Lost: Season 2, Episode 22: Three Minutes Review

Three Minutes
Original Airdate: May 17, 2006
Writers: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Stephen Williams

Looking at the reviews I've written for the last 10 episodes, I found myself giving every episode an 8/10, meaning it was an episode that did what it should. Now I just want to say that this is unintentional. I stand by these ratings and assure you I don't just automatically give every episode the same rating. It'd probably be more obvious if I gave every episode a 1 and complained that "nothing happened" or if I gave them all a 10 to counteract the knee-jerk crowd. This episode is a significant dip from the previous episodes, so hopefully that'll ease the "I'm being easy on the show" criticisms some readers may have.

Little is revealed that we couldn't already put together from previous episodes. It is made a bit more frustrating with the rehashing of stock footage from "The Hunting Party". I understand it's important to give a sense of time to Michael's scenes, but the rehashed scenes could've been scaled back a bit without harming the final product. This time may have been better spent giving more time to The Others we meet (or see again) in this episode.

There are some new bits, like we meet Ms. Klugh, who has the corniest name yet. C'mon, Ms "Clue"? Now I think they're just being mean. Ms. Klugh's role appears to be similar to Mr. Friendly's in that she's a mouthpiece for The Others, but when they are on their own turf. She's the primary person to interact with Michael during his captivity, and explains his assignment.

Pickett, if The Others are really "good" people, appears to be one of those people who was on the fence, but they decided to keep him because the ranks were a little thin. He shot at Michael, which obviously angered Mr. Friendly. He appears to be a little too eager to do the dirty work of The Others.

Then we have Alex, who continues to be the reluctant member of the group. Of course, this is rather surprising for Michael when she asks about Claire and Aaron. It doesn't appear that they are aware of her letting Claire go yet, but perhaps they have so long as she's willing to play along with the façade or her letting Claire go may have been part of the plan. It's still unclear why The Others gave up on Aaron and went to Walt instead.

It is understandable that Michael wants to do everything possible to get Walt back. What still isn't clear is why did he not inform any of his fellow castaways about what happened to him? This also goes back to the question of why Michael didn't tell anyone about the messages or allow others to come with him to rescue Walt. Michael seems too vested in the belief that he has to do it alone. This continues when he comes back. The Others never tell Michael that they'd know if he snitched. Having his fellow Fuselagers on his side ready to help would've been an exponentially better than turning on his allies.

However, it doesn't drift too much from his motivation, getting his son off the island. Considering the setback of the raft, his need must've increased significantly. If or when they are rescued, Michael likely thought that he would have nothing to do with any of the Fuselagers ever again. Perhaps as he was developing his plan on the way back he thought that type of detachment would make him able to kill and sell his friends out. When time came to hatch his plan, it's clear through his facial expressions that it wouldn't be that easy, and it will haunt him forever.

It all stems to how The Others are treating Walt. Obviously, taking Walt was bad, but his treatment since coming there is also understandably shaking Michael to his core. Klugh threatens to put Walt back in "the room" for telling Michael too much about their operations. My thought is that this room is some sort of sensory deprivation chamber, where they hope to see how Walt's abilities fare when removed from outside stimuli. Some of these chambers are filled with salt water. Perhaps his astral projections to Shannon were when he was in "the room", thus explaining why he was soaking wet when he appeared. It's still not clear if the communications on the computer were Walt projections as well or just a part of the trap. Klugh alludes to something like this when she questions Michael. Perhaps Walt did appear somewhere he shouldn't have been before these.

Walt warns Michael that they're pretending, and that notion is no clearer now than it was in "Maternity Leave". This does imply that they are misleading Michael for some reason. Michael's story in retrospect isn't quite as misleading as he may have initially said. He never saw them outside of their rugged clothing and shanties. Why he lied about not seeing Walt is odd, but perhaps that would've been telling for his true motivations.

This episode continues the theme of Michael wanting Walt despite not knowing much about him. While in the past it might've been a matter of pride, it is different with The Others abducting him. However, The Others think their greater good is above everything else, even Michael's right as his father. The fact that Walt is Michael's son is plenty reason to believe Michael's motivation getting Walt back.

What is interesting about the conditions Ms. Klugh gave him that would allow Michael to get his son back is that not once did she demand he kill someone. This effectively makes Ana-Lucia's death not because of her killing of the female other and Goodwin, but simply because she happened to be there, not quite unlike Libby. Michael had to get the castaways provoked to do something and the belief that Henry was the perpetrator would be enough.

Ms. Klugh tells Michael that The Others can't get to the side of the island where our tribe is living. Why can't they go to their side of the island? Does this have to do with the line Mr. Friendly drew when he confronted Jack in "The Hunting Party"? They could easily go to the Tailies' beach and abduct to their heart's delight. Ethan and Henry managed to get there fine and presumably, they were going to come over to abduct Fuselagers when Ethan finished his list. This leads us to believe that they discovered something that is preventing them, but not Michael, from going to the Fuselagers' camp.

Then we come to the list, which is an interesting entity. Is this the list of "good" people The Others want? Viewers have tried to figure out what they have in common (besides being main characters) and so far nothing has worked. While they are part of the leadership, why wouldn't they take Sayid, Locke or Eko with them instead of Hurley, who is more of a supporting player in the Fuselager leadership? Do they want to conduct experiments on them?

It seems that the characters suffer from temporary stupidity with Michael's plan. Despite his insistences of not having anyone else come along, saying it would compromise the plan, he never explains what this master plan is. The fact that Jack questions Sawyer's (wise) choice to bring Sayid into the fold feels like he's acting dumb so the story can progress. If you're going to raid The Others camp, don't you want the guy who has seen combat and knows how to fight coming with you?

Eko clearly has some idea of what Michael did, as he laid it on thick with the story of the boy who killed the dog. It is similar to Michael's situation, and Michael's guilt is a big piece of the episode. However, Eko, if he does know, is far more interested in giving Michael the chance to get redemption himself, even if that may be bad for the castaways as a whole.

On the other hand, Sayid's more willing to share his information with those who are being lead into the trap. While his past haunts him, it has given him an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying, from knowing Sun could speak English to Henry's deception. It gives Sayid another chance to step up to the front, something he hasn't been able to much this season.

Sawyer telling Jack that he "screwed" Ana-Lucia feels a little fake because Sawyer would've likely used a more colorful phrase (stupid network standards and practices). I can imagine him declaring it like GOB's "I f***ed…" on Arrested Development. It is abrupt, but Sawyer does have a point; Jack and Sawyer are the closest thing they have to friends and Sawyer is obviously one to kiss and tell.

One nit pick that is long due for discussion is this so-called schedule for the button. Despite Locke saying that "everyone's on the roster" for a shift back in "What Kate Did", we've only seen a handful of people do it. Half the lead/recurring cast, along with all the red shirts, haven't done it even once! Anyway, that appears to be moot as Eko is now taking charge. In another example of his turning into Locke, he took off his shoes before entering the hatch the first time since his new discovery. His enthusiasm for the button hasn't diminished yet.

Locke is reverting to where he started on the island: sitting on the shore, staring into the ocean in quiet meditation. Cutting loose that split possibly parallels him getting up after first getting his legs back. However, this time he is walking as a cynic, and not a believer. It could be the final bit to complete the transformation that has been going on all season, which is fitting as Eko and Locke are coming to a head.

Charlie is initially despondent over losing Eko to the button. He's the type, while some relied on him in the past, now needs others to give him a boost. However, losing his co builder doesn't cause him to revert to drug addiction when Vincent drops the Virgin Mary right by his feet (easily the funniest bit of the episode). Throwing the Virgin Mary's into the sea shows a major sign of growth for him, but that may place him in prime position to be killed off.

Hurley is obviously in a dark spot now. No sooner does he have an epiphany then the person who helped him achieve it is gunned down in cold blood. It does put him in a place where he'd want to go with Michael and the hunting party. It is interesting that they've decided to go this route with him, when they could easily milk the comic relief thing for a few more seasons (not that that part of him will ever be gone completely).

The boat is an interesting way to wrap up the episode. It could be a variety of things. While some may think it is a rescue vessel, it doesn't seem likely that that would be the entire rescue party. That boat doesn't appear to have much longer distance than the boat Mr. Friendly rode to get Walt in "Exodus II". The second would be that the people on this boat are the latest people to get stuck here, which would be interesting for season three. It could also be the boat that Michael demanded, but why would they give it to him before he gave up the four on the list? It could also be Desmond, whose role would be appropriate considering all the drama about the hatch.

While this episode may not have the bombshells of recent episodes, it does a fair job of establishing where all the characters are now, and that is important as the season concludes.

Score: 7/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 20: Two for the Road Review

Two for the Road
Original Airdate: May 3, 2006
Writers: Christina M. Kim & Elizabeth Sarnoff
Director: Paul Edwards

As the finale draws near, the writers drop a major bombshell on us with the shootings of Libby and Ana-Lucia. In a way, it is a fitting bookend to end Ana-Lucia's story, as her accidental killing of Shannon brought her to the Fuselage section of survivors. Some fans, who have criticized Ana-Lucia's presence from the second she came on as a regular this season, likely welcomed her violent end with enthusiasm, as if that was some reaction to the audience's response or her real life arrest. While TV has the tendency to do that with characters that just don't work, this doesn't feel the same. In this case, it feels like a whole story was told and that there was some closure to the end. Plus, at this time in the season, it sets us up for the finale, much like Boone's death did last season, only kicked up a notch.

Of the connections we've seen so far, Ana-Lucia going with Christian to Sydney is one of the most intriguing. Both had a lot to run away from: Christian was removed as a surgeon in disgrace and Ana-Lucia was hiding from a murder she obviously committed. However, Christian was running to some type of back up family amidst his self-destruction. Apparently Christian has a daughter, and maybe even a second family in Sydney. Perhaps after the fall out with Jack, he hoped that he could have a new life with his other family. Some have theorized that Christian's daughter is actually Claire, making her and Jack half siblings and Aaron Jack's nephew. This is interesting, but I'm not sure how that could help or work into the overall story.

The age difference between the two is interesting, as is the possible attraction Christian had towards Ana-Lucia. The fact that he called her "Sarah", Jack's ex-wife's name, is definitely unsettling. It also plays into Ana's analysis of what she is doing. Ana-Lucia quickly sees where avoiding her problems will lead her. Christian's messed up life is an awful lot to swallow, especially for a stranger. She can't bear to be "pathetic" like Christian was. It isn't likely she learned his real name, or she would've mentioned something to Jack at some point.

Then she got on Flight 815 and was detoured to redemption. There she was victimized by the Others, eventually throwing an innocent person into a pit because she thought he was one. After 48 days in hell, she accidentally killed Shannon, and found herself unable to figure out how to deal with Sayid. She thought he would kill her much like she did towards the man who caused her to miscarry. Although she did let him go, her feelings of guilt and revenge never went away.

They lay dormant until she found Henry's hands wrapped around her neck. That, paired with the fact that Henry is no longer useful to them, causes her to do whatever it takes to get revenge, sleeping with Sawyer to get his gun. She goes through a lot of trouble for revenge, but never considers telling anyone else what happened. Clearly, deceiving Jack and the rest (besides Locke) played a big part in sealing her fate.

Ultimately, she just doesn't have the ability to kill Henry, so instead she gives the gun to someone she thinks can, and it is a fatal judgement. She can't resolve the fact that killing Henry isn't right. It is interesting that her character exit isn't quite a redeeming death as they achieve self-realization. Perhaps as she slipped away she realized something was wrong.

Henry and Locke's relationship is thoroughly intriguing. Henry knows how to get inside people's heads, and Locke is almost too easy for him. Locke is most vested in the island, but his is so based on faith that a man who knows a lot more about the mechanics of the island can take advantage of that. There would be no better way to get under his skin than to tell him that he was among the island's chosen people, but that the plan went awry.

There are plenty of questions. Since Ethan never finished his list, The Others never found out which ones of the Fuselage people were "good". This could imply that another mole in the ranks finished what Ethan started, someone who was on the plane, but a Dharma employee. Why did Henry come for Locke during the day (assuming he wasn't in Rousseau's trap for long)? Why is Locke the only one being taken? Are there other "good" people, or is Locke especially "good"? Or, is Henry just lying to mess with him?

Henry is a much better liar than Michael. Michael's story can be blasted full of holes. Kate found the beard, along with the tattered clothing, which disproves that The Others are really that destitute. Also, Jack should've realized Michael was lying when he said that he only saw two guns with them. The Others took five guns from them ten days earlier! The most likely explanation is that they are so concerned with getting The Others that they don't care enough to check facts.

Much is said about the final twist, with Michael killing Ana-Lucia and severely wounding Libby before shooting himself in the shoulder. The biggest question is why Michael would do such a thing. Since the beginning, Michael's primary motivation has been his son. The loss of his son has intensified that motivation throughout the season. Therefore, it's be logical that Michael shot them because that is what it will take to get Walt back, killing someone who killed one of them (watch your back Charlie). Some believe The Others made him one of them, but if that's true, why would Michael apologize before killing Ana-Lucia or have such instant guilt after shooting Libby? The real Others would kill her without such hesitation, as we're lead to believe. It would also cheat his character to have his actions be controlled directly by The Others. Rather, it's more interesting to think that The Others placed him in a position where he felt he had no choice.

With these two shot, the initial responses some had was that these two actresses were killed off because of their real life DUI arrests last December. I don't buy that. If the writers really wanted to get these two off the show, their exit would've been earlier in the season, and probably more abrupt. From all the reports I've seen, Michelle Rodriguez didn't want to be bogged down with a TV show for more than a year, and that's what she got. Her story was told.

Libby is another story. The best reason to keep her alive is that we have yet to hear her story. We know bits about the other Tailies, but hardly anything about Libby. She claimed she was a psychologist, but all we saw of her was her as a patient. On the island, she didn't do much else either. There is a budding romance between her and Hurley, but that is fairly new. Ultimately her function on the island may be not much more than to enhance Hurley's character.

Why The Others would want Ana-Lucia dead is pretty clear: she killed two of them. It clearly upset Henry when he tried to exact revenge on her. Goodwin's death appeared to be an especially sore spot for him, as Goodwin believed that Ana-Lucia was good. Perhaps Goodwin feelings toward Ana-Lucia paralleled Ethan's feelings toward Claire and the then unborn Aaron. In both cases, each Other had an obsession that ultimately lead to their death (around the same time too). But it is worth noting that Ethan was far more malicious than Goodwin, so perhaps there is still something to be told about the two moles.

Since Michael likely set Henry free, this adds to the theory that Henry is "Him" or the leader of The Others. Henry has been afraid about "Him" and how "He" will kill Henry because he failed, yet if this was the case and that Michael was ordered by The Others, why would Michael let him go instead of killing him right there? When Henry talks about "Him", it feels reminiscent of the film The Usual Suspects, (SPOILER) where Verbal Kint speaks of Keyser Soze with such fear, but ultimately they are the same person, and Verbal is merely boosting his alter ego's own legend.

Regardless, these events kick things into high gear. While some suspect that behind the scenes problems were responsible for the final turn of events, it fits the arcs a little too well to be blamed for arrests. It should be interesting to see where they go now, as they can't turn back. Developments like this should certainly quiet the "nothing happened" complainers, and hopefully that can last through at least the end of the season.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 19: S.O.S. Review

S.O.S.
Original Airdate: April 12, 2006
Writers: Leonard Dick & Steven Maeda
Director: Eric Laneuville

Rose and Bernard are two interesting castaways as far as casting is concerned. They are the only non-lead cast members to get any significant coverage on the show. So it would make sense to eventually get flashback episodes for the recurring characters like them. While the past between Rose and Bernard wasn't shocking, like they weren't professional assassins on one more hit before retirement, it is still another touching love story, which also tied into some of the recurring themes of Lost.

Some were caught off guard that Bernard was white, and it also worth noting that they met and married late in life (perhaps this was cheaper than hiring two more actors to play a young Bernard and Rose, which could've worked with a little revision). It'd be interesting to know why Bernard remained a bachelor for 56 years, considering his motivations.

Bernard would probably get along very well with Jack if they had more scenes together. He spends his time trying to save others, primarily his wife. It starts mildly as he gets her car out of the snow and ice. When he learns that she is terminally ill (presumably cancer), he can't let it go, so he takes her to Australia on their honeymoon so he can take her to a faith healer, going to the extreme of donating 10 grand to get there.

Rose on the other hand, is a person who prefers to go with the flow, letting fate take her wherever it may. If she is to die of cancer (we assume), so be it. Similarly, if she's stranded on an island, which somehow cures her, that's fine. She only intervenes because she doesn't want to be rescued now, partially out of fear of the sickness coming back, and because she doesn't think she's done what she was put there for. The way she sees destiny is the opposite of Locke's, who believes that it must be pursued aggressively to obtain.

It is interesting that Rose knew of Locke's handicap before the flight, yet never mentioned it to anyone before now. Along with "The Whole Truth" (assuming it is Jin's baby), the writers are reexamining the concept of the island being able to heal those on it. Perhaps this reiteration is setting us up for a detailed exploration in the future. Isaac, while trying to "heal" Rose, mentioned that the magnetism of that particular area in Australia was special. We know that the magnetism on the island is special too. Although not everyone was healed, as is the case with Hurley's mental illness (it's unclear about Libby).

Bernard makes some great points in this episode, but the way he handles some of them is problematic. The survivors have gotten awfully comfortable on the island, building things like food pantries and a church. No one is doing anything to get them rescued. While not building another raft makes sense with the possibility of The Others attacking it high, an S.O.S. signal on the beach, in addition to the campfires they have, is a good idea. However, Bernard needs to work on his people skills. While he clearly loves Rose and wants to get her back home, he lets that eagerness get the best of him and fights with everyone, all of whom have passive interest in the project.

Bernard also questions the food, something no one else has done. Considering the food is packaged with Dharma labels and names ("Fish Crackers" substituting for Goldfish in the last episode), it wouldn't be hard to believe that the food has been tampered with somehow. Everything has the code "DI 9FFTR731" on it. DI obviously stands for Dharma Initiative. The middle is hard to tell. The tag, 731, could refer to Unit 731, a Japanese medical group that focused on Human Experimentation during World War II. The 731 were also used as a part of The X-Files mythology.

It isn't surprising that what Eko and Charlie are working together on is a church, with Eko's epiphany with the monster and discovering his brother. Charlie helping is interesting, and plays along the Eko/Locke dynamic well. Locke was valuable in helping Charlie kick his heroin, but Charlie's recent behavior, along with Locke's crisis of faith, caused them to fall out. Now it seems that Charlie is pursuing some type of redemption via helping Eko. It'll be interesting to see if more people go on his side and how it compares to Locke last season with Charlie, Boone and Walt.

"Henry" has declared all out war on Locke through subtle manipulation. His vow of silence is really getting to Locke following last episode's "this hatch is a joke" exchange. It's unknown why "Henry" wants Locke to believe that the hatch is nonsense, but it is working. "Henry" breaks Locke to the point where he declares that he's "done with the hatch". Could anyone imagine the Locke of season one saying that?

Unfortunately, the blast door map, his sign to set him straight, was only shown to him for a few seconds in less than ideal conditions. He can still recall some of it, but obviously, there are going to be a lot of missing pieces. Despite his best guesses, he can't figure out how to drop that door and turn on the black lights again for a closer look. It would make sense for them to start mapping the island, using what Locke can remember alongside Rousseau's map.

Since "Henry" isn't worth keeping around, Jack's right in attempting to try to get The Others to trade him for Walt. It also places Jack in a position with Kate again, where they can finally talk about things like the kiss and "Henry". Kate has been out of Jack's good graces for some time lately. If this were season one, Kate would have told Jack about The Staff hatch and Jack would've mentioned "Henry". Of course, open communication about all the weird things they encounter is best for the group, as it'll help them compare notes as to what is really happening.

However, this hasn't affected their chemistry, exemplified when Jack and Kate get caught in that net. I think most of the guys I regularly watch Lost with wouldn't mind trading places with Matthew Fox in this scene. The tension is palpable, as they have to maneuver their hands close to each other's body, and when they get free they fall on top of each other.

Despite the trust issues they have, Jack seems to still be willing to pursue some type of relationship with Kate, as he expressed no remorse over the kiss. Jack probably never invited Sayid, who I seriously doubt wouldn't want to be involved in some action against The Others, and instead used this alone time to hash out the problems they've faced recently. Of course, once Michael stumbles in, such conversations are moot.

Throwing Michael back into the fold sets up the final act even further. There isn't much to go on from his brief appearance. It's unknown if he managed to scout The Others effectively or if they captured him. If The Others had him, what did they do and why didn't they come out and confront Jack about the trade? Clearly there is a lot to be answered, since he was gone for so long. Whatever happened will certainly play a big role in the final episodes.

This episode, while touching on some recurring elements of Lost, feels like the calm before the storm. Michael's return is certainly going to make things interesting, as it appears things with the Others are going to reach a head by the end of the season.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 18: Dave Review

Dave
Original Airdate: April 5, 2006
Writers: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Jack Bender

Like "Everybody Hates Hugo", this Hurley centric episode goes darker than its predecessor, which is a good thing, as it leaves the audience devastated over seeing the guy we could all root for's dark side take him to rock bottom. We learn a little more about why he has this dark side: Hurley blames himself for the deaths of two people. Although it was an accident and the deck had almost three times as many people as it could hold before Hurley stepped on it, Hurley is haunted by guilt. This leads us to assume that Hurley was always overweight, but the accident caused him to grow as big as he became. If he were in shape when the deck collapsed, he wouldn't be as likely to pin himself as responsible. While Hurley has a moment of clarity in the episode, he still has to come to terms that what happened was an accident.

Although characters who are really subconscious manifestations of the protagonist have been done to the point where I initially rolled my eyes when it was revealed "Dave" wasn't real, it fits the episode. "Dave" is the way Hurley punishes himself for what he believes he did. "Dave" speaks just like Hurley and under the guise of friendship, gives Hurley a justification for his deadly overeating. Thankfully, he has been able to keep "Dave" at bay, but once a new food drop appears after he had a breakthrough destroying what was left of his stash, his dark side rears his ugly side again. One has to wonder if Hurley had similar visions in "Everybody Hates Hugo" where he was fighting another battle against food. It helps to remedy the "Hurley eats a lot because he's fat, and fat people can't control themselves" phase his character went through.

With Hurley's secret stash, and whatever Dharma sends via the parachute drops, one major question pops in my mind: just how much ranch dressing do they expect the people in the hatch to consume? Michael shot through one, Hurley was having some in "One of Them" and if you consider the jar he dumped in this episode another, that's three large tubs of ranch dressing. Despite that, we haven't seen any salads or chicken wings. Who's in charge of what food is sent there?

One of the most common theories, debunked by the creators frequently, is that everything that has happened in the series has been the figment of someone's imagination; call it the "St. Elsewhere" theory. It would explain the coincidences in the show and the recurrence of the evil numbers. However, a simple solution like that to the complicated mythology of Lost would be a cheat that viewers wouldn't forgive. Throughout this season, the writers have placed some jokes about the theories and nitpicks fans have toward the show. This episode is the most obvious example of such inside references.

"Dave" is the latest in a series of apparitions the castaways have faced. However, this time we have to consider Hurley's mindset. He had vivid hallucinations in the hospital, so the island may not be responsible for the hallucinations he has now. It's more likely, for the sake of drama, that the island manifested Hurley's imaginary friend somehow, maybe via the smoke monster. I suspect that it is to get him out of the way. Like how the numbers were everywhere in his "Exodus" flashback, maybe the island didn't want Hurley on the island for some reason. One theory entails that an Other was disguised as "Dave", and his fall off the cliff sent him to the underwater hatch. This may be much, but it is interesting.

The revelation at the end, with Libby being a fellow patient at the mental hospital, comes off as an anti-revelation. We knew that Hurley recognized her, and that caused some to speculate that she was a doctor at the hospital. Realizing this was obvious, the next theory would be that she was a patient herself. Perhaps a bigger shocker would've been if she was the third theory; she was a model or porn star. However, it does make us look at her in a different light. Was she ever a clinical psychologist? She could've been and driven to be committed, or perhaps she "became" a psychologist because one helped her.

It also makes us look at her feelings for Hurley differently either (they couldn't leave the fat guy/hot chick dynamic alone!) Is she genuinely interested in him? Is she stalking him? Is she still unbalanced? Or could she be involved with Dharma? If they had a part in getting the plane there, it wouldn't be too hard to believe that they had plants on the plane to analyze the castaways. Perhaps she is one of the theorized "Dharma Recruiters", whose job is to make sure the people on the island got there? Even if she is just a patient, such a revelation will likely hit Hurley hard as she has helped him.

Although a lot of this episode focused on Hurley's painful demons, it was funny to see him flip out and pin Sawyer, mostly for Jin's reaction. He must've been thinking "I'll pull him off Sawyer…in just a minute." Sawyer usually needs to be taken down a peg, and the fact that Hurley does it makes it rather surprising.

Considering the bombshells dropped in "Lockdown", this episode scales back a bit, having "Henry" only in two scenes. However, these scenes are huge. "Henry" tied up in the hatch resembles a crucifixion. If this is deliberate, it is an interesting choice, one that may point to the Others being genuinely good. Sayid and Ana-Lucia's interrogation felt like "good cop-bad cop", but the results aren't clear enough to prove that. Although Sayid probably would get immense satisfaction from gunning down "Henry", he's not in the best position to do so.

As far as Henry and his counterfeit counterpart are concerned, there is a lot that needs to be explained. How did "Henry" and Henry meet? "Henry" claims he didn't kill him, so who did? He told Sayid that he "wouldn't understand" the details. What does that mean? Did they discover that Henry wasn't "good" and had to be killed? Was it an accident? Why did "Henry" use the real one's identity when he got caught?

Obviously, there is something up if he gets caught in one of Rousseau's traps, despite being one of the people who should know this island well. The most likely theory is that he got caught on purpose, in hopes of being brought to the castaways for his end game. He's obviously manipulative, but what does he hope that will do? Hopefully we won't have to wait too long before we get a "Henry" flashback episode to help explain any of this.

Locke is in a very vulnerable position with his faith, and his legs place him in a position he has no intention of going back to. "Henry" is exploiting that. "Henry" knows more about the island than any of the castaways. I've speculated that Locke hopes that The Others can help set him on the right track with his faith. However, it is clear that "Henry" has no intentions to do so. Rather, he'd just place Locke in a position that this island is conning him, just like almost everyone else in his life.

Despite not doing a lot of follow up on the previous episode, this episode does a good job with Hurley's character. It is sad to see him at this level, but it makes us sympathize with him more. In addition, it plants a lot more seeds for what is to come as the season winds down.

Score: 8/10

REVIEW 100!!! Lost: Season 2, Episode 17: Lockdown

Lockdown
Original Airdate: March 29, 2006
Writers: Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof
Director: Stephen Williams

As is the case with the multiple flashback arcs, this episode offers further details of how certain events in the castaways lives happened. Something happened between the events from the flashbacks of "Orientation" to "Walkabout" that explained how Locke went from a satisfying relationship (arguably the best thing that ever happened to him), to having to pay a woman to reenact this moment in his life for him. This episode answers that question. The biggest mystery in Locke's past could've easily been put it in with Locke having one of the blast door bars go through his legs, effectively limiting his mobility. Considering the information overload of the blast door map, it was probably better that we wait a little longer for that piece of information.

Locke is probably the best-developed character on the show. Initially, Locke was this super cool character who could do anything, unlocking the power of the island as well as knowing tons of valuable information. Now we see him as a very flawed human being, one who has been jerked around by almost everyone around him his whole life. Despite trying not to be fooled again, he still falls for his father's cons in hopes that he can earn his love and it ends up costing him the woman who truly loves him.

It happens again in the hatch, as Henry Gale provides him invaluable help during the lockdown, possibly saving his legs and taking care of the button. In the end, Henry lied to Locke just like Cooper, betraying his trust, although he didn't kill him after the Lockdown was over, which he easily could have.

This episode effectively brought back the theory that Cooper is the original Sawyer, one that has been around since we first saw him. Cooper is the right age to con Sawyer's parents circa 1976 and he has been a guiltless bastard every time he's appeared on the show. Of course, what kind of ramifications would that entail should Sawyer find out (and how could that happen on the island)?

Theories aside, there is a definite connection between the survivors revealed, as Locke inspects the house of Sayid's childhood love, Nadia. So between four and seven years, Nadia made it to America. A lot can be said about these connections, from they are just random Easter eggs that the producers throw in to reward fans who pay attention to something to show how interconnected all the survivors really are. It adds to the theory that each person was placed on the island for a reason.

We knew some lockdown was coming, as the blast doors were mentioned back in "What Kate Did". Of course, the lockdown spurs many questions. The consensus seems to be that this lockdown was triggered because of the food drop. But is that so? Now why would they lock them in the hatch while the food was dropped is unknown, nor why would they not drop the food off closer to the hatch (is there anything in there that they use to protect themselves from whatever contaminant they are so afraid of). Also, why is the lockdown apparently only for the living quarters and not the whole hatch? OK, the human sized air vents can be maneuvered around, but doesn't that wreck the point of a lockdown?

Ironically, the moment that is getting the most attention is something that only occurred for a few seconds on screen. While brief, this "map" is a crucial piece of the island mythology. They didn't need to show it for long since rabid Lost fans took high definition screen shots and clarified some of the harder to read items, also translating the Latin into English (it also appeared in an issue of Entertainment Weekly). Although it will be harder for Locke, who only had a brief shot while he was still in agonizing pain.

One of the theories that has sprung this season is is the island conning Locke? He has shown to be easily swayed and there is a thin line between that and faith. The hatch has turned out not to be what he expected, and it has been eating at him all season, now the hatch has given him an exclusive look at this map. Perhaps he sees this as another phase in his destiny that he claimed lead him into the hatch, and tha. If that's true, he will likely keep it secret, as he has the hatch when he and Boone first found it, along with his mysterious former handicap.

There are six stations, four of which are named (The Staff or caduceus, The Arrow, The Swan and The Flame). Some suspect The Flame is the underwater hatch some have theorized as existing, which would make its name ironic. There are several extensions springing forward to the question mark in the center, but do not connect. What does that mean? Were all the hatches connected at some point and obstructed by something, or was this a theory that was dashed? The CV's followed by a Roman numeral throughout the map are also curious, but I have no idea what that could mean.

A note near The Flame has one author writing that they suspected The Flame to be there, but later doubted it "due to Cerberus activity" (The Staff station may have been abandoned due to this as well). Cerberus was the mythological three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. Because of that connotation, the theory that Cerberus is the smoke monster has sprung up on the net, and some believe that is the official name.

There are numerous notes of failed operations, like The Staff station being abandoned after the "AH/MDG Incident". This could shed some light on The Others, who may have crashed that hatch like our castaways have The Swan, or perhaps they are renegade Dharma, or experiments gone awry. Nearby there is mention of several system wide failures, which could be what the incident was. There is also mention of a Magnus or M. Angus Hanso, whose resting place is at the black rock. If this is the Black Rock, it seems awfully close to The Swan station.

Below The Swan, there is a line reading "Fatalities: 5". This worth noting because Rousseau's crew consisted of six people and she was the last person alive. Did Rousseau write any of this? However many people drew this map, they had to know the island, and Rousseau would be a prime candidate for that (although one notation by The Staff suggests that they couldn't get there and back to The Swan in 108 minutes). Has Rousseau been in the hatch? How many, other than The Staff does she know about? Next time she pops up, Locke should talk to her about it, and perhaps consult her notes Sayid has, as Entil noted.

There are several phrases in Latin, like "I think, therefore I am depressed", "It's a bad plan that cannot be changed" and "the cure is worse than the disease". All of these, with the corresponding dates, point to things going wrong with the experiments after the incident (which happened before 1980 if we are to believe what the Orientation film told us).

Some places, like the survivors' camp, aren't labeled, and the map is likely not drawn to scale. Perhaps the island is shaped similarly to the octagon of the Dharma logo. This could add some credibility to the theory that the island is man made. It does work as a reference point, so perhaps they were looking for something that they could design their stations from.

The writing on the wall (so to speak) appears to have been written by several generations of Dharma employees. Its location also warrants discussion. Why is this on the blast door? What use does it have only be shown in lockdown for a few seconds in black light? Who are they hiding the map from? Did The Others have something to do with it? What goal were they trying to accomplish with the map? This opens so many possibilities for the future.

Sayid's confrontation at the end of the episode begs one big question; did Sayid prepare that little speech the whole way back, asking Charlie and Ana-Lucia "Does this sound cold blooded and cool?" Now that Sayid knows that his gut instinct was correct, Henry is in deep trouble. Had Sayid and Ana-Lucia been alone, Sayid's speech would've likely been the last thing Henry ever heard.

Like other recent episodes, much else doesn't happen outside of the hatch. There are some lighter moments with Sawyer, Hurley, Kate and Jack playing poker, but the other players don't seem as eager to get back what Sawyer took from them a few days earlier (it's easy to forget that, especially with the long gaps between some of the episodes). Plus Jack knocks down Sawyer's status so quickly that it renders his power play in "The Long Con" moot. It does set up Jack's past in Thailand, which is likely after his divorce, but perhaps they could've done it differently.

One thing that they didn't have enough time for was Jack and Kate's relationship since Jack didn't tell her about Henry until this critical moment. Clearly she was siding with Sawyer, but after his con, she found herself out of the loop as Jack got a little jealous and spent his time trying to start an army with Ana-Lucia.

Libby still feels like the most likely candidate to be one of The Others besides Henry. Of the tail section that haven't died or disappeared, we know the least about Libby. Ana-Lucia and Eko both have had a flashback episode and Bernard is vouched for by Rose, who we know was on the plane. All we have are a few morsels of information and a look of discomfort when Libby realized Hurley recognized her.

Since this episode confirms that Henry is an imposter (he will still be referred to as Henry Gale until we learn his true name, the man Sayid dug up will be called the real Henry Gale or something to that affect), Jack and Locke now have to decide what to do with him. Will they use him to confront the others? Keep him there indefinitely as they have before?

This episode really gets the final arc moving, as the blast door map gives the audience more than enough to chew on to make up for the episodes that focused more on characters. Although it seems anti-climactic that they waited three episodes to tell us what we already knew about Henry, knowing what I know from the end of season two, it was a good step in the seasonal narrative.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 16: The Whole Truth Review

The Whole Truth
Original Airdate: March 22, 2006
Writers: Christina M. Kim and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Director: Karen Gaviola

Following what should be the last major hiatus this season, it's expected to be a little slower and not big on major revelations. Despite that, it is a good episode, focused on one of the more endearing aspects of the characters: the love between Jin and Sun. They have been in a good place recently, renewing their bonds as man and wife after Jin returned from the raft. But Sun's mind is on less pleasant memories, the stresses she faced when she and Jin were trying to conceive a baby and deciding to leave Jin, and the realization that she is pregnant.

Some considered Jin was out of character when he pulled up the plants in Sun's garden, saying it harked back to his more chauvinistic ways in season one. While many characters are going back to certain darker characteristics, I saw it more as him being protective because he loves Sun deeply and he is worried about her getting attacked by "The Others" again (although we know it was Charlie). Married couples fight, which is why they included the Bernard and Rose scenes this week. Ultimately, they reconcile; Bernard tries to find a pearl for Rose, and Jin replants the garden. He knows that he has to give her independence, and in return she keeps him connected to the rest of the survivors. Sun's announcement also helps end the fighting.

Sun's pregnancy brings forth many complications. Considering how short a period goes by a season (the second season has only covered a little over two weeks), Sun would be pregnant until the eighth or ninth season! That would be mean to Yunjin would have to wear a pregnancy suit (one that would gradually grow) for many years and to have fans bug her about when she'll give birth. The writers could remedy this by quickening the timeline so more time will pass in the episodes. Alternatively, they could keep the period the same, but have Sun come to term in record breaking time. If the baby won't be born, they could have the test turn out to be a false positive even with Jack saying it was unlikely. Sun could miscarry, or she may be next in line to be killed off. Hopefully she isn't killed because she brings a lot to the show.

Jin's infertility begs the question of how Sun got pregnant to start. It was implied in "What Kate Did" that they had sex after reuniting, and enough time has passed for her to find out she's pregnant. One thing about Lost worth noting is that not a lot of hooking up is happening on the island. The first time we saw anything was with Shannon and Sayid, and that was a few episodes into this season. Earlier in the series, there were hints that Sun had some feelings for Michael. I don't believe he's the father considering all of his motivations have been towards his son, up to his going AWOL. Also, they haven't made as big a deal about the tension between them for a while.

The other most likely father would be Jae Lee. As we saw in "…and Found", Sun was attracted to Lee, but his relationship with an unknown American woman delivered Sun into Jin's life. Now we see that that relationship failed, and he is in Sun's life at a pivotal moment in her marriage. The inability to conceive can ruin a marriage, and it could lead Sun to stray. We don't know when the flashbacks (which were quick, but showcased Yunjin Kim's beauty) occurred, but it can be assumed that they occur shortly before the fateful flight, since learning English was part of her plan to leave Jin. Although I believe that Jin is the only man she's slept with, there are still aspects of this story that are unknown, or up for speculation. If she starts showing early, it may be a sign that Lee is the father.

I am firmly in the camp that thinks that Jin is the father. We have seen that this island has special capabilities, like healing Locke's legs. Couldn't it also affect Jin's ability to produce children? We haven't seen much of the healing abilities the island appears to possess since the first part of the first season, and now would be a good place to reintroduce that element of the island. Plus, it is really sweet to see Jin so happy that he's going to be a father.

One thing of note, while Kate is helping Sun with the pregnancy test (which is nice to add to her), she remarks that it is unusual that someone would bring one on a plane. Besides that, the name on the test is Widmore, the company whose name is supposed to be on the side of the Battersea Power Station in "Fire + Water", one that Damon and Carlton told us to remember for later. Perhaps this is some rival company to Hanso?

I am conflicted over Hurley's brief scene with the candy bar. I found it funny, but one of the things I've liked about Hurley's characterization is that his character hasn't been defined heavily as being fat and obsessively eating. One could hope that they are ultimately going somewhere with Hurley's hidden stash.

We see Locke and Jack continue to divide over how they should handle the Henry conundrum. While Jack wants to keep it quiet, Locke goes ahead and brings Ana-Lucia into the circle. They don't have much choice, they need to figure out what to do with Henry soon. Not asking Jack adds to the friction, but Ana-Lucia's inclusion proved successful, as Henry relented and drew them a map. It also brings her in close contact with Sayid, one of the few other people aware of Henry, which adds to the drama.

Since the end of "One of Them", Sayid has some plan for how to deal with the Others, and recruited Charlie to the task. We can assume whatever they're building has something to do with this plan, but what exactly is "the purpose" Sayid is speaking of? Is this a war machine meant to aid in their fight? Or are they just going after Henry Gale to make him an example? Sayid wants Henry to pay, and it doesn't matter if Henry is an Other or not, he's made his mind that he's bad and that's that. There is irony in his attitude, as Sayid would've faced a lot of racial profiling in the post 9/11 world.

Sayid and Ana-Lucia's relationship has reached a turning point. Although it has only been a week and a half since Shannon's death, Sayid appears ready to forgive Ana-Lucia. This works in the overall story as Henry's arrival convinces him that The Others were truly responsible for Shannon's death and that Ana-Lucia's involvement was at worst an accident. Part of me is hoping that they get together, but that would be too melodramatic.

Henry Gale, where do we start? Henry's bit at the end shows again that the writers are aware of many of the criticisms Lost faces, most notably the lack of curiosity amongst the castaways about what's going on (although to be fair, who could give them any answers?) Henry is in an interesting position as far as people on the island are concerned. He is the most objective, since he hasn't been involved with what has happened to the castaways, Desmond or Rousseau. Because of this he can ask what the audience has wanted the castaways to ask and because of his poor treatment, has no remorse at scaring them.

The part everyone remembers is that stellar final monologue, where he sucks the air out of the room. This episode could've easily ended with a parallel between Henry's speech and the three recon castaways getting caught in the plan he illustrated to Locke and Jack. The ending chosen is far more mysterious, which is fitting for a cliffhanger. Even if he is telling the truth, the way he manipulates Jack and Locke is stellar stuff.

Though some may complain that this episode is "filler" because it didn't push the mythology as far as last week, this is still a very good episode. Jin & Sun are a great couple to see together, and even if we didn't learn as much as we did going in, it still had some nice touching moments, as Lost heads into its final episodes for the year.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 15: Maternity Leave Review

Maternity Leave
Original Airdate: March 1, 2006
Writer: Dawn Lambertsen Kelly and Matt Ragghianti
Director: Jack Bender

Considering how male dominated last week's episode was (only Ana-Lucia and Rousseau had brief speaking parts,) it seems fitting that they've made this a Claire-centric episode to even things out. An added bonus is that they've decided to reveal what happened to Claire when Ethan took her, along with some hints of what The Others' true agenda is. This seemed to ease some of the complaints that "nothing's happened" this season and that "they haven't answered anything".

Some have complained that Claire exhibited a strange lack of curiosity about what happened in the missing two weeks of her life (this has happened before with some characters, but perhaps they marvel off camera to avoid retread). Well there is some weight behind that complaint, but now that Aaron is sick, it makes sense for her to figure out what happened to her because the influence of The Others is likely the cause. Before, she must've thought that if she didn't feel pain and Aaron was born heathily, then nothing happened.

This also gives Libby something to do. While some have theorized that she isn't a clinical psychologist, she is effective at getting Claire to uncover those memories. However, these memories, despite those rapid flashes and that alarm, don't seem traumatic enough to block. She was drugged, so that could be why she doesn't remember much of that. Or perhaps the initial trauma of being kidnapped and the final trauma of Rousseau smacking her with her gun was enough for her to block everything between.

Besides telling us where Claire has been, there are some major revelations about the others and how they operate. The biggest being Kate's discovery that they play dress up, down to Zeke's beard (seeing him talk to Ethan, you'd think he was someone else entirely). This is something I don't understand. Why do The Others feel the need to disguise themselves as hillbillies when they are rather professional? It may make sense when two of them are trying to blend in with survivors of a plane crash, but what about their everyday operations?

Luckily for Hurley, Goodwin wasn't assigned to the Fuselagers camp, or he would've gotten his neck broken when he started snooping around with the census in "Raised By Another". Instead, Ethan merely bolted with Claire when he figured that his cover was about to be blown. He was supposed to compose a list, much like Goodwin, but wasn't able to. That does explain why so few people have been abducted in the Fuselage Camp. Since we don't know what they mean by "good people", we can't really nit pick that Ethan could've guessed which ones were "good" by the time he had to run.

There is also the new man in the hierarchy: "him", the presumed leader of The Others who apparently won't be happy with Ethan failing to get the list. Since this episode, countless theories have been thrown about, including just about every male cast member who wasn't on the plane. He could also just be Alvar Hanso, the man behind the Dharma Initiative. Or his identity could be a MacGuffin, something Lost has a few of (like those numbers).

The sickness that consumed Rousseau's crew is detailed in this episode, finally giving some flesh to the vague concept she introduced in "Solitary". Anytime someone mentioned an illness of any type, like the guy with the rash in season one to Henry Gale's wife dying of a sickness to the obsessive nature Charlie and Michael have displayed, people have assumed that it is this sickness. Now we know what Aaron had in this episode is close to what Rousseau remembers the sickness as. It is also something that The Others are aware and cautious of, as they injected Claire with the vaccine to protect the baby. Seems that they were hoping to raise him, which ties into the prophesy the psychic made in "Raised By Another" ("an other", get it?)

Claire's odyssey takes us to another hatch, one with a caduceus as its logo (Ethan's canteen bore a logo similar to one found on the shark). Yes, I didn't know what its name was before the Lost fans got it for me. It would make sense that they would have a hatch for medical supplies, but perhaps they were aware of the sickness before they got there, or built it after some succumbed to it. It is curious that the hatch, in the month or so since Claire escaped, has been abandoned, save for their costumes and a few medicine cabinets. Is this some trick they're pulling on Claire, in case she were to lead the survivors to the caduceus station?

This episode seems to confirm that the Alex Zeke referred to in "The Hunting Party" was in fact, Danielle's daughter who appears to save Claire. Now a teenager, she doesn't have the same agenda as those she has lived with her whole life. This could be interesting to see in the future, whether her rebelliousness will be found out and if that would cost her or The Others' endgame. Since, as far as we know, she wasn't with the Others at their on set, that may affect how she feels about their philosophies. Also, since Claire is expecting, Alex may have some memories of her mother, and seeing Claire has inspired her to save her. Perhaps she was told Danielle was killed.

While Rousseau is somewhat allied with the Fuselagers (disproving Claire's theory that she was bringing her back to The Others when she escaped), there is still a lot of mystery surrounding her. What exactly is her relationship with The Others? Have they had any confrontations between the time they took Alex to now? Why have they let her exist on "their" island for so long? Have any other castaways found themselves on the island and did Rousseau try to help them like the Fuselagers? And a mild complaint, why wouldn't she carry Claire back to someone in the camp, like Sayid? This should make for a good flashback episode whenever that happens.

Henry is certainly adding drama to the hatch situation. Because he can't leave the hatch, Jack and Locke have to rearrange the button schedule so as not to tell everyone about Henry. Regardless, people are going to find out quickly, and Jack and Locke need to control how that information is dispersed. Eko was able to tell just from instinct.

Eko has special ability to tell if someone is hiding something and what it is. Despite it never leaving the hatch, he has learned that there is a man in there, and that he is one of them as Sayid believes. While Sayid beat Henry severely, Eko, whose past is possibly the most violent of the castaways, mildly confesses his sins and cuts off his little beard extensions to show how sorry he was. That probably freaked Henry out more than a beat down by a former Iraqi soldier.

Despite the confession freak out, Henry knows how to get under the skin of his captors. Locke, who we know has a history of anger management problems, has a hissy fit shortly after Henry subtly declares Locke the Hemmingway to Jack's Dostoyevsky. Jack and Locke's feud has intensified this season, and Henry, with the thin door to the armory, is privy to a lot of information that he can exploit for his own will. Since he is certain that he won't be released from the armory, he might as well make it difficult for his captors, most of who aren't professional guards.

So we got some answers, are the nitpickers happy now? We know what happened to Claire and a whole bunch of Others mythology too. In addition, Henry is starting to become a really interesting character as he toys with the Fuselagers, picking at the scabs of the relationships in crisis.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 14: One of Them Review

One of Them
Original Airdate: February 15, 2006
Writer: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse
Director: Stephen Williams

With the divisions more visible than ever, it is time for Lost to throw some major curve balls at the castaways. Enter Henry Gale, a man found alone in one of Rousseau's traps, with no one to vouch for his identity, but appears to be rather meek. This would turn to be a turning point for the second season and a time for one of Lost's best actors to shine.

Sayid hasn't had a big role since Shannon died, despite the initial promise of major drama. He has been in mourning, and since this season has covered a much shorter time span than the first, it would be rather unbelievable that he wasn't brooding a week after her death. The arrival of Henry gives him motivation in the story as he knows how to get information. It also gives him the opportunity to pin a face on what happened to Shannon, and when that dark side reveals itself, things aren't going to end well.

While the flashbacks (they do a good job making Sayid look 23!) try to correlate with an island event that precedes it, they swapped it in the prologue, which doesn't quite work. However, Sayid and other soldiers frantically destroying documents to the sound of gunfire and explosions is more compelling than Danielle asking for help. Regardless, the flashbacks work well alongside the current situations, something Lost occasionally has problems with. In both cases, Sayid is forced to reveal his darkest side to get information out of someone who is responsible (or believed to be responsible) for killing people he loved.

An interesting piece of this back story is that the Americans gave Sayid his "My Lil' Torturer Home Kit", changing the path of his life dramatically. It is also worth noting that the man Kate believed was her father was among the American squad who turned him. Clancy Brown, of the beloved Carnivale, was someone I thought would work well with Lost's mystery and menace. It was surprising that he was given a role that appeared to be rather restricting, as the DIA agent who gives Sayid the kit.

Henry Gale's introduction and resulting incarceration is the impetus for the action that takes us through the end of the season. One nit pick worth noting is that no one asked for him to draw a map or to the balloon where his wife is supposedly buried or to ask him to lead them to it. Because no one does either, he is stuck in the empty armory indefinitely. This is a very difficult situation for them, and it would be far worse if Henry turned out to not be one of them. It's not like he could go from suspected other to just one of the castaways like that. Regardless, Henry's arrival has started to divide the castaways, with Jack on one side and Locke and Sayid on the other.

Sayid's motivations are clear, but Locke's are harder to pin. While Locke believes in the island, he hasn't said much about how he feels about the others. There was the time he spoke after the first raft burned, but that appeared to be more deflecting the blame away from the culprit Walt. Perhaps he hopes to get some insight into the island from them that he wouldn't have otherwise.

As far as his story goes, Henry's seems sound. He answers their questions easily with little deviation, and he maintains under Sayid's torture. There is no "tell" that the audience can point to as proof of his deception. While he doesn't remember the details of his wife's burial, it is hardly an "Ah-ha!" moment as he remembers practically everything else. Usually, they would reveal by the end of the episode that he was, but because they don't, it could be assumed that he isn't or that there is something a lot more to him than just an "Other".

Since there is no answer, Sayid's torture of Henry is more unsettling. Potentially, Henry could be telling the truth and Sayid could be pounding an innocent man senseless. This is the third consecutive episode to feature the "centric" character reverting to his dark side and it is easily the most disturbing. Sayid's "…and I am a torturer" speech clinches it, as he realizes this part of him is his defining characteristic.

The one piece that didn't rate well with me was the subplot involving Sawyer and Hurley roam the jungle for that frog. It is worth noting how much Sawyer has changed from letting that boar live in "Outlaws" (Sawyer would've had bacon for breakfast if it crossed paths with him in this episode), but it seems insignificant compared to the other developments.

We're given a little bit more insight as to what happens when the button isn't pushed in time. Considering the presence it has had this season, for nothing to happen would be extremely anticlimactic. The writers nudge us slightly further down the "what happens" mystery. In this case, the countdown counter flips into black and red hieroglyphics that say something that means something like "die" (only one of the 5 slots wasn't revealed before Locke got the numbers in, so the full message can only be guessed). Also, as the hieroglyphics locked in, the sound of some machine revving up could be heard.

This begs many questions. Lost has used all kinds of religious and historical pieces to build the island's complex mythology, but why would Dharma use hieroglyphics? Perhaps Dharma knew that what not pushing the button meant and decided to hide it from those stationed at The Swan in code, even though the alarm, black and red pictures and machinery was menacing enough to tell them they were screwed. Also, why is the button able to be pressed despite the countdown running to zero and beyond? Shouldn't such a mechanism start winding up as the counter is winding down, like a space launch? These seem moot, as the end result gave us a little bit more of the answer, which leads to more speculation, part of the fun of watching Lost.

Sayid's conversation with Charlie draws parallels to Jack's with Ana-Lucia at the end of "The Hunting Party", but there seems to be more weight in Sayid's "have you forgotten". Jack was more tending to his wounded pride. With Sayid and Charlie, it is far more personal. Charlie almost died and The Others were somehow responsible for Shannon's death. Who better equipped to start an army than a guy who has actually been in one? Ana-Lucia would probably be better equipped for this team too.

Just when things couldn't go worse, a new person comes along to further break them apart. The relationships in conflict are increasing in complexity, as Sayid takes his stand. This episode only focused on a few characters (besides Ana and Rousseau, no other woman had a speaking line this week), and that proved rather effective, as this moment is pivotal in the course of the season.

Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 2, Episode 13: The Long Con Review

The Long Con
Original Airdate: February 8, 2006
Writers: Leonard Dick & Steven Maeda
Director: Roxann Dawson

Before I delve into the episode, it is worth discussing the nature of The Long Con in relation to the show and its production. It has been a common complaint that Damon, Carlton and JJ have idea where the show is going and are just making things up, conning us with the idea that they do know where the show is going. This has been growing a lot this season, as some fans have complained that "nothing happens" for several episodes and that episodes that focus more on characters than the island are wasted efforts. I strongly disagree with this. This is typical of television criticism in the post J*** t** S**** era. People fail to realize that this show requires patience, and it doesn't work when viewers go with a knee jerk reaction that JTS has become when a show goes through a phase that doesn't please them. I will write more about JTS, in a separate article, since this subject is a big one in criticism, later. This season has been largely about the characters in conflict and they come to a head in this episode. Who better to get the spotlight than the instigator Sawyer?

Early in the season, we were supposed to get a Sawyer episode in "Adrift", but for some reason, they felt that Michael was more appropriate, even though the flashbacks didn't reveal anything new. Scenes were shot with Jolene Blalock, who is rather easy on the eyes. Since, as far as I know, no information about this subplot was released, we can draw three conclusions: the producers are sitting on this footage for a future Sawyer episode; the footage was re-shot with a different actress for this episode; or they're waiting for the DVD to release it. Odds are it was the first one. The latter two are cost ineffective, unless the subplot was an utter disaster. We'll have to wait to see if they use it, or if Lindelof or Cuse comment on it. We have been starving for a Sawyer episode, and luckily this episode delivered some juicy developments.

This episode reintroduces several elements from Sawyer’s first episode “Confidence Man”, from the seduction-lure of the briefcase filled with money to Sawyer’s psychological need to be hated. It is fitting for this, as it continues the theme this season of characters reverting to their darker sides. Some characters, like Locke and Charlie, have reverted because of something inside them or developments around them. For Sawyer, he is making a conscious decision to go against everyone else in this power play. This is similar to his relationship with Cassidy. He appeared to have genuine affection for her (most of the girls he lured likely fell for the briefcase con and were too dumb for him), but he made the decision to cast her aside and con her.

Of course, such back tracking is realistic (and not back pedaling by unsure writers in this case) and is best for the narrative. A happy, content Sawyer who gets along with everyone is prime to be killed off. The other characters who have died have had some type of redeeming moment where they overcame their pre-island problems. Sawyer isn't ready for that, nor does he really care. As long as Sawyer believes that he can't "change his stripes", redemption will elude him.

The events in Sawyer's flashbacks draw similarities to the David Mamet film "House of Games", where a civilian woman finds herself falling in love with a con man, who teaches her about the practice, only to con her later. The one piece missing is the final act of the movie, where the woman gets revenge. Perhaps Cassidy played a role with Binns in getting Sawyer to Australia in "Outlaws" or on Flight 815.

From the brutal murder-suicide of his parents he witnessed, Sawyer has never gotten close to anyone. However, this season we started to see a lighter side of Sawyer, likely from surviving what should've been his death sentence of a gunshot wound. Everyone else has been feeling these good vibes for too long. Charlie was getting close to whipping out his guitar to sing "Kumbaya". This episode, along with the last episode, sends us further down the road of major divisions between the survivors.

Sawyer is incredibly good with manipulating everyone around him. Living with these people for the last two months has given him plenty of time to analyze their behavior. This is ideal for a long con. There is a fear of The Others, but it isn't as strong as the one felt by the tailies, so he has a kidnapping staged. There has been increased friction between Jack and Locke, and Jack and Kate, who has been excluded from Jack's inner circle lately, so Sawyer start planting seeds of doubt and dissent among them. Everyone else is so preoccupied with fear or in fighting that it places them just where Sawyer wants them. Even Sawyer pointing out the flaws in his plan doesn't hinder its success. Eko fighting off, and killing two of the Others, is believable even before we knew of his warlord past because he is muscular. Sun however, wouldn't be likely to win in, as Sawyer eloquently stated, a "hot oil death match" with Kate, yet she manages to break free of the "other".

Sawyer's stand shakes things up with the leadership between Jack and Locke. Why are these two in charge? Sawyer is the first one to challenge this significantly. They now have suffered an embarrassing usurping of a major piece of their power. While the whole "There's a new sheriff in town" is a little cheesy, it does set the stage for some good drama, effectively ruining all the camaraderie established so far. Sawyer's move begs a few questions: how did he know where Locke would hide the guns? Where is he storing them? The hatch is probably the best place to keep such items, but he obviously can't use that luxury. The guns could fall victim to weather damage or someone could stumble upon them.

On the other subplots, Hurley and Sayid's scenes offer some inside jokes to those who follow the rampant speculation on the internet. The manuscript Hurley is reading, "The Bad Twin" (a book that is now available), was written by Gary Troup, a deceased passenger. An anagram for his name, purgatory, references the "they're all dead" theory, one that the producers have debunked several times, but still comes up. The second one occurs when they hear Glenn Miller, a man who also went missing after a plane ride, on the radio. Hurley suggested that this is from another time, alluding to and lightheartedly dismissing the "time travel" theory. One nice thing about this season have been the frequent nods to the audience, who aggressively dissect everything on this show.

Of course, we also have the brief moment with Locke scouring the books in the hatch, looking to see if any others have a hollowed out space with additional pieces of the orientation film, like the piece in the Bible Eko showed him. That one incident helped begin Locke's uncertainty about the island, that there was at least one piece missing. With the warps in the film, there had to be more expunged footage, so it helps the viewers, who are often justified in complaining that the castaways aren't curious enough. In that case, often they don't have anywhere to go for answers. This time Locke makes an educated guess that there is another clip hidden in a book.

"Fire + Water", with Charlie reaching a new low, got some of the most damning critical response from fans. I wasn't one of them; I found it compelling as a character piece, and commented that it would be interesting to see in the frame of future episodes. Con's final twist shows that last week's episode wasn't a waste of time, but necessary to bring Charlie to the point he had to be to accost Sun and aid Sawyer in his con. He has nothing to lose as he is no longer respected or trusted among the castaways. While this could easily remain a mystery for the remainder of the series, or be revealed after Charlie is gone, it may be interesting to reveal later, or at least have Jin find out.

This is effectively the end of the second part of the season. The first part was about everyone trying to get together. Now the friction between the castaways is beyond critical mass. It has been far too long since Sawyer's gotten his own episode, and now that he has, he has turned the island status quo upside down, which places everyone in interesting positions for the major complications coming up.

Score: 8/10