Watch Ep 311's Secret Clue on Video

Episode 311 - "ENTER 77" Secret Clue

Welcome back to the Lost Secret Clue, where we dig deeper to find the clues and secrets you might've missed to fuel your theories! This week's episode, 'ENTER 77', presented us with a mind-boggling amount of new information, clues and a mysterious new Other, as well as a shocking move by Locke that may have forever sealed the fate of the Losties.

While following the bearing of 305 degrees, spotted on Eko's stick by Locke, Sayid came upon, of all things, a cow. Surprising enough by itself, but the second we heard someone whistle for the cow to return home, Sayid snapped into action and went on the offensive. Circling the perimeter, Sayid discovered a run-down looking farm with a giant satellite dish reaching towards the sky.

Moments later, Sayid was down, having been shot by the mysterious eye-patched man first spotted on the TV feed in the Pearl. He quickly introduced himself as Mikhail Bakunin, the last surviving member of the Dharma Initiative, an easy lie for our Losties to believe considering he made mention of "the line", and informed them they were in the Flame station. He went on to explain that the Flame was for communicating with the outside world, as well as being the centre of on-island communications due to the hub of wires underground leading out to the other stations. Sayid questioned him about the satellite dish, but Mikhail explained it hadn't worked in years.

Mikhail's description of his past was quite interesting, as several elements tied him closely to experiences other characters have been through. He explained that he grew up in Kiev before enlisting in the Soviet Army, serving in Afghanistan as a field medic – he was both a soldier and a doctor. Later, he was stationed at a listening post in Vladivostok, in a role that brings Hurley's institutionalised friend Leonard to mind. After the Cold War, he responded to a newspaper advertisement, asking for people to "save the world" and voluntarily joined the "very secretive, rich and smart" Dharma Initiative, who brought him to the island in 1993 – a fate seemingly shared by Desmond's hatch mate Kelvin. Surprisingly, only the fact that he claims to have been a part of Dharma is the only questionable statement he made...

He continues by telling them that Dharma were wiped out when they attempted to incite a purge of "the hostiles" and were horribly defeated, though Mikhail was left exempt due to his acceptance of a truce, a promise not to "cross the line" and the fact that the dish was already broken. Considering we later see that he is in fact an Other, working alongside Ms Klugh, we know that Mikhail's recollection of this event, if it even transpired, is not the truth, but the fact that he acknowledges there are people that were not Dharma is of great interest. It was also shocking to witness the lengths the Others are prepared to go to in order to keep their secrets - costumes, hideouts, speaking in foreign tongues and, finally, exectution.

Possibly the most important thing Mikhail revealed was the purpose of the wire leading out of the ocean – or as we now realise, in to the ocean, leading directly to an underground beacon used for guiding submarines to the island! Could the Losties have finally found an Other with a bad case of loose lips?

It wasn't just the information from Mikhail that was so revelatory - the contents of the station themselves told us an awful lot, as well as moving the Losties further along in their quest to get Jack back. While searching the hidden basement, Sayid discovered several paper-filled manuals, such as a food drop protocol description and, more excitingly, a map clearly laying out the destinations of the cables and their operating purposes!

But by far, the most exciting moment of the episode was when Locke managed to be the supposed "cheating" computer and unlock the Dr Marvin Candle-hosted instructions menu. Little did Locke know what the eventual outcome of his meddling would hold, but no one could've expected the station to have been rigged with C-4. Considering "the purple light" must have been responsible for the beacon being knocked out, the Losties are really beginning to make life difficult for the Others...

Manual override achieved. For pallet drop enter 2-4. For station up-link enter 3-2. For mainland communication enter 3-8.
~~~38~~~
The satellite dish is inoperable. Communications are down. For sonar access enter 5-6.
~~~56~~~
Sonar is inoperable. Has there been an incursion on this station by the Hostiles? If so, enter 7-7.
~~~77~~~
BOOM.