HOW LOST SHOULD END

Tonight's ep - Across the Sea [review to come]

... I think they've made a huge mistake giving us the backstory of Jacob and the Man In Black - we'll see them as boys and Allison Janney plays some kind of know-it-all Earth Mother. It's always lame to introduce new characters late in the 3rd Act. I think they should have left who and what they are exactly a mystery to be resolved later (in movies or tv movies).

My version: Highlight for Cliff's notes (pun intended)Alt+B Charlie jumps to his death in front of Desmond. Island Desmond talks Sayid into getting him out of the well. Alt+B Eloise shows up to stop Desmond from killing Locke at the hospital. Island Hurley sees Michael and Libby again and guess who he will listen to.
We are in the Alt+B timeline and Desmond has tracked down Charlie again. Charlie is standing on the edge of a very high, very steep cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean - his eyes closed, the wind sweeping through his hair, the sun on his face.

"Charlie," Desmond intones, "don't do it." Charlie opens his eyes. "You again?!" "How did you find me?" Charlie demands. Desmond replies, "It took some doing. You don't have to do this. I've seen what you've seen, and I know what it means." Charlie laughs a contemptuous laugh, "It doesn't mean anything." Charlie inches forward and Desmond stops his approach. "That's where you're wrong. This reality, Charlie - this one - is the one that matters." "This reality is Bollocks -" Charlie snaps back. "Charlie, something happened to me in that other place you've been seeing - where we've had, have lives. I saw things, I know things. If you die here, you'll live there." "She's there," Charlie replies. "But it is a prison there - a hellish place with no peace." Charlie ponders his words and looks into the setting sun, "and I have no peace here." Charlie falls forward, down and down and crashes into the sea below.

Back on the island, we see Sayid approach the well from Desmond's POV and and lean over. Sayid points his gun at Desmond's head. "You don't seem afraid," Sayid says. "I'm not - of you, Locke, the island, or any of this." Sayid ponders this for a moment, "Why not?" Desmond stares at Sayid intently, and the rudeness of the pointed gun fills the space between them and Sayid puts it away. "Because, none of this matters, Sayid." Sayid cocks his head at Desmond's conviction, "I'll be back." Desmond patiently waits and then some strong vines are thrown down and Sayid leans over, "Climb up, and tell me more."

Alt+B finds Desmond searching through the hospital for Locke. He rounds a corridor and there stands Eloise. "Leave him alone, Desmond." "You!" Desmond is startled. Eloise stands her ground in the empty corridor, "You don't know what you're doing." Desmond narrows his gaze at her, "I know exactly what I'm doing." Desmond starts to walk toward her to go past, she pulls a gun from her purse, "You're bringing chaos to order Desmond!" "Precisely." Desmond pushed past, she fires the gun as he goes for it and a shot rings out into the hallway - in the distance can be heard screams and sound of running as people peer around corners to see what is going on. "You'll destroy everything!" Eloise is stern but choking back sobs. Desmond has control of the gun and takes if from her hand and drops it, holding her - more for control than an embrace. "Do you think you're the only one who sees?" she demands. "I saw during that explosion - all of our lives, all of the timelines - that place didn't let me die and I've tried to create one version of life with some peace and happiness ever since and I won't let you destroy it!" Desmond senses the approach of people and security and takes Eloise and they duck into an exit stairwell - he takes her up a couple of flights and then corners her against the wall. "Now, listen! I have seen very recently - and what I saw says the timelines are closing in - there is only this reality and the island. He has killed the man who lived in the foot of the temple -" "Jacob," Eloise interjects. "... and he has taken over John Locke and he's trying to get free of the island. I see bits and pieces but it's as if I'm there and here." Eloise grows soft, "What about my husband - over there?" "He put me a machine - magnetism - and somehow that brought me here." Eloise puts her hands over her face, "Oh no, he doesn't know what he's done." "Maybe he does." Eloise ponders this and grows hard again, "No, we are happy here - the horrors of that place forgotten and never to be known by any of them!" "You only care about your own happiness!? What about their lives? You'd trap them in hell, knowing what you know?" Eloise stares at Desmond intently, a floor down security can be heard opening the door and talking. Desmond looks away toward the commotion and Eloise pulls out a stun gun from her purse and zaps Desmond - who falls unconscious and she makes her getaway, but not before shouting down to the floor below, "He's up here!"

[New Addition 5/16]
Back on the island, Hurley is lagging behind as Smoke Monster/Locke leads the group (Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Claire and Frank) toward the submarine. It is nighttime, and they are back on the main island after their failed attempt to use the plane on the little island (they realized that with no runway and sand in the engines and the C4 Widmore put on there it was a no-go). It is now night and Hurley is hearing the whispering in the jungle. "You're lagging behind, Hurley," Locke confronts him. "Yeah man, I not so sure I think this is a good idea." Locke just stares at him, "Pick up the pace." "Yeah, well I've gotta pee." Hurley peels off into the jungle and Locke just stares after him, disgusted, "Well, don't listen to anybody." Hurley tromps off and shoots back a disdainful look. In the thickness of leaves he whips it out and starts peeing and up walks Michael. "You couldn't wait until I'm through?" Hurley asks. "It doesn't matter. Just get to that submarine. It's your only way home." Hurley has finished, wiped off and starts to head back, ignoring Michael. "Listen to Locke, Hurley." Hurley bites his lip and turns abruptly. "I think that listening to you has put us all in danger and that the last thing I should do is listen to Locke." A voice comes from the darkness, "Listen to your heart, Hurley." It is Libby, stepping forward. Michael is taken aback. Libby stares him down, "Go away Michael." Michael reluctantly complies - walking off into the darkened jungle. "It's great to see you." Libby smiles. "He's coming, you have to go. Listen to your heart, Hurley, it's a good one. You'll know what to do when the time comes." Rustling alerts Hurley to Locke's presence. "Are you done? we need to go." Hurley looks back to where Libby had been standing, but she's gone.