Let’s get this party started.

I’m about to fail you all with my lack of recapping skills today. Yesterday’s episode blew my mind. For the first time this season there has been some communication between Island Life and the alternate reality, never-been-on-the-island experience. Because Desmond and Daniel still have their “constant” connection.

Last we saw Desmond, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but he was delivering his message to “Mrs. Faraday,” Daniel’s mother. She was expecting it, and when Desmond found out everyone was trying to get back to the island, he said some clean version of “Fuck this noise, I am outta here!” As it turns out, you can’t walk away from your destiny, oh no no no!

Again, I can’t quite recall if we ever actually saw Widmore kidnap Desmond. I recall a scene with poor Ben Linus at the docs, but his mission was to kill Penny and he failed. I just cannot remember. I’m going to have to read the whole Lostpedia now. Anyway, Desmond finds himself being treated at a makeshift infirmary and that Widmore is his captor. Apparently he is meant to take a “trip;” the other scientists (Widmore’s people) are setting up a procedure that doesn’t look like it was quite ready to test on humans considering the last guy caught in it fried to death. But what the hell…Desmond is special. Let’s have him have a go! But before he goes, let’s give him some serious pressure: If he doesn’t succeed in whatever he’s meant to do, the world as he, we, everyone knows it, will be gone. So, they lock Desmond in the Room That Might Kill You, and turn on The Machine That Might Kill You. Desmond made sounds that sounded like it was indeed killing him, but instead, his consciousness travelled to the Also-Place, the current alternate reality path everyone seems to be part of had the plane not crashed.

In this reality, Desmond and Charles Widmore are best of friends and have a special professional relationship. They are really buddy-buddy. Desmond is loyal to Widmore, so he’s hired to babysit Charlie of Driveshaft because the band is supposed to play for his wife’s party. Yet, Mr. Heroin Man is a wee bit unpredictable and Desmond will be necessary to keep him in line until the show.

Charlie has been experiencing some things, seeing things, and wants to show Desmond what he means. He talks about finding love…and it sounds like he’s talking about Claire, from the other reality. So he grabs the wheel of Desmond’s car and drives them right into the drink. Desmond is reminded immediately of what happened at the Looking Glass Station. Charlie is sitting in the front seat of the car, completely submerged, and Desmond imagines/sees the words, “Not Penny’s Boat.” He’s confused, but he manages to save Charlie (ah, finally!). In the hospital after the crash, Desmond receives an MRI during which his mind is filled with memories and images of Penny…a woman he doesn’t know. However, it’s so powerful that he wants to see Charlie and learn more. The staff won’t help him but here comes Charlie, flying by like a banshee in a peek-a-boo hospital gown. Desmond tries to subdue him, but Charlie convinces him the important part of their experience is that they’ve “felt it,” and he suggests Desmond start looking for Penny.

Before he can do that, he has to report back to work. There Widmore is acting like a typical rich man, saying Desmond’s failed him. It was important for that band to play with their musician son, and now it’s Desmond that will have to deal with Mrs. Widmore’s disappointment. O hai! Eloise Faraday is now Mrs. Widmore. She forgives Desmond his inability to keep Charlie out of trouble, and says no matter. Desmond overhears the name Penny Milton and demands to see the guest list. Mrs. Widmore tells him it’s NOT TIME for him to see that.

Desmond is getting ready to leave the grounds when he’s approached by Daniel, uh, Widmore. They’re talking about love at first site, and Daniel describes Charlotte…he’d seen her at a museum a few weeks ago. He felt instantly in love with her. That night Daniel woke up and wrote something in his notebook, which he showed to a math-whiz friend who declared it to be so advanced that only a person with a lifetime background in physics could have come up with it. Daniel suspects that with these odd half-memories and feelings he’s been having, what if they had completely different lives and that they’ve changed things. Daniel actually suspects he may have set off a nuclear bomb. Daniel asks Desmond why he’s looking for Penny, and at this point Desmond has no idea what’s real or what’s memory until Daniel tells him that Penny is his half-sister, and will tell him exactly how to find her.

Desmond finds Penny working out by running stairs in a sports field. He approaches, meets her and shakes hands. Suddenly he’s awake and back on the island in that crazy machine Widmore put him in. Apparently he was only out for a few minutes. Widmore is apologizing for the force that is necessary, but that it’s so important…Desmond cuts him off. He decided to help as much as he can…because meeting Penny was so impactful for him. Walking back to camp, Sayid shows up and steals Desmond from the WIdmore group.

Desmond comes to, in the sports arena, after having fainted. He wastes no time and asks Penny to spend time with him. She agrees, and then Desmond tells his driver (as he’s still employed by Widmore), to take him to meet Penny later. He also asks if the driver could obtain the Oceanic flight manifest. He says he’s got something to “show them.” It seems as though Desmond is now operating with full consciousness in both realities.

Now I know you all have plenty to say!