LOST Hiatus Rewatch #3 (09/09/09-09/15/09)-S2E: 22: S.O.S. Three Minutes

[Brian]

This is the discussion thread for the LOST-TV Hiatus Rewatch - Season 2 Episode 22 , "Three Minutes"

Written by : Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz

The original (or as close to original as exists) thread for this episode can be found here (http://www.losttv-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19629).

General questions about the LOST-TV Hiatus Rewatch can be posted in the LOST-TV Hiatus Rewatch thread (http://www.losttv-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37370).

Episode Description:

Michael convinces Hurley, Jack, Kate, and Sawyer to ambush the Others to rescue Walt.

[ozanna]

This is the first island flashback shedding a bit of light on what Michael has been up to. So Michael gets a gun off Locke in the hatch, hits him on the head and starts conversing with Walt on the computer. Jack comes in and Michael tells him he is going to get Walt, and locks him in with Locke. It struck me how obliging Locke was in handing out munitions so easily - sure, no worries ! Its not like Michael was a skilled gunman ! He gets away and is captured by Pickett and we have a replay of The Hunting Party. After Jack and co. are sent back to the beach gunless, Alex knocks Michael out. She did say sorry, though !

So Mrs. Klugh is trying to find out things about Walt. "Did he ever appear in a place he wasn't supposed to be ?" Is he really special ? Pickett takes blood from Michael.
One can actually see how frantic Michael is to get Walt back, and I can almost forgive him for sacrificing his friends to save his own flesh and blood.

Charlie and the vaccine for Claire "I just found this and I thought you might like it for Aaron." Gee, thanks Charlie, you're a legend ! Its OK though, he tried it himself. Well considering what else you've pumped into yourself over the last few years, thats a really good recommendation.

Sawyer finally gives the guns back to Jack who immediately asks why theres only 11. Remember Jack how you and Kate managed to lose the other 5 ? While they're sorting them out Sawyer says its time to go and to finish this off with the Others. Sayid wants to come too, but Jack says no. So Sawyer gives him a gun anyway - he is the one person who actually has a bit of military knowledge. Of course Sawyer doesn't know about the list. Good to see Sawyer sticking up for Sayid again. Eventually Michael manages to persuade Sayid not to go. What is the meaning of the list with the names of Jack, Kate, Hurley and James Ford ? Obviously this is why Michael is so insistent that Sayid doesn't go. He cleverly tells Sayid he knows he is after Henry and he doesn't want Walt's safety compromised. Sayid gives in surprisingly easily. I guess he doesn't want Walt coming to harm.

Sawyer surprisingly tells Jack he slept with Ana Lucia - he has obviously got the wrong impression of Jack and Kate in the net. Jack asks why he's telling him this, and Sawyer says "Because you're the closest thing I've got to a friend, Doc." How sad is that ! Jack has barely ever shown him anything but contempt.

Before the funeral Sayid tells Jack he thinks Michael has been compromised. Jack stares blankly at him. I sometimes wonder if Jack is basically very stupid, or just too stubborn to accept other people's POV.

After the funeral Sun calls out - she has seen a boat on the water.

[Locke 'n' Load]

EKO [helping Michael clean the blood]: For a brief time I served in a small parish in England. Every Sunday after Mass, I would see a young boy waiting in the back of the church. And then one day, the boy confessed to me that he had beaten his dog to death with a shovel. He said that the dog had bitten his baby sister on the cheek; and he needed to protect her. And he wanted to know whether he would go to hell for this. I told him that God would understand -- that he would be forgiven, as long as he was sorry. But the boy did not care about forgiveness. He was only afraid that if he did go to hell -- that dog would be there waiting for him.

I’m not sure what to make of Eko’s story about the little boy killing his dog. Does he know that Michael killed Libby and AnaLucia and knew he was not remorseful? The little boy in the story wasn’t sorry he killed the dog, but he didn’t want to go to hell because he knew the dog would be there. What is the parallel? Is Michael the little boy, and Ana and Libby represent the dog that bit his little sister? But then Walt would be the little sister, but Ana and Libby did not harm her (him). Perhaps they were an obstacle to getting him back? But how does hell fit in? Or am I just making too much of Eko’s story (boy, I miss him!)


I can’t even write about Michael now for my blood boils when I think of him. When I see his face, I want to rolf. I hope TPTB don’t try to cover up his many atrocities if/when they bring him back in S4. There is no way to justify Michael’s cold blooded murder of two innocent people.


Twice someone has said to Eko, “You don’t write, you don’t call”. Bernard did it just an episode or two ago (when he tried to recruit him to help with the SOS sign) and in this episode Charlie says the same thing to him when he finds him in the hatch at the computer.


I keep thinking that it was a pretty elaborate “show” the others put on for Michael, and a risky plan to send him back to get just the four people on the list. It seems to me they could have captured those four, one by one at anytime. They often walked the jungle alone. Why the elaborate hoax and all the trouble going through with it?

[ZIA]

I’m not sure what to make of Eko’s story about the little boy killing his dog. Does he know that Michael killed Libby and AnaLucia and knew he was not remorseful? The little boy in the story wasn’t sorry he killed the dog, but he didn’t want to go to hell because he knew the dog would be there. What is the parallel? Is Michael the little boy, and Ana and Libby represent the dog that bit his little sister? But then Walt would be the little sister, but Ana and Libby did not harm her (him). Perhaps they were an obstacle to getting him back? But how does hell fit in? Or am I just making too much of Eko’s story (boy, I miss him!)

I think Eko knew Michael killed AL and Libby. Michael wasn't sorry-he thought he was doing the right thing to get Walt back (even though later on he said Libby wasn't part of the plan, it seemed more a matter of convenience to me than a well-thought out plan.)

I thought Eko was letting Michael know that even though he somehow justified the murders in his mind, he's still a condemned man. It was more of a loose analogy-IMO.
That's all Michael gets for now, he pissed me off too much. ;)

[Locke 'n' Load]

That's all Michael gets for now, he pissed me off too much. ;)

I'm with you there, ZIA! :mad:

Thanks for the explanation of Eko's story.:)

[ZIA]

You mean; thanks for my explanation of Eko's story. I could be wrong...

[Brian]

I think you're pretty dead on in your explanation, ZIA. That's the way I interpreted it as well.

[tellthemmrekoletyoulive]

I'm glad I stopped in here. I remember that scene. I haven't re-watched, but reading you talking about it has brought it vividly to mind. And, again, I mourn the loss of Eko. There were just so many opportunities for an even more intriguing story line if AAA had stuck around.

Anyway, Zia, I think you're on to it. That is what I got out of it as well. It was pretty much an automatic assumption on my part, at least considering how I interpreted his character. I think that is why I haven't felt compelled to see it again....yet. It had a great impact on me at the time; it's almost as if seeing it again might spoil it for me.

I told you what I did when he died. I had NO idea it was coming (no spoilers, here).

[ZIA]

I told you what I did when he died. I had NO idea it was coming (no spoilers, here).

I know. I almost had a coronary. (one of many from watching LOST-BTW)

[ozanna]

Locke'n'Load - Thanks for your story of the boy killing the dog. I always figured that Eko saw that as the boy being not so much sorry for killing the dog, he was standing up for his little sister after all, but for the fact that he got caught, and would go to hell. Likewise Michael had no remorse for killing the girls (even though I think Libby just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time) and just as you said Zia Eko knew what he had done and was letting him know that he would get his dues in the end - it'll come back around. Eko was a very wise man, a bit of a tarnished saint if you like.

Btw I hate those words "it'll come back around" in "Outlaws", 'cause I always think it means Sawyer will be killed at some stage, but then I got to thinking it could mean completely the opposite, when we find out that Sawyer has all his life lived the ultimate con, and is actually the ultimate tragic hero !!! Sorry for that very OT topic ! Sometimes I wonder where they come from !

[Polly Doodle]

I assumed that Eko's story about the dog related to his own life. He had killed a man, which in his mind condemned him to Hell, but he had done it to save his brother from that fate. Even at the end, he could not bring himself to show remorse for that action and accepted the consequences. It may also refer to Michael's dilemma but on a broader canvas, it could be said to refer to most of the Losties. If you think about it, isn't that what is destroying Jack in the ff? A decision he made (which, being Jack, one must believe he made to save someone else) has condemned him to a living Hell.

[Locke 'n' Load]

I assumed that Eko's story about the dog related to his own life. He had killed a man, which in his mind condemned him to Hell, but he had done it to save his brother from that fate. Even at the end, he could not bring himself to show remorse for that action and accepted the consequences.

Polly, I like this explanation, also. It does fit with Eko’s story.


Originally Posted by Ozanna : Locke'n'Load - Thanks for your story of the boy killing the dog. I always figured that Eko saw that as the boy being not so much sorry for killing the dog, he was standing up for his little sister after all, but for the fact that he got caught, and would go to hell. Likewise Michael had no remorse for killing the girls (even though I think Libby just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time) and just as you said Zia Eko knew what he had done and was letting him know that he would get his dues in the end - it'll come back around.

Thanks, ozanna, it’s great to see everyone’s POV on this boy/dog story.

[ZIA]

It looks like most of us have the same interpretation this time. ;)

[11Rooster11]

I know Michael was a tad bit out of his gord but...

How could anyone be so stupid? Michael was unable to realize that the computer was only in "communication mode" when he was alone in front of it? He couldn't deduce that the hatch was being monitored to time those messages? He's too paranoid to inquire if anyone else had seen messages on the computer? "What an amazing coincidence," he must have thought. Also did he think that Walt was left alone somewhere with a computer?

When they brought Walt into the hut, Klugh said "Do you want to go back in the room." I guess we're supposed to assume that is the same room that Karl is rescued from in season 3.

[ZIA]

Room 23 redux?

[ozanna]

I hope it wasn't Room 23 Zia - that looked really hard-core ! No place for a 10 year old boy, even one as annoying as Walt !

11Rooster11 I've always tried to be fair to Michael, but after a while you tend to run out of patience. You can sympathize with Michael's fear and grief, but after bonding with Jin and even with Sawyer, to betray them so drastically is horrible. You'd think he could have found some sort of way to prevent that. He had no idea of what sort of danger they were going to be thrown into. No wonder Sawyer doesn't trust people. First Michael, then Locke - with friends like that who needs enemies ! He looked genuinely sad when he realized what Michael had done to them. Even to save his son.

[abcdxyz]

SAWYER: I never even knew her last name. Ana-Lucia.
JACK: It's Cortez.
SAWYER: Cortez, there you go. I screwed her.
JACK: What?
SAWYER: That's how she got my gun. Ana, she jumped me. . .
JACK: Why are you telling me this, Sawyer?
SAWYER: Because you're about the closest thing I've got to a friend, Doc. And because she's gone.I never did get this scene. There are people who have a need to tell somebody else about everything that happens in their lives. But for cryin' out loud, Sawyer is a CON MAN--he doesn't need to tell anyone anything! He's used to keeping secrets. Why would he tell Jack, when Jack could so easily use it against him with Kate? And why would he develop a sentimental attachment to Ana-Lucia just because they had sex? Sawyer has made a living going to bed with women he didn't have any particular attachment to.

This just never did ring true to me.

[ozanna]

abcdxyz
This just never did ring true to me.
Me too. It just seemed really awkward, almost cringeworthy. And to Jack of all people, and then the "in the net" statement, just to top the whole debacle off ! Then it occurred to me that with Sawyer's new found humanity he's having these weird new feelings that all of a sudden include other people. With Anal it wasn't so much that he'd developed a loving attachment to her, but there was a kind of connection, also with Libby who he'd had this kind of banter with because of Hurley, and then all of a sudden they'd been brutally killed. He felt vulnerable (?) and for probably the first time in his life felt the need to try and bond with someone. Unfortunately he picked Jack ..... !

[catnap]

I just watched this and got a totally different take on the Jack/Sawyer scene. IMHO, Sawyer has deep feelings for one person, Kate, and he was concerned about what happened with Kate and Jack in the woods. When he asks Jack, trying to be nonchalant, Jack says the thing about caught in a net. We all know what Sawyer takes that as, and he is hurt, but really, it is not like he and Kate have a commitment or anything. So he stews about it for a little while, then decides to let Jack know that he has gotten some action with a pretty girl (who happens to have a connection with Jack) as well. I think he tells Jack as sort of an ego thing and to show he doesn't care about what he thinks Jack and Kate did in the jungle. That's what I got out of it anyway!

As for Eko's story, I noticed that he tells this story in response to Michael specifically asking him about hell first. It seems to me that he knows what Michael did, and knows that maybe Michael isn't sorry, but that Michael is only worried about the reprocussions should the rest of the group find out.

[abcdxyz]

Thanks, catnap, your explanation actually makes a lot of sense. Either I wasn't subtle enough to pick it up, or they could have made it more evident what they were going for.

[ozanna]

But why the "closest thing I've got to a friend". If he thinks Jacks slept with Kate why the best buddy thing ! Also why would he tell Jack about Ana when there's a pretty good chance that he will tell Kate, just out of spite if nothing else. I agree with you on the jealousy angle, Catnap but that doesn't ring true either - I still think its got to do with Sawyer's new feelings for Kate and forming a sort of friendship with Jack, plus all the other losties, and experiencing all these feelings which he's never felt before. I know that all sounds a bit "Dr. Phil" ! Anyhow I'll go away and be quiet now !!

[catnap]

Definitely could be a combo of both I think. He and Jack are getting a little closer, and but I think that during that conversation, Sawyer felt like Kate was no longer an option for him so he just said he "screwed" Ana (nice) to show he doesn't care about Jack and Kate's imaginary relationship. And when Jack asks him why he told him that, well, he can't say "I secretly love Kate and I'm upset you had sex with her so I'm telling you I did with AL". But I think Sawyer could have come up with something better than "you're the closest thing I've got to a friend around here". So he must be feeling something! As abcdxyz mentioned, he is not used to confiding things (except maybe Cassidy and look how that turned out). Anyway, in LTDA, when Sawyer realized Kate really was just caught in a net, he is so relieved. Cute.

[ozanna]

Hi Catnap - "screwed Ana", makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it ! Honestly, that boy has a lot to learn ! He appears to be an intelligent guy, but he sure does get mixed up when it comes to personal feelings, and not just females. He needs a really good life coach !

[ozchick]

:bump:

I am almost caught up! :)

No one's mentioned my favorite scene in this episode! When Vincent brings the statue to Charlie, and he saya "Are you kidding me?" and "Did someone put you up to this?" I laugh hysterically every time I see this scene. Not just that Vincent brings the statue, but Charlie's reaction and that he talks to the dog as if he'll respond. :rotfl:

I also love that Charlie throws the statues out to sea, and not because Locke is watching. He doesn't know John is there til after.

I remember being blown away by "BOAT!"

Sawyer nicknames:
Zeke: Tom
Freckles: Kate
Pippi Longstocking: Kate
Grape Ape: Hurley
Red Beret: Sayid
Captain Arab: Sayid
Doc: Jack

[ozanna]

Hi Ozchick
Almost caught up, huh !!! And then the next onslaught is going to hit us !!!

Its odd that no-one else mentioned the Charlie/Vincent scene. I loved it - I love how dogs run around with things in their mouths that don't fit. My dog caught a cicada once and couldn't figure out where all the noise was coming from ! It was hilarious, and with a little help from me it escaped unharmed !

Thanks for the nicknames ! :sawyer::vincent:

[abcdxyz]

No one's mentioned my favorite scene in this episode! When Vincent brings the statue to Charlie, and he saya "Are you kidding me?" and "Did someone put you up to this?"

When I saw this scene, I realized that it's one of the reasons that I suspect that Vincent is Smokey, at least some of the times he appears. This was almost too purposeful to be an accident.

[sweetsunray]

I always found this epi contrived, and the more I watch it, the less I'm able to believe nobody was on to Michael aside from Sayid. I mean the guy knocked Locke unconscious, pulled a rifle at Jack, locked them up because he so needed to find Walt ON HIS OWN. He's gone for 12 days and all of a sudden he's talking "WE" have to get him, but they all have to do it "MY WAY" amongst them Hurley but not Sayid because that would endanger his son? Plus Jack and Kate already know the Others are not totally who they say they are: fake beards, wearing rags... and yet that's what Michael describes. And they don't just know because of what Kate found in the locker of the Staff, but also because Henry (an other) did not arrive in rags at the beach.

Jack normally is a suspicious man... He ran after Desmond, waving a gun at him. Henry turned out to be an Other. Watching out for Kate getting the key out of the Marshall's wallet after they dug him up to open the case. Immediately spotting camera's on the Hydra island. Suspicious of why the Others took them, suspicious of manipulation, especially emotional ones via Kate, etc. Heck he even suspected his dad of sleeping with his wife. And now he's naive all of a sudden about a man who has already shown to have little regard for Losties when it comes to finding Walt? Ok, so they all might have believed Henry killed Libby and AL, and have a hard time even believing it was Michael, but anyone with brains and eyes could see Michael's actions don't make any sense if he had only been snooping around the Others, never was caught (they caught Kate didn't they?) and wants to make sure his boy is freed.
This is one big sloppy writing, out of character (and not just for Jack) and simply requiring me as a viewer to believe what I can't believe. But it's canon, and so will have to accept this strange behaviour by several Losty characters for plot purposes, and just be utterly stumped by Jack following Michael's orders without resentment and putting aside the Losties' safety for Michael's clear insane wishes, even although the guy at the point of S2 in the series has not yet conquered his trust issues. This isn't about not hurting the feeling of a worried dad, but about getting Walt back from the Others and involving the lives of fellow Losties, amongst them a woman he loves and tends to sneak dynamite in his backpack for.
Gaaaah! No matter how I try I just can't accept this in the storyline: Jack's suspicious, doesn't take orders from others, only goes along with another plan if somebody can give strong arguments for it, is not afraid to hurt somebody's feelings when he thinks it's better that way, overprotective of Kate and yet all of a sudden for no reason really he's naive, takes orders from Michael, without any good argument except for "believe me on my word", sensitive to Michael's feelings of being a daddy and not even thinking twice how it might endanger Kate's life even although two women just got shot mercilessly.

I'm really stumped too about what TPTB said on the S3 blue ray disk regarding Walt communicating with Michael and that it really was Walt. This contradicts what we see in this epi in Michael's fb, and what we later learn in the Exposé fb. It's evident that Michael was set up for a trap from the start and in this fb we get confirmation for it: Michael was to go North and received easily detectable landmarks of a decoy village by Walt, while Walt had already been on the Hydra island, was already put in room 23, and while Walt knows the Others are not who they pretend to be and says so to Michael in the decoy village. Now why on earth would Walt lure his dad to a place he knows is the wrong place? He'd only do that if the Others made Walt do that. More, the Others are waiting for Michael at a spot that's a night and day walking away from the decoy village.

Lastly, and it's the first time I noticed it... Tom threatens Michael not to speak while Kate can hear in a soft voice in the FB scene at the time of the Hunting Party, and then he turns around and order Picket loudly to "gag HIM" while he's walking in the direction of Kate. Surely Kate must have heard Tom say this. Surely Kate must have known at that point the Others caught a male person besides herself. And since she later sees Locke, Jack and Sawyer at the showdown, and only Michael's missing from the beach surely Kate too must by then have already figured out the Other caught Michael.

I used to have a hard time regarding Eko abandoning his church project and being all in awe about the buttong all of a sudden. Well, ok I got the button pushing by him, but not abandoning the church. But after seeing "?" again I don't have a problem anymore with it.
Someone needed to push the button during the hiatus between Locke losing interest and Desmond arriving back with his key. Locke was already losing interest even before he went down the Pearl, and it seems likely he would have stopped pushing it or try a sabotage long before Desmond came back. The Pearl did convince Locke about its non-use... but I truly think Locke was close to it anyway. It wasn't the Pearl that destroyed his fate in the button, Ben and that map destroyed it.
More, add the drama of the AL and Libby into it, and Locke would have tried to be one of those who'd be after Ben and Walt with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley. The same drama assured neither Jack, Kate, Sawyer or Hurley would have kept pushing the button either. And it's highly unlikely some redshirt would want to go down in the murder-hatch.
Next to Locke, there was only Eko who had some acute destiny feeling about the island. And there was a great illusion/vision available to make Eko forget about the church: Yemi.
Eko started to build that church for Yemi, because of the slaying he committed in Yemi's church... but that had been an order from the village woman who worked at the hospital. It hadn't been Yemi's order. And so in his dream in "?" Yemi tells him to forget about the past and explicitly tells him that pushing the button is important. Yemi himself inputs the numbers.
Anyhow, I'm now convinced though that the dream-sender didn't really want the Swan to be saved, but just wanted to get rid of it when the time was right, when it could be done without destroying the world itself, that is when Desmond gets back with his key.
I had to chuckle though when Jack came upon Eko at the puter. His expression simply shouted, "Oh, gods, another button lunie!"

The severe manipulation by Klugh of Michael was something I was never aware of acutely until this watch. I guess it's because of what transpired in many days was shown to us with so many great jumps. He gets captured en route to the direction he was told to... the Others were waiting for him, and Michael must have smartened up to realize he had been duped in some way. Then he's bound to a pole in a hut, without hamburgers and toothpicks and kept in that hut for about 9 days, only seeing Klugh. That's a long time of isolation. And I wonder if Klugh was picked as the only one to have contact with him for similar reasons than Juliet for Jack. After all Michael had been in a love relationship with an African-American woman (and at least for Michael it was as if he felt married), and Klugh appears to be the only African American woman amongst the Others. Moreover, her questions about Walt put the memories of his ex-gf right back to mind, as well as throws him right into his weaknesses, his doubts, etc... After all that time, and then actually seeing his son (who he believes dead by then), speaking to him, touching him... yeah, I understand why he was turned into a traitor. Don't forgive him, but I get it at least. Michael was a broken man and severely manipulated into a tool. After that severe isolation, the mind games and his despair I can understand he wasn't thinking straight anymore... more, that he could not think of any alternative to get Walt.

I've read how many theorize Sayid has the touch gift when it comes to liars... hmmm, I doubt he needs the gift. Michael's face was such an extreme mask when he talked to Sayid that he overdid it, nor was he able to look Sayid much in the eye, plus he didn't make any sense... he simply had a face of a liar. When Sayid took Michael's hands he already knew Michael was lying. Besides Sayid was wrong too in the past: Sawyer and torturing him, and even when Jack wanted to stop it, not wanting to let go of Sawyer.

I was upset for a long while over the loss of Libby, but it was lucky for Michael... She was the deus ex machina to push Hurley on that trip. He would never have went on it had she survived or if she never had even been harmed.

[Badger]

Good points regarding Michael's desperation and Jack's response, given what they already knew. I too noticed this contradiction when the episode originally aired and mentioned it in one of the discussions at that time, although it didn't get much attention. Sometimes peoples logical thought processes appear to be "disordered by the frenzies of enthusiasm". ;)

[sweetsunray]

Yeah, well, it's one of the few things of the series that keeps standing out as too forced.

Oh yeah and then there's the Sawyer-Jack conversation: now that imo was in character for both guys. It seems as these two have a regular personal talk at the end of a season:
S1 Sawyer telling Jack about his father
S2 Sawyer telling about his jungle adventure with AL and confessing Jack's the closest person on the island to a friend for Sawyer
S3 Sawyer and Jack exchange before Sawyer returning to the beach
I think it's not illogical for Sawyer to feel closest to Jack when it comes to Losty men... There aren't many other alpha-macho-males around on the beach of his age, except for Sayid. The only thing that upsets Sawyer about Jack imo is when Jack shows disdain for Sawyer or brushes him off (such as in the Hunting Party), yet he respects him when Jack pow-wows him just as much as Sawyer does (such as the poker game and macho talk, "I will get the guns when I need them.")
Jack was in character too for still not seeing Sawyer in that way, for not even realizing that Sawyer respects him. Jack's thinking too much in boxes. That's his loss imo. But he seems to know a little better by the end of S3, by defending Sawyer's actions towards Kate.
BTW, I noticed that although Jack used Libby's suffering as emotional blackmail to learn about Sawyer's hiding spot, Jack left them there until they had all decided, including Sawyer, to go get Walt.

[ZIA]

LOST Hiatus Rewatch:
Week 16
Weds., September 9th-September 15th, 2009

S2: E22: Three Minutes
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/zia29112/LOST%20Stuff/300px-Lost-season1.jpg

[World Walker]

Michael really got duped heavily by the Others. Why did he think he was speaking to Walt on the computer all this time? Part of him had to be suspicious. Maybe his hope just overrode his common sense. I think it’s pretty clear in retrospect that the Others had ways (we saw them using The Pearl in a flashback during Expose) of monitoring The Swan. They saw Michael make his move and they were ready to herd him in the right direction using the computer. I’m willing to bet that the Others (maybe even Mikhail personally) were contacting Michael via The Flame. It was, after all, the Island’s communication station. Alternatively, the Others could’ve just been using the computer in The Pearl (the one that printed the button pushing log) to set up their trap.

Hurley brought them all to their senses down in the hatch. They were busy bickering over how many people would attack the Others and he points out that Libby and Ana Lucia are dead and that they haven’t even been buried yet. Hurley's extreme sorrow dispels the anger and fear in the room.

That is a lot of blood on the floor. :eye-poppi

This is our very first Pickett sighting. This scene is very interesting. Pickett is taking a leak right out in the open where Michael can see him. As Michael approaches, he appears to be alone with Pickett in open grass. We see behind Michael several times while he speaks with Pickett and nobody’s there. Then with barely any time passing, Tom and a bunch of Others are suddenly behind Michael. I am so eager to learn how the Others can do some of things they can do. Come on, Season Six! :D

Just to note: the area where Michael is bagged is not the same area where Locke claims it is in The Hunting Party. This is another inconsistency in location similar to the one made with Goodwin’s death happening both on a tall hillside and in deep jungle.

Another thought just occurred to me. The Others must’ve had a good idea where The Swan was (if they didn’t already know) because it seems they were waiting for Michael not far from the Lostie’s section of the Island.

Eko about the boy who wanted to know if he’d go to hell: “I told him that God would understand. That he would be forgiven as long as he was sorry. But the boy did not care about forgiveness. He was only afraid if he did go to hell that dog would be there waiting for him.” – This is a very interesting quote for both Eko and Michael. Eko is judged by the Smoke Monster in The Cost of Living and is killed. Eko did not feel sorry for anything he had to do to survive. With this quote in mind, I wonder if he would’ve been spared if he had repented. As for Michael, well, I certainly believe he probably felt like he was in hell when he had a vision of Libby (his version of the dog) bring him blankets in Meet Kevin Johnson. Remember how fearful he was?

Yeah, Jack acted a bit out of character during Michael’s “this is how things’re gonna be” tirade by agreeing with him. Why would Jack, the man who butts heads with Sawyer, Locke, anyone else who disagrees with him, give in so easily to Michael? A lot of people blame it on poor writing, but I’d rather figure it out from a character perspective. Was it perhaps some type of guilt associated with the newest deaths? Was Jack sorry he never helped Michael in the first place? :crazy:

Charlie’s finally getting back in Claire’s good graces. I still wonder what the deal is with those mysterious “every nine days” vaccines. Was it just Dharma keeping their people completely paranoid or did some illness really sweep the Island?

Jin and Michael embracing made me smile. I really wish they could’ve built more on the friendship between those two. There was some really wonderful growth in Season One and I felt there was some lost story potential for them.

Alex has always seemed very different from the Others. Since she grew up as one, you’d think she would be more like an Other than anybody. Yet I just feel like she’s still an outsider living amongst them. Maybe whatever alteration (trip to The Temple, maybe) is required to become an Other hasn’t been performed on her. In other words, she still has her innocence.

Poor Sawyer! It isn’t what you think, honest. They literally got caught in a net! :nanabobo:

You could tell Charlie was amused as well as annoyed by Eko’s rather left field shift from building a church to pushing the button. Though I don’t deny the importance of his presence in the hatch until the big implosion, I have to wonder if things would have ended differently for Eko if he had stuck to constructing the church.

Klugh: “Did Walt ever appear in a place he wasn’t supposed to be?” – I wonder if whatever ability Klugh seems to be alluding to is an ability some of the Others share (specifically the ones who can appear and dissapear so quickly). They sure as hell seem to appear in places they aren’t supposed to be, too.

Klugh’s words about how Michael knows so little about his son also echo the words of Susan’s lawyer back in Adrift.

The last thing Michael and Sayid do is shake hands. The next time they see each other on the freighter, the first thing they do is shake hands. That gives us a full circle.

Charlie talking to Vincent: “Are you kidding me? Did someone put you up to this?” :rotfl:

Seriously, though, there has to be something up with that dog. How would Vincent know to bring those statues to Charlie? I wonder if Vincent has his own abilities just like Miles, Hurley, or Walt.

That was a great scene with Charlie throwing those statues into the ocean. The first time we saw it, my significant other and I clapped. Charlie had a rough season and it was nice that he found some redemption. I was glad Locke was there to see him do it, too, even though their relationship had really been damaged this season. I really felt a lump in my throat as the camera lingered on the ocean for several seconds with those mournful stringed instruments playing. As we know, Charlie has a date with destiny under those depths at the end of Season Three. :thumbs_up

Sawyer to Jack: “Because you’re just about the closest thing I have to a friend, doc.” – Every season near the finale there’s a good Sawyer/Jack moment like this one. I still think Season One takes the cake though with Sawyer telling Jack about his dad. That was quality.

Michael pushed Hurley way too hard. If only the Losties weren’t dealing with so much emotional fallout from the shooting, somebody (besides Sayid) would’ve noticed how freakin’ bizarre Michael was acting.

Klugh claims the Others couldn’t get Ben back themselves. Maybe they truly didn’t know where The Swan was located.

The room Klugh threatened to put Walt in is probably Room 23 on Hydra Island.

Many people have been getting confused regarding the list in this episode. In their theories, many refer to this list having been written by Jacob, but I think it’s clear that the list in this episode does not come from Jacob, but from Klugh. We know why Ben would want Jack, Sawyer, and Kate (see the first six episodes of Season Three). Why they specifically wanted Hurley is a mystery. What was the point of capturing him only to send him back right away? Why not just capture any old Lostie and send him/her back with their warning? That’s got me confused. :ImLost:

Locke almost seems to have his old serenity back in the scene where he’s sitting on the beach. Too bad he doesn’t stay away from the hatch in the next episode.

That boat appearing was a pretty cool ending and a great way to explain where the heck Desmond was all this time.

Overall, this was definitely one of the weakest episodes of LOST. This episode, a companion to The Hunting Party, is plagued by the same problems plotwise. Why didn’t the Others take Jack, Kate, and Sawyer when they had a chance during The Hunting Party? Was it necessary for Ben to get himself captured and get inside The Swan before capturing Jack, Kate, and Sawyer? Will we ever get the answers to these questions or will this always appear to be poor writing? :hammersel

Anyway, even though this wasn’t my favorite episode, I am very much looking forward to Live Together, Die Alone! :Cheers:

[AChristianShephard]

Yay they put Sayid back in :D

Love the way he saw through Micheal.

Actually Micheals been doing quite a good job acting wise, I mean he has to play a doting father, stuck on an island, who is being manipulated against his will, to lie and betray his friends in an attempt to retrieve his boy.

Now that some job to pull of and he does the angst of his situation really well, props to him.

Is it the finale next?
Will have to wait for now

On island flashbacks are always so cool.

10/10 and back to business