Lost Follow the Leader (2004–2010) Online

Just finished watching this episode, and it has the right bit of everything. Fast-paced excitement, action, romance, it also has it touching and crossroads moments. This episode serves as a great opening for the finale, we already know what to look for; the hydrogen bomb detonation by Jack with the help of Richards, the face-up between Jacob and Locke, and the sub with the love triangle between Kate, Sawyer and Juliette. If there is one thing I wanted in this episode, it would be to show the new survivors and what they plan for the island.

The shifting for Jack to become a man of destiny seemed very convincing. John Locke presuming his powers with confidence might have needed some ground work. He has this incredible confidence of what he is doing, while Ben moved to the back seat. There is a lot of dynamic of this season, things changing rapidly. While slow at first, now it is catching up; this episode has a lot going on in one hour and it makes you think about the finality till Wednesday!

This time John and Ben were back and to tell the truth I really missed their arc. However It's really interesting to see that the writers keep developing the whole John and Jack relationship, man of faith versus man of science. But in some way the recent events managed to blur the lines between these two, making the story even more interesting. For example I specially enjoyed the scenes between Jack and Kate. In fact some of their dialogs astonished because I never expected specific words to ever come out from their mouth. I also really liked John's scenes and one of them should blow you away. In fact we already saw one of that type but involving other characters. But it doesn't make it less impressive. In other productions viewing a scene from different points is common but here time is involved, shifting anything further and preventing us from anticipating things. So most events are unpredictable, making the show even more fascinating. An other element I liked was the mystic side of some scenes, similar to the one with Ben in Dead is Dead. Last but not least do I have to tell about Juliet and Sawyer ? Seriously it's impossible not to care about these two. They're just the perfect match. Moreover I really appreciate the time spent to develop their relationship with Jack and Kate. Connections have never been so important. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Kate and Juliet were actually twin sisters, just joking.

So it seems the Island will never stop to amaze us. Every time we think the characters know what they're doing, some radical event manages to switch polarities.

Season 5 has had its share of slow spots and questionable choices, but now that it's approaching the finish line it seems to have gotten back on the right track. Following the usual formula of most penultimate season episodes, "Follow The Leader" divides the action among multiple different groups of characters: in the past, Jack & Kate (and a surprising old/new arrival) at the Others' camp setting the plan to detonate the H-Bomb in motion, Sawyer & Juliet captured by the Dharma security people, Jin, Hurley & Miles trying to escape, and, back to the present, Locke making his first decisions as the new leader of the Others, while Ben stays in the passenger's seat. Locke is more mysterious and cryptic in this episode than he has been since early Season 1 (symbolically, he first appears with a dead boar on his shoulders), and Terry O'Quinn's performance is (as usual) outstanding. This episode also marks the first time we actually see an event we had already seen (the Locke-Richard encounter, from "Because You Left") play out exactly like it had before. This reinforces the "time loop" theory, but before you declare that war over, consider also that the 2008 Richard tells Sun that he saw Jack, Kate and Hurley die in the past. If he wasn't lying, and if the time-traveling business doesn't continue in Season 6, that means that either things will change, or that the last LOST season will have no Jack, Kate or Hurley. Which of the two do you consider the most likely? With questions such as these, plus possible revelations about Jacob, the season finale is shaping up to be exciting, unpredictable and, needless to say, mind-twisting. ***1/2 out of 4.

A perfect episode before the season finale. John finally becomes a leader of 'The Others' and gives them instructions. He looks more confident than ever and Ben is forced to act as a spectator wondering how John knows so much. Jack takes the decision to carry out the task of Faraday to detonate the hydrogen bomb and is helped by Sayid, Richard and Eloise. James and Juliet are on the sub later joined by Kate. James and Juliet make a good match and it will be interesting to see their chemistry and also how Juliet takes it when Kate is with them. The sequences between Jack and Kate are also very good with Kate disagreeing with Jack in the end and leaving him. Jack and Kate seem a perfect couple together but always they let differences come between them. Jack's belief in destiny is an interesting thing to watch which is also justified. overall a brilliant episode. Can't wait to see the season finale. hopefully it also shows how Richard is there on the island from 1954 to 2007. When he tells Sun that he saw the whole Dharma Initiative die, it excludes Jack, Hurley and Kate hopefully.

9.5 out of 10......

Kate and Jack are captured by Charles Widmore but Eloise decides to listen to Jack and take them to the place where the hydrogen bomb is hidden. Jack, Sayid, Richard and Eloise swim beneath the camping and reach the bomb. Meanwhile Sawyer and Juliet are interrogated by the violent Radzinsky and Sawyer tells that they should stop drilling the Swan and leave the island. Hurley, Jin and Miles are found by Chang and they disclose that they are from the future. Locke, Richard, Sun and Ben go to the camp of The Others and Locke tells that he will meet Jacob and invite The Others to join him in his quest.

"Follow the Leader" is another confused episode of "Lost", with the return of the leader Locke that surprisingly wants to kill Jacob. Jack wants to explode the bomb to reset the lives of the passengers of the Oceanic flight as if each one of them had a perfect life before crashing on the island. It is very difficult to understand the motivation of these characters. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Follow the Leader"

When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.

Season 4 was a solid season, with high points such as "The Beginning of the End", the three part finale and particularly "The Constant" and the only disappointments (though they were still decent) being "The Other Woman" and "Eggtown". "Because You Left" couldn't be a better way to start Season 5, definitely among the stronger 'Lost' season openers and one of the most confident and most settled. The episodes between that and this were also good to great, the weakest being a long way from low-points.

"Follow the Leader" is a great episode, not one of the show's very best but one of the best of the season. It's taut and thought-provoking, providing new mysteries and questions if not always answers. The on-island events are tense, emotional and above all gripping.

Sure, a few parts of the storytelling and character motivations could have been made clearer.

On top of all that, it advances characters, shows plot progression rather than repeating itself or being filler. There are surprising moments and also illuminating ones, Widmore's role here is very intriguing.

Also found "Follow the Leader" once again to be an episode full of entertainment value, tension and emotional moments. The more dialogue-driven parts is a case of it being thought-probing, relevant and adding a lot rather than slowing things down and rambling. The character dynamics are surprising and with interesting perspectives and the revelations shock.

Can't fault the performances all round.

Nor the stylishness and atmosphere of the visuals, nor the effectively understated and chilling use of music, taut writing and the tightly controlled direction.

Summing up, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox