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Lost: The Brig

Sawyer: "How 'bout that. Sawyer's my name, too."

Major plot resolution! I almost can't believe it. And for not one character, but two. Not that I was shocked, or anything. Many of us guessed way back in season two that Cooper had to be the original Sawyer. I also thought Locke wouldn't betray his friends on the beach, and he didn't.

Cooper was a revolting, toxic human being, and if there is a Hell, I'm sure he just bought a condo there. I only hope his death will bring Locke and Sawyer some relief. But confronting the source of one's trauma doesn't always work, take it from me. Locke needed a father's love; Sawyer needed his parents and his childhood back. They're never going to get those things. Plus, dead people tend to come back on the Island. Sawyer may need to kill Cooper over and over again, and isn't that a horrible thought.

Did Cooper really believe he was already dead? He must have, since he stupidly goaded Sawyer into killing him. Naomi of the parachute told Desmond and the guys that Flight 815 had been found four miles down off the coast of Bali. And again, I must say that I don't believe the Island is the afterlife. I think someone pulled off a powerful hoax. There's no way to do DNA evidence and dental records on over 300 irretrievable bodies, after all.

Ben is turning out to be the most interesting villain in the series. Richard, who went out of his way to help Locke, said that Ben had them "wasting their time" with fertility problems. What could be bigger? Perfect health and immortality? Ben also said that proximity to Locke helped Ben heal. Was that bull, like Ben's big magic box (which he admitted was a metaphor box)? Ben said that the pillars were an "old place." A temple? Ancient religion centered around whatever it is the Island does? Did it have something to do with Homer Simpson's foot?


Desmond has definitely become one of the Island leaders, and he actually has an active anti-Jack faction. I was surprised at Kate for going right to Jack, although I also find it hard to believe that a man as loyal as Jack has turned. Even though he and Juliet know something they're not ready to tell. The Others are planning a raid on the beach to kidnap the pregnant women, and they're coming in three days. (I am assuming that means season finale.)

Maybe that's what Jack and Juliet know, and aren't telling. Yet.


Character bits:

James Ford was originally from Jasper, Alabama. Cooper swindled his mother out of $38,000.

Kate and Sawyer are still sleeping together. And Kate is still uncomfortable about it.

Cindy and the kids don't seem as drone-like as I originally thought. I'd really like to know what's going on with them.

Sawyer's no-nickname week must have passed because he called Locke "Tarzan" and "John-Boy."

Cooper gave a number of aliases: Alan Seward, Anthony Cooper (so what was his real name?), Ted McLaren, Tom Sawyer, Lewis Jackson, Paul something. Sawyer's nicknaming and Cooper's aliases are related, of course.

In this week's hair report, Sawyer's looked a bit better. Maybe it was the extended proximity to Kate and to Dharma Initiative shampoo.

Bits and pieces:

— The flashbacks were all on the Island.

— This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was the brig, as well as the desiccated skeletons of the still chained slaves. Locke and Sawyer have both been prisoners of their past.

— Danielle Rousseau showed up at the Black Rock to grab a box of very unstable dynamite. What you gonna blow up, French Chick? Whatever it is, it must have something to do with Alex.

— The Others back in Florida used a car accident to kidnap Cooper. Yet another car accident.

— When Sawyer was choking Cooper with that chain, I couldn't help thinking of Princess Leia and Jabba the Hut.

— I recently did a "favorite character poll" on the front page of my site. Sawyer won, and Sayid and Desmond tied for second place. Just wanted to pass that on.


— Gold acting stars for Josh Holloway. Even though it was Locke's flashback and Locke's father, this was mostly Sawyer's episode.

Quotes:

Sawyer: "Okay, Tarzan. So now that you're back from your 'blow up everything that could get us off the Island' tour, how 'bout you tell me why you joined up with the damn enemy?"

Cooper: "If this isn't Hell, friend, then where are we?"



Sawyer: "Tom Sawyer?"
Cooper: "I was young, and Huck Finn was taken."

I'm not sure all of this episode was a four, but the Locke/Sawyer plot certainly was. Four out of four polar bears,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

4 comments:

  1. What a resolution to this plot. Locke scares me, so manipulative, so focused on whatever it is that he is focused on. I find it incredible that he could, without shame and without remorse, use Sawyer like that to further his own ends. It makes me shiver.

    The look on Josh Holloway's face when he realises who is in the room with him just melted me. The ensuing scene, but especially where Cooper tears up the letter, I just knew what was going to happen. I couldn't help hoping that it wouldn't.

    I'm afraid that finally killing this man is going to affect Sawyer in all kinds of ways -- not necessarily positive. He's not a natural killer, shown beautifully in that scene at the stream where he tries to explain to Locke what happened in Sydney. Between his now having killed again and how he feels when he discovers that Kate went running to Jack, I'm very, very concerned about him.

    Loved the scene on the beach with our "new" triangle. I was frankly surprised that Sayid would trust Kate not to go to Jack -- it's what she always does, and she did not fail us this time, either. But, what another kick for Kate. Not only does Jack not seem to care that the others no longer trust him, he has a secret of his own that he is not sharing. Oh, Kate. You are no longer number one. Oops!

    Goes without saying, if you were still running your poll, Sawyer would be my favourite character as well.

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  2. Such a beautifully composed episode: Locke tricking Sawyer into killing someone, just as Sawyer was tricked into killing someone he thought was Anthony Cooper/Tom Sawyer in Australia. Only this time, Sawyer sees the trick for what it is, and chooses--well, chooses emotionally--to follow through.

    Locke, in tricking Sawyer this way, finally did something that would have made his father proud: a real con.

    And, of course, it's all at Ben's instigation, hoping to shame Locke out of seeing himself (and being seen as) special. Especially in light of later events (in Season Five), Richard's conversation with Locke is weird.

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  3. This was amazing. I loved how that bastard finally got what he deserved, and I'm glad that Locke knew that it would mean something to (I'm assuming he will no longer go by Sawyer now and go by James) to see the man he hated most die too. He did after all dedicate his name to killing him. Great episode. I'm sure James will be a bit more at ease now

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  4. @celticmarc
    "* Locke putting his dead father's body on his shoulder while there's some great (again) music playing."

    That's exactly the kind of comment I would've written if I was here at the time, lol. I love that bit too, I remember rewatching it repeatedly.
    Sawyer VS Sawyer! One of the all-time great events that's too easily forgotten when listing the best moments from the show. It's a bit of a cheat, I guess, it really shouldn't count if Locke doesn't kill the rat bastard himself, but I guess there's enough responsibility in maneuvering someone to do it that I think it's the only realistic way he could pull such a thing off. A Locke who can make a decision with his own hands without involving some poor sucker isn't a Locke at all, much as I love him. Oh well, Sawyer still had to give his consent and know who the man is, so that's not quite trickery...
    A LITTLE HOT FOR HEAVEN?

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