WHOOSH to an operating room as Jack stands terrified over the exposed spinal column of a patient. He announces that he cut the girl's dural sac, and everyone in the room reacts. They turn to another doctor in the room -- Jack's father. Jack says the spinal fluid is leaking out, but his dad says calmly to close his eyes and count to five. The only way he's going to be able to stitch up that sac so the girl isn't paralyzed for the rest of her life is to not be afraid. Or he'll have to fix it. Jack glares at his father as he slowly starts to count to five. When he's done, he begins suturing the cut.
Afterwards, in the break room, Jack buys a candy bar from a vending machine but the candy bar is stuck. He hits the machine a few times but it doesn't budge. Christian comes in and tells Jack that the girl is in recovery and there's no paralysis. Jack says Christian embarrassed him in front of the entire team by giving him a time out. Jack knows his father doesn't believe in him, but he needs his team to. Christian asks if Jack's sure Christian is the one who doesn't believe in him and then leaves. At the vending machine, a man makes his selection and Jack's candy bar drops. He holds it out to Jack and asks if it's his. The man is Jacob. Jack says yeah, the machine jammed. Jacob says guess it just needed a push. And as Jack takes the candy bar, their fingers touch slightly.
WHOOSH to the island as Sawyer tells Jack that his father murdered his mother and then killed himself. It was the worst thing that ever happened to Sawyer. They're in July of 1977, and that happened the year before. So Sawyer could've hopped on the sub, gone back to the States, and stopped his dad from killing his mom. But he didn't because what's done is done. Jack says it doesn't have to be. Sawyer asks what he screwed up so bad he's willing to blow up a nuke for a second chance, and Jack says Kate. He had her and he lost her. Sawyer tells him Kate is just on the other side of the trees, but Jack says it's too late. Sawyer's five minutes are up. Sawyer reminds Jack that if his plan works, if they start from scratch, then Kate'll be in handcuffs and they'll be strangers. Jack says if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Sawyer realizes there's nothing he can say to change Jack's mind -- when KRRRACK!
Sawyer hauls off and hits Jack in the face! Jack grabs Sawyer's foot, and Sawyer goes down. And after five seasons of tension, the ultimate fight between Jack and Sawyer is on! They pound on each other, and finally Sawyer gets Jack pinned to the ground. He asks Jack if he'll stop, and Jack says no. So Sawyer starts slamming punches into Jack's face. Over and over, and Jack just takes it. Finally, Juliet shouts at Sawyer to stop.
WHOOSH to little Juliet and her sister, Rachel, sitting on the sofa listening to their parents explain that they're getting a divorce. Rachel is angry, and their mother tries to explain. Just because two people love each other doesn't always mean they're supposed to be together. Hurt, Young Juliet asks what if they're supposed to be together. Her mother says they're not, and little Juliet asks how can she know for sure? Her mother says when she's grown-up she'll understand. Young Juliet runs down the hall to her room yelling that she doesn't want to understand.
WHOOSH to the island as Sawyer tells Juliet that Jack won't listen to him. Juliet says that's because Jack is right. They have to do this. Sawyer is shocked -- what is Juliet talking about? Juliet says she changed her mind after she saw the way Sawyer looked at Kate. Just because two people love each other doesn't mean they're supposed to be together. If Jack can make it so that none of them ever come to the island, then Juliet feels he should. Because if she never meets Sawyer... then she never has to lose him.
At the Swan construction site, Dr. Chang checks the gauges of the drill. Great bursts of steam rise from the hole. Chang tells Radzinsky that the electromagnetic forces are jumping off the charts. Radzinsky is excited -- they're on top of the pocket. Chang warns him about continuing to drill, but Radzinsky gets a call from Phil over the walkie. The hostile who shot young Ben came back. He had a bomb with him and stole a van. Radzinsky realizes Sayid knows where the construction site is and is probably heading this way. He orders Phil and the security team to drive out to the Swan site so they can protect it.
In the jungle overlooking the site, Jack watches the activity as the drill digs deeper into the ground. Kate walks up behind him and asks if he's in any pain. Jack says he's all right. Kate wonders if Jack remembers when she sewed him up when they first got there, and he smiles. Yeah... Jack asks why she made him promise not to ask about Aaron, and Kate says because she was so mad at him for making her come back to the island. She only came back so Aaron could be where he belonged -- with his mother. Jack tells her that if his plan works, then Claire and Aaron will never come to the island and they'll be together. Jack says he knows it's hard to believe but nothing in his life has ever felt this right. He just needs Kate to believe that. Then WHUUURRRNNNEEEKKKRRR! A horrible sound comes from the Swan site and an alarm bells rings. Jack says it's about to happen, and they take off.
WHOOSH to the Los Angeles County prison as Hurley is released. He gets into a waiting cab only to discover someone else is already there sitting next to a guitar case. It's Jacob. Hurley starts to get out, but Jacob tells him they can share the cab. As the cab drives off, Jacob tells Hurley he was waiting for him. Hurley asks if Jacob is dead, and Jacob says no. Jacob wants to know why Hurley won't go back to the island, and Hurley says that he's cursed. That's why the plane crashed, and why his friends died. Now they visit him, and he can't stop it. Jacob asks what if Hurley isn't cursed but blessed? He gets to talk to the people he lost. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Hurley says sure, except for the part where he's crazy. Jacob tells Hurley he isn't crazy. Jacob puts his hand gently on Hurley's knee and gives him the flight information for Ajira flight 316 at L.A.X., and then waves the cabbie over. As he gets out, Hurley says he forgot his guitar case, but Jacob says it's not his guitar.
WHOOSH to the island as Jack rushes back to the van and tells Sayid it's time to go. He promises Sayid it's going to work, takes the backpack with the plutonium core in it, and heads off through the jungle to the Swan station.
WHOOSH to Richard and Locke as they walk through the jungle. Richard stops, and Locke wants to know why. They're at the base of the broken-off four-toed statue. Locke wants to know what this has to do with Jacob, and Richard says it's where he lives. Richard leads Locke up to the pedestal and runs his hands along the area between two carved ridges until -- POP! Richard pushes inwards and reveals a hidden entryway. Locke and Ben head inside, but Richard stops them. Locke can't take Ben inside. Only the leader can request an audience with Jacob, and there is only one leader. Locke says he thinks Richard is making up these rules as he goes, and they go inside.
WHOOSH to the van as Sawyer and Miles see Phil driving by with a security team heading towards the construction site. They know they'll kill Jack if they see him. Juliet says live together, die alone, and they head off in the van in hopes to cut Phil off.
Radzinsky sees Phil pull into the construction site, and heads over to talk to him. Phil immediately spots Jack, and a fire fight breaks out! But Sawyer and his group arrive in the van, and the shoot-out begins. Sawyer sneaks up behind Phil and holds him at gun point, ending the fight. Sawyer tells Chang to stop the drill, but Chang can't. Something's pulling the drill down, and Radzinsky realizes they hit the pocket. Jack crosses over to the mouth of the hole and throws the plutonium core into the hole. It drops, vanishing into the depths. Jack closes his eyes expecting a massive explosion -- but nothing happens. Suddenly, the drill tower starts to collapse in on itself, crashing down over the mouth of the hole. Chang screams in pain! As the tower fell, his hand was caught in the metal and mashed. Miles runs over to help him. He frees his father's hand, but it's badly crushed and damaged.
Everything metal begins sliding over towards the hole, dragged by the forces unleashed. Radzinsky yells for them to run! He jumps into Phil's jeep, but it is dragged backwards by the electromagnetic force and crashes into the remnants of the metal tower. Then WHOOMPHH! A flying tool chest hits Jack in the back of the head, and he goes down. Then Juliet screams out! Caught in a tangle of metal chains, she is being dragged into the hole! Sawyer runs after Juliet and grabs her at the last minute! Phil stops a rifle skidding by and aims it at Sawyer, but scaffolding collapses on top of Phil. Then a flying piece of rebar twirls through the air and THWAACKK! Impales Phil right through the chest!
Sawyer yells at Juliet to hang on as Kate runs over and tries to untangle the chains. The teetering metal tower grinds, and whirring noise rises from below. The metal beam they're on buckles, and Juliet looks up into Sawyer's eyes and simply says, "I love you, James." Her fingers slip free, and Juliet falls, disappearing down the hole.
WHOOSH to the beach as Richard waits with the Others. Ilana, Bram, Lapidus and their group break out of the jungle, and Ilana tells them not to shoot. She asks which one of them is Richardus. Richard walks over to her, and she asks what lies in the shadow of the statue. Richard responds in Latin, and Ilana smiles. It's the right answer. She introduces herself and tells him they have something to show him. They open the aluminum crate --
-- And the dead body of Locke rolls out! Richard is shocked. Ilana explains they found his body in the cargo hold of the Ajira plane... in a coffin. Sun is scared and confused. She asks if this is Locke, then who is the Locke they've been following and who is now inside the foot of the four-toed statue?
Meanwhile, inside the foot, Locke and Ben enter the room we saw in the teaser. The furnishings are simple, moonlight cascades through a hole in the pedestal, and in the center of the room a fire burns. Ben sees the tapestry, and from behind him Jacob asks if he likes it. Locke steps forward -- and they hold each other's looks. Jacob says he found his loophole. Locke says indeed he did. Ben is confused and asks if they met before, and Locke says in a manner of speaking. He then tells Ben to do what he asked. Jacob tells Ben that whatever Locke said, he wants Ben to understand one thing -- he has a choice. Ben can do what he was asked, or he can go and leave them to discuss their issues. Ben says after all this time, Jacob has finally decided to stop ignoring him? After living on the island for over thirty years, hearing his name over and over, carrying out his instructions, dealing with his lists, doing what he was told, being patient... and he never questioned it. But when Locke asks to see Jacob, he's marched up here like he's Moses. Why Locke? Angry, Ben asks what's wrong with him? What about him? Jacob says what about you?
And that does it. Abruptly, Ben raises the knife -- and stabs Jacob right in the heart! Twice! Jacob does nothing to defend himself and doesn't even seem surprised. He collapses onto the floor... and then whispers something to Locke. He bends down to hear him better, and Jacob says they're coming. Locke looks up fearfully. Angry, he shoves Jacob into the fire. Jacob bursts into flame and dies in the fire pit.
At the construction site, Jack lies unconscious next to the collapsing drill tower. His eyes flicker open, and he sees Kate and Sawyer dangling on a section of the platform. He stumbles over and helps Kate up. Sawyer tells him Juliet is down in the hole somewhere, and Jack says there's nothing they can do for her. The platform creaks, and Jack yells that it's not going to hold. That gets Sawyer moving, and he climbs out with Jack's help. The metal groans one last time and collapses into the hole!
At the bottom of the drill shaft, Juliet lies in a shallow pool of water. She is critically hurt but somehow still alive. She looks around and sees the unexploded nuclear bomb off to the side. She drags herself over to it, inch by painful inch, and picks up a rock. She gathers herself and starts pounding on the nose of the cylinder. BAM! BAM! Using everything she's got -- she hits it one more time and -- WAAA-BOOM! The cavern flashes white, the noise of the explosion washes away as the screen washes out --
BOOM.
See you next year.
