Season 4 Episodes

Episode 5

THE CONSTANT

NOTE: This episode doesn't have a flashback or a flashforward - instead, it jumps from 1996 to 2004, as Desmond leaps around from time to time and place to place.

The episode opens in 2004 with Desmond being flown to the freighter alongside Sayid. Frank seems to be directing the helicopter straight into a thunderstorm. Desmond starts to freak out as the helicopter starts experiencing major turbulence. Suddenly, Desmond blacks out and wakes up in an army base barracks.

It's 1996 - Desmond is getting yelled at by his superior officer for not waking up fast enough. Desmond apologizes, saying he was having a vivid dream about being on a helicopter in the middle of the ocean. The superior officer yells at Desmond some more and tells all of the officers to prepare to do their morning exercises in double time because of Desmond's slip up.

Desmond slips back into 2004. He's on the helicopter again, confused - he doesn't recognize Sayid - and they land on the freighter. Two men come running at the group, asking Frank why he brought people with him. These men are Keamy and Omar. They yell at Frank further when they find out that Desmond and Sayid are survivors of Flight 815 (even though Desmond technically ISN'T, they don't know this). Keamy takes Desmond to the sick bay to see a doctor, because he is totally out of it. Keamy tells Desmond as he walks him to the sick bay that their last port of call was in Fiji, so they know they're still in the Pacific Ocean. Desmond blacks out again with another flash.

It's 1996 again, and Desmond is getting yelled at by his platoon-mates for making them have to do extra work. Desmond goes to call Penny, but one of his fellow soldiers knocks the coins out of his hand. While he bends over to pick them up, he flashes again.

2004: Back on the freighter, Desmond gets locked into the sick bay. He starts knocking on the door, and then realizes someone else is in the sick bay with him. A very ill looking man says "You have it too."

Back on the island, Jack yells at Daniel and Charlotte for being so relaxed about the fact that the helicopter seems to have disappeared. Daniel explains that everyone's perception of time on the island might be 'different' than the way that time is experienced off the island. He reassures Jack that as long as Frank used the proper coordinates for flying off the island, they'll be fine. If he didn't, though, there might be "Side effects."

Back on the freighter, Sayid asks Frank to use his phone. Frank says he'll hand over the phone if Sayid hands over his gun - Sayid agrees. Sayid calls Jack and tells him that Desmond seems to have some kind of amnesia. Jack puts the phone on speaker, and Daniel asks Sayid if Desmond was exposed to a huge dose of radiation or electromagnetic energy. He says that it's normal for some people to "get a little confused" when they leave the island. Jack and Juliet share a concerned look.

Back on the freighter, a doctor comes to see the other sick man, and he takes a look at Desmond as well. When he looks in Desmond's eyes, Desmond flashes again.

It's 1996 - Desmond calls Penny. She doesn't want to talk to him. She tells him not to call her any more. Desmond's flash ends.

Back in 2004, Sayid rushes the phone to Desmond - Daniel wants to talk to him. Daniel asks Desmond what year he thinks he's in, and Desmond says it's 1996. Daniel tells Desmond that the next time he flashes to another place, he must take a train to Oxford to meet with Daniel's past self. He gives Desmond some numerical coordinates and tells him to use the password "Eloise" to convince the past Daniel that he's legit. The freighter guys, Omar and Keamy, come in and take the phone away from Desmond, who then flashes once again.

In 1996, Desmond does as he was told and travels to Oxford. He meets Daniel Faraday and he gives him the coordinates. Faraday is suspicious at first but is convinced when Desmond gives him the codeword. Daniel shows Desmond an experiment involving a rat called Eloise. The experiment basically gets Eloise the rat "unstuck" in time. The rat is able to complete a maze that Daniel hasn't yet explained to the rat - he was going to teach the rat how to complete the maze in about an hour. Daniel asks Desmond more about how they meet in the future. Desmond says it's on an island. Daniel is intrigued.

Back in 2004 on the boat, the sick man explains that he is Minkowski - he was the communications officer on the boat. He says that they used to get calls that they were under strict orders to not answer - calls coming from Penny.

Desmond wakes up again in 1996, in Daniel's room. Desmond says he was in the future just then for 5 minutes, but Daniel says Desmond seemed to be gone for about 75 minutes. Desmond also notices that Eloise the Rat is dead. Daniel says that the rat died because she didn't have a "constant" to use as an "anchor" between the 2 times she was traveling between. Daniel says you need one thing to have as your grounding so that when you travel between 2 places, your mind can latch on to one consistent thing. Desmond knows that his constant is Penny. He tries to call her, but her phone has been disconnected.

Back in the present, Desmond realizes he must contact Penny immediately. Minkowski tells Sayid and Desmond that he will lead them to the radio room. Suddenly, they notice that the door to the sick bay is opened - Minkowski says mysteriously that they must have a "friend" on the boat.

1996: Desmond walks into an auction, where Charles Widmore is bidding on a journal from someone who was on the Black Rock ship. Desmond confronts Charles, saying he needs to get in touch with Penny. Charles gives Desmond Penny's address so that Desmond can go to her and learn for himself that Penny never wants to see him again. Desmond then passes out again.

Back on the boat in 2004, Sayid, Desmond, and Minkowski are in the radio room. Sayid asks Minkowski about how all the equipment was sabotaged, but Minkowski says he doesn't know. Suddenly Minkowski bleeds from his nose and has a seizure - he dies.

Desmond wakes back up in 1996 - he rushes to Penny's address and tells her that he needs her phone number: He will call her in 8 years exactly. Penny looks at him like he's crazy, but Desmond is insistent. Desmond leaves.

Suddenly, it's 2004 again and he's in the radio room - he gives Sayid Penny's phone number and Sayid dials it. Penny picks up and Desmond tells her he promised he'd call in 8 years. Penny says she's been searching for Desmond for years - she knows about the island and has been trying to find it. They tell each other they love each other, then the battery dies. Suddenly Sayid seems to remember everything - his condition is gone, having made contact with his "contstant."

Back on the beach, Daniel Faraday looks through his old notebook and finds a page that says "If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be my constant."