Lost: Season 3, Episode 4 Review: Every Man for Himself

Every Man for Himself
Original Airdate: October 25, 2006
Writers: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Stephen Williams

Considering the mini-season’s length, it would make sense to have as many episodes focused on popular/big name characters in the series. So obviously, a Sawyer episode was a good choice. This point would be considered a turning point in the arc, with the culmination being episode six. This is probably one of the biggest problems of the mini-season, as fans saw is as something it wasn’t. This wasn’t a major storyline so much as its introduction. So while the lack of major revelations may be still frustrating, it needs to be seen in a proper context within the entire season.

Being held captive by The Others, it would make sense that Sawyer’s mind would go to his time in prison. To complete the comparison to “House of Games” made in my “The Long Con” review, Cassidy’s revenge was far more moral, turning Sawyer in for his crimes. However, this episode introduced a new dynamic. Sawyer fathered her child, Clementine. Of course, this could be a part of another con altogether, since all he has to verify this is a picture and Cassidy’s word.

Sawyer conning “Costanza” out of the ten million, only to turn it over to the authorities and to give anonymously his finder’s fee to Clementine adds to his reluctant good guy persona. A man so reluctant to be good that he doesn’t want anyone to know about any good he’s done. This all stems from him losing his family. He can’t be with other people and get attached without the fear that it’ll all be ripped from him. That distance is always present in Sawyer.

When it comes to breaking out in the flashback, it could’ve gone like an old fashioned prison break, however, Sawyer “lies and cheats” to freedom. Here, The Others switch it around, having Sawyer attempt a break out scheme while The Others use their cunning to keep Sawyer from escaping. Sawyer can be incredibly clever, as successful con men have to be. However, he can be easily susceptible to cons himself.

The Others know how to con people, including Sawyer. When The Others were nothing but an abstract concept, it could’ve been construed that they were some type of super-human creature, even though they are as human as their castaway counterparts. Ben was a master manipulator during his time in The Swan, picking apart Locke and Jack’s head butting to his advantage. Now that he’s with “[his] people” and has access to their operations, the game is tilted in his favor.

He plays this to a sadistic high with Sawyer. The most controversial element of this episode is the extensive beatings they gave him. It wouldn’t have been hard to believe that he did give Sawyer a pacemaker wired to blow if his heart rate exceeded 140 beats per minute. However, this cruelty serves to convince Sawyer that the threat is real and to allow him to give information willingly that they can use. Despite his wishes to be the loner and live by the credo of “every man for himself”, he cares for Kate. The Others are clearly aware of the attraction between the two of them, and it pays off for them to have Kate have the same feelings for Sawyer.

Kate’s cage is rather odd. For something The Others use to hold captives, what’s with the huge holes in the top that can be easily climbed through? Although that is negated with the revelation that they are on another island altogether, it still feels like The Others wanted her to get out.

Why they brought those two along is still unclear, but this episode reveals a big reason why they brought Jack. Someone has a large tumor on their vertebrae. It’s no coincidence that Jack’s a talented spinal surgeon. Why The Others aren’t pushing Jack to want to help the patient more than they are pushing Sawyer to open up is still unknown.

Jack has smartened up with regards to The Others’ operations, and even turns the tables on them the same way Ben did when he was captured last season. Undermining Juliet’s confidence in her position played out similarly to the way Ben did to Locke in “Maternity Leave”. He isn’t out to make friends with The Others, even if he may be developing a soft spot for Juliet.

Pickett, the most aggressively antagonistic of The Others, didn’t have any reason to be the bad guy before this episode. However, with Colleen succumbing to the gunshot Sun gave her, he feels justified in beating the crap out of Sawyer. This could be read differently, as The Others are acting in a way similar to how the castaways would react to the actions of The Others. Not every member of The Others is antagonistic towards the castaways, but because of the actions of some members, it makes sense for them to lash out at all of them. Of course, the lack of trust and disclosure from both sides amplifies this problem.

The toughest sell for this episode would be the final reveal that there is a smaller island about a mile away from the main island. A reasonable complaint would be why hasn’t anyone noticed this island before? There have been several expeditions that would give them access to this island, like the Elizabeth voyage, the raft or the tailies journeying to the castaways’ main camp. Just how big is this island that they have never gotten around to seeing this? On the other hand, this could be brought up every time they come across a new hatch or something like the four-toed statue.

Such an event can lead people to accuse the show of making it up as they go along, throwing in game changing twists like this simply to throw us off guard and to show how clever they are. Without being as harsh, this was my initial impression. However, producers have said that there is an island present on Rousseau’s maps seen from season one. This is a good reason to take out the DVDs again. Even reviewing this episode months later makes some of the sins of the mini-season more forgivable than when I first saw them.

As seen in “Further Instructions”, Desmond has some degree of precognition. This episode shows that it isn’t an isolated event by building a lightning rod, saving Claire’s life. With that type of talent, Desmond will be very useful, but how much can he see and how much power does he have over this?

While hardly a bad episode, this is a good representative of the problems of the mini-season: little emphasis on the main castaways, excessively cruel treatment from The Others and a flashback that leaves something to be desired. However, the intellectual con game is interesting enough.

Overall Score: 7/10