This is Lost at its best. The love story between Desmond and Penny make the best episodes. His first flashback was after being released from military prison at a time that shortly follows this sequence of events. This flash was another unique one for Des, this time Desmond didn’t have a flash to the past where he remembered the future or experience flashes of the future. This time a past self came to the present. Which we now know is Christmas Eve 2004.
He had a flash-through (Koobie came up with that). One question that was answered was how and why Desmond was dishonorably discharged from the military. He went AWOL looking for Faraday and Penny.
There were some interesting numbers.
- 755 – Widmore’s Auction Number
- 423 Cheyne Walk – Penny’s Flat
- 7946-0893 – Penny’s phone number
It is interesting that Frank doesn’t trust his employers. He defied them multiple times in this episode alone.
I wonder where Minkowski was flashing through. He said that he was on a ferris wheel, so could he have been going back to the past. Or, was (past tense) he going to a time in the future? Is this it for Minkowski or will we see him again. I hope so.
Faraday was genuinely surprised when Desmond made a comment that he has forgotten about their encounter in 1996. He replied to Desmond, “yeah right, how would that happen?” We know that Daniel has short memory problems because of the card game last week. So, did the prolonged exposure to his experiments cause some kind of disconnect in his mind? Something catastrophic happened to Daniel between then and now.
The Hanso Journal is another interesting piece of information that may have relevance for Desmond’s past. Tovard Hanso was the only other one to know the contents of the journal. Out there theory… The journal contains instructions specific to Mr. Widmore telling him that he must make sure that Desmond enters the sailboat race.
Why did Mr. Widmore leave the water running in the restroom? Was it because he is just too important a person to turn off the faucet? Or, was there something more to it?
Penny does know about the island. She has been researching it. The heart strings were really tugging at my wife (and myself) during their last exchange before the phone died:
Desmond: I don’t know where I am, but..
Penny: I will find you, Des
D: I promise…
P: I promise…
D: …I’ll come back to you
P: …I won’t give up
D: I promise
P: I promise
Together: I love you.
Don’t even ask me about what Faraday had in his notes. I can;t even wrap my mind around imaginary space and imaginary time as opposed to real space and real time. Whew, where are the Physics professors around here that can explain that stuff?
What in this episode sticks out for you?
35 Responses to “Lost Recap – 4.05 The Constant”
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One of the best episodes ever, in fact some of the best television I’ve seen. Desmond and Penny have great chemistry. Maybe it’s the Scottish in me but this episode found a place in my heart. The ending was tricky, a happy ending (for now), and it was pulled off as genuine instead of Hollywood-formula or even corny. For the last 5 minutes of the episode, I was nearly praying that Dez wouldn’t die. No one has been more “lost” then Desmond was this episode, and thankfully his deep connection with Penny saved him.
Also, the numbers Faraday gave Dez to tell, well, himself in 1997, were 2.3.42 (right?) those are significant. Three of the Lost numbers are some sort of setting for a radioactive time travel ray or whatever the nutty professor developed.
If you can get a screen cap of the soldier that bumps into Dez right before he gets to the phone booth, was he someone we have seen before? I didn’t get a great look, but that person seemed to be begging for a second look.
As always, keep up the great work, I love the new site.
This was such an unbelievably amazing episode. Me and my friend were hooked the entire hour. That had to be one of the best hours of television I’ve experienced. People are going to go crazy analyzing everything in Faraday’s journal and on the chalk board, amongst other things. The whole scene between Penny and Desmond was definitely a tear-jerker. Especially the phone call, wow…I’m still on awe at how incredible this episode was. Let the theorizing commence!
This ep doesn’t answer why Desmond was dishonorably discharged from the military. In his phone booth call with Penny he says he has 2 days of leave coming up. Finding Faraday, then Charles Widmore and then Penny could have easily happened in 2 days with plenty of time to get back base.
I think we’ll find out why Desmond get thrown in the brig when Daniel has to use Desmond as his ‘constant’.
oops, I meant two of the Lost numbers, 23 and 42, if you conveniently do away with the decimal point.
there are connections between Hermann Minkowski and the first ever created ferris wheel at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Supposedly Minkowski wrote a paper to be presented in absentia. Also found out that at this fair, an artificial wooded island and lagoons were built, and people of the time considered the fair an almost mythological experience. Just do a Google search “Minkowski Ferris Wheel” and you can take a look for yourself.
Either we look way too deeply into these connections, or the writers spend day and night coming up with them. Fantastic!
I’m a little confused, is Desmond’s body in the past in a catatonic state while he’s visiting 2004? Or did calling Penny reset everything correctly?
I’ve also been wondering about the numbers. Some of them are too blatantly asking to be Lost numbers, but for some reason are not. For example Widmore’s bidding number (which seemed rather focused-on) or the Oceanic SIX.
That being said – what an AWESOME episode. Totally made up for last week’s stinker of a Kate episode. Don’t get me wrong, it had some good times, but for some reason I am just totally unenthusiastic about Kate’s story. This episode, however, was beyond great. I’m also pumped to experience more of the Orchid next week!
I have to agree, one of the best LOST episodes ever. I do have to agree with Ricky though and ask if the phone call re-set things or just kept him from dying.
All I can say about Dez is he went an awful long way to get a chicks phone number!
We don’t know anything about some of the claims made in this recap.
– We don’t know if Faraday has short term memory problems (I am under the impression the card game was the foreshadowing of his own time travel).
– We don’t know why Desmond was in the slammer. He was granted a two day pass. That is information that would not be offered if it wasn’t relevant to the narrative.
Minkowski can not go to the future because then he’ll be dead already. Remember what Faraday said? Only their minds travel in time.
So unfortunately there is noch chance to see Minkowski (in that way) again.
Wow, great episode tonight. Just some thoughts I’d like to throw out:
Whatever the condition was that was affecting Desmond & Minkowski in this episode, could this be the “infection” that Russo’s crew came down with shortly after they reached the island?
I was looking through the screen-caps of this episode and noticed the picture of the tattoo on the arm of one of the crew aboard the freighter. I couldn’t make it out clearly, but to me it appeared it could have been of a Hydra (Hydra Station anyone?).
I’m pretty much clueless on the time-differences between the island & the outside world. It seems as though there is certainly a difference, that we know for sure. But if the difference really is this great (the helicopter was only gone 20-30 minutes but it was equivalent to an entire day on the island) then how are their days still lined up correctly (it was Christmas Eve 2004 on both the island and on the ship)?
wat struck me was there auction about the ‘black rock’ that set sale in 1845 ‘being lost at sea’
with all this talk of time, cud it be that rousso is from 1845 and the years shes been on the island is actually centuries?
another thing pennys number wud of changed within those years
not sure when, but im totally sure it was after 1996, but in london we ‘changed’ our numbers by adding an 8 or a 7 to the start of every phone number
Perhaps Faraday committed the cardinal sin of time travel experimentation and put himself in place of the lab-rat. Maybe this can explain why he’s having memory loss. Yet, that doesn’t really explain Desmond being Faraday’s constant, because if he were to experiment on himself, and Desmond was his constant, what would Faraday do while Desmond was on the island? Maybe that’s why Faraday had to go to island? And what’s up, why doesn’t 90′s Desmond remember his encounter with Ms. Hawking, that should of clued him in on his involvement in the wacky world of time travel. I don’t know, so many questions!
Hey FalleStar:
I couldn’t agree with you more about Rousseau’s crew going crazy, that was the first thing I thought of after watching. They all probably died of anuerisms(sp?) like Minkowski.
Above all, I love Desmond-centric episodes, and this was certainly one of the best episodes of LOST, ever!
boo on tring to post
in short great show
tons of inconsistencies
1
des
CRS bad knows nothing
Minkowski
knows all where when how he got sick who he was with everyone on the boat
2
why talking to penny brings you back??
you just talked with Faraday in both places
someone will say
because its got to be something you care alot about
then how is faraday going to use des?
does faraday have a thing for good ol des??
the plot thickens
GREAT show tonight
…What a fantastic and satisfying episode! Thank you Doc, for 2 things: 1) writing down Penny’s number; while watching I felt I should have done it(in case Des needs it again!), but I was kind of, you know, crying; don’t know why but Penny and Des love story gets to me; and, 2)for the transcript of their phone exchange…and don’t know if this has any relevance, but while they were talking on the phone I thought I saw blood on Desmond’s nose and then by the end of the conversation there wasn’t any…
Something I haven’t seen on the boards so far – was the guy in Hurley’s psych ward like Desmond? Is it possible that his mind travelled back in time and he was repeating the numbers out of some strange compulsion to do something with them?
755 could be related to folder server permissions
7 refers to the owner having read, write and execute permissions
5 refers to the group having read, but no write or execute permissions
5 refers to the others having read, but no write or execute permissions
just something that occurred to me right away when seeing the episode.
/tk
I thought the episode was OK, but my “negativity” stems mostly from how confusing things were. I’d have to watch it again (and read some about it!) to fully appreciate it, I’m sure.
What I’m very pissed off about though, is that I’ve read in various spoiler articles that we’d get to find out who was in the coffin in the season 3 finale, and I was really looking forward to that. But Nothing of it…..?? Did I miss something?
I think Daniel’s brain damage came from exposing himself to that radiation over and over again without protecting his head. Didn’t Desmond ask him why he wasn’t covering his head before he did the experiment?
Senff, we are supposed to learn the identity of the person in the coffin by this season’s end. I don’t think TPTB have named a specific episode for the reveal.
Loved the episode – can’t get enough of Lost – Desmond is a terrific actor – Something Daniel said was very crucial – when he was talking to Sayid trying to figure out what was wrong with Des – he asked if he had ever been exposed to large amounts of electromagnetism or radiation – anyone who has will suffer the same fate as Minkowski when they leave the island?? – when that station had the meltdown, who was exposed?? Des, Locke, Ecko and Daniel said he did experiments with radiation everyday – as was stated earlier, Des asked Daniel why he didn’t protect his head………..wish I could go to sleep and wake up next Thursday
also
the heading lapidus was following was 305 north
eko’s jesus stick said ‘Look north, John 3:05′.
Doc,
I have been with you since the blast door maps days of thetailsection. I must say that you have the best coverage of Lost bar none! I used to think your undying love for Lost would be your undoing, but it only makes your coverage better. I just deleted my bookmark to thetailsection and I’ll never go there again.
LONG LIVE THE DOC!
I think perhabs that Faraday’s present memory issues are related to a “course correction” after Des visited him.
Ok, so i’m not as good as most of you guys, with your theories. So bravo to you all. I usually like things to just play out
besides i really like the “Desmond-sentric” episodes…they have a sort of satisfying effect for me 
but it did give me a huge headache XD
I really loved this episode, it’s always nice to have some happy endings
I’m not sure about Daniel’s short memory loss thing. Wasn’t he trying to access his future memory in the previous episode, with the card game?
I always flip between Des and Sayid being my favorite character on the show (depending on who I’m watching at any given time) but I think this episode proved something for me.
DESMOND IS AWESOME.
I find it amazing how much chemistry Des and Penny have *on the phone* when some of the lead characters have had NONE in 4 years. (cough kate cough)
Faraday is also awesome, and I love anything that brings more super-science to the show. That episode totally satisfied all my back-to-the-future needs.
aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh desmond and penny…..
I don’t think the timelines match up for Des to have been discharged for going to find Daniel and Penny.
Des told Penny that he had 2 days off, so he didn’t really go AWOL (assume he returned after leaving Penny’s)and LOSTPEDIA says that Des rose to the rank of Lance-Corporal and in the time flash to 1996, he appears to still be in boot camp.
Faraday loves Desmond, pass it on. LOL
That post about Hurleys number guy is kinda mind blowing…
Desmond, Minkowski, and Faraday are all possibly flashing back and forth behind their eyes, could this mean every past episode weve see a closeup of someones eye, theyre affected as well. I believe the very first episode started with a closeup of Jacks eye…..
Great episode! Here’s my theory on the Oceanic 6. Maybe now we have a clue on why some people left the island and some had to stay. If you were exposed to radiation or electromagnetism, you wuld be more prone to experiencing Daniel’s “side effects”. So far, the only people that we know are off the island are: Jack, Kate, Hurley and Ben (who were in the pier on the other side of the island when the Swan exploded) and Sayid (who was on the boat with Jin and Sun). So my bet is Sawyer, Jin and Sun are good candidates to be part of the Oceanic 6.
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