LOST Revisited: 6-8 “Recon”
Back at the Crazy Shack, Claire shares a tender moment with Pelt Baby as Kate watches. You going to take that one too, Kate? By the way, we get a really good view of Pelt Baby in this scene, and I love it more than ever. Anyway, the Lockelganger calls a meeting – he knows everybody is confused, and he’ll make himself available to answer questions. That cracked me up, because I pictured Smokey having office hours. He says that the Black Smoke killed everybody, because he is not going to retain followers if they know the truth about him. He even takes a moment to reassure Zack and Emma that everything will be OK. We even get an awkward moment between Sawyer and Kate.
Sawyer X is making phone calls from the station – he’s running through a list of people named “Anthony Cooper”. Yep, he seems to be looking for Locke’s dad. I think we all know why, but it’s a little surprising since it seems that Locke X is still close to his father. There are any number of explanations for this, though. He lies to Miles about what he’s doing – Miles also seems to think that he was in Palm Springs, rather than Australia. Poor Miles, getting lied to like that. He’s set Sawyer up on a blind date and everything. Seems there’s a nice woman who works with his father at the museum. Does that mean Dr. Marvin Candle is alive and well in Timeline X? Because you know who was definitely on the Island when Jughead would have gone off? That guy. Heck, he was like ten feet from Ground Zero.
On the Island, Look-a-Locke announces that they’ll be making camp for a couple of days. Sawyer is impatient – he’s looking to get off the Island, and they keep making stops. So he takes Sawyer aside and admits to being the smoke monster. Sawyer is good and surprised by this. Smokey does what he seems to do best, which is tell people exactly what they need to hear. He makes it seem like it was self-preservation that motivated him to break into the Temple and kill everybody. Kill or be killed, he says, glossing over the part where he’s really hard to kill. He tells Sawyer to head to the Hydra Island for some recon – apparently there are other 316 survivors who are waiting for them and intend to do harm. Huh. Remember when he told Benry to meet him at the Hydra Station? Was he just leading him straight into a trap? Man, there are so many lies and hidden motivations this week!
Sawyer X hits the bar, looking for his blind date – it’s Charlotte! Don’t tell Faraday – that’s going to break his heart. They’re all flirty and they hit it right off. Sawyer has a nice bit where he explains that he knew he’d either have to be a cop or a criminal, and he chose cop. So, he’s torn between two opposing paths? Sounds familiar somehow.
They go back to his place, where we learn that Timeline X just doubles Sawyer’s chances of sleeping with every female member of the cast. White Oracle – you’re next! Afterwards, Charlotte finds a folder labeled “Sawyer” (and yes, even though I still call him “Sawyer X”, he’s just plain old “James Ford” in this world), and we see just enough to know that his past is still the one we know – after losing all his money in a con, Mr. Ford killed his wife and then himself. Sawyer’s defining event remains unchanged. He’s more than a little upset, and throws Charlotte out. It sort of looks like he doesn’t let her have her clothes back, which amuses me.
At the Hydra Station, Sawyer finds the bear cages where he and Kate were held captive. I think somebody’s hungry for a fish biscuit… Kate’s ruined dress is still in her cage, and it’s a neat scene of Sawyer just absolutely getting flattened by all those memories. That man has been through a lot.
On the main Island, Kate tries to strike up a conversation with Sayid. This doesn’t go well, because he’s basically an Island Zombie at this point. As Kate tries to get to the bottom of things, Claire attacks her. With a knife! Sayid just watches, neither concerned about the outcome or excited about a lady fight. Claire actually seems to be overpowering Kate, because she has crazy lady strength. But then Look-a-Locke breaks it up. He pulls Claire aside, lectures her, and slaps her hard. Isn’t it jarring to see Terry O’Quinn doing that?
Sawyer finds the plane, and it’s in remarkably good shape. Man, Frank could land a plane on a mailbox if he had to. He also sees a trail of sorts. Something’s been dragged across the beach. He follows the trail to a pile of dead bodies. And then we see somebody running away – Sawyer follows, and eventually tackles the seemingly panicked woman. She claims “I’m the only one left”, and I think she’s the Island version of Liz Lemon.
Timeline X takes us to the police station where Liam Pace is looking for is brother. You know, the dude who got arrested on a drug charge as soon as Flight 815 landed? It’s a nice reverse of the scene in Boone’s first flashback episode, where a concerned brother goes to the police for help with Sawyer in the background. Liam will have to wait, because Miles confronts Sawyer in the locker room – he knows Sawyer has been lying about a whole bunch of things, and they really get into it. Since Sawyer’s not going to share, Miles storms off, saying they can’t be partners anymore. Miles, wait! Think about the spinoff!
Back at Hydra, Island Tina Fey introduces herself as Zoey. Sorry, but that’s not going to stick. She says that she was off gathering wood when she heard the screams – when she came back, everybody was dead. You know, I can’t help but think that Smokey had something to do with that.
Kate sits by herself and cries until the Lockelganger finds her. He apologizes – he was the one who told Claire that the Others had her baby. His reasoning – she needed an enemy. She had to have somebody to hate. Look-a-Locke promises to keep everybody safe, and offers to show Kate where Sawyer went. He offers her hand, and I think it’s noteworthy that while she follows him, she doesn’t take his hand. We see some insincere handshakes in this episode, so to me it seems important that she refuses his hand. Kate Austen – Stealth Candidate!
I like the scene on Hydra, because Sawyer is giving Island Tina Fey as little information as possible – it’s a neat twist on the old days. He’s turned into an Other, giving cryptic and non-useful answers to direct questions. Finally, he’s heard enough and pulls his gun – he doesn’t believe her story. And he was right not to, because she had backup. Gun-wielding men emerge from hiding in the jungle. One of whom, according to the credits, is named “Seamus”, and I know him as Andrew Schillinger in Season Four of Oz. That kid came to bad end…
Kate and Look-a-Locke sit on the beach facing the Hydra Island. She cracks me up here, because she is not impressed by his visual aid – he could have just told her that’s where Sawyer was going. Turns out, Smokey wants to talk. He says that he had a crazy mother, which caused him problems that he’s still working his way through. And now, well, poor little Aaron has a crazy mother.
So, do we believe him? He’s said a couple of times that he was once a man, so it stands to reason that Smokey has a mother. But I don’t know if his story holds up – once again, he could be telling people what they need to hear. And the parallel with Aaron – is that just meant to scare Kate, or does Aaron play into his plans? We’ve always heard how important he is, after all. Meanwhile, back at Hydra, Island Tina Fey and Sheamus lead Sawyer to a submarine. They pass people who are setting up familiar-looking pylons.
Sawyer X drinks and watches Little House on the Prairie. In well-chosen footage, Laura worries about Ma and Pa, and Pa reassures her that “People aren’t really gone when they die”. This motivates Sawyer, who shows up at Charlotte’s door with a sunflower and a six-pack. Ha! You know, neither version of Charlotte seems like a woman who wants to put away a sixer. And sure enough, she’s not having any of it and sends him on his way. He leaves the sunflower at the door but keeps the beer. Of course.
In the sub, Sawyer finds a double-locked door. Island Tina Fey won’t tell him what’s behind that door. Instead, she takes him to meet Charles Widmore. Sawyer knows Widmore only by reputation, specifically the time he sent a freighter full of people to kill everybody. Widmore doesn’t remember things happening exactly that way, as you’d expect. Sawyer strikes a deal – he’ll deliver Look-a-Locke to Widmore, so that he can kill him. In return, Sawyer and friends get to leave the Island, unharmed.
Wait, Widmore wants to kill Smokey? Considering that I think of both of them as the bad guys, this is very unsettling. Why is this Widmore’s goal? Is he on Team Jacob? Ilana certainly doesn’t think so, as evidenced last season. I tend to believe Ilana, since she hasn’t been caught lying to anybody yet. Of course, Widmore’s been trying to get back to the Island for a very long time – even before Jacob was dead. Does Widmore want Smokey’s job? I don’t think for one moment that Widmore is being influenced by Jacob – he’s working his own game.
And again, Look-a-Locke told Benry to go to the Hydra Station – he was leading him straight into this. Was he trying to get Benry killed? Did he think Benry would kill Widmore and save him the trouble? (He seems surprised later when Sawyer tells him that he met Widmore, but it’s possible that’s all part of the long con.) Again, a lot of lies and hidden motivations on this episode. And, you know, in the series as a whole.
On the main Island, Claire apologizes to Kate – she seems sincere, but also a little deranged. Like, I wouldn’t let her hug me, because she might mean it, but she also might be trying to get a better angle for stabbing. Sawyer returns to the Island and tells Look-a-Locke about Widmore and the deal he struck. So he makes a new deal with Smokey to help ambush Widmore. Man, those two want each other dead! And Sawyer’s playing both sides, because he has seen A Fistful of Dollars.
In Timeline X, Sawyer and Miles share their feelings while in a parked car. Sawyer tells him everything – it’s information that we already have, but it’s good to see him actually share with another character. They do a good job of giving these two a real history together. Which is another reason why they should have a spinoff. Their first mission? Protect visiting Ambassador Pelt Baby. Anyway, another car slams into them, then the driver gets out and runs, with the police in pursuit. Sawyer manages to get ahead of the runner and cut her off – it’s Kate! (And at this point, I’m reminded that Sawyer X helped a handcuffed Kate elude airport security. At the time, we didn’t know he was a cop. You have to admire his commitment to pretty girls.)
Finally, we end on the Island with Kate cooking rabbit. Have to hope that wasn’t a time-traveling bunny. Sawyer sits down with her and shares his plan – he has deals with Smokey and Widmore, and while those two fight it out, they’re going to take the sub to freedom. I really want to believe that’s going to work, but I have my misgivings.
OK, it got really late on me, so I’ll save the rest of my speculation for the Pre-Game on Monday. I’ve got a bunch of lies to unravel. And I won’t be sleeping, because next week is the long-awaited Richard “Batmanuel” Alpert episode! We have been waiting forever for his back story, and I am ridiculously excited about this.
Let me know who you think is lying to whom this week, and also what the Miles and Sawyer show should be called. Man, that would be a great series.
