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
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
posted by Matt @ 10:02 PM
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