Lost--Show Recaps

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If you are a Lost addict like me, you will love these recaps from filmfodder.com. The guy who does them does a great job. I will post them each week.

Lost Reviews and News

Key Points from "Enter 77"


Season 3, Episode 11
Episode Air Date: 03/07/07

Point 1

"Enter 77" fits into a "Lost" sub-genre: the "Dharma discovery episode." These episodes are marked by rapid-fire clues, dense details, and special guest appearances by Dr. Marvin Candle. (They also take an ungodly amount of time to recap ... so thanks for that, Damon and Carlton).
We've seen two previous Dharma discovery episodes -- "Orientation" and "?" -- and both became quite important in the show's mythology. Given what we learn in this week's episode, "Enter 77" could prove to be even more pivotal than its Dharma-discovery predecessors.
Or it could be a total one-off that's forgotten in two weeks (but I doubt it).
So let's get to the recap.
At the conclusion of "Tricia Tanaka is Dead," Kate enlisted Rousseau in her Jack Rescue Plan by dangling an "Alex carrot" in front of Rousseau's face. The carrot works beautifully, because as this episode picks up, Rousseau has joined Kate, Sayid and Locke on a journey toward ... well, we -- and they -- don't really know where they're going.
The ambiguity of the excursion is wearing on Sayid, and he expresses his growing displeasure to the group's tour guide, Locke. Sayid says they've been dutifully following a compass bearing of 305 for their entire trip, yet they have nothing to show for it. Obi-Locke smiles quietly and plays with his Jedi robe. All in good time, Sayid.
Sidenote: Sayid's compass bearing is different from the direction Ben gave Michael at the conclusion of "Live Together, Die Alone." Ben told Michael to follow a bearing of 325, not 305. I'm not sure if there's any connection between these details, but there you go.
The ambiguous journey turns into the Fantastic Journey when Sayid later discovers a brown cow munching foliage. A jungle cow is anomaly on its own, but this particular cow also sports a big ol' cowbell. A short whistle rings from nearby, and the cow meanders back through the trees in response. Sayid follows Bessie through the brush, and that's when he sees ...
A new hatch!
And ...
The Patch guy!
Okay, so the building isn't a real hatch. It's an above-ground structure with a door and a roof and a yard (complete with a second cow, a horse outfitted in a saddle and a ratty old cat). It's actually quite refreshing to encounter a Dharma building that's not shoved into a sequoia or carved into 40-feet of limestone.
As for Patch guy, we first encountered this one-eyed bandit back in The Cost of Living." He briefly appeared on one of the televisions in the Pearl Station.
Back to the action ...
Patch moves inside the building, unaware he's being watched. Sayid's eyes lock in on the building's roof, which sports one of those massive satellite dishes from the pre-DirecTV days.
Locke, Kate and Rousseau arrive by Sayid's side, and they all assume the same gawking expression as they gaze upon Sayid's discovery. Sayid says that the building's sizable satellite dish is capable of broadcasting images and sound and porn for thousands of miles.
Rousseau turns on her heel and tells the group she's leaving ... again. She claims that her long-term survival on the island has been predicated on avoidance, and she has no desire to stir up this latest hornet's nest. With that, she scampers toward a nearby stream to wait for Sayid, Locke and Kate's return (or to make friends with a rainbow trout -- either or).
Sayid whips up a quick plan. He drops his rifle and quietly tiptoes through the compound, scanning the grounds for intruders and taking in the sights. His attention is diverted by the ratty old cat. "Oh hiii there, kitty ... helloooo ... helloooo ... who's a good kit..."
BLAM!
Sayid goes down! Sayid's been shot!
"We had a truce!" Patch barks from a window. His voice is marked by a Russian accent.
Kate tries to move in, but Locke holds her back. Patch could easily pop them full of bullets.
Clutching his left shoulder and wincing in pain, Sayid shouts toward Patch: "My name is Sayid Jarrah. I was on a plane that crashed here months ago!"
The eyebrow over Patch's good eye crinkles in confusion. "A plane?" he asks.
Realizing that Sayid isn't a threat (sucka!), Patch closes the window and momentarily disappears inside the building. Locke and Kate seize the opportunity to burst from the treeline and prepare an ambush.
Patch swings the front door open, but he's met by gunfire at his toes. Patch drops his weapon as Kate tends to Sayid and Locke moves closer to the one-eyed shooter.
The tension evaporates as it becomes clear that Sayid will survive (the bullet is lodged in the meaty part of his shoulder). Kate keeps her rifle trained on Patch as Locke gleefully prances into the building. Another hatch! It's another hatch! Woo! Woo!
We'll explore the new Dharma building in just a moment. Right now, we need to take stock of the eye-challenged Dharma drone we've just met. Herein are his biographical details:
Name: Mikhail Bakunin
Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine
Aliases: Patch, Patchy, Steve Johnson
Birthday: Nov. 12 (same as legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci)
Favorite Athlete: Nadia Comaneci
Years on Island: 11
Catchphrase: "I am the last living member of the Dharma Initiative."
Relevant Work Experience: Claims to have served in Afghanistan with the Soviet Army; reveals an interest in communications hardware (satellites, radios, etc.); appears to have a cursory knowledge of medicine -- at least enough to dig bullets out of shoulders.
Hobbies: Being alone; tinkering with old computers; spending time with his pet cat, Nadia; cultivating an unhealthy fixation on prepubescent, '70s-era gymnasts.
Professional Organizations: National Honor Society, Cold War Castoffs Association, International Brotherhood of Lying Liars
And here's what we learn about this new Dharma building:

• It's known as "The Flame."
• Its purpose, according to Bakunin/Patch, is to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately, the satellite dish has been out of commission for years (or so we're led to believe ...).
• The Flame has an open floorplan -- its walls are lined with couches and old recliners. Bookshelves are tucked in corners and old throw rugs are haphazardly arranged on the wooden floor. All in all, it looks like a dorm room crossed with a farmhouse.
• The building has separate rooms for a kitchen and a computer/communications area. The kitchen isn't really notable, but the computer room has its own TRS80 computer and it's marked by the wires and mainframes typically found in Dharma hatches.
• Remember that thick electrical wire Sayid discovered way back in "Solitary"? It mysteriously ran out into the ocean, but we had yet to discover where it went or what it did. Now we know. Bakunin says the Flame is the island's hub; wires run from the Flame to the other Dharma stations. The ocean-based wire manages a defunct sonar system that guided Dharma submarines to the island.
• The wire mystery appears to be solved, but another long-running tech question remains: where is the radio tower? Early in this episode, Rousseau claims to have never visited the Flame. Her 16-year-old distress message is originating from another location.

And now for the really interesting stuff ...
Moments after entering the Flame, Bakunin transforms from steely-eyed gunman to Ricardo Montalbon on "Fantasy Island." Beaming with hospitality, Bakunin uses his rudimentary medical skills to dig the bullet out of Sayid's shoulder while answering Sayid's many, many questions. The Sayid-Bakunin exchange reveals the following details:

• At some point in the past -- presumably within the last 11 years -- Dharma decided to purge the island of its original inhabitants. Dharma refers/referred to these people as "The Hostiles." (Desmond used this same terminology).
• Bakunin says the Hostiles have been on the island for a very long time (could they be the source of that massive four-toed statue seen in "Live Together, Die Alone"?).
• The Dharma-Hostile battle ended badly for Dharma. Bakunin claims that his Dharma comrades were all killed. He was spared because he chose not to participate.
• Bakunin hasn't seen or heard from the Hostiles in years. Following the "purge," the Hostiles said they would leave him alone if he stayed away from an imaginary line surrounding the island's valley. Bakunin stayed away and the Hostiles kept their word.

It's an unbelievable exchange.
Literally.
Bakunin momentarily leaves the Flame's living room to prepare tea, and, once gone, Sayid tells Kate that there's no way the Hostiles or the Others or the Whoevers would surrender an asset like the Flame. Bakunin isn't with Dharma ... he's with the Hostiles. In addition, Sayid says the saddle mounted on the previously-noted horse is configured for a person much smaller than Bakunin. Bottom line: Bakunin is lying ... and he's not alone.
Bakunin comes back with the tea and for a few moments both sides continue with their faux friendliness. But Sayid pops the friend bubble by revealing/bragging about the Other/Hostile they killed in "The Glass Ballerina" (Sun shot Colleen on the sailboat). Anger carves into Bakunin's face. He rises menacingly, then flings the pitcher of tea at Sayid and cracks Kate across the jaw. The pitcher misses its mark and Sayid responds with a series of body blows and kicks. Kate is sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Locke is holed up in the computer room and can't be bothered to help.
So Sayid and Bakunin beat the crap out of each other, but Sayid ultimately gets the upper hand and Kate wakes at just the right moment to land the knock-out blow with the butt end of a rifle. With Bakunin subdued, Locke flings open the computer room door and points his gun into the living room. Thanks John. Big help.
Sayid tells Locke that another Hostile/Other is hiding in the Flame, but Locke says he searched every nook and cranny of the place and there's no way ...
Oh.
As Locke speaks, Sayid peels back a floor rug and reveals a trap door.
Kate and Sayid open the door and begin to explore the subterranean catacombs beneath the Flame (Dharma can't resist underground lairs). Locke opts to stay topside to watch over Bakunin and continue playing with the Flame's computer.
Down below, Kate and Sayid discover that the Flame is wired with explosives, which is disconcerting since they don't know who controls the trigger (is it Dharma? The Hostiles?). They move deeper into the underground tunnel and soon discover a room outfitted with Dharma instruction manuals and Dharma jumpsuits in a variety of sizes and styles (It's Dharma Big & Tall!). Sayid pages through a "Dharma Initiative Operations Manual" and seems pleased with what he's discovered.
His pleasure is short-lived because the hidden Other is about to make an appearance.
From out of nowhere, a spry little Other pounces on Kate and sends her rifle spinning across the floor. The Other grabs the gun and takes aim at Kate, but Sayid appears and digs his rifle into the back of the little Other's neck.
Kate rises. Her eyes grow as she recognizes ... Mrs. Klugh!
Kate pounds a right hook across Klugh's chin. Kate and Klugh have unfinished business because Klugh played a key role in the abduction of Kate, Sawyer and Jack (she also squealed with delight when Alex inadvertently felt Kate up on the Pala Ferry dock).
Sayid immediately understands Klugh's value, so he steps in before Kate turns Klugh's face to pulp. The trio move back up into the Flame's living room to reconvene with Locke.
But Locke isn't there.
See, Locke turns into a bit of an idiot in this episode. Maybe it's the excitement of a new hatch, or maybe it's the Siren-like lure of a functional computer -- either way, Locke's idiocy causes trouble in "Enter 77."
Let's backtrack for a moment ...
While Sayid and Kate are unearthing clues and battling spry Others in the Flame's basement, Locke abandons the unconscious Bakunin and takes a seat in front of the Flame's computer. Unlike previous Dharma computers, this one has games!
Locke beats the computer at chess, but rather than getting that unsatisfying "You Win!" message, the computer flashes and Dr. Marvin Candle appears on the screen. ("Congratulations, you saved the princess! You can now leave the island.")
Turn out, the chess game is a glorified password prompt. If you beat the computer, you gain access to the the Flame's communications tools. It's a ridiculous system -- video-based instructions? -- but the ever-curious Locke follows Candle's prompts:
"For mainland communication, enter 3-8," Candle says.
Locke presses "3" and "8" on the keyboard.
"The satellite dish is inoperable," Candle says. "Communications are down. For sonar access, enter 5-6."
Locke enters "5" and 6"
"Sonar is inoperable."
Damn you Marvin Candle!
The video continues ...
"Has there been an incursion of the station by the Hostiles?" Candle asks. "If so, enter 7-7."
Locke rubs his chin. His finger hovers over the 7 button, but the surprise appearance of a long, sharp knife at his throat prevents him from pressing it.
Bakunin is conscious, and he doesn't like people messing with is computer.
When Sayid and Kate bring Klugh up into the living room, Bakunin is outside, pointing a gun at Locke's head. A hostage standoff ensues, but it doesn't go the way you'd expect. Klugh speaks to Bakunin in Russian, which gets everyone atwitter because Sayid, Kate and Locke have no idea what's going on. Klugh shouts. Bakunin shouts. Locke shouts. Sayid shouts. Kate pouts.
"Just do it, Mikhail!" Klugh blurts in English.
Bakunin aims his pistol at Klugh and shoots her in the chest!
What the ... she's dead! Bakunin killed his Hostile sister!
Locke, Sayid and Kate rush in and subdue Bakunin. Sayid shoves his rifle into Bakunin's face and Bakunin asks/pleads with Sayid to kill him. Sayid sneers in response. No death for you, Mikhail!
Things settle down and Locke and Kate move back into the Flame to gather supplies and continue fiddling with the computer. Locke regains access to the communications system and this time he successfully presses "7-7."
Yeah. Bad idea.
Outside, Sayid calls to Rousseau and she magically appears with a rainbow trout clenched in her teeth. Together, they march Bakunin into the treeline. Bakunin's energy is sapped, so he's unable to continue his ruse when Sayid asks him for the truth. Bakunin reveals that he was never a member of Dharma, but he did become the Flame's manager after the "purge" battle.
Sayid tells Rousseau -- and brags to Bakunin -- that he now has a way to find the Others. Bakunin mistakenly believes that he's the key. Not so, Mikhail.
See, Sayid's basement investigation revealed a detailed map that shows the electrical infrastructure for the entire island. Producing the map, Sayid shows Rousseau that a number of pipelines lead into an area known as "The Barracks."
Bakunin's face drops. Sayid knows how to find the Others' lair.
With his back against the wall, Bakunin resorts to Bond-villain dialogue. "You will let your guard down, and when you do, I will kill you," he says with absolutely no conviction. Rousseau temporarily regains the ability to think, and she notes that now might be a great time to kill Bakunin. But Sayid likes to make things difficult, and so he opts to let Bakunin live.
Kate and Locke amble out of the Flame and rejoin Sayid and Rousseau. Locke brags about beating the computer at chess and gaining access to the controls and as he ...
BOOOOOOOM!
The Flame erupts in a fireball! The satellite dish and roof are engulfed in flames as a massive explosion rips the building apart!
The group dives for cover. Sayid glares at Locke and demands an explanation.
Locke's face is plastered in that "I was wrong!" look he does so well. "The computer said to enter 7-7 if there was an incursion," he stammers. "I entered 7-7!"
Whoopsie.
And with that, the episode ends.
Sidenote: It's hard to justify Locke's stupidity, especially since he's logged considerable time with Dharma computers. However, I suppose Locke may have believed that the "77" code would send a help signal. In addition, Kate and Sayid never told him about the C4 they discovered in the basement, so maybe if these people talked to each other, The Flame wouldn't have become The Cinder.
Point 2

The backstory in this episode felt a little forced. Granted, the acting was good and the story itself provides a deeper look at Sayid's "tortured" soul, but much of it felt like filler.
Anyway, the backstory reveals the following:

• After escaping from Iraq, Sayid assumes a new identity in Paris. He calls himself Najeev and claims to be from Syria.
• A married Iraqi couple lures Sayid into a trap by enticing him to become a chef at their restaurant. The wife -- a woman named Amira -- believes that Sayid is the man who tortured her while she was incarcerated in Iraq.
• Sayid is imprisoned and beaten in a restaurant kitchen. Initially, he denies involvement in Amira's torture, but in the final moments, he breaks down and acknowledges his violent past. The backstory's culminating scene is a little confusing because Sayid adamantly -- and convincingly -- denies knowing Amira in the early part of the episode, yet he pulls a full 180 in the closing moments. Is it possible that Sayid didn't have a hand in Amira's torture, but he admits involvement because he wants to atone for his mistakes? Or, was he the actual torturer? And really, does it matter?
• The cat Sayid sees outside the Flame looks similar to Amira's cat. This is the second time an off-island animal -- or its doppleganger -- makes an on-island appearance. Kate saw a black horse from her past in "What Kate Did." In a future episode, we'll learn that a treefrog killed Sawyer's brother.

Point 3

The "B" storyline in this episode revolves around a ping-pong tournament.
Really.
It goes like this: the Hatch's ping-pong table miraculously survived the "incident" (was anything actually destroyed in that explosion/implosion?). The table is brought back to the beach and Sawyer gets an idea: he'll challenge the castaways' best ping-pong player to a match. If Sawyer wins, he can reclaim his stash (which has been divvied up among the survivors). On the flip side, if Sawyer loses he can't use any nicknames for one full week.
Yeah, it's pretty dumb.
Sawyer goes up against Hurley and Hurley turns out to be a world-class ping-pong player (he honed his craft in his mother's basement and in the mental institution). Hurley wins, so Sawyer is now banned from using nicknames for the next seven days.
In a post-ping-pong moment, Hurley tries to ease Sawyer's fears about Kate. I suppose this "comfort" scene is meant to reveal the the depth of Sawyer's feelings for Katie, but haven't they already been made abundantly clear?
And that's all there is to that.
Point 4

As usual, I'll close with a few questions and observations:

• Best line: "A. It was mine when I took it and B. Who are you?" -- Sawyer to Nikki.
• The "purple sky" incident in "Live Together, Die Alone" is becoming more important with each passing episode. The event's impact on the Others' communication system was mentioned in passing earlier this season, but the purple disruption appears to be much more than a mere glitch. During the Flame scenes, Sayid tells Locke and Kate that the "other Other" (Mrs. Klugh) was probably sent to the remote Flame station to check on the communications breakdown. If this was a simple glitch, the Others probably wouldn't dispatch reinforcements.
  Also, communication with the real world gives the Others power and control over the castaways, but if the lines of communication are down -- and now that the Flame is destroyed, they're really down -- the power between the two factions could be balanced. In time, the "purple sky" incident could prove to be a huge game changer.
• Speaking of purple skies ... Did the hatch implosion "fix" the island's magnetism? I ask because "Enter 77" shows Sayid using a compass. At the beginning of season one, compasses didn't work on the island.
• I'm intrigued by the "purge" that took place between Dharma and the Hostiles. When did it happen? How did it happen? Is Ben some sort of war hero? Did certain Dharma members switch sides? How does Juliet fit into it?</I>
• And finally ... a completely random bit of nothingness: I wonder if actors whose characters wear eye patches have a hard time readjusting to "normal" vision. I ask because way back in my youth, I once worked as an Easter Bunny at my parents' store (no, I won't elaborate, thankyouverymuch). The eyeholes in the bunny head were placed way too far apart and my peripheral vision was screwed up for days. I imagine an eye patch would lead to similar problems. Anyone know for sure? That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.

Next Episode:
"Par Avion" -- Claire's rescue plan makes Charlie twitchy. Elsewhere, the Jack Rescue Party trudges on. Airs Wednesday, Mar. 14, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.



Review by Mac Slocum. All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc.

 

[ologan]

Thanks,Carp! Sure missed seeing these since being banned on another,lesser board!

 

[carphalen5150]

* Bump

Tonight's episode looks schweet!

There is a connection between 2 survivors on the island...I think it will be that Jack and Claire are half siblings.

 

[carphalen5150]

Lost Reviews and News

Key Points from "Par Avion"


Season 3, Episode 12
Episode Air Date: 03/14/07

Point 1

Let us pause for a moment to consider Claire's plight.
She crashes on a wacked-out island, pregnant, single and not entirely sure if she's a show regular or an occasional guest star. For weeks, she's forced to wear the same black maternity outfit and eat imaginary peanut butter with a C-list celebrity bassist. She's then abducted by a preternaturally strong "surgeon" who takes her to an underground medical lair and injects her still-developing child with a mysterious cocktail of shark oil, polar bear blood and an unidentified liquid from Ben's forehead. Ultimately, she pops out a son -- who by the grace of God isn't pre-tagged with a Dharma insignia -- but her elation is interrupted when a wild-eyed Frenchwoman kidnaps her baby for a poorly-conceived Other trade.
And that's only the first season.
Claire's problems become clear when they're compressed into a snarkily-written paragraph, but the massive gaps in Claire's "Lost" appearances make it hard to connect with her. Sure, she's pretty and nice and it's fun to hear her say "where's my baaaaaby" in her Australian accent, but when she sees less screen time than Dr. Artz and has fewer lines than Paulikki, it's virtually impossible to be an ardent Claire fan.
If only there was a surprise familial connection between Claire and another castaway to ignite our imaginations and justify her existence on the island ...
But we'll get to that in a minute. For the time being, it's time to recap.
The primary storyline in this episode had the emotional resonance of a backstory. There were bits and pieces of interesting dialogue, and we did witness a few developments, but the episode's real action took place in the secondary plot (Key Point 3). With this in mind, I'm going to zip through Claire's material to get to the good stuff.
So, here's what we learn in Claire's on-island story:

• The Charlie-Claire relationship seems to be blossoming. His faux-gentleman act appeals to her, which is good since it's the only act he's got. As the episode opens, the duo has arranged for "Auntie Sun and Uncle Jin" (Charlie's phrasing) to take Aaron so Charlie and Claire can enjoy a Dharma picnic by the water.
• The picnic is interrupted by a gun-toting Desmond who's sporting his "I just had another premonition" look. Des tells/asks/pleads with Charlie to come hunt boar with him. "Charlie, you really, really want to dis this attractive young woman and trudge through the jungle in search of bloodthirsty boars. Really. Besides, she's not going to put out for another five or six episodes."
• Des' warning is temporarily put on the back burner when a flock of birds flies across the beach. Claire is transfixed. Her eyes sparkle. "I think I just figured out how we can get off the island!" she yelps. She runs back toward camp, clapping her hands in anticipation.
• Claire's "plan" is a little flaky, but at this point anything is open for discussion. She claims to have spotted a metallic tag on one of the birds' legs, which leads her to believe that the flock has been previously tagged by scientists. If the castaways can capture one of the birds (humanely, not in a Sawyer kinda way), they can attach a message to the bird and wait and hope for the flock to migrate to Fiji or Australia or Dharma's abandoned bird sanctuary (aka "The Nest"). Claire, it would seem, has confused seagulls with carrier pigeons. So sad. Such a pretty girl, such a mushy mind.
• Because Sun and Jin have nothing better to do, they help Claire execute her bird scheme. Jin constructs a net thingie and Sun rounds up a bucket of fish guts and the trio then scampers back to the treeline to watch and wait. Eventually, a bird lands on the bucket and Jin begins a trapping countdown (in English). "One ... Two ..."
  BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!
  The birds scatter as gunshots zing in the jungle. Desmond darts through the trees, clutching a rifle. He spots Claire, Sun and Jin and immediately realizes he's just disrupted their well-laid plan.
  Claire sees it differently: she believes Desmond intentionally chased away the birds. She thinks Desmond doesn't want her to capture a bird and, by extension, rescue them all and get a guest spot on "The View."
• Claire and Charlie get into a big spat because Claire believes Charlie supports Desmond's anti-bird crusade. It's during this exchange that we see Claire's penchant for melodrama. She quickly jumps to the conclusion that Charlie is a liar and, as such, she doesn't want her precious baby Aaron to be exposed to liars (crazy French ladies and blood-lusting polar bears are okay, however). Charlie huffs away, confused and wishing he hadn't tossed all those Virgin Mary statues into the ocean.
• Later, Claire follows Desmond as he makes a beeline toward a desolate part of the coastline. Des doesn't realize he's being followed, which becomes a problem when he expertly walks over a line of sharp nasty rocks and successfully plucks a seabird from its nest. Claire charges into view and demands to know what Desmond is up to. She watched him: He knew where to find this bird.
  It's at this point that Desmond reveals his precognitive abilities. He points to a nearby mass of craggy rocks and tells Claire that Charlie was going to meet his maker against that outcropping. If Desmond hadn't intervened, Charlie would have slipped and fallen into the ocean and had his trendy haircut slammed against the rocks over and over until his neck snapped. Claire's confused ... and a little impressed.</I>
• In the closing moments of the episode, Claire sheepishly tells Charlie that she now knows about Desmond's ability -- and his prediction of Charlie's imminent demise. She apologizes to her cuddly little smack junkie and the two set about crafting a "please help us, we're stuck on an island" note to attach to their captured gull. At sunset, the pair stands on the beach and Charlie reads the note:
  "Dear potential rescuers: We are a group of seemingly random castaways who crash landed on a scientific research facility/geological anomaly 80 days ago. Over the past months, some of us have grown close, some of us have pushed buttons, some of us have developed severe intestinal reactions to tropical fruit (Paulo), and some of us have died in a surprise double-cross orchestrated by a group of Others and their eeeeevil little mastermind. Please find us so that we may return to our misguided and tragic backstories. Signed, the Survivors of Oceanic 815 ... and Vincent." With that, Charlie slides the note into a dilapidated metal tag wrapped around the bird's leg. Claire and Charlie uncup their hands and the bird takes flight.

And that's that.
Point 2

Claire's backstory reveals one very big, very important thing. Ready? This is going to blow your mind.
Here goes:
Claire used to be a black-haired goth chick who worked at a tattoo parlor.
Amazing, right? A total brain bender.
Beyond that, the backstory high points are just ho-hum. So here they are, presented in ho-hum bullet style:

• Claire and her Mum were involved in a nasty car accident that turned Mum into a vegetable.
• Claire's dad hasn't been in her life since she was two. She's been working under the assumption that he's dead, but we all know that an assumption makes an "*** out of u and umption."
• Claire discovers that an anonymous American benefactor is taking care of Mum's considerable hospital bills.
• Toward the end of the episode, we see Claire and Mum sometime later (we know it's later because Claire is pregnant and her hair is blond). Claire apologizes to her coma-Mum for all the horrible things she said and did. It's clear that Claire is burdened by a massive amount of guilt -- guilt so heavy it could bring down a trans-oceanic jetliner (Hmmmmm).

So that's about it with the backstory.
Of course, there's also that whole bit where we discover that Claire's father is alive and he's an American and he's actually Dr. Christian Shephard ... Jack's Dad ... holy homicidal smoke monster, Jack and Claire have the same dad!!!!
Yes, it's true. Claire's backstory reveals that Jack and Claire share a parent. Dr. Daddy is the "anonymous benefactor" tending to Mum's hospital bills, and halfway through the episode he makes an appearance by Mum's bedside. Goth Claire demands to know who this fella is and Dr. Daddy puffs his chest and revels in the pleasure of instigating family drama on another continent. Claire is surprised and overwhelmed by the revelation that this pale guy with a a borderline mullet is her father. She was expecting someone ... taller.
Shortly after Dr. Daddy reveals his paternity, he manages to coerce Claire into a conversation over coffee. At first Dr. Daddy seems compassionate (he claims to have visited Claire many times when she was little, but of course she doesn't remember). But soon, Dr. Daddy's pragmatic evil rears its ugly head. We've seen Dr. Daddy's sociopathic pragmatism in Jack's backstories: he gets off on telling his children to let things go and toss people off and avoid emotional investment at all costs. It did wonders for Jack, that's for sure.
So Dr. Daddy tries to convince Claire that she should let her mother die. Claire is flabbergasted and offended. In no uncertain terms, she tells him to shove off with this intriguing bit of dialogue:
"You might be my father, but I don't even know your name. I want it to stay that way."
With that, Dr. Daddy leaves ... only to reappear sometime later during an Australian bender and in the company of a sneering former cop. But we already know how that plays out ...
Let's take a moment to loop back to Claire's parting "I don't even know your name" line. Since Claire never learns Dr. Daddy's name, and since, presumably, Jack isn't carrying around snapshots of his father, I'm not sure how Jack and Claire will ever stumble upon their familial connection (unless there's a Shephard family album stored in Ben's attic). This opens the door to all sorts of near misses and, if the writers get desperate, a Luke-Leia moment.
Ewww. Incidentally -- and tell me if I'm wrong on this -- I think Jack and Claire have shared exactly five minutes of screentime during the entire series. Besides the opening moments of the pilot episode when Dr. Jack tends to the then-preggers Claire, when have they been together?

Point 3

And now we come to the good stuff.
The Jack Rescue Operation picks up where it left off in "Enter 77." Locke, Kate, Sayid and Rousseau drag their new prisoner -- Mikhail Bakunin -- through the jungle en route to the Others' hidden lair.
During the journey, Kate takes the opportunity to grill Bakunin for details about the Others (thank you, Kate). Her exchange with Bakunin reveals the following:

• Bakunin claims to have been "recruited" when he was 24 years old. He was brought to the island in a submarine.
• He and his Other comrades have (well, had) the ability to come and go from the island as they please, but the Purple Sky event knocked out their underwater beacon. Like the castaways, the Others appear to be stuck on the island.
• Bakunin says a "magnificent man" is the puppet master behind the island and the Others. Kate assumes he's referring to Ben, but Bakunin quickly quashes this notion. Could this "magnificent man" and the enigmatic Jacob be the same person?
• Bakunin mentions the "list," which is quickly becoming the new "Lost" McGuffin. The list includes individuals who are worthy of being recruited and welcomed into the Other's world. Sneering, Bakunin says his captors don't have list status. "You are not on the list because you are flawed, because you are angry and weak and frightened," Bakunin says with delight.
  Sidenote: Bakunin appears to be directing his criticisms at each of his captors, but I wasn't able to figure out who was flawed, who was angry, who was weak and who was frightened. At first he seems to suggest that Kate = Flawed, Locke = Angry, Sayid = Weak and Rousseau = Frightened (Jack = Doc? Charlie = Dopey?), but moments later Bakunin singles out Locke and seems to suggest that he's somehow different from the rest; that Locke is worthy of being on the list. Or maybe I'm making stuff up. If anyone can make sense of this exchange, please post it below.

Unfortunately, the Bakunin revelations are interrupted by Rousseau's discovery of something very interesting
It turns out that the electrical map Sayid discovered in the catacombs of the Flame station is quite useful. Much to Bakunin's chagrin, the map leads the group to a large open field that's protected by a massive "Jurassic Park" security system. Tall metal pylons are installed along the perimeter of the field. Each pylon has two metal domes affixed to opposite sides (the pylons look like really tall guys wearing massive headphones).
Sayid tries to probe Bakunin for details about the security system, but Bakunin merely stretches an eyebrow and invites Sayid to step through the invisible security fence. Like everything on this island, Bakunin says, the fence doesn't work anymore.
Locke -- who's been oddly quiet up to this point -- decides to take action. He grabs Bakunin by the scruff of the neck and shoves him through the pylons.
Godspeed, Mikhail Bakunin.
A loud, rumbling hum emanates from the pylons. Bakunin looks back at his captors.
"Thank you," he says quietly.
Foam bubbles pop and fizz at the sides of Bakunin's mouth. His skin turns red and he shakes violently.
WAHWAHWAHWAHWAH ... the hum grows louder. Bakunin sizzles!
Silence.
Bakunin's dead body hits the ground. His face has the consistency of an overcooked meat patty.
Sayid and Kate stare at Locke, but Locke shrugs off the incident. "My bad, yo."
So, with their prisoner fried and a sonic death fence standing in their way, the Jack Rescue Operation decides to regroup. Kate stares at the pylons and determines that the sonic death fence, is, in fact a fence. And that means they can get over it. All they need is a tree and an axe ... and the axe just happens to be in Locke's backpack.
Sayid picks up Locke's pack and Locke immediately scampers in to try and divert his attention. But it's too late.
Opening the pack, Sayid sees a brick of C4 explosive.
Well, well, well ...
The explosive is from the now-destroyed Flame station, and its presence in Locke's backpack is particularly interesting because -- earlier in this episode -- Locke used ignorance to defend his seemingly inadvertent destruction of the Flame. "If I had known it was rigged with explosives, maybe I would have been more cautious," Locke told Sayid.
But the Backpack Revelation suggests otherwise. Locke did know about the explosives and he still initiated the Flame's failsafe.
Sayid narrows his eyes. Locke's motivation is suddenly called into question: is he trying to rescue Jack, or is he up to something else?
Alas, we'll have to wait until next week's Locke-centric episode to find out. As it stands, the Rescue Group still needs to get over the sonic death fence. So, Team Jack cuts down a tree and leans it against one of the pylons. With squirrel-like athleticism, Kate shimmies up the tree and carefully maneuvers herself over the pylon without incident. Locke, Sayid and Rousseau follow.
And that brings us to the Big Moment.
Using the map, the Rescue Group pushes through thick brush and, in the closing moments of the episode, they reach their destination. Peering out from behind bushes and trees, the group sees the manicured lawns and tidy sidewalks of Dharma World (or Other Land or Hostileville -- we really need a name for this place). It's the same "neighborhood" we saw at the beginning of "A Tale of Two Cities."
Looking around, the group sees Izod-attired Others walking and talking and barbecuing. Suddenly, Kate's eyes snap forward. There's Jack! And he's running full-tilt toward the bushes!
But this is where things get weird.
Jack is in a dead sprint, but it's clear he doesn't see his castaway friends. As he runs, he peeks over his shoulder and extends his hands like a ... wide receiver?
Out of nowhere, a football -- A FOOTBALL -- arcs over Jack's head and lands in his palms. Jack cradles the ball and turns to throw it back to ...
TOM!
Jack is playing long-toss with TOM!?
THUNK. Kate's jaw hits the ground.
And that's when it ends!
Point 4

As usual, I'll close with a few questions and observations:

• Now, I've never been marooned on an island, but if I somehow captured a bird and managed to attach a rescue note to its "science tag," I'd do my best to guarantee that the note could never, ever fall off or get wet. Charlie appears to shove Claire's note into the bird's tag without any notion of keeping it safe or dry.
• Given the timeline of previous backstories, I'm assuming that the woman Dr. Daddy confronts in "Two for the Road" is actually Clarie's aunt, Lindsay.
• The island timeline was reestablished in this episode: Claire's rescue note says the castaways have been on the island for 80 days and Bakunin says that the "electromagnetic event" occurred two weeks ago.
• Sawyer is running out of reading material; this episode's book is "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand.
• The sonic death fence must wreak havoc on the island's land creatures. I'm surprised the perimeter wasn't lined with the bloody corpses of rabbits and boars and polar bears.
• Speaking of the sonic death fence ... again, I ask, how is it that Rousseau hasn't stumbled upon this thing? Judging from Sayid's map, the Others' compound takes up a significant portion of the island's inland area, and the death fence surrounds additional acreage. Did Rousseau stick to the coastline for 16 years? I just don't buy it.
• And finally, a few random questions that recently crossed my mind: What happened to the cave camps? Is anyone still living there? When will we revisit the Black Rock? What happened to the "voices" that used to whisper through the trees?

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"The Man from Tallahassee" -- Locke receives an enticing offer and Kate's rescue plan takes an unexpected turn. Airs Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[carphalen5150]

Lost Reviews and News

Key Points from "The Man from Tallahassee"


Season 3, Episode 13
Episode Air Date: 03/21/07

Point 1

Oh ... my.
Prior to this episode, the phrase "Ben's Magic Box" was merely an immature euphemism that didn't hold much relevance (beyond being gross ... and kinda funny). But now, "Ben's Magic Box" might just be the most important thing in this entire show.
And the thing is, the Magic Box was only one of many jaw droppers in "The Man from Tallahassee."
So let's get to it!
The episode picks up where "Par Avion" left off -- Locke, Kate, Sayid and Rousseau watch incredulously as Jack cavorts/plays football with their mortal Other enemy, Tom. Juliet appears in the Other yard and saunters over to Jack all flirty and casual. Kate blinks -- she can't believe that 80 days of coy smiles and tight jeans and "whoopsie, I just came out of this steamy shower half-naked" maneuvers have been wiped from Jack's memory by that diabolical blond hussy.
The scene gets even more intriguing when Jack cheerfully accompanies Juliet back toward a nearby bungalow and Juliet rolls an on-the-mend Ben out in a wheelchair. Jack shakes Ben's hand and the two appear to share some sort of thought/comment -- and for once, that thought or comment doesn't involve Jack threatening to nick one of Ben's vital organs.
As all of this plays out, Rousseau silently walks off. She smells a supple young boar lounging unaware in the sun. Lunchtime!
Locke, who's watching the Jack-Ben proceedings through binoculars, lowers his peeping-tom specs and utters the understatement of the episode: "This is going to be more complicated than we thought."
Now, I'm no military genius, but I never did quite figure out how Locke, Kate, Sayid and Rousseau were going to pluck Jack from a fortified Other stronghold. I'm not sure they figured it out, either.
No matter. Jack's apparent assimilation into the Others' collective forces the Jack Rescue Group to rethink its plan. Locke says they should lie low, wait for dark, and then meet with Jack privately to see if he actually wants to be rescued.
Night falls and the trio watches as Jack and Juliet share a quiet moment outside Jack's "apartment." The pair bid each other goodnight and Jack quietly closes the door behind him ... alone. Locke, Kate and Sayid sprint across the dark lawn like ninjas -- really loud ninjas. Each is supposed to cover a specific area, or monitor a specific spot, or some such nonsense.
Kate successfully creeps into Jack's apartment and moves quietly down a hallway. Jack is playing piano in a nearby room. Kate appears in the doorway, but Jack doesn't notice her. He stops the tune and slowly turns.
"Hi," Kate says, not sure if she's supposed to smile or frown or lift her shirt (it works for Sawyer).
Jack isn't pleased. He's not pleased at all. His eyes dart toward a corner of the room and Kate sees a closed-circuit security camera. Jack pleads/orders her to leave immediately, but Kate holds her ground -- she came all this way to rescue Jack, and that's what she intends to do.
Or not.
The front door to Jack's apartment busts open and a platoon of armed Others spills inside. Kate is pushed to the ground as additional Others drag Sayid into the room. An Other digs his pistol into Kate's neck and demands to know who else is with them. Kate looks at Sayid. Sayid looks at Kate.
"Nobody, it's just us," she lies.
And this little lie opens the door to an epic showdown between Locke and Ben.
With the Others temporarily convinced that Kate and Sayid are working alone, Locke is given time to break into Ben's bungalow.
Ben's recent surgery prevents him from sleeping upside down as he normally does. Instead, he's splayed in a Craftmatic and when he hears a noise in his living room, he mechanically whirs himself into a defensive position (Setting No. 108).
Locke appears, his gun trained on Ben's buggy eyes.
Ben wastes no time offering Locke exactly what he wants.
"I can show you where Jack is," Ben says.
And this is when Locke pulls the rug out.
"I'm not looking for Jack," Locke says. "I'm looking for the submarine."
Locke wants the sub?
Ben feigns ignorance. "Uh, submarine? What submarine?"
A knock sounds at Ben's bedroom door. It's Alex. Ben's mouth quivers and he starts to ask Locke to leave her out of their little conversation ... but Locke flings open the door and drags Alex inside.
At that exact moment, Tom pounds on the front door of Ben's bungalow. Locke pulls Alex into Ben's closet (bumping into an assortment of gimp paraphernalia) as Tom and another Other enter Ben's bedroom.
Tom doesn't realize that an Oceanic Interloper is hiding in the room, and Ben doesn't offer any hints because his daughter is being held captive (to Locke's credit, he doesn't point the gun at Alex -- he just shoves her in the corner and tells her to keep her pie-hole shut). Tom tells Ben that Sayid and Kate have been captured and Ben offers some sort of directive ("tie 'em up" or "lock 'em up" or "make them watch the '04 World Series tape"). Tom leaves and Ben's attention turns to the second Other. His name is Richard, and judging by his height, weight and the faint smell of eyeliner wafting from his orbital sockets, it appears to be Richard Alpert, the guy who recruited/dragged Juliet to the island in "Not in Portland."
"I want you to bring me the man from Tallahassee," Ben instructs Richard.
Uh ... what? Is that code?
Richard leaves and Locke drags Alex out of the closet. He has a plan: He wants Alex to find Sayid and retrieve his backpack (this is the same backpack containing the C4 Locke plucked from the Flame station). Alex shows a momentary glimpse of concern for Ben -- the first we've seen from her -- then scampers off to find the pack.
This leaves Locke and Ben alone for a few minutes ... and oh what an interesting time we're about to have.
Ben asks Locke to help him into his wheelchair so he can roll around while doling out island mysteries and lies. Locke at first resists, but Ben plays to Locke's past. "I just want some dignity," Ben says. "You of all people should understand what it means to want some dignity."
If Ben had a handlebar mustache, he'd be twirling it.
As Locke moves to help, Ben continues his devious deconstruction of Locke's psyche. He asks Locke how he intends to pilot the Others' submarine (thereby confirming the sub's existence). Locke puffs his chest and says that for all Ben knows, he's a former submarine captain ... a decorated captain with lots of medals and lovely ladies in every port.
Ben stifles a smile ... he's really going to enjoy this next bit.
Ben takes a breath and loads up for a classic Henry Gale monologue. In the span of the next 30 seconds, he tells Locke exactly what he knows about him:

• Ben knows Locke was born in California and raised in foster care.
• He knows Locke wasted many years working at a box company in Tustin, Calif. (More on this in a second.)
• Ben knows Locke spent the four years prior to arriving on the island in a wheelchair.
• And here's the kicker ... Ben knows how Locke got in that wheelchair.

Locke blinks. That was unexpected.
"Tell me, John. Did it hurt?" Ben asks, evil dripping from his chin.
"I felt my back break," Locke says. "What do you think?"
Sidenote 1: Remember this dialogue. It's going to be very important later on.
Sidenote 2: Ben's comment about Locke's employment at the box company seems a little off to me. Judging from what we've seen of Locke's backstory, I always figured that Locke went to work at the box company after he was in the wheelchair. If we're to believe Ben's timeline -- i.e. Locke was in the wheelchair for four years -- then it seems Locke couldn't have worked at the box company for more than four years, which is a significant period but not the ungodly amount of time Ben seems to imply it is. Or am I missing something here?
Moving on ...
The power balance in the Locke-Ben conversation soon shifts to Locke because Ben can't contain his curiosity. He asks -- in a giddy and uncharacteristic way -- if Locke regained use of his legs immediately after the plane crash. Locke confirms he did, but then he arches an eyebrow and gazes at Ben. He knows why he's so curious. "You're wondering why it's not the same for you," Locke says, a grin carving across his face. "How'd you get sick in the first place, anyway?"
Touche, Mr. Locke.
Ben's temper rises and his defenses come down. He says he knows Locke isn't going to pilot the sub -- he's going to use the C4 he stole from the Flame station to blow it up. He knows that Locke doesn't want to leave the island because the island has given him life, and if the sub is gone, there's no escape.
It's quite a conclusion -- especially that bit about the C4 (Ben masterfully connects the dots: Locke was in the Flame station, which means he found the C4, which means he can use the C4, which means Locke now has legitimate power ... if Ben wasn't so damn evil I'd admire the little bugger's detective skills).
Locke tosses off Ben's conclusion and the moment passes. The pair moves to the kitchen so Locke can munch chicken wings and scarf Dharma juice.
Ben realizes his psychoanalytic tactics aren't working, so he opts for the direct route. Rolling up to Locke (whose face is covered in chicken bits), Ben puts on his Honest Eyes.
"If you blow the sub up, I have a big problem with my people," Ben says.
Locke stops munching.
Ben tells Locke that he's one of the few Others who was born on the island. Most of his comrades were recruited and brought in, and despite their loyalty to the Others' way of life, these folks need to know they can leave anytime they want. If Locke blows up the sub, Ben can no longer dangle the "leave anytime" carrot, and that's going to call Ben's leadership into question.
Ben continues: Since Locke already has a clear affinity for the island, Ben is willing to share the island's secrets if Locke does him just one wee favor: don't blow up the sub.
"I can show you things, things I know you want to see very badly," Ben says. "Let me put it so you'll understand. Picture a box. What if I told you that somewhere on this island there's a very large box and whatever you imagined, whatever you wanted to be in it, when you opened that box there it would be. What would you say about that, John?"
Locke pauses, mulling over Ben's Magic Box.
"I'd say I hope that box is big enough to imagine yourself up a new submarine," Locke spits sarcastically.
Now, Locke's comment is funny and fitting, but you know the 8-year-old boy trapped inside Locke is screaming "Show me the box! I wanna see the box!"
Ben's frustration swells. He asks Locke why he's so angry and Locke, in a twist, admits that his anger stems from the Others' hypocrisy. He's mad because, in Locke's mind, the Others are "cheating." They're living on this mystical and wonderful island, but they're doing it with electricity, and submarines and refrigerators full of delicious chicken. To Locke, this is anathema.
Sidenote: This "hypocrisy" bit taps into a part of Locke's personality that's been dormant for a while. At the beginning of season one, Locke's desire to be an explorer and to commune with nature was one of his essential motivations, but all the business with the hatch and the Others and Eko's death put Locke's nature-boy side on the back burner ... or so I believed. Apparently, it's still a key part of his personality.
Anyway ...
Ben snaps at Locke's "hypocrisy" comment. "How do you know this island better than I do?" Ben sneers.
"Because you're in a wheelchair and I'm not," Locke snorts.
Locke appears poised to push Ben down a flight of stairs, but fortunately for Ben all the Other bungalows have single-floor designs. More fortunate still, Alex arrives with Sayid's backpack and Locke's attention is diverted.
Locke orders Alex to guide him to the submarine. He moves to leave, but Ben wants to make one last-ditch attempt to stop Operation Boom. Ben tells Locke that Jack made a deal with him, and in less than an hour Jack is going to leave the island in the submarine. The problem is, the Purple Sky incident -- Ben calls it "the anomaly" -- knocked out the Others' communication systems, so the sub cannot return. "Whether you destroy it or let it go, the end result is the same," Ben says. "No one will find this island."
Locke remains unconvinced. He points Alex toward the door and the pair exit Ben's bungalow. Ben huffs then rolls toward the TV to catch the last half of a "Golden Girls" marathon.
So Alex guides Locke to the shoreline and points out the submarine. Locke apologizes to Alex for involving her in his plan and with that Alex is free to go. She zips back through the trees and disappears from sight.
But in an interesting twist, someone is watching from the bushes ...
It's Rousseau! A single tear drips through the deep cracks in Rousseau's cheek as she realizes that her daughter is alive.
But enough of this Rousseau family drama, we've got a sub to blow up!
Locke goes into the sub and roots around, looking for the best place to attack its weak point for massive damage. The sub itself isn't Red October, but it's much larger than you'd expect. It's lined with beds and contains at least three compartments -- maybe more.
Moments later, Locke emerges from the sub (oddly, his pants are drenched -- did he put the C4 on the outside of the sub?). He casually walks back down the dock, but his exit is blocked by the arrival of Jack, Juliet and a group of armed Others.
It just so happens that Jack and Juliet were about to leave the island ...
Yeah, about that.
The armed Others force Locke to his knees. He looks up.
"I'm sorry Jack," Locke says with faux sincerity.
"Sorry for what?"
Locke doesn't answer. He waits ... three ... two ... one ...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A massive fireball blows into the sky as the C4 detonates.
Jack, Juliet and the Others dive for cover, but Locke stays put -- he doesn't even turn to admire his handiwork.
That sub is toast.
Jack glares at Locke. The problems these two had in the past don't even compare to the issues they've got now (Man of Rage, Man of Boom).
Locke is brought back to the Others' compound and chained in a boiler room (apparently, "Lost" and "24" are sharing sets now). Ben is rolled into the room by Richard Alpert, but Locke isn't in the mood for Ben's nonsense. See, Locke knows Ben could have lifted the C4 from his bag, but he didn't, and that means that Ben wanted Locke to blow up the submarine.
But Ben has a little twist on this argument. He rolls closer to Locke.
See, Ben is a man consumed by power -- actually, check that, he's consumed by maintaining power -- and up until recently he was in a bit of a power pickle because his deal with Jack showed weakness, and weakness cuts leaders off at the knees (so to speak). On the flip side, Ben couldn't kill Jack because he gave his word and if he went back on his word that, too, would cast aspersions on his leadership.
But then Locke opted to blow up the submarine and Ben's problems were eradicated in that glorious fireball. Now, Ben can keep Jack on the island without reneging on his deal.
He tells Locke all this and Locke seems momentarily dazed; Locke isn't sure if he just helped or hindered his cause.
Ben instructs Alpert to uncuff Locke. Since Locke has been so very helpful in keeping Ben perched on his Other thrown, Ben wants to reward Locke with a little glimpse into the island's Magic Box.
Alpert and Ben move out of the boiler room and guide Locke down a short, dirty hallway (it looks subterranean). Alpert unlocks a heavy metal door and cracks it open.
Ben looks up at Locke.
We need to pause a moment because this next bit's massive revelation is infinitely more jaw-dropping when Locke's backstory is added to the mix. So this seems like a good time to ...
CUE BACKSTORY SWOOSH
This episode's backstory is the most revelatory in series history because we discover -- undeniably -- the answer to one of the show's very first questions:
We see how Locke ended up in the wheelchair.
Here's how it plays out:

• As the backstory begins, Locke is down and out, depressed and quite pathetic. He's visited by a young man named Peter Talbott and Peter has an interesting story to tell. His mother recently became engaged to an older man -- a guy who calls himself Adam Seward -- but Peter doesn't trust the guy, so he did some digging. That digging revealed the man's other identity: Anthony Cooper. Peter's research also revealed that Locke "donated" a kidney to Cooper.
  So Peter, in an effort to do his due diligence on his future stepfather, visits Locke to get the inside scoop. Who is this Seward guy? Why does he use an alias? Why did Locke give him a kidney?
  But Locke is in no mood to dredge up the past, so he tells Peter that the kidney donation was anonymous and he doesn't know Seward/Cooper at all. Peter departs and Locke continues shuffling through his pathetic little life.
• As we've seen in the past, Anthony Cooper is Locke's kryptonite. Locke's desire for "family" is so powerful, he simply can't stay away from the guy, even though he's a conman kidney thief. So Locke tracks Cooper and issues an ultimatum: Cooper needs to break off his engagement or Locke will reveal his true identity to his fiancee. Cooper reluctantly agrees.
• Everything seems nice and tidy, but since this is Locke's backstory (and since we're only halfway through it), you just know tragedy awaits. The Dark Hand of Fate intervenes when a pair of detectives show up on Locke's doorstep with questions about Peter Talbott. Turns out, Talbott and his family are worth more than $200 million, and that's particularly relevant since Talbott recently turned up dead. When he died, Talbott had a scrap of paper with Locke's name and address on it, and so the detectives probe Locke for details.
• Locke seems to be a suspect in Peter's death -- or at least a "person of interest" -- so Locke once again tracks down Cooper and confronts him. Cooper is living the high life in an eighth-floor apartment with panoramic views and all the latest amenities. Clearly, Cooper didn't keep his word about breaking the engagement and now Locke wants to know if he had a hand in Peter's death.
  And this is where it all comes together.
  Cooper claims that Peter's death has sent his fiancee into a downward spiral and she's called off the wedding. Locke doesn't believe it, so he challenges Cooper: if Locke calls the wayward fiancee, will she confirm Cooper's story? Cooper points toward a phone on a table by the window. "Phone's right over there, John."
  Locke turns and grabs the phone. He presses the "on" button.
  Hold on to your britches, you're not going to believe this next part.
  Cooper lunges at Locke! The spry old guy slams his shoulder into Locke and hurtles him toward the window. Locke slams through the glass ...
  HE GOES RIGHT THROUGH IT!
  Locke FALLS 8 stories! Arms flailing, lungs screaming, Locke drops like a stone and WHACKS into the ground.
  This is it! This is how he became paralyzed! His own father tried to kill him! Holy Moses on toast, Cooper tried to kill him!
• Sometime after the accident, Locke is visited at the hospital by the two detectives who were investigating Peter Talbott's death. They tell him that Cooper fled to Mexico and then disappeared. He could be anywhere.
  The detectives depart and Locke's physical therapist enters the room. He lifts Locke into a wheelchair. Locke looks down at his unfeeling, lifeless feet. He weeps. And with that, the backstory ends

Returning to the island ...
Ben, Locke and Alpert are clustered outside the metal door. In the adjacent room, a Magic Box surprise awaits.
"When I asked you earlier if it hurt when you suffered your injury, I think you misunderstood me," Ben says, rubbing his hands in anticipation. "I really wasn't asking about the physical pain ..."
Locke looks down.
"I wanted to know what it felt like when your own father tried to kill you."
Locke's eyebrows pop. How does Ben know this stuff?
Ben keeps pounding. He concludes that Locke is afraid of his father ... and this island is the one place in the world where Cooper can never find him. That's why he doesn't want to leave. That's why he destroyed the sub.
Locke tries to shake off Ben's psycho babble. It stings.
Ben is entranced by the web he's weaving; he can't stop pushing. He narrows his eyes. "I don't know how it happened, but you seem to have some communion with this island, John, and that makes you very, very important ... I want to help you."
"Why?" Locke asks.
"Because I'm in a wheelchair, and you're not," Ben says, his eyes bulging to bug-like proportions.
Ben looks toward the metal door. Locke slowly pushes it open.
The door swings ... Locke looks inside ...
No friggin way. There's just no way.
"Dad?" Locke sputters.
Cooper is in the room, bound and gagged and beaten! The Magic Box produced COOPER! Wha wha wha?!
And that's when it ends!

Point 2

About half-way through this episode, Jack and Kate share a quiet moment that's supposed to be revelatory, but I really don't get it at all -- I simply don't understand the motivations of these characters.
Anyway, here's how it goes down.
After being discovered in Jack's apartment, Kate is shackled and tossed into the Others' pool hall (yes, they have one). Kate's biggest fan -- Tom -- stops by to visit and he brings Jack with him. Oddly, Tom seems to be helping Jack -- he points toward the ceiling of the pool hall and tells Jack to be careful about what he says because someone is undoubtedly watching and listening.
So, Tom departs and Jack and Kate are left to talk. The pair do their customary talking without saying anything nonsense. There's lots of "are you hurt?" "no" "are you hurt?" "no," but what they're really saying is "can we disable that camera and go at it like bunnies on this pool table?"
Or something like that.
Anyway, Kate asks a few questions, such as:

• Where are the kids and the other kidnapped castaways?
  Answer: Jack says they're "safe." (Thanks Jack, big help.)
• Is Jack with the Others now? Answer: Jack isn't "with" anyone.

See what I mean? The entire scene plays out like this.
Kate moves toward Jack and touches his hand and the two get all close and intimate. Jack tells Kate he made a deal and he's going home first thing in the morning (this all happens before Locke stages his submarine demolition). Kate is clearly hurt -- she had dreams of raising a family of wee doctors and fugitives in a bright oceanside bungalow. Jack claims this is their best chance for rescue; he'll bring back help.
And this is when Kate asks Jack why he trusts the Others. Why does he believe they'll let him go?
"I trust them because you told me to, Kate," Jack spurts. "When you asked me to save Sawyer's life."
"What did they tell you?" Kate asks.
The question remains unanswered because Juliet appears at the door and tells Jack they need to go. "And don't get too close to that con man's chick ... we're running low on penicillin"
Jack nuzzles next to Kate and whispers in her ear. "I will come back for you," he says.
And with that, he leaves ... and I grow more confused by the second.
So let me see if I've got this straight:
Jack developed "trust" for the Others when Kate asked him to save Sawyer? I assume he's referring to the brief exchange they had in "I Do." In that scene, Kate told Jack that if he successfully operated on Ben, Juliet promised to let them all go.
So, are we to assume that this conversation cast the die? Was this the motivation for Jack's operating room double-cross?
But here's the thing: It seems that Jack's real motivation came when he saw Sawyer and Kate in flagrante delicto over the security camera. Kate doesn't realize that Jack knows about her dirty deed, but Jack appears to be using that as a deal-breaker. Since Kate is now with Sawyer (so he believes), he's willing to leave the island. Is that right?
I dunno. I still don't get it. If anyone can connect the dots, please do so in the comments area.

Point 3

Poor Sayid. He has one minute of total screen time in this episode, and much of it happens while he's tied to a swingset.
Anyway, the big Sayid moment comes when Alex appears to retrieve the backpack with Locke's stolen C4. Sayid immediately realizes that Alex is Rousseau's daughter and, in a refreshing twist, a "Lost" character finally does more than look incredulously at another character.
"You're Alex, aren't you?" Sayid asks.
Alex turns and asks how he knows her name.
"Because you look like your mother," he says (FINALLY).
"My mother is dead," Alex says flatly.
"I'm sure that's what they told you," Sayid says quietly. "And after you meet her, you'll wish you were dead because, good lord, that woman is ripe."
Alex walks off and Sayid receives a swift punch in the gut from his Other security guard.
And that's that.
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• My favorite exchange from this episode:
  Locke: Where do you get electricity?
  Ben: We have two giant hamsters running in a massive wheel at our secret underground lair.
• I'm assuming that Cooper is the "man from Tallahassee," but there are a billion questions surrounding his appearance on the island. How did he get there? Why is he gagged? Why was he beaten? Why is he dressed in cabana wear? How long has he been on the island? Why was he in Tallahassee? Does his Tallahassee connection have ties to Sawyer or Kate (both of whom spent considerable time in Florida)? How glorious will it be when the smoke monster lifts Cooper eight stories and then impales him on Eko's Jesus stick?
• What sort of government system do the Others use? Based on Ben's comments, it seems like birthright factors into the mix (or maybe Ben made that up). But they also have a jury system (as we saw at Juliet's "trial"). So, what gives? Is it a pseudo-Democracy overseen by an all-powerful Czar? Or, is it an anarcho-syndicalist commune that takes turns acting as a sort of executive officer for the week?
• If island birth is an important factor in Other government, doesn't that make Aaron the "Baby Who Will be King?"
• Rousseau could become a major player in the second half of the season. Now that she's gazed upon Alex with her own eyes, I could see her staging a massive coup ... or at least playing a significant role in a Jack-Locke-Kate-Sayid escape plan. I'm also looking forward to a Rousseau-Ben showdown. When she realizes she once had the man who stole her daughter trapped in a net her head will spontaneously combust.

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"Exposi" -- The truth behind Sun's season two abduction comes out. Elsewhere, Paulikki get their own backstory. Airs Wednesday, Mar. 28, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[carphalen5150]

Season 3, Episode 14
Episode Air Date: 03/28/07

Point 1

I know the audience hates Nikki and Paulo, but I had no idea the writers hate them, too.
"Lost's" most reviled characters have been -- up until this episode -- an exercise in uselessness. Now, I'm not saying "Exposé" wipes the slate clean of past Paulikki indiscretions, but when you die that way, I think you earn a little slack.
And yes, Nikki and Paulo die ... in one of the most nightmarish "Twilight Zone" ends you could imagine.
So let's get to it.
The off-island backstory of Nikki and Paulo isn't all that interesting save for their involvement in the murder of an affluent Aaron-Spelling-esque television producer. Nikki gains access to the producer -- a guy named Howie -- because she's one of those semi-anonymous hot actresses who pop up in syndicated fluff like "Baywatch" or "VIP" or, in this case, the fictional stripper-mystery "Exposé" (yes, it''s a "fictional stripper mystery" -- why didn't I think of that?). The show is filmed in Sydney, which explains Nikki's eventual presence on Oceanic 815 and also gives the "Lost" crew another opportunity to whip out the Sydney Opera House backdrop.
Nikki develops a creepy May-December (late December) romance with Howie. Her partner in crime, Paulo, secures a job as Howie's new chef. One day, over breakfast, Howie takes a bite of Paulo's exquisite frittata and promptly dies of heart failure (damn you, Egg Beaters!). Nikki and Paulo -- who have clearly been planning Howie's demise for some time -- quickly access Howie's safe and steal a Matryoshka doll filled with $8 million in diamonds.
The diabolical duo get away with their chicanery because Howie was super old and his "heart failure" doesn't raise the suspicions of the police or the press or the heartbroken "Exposé" fan base. Paulikki scamper off to the Sydney airport and, while waiting for Oceanic 815 to board, we learn that Paulo has traded cigarettes for nicotine gum. It's an off-hand detail that doesn't seem relevant, but in true "Murder She Wrote" fashion it pops up in the climactic third act.
This airport scene also shows Boone and Shannon arguing. The reintroduction of departed characters is initially interesting, but the technique grows a little weary as the episode rolls on. If you'll indulge me a sidenote ...
From a technical perspective, "Exposé" has some lovely acting and production and editing, but from a storytelling standpoint I couldn't shake the sense I was watching one of those Very Special episodes where dead characters miraculously reappear for one last hurrah (the "X-Files" finale pulled this same maneuver when Krycek reappeared as a ghost -- wha?). In this episode's backstory we see Boone, Shannon, Arzt and Ethan all milling around (apparently, Michelle Rodriguez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Cynthia Watros were unavailable). The editors did a bang-up job working new footage of these returning characters into original footage from the series, but -- beyond Arzt, who we'll get to in a moment -- there wasn't much point for these characters to reappear. It's George Lucas syndrome: Just because you can superimpose wamprats and banthas and Boba Fett over original footage doesn't mean you should.
Moving on ...
So, Nikki and Paulo survive the plane crash, but Nikki's revelry is short lived because the bag containing the $8 million Matryoshka doll has disappeared.
The majority of Paulikki's remaining backstory involves them searching the island for their Matryoshka McGuffin. To the writers' credit, they use this "journey" storytelling device to put a new spin on old locales. Over the course of the episode, Paulikki visit:

• The Beechcraft site: The pair arrives at this site after Nikki puts on her hottest bikini top and flirts with Arzt. In exchange, Arzt shows off his bug collection (he's cataloguing the insect population so he can finally get promoted to chair of his middle school's science department). Nikki isn't interested in the exoskeletons of tropical beetles, but she is super intrigued by the trajectories of earthbound luggage. So Arzt uses his mad science skillz to draw Nikki a map of where luggage may have landed and Paulikki treks into the jungle to search for their wayward Matryoshka doll.
  And it's during this trek that the duo finds the Beechcraft airplane. But here's the thing: when Paulikki discovers the plane, it's still perched high in the trees, which means they found the plane before Locke and Boone. Nikki asks Paulo to climb up to the Beechcraft, but Paulo, flashing a rare moment of intelligence, wisely refuses because he can see the plane is precariously perched in the branches. So the two trudge on, and that's when the they find ...
• The Pearl station! Paulikki discovers the Pearl WEEKS before Locke and Eko uncover it in "?". They open the station's metal door (it must have been lighter back then because Nikki pops it right open), but Nikki overrides Paulo's exploration plans because she knows there's no way their Matryoshka fell into the Pearl's deep dark Dharma pit.

And so Paulikki move on without informing any of their fellow castaways that an airplane is perched in a tree and another hatch is ready to be explored. Like everyone else on this show, communication isn't their forte.
Sometime later, Nikki finds out that Kate recently recovered a metal gun case from the bottom of a nearby lagoon, so Nikki rounds up Paulo and drags him inland. They reach the lagoon/waterfall (it's the same spot where Kate and Sawyer stripped to their underwear in "Whatever the Case May Be") and Paulo dives in and sifts through plankton and decomposing Oceanic castaways. He spots a bag and works to free it, but when he returns to the surface he tells Nikki there's nothing down there except coach passengers and tadpoles. Disappointed, Nikki walks back toward the beach camp, which gives Paulo all the time he needs to dive back down and grab that bag -- and it's not just "a" bag, it's the bag. He lied!
While munching on freshly recovered nicotine gum (it, too, was in the bag), Paulo initially tries to hide the Matryoshka doll in a hole on the beach. But Locke stumbles upon Paulo and instructs him in Obi-Locke tones to make sure he hides his "secret" in a place that won't be eroded by the tides (Locke doesn't bother asking Paulo why he's digging a hole or what he's trying to hide, but there's no use complaining because we know that's how Locke rolls).
Paulo hatches upon an idea ... literally. He revisits the Pearl station and hides the Matryoshka doll in the station's bathroom (ah-ha!). And this is where things get interesting. While inside the bathroom, Juliet and Ben enter the Pearl station wearing their Other hobo clothes (Juliet, oddly, is also wearing makeup). Ben flicks a switch on one of the Pearl's television monitors and the screen shows Jack sitting in a chair in the original hatch.
Paulo watches as Juliet and Ben talk. Juliet, looking at the TV screen, notes that Jack is "cute" but the comment doesn't phase Ben. She opts for a more direct form of razzing, asking Ben how he intends to get Jack to do emergency surgery on Ben's spinal tumor. "I can convince him to do it," Ben says, his eyes bulging with evil. "I find out what he's emotionally invested in and I exploit it."
In a "Scooby-Doo" exchange, Juliet and Ben discuss the abduction plan that eventually unfolds in "Live Together, Die Alone." They note that Michael is a key component, they reveal that Jack needs to be lured toward them, and they say that Kate and Sawyer are also part of the plan. It's the whole enchilada! And Paulo hears every bit of it!
AND HE DOES NOTHING!
Juliet and Ben leave the station and Paulo quietly exits the bathroom after listening in on their scheming.
Let's pause a moment to play a little "What If?"

• What if Nikki or Paulo told someone about the Pearl? Would Boone still be alive? Would Eko be alive?
• What if Paulo told Jack, Kate, Sawyer or Locke about his run-in with Ben and Juliet? Could the castaways have devised a better rescue plan for Walt? Would they know the Others were scamming them with all this hobo business?
• What if Paulo had somehow seen Ben while he was being held prisoner in the hatch armory? Couldn't he identify him? Wouldn't he be able to discredit Ben's "Henry Gale" ruse?

Anyway ...
Paulo and Nikki eventually tag along with Desmond, Locke and Sayid during their Pearl Station excursion ("The Cost of Living"). Upon arriving, Paulo makes a beeline for the bathroom so he can retrieve the diamonds from the Matryoshka doll. He smashes the figurine and hides the small bag of diamonds in his crotch (classy). Paulo then stages his most notable "Lost" moment by flushing the toilet and exiting the commode as the assembled castaways offer silent prayers to the patron saint of bathroom ventilation.
Paulo's diamond double-cross is now in full effect, but Paulo isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and it's only a matter of time before he slips up.
That slip up occurs days later as Nikki and Paulo sit together on the beach. Paulo, who's feeling reflective (must be all that fiber), says their inability to find the bag/doll/diamonds could be a blessing. After all, the diamonds could have ripped them apart. Nikki agrees and the two share a touchy-feely moment. Paulo then shuffles off to get Nikki breakfast, and that's when Nikki looks down ...
Nicotine gum. A package of nicotine gum is sitting in the sand.
Nikki realizes she's been had -- the gum was in the bag ... the diamonds were in the bag ... gum + diamonds = that Brazilian Tom Cruise is a son of a *****.
So Nikki puts on her best flirty face and lures Paulo out into the jungle. She finds a nice secluded spot and her demeanor quickly changes (she is an actress, after all). She confronts Paulo about the diamonds and he feigns ignorance, but Nikki has none of it. She grabs a plastic canister from her bag, unscrews the top and chucks the contents at Paulo.
A big, black spider attaches to Paulo's neck. He swats at it and turns the arachnid to goo, but he's too late. The spider sank its fangs into Paulo's skin and unleashed its toxin.
Nikki delights in telling Paulo all about the spider (those lessons with Dr. Arzt pay off). The spider's bite causes paralysis and a reduced heart rate. The effects only last a few hours, but to the untrained observer the victim appears quite dead.
Paulo falls to the ground and Nikki finds the diamonds crammed in his Speedo. With paralysis looming and his pants around his knees, Paulo seizes the opportunity to apologize for his double-cross. He admits he was scared Nikki would leave him if she found the diamonds.
Nikki is moved ... but it's for naught.
In the distance, the tell-tale sound of the smoke monster slings through the trees.
Uh ... oh.
Paulo sees a black spider crawling over Nikki's shoe. The paralysis has spread to his throat -- he can't warn her! The spider chomps into Nikki's ankle.
Nikki -- to her credit -- realizes paralysis is imminent. She quickly hides the diamonds in a shallow hole then sprints back to the beach. Stumbling from the treeline, she sees Hurley and Sawyer playing ping-pong. They rush to her side as she collapses in the sand.
Nikki gasps a final word.
"Paralyzed."
And that brings us to ...

Point 2

... the search for Paulikki's killer.
You see, Hurley and Sawyer don't understand Nikki's last word. Sawyer thinks he heard "power lines," but Hurley believes she said "Paulo lies."
And moments later, when Nikki falls into a deep paralysis coma, Hurley and Sawyer believe she's dead.
They don't know she's still alive.
This sets in motion a series of events that eventually leads to a horror-film ending for Nikki and Paulo.
So here's what happens:

• Working under the assumption that Nikki's last words were "Paulo Lies," the castaways begin an investigation that soon leads them to Paulo's body (I'm assuming they followed Nikki's tracks back through the jungle). They incorrectly assume that Paulo has also been murdered, but the absence of a gun wound or an exploded chest cavity confuses the detectives. While examining the area around Paulo, Sawyer appears to see something, but he quickly blinks it away.
• The lack of evidence inspires a host of theories, all of which are debated and analyzed ad infinitum. Suspects include: the monster, the Others, and, eventually, Sawyer.
• Suspicions of Sawyer's involvement are fueled by an eye-witness account from Desmond, who tells Hurley he saw Sawyer and Nikki arguing on the beach mere hours before Nikki turned up dead. Hurley and the other castaways confront Sawyer and he admits to knowing more than he let on.
  Sawyer, ever the opportunist, says he didn't mention his morning meeting with Nikki because he noticed dirt under Nikki's nails just after she "died." Donning a deerstalker cap and puffing a pipe, Sawyer tells the assembled that a person with dirt under their nails was probably digging, and if they were digging moments before they died, then the thing they hid must be pretty valuable. Moreover, during the initial examination of Paulo's murder scene, Sawyer spotted a pile of fresh-tilled dirt, which he conveniently failed to discuss with his fellow detectives.
  Sawyer pulls out Paulikki's cloth diamond sack and chucks it at Sun. She pours a handful of diamonds into her palm. In a bid to prove his innocence, Sawyer tells Sun to keep the diamonds. He huffs off.
  Later in the day -- after continued debate and considerable grave digging -- Hurley leads a funeral service for Paulikki. The duo is nestled peacefully at the bottom of a six-foot dirt hole.
  Hurley's service is lovely and when it concludes the castaways depart so Hurley and Sawyer can bury the departed. Sawyer -- who reacquires the diamonds from Sun (more on that in Point 3) -- sprinkles the jewels over Paulo and Nikki's lifeless bodies. He and Hurley grab shovels and drop sand into the hole.
  Nikki's eyes open.
  But she can't speak!
  Six feet up, Hurley and Sawyer continue dropping pile after pile of dirt into the hole, unaware of the horror taking place below.
  Paulikki is buried! Holy crap. The writers buried them alive!

Point 3

The ballad of Paulikki didn't add much to the series' overall progress, but their death did bring about one significant revelation.
Early on, all signs point toward the Others as Paulikki's killer, but Hurley pokes holes in this conclusion by noting that the Others are way on the opposite side of the island. It wouldn't make sense for them to trek through the brush just to kill two marginal characters.
But Sun counters this argument -- the Others tried to kidnap her mere weeks ago, so what would stop them from another incursion?
Yeah, Sun, about that kidnapping thing ...
Later in the episode, guilt wells up in Charlie's throat and, during a quiet moment with Sun, he reveals that he and Sawyer were the masterminds behind Sun's abduction. Charlie blames his actions on the "humiliation" Locke inflicted upon him in "Fire + Water." (Nice buck-passing, Chuckie.)
Sun walks away.
In the closing moments, Sun confronts Sawyer. He immediately admits involvement, but Sawyer seems more concerned that Sun is going to tell Jin. Sun says she'll keep it quiet "because then we'd have to dig another grave." (She's right ... Jin would destroy Sawyer).
Sun slings Paulikki's diamonds back at Sawyer, claiming they're worthless on the island and completely out of style. Sawyer thinks he's off the hook ...
WHACK!
Sun slaps her mighty palm across Sawyer's cheek. She walks off as Sawyer rubs his wounded flesh. This all seems like a tidy ending to a dangling plotline, but I don't think this is over ...
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "Crime scene? Is there a forensics hatch I don't know about?" -- Sawyer.
• Second Best line: "Back home, he's the Wolfgang Puck of Brazil" -- Howie the TV producer, referring to Paulo (and taking a shot at all those "Tom Cruise of Brazil" comparisons attached to Rodrigo Santoro).
• I'm waiting for the day when we find out why the Others bothered to traipse around in hobo gear. Was this something they whipped up on the fly, or is it a tactic they've used in the past? Along those lines, the Tailies regarded the Others as super-survivalists with animal instincts. Are these skills the Others honed during the Dharma War, or were the Tailies merely a collection of exaggeration-prone wussies?
• I also want to know the events surrounding Ben's capture in "One of Them." Did he intentionally step into Rousseau's net?

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"Left Behind" -- A handful of castaways float into heaven as ... crap, that's not right. Uh ... Kate and Juliet hack through the jungle. Airs Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "Left Behind"


Season 3, Episode 15
Episode Air Date: 04/04/07

Point 1

Kate isn't as compelling as the writers like to believe. Oh sure, she's pretty and resourceful and she's much more interesting than she was in season one, but she's also the weakest link among the key characters.
And that's why this episode's central focus on her "adversarial" relationship with Juliet doesn't hit the right note. Superficially, a showdown between two alpha-females sounds hooky, but let's face it: Juliet is older, smarter and stronger. Juliet vs. Kate is like Batman vs. Robin -- an unequal battle between a seasoned veteran and a cocky upstart.
Even with this flaw -- perhaps in spite of it -- "Left Behind" still has plenty of high points, including the surprising return of Ol' Smokey. So let's get to it!
As the episode opens, Kate is still locked inside the Other's pool hall. She's tired of practicing trick shots and the Other TV only gets Lifetime, so she's itchin' for some action. Outside, Kate hears someone approach. She grabs a pool stick and hides near the hall's front door -- her visitor's nasal cavity is seconds from becoming a stick scabbard.
The door opens and Kate swings, but the oncoming Other deftly ducks and -- with ninja swiftness -- grabs Kate and flips her onto the hard concrete floor. It's Juliet! And she just schooled Kate without breaking a sweat!
Juliet composes herself. "I was bringing you a sandwich," she says while tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Kate sees ham and cheese detritus sprayed across the floor.
Kate pouts all night, but she brightens when Locke appears the next morning. Her enthusiasm is short lived. Locke's hand is bandaged, but beyond that he seems to be in good shape and in good spirits (especially for a guy who mere hours ago reunited with the father who tried to kill him). Locke makes no mention of Cooper, but he tells Kate that he's leaving with the Others. In ambiguous language, he says he tried to make a case for Kate, playing up her reliability and her honesty, but the Others then countered by revealing Kate's criminal past. "Forgiveness isn't one of their strong suits," Locke shrugs. "Good luck." With that, Locke leaves.
He Leaves! With the Others!
Kate is dumbfounded, but her confusion soon turns to panic when she looks outside and sees a squadron of gas-mask-clad Others scrambling around camp. Additional Others are carrying luggage, prepping to abandon Bennsylvania. What the?
The pool hall door flies open and a metal can rolls across the floor spouting toxic fumes. It's gas! Kate tries to break the pool halls' windows, but she soon succumbs to the fumes.
Sometime later -- perhaps the next day? -- Kate wakes in the jungle. It's a scene reminiscent of Locke's groggy opening in "Further Instructions," and Jack's awakening in the pilot episode and, well ... every other jungle come-to we've seen (these people have a consciousness problem).
But there's a twist. Looking to her right, Kate sees that she's handcuffed to Juliet. Her mortal enemy! Her love-triangle adversary!
Juliet is unconscious, so after Kate clears her mental cobwebs and absorbs her surreal predicament, she notices a small knife poking out of Juliet's pocket. Kate successfully nicks the knife, but Juliet suddenly wakes and snares Kate's wrist (she has to be a ninja -- no normal person can move that fast).
The standoff begins.
The shackles prevent a full-blown battle. Kate resists the urge to plunge the pocketknife into Juliet's jugular and Juliet resists the desire to kill Kate with her ninja brain ray. Instead, their predicament requires them to work together -- at least temporarily -- so the inevitable fisticuffs will have to wait ...
As their tempers calm, Juliet tells Kate that she, too, was gassed by the Others and she has no idea where her former comrades were going. She thinks this may be one of Ben's mind games.
Kate decides that a return to Bennsylvania is the best idea: Jack and Sayid might still be there and it's the only spot on the island with running water and an ample supply of refrigerated chicken.
BOOM! Thunder cracks across the sky and torrential rain descends.
Perhaps inspired by the downpour's violent entrance, Juliet and Kate start sniping at each other.
"I hope you're not going back for Jack," Juliet says, revving for a fight. "I was standing right there when he told you not to come back, and now that you've ruined his chance to get off the island ... "
WHACK! Kate stops her mid-sentence with a right hook. The duo tussle. The rain falls. Back in the Others' camp, Jack and Sayid munch on Doritos and watch the fight via closed-circuit cameras. "I hope they make out!" Sayid squeals. (Seriously -- this scene must have been written by male writers.)
Kate somehow overcomes Juliet's ninja training. She twists Juliet's arm behind her back and ...
CRUNCH
Juliet screams in pain. Kate dislocated her shoulder! Kate's face drops ... she didn't mean to do that.
But there's no time for apologies. Juliet's scream attracted an audience.
AAAOOOOOO! Smokey's primordial horn blows through the rain. Kate immediately looks to run, but Juliet is confused. She doesn't recognize the noise -- she doesn't know about Smokey!
Kate drags Juliet to her feet and the two dart toward a thicket of trees (the island's monsters have a problem with thickets -- Kate and Charlie used a thicket to thwart a previous Smokey attack in the very first episode and Walt escaped the sharp claws of a polar bear by hiding amidst trees). Smokey approaches and peers inside. Fear streaks across Juliet's face. Smokey's computer/calculator noise crunches nearby, then bright light bursts into the thicket. Smokey's mind-camera has a flash!
Smokey retreats. Kate and Juliet are safe, but there's still that minor matter of Juliet's dislocated shoulder. Juliet tells Kate not to flatter herself -- this is the fourth time Juliet's shoulder has popped -- but she does need Kate's help snapping it back into place. Kate is apprehensive, but Juliet knows how to reignite her aggression.
"We have cameras on the cages, Kate," Juliet says, enjoying every delicious moment of this revelation. "He saw you and Sawyer. The reason Jack told you not to come back, wasn't because he didn't want you to get hurt, it was because you broke his heart," Juliet says.
In the span of three seconds, Kate's eyes go from surprised to sad to embarrassed to enraged. The enraged bit does the trick -- Kate grabs Juliet's arm and twists her shoulder back into the socket. Juliet screams.
The next morning, Kate and Juliet set out for Bennsylvania (I think that's where they're going, but I could be wrong). As they walk, Kate sheepishly asks Juliet if Jack actually told her that his heart was broken. Juliet says he didn't need to and Kate -- poor, adolescent, *******-loving Kate -- sees this as an opening. She claims that Juliet doesn't know anything about Jack. Juliet retorts with a laundry list of Jack facts:

• Juliet knows his height.
• Juliet knows his weight.
• Juliet knows his birthday.
• Juliet knows his bloodtype.
• And she knows his hometown, his marital history, his parents' professions, his lifetime batting average, his time in the 40, and how his father died.

"What do you know about him, Kate?" Juliet asks gleefully.
And of course Kate has no reply. Fortunately for Katie, she and Juliet are about to be distracted.
AAAAOOOOOOO!
Smokey's back!
The pair scampers through the woods and falls in a mud puddle (look closely and you'll see a "Girls Gone Wild" camera crew hiding in the bushes). Smokey closes in. The duo regains their footing and darts through the trees, only to arrive at the sonic death fence.
And this is when Juliet reveals her sinister side.
Without hesitation, Juliet unlocks her handcuff (she had a key the whole time!) and kneels before a keypad on the death fence. Punching in a code, she orders Kate to get to the opposite side. Kate is confused as hell, but she complies. Smokey billows amidst nearby bushes. Juliet pushes a button and the fence sparks to life. An attack is imminent, so Kate wisely runs into the trees, but Juliet holds her ground. Hey Jules, you might want to ...
SWEET FANCY MOSES, Smokey attacks!
WHUMMMMMMMMM ... WHUMMMMMM ...
Smokey smacks into the sonic death fence, but it can't get through! After two attempts, Smokey tires of this stupid little game and retreats. Juliet doesn't blink.
Kate emerges from the bushes -- she witnessed the entire attack -- but she's less concerned with Smokey's presence than with Juliet's lies.
Juliet realizes the jig is up. She admits that she and the Others don't know what Smokey is, but they do know it doesn't like the fence. More importantly, she tells Kate that she orchestrated the whole handcuffing thing as a way to gain Kate's trust. It was all a bid to assure she wouldn't be abandoned a second time.
Kate is speechless. She turns and walks into the jungle.
Sidenote: I'm confused by this handcuffing thing. Juliet claims that she was gassed by the Others, but if this is true, how did she get to the pool hall and shackle herself to Kate? How did she drag Kate into the woods before passing out? Is that right? Am I missing something here?
Moving on ...
Sometime later, Juliet and Kate arrive back at the Others' camp. Juliet volunteers to retrieve Sayid so Kate and Jack can spend some quality time together.
Kate finds Jack in his Other apartment. He's initially unconscious, but Kate's angelic presence wakes him up (either that or she's a little ripe from that mud-puddle incident). Kate takes this opportunity to apologize for screwing up Jack's escape plan. If she hadn't been so hellbent on rescuing him, they never would have found the Flame or the sonic death fence or the Other camp and Locke never would have blown up the sub (or the dock, or whatever he blew up).
Jack isn't in the mood. He changes the subject and asks if Juliet left with the Others. Now it's Kate's heart that's breaking (sucka!).
Kate says Juliet was also left behind. Jack's mind wanders -- hmm, Juliet.
But there's no time for lush fantasies. Jack's a leader and a leader's gotta lead.
He and Kate go outside and meet up with Sayid and Juliet. Jack and Sayid haven't seen each other since "Live Together, Die Alone" but there's nary a greeting between the two, let alone a much-needed moment of "can you believe the crap we've seen?" Rather, Sayid marvels at the Others' ability to vanish without a trace. "It's like 50 people disappeared into thin air," he says.
Sayid turns his attention to Juliet and says there's no way she's accompanying them back to camp. But Jack will have none of it. He knows she's been ostracized by the Others ... he also knows he's about 30 seconds from gettin' it on. So Juliet is going with them and the tribes are gonna merge and that's that.
Sayid responds with a microscopic eye-roll.
And that's when it ends.

Point 2

Kate's backstory was played out last season, so the writers resorted to a little character-connection razzle dazzle to make things interesting in this latest installment. The big "twist" is that Kate and Sawyer's pre-island degree of separation was much, much closer than either of them realize. You see, Kate once crossed paths with Sawyer's long-con victim (and the mother of his child), Cassidy. Remember her? She's got a soft spot for smooth-talking conmen and a predilection toward fluffy femullets? Yeah, Kate and Cassidy were BFFs for about 10 minutes. We witness those 10 minutes in this episode.
So this is what we see/learn in the backstory:

• Kate returns to her hometown in Iowa after a few months on the run. Upon arriving, she encounters Cassidy at a gas station and, sensing another criminal in trouble, Kate actually helps Cassidy extricate herself from a botched con (remember: Sawyer got Cassidy into the con game and she became quite adept at it).
• Kate uses the assumed name "Lucy" for most of the backstory. After "Lucy" helps Cassidy out of her con mishap, Cassidy offers to help Lucy/Kate with her own problem. It takes some prodding, but Kate eventually admits that she's returned to Iowa to confront her mother, Diane.
  Dear old Diane is the one who snitched on Kate. For some strange reason, Kate believes that her plan to blow up her stepfather ("What Kate Did") was foolproof, and if her own mother hadn't turned her in, mother and daughter would be sitting on a beach earning 20 percent on the insurance profits.
  Kate = Idiot.
  Her plan was riddled with holes. Gee, I wonder why a known wife-beater would suddenly die in a gas explosion just weeks after a new insurance policy was taken out? And I wonder if the person who took out that policy could have a role in his death?
• So, Cassidy helps Kate establish contact with her mother. Kate and Diane have a reunion/showdown in a ladies room and Diane makes it abundantly clear that she doesn't condone father explosions. Their meeting ends on a real downer. "If I ever see you again, the first thing I will do is yell for help," Diane threatens.
• In the closing moments of the backstory, Kate tells Cassidy her real name and, for a brief moment, Cassidy toys with the idea of telling Kate about her history with Sawyer. But Cassidy never mentions Sawyer by name, so the Kate-Sawyer-Cassidy connection will remain unknown until Cassidy mysteriously appears in an Other supply closet.

Point 3

Kate and Hurley are two sides of the same coin (stick with me). Kate is portrayed as a central character and Evangeline Lilly is always featured in the marketing material (for good reason). But, really, Kate isn't all that noteworthy.
Then we have Hurley. In my very first "Lost" review I harped on Hurley's overuse of "dude" and I figured him to be a superficial comic-relief character; a guy who's inevitable death would be a sad but fleeting plot point in the early days of the series.
Oh how wrong I was. To me, Kate's lackluster character development is cancelled out by the "Hurley Surprise." His connection to the numbers and his role as the castaways' conscience are key to the show's overall development. I never would have pegged Hurley as a series linchpin, but it's a pleasant turn of events.
Okay, that's enough of my half-assed analysis. Let's move on ...
This episode showcases Hurley's Jiminy Cricket side. Early on, he warns Sawyer that the castaways are mulling banishment for the nickname-spouting, foul-attitude-having, supply-hoarding conman. Hurley suggests that a little bit of friendly could go a long way toward keeping Sawyer ensconced at the beach camp.
Sawyer reluctantly agrees to Hurley's suggestion and over the course of the episode Hurley acts as Sawyer's campaign manager. He guides Sawyer through the finer points of "being nice." This manifests itself in a visit with Claire and baby Aaron (the high point is Sawyer's observation/compliment that Aaron "isn't as wrinkly as he was a couple weeks ago") and an early-morning boar hunt with Desmond.
At the conclusion of the episode, Sawyer hosts a boar-roast complete with island fruit and a bountiful supply of skunked Dharma beer (Sawyer acquired the 25-year-old brew from the back of the VW bus in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead"). Sensing contentedness amidst the tribe, Sawyer sidles up to Charlie and, with a Cheshire grin, asks him to keep this wonderful feast in mind while he's voting at that evening's banishment meeting.
Charlie looks at Sawyer. Banishment meeting?
Sawyer's face drops. Hurley conned the con man.
Sawyer confronts Hurley and Hurley admits that banishment was never even discussed. Rather, he orchestrated Sawyer's "Campaign of Niceness" because Sawyer is now the camp's de facto leader and he needs to be in the group's good graces.
"What if I don't want to be the leader?" Sawyer whines.
"Sucks for you, dude," Hurley says, mawing on a boar leg.
During the episode's closing montage, Sawyer seems to enjoy his newfound role ... if only for a moment. He even goes so far as to hold Aaron while Claire eats, but as he clutches the wee man, he looks toward Sun and immediately feels the death ray beaming from her eyes. Sawyer bows his head. That whole kidnapping thing is still in play.
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "You, sir, Hugo, are rotund, annoying, and you're ruining my damn view!" -- Sawyer to Hurley.
• Second Best Line: "Welcome to the wonderful world of not knowing what the hell's going on." -- Kate to Juliet.
• Just in case you're wondering, the sonic death fence activation code is not 4 8 15 16 23 42. I'm not entirely sure what Juliet punches in, but it looks like the last digit is 3.
• Where did the Others go? And how did they bugger off without leaving tracks? Could the map Sawyer discovered in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" outline a tunnel system rather than roadways?
• Will any of the current castaways pull up stakes and relocate to the Others' abandoned compound? Granted, the Others' sudden departure doesn't bode well and there's always the chance they'll return, but when you compare beach livin' with indoor plumbing and pool halls, it's hard to resist the siren song of suburbia.
• What's Locke up to? Is he joining the Others, or, will he use their resources to construct an eight-story building that will eventually be used as a launching pad/retribution center for his father?
• The Others' lack of "forgiveness" suggests a Puritanical belief system. Could they be old-school proponents of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"? Or, do they simply need an outsider bad-boy to show them that dancing isn't a sin?
• I'm assuming Alex was part of the Other exodus, but wouldn't Rousseau be watching her like a hawk? Maybe Rousseau knows where the Others went ... and maybe she'll share that information toward the end of the season. Hmm ...
• And finally, a blatant cry for attention: The Lost Blog is competing in the Hugo Cup, an annual contest that pits "Lost" sites in a no-holds-barred contest ... or something. Anyway, if you enjoy this little blog and would like to show your support, please vote for the Lost Blog here. (And thank you to the folks who already voted!)

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"One of Us" -- A joyous reunion turns sour when an Other enters the castaways' ranks. Airs Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "One of Us"


Season 3, Episode 16
Episode Air Date: 04/11/07

Point 1

Who is Dr. Juliet Burke? Is she a kind-hearted researcher who brings hope to childless women? Is she a calculating super-ninja with a murky agenda and a thirst for revenge?
Or, is she both?
Back in "Not in Portland," the first Juliet-centric episode, the case was made for Jules' nebbish nature, but after witnessing her ***-kicking skills in "Left Behind" and the jaw-dropping twist at the conclusion of this episode, I don't know what to think of dear Dr. Burke. (Well, that's not entirely true -- I "think" she's one of the most interesting characters on the show).
But now it's time to stop thinking and start recappin'.
The early portions of "One of Us" focus on Juliet, Jack, Kate and Sayid as they trek from Bennsylvania back to the beach camps (Juliet's knowledge of sonic death fences removes peril from the journey, which is nice). Along the way it becomes apparent that Kate and Sayid have major issues with Juliet. Kate shows her ire by uttering exactly four syllables in this entire episode (I'm not even sure she has a full line of dialogue), but Sayid prefers a more direct route: He demands Other details from Juliet -- lots and lots of Other details.
And just as it seems a great geyser of answers is about to spring from Juliet's mouth, Jack swoops in to shut down the inquisition. Jack -- who continues to show unparalleled idiocy -- seems to think he's "protecting" Juliet, and part of this protection involves her taking the Fifth whenever and however she likes.
So the juicy Sayid-Juliet showdown hinted at in last week's previews was yet another anticlimactic tease from the marketing department (thanks, guys). Fortunately, there's plenty of good stuff to cover this teaser faux pas.
Things get very interesting when the group eventually returns to the beach camp. Sawyer is the first to spot Jack, and his expression is priceless: a mix of relief -- because he doesn't have to be camp leader anymore -- and disappointment -- because this leader thing was growing on him.
At first, the surprise arrival of Jack, Kate and Sayid spurs hugs all around, but when Sawyer catches sight of Juliet standing down the beach, the mood turns sour ... fast.
"What's she doing here?" Sawyer growls.
It's an excellent question, and it's one Jack tries to answer for the rest of the day. In a true "Survivor" moment, the castaways hold a town meeting while Juliet sits alone on the beach (she's the Richard Hatch of "Lost" -- minus the nakedness and tax evasion). Hurley joins her, partly following orders (he's supposed to keep an eye on her) and partly because he's the island's guest coordinator and ******, he just can't help being hospitable.
Hurley notes that Juliet wasn't present during last season's dock incident (the one with the poison darts and the burlap sacks and the kidnapping). And Juliet, God love her, has the perfect response.
"I had the day off," she says with a small smile.
Hurley is momentarily assuaged, but the Others' atrocities aren't easily forgotten and he can't resist the urge to dig at Juliet. Hurley says the castaways are a little iffy about Others because one of them -- Evil Ethan -- infiltrated their camp, kidnapped the pretty pregnant girl and tried to kill their C-list rock star.
"We buried him over there," Hurley says, nodding toward a blank patch of sand covered in Vincent's poop.
Juliet doesn't respond.
As night falls, Jack continues to make the case for Juliet. He uses the old "if I trust her, you should trust her" technique, but after three months of this Other business and freaky islands and Jack's occasionally shaky leadership, unchallenged belief in a very flawed doctor just isn't going to cut it.
The mob's mood turns angry when Desmond asks about Locke: Where is he? What happened to him?
Jack can't help snarling. He says Locke went with the Others after he destroyed the submarine that was supposed to take him off this godforsaken island.
A ripple of anger/confusion zips through the crowd. What's that, Jack? Submarine? Explosion? ESCAPE?!
Jack backtracks. He tells the assembled that he made a deal with Ben so he could eventually return with a rescue party.
Sawyer scoffs. The rumbling crowd grows hostile.
Fortunately for Jack, a high-powered stream of blood suddenly shoots from Claire's nose.
You see, Claire was walloped by a three-ton *** truck at the beginning of this episode. Early on, she wakes from a nap looking pale and confused. Initially, she and her fellow castaways think she accidentally sipped from the urine trough or got into a bad stash of mangos, but as the episode progresses, it's clear that Claire is in a world of hurt.
That hurt bubbles over at the town meeting. A river of blood shoots from her nostrils (nice effect) and Charlie summons Dr. Jack. This works to Jack's advantage since he was three seconds from being strung up by his fellow castaways.
As Jack tends to Claire, Juliet appears at the periphery of the camp. She's been staying in the shadows, but Claire's sudden sickness has her concerned. And rightfully so.
Juliet quietly tells Kate she needs to talk to Jack. Kate huffs: Why? Why would Juliet have any interest in Claire? And what does Juliet think she can do to help?
"I did it to her," Juliet says.
WHAT?!
Juliet and Jack quickly confer and it's during this consult we learn something very interesting about this island: it hates pregnant women.
Juliet tells Jack that for the last three years (possibly more), she's seen case after case of "Evil Baby Syndrome" (EBS ... won't you please help?). The women's bodies turn on the babies and treat them like a "foreign invader."
"Every pregnant woman on this island died," Juliet says.
So what's that have to do with Claire? She already had her baby and both mother and child have been fine for weeks. Or so it seems ...
Juliet reveals that during her kidnapping, Claire was injected with a serum (developed by Juliet) meant to protect her during the pregnancy (so that's what Ethan was doing in "Maternity Leave"). Obviously, the serum worked, because Claire delivered Turnip Head and lost her baby weight in record time. But now, a "latent reaction" is turning Claire into a blood fountain and unless Juliet tends to Claire immediately, Jack's sister will become Jack's dead sister. And in a convenient twist, Juliet just happens to know the location of Evil Ethan's secret medicine stash.
Jack doesn't blink. He tells Juliet to get the medicine. (Uh, Jack, she's smokin' and all but don't you think blind faith is a little iffy on this island?)
So Jules runs off to retrieve the case and it must be quite a journey because the sun rises before she reaches a big ol' tree marked with a spidery brand (it resembles the "brand" burned into Juliet's back). Juliet digs around nearby leaves and finds a locked metal case. She spins a combination into the padlock and cracks it open, but just as she's about to make off with the case, two visitors appear from the treeline.
Sheriff Sayid and Sheriff Sawyer are in town.
The unlikely allies have decided that all this Juliet business just needs to slow down. They followed Jules so the three of them could have little talk and sort things out.
Ah-ha! Now we're gonna get some answers! Right? Right?
Nope. Sayid and Sawyer don't realize that Juliet is a 10th Level Jedi (Darth Burke?). She deftly overcomes her adversaries by weaving a tapestry of guilt and confusion that dredges up the tortured (and torturing) pasts of Sayid and Sawyer and mocks their moral hypocrisy.
The trick works. Sayid and Sawyer are speechless (and I think Sawyer cries a little).
"I'm taking that medication back to Claire and you're going to let me, because if she doesn't get it, she's going to die," Juliet says with deadly calm. "And the last thing either of you needs right now is more blood on your hands. These are not the droids you're looking for."
Juliet walks off. She is a BAD ***.
Juliet returns to camp (eight days later ... but no one mentions the delay) and she and Jack prep Claire for an injection of Juliet's Snake Oil. Charlie initially protests -- after all, Juliet was sorta involved in Claire's kidnapping -- but Jack pulls the "do you trust me?" maneuver and Charlie backs down because he's a feeble-minded former hobbit and Jack is Jack.
Juliet pokes the tip of a needle into Claire's stomach, but now it's Jack's turn to hold up the proceedings. He touches her wrist and looks into her eyes. "If something happens to her, I'm not going to be able to protect you anymore," Jack says. "You'll be on your own."
Juliet doesn't flinch. "I'm already on my own, Jack."
With that, she plunges the needle into Claire's stomach.
Three hours later ...
Claire wakes to a new day, looking dewey fresh and sporting a HyPro glo. Juliet's Magic Juice did the trick and Claire is now right as rain.
It's a big moment because not only does Claire get to live for another few episodes, but Juliet's quick thinking and swift action have opened the door to broader acceptance from the castaways. Jack finds Juliet sitting alone by the shore and presents her with the island's highest honor: a tarp, a blanket and airplane pillows.
He takes a seat next to her and the two share one of those conversations that only takes place on "Lost."
See, if it were me I'd immediately pummel Juliet with questions: Who are you people? Why does the island have its own source of birth control? What's with all the hatches? Why doesn't Ben have any eyelashes? Where'd the Others bugger off to?
Et-cetera, et-cetera, et-cetera.
But Jack doesn't bother with any of that little stuff. He does offhandedly note that his fellow castaways will "eventually need some answers," but Jack, apparently, doesn't much care.
Juliet asks him why that is -- "Why don't I have to explain myself to you?"
And that's when we're treated to another installment of Jack's Wacky Logic:
"You were there," Jack says, all hero-like. "You were standing right next to me when that submarine exploded. I saw it in your eyes. You want to get off this island more than anything else in the world. That makes you one of us."
Juliet smiles softly. The two sit and watch waves and sip on tequila and tonics ... oh wait, that was Ana.
Initially this appears to be the end of the episode, but then something big happens. Something profound happens. Hold on to your hats, this is gonna be a doozy.
In the closing moments of the episode, Juliet cheerfully hangs her new tarp. As she works, the scene intercuts with a flashback sequence.
And this is when we discover that things are not what they seem.
We see Juliet and Ben sitting in Ben's dark apartment. Ben is in his wheelchair and Juliet is wearing the light blue sweater she wore in "Left Behind."
Ben asks Juliet to go over their "plan."
Plan? What the hell?
Juliet lays it all out:
Step 1: She's going to drag Kate into the jungle, handcuff herself to Kate's wrist, then tell Kate that she, too, was gassed by the Others. If Kate catches on to the lie, Juliet must admit to the ruse and claim it's the only way she could gain Kate's trust.
Oh ... my ... god
Step 2: Juliet must go back to the beach with the group. Juliet voices mild apprehension about this part of the plan -- she thinks her status as an Other is going to cause problems.
And this is when we learn just how eeeevill Ben truly is. He says that an "implant" in Claire has been activated and within 48 hours sweet little Claire is going to be sick as a dog. "By the time you get to that camp you'll have a nice big crisis to solve," Ben snickers.
Implant? IMPLANT?
Step 3: When Claire starts to hemorrhage from her eye sockets, Juliet will retrieve medical supplies from a predetermined location (the big tree with the mark on it). She'll then rush in, save the day and earn the castaways' trust.
"Tell Jack that you can save her," Ben says, summing up the plan. "He trusts you."
Juliet grows silent. Her eyes are a 1,000 miles away.
"Are you all right?" Ben asks.
Juliet blinks and looks up. Her placid look reveals nothing.
"I'm fine," she says quietly.
Ben hands her a gas mask. "See you in a week," he says, rolling off.
The flashback sequence ends.
Back on the island, Juliet looks at the castaways and considers them all (Desmond, Charlie, Claire ... and then Jack). Turning away from her new tribe, she stares at the horizon and grabs the last two strings of her tarp.
SNAP
The strings knot together. A wayward fleck of symbolism lands in my eye.
AND THAT'S WHEN IT ENDS! SWEET FRANCIS ON TOAST, IT ENDS!
Honestly, I don't know how to process this so I'm going to go stream-of-consciousness and hope something useful pops up:

• Is Juliet setting up the castaways or is she setting up Ben? Or, could she be setting up BOTH?
• Is there anyone alive who has a better poker face than Elizabeth Mitchell? Juliet's expression is so blank (intentionally -- this isn't an acting critique), it's impossible to know her motivation.
• I'm assuming that Juliet was supposed to leave on the submarine. If this assumption is correct, then the sneaky plan we see Ben and Juliet concoct must have been Ben's Plan B. So how did Ben get Juliet to play along? Does he have another way off the island?
• How does revenge factor into Juliet's actions? We learn in her backstory (Key Point 2) that she had a relationship with Goodwin. Could a vendetta be in order? Granted, it's a flimsy theory, especially since Goodwin's killer (Ana-Lucia) has been dead for a while and the remaining Tailies are either dispatched (Eko, Libby), absorbed (Cindy), or harmless (Bernard).
• Ben says he'll see Juliet in a week, so I'm assuming the next seven days of island time are going to comprise the final six episodes of the season. But what's the end game? How does Locke factor in? Will the mysterious Jacob make an appearance?

My brain hurts.

Point 2

As backstories go, this was one of the best. Not only did it offer a glimpse into Juliet's make-up, but it also revealed a few island clues.
So here's what we learn about Juliet:

• The backstory picks up where "Not in Portland" left off. Juliet accepts Mittelos Bioscience's wacky job offer and she and her sister go to a private airport (Herarat Aviation) so Jules can begin her six-month, super-top-secret work with Mittelos. You'll recall that Juliet's sister, Rachel, recently experienced two medical miracles: her cancer went into remission and, with Juliet's help, she was able to get pregnant.
  Juliet has misgivings about the Mittelos job -- the company demands that she have no contact with the outside world during her tenure -- but her two Mittelos contacts, Richard Alpert and Ethan Rom, soothe her fears with the prospect of using her "pregger skills" to make the world a better place. So Juliet pushes her concerns to the back burner and happily trudges forward.
  Of course, in the Other 'verse "trudging forward" requires a big glass of sedatives and a sneaky submarine trip to an undisclosed tropical location. While still in the lobby of Herarat Aviation, Juliet is voluntarily drugged (Ethan and Alpert warn her that the trip to their facility is bumpy). Sometime later she wakes and is startled to see she's strapped to a narrow cot in a small submarine. Ethan immediately appears and untethers her (the straps are for "safety") and Juliet is then invited to go above-deck and see her new home.
  And this is when Juliet meets Ben. The snide little man greets her on the dock. "I'm really looking forward to working with you," Ben says. Look carefully and you can see a hidden set of vertical eyelids snap across his buggy eyes.
• Six months later, Juliet's eager attitude has been replaced with soul-crushing failure. She's lost yet another pregnant patient and, despite support from her Other comrades (including Goodwin and Ethan), she simply can't continue. Sometime later, Ben meets Juliet on wind-swept rocks (it's the same spot where Desmond accidentally killed Kelvin) and that's when the honeymoon officially ends.
  Juliet says she needs to go home, but Ben -- donning his svengali top hat -- says that her sister's cancer has returned and there's no way Rachel or her unborn child are going to survive.
  Ahh, but there's a glimmer of hope: Ben says that cancer doesn't exist on the island, and if Juliet chooses to stay and continue her work, Ben will "cure" Rachel.
• Juliet stays and three years later she's allowed herself to be absorbed into the Others' world. She and Goodwin are in a relationship (Goodwin = overachiever), but Juliet's bubble of contentment soon pops. Ben's back has been bothering him, and after running tests and performing x-rays Juliet discovers that the island's magic cancer skills are in disrepair. A big fat tumor is growing on Ben's spine.
  Juliet gives Ben the bad news, but her concern for Ben is trumped by her anger and disappointment. She believes that the tumor on Ben's spine proves that Ben was lying to her about the island's cancer-curing abilities. And if Ben lied about the cancer cure, then he also lied about Rachel being saved.
  Juliet is furious. She slaps a glass of water from Ben's hand and flambes Ben for lying. Her anger turns to tears and she pleads with Ben to let her go home.
  He pauses, snares a fly with his tongue, then flatly denies her request.
• But here's a twist: Ben claims he didn't lie. Rachel was cured, and he can prove it.
  The timeline flashes forward to the moments when Oceanic 815 ripped apart over the island (we saw this scene play out in "A Tale of Two Cities"). As Ethan and Goodwin dart off to infiltrate the castaway groups, Ben asks Juliet to accompany him to the Flame Station. He wants to show her something.
  The pair visit Crazy Mikhail at the Flame and, once inside, we get a first-hand look at how the Others gather intelligence. At this point the satellite system was still working, so Mikhail is perched in front of six television sets, each of which is broadcasting reports about the disappearance of Oceanic 815.
  But Ben wants to watch something else: it's a new reality show titled "What's Up With Rachel."
  Richard Alpert is (supposedly) in Miami, so Ben uses the satellite to communicate with him (we never actually see or hear Alpert). One of the video screens cuts in and we see a copy of a September 22, 2004 Miami newspaper lying on a park bench. The shaky camera then swings over to a nearby playground, and that's when Juliet absolutely loses it.
  Rachel and her young son ("Julian," natch) are cavorting around the swings. Rachel's flowing hair has filled back in and Julian appears to be a rugged and healthy two year old.
  Ben cuts the feed and tells Richard to get back to the island as soon as he can.
  "I'm not a liar Juliet," he says with disdain. Now that Ben has Juliet on the hook, he demands that she find more mothers so she can continue her research. "Who knows, maybe there's even one on that plane," Ben snivels.

Juliet's backstory also reveals a number of island tidbits:

• We get a good look at the Others' submarine. It looks like it can hold four or five passengers.
• When Oceanic 815 first crashes, Ben instructs Mikhail to get full dossiers on all of the passengers. Now, anyone who's used Google knows you can easily acquire basic biographical stats, but there are limits to public information. The Others would need access to secure databases to get the secret details they eventually find (e.g. How could Juliet possibly know that Sawyer killed a man in Sydney?). So, do they have a WOPR stashed in the Flame's basement, or is Mikhail a super-hacker with Frohike-esque kung-**?
• Juliet appears to have a passing knowledge of Jacob. Ben mentions "He Who Shall Not be Seen" during their beach argument and the name appears to trigger a change in Juliet's attitude. Could she have been subjected to the same psych experiments Karl endured in "Not in Portland"?
• Add another corporate entity to the watchlist: Herarat Aviation. I'm sure it's got some sort of connection to Hanso or Widmore, but don't bother visiting www.herarataviation.com. The domain is parked at GoDaddy, which is a giveaway since we all know Network Solutions is the preferred domain provider for secret organizations.

Point 3

Oh, crap.
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "Well, if it ain't three men and a baby ... I counted Hugo twice." Sawyer to Hurley and Charlie, who are tending to Aaron.
• The Others appear to have a home base located in the U.S. Does Richard Alpert manage this Other bureau?
• The Others' pregnancy issue reminds me of "Children of Men" (awesome movie, by the way). Just like the film (and the novel), it seems that the Others' "Evil Baby Syndrome" materialized without explanation at some recent point in the past. Ben claims to have been born on the island, which means his mother was able to bring him to term. Of course, Ben might be lying about that whole "born on the island" thing.
• Speaking of island mothers ... whatever happened to the elegant older woman who appeared briefly in the book scene of "A Tale of Two Cities"? She doesn't appear to have an exoskeleton, so I doubt she's Ben's mom. So who is she? Where is she?
• How does Rousseau fit into all this? Was the "Evil Baby Syndrome" in effect when she shipwrecked 16 years ago? If so, wouldn't the Others be particularly interested in her? Might they have used some sort of bioweapon (i.e. the "sickness") to eliminate her fellow shipmates so they could steal her baby?
• How did meek Dr. Burke turn into Juliet Burke: *** Kicker? In Juliet's pre-island existence she's a kindred spirit to Pam Beesly, but on the island she's a ninja-Jedi with moxie to spare. How'd that happen?
• In his conspiratorial conversation with Juliet, Ben says that "Pryce" will hide the medical supplies. I'm assuming "Pryce" is Ryan Pryce, the Pickett-like guard who watched over Sayid in "The Man from Tallahassee."
• Hugo Cup Update: Thanks to all who voted for the Lost Blog in the Hugo Cup. The first round of voting closed on Sunday (4/9) and a "Lost" panel will now sort through the nominees. Finalists will be announced April 22 and folks can once again vote for their favorites. The winner will be crowned on April 30. I was really touched by all the wonderful comments and I appreciate you guys taking the time to cast your votes!

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"Catch-22" -- Desmond's "future flashes" inspire a jungle trek that could prove problematic for Charlie. Airs Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "Catch-22"


Season 3, Episode 17
Episode Air Date: 04/18/07

Point 1

In "Flashes Before Your Eyes" -- the previous Desmond episode -- I mistakenly assumed the "Lost" crew was taking an unnecessary diversion into the supernatural. It didn't occur to me that Desmond's newfound "future flash" ability would hold any near-term relevance to the show. Rather, I chalked it up as one of those Emmy-grab episodes that inspires critical adoration and fan frustration.
But I was wrong. And I apologize.
Based on the current trajectory of the show and the events featured in this episode, it certainly seems that Desmond is the island's true wildcard.
Consider the evidence:

• He activated the hatch's failsafe, which ripped purple across the sky and dismantled the Others' communication system. It also put the island back on the world map for the briefest of moments.
• Desmond's relationship with Penny has the potential to completely disrupt the island's flow. Penny has the determination and resources needed to "find anyone." When the island blip appeared, her cohorts were watching, and you just know she's spent the ensuing weeks assembling a massive rescue operation.
• Desmond's "ability" gives him a potential edge over Ben. If a future flash sneaks up on Desmond before Ben can initiate his plan (whatever it may be), the survivors could go from island chumps to island rulers in one fell swoop.

Allright, enough of that. Let's get recappin'.
The episode opens with Charlie's death, which seems quite real and dramatic (and nasty -- arrow through the neck?), but since this is a Desmond episode it's clear from the get-go that Charlie's death sequence is another one of Desmond's future flashes (I need a better name for these things -- "future thoughts?" "time bombs?" "flux capacitors?").
Desmond, who's already saved Charlie's butt three times, is growing tired of all this Charlie protection. Following a heroin junkie with marginal music skills around an island all day isn't the wicked romp you'd expect.
In an interesting twist, Desmond's latest future flash -- the one where Charlie is impaled on an arrow -- somehow has a connection to Penny's arrival on the island. Initially, neither we nor Desmond have a firm handle on the "how" or "why" of Penny's assumed appearance, but as the episode progresses it certainly seems legitimate. There's only one hitch: Desmond must allow his future flash to play out exactly as he's seen it. Otherwise, the picture will change and the joyful Desmond-Penny reunion will never come to pass ... and Marty will never be born and he'll never get the chance to play "Johnny B. Goode" at a sock hop.
Desmond's flash doesn't actually show Penny, but we're led to believe that the following memory segments -- all of which Des sees repeatedly -- are crumbs along a path that leads to Pen. Here's what he sees:

• Hurley picks up the long electrical cable that leads mysteriously into the ocean. (Note: Hurley first encountered this cable in "Numbers" and it's the same wire Sayid originally discovered in "Solitary.")
• At night, a small red light blips in the island sky. Is it a plane?
• A parachute ruffles from a tree.
• A person wearing boots is dangling from a tree.
• Hurley and Charlie engage in a heated Superman vs. Flash debate. (Charlie = Pro Superman, Hurley = Pro Flash).
• A nasty old arrow pierces Charlie's throat. Blood bubbles from his mouth. Fin.

Des is in a pickle: on one hand, he's brimming with excitement at the prospect of seeing Pen, but on the other, he knows Charlie has to die. It's a bummer, but Des appears confident in his decision: Penny can stay, Charlie must go.
For the future flash to play out properly, Des needs Hurley, Jin and Charlie to accompany him on a specific journey -- one that takes them to the mystery cable and then veers into the jungle (and it has to be in that order). Hurley joins up with little prodding from Des, and Jin and Charlie enlist because they mistakenly believe they're going camping.
Uh, camping? Watch your back, boys. Smokey loves those smores.
The group plods along the beach until they reach the wire. Des is pleased; the first part of his mind puzzle snaps into place.
The sun is setting, so the boys set up camp and regale each other with fireside ghost stories (Jin's Korean variation of "killer with a missing hand" is particularly dramatic). Desmond sits away from the group and gazes longingly at that now-famous Desmond-Penny picture (i.e. "the picture that would not die"). Charlie strolls up and takes a gander at the pic.
"That's not bad, Des, not bad at all," Charlie murmurs as thoughts of Claire evaporate from his mind.
Des hints at his relationship with Penny and piques Charlie's curiosity by repeating Penny's line from the season two finale: "With enough money and determination, you can find anyone."
And right on cue, a low rumbling echoes across the sky. Holy crap, that sounds like a helicopter!
The boys share a moment of celebration. Rescue! They're going home!
Or not.
The rumbling shifts. It becomes sporadic. Helicopters don't sound like that.
THUNK ... THUNK ... thunk ... splash
Somewhere offshore -- close enough to hear but out of sight -- a heavy object slams into the sea.
The boys see a small red light floating down from the sky (future flash!). It's a rescue beacon, and given its slow descent, it appears to be attached to a parachute.
The beacon floats into the island's mid-section and disappears. Desmond immediately wants to launch a rescue operation, but Charlie will have none of it. He knows a haphazard search through dark trees doesn't bode well under the best of conditions, but toss in a smoke monster and 16 year's worth of Rousseau traps and you've got a recipe for disaster ... or impalement.
Des backs down. His future flash demands that all four men be present, so he tables the rescue initiative until morning.
Early the next day, Des leads the group into the jungle. After a mile or so Hurley demands a break (Dharma Twinkies + Mangos = Acid Reflux). Des is initially pissed, but the pit-stop proves fruitful because Charlie spots a small plastic hula doll sitting in the brush. Could it be wreckage from last night's "incident"?
The group investigates the area and Des soon finds a black bag stuck in a tree. Using Hurley as a reluctant stepladder, Des snatches the bag and dumps its contents on the jungle floor. The group sorts through the material and finds:

• A satellite phone with spent batteries (of course).
• A Portuguese edition of "Catch-22." (Remember: the two arctic researchers seen at the end of "Live Together, Die Alone" spoke Portuguese.)
• A second, unidentified book tucked in a plastic bag. (Wanna bet it's "Our Mutual Friend" by Charles Dickens?)
• And here's the kicker ... a color print-out of the Desmond-Penny picture is tucked into the pages of "Catch-22."

Desmond's heart soars. Up until now he was acting on future-flash faith, but the picture convinces Desmond that Penny has arrived.
Freshly inspired, the group pushes on. Rain begins to fall, which is nothing new, but the downpour sends a shiver through Des. He knows that Charlie dies while it's raining.
Right on cue, Hurley and Charlie start to debate the merits of Superman vs. Flash. Des moves faster because he knows a "Big Moment" is about to descend. It's only seconds away ...
Des looks around. This is it. This is the spot where Charlie dies.
He sees the jagged edge of an arrow tucked into the trees. He looks down. A tripwire is pulled taut across the jungle floor.
Charlie steps on the wire.
Five ... four ... three ... this is it! ... two ... the Driveshaft reunion is off! ... one ...
But Desmond can't help himself.
"Charlie, duck!" he shouts, lunging at Charlie. The arrow zings. It misses!
Charlie looks up at Des. That's Life-Saving Moment No. 4, but Charlie knows something is amiss about this one.
Shortly thereafter, the group momentarily splits up to cover more ground. Desmond and Charlie are left alone, which offers Charlie a chance to challenge Desmond.
It was "duck." That one word gave it away. Desmond knew the arrow was there and so he knew Charlie was about to die. Des doesn't argue; he's too depressed to care. By saving Charlie, he's changed the future flash (he doesn't know how, but he knows it's different). In the choice between Penny and Charlie, Charlie won ... for now.
Desmond's funk is soon interrupted by a shout from Jin. He and Charlie race toward the call. They arrive and look up: another puzzle piece dangles from a high tree.
A lifeless body and a parachute are stuck in the branches. The pilot's face is obscured by a helmet and dark visor, but Des knows it's Penny. He climbs up the tree like a howler monkey on a fruit binge and begins cutting parachute lines. The chute falls to the ground. Hurley, Jin and Charlie spread the chute out in a makeshift rescue sack, preparing to catch the pilot.
Desmond hacks. The pilot falls safely into the chute.
Des darts from the tree and pushes the trio away from his beloved Penny.
A small cough pops from under the helmet. She's alive!
Desmond unstraps the helmet. "I'm here Penny! I waited so long! I never read the Dickens book! I ..."
Uhhh ... that's not Penny! It's a woman, no doubt, but it's definitely not Penny.
The pilot groggily opens her eyes.
"Desmond," she sputters before drifting into unconsciousness.
And that's when it ends!

Point 2

This episode's flashback serves two purposes: It reveals just how misguided and spineless Desmond can be and it shows how Desmond and Penny first met. Beyond that, it has some lovely cinematography and great Scottish accents, but that's about it.
Here are the high points:

• We discover -- surprisingly -- that Desmond had a brief tenure as a monk. Seriously. Robes, vow of silence, the whole thing. The problem is that his monkhood came at the expense of his fiancee (a woman named Ruth, whom he dated for six years then ditched a week before their wedding).
• Upon achieving full monkhood (brotherhood?), Des visits Ruth to apologize. He claims that after a night of boozy revelry, he experienced a "calling" when a monk offered a helping hand. It's one of those "I had a vision" speeches that's meant to forgive all past transgressions, but Rose isn't swayed. "It's a good thing a bloody shepherd didn't help you up," Ruth snipes (I like that Ruth; she's got spunk).
• Desmond's run-in with Ruth sets him on an unrighteous path. He sneaks into his abbey's winery (yes, they have one) and drowns himself in the very expensive vintage the abbey produces ("Moriah Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1995" -- thank you, TiVo). He's caught by the prior, who kindly informs Des he's been fired from monkdom. Des is stunned -- he didn't realize monks could be fired, nor does he have any idea what he's supposed to do next. The prior says God clearly has a bigger plan for Des, which is the same schpiel he gives all his fired monks, but in this case it takes on extra meaning because this is "Lost" and Desmond is now a key figure on a wacky island.
• The next morning, a sober Des turns in his monk robes and monk badge. The prior doesn't have any ill feelings toward Des, but he does have one final request: He needs him to prep a wine shipment for a buyer arriving later that day. So Des dutifully assembles 10 cases of the high-brow vintage and rolls them outside to a waiting van. And that's when he meets the buyer ... Penny. The two are clearly attracted to each other, and their connection is quickly solidified when Des uses his "fired monk" story to charm the hell out of Pen (it's a wonder they didn't start going at it on the abbey's grounds). And so this is how they get together. In later years, after prison and the sailing race and all that wasted time on the island, Des and Pen will sit with their grandchildren and tell one hell of an origin tale.

There's a couple other backstory bits worth noting:

• Easter Egg: The prior has a poorly Photoshopped picture on his desk that shows the prior with the white-haired oracle from Desmond's previous backstory (she's the jewelry store clerk who warned Desmond that the universe has a way of "course correcting".)
• Testing and sacrifice are two key themes in Desmond's story. We know this because Desmond goes out of his way to recount Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac at Mt. Moriah, and the story serves as a counterpoint to Desmond's inability to "sacrifice" Charlie. I'm sure smarter folks can draw better parallels, but I figured I'd throw it out there since it was so clearly mentioned.

Point 3

The Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle is now the Jack-Juliet-Kate-Sawyer love rectangle (or "love rhombus" if you want to get tricky).
The abridged version goes like this: Kate still wants Jack, but when Jack deflects her flirting in favor of time spent with Juliet, Kate acts out by jumping Sawyer in his tent. The two have rabbit sex, which nearby castaways must have loved hearing all night, but the next morning Sawyer (who's not a dumb man), correctly concludes that Kate came to him after Jack "chose" Juliet.
One thing leads to another and it becomes clear that Sawyer really doesn't care all that much if he's Kate's Plan A or Plan B. As long as he gets a little action, he's cool (for now).
I'm sure some folks will criticize this soapy storyline, but I see no harm in it. Oh sure, it's fluffy filler, but how else can the writers work in gratuitous shots of Evangeline Lilly and references to mix tapes, "Phil Collins' Greatest Hits," afternoon delight and, best of all, a classic Sawyerism -- "Hope I'm not interruptin' ... you two arguing over who's your favorite Other?"
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line (as already noted): "Hope I'm not interruptin' ... you two arguing over who's your favorite Other?" -- Sawyer to Jack and Juliet"
• Second Best Line: "You need me to make you a mix tape?" -- Sawyer, pleading/suggesting, after Kate rebuffs his bump 'n grind request.
• Bernard and Rose haven't been forgotten. While we don't see the pair, Sawyer tells Kate he pilfered her "mix tape" (the aforementioned "Phil Collins' Greatest Hits") from Bernard. What's truly sad about this revelation is that, 1. Bernard still uses cassettes, and 2. without a tape deck there's no way for the castaways to enjoy the drum solo from "In the Air Tonight" (do-dum do-dum do-dum do-dumdumumdumudum ... I can feel it comin' in the air toniiiiiight, oh loooord ...).

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by the "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"D.O.C." -- Sun discovers the identity of her baby's daddy. Maury Povich guest stars. Airs Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Review by Mac Slocum. All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc.

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "D.O.C."


Season 3, Episode 18
Episode Air Date: 04/25/07

Point 1

It's becoming readily apparent that the "Lost" crew is much smarter than me (but I'm sure you already knew that).
Case in point: When Sun's pregnancy was first revealed in "The Whole Truth" I figured it to be a melodramatic secondary plot that sorta-kinda justified Sun and Jin's continued presence on the island. What I didn't expect is that the core question of this plot line -- i.e. Who's the Daddy? -- would plug directly into one of the island's larger mysteries. Nor did I anticipate the paternity question would be addressed anytime soon.
But the "Losties" surprised me again. And that's a good thing.
So let's recap.
The episode opens with an odd exchange between Jack and Sun in Sun's secret garden (which has now been rebuilt 10 times). Under the guise of "helpful neighborhood doctor," Jack swings by to ask Sun about her pregnancy. But Sun's no fool. She may seem sweet and kind, but Sun's bloodline is pockmarked with criminal duplicity (courtesy of her father, Mr. Paik), so she knows a ruse when she sees it. And this thing with Jack ... it's a ruse.
Following the Jack exchange, Sun goes to Kate because they're BFFs and, more importantly, Sun knows she can pry information out of her. Sun gets things rolling with a suggestion that Jack may have been turned by the Others -- "How do we know he isn't working with them?" she asks. It's a brief bit of dialog, but it's an important moment: never before has Jack's loyalty been overtly questioned.
Kate initially defends Jack, but his dalliance with trampy Juliet and that evil handshake he shared with Ben ("The Man from Tallahassee") have planted doubt in Katie's tween mind, and the doubt quickly manifests itself as a revelation. She tells Sun that Juliet is a fertility doctor (useful) and the Others kidnapped Claire because they wanted her baby for research (not so useful).
Sun goes on the warpath. She finds Juliet at the camp watering hole/urinal and demands immediate answers. "I want to know about your research," Sun seethes.
Juliet's eyes settle into her Jedi "I'm not here, I'm in Miami" look.
But Sun is immune to Juliet's mind tricks. "Why are you taking children?" Sun spits. "What happens to pregnant women?"
Juliet knows the jig is up.
"They die," she says coldly. "They all die."
Sun wasn't expecting that answer. Her anger turns to fear. Juliet returns to the urine trough.
But this isn't over.
Later that night, Sun sleeps alone in her tent (Jin is still on his camping trip/rescue expedition), so Juliet sneaks in and clamps her hand over Sun's mouth. This seems like an odd way to treat a pregnant woman, but Juliet learned this technique from esteemed mentor Dr. Cliff Huxtable.
Juliet is in her pissy/evil mood. In no uncertain terms, she tells Sun that if she wants help -- if she wants to cling to one last sliver of hope -- she needs to accompany Juliet on a secret trip.
Juliet's bedside manner leaves something to be desired (Who'd she learn it from? Jack?), but her argument is compelling. Sun agrees and so the duo goes tromping through the jungle to revisit the abandoned medical hatch.
Remember this thing? Kate, Claire and Rousseau rummaged around the decrepit medical hatch in "Maternity Leave," but their only significant discovery was a fake beard and natty old clothing (aka "Other Hobo Gear"). Sun knows about this hatch -- she claims Kate and Claire told her about it (when did the castaways start communicating?) -- but, to Sun's knowledge, the hatch is abandoned and useless.
Or is it?
Upon arriving, Juliet flips on the lights -- she's clearly spent a lot of time in this place. Sun blinks as the hatch's fluorescent bulbs spark to life. The gravity of the situation starts to settle in. She asks Juliet why she's helping her. This is when we get a glimpse of the kind Dr. Juliet Burke.
"Once upon a time, I told women that they were pregnant and their faces ... it was the best news they ever got in their entire life," Juliet says, smiling.
But her smile disappears. She tells Sun that she's lost nine island patients in the last three years and, for once, she wants to give someone good news (and, presumably, she wants to remember what it's like to be a regular doctor with a regular job instead of an island priestess held captive by a bug-eyed megalomaniac).
Unfortunately, there's a wee problem with the "good news." As we discovered in "One of Us," a pregnant woman's island survival is tied to her conception date. If her child was conceived off the island, she'll probably live (e.g. Claire), but if babymaking took place on the island, both mother and child are very, very screwed.
Juliet tells Sun all this and Sun immediately realizes she's in a pickle. Since there's no one else to talk to and Juliet has shown a willingness to help, Sun reveals that she had an affair before coming to the island ("The Glass Ballerina"). That means, if Juliet determines the baby was conceived before the plane crash, Sun will live, but the baby won't be Jin's. On the flip side, if the baby was conceived during island time, the baby is Jin's, but Sun and the baby are both goners.
Sidenote: Isn't option A (the baby isn't Jin's) a little better than option B (Sun and the baby die)? Sun seems to think they're equal, which doesn't make much sense to me. Of course, I'm applying reason to a TV show that features a shape-shifting smoke monster. So maybe my point is moot.
Moving on ...
After their heart-to-heart, Juliet guides Sun to the hatch's locker room. This is the same spot where Kate found the discarded hobo gear. What Kate didn't find was a secret lever that opens a secret door to a secret room.
Juliet opens a locker and pulls down on a creaky metal switch. Deep rumbling echoes through the hatch as a locker room wall shifts and a heavy blast door slowly cracks open. Juliet guides Sun toward the door.
We've seen this room before. This is where Claire was kept after Ethan kidnapped her. Back then, the room looked like a nursery, but now the baby furniture and decorations are stacked in a corner. Standing in the doorway, Sun looks over the room and asks Juliet where they are.
Juliet pauses. Her icy demeanor is gone.
"It's where we brought the women to die," Juliet says quietly.
Nice. C'mon in and let's take a looksie at that demon spawn of yours!
Juliet organizes the room and whips out an ultrasound machine (because that's a perfectly reasonable thing to have on a remote tropical island). As Jules preps, Sun tells her there's really no way Jin is the father. He's as sterile as a Lysol puddle ("The Whole Truth").
And this is when dorky Dr. Burke shows up to instruct us on the finer points of sperm counts. She tells Sun that the average sperm count is between 60 and 80 million ("Jeopardy" fact!). But here's the kicker: on this island, the sperm count is 5 times the average.
Good lord. No wonder the island is killing off pregnant women! With fertility like that, the island's population would crack 200 million in 5 years.
Juliet fires up the ultrasound and switches into Kind Doctor Mode. She slides the ultrasound wand over Sun's stomach and, within seconds, that familiar whoosh whoosh whoosh noise emerges. Sun beams. She knows this is a crappy situation, but ******, that's a baby and there's just no way to feel bad when you see that squirmy little miracle appear on an ultrasound screen.
Jules and Sun share a moment, and for a brief second, things are good.
But there's work to do. Juliet turns toward the ultrasound and performs a few calculations.
The envelope please ...
"You crashed here 90 days ago," Juliet says. "The baby was conceived about 8 weeks ago. You got pregnant on the island."
Woo! The baby is Jin's!
Crap! The baby is Jin's.
Sun weeps. Juliet's face drops, but Sun looks up. She's happy. She's happy because the baby is Jin's.
Sometime later, Sun and Juliet leave the hatch, but once outside Juliet says she wants to backtrack to make sure she didn't leave any evidence lying around (like a recently used ultrasound machine and date-of-conception documentation). Sun waits outside while Juliet darts back into hatch.
Juliet moves into the locker room and reaches into a locker. There's a tape recorder inside. She hits the record button.
What the?
"Ben, it's 6 a.m. on Saturday morning," Juliet says, speaking into the recorder.
"Kwon is pregnant. The fetus is healthy and was conceived on-island with her husband. They were sterile before they got here."
Sonofa*****
"I'm still working on getting samples from the other women. I should have Austin's soon. I'll report back when I know more."
WHAT-WHAT-WHAT? Austin=Kate. They set her up! The dress! The bear cages! The Roofies in the fish biscuits!
Juliet snaps the recorder off. And this is when we get a hint of things to come.
"I hate you," she says out loud, referring to Ben.
Ah-ha! Juliet is alone. The recorder was off. It's an honest moment and, more importantly, it suggests that Ben is forcing Juliet to double-cross the castaways. But why? And how?

Point 2

Prior to this episode, the Sun-Jin backstory seemed straightforward. They were a star-crossed pair from different sides of the tracks who drifted apart when family obligations got in the way. Toss in a rich/powerful father, a dash of violence, a suicide, and an extramarital affair and you've got yourself a nice little soap opera.
But in this episode, we learn there's a much deeper level of complication in Sun and Jin's relationship.
So here's what we learn:

• In the early days of their marriage, Sun and Jin were the epitome of lovey dovey. But Sun's chance encounter with Jin's mother -- whom she and he both believed was dead -- throws a massive monkeywrench into their marital bliss. See, Jin's mom was a ho. LIterally. He was born to a village prostitute and raised by a kind old fisherman who may or may not be his father (more on this later). Problem is, Jin doesn't know his mother was the "village entertainer" -- his father only told him that his mother died soon after he was born. (Sun learns all this during a secret visit with Jin's father.)
  Ahh, but Ho-Mom knows Sun is rich, so she tracks Sun down and threatens to reveal the Big Secret -- and dishonor Jin -- unless Sun coughs up $100,000.
• Sun visits her father, Mr. Paik, and asks him for the $100k. Daddy Paik wants to know what his daughter plans to do with such a large wad of cash, but Sun resists. Instead, she uses one of Daddy's favorite tricks: blackmail. Sun knows full well that Mr. Paik isn't "just" an auto magnate. She also knows about his sinister dealings. So she tells daddy that for a one-time payment of $100,000, she'll gladly forget about all the bad stuff. Without saying a word, Paik opens his desk safe and puts $100k into an envelope. And this is when things take a tragic turn.
  Paik knows the $100k has something to do with Jin, so he tell Sun that this debt is on him. Jin will need to "work off" the debt -- and "work off" doesn't refer to the low-level factory job Jin currently holds in Paik's organization.
  Sun accepts the money and seals the deal ... and seals Jin's fate. She's the reason Jin was looped into Paik's dirty deeds!
  Let's consider this for a moment. Prior to this revelation, it seemed that Jin had sorta willingly joined up with Paik's criminal element. Sure, he did it so he could provide for Sun, but the choice appeared to be his. But now we know that wasn't the case. Sun's desire to protect Jin's honor, and her subsequent deal with her father, forced Jin into Paik's web -- and Jin doesn't even know about it! Moreover, Sun knows she instigated Jin's criminal life and, despite this, she cheated on him and she plotted to leave him. Sun wasn't the victim. Jin was!
• Shortly after her meeting with daddy, Jin discovers the cash envelope in Sun's purse and Sun whips up a lame story about wanting to buy furniture, blah, blah, blah. Because they're newlyweds and Jin is more focused on what his wife is wearing than what she's saying, he accepts the excuse and asks, in a very nice way, that she allow him to be the provider. Sun agrees to return the money to her father.
  But remember, Sun has no problem lying (as a little girl, her lies led to the firing of a family maid). She meets up with Ho-Mom and hands over the envelope. Sun's angry. You don't want to get Sun angry.
  She asks Ho-Mom why she didn't tell Sun that she's Jin's mother (Ho-Mom never mentioned her relationship to Jin, she just threatened to expose it).
  "I gave birth to him, but that doesn't make me his mother," Ho-Mom snaps.
  And this is when Sun shows just how badass she truly is.
  "You know how powerful my family is," Sun says with one eyebrow raised. "My husband believes you're dead. Don't force me to make that a reality." Whoa. Sawyer better watch his back ...

Sidenote: Jin's questionable lineage has to be a set up for something bigger. To date, Jin's fisherman dad is the series' only decent father figure, and you just know the writers aren't going to let that stand. So, who is Jin's real dad? When will he appear on the island? Could Jin and Sun share more than a marital connection? (I hope not ... inadvertent incest is best left to indie films and bad literature, not "Lost.")

Point 3

At the end of last week's episode, Desmond had just unmasked the "pilot" who parachuted onto the island and got stuck in a tree. As this episode opens, the pilot is still alive, but she's in rough shape -- a nasty nub of tree branch is shoved into her lung and she's moving in and out of consciousness.
The boys all agree that Tree Girl needs to be saved, but they argue about the best way to make that happen. Desmond volunteers to run back to camp and get Jack, but Charlie blocks his path, citing the dangers of running through an Other-infested jungle (Charlie is also concerned about his "life keeper" abandoning him).
"Nobody knows we're here!" Desmond says, defending their relative safety.
BOOM!
A flare arcs high into the air and explodes over their location. Desmond, Charlie and Jin look down at Hurley. Smoke wafts from a flare gun clutched in Hurley's hand.
"Whoops," Hurley says sheepishly.
The boys continue to argue (little known fact: extended debate is a recognized treatment for lung punctures), but their sniping is soon interrupted by the sound of nearby footsteps. The group falls silent. The footsteps grow louder. Desmond reaches for his machete.
A man emerges from the brush.
OH... MY ... GOD
Mikhail Bakunin! It's Mikhail Friggin Bakunin! The sonic death fence didn't kill him! How? Why?
But there's no time for questions. Bakunin realizes he's made a mistake following the flare, so he turns and darts back into the trees.
Jin -- who's suddenly become the island's action hero -- runs after Bakunin and easily catches him. The two tussle and for a moment it seems Bakunin has the drop, but Jin unloads a stunning series of punches and blocks. Bakunin staggers back. Jin whips his leg through the air and cracks Bakunin across the jaw!
Jin = Baaaaad man.
Desmond and Charlie arrive moments later and help haul Bakunin back toward the dying Tree Girl (it makes sense; she probably should be monitored).
Desmond shoves the flare gun into Bakunin's chest and demands answers, but Bakunin doesn't say a word. Charlie recognizes ol' Mikhail as the guy Locke shoved into the sonic death fence (again -- when did the castaways start talking?).
The interrogation is interrupted by Tree Girl. She mutters something in Italian. The castaways are confused.
"She says she's dying and needs help," Bakunin notes. The boys look incredulously at their captive. Bakunin senses an opening, so he offers his services as a field medic.
And with that, the boys step back and let Bakunin examine their fallen Tree Girl. After a cursory exam, Bakunin notices the wooden nub protruding from Tree Girl's side.
"Well, there's yer problem," Bakunin says, twirling a toothpick. "She's got a branch shoved in 'er lung."
Bakunin knows the power just shifted in his direction, so he makes a deal with Desmond: He'll fix up Tree Girl, but the boys need to let him walk away. Desmond agrees. This girl fell from the sky clutching a picture of his beloved Penny; there's no way she's going to die on his watch.
Bakunin morphs into the Medical MacGuyver. Using a syringe, a dab of gauze and a banana peel, he ventilates Tree Girl's lung and successfully extracts the tree nub.
Tree Girl screams, but the worst has passed. As her consciousness fades, she looks at Bakunin and says something in Russian. The boys look on, confused. Bakunin claims she thanked him (can anyone confirm this?).
Tree Girl passes out and Bakunin says she'll be better in a day or so. Charlie scoffs -- the woman just had her lung punctured by a tree, how could she possibly recover in a day?
"On this island, the wounds are a bit different ... maybe a day and a half," Bakunin says with a slight smile.
What's that, Mikhail? Different wounds? Might you be alluding to your own recovery from a SONIC BRAIN HEMORRHAGE?
Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly), none of the castaways pursue the comment and the topic is dropped. Bakunin moves to leave, but Charlie blocks his path. He's sick of letting these damn Others escape. Desmond overrules Charlie, claiming they gave their word. Bakunin smirks at Charlie and departs.
But Action Jin is still on the case. He knows something is wrong, so he shuffles through Desmond's bag and discovers that the broken satellite phone is missing (remember: Tree Girl came with a satellite phone, but its batteries are dead). Jin, Charlie and Desmond rush after Bakunin and easily catch him. He coughs up the phone, but Charlie is gunning for a fight. Bakunin provokes him, but Jin and Desmond hold him back and allow Bakunin to depart.
The next morning, Jin, Charlie and Desmond construct a makeshift stretcher for Tree Girl while Hurley watches over their still-unconscious patient. Tree Girl stirs and opens her eyes. She asks the requisite questions:
"Where am I?" Answer: an island
"Who are you?" Answer: Hugo Reyes, a survivor of Oceanic 815.
And this is when things get very interesting.
The mention of 815 spreads confusion across Tree Girl's face.
"815? Flight 815? The one from Sydney?" Tree Girl asks.
Hurley confirms it.
"That's not possible," she says. "Flight 815 ... they found the plane."
Wait for it ... WAAAAAIT FOR IT ...
"There were no survivors," Tree Girl says. "They were all dead."
And then it ends!
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "Mom?" -- Hurley pretending to call his mother on the dead satellite phone.
• We need to talk about this Mikhail Bakunin resurrection business. How? How did he survive? We saw his brain bubble out of his ears! We saw his head turn to mush! How could he possibly be alive? Do the Others have Industrial Light and Magic on speed dial? Could Bakunin be a clone? Did Smokey take Bakunin's form? Also, if Bakunin can survive such a gory encounter, doesn't this call into question other deaths?
• Tree Girl's revelation about flight 815 certainly seems to support the multiple time periods/realities theories. Maybe the electromagnetic disturbance credited with downing 815 allowed for dual timelines to be created. In one, 815 crashed on the island. In another, 815's wreckage was discovered.
  Also, if the 815 wreckage was discovered, then Penny is the castaways' only hope for rescue. As far as the Oceanic friends and families know, the castaways all died -- so why would any of them bother with a long-term search? This also means there's going to be a lot of explaining to do when Michael and Walt dock in Guam.
• Juliet tells Sun that most of the pregnant women died during their second trimester. Sun does the math and figures she has two months left to live. If the show's timeline continues to progress as it has, this means Sun will likely be around for all of season four and part of season five.
• The hand-to-hand skill Jin exhibits during his fight with Bakunin probably traces back to his military days. This episode's backstory reveals that he spent time in the army. That expertise might come in handy during a climactic Other battle ... hmm.

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by the "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"The Brig" -- Locke returns, and he's got an interesting proposition for Sawyer. Airs Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[Concord]

Now that was a good show last night.

Sawyer taking care of business for Locke and himself.

Are they really Dead?

I don't think so...It's probably Ben screwing around with their minds again.

And what's with Jack and Juliette and their secret?

Next week looks good too.

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "The Brig"


Season 3, Episode 19
Episode Air Date: 05/02/07

Point 1

Boy, am I confused.
Is Locke the Obi-Locke shaman we think he is? Or, is he a marionette in Ben's evil puppet show? Did the events of this episode set him free? Will he overthrow Ben and take his rightful place as a benevolent Other King (count those toes!)? Or, will he while away his island days hunting boar and dabbling in an ill-advised affair with Rousseau?
Sorry. Unfortunate visual on that last one.
Alas, I have no answers ... or theories ... or postulations or paradigm shifts. But I do have a recap to share.
On to the review!
With "The Brig," the "Lost" crew uses an established technique -- the flashback -- to fill in some key gaps from Locke's recent island experiences. During these sequences, we go inside Locke's brief time with the Others. You'll recall that Locke has been MIA since "Left Behind." Last time we saw him, he paid a brief, mysterious visit to Kate just before the Others donned gas masks and scurried off to an unknown location.
Well, now we know where the Others went ... sorta.
The Others went camping in an island valley pocked with ancient ruins (at least I think they're ancient). Why they went camping, why they chose this particular valley, and what their ultimate destination will be remain in doubt.
But, in an interesting twist, Locke is invited to accompany the nomadic Others. Initially he thinks he's poised for an adventure, but as usual, the brochure doesn't live up to the experience.
Once the tents are pitched and New Bennsylvania is settled, Locke is invited to a private meeting with Ben. Approaching his tent, Locke can see that Ben has a small black tape recorder perched by his ear. Juliet's voice is audible and it's clear he's listening to the recording Juliet made at the end of "D.O.C." Noticing Locke, Ben snaps off the recorder and motions toward a walking stick leaning against his cot. Locke hands it over and Ben gingerly rises.
Ben is feeling frisky because, ever since Locke broke into Bennsylvania, Ben's wrecked spine has been on the mend. His improving health puts him in a chatty mood, and he tells Locke that the Others plan to storm the castaways' camp to gather up all the pregnant women. Locke's taken aback. He didn't see that coming. Ben assures him they've done this sort of thing before and they have no intention of hurting anyone ... unless they get in the way, or breathe or talk or make fun of Ben's eyelash condition.
Ben's on a roll. He tells Locke he's looking forward to showing him the island's secrets.
Unfortunately, there's just one small thing Locke needs to do before Ben's Magic Box is cracked open: He has to kill his father to prove his loyalty to the Others and "free himself" from Cooper's grasp. Or some such nonsense. Ben's just tired of lugging Cooper from campsite to campsite.
To expedite the process, the Others have tied Cooper to a nearby pillar (the pillar's construction seems to put it into the same historical period as the four-toed statue seen in "Live Together, Die Alone." Or maybe I'm just making that up.)
Let's pause a moment to consider this Cooper business. The evil conman/World's Worst Daddy mysteriously appeared at the end of "The Man from Tallahassee," and as this episode opened I figured we'd soon discover how and why Cooper arrived on the island.
How stupid of me. We don't find out and now, given certain "events" (Key Point 2), we may never know. But here's the kicker: The Others claim to not know the how and why of Cooper's arrival, either. Seriously. What's going on? What possible explanation could there be?
Moving on ...
Night falls and New Bennsylvania is quiet. Ben limps over to Locke and nudges him with his walking stick (a la Yoda on Dagobah).
"It's time," Ben says.
Ben leads Locke over to Cooper (who's still tied to the pillar) and gives him the ol' "rah rah kill your father" speech. He hands Locke a long knife and suggests that "faster is better." Locke pauses, which is a mistake because it gives Cooper (who's been ungagged for some strange reason) an opportunity to dig into Locke's daddy issues.
"The hesitation he's feeling is because he's spineless!" Cooper spits. Locke looks out and sees a crowd is forming. He resists the urge to sing.
Turning back toward Cooper, Locke digs the pointy tip of the knife into Cooper's flabby gullet. One good sneeze. That's all he needs. Just one deep, angry sneeze.
But then Locke thinks back to the good times spent with dear old dad; the days before the kidney theft and the attempted murder. Overcome with emotion, he drops his hand and steps back. Cooper laughs.
THWACK!
Ben smacks Cooper over the head with his Yoda stick. Cooper blacks out.
Ben purses his lips and turns toward the group. "I'm sorry," Ben announces. "He's not who we thought he was. Please return to your tents and avoid pregnancy. Thank you."
Locke walks down from the pillar and makes his way through the disappointed Others. Look close and you'll see the varsity jocks snickering while a tear forms at the eye of a kind-hearted cheerleader.
The next day, Locke sits alone on a hill overlooking New Bennsylvania. Richard Alpert and his eyeliner arrive. Alpert tells Locke that Ben went out of his way to embarrass and discredit him because he sees Locke as a threat.
Locke's confused. Alpert's magic eyeliner senses it, so he elaborates.
Word of Locke's miraculous healing spread like wildfire through the Others. "People began to get very excited because that could only happen to someone who was extremely special," Alpert says, doing his best Morpheus impression. "Ben doesn't want anyone to think you're special, John."
Oh Dick. You sure know how to push Locke's buttons. Whipping out that "special" thing is slick. It's the same technique Locke's mother used to hook Locke up with Cooper. It's his kryptonite.
Alpert tells Locke that Ben has been distracting the Others with "fertility problems," but the truth is, they're looking for someone -- someone special -- who can reignite their faith in the island.
This all sounds lovely to Locke, but as always, there's a hitch. Alpert says that for Locke to become the Other Ayatollah, he has to dispose of his father. "And since you're not going to do it," Alpert says, pulling a red folder from a bag, "I'm going to suggest someone else."
Locke opens the folder. It's chock full of Sawyer details.
You see where this is going, right?
Soon thereafter, Locke wakes one morning to find the Others pulling up stakes and preparing to move camp (what are they, a MASH unit?). Locke asks Ben where they're going. Ben makes it abundantly clear that they are moving but Locke is staying behind with that blowhard Cooper. Locke morphs into Whiny Johnny. We've seen this before. His eyes get real big and his shoulders hunch over and he looks like a 50-year-old boy. "You can't leave me," he says, picking his nose with one hand and clutching a drippy ice cream cone in the other.
"Don't tell me what I can do, John," Ben says.
Daaaaaamn. Those Others don't play.
Ben tells Locke he can only rejoin them if he returns with his dead father's body slung over his back. With that, the Others pack up and move out.
And that brings us up to the present day.

Point 2

Confident in what he has to do and how he has to do it, Locke sneaks back to the beach camp. It's late at night, but he conveniently finds his target -- Sawyer -- peeing on Ethan's unmarked grave (it doubles as a men's room).
Sawyer is shocked to see Locke (and embarrassed because lil' James is dangling free). Locke's been planning for this moment, so he disregards pleasantries (and lil' James) and launches into his sales pitch/lie.
Locke says he's "infiltrated" the Others and kidnapped Ben. He's returned because he wants Sawyer to kill their bug-eyed nemesis.
Sawyer rightfully asks why Locke can't dispatch Ben himself. Locke says he's not a murderer. Sawyer offers the same excuse, but Locke knows better -- he's seen the file; he knows about the man Sawyer killed in Sydney. (Again, how could the Others possibly know about this?)
Sawyer feigns ignorance and Locke uses his patented "oh, my mistake" mind trick. As Locke goes to leave, Sawyer pulls up his pants and follows him into the jungle.
The sun rises as Locke and Sawyer make their way toward Locke's secret "Ben Hiding Place." Sawyer is barefoot, but he endures the pain because the future of Nakatomi Plaza rests in his hands ... wait, wrong story.
The long hike allows Locke to dredge up the greatest hits from Sawyer's file, including the murder-suicide of his parents. He says the Others' folder doesn't explain why his father killed his mother and then turned the gun on himself. Locke fills his eyes with faux sincerity. "That must have been hard for you."
Bad memories swirl around Sawyer. Locke's got him where he wants him.
Locke lets the topic drop and continues on, but Sawyer isn't having it. He charges Locke and pistol whips him. The boys fall to the ground and Sawyer expertly slides Locke's knife from its sheath and slaps it against Locke's throat. Snarling, Sawyer says Ben has conned him before (the bunny/heart thing back in "Every Man for Himself"), and Sawyer isn't going to let it happen again. He figures Locke is in on a scam, so he demands to know where they're going and why they're going there.
Locke continues the ruse. Struggling against the knife blade, he says the goal is to kill Ben. He can't do it himself. He knows Sawyer is the only one who can make it happen.
Sawyer backs off. Locke dusts himself off. Sawyer is temporarily pacified, but he tells Locke he's not killing Ben.
"You'll change your mind when you hear what he has to say," Locke says confidently.
Their journey soon concludes at a location we haven't seen since season one: The Black Rock.
This is Sawyer's first visit to the old ship, and he does a fine job exhibiting the proper level of shock and awe. Locke guides Sawyer into the dark interior and points out key landmarks: the chains that once held slaves, the slaves themselves, femurs branded with Dharma insignias, the boxes of unstable dynamite -- all the highlights.
But the Black Rock is also hosting a new exhibit ...
Locke leads Sawyer to the ship's brig. A muffled voice sounds from behind a heavy wooden door. Locke swings the door open. Inside, a hooded prisoner strains against chains and shackles. Sawyer steps into the room.
WHAM!
Locke slams the door and bolts it from the outside. Sawyer pounds and demands Locke open it, but Locke doesn't respond. He simply sits and waits.
The prisoner stirs. Sawyer turns and pulls the hood off Ben's head.
But that's not Ben. It's Cooper.
And this is when the "Lost" producers take full advantage of the Safe Harbor liberties a 10 p.m. broadcast allows.
Sawyer doesn't immediately recognize Cooper, but he will. Locke knows it; he patiently whittles outside the brig door. As he works (and listens to Sawyer and Cooper), Locke sees a figure emerge from the darkness.
It's Rousseau!
The two engage in a bizarre exchange. Rousseau says she's stopped by to stock up on dynamite. Locke doesn't have a problem with this. Her attention is momentarily diverted by the muffled shouting from within the brig and she looks at Locke. Locke responds by shining his flashlight toward the dynamite and cautioning her about its instability. She grabs a box and scurries off. That's it. That's the whole scene.
Sidenote: What is Rousseau doing with the dynamite? Has she been tracking Alex and the Others? Did anyone actually see Alex during the camping scenes? And, doesn't Rousseau already know the dynamite is unstable? Didn't she use it to blow up her underground lair?
Back inside the brig, Sawyer takes the gag out of Cooper's mouth (why do people keep doing this?). He points his gun -- which he's been carrying the whole time -- at the brig door and tells Locke he's going to pop a clip of bullets into his shiny bald head if Locke doesn't open the door immediately.
Locke whittles and lets out an exasperated sigh. Oh, James.
"If there were any bullets in that gun, why would you hold a knife to my throat?" Locke asks, referring to their recent jungle scuffle.
Sawyer drops his arm. Cooper laughs. "I didn't raise no dummy," he says.
And it's this one little comment that opens the door to a big ol' revelation.
Sawyer begins to question Cooper and he soon discovers that Cooper is Locke's father. He's also the same guy who stole Locke's kidney and pushed him out an eighth-floor window. Nice guy.
Sawyer asks the most obvious question: How did Cooper get to the island?
Cooper scoffs. He doesn't believe they're on an island. He says his arrival in this "place" suddenly happened after someone rammed his car on a Tallahassee highway. Last he remembers, a paramedic smiled at him as an IV was slid into his vein. When he woke up, he was bound and gagged in a dirty room, staring into the incredulous eyes of his son.
"Little hot for heaven, isn't it?" Cooper says with a smirk (the writers must love lines like this).
Sawyer changes the topic and asks Cooper why he chucked Locke out a window. Cooper says Locke became a nuisance. He conned him out of one little kidney and Locke never got over it.
Con? Con, you say?
Sawyer rises. He asks Cooper his name. Cooper still doesn't realize where this is going. He rattles off his aliases: Alan Seward, Anthony Cooper, Ted McClaren, Tom Sawyer, Louis Jackson ...
"Well how about that?" Sawyer growls. "Sawyer's my name, too."
Sawyer launches a full interrogation and Cooper, for some weird reason, confirms that he spent time in Sawyer's hometown (Jasper, Ala.). He confirms he knew Sawyer's mother (Mary). He confirms he stole $38,000 from her.
It's him! Cooper is Sawyer! Cooper is the con man who swindled Sawyer's mom!
Sawyer reaches into his back pocket and pulls out "the letter" (now that's being prepared). He orders Cooper to read it. Cooper has nothing better to do, so he complies.
"Dear Mr. Sawyer. You don't know who I am, but I know who you are. And I know what you done. You had sex with my mother and then you stole my dad's money all away, so he got angry and he killed my mother, and then he killed himself. Blah ... blah ... blah ... blah ... "
Cooper stops. There isn't an ounce of remorse in his body. He says it isn't his fault Sawyer's dad overreacted.
"FINISH IT!" Sawyer demands.
Cooper looks down and tears the letter in two.
Ohhhh, bad idea.
Sawyer lunges and wraps a chain around Cooper's neck. "You wanna go to hell?!" Sawyer shouts, pulling the chain tight. Cooper kicks and struggles, but Sawyer's clamped on him like Leia on Jabba. Cooper sputters. Death spittle sprays across the brig. Sawyer spins Cooper's lifeless body to the floor.
Locke opens the brig door. ("Hellooo? I thought I heard a noise ...")
Locke looks at Sawyer and nods. "Thank you," he says quietly.
Moments later, Sawyer runs from the brig and darts outside to vomit. Locke follows.
As Sawyer dabs the last remnant of vengeance from his lips, Locke tells him to go back to the castaways. Tell them Juliet is a mole, Locke says, spilling the secret Ben revealed days before.
Sawyer says they won't believe him. He's issued warnings about Juliet since she arrived, but they fall on deaf ears. Locke hands Sawyer Ben's tape recorder. Yup, that'll help.
Locke moves to leave, but Sawyer has one last question: Is it true he was crippled?
Locke pauses. "Not anymore," he says. With that, Locke moves to a nearby clearing and grabs his pack. Cooper's corpse is wrapped in an old blanket. Locke slings the body over his shoulder and walks off.

Point 3

The "campers" -- Desmond, Hurley, Jin and Charlie -- manage to sneak back into camp with their new friend, Tree Girl. Desmond has convinced his fellow campers to keep Tree Girl's existence a secret from Jack because Jack may have been compromised during his Other tenure. Charlie initially expresses reticence, but Jack's continued infatuation with Juliet certainly suggests that something happened to him during those 10 days of incarceration.
The boys decide to loop Sayid into their cabal because he's generally trustworthy and he's handy with electronics (more on that in a moment). Sayid sneaks into the beach tent where Tree Girl is being kept and calmly questions her. That's when we learn the following:

• Tree Girl's name is Naomi. She has an English accent.
• She was hired by Penny Widmore (whom she's never met) to search for Desmond. Penny provided Naomi's company (Super Secret Rescue Operations, Inc.) with coordinates that appeared to be smack in the middle of the ocean. Presumably, these coordinates were acquired by the arctic researchers seen in the final moments of "Live Together, Die Alone."
• Naomi says the rescue operation is headquartered on a freighter located 80 miles away. She was conducting a search via helicopter when the island "appeared." Her chopper's instruments failed and she was forced to ditch.
• She also elaborates on last episode's revelation about Oceanic 815. The entire plane -- including bodies -- was found in an ocean trench off the cost of Bali.

Sayid doesn't buy her story. He asks Desmond if he actually saw the helicopter and Desmond says he didn't. Sayid also finds it interesting that Naomi now has absolutely no way of contacting the freighter.
And this is when Naomi earned my respect.
"What was your name?" she asks. "Sayid?"
Sayid nods.
Naomi pulls out a satellite phone. "Remind me not to rescue you, Sayid," she snaps.
After recovering from Naomi's ***** slap, Sayid goes outside to repair the phone. He gets it working, but as he fiddles with the buttons it becomes clear that something on the island is blocking communication. He begins to discuss this revelation with Hurley, but as he talks Kate suddenly appears and sees Sayid clutching the phone.
Sayid has no choice but to let Kate in on the Naomi secret, but he asks that she not tell anyone (especially Jack).
Exactly five minutes later, Kate finds Jack sitting with Juliet on the beach. She asks to speak with him alone, but Jack puffs out his chest and declares that Juliet can be privy to anything Kate has to say.
"Ooookay," Kate huffs."When we kissed I had a cold sore and now you've got herpes. Have a good one!"
Unfortunately, it doesn't play out this way. Rather, Kate intentionally defies Sayid and tells Jack that a woman parachuted onto the island and a freighter is parked 80 miles away.
Jack asks why he wasn't informed about this earlier. Kate glares at Juliet then glares at Jack. "They don't trust you," Kate says.
Jack pauses, then chooses to ignore the trust thing. He asks how the parachutist is supposed to contact her ship. Kate says she has a "phone radio thing" (Kate = tech geek).
And this is when something very odd occurs.
"We should tell her," Juliet says, looking at Jack.
But Jack disagrees. "Not yet," he responds.
And with that, Jack gets up to go tend to this Naomi business. Juliet stares at Kate. Kate stares at Juliet.
And that's that.
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "You're wasting your time, bug eye!" -- Cooper to Ben.
• Confirmed: the Magic Box is a metaphor, not an actual box. Thank God. A literal magic box would have been lame.
• The final exchange between Jack and Juliet ("We should tell her") is very interesting. Did Juliet tell Jack about Ben's plan? Is Jack part of the plan?
• I'm curious to know if anyone was surprised by Cooper's connection to Sawyer. Seems to me, this connection has been assumed ever since we learned that Cooper was a con man. But, then again, my perspective on the show is kinda unusual because I spend/waste a lot of time mulling the details. Did casual viewers pick up on the Cooper-Sawyer link beforehand?
• What is Locke going to do now? Will he join up with the Others? Will he wander the island alone, Kung-** style?

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by the "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"The Man Behind the Curtain" -- Ben spills the beans about the Others and Jacob and why he has no eyelashes. Airs Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[carphalen5150]

Now that was a good show last night.

Sawyer taking care of business for Locke and himself.

Are they really Dead?

I don't think so...It's probably Ben screwing around with their minds again.

And what's with Jack and Juliette and their secret?

Next week looks good too.

Couple things...I think that Sawyer killing Locke's dad not only set Locke free, but Sawyer as well. I would not be surprised if he went by James all the time now to get away from the name Sawyer.

They are not dead, Locke's dad just knows that is where he is going when he does die. He may think he is dead.

Ben was bad arse. The way he smacked Cooper on the head with the stick, how he played Locke (don't tell me what I can do John), and that they were going to camp to take the pregnant women.

The secret...I think that Jack and Juliet are keeping it on the downlow how they are going to combat the Others when they come for the women. Also, Kate is probably pregnant, so that is something else she they could tell her.

Great flipping show...Charlie may bite it next week.

 

[Concord]

Couple things...I think that Sawyer killing Locke's dad not only set Locke free, but Sawyer as well. I would not be surprised if he went by James all the time now to get away from the name Sawyer.

They are not dead, Locke's dad just knows that is where he is going when he does die. He may think he is dead.

Ben was bad arse. The way he smacked Cooper on the head with the stick, how he played Locke (don't tell me what I can do John), and that they were going to camp to take the pregnant women.

The secret...I think that Jack and Juliet are keeping it on the downlow how they are going to combat the Others when they come for the women. Also, Kate is probably pregnant, so that is something else she they could tell her.

Great flipping show...Charlie may bite it next week.

Sawyer killing Cooper was powerful and I might say overdue...that guy got what he deserved.

I don't think they're dead either...Lost would never give away a secret like that...that easy.

Ben's a great character....He really is a mind screwer.

Good point on the secret. My wife said last week that she wondered if Kate was pregnant after the whole thing with Sun and Juliette.

Charlie going wouldn't really upset me at all...I just don't get into his character.

Can't wait for next week.

 

[carphalen5150]

BUMP....

My predictions....

Ben is a liar, he was not born on the island

Ben somehow was responsible for "the purge"

Locke will be bad arse tonight

 

[ologan]

BUMP....

My predictions....

Ben is a liar, he was not born on the island

Ben somehow was responsible for "the purge"

Locke will be bad arse tonight

.....And DEAD!

 

[Concord]

BUMP....

My predictions....

Ben is a liar, he was not born on the island

Ben somehow was responsible for "the purge"

Locke will be bad arse tonight

What are you a writer for Lost?

Bingo on all three.

Can't believe Ben shot Locke. Have to believe that someone or something like the Island will save him. It would be a major mistake to kill him off. Especially with 3 more seasons to go.

Very good episode. They actually revealed many things last night.

Actually meet Jacob. That was weird.

Saw where and how Ben was born and how he came to the Island.

Saw how the Darhma Initiative formed and what happened to them and how Ben's Dad met his fate.

And met a young Richard and the Hostiles.

And even got to see Juliette inform on Ben with the tape. But can you ever Really trust her?

 

[Concord]

.....And DEAD!

He was still alive...

The Island will save him.

 

[carphalen5150]

Key Points from "The Man Behind the Curtain"


Season 3, Episode 20
Episode Air Date: 05/09/07

Point 1

Remember that whole "Lost" isn't sci-fi thing?
Forget that. When a significant character is revealed to be a sentient cigarette burn with a flashlight phobia, you're smack dab in the world of sci-fi.
This episode was a biggie and we've got a lot to cover, so, in the name of efficiency, let's get the revelations out of the way up front. (Note: I'm working under the assumption that the information presented in "The Man Behind the Curtain" is true, but there's always the chance the producers are pulling our collective legs).
Revelation 1: Dharma and the Hostiles are two different groups. The Hostiles pre-date Dharma, but their origin and their cause are unknown. Richard Alpert is (we think) a Hostile. I'm assuming the Hostiles are also responsible for the four-toed statue seen in "Live Together, Die Alone."
Revelation 2: Ben was not born on the island. His father, Roger, was recruited by Dharma and brought to the island. A young Ben tagged along. Like all proper "Lost" characters, Ben has major daddy issues (more on this in Key Point 2).
Revelation 3: Ben turned on his Dharma comrades and played a key role in the Hostile's "purge." Soon after the purge, Ben assumed a leadership position and he and his Hostile buddies took over Dharmaville and renamed it Bennsylvania.
Revelation 4: Like Locke, Ben seems to have some sort of connection to the island -- at least he did. When he was a boy, his dead mother appeared to him. This revelation makes Richard "Hostile Eyeliner" Alpert very excited. It also suggests that Jack has a similar island connection because he saw dead Dr. Daddy in season one.
Revelation 5: We meet Jacob ... sorta. Who he/it is, what he/it does, why he/it is invisible (yes, invisible), remains to be seen.
On to the review!
The episode picks up where "The Brig" left off: Locke tracks the Others to their new campsite and, upon arriving, drops Cooper's corpse at Ben's feet. Ben's bug eyes struggle to remain in their sockets -- Locke's reappearance and Cooper's rotting body are both unexpected. More disturbing, Ben now has to live up to his end the "answer" bargain he made with Locke: Cooper's body = island revelations.
Locke is gleeful, which makes sense because his evil daddy is decomposing and he's got Ben in his Obi-Locke crosshairs. At first, Ben tries to use the old "I'm not the leader of this island" excuse, but Locke has none of it. He demands to see this so-called leader, and when Ben suddenly gets cold feet at the prospect of visiting Jacob, Locke calls him a liar and says he'll simply find someone else to take him to see the wizard.
And that's when Ben starts to shake. He tells Locke that Jacob only speaks to him and, in a convenient twist, Ben is the only one who knows where to find him.
Locke is incredulous (and rightfully so): Basically, Ben's direct superior is a guy only he can find and who only communicates with Ben. And, just to make this oh-so-unbelievable, none of the Others have ever seen Jacob.
"I think there is no Jacob," Locke spits. " I think your people are idiots if they believe you take orders from someone else. You are the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of Oz, and you're a liar."
Alas, this excellent Obi-Locke moment is soon interrupted by the surprise entrance of Mikhail. The former Sonic Death Fence victim runs into camp and tells Ben that a woman recently parachuted onto the island and she's now being cared for by the castaways. Ben's reaction (bug-eyed surprise, natch) suggests that Naomi's presence is bad news for the Others -- they don't like it when people penetrate the island's InvisiShield. Ben pauses and considers his options. The Others are planning a beach attack the day after tomorrow, so Ben figures they can deal with Naomi at that point. But Mikhail implores Ben to move the attack timetable up to today.
And this is when Locke reclaims his status as Island Badass.
Locke, who's been eavesdropping on the conversation, strides toward Mikhail and Ben and informs the duo that Ben already has plans. "He and I are going to see Jacob," Locke says, making sure everyone within 20 feet can hear him loud and clear.
Ben is sheepish. Richard Alpert and Tom look surprised.
Mikhail begins to protest, but Locke puts him in his place with a massive headbutt and a series of punches and kicks to all the soft spots. Ben calls to Tom and Richard for help, but the two remain stationary, entranced by the *** whuppin'. With a final kick to the groin, Mikhail sputters blood and passes out.
"So when do we leave?" Locke asks Ben.
They leave immediately, but Alex appears moments into their journey. She hands Locke a pistol and says he'll need the gun if they're going to visit Jacob. She turns and looks at Ben with disdain.
"Happy birthday, dad," Alex says, then walks off.
Ben's right eye zings through the jungle and embeds in a thousand-year-old tree trunk. All these double crosses and surprises are playing hell on Ben's buggy optics.
Sidenote: The birthday thing plays a significant role in Ben's backstory. More on that in a bit.
Locke and Ben continue on their journey. Most of it is uneventful (the "Lost" writers love using "island journeys" as filler between key scenes), but at one point Locke notices a pile of fine, grey sand (ash?) on the jungle floor. Ben quickly diverts his attention, so Locke doesn't follow up, but you just know that grey ashy stuff will come into play at some point.
Sometime later, Locke and Ben arrive at a small, concealed hut. It's night and the trees are thick, so it's hard to make out the details.
This is Jacob's lair, and Ben is not comfortable at all. He quietly approaches the door and lights a kerosene lamp. "Once I open this door, there's no turning back," Ben says. "You sure this is what you want?'
"You know ... you're right," Locke says, wiping his forehead with Artz's old scarf. "Let's grab a few beers and impregnate Other chicks."
But of course that doesn't happen. Locke's eyes light up at the prospect of Big Revelations. He walks closer to the door and Ben correctly interprets this as the "go" signal.
"Jacob, I'm here with John Locke, we're coming in now," Ben says. He opens the door. It creaks on its hinges.
Inside, the old cabin is dark and decrepit (it looks like the storage unit from "Silence of the Lambs"). A small table sits in the middle of the room. Mason jars with orange goo are perched on a windowsill. An empty rocking chair is positioned by the table.
And this is when things get weird.
Ben goes to the rocking chair and begins talking to Jacob. But uh ... there's nobody there. Ben is having a conversation with an invisible friend. Locke rolls his eyes. He can't believe he didn't catch on to Ben's insanity.
Ben's "conversation" becomes heated; invisible Jacob is making him angry.
"You're crazy," Locke says to Ben. "You don't know anything about the island, do you? You just made it up. You're putting on a show for me ... or, do you really think there's someone there?"
Ben is surprised. He expected Locke to "see" Jacob.
Locke's had enough of this nonsense. He turns to leave.
"Hellllllp meeeeeeee," a deep voice croaks.
Locke turns around. He thinks Ben is playing tricks (or doing a really bad James Earl Jones impression). Locke flicks his flashlight on.
Uh oh.
The cabin shakes! Wood creaks! Mason jars rattle!
Locke steps back. The flashlight beam darts over the rocking chair. For a fleeting screen-cappy moment, a dark, black "thing" appears in the chair (it looks like a massive cigarette burn). Is that ... Smokey?
Ben grabs the sides of the rocking chair. "That's enough! You've had your fun!" Ben shouts at Jacob.
Jacob tosses Ben against the cabin wall. Locke runs out the front door and crouches a few yards from the cabin. The rattling stops.
Moments later, Ben quietly appears at the door then shuffles over to Locke.
"What was that?" Locke asks.
"That was Jacob," Ben says.
WHAT?! THAT was Jacob?
Wait. What? WHAT?! What was Jacob? That black thing? The cigarette burn?
Good lord, what the hell is going on!?
And of course we don't find out because this is "Lost" and we've got three more seasons to sort through all these details.
Moving on ...
Ben and Locke temporarily put the Jacob encounter on hold as they make their way back toward the Others' camp. The sun is up and Locke can clearly see that Ben is taking a different route to camp. Locke's not interested in seeing the sites (and, unlike Jack "Circles" Shephard, he knows his way around the island).
Locke stops and demands to know what Ben is up to. But Ben's side trip has a point. He says he wants to show Locke something.
Locke protests, saying he's not in the mood for another show (at this point he's sorta kinda concluded that the Jacob extravaganza was orchestrated ... maybe).
Ben resorts to honesty. "Some of the things I told you -- that I've told everyone -- are simply not true," Ben admits.
Locke's curiosity is piqued. He asks for an example.
Ben offers one up: he wasn't born on the island. Locke, naturally, asks where he came from.
"That's what I want to show you," Ben says.
A short while later, Ben guides Locke into a clearing. They stand at the edge of a large, square hole. Locke looks down.
Oh my.
Six feet below, Locke sees skeletons haphazardly tossed and stacked. Old Dharma jumpsuits and name tags are visible. It's a mass grave.
And this is when the true depths of Ben's dark soul are revealed.
"This is where I came from, John," Ben says, looking over the bodies. "These are my people, the Dharma initiative."
He rambles on, saying the Dharma drones were hypocrites -- they sought harmony, but couldn't coexist with the island's original inhabitants.
"When it became clear that one side had to go, that one side had to be purged, I did what I had to do," Ben says, referring to Excuse No. 108 in the Genocide Forgiveness Handbook.
Anger rises in Ben. It's clear his Dharma experience had a profound effect on his outlook.
"I was one of the people smart enough to make sure I didn't end up in that ditch," Ben says. "Which makes me considerably smarter than you, John."
Oookay, that's it. Locke doesn't need to listen to this buggy crap. He rises and turns, prepared to whip Ben's butt.
BOOM!
Oh ... my ... god.
Ben shot Locke! Ben shot Locke in the chest!
Locke stumbles backwards and falls into the grave ditch.
Ben looks down. Smoke wafts from the pistol in his hand.
"What did Jacob say to you?" Ben asks desperately.
Locke stammers. The bullet lodged in his ribcage doesn't feel so good.
"Help me ..." Locke says.
Ben scoffs.
"He said, 'help me,'" Locke groans.
Ben's face drops. These two words -- "help me" -- send Ben's world spiraling.
"Well, I certainly hope he helps you, John," Ben says vengefully. He walks off.
Locke sputters at the bottom of the grave. He's shot and bleeding and dying in a mass grave!
And then it ends!
Allright. My head is spinning and I need to sort a few things out:

• Just to be clear: Locke isn't dead ... yet. He's dying, but I'm betting that Richard Alpert and Tom swoop in to save the day. Or, the island's healing properties kick in and Locke stages a miraculous recovery.
• Ben's "power' is waning. In the scenes with Alpert, Tom and Mikhail, it's clear that the Others are growing tired of Ben's shenanigans. Is Ben about to be ostracized? Or worse, tossed into the Dharma grave?
• It appears that Jacob -- whatever he/it is -- favors Locke over Ben, and this is driving Ben nutty. Ben might be able to "see" Jacob, but Jacob sent his secret message ("help me") to Locke.
• Why does the all-powerful, all-knowing, list-making Jacob need help? What's wrong with him? Did he misplace his VisiCream?

Point 2

The backstory chronicles Ben's history on the island, and it is loaded with easter eggs and Dharma details. I'm sure I'll miss some of them, so please chime in with your observations via the comments mechanism.
So here's what we learn in Ben's Tragic Backstory:

• As noted, Ben wasn't born on the island. He was, however, born in the woods. His mother, Emily, and his father, Roger, were hiking near Portland (Oregon, I'm assuming), when Ben decided to arrive two months early. Emily successfully delivered Ben, but something went wrong and she died moments after Ben's arrival.
• Emily's death sent Roger to a bad, bad place. He blames Ben for killing his wife, which doesn't lend itself to a healthy father-son relationship. Their issues are manifested annually when Roger consistently forgets about Ben's birthday.
• Roger's friendship with a man named Horace Goodspeed (who has a name like that?) brings Roger and Ben to the island as Dharma recruits. Horace and Roger bonded when Horace tried to help Emily after Ben's unexpected birth. Years later, Horace joined up with Dharma and invited Roger and Ben to live/work on the island.
• Ben is around 10 years old when he and his father come to Dharma World. In flashbacks, we see Dharma in its heyday. Apollo Bars are abundant. The submarine is shiny and new. The dock is painted and "Namaste" signs welcome new recruits.
• Roger and Ben's fresh start on the island doesn't last very long. Moments after arriving, Roger discovers that he's been hired as a janitor (a "work man"), which doesn't sit well.
• As a young boy, Ben is a sullen little fella with big round glasses (he's Harry Potter's doppleganger). He manages to befriend a girl named Annie. On his birthday, sweet-hearted Annie gives Ben two wooden dolls: a boy (Ben) and a girl (Annie). In the present day, we see that the Annie doll is one of Ben's treasured keepsakes.
• We witness two very interesting events in Ben's early Dharma experience: First, we see him in a classroom. His teacher, Olivia (Horace Goodspeed's significant other), is teaching a class on volcanoes. She tells the class that the island's volcano is dormant, but as she activates a classroom volcano prop, a low rumble echoes through the island. Is this another case of the island's Stay-Puft "think it and it will happen" ability?
  Second, as the rumble echoes, shouting is heard outside the classroom and an alarm starts to blare. Olivia instructs the children to take their "positions." She then grabs a rifle (always a good thing to have in a classroom) and perches near a window. Outside, armed Dharma drones dart around the compound. Little Ben is wide-eyed and scared out of his mind, but Annie (who's an old Dharma pro) calms him. "Don't worry, it's just the hostiles," she says.
• Months go by and Roger and Ben grow further apart. Roger continues to fume about his low-level employment, and he drowns his sorrows in case after case of Dharma beer. Ben withdraws further into himself -- his only friend appears to be Annie -- and his internal turmoil soon manifests itself with "visions" of his dead mother.
  But are they visions?
  During one particularly bad birthday, Ben runs into the woods and encounters the Sonic Death Fence. It hums menacingly. Suddenly, his mother appears on the opposite side. He starts to run toward her, but she stops him in his tracks. "It's not time yet, Benjamin," she says.
  This Mother Event proves to be pivotal both in Ben's island existence and Dharma's ultimate demise.
• Sometime later, young Ben uses a secret pass code to disable the Sonic Death Fence and wander into dark territory. Moving into the jungle, he hears those familiar whispers (they appear to be a hallmark of the Hostiles). Thinking his mother is near, he runs and calls for her.
  A figure appears, but it's not his mother.
  It's Richard Alpert!
  At this point, Ben is still 10 or 11 years old, but Alpert -- who in the present day seems to be around Ben's age -- is in his 20s. Perhaps the age discrepancy is intentional, or maybe they want us to believe that Alpert is 10-12 years older than Ben. Regardless, it's jarring to see Eyeliner Alpert and little Ben together.
  Anywho ... young Ben tells Alpert that he saw his mother and this causes Alpert's eyebrow to unconsciously crawl up. Dead mother, eh? Verrrry interesting ....
  Ben says he wants to join the Hostiles and Alpert, based on Ben's mother revelation, is open to the idea. He seems to sense that Ben has a connection to the island, and that connection could prove useful. But there's a hitch: Ben may be able to join the Hostiles down the road, but for now he will need to be very patient.
• Alpert wasn't kidding about that patient thing. The story jumps ahead by at least a decade. Young Ben is now Current Ben (well, current Ben plus more hair -- so he's "younger current Ben") and, in the final flashback sequence, we see that Ben has followed in his father's "Work Man" footsteps. He wears the same janitor jumpsuit and carries himself in the same low-man-on-the-Namaste-pole way.
  Once again, it's Ben's birthday, and once again, Roger has forgotten. But the years seem to have softened ol' Rog, so, to make up for decades of neglect, he invites his son to tag along in his blue Dharma van so they can drive up to the "mesa" and share a few beers.
  Ben agrees, so the two zip off. As they drive, "Shambala" plays over the Van's speakers (this is the same song that blares from the same van when Hurley and the boys get it running in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead"). They reach the mesa (the steep hill also seen in "Tricia Tanaka") and Ben asks his father if he truly believes that Ben killed his mother.
  "What do I know," Roger mumbles.
  Ben doesn't really care about the answer. He looks at his watch then reaches into a bag and takes out a gas mask.
  "You know, I've missed her too, maybe as much as you have," Ben says, referring to dead mom. "But the difference is, for as long as I can remember, I've had to put up with you. And doing that required a tremendous amount of patience."
  Ben puts the gas mask on and pulls the pin on a can of fumes.
  Gas swirls around the cabin of the van. Blood drips from Roger's nose and he shakes violently.
  Godspeed, Roger Work Man.
  After dispatching dad, Ben keeps his gas mask on and walks back to Dharmaville. The grounds are littered with dead Dharma drones. They've all been gassed.
  Richard Alpert and other gas-mask-clad hostiles appear. Alpert removes his mask and asks Ben if they'd like him to retrieve his father.
  "No, leave him out there," Ben says, completing his journey to the Dark Side. And that's that.

The backstory inspires a host of questions, including:

• What is the genesis of the Hostiles vs. Dharma conflict? When Ben and Roger arrive on the island, the "battle" has been going on for some time. We don't know how or why it started.
• Who are the Hostiles? Are they island natives? How does/did their society function? Is Alpert a Hostile? If so, he appears to be well educated and well versed in guerilla warfare -- so how did he learn these things? Where did he learn these things?
• How does Jacob factor into all this? Is Jacob connected to the Hostiles? Are Smokey and Jacob one in the same, or does Jacob use Smokey to "take form"?
• How did Ben become leader of the Others? At first it seems that Alpert has seniority over him, but in the final flashback sequence, Ben is in control. What happened?
• How does former hatch inhabitant Kelvin fit into all this? Was he the last remaining Dharma drone? How did he survive? Was he on the island during the purge, or did he arrive later?
• How do the DeGroots and Alvar Hanso fit in? Were they ever on the island, or did they simply come up with the master plan and monitor from afar?
• What happened to Annie?

Point 3

This week's beach scenes are set-ups for the oncoming castaway/Other battle, but we do receive one big, juicy revelation: Juliet's secret is out.
Sawyer returns to camp with the tape recorder in tow (remember, Locke gave him the recorder at the end of "The Brig"). At first, Sawyer only shares the news with Sayid, but Kate eventually finds out and, later, Sayid and Sawyer stage a town meeting with the rest of the castaways.
As expected, people freak when they discover that Juliet and her Other friends plan on kidnapping all the pregnant women (Sun, perhaps Kate, maybe they'll even dig up Nikki just for good measure). But as the townspeople prepare their torches and pitchforks, Jack and Juliet suddenly appear.
See, the J&J duo promptly left camp after Kate told them about Naomi and her rescue ship. We don't know where they went or what they did, but when they return they add another little twist to the plot.
We learn that Juliet told Jack about Ben's pregnancy plan. Juliet (we presume) is double-crossing Ben and Jack (we presume) is formulating a counter-attack. Juliet manages to temporarily save her hide by instructing Sawyer to play the other side of the tape. That's when we hear Ben's latest instructions:
"Juliet, it's Ben [No kidding], I'm sending three teams to extract Kwon the night after tomorrow. We won't have time to run Austen's sample, so if you determine that she and anyone else is pregnant, mark their tents and we'll take them too. Good luck."
Juliet then reveals that after she saw Sun's ultrasound ("D.O.C.") she spilled the beans to Jack. Sayid, who's tired of all these ridiculous secrets, asks Jack why he didn't share this vital bit of information.
"Because I hadn't decided what to do about it yet," Jack says. Question: When did Jack become General Patton?
Jack looks around at the assembled castaways.
"I think we've got some catching up to do," he says.
And that'll lead us straight into next week ...
Point 4

A few closing questions and observations:

• Best Line: "You said that if I killed my father you'd tell me everything I wanted to know about the island ... *THUNK* ... so why don't you start at the beginning." -- Locke to Ben, after presenting Cooper's gift wrapped corpse.
• Second Best Line: "I guess we've got some catching up to do." -- Jack, with the understatement of the season.
• Mikhail says his survival is due to the Sonic Death Fence not being set on a "lethal level." Apparently, it was set to the much lower "shoot blood from every orifice" level.
• This episode features three interesting casting tidbits: 1. Emily (Ben's mom) is played by Carrie Preston, who is married to Michael Emerson (Ben). Oedipus, anyone? 2. Ben's dad (Roger) is played by Jon Gries, who is best known as Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite." 3. And finally, "X-Files" fans may have recognized Horace Goodspeed (Doug Hutchinson) as one of the great "X-File" villains of all time, Eugene Victor Tooms.

That's all I've got! Be sure to drop by the "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture.
Next Episode:
"Greatest Hits" -- Jack whips up an Other plan. Sayid uncovers a flaw in the Others' system. Charlie is in great peril. All in all, just another day on the island. Airs Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

 

[Rack]

So now there's an invisible man on Lost... this show is just getting crappier and crappier.