I Once Had a Girl, Or Should I Say, She Once Had Me
"Lost: The Economist" (S4/E3) Recap / Daniel Carlson
Holy hell, now this is what “Lost” is all about. The third episode of Season Four, “The Economist,” was a complex, layered installment that took the story in new directions, explored the characters, and basically burned hard and hot as a great hour of TV. A friend of mine living in Texas sent me a mildly inebriated instant-message while I was still at work Thursday evening; she’d already seen the episode and wrote, “I’m drunk and HIGH from Lost,” then told me I should prepare to “be mind BLOWN.” And damn if she wasn’t right. “The Economist” showed just how great “Lost” is at telling one story in two time frames. But the flashfowards have a fundamentally different power than the flashbacks, and it’s because the situational irony is reversed. The flashbacks allowed the castaways to work through their current issues by replaying their pasts; basically, they had the opportunity to learn from their mistakes (or give into them all over again) and change their lives. But the flashfowards cast an eye on where the characters will be, which sends the ironic and fatalistic potential of the show into the stratosphere. “Lost” used to be about how the characters’ lived shaped the events island, but now it’s about how their time on the island will change their futures. And I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but this episode managed to outdo the others this season for the sheer power of its multiple reveals and twist ending.
The episode opens with Sayid watching Jack get bitched at by Miles about Ben’s whereabouts; this is another of the many moments I find myself hoping Miles gets eaten by the smoke monster. Sayid investigates Naomi’s corpse and finds a bracelet with the inscription, “N, I’ll always be with you. R.G.” Sayid gets a stick up his ass to get things moving, and barters with Frank Lapidus for passage off the island in the chopper: If Sayid rescues Charlotte from Locke, Frank will fly Sayid back to the magical rescue ship. As if this wasn’t enough of a solid set-up for the episode — pretty much ensuring a Locke v. Sayid showdown for Charlotte’s life — the first flashforward kicks in right away, and it turns out to be a doozy. Sayid is playing golf in the Seychelles (I looked it up), basically looking pretty content with his life. His luscious man-locks have been shampooed and pulled back in a small ponytail. Another man drives up in a golf cart and watches Sayid play, at which point he makes a small wager as to who can drive the ball farther. Shooting the breeze about work, Sayid says, “I do nothing. … I was the recipient of a large sum.” Sayid cops to being one of the Oceanic Six, at which point Golf Buddy messes his shorts before taking his shot and outdistancing Sayid’s ball. Sayid attempts to pay what he owes to settle the bet, but Golf Buddy gets even more spooked and tries to book. Sayid says, “I insist, Mr. Avellino,” which frightens the man even more, since he’d never introduced himself, but before he can convert his look of panic into kinetic energy and scram, Sayid pulls a pistol from his golf bag and blows the guy away on the green. He puts the gun back in his bag, walks off, and a whole new damn chapter opens up for “Lost.” (And I know that for some of you this makes far too many chapters, in which case you should probably watch something else, like “Deal or No Deal.” Look, they’re yelling at briefcases!) In the space of just a few minutes, the show has casually revealed another member of the Oceanic Six and also shown that Sayid’s going to get into some pretty serious business once he’s off the island. He used to be a torturer for his government, but now he looks like a freelance killer. And this will color everything Sayid does on the island, because by knowing where he’ll go, we can understand more about where he is.
Sayid’s flashforward continues, though it’s not known whether this is before or after he caps Avellino: Sayid walks into a bar called Die Mauer in Berlin, clad in a sharp suit, his luscious man-locks flowing behind him in the wind of sheer awesomeness. He takes the only available seat, at a table next to a blonde. Her name is Ilsa, and they wind up hitting it off; she flirts and bites her lip, he scores a date. He tells her he’s a headhunter, and Ilsa says her employer is an economist. After he gets the digits, Sayid walks outside and calls someone on his cell phone, saying that he’s “made contact” before ditching the phone. Ilsa is pretty obviously a target, since even if we don’t know whether Avellino’s murder has happened yet, we have already seen it, and know that Sayid is/will be capable of some pretty cold-blooded stuff.
Back on Hell Island, Sayid shows everyone that Naomi was packing the photo of Desmond and Penny, so Juliet decides to hoof it to the beach to retrieve Desmond, even though she admits it’ll take a couple hours. It’s a throwaway line, but another great way to slow the pace down and make the viewer realize that nothing on the island happens quickly; the castaways are limited by sunlight and water, and time stretches forever. Sayid and Miles set off to get Charlotte; Miles acts like a douche and asks for his gun back, and Sayid ignores him. Kate walks over to Jack and bats her eyes in an attempt to get him to let her go on Sayid’s rescue mission, and Jack actually accepts. Kate asks if Jack doesn’t trust Sayid, but Jack says it’s Locke who’s the problem. Kate, not unreasonably, asks him, “What’s to prevent him from doing to me what he did to Naomi?” Jack takes a beat and says, “Sawyer won’t let him.” This is a damn fine exchange, and a premium example of the chess game Jack and Locke are playing with their fellow castaways for control of the group’s fate. Jack doesn’t pretend to beat around the bush with Kate or reassure her with empty platitudes. He simply fesses up to knowing how he’s playing people off each other, banking on Sawyer’s love for Kate to keep her safe. And she doesn’t argue.
Meanwhile, the Lockies are hiking through the jungle to find Jacob’s Ghost Cabin, but when they get to the strip of ash that acts as a marker for the cabin’s location, it’s not there. Locke shakes it off and keeps everyone moving, but he and Hurley butt heads about Charlotte: Hurley wants to let her go, but Locke gets all up in his fries and says, “Right now, Hugo, I’m making the decisions. Is that gonna be a problem for you?” At this point, I’m pretty sure Locke would kill Barnard and make Rose watch if it meant finding out the mysteries of the island.
Second flashforward: Sayid shows up at Ilsa’s hotel room/apartment/love nest, decked out in a tuxedo, his luscious man-locks groomed with the kind of care impossible to maintain on Hell Island. It’s their fifth date, and they have a mini-DTR by the door when she asks Sayid why he’s stayed in Berlin for so long, and she says she hopes he’s been staying for her. Sayid says, “The job I’m on is proving harder to accomplish than I’d thought,” which you’d think would at least raise some kind of flag for Ilsa, but no. They go off to the opera, presumably doing their best to ignore the awkward silence.
Back on the island, Daniel gathers equipment from the helicopter and performs an experiment in coordination with the ship: He radios someone named Regina and asks her to lock on to his beacon and fire the payload, but after a tense countdown sequence in which Regina’s voice announces the rocket’s impending touchdown, nothing happens. Regina says the package has landed at Daniel’s location, but Daniel scans the skies and doesn’t see a thing. “That’s weird,” Regina says. “That is far more than weird,” Daniel replies, which is true. Apparently there’s some kind of distortion around the island that somehow delayed the package, but Daniel’s at a loss. Later on, Jack and Frank talk baseball, allowing Jack to marvel that the Red Sox actually did win the 2004 World Series, as well as folding in some chronological exposition when Jack says, “I can’t believe it’s been 100 days since I’ve seen a game.” Daniel looks up to see the rocket finally coming down; the payload slams to earth next to the chopper, and Daniel cracks it open to retrieve a stopwatch from inside. Because we’ve all seen Back to the Future, watching Daniel compare the stopwatch from the rocket and the one he (apparently) started when the rocket was launched is a little anticlimactic, but still, it’s a fun moment. Daniel examines the clocks and finds that they’re 31 minutes off, meaning (a) the rocket has been missing for half an hour or (b) it was launched from the future. Regardless, 31 is the sum of 15 and 16, which are two of the series of numbers that won Hurley the lottery and were carved on the hatch and had to be entered into the machine that made the sky turn purple and are basically bad news. Daniel is understandably perturbed, but just then, Juliet returns with Desmond.
Sayid, Kate, and Miles reach the Barracks — aka the Others’ weird little village — only to find it deserted, with no sign of Locke or anyone else. They explore one of the houses and find Hurley gagged and locked up in a closet. “They left me!” he says when rescued. Once freed, Hurley rambles about Locke going nuts, at which point Miles says to him, “Where the hell did they go, tubby?” Hurley shakes his head and says, “Awesome, the ship sent us another Sawyer.” I should point out once more that I wouldn’t complain if Miles was shot by Rousseau, or raped by a polar bear, or just generally beaten by the rest of the castaways. Hurley says that Locke et al. were heading by Ben’s house, so they all head over to search for clues. Sayid finds a secret passage leading to a panic room filled with Ben’s suits, various passports, and cash. One of Ben’s passports lists him as Dean Moriarty; Ben has a sense of humor and likes the modern classics. But in the next moment, the ambush is sprung. Sawyer walks in on Kate and attempts to quiet her, but she shouts for Sayid, who rushes out and finds himself staring down the barrel of Locke’s pistol. “Good job, Hugo,” Locke says to a despondent Hurley as Sayid finally figures out the whole thing was a sting. “Sorry, dude,” Hurley says. But the gimmick works because Hurley and Locke’s confrontation was established earlier in the episode when the argued about Charlotte, making the set-up as effective on the viewer as it was on Sayid and Kate. Damn sneaky Hurley.
Sayid is locked into the weird rec room with Ben, while Sawyer and Kate have a heart-to-heart back in the bedroom. Sawyer asks Kate what’s so special back in the real world, but she tells him they can’t just “play house” on the island. Sawyer makes puppy eyes at her and growls, “Why don’t we find out?” I kind of miss mean Sawyer. In the other room, Locke apologizes to Sayid for the theatrics of the set-up. Sayid asks to be released and to take Charlotte back with him, but Locke says Ben has a man on the boat already. Ben of course refuses to play along, at which point Sayid says, “The day I start trusting him is the day I would have sold my soul.” Locke asks Sayid, “Why would I give you Charlotte for nothing?” Sayid just smiles and says he’s already got a deal in mind.
Flashforward: Sayid and Ilsa are in bed, Sayid holding her like he’s a child, his luscious man-locks flowing like water to the bed below him. Ilsa pesters him again about the job he never talks about, but Sayid brushes her off. She keeps at it, even dropping the L-word to show how vulnerable she is and to get him to open up, and it works. Sayid says he’ll tell her whatever she wants to know, but then, Ilsa’s beeper goes off: It’s her boss, the economist, and he’s come to town. Ilsa gets dresses to leave, and Sayid, prompted by guilt and affection and the fact that he’s probably never gotten over Shannon’s brutal death, tells Ilsa that she has to leave Berlin because people are going to start asking questions about what happened to her boss. Ilsa panics and realizes it’s been about her boss all along. “His name is on a list,” Sayid tells her. “The man you’re working for is not an economist.” Ilsa, however, is way more wily than Sayid had bargained for: She emerges from the bathroom with a gun and shoots Sayid in the shoulder. She then, being a pretty stupid assassin, goes back into the bathroom, out of a direct line of sight with Sayid, calling someone on the phone to complain that he was supposed to page her earlier. “He’s not going to give up the name now,” she says, “why should I keep him alive?” It’s an awesome reveal, again done in such a quick and ruthless manner that it takes a moment to set in that the whole affair was a mutual con; each was trying to reach out and kill the other’s boss. Sayid chunks a paperweight at the mirror Ilsa’s been using to keep an eye on him, grabs his gun from his jacket, and plugs her in the gut once she comes around the corner. It’s Ilsa’s own damn fault for not checking him for weapons, too. Sayid crawls over to her, holds her, and cries. She’s wearing a bracelet similar to the one on Naomi’s wrist; what this means, I do not know.
Back on Hell Island, Desmond and Frank have tense words about the Penny photo, but Frank stonewalls him. Sayid comes over the ridge with Charlotte, telling Jack that Kate decided to stay with Locke, which is a killer line because you can see the pain and disbelief flit across Jack’s face when the news hits home. Sayid tells Frank that he bartered Miles for Charlotte, which doesn’t upset Frank too much; he, like everyone, hates Miles. Daniel warns Frank that he needs to follow the same exact bearing they used coming in when he takes off for the ship, though he doesn’t bother to explain the space-time continuum hijinks that have been happening. Frank, Sayid, and Desmond take off in the chopper, bound for the ship.
Final flashfoward, and the one that rivals “Through the Looking Glass” for pure jaw-dropping effect: Sayid, bleeding from the gunshot wound Ilsa gave him, stumbles into a vet’s office after hours. An unseen man begins to tend Sayid’s wound while asking about the assignment. Sayid says Ilsa is dead, adding that the only reason she hadn’t killed him was because she wanted to know the name of Sayid’s employer. The camera cuts to reveal that the doctor, Sayid’s employer, is none other than Ben himself. Ben at this point begins speaking in his normal register; he had been talking in a lower monotone to delay the reveal until the camera cut, which is a weird little continuity quirk, but whatever. “These people don’t deserve our sympathies,” Ben chides Sayid, before telling him he has another name for Sayid to track down. Ben is evidently assembling a Munich-style takedown of the people who’ve done him wrong, and for reasons I can only guess at, he’s got Sayid doing the dirty work. Ben reminds Sayid that the work he’s doing is helping to protect his friends. When Sayid says of his targets, “They know I’m after them now,” Ben just stares at him and says, “Good.”
Damn. The retroactive irony of the episode — namely Sayid’s claim that trusting Ben, as he comes to do, would be to sell his soul — is only outdone by the amazing questions raised: How did Ben get off the island? What could have happened that would convince Sayid to be his trigger man? How are Sayid’s contract killings protecting his friends? Just … damn. This one blew me away.
Daniel Carlson is the managing editor of Pajiba and a low-level employee at a Hollywood industry magazine. You can visit his blog, Slowly Going Bald.
Citizen X | | Pajiba Love 02/18/08 |
Comments
Great review, great episode. Showed off the episode in my German class and got points for knowing what was said on the phone, even without subtitles. And, sorry to be a dick, but the product of 15 and 16 is 240; the SUM of 15 and 16 is 31.
Man, I'm such a douche.
To be fair, I learned all the arithmetic I know by watching this video. --D
Posted by: jonr at February 18, 2008 3:00 PM
...my god...
the maths are everywhere!!!!
Posted by: jonr at February 18, 2008 3:06 PM
Man, I am SO BACK IN this show. I wish I could convince my friends who dropped it last year to come back, but ah well. Lost has really gotten back on track, and they actually answer questions every episode now when while they introduce new ones, instead of just having unending clues that go nowhere and are forgotten within a year.
It seems like once they had that deal to setup the final seasons (sometime after mid-Season 3), the show got a lot better again, as they could budget out the remaining storylines for the entire show.
Posted by: Anonoguy at February 18, 2008 3:23 PM
I just watched this episode online (yay legal holidays and watching TV in the afternoon). It could not have been better! There were several momnets I laughed out loud because of how awesome the episode was. And these episode ending reveals are getting bigger and bigger. They are truly bringing their A game this season
His luscious man-locks have been shampooed and pulled back in a small ponytail...
his luscious man-locks flowing behind him in the wind of sheer awesomeness...
his luscious man-locks groomed with the kind of care impossible to maintain on Hell Island...
his luscious man-locks flowing like water to the bed below him
Jealous much?
Posted by: Brian at February 18, 2008 3:30 PM
God damn, I'm just glad to have a (extremely badass) Sayid episode again.
Posted by: Kevin Longrie at February 18, 2008 3:34 PM
The series as a whole is continuing to build up steam, but man did I hate this episode. Sayid was, for me, the absolute high point of the third season, for the simple reason that he kicked ass and never got drawn into the Others' twisted mind-games. Now, with this, it's like they deliberately figured out the thing that would piss me off the most without causing me to stop watching. As I've said before, if Sayid ever gets killed, I'm through with the show. But with Ben corrupting his character, it might not even take that long.
Posted by: Todd at February 18, 2008 3:34 PM
What could have happened that would convince Sayid to be his trigger man?
If I remember correctly Ben said Sayid's heart got in the way with Ilsa, and it was the same reason why Sayid was working for him now. What that means, I have no idea.
Miles raped by a polar bear would be amazing. I have a feeling he will die a horrible death and I gleefully look forward to it.
Posted by: The Stew at February 18, 2008 3:34 PM
Goddamn, do I second the hatred for Miles. Given his weird supernatural connection I'm sure he'll serve some significant purpose somewhere along the line, but I'll be damned if I don't spend every moment that he's on screen hoping he'll get brutally killed. They need to deal with this somehow. It's been the only weakness of the season thus far, in my opinion.
Posted by: Joe at February 18, 2008 3:35 PM
I frickin' love Miles. He's such an unrelenting dick! I get a strong feeling that this character is going to do something/reveal something of MAJOR significance to the plot.
I also think that, soap-opera style, the audience is going to be led along a path with Miles that will make us all change our minds about him, and sympathize/root for him.
That's fine with me as long as they don't try to do that shit with Ben. I hate Ben and I want to continue hating Ben, and I would pay money to watch Ben get raped by a gang of polar bears followed with his slow, slow death by smoke-monster.
Posted by: Jerce at February 18, 2008 3:43 PM
I personally didn't like the luscious man locks. I like it better curly. But this ep blew me away. I love the flash forwards. It gives it a brand new spin that I dig.
Posted by: lyricalcatt at February 18, 2008 3:51 PM
Does anyone else think that the lower, more gravelly voice before the reveal of Ben was intended as a fakeout -- so we would think it was Jack's father speaking?
Fantastic episode. It's becoming harder and harder to draw any conclusions about the motivations of these characters, and almost impossible to guess what's coming next.
Posted by: kushiro at February 18, 2008 3:56 PM
Seriously blew my mind, this episode. Oh, Sayid! How ?
Although I do agree that his hair is rather luscious. I didn't think I could love him more.
Posted by: kelsy at February 18, 2008 4:02 PM
Now that Locke has Miles (and I, like everyone else, despise his twitchy, douchey character), I'm interested in what happens when/if they locate Jacob's cabin. Perhaps Miles can answer some questions for us before promptly dying a grisly death.
I'm just saying I'd like to get some use out of the little fucktard before a polar bear rips him a new asshole.
Posted by: lucy at February 18, 2008 4:02 PM
The flashes forward have got me thinking. Is this the future that "will" happen or the future that could "possibly" happen? Maybe I'm thinking about it too much. LOST will do that to you.
Posted by: RAT at February 18, 2008 4:03 PM
Sadly the last two seasons have only given me a cynical opinion to Lost. This episode has been the best in two whole seasons, I will definitely give you that but Lost has, still, not redeemed itself.
I am tired of Locke and tired of only certain people being in charge of a group. I understood int he beginning why the Losties needed a leader but now both Locke and Jack have effed up enough times that it is hard for me to believe anyone would still follow them. Locke is as smug as he has ever been and now Miles is with him so I will probably ignore that part of the plot.
Still, the flash forwards are more and more interesting and next week we get to see a flash forward of Kate, hopefully, so I am really excited about that. What does Lost have to do to redeem itself in my eyes? Start concentrating on other minor characters(Hello Claire)and let us learn a little more about them. Oh, and just tell us what the damned smoke monster is!
Posted by: Angelmonster at February 18, 2008 4:04 PM
I think Ben is using Sayed to hunt down members of Mr. Abbadon's organization in order to protect the island somehow. That would explain (sort of) the bracelets. But I agree, freaking great episode. I actually watched it twice.
I had a problem initially with the flash forwards but damn if they haven't been a great idea. Now we are just waiting to see how the castaways screw up and set all of this very bad future in motion. Freaking genius.
Posted by: Rob at February 18, 2008 4:07 PM
Joe - I don't think you are supposed to like him. It is obvious that no one there does. The alky pilot even said so himself. I do think there is going to be some form of reveal which will explain why he is there and why would should care - unlike th annoying couple that were buried with the diamonds
Locke so got the bad half of that trade - hey give us the woman we want and we'll give you an annoying, talks to dead people, asin dud you can feed to the smoke monster when you get sick of him.
Posted by: Brian at February 18, 2008 4:07 PM
Oh, and I second the admiration for Sayid's luscious man locks. He is a beautiful beautiful man. I don't think I'd mind him assassinating me if we got to frolick in bed first.
And I could tell immediately that the doctor patching up Sayid at the end was Ben. He always sounds like Kevin Spacey in "Seven" to me, and no matter how deep he makes his voice, I can hear that effeminate, drawling Spacey-esque accent of his.
Posted by: lucy at February 18, 2008 4:08 PM
If you look at screencaps from the end of last season, Naomi was not wearing that bracelet before she died. Weird.
Anyway, I have a feeling Sawyer is going to die. We know Kate gets off the island, and that she had chosen Sawyer, but I really doubt they would decide to leave the island together. So that means that either Sawyer dies, or Kate gets pregnant.
Minus the two big plot twists (Sayid as an assassin in the future, and Ben off the island), I thought this episode was the weakest of the season so far.
Uh, also, I only have a high school-level physics education, but I'm really confused about the time difference. If it takes the rocket thing an extra half hour to get to the island, why is Daniel able to speak to the ship in real-time? How can the phone signal travel just fine but physical objects cannot?
Posted by: Stephanie at February 18, 2008 4:30 PM
man, I love to hate lost, in the sense that I watch it but people we all know jj abrams, I know what he did with Alias so I watch this pretty confident that there is no way he's gonna pull it off at end. and that doesnt make me dumb, thank you very much. That's what piss me off, all the question that we have will freaking never been answered. let's face it we are building excitement upon excitement to just fell so hard at the end. I hope I'm wrong, but If I'm right at least we will fell together. Plus it's really easy to change the development of character without justification whatsoever just cause "hey, I'm not playing all the cards just yet!" I feel you actually dont need to be so damn smart to watch the show, just have good memory.
Posted by: rio at February 18, 2008 4:37 PM
Could be important to note that Isla's call came in 30 minutes late. Same time difference Daniel noted earlier in the episode.
Posted by: Kevin at February 18, 2008 4:39 PM
Also, I read about this on the Entertainment Weekly Lost review, and found it pretty interesting, if not completely overreaching -
They basically correlated the times on Daniel's clocks with Bible scriptures (Daniel 2:45 and 3:16).
Daniel 2:45 is when the exiled Daniel earned a spot in Nebuchadnezzar's court by interpreting a dream concerning the future of Babylon and how the fourth kingdom will be a divided kingdom.
Daniel 3:16 is when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to abandon their religious beliefs and bow before a false idol, and therefore were thrown in the fiery furnace but were saved by God.
Posted by: Stephanie at February 18, 2008 4:45 PM
wow, Stephanie. Interesting religious findings.
Posted by: jonr at February 18, 2008 4:47 PM
Kevin:
I am wondering how you figure that the call was 30 minutes late. Maybe I need to rewatch the scene, but as I remember it, Ilsa says something like, "You were supposed to call at 10:30." I do not see any clocks on the wall that would indicate what time it actually is, and for all we know, the page could have come early, not late.
Posted by: Stephanie at February 18, 2008 4:50 PM
Oh yeah, I love the luscious man-locks! And the face and body under them, too.
Posted by: rlr260 at February 18, 2008 5:37 PM
This review was lovely (particularly the hair fetish, which I am guilty of as well), but left out my favorite line of the episode, which was Jack's:
"He was a torturer."
Go Sayid!
Posted by: courtney at February 18, 2008 5:39 PM
I can't believe you're all still so "high" on Lost. It's truly an impressive display of delusion. Lost is very much a sinking ship, and the intelligent move is to make like a rat.
Posted by: Oh, Someone at February 18, 2008 6:42 PM
Watching Sayid off the guy on the golf course was pretty much the hottest thing I've seen in a long time. That opening alone would have made up for a lot, but to their credit they kept the awesomeness going. Assasination, mind-games and luscious man-locks, what more could a girl ask for?
Posted by: thenaysayer at February 18, 2008 6:45 PM
Yes: I was blown away by Sayid blowing people away, with his sexy blow-out.
Posted by: anninenanners at February 18, 2008 7:09 PM
Brian - I know I'm not necessarily supposed to like him, but there's a difference between him and other characters that we aren't necessarily supposed to like. Ben and Locke (I don't like Locke) for example are fascinating, incredibly intriguing characters despite the fact that I generally dislike them. Miles is a massive tool who I would probably punch if I ever had any personal contact with and I kind of want to just turn the show off whenever he's there. He brings down every scene he's in, as far as I'm concerned because his douchery is so extreme.
Posted by: Joe at February 18, 2008 7:36 PM
I forgot to mention regarding Miles: I think he's awesome and actually my favorite of the "rescuers". Not that Jeremy Davies, Jeff Fahey, and random archeologist lady aren't amusing, but c'mon, Asshole Ghostbuster? Classic Lost villain!
Posted by: Anonoguy at February 18, 2008 7:38 PM
A truly fantastic episode. It's rare that, when the logo comes up, my mouth is already open like that.
How the hell did you figure out Avellino has to Ls, but mistakes the girl's name (Elsa)? LOL
Also, I should add, "Sayid, bleeding from the gunshot wound Ilsa gave him..." -- presumably! There are rumours...
I too hate Miles. He should be tossed through the sonic fence or impaled in the skeleton pit.
Another great recap, man.
Posted by: gargumma at February 18, 2008 9:12 PM
"I think Ben is using Sayed to hunt down members of Mr. Abbadon's organization in order to protect the island somehow. --- Rob"
No, I think Ben's using Sayid to get them because they made him pay -- and pay hard, from the looks of him in the future -- for wasting the 40+ original members of the Dharma Project. Ben is a nasty little prick who never learns to forgive & forget, sort of like Harold Lauder in "The Stand", constantly seeking revenge for wrongs done to him.
I want to see Miles get a severe come-uppance in a future episode, preferably from one of the women. A bitchslap is definitely in order.
Posted by: Matt at February 18, 2008 9:26 PM
-I think Ben has always been able to come and go to and from the island as he pleases.
-I also think that the reason why Sayid is in Ben's service in the future is because he (Sayid) fucks something up before the Oceanic Six get off the island, maybe on the boat, and Ben manipulates him into redemming himself by killing the people on Ben's list.
-And I can't shake the feeling that Desmond is going to die.
This was one of the best episodes I've seen since Season 1. Then again, any Sayid-centric episode is a great episode.
Posted by: Kolby at February 18, 2008 10:06 PM
1) God, I LOVE lost.
2) Sayid is hot.
3) But shut up about the man-locks already.
4) I want some goddamn answers. Hello! Smoke monster? Please?
5) I detest Miles because he brought the LAMEST plot device to the show yet: ghost bustin'. He senses spirits 'n shit! Oooooh! Why? Just cuz. No explaination. This is worse than Desmond's premonitions. Blegh.
Posted by: Tatiana at February 18, 2008 10:15 PM
And want to hear some crazy theories? Here ya go:
1) Ben's "man on the boat" is, in fact, somehow, Sayid! Because of the weirdness of the time disconnect Ben KNEW in advance that Sayid was getting to the boat and that he could manipulate him in the future somehow. Bum bum bum!!
2) Ben's "man on the boat" is... Ben. Multiple persons from different times? You bet! Anyone see that crazy "DHARMA" orientation video with the multiple bunnies? How when there were two rabbits with the numbers '15' on them the scientists freaked out? Maybe there is a Ben on the island and a Ben off the island, which would explain why the New Folks want to kill Ben: if the two Bens come in contact with each other space/time continuum explodes!! OH NOES!
3) Ben's "man on the boat" is... Michael. Barf.
Posted by: Tatiana at February 18, 2008 10:22 PM
luscious man-locks: heh heh... Sayid is hot. Looks good in a suit. As usual with this show, we're supposed to think one thing when we see him, that he's become a cold-blooded killer, but maybe the people he's after got it coming? And I kinda miss mean Sawyer too. If they kill him off, I will be very angry.
Miles is a dick, but I kinda understand why and don't hate him over it. He's one of the few people who actually acts normal (pissed-off and impatient). Obviously, he's not a really honest, forthcoming guy, but what I really want to know is why he's on this "rescue" mission (which clearly isn't a rescue mission, or not mostly a rescue mission)? What the hell does he do, besides rip off bereaved old ladies?
Posted by: Slash at February 18, 2008 10:27 PM
I think Ben has always been able to come and go to and from the island as he pleases. - Kolby
Methinks that too.
I also think that the reason why Sayid is in Ben's service in the future is because he (Sayid) fucks something up before the Oceanic Six get off the island, maybe on the boat, and Ben manipulates him into redemming himself by killing the people on Ben's list. - Kolby
Medontthinks that... I actually think the Island should be protected at all cost for what it is (whatever it is), and this is what Ben's been doing. He's actually a force of good (not a good guy, you see), and "the enemy" should be revealed way later in the series (Abaddon people). Sayid comes to think the same way when gets to know the secrets and gets off the Island -- now he has to help protect it as well. Working for Ben (who has more info) would be reasonable.
And I can't shake the feeling that Desmond is going to die. - Kolby
I'm curious about that. But remember: Desmond won't die! Even if you kill him!
Sayid is hot. - Tatiana
Dude sure looks good in the future, I have to say...
Ben's "man on the boat" is, in fact, somehow, Sayid! Because of the weirdness of the time disconnect Ben KNEW in advance that Sayid was getting to the boat and that he could manipulate him in the future somehow. Bum bum bum! - Tatiana
Oh, man, that seriously has put me think. I mean, God... It hurts...
Posted by: gargumma at February 18, 2008 11:35 PM
(PS: forgive me about my English in this latter post. I'm hungry and I'm a foreigner :)
Posted by: gargumma at February 18, 2008 11:42 PM
gargumma said:
I too hate Miles. He should be tossed through the sonic fence or impaled in the skeleton pit.
I like Miles, I really do. By the by: there's a deleted scene where Sayid, Kate and Miles have to pass the sonic fence, and Miles just steps through it, unharmed.
Posted by: Adere at February 19, 2008 2:42 AM
love the beatles lyrics for the title.
love lost and luscious manlocks, love all around.
Posted by: Leah at February 19, 2008 3:30 AM
I kinda like Miles, but given everyone on the show hates him, isn't it possible Sayid swapped Kate for Charlotte, but insisted Locke take Miles like the salary cap make-weight in an NBA trade?
And pardon the quibble, but in the golfing scene the bet was about who could hit closest to the flag, not hit the ball farthest, and Sayid shoots the guy on the fairway, not the green. Which suggests Daniel is way more into writing awesome recaps than golf.
Posted by: hendero at February 19, 2008 6:20 AM
Kolby & gargumma:
Ben was presumably able to get to & from the island because of the submarine - which has now been blown up by Locke... At least, that's how the rest the Others travel(led) to & from the island, isn't (wasn't) it?
Posted by: a at February 19, 2008 1:09 PM
I'm of the mind that the submarine was just a prop to aid Ben in convincing the Others that they came to the island by conventional means of travel. I think the island exists in either a separate plane or in a different time, and that coming to and going from the island probably isn't achieved the way we'd think. Daniel's little experiment bolsters this argument. So, there must be another way off the island.
Posted by: Kolby at February 19, 2008 2:09 PM
My sister and I had a similar reaction to Sayid's "luscious man-locks" this episode-- mainly, that he either invested in a straightner or went to get his luscious man-curls (sounds less pretty and more dirty that way, huh?) relaxed.
I attribute the Power of Sayid to how, in the midst of such a great episode, his hair made such an impact on us all. He should be a spokesperson for hair products.
Posted by: artificialsweet at February 19, 2008 2:33 PM
Ok, how happy am I that we finally got an episode featuring Sayid? I was just kvetching about this a week ago. And, for the record, Sayid is hot past, present and future.
One question though. On this episode and last episode it listed Harold Perrineau in the credits, yet he hasn't been in any of the episodes? I don't get it, has he been showing up in cognito and I'm just not seeing it?
Posted by: citizen_cris at February 19, 2008 2:45 PM
L.S.,
I can't resist, my nationalistic pride is (unusually for me) getting the better of me:
Posted by: martinned at February 19, 2008 2:57 PM
"I hate Ben and I want to continue hating Ben, and I would pay money to watch Ben get raped by a gang of polar bears followed with his slow, slow death by smoke-monster."
Really? I love Ben, I think he is the most interesting character on the show. Maybe I'm a freak.
Posted by: Elle at February 19, 2008 4:14 PM
you and me both Elle--i think Ben is fascinating. i tried not to like him, but he is one of my favorite characters. i don't hate Miles either although he is a bit of an uptight prick.
i never stopped loving this show--even when they killed Eko--but this season has been amazing so far. this is one of the few shows that really surprises me so i try to avoid spoilers. i love talking about the show and hearing all the wild theories floating around out there.
i LOVE Sayid's perm. i guess he can afford relaxer now that he's one of the Oceanic 6--since i guess they didn't have any relaxer in the hatch--i hope we get more flash forwards with his lovely locks.
Posted by: pq at February 19, 2008 4:56 PM
Kolby, agreed again. The guy has his ways of coming and going, and they are related to the big secret of the Island. Something like "Close your eyes and you're out", some kind of magical prowess like that.
citizen_cris, Perrineau was re-admitted as a regular in Lost because Michael will come back. He hasn't appeared yet, rest assured, but he's being credited anyway because he signed his new contract as a regular. It's like when you see an episode with no Desmond or Jin, and we all know they are indeed regulars.
I like Ben too. Sure the guy's a weasel, but it's such a rich, deep character.
Posted by: gargumma at February 19, 2008 5:02 PM
sayid.....
hair is one thing.... but his hands.. ohMY his hands!
some of the most beautifully perfect hands.
be still my .... er.. um............. >:) whew!
hotflash!
Posted by: kikz at February 20, 2008 9:52 AM
Seriously, I recognized Ben's voice the minute he spoke to Sayid in the vet's office. Just knew it immediately. Shit my pants right that second. Damn. And Sayid is the perfect frickin' hit man. I just want to know what the golf prick knew about him that, the second Sayid told him who he was, he flipped out, totally panicked. What had he done to get off the island? What had he done since? Somehow, he had already gotten a badass rep and this guy knew it.
Jeesus I love this show!!!
Posted by: dammitjanet at February 20, 2008 1:14 PM
Sayid is fucking hot, but seriously the dude needs to either do some situps or some bicep curls, because brother has got major chicken arms. When he was on the golf course I had to look away at his frumpy little tummy in that shirt. Blech. Of course, later on in his tux, he was hot shit. That hair...that hair...
Posted by: Cara at February 20, 2008 10:44 PM
