1.21 - The Greater Good

Title’s significance: Sayid tells Essam that there is a “greater good” that needs to be served by making sacrifices and overcoming anxieties.

Recap: Flashbacks reveal that Sayid worked with the CIA to stop a terrorist cell while searching for Nadia; on orders, Sayid pushes Essam in order to drive him to martyrdom so the CIA can arrest him and tell Sayid where Nadia is. On island, Jack blames Locke’s lie for Boone’s death, and a bloody Locke returns to camp for the funeral and confesses the truth about Boone’s death. Inconsolable, Shannon asks Sayid to kill Locke; Kate drugs Jack to force him to get rest. Locke and Sayid go to the smugglers’ plane, where Locke admits he was the one who knocked Sayid out and where Sayid holds Locke at gunpoint for answers. When Sayid refuses to kill Locke, Shannon steals the key to the gun case and goes after Locke herself; fortunately, she’s a crap shot and only grazes his temple. Sayid demands Locke take him to the hatch.

Thoughts: I think this was a knockout “fallout” episode, taking the momentum of Boone’s death and pushing the characters on collision courses with each other. We finally got some answers, but there are plenty more questions to be asked. I’m also relieved that they finally revealed who knocked out Sayid, since it was the only plot point so far that I didn’t remember before beginning my rewatch.

Favorite moment: Hurley trying to calm Aaron by wailing James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and the eventual reveal that Sawyer’s voice is the only thing that calms Aaron.

Characters introduced (in order):

• AGENTS COLE & HEWITT, anti-terrorism agents
• ESSAM, Sayid’s former roommate and currently a terrorist
• YUSEF & HADDAD, other terrorists

What we learned:

• Sayid was in Australia infiltrating a terrorist cell.
• Locke admits he made a mistake in not telling the truth about Boone and the plane.
• Locke knocked out Sayid and destroyed his equipment to protect people from losing hope.
• Sayid was going to L.A. to find Nadia.

Questions:

• Why did Locke lie about what happened, only to have a change of heart?
• I think this one is between the lines, especially in light of the fifth season’s events: Did Shannon miss, or did the island save Locke?
• What’s going to happen when Sayid gets to the hatch?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Nothing of long-reaching significance in this episode.