Television Review: The Incident, Part II (Lost, S5X17, 2009)

The Incident, Part II (S5X17)

Airdate: 13 May 2009

Written by: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
Directed by: Jack Bender

Running Time: 42 minutes

As Lost approached its conclusion, the writing team found themselves in an increasingly precarious position. They were tasked not only with unravelling the show's labyrinthine plot mysteries but also with providing emotional closure to a sprawling ensemble cast. Yet, the need to maintain high viewer interest compelled them to rely increasingly on visual spectacle and melodrama. Consequently, many storylines were either left deliberately muddy or rushed into conclusion to leave the audience breathless. It is within this context of creative exhaustion and narrative juggling that the series' penultimate season finale, The Incident, Part II, must be viewed. While it delivers the requisite twists and action, it also serves as a stark illustration of the difficulties the creators faced in crafting a satisfying end to an epic journey.

The narrative device of time travel, introduced in Season 5, serves a dual purpose here. It is not merely a plot progression mechanism but a structural shifter that fractures the episode into two distinct storylines set in different temporal eras. We are treated to the scrambled efforts of the survivors in 1977 and the ethereal, conflict-ridden politics of the Island's present. This bifurcation allows the episode to deliver not one, but two separate cliffhangers, a common tactic in the show's later years to keep viewers hooked across the hiatus. However, this structural choice highlights the show's growing reliance on gimmicks to sustain interest as the well of original ideas began to run dry.

The segment set in the actual past—specifically 1977—feels the least fresh of the two. The audience is acutely aware that the Dharma Initiative's dominance over the Island was destined to end, albeit years later. We know of the slow decline following the supposed "Incident" depicted here, a purge that the characters are currently rushing towards. Furthermore, we are privy to the fates of supporting characters; we know Radzinsky, whose zeal to dig into the future caused the very station we are watching, survived. We know Dr. Chang, who appears on screen, is supposed to survive. This lack of surprise undermines the tension, transforming what should be a high-stakes historical event into a predictable countdown.

Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse nevertheless attempt to squeeze every drop of drama out of the situation. The episode begins with the Losties divided into two camps. Jack, Hurley, Miles, and Jin, accompanied by a wounded Sayid, are tasked with burying a hydrogen bomb to seal the electromagnetism leak and alter the timeline. Opposing them are Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate, who believe the timeline cannot be changed. This ideological clash inevitably leads to a prolonged and brutal physical altercation between Jack and Sawyer. The fight serves no tactical purpose other than to highlight their stubbornness and refusal to compromise. It is only in the final moments, when Juliet appears to change her mind and join Jack's cause, that Sawyer's alliance shifts. His loyalty to Juliet, rather than his love for Kate, sways him.

The subsequent raid on future Swan locations descends into a chaotic gunfight. Jack successfully drops the bomb into the shaft, but the device fails to detonate immediately. Instead, the electromagnetic anomaly manifests, killing and injuring Dharma staff in a spectacular display of the Island's power. Phil is impaled to death, and Dr. Chang loses an arm in a harrowing sequence. The chaos culminates in Juliet being trapped by heavy chains and dragged into the very pit Jack had dropped bomb into. Rather than let Sawyer risk his life trying to rescue her, she chooses to fall into the darkness. At the bottom of the pit, surrounded by debris, Juliet remains alive. Seizing the opportunity, she attempts to detonate the bomb by banging on its casing. The screen fades to white at the episode's conclusion, leaving the audience to question if she succeeded or if her death triggered the very purge she sought to prevent.

Meanwhile, the alternate storyline delivers an even more dramatic twist. Locke has led the Others to the foot of a massive ruined Egyptian statue, which had been depicted whole in the 19th century. He explains that the foot is Jacob's home. They enter the temple, where Jacob welcomes them, stating his opponent has "found the loophole." Outside, Ilana and her group arrive, revealing a crate containing the body of John Locke—a body that has apparently died in Los Angeles. The implication is clear: Locke's shape and identity have been overtaken by Jacob's enemy, soon to be known as the Man in Black. Inside, Jacob offers Ben a choice: leave or act on Locke's instructions to kill him. Ben opts for murder.

There are undeniable moments of quality in The Incident, Part II, but the overall impression is one of uneven execution. The Losties' raid on the Dharma site feels overly prolonged and melodramatic. Juliet's apparent demise and her sudden, capricious change of heart regarding Jack's mission make the show feel incredibly soapish and formulaic. The emotional weight of the scene is saved almost entirely by Elizabeth Mitchell, who delivers a tour-de-force performance capturing the complex, conflicting emotions of apparent defeat and hopeful sacrifice. Her ability to convey a lifetime of love and regret in a single glance elevates the material significantly.

The twist regarding John Locke is undoubtedly the most interesting development, finally answering the lingering question of his duplicity. However, the character of Jacob himself seems to be going to waste. He is introduced in the previous episode solely to be dispatched here. While he appears in a few flashback scenes interacting with regular characters in the past, these segments serve little purpose beyond padding the plot and adhering to the flashback formula established in earlier seasons. He lacks the gravitas required of the guardian of the Island, coming across as more of a plot device than a deity.

Compared to the high standard set by previous seasons, the Season 5 finale is ultimately disappointing. This is largely because the central question—whether the bomb actually exploded and destroyed the Island—is left tantalisingly unresolved. The Incident, Part II, therefore, serves mainly as a transitional teaser towards the final season that is supposed to give all answers and tie all plot arcs into some sort of coherent whole. Yet, despite the robust performances and competent direction from Jack Bender, the episode betrays a palpable fatigue and a draining of creative juices among the series' creators. It is a competent episode that hints at greater things to come, yet ultimately feels like a bridge that could have been crossed with less fanfare.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

==

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo

LeoDex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax
InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9