“LOST” returned this week after a brief hiatus with the 100th episode of the series. The episode is entitled “The Variable” and it was a Faraday centric episode. Before I begin my review of tonight’s episode, I must admit that last week - in a moment of weakness - I read a spoiler for tonight’s episode. I really tried not to, but I knew a death was coming and I just had to find out. Well, I read the spoiler and I was shocked by who it was going to be and I was also very sad. I like this character. The character is not my all-time favorite, but I do like the character a lot. I like all of the remaining characters that are currently on the show - I don’t want to see any of them go.  I checked imdb.com and it says that this character is in the last remaining episodes for this season. So maybe the character is not dead. Young Ben was shot and it appeared he was going to die, but he didn’t. Quite a bit of information is revealed in this episode. This was a good episode and it sets up for some big events for the final episodes of this season.

Spoilers…...............................................................

As we saw in the final moments of “Some Like it Hoth,” Daniel Faraday has returned to the island. He was in Ann Arbor, Michigan working for the Dharma Initiative during his time in the 70s. He’s returned because he saw the new arrivals photo and saw that Jack and the others had arrived in 1977. Daniel believes that Jack and the others are not suppose to be here in the 70s. He is determined to try and get them back to their right time by preventing a certain event from occurring which will change the future and result in Oceanic Flight 815 not to crash. As we know all know the reason Oceanic 815 crashed is because Desmond failed to enter the numbers into the computer at the Swan station. In 1977, an accident will happen that will cause a massive release of energy. To contain the energy, the Dharma Initiative will encase it and this will become the “Hatch” that we know as the famous hatch that Desmond occupied and input the numbers. Daniel’s theory is that if he counter act this explosion with the hydrogen bomb that the Others have (Jughead), no Hatch will be made and the events that follow with Desmond will not happen and the future will change. Oceanic Flight 815 will take off and arrive in Los Angeles and all will be well. But Daniel must get the bomb.

Jack and Kate decide to take Daniel to the Others camp to get the bomb. Unfortunately they get into a gun fight with Radzinsky. They are able to escape, but this event leads to Radzinky to go to Sawyer’s house where he discovers that Sawyer aka LaFleur has Phil tied up in a closet. Sawyer and Juliet are forced to surrender. More on that later.

At the Others camp, Daniel has Jack and Kate stay back while he enters alone to try and meet up with his mother Elouise. Daniel is armed and has a gun pointed at Richard Alpert which results in him getting shot in the back by none other than his own mother Elouise!  Daniel appears to die and reveals to Elouise that he is her son. As he dies, he realizes that his mother always knew that she would “kill” her own son. In the flashbacks that are shown in this episode, we see the life of Daniel Faraday. Daniel is recruited by Charles Widmore to go on the freighter to go to the island. It’s also revealed in this episode what we have all assumed and that Daniel is in fact the son of Charles Widmore. Daniel doesn’t want to go and it’s his mother who convinces him to go. Does she do this because its all destiny and you can’t change the past? Who knows. But its interesting that the island has resulted in the “sacrifice” of both Ben and Elouise’s children. Why?

So if Daniel is dead, and the accident happens and the hatch is built, what does that mean for Jack and everyone else? They are stuck in the past and their cover story is blown with the Dharma people. Will they now join the Others?  I’m curious to see where this all leads to. On a side note, I feel sorry for Juliet. Sawyer has a meeting with all of the Oceanic people and believes its time for them to leave Dharma and go live on the beach. He looks at Kate and says, “Come with us, Freckles.” Juliet sees this and sees the love that Sawyer still has for Kate and is devastated. She knows that he still loves her. I’m starting to hate Kate. As much as I love the character and I’m a big fan of the “Jate” couple of Jack and Kate, Juliet is on the outside looking in as Kate has both of the men she has fallen love with wrapped around her finger. I wouldn’t be surprised if Juliet dies at some point. As sad as it would be, it would be great drama if they had a scene where she scarifices herself to save the Oceanic people because she knows she can never really have Sawyer or Jack to herself.

Next week’s episode is entitled “Follow the Leader”. The episode will focus on Jack and Kate arguing over what needs to done know to fix things and we will also see Locke solidify his leadership with the Others. According to spoilerfix.com, this episode will also focus on Richard Alpert. Maybe we’ll finally get some answers on who or what he is. See you next week!