Lost: What They Died For episode recap

“What They Died For” is the penultimate episode of “Lost,” putting pieces into play as we head into Sunday’s finale.  Spoilers for tonight’s episode ahead in the recap.

Jack wakes up in the sideways world as the episode opens.  His neck is bleeding. (Significance: Probably some, but I can’t think of it right now.)

Claire is staying with Jack and his son, David.  Jack tells his son he’s going to his concert; David says don’t get weird, my mom will be there.

Jack gets a call saying his father’s coffin has been found; it’s Desmond on the phone.

On the beach, Jack is treating Kate for her gunshot wound received in last week’s episode.  Kate’s upset, more from the death of Jin and Sun than from her own injury.
Locke did this to them, Kate says.  We have to kill him, Jack.

“I know,” Jack replies.

Sawyer watches life vests wash up on the beach.  Thoughts of those who didn’t make it are weighing heavily on this remaining group of Oceanic islanders: Hurley, Kate, Jack and Sawyer.

Jack says we need to rescue Desmond, since Locke wanted him dead.

Back on the sideways world, Locke is back at school, and Desmond is there again.  Ben says he’ll stop Desmond from hurting Locke.  Desmond says he’s not here to hurt Locke.  ”Who are you?” Ben asks.  ”You want to know who I am?” Desmond says, then beats Ben, triggering Ben’s memory of being beaten by Desmond when Ben attempted to kill Penny.

On the island, Ben leads Richard and Miles to the former Dharma camp to find C4 with which to blow up the plane.  Miles feels the presence of Ben’s dead daughter; Richard says he buried her after Ben left the island.

In Ben’s former house, Ben digs out the C4.   Miles asks about Ben’s secret room.  Ben says it was to summon the monster.  That’s before I realized he was the one summoning me, he says.

Ben packs the C4 in Richard’s backpack just as guests arrive – it’s Zoe and Charles Widmore.

Why are you here, Ben asks.  Widmore says he’s their best hope for survival.   Ben asks how Charles got back.  He says Jacob invited him back, and showed him the error of his ways.   Zoe, who’d been sent to sink the boat, says Locke is on the way.   Widmore says they’d better hide.

On the sideways world, Locke and Ben run into one another in the hospital, where Ben is being treated for his injuries from Desmond’s attack.  Ben says the attack caused him to see something.   Ben said the man was trying to get Locke to let go, and does that mean anything to Locke?

At an LA police station, Desmond turns himself to Sawyer in for the attacks on Locke and Desmond.  He is locked up, alongside Kate and Sayid.

On the island, Sawyer asks Jack why Locke didn’t just kill Desmond.  Could be one of his rules, Jack said.

Sawyer says his actions killed the people on the sub, didn’t they? No, Jack said. It was Locke.

Hugo sees the young Jacob, who demands the ashes Hugo took from Alana.   Young Jacob takes them and takes off running; Hugo catches up, and he’s grown Jacob, burning the ashes on a fire.   When they burn out, you’ll never see m e again, Jacob says.  You should get your friends, we’re very close to the end, Jacob tells him.

As Locke approaches Ben’s cabin, Miles decides to take off through the jungle.  Richard says he’s going to talk to Locke.  Ben wants to meet up to him, as well.  As Richard walks out into Dharmaville, he’s grabbed up by the smoke monster.  Is this the end of Richard?  Hoping not.

Back in Locke form, Smokey approaches Ben. “Just the man I was looking for,” he says.

Locke says he needs Ben to kill some people for him.  If Ben does so, once Locke leaves the island, Ben can have it all to himself.   Locke asks where he can find Widmore.  He’s hiding in my closet, Ben says.

On the sideways world, Alex invites the injured Ben to let her mother give him a ride home.  It’s Danielle, who invites him for dinner.   After dinner, Danielle tells Ben that Alex’s father died when she was 2, and that Ben is the closest thing she’s had to a father figure.  Ben, beaming with pride, fights back tears.

On the island, Ben leads Locke to Widmore and Zoe.  ”Wait out here, you don’t need to see this,” Locke says.  ”I want to see this,” says Ben.

Widmore tells Zoe not to talk to Locke.  He slashes her throat.  ”You told her not to talk to me, that made her pointless,” he said.

Locke says unless Widmore tells him what he needs to know, he will kill Penny as soon as he leaves the island.  But if Widmore tells him what he wants to know, he won’t hurt Penny.