Lost 4.5

Sorry I’m late with this, but because of the ceremony Thursday night, I had to watch Lost at home today (convenient, as I’m home sick with the mini-flu).
Since watching it, I’ve read a few reviews on this week’s Desmond-centric episode, “The Constant,” and I have to disagree with the people upset that all the time travel was confusing and getting away from the story.
This was one of my Top 5 favorite episodes of Lost, and Desmond’s other flashback episode ranks up there too. The Desmond-Penelope love story has me more interested than Jack and Kate or Sawyer and Kate. I’d rather learn how Desmond finally gets back to the love of his life than learn who the other two Oceanic 6 are.
This week’s episode found Desmond and Sayid on the chopper back to the freighter, which they think is there to either rescue them or kill them. Along the way, the chopper hits turbulence, and Desmond’s mind reverts to 1996 Desmond, a soldier in the royal army. Go to Lostpedia for the full plot rundown, I’ll just tell you that 96 Desmond and 2004 Desmond must both contact Penelope, which 96 Daniel Faraday (the new guy on the island) calls Desmond’s “Constant” and the only thing that can keep his mind and body from succumbing to the ill effects of time travel.
The ending was heartfelt, and it further moves along the plot … as I now think it really will be Penelope who ultimately rescues the islanders.

What else we learned:
• Time isn’t the same off the island as it is on the island. We were given hints about this in previous episodes, but the writers went out of their way to make it a point this week. This will, of course, explain Walt’s accelerated growth and why some of the Others don’t seem to age.
• Ben’s “guy” on the boat is quite possibly Desmond and Sayid’s “friend,” the guy who left the door open for them. I’m guessing it’s Michael, but that would be too obvious, right?

Trivia (from Lostpedia)
• This episode features the smallest number of original characters of any episode to date – only Jack and Sayid appear.
• According to the calendar on the wall, as well as Desmond, the real-time events of this episode take place on Day 94 (Christmas Eve) when Sayid, Desmond and Frank left the island. This means that while it is Day 94 on the Freighter, it is actually Day 96 on the Island.
• The dog seen at Oxford university when Desmond finds Daniel Faraday seems to be the same dog used for the picture in Jacob’s cabin.
• Faraday says that while Desmond was in a catatonic state in his room at Oxford, 75 minutes had passed. Desmond perceived the same amount of time as 5 minutes. The ratio of 75:5 is equivalent to 15:1. At the auction, Widmore is bidder number 755, the same numbers as the time ratio.
• Frank is told by Daniel to follow a bearing of 305, which is a Northwest direction. Eko’s stick bore the inscription “Lift up your eyes and look north – John 3:05″.

Jennifer wants to add that the episode was Desmond-rific.
I want to add that Lost is by far the best show on TV, and my one television “constant.”