1.13 - Hearts and Minds

Title’s significance: “Hearts and minds” is a military technique to conquer a region psychologically before militarily, which I suppose could be related both to Shannon’s treatment of Boone as well as the hallucinations Locke puts Boone through.

Recap: We learn a little about Boone’s backstory; he’d come to Australia to rescue Shannon from a violent lover, the third time he’d bought Shannon out of a relationship, only to learn it was all a setup for Shannon to get the money. But Bryan steals all the money, and Boone and Shannon get it on in Sydney but agree to pretend that their brush with incest didn’t happen. On the island, Locke and Boone are unearthing “The Hatch” out in the jungle, and suspicion brews about why they haven’t been bringing back boar meat. Out of nowhere, Locke knocks Boone out and ties him up, promising that letting go of some things will be good for him; he abandons Boone in the jungle. Jin teaches Hurley how to fish, while Sayid discovers that there’s some kind of electromagnetic interference rampant on the island. Boone frees himself and tries to rescue Shannon from the monster, but he fails, only to learn that all this was a psychological test Locke gave Boone, with the help of a psychedelic paste. Having let go, Boone’s now ready to continue his work with Locke.

Thoughts: Boone finally gets his own flashback, but like the rest of the show, Locke ends up stealing the episode with his seemingly malicious test. Sayid’s compass mystery is more important on this rewatch than I remembered it being the first time around, but what’s still the focal point for me is the slightly creepy sexual relationship Shannon and Boone had. How can two attractive people skeeze you out so much? I don’t care that they’re not really related. I suppose, then, that this shock value plotline is ultimately too distracting for its own good. But there’s enough mythological interest – especially with this Hatch – to keep any viewer going.

Favorite moment: Hurley runs out of frame with a bunch of giant leaves: “Dude, these aren’t for eating [stomach growls] ’Scuse me.” Additionally, Locke’s anecdote about Michelangelo is interesting if only because of Terry O’Quinn’s astounding delivery. And Shannon’s “death” scene floored me the first time; here, though, it’s lost some of its luster.

Characters introduced (in order):

• BRYAN, Shannon’s abusive Australian boyfriend

What we learned:

• The island is making Shannon’s feet swell.
• Sayid's got a little crush on Shannon.
• Boone was in Australia rescuing Shannon from an abusive relationship.
• Sun is cultivating a garden.
• From the flashback, we learn that Sawyer was arrested in Sydney at one point.
• Boone and Shannon are step-siblings, not blood relations.
• Boone had to pay off three of Shannon’s lovers, but she was scamming him the whole time.
• Kate learns that Sun speaks English.
• Locke was once a Webelo (“halfway between a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout”).
• Sayid suggests that electromagnetic interference may be why his compass is defective.
• There’s a rumor that Jin speaks English.
• Boone was in love with Shannon! (Sketchapalooza alert...)

Questions:

• Why is Sayid’s compass funky?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Locke tells Jack that mankind is “the most dangerous predator of them all.” Of course, we know that boars aren’t the most dangerous thing on the island. What is?
• Charlie delivers what might be the most prescient line of the entire first season: “If there’s one person on this island I would put my absolute faith in to save us all, it’d be John Locke.” It’s such a curiously Christological way of talking about trust, and with all else we know about Locke it seems too deliberate for the writers not to have known all along what they were going to do with Locke. After Season Five, Locke “saving us all” might be tricky, but I maintain that Locke (despite being dead) is going to play an integral role in the final season.