Through the Looking Glass (Lost)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Through the Looking Glass
Series = Lost


Caption = The off-island storyline shows Jack's life in ruins.
Season = 3
Episode = 22
Airdate = start date|2007|05|23
Production = 322
Writer = Carlton Cuse
Damon Lindelof
Director = Jack Bender
Guests = Malcolm David Kelley
M.C. Gainey
Tania Raymonde
Blake Bashoff
Andrew Divoff
Mira Furlan
Brian Goodman
Marsha Thomason
L. Scott Caldwell
Sam Anderson
Lana Parrilla
Tracy Middendorf
James Lesure
Nestor Carbonell
Sonya Walger
Julie Bowen
Episode list = "Lost" (season 3)
List of "Lost" episodes
Prev = Greatest Hits
Next = The Beginning of the End

"Through the Looking Glass" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the ABC television series "Lost". It is the sixty-ninth episode overall. It was written by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, and directed by executive producer Jack Bender."ABC Medianet", (May 7, 2007) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050707_12 "Lost" Season Finale Entertaiment Press Release] ". Retrieved on July 3, 2007.] When first aired on May 23, 2007 in the United States and Canada, it was watched by an average of fourteen million American viewers."ABC Medianet", (May 30, 2007) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=053007_06 Weekly Entertainment Primetime Ratings Wrap-Up Report Press Release] ". Retrieved on July 3, 2007.] Like the previous two season finales, it was two hours long with advertisements, twice the length of a normal episode. It was edited into two individual episodes when released on DVD. The season finale is widely regarded as one of the best episodes of "Lost". [Ho, Rodney, (January 31, 2008) " [http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/radiotalk/entries/2008/01/31/131_lost_is_bac.html "Lost" is Back!] ", "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution". Retrieved on February 15, 2008.] The episode garnered a number of awards and nominations, including three Emmy nominations and a DGA Award nomination."Academy of Television Arts & Sciences", (July 19, 2007) " [http://www.emmys.org/awards/2007pt/nominations.php?action=search_db Primetime Emmys Complete 2007 Nominations List] ". Retrieved on August 5, 2007.]

The episode begins its narrative in late December 2004, over ninety 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 attack and are then ambushed at the survivors' camp and are subsequently killed. Meanwhile, Jack Shephard (played by Matthew Fox) leads most of the survivors to the island's radio tower to communicate with a nearby ship. Intercut with this story are off-island scenes spotlighting Jack, who has become suicidally depressed and addicted to painkillers. In a twist ending, it is revealed that these scenes are flashforwards to sometime in the future, after Jack has left the island, rather than flashbacks as in previous episodes of "Lost". [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.]

Plot

The Others plan to attack the camp and kidnap pregnant women for scientific research. [Kelley, Dawn Lambertsen (writer) & Ragghianti, Matt (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Maternity Leave". "Lost", ABC. Episode 15, season 2. Aired on March 1, 2006.] The survivors are informed of the plan by the Other Karl (Blake Bashoff) and conceive a plan to kill the Others with dynamite-rigged tents.Kitsis, Edward (writer) & Horowitz, Adam (writer) & Williams, Stephen (director). "Greatest Hits". "Lost", ABC. Episode 21, season 3. Aired on May 16, 2007.] Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews), Jin Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) and Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson) remain at the beach, tasked with shooting the dynamite-rigged tents while the rest of the survivors journey with Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan) to the radio tower to communicate with Naomi Dorrit's (Marsha Thomason) nearby ship. The Others arrive, and while Sayid and Bernard detonate their tents, Jin misses his target, which results in their capture by the Others: Tom (M.C. Gainey), Ryan Pryce (Brian Goodman) and Jason (Ariston Green), and the deaths of seven Others. ["The World of the Others". "", Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Released on December 11, 2007. Featurette, disc 7.] After hearing only two explosions, James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway) and Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) turn back to see if they can help. Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), who was not allowed to accompany Sawyer and Juliet because of his weight, drives the van he found onto the beach, [Kitsis, Edward (writer) & Horowitz, Adam (writer) & Laneuville, Eric (director). "Tricia Tanaka is Dead". "Lost", ABC. Episode 10, season 3. Aired on February 28, 2007.] and the captives gain the upper hand, killing the remaining Others with the help of Sawyer and Juliet.

Charlie 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. Charlie is captured by the resident Others Greta (Lana Parrilla) and Bonnie (Tracy Middendorf). Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) learns of Charlie's infiltration and sends Mikhail Bakunin (Andrew Divoff) 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 where he had hidden after diving down a short time after Charlie did. Getting the code from Bonnie before she dies (the opening notes from "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys), Charlie disables the signal jammer, and is contacted by Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger) via video transmission. Penny informs Charlie that she does not know Naomi, and did not send the boat that Naomi claims to be from. Despite his injury, Mikhail manages to swim out of the station and blasts the window of the jamming room with a grenade, killing himself and flooding the communications room. [Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (September 21, 2007) " [http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=podcast#t=3421 Official "Lost" Audio Podcast] ", "ABC". Retrieved on September 22, 2007.] Charlie locks the door to save Desmond from drowning with him, but before he drowns, Charlie writes on his hand so Desmond can read: "NOT PENNY'S BOAT".Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Through the Looking Glass". "Lost", ABC. Episode 23, season 3. Aired on May 23, 2007.]

John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), one of the survivors, has been shot by Ben. [Goddard, Drew (writer) & Sarnoff, Elizabeth (writer) & Roth, Bobby (director). "The Man Behind the Curtain". "Lost", ABC. Episode 20, season 3. Aired on May 9, 2007.] Locke is about to commit suicide, when he is stopped by what appears to be Walt Lloyd (Malcolm David Kelley). Meanwhile, Ben tells Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell) to lead the rest of the Others to the "Temple" and then leaves the Others with his adopted daughter, Alex (Tania Raymonde; Rousseau's daughter and Karl's girlfriend), [Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "I Do". "Lost", ABC. Episode 6, season 3. Aired on November 8, 2006.] to meet up with the survivors to persuade Jack not to call Naomi's ship for rescue.Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Through the Looking Glass". "Lost", ABC. Episode 22, season 3. Aired on May 23, 2007.]

Jack informs Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) 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 orders the shooting of Sayid, Jin, and Bernard, and when Jack hears three shots, he attacks Ben and punches him in the face repeatedly leaving Ben bloody. Unknown to Jack, the shots were fired into the sand, following earlier orders from Ben. Rousseau meets her sixteen year old daughter Alex, who was kidnapped by the Others shortly after her birth, [Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Exodus". "Lost", ABC. Episode 23, season 1. Aired on May 16, 2005.] and they tie Ben up. The trek party, now able to get a signal, arrives at the radio tower. Rousseau disables her distress signal, freeing the frequency for Naomi. However, Naomi is knifed in the back by Locke, who threatens to kill Jack if he calls Naomi’s boat. Locke cannot bring himself to kill Jack, who communicates with George Minkowski on Naomi's boat. Minkowski tells the survivors they will be sending rescue.

Throughout the episode, flashforwards from years after "Through the Looking Glass"'s island events show that Jack has escaped the island and returned to work as a spinal surgeon, although it's not till the last one when Kate appears and Jack discusses the island that it becomes clear that they are flashforwards rather than flashbacks. [Snierson, Dan, (January 4, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20169281_2,00.html "Lost"'s Matthew Fox Flashforwards to Season 4] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on January 4, 2007.] He is depressed, bearded, heavily drinking and addicted to Oxycodone. After reading about the death of someone he knew, Jack goes to commit suicide by jumping off the Sixth Street Viaduct bridge. He is distracted by a car wreck and goes to save those in need. Jack visits the memorial service for the person he read about and finds himself to be the only attendee. Jack contacts Kate and tells her about the memorial service. Kate says that she did not know about it, but she would not have attended even if she did. Jack also confesses to using the "golden pass" that they were given by Oceanic Airlines to fly across the Pacific Ocean and back every Friday, hoping that he will crash on the island. Jack explains that they should never have left the island and must return, however Kate disagrees and leaves, not wanting to continue this conversation that they have apparently had before. [Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (July 2007) " [http://bp1.blogger.com/_RrObyQ3XzcY/RrXf2cJdKeI/AAAAAAAAHZU/44tL9iXE5WY/s1600-h/BlackBox3.jpgBlack Box: Oceanic Flight 815 Recorder] ", ". Retrieved on October 24, 2007.]

Production

The title is an allusion to Lewis Carroll's novel "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There"Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (May 21, 2007) " [http://ll.media.abc.com/podcast/audio/itunes/Lostpodcast_20070521.mp3 Official "Lost" Audio Podcast] ", "ABC". Retrieved on July 3, 2007.] and a reference to the fictitious Dharma Initiative station found in the previous episode. Shooting began on April 13, 2007 [Perez, Mario, (May 24, 2007) " [http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/display/display_main.aspx?global_id=001648&leftcol=links "Lost" Photography] ", "ABC Medianet". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] and ended on May 7, 2007. [Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (May 11, 2007) " [http://ll.media.abc.com/podcast/audio/itunes/Lostpodcast_20070511.mp3 Official "Lost" Audio Podcast] ", "ABC". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] The writers were so far behind schedule that parts of the episode were shot while later parts were still being written. [Cuse, Carlton & Lilly, Evangeline & Holloway, Josh, "I Do". "", Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Audio commentary, disc 2. Released on December 11, 2007.] Filming mostly took place on Oahu, Hawaii, with additional scenes shot in Los Angeles. [" [http://www.lostvirtualtour.com/lost/episode/3x22.html Episode 3x22&23: 'Through the Looking Glass' – Parts 1 & 2 Hawaii] ", "Lost Virtual Tour". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] The hospital scenes were filmed on the same sets used for the ABC show "Grey's Anatomy". [Lachonis, Jon, (July 4, 2007) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-in-los-angeles-7918.aspx "Lost" in Los Angeles?] ", "BuddyTV". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.]

Despite not being mentioned in the official press release, then 15 year old Malcolm David Kelley returned to reprise his role as 10 year old Walt Lloyd, [Abrams, J.J. (writer/director) & Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Lieber, Jeffrey (writer). "Pilot". "Lost", ABC. Episode 2, season 1. Aired on September 29, 2004.] and received credit as a "special guest star". [Entertainment Yahoo! TV Beta, " [http://tv.yahoo.com/malcolm-david-kelley/contributor/575325 Malcolm Kelley] ", "Yahoo!". Retrieved on July 8, 2007.] Kelley’s character had left the island in the second season finale, [Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Cuse, Carlton (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Live Together, Die Alone". "Lost", ABC. Episode 24, season 2. Aired on May 24, 2007.] only 26 days prior to the events of "Through the Looking Glass", however, Kelley had not filmed an episode in over a year. In his single scene, Walt has visibly aged, appears taller and has a deeper voice. ["BuddyTV", (May 25, 2007) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/more/lost-season-three-finale-favor-6943.aspx "Lost" Season Three Finale - Favorite Moments!] ". Retrieved on July 8, 2007.] The producers had hoped that Harold Perrineau, who plays Walt's father Michael Dawson, would return in this episode, but he was busy filming the pilot for CBS' "Demons". [Bruno, Mike, (August 6, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20050265,00.html "Lost": The Return of Michael Dawson] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on August 7, 2007.] Perrineau instead returned to "Lost" in season 4. [McPherson, Stephen, (July 25, 2007) " [http://www.abcmedianet.com/specials/07spt/executives/steven/index.shtml Summer Press Tour] ", "American Broadcasting Company". Retrieved on August 7, 2007.] Rob McElhenney's character—the Other Aldo, who had previously appeared in "Not in Portland"—is killed in the finale; however McElhenney does not appear because he was busy with FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". [Ausiello, Michael, (August 29, 2007) " [http://www.tvguide.com/Ask-Ausiello/070829 'Ask Ausiello' on "Grey's Anatomy", "House", "Burn Notice" and More!] ", "TV Guide". Retrieved on January 22, 2008.] Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse lent their voices for the unseen roles of the flight captain and newscaster, respectively. [Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (May 4, 2007) " [http://ll.media.abc.com/podcast/audio/itunes/Lostpodcast_20070504.mp3 Official "Lost" Audio Podcast] ", "ABC". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.]

This episode concluded the story arc about Charlie's death, which began earlier in the season when Desmond prophesied Charlie's death. [Lindelof, Damon (writer) & Goddard, Drew (writer) & Bender, Jack (director). "Flashes Before Your Eyes". "Lost", ABC. Episode 8, season 3. Aired on February 14, 2007.] Throughout the season, Charlie escaped death; [Kim, Christina M. (writer) & Rosenberg, Jordan (writer) & Edwards, Paul (director). "Par Avion". "Lost", ABC. Episode 12, season 3. Aired on March 14, 2007.] however, Desmond told Charlie that he had to die in order for his girlfriend, Claire Littleton, to get rescued from the island. The storyline of Charlie's death was conceived while producing the latter part of the second season, [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.] after the storyline of Charlie's drug addiction finished. [Kitsis, Edward (writer) & Adam Horowitz (writer) & Williams, Stephen (director). "Three Minutes". "Lost", ABC. Episode 22, season 2. Aired on May 17, 2006.] The news of his character's death was broken to Monaghan two episodes in advance, [Snierson, Dan, (May 24, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040051_2,00.html The Q&A: Sorry, Charlie (Part 1)] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] to which Monaghan felt "relief" for knowing the future of his job on the show. [Snierson, Dan, (May 18, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20039215,00.html Spotlight on Dominic Monaghan] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] 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. [Snierson, Dan, (May 24, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040051,00.html The Q&A: Sorry, Charlie (Part 1)] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] Monaghan hoped to return to "Lost" as a guest star in flashbacks or dreams. [Malcolm, Shawna, (May 24, 2007) " [http://www.tvguide.com/News/sorry-charlie-lost/070524-02 Sorry, Charlie: "Lost" Star Wanted to "Die" a Hero] ", "TV Guide". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.]

Jack Bender stated that Matthew Fox "really commits body and soul into the story he's telling" and Fox questioned whether he had ever been more tired than while shooting the double episode. ["Lost: On Location – Through the Looking Glass". " Medianet", (May 7, 2007) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050707_01 "Lost" to Conclude in 2009–10 Television Season] ". Retrieved on July 31, 2007.] they felt comfortable playing flashforwards as early as the third season finale.

Post-production wrapped on May 21, 2007, only two days before it aired on television. The score was composed by series musician Michael Giacchino, while popular music was also featured throughout the episode. As Jack drives to the funeral parlor, he listens to "Scentless Apprentice" by Nirvana. The code that Charlie uses to disable the jamming in the Looking Glass is to the tune of "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys. [Disney (November 11, 2007) " [http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=recaps#t=38132&d=40701 Episode 322 Recap] ", "ABC". Retrieved on November 22, 2007.] Charlie also sings a song in the episode that was written by Dominic Monaghan, who plays him. [Met/Hodder, "Through the Looking Glass" (enhanced). Aired on January 30, 2007.] A "Lost" season finale is approximately twice as long the average "Lost" episode. Due to the episode's length, it was split into two parts in some countries and when released on DVD. [" [http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2007/09/season-3-artwork.html Lost: Terceira Temporada Completa – Explore Esta Aventura] ," (September 25, 2007) Buena Vista Home Entertainment.] Unlike most episodes, this episode did not feature a "previously on "Lost"…" recap at the start of the episode when it first aired; however, it was originally preceded by a clip-show titled "", which recapped the third season. ["ABC Medianet", (May 7, 2007) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050707_11 "Lost" Special Entertaiment Press Release] ". Retrieved on July 31, 2007.] Cuse said that he and Lindelof think the finale is "very cool [and] we're very proud of it." Stephen McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, called "Through the Looking Glass" "one of the best episodes" of the series. [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.] Buena Vista Home Entertainment released "Through the Looking Glass" on the season's DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets on December 11, 2007 in Region 1. [Snugglefish Media, (August 31, 2007) " [http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disney/TV_on_High-Def/Disney_Reveals_New_Specs,_Exclusive_Extras_for_Lost:_Third_Season_Blu-ray_/917 Disney Reveals New Specs, Exclusive Extras for "Lost: Third Season" Blu-ray] ", "High-Def Digest". Retrieved on September 9, 2007.] A featurette called "Lost": On Location" features cast and crew discussing production of select episodes, including "Through the Looking Glass". The episode was rerun for the first time on January 30, 2008 with on-screen text in the lower third of the screen, similar to VH1's "Pop-up Video". ["ABC Medianet", (January 24, 2008) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=012408_05 ABC Premieres a Special Enhanced Version of the "Lost" Season Three Two-Hour Finale] ". Retrieved on January 26, 2008.] These pop-ups were not written by "Lost"'s writers due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike; they were written by the marketing company Met/Hodder. [Carter, Bill, (January 30, 2008) " [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/arts/television/30lost.html?ex=1202360400&en=5763e6487d948fdd&ei=5070&emc=eta1 Tropical Teaser: "Lost" Clues Decoded] ", "The New York Times". Retrieved on January 30, 2008.] This enhanced edition was viewed by almost 9 million Americans. [Mitovich, Matt Webb, (January 31) " [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Ratings-American-Idol/800032188 Ratings: "Lost" Repeat Has Some 'Pop'] ", "TV Guide". Retrieved on January 31, 2008.]

Reception

Ratings

In the U.S., the episode brought in the best ratings for "Lost" in fifteen episodes. [Nielsen Media Research, (June 2007) " [http://www.yauws.com/content.php?id=7 ABC's "Lost" Ratings at a Glance] ", "Yet Another Useless Website". Retrieved on July 4, 2007.] The two-hour Wednesday broadcast on ABC made "Lost" the fourth most watched series of the week with an average of 13.86 million American viewers, ["ABC Medianet", (May 30, 2007) " [http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=053007_07 Weekly I. T. R. S. Primetime Program Ranking Report Entertainment Press Release] ". Retrieved on July 3, 2007.] below the third season average of 14.6 million. ["Hollywood Reporter", (May 25, 2007) " [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f Series Programming Results 2006–07 Primetime Wrap] ". Retrieved on July 4, 2007.] 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. 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 "". [Marcus, (June 7, 2007) " [http://gallifreyone.com/news-archives.php?id=6-2007#newsitemEElEkEEVkpQpiXmQsm Human Nature – Final Ratings] ", "Outpost Gallifrey". Retrieved on July 30, 2007.] In Australia, "Lost" was the thirty-seventh most viewed show of the week, bringing in 1.17 million viewers. [Dale, David, (July 31, 2007) " [http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/07/the_ratings_race_consolations.html Stay in Touch – The Ratings Race: Big Brother's Big Night] ", "The Sydney Morning Herald". Retrieved on July 31, 2007.] In Canada, the episode placed sixteenth for the first half, with 911,000 viewers and fifteenth for the second half, with 938,000 viewers. The episodes were broadcast before and after "American Idol". ["BBM Canada", (May 27, 2007) " [http://www.bbm.ca/en/nat05212007.pdf Top Programs – Total Canada (English)] ". Retrieved on January 31, 2008.]

Critical response

The episode received positive reviews from critics. [Shafrir, Doree, (May 25, 2007) " [http://www.slate.com/id/2166672 "Lost"'s Le
] ", "Slate". Retrieved on July 5, 2007.] The "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the episode was "an unusually action-packed and sanguinary spring cleaning that… left a host of… characters… dead", [Lloyd, Robert, (May 24, 2007) " [http://lost-media.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2554 "Lost" Finale: More Mysteries Wrapped in Enigmas] ", "Los Angeles Times". Retrieved on July 6, 2007.] "Access Atlanta" said "it was deeply satisfying. The first hour started a bit slow but the second hour had great twists, wonderfully emotional moments, both happy and sad", [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" Rec
] ", "Access Atlanta". Retrieved on July 6, 2007.] and the "Associated Press" said that "the powerful season-ending episode redeemed the series with the shrewdness and intrigue that made it so addictive in the first place." [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.] The "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote that "not only was the pace fast, the teases taut, and the answers plenty, the writers took a compelling gamble… [by telling] viewers that in the future… maybe all… of the people on the "Lost" island get off. They get their wish. But in Jack, our guide through this series, the writers definitively say, 'Be careful what you wish for.'" [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.] The "San Jose Mercury News" called the finale a "jaw-dropping exercise in good storytelling." [McCollum, Charlie, (December 31, 2007) " [http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_7850755?nclick_check=1 TV's Top 25] ", "San Jose Mercury News". Retrieved on January 19, 2008.] The "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" commented that the flashforward "twist gave the saga renewed momentum as it begins its march toward a 2010 finish." [Owen, Rob, (December 27, 2007) " [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07361/844653-237.stm Best of 2007 – Best TV Show: "Mad Men"] ", "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Retrieved on January 19, 2008.] 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", who added that the death of Charlie was "the most touching loss of the series so far." [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.] "The Palm Beach Post" [Thompson, Kevin D., (December 21, 2007) " [http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=77213 Wrapping Up 2007: Television] ", "The Palm Beach Post". Retrieved on January 23, 2007.] and "Wizard" named it the "Best Cliffhanger" of 2007. [Morse, Ben, (December 1, 2006) " [http://lostmediamentions.blogspot.com/2007/12/wizard-names-lost-best-show-and.html Best TV Show and Cliffhanger: "Lost"] ", "Wizard". Retrieved on December 2, 2007.] The "Chicago Tribune" called it "a qualified success" with excellent pacing and action, however, the flashforward scenes were thought to be uninteresting and "clumsy". [Ryan, Maureen, (May 24, 2007) " [http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/05/lost_with_dr_ho.html "Lost" with Dr. House, er, I Mean Jack] ", "Chicago Tribune". Retrieved on December 7, 2007.] "Time" ranked the episode as the best of 2007 [Poniewozik, James, (December 20, 2007) " [http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/2007/12/robopost_the_10_best_episodes.html The 10 Best Episodes of 2007] ", "Time". Retrieved on December 29, 2007.] and the "Rattlesnake in the Mailbox" as one of the ten best scenes of 2007 television. [Poniewozik, James, (December 21, 2007) " [http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/2007/12/vacation_robopost_the_10_best_1.html The 10 Best TV Scenes of 2007] ", "Time". Retrieved on December 29, 2007.]

"The Futon Critic" placed the episode first in the site's annual "50 Best Episodes" list. [Sullivan, Brian Ford, (January 11, 2008) " [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20080111 The 50 Best Episodes of 2007: 10–1] ", "The Futon Critic". Retrieved on January 13, 2008.] "E!" said that "Through the Looking Glass" was possibly "the best episode ever of the entire series." "TV Guide" described "Through the Looking Glass" as "a dizzying exercise in adventure, sustained tension and time-shifting rug pulling [that was] spectacularly produced, amazingly directed and gloriously acted."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.] "IGN" gave the double episode a perfect 10/10 [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.] – the best review of the season – saying it was "nothing short of a masterpiece of storytelling with a brilliantly paced narrative."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.] "IGN" would conclude that the flashforward was the "Biggest Shock" in 2007 television. ["IGN" staff, (December 2007) " [http://bestof.ign.com/2007/tv/10.html Best of 2007: Biggest Shock – The Flashforward Reveal in "Lost"] ", "IGN". Retrieved on December 28, 2007.] "BuddyTV" praised the unpredictability, saying that "no other show can even attempt to do what "Lost" does."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.] "BuddyTV" would later call "Through the Looking Glass" the best finale of 2007 [Williams, Don, (December 24, 2007) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/top-7-of-07-best-finale-1-lost-14961.aspx Best Finale #1] ", "BuddyTV". Retrieved on December 29, 2007.] and Charlie's death the saddest TV death of 2007. [Williams, Don, (December 24, 2007) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/top-7-of-07-saddest-death-1-ch-15000.aspx Saddest Death #1] ", "BuddyTV". Retrieved on December 29, 2007.] "Through the Looking Glass" was "TV.com"'s "Editor's Choice" for "Best Episode" of 2007. ["TV.com", (January 25, 2008) " [http://www.tv.com/special_feature/best-of-2007/episode/index.html The Best of 2007 – Best Episode] ". Retrieved on January 27, 2008.] "AOL"'s "TV Squad" gave the episode a 7/7, noting that "the writers followed through on Desmond's premonitions and successfully delivered the highly anticipated game-changer." [Martell, Erin, (May 23, 2007) " [http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/05/23/lost-through-the-looking-glass-season-finale "Lost": 'Through the Looking Glass' (Season Finale)] ", "AOL TV Squad". Retrieved on September 24, 2007.] "Television Without Pity" gave the third season finale an "A". [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.] "The Sydney Morning Herald" wrote that "Lost" "may have unjumped [the shark] with [the] flashforward." [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.] "Entertainment Weekly" ranked it as one of the top ten episodes of 2007, [Snierson, Dan, (December 18, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20165911_20165913_20167040,00.html The Best TV Episodes of 2007] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on December 28, 2007.] saying that the cliffhanger " [revealed] new dimensions to ["Lost"'s] creative world."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.] "Zap2It" questioned "whether to be deeply frustrated (again), really, really confused (a distinct possibility) or just in awe of the incredible mind-(ahem) show runners… have pulled off." [Porter, Rick, (May 23, 2007) " [http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2007/05/finalewatch_los.html "Lost" Messes with our Heads Again] ", "Zap2It". Retrieved on October 16, 2007.] The writing for Locke was criticized, and one "IGN" writer said that "it seems irrational that he would go and [stab Naomi] in the back without explaining himself." [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.] Lindelof stated "that we might be willing to give [Locke] the benefit of the doubt for any action he took in response to [lying, gutshot, in a pit of Dharma corpses for two days and on the verge of taking his own life] , even if considered slightly 'out of character'." [Jensen, Jeff, (October 9, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20151394,200.html Burning Question of the Month] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on October 13, 2007.] Film and television director and writer Kevin Smith said that "to do [3] seasons and then suddenly throw a massive curveball is just so dramatically satisfying, you just take your hats off to the writers in a big, bad way." [Jensen, Jeff, (October 9, 2007) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20151394,00.html Kevin Smith Raves About "Lost"] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on October 13, 2007.]

Awards

The episode was 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" for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, but it failed to win in any category. [King, Susan, (September 16, 2007) " [http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/emmys/env-07primetimeemmy-list,0,376377.htmlstory Emmy Scorecard] ", "The Los Angeles Times Envelope". Retrieved on September 16, 2007.] The season finale was submitted for Emmy consideration in the category of "Outstanding Drama Series;" [Kubicek, John, (June 29, 2007) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/how-lost-will-find-the-emmys-a-7791.aspx How "Lost" Will Find the Emmys Again] ", "BuddyTV". Retrieved on July 27, 2007.] however, it was not nominated. ["Academy of Television Arts & Sciences", (July 19, 2007) " [http://www.emmys.tv/awards/2007pt/nominations_pt.php?action=search_db#1 Primetime Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List] ". Retrieved on July 27, 2007.] Bender was also nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night", ["Directors Guild of America", (January 10, 2008) " [http://www.dga.org/news/pr_expand.php3?537 DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in All Categories for 2007] ". "Retrieved on January 13, 2008.] but he did not win. ["Directors Guild of America", (January 26, 2008) " [http://www.dga.org/superset.php3/news/pr_expand.php3?541 DGA Award Winners and Special Award Recipients] ". "Retrieved on January 27, 2008.] "Through the Looking Glass" was the "AOL" primetime poll winner [AOL voters, "(June 2007) " [http://television.aol.com/feature/tv-season-end-best-worst-poll Primetime Poll Results: Season's Highs & Lows] ", "AOL". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] and editors' pick for "Best Season-Ending Cliffhanger". [AOL editors, (June 2007) " [http://television.aol.com/feature/tv-season-end-best-worst-poll/editors-picks TV Season Highs & Lows: Editors' Picks] ", "AOL". Retrieved on July 7, 2007.] "Through the Looking Glass" won "Drama Episode of the Year" at the "Los Angeles Times" Gold Derby TV Awards. [O'Neil, Tom, (August 26, 2007) " [http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2007/08/the-office-and-.html "The Office" and "Lost" sweep the Gold Derby Awards] ", "Los Angeles Times". Retrieved on August 31, 2007.] The episode was awarded three "E!" Tater Top Awards. Charlie's death won "Biggest Tearjerker" and the "Rattlesnake" won "Biggest Shocker", while Rose Henderson won "Best Line" for "If you say 'live together, die alone' to me, Jack, I'm going to punch you in your face." [Veitch, Kristin, (September 3, 2007) " [http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=bb72a0da-40c4-40ec-883c-36b0951a44c9 The Results are In! Get Your 2007 Tater Top Award Winners!] ", "E!". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=recaps#t=38132&d=40701 Episode guide and photos] at ABC.com
* [http://www.tv.com/lost/through-the-looking-glass-1/episode/1024772/summary.html?tag=ep_list;ep_title;1 Overview] at TV.com
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1004798/ Details] at the Internet Movie Database