what’s going on.

 

In the next shot, we see Hurley heading into the concourse, and we hear music similar to that which he rushed through the airport in back in Season 1 (I’ve Got a Plane to Catch, a bit similarly to 1:31 – 1:54), but it is different, more soft and slow in tone, not urgent but more mysterious, yet still carrying an air of lightheartedness. And he happens to walk by a soccer team of girls with the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 on each of their shirts.

 

And as he is going, he happens to notice an open door at a side wall in the hall he is in, and what he sees catches his eyes – they light up a little.

 

He is then entering into the room, where we find Captain Frank J. Lapidus laying on a sofa, looking very bearded and wearing a white pilot’s uniform. And he is snoring loudly.

 

HURLEY: Hey, Frank! Boy am I glad to see you…

 

Lapidus still snores, and Hurley reaches to tug on his arm a little.

 

HURLEY: Hey Lapidus, buddy?

 

Lapidus jerks a little, and mumbles:

 

LAPIDUS: -Just need to sleep a bit longer…

 

HURLEY: It’s me, Hugo!

 

Lapidus squints his eyes open a little, and in a low raspy voice:

 

LAPIDUS: Who are you?

 

And we see it dawning on Hurley, and he begins to mumble in exasperation –

 

HURLEY: Oh, no. Oh no, no… This is not good…

 

We hear Lapidus’s head drop back with a thunk as he starts snoring loudly again.

 

In the next shot, we see Hurley continuing through the concourse, as we hear the noise of the airport coupled with the soft notes of the variation of Hurley’s “rush through the airport” track. And up ahead, we see the large window displaying the blue (and partially violet red)-striped tail of Oceanic Flight 815, and to the left of the window, a door marked “Gate 23”. And the music raises a little with an ominous air for a moment.

 

In the next shot, Hurley is boarding into the cabin of the plane, and trying to step his way through a crowd – there is an ouch! from a woman. Hurley turns to face her –

 

HURLEY: Oh, sorry…

 

But his face is struck when he sees who it is – with shining nicely-combed blonde hair, wearing an aqua shirt over a beige dress, and carrying a handbag.

 

LIBBY: Don’t worry, it’s fine.

 

She smiles – and for just a second, there almost seems a hint of recognition – but she continues on quickly.

 

And there is a soft and sad tone of music as we see the pain and desperation recalled in Hurley’s eyes – and the desire to go after her. But he thinks she does not know him, so he presses on.

 

As we see Hurley walking down the aisle, he glances across at the passengers of the fuselage. And for just a few moments we can see what appears to be archived footage from the Season 1 finale and perhaps mixed with some new footage, showing multiple familiar faces walking, sitting, or getting seated – the likes of Jack, Locke, Rose, Bernard, Boone, Shannon, Michael, a 10-year old Walt, Charlie, a pregnant Claire, Sawyer, Sayid, Sun, Jin, Arzt, Kate, the Marshal, and Cindy may be among those we glimpse. And we hear a few moments of the Oceanic 815 boarding theme (4:06 – 4:16), though it’s softer and briefer with more of a hint of mystique this time.

 

And at last, we see Hurley settling down into a seat next to an Asian man wearing eyeglasses as he reads his book. And Hurley looks across at the aisle in bewilderment and anxiety.

 

And the music suddenly transitions into something darker, more haunting, as Hurley’s eyes suddenly widen in horror at something he sees.

 

Across the aisle from him, a bald man seated in a bathrobe – he turns to look at Hurley – it is Dave. And he smiles darkly at Hugo.

 

We see another shot on Hurley’s widened, horrorstruck eyes. And he looks down –

 

On the right of Dave’s abdomen is a hole in his shirt with a bloodstain – a gunshot wound.

 

Hurley turns to look away from Dave, facing forward, as we can see the horror in his face, wondering if he has snapped again, is he going nuts?

 

NORRIS: [over intercom] Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Captain Seth Norris here. We’ll be taking off in 5 minutes for the Island –

 

Hurley particularly notices the last line – did he hear that right, or just imagine it?

 

HURLEY: What?

 

And then – we hear the sound of woooooooooshing – and Hurley looks confused, is he hearing this sound as well?

 

 

And Hurley now finds himself on the ground, in the midst of horrified screams.

 

Around him, we see the rubble of what looks like a deck. And numerous mangled bodies laying around, whether unconscious or dead – and he also sees himself laying elsewhere in the rubble, conscious.

 

And with a look of horror in his eyes, we hear another, quicker wooooosh:

 

 

And Hurley now finds himself outside in a grassy lawn near a large tree, several troubled individuals wandering about in the background. And we recognize the building of the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute in the background. However, Hurley is still wearing the same clothes – a gray shirt with a striped blue one over it. And he looks more despaired now, the music lowly dark still.

 

HURLEY: Oh God… What am I doin’ here?

 

And feeling lightheaded, he starts to lean a little on a bench close by – and he notices ahead:

 

He sees himself, wearing a striped gray shirt over a dark red one. He is standing alone, a sense of weariness but some peace in his face, as he looks ahead out beyond the hospital property. Near him, a woman is sitting alone at a picnic table with a sandwich and a small cup (for a pill). She has dark blonde hair and is wearing a beige sweater – it’s Libby. And she has an ill appearance.

 

And we see our present-day Hurley looking lightning-struck by what he sees, the music now beating softly.

 

Ahead, the younger Hurley of the past declares:

 

HURLEY: I can finally go home. Just waiting for my Mom to come pick me up.

 

Libby smiles smally.

 

LIBBY: That’s nice. I’ve still got a ways to go.

 

Hurley turns to face her.

 

HURLEY: I’m Hugo.

 

And she introduces herself:

 

LIBBY: I’m Elizabeth.

 

The music beats softly. And there is a moment of pause, before she adds:

 

LIBBY: My husband died of leukaemia. And now he comes to see me, telling me I didn’t do enough.

 

We see the past Hurley looking at her, empathy in his eyes. And he takes a seat next to her. And relating to her, he reveals:

 

HURLEY: I got in here after I was in a deck collapse. A bunch of people died.

 

And he says this with some darkness, but also some peace. And looking ahead, he continues:

 

HURLEY: I blamed myself. Started seein’ things.

 

He looks back to her, smiling warmly. And soft notes of Hurley’s “tragic” theme are beating slowly.

 

HURLEY: But you have to let it go.

 

But Libby shrugs a little, as though she’s heard this before.

 

LIBBY: That’s what they keep telling me. But I don’t know how to let David go.

 

Hurley thinks for a moment.

 

HURLEY: Maybe you should give away something holding the baggage. Somethin’ of David’s.

 

And we can see this clicking in Libby’s eyes, as something occurs to her. And after a moment, the past Hurley starts to get up.

 

HURLEY: Well, my Mom just pulled up. See ya around.

 

Libby nods a good-bye as he starts to walk away.

 

And then we see standing next to her, the present-day Hurley, who has walked up closer to the scene. But she does not notice him standing there. And he looks dumbstruck by what he’s witnessed – and longing to speak to her. And again, we hear the woooooooooshing – and again, it almost seems as if he notices it.

 

 

CINDY: Sir? I’ve brought a doctor to see you. You’ve seemed a little unwell.

 

Hurley is back in his seat on Oceanic next to the Asian passenger, and we can hear the whistling of the plane soaring through the sky. He looks up to see who’s standing over him:

 

Cindy is there in her stewardess uniform, and also Jack Shephard wearing his black and white funeral garments. But he looks a bit older than he ought to, and his hair is a bit longer – more like the present day than the past.

 

HURLEY: Uh, thanks.

 

Hurley starts to stand up as the stewardess leaves. And standing with Jack, he checks the pulse in his wrist.

 

HURLEY: I’m fine, sorta.

 

Jack holds up his finger in front of Hurley’s gaze, moving it left and right for his eyes to follow. Hurley also shoots a quick glance at the seat across the aisle to see if Dave is still there, but the seat is vacant now, before turning his gaze back to Jack. He looks at Jack’s hair.

 

HURLEY: How’d your hair grow so fast? – You a ghost?

 

JACK: No – You feelin’ alright? You seem a little anxious.

 

Hurley lets out a breath.

 

HURLEY: Thing is, I’m not supposed to be here. And I’ve already been through this before. – And I think I’m seeing things.

 

Jack says reassuringly:

 

JACK: Just take deep breaths, count to five. Now – anxiety on a plane isn’t uncommon. You just need to relax.

 

Hurley says, breathing in:

 

HURLEY: Okay.

 

JACK: This plane is perfectly safe. – If you need me, I’m at seat 23B.

 

Hurley nods, as Jack starts to leave. And he mumbles under his breath:

 

HURLEY: Twenty-three, forty-two, four, eight, fifteen, sixteen…

 

As Hurley mumbles, we see Jack return back to his seat in the rows in the next section ahead of the plane. But once he’s seated, his hair has inexplicably reverted back to the short buzzcut, and he looks younger, as though from some archival footage from Season 1.

 

Hurley shakes his head a little, as though to shake his mind. And with something on his mind, or rather his heart, he turns and starts to head down the aisle – towards the tail section.

 

In the next shot, he stops – and we see Charlie Pace seated across the rows on the other aisle, looking twitchy and anxious as he taps his ring finger against the armrest. And Hurley stops, with a smile of recognition on his face.

 

And Charlie notices him staring.

 

CHARLIE: What?!

 

The people in the rows between them react for a moment, before realizing he’s talking to Hurley, who stands beaming.

 

HURLEY: Nothin’!

 

CHARLIE: Do I know you?

 

Hurley, still beaming to see his friend, just shakes his head, and continues on.

 

CHARLIE: Then sod off, crazy man!

 

And in the next shot, we see Hurley stopping near the entrance to the restrooms, as he tries to get a good look across the aisles for her. And as he stands there, someone brushes past –

 

BERNARD: I’m gonna take your turn to go, if ya don’t mind.

 

He says this with a friendly smile. Hurley barely reacts, though, as Bernard brushes past him to the restrooms. And then he sees ahead –

 

He heads over there, stepping between aisles over to the left side, until he we find her alone at her seat. Libby’s hair is looking brighter as it did when getting on the flight.

 

HURLEY: Hi!

 

Libby turns to see him, and she is friendly – though there is a hint of recognition.

 

LIBBY: Hi again.

 

HURLEY: Just wanted to say sorry again for stomping your foot.

 

She lets out a soft laugh.

 

LIBBY: It’s fine.

 

And then Hurley asks, with a charm lighting his eyes:

 

HURLEY: Can I sit here a moment?

 

She nods, smiling.

 

LIBBY: Sure.

 

He smiles, taking a seat.

 

HURLEY: Nice trip in Australia?

 

She nods again.

 

LIBBY: It was alright, psychiatric convention. What were you there for?

 

Hurley nods, thinking back.

 

HURLEY: On a wild goose chase.

 

He smiles, and she smiles again, though not sure what he means. And he takes a moment, before cutting straight to the point –

 

HURLEY: Look, I’m sorry if this is a little forward, but it’s drivin’ me nuts –

 

And we take in her reaction as he says this. And he finally asks:

 

HURLEY: Do you remember me?

 

There is a soft tone of music. She hesitates to respond, looking conflicted as to what she wants to say. And then –

 

The plane hits turbulence, and we hear the ominous sound of its foundations rocking (1:16 – 1:20), a few passengers shouting for a moment in reaction. And we hear a familiar soundbyte:

 

CINDY: [intercom] Ladies and gentlemen, the pilot has switched on the “fasten seatbelt” sign. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.

 

And as this happens, Hurley looks deeply haunted in his eyes. Which Libby takes notice of:

 

LIBBY: Is something bothering you?

 

Hurley lets out a breath. He is reluctant to leave her – but he must.

 

HURLEY: I’ve gotta go.

 

And he quickly starts to get up, and she still looks concerned in her eyes.

 

In the next shot, we see he has hurried his way over to the cabin of the plane, heading for the cockpit, panting and sweating. The plane still rocking mildly, he opens the doors, walking in on an exchange between the pilot and the co-pilot:

 

CO-PILOT: What were those numbers broadcasting when the radio went out?

 

NORRIS: Let’s just get to Fiji and then we’ll worry about it.

 

HURLEY: You’ve gotta turn back to LA! The plane’s gonna crash and people are gonna die!

 

Hurley’s exclamations jerk them to look at him.

 

NORRIS: You can’t be back here!

 

Suddenly, flight attendants start to pull Hurley back away from the cockpit, shutting the doors, the plane still rocking mildly.

 

CINDY: You’re not ready to go in the Cabin yet, Hugo.

 

And this comment strikes Hurley with surprise and confusion.

 

HURLEY: Wha- ?

 

— AND THEN THE PLANE TOSSES (2:02 – 2:08) with the sound of people screaming and hitting the ceiling with luggage, as Hugo himself is thrown back and he lands on the floor with a thud and an “argh!” And we hear the plane’s alarm blaring with the violent shaking of the plane!

 

And we SMASH to black!

 

 

L O S T OPENING LOGO – normal version

 

 

[Commercial Break]

 

 

The screen remains dark for a moment as we hear the audio from the previous scene – people screaming, Hurley yelling as he is thrown, the plane’s alarm blaring!

 

And now we can see Hurley as he scrambles up through the violently shaking plane, as we hear the sound of it SCREECHING DANGEROUSLY AS IT ROCKETS IN DESCENT (2:09 and onward), and the yellow oxygen masks spring down to the passengers! And the plane screeches LOUDER and LOUDER as Hurley rushes in a panic down an aisle, everyone around screaming in panic!

 

And a hand grabs Hurley’s arm – Jack’s!

 

HURLEY: I’VE GOTTA FIND LIBBY!

 

JACK: COME ON!

 

Jack, with a yellow mask on his face, pulls Hurley down onto the seat next to him as the plane SHAKES MORE VIOLENTLY and SCREECHES LOUDER AND LOUDER, people screaming as Jack straps a seatbelt onto Hurley and then a yellow mask onto his face, and we can get a brief glimpse of a masked Rose watching from the seat across!

 

And we see Hurley sitting panicked in his eyes, Jack also distressed next to him, as they breathe through their masks, the plane SHAKING VIOLENTY, SCREECHING LOUDLY as it ROCKETS IN DESCENT, the plane’s foundations starting to GROAN and GROAN!

 

And then we cut away –

 

We see a shot of Ben standing on a grassy lawn, his hand covering the sunlight at his forehead as he gazes up at the sky – and we zoom in to see the familiar archived footage from the Season 3 intro (2:43 to 2:59) – the tail, a wing, and other pieces breaking off from the plane as it plummets through the sky! (Though in this current episode, this whole sequence is a bit sped up from the original scene)

 

And a couple of moments of familiar footage plays out with the same music:

 

BEN: Goodwin!

 

A quick archival footage of Goodwin running closer to Ben.

 

BEN: You see where the Tail landed-

 

RICHARD: Ben!

 

The music suddenly stops to Richard’s unexpected interruption – this is something new we haven’t seen before. And Ben looks just as surprised as we do by it.

 

RICHARD: Before you say anything further – I’m supposed to give you this…

 

Richard, approaching Ben, hands him a slip of paper. Ben takes it and reads whatever it says for a brief moment, before looking up, realizing his plans need to change. And we might notice he seems older like he does in the present (after all, it is new footage), though he is wearing the same striped blue shirt as in the old footage.

 

BEN: Alright… All of you are staying here. I’m leaving.

 

In the next shot, Ben is hurrying on down the lawn away from the crowd, Juliet quickly following up behind him.

 

JULIET: Ben, you can’t do this alone.

 

BEN: I won’t be. – I have to obey my instructions.

 

But she looks skeptical.

 

JULIET: Whose instructions?

 

But Ben is just silent. And he turns, continuing onward, leaving her behind.

 

And we cut away –

 

And we are back in the fuselage, PLANE RAPIDLY SHAKING AND SCREECHING AND GROANING, PEOPLE SCREAMING, ALARM BLARING, LOUDER AND LOUDER as AIR RUSHES PAST HURLEY’S FACE, his oxygen mask barely on him still, Jack next to him eyes closed unconscious!

 

And in front of their view, we can see in the distance ahead, the CABIN OF THE PLANE TEARS FROM VIEW, replaced with the DARK GREEN CANOPIES OF TREES SMASHING into what’s left!

 

PLANE VIOLENTLY SHAKING AND SCREECHING, PEOPLE SCREAMING, the alarm is no longer working, TREES SMASHING INTO THE FUSELAGE, we can see BRANCHES FLYING DOWN THE AISLES and PEOPLE BEING SUCKED OUT THE BACK!

 

Hurley’s eyes are shut as SHARDS OF WOOD RUSH PAST HIS FACE and Jack’s face, PLANE SHAKING AND SCREECHING, PEOPLE SCREAMING, SMASHING AND BANGING!

 

And we are close up on Hurley’s face, eyes still shut, yelling through his oxygen mask, AND WE HEAR VIOLENT CRASHING AND CLANKING as the camera starts to SPIN, Hurley’s eyes still shut as we see him SPINNING, the PLANE CARTWHEELING WITH CRASHING AND CLANKING, AGAIN AND AGAIN! DEBRIS FLYING AROUND HIS FACE!

 

And with the camera still up close on Hurley’s face, we can barely see the background behind his seat change from a plane interior into THE SKY AND TREE CANOPIES AND SMOKE, AS HE’S FLUNG OUT, still with his eyes shut yelling in his seat! The mask flies off his face, and the unconscious Jack goes flying out of the seat next to him elsewhere! The camera still spinning as HURLEY VIOLENTLY SPINS THROUGH THE AIR IN HIS SEAT, AGAIN AND AGAIN, WIND SCREECHING PAST HIM!

 

And with a VIOLENT THUD, Hurley’s seat CRASHES and BOUNCES repeatedly until one LAST THUD, we feel this with the violent jerking of the camera, still close up on Hurley.

 

And we are finally resting still, Hurley panting still sitting in his seat with a vacant seat next to him, we can now make out the seats are on sand, and some trees visible in the back, THE SOUND OF VICIOUS CLANKING AND ROLLING still in the background. Hurley opens his eyes in tears, trying to catch his breath as he sees what’s ahead:

 

And we see a brief, impressive moment of special effects as the FUSELAGE VICIOUSLY ROLLING, GROANING over its lone wing with each roll, until at last it ROLLS TO A STOP into its familiar position from the first episode of the series, debris and people spewing everywhere, a large engine landing with a VIOLENT THUD near the fuselage wreck.

 

And at last, Hurley steps up from his seat, looking at the wreckage ahead, still catching his breath as he takes in the realization of having just relived this traumatic experience. The music is is beginning to softly play, transitioning into the main Lost theme Credit Where Credit Is Due.

 

[And at last, along the bottom of the screen, we finally see in a white font, the credits gradually fade across: Starring Henry Ian Cusick, Ayesha Dharker, Michael Emerson, Michael Fassbender, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Malcolm David Kelley, Ken Leung, Evangeline Lilly, Emilie de Ravin. With Matthew Fox, and Terry O’Quinn. Guest Starring Greg Grunberg, Evan Handler, Lillian Hurst, Cheech Marin, Daniel Roebuck, 1 undetermined guest actress. Special Guest Star Sam Anderson, Special Guest Star Naveen Andrews, Special Guest Star L. Scott Caldwell, Special Guest Star Nestor Carbonell, Special Guest Star François Chau, Special Guest Star Jeff Fahey, Special Guest Star Maggie Grace, Special Guest Star Kimberley Joseph, Special Guest Star Daniel Dae Kim, Special Guest Star Yunjin Kim, Special Guest Star Elizabeth Mitchell, Special Guest Star Dominic Monaghan, Special Guest Star Mark Pellegrino, Special Guest Star Harold Perrineau, Special Guest Star Michelle Rodriguez, Special Guest Star Ian Somerhalder, Special Guest Star John Terry, Special Guest Star Cynthia Watros. The rest of the credits also listed.]

 

And in the next shot, we see Hurley wandering elsewhere, the music gently playing, obscuring the faint audio of people screaming, the plane engine spinning its blades, the large wing creaking as it hangs over the wreck. Much of the footage looks recycled from Pilot, Part 1. But the cinematography still seems to evoke a subtle, mysterious new glow.

 

And as Hurley’s wandering, Michael runs up to Hurley.

 

MICHAEL: I think they took my son?! [turning to face the wreckage] WAAAAAAALT!

 

And we see Walt there – but he looks to be an adult! He hurries over, looking down.

 

MICHAEL: Walt, you can’t run off like that! You’re ten years old!

 

WALT: Don’t treat me like a kid anymore! I’m on my own journey now!

 

And as the two argue, Hurley looks baffled on his face at this bizarre exchange. But he continues on.

 

And as Hurley’s wandering –

 

KATE: Hey, you! Come here!

 

Kate is standing there, wearing a white shirt over another one as seen in the first episode, though this is clearly a new scene – and she is oddly standing with a pregnant Claire where we would expect Jack. And Hurley hurries on over to them.

 

And Kate says urgently, though the music is still calm with nostalgia:

 

KATE: Get her away from the smoke! I’m going to try to save more people – if I don’t come back, it’s up to you to make sure that she and her baby – and everyone here – are taken care of!

 

Hurley nods.

 

HURLEY: Sure thing…

 

We cut to a quick shot of Kate hurrying away. And Hurley shouts out –

 

HURLEY: I’m Hugo!

 

Kate turns back for a quick glance.

 

KATE: Kate!

 

And as Kate runs to help someone, Hurley looks back to Claire, helping her up.

 

HURLEY: Come on, everything’s gonna be alright…

 

And in the next shot, Hurley is walking Claire across the beach, when suddenly Leslie Arzt comes running past, near suction range of the massive jet engine still spinning on the beach, huffing and shrieking, the music quieting for a moment.

 

ARZT: I’m gonna die out here! I’m the unlucky one!

 

HURLEY: Arnzt, get away from there man!

 

But it’s too late – and in a bizarre turn of events, Dr. Arzt is pulled into the suction with a scream! And what ensues is a brief moment of archival footage of the engine bursting in a fiery explosion! And there are a few notes of Hurley’s “numbers” theme playing through this.

 

Hurley, still with Claire, winces at what he just witnessed. And then there’s a laughter from nearby – Hurley looks to see.

 

Sawyer is standing near the wreckage with a cigarette (and longer hair than he had in the first episode), chuckling to himself at what just happened.

 

HURLEY: It’s not funny, dude!

 

SAWYER: Well it ain’t scary neither, Hitchcock! – Gotta learn to lighten up if you’re gonna make it through the trials ahead.

 

Hurley just shakes his head and continues on with Claire.

 

In the next shot, it’s some time later. The music is still playing gently, as commotion in the background seems to have calmed a little. The engine and wing have now been destroyed from explosions by now, absent from the sight of the fuselage wreck. Hurley is walking Claire across the beach.

 

And as they walk, we see new footage of Sun and Jin together in the background avoiding the others, Sayid carrying luggage, and Boone and Shannon bickering, which we can hear as Hurley and Claire continue on.

 

SHANNON: I was screaming for you!

 

BOONE: I was trying to find a pen!

 

SHANNON: A pen, give me a break!

 

BOONE: I was trying to help someone!

 

SHANNON: With a pen?! Oh, you’re such a delicate flower!

 

BOONE: Well at least I was doing something!

 

SHANNON: You didn’t even help them!

 

Hurley helps Claire down to a seat from the wreckage. She looks up to him, smiling.

 

CLAIRE: You have a good heart, Hugo, despite all the bad things happening around us.

 

He thinks how her comment seems to speak to his life in general, not just this particular situation. And he smiles.

 

HURLEY: Well, thanks.

 

She smiles back. And in the distance, Hurley sees Rose sitting on the beach, clutching a ring, almost alone except for the company of Vincent. So Hurley heads over to go check on her.

 

HURLEY: You alright?

 

And still clutching at the ring, she looks to him.

 

ROSE: I need to find someone from the Tail.

 

And as she says this, it comes back to Hurley, that he, too, needs to find someone from there.

 

HURLEY: …So do I.

 

And then, a voice suddenly calls out –

 

BEN: Hugo Reyes!

 

Vincent barks. Hurley turns suddenly, seeing him there near the trees. Stunned, Hurley starts to move to him.

 

And in the next shot, Hurley has arrived at where Ben is. And Ben stands there formally and with purpose.

 

BEN: The Island has sent me to meet you.

 

And we hold on Hurley’s reaction as the music hums with mystique. And we cut to black.

 

 

[Commercial Break]

 

 

Hurley stands together with Ben near the edge of the forest, the environment having a mystical glow, with mystical music beating softly.

 

HURLEY: Somehow, I knew you were gonna come.

 

BEN: Is that so? … The Island must have told you.

 

Hurley nods, though not sure how he knew it.

 

HURLEY: So what’s up?

 

BEN: I’m supposed to take you somewhere.

 

HURLEY: Where to?

 

Ben shrugs – he looks like he honestly doesn’t know. And while they’re standing there talking – an Iraqi voice suddenly pipes in:

 

SAYID: May I be of assistance?

 

Hurley and Ben turn to see Sayid Jarrah standing there. And Hurley nods.

 

HURLEY: Sure thing.

 

Sayid nods.

 

SAYID: Then we’d better go, wherever we are going.

 

And Hurley and Ben nod. And the three of them turn, starting to head into the woods. 

 

And suddenly, the sound of a woooooooooshing is beginning – and Hurley clearly notices it, looking around at the environment confused, though Ben and Sayid don’t seem to notice.

 

HURLEY: What is that noise?

 

 

And suddenly, Hurley – still wearing his striped blue shirt from the flight – finds himself inside the cozy interior of a brownish room, one that looks like it might be in a house at the Barracks.

 

And he turns to see – himself again, walking through with Miles. And Miles and this other Hurley are both wearing beige DHARMA jumpsuits (and with “Miles” and “Security” labeled on Miles’ suit, while “Hurley” and “Chef” are labeled on Hurley’s). There are DHARMA assistants in the room as well, as the two head towards a desk that a white-coated Pierre Chang is standing next to. And on the desk is a microphone and what looks like tape-recording equipment.

 

And the Hurley from Flight 815 mumbles to himself:

 

HURLEY: I remember this, it was the day after we came to 1977…

 

And Miles says to the DHARMA Hurley:

 

MILES: So just do as Dr. Chang instructs, and everything will be alright. Uh, thanks for volunteering.

 

HURLEY: Is this gonna change time?

 

MILES: Uh, no. Whatever happened, happened.

 

Hurley looks confused to Miles’ statement. And Miles looks uncomfortable as he gets near his father, though the latter does not know of their relation at this point in time. And the DHARMA Hurley takes a seat as Miles walks away.

 

And Dr. Chang, looking bored to be here today, says:

 

DR. CHANG: Alright, so when I press ‘record’, I just want you to utter these six numbers into microphone.

 

And Dr. Chang holds up a paper with the numbers printed across: 4 8 15 16 23 42. And Hurley looks confused – and a little wary at the prospect of numbers. And he asks:

 

HURLEY: Uh, what’s this for?

 

Dr. Chang, mildly aggravated with the question, just answers:

 

DR. CHANG: It’s for a broadcast we’ll be playing from the radio tower.

 

And we take a quick shot on the present-day Hurley as he watches his past self, who looks still reluctant.

 

DR. CHANG: [pressing the button] Begin.

 

And Hurley pauses a moment in reluctance, before finally saying:

 

HURLEY: Four, eight, fifteen, sixteen, twenty-three, forty-two…

 

And Dr. Chang hits the button again, and unenthusiastically declares:

 

DR. CHANG: Alright, that’s good enough. Thank you for volunteering.

 

The past Hurley gets up from his seat and starts to leave.

 

And the present-day Hurley stands, watching as his past self starts to walk right past him. And the present-day Hurley feels urged to ask:

 

HURLEY: Hey dude, am I time traveling?

 

But the past Hurley does not notice him, continuing on out the door.

 

And the present-day Hurley looks back towards the microphone, as the sound of the wooooooooosh begins again – and he looks around, trying to figure out where it’s coming from.

 

 

We’re back to Hurley – regaining his senses – with Ben and Sayid, walking through the majestic green of the Island, wildlife chirping all around them. Hurley is increasingly confused and frustrated with his experience, but he tries to keep a straight face and carries on with them.

 

While they’re walking, they come to a stop, examining the trees around them, as though looking for some sense of where to go next. Except Hurley – he finds himself staring at Ben.

 

And we hold on Hurley for a moment, emotion welling in his eyes and he thinks on his recent experiences. There are a few soft notes, reminiscent of Ben’s theme or Hurley’s theme – or both. And then Hurley says under his breath:

 

HURLEY: I forgive you, dude.

 

And Ben is still standing there, looking around. But he almost catches what Hurley says, and turns his gaze to look at him.

 

BEN: Pardon?

 

HURLEY: …Nothin’.

 

And Ben slowly turns his face away, confused. And he starts to take a couple of steps forward, before he suddenly stumbles and groans, nearly falling.

 

Sayid and Hurley hurry to help him, Sayid catching Ben and holding him up.

 

HURLEY: You alright, man?

 

Ben lets out a sigh that matches the pain in his expression. And he explains:

 

BEN: I have a tumor.

 

And a frown overcomes Hurley’s face. And he has a thought. He reaches his hand to Ben’s back.

 

HURLEY: Lemme try something.

 

Ben looks a bit uncomfortable with whatever Hurley is doing. And Hurley holds his hand there, looking up to the branches of the trees above, to the Island.

 

And with a look of might and concentration in his face, Hurley says:

 

HURLEY: Heal him…

 

And Ben furrows his brow, perplexed, as Hurley pulls his hand away. And he shakes his head.

 

BEN: I still feel it in me.

 

And Hurley’s frown returns, but he thinks it was at least worth a try.

 

And then, suddenly, there is a cracking between the trees – and the three of them turn to see what it is:

 

And Jack emerges out from the trees, wearing his same black and white clothes from the flight. He looks sweaty, weary, and distressed, trying to catch his breath.

 

HURLEY: Dude, you okay?

 

Jack, still panting, just nods his head. And Hurley intuits something –

 

HURLEY: You were chasing someone, weren’t you?

 

This catches Jack off guard, and Ben and Sayid also look puzzled by Hurley’s question. And Jack shakes his head slightly, but says:

 

JACK: It’d sound crazy.

 

Hurley smiles.

 

HURLEY: Well, crazy and I are old friends.

 

Hurley steps closer to Jack, placing his hand on his shoulder for support.

 

HURLEY: So, who was it?

 

Jack looks reluctant to say still – but remembering his conversation with Hurley from the flight, he figures if there’s anyone he can confide in, it’s him. And he whispers:

 

JACK: Someone who shouldn’t be there.

 

Hurley nods his head, smiling.

 

HURLEY: I know exactly what you mean.

 

The music elevates with a lighthearted variation of Hurley’s “numbers” theme, as he turns to face Ben and Sayid.

 

LOCKE: Maybe we can both find what we’re looking for.

 

They are all startled – the camera jerks to show Locke, in his striped white shirt, walking upright in his beige pants, approaching the group. And we hear some variation of “The Island” track (0:40 – 2:20), starting with a variation of Locke’s theme.

 

SAYID: And just what is it you are looking for?

 

And Locke says plainly, with an air of mystique in his eyes:

 

LOCKE: The eye of the Island. …I think all our roads are leading to the same place.

 

There are looks of puzzlement or skepticism across Ben, Jack, and Sayid. But Hurley looks inviting.

 

HURLEY: Well, let’s do it.

 

And in the next shot, we see the five of them, Hurley, Ben, Sayid, Jack, and Locke wandering together through the jungle as the mystical music continues on.

 

And as they’re going –

 

SAYID: Look!

 

He is pointing to a man ahead – Christian Shephard, wearing black clothes.

 

JACK: It’s him!

 

Christian turns around and runs – and the gang chases after him!

 

The mystical music beating more heavily, we see quick shots of each of the five of them as they become scattered around in the chase!

 

And we especially focus on Hurley as he manages to catch Christian’s trail and pursues him, and we can barely make out the back of Christian and his legs as he runs!

 

And the music escalates to a peak before it suddenly quiets – Hurley suddenly stops, catching his breath, as he stumbles upon something!

 

Ahead of him is the Cabin! It is just sitting in the middle of jungle in broad daylight. And we can see on the ground, a perimeter of ash a couple of yards from the entrance.

 

And Hurley stands, hesitant to go further for a moment. But then he decides, whatever, to just go anyway!

 

And he steps up to the front porch of the cabin, stepping over to the cracked window to take a peek and see who is inside.

 

And there are a few notes of suspense – and we see that the Cabin appears to be empty. And then suddenly –

 

HURLEY: You’re not ready to come in the Cabin yet.

 

There is a beat of surprise as Hurley jumps back startled, having seen himself pop up in the window to speak to himself!

 

And freaked out, he makes a quick dash away from the Cabin, stepping over the ash, before turning and looking back at the building.

 

And as he stands there – we see just in the side of the camera’s frame, a white-clothed figure appearing – and Hurley turns to see who it is.

 

It’s what appears to be Jacob! He is standing there, smiling at Hugo. And we can hear some variation of Jacob’s theme, though perhaps a variation recalling notes from the previous The Island track as well. And something about the cinematography of Jacob’s appearance is specially unusual, as there is a colorful sense of lighting and shadow to him evoking a deep sense of mystery.

 

And a big look of relief appears over Hurley’s face, he almost wants to hug Jacob.

 

HURLEY: Dude, it’s you! I thought I’d never see you again!

 

But then he just calmly replies –

 

VISION OF JACOB: Well, I’m not actually Jacob.

 

And Hurley stands there, puzzled for a second – and then it hits him.

 

HURLEY: You’re the Island.

 

And the vision of Jacob, still smiling, just slowly nods a “yes”.

 

HURLEY: I’ve been trying to talk to you for a long time. Where’ve you been?

 

The Island’s manifestation smiles, placing his hand on Hurley’s shoulder.

 

VISION OF JACOB: Just waiting for when you were ready.

 

Hurley nods – and he has a more pressing question on his mind.

 

HURLEY: Why am I reliving the plane crash? What’s goin’ on?!

 

But the Island’s manifestation just cryptically replies:

 

VISION OF JACOB: I’m not the one who can answer that, Hugo, only you can.

 

Hurley sighs.

 

HURLEY: I was afraid you were gonna say that… Kind of a copout, man.

 

And the vision of Jacob turns his gaze through the jungle, as though expecting someone to come through.

 

HURLEY: So what are you doing here?

 

Still looking into the woods, the manifestation replies:

 

VISION OF JACOB: I’m here to grow our relationship.

 

Hurley looks intrigued – but before he can think further, there is a cracking through the trees. And emerging from them:

 

It’s Locke, in black burial clothes, walking through. The music turns lowly eerie as he slowly walks through, a dead stare in his eyes as he looks at the Cabin behind them. And Locke comes to a stop at the ring of ash.

 

And the manifestation of Jacob crouches down – and he parts some of the ash with his hands, creating a breach.

 

The music shakes eerily like a rainstick, as the darker Locke glances at Hurley with a dark, silent glare for a second, before looking back towards the Cabin and continuing onward, stepping over the now worthless perimeter of ash.

 

And Hurley, watching the dark-clothed Locke approach the Cabin, asks:

 

HURLEY: Why’d you do that, man?

 

VISION OF JACOB: Jacob did this, inviting his enemy to see me the same way he did.

 

The manifestation now standing upright again, he and Hurley watch as the dark-clothed Locke opens the door and enters into the Cabin, creaking the door shut back behind.

 

VISION OF JACOB: He was hoping to influence a reconciliation… [turning to face Hurley] But there just hadn’t been enough progress for it to work.

 

And then they hear a voice out from the woods –

 

LOCKE: Hello, anyone out there?!

 

VISION OF JACOB: There’s something significant out there you need to see.

 

The manifestation nods in the direction of Locke’s voice. Hurley, looking puzzled, slowly steps forward, leaving Jacob behind as he walks on.

 

And in the next shot, we see Hurley emerging elsewhere in the jungle to find the white-clothed Locke standing.

 

HURLEY: Where’s everyone else?

 

But Locke is quietly holding his finger up to his lip in a shh sign.

 

And Hurley looks ever confused, as usual. And then –

 

A monstrous roar!!! (0:24 – 0:25) Back from the direction Hurley came from! Hurley is startled, and his impulse is to run, but Locke holds him by the shoulder –

 

LOCKE: Wait…

 

And then there is the sound of mechanical, animalistic ticking – and suddenly, we see a column of black smoke – the original smoke monster – flowing into view from the trees!

 

And as Hurley stands petrified, a calm Locke holding him still, the black smoke monster hovers closer to them in its low mechanical grumble!

 

– And then another monstrous noise (0:08 – 0:10) like a siren calls Hurley and Locke to jerk their attention in the opposite direction –

 

And with another low mechanical grumble, a silvery column of smoke starts to emerge!

 

And a mystified, intrigued Locke stands with a mystified, petrified Hurley as two smoke monsters start to slither through the air towards them both, then starting to encircle them!

 

And as the two monsters, silver and black, encircle Hurley and Locke with grumbling and ticking.

 

HURLEY: One of these comes from a different island! What’s she doing here?

 

Locke remarks cryptically:

 

LOCKE: Backgammon – two players, two sides.

 

And Hurley, gazing specifically at the lighter silver monster, calls out:

 

HURLEY: Diya! What are you doin’ here?!

 

LOCKE: You said there were two islands?

 

And to Locke’s question, Hurley nods. And Locke quietly asks:

 

LOCKE: Which one is the light, and which one is dark?

 

And Hurley looks pensive as he thinks on what he just said. And with two roars and two bright flashes engulfing the two of them –

 

We see Locke and Hurley standing in the midst of the jungle, the two monsters gone – now two people on either side of them. On one side, Diya in her white, dirtied shirt. And on the other side, Christian in his black suit.

 

And Diya and Christian both start to quietly walk away, back into the jungle on either side.

 

Locke starts to hurry in pursuit of Diya’s direction –

 

HURLEY: Wait! …Great, I’ve gotta get the bad one.

 

Hurley turns and heads in the direction Christian went in.

 

And he keeps hurrying through the jungle for a moment, before he suddenly stops at someone he is not expecting to see –

 

Standing there in bathrobe, it’s Dave!

 

And Hurley is startled frozen to a stop! And for a moment, his eyes widen with fear – but then a sense of resolve flashes through them! And a softly haunting variation of Hurley’s numbers theme (0:37 – 1:02) begins to quietly play.

 

HURLEY: Dave, what are you doing here?

 

And Dave stands there darkly. And with a mischievous smile and a twinkle of sadness in his eye, he devilishly says:

 

DAVE: It’s been a long time, old friend.

 

And then we notice again, as we did before on the flight – there is a bloodied hole on the right of his shirt – a gunshot wound.

 

HURLEY: Why’ve you got that?

 

And Dave is quiet for a moment, before he points his finger at Hurley.

 

DAVE: Because you do.

 

And the music turns lowly haunting, as Hurley looks down his shirt and feels the right of his abdomen with his hand. And he lifts up his shirt – and there we see, the camera lowering to show us: a blood-stained gunshot wound. And the camera lifts back up on Hurley’s startled face.

 

And then Dave drops it on him:

 

DAVE: You’re dead.

 

And we see Hurley’s face of disbelief and horror as a trombone dramatically blares up! And we cut to black.

 

 

[Commercial Break]

 

 

Hurley and Dave stand across from each other in the midst of the vibrant, darkly green jungle as wildlife chirps. There is a subtle, mystical glow to the scenery. And Hurley looks in disbelief still at what Dave just revealed to him. And music continues softly, hauntingly (1:58 and onward).

 

HURLEY: I don’t believe you!

 

Dave shrugs.

 

DAVE: You got shot, and here you are. You tell me.

 

And Hurley stands speechless, it admittedly does seem to make some sense to him.

 

HURLEY: …Well… if it’s true… then what do I do?

 

Dave gives a friendly smile as he steps closer to Hurley.

 

DAVE: You’ve just gotta accept you’re dead. Then you can become a ghost – you’ll be able to get a lot more done.

 

And Hurley looks down, a depression in his eyes. This doesn’t seem at all like the path he would prefer.

 

HURLEY: So how do I get out of this place?

 

Dave nods, and says:

 

DAVE: You need to jump off that cliff, like I told you to all those years ago.

 

And a fright appears in Hurley’s eyes at that prospect, the music turning ominous. And Dave smiles:

 

DAVE: And just remember, once you’ve embraced death, you’ll be able to see Libby again.

 

And Hurley looks struck by what he just said – and we can clearly see in his face, that this almost makes death seem enticing. The music beats softly.

 

And in the next shot, Dave is gone. And Hurley is standing alone.

 

And then he notices – a woooooooooshing once again.

 

HURLEY: Sounds like a plane.

 

 

Hurley, still in his clothes from the flight, is now standing at the driveway of a fancy house ahead – his own house. And up ahead, he sees a past version of himself – and Ben – both approaching the door, the two of them dressed in casual clothes.

 

The present-day Hurley moves closer to get a better look.

 

BEN: Are you going to see Kate, Sawyer and the others after?

 

Hurley looks reluctant, though.

 

HURLEY: I’m not ready to explain things to ‘em yet. I wanna get some good work done first.

 

The door opens, and standing there is Hurley’s father, David. And he looks stunned and joyful! And he embraces him. The music is a bit quiet, but warm.

 

DAVID: Hugo! It’s been months! We were so worried…

 

And in the next shot, it is minutes later as they are all now inside the house, with present-day Hurley inside as well, watching the scene play out.

 

And Hurley’s mother, Carmen, seeing him for the first time in months – just smiles, and embraces him also in tears.

 

CARMEN: I knew you would come back…

 

HURLEY: I’m here now, Mom.

 

And after she has finished embracing him, Hurley introduces Ben –

 

HURLEY: This is my new friend, Ben. He helped me get home.

 

Ben smiles – and then Carmen suddenly embraces him too.

 

CARMEN: Well then welcome into our family!

 

And Ben smiles awkwardly as she hugs him.

 

DAVID: Where’ve you been, Hugo?

 

And he smiles.

 

HURLEY: Well… I’ve been off makin’ some luck.

 

And once Carmen releases Ben, she declares:

 

CARMEN: You both must have a celebratory dinner with us! We’ll have eel tonight.

 

Hurley gulps. And some of his “numbers” theme begins to play in a lighthearted tone.

 

CARMEN: Don’t worry, Hugo, the Trons are masters at this recipe. It’s not like the last time…

 

She then looks to Ben.

 

CARMEN: You know, that is why his friends nicknamed him ‘Hurley’, because he was hurling up eel into the toilet as a young man…

 

Ben raises his eyebrows, and Hurley looks a little annoyed.

 

HURLEY: Thanks for the family history, Ma.

 

As the four continue on through the house, she pauses, and turns to Hurley again. And she just can’t help but hug her son again.

 

CARMEN: I prayed and prayed. I knew it wasn’t your time yet, Hugo, like last time.

 

She smiles, tears in her eyes, and Hurley smiles back, not caring that she is smothering him.

 

CARMEN: We’ve been blessed to have you saved from death twice!

 

And Ben smiles.

 

BEN: Of course, dead is dead…

 

And then Ben happens to notice the golden statue of Jesus standing upon a table.

 

BEN: Unless you are miraculous, like Jesus.

 

CARMEN: Amen to that…

 

And present-day Hurley watches as the four of them move into a large room in the house. And again, we wooooooooosh:

 

 

And our next sight is Desmond Hume, with longish brown hair and beard, looking rather Jesus-like, staring down at us. And above him is the dark greenery of the jungle.

 

Hurley is laying on the ground, looking back up at Desmond, who takes his hand, helping him up.

 

HURLEY: Dude… you just raise me from the dead?

 

And we can see now Desmond is wearing a beige DHARMA jumpsuit with a Swan logo on it.

 

DESMOND: No, only helped you regain consciousness.

 

And then looking as though he’s in a hurry, he starts to head off.

 

DESMOND: Well… I have to go save the world.

 

And Hurley does a double take, perhaps thrown off by all the recent religious references.

 

HURLEY: Uh, how so?

 

DESMOND: Entering numbers…

 

And Desmond continues on, and we see the realization hitting Hurley. And there is a musical tone of mysticism – as it occurs to him this theme of numbers has been emerging often lately.

 

And before Hurley can take another step, someone else emerges onto the scene –

 

It’s Jack – but he’s different. He’s wearing blue instead of black. And we hear a variation of the Passing the Torch track (0:56 and onward), like a mix of Jack’s theme and Hurley’s theme, but also an additional mystical air added in this current episode’s rendition. And there is a colorful sense of lighting and shadow to him evoking a deep sense of mystery.

 

HURLEY: Jack… you look different again.

 

And he replies back:

 

VISION OF JACK: It’s me again, Hugo. The Island.

 

Hurley nods an “oh”. And then asks the obvious:

 

HURLEY: Why do you look like Jack? Is this like A Christmas Carol?

 

And the manifestation replies:

 

VISION OF JACK: I take on a part of the personality of each protector who developed a relationship with me.

 

And so Hurley asks the next obvious question:

 

HURLEY: Dude, am I dead?

 

And troubled, Hurley feels at the wound in his abdomen again. But the vision simply shakes his head to him reassuringly.

 

VISION OF JACK: No, Hugo, you’re definitely alive.

 

And we see this brightens Hurley’s eyes a little.

 

HURLEY: You’re not about to tell me I’m a superhero or something… Like Unbreakable…

 

And the vision elaborates:

 

VISION OF JACK: You were healed because of faith, Hugo. Look up.

 

And the manifestation points up. And Hurley isn’t sure if he means that literally or figuratively – but he looks up nonetheless.

 

And up in the branches, Bernard is sitting in plane seat with a dead body sitting next to him. And Bernard waves down at them.

 

Hurley squints in confusion looking up at him – and we can read in Hugo’s face – can this day, this whole experience get any weirder?

 

VISION OF JACK: You’ve shown you have a lot of faith, Hugo. …But, try not to get shot again.

 

And the manifestation simply smiles as Hurley looks back to him.

 

VISION OF JACK: It wasn’t your time yet, Hugo. So there had to be a substitution. I saw to it that a lot of prayers for a miracle were transferred to you.

 

But Hurley doesn’t look like he entirely understands the point he is making.

 

HURLEY: Well, why… ? Just step in in the first place, if that’s what you wanted. I don’t like being misled into death and sufferin’, man!

 

And the Island explains:

 

VISION OF JACK: I did, and this was the way to it. – You’ve gotta learn it’s a world of rules and consequences, Hugo. And you and I both are trying to grow faith and fellowship.

 

Hurley nods. And then, looking almost foolish to ask:

 

HURLEY: So, we didn’t like, die in the plane crash, or something…

 

And the manifestation chuckles quietly to that.

 

VISION OF JACK: Well that’d be pretty silly.

 

HURLEY: Well why am I reliving it?

 

And pressing him for introspection, he returns:

 

VISION OF JACK: Why do you think you are, Hugo?

 

And Hurley looks thoughtful for a moment, pausing to think on what’s weighing on his soul. And then he expresses:

 

HURLEY: I still feel like I doomed us. Those Numbers that got me here – I’m the one who recorded that broadcast.

 

There are a few dark, sad notes as he expresses this. And the Jack manifestation steps closer to Hurley, looking warm and reassuring in his face still. And he places his hand on Hurley’s shoulder.

 

VISION OF JACK: Where else have you seen those Numbers?

 

And the music then beats mystically for a moment – as Hurley looks pensive again.

 

And suddenly – we see quick flashes of archival footage from previous episodes of the series. We see a quick shot on the lighthouse wheel from the episode Lighthouse, highlighting “8 – Reyes” and “15 – Ford”, and then a quick shot from Season 2 of the Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 appearing on the Swan computer screen. And then lastly a quick shot of the plane tickets from this very episode, highlighting the flight number 815.

 

And then we’re back with Hurley in the jungle – as it dawns on him in realization.

 

VISION OF JACK: It depends a lot on your perspective. These Numbers do seem to coincide with you being brought here. But they also seem to coincide with saving the world.

 

And Hurley thinks on it more. And the manifestation adds, reminding him:

 

VISION OF JACK: You’ve gotta make your own luck, Hugo.

 

And Hurley wants to accept that – but he’s still troubled.

 

HURLEY: But the SAMSARA people have tried to change them! They’ve never been able to.

 

And the Island starts to walk with Hurley along through the woods.

 

VISION OF JACK: Again, maybe you just need some perspective… Let me show you something.

 

And suddenly, with a rising, energetic whistle-like sound (1:31 – 1:33), there is a quick cut of golden-white energy flashing onto the screen! It is a very fast-paced flash, quicker than we normally see with time flashes.

 

And once it quickly fades, Hurley finds himself in a dinghy with the vision of Jack, out in the middle of the ocean!

 

HURLEY: Dude, where are we?!

 

VISION OF JACK: Look over there!

 

And he’s pointing to an outrigger in the ocean across from them –

 

Sitting in the other outrigger are a Locke in a dark gray shirt – the Man in Black, along with Sayid, a ratty-haired Claire, Kate, Jin, and Ben. And Sayid is armed with a rifle, firing across the ocean.

 

BEN: Careful, Sayid, we don’t want to draw Widmore’s people to attack us…

 

But the Man in Black just orders darkly…

 

LOCKE (MAN IN BLACK): Keep shooting at them!

 

And as Sayid keeps shooting – suddenly a gunshot comes back! And then another, and another – and with an oof, Sayid is thrown back, a bullet in his head.

 

CLAIRE: Oh my God, Sayid!

 

She picks up his rifle and starts firing back furiously!

 

Kate checks Sayid’s head. And there is a bloody bullet wound in it. And we start to hear some somber variation of Sayid’s theme.

 

KATE: He’s gone…

 

And then suddenly – with another quick burst of energy (1:31 – 1:33) –

 

Hurley and the vision of Jack find themselves walking back in the jungle.

 

HURLEY: Whoa, what… When did that happen?

 

VISION OF JACK: It didn’t. Because someone changed it –

 

And then we see a quick flash from the episode The Last Recruit, quick cuts of Sayid stepping up to the well with a gun in hand, and Desmond looking up from the bottom of the well –

 

DESMOND: -what will you tell her?

 

And then we’re back with Hurley and the vision of Jack as they keep walking through the woods. Sayid’s theme still playing calmly.

 

HURLEY: But – no real difference was made. Sayid still died.

 

VISION OF JACK: But the way he died changed. He died on the side of good, instead of the side of bad.

 

And we see a quick flash from the episode The Candidate, quick cuts of Sayid taking the bomb from the candidates and running sacrificially through the submarine to an explosion.

 

And then – we see they have arrived back with the group. Sayid is standing there, stunned and a hint gloomy at what he just heard from them. And Jack, in his suit from the flight, is also there, looking shocked to see a blue-clothed vision of himself. And a white-shirted Locke and Ben are here also.

 

And in the next shot, the manifestation of the Island is gone. It’s just Hurley now with the rest of the gang. And Sayid, looking somber, starts to leave.

 

SAYID: Well, I think I’ve heard enough.

 

And Hurley watches him leave, looking saddened for him – wishing there was more he could do for him somehow.

 

Jack is also starting to leave –

 

LOCKE: Where you goin’, Jack? Don’t you see, miracles do happen!

 

JACK: That’s not a miracle, that’s just crazy.

 

LOCKE: Why is it crazy?

 

JACK: John, I just saw myself…

 

And Ben pipes in:

 

BEN: And just who are you to tell him otherwise, John?

 

Locke glares at Ben.

 

LOCKE: I don’t need your input.

 

BEN: Well I don’t think the Island is interested in your input-

 

HURLEY: Guys, guys!

 

And he suddenly gets between the three of them, holding his hands up. And we hear a lighthearted variation of Hurley’s numbers theme (2:06 – 2:24) playing. And the three of them look a little frustrated with him between them.

 

HURLEY: Enough! Jack, John, I know you two can work to a reconciliation.

 

And we get a couple of quick shots on Jack and Locke as they look down, like kids being scolded by a teacher. And Hurley looks to Ben –

 

HURLEY: And you! I’m tired of beating around the bush. I wanna get to where the Tail Section landed.

 

Ben nods, agreeing.

 

BEN: That’s convenient enough. I saw where it landed myself.

 

– And conveniently enough, in the next shot, the two then emerge out of the jungle onto the Tailies’ beach.

 

And we hear a low variation of the main Lost theme playing darkly, softly as we see archived footage from the episode The Other 48 Days, showing multiple characters running around – including that of Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko, and Cindy.

 

And then, unexpectedly, in new footage, Ana Lucia rushes up to them, approaching.

 

And she stops before them, looking suspicious of them.

 

ANA LUCIA: What are you two doin’ here? Were you in the plane?

 

Hurley raises his hand up quickly –

 

HURLEY: I was!

 

And then he says, in a tone of exhaustion and utmost sincerity:

 

HURLEY: … To be honest, I need to find Libby. I was talking to her on the flight. It’s really important.

 

And Ana Lucia pauses, before saying, to our surprise –

 

ANA LUCIA: She told me you’d come.

 

And in the next shot, Ana Lucia has led Hurley across the beach. And she points out –

 

And there we see Libby on the beach. And she looks expectant.

 

Hurley approaches her, the music warming slightly but ominously. And once he arrives, he says, at last –

 

HURLEY: So you do know me, don’t you?

 

And the music beats softly for a moment. She smiles a little, and it’s clear in her eyes, she does recognize him. But –

 

LIBBY: I know you… because you’re in a coma.

 

And we take Hurley’s reaction to this. We would almost expect him to be stunned, but it suddenly all makes sense. But in all the ways he doesn’t want it to.

 

We then see – a bloodied hole in Libby’s shirt – a bullet wound! Just like Hurley’s.

 

And we take Hurley’s despaired expression for a moment. And we cut to black.

 

 

[Commercial Break]

 

 

Hurley stands with Libby on the beach, bullet wound still on her. There is a mystical glow to the environment still.

 

HURLEY: Why did that appear on you?

 

And she says, like a psychiatrist trying to help him through his psyche:

 

LIBBY: Because you just realized I’m apart of your personality. We have a reciprocal relationship. Whatever happens to you, happens to me too.

 

HURLEY: …Then I need to get to the real Libby.

 

And suddenly, in the next shot, the two of them are standing by a cliffside. The same one from the episode Dave, that Hurley nearly leaped off of all those years ago. And the music beats somberly.

 

LIBBY: Don’t kill yourself, Hugo. If you jump off – you’ll really give up on your life.

 

And he looks down at the long drop below, ocean waves brushing up against the rocks of the cliffside.

 

And Libby places her hand on Hurley’s shoulder –

 

LIBBY: Hugo, I know you’ve been waiting to see my ghost for a long time.

 

And he starts to turn back to face her.

 

LIBBY: But the real me must have already stepped ahead to the next place, a long time ago.

 

And the music wells up with emotion, as Hurley starts to look down, closing his eyes as tears come out. And he sniffles out:

 

HURLEY: You’d still be here… if I had just gotten those blankets.

 

And she says, consolingly, but also coming into tears:

 

LIBBY: It wasn’t your fault.

 

And he sniffles harder. And she adds:

 

LIBBY: Don’t be afraid to live.

 

And she holds his chin up to look at her. And as they look at each other there is a sudden woooooooooshing.

 

And it’s clear that both of them can hear it.

 

 

And Hurley and Libby find themselves in a hotel room. And in here, they see young Ji-Yeon, who is about 11, with a past Hurley who is wearing a business suit.

 

And the present-day Hurley asks:

 

HURLEY: Is this time travel?

 

And the two watch as Ji-Yeon is holding a camera, with the past Hurley standing by her.

 

LIBBY: It’s a memory.

 

And the past Hurley says:

 

HURLEY: It took me a long time to find this camera, but I knew you should have it.

 

And we see on the camera, Ji-Yeon scrolling through photos of her as a toddler with Sun and occasionally the dog Bpo Bpo.

 

And as they are there – suddenly, we are stunned to see, Sun and Jin Kwon appearing in the room as well!

 

And Hurley notices Ji-Yeon looking up to see them. And a soft variation of the Ji-Yeon track (1:36 and onward), which is a mix of the Life and Death theme with Sun and Jin’s theme, begins to play.

 

HURLEY: You can see them?

 

And she nods. She looks calm, but he looks stunned.

 

HURLEY: I didn’t know you guys were still around!

 

Sun and Jin both smile, facing them. And Sun looks to Ji-Yeon.

 

SUN: We’d been waiting until you got older. We didn’t want to frighten you.

 

But she looks calm to see them, still, peaceful.

 

And Jin walks over, seeing the camera she is holding. And he smiles, a tear in his eye.

 

JIN: 내가 살아있을 때, 너를 볼 수있는 유일한 시간은이 화면에 있었다./naega sal-aiss-eul ttae, neoleul bol su-issneun yuilhan sigan-eun-i hwamyeon-e iss-eossda. [When I was alive, the only time I could see you was on this screen.]

 

And Ji-Yeon starts to tear up in her eyes. And Sun comes over also, Hurley stepping aside to give them room. And Sun and Jin both embrace Ji-Yeon in some mentally-projected manner.

 

SUN: 사랑해, 지연./salanghae, jiyeon. [I love you, Ji-Yeon.]

 

JI-YEON: 나는 너를 사랑해, 엄마 아빠./naneun neoleul salanghae, eomma appa. [Mom and Dad, I love you.]

 

JIN: 사랑하는 딸, 나는 너의 삶에 없었다는 것을 유감스럽게 생각한다. 나는 지금 여기있을 수있다./salanghaneun ttal, naneun neoui salm-e eobs-eossdaneun geos-eul yugamseuleobge saeng-gaghanda. naneun jigeum yeogiiss-eul su-issda. [My beloved daughter, I’m sorry I wasn’t in your life. I can be here now.]

 

And both the past Hurley and present-day Hurley and Libby with him all look teary-eyed, even though they cannot understand what is being said, though it is translated for our benefit.

 

And then, in English, their daughter says:

 

JI-YEON: No – I don’t want you to be stuck here. I want you to be at rest.

 

And there is another tear from Jin’s eye.

 

And a teary-eyed Sun turns to face the past Hurley for a moment.

 

SUN: We were also sent here to deliver you a message.

 

And Hurley looks surprised by this. And Jin adds, though finding it difficult to express:

 

JIN: If you want to help our daughter and the other children –

 

And he stops, unable to finish. And Sun finishes for him:

 

SUN: You’re going to have to make a sacrifice.

 

And there is low, somber beat of music to this as we register the past Hurley’s reaction of confusion – and worry.

 

And we also register the present-day Hurley’s look of remembrance – and acceptance. As he stands side by side with the figment of Libby, who holds his hand consolingly. And we wooooooooosh a final time:

 

 

And Hurley and Libby find themselves back on the cliffside. Hurley takes a moment to take in everything he’s been learning – and relearning. And Hurley’s “tragic” theme (0:50 and onward) begins to play.

 

LIBBY: Everyone’s going to die, eventually, Hugo. But you can’t give up on life when you still have time to do so much good.

 

And Hurley begins to sob again, and she begins to sob also.

 

LIBBY: You can find me again once your time has really passed. Don’t look for me while you still have a life to live.

 

And Hurley nods, finally finding the strength to go on.

 

And as the two stand there, suddenly we see Dave appearing in the background again, near the edge of the cliff. The music turns a note eerie. And the two turn their faces to see him.

 

And Dave says, in disappointment:

 

DAVE: Well, just kill me now. Put an end to your insanity.

 

And Hurley stares for a moment – thinking about it. But he decides –

 

HURLEY: That’s not the answer.

 

And we hear the more optimistic Hurley theme (2:20 and onward) beginning. And Hurley declares:

 

HURLEY: You’re a part of me – one I have to keep – in check.

 

And once he says this – suddenly, the gunshot wound on Dave’s body disappears. And then we see it disappearing on Libby’s body also.

 

And Hurley feels his own abdomen – and he senses that it’s gone on him as well.

 

And then we hear the sound of a plane breezing through the sky – the three of them look up to perceive:

 

A plane that looks like Oceanic Flight 815 is flying through the air, quite intact and well. The music continues to play optimistically.

 

And then, in the next shot, Libby and Dave are gone. Hurley stands on the cliffside still – but he is not alone. Ben is now here.

 

BEN: I think… You’re ready to go in the Cabin now.

 

And he holds out his hand, invitingly.

 

And Hurley nods, and takes it.

 

And suddenly, they are back in the jungle, facing the Cabin again, just outside the entrance.

 

But before Hurley goes in, he turns to see, towards the woods –

 

Jack and Locke are together now, stalking through the woods, both with knives, smiling together like hunting partners.

 

BEN: Weren’t those two fighting? Before your pep talk…

 

Hurley looks back to him, puzzled as to the point of this. And Ben smiles.

 

BEN: You must have a gift for diplomacy.

 

And Hurley raises his eyebrows, thinking how he wished he only saw real results for that. And he turns back to the Cabin.

 

And then he at last, slowly steps up to the front porch, and takes the door handle. He creaks it open.

 

And he goes inside, leaving the figment of Ben behind.

 

And once Hurley emerges into the Cabin –

 

He again finds himself in a green clearing, out somewhere. But the cinematography evokes an even more mystical, golden air to the environment, and the music similarly reflects it. It also appears to be sunset.

 

And just beyond the clearing, there is a line of trees. Through the trees, we can barely make out movement and stone buildings, like some kind of ancient village perhaps. And near him, there is also a small wooden table with four empty chairs seated around it.

 

And we see Hurley’s look of puzzlement, wondering what he is seeing –

 

VISION OF JACOB: Every protector of history left a trace.

 

And Hurley turns to face him, seeing him standing there, the music still mystical but soft. The manifestation has a deeply mysterious lighting to him.

 

HURLEY: Are you all in my head?

 

And the manifestation replies back:

 

VISION OF JACOB: Some of what you’ve seen has been from your mind. But some has also been from my mind.

 

And Hurley stares at him for a moment, taking this in.

 

HURLEY: So… What am I supposed to do?

 

And there is a low hum as we hold on the two of them standing together, before the screen cuts to black.

 

 

[Commercial Break]

 

 

We are back with Hurley and the vision of Jacob, as they are getting seated in two of the empty chairs at the table. The cinematography has the same mystical golden glow to it as usual.

 

And then in the other two chairs – we suddenly see them occupied. Sitting in one is the blue-clothed manifestation of Jack. And in the other is a white-shirted manifestation of Hurley himself. There is a colorful sense of lighting and shadow to each of them, deeply mystical.

 

And our Hurley looks to each of the three of them. And we hear some soft variation of the Light theme (0:33 and onward) playing.

 

And then the manifestation of he himself speaks first, perhaps with hints of Hurley’s theme mixed in with the Light theme:

 

VISION OF HURLEY: So, I think you figured already – We’ve gotta deal with this other island.

 

And Hurley nods his head, agreeing. And another manifestation speaks:

 

VISION OF JACOB: ‘Island 2’, as you call it – has been working as a threat towards us.

 

And the manifestation pulls up a bottle of wine with a cork in it.

 

VISION OF JACOB: Think of the cork as us – the first Island.

 

And then he pulls out from his pocket – a corkscrew.

 

VISION OF JACOB: And this is Island 2.

 

And with the corkscrew, he pops off the cork. And he tilts the bottle to spill out some of the wine – symbolic of darkness.

 

VISION OF JACOB: One Island is a source of good, redemption, peace… And the other, everything opposite.

 

But Hurley looks puzzled – he’s not sure he buys it.

 

HURLEY: Well how do you know which one is the bad one?

 

VISION OF JACOB: Well, whose side are you on?

 

But Hurley shakes his head – that’s not his point.

 

HURLEY: It ain’t that simple. There’s always a little gray.

 

And then he declares, disagreeing with the Jacob manifestation:

 

HURLEY: Haven’t you noticed how similar the two islands are? I think both can be a source of good – or misused for bad.

 

And then he pauses, before boldly stating:

 

HURLEY: Your cork metaphor needs work, buddy…

 

And then he gives a nod to the manifestation of Jack, though still speaking to Jacob.

 

HURLEY: You need more perspective.

 

And Jack smiles, and so does the Hurley manifestation.

 

And to Hurley’s surprise, so does Jacob. Rather than objecting, he says, pleased:

 

VISION OF JACOB: You’ve learned really well.

 

And then he asks:

 

VISION OF JACOB: Do you remember earlier when I said there was something significant you needed to see?

 

HURLEY: [nodding] Yeah… When the monsters showed up. You were talking about Diya, weren’t you?

 

He nods in reply to Hurley. And then he points just over Hurley’s shoulder –

 

And appearing then is a Theodor manifestation, all dressed in black, standing upright with no crutches. And he holds out his hand to Hurley.

 

VISION OF THEODOR: Pleasure to meet you.

 

And Hurley slowly lifts up his hand to shake it.

 

HURLEY: You’re… Island 2?

 

And Theodor’s silence seems to confirm his guess, and he takes a step back from the four sitting at the table.

 

And Hurley turns to face them again, looking to the vision of Jack next, recalling their previous conversation.

 

HURLEY: So I’ve been thinking about what you said, about the Numbers. They’re like a signature for life and death? Or are they a signature for the Island?

 

And the manifestation, still smiling, just asks rhetorically:

 

VISION OF JACK: What’s the difference?

 

The music beats a little more with illumination. And then he further tells him…

 

VISION OF JACK: And remember, Desmond is a failsafe for the Numbers.

 

There is a mystical beat to this, as Hurley registers this with some confusion. And then he asks his next question:

 

HURLEY: So how do I save both islands?

 

And the manifestation takes a moment, before replying:

 

VISION OF JACK: Remember what Sun and Jin told you?

 

And there is a soft beat of music – and Hurley looks doubtful, not sure what else to take from that.

 

HURLEY: Well, I thought I gave a pretty big sacrifice – y’know, my life…

 

And there is another soft touch of music, before the manifestation says:

 

VISION OF JACK: The hardest thing to let go of is – not yourself – but someone else.

 

And Hurley’s face sinks a little to this. And the music seems to reflect that as well. We can clearly see, he is not comfortable with letting go of anyone else. And he doesn’t want to ask who, either.

 

And then, the Hurley vision speaks to him:

 

VISION OF HURLEY: The two islands have a reciprocal relationship. Whatever affects one, affects the other.

 

And Hurley thinks on this deeply, taking it in.

 

VISION OF HURLEY: If you want peace, you have to reconcile them both.

 

HURLEY: …But how do I do that?

 

VISION OF JACOB: What have we been telling you, Hugo?

 

And he motions to the Theodor manifestation again. And connecting the dots in his mind, Hurley suggests:

 

HURLEY: Theodor and Diya… Both of them are needed to stabilize Island 2.

 

And the three manifestations sitting at the table each give a nod in unison.

 

But Hurley looks troubled. He doesn’t think he can get that done.

 

HURLEY: I haven’t been able to do any miracles… Unless you’ll let me.

 

The vision of Hurley shakes his head with a smile.

 

VISION OF HURLEY: You don’t need that right now, man.

 

Hurley feels frustrated.

 

HURLEY: Why not?!

 

And still smiling, the manifestation says:

 

VISION OF HURLEY: You’ll know soon.

 

And Hurley boils into more frustration, though still keeping a lighter air to himself.

 

HURLEY: You could just tell me now instead of all the cryptic Yoda stuff!

 

And the manifestation, still smiling, says confidently:

 

VISION OF HURLEY: Learning is part of the journey. We’ve told you everything you need to know for now.

 

And Hurley rolls his eyes. And with an optimistic tone of music, the vision reassures him:

 

VISION OF HURLEY: And besides, dude – you already have the power you need to save the Islands.

 

And Hurley thinks on what he said, trying to figure out what exactly he means. The music continuing to be optimistic. And he tries to hold out hope and courage.

 

And he looks to each of the three one last time, as they all smile warmly, while the music transitions, starting to gradually build up dramatically…

 

VISION OF HURLEY: Good luck, man.

 

And we get one last shot on Hurley, as he looks unsure he is ready to leave them, the music turning into a mystical climax as he is beginning to depart…

 

And then, with a whrrrshhrhsh… (the sound of a plane lift off {0:11 – 0:13} simultaneous with a plane dive {0:01 – 0:03}) …We transition out of the flash-stasis…

 

 

We see Hurley’s face in a shadowy room again, a breathing tube connected to his nose. His eyes open wide awake. And we can still hear the beeping of a monitor.

 

And he turns his eyes – and he sees, standing in the darkness with him, is Locke, standing upright in his dark-clothed persona.

 

And Hurley barely manages to speak:

 

HURLEY: I heard from the Island.

 

And Locke says in a stilted tone:

 

LOCKE: Excellent… What did it tell you?

 

And Hurley has a darkness in his eyes – as he realizes something now. And there is a haunting piece of music.

 

HURLEY: For one, it showed me…

 

And we see another dark stare from Locke.

 

HURLEY: …that you aren’t Locke.

 

And there is a dun as we see Locke’s eyes staring at him darkly.

 

HURLEY: You never were… You’re the black smoke.

 

And as the Locke in Black stares at him still, darkness flaming from his eyes, we hear the first three notes of the Man in Black’s theme (2:19 – 2:24), the third note slowly rising, escalating with a dramatic trombone.

 

And with a THUD,

 

L O S T

 

[End Credits]