The last twenty minutes of this episode was Lost at its dark, character lead best. Sure you can shoot out theories about how the flash-sideways was yet again useless, but whatever. I would say this is the best of the season, perhaps premiere aside, by a long shot. And Naveen Andrews has never got quite the credit he deserved what he did with Sayid, who could have well been an extraneous character in this show. Anyways to point-making.
SPOILERS SURE TO FOLLOW
OFF-ISLAND
- Pretty disposable really, had its moments but not really all thought out and was more concerned with being synergistic with the island plot rather then do justice with Sayid the 2004 version.
- Having said that, Keamy. Keamy rules. Or at least he did once, when he wasn't transformed from uncompromising mercenary badass into a rent-a-villain loan shark. I still enjoyed Kevin Durand's performance though, and found something to explore even within this sanitized version of the character.
- After 6 years THAT was our Sayid/Nadia payoff. Again, kind of irritating. These flash-sideways are consistently the weaker half of the episode.
- Erm, it was kind of a B-movie thriller plot really, with no real payoff and kind of got sidelined in favor of on island action.
- Didn't really give Andrews too much to do in this half, but him and Andrea Gabriel still had a couple of moments.
ON ISLAND
- And this is where the magic happens. The darkest episode of the season, unquestionably and all the more awesome for it.
- Awesome opening fight scene between Sayid and Dogen.
- Smokey got to some clearing of the books. And most of the set-filling others from the Temple got taken to the cleaners.
- I liked that Sayid went to the dark side and Joined evil Locke's crew, and did it from his own self. Too many Sayid is Jacob theories spouted up too quickly and the Lost mantra seems to be don't pick the obvious route, pick the second most obvious one. And it kind of fits the arc of the character.
- I loved how Andrews played Sayid once he'd made his choice. It was perfectly done. Loved that shit.
- Speaking of great acting. Yet another great one scene showing from O' Quinn as Evil Locke, who gave so much gravitas to the episode's crucial scene, the temptation of Sayid if you will, even in the face of slightly hackish writing.
- "Don't stab a man in the heart before saying hello."
- Ditto to Emilie De Ravin, who gets more interesting by the minute. But this episode was all about Andrews, and in particular his scenes with Hiroyuki Sanada as Dogen. Sanada struggles with the English a little but did good work. Until he got shockingly murdered by Sayid anyway.
- Episode Body Count:
Dogen - The Japanese warrior monk was drowned in ' the spring' by badass evil Sayid in a way nobody could have been expecting. He felt like an all seasoner and that shit caught me off guard. So long Hiroyuki.
Lennon - The translator went down with the ship. getting his throat slit shortly after the death of his boss. Again at the ends of our resident Iraqi. So long John Hawkes.
A bunch of others - This was an important thing to do I think, with the season having a vaguely familiar captured by the others quality to it. Now that stuff be done with and we're headed to new places. Sweet.
- Ilana Watch: The world's most pointless regular had a couple of lines in this one and rescued Miles. Good for her.
- Team Locke = Sawyer, Claire and now Sayid.
- Awesome use of an ultra creepy 'catch a falling star' cover amidst the final surveying of the carnage, that hit home.
- Its amazing how Lost episodes that basically tie up loose ends, as this did with the stagnating temple arc, end up being the most awesome. Perhaps because by necessity things can't meander.
- Terrific stuff. Lost at its most vital. Even if it hasn't quite yet figured out how to blend its new structure yet, this episode at least promises that the on island stuff is headed in the right direction.
- One last plug for Andrews, the forgotten great performance of Lost.
Rating: 8/10
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