Season 4 Episode 5

Just a couple quick notes from the “Missing Pieces” Episode:
“This is the survivors’ 93rd day on the island.”
“Kate’s arraignment is docket #42231615”

Season 4 Episode 5
The Constant – Desmond centric

On the way to the freighter the helicopter carrying Desmond, Sayid and Frank enters a thunder storm. Desmond’s subconscious begins bouncing between the present date (December 24th, 2004) and 1996. His mind is clearly anchored in 96 as he has no recollection of what is happening in 2004. We know from previous episodes Desmond’s current situation in 1996. He has already met Penny and was wanting to ask her to marry him. When seeking Penny’s father’s blessing, Mr. Widmore makes it clear he doesn’t think Desmond is good enough. Shortly after this, Penny and Desmond have their picture taken; the picture he carries with him. Penny had to pay for the picture as Desmond was unemployed. When this occurred he realized Penny’s dad may be right and left Penny and joined the Royal Scot Guard, where we find him now. We know this is early on in his tenure there as he is still going through training. Desmond eventually reaches the rank of Lance-Corporal. A situation happened sometime after that which has only been described as Desmond not being able to “follow orders”. Because of this Desmond was sent to Military prison.

On the beach Juliet and Jack are concerned about the time it’s taken for the helicopter to land on the boat:
Daniel: “Your perception of how long your friends have been gone, it’s not necessarily how long they’ve been gone."
Daniel goes on to say things will be fine as long as Frank stays on the bearings he gave him:
Jack: “And what if he didn’t?”
Daniel: “Then there might be side effects.”

The helicopter lands on the freighter, The Kahana



There we first meet two of the crew, Keamy and Omar. Keamy is not impressed with Frank’s decision to bring survivors to the freighter:
Keamy: “So you brought them here, what the hell were you thinking?”
They take Desmond to sickbay.

Desmond is then bounced back to 96 where he calls Penny. Before getting into the phone booth he runs into this guy.



Can’t say I recognize him but clearly he’s being shown for a reason.

Before Desmond can pick up his money he’s back in 2004 and off to sickbay. There we get our first face to face glimpse with Minkowski, who is suffering the same symptoms as Desmond.

Sayid starts to piece some odd things together with Frank:
Sayid: “Then perhaps you’ll share how we took off at dusk and landed in the middle of the day.”
Frank: “Listen, I don’t know what’s happening to your buddy alright? But you gotta trust me when I tell you this… I am trying to help you.”
Sayid calls Jack to let him know they made it and that Desmond has been acting crazy:
Daniel: “… your friend Desmond, has he recently been exposed to high levels of radiation or electromagnetism?”
Desmond spent three years in the Swan hatch, which had a strange magnetic field behind the large concrete wall.
Daniel: “We don’t know why but some people coming from or going to the island can get a little bit confused.”
The real significance of this comment is easily overlooked. The major point here is Daniel has just confirmed that he knows several people who made trips to and/or from the island.

Minkowski: “See Ray, I’m not crazy. It’s happening to him too Ray. And it’s going to happen to you; it’s going to happen to all of us. Everyone, once we start heading to that island again.”
The Doctor (Ray) tries to examine Desmond:
Ray: “I don’t want to stick you with anything. I just want to check your eyes.”
Eyes have been a reoccurring theme in Lost, including numerous episodes starting with a close up of a characters eye as well as Locke discussing the Eye of the Island.

1996 Desmond is back to gathering up his money and turns to see the man he bumped into walking away. In other words although the time he just spent in 2004 may have seemed long, it was only seconds that have past in 1996. He calls Penny but she isn’t very thrilled about hearing from him. She has even moved.

2004 Daniel is on the phone and talking to Desmond. He sends Desmond to meet him in 1996 at Oxford University where Daniel is a professor. In a previous flashback we met a friend of Desmond named Donovan who was also a physics professor in England. Donovan was advising a student named Partridge. Donovan was concerned as her research was inherent and unpredictable.
Daniel explains to Jack that this has happened several times before.

1996 Desmond meets Daniel at Oxford. Daniel asks Desmond if the “2004 Daniel” remembers the meeting they are having:
Desmond: “Actually …um… no… maybe you just forgot.”
Daniel: “Yeah right how would that happen?”
We know Daniel had a caregiver in 2004 before he left for the island. We also watched him and Charlotte working on his memory skills, which weren’t so great.
Daniel puts on his radiation smock but tells Desmond he doesn’t need one:
Daniel: “It’s for prolonged exposure. I do this 20 times a day.”
Desmond: “So what do you put on your head?”
Interesting…
Daniel then using the info Desmond provided sends his mouse’s subconscious through time. The light from Daniel's machine looked a lot like the light that was in the sky after Desmond blew up the Swan hatch.

2004
Keamy: “You let Faraday talk to him?”
Frank: “He said he could help.”
Ray: “Faraday can’t even help himself.”
Omar takes Frank to the Captain, so apparently we’ve yet to meet the person in charge.
Minkowski: “You’re Desmond?”
Desmond: “Do I know you?”
Minkowski: “I’m George Minkowski… before they strapped me down here all the calls to and from this boat came through me in the radio room. And every so often I’d get this flashing light on my console; an incoming call. We were under strict orders never to answer it. Those calls came from your girlfriend, Penelope Widmore.”
So should we assume Minkowski answered one of those calls since he knows who it was and that she knew Desmond? This would explain how Naomi knew Desmond but where did she get the picture?

1996
Desmond was in 2004 for almost 75 minutes.
Daniel: “Each time your consciousness jumps it gets harder and harder to jump back.”
Daniel’s mouse dies and he tells Desmond he needs an anchor, a constant to survive and stop the jumping.

2004
Minkowski: “Two days ago someone sabotaged all the equipment. We lost all communication with the mainland.”
Sayid: “And how do we get out of here?”
Minkowski: “Through the door. Looks like you guys have a friend on this boat.”
For those of you still doubting me that Michael is on this boat… it won’t be long now.

1996


Auctioneer: “The Black Rock set sail from Portsmouth, England March 22, 1845… when she was tragically lost at sea. The only known artifact of this journey is the journal of the ships first mate which was discovered among the artifacts of pirates … 7 years later.”
We of course know the Black Rock is sitting on the island. Tovard Hanso was the owner of the Black Rock ledger. Prior to the sale, only members of Hanso's family were privy to the contents of the ledger. Charles Widmore purchased the journal for £380,000. Tovard is presumably related to Magnus Hanso, the presumed owner of the Black Rock, and Alvar Hanso, CEO of the Hanso Group and founder of the Hanso Foundation. You may recall Mr. Hanso being mentioned in the orientation videos.
Mr. Widmore gives Desmond Penny’s address confident she’ll tell him to split. He calls Desmond a coward as he’s done on numerous occasions.

2004 Minkowski leads Sayid and Desmond to the communications room. Desmond inquires as to how he became sick:
Minkowski: “… me and Brandon, one of the crew members, we took out the ships tender. We just wanted to see the island. But Brandon started acting crazy, so we had to turn around.”
Desmond: “Where is he?”
Minkowski: “In a body bag.”
And then Minkowski dies.

1996 Desmond tracks down Penny
He convinces her to give him her new number. He promises not to call until December 24th, 2004.

2004 Desmond calls Penny:
Penny: “I’ve been looking for you for the past 3 years. I know about the island, I’ve been researching…” call breaks up momentarily “… then when I spoke to your friend Charlie that’s when I knew you were still alive, that’s when I knew I wasn’t crazy.”
Desmond: “I love you Penny… I’ve always loved you, I’m so sorry...I love you. I don’t know where I am but…”
Penny: “I’ll find you Des…”
Desmond: “I promise…”
Penny: “No matter what…”
Desmond: “I’ll come back to ya…”
Penny: “I won’t give up…”
Desmond: “I promise…”
Penny: “I promise…”
Penny & Desmond: “I love you.”
And with that Desmond is back to normal.

The Final Scene
Daniel Faraday reads in his journal:
“IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG DESMOND HUME WILL BE MY CONSTANT”

For a first time in a long time the numbers showed up a lot this week:
Sergeant: “Right; all of ya in the yard 4 minutes…”
Daniel’s info he gives Desmond is 2.342
The journal being auctioned is lot #2342
Penny’s address is 423
Desmond: “I won’t call for 8 years.”


Next week:
Season 4 Episode 6
The Other Woman – Juliet centric

PREVIEW

“… I was just on a Ferris Wheel…”