Lost returned last night with LA X, the first episode of its final season and, as we have become used to with Lost, it raised more questions than it answered.

It appears that this season instead of having flashbacks and flash forwards we are going to be having "flash-sideways". There are apparently now two timelines; one in which the plane crashed and one in which it didn't. The two timelines are at different points in time however; the "land safely" timeline is taking place in September 2004 while the "crashed" timeline is presumably sometime in 2007 or 2008. The episode cuts back and forth between the timelines (and in the "crashed" timeline it cuts between scenes at the foot of the statue and with the rest of the survivors). In this recap/review I'm going to simply follow one timeline at a time.

Land Safely Timeline

The episode opens with a recap of the ending from last season and the standoff at the Swan Station construction site. Jack drops the bomb into the shaft, the magnetic anomaly is released and Juliette is pulled in. Everyone runs for safety as Juliette pounds on the bomb with a rock and it explodes.

We fade to white as at the end of last season but the white resolves into the view of clouds outside a plane. We are back on Oceanic 815, minutes before the crash. The plane hits turbulence as before but this time the turbulence subsides and the plane continues on its way safely. Jack seems confused for a moment but no one else seems to notice that anything unusual has happened.

A quick camera pan shows that the plane is flying over the Island. We see the Other's village and the foot of the four-toed statue, but with a major difference. They, and apparently the entire Island, are now underwater.

The plane lands in Los Angeles and the passengers disembark. Charlie is arrested for possession and taken away. Kate convinces the Marshall that she needs to go to the bathroom and, while there, attempts to pick the lock on her handcuffs with a pen. She fails but knocks the Marshall unconscious and steals his gun and jacket (which she drapes over her hands to hide the handcuffs).

Kate flees and gets on an elevator with Sawyer. He notices the handcuffs but says nothing and covers for her when two security guards get on the elevator as well, helping her escape.

She winds up outside in the taxi line but is unable to find one before the Marshal spots her. She jumps into a cab and orders the driver to leave at gunpoint before noticing that Claire is in the cab as well.

Back in the airport, Jin is having trouble with customs because of the watch he is delivering for Mr. Paik. The customs agent then discovers a large quantity of money in Jin's luggage. (Sun is surprised at the money too.) Jin is taken away for questioning. Another agent asks Sun if she speaks English but she denies it.

Elsewhere, Jack has been informed that the coffin carrying his father is missing. He runs into Locke who's case of knives is also missing. They talk briefly and Locke strangely seems to be more of the assured, Island Locke than the insecure, pre-Island Locke. Jack gives Locke his card and offers him a free consultation on his spine.

Crash Timeline - The Temple

The "crashed" timeline story starts with Kate regaining consciousness in a tree. She is having trouble hearing (presumably from the blast) but climbs down and runs into Miles (who is also having trouble hearing). She sees the side entrance to the Swan station and realizes that the explosion didn't change the timeline but instead has somehow blown them back to the "present". She and Miles go to the site of the Hatch and see it is as it was after Desmond turned the fail-safe and blew it up.

Jack and Sawyer are both near the crater and they manage to revive both. Sawyer attacks Jack, blaming him for Juliet's death and saying that Jack's plan didn't work; they are still on the Island. Jack is shocked and stunned.

At the van, Hurley and Jin also notice that they have moved in time but are more concerned with Sayid. Jin goes looking for Jack. While he is gone, Jacob appears to Hurley. He tells Hurley that in order to save Sayid they need to go to the Temple, saying it is where Jin went with the French people. He also tells Hurley that he died an hour ago.

At the Hatch crater Sawyer and Jack are still arguing when Kate hears Juliet calling for help. Everyone attempts to clear the debris from over the shaft but they cannot move a large beam until Jin brings the van, allowing them to drag it off.

Sawyer descends into the shaft and finds Juliet. Sawyer tries to free her but she seems to realize that it is too late. They declare their love for each other and she asks him to kiss her. She then says she has to tell him something important but dies before she can say anything more.

Meanwhile, Jack has said he can do nothing for Sayid. Hurley convinces them to take Sayid to the Temple.

Sawyer exits with Juliet's body, telling Kate that he plans to kill Jack.

They take the van as close to the Temple as they can then most of the group leaves with Sayid. Sawyer stays behind to bury Juliet and asks Miles to help him. They do, then Sawyer asks Miles to contact Juliet and find out what she wanted to tell him. Miles balks at first but Sawyer throws him face first on the grave and demands that he does. Miles goes into his trance and tells Sawyer that her final words are "It worked." (Presumably she is talking about the alternate time line.)

The rest of the group reaches the hole under the wall around the Temple and enters it. There, they find the body of the member of Rousseau's crew who was pulled in by Smokey after losing his arm. Kate examines a book beside the body and Hurley wonders aloud why someone would bring a book into the hole.

The party passes the hole into which Ben fell (where he encountered Smokey disguised as Alex) but almost immediately afterward are captured by the Others. (The last time we saw any group of the Others it was said that all of them were going to the Temple, apparently they got there.)

The Others are now being led by Dogen, a Japanese man who speaks no English. Cindy (the flight attendant) is still with the Others and recognizes Hurley, Kate and the others but Dogen orders them to be shot. Hurley stops him by saying that they were sent by Jacob and gives him the guitar case (previously given to him by Jacob back in Los Angeles).

Dogen opens the case and finds a large, wooden ankh inside. To everyone's surprise he breaks it in half and extracts a piece of paper from inside. He reads the paper then asks everyone who their names are. They answer and, apparently satisfied, he orders the Others to take Sayid inside. Hurley asks what was on the paper and is told that it said if Sayid dies then they are all doomed.

They take Sayid to an inner room where there is a muddy fountain and pool. One of the Others expresses surprise that the pool is not clear but the leader cuts his hand and dips it in the water. He removes it after a few seconds seemingly unchanged but he orders the Others to take Sayid into the pool anyway.

The Others hold Sayid face-down in the water while the leader turns an hourglass over, holding Sayid there until the sand runs out. Sayid is removed, his wound apparently healed, but he is dead.

Sawyer and Miles are brought in by the Others. Miles says that they were captured shortly after burying Juliet.

Dogen talks to Hurley and admits that he understands English but that he won't speak it because he "doesn't like it's taste in his mouth". He asks when Jacob will be joining them and is stunned when Hurley tells them he is dead. This leads to a sudden burst of activity around the Temple. The gates are sealed and braced and several people pour a line of ash around the Temple. They also set up a frame and launch a firework into the sky.

Lennon, the Other's second in command, shows up at the Temple and wants to speak with Jack in private. Jack refuses and they are about to drag him off when Hurley suddenly points. Sayid is alive, sitting up and asking what has happened.

Crash Timeline - Beach

In the room under the foot of the statue, Ben is continuing to stare at the fire while "Locke" cuts off a piece of tapestry to clean his knife. Ben asks why Jacob didn't fight back and "Locke" says it is because he knew he was beaten. He tells Ben to go outside and tell Richard to come in.

Outside, Richard is arguing with Illyana, Bram and the rest of their team. Frank and Sun are watching and say that they don't trust them.

Ben emerges and tells Richard that Locke wants to see him. Richard grabs Ben and drags him to where Locke's body is lying on the beach, throwing him down beside him. Ben is shocked but is grabbed by Bram who says they are going into the base of the statue and that Ben is coming with them.

Inside, "Locke" is casually waiting when Ben, Bram and his men arrive. "Locke" identifies them as Jacob's "bodyguards" and tells them that since Jacob is dead they may as well go home. Bram and his men open fire on "Locke" but "Locke" disappears and the bullets seem to either pass through him or bounce off of him.

Suddenly, Smokey the Monster appears and starts killing Bram's men; grabbing them and smashing them against the walls and ceiling. Bram, in a panic, pulls out a pouch of ash and pours it in a circle around him. Smokey moves towards him and stops, seemingly blocked by the ash, then breaks a rock off the roof and throws it at Bram. Bram is knocked clear of the circle and Smokey stabs him with the rock.

Smokey disappears again and Ben, who has been cowering in the corner, stands up. "Locke" returns to the room and says "Sorry you had to see me like that."

"Locke" sits down with Ben and tells him that when Ben killed Locke the last thought in Locke's mind was "I don't understand". He also says that Locke was a pathetic man living a pathetic life but that he was the only one of the Losties who realized that his life on the Island was better than the one he had left behind. He says this is where he and Locke differ; Locke wanted to remain on the Island while "Locke" wants nothing more than to leave the Island and "go home".

Outside, the others on the beach see the skyrocket the Others at the Temple have fired off, which seems to frighten Richard. "Locke" leaves the room under the statue with Ben trailing along behind. Illyana pulls a rifle but Richard orders her not to shoot. "Locke" looks around at the group and shouts that he is "very disappointed" in them, then turns to Richard. He comments that Richard isn't in chains then knocks him out. He picks up Richard's unconscious body and walks away.

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