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
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
posted by Matt @ 5:09 PM
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