The episode was written by executive producers/show runners Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse and directed by "The Man Behind the Curtain" director Bobby Roth.

[2] In 1977, Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) goes to extreme measures to save young Benjamin Linus (Sterling Beaumon) when Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) refuses to help.

In flashbacks, Kate takes care of Sawyer's (Josh Holloway) favor and begins to tell the truth to protect Aaron (William Blanchette).

Juliet is unable to perform the necessary surgery on Ben and sends James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway) to retrieve Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), a spinal surgeon.

Meanwhile, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia) and Miles Straume (Ken Leung) debate the nature of time travel.

[N 8] After being knocked out unconscious by Sun,[N 9] Ben (Michael Emerson) wakes up in the infirmary,[N 10] and is greeted by John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), who welcomes him back to "the land of the living".