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''Namaste'' in a nutshell: Time travel trio Jack, Kate, and Hurley got assimilated into 1977 Dharma society. Time traveler Sayid was suspected of being a ''Hostile'' and got thrown in the Dharma detention center. And back in the present — which in Lost time is the year 2007 — Sun and Lapidus paddled to the big island and learned from Christian ''Dead Man Walking'' Shephard where and when the other castaways are. It was a transitional episode of Lost — an installment that cleared up some unfinished business and put everyone where they needed to be for the episodes to come. Coming out of the two-week break, ''Namaste'' was good for reminding us where we are in the larger season 5 saga.
A BRIEF WORD ABOUT TIMING
Let's establish temporal context. It seems those Ajira 316 castaways and the Oceanic 6/Left Behinders are separated by 30 years of time. While there's always been some debate as to when exactly the Oceanic 6 left The Island, I'm going to take the conservative estimate and say it was late December 2004. They spent three years away from The Island before boarding Ajira 316 to head back. Hence: The Ajira/Hydra castaways are in 2007. The time travelers are in 1977.
Got it? I hope so, because we're moving on.
PROJECT: ISLAND RUNWAY
The landing strip speculations were accurate. Who says tracking arcane bits of Lost mythology is a total waste of time? In the opening sequence, we saw that after the Island beamed Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid off of Ajira 316, Captain Frank Lapidus spied a makeshift runway on Hydra Island and successfully executed a landing. (Alas, RIP his shish-kabobbed co-pilot.)
If I am recalling the Lost lore accurately, the Others were working on the landing strip during the time that Kate and Sawyer were stuck in the polar bear cages. In fact, I think Project: Runway was the hard labor the fugitive lovers were assigned during their imprisonment. Sure, the Others may have been making the strip for their own use. But I'm liking the idea that they were making it because they knew — or more precisely because Ben knew — that it needed to be there in the future for Ajira 316. It certainly fits my long-held contention that Ben's machinations have been informed by knowledge of future events. Of course, Ajira landed on Hydra Island roughly three years after Kate and Sawyer's Hydra drama. So it's also possible that the project was started/finished during that three-year span by...well, by someone. Or some peoples.
One more note about the Ajira crash sequence: Did you catch the expression on newcomer Illana's face when the turbulence hit? I couldn't tell if her nonchalance was because she's a frequent flyer who's unfazed by rough air — or if she knew exactly what was about to happen. And did you catch the name she muttered when Caesar shook her awake. I heard ''Sarah.'' What did you hear?
The monster in the cabin?
Captain Lapidus was a stud for landing his mystery ship on Little Hydra Island. But it bugged me that he abandoned his passengers so he could follow after Ben and Sun and then subsequently paddled over to the big island. Check that: It bugged me that we didn't get a scene where we saw him make that choice. Because it makes sense that Frank would go. Destiny was tugging at him. Clearly, Cap'n Lap knows that it can't be mere coincidence that he and the castaways have been brought back to the Island. Surely he'd like to know why. I would. Still, I wanted to see him crunch and process his reasoning on the show.
Anyway, it appears that Caesar was making a play for being the Jack of his castaway tribe. Does that portend good things or bad things for the Ajira redshirts? Debate.
THE SMOKEY-CHRISTIAN CONNECTION
Sun and Lapidus took one of the Hydra Station outriggers and paddled their way to the Island. As they approached, we heard Smokey's distinctive rattle — and then the monster retreated. Arrrgh! Who dares waddle onto my beaches?! Oh. You guys. Yeah, you're all right. Welcome back. Help yourself to the Dharma beer in the barracks. A supernatural entity will be along in a minute to download some crucial intel. And sorry about the mess. Mercenaries, you know?
Said spectre was Jack's poltergeisty pop. Although Ghost Shephard seemed to be slightly more tangible than your typical Casper, didn't he? And interesting how he turned on the lights in that cabin and then led the way with the flashlight into the old Dharma orientation center. Does Christian actually need that light, or was he just being hospitable for his more conventionally humanoid guests — part of his duty as an otherworldly psychopomp, lighting the way for afterlife travelers?
One other thought: Was Lost trying to suggest a connection between Christian and Smokey by having the two in the same vicinity at roughly the same time? Could Jack's father be the monster in human form?
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSANDS WORDS...AND ABOUT 30 YEARS
So there were framed photos of old Dharma recruiting classes on the cabin wall, including the one featuring Jack, Kate, and Hurley. ''You have a bit of a journey ahead of you,'' Christian told Sun. Spooky. Kinda reminiscent of The Shining, but I wondered if the reference was more Back to the Future-ish: Will the time travelers disappear from the photo if they do something in the past that negates the future, which brought them there? (Please tell me that made sense.) But what I really want to know is this: Was that picture even there when John Locke's freighter 'fraidy cats were bunking in the barracks last season? Or did that version of the picture not yet exist yet because the castaways in question had not yet traveled back in time?
Meanwhile, back in 1977....
''UH... WHAT?''
Sawyer got over his speechlessness enough to receive a bear hug from Hurley, exchange a cordial handshake with Jack, and share an awkward embrace with Kate. Then, they exchanged mindscrews.
JACK: ''John's dead.''
SAWYER: ''Dead? How?''
SAWYER: ''We're in The Dharma Initiative.''
JACK: ''They came back?!''
SAWYER: ''No, we came back. And did you. It's 1977.''
HURLEY: ''Uh... what?''
HURLEY: ''Dude. Your English is awesome.''
JACK: Sun was on the plane.
JIN: !
A BRIEF WORD ABOUT TIMING
Let's establish temporal context. It seems those Ajira 316 castaways and the Oceanic 6/Left Behinders are separated by 30 years of time. While there's always been some debate as to when exactly the Oceanic 6 left The Island, I'm going to take the conservative estimate and say it was late December 2004. They spent three years away from The Island before boarding Ajira 316 to head back. Hence: The Ajira/Hydra castaways are in 2007. The time travelers are in 1977.
Got it? I hope so, because we're moving on.
PROJECT: ISLAND RUNWAY
The landing strip speculations were accurate. Who says tracking arcane bits of Lost mythology is a total waste of time? In the opening sequence, we saw that after the Island beamed Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid off of Ajira 316, Captain Frank Lapidus spied a makeshift runway on Hydra Island and successfully executed a landing. (Alas, RIP his shish-kabobbed co-pilot.)
If I am recalling the Lost lore accurately, the Others were working on the landing strip during the time that Kate and Sawyer were stuck in the polar bear cages. In fact, I think Project: Runway was the hard labor the fugitive lovers were assigned during their imprisonment. Sure, the Others may have been making the strip for their own use. But I'm liking the idea that they were making it because they knew — or more precisely because Ben knew — that it needed to be there in the future for Ajira 316. It certainly fits my long-held contention that Ben's machinations have been informed by knowledge of future events. Of course, Ajira landed on Hydra Island roughly three years after Kate and Sawyer's Hydra drama. So it's also possible that the project was started/finished during that three-year span by...well, by someone. Or some peoples.
One more note about the Ajira crash sequence: Did you catch the expression on newcomer Illana's face when the turbulence hit? I couldn't tell if her nonchalance was because she's a frequent flyer who's unfazed by rough air — or if she knew exactly what was about to happen. And did you catch the name she muttered when Caesar shook her awake. I heard ''Sarah.'' What did you hear?
The monster in the cabin?
Captain Lapidus was a stud for landing his mystery ship on Little Hydra Island. But it bugged me that he abandoned his passengers so he could follow after Ben and Sun and then subsequently paddled over to the big island. Check that: It bugged me that we didn't get a scene where we saw him make that choice. Because it makes sense that Frank would go. Destiny was tugging at him. Clearly, Cap'n Lap knows that it can't be mere coincidence that he and the castaways have been brought back to the Island. Surely he'd like to know why. I would. Still, I wanted to see him crunch and process his reasoning on the show.
Anyway, it appears that Caesar was making a play for being the Jack of his castaway tribe. Does that portend good things or bad things for the Ajira redshirts? Debate.
THE SMOKEY-CHRISTIAN CONNECTION
Sun and Lapidus took one of the Hydra Station outriggers and paddled their way to the Island. As they approached, we heard Smokey's distinctive rattle — and then the monster retreated. Arrrgh! Who dares waddle onto my beaches?! Oh. You guys. Yeah, you're all right. Welcome back. Help yourself to the Dharma beer in the barracks. A supernatural entity will be along in a minute to download some crucial intel. And sorry about the mess. Mercenaries, you know?
Said spectre was Jack's poltergeisty pop. Although Ghost Shephard seemed to be slightly more tangible than your typical Casper, didn't he? And interesting how he turned on the lights in that cabin and then led the way with the flashlight into the old Dharma orientation center. Does Christian actually need that light, or was he just being hospitable for his more conventionally humanoid guests — part of his duty as an otherworldly psychopomp, lighting the way for afterlife travelers?
One other thought: Was Lost trying to suggest a connection between Christian and Smokey by having the two in the same vicinity at roughly the same time? Could Jack's father be the monster in human form?
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSANDS WORDS...AND ABOUT 30 YEARS
So there were framed photos of old Dharma recruiting classes on the cabin wall, including the one featuring Jack, Kate, and Hurley. ''You have a bit of a journey ahead of you,'' Christian told Sun. Spooky. Kinda reminiscent of The Shining, but I wondered if the reference was more Back to the Future-ish: Will the time travelers disappear from the photo if they do something in the past that negates the future, which brought them there? (Please tell me that made sense.) But what I really want to know is this: Was that picture even there when John Locke's freighter 'fraidy cats were bunking in the barracks last season? Or did that version of the picture not yet exist yet because the castaways in question had not yet traveled back in time?
Meanwhile, back in 1977....
''UH... WHAT?''
Sawyer got over his speechlessness enough to receive a bear hug from Hurley, exchange a cordial handshake with Jack, and share an awkward embrace with Kate. Then, they exchanged mindscrews.
JACK: ''John's dead.''
SAWYER: ''Dead? How?''
SAWYER: ''We're in The Dharma Initiative.''
JACK: ''They came back?!''
SAWYER: ''No, we came back. And did you. It's 1977.''
HURLEY: ''Uh... what?''
HURLEY: ''Dude. Your English is awesome.''
JACK: Sun was on the plane.
JIN: !
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