2.20 - Two for the Road

Title’s significance: Ana Lucia and Christian drink together – “two for the road” – but the title might also be referring to the two casualties at the end of the episode.

Recap: Ana Lucia gets a second set of flashbacks: her mother learns about Jason McCormack, and Ana Lucia takes a job with airport security where she meets Christian Shepherd, who takes her to Sydney for protection. Christian, we learn, came to Australia to see his daughter, but her mother won’t let her; Ana Lucia views Christian as pathetic and leaves Sydney. On the island, “Henry” attacks Ana Lucia and claims that she’s a killer and a “bad person,” but Locke saves her. “Henry” tells Locke that he came to retrieve Locke because he’s “one of the good ones.” Ana Lucia comes to Sawyer for a gun, and Jack brings Michael to The Swan, where Locke questions the coincidental appearance at the line. Ana Lucia jumps Sawyer and has sex with him, stealing his gun in the process. Meanwhile. Michael wakes up and claims to have found The Others, but Kate feels suspicious of the story; Michael says they can “take” The Others and promises to lead the survivors back. When Jack and the crew go to get the guns from Sawyer, they leave Ana Lucia and Michael alone in the hatch with “Henry.” Hurley gets wine for the picnic while Libby heads back to the hatch for blankets. Ana Lucia menaces “Henry” but decides against it; she gives the gun to Michael, who turns around and kills both her and Libby before freeing “Henry.”

Thoughts: This is one of my favorite episodes of Season two, and it wasn’t even written by Damon and Carlton, so what does that tell you? It’s one of those collisions of great LOST traditions – interesting flashbacks, nonstop forward momentum, powerful character development, and a jaw-dropping finale that irrevocable changes the rules of the game while setting up for what’s next.

Favorite moment: For sheer shock, it’s got to be the ending where Michael reveals his own long con and surprised the heck out of the entire viewing audience.

Characters introduced (in order):

• Christian’s mysterious BLONDE WOMAN

What we learned:

• “Henry” says that Ana Lucia is a killer and that this makes her the bad person, not The Others.
• Ana Lucia went to Australia with Jack’s father but left when she realized she needed her mother’s help.
• "Henry” says that Locke is a good person.
• Christian has a daughter in Australia.
• Michael killed Ana Lucia and Libby before freeing “Henry.”

Questions:

• Why did Christian choose the name “Sarah” for Ana Lucia? Is this a reference to Jack’s wife?
• Was “Henry” really coming for Locke?
• Who did Christian go to Australia to see?
• Does Libby remember Hurley from the hospital?
• Was Goodwin going to kill Ana Lucia?
• Why did Michael free “Henry” after killing his fellow 815ers?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• This episode is more concerned with the season’s plotlines than far-reaching mythology.