1.19 - Deus Ex Machina

Title’s significance: “Deus ex machine” literally means, “god out of the machine,” a reference to the Greek playwright tradition of using a god character to quickly rectify a messy plot; it’s become a catch-all of a cop-out, too-easy ending. This episode doesn’t boast such an ending, but it does feature Locke’s vision as a divine message guiding him out of an impossible situation. Lostpedia also posits the episode literally has two “gods” coming out of machines – the Virgin Mary statues in the airplane and the light out of the hatch.

Recap: In flashbacks, Locke meets his mother, who claims he was immaculately conceived. He later meets his birth father, who plays nice but eventually cons him out of a kidney (and Mommy was in on it). On the island, Locke and Boone’s attempts to open the hatch prove fruitless; a trebuchet fails, and Locke injures his leg, temporarily costing him the ability to walk. Locke demands persistence, claiming that the island will guide him. Meanwhile, Sawyer experiences bad headaches, which we learn are caused by farsightedness that Jack rectifies by improvising a pair of glasses. Locke gets the sign he wants and follows a vision to a wrecked single-engine airplane. Boone gets into the plane, but it falls off the cliff upon which it’s precariously placed – but not before Boone makes a distress call, which reaches people who claim to be the survivors of Oceanic 815. Locke brings Boone back to camp, and Jack gets ready to do his doctor thing while Locke finally gets the sign he’s been looking for – a light comes on in the hatch.

Thoughts: Locke’s backstory gets another wrinkle, but we still don’t know how he became paralyzed. Written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (the showrunners), “Deus Ex Machina” was outstanding, gripping, and just plain well-written. Poor Locke has the most dysfunctional parents known to man, and it’s no wonder that he’s such a determined fellow now. Props also to Terry O’Quinn for knocking it out of the park this episode.

Favorite moment: I love Locke and any time he gets a featured episode, but my favorite moment has to go to his eerie vision of a bloodied Boone chanting “Theresa falls up the stairs, Theresa falls down the stairs.” That, or Sawyer’s newfangled glasses and Hurley’s “Dude, looks like someone steamrolled Harry Potter” quip.

Characters introduced (in order):

• EMILY LOCKE, Locke’s mother
• ANTHONY COOPER, Locke’s father
• FRAINEY, a private detective Locke hires

What we learned:

• Locke once worked in a Wal-Mart type store.
• Locke’s favorite game is Mouse Trap.
• Sawyer’s has hyperopia – he’s farsighted.
• Oceanic 815 wasn’t the first plane to crash on the island; apparently, Nigerian drug runners did, too.
• Sawyer’s grandfather died of a brain tumor.
• Sawyer’s contracted the services of a prostitute and contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
• Boone’s nanny Theresa died falling on the stairs, and Boone feels guilty about this.
• Locke’s father stole a kidney from him.

Questions:

• Why did the island take away Locke’s ability to walk?
• Who were the Nigerians who crashed on the island?
• Who did Boone reach on the plane’s radio system? Why did they claim to be the survivors of Flight 815?
• Is Boone gonna make it?
• What’s down in the hatch that a light could just come on?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Locke talks about the island testing his faith and sending signs. Why would the island test Locke’s faith?
• “Daddy issues” are eventually what drive the Season Five finale to its close – Ben looks at Jacob as a father, and here we get an odd kinship between Ben’s chosen father and Locke’s birth father. How many more fathers are going to screw up?

1.18 - Numbers

Title’s significance: This episode introduces us to the mystery of “the numbers,” which recur throughout the show and which helped Hurley win the lottery.

Recap: Hurley gets flashbacks this week, illustrating the misfortunes that followed his lottery win. Hurley believes the numbers, which he learned from a mental patient, are cursed. On island, the survivors want to get a battery from Rousseau to power a distress signal on the new raft. On Rousseau’s maps, Hurley sees a familiar set of numbers – 4 8 15 16 23 42 – the winning lottery numbers that got him a near-record jackpot. Locke and Claire set up a hobbies section in the jungle and build a cradle for the baby as a birthday gift for Claire. Hurley sets out in search of Rousseau, hoping she has answers about The Numbers, but she’s relocated. Hurley finds Rousseau, who says she doesn’t know what The Numbers mean but who agrees they’re cursed. Hurley brings back the battery the survivors needed and admits to Charlie that he’s a big time lottery winner and that the plane crash might have been his bad luck’s fault, but Charlie doesn’t believe him. Back at The Hatch, we see that The Numbers are stamped on the side.

Thoughts: I really liked this episode, partly because Hurley’s one of my new favorite characters, but also because the show takes us in a side direction without feeling like we’re losing focus of the most important things. I also loved the self-consciousness Hurley exhibits when he talks about all the mysteries on the island and acknowledges that he’s “just along for the ride” but “Now? I want some friggin’ answers!” (Sorry, Hurley, I don’t think the monster is “a pissed-off giraffe.”)

Favorite moment: Hurley’s bad-to-worse flashbacks are deftly executed, but the best line is when he says, “I can make it. I’m spry.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• 4 8 15 16 23 42
• CARMEN REYES, Hurley’s mom
• DIEGO & LISA, Hurley’s brother and sister-in-law
• TITO, Hurley’s grandpa
• LEONARD SIMMS, a mental patient who obsessively repeats The Numbers
• MARTHA TOOMEY, the wife of Sam Toomey (who taught Leonard The Numbers)

What we learned:

• Hurley is a big-time lottery winner.
• Hurley owns the box company that Locke worked for.
• Hurley spent time in a mental institution.
• Hurley was in Australia to meet the man who taught Leonard The Numbers.
• Sam Toomey killed himself to escape The Numbers.
• The Numbers might be cursed.
• The island gave Hurley a fresh start and new luck away from The Numbers.
• The signal broadcasting The Numbers is what brought Rousseau to the island.
• Locke built a cradle for Claire’s baby.
• Claire and her baby are going to have birthdays close together, which Locke says is good luck.
• The Numbers are stamped on the side of The Hatch.

Questions:

• What’s the significance of The Numbers?
• Why does “using” The Numbers lead to problems?
• If Hurley is coming back to the mental institution, why was he there in the first place?
• Where did Sam Toomey learn The Numbers?
• Are The Numbers cursed?
• Who’s been broadcasting The Numbers from the island?
• Why are The Numbers stamped on the side of The Hatch?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• I’m sure The Numbers are going to come up again in the final season, but the writers have pretty much said we won’t get a full explanation of them (which might not be so bad, so there's at least some wiggle room for interpretation).

1.17 - ...In Translation

Title’s significance: HAHAHA! Get it? Lost in translation? HAHAHA! Because they don’t speak English!

Recap: Flashbacks explore Jin’s job with Sun’s father, which it turns out was as a mafia-style enforcer – a job Jin found distasteful. On island, Jin gets suspicious about Sun and Michael, while Michael learns that Walt isn’t too keen on rafting off the island. Questions mount about who’s going on the raft with Michael, Walt, and Sawyer, but the question becomes moot when the raft is set on fire; Michael suspects Jin, but Locke’s loitering around suspiciously. Sayid asks Boone for his blessing with Shannon, but Boone warns him about Shannon’s childlike instincts. Sawyer attacks Jin, blaming him for the raft fire, and Michael and Jin fight it out on the beach, where Jin learns that Sun can speak English; the two temporarily split up over this. Locke tells the survivors that “The Others” burned the raft, and Michael decides to build a new raft. Over backgammon, Locke asks Walt why he burned the raft, and he confesses it’s because h doesn’t want to move and he likes living on the island. Jin and Michael make up when Jin offers to help build the raft.

Thoughts: The writers did a solid job here, turning Jin from a cold and controlling foreigner into a character we understand and want to root for. The episode also does a good job with a self-contained mystery that ends up establishing significant plot elements for the rest of the season. Kudos also to whoever came up with the ending of the episode, in which all seems like it’s going to be well – and then the batteries in Hurley’s CD player die. It’s ominous, it’s foreboding, and it’s a fantastic bit of foreshadowing.

Favorite moment: Shannon gives Locke a long-winded message for Boone, and Locke casually remarks while slicing open a frog, “Should I be writing all this down?” Later, Sawyer telling Jin, “It’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ time now” is both bone-chilling and inside-reference entertaining. But Locke’s “We’re not the only people on this island, and we all know it!” stands as my favorite line from this episode, hands down.

Characters introduced (in order):

• MR. PAIK, Sun’s industrialist father
• BYUNG HAN, a politician in Mr. Paik’s pocket
• JIN'S FATHER

What we learned:

• Jin comes from a fishing village.
• Jin’s father isn’t really dead, like he’s been claiming.
• Mr. Paik nominally runs a car company.
• There’s only room for four people on the raft and only one open spot since Sawyer bought a seat.
• The raft’s on fire!
• Jin’s puppy came as a bribe while working for Mr. Paik.
• Sun reveals to everyone that she can speak English.
• Jin was trying to put out the fire on the raft.
• Jin moves out of the caves to the beach.
• Jin was in Sydney and going to L.A. to deliver watches to Mr. Paik’s associates – but he was going to quit right after that to save his marriage.
• Walt burned the raft.
• Shannon and Sayid are buddy-buddy now.
• The batteries in Hurley’s CD player are dead.

Questions:

• What was Hurley doing on Korean television?
• What’s the story behind Locke’s relationship with his father?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• “We’re not the only people on this island, and we all know it!”

1.16 - Outlaws

Title’s significance: The obvious outlaw in this episode is Sawyer, but we find out he’s part of a network of outlaws, and his hunting expedition with Kate adds another outlaw to the cabal. These two are the outlaws of the island, which suggests that they’ve got to stick together.

Recap: Flashbacks show us Sawyer’s traumatic childhood as well as his attempts to find the real Sawyer, the man who ruined his life. An associate of Sawyer’s fingers Frank Duckett, but after Sawyer kills him he learns that Duckett was innocent. While in Australia to get his revenge, Sawyer meets Christian. On island, a boar works its way into Sawyer’s tent, and he sets out on a mission of vengeance, while Kate tags along to talk him down and to recover the gun he’s hoarding. Claire tells Charlie she’s starting to remember, but Charlie sets off to bury Ethan, while Sayid warns Charlie that killing Ethan is going to stick with him. Sawyer and Kate play “I never,” while Locke suggests that the boar might be a reincarnation of one of Sawyer’s enemies. It’s implied that the boar might by Frank Duckett, but Sawyer lets the boar live. Claire and Charlie bond, and Sawyer realizes that Jack is Christian’s son.

Thoughts: The very idea of Sawyer looking for revenge on a boar is outstandingly original, but his motivation is of course more complex than that. This episode also solidifies the idea that the identity of the real Sawyer is going to be important (we won’t learn who it is until Season Three, “The Brig”). But I’m starting to remember why I got frustrated with LOST – this episode again feels like the writers are stalling. I get it: this is a show about characters, but there’s too much important mythology being neglected!

Favorite moment: Hurley’s suggestion that Ethan is going to return as a zombie and kill him first “Because I’m heavy... and I get cramps.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• SAWYER’S MOM & DAD
• HIBBS, a fellow con man
• FRANK DUCKETT, presumed to be the real Sawyer

What we learned:

• Sawyer hears the whispers.
• Jack is keeping Kate’s secret.
• Sawyer is hanging on to the gun he used to capture Ethan.
• Sawyer knew Christian while in Australia.
• Sawyer has the liquor cart from the airplane.
• Kate has never been to college.
• Sawyer never kissed a man, but Kate has.
• Kate never lied about going to college, but Sawyer has.
• Sawyer and Kate have never been to Disneyland.
• Kate never wore pink, but Sawyer has. (“It was the 80s...”)
• Sawyer never voted Democrat, but Kate never voted at all.
• Sawyer’s never been in love, but Kate has.
• Kate’s never had a one night stand, but Sawyer sure has.
• Sawyer’s never been married, but Kate has.
• Sawyer and Kate have both killed someone.
• Locke was adopted at one point, and he had a foster sister Jeannie who died but may have been reincarnated as a golden retriever.
• Sawyer’s first name is really James.
• Both Christian and Jack think the Red Sox will never win the World Series (keep an eye out on this one).
• Christian was actually thankful and proud of what Jack did by admitting his father was impaired during surgery.
• Sayid killed a man’s family with a car bomb.
• Sawyer killed Frank Duckett, but he was the wrong man.

Questions:

• What was the Tampa Job that Sawyer and Hibbs worked?
• What’s the story behind Kate’s short marriage?
• If Frank Duckett wasn’t the real Sawyer, who was?
• Did Sawyer ever get revenge on Hibbs for using him?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Will being reincarnated as an animal come up in Season Six, especially with all these dead people on the show? Is Vincent a reincarnated person?
• Will Sawyer and Kate ever get to Disneyland?
• Christian says “It’s fate – some people are just born to suffer.” Is this true?

1.15 - Homecoming

Title’s significance: This episode marks Claire’s “homecoming” of sorts

Recap: In flashbacks, we learn about Charlie’s girlfriend Lucy, whose father helped Charlie find a white-collar job after Driveshaft went kaput; Charlie was actually stealing from her family to fund his fix, and when Lucy found out she pushed him away. Claire returns to camp, but she can’t remember anything about the survivors or where she was taken; the last thing she remembers is the plane ride. Charlie tenders her diary in hopes of restoring her memory. While bonding with Jin, Charlie meets up with Ethan again, who demands Claire back and threatens to start killing survivors. The survivors ready for Ethan’s attack, but Jack refuses to dole out the guns found in Kate’s case. Claire gets upset when Charlie doesn’t tell her about Ethan’s demand, and after Ethan kills Scott, Jack and Locke share the guns, setting up Claire as bait for Ethan. As the survivors go off, Charlie stares pensively; there’s a tousle at the rendezvous point, but the survivors capture Ethan alive. Charlie puts a stop to that, though, when he blows Ethan away. Claire tells Charlie she remembers peanut butter, and she says she wants to trust him.

Thoughts: After three episodes of spinning their wheels, LOST gets its forward momentum back with “Homecoming,” which provided a lot of character motivation for Charlie but also pushed this “Others on the island” plotline in a new direction – apparently a dead end, with Ethan’s death.

Favorite moment: “Looks like Steve drew the short stick.” “Dude, that was Scott.” I also liked how Jack warned the survivors that they might end up shooting each other rather than the Others, since that's exactly what happens in Season Two.

Characters introduced (in order):

• LUCY HEATHERTON, Charlie’s love interest
• FRANCIS, Lucy’s father
• TOMMY, Charlie’s mate who helps him find heroin

What we learned:

• Claire’s back, and she’s got severe amnesia.
• Ethan must know the island very well.
• Ethan killed Scott.
• Locke knows how to use a gun (or is really good at faking it).
• Charlie had a job selling copiers off-island.
• Charlie killed Ethan.
• Charlie’s motivation for caring for Claire comes from Lucy having told him, “You’ll never take care of anyone.”
• Claire remembers peanut butter.

Questions:

• How did Claire make her way back to the survivors?
• Where’s she been?
• Why doesn't Claire remember anything?
• What sort of ramifications will there be from killing Ethan?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Nothing really came up in this episode.

1.14 - Special

Title’s significance: Locke – and the viewing audience at home – believe that Walt might be “special” beyond just normal everyday specialness. We’re talking Jedi special.

Recap: Michael and Walt get a set of flashbacks that reveal that Michael still cares about his son, even after being hit by a car and having his wife leave him, taking Walt with her; when she died, Michael had to step in. On one occasion, Walt demanded his stepfather look at a bird – which then flew into the window. On island, Walt disappears briefly, but it turns out he’s learning how to throw knives with Locke. Locke gives Michael parenting tips – treat Walt like an adult – but turns Walt away from this point forward. Sayid uses Rousseau’s map to find what may be the transmitter’s source, while Michael wants to build a raft to get off the island and enlists Walt’s unwitting help (“Am I being punished?”). Shannon tries to seduce Boone into helping, but he’s so over her that it’s not even funny. Charlie seeks out Claire’s diary, which has suspiciously gone missing, but Sawyer surrenders it. Walt disappears again, and Locke volunteers to help. Michael ends up saving Walt from a polar bear, and the two are cool again. Charlie breaks down and reads Claire’s diary, learning that she really did fancy him and finding a curious reference to a “black rock” – could this be the same “black rock” Rousseau talked about? And using his dog whistle, Locke finds a runaway in the jungle – Claire.

Thoughts: This is the third episode in a row where LOST really seems to be spinning its wheels. I know this is a show about characters first and then mythology second, but at such a critical juncture it feels like we’re in need of some good forward momentum. Fortunately, a last-minute cliffhanger gets us ready to start moving forward again.

Favorite moment: I just love how this episode establishes Michael as someone who constantly loses his son and yells his name. That, and Charlie agonizing over whether or not to read Claire’s diary. Oh yeah, and Shannon wearing the shortest skirt on the island.

Characters introduced (in order):

• SUSAN LLOYD, Walt’s mother
• BRIAN PORTER, Susan’s boss and Walt’s stepdad

What we learned:

• Michael loves to yell “WAAAAAAALT!”
• Walt is named after his grandfather, but his last name is Lloyd (not Dawson, like his old man).
• Michael’s going to build a raft, which Sayid thinks is dangerous.
• Michael burns Walt’s Spanish comic book.
• We knew Michael didn’t have much to do with Walt’s childhood, but now we know it’s because Walt’s mom took him out of the country for a long time.
• Walt might have “caused” a bird to crash into a window.
• Michael’s mom died of a blood disorder but gave custody of Walt to Michael.
• Claire really did fancy Charlie!

Questions:

• Where does Rousseau’s map lead?
• There’s a polar bear in Walt’s comic book. There’s more than one polar bear on the island. Coincidence?
• Why is Michael “holding on” – for Walt or for himself?
• Did Walt somehow cause the Bronze Kahuku to crash into the window?
• Is Claire’s black rock the same as Rousseau’s black rock?
• Where has Claire been all this time?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Michael says that building a raft is “taking control of our destiny.” Is this even possible, especially on the island?
• Walt hasn’t been on the show much in the most recent seasons, but it might not be too far removed for us to suggest he might come up as important again – especially if the “Jughead plan” works like it’s supposed to.

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.

1.12 - Whatever The Case May Be

Title’s significance: Another charming pun from LOST, this time referring to the mysterious case that Kate chases all episode.

Recap: Via flashbacks, we learned that Kate has a history of robbing banks in cahoots with an organized gang, but she betrayed her gang for what’s in Safety Deposit Box 815 (that number sounds familiar). After finding a new swimmin’ hole, Kate and Sawyer go for a dip and find airplane wreckage with a mysterious silver briefcase, which piques Kate’s interest. Rising tides force the survivors to relocate, and Sayid enlists Shannon’s help in translating Rousseau’s notes; the notes seem like nonsense, which Shannon attributes to being stranded on “Mystery Frickin’ Island” and being “not quite adjusted.” Rose tries to get Charlie to look on the bright side of life by telling him not to blame himself; Charlie breaks down but finds religion with Rose. Kate and Jack exhume the marshal to get the Halliburton key; they open the briefcase and procure a toy airplane, which Kate treasures because it belongs to the man she claims to have loved and killed. Shannon finally recognizes the French words as lyrics to the song “La Mer” and sings to Sayid.

Thoughts: This was a good little mystery for an episode, setting up bigger mysteries about Kate’s past, but ultimately there isn’t a lot to take away from this episode. I enjoyed this episode on rewatch, but after “All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues” I couldn’t help feeling like this episode was a stalling tactic while the writers figured out how to approach the coming mysteries.

Favorite moment: The whole interchange between Michael, Sawyer, and Hurley about picking the lock on a Halliburton suitcase, and Sawyer’s experiments with impact velocity. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Shannon’s “other” new bikini.

Characters introduced (in order):

• JASON, Kate’s robber boyfriend

What we learned:

• The tides are rising too quickly.
• Locke and Boone are spending an abnormal amount of time in the jungle.
• Sayid is awkward around Topless Shannon.
• Charlie isn’t talking much these days.
• Shannon’s such a quitter when it comes to translating French.
• Jack personally buried the marshal because he felt guilty over euthanizing him.
• Kate used the alias Maggie (as well as Annie).
• There’s a toy airplane in the briefcase; it belonged to the man Kate loved and killed.

Questions:

• Why are the tides rising so quickly?
• Were the bank robberies the reason Kate was wanted? If so, why was she considered extremely dangerous?
• Why has the monster been quiet the last few weeks?
• Why is the toy airplane so important to Kate?
• Who did the toy airplane belong to? Why did Kate kill him – the man she claims to have loved?
• Does “La Mer” have any significance beyond Rousseau being crazy? (Spoilers: No, it doesn’t.)

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• I didn’t think anything of it the first time, but the fact that the tides are rising abnormally quickly might have something to do with the time distortion surrounding the island.
• It’s a slim chance, but I have to wonder if Kate is ever going to run into Jason again, especially since he promised to kill her (and promises have a way of coming back when you least expect them on this show).

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?

1.10 - Raised by Another

Title’s significance: Straight out of the psychic’s dialogue – Claire is the only person who is supposed to raise her baby.

Recap: In flashbacks, Claire’s pregnancy was unexpected; she wanted to follow through with it, but her beau Thomas ditched her. After twice consulting an apparently legit psychic who told her that no one else can raise the child, Claire decided she didn’t want to give the baby up for adoption; she followed his advice, though, and ended up on Flight 815. On the island Claire’s having strange dreams – in one, she’s already given birth, and a creepy black-and-white-eyed Locke warns her that she lost Aaron and now everyone else has to suffer. She wakes up screaming, and for some reason her hands are bloody. With Claire’s due date approaching, Charlie amps up the flirtation and the concern for Claire. Hurley elects to take a census of the island, while Jack doubts that anything really happened to Claire. Sayid returns to camp with news that the survivors aren’t alone on the island. When contractions kick in (it’s actually a false labor), Claire summons Jack, but Ethan arrives, just as Hurley realizes that Ethan was never on the plane.

Thoughts: I liked this episode a lot, even on a second viewing. Claire’s got a very interesting backstory, and her flashbacks almost always add some new wrinkle to the larger story of LOST. I also like how Hurley, who’s usually just comic relief, gets an important role in introducing a central mystery to the show. It was with this episode that we started to get a sense of the larger issues at stake on this show and a sense of the villainy at play beyond just bumblebees and polar bears.

Favorite moment: For fun, it’s the barter scene between Sawyer and Hurley – “You sure know how to butter a man up, Stay-Puft.” That, and the scenes with Richard Malkin, just for pure mythological significance.

Characters introduced (in order):

• THOMAS, the father of Claire’s baby
• RICHARD MALKIN, an especially persistent psychic that Claire consults, who’s initially distressed but who eventually tells her that no one else must raise her child

What we learned:

• Jack talked in his sleep.
• There’s something troubling about Kate’s past with her mom.
• There’s some kind of supernatural issue with Claire’s baby; someone on the island is interested in it.
• Claire puts at least some stock in the supernatural, both because of her visit to the psychic and because of her interest in horoscopes.
• Hurley’s real name is Hugo Reyes.
• Boone is a liberal.
• Charlie has conveniently kicked his drug habit off-screen.
• Hurley undertakes a census, which reveals that one of the survivors – Ethan – wasn’t on the plane.

Questions:

• What does Claire’s dream/nightmare mean?
• Why can’t anyone else raise Claire’s baby?
• Why does Claire take such offense at Charlie calling her “crazy”?
• Why won’t Hurley reveal why he doesn’t use his real name?
• Did the psychic know that Flight 815 was going to crash?
• Who’s Ethan with, if he wasn’t on the plane?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Based on what happened in Season Five with Un-Locke and the apparition of Christian with Claire, I think that the dream about B&W-Eyed Locke is going to come back into play somehow.
• Everything points to Claire needing to raise the baby herself – right down to the pens not working on the adoption forms (which reminds me a little of the thing Tom says in Season Four where the island can affect people even off-island). What significance will Claire and her baby have in the final season?

Just for the interest of those who really want to get a sense of how important I think Claire’s dream is, I’m linking to the video on YouTube: