S04E11: 'Cabin Fever'

"Destiny is a fickle bitch," seethes Ben Linus during this impressive episode. If Lost's destiny is to turn into Twin Peaks, then the stunning final moments within Jacob's cabin are a great indication of this.

Very much like Agent Dale Cooper's frightening trip to the Black Lodge in David Lynch's early 90's masterpiece, John Locke's discovery of Christian and Claire in the cabin is visually and narratively disturbing. The eerie texture of the scene, with a noticeable flame-like glow, takes viewers out of their comfort zone and provides a highly effective cliffhanger. It was very much a case of "fire walk with me", but is the revived Christian really Killer Bob in disguise or a more benevolent figure?

Elsewhere, the flashbacks into Locke's genesis were an engrossing diversion and added more layers of mystery to the character. That man has not had it easy as far as his family is concerned. The presence of the ageless Richard Alpert during Locke's childhood makes one wonder what involvement Linus has had in the man's upbringing, given that Richard was last seen collaborating with the leader of The Others.

Throw in ruthless Keamy's freighter mutiny, Frank's desire to help the crash survivors, the apparition of brutally slain Dharma Initiative worker Horace - and it's easy to see why 'Cabin Fever' provides the right balance between satisfying plot development and tantalising hints towards the future.


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