Desmond convinces Hurley, Jin, and Charlie to follow him on a trek through the jungle after he receives a series of visions. Flashbacks reveal the time that Desmond spent with a cloister of monks. Meanwhile, a despondent Kate turns to Sawyer for companionship after seeing Jack and Juliet together.

Ben and Jack play chess. Ben asks Jack if he would consider staying on the Island. Jack asks Ben if he intends to keep his promise to let Jack leave. Ben says that its not all up to him in that the Island will not necessarily let Jack leave. He also tells Jack that if he does leave, there might be a time when he would want to come back.

Jack is asleep on the beach when Juliet wakes him up. She tells him that since Jack brought her to the camp Sayid and the others have not trusted her and think she is there to hurt them. Before Jack can say he will protect her, Juliet tells him that they are right and she is still working for Ben and she has been sent to the camp to do tests to find out which of the women are pregnant. Jack asks her why she is telling him this and she tells him how she saw Sun's baby the night before and that she is tired of living Ben's dream.

The survivors begin to question the intentions of their supposed rescuers when four strangers arrive on the island.

Sayid confronts Ben's spy on the freighter, and Ben urges daughter Alex to flee Locke's camp in order to survive an impending attack.

Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore. Meanwhile, Locke's camp is attacked by Ben's adversaries.

Kate discovers that someone knows the secret of Aaron's true parental lineage. Meanwhile, the dramatic shifts through time are placing the lives of the remaining island survivors in extreme peril.

After meeting old acquaintances Sawyer is forced to continue lying to protect them.

To atone for sins of the past, Ben must attempt to summon the smoke monster in order to be judged.