LOST, Season 5: The Variable - Review

I have to admit, "The Variable" was one of my most anticipated episodes of the season.  Mostly because the title made it seem it was going to be the converse of "The Constant."  While it did not rise to that level of greatness, it was a solid episode that basically set up the season finale.

Here's another admission:  Daniel Faraday is one of my favorite characters on "Lost."  So, it was heartbreaking to see him go in a "Twilight Zone"-like ending.  And I'm not sure we're totally done with him just yet.  We might see more of him in either a flashback or a time-travelling situation.

I really should have seen the death of Daniel Faraday coming.  When the writers tie up each loose end in a character's backstory, that character historically becomes expendable.  But, I REALLY thought that Dan was needed alive in Season 6, but I was wrong.

Some great reveals in this episode:

• Widmore admits to Dan that he planted the fake Oceanic 815 at the bottom of the Sundra Trench.  Most fans thought so.  But, it's always nice to get literal confirmation.
  
• Daniel is not only the son of Eloise Hawking, but also the son of Charles Widmore.  That makes Dan and Penny half-siblings! *gasp* Again, this was speculated by the fans and finally confirmed.  But we still do not know who is Penny's mother.  It's probably NOT Eloise.  But, I've been wrong before.
  
• Desmond is recovering from Ben's gunshot wound and appears to be okay.  Some fans thought Henry Ian Cusick might be written off of the show because of pending sexual harrassment charges stemming from a lawsuit.  I'm really glad Desmond will be around for now.  The Island is not done with him yet.
  

I think the one thing that didn't make sense in this episode was how Daniel went in the Hostiles' camp with guns (or gun) ablazing.  He doesn't strike me as a guy who would normally do that.  But, as some have pointed out in the past, sometimes characters on "Lost" act out of character if it means furthering the story.  I suppose it was hard to wrap up the episode with Daniel dying if Daniel didn't appear to be a threat to the Hostiles.

Even with that minor criticism, I think it's one of the best episodes of the season although I didn't want to say goodbye to Faraday just yet.

1. Jughead
   
2. LaFleur
   
3. The Variable
   
4. Some Like It Hoth
   
5. 316
   
6. Dead Is Dead
   
7. Whatever Happened, Happened
   
8. He's Our You
   
9. Namaste
   
10. The Life and Death Of Jeremy Bentham
    
11. Because You Left
    
12. The Little Prince
    
13. This Place Is Death
    
14. The Lie
    

Those who saw "Lost" in the U.S. were treated to an altered version of the opening title which preceeded an exclusive clip from the upcoming J.J. Abrams movie "Star Trek."  Here's a quick clip of the altered "Lost" title: