Lost: Season 6, Episode 3 Review: What Kate Does
Original Airdate: February 9, 2010
Writer: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Paul Edwards
This episode has taken a lot of flack from viewers to the point where it is one of the most derided episodes since “Stranger in a Strange Land”. It’s no where near as bad, but it is the weakest of season six to date (I’m on episode 7). The alternate reality storyline was a tough enough sell as it was, but then the first regular episode is a Kate episode, whose character tends not to have the best episodes. Sadly, it’s not enough to sell the on the fence viewers on this season’s concept, which is still wonky as far as its importance in the series as the finale draws near. The other stuff going on is interesting, but this piece weighs down the rest.
This is another “what’s the point” arc. Does it matter if Kate gets away since as far as we know it has no bearing on what Kate does in the main storyline? It just goes back to the writers continually failing to do much substantial with her character besides a piece in the love triangle, which now seems caput. The importance of Aaron in her story did help and “Whatever Happened, Happened” is one of her best episodes, but that spillover doesn’t go far here.
Kate suggests that she’s innocent of the crime she’s on the run from, which considering the differences elsewhere may be true. Whether she is guilty in this reality, she’s a terrible criminal in this one. I’ve seen more than enough movies to know that Kate should’ve ditched the cab as soon as possible (maybe when Kate was in, I don’t know, a chop shop!) Sure LA’s a big city, but that cab had to be reported stolen pretty quick right? Then she returns to Claire to help her out. Clearly Kate 2 hasn’t lived the life Kate has.
I also don’t buy how the garage owner and Claire are so willing to go along with Kate’s operation. Yeah, Kate’s hot, but is she hot enough not to generate a reaction when she tells the mechanic she’s on the run for murder? How seedy is this chop shop? Perhaps because he’s running an illegal operation he can expect that and his laughing implies he thinks she’s joking, but Claire’s turnaround is unbelievable. They suggest that there may be some degree of cross timeline recognition, especially from Jack, but if someone holds a gun to your head and takes you hostage, then comes back to give you your things, the last thing I’d do is go with them. Glossing over the character development for their point isn’t Lost’s style.
While Kate’s flash sideways didn’t add much to the episode and the character development a little sloppy, it continues the idea that the alternate timeline will group together people much as they did on the island. Ethan, here going by his father’s last name rather than the unexplained “Rom”, helps take care of pregnant Claire, albeit in a more helpful and less mysterious and creepy way. Kate also becomes involved, and Aaron’s name is the same.
In the main timeline, Sawyer’s downward spiral continues as he splits from the Temple, disgusted that Sayid lives while Juliet dies, and heads to the dilapidated Dharmaville. Here he finds the engagement ring he was going to use to propose to Juliet (the irony in that, thanks to the time loops, neither were aware of when they lived there in the 2000s). A lot of fans have pointed out Josh Holloway’s scene at the pier as some of his strongest acting and I would agree. Playing breakdowns isn’t easy, but this one is believable from a guy who isn’t known for being forthcoming with his emotions losing the one thing that made him truly happy.
At the temple everyone is freaking out over the resurrection of Sayid. He’s not a zombie, to Hurley’s relief/disappointment. Through various implements of torture, The Others determine he is “infected” or “claimed”. This in all likelihood is connected to the sickness, something that hasn’t been explored since the first season (I think the immunizations from season two were more psychological games than practical health care). It’s also a safe guess that being “claimed” means The Nemesis has you (it’s unknown whether The Others at The Temple are aware that The Nemesis has taken a human form. Again, I have some issues with possession being used to substitute character development, but this season has already firmly established that fate vs. free will is going to be a huge part of the story.
Choice comes into play when The Others want Jack to convince Sayid to take the pill, believing it must be taken voluntarily (or under that illusion). They won’t say what’s in it, what exactly Sayid is sick from or what it specifically will do. Jack, hopefully sick of the Others runaround, calls them on their bluff and tries to take the pill himself. Only then do they admit the pill is poison and that it is the only way to treat people who have encountered said infection.
With the frequent ties to the past, they decide to bring back the one supporting Other who isn’t dead or featured in one of the worst episodes of Lost ever, Aldo, last seen being knocked out in a prison break in season three. Aldo is played by Rob McElhenny, best known for his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In the three years since his first appearance I got caught up on Sunny and I have to admit it was a little distracting having him here. He’s very funny on Sunny, but that show and Lost are in completely different worlds. Part of me expected Claire to shout “Wild card b-----s!” when she killed him. It’s not on him, but more the familiarity that comes with watching a TV character every week.
The big cliffhanger moment is the return of Claire, who has become the new Rousseau. Suddenly disappearing during the chaos at the end of season four and being completely absent during the present timeline in season five (the stock footage doesn’t count), Claire has been speculated on for some time and is the last piece of the three year jump left untold. Last we saw of her she was in the cabin acting stoned with “Christian” and in the three years since then she apparently came across this crew of Others who tried to treat her with what Sayid had. This may tie into the long held belief among some viewers that Claire died in the mercenary attack in season four and was brought back similar to Sayid’s return this season.
Ultimately this episode suffers like many Kate episodes from the personal subplot, since the rest of the episode is pretty solid. It’s not Evangeline Lilly’s fault, as she does the best with what they give her, but the writers haven’t been able to do much with her character and make it stick. They also have a tall order of making the flash sideways interesting, but while it reinforces the themes, here it just doesn’t work.
This is another “what’s the point” arc. Does it matter if Kate gets away since as far as we know it has no bearing on what Kate does in the main storyline? It just goes back to the writers continually failing to do much substantial with her character besides a piece in the love triangle, which now seems caput. The importance of Aaron in her story did help and “Whatever Happened, Happened” is one of her best episodes, but that spillover doesn’t go far here.
Kate suggests that she’s innocent of the crime she’s on the run from, which considering the differences elsewhere may be true. Whether she is guilty in this reality, she’s a terrible criminal in this one. I’ve seen more than enough movies to know that Kate should’ve ditched the cab as soon as possible (maybe when Kate was in, I don’t know, a chop shop!) Sure LA’s a big city, but that cab had to be reported stolen pretty quick right? Then she returns to Claire to help her out. Clearly Kate 2 hasn’t lived the life Kate has.
I also don’t buy how the garage owner and Claire are so willing to go along with Kate’s operation. Yeah, Kate’s hot, but is she hot enough not to generate a reaction when she tells the mechanic she’s on the run for murder? How seedy is this chop shop? Perhaps because he’s running an illegal operation he can expect that and his laughing implies he thinks she’s joking, but Claire’s turnaround is unbelievable. They suggest that there may be some degree of cross timeline recognition, especially from Jack, but if someone holds a gun to your head and takes you hostage, then comes back to give you your things, the last thing I’d do is go with them. Glossing over the character development for their point isn’t Lost’s style.
While Kate’s flash sideways didn’t add much to the episode and the character development a little sloppy, it continues the idea that the alternate timeline will group together people much as they did on the island. Ethan, here going by his father’s last name rather than the unexplained “Rom”, helps take care of pregnant Claire, albeit in a more helpful and less mysterious and creepy way. Kate also becomes involved, and Aaron’s name is the same.
In the main timeline, Sawyer’s downward spiral continues as he splits from the Temple, disgusted that Sayid lives while Juliet dies, and heads to the dilapidated Dharmaville. Here he finds the engagement ring he was going to use to propose to Juliet (the irony in that, thanks to the time loops, neither were aware of when they lived there in the 2000s). A lot of fans have pointed out Josh Holloway’s scene at the pier as some of his strongest acting and I would agree. Playing breakdowns isn’t easy, but this one is believable from a guy who isn’t known for being forthcoming with his emotions losing the one thing that made him truly happy.
At the temple everyone is freaking out over the resurrection of Sayid. He’s not a zombie, to Hurley’s relief/disappointment. Through various implements of torture, The Others determine he is “infected” or “claimed”. This in all likelihood is connected to the sickness, something that hasn’t been explored since the first season (I think the immunizations from season two were more psychological games than practical health care). It’s also a safe guess that being “claimed” means The Nemesis has you (it’s unknown whether The Others at The Temple are aware that The Nemesis has taken a human form. Again, I have some issues with possession being used to substitute character development, but this season has already firmly established that fate vs. free will is going to be a huge part of the story.
Choice comes into play when The Others want Jack to convince Sayid to take the pill, believing it must be taken voluntarily (or under that illusion). They won’t say what’s in it, what exactly Sayid is sick from or what it specifically will do. Jack, hopefully sick of the Others runaround, calls them on their bluff and tries to take the pill himself. Only then do they admit the pill is poison and that it is the only way to treat people who have encountered said infection.
With the frequent ties to the past, they decide to bring back the one supporting Other who isn’t dead or featured in one of the worst episodes of Lost ever, Aldo, last seen being knocked out in a prison break in season three. Aldo is played by Rob McElhenny, best known for his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In the three years since his first appearance I got caught up on Sunny and I have to admit it was a little distracting having him here. He’s very funny on Sunny, but that show and Lost are in completely different worlds. Part of me expected Claire to shout “Wild card b-----s!” when she killed him. It’s not on him, but more the familiarity that comes with watching a TV character every week.
The big cliffhanger moment is the return of Claire, who has become the new Rousseau. Suddenly disappearing during the chaos at the end of season four and being completely absent during the present timeline in season five (the stock footage doesn’t count), Claire has been speculated on for some time and is the last piece of the three year jump left untold. Last we saw of her she was in the cabin acting stoned with “Christian” and in the three years since then she apparently came across this crew of Others who tried to treat her with what Sayid had. This may tie into the long held belief among some viewers that Claire died in the mercenary attack in season four and was brought back similar to Sayid’s return this season.
Ultimately this episode suffers like many Kate episodes from the personal subplot, since the rest of the episode is pretty solid. It’s not Evangeline Lilly’s fault, as she does the best with what they give her, but the writers haven’t been able to do much with her character and make it stick. They also have a tall order of making the flash sideways interesting, but while it reinforces the themes, here it just doesn’t work.
Overall Score: 7/10
posted by Matt @ 6:10 PM
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