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[[Image:Dominic Monaghan 2003.jpg|thumb|right|The death of Monaghan's character Charlie was called "the most touching loss of the series"<ref name="Gilber"/>]]
[[Image:Dominic Monaghan 2003.jpg|thumb|right|The death of Monaghan's character Charlie was called "the most touching loss of the series"<ref name="Gilber"/>]]
The episode received positive reviews from critics.<ref>Shafrir, Doree, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.slate.com/id/2166672 ''Lost''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Leap: The Critical Buzz on the ''Lost'' Season Finale]," ''Slate''. Retrieved on [[July 5]], [[2007]].</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that it was "action-packed,"<ref>Lloyd, Robert, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/cl-et-lost24may24,1,4608533.story?coll=la-promo-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true ''Lost'' Finale: More Mysteries Wrapped in Enigmas]," ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''[[Access Atlanta]]'' said the finale was "deeply satisfying"<ref>Ho, Rodney, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/tv/entries/2007/05/23/lost_in_the_moment.html Channel Serf – ''Lost'' Recap: Charlie, Hurley Save the Day]," ''Access Atlanta''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and the ''[[Associated Press]]'' called the episode "gripping," "powerful" and "terrific".<ref>Moore, Frazier, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://ap.lancasteronline.com/4/tv_finale_lost Gripping ''Lost'' Season-Ender Offers Hope]," ''[[Associated Press]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Two writers for ''[[E!]]'' said that "''Lost'' has never been better"<ref>Ghosh, Korbi, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/korbi/detail/index.jsp?uuid=a4e146fe-0f06-4a34-afaa-37f7e3f212f6 Korbi's Quickie – I Finally Get ''Lost'', Can't Say the Same for ''Idol'']," ''[[E!]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and that "Through the Looking Glass" was possibly "the best episode ever of the entire series."<ref name=kristin>Veitch, Kristin, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=9c9aafc1-e118-4d0c-9686-6b982fbd4e87 Watch with Kristin – Lost Redux: Damon Lindelof Breaks 'Radio Silence' to Reveal Why Charlie Died and More]," ''[[E!]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> The season finale was summed up as "a mind-blower, for sure, a radical two hours that gave us major fake-outs, an army of dead bodies, the possibility of rescue, diverse portraits of heroism, and the most touching loss of the series so far" by ''[[The Boston Globe]]''<ref name="Gilber">Gilbert, Matthew, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/05/24/lost_finale_leaves_heads_spinning_in_a_new_direction ''Lost'' Finale Leaves Heads Spinning in a New Direction]," ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and "a dizzying exercise in adventure, sustained tension and time-shifting rug pulling [that was] spectacularly produced, amazingly directed and gloriously acted" by ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref name=roush>Roush, Matt, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Roush-Dispatch/Way-End-Season/800015777 Roush Dispatch – Way to End a Season (Lost, Not Idol)]," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' gave the double episode a perfect 10/10 – the best review of the season – saying it was "nothing short of a masterpiece of storytelling with a brilliantly paced narrative."<ref name=ign>Carabott, Chris, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791616p1.html ''Lost'': "Through the Looking Glass, Parts 1 & 2" Review]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref> Other ''[[IGN]]'' staff said the finale was "well played" and "great TV,"<ref>Goldman, Eric, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref> "great- tense, suspenseful, action-packed, dramatic, eerie, sad, funny… just pure entertainment"<ref>Canning, Robert, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref> and "simply marvelous."<ref>Moriarty, Colin, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref> ''BuddyTV'' praised the unpredictability, saying that "no other show can even attempt to do what ''Lost'' does."<ref name=dahl>Dahl, Oscar, ([[May 29]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-season-finale-thoughts-fr-6993.aspx ''Lost'': Season Finale Thoughts from a Non-Expert]," ''BuddyTV''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Cynical ''Television Without Pity'' gave the third season finale an "A" – tying it with [[Pilot (Lost)#Part 2|three]] [[Raised by Another|other]] [[Greatest Hits (Lost)|episodes]] as the highest graded ''Lost'' episode.<ref>Bates, Lulu, ([[May 29]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/portal/site/TelevisionWithoutPity/menuitem.5853592f3d9209d415fc0f1045001d30/?strSeason=all&strSortCoulmn=grade_asc&ShowName=Lost&channelid=cb52b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____&hotfourmchannelid=3072b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____&pollchannelid=8562b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____ ''Lost'' Full Episode Recaps]," ''Television Without Pity''. Retrieved on [[July 28]], [[2007]].</ref> Stephen McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, called "Through the Looking Glass" "one of the best episodes" of the series.<ref>Veitch, Kristin, ([[May 15]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=5cd626fa-9bce-4563-8837-334f8a60d782&contentType=watchWithKristin Watch with Kristin – ABC Berry Blast: Breaking Updates from Inside Lincoln Center]," ''[[E!]]''. Retrieved on [[July 7]], [[2007]].</ref> Giacchino's musical score was commended, being called "ever-more-awesome" by ''TV Guide''.<ref name=weiss>Weiss, Sabrina Rojas, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/Lost/23-2007-Notsogood/800015803 Not-So-Good Vibrations]," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 29]], [[2007]].</ref> The writing for Locke was criticized, one writer saying "it seems irrational that he would go and [stab Naomi] in the back without explaining himself."<ref>Haque, Ahsan, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[August 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
The episode received positive reviews from critics.<ref>Shafrir, Doree, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.slate.com/id/2166672 ''Lost''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Leap: The Critical Buzz on the ''Lost'' Season Finale]," ''Slate''. Retrieved on [[July 5]], [[2007]].</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that it was "action-packed,"<ref>Lloyd, Robert, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/cl-et-lost24may24,1,4608533.story?coll=la-promo-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true ''Lost'' Finale: More Mysteries Wrapped in Enigmas]," ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''[[Access Atlanta]]'' said the finale was "deeply satisfying"<ref>Ho, Rodney, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/tv/entries/2007/05/23/lost_in_the_moment.html Channel Serf – ''Lost'' Recap: Charlie, Hurley Save the Day]," ''Access Atlanta''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and the ''[[Associated Press]]'' called the episode "gripping," "powerful" and "terrific".<ref>Moore, Frazier, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://ap.lancasteronline.com/4/tv_finale_lost Gripping ''Lost'' Season-Ender Offers Hope]," ''[[Associated Press]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''[[E!]]'' said that "Through the Looking Glass" was possibly "the best episode ever of the entire series."<ref name=kristin>Veitch, Kristin, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=9c9aafc1-e118-4d0c-9686-6b982fbd4e87 Watch with Kristin – Lost Redux: Damon Lindelof Breaks 'Radio Silence' to Reveal Why Charlie Died and More]," ''[[E!]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> The season finale was summed up as "a mind-blower, for sure, a radical two hours that gave us major fake-outs, an army of dead bodies, the possibility of rescue [and] diverse portraits of heroism" by ''[[The Boston Globe]]''<ref name="Gilber">Gilbert, Matthew, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/05/24/lost_finale_leaves_heads_spinning_in_a_new_direction ''Lost'' Finale Leaves Heads Spinning in a New Direction]," ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and "a dizzying exercise in adventure, sustained tension and time-shifting rug pulling [that was] spectacularly produced, amazingly directed and gloriously acted" by ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref name=roush>Roush, Matt, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Roush-Dispatch/Way-End-Season/800015777 Roush Dispatch – Way to End a Season (Lost, Not Idol)]," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' gave the double episode a perfect 10/10 – the best review of the season – saying it was "nothing short of a masterpiece of storytelling with a brilliantly paced narrative."<ref name=ign>Carabott, Chris, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791616p1.html ''Lost'': "Through the Looking Glass, Parts 1 & 2" Review]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref> ''BuddyTV'' praised the unpredictability, saying that "no other show can even attempt to do what ''Lost'' does."<ref name=dahl>Dahl, Oscar, ([[May 29]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-season-finale-thoughts-fr-6993.aspx ''Lost'': Season Finale Thoughts from a Non-Expert]," ''BuddyTV''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Cynical ''Television Without Pity'' gave the third season finale an "A" – tying it with [[Pilot (Lost)#Part 2|three]] [[Raised by Another|other]] [[Greatest Hits (Lost)|episodes]] as the highest graded ''Lost'' episode.<ref>Bates, Lulu, ([[May 29]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/portal/site/TelevisionWithoutPity/menuitem.5853592f3d9209d415fc0f1045001d30/?strSeason=all&strSortCoulmn=grade_asc&ShowName=Lost&channelid=cb52b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____&hotfourmchannelid=3072b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____&pollchannelid=8562b829275b2110VgnVCM1000006dc1d240____ ''Lost'' Full Episode Recaps]," ''Television Without Pity''. Retrieved on [[July 28]], [[2007]].</ref>


Carlton Cuse said that he and Damon Lindelof think the finale is "very cool [and] we're very proud of it."<ref name=podcast/> Stephen McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, called "Through the Looking Glass" "one of the best episodes" of the series.<ref>Veitch, Kristin, ([[May 15]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=5cd626fa-9bce-4563-8837-334f8a60d782&contentType=watchWithKristin Watch with Kristin – ABC Berry Blast: Breaking Updates from Inside Lincoln Center]," ''[[E!]]''. Retrieved on [[July 7]], [[2007]].</ref> The writing for Locke was criticized, one writer saying that "it seems irrational that he would go and [stab Naomi] in the back without explaining himself."<ref>Haque, Ahsan, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[August 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
The final scene was called "a great twist," by the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'',<ref>Goodman, Tim, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=24&entry_id=16924 The Bastard Machine – ''Lost'' Season Finale: No One Gets Out of Here Alive]," ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> "shocking" by ''BuddyTV'',<ref>Lachonis, Jon, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-season-three-finale-quick-6887.aspx ''Lost'' Season Three Finale Quick Thoughts]," ''BuddyTV''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> "mind-blowing" by ''E!''<ref name=kristin/> and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said that the cliffhanger "[revealed] new dimensions to [''Lost''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s] creative world."<ref name=ew>Jensen, Jeff, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040061,00.html TV Watch: ''Lost'' – The Looking Glass War]," ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> ''IGN'' called it "a cliffhanger that will keep people talking until next year."<ref name=ign/> On a less positive note, ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' wrote that ''Lost'' "may have [[Jump the shark|unjumped]] <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Jump the shark|the shark]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> with [the] flashforward."<ref>Dale, David, ([[July 31]], [[2007]]) "[http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/07/if_you_went_into_showing.html Stay in Touch –The Tribal Mind: Just One Look, That's All It Took]," ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref>


Matthew Fox's lead role acting was praised, his performance being called "Emmy worthy" by ''BuddyTV'',<ref name=dahl/> "excellent" by ''[[IGN]]''<ref>Van Horn, Jason, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and ''TV Guide'',<ref name=weiss/> "fearless [and] balls-to-the-wall"<ref>Ausiello, Michael, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Lost-Exec-Nights/800015786?start=225& Ausiello Report – Lost Exec on Last Night's Big Death: 'It Was Painful']," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and "tour-de-force,"<ref>Ausiello, Michael, ([[May 29]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/2007-Dream-Emmy/800016062 Ausiello Report – It's Here: Our 2007 Dream Emmy Ballot!]," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 28]], [[2007]].</ref> by another ''TV Guide'' writer, while another ''TV Guide'' critic wrote that Fox has "stepped it up again."<ref name=roush/>
Matthew Fox's lead role acting was praised, his performance being called "Emmy worthy" by ''BuddyTV'',<ref name=dahl/> "excellent" by ''[[IGN]]''<ref>Van Horn, Jason, ([[May 25]], [[2007]]) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/791/791926p1.html Idiot Box: The ''Lost'' Season 3 Finale]," ''[[IGN]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and "fearless [and] balls-to-the-wall" by ''TV Guide''.<ref>Ausiello, Michael, ([[May 23]], [[2007]]) "[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Lost-Exec-Nights/800015786?start=225& Ausiello Report – Lost Exec on Last Night's Big Death: 'It Was Painful']," ''[[TV Guide]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> The final scene was called "a great twist," by the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'',<ref>Goodman, Tim, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=24&entry_id=16924 The Bastard Machine – ''Lost'' Season Finale: No One Gets Out of Here Alive]," ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said that the cliffhanger "[revealed] new dimensions to [''Lost''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s] creative world."<ref name=ew>Jensen, Jeff, ([[May 24]], [[2007]]) "[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040061,00.html TV Watch: ''Lost'' – The Looking Glass War]," ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on [[July 6]], [[2007]].</ref> On a less positive note, ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' wrote that ''Lost'' "may have [[Jump the shark|unjumped]] <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Jump the shark|the shark]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> with [the] flashforward."<ref>Dale, David, ([[July 31]], [[2007]]) "[http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/07/if_you_went_into_showing.html Stay in Touch –The Tribal Mind: Just One Look, That's All It Took]," ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''. Retrieved on [[July 31]], [[2007]].</ref>


=== Awards ===
=== Awards ===

Revision as of 23:23, 6 August 2007

"Through the Looking Glass (Lost)"

"Through the Looking Glass" is the 22nd episode of the third season – 69th episode overall – of the ABC television series Lost. It was written by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, and directed by executive producer Jack Bender.[1] When the episode first aired on May 23, 2007 in the United States and Canada, it was watched by an average of 14 million American viewers.[2] Like the previous two season finales, it was two hours long, which is twice the length of a normal episode. Reviews for the season finale were positive, and the episode has garnered a number of awards and nominations, including three nominations for the 2007 Primetime Emmys.[3]

The episode begins on December 22, 2004, ninety-two days after the crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. The battle between the crash survivors and the dangerous and mysterious island inhabitants referred to as "The Others" comes to a head as ten of the Others ambush the survivors' camp and are subsequently killed. Meanwhile, most of the survivors go to the island's radio tower to communicate with a nearby ship. This is the first Lost episode to feature flashforwards, as opposed to the customary flashbacks.

Plot

File:Lost radio tower.PNG
The first appearance of the radio tower in the series

Juliet Burke (played by Elizabeth Mitchell), instructed by the Others' leader Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), marks any of the survivors' tents that are owned by pregnant women.[4] The Others plan to ambush the camp, and kidnap the pregnant women for scientific research.[5] The survivors, aware of the plan, prepare to blow up the Others with dynamite-rigged tents.[6] Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews), Jin Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) and Bernard Nadler stay at the beach, given the task of shooting the dynamite-rigged tents, while the rest of the survivors make their way to the radio tower to communicate with Naomi Dorrit's nearby ship. The Others arrive, but Jin misses his target, which results in their capture by the Others: Tom, Ryan Pryce and Jason.

Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) dives down into the Looking Glass, one of a series of 1980s scientific research stations, with the hope of disabling the system jamming outgoing transmissions, such as one to Naomi's ship, but he is captured by resident Others Greta and Bonnie. After Ben hears this news, he sends Mikhail Bakunin to the station to kill the three to preserve the signal jamming. Mikhail arrives and kills Greta and Bonnie, only to be shot through the chest with a spear gun by Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), who emerges from a closet inside the station. Charlie disables the signal jammer, and is contacted by Penelope Widmore via video transmission. Penelope informs Charlie that she does not know Naomi, and did not send the boat she claims to be from. Mikhail blasts the window of the jamming room with a grenade, and Charlie locks the door to save Desmond from drowning with him. Before he drowns, Charlie tells Desmond the boat is not Penny’s.

John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), one of the survivors, is shot by Ben.[7] Locke is about to commit suicide, when he is stopped by what appears to be Walt Lloyd. Meanwhile, Ben tells Richard Alpert to lead the rest of the Others to "The Temple," and then leaves the Others with his adopted daughter, Alex (Rousseau's daughter),[8] to meet up with the survivors to persuade their leader Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) not to call Naomi's ship for rescue.

After hearing only two explosions, James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway) and Juliet turn back to see if they can help Jin, Sayid and Bernard. Jack informs Kate that he loves her, after she witnesses a kiss between him and Juliet. Ben and Alex intercept Jack's group; Ben informs Jack that Naomi is not who she says she is, and making contact with her boat will be disastrous for everyone on the island. Ben threatens to kill Sayid, Jin, and Bernard, if Jack does not retrieve Naomi's phone. When Jack hears three gunshots, upon his refusal, he attacks Ben. Rousseau meets her sixteen year old daughter Alex, who was kidnapped by the Others shortly after her birth,[9] and they tie Ben up. The shots turn out to be a false alarm, as the three survivors are still alive. Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), who was not allowed to accompany the rest of the survivors because of his weight, drives the van he found onto the beach,[10] and the captives gain the upper hand, killing the remaining Others with the help of Sawyer and Juliet.

File:Prisoner Ben.PNG
Ben is the castaways and Rousseau's prisoner again

The trek party, now able to get a signal, arrives at the radio tower. Rousseau disables her distress signal, freeing the frequency for Naomi. Naomi is stabbed in the back by Locke, who threatens to kill Jack if he calls Naomi’s boat. Locke is unable to kill Jack, who communicates with Minkowski on Naomi's boat. Minkowski tells the survivors they will be sending rescue.

Throughout the episode, flashforwards show that Jack has escaped the island. In the future, he is depressed, unshaven, addicted to Oxycodone, heavily drinking, and suicidal. After pulling a woman from a car wreck and visting the memorial service for the death of someone he knew, Jack contacts Kate and explains they should never have left the island and must return.

Production

The title is an allusion to Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There[11] and a reference to the fictitious 1980s Dharma Initiative research station found in the previous episode. While filming mostly took place on Oahu, Hawaii, some scenes were shot in Los Angeles.[12] The hospital scenes were filmed in the same sets used for the ABC show, Grey's Anatomy.[13] Shooting began on April 13[14] and ended on May 7, 2007.[15]

Actors Garcia and Kim with executive producers Lindelof, Cuse and Bryan Burk

Despite not being mentioned in the official press release,[1] 15 year old Malcolm David Kelley returned to reprise his role as 10 year old Walt Lloyd with the credit of "special guest star."[16][17] While Kelley’s character had left the island in the second season finale,[18] only 26 days prior to the events of "Through the Looking Glass," Kelley had not filmed an episode in over a year. In his single scene, Walt is visibly taller, has physically aged and has a deeper voice.[19] Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse lent their voices for the unseen roles of the flight captain and newscaster, respectively.[20]

This episode concluded the story arc about Charlie's death that began earlier in the season, when Desmond prophesied Charlie's death.[21] Throughout the season, Charlie escaped death;[22] however, Desmond told Charlie that he had to die this time for his girlfriend Claire Littleton to get rescued from the island.[6] The storyline of Charlie's death was conceived while producing the latter part of the second season after the storyline of Charlie's drug addiction finished.[23] The news of his character's death was broken to Monaghan two episodes in advance,[24] to which Monaghan felt "relief" for knowing the future of his job on the show.[25] On the night of Monaghan's second to last day on set, he was presented with a canoe paddle that had been made by the cast and crew.[26] Monaghan hopes to return to Lost as a guest star in flashbacks.[27]

Like the other Lost season finales, the cliffhanger final scene was given a codename, "The Rattlesnake in the Mailbox," and kept top secret.[28] After Lindelof and Cuse wrote the scene, only Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Jack Bender and Jean Higgins (co-executive producer) were given copies of the script. Despite the security measures, a complete and detailed episode synopsis was uploaded online over a week before the episode aired.[29] Disney investigated the leak.[30] The leak combined with the cliffhanger prompted Lindelof and Cuse to enter "radio silence," which was broken at Comic-Con International 2007.[31] The funeral parlor that Jack visits is called "Hoffs/Drawlar," which is an anagram of "flashforward."[32] The show runners stated that at the end of the first season, they realized that flashbacks would eventually stop being revelatory and knew that they would eventually have to switch to flashforwards.[33] With the announcement of the series to conclude forty-eight episodes after "Through the Looking Glass,"[34] they decided that the third season finale would be a good place to start playing flashforwards.

Post-production wrapped on May 21, 2007, only two days before it aired on television.[11] The score was composed by series musician Michael Giacchino, while popular music was also featured throughout the episode. While Jack drives to the funeral parlor, he listens to "Scentless Apprentice" by Nirvana. The code that Charlie disables the jamming in the Looking Glass is to the tune of "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys. The season finales have longer runtimes than the average Lost episode. Without commercials, "Through the Looking Glass" clocks in at 1:27:07.[35] Unlike most episodes, this episode does not feature a "previously on Lost..." recap at the start of the episode; however, it was originally preceeded by a clip-show entitled "Lost: The Answers," which recapped the third season.[36]

Reception

Ratings

In the U.S., the episode brought in the best ratings for Lost in fifteen episodes.[37] The two hour Wednesday broadcast on ABC was the sixth most watched show of the week with an average of 13.86 million American viewers,[38] below the third season average of 14.6 million.[39] The first hour was viewed by 12.67 million, and the audience increased to 15.04 million in the second hour. The episode received a 5.9/15 in the key adults 18–49 demographic.[2] In the United Kingdom, the episode attracted 1.21 million viewers, and was the second most watched program of the week on the non-terrestrial channels, beaten only by Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter.[40] In Australia, Lost was the thirty-seventh most viewed program of the week, bringing in 1.17 million viewers.[41]

Critical response

The death of Monaghan's character Charlie was called "the most touching loss of the series"[42]

The episode received positive reviews from critics.[43] The Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "action-packed,"[44] Access Atlanta said the finale was "deeply satisfying"[45] and the Associated Press called the episode "gripping," "powerful" and "terrific".[46] E! said that "Through the Looking Glass" was possibly "the best episode ever of the entire series."[47] The season finale was summed up as "a mind-blower, for sure, a radical two hours that gave us major fake-outs, an army of dead bodies, the possibility of rescue [and] diverse portraits of heroism" by The Boston Globe[42] and "a dizzying exercise in adventure, sustained tension and time-shifting rug pulling [that was] spectacularly produced, amazingly directed and gloriously acted" by TV Guide.[48] IGN gave the double episode a perfect 10/10 – the best review of the season – saying it was "nothing short of a masterpiece of storytelling with a brilliantly paced narrative."[49] BuddyTV praised the unpredictability, saying that "no other show can even attempt to do what Lost does."[50] Cynical Television Without Pity gave the third season finale an "A" – tying it with three other episodes as the highest graded Lost episode.[51]

Carlton Cuse said that he and Damon Lindelof think the finale is "very cool [and] we're very proud of it."[11] Stephen McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, called "Through the Looking Glass" "one of the best episodes" of the series.[52] The writing for Locke was criticized, one writer saying that "it seems irrational that he would go and [stab Naomi] in the back without explaining himself."[53]

Matthew Fox's lead role acting was praised, his performance being called "Emmy worthy" by BuddyTV,[50] "excellent" by IGN[54] and "fearless [and] balls-to-the-wall" by TV Guide.[55] The final scene was called "a great twist," by the San Francisco Chronicle,[56] and Entertainment Weekly said that the cliffhanger "[revealed] new dimensions to [Lost's] creative world."[57] On a less positive note, The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that Lost "may have unjumped [the shark] with [the] flashforward."[58]

Awards

The episode has been nominated in the categories of "Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series," "Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series," and "Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series" in the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.[3] The season finale was submitted for Emmy consideration in the category of "Outstanding Drama Series;"[59] however, it was not nominated.[60] "Through the Looking Glass" was the AOL primetime poll winner[61] and editors' pick for "Best Season-Ending Cliffhanger."[62] "Through the Looking Glass" was nominated for "Drama Episode of the Year" in the 2007 Gold Derby TV Awards, in which anyone can vote.[63]

References

  1. ^ a b Fordis, Jeff, (May 7, 2007) "Lost Season Finale Entertaiment Press Release," ABC Medianet. Retrieved on July 3, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Nielsen Media Research, (May 30, 2007) "Weekly Entertainment Primetime Ratings Wrap-Up Report Press Release," ABC Medianet. Retrieved on July 3, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Cryer, Jon & Sedgwick, Kyra (July 19, 2007) "Primetime Emmys Complete 2007 Nominations List," Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved on August 5, 2007.
  4. ^ Kitsis, Edward (writer), Horowitz, Adam (writer) & Toye, Fred (director). "D.O.C.." Lost, ABC. April 25, 2007. Episode 18, season 3.
  5. ^ Kelley, Dawn Lambertsen (writer), Ragghianti, Matt (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Maternity Leave." Lost, ABC. March 1, 2006. Episode 15, season 2.
  6. ^ a b Kitsis, Edward (writer), Horowitz, Adam (writer) & Williams, Stephen (director). "Greatest Hits." Lost, ABC. May 16, 2007. Episode 21, season 3.
  7. ^ Goddard, Drew (writer), Sarnoff, Elizabeth (writer) & Roth, Bobby (director). "The Man Behind the Curtain." Lost, ABC. May 9, 2007. Episode 20, season 3.
  8. ^ Lindelof, Damon (writer), Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "I Do." Lost, ABC. November 8, 2006. Episode 6, season 3.
  9. ^ Lindelof, Damon (writer), Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Exodus." Lost, ABC. May 16, 2005. Episode 23, season 1.
  10. ^ Kitsis, Edward (writer), Horowitz, Adam (writer) & Laneuville, Eric (director). "Tricia Tanaka is Dead." Lost, ABC. February 28, 2007. Episode 10, season 3.
  11. ^ a b c Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (May 21, 2007) "Official Lost Podcast," ABC.com. Retrieved on July 3, 2007.
  12. ^ "Episode 3x22&23: Through the Looking Glass – Parts 1 & 2 Hawaii," Lost Virtual Tour. Retrieved on July 7, 2007.
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  17. ^ Entertainment Yahoo! TV Beta, "Malcolm Kelley," Yahoo!. Retrieved on July 8, 2007.
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  22. ^ Kim, Christina M. (writer), Rosenberg, Jordan (writer) & Edwards, Paul (director). "Par Avion." Lost, ABC. March 14, 2007. Episode 12, season 3.
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