1.11 - All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

Title’s significance: What a strange title. No one actually says this line during the show, but most of the characters have “daddy issues” – Jack (the focus of this episode), Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Walt, Sun (we’ll find out about some of these later on).

Recap: Via flashbacks, the strained relationship between Jack and his father is explored; Jack caught Christian drunk in the operating room, which is apparently a surgical no-no. Everyone’s looking for Ethan once Hurley reveals that Ethan Rom’s name isn’t on the flight manifest. Jack and Locke go off into the jungle, tracking footprints; wanting to help, Kate and Boone join the search party. Locke doesn’t want Jack along in case something happens, but Jack’s stubborn because he feels guilty about not believing Claire. The teams split up to follow the trails while Sayid tells Sawyer that he heard the whispers. Boone becomes an apprentice of sorts for Locke, and Ethan threatens to kill someone if Jack continues his pursuit. Jack and Kate find Charlie hanging lifeless from a tree, but Jack resuscitates him just when all hope seems lost (Get it? Lost?). Charlie reveals that “All they wanted was Claire.” But who’s they? Meanwhile, Locke and Boone find a mysterious hunk of steel buried in the jungle.

Thoughts: Another Jack-centric episode – you know my policy on those. This character has the most self-pitying backstory. Lucky for us, John Terry is a fantastic character actor, and we never really know what to think about Christian. This episode continues the sharp left turn LOST is taking from “survivor drama” to “what’s up with this island?” and as Ethan, William Mapother is riveting, but he’s just a forerunner of what’s to come – we get a hint of this when Locke and Boone find the hunk of metal in the jungle – which we fans know is... The Hatch.

Favorite moment: Hurley – “Back home? I’m known as something of a warrior myself.” (If it’s not obvious by this point, Hurley might be my favorite character during this rewatch.)

Characters introduced (in order):

• No characters introduced this episode.

What we learned:

• Christian’s alcoholism interfered with his work and led to his getting fired when Jack “testified” against him.
• Walt theorizes that Ethan was on the island before the plane crashed.
• Locke used to work for a box company; Boone doesn’t believe him.
  Kate’s dad was in the army – that’s how she knows how to track.
• Hurley owes Walt $20,000 in backgammon bets.
• Boone’s mother is “the Martha Stewart of matrimony,” and he runs a branch.

Questions:

• Why did Ethan kidnap Claire?
• Who’s Ethan working for/with?
• Who else is on the island...?
• Who are “The Others”?
• Who are the “they” Charlie talks about?
• Are the four above questions variations on the same question?
• I think it’s open to interpretation: was alcohol a factor in Christian’s surgical mishap?
• Walt keeps rolling what he needs in backgammon and says he’s the luckiest person his step-dad knows – is there something supernatural at play?
• How can Hurley pay off his extreme backgammon debts to Walt, like he promises he can?
• The big question, though: what is buried in the jungle?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Questions surrounding Claire’s interest to Ethan and the Others is still of significant importance to the show, since the issue of on-island pregnancy is still hot button. Will we get the final word about on-island pregnancies?