Lost recap 6.11 - "Happily Ever After"

 The latest recap from our "Lost" blogger, Luci Chavez.

If there's a cure for this, I don't want it. And by "it" I mean my super-sized obsession with Desmond Hume episodes on Lost. What's not to love when I'm guaranteed to hear the lonely, achingly lovely cello that unhinges me every single time?

This one also featured — because, apparently, I have been a very good girl — my beloved Charlie, that silver fox Charles Widmore, and the lovely Penny.

In this case, love has got a lot to do with it. And by "it" I mean the convoluted mess we know as Lost mythology.

SPOILER ALERT

When we left Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), he was confused and groggy laid out on the sub dock on the island and eyeballing Sayid, who was hiding in the water. Desmond comes to with Zoey tending to him, saying they've got to move Des somewhere. Where? Where's Penny? Before he can get any answers, his father-in-law shows up. Blimey. Father-in-law troubles already.

Mr. Widmore (the versatile Alan Dale, who also played evil for a time on Ugly Betty) reminds Desmond he was shot by Ben at the Long Beach harbor and reassures him that Penny and baby Charlie are safe. But then he's telling Desmond he has to come with and Des rightfully gets suspicious. "I brought you back to the island." And Desmond, yes, I agree that the right thing to do in response was to whack Widmore over the head. Desmond demands to be returned to his family but Widmore explains, "I can't take you back. The island isn't done with you yet."

Inside one of the island stations, Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) asks why Desmond is back. It's for some test. Jin sees all the buttons and knobs and a big furnace-looking thing. It's a generator they're trying to fix. Oh Lord. NOT the white bunny. "Guess what Engstrom? You're next." (FYI - On this island, instead of virgins, they sacrifice bunnies and Jack's mental well-being. Nice.)

Outside, one of the workers is checking this outdoor setup when someone inside throws the switch. It sets off this huge pulse and the white light and the dude outside gets fried. Desmond sees all of this, knowing he's next. RUN, BROTHA!

Widmore's goons drag Desmond inside and Widmore gives Des the lowdown. "If what I know about you is true, you'll be fine. ... Once it's over, you'll have to make a sacrifice. I hope you will help me." Desmond rightfully asks Widmore what he knows about sacrifice then Daddy Fancy Pants gets that hard look in his eyes. "My son died for this island. Your wife hates me. I've never met my grandson. If you won't help me, that all will be for nothing. Everyone will be gone forever."

Desmond is trying to escape and Jin is trying to convince Widmore to let him go. It's not working. Remember Desmond is the only one to really survive the big flash of electromagnetism the island throws out every so often. "I need to know if you can do it again." Oh man. This isn't going to be pretty. They take Desmond to the outdoor setup and flip the switch. Desmond is getting fried then all of a sudden ... he's floating above the clouds.

LAX. Desmond wasn't on the original Oceanic 815 but in WITHPDCAR he was. Hurley comes by and chats him up. They both head to baggage claim where Claire is struggling with her bag. Desmond helps her and offers her a ride. She declines. He asks after her baby. Boy or girl? She doesn't know. As they walk away, he tells her it's a boy

That guy from Widmore's boat, the one who bled form his brain during the constant thingy, picks up Desmond. George. Apparently, Desmond was in Sydney for business and is in L.A. for business and isn't interested in getting a hooker, thank you very much.

Desmond goes to an office building to check in with his boss. Crikey, it's Papa Widmore. And they're all buddy buddy! I think I'm going to throw up. Widmore talks about his son the musician, about how Drive Shaft has a bassist who just OD'd but Desmond needs to babysit the bassist (Charlie!) so he can perform at a benefit with his son. Desmond is all like, OK, whatever you say and then Widmore gives Desmond 60-year old scotch and they toast. And I do throw up.

Desmond shows up at the courthouse and out comes Charlie (tears) who walks straight into traffic without getting killed, then straight into a bar. Desmond follows and they chat and before you know it Charlie is asking Desmond if he's ever been in love. Now, it sounds like a pickup line but then Charlie talks about what happened to him on the plane.

"On the plane back from Sydney. I saw love. I saw her. There was a woman two rows in front of me. In handcuffs. The cop knew I had drugs. So I swallowed them in the bathroom. Turbulence. I choked. The entire bag of heroin was stuck in my throat. It's over. I'm slipping. Then I see her. A woman. Blonde. Rapturously beautiful. I know her. We're together. It's like we've always been and always will be. This feeling, this love. And just as I'm about to go. I open my eyes. And this sodding idiot is asking me if I'm OK. Just for a moment I saw what it was like. Poetry, brotha."

Charlie claims the dream was the truth. Des isn't moved. "Either you drink or come with me. If you drink, kiss your music good bye. If you come with me, Mr. Widmore owes you a solid."

In the car on the way to wherever Widmore wants them to go, the boys are listening to "You All, Everybody" and Desmond is not impressed. Charlie keeps needling Des about the love thing and gives him a choice. "I can show you your future or you can get out of the car." Charlie grabs the wheel and they go into the harbor face first.

They're underwater and we've seen this before, back at the Swan. Desmond tries to save Charlie before he drowns, you know, a second time. Charlie looks at Desmond, who's trying to open the car door. Charlie holds up his hand to the window and, my hand to God, it says, "Not Penny's boat." (My heart just stopped.) Desmond keeps flashing back to images of Charlie underwater in the Swan when Charlie saved them all. Then Desmond opens the door open and pulls Charlie to the surface.

At the hospital, Des looks OK but the nurse asks him if he's having hallucinations. Des wants to bolt but they send him to get an MRI instead. While he's strapped into the machine, he starts seeing a whole lot. Charlie under water. And Penny. Kissing Penny. Baby Charlie. Penny smiling. His heart is swelling with the love of it all and he's freaking out. Bolting from the MRI, Desmond runs into Jack, asking for Charlie. Then Charlie runs past. Desmond catches up and wants to see Charlie's hand and wants to know who the hell Penny is. "You felt it, didn't you?" Charlie says. "All that matters is that we felt it." (I feel it, Charlie!!)

Charlie is talking about that elusive love thing he explained while talking about Claire and Desmond is hinting at with the flashes of Penny. What Charlie is saying is that all the stuff we saw in seasons 1-5, and all that stuff that was erased this season in the alternate reality, IS real. That it did happen. And they know it happened. Why does it matter?

Des catches hell from Widmore for letting Charlie go. Man, this Drive Shaft concert really is a big deal. "You tell Mrs. Widmore it's only a concert!" Desmond goes to confront Eloise. He apologizes for ruining the Drive Shaft thing. Now her son can't play with the band. (The son is Daniel, except he's a guitarist not a physicist.) Eloise is cool with it so Des walks away but he happens to hear someone talking about the guest list and hears the name Penny. But Eloise stops it right there.

Des is trying to figure it out then my girl Fionnula Flanagan gets all hard in the face. "I want you to stop. Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. It's clearly a violation. Whatever it is you think you're looking for, you need to stop looking for it." Eloise always knows what's going on. "You managed to get one thing you're desperate for - my husband's approval. And no, you can't see the list because you're not ready yet, Desmond." Desmond goes back to the limo then someone knocks on the window. It's Daniel (Jeremy Davies).

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume? The first time I saw her walk into a museum. She works here. (He's talking about Charlotte, last seen making eyes at Sawyer.) As soon as I saw her, in that moment, it was like I already loved her." Daniel the musician shows Desmond something he wrote in his journal. Some quantum mechanics thing that he shouldn't understand. "What if something catastrophic were to happen and the only way to stop would be to set off nuclear bomb? What if all this wasn't supposed to be our life?"

Cue the hopeful strings and the lonely piano. "I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb but I think I already did." Desmond is still skeptical. Daniel goes on. "Why did you ask about a woman named Penny? It happened to you, too." (Oh, the cello. I can't handle the cello!) Desmond doesn't know what he thinks. (I love you Penny. I've always loved you.) "It's impossible. I don't know if she exists. She's an idea," Desmond says. "No, Mr. Hume. She's my half-sister. ... I can tell you how to find her."

Someone is running the steps at a stadium. It's the lovely Sonya Walger, a.k.a. Penny. Desmond is there. He sees Penny. He meets her. They can't stop smiling.

Then Desmond wakes up in the electromagnetic thingy on the island. "How are you, Desmond?" "I'm fine." "Your talent to withstand this blast is vital to our mission." "OK, whatever. When do we start?" Desmond done changed personalities!

Zoey finally asks the obvious question. What the heck happened to you, brotha? "A lot can happen in 20 minutes." Oh snap! It's Sayid! He just killed the Kate & Allie guy! "Come with me. These people extremely dangerous." And Desmond, cool as a cucumber, smiles and says, "Aye. Lead the way." Doh!

Back in LA, Penny is still smiling. "I shook your hand and you fainted. ... Have we met?" They agree to have coffee. Penny smiles and walks off and laughs. Desmond smiles. He walks back to the limo, looking calm and happy. George asks is there's anything else he can do for him. Yep, Get me the passenger manifest from Oceanic 815. Why? "Because I need to show him something."

What's on the manifest that we don't already know? Who else was on the plane in WITPHCAR besides Desmond? And why should we care?