Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge this week'spassing of filmmaker/actor Sydney Pollack. He was 73. Pollack brought a uniqueness to his performences and his directing that no other person could imitate, and that uniqueness has died with him. I'd also like to recognize the death of composer Alexander Courage, who wrote the theme to the original Star Trek series, as well as many other 60's and 70's TV shows. They will both be missed.

"There's No Place Like Home: Part Two"

Episode Rating: A+

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

Tap your heels together and chant "there's no place like home."

These are the instructions Dorothy is given by the good witch when she wants to return home; the key component of her return device? Ruby slippers.

The finale of the fourth season of TV's best show was "There's No Place Like Home." At first glance, this seems like a reference to the Oceanic Six returning home; but in the world of Lost, nothing is as it seems. While the title of the episode seems generic based on the premise, there are multiple levels of depth to the title and the phrase, in this context, is far more dark then it seems.

When Ben heroically travels down into the fathoms of the island, he turns a wheel that moves the island-quite literally. He's lost everything in his life; his daughter is dead and Jacob has abandoned him in favor of Locke. By moving the island, Ben can never return to the place he calls home, and he knows this when he turns that wheel. There's no place like home---and Ben is leaving it forever.

I am flabbergasted; I am in awe; I sit here at my desk, trying to type into words a multitude of feelings swimming in my conscious after viewing the final two hours of the fourth season of Lost. Before tonight's episode began, we already knew this was the best season of the show so far. The finale not only puts that in concrete, but establishes the fourth season of Lost as one of the best seasons of any television show to date.

In my opinion (and maybe it's too early to say) tonight's 2-hour epic was the best episode of Lost so far; and there have been many episodes.

Rarely, in the art of storytelling itself do we find a story so complete and well-refined. This season opened with Hurley screaming he was one of the Oceanic Six. Through flash-forwards, we learned all about the Oceanic Six. Who they are, the fake story they are telling, and what happens to them after the island. The story we saw up until the finale was full of holes; we didn't know how the flash-forwards fit together, how the Six got rescued, why they lied, or what happened to everyone else. In two short hours, every question about the Oceanic Six and they're adventures was answered and tied off in a way that must be seen to be believed.

How do I sum up my thoughts on this episode? I don't know, to be honest. Let's just start at the beginning.

The episode started with a recap. After recapping the latest events, it went back to the season 3 finale and showed a shortened version of the "We have to go BACK!!!" scene. Kate began driving away, just like the season 3 finale. Then the screen went black, and re-opened with Kate driving back to Jack. Has a show EVER used its recap in such a useful way? Recaps usually serve nothing, except a reminder. In this episode, they served the plot. A little over 1 year ago, we saw Jack yell we have to go back. Tonight, we saw the rest of that scene.

Kate yelled at Jack for bringing her an obituary of a man named "Jeremy Bentham." At first I was puzzled. Who is Jeremy Bentham? If only I had run to my computer and googled the name, because Jeremy Bentham is the name of a real person. Jeremy Bentham was a British legal and social reformer who believed in many of the same things that another philosopher believed in-but he opposed that philosopher's main belief of the theory of "natural rights." The philosopher I'm talking about is named John Locke, an 18 th century philosopher whose beliefs are totally in line with the beliefs of a Lost character sharing the name. Google Jeremy Bentham and you'll find a link to John Locke. The writers practically told us the twist in the very first scene-but more on that later.

Kate also slapped Jack for telling her they had to go back, saying that the day they escaped was horrific. Talk about foreshadowing; what she said was definitely true.

Back on the island in the present, Jack and Sawyer arrived at the Orchid to find Locke and Hurley-just the two. Ben had already been taken. When Ben arrived at the helicopter with Keamy and his crew of mercenaries, Ben's people (the "others") engaged Keamy in an epic firefight, culminating into a brawl between Sayid and Keamy that was one of the best-choreographed fights in Lost's history. We thought Keamy was dead, but some men are hard to kill. This was a great scene.

I think, in many ways, this episode served to change our perception of Ben. One of his first actions is to tell Kate and Sayid that they are free to go. Remember, when we met Ben, he was plotting to kidnap Kate. Talk about a change of heart.

Ben began his way back to the Orchid, where Jack and Locke had a conversation about the island. Locke said Jack couldn't leave the island, or he would regret it deeply. Another nice bit of foreshadowing. Locke told Jack that the island was the place where miracles happen, but Jack didn't want to listen. He rejected the island, which, as the viewer, we know he will come to regret. You don't know what you got 'til it's gone; Jack learns that the hard way in the future.

I thought this little exchange between Locke and Jack was one of the best moments of the series; it was the confrontation of two beliefs, done in a very simple way. A conversation.

Anyway, after Jack leaves, Locke and Ben go down to the real Orchid station, where Locke watches a video about the station while Ben fills the small compartment with metal objects. Keamy entered the room, revealing that if they kill him, the freighter will blow up-but Ben stabbed the man repeatedly without remorse.

This was another phenomenal bit of acting by Michael Emerson; he was overcome with rage about his daughter's death, and lost his head in the fires of revenge. Ben yelling "You killed my daughter!!!" really got to me; it was powerful, and I'll say it a million times if I have two; Michael Emerson deserves a truckload of Emmys.

The main plot of this episode, though, was the Oceanic Six's epic and horrific escape. The signal to blow up the freighter was the second challenge they faced; the first was a lack of fuel that made necessary the loss of a few hundred pounds.

In many ways, Lost is a story of redemption; all the characters become better people on the island, but no one had a transformation quite like Sawyer. He found love-real love, maybe for the first time-on the island, through Kate. When it became apparent that someone had to jump, he whispered instructions to Kate, kissed her, and jumped. The producers promised us one of the best kisses in the show's history; now, I'm not a romance junkie or anything, but the kiss between Kate and Sawyer even made me feel the romance. Sawyer jumping was one of the most emotional moments of the episode, and solidified Sawyer as one of my favorite characters.

The helicopter flew on to the freighter, where it would be able to stay for a minute, because the ship was about to blow. Keamy's death sent a signal to the freighter, where Michael, Jin and Desmond were fighting to keep the bomb from going off. When the helicopter landed, Desmond ran to help them. Sun and Aaron got on the helicopter, and Jin ran towards it in an attempt to get on---but he was too late.

The helicopter took off just as the ship was about to blow, with no time to save Jin. As the Oceanic Six (plus Desmond and Frank) flew to freedom, the ship blew with Jin and Michael still on it. Michael was at the heart of the explosion, but suddenly Christian Shepherd appeared and told Michael it was time to go. What does that mean? I see it as either one of two messages. Either Christian was talking literally, and was transporting Michael away, or that was the island saying "I don't need you anymore," and killing Michael.

As for Jin, I can't say with certainty he was killed. He might have jumped ship and swam for freedom, but the island was gone at that point. He quite probably died in the explosion...he was one of my favorite characters, and I feel very sad for Sun. Rest in Peace, Jin-Soo Kwon.

The Oceanic Six tried to fly back to the island...but it disappeared.

Before it disappeared, we were treated to one of the best sequences in the show's history. Ben's filling of the compartment with metal blew a hole in the wall, and revealed a small tunnel. Ben told Locke that Locke had to leave the Orchid and take his rightful place as King of the Others, and that Ben had to move the island. Ben put on a parka, the same parka he wore in the episode "The Shape of Things to Come" when he awoke in Tunisia, and said goodbye to Locke.

Locke finally accepted Ben as a good guy, and shook his hand. This was the culmination of two seasons struggle between these two characters, and it ended with a handshake; the simplest way to say goodbye, or to tell someone you accept them.

I felt very sorry for Ben here; he has spent his whole life working for the island, and his relationship with the island ends with him being Jacob's guinea pig. Locke taking command of the others was a very big moments, because he's been destined to do so all his life. At birth, Locke was chosen by the island, and had numerous opportunities to go to the island and take the throne whenever Richard Alpert appeared in his life. But the island couldn't have Locke just yet, so it settled for Ben.

Ben served his duty with loyalty; anything that Ben did that we perceive as evil was because of his devotion to the island. He's not a bad guy. But after a lifetime of serving Jacob, Locke arrives on the island and Jacob favors Locke. Ben is pushed aside and made to do the dirty work so Locke can ascend to be leader of the island.

Just imagine your entire life being a set-up for someone else to come in and take it from you. Ben must have felt, at the moment when he had to move the island, like an adopted child; His parents loved him until they had a kid of their own. Ben dutifully went down to the ice-cold depths of the Orchid station and used a giant wheel to move the island. The look on Ben's face when he moves the island-knowing he can never return-was one of the most emotional moments in the entire series. Ben, a man we were taught to hate early on, has become one of the most human characters.

There's no place like home...that is true. Ben knows this when he turns the wheel, being transported away from the one place he can truly call home.

Of course, this sequence directly links into Ben's flash-forward from the episode "The Shape of Things to Come." He put on the parka in the Orchid, and on his way down to the ice-part of the station, cut his upper arm. After moving the island, Ben was probably transported to the middle of the Sahara desert. This is why he asked for the date and seemed more or less out-of-it during parts of that flash-forward.

The island disappeared, and that was the last we saw of it during the episode. The story of the island-for now at least, has come to a close, waiting for the next chapter to begin.

With no island, the Oceanic Six's helicopter crashed, but they got in a raft and were rescued by Penny Widmore. Seeing Desmond reunite with his love was one of the most heartfelt, moving moments of the season. We've been wanting these two to return to each other for three seasons, and they finally did...but how long will it last? Ben wants to kill Penny and Charles Widmore, if he knew Desmond was on the island, would want Desmond dead. For now though, all is right in their relationship.

Jack, before being rescued, told his fellows that they had to lie about everything in order to keep the friends they left behind safe. Penny took the Oceanic Six to a small island in Indonesia, and the story came full circle. The Oceanic Six were back to the mainland, and the story of their rescue and the following events was neatly tied off.

But there was one more scene; Jack returned to Hoffs/Drawler funeral parlor, and looked at the body in the coffin. Ben came to visit him, telling Jack they all of the Oceanic Six needed to go back, along with the body in the coffin. With the trademark "Lost" creepy music playing, the camera panned around to reveal that John Locke was the one in the coffin.

Apparently, Locke had returned to the mainland after three bad years on the island. He talked to all of the Oceanic Six before dying of unknown causes...or is he dead? Perhaps Locke is just in some sort of state between life and death, waiting to be resurrected when Jack and the Six return him to the island. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

Simply put, this was quite possibly the best episode of the series so far. All season, pieces of the plot were put in place, and tonight, the writers tied everything together. There was a checklist of things that needed to happen; moving the island, the rescue, the conspiracy, the reveal of the body in the coffin, etc. I expected to learn about all of these things, but I never expected it to be done so darn well. Every twist surprised me, and when I saw things being connected (like Ben getting cut on the way down to the snow-filled cave) I started shouting at the TV in excitement. I've never been so enthralled with a television episode in all my life.

There was great action, great storytelling, and great emotion. Every little element rang true, and the episode brought one long, large chapter of Lost to a close. Next time we see these characters, it will be January 2009. But the characters have all jumped three years in the future; funny, considering the fact that so far we've seen only three months on the island. There was a definite conclusion to parts of the story, but it also set up Season Five. I'm baffled as to how the story will be told next year or what will happen next. Everything has changed with this episode. The cast has been split up quite a bit, and they're all over the globe.

It will be a hard 8 month wait for more episodes, but being left with such a great finale eases my fears of that hard wait. It's been quite a season, and I'd like to thank all my readers for sharing the ride with me and my theories. Season Four of Lost was, without a doubt, the best season thus far. What will season five bring?

As I said above, the term "There's No Place Like Home" was used in a darker way then it was in the movie that coined the term in 1939. Yes, the Oceanic Six went back to the mainland. But did they go home.

Dorothy traveled to a strange land because she thought she lost something. The Oceanic Six returned home for the same reason. I think this quote explains it all:

"The next time I go looking for my heart's desire, I won't look any further than my own backyard; if it's not there, then I never really lost it to begin with."

Just because the season is over doesn't mean I won't write about Lost. Tune in next Thursday for an entry in my Lost column that will serve to sum up all my thoughts about this season, and I'll also announce the future of this column.