For musical piece, see What They Died For (composition).

"What They Died For" is the sixteenth episode in Season 6 of Lost and the 119th produced hour of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast in the United States on May 18, 2010. One of the candidates replaces Jacob as the Island's protector and the The Man in Black's ultimate plan is revealed.

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Synopsis

Previously on Lost

On the Island

At the beach and in the jungle



Jack and Kate realize that they must kill "Locke".

On the beach, Jack prepares to stitch Kate's shoulder wound. Kate is pale and emotional. As Jack stitches, she reflects on Ji Yeon, remarking that Jin hadn't even met his own daughter. She and Jack concede bitterly that Locke must be killed. ♪♪ Sawyer and Hurley watch as the sea washes up flotsam from the destroyed sub. Kate leans on Sawyer's shoulder as a deep sadness consumes them all. At Jack's urging, they set off to find Desmond in the well that Sayid mentioned. Jack acknowledges that if Locke wants Desmond then "we are going to need him." ♪♪



Jacob's youthful form snatches the ashes.

As they hike, a miserable Sawyer wonders why Locke didn't just kill Desmond. Jack suggests maybe it was one of his 'rules'. Sawyer suggests that he himself was responsible for the deaths on the sub, because he attempted to defuse the bomb against Jack's advice. Jack insists that "He" killed them. Just behind them, Hurley notices the young Jacob standing by an ancient hut. The mysterious boy suddenly appears in front of Hurley and demands the ashes Ilana gathered. ♪ As Hurley asks what he wants them for, the boy snatches them and runs off. Hurley chases him and comes across adult Jacob seated by a fire. Jacob tells Hurley that the ashes are in the fire and that when the fire goes out, he will not be seen again, adding "We are very close to the end." ♪♪

As night falls, Hurley leads Kate, Sawyer and Jack to Jacob's fire. Jacob greets them by their first names. Hurley is surprised that they can all see Jacob. Kate asks Jacob whether he is the one who wrote the names on the wall, and whether it is their candidacy that ultimately led to their deaths. She also demands to know that Jin, Sun and Sayid didn't die for nothing. Jacob says he will tell the group what they died for and why he chose them. He adds that by the time the fire is out one of them will have to take his place as protector of the Island. ♪



Jacob welcomes each candidate by their first names and for the last time.

Jacob explains that a very long time ago he made a mistake, and as a result there is a good chance that everyone is going to die. He acknowledges that he is responsible for the current state of the Man in Black. The Monster has been trying to kill him and that when it succeeded, someone would have to replace him: that is why he brought them all to the Island. ♪ Challenged by Sawyer, Jacob explains that he didn't drag anyone out of a happy existence but that they were all flawed. He says that he chose them because they were all like him - all alone, all looking for something that they couldn't find. He says he chose them because they needed the Island as much as the Island needed them. Jacob tells Kate her name was crossed off because she became a mother, but that she is not disqualified. ♪ He explains that the task for the candidate is to protect the light at the center of the Island. ♪



Jack takes the job as an act of choice.

Jacob says that they must do what he couldn't do: kill "him". Jack asks whether that is even possible and Jacob says that he hopes so because "he" is certainly going to try to kill them. Jacob offers the remaining candidates a choice of who will take his place - Jack accepts, acknowledging that he is on the island for this very purpose. Jacob asks Jack to affirm this decision, and is pleased when he does. ♪♪

Jacob takes Jack to the creek. As the others watch from a distance, Jacob tells Jack where to find the light at the heart of the Island, explaining that while Jack has never seen the light before, he will be able to find it now that he has been chosen to protect it. Jacob asks Jack for his tin cup, which he fills with water, recites an incantation, and solemnly offers the cup to Jack. Before he drinks, Jack asks about the duration of the job he is about to accept. Jacob tells him he must do it "As long as you can." Jack drinks. Jacob embraces him and says "Now you are like me." ♪♪

At the Barracks



Ben, Richard, and Miles look over at the Barracks.

Miles, Ben and Richard approach the Barracks by a shortcut known to Ben. Richard asks if Ben has enough explosives and Ben confirms he has enough to destroy the plane "ten times over." He says that the C-4 is in his secret room behind his bookcase. On arriving at the Barracks, Miles senses something dead nearby. Ben asks Miles what is wrong. When Miles won't reveal what it is, Richard tells Ben that he buried Alex here where she died; Ben thanks him. ♪



Ben collects all the C-4 from his safe.

Inside Ben's house he opens the safe. He says he learned he could summon the Monster from his secret room, adding that he now realizes the monster was actually summoning him. Richard tells Ben that they want to blow the plane to hell, so they take all six packs of C-4. They hear a noise and find Zoe in the kitchen. Widmore enters and sends Zoe to the dock to retrieve their stores and sink the outrigger, while Ben holds Widmore at gunpoint. Ben tries to prevent her from leaving, but Widmore explains that he is Ben's last chance of survival and Zoe leaves.

Noticing the C-4, and establishing it's to blow up the plane, Widmore tells Ben that he's had the plane rigged with explosives since he arrived and is, "as usual", three steps ahead of Ben. When Ben asks him how he got to the Island, Widmore explains that Jacob came to see him after Ben destroyed the freighter. Ben says that Widmore is lying, but Widmore says Jacob showed him the error of his ways, and persuaded him to return, telling him all he needed to know for "this exact purpose." ♪ Before he can explain the "purpose", Zoe radios that Locke has arrived. Widmore orders her to return immediately, and urges everyone to hide.

Stepping off the outrigger, Locke sees Widmore's outrigger packed with metal cases and walks on. Miles decides to escape via the jungle rather than hiding, and Ben says he will not run or hide because "he" will find him sooner or later anyway. He takes Widmore's walkie-talkies, keeping one and giving the other to Miles so they can still communicate with each other. Richard puts down his rifle and says he is going to talk to "him". He says "he" just wants Richard to join him and talking to him will give them a chance.

Richard goes outside. The Smoke Monster rushes at him and thrusts him into the air. Ben turns in fear and very deliberately sits in a chair on his porch. Locke joins him, saying he is just the man he was looking for. Locke unsheathes his large knife and sits. Locke says that he needs Ben to kill some people for him, and that in return he can have the whole island to himself. Ben agrees. Locke asks about the other outrigger and Ben tells him that it is Widmore's and that Widmore is hiding inside. ♪ They go inside and Ben shows Locke where Widmore and Zoe are. ♪ Smokey tells him to wait outside, but Ben says he wants to see this.



Locke slashes Zoe's neck because Widmore told her not to speak

When he turns the light on in the hidden room, Ben says "Sorry Charles." Locke asks who Zoe is and as she starts to reply Widmore tells her not to talk or say anything. Locke reacts by slashing Zoe's throat. He says that as Widmore told her not to talk to him that made her pointless. Locke tells Widmore that to motivate him to tell him what he wants to know, the first thing he will do when he is off the Island is to kill Widmore's daughter. He gives his word that he won't kill her if Widmore talks to him. Widmore says he brought Desmond back because of his unique resistance to electromagnetism and that he was a measure of last resort. Widmore tells the Man in Black he won't say anything more in front of Ben. Locke asks him to whisper in his ear. As he whispers Ben shoots Widmore dead with a pistol. Ben says "he doesn't get to save his daughter." ♪ Locke says that Ben never ceases to amaze him, but Widmore had already told him what he needed to know. Ben then asks whether there are some "other people to kill." Locke gives a gloating look.



Ben takes his revenge on Widmore





At the well



Locke and Ben look for Desmond.

Locke leads Ben through the jungle. Ben asks why he bothers walking if he can be the smoke at any time and Locke says that he likes to feel his feet on the ground as it reminds him of when he was human. They arrive at the well and see it is empty. Locke says obviously Sayid didn't kill Desmond. Ben notices there is a rope hanging in the well. He says that someone helped Desmond out (of the well), but Locke says that, actually, someone helped him out. Ben asks what Widmore said to him. Locke tells him that he said Desmond was a fail safe; that if he killed the "beloved candidates" he was one final way for Jacob to be sure that he would never leave this place. Ben asks why Locke is happy that Desmond is still free. Locke says that when he finds Desmond he will get him to do the one thing he could never do himself: "Destroy the Island."

Flash sideways



Jack finds his mysterious neck wound is still there.

Jack wakes in his apartment. Looking in the bathroom mirror he finds that the injury to the left side of his neck that he first noticed on the flight back from Sydney is bleeding. As he cleans it David tells him that he has made breakfast. David checks that Jack is coming to the concert that evening and tells Jack that his mom is coming as well. David tells Jack not to get all weird because of his mom being there. Claire joins them for breakfast as Jack receives a call telling him that the airline has found the missing cargo. ♪ Jack assumes that his father's coffin has been found. Desmond is in a car speaking to Jack on his cell phone - he has been posing as a representative of Oceanic Airlines. ♪♪

John Locke returns to the school, recovered, and is welcomed by a student. Desmond is watching from his parked car. As Locke wheels across the parking lot, Desmond starts his car. Ben jumps in front of the car and shouts for someone to call the police. Desmond gets out of the car and punches Ben in the face. As Ben is held down on the hood, he says he won't let Desmond hurt Locke again. Calmly Desmond tells him that he is not there to hurt him but to help Locke "let go". Ben asks who he is and Desmond replies by saying "Do you want to know who I am?" and then beats Ben violently. While he is being punched, Ben has a flash of Desmond beating him while they were at the marina in LA. ("Dead Is Dead") Desmond leaves with Ben confused and laying beaten and bruised on the ground.



"He said he was trying to get you to let go, not to hurt you, and for some reason I believed him."

The school nurse treats Ben for his injuries. He looks at himself in a mirror as Locke wheels in and asks what happened. Ben replies that he was in a fight with the man who ran Locke down. He tells him that the strangest thing happened while he was being beaten, that he "saw" something. Locke uses his phone to call the police but Ben advises against it. He tells Locke that the man was trying to get Locke to "let go", not to hurt him, and that for some reason he believed him. ♪

As the LAPD officer hangs up on Locke's terminated phone call, Desmond arrives and asks to see a detective. Meanwhile, Det. Straume is reminding Det. Ford about the benefit concert set for that evening at his dad's museum. He asks Ford to go as his "date", but when Ford discovers that the red head he went out on a blind date with will be there, he passes. Desmond is brought to Ford and Straume and turns himself in for running Locke over and beating up Linus. Desmond is taken to a holding cell. He smiles as he joins Sayid and Kate in the cells. ♪



Danielle tells Ben that he is the closest thing to a father Alex has had.

Alex runs up to help Dr. Linus who now sports a sling, and can't get his car keys out. She wonders why anyone would want to hurt "the nicest guy ever". She insists that she and her mother give him a lift home. ♪ Alex takes Ben to the car where Danielle Rousseau introduces herself. They insist on having him over for dinner and Danielle says that Ben will come to dinner, even if "we have to kidnap you". Danielle is pleased to cook for someone other than Alex. She tells Ben that Alex's father died when Alex was two and that Ben is the closest thing to a father Alex has ever had. Ben is touched by this comment, as he chokes back a sob and tears well up in his eyes. He passes it off as "the onions". Ben looks at Danielle closely as she says that next time she won't use so many onions. ♪

John Locke stops by Jack Shephard's office. He remarks about a photo of Jack, David and Christian, which Jack says was last year's Thanksgiving. Locke observes that he and Jack were on the same flight from Sydney; that when he was hit by a car, of "all the doctors in Los Angeles" he happened to be treated by Jack. Then the same man who ran him down beat up a teacher at his school today and said that he wasn't there to hurt Locke but to help him "let go" - and that these were the same words Jack had used when they were last together. He adds that maybe this is happening for a reason and that Jack is "supposed" to fix him. Jack suggests that he is mistaking coincidence with fate. Locke says whatever it is called he is ready to get out of his wheelchair. ♪

Det. Ford arrives at the cells to hand over Sayid, Desmond and Kate for transfer. Kate makes her last bid for Ford to let her go, but while he looks tempted, he tells her it isn't going to happen. As they are traveling in the wagon, a smiling Desmond says that it is time to leave. Sayid says he is a crazy person who turned himself in. Desmond partially confirms this by saying that he ran over a guy in a wheelchair. He accepts that he is crazy but says the issue is whether they want to get out of here or not. He says that when the driver stops he will need their trust because after he sets them free he will exact a promise from each of them to do something. Kate and Sayid both make their promise, skeptically. ♪



Officer Cortez frees Desmond, Kate and Sayid for a bribe from Hurley.

The paddy wagon pulls to a stop and Officer Cortez frees the three, asking for her pay-off. A yellow Hummer arrives and Hugo Reyes jumps out. ♪ He remarks that he hadn't known Ana-Lucia was going to be there, but then realizes he shouldn't have said that when Ana says she doesn't know him. He gives her $125,000. Hurley asks Desmond whether she is coming with them but he says she isn't ready yet. Cortez leaves. ♪ Hurley points out his Camaro parked nearby, including keys and the other things they'll need. Sayid goes with Hurley, while Kate accompanies Desmond, who takes a cocktail dress from the trunk of the Camaro and tells her "We are going to a concert." ♪



Trivia

Production notes

Bloopers and continuity errors



Breaking the fourth wall - Jack looks directly at the camera.

Jack looks directly at the camera when laughing with Locke.

In " The Candidate " Sayid tells Jack directly of Desmond's location in "a well on the main island, half mile south from the camp we just left." In this episode, before they leave the beach, Jack mentions what Sayid said, "Before Sayid died, he said that Desmond was in a well," and urges them to go in search. However, in the next scene, Jack has no idea where the well is and asks Sawyer, who now knows what Sayid said.

Music

The Last Episodes soundtrack includes the following tracks from this episode:

Analysis

Recurring themes









Cultural references

Napoleon: Alex compares Ben to Napoleon Bonaparte because he holds his arm near his stomach as a result of the sling he wears, as Napoleon was reputed to do. Napoleon I was born on the island of Corsica. Then, in the year 1815, he was imprisoned by exile to the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, 2,000 km from any major landmass, where he spent the rest of his life. History)





Literary techniques





Storyline analysis

Richard, Ben and Miles continue to travel to the Barracks to collect explosives but Widmore and Zoe track them down to recruit them for Jacob's cause. O-Missions ) ( S-Missions

Desmond beats up Ben in the flash-sideways timeline. Crimes)

Jacob gathers up Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley to explain to them his purpose in bringing them to the Island. A-Missions)

Locke tells Widmore he won't kill his daughter Penny, if he tells him why he brought Desmond to the Island. Economics)

Kate can't convince Detective Ford to free her. Economics)

Desmond and Hurley gather up Kate and Sayid to free them. Hurley bribes Ana Lucia in doing so. Economics ) ( A-Missions ) ( Crimes

Jack volunteers to take over Jacob's role as protector of the Island. Leadership)





Episode connections

Episode references

Episode allusions

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: What They Died For/Theories