Lost Recap #10.5: Do No Harm
Season 1, Episode 20
Hero of the episode: Jack, Sun, Kate, Jin, Charlie Zero of the episode: Locke for being MIA
Quote(s) of the episode: “He’s not gonna die.”—Jack while treating Boone
Music vibes: Sad and joyous, we get the circle of life with the music as one life ends, and another starts
Little things: Claire wonders how long the boat construction will take | Shannon and Sayid are unaware of what’s going on with Boone | Jin holding back Charlie while Claire is in labor
Episode notebook:
Boone struggles to breathe.
Everyone pitches in to help Boone.
Flashbacks show Jack prepping for his wedding. Farkus was Jack’s best man? If you’ve seen A Christmas Story, you know who Farkus is.
The future Mrs. Jack Shephard, actress Julie Bowen, makes her first appearance before she left and became Claire Dunphy for 11 seasons on Modern Family.
Jack is determined to save Boone. Donates blood to Boone.
Boone is mumbling, making Jack think Locke did something sinister to Boone.
Jack married a woman he saved.
Kate stumbles upon Claire in labor. Jack’s a little busy, so Kate is going to have to be the doctor.
Claire doesn’t want to give birth on the island. She also fears the baby will reject her for wanting to give him up for adoption.
Jack worried his dad wouldn’t show up at the wedding. Nervous about writing wedding vows.
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” A popular line on this show, this time Jack says it.
Jack is reluctant to let Boone go.
One life begins and another ends
Jack is convinced Locke is a murderer.
Episode recap: Straight into the action, everyone is trying desperately to save an injured Boone—with Jack acting as captain of the ship. The good doctor hands out tasks, Kate is dispatched to the beach to get ALL of Sawyer’s alcohol and Sun is Jack’s trusty assistant/nurse. It’s a very noble effort, but is it all in vain? They are in the middle of nowhere with rudimentary medical equipment. Can Jack really do more than make Boone comfortable? Jack believes he can do more. Jack believes he can save Boone. Jack is not letting him go. As we’ve seen in several episodes, Jack will go above and beyond to save someone—even if it’s a fool’s errand.
Jack went above and beyond when he met his wife, Sarah. He saved her life and now he’s getting ready to marry her (via flashback of course). Jack marrying a patient he saved is so on brand for this character. Marrying someone he saved is a constant reminder of the great work he can do; he fixed a problem. Seems unethical. Sure he loves Sarah, but is he still riding the high of a great professional moment? What happens when the honeymoon is over? Oh Jack is going to get there—in another season.
On the island, trying to save Boone is turning into the perfect storm. Jack is giving Boone a blood transfusion and can’t leave his side. But tell that to Claire’s baby, yes he decides to make his debut when the only doctor is otherwise occupied. It’s up to Kate to deliver Claire’s baby, a frightening situation for both women but there is no other option.
Jack is running out of options to save Boone. Of his many injuries, Boone’s leg fracture is making the blood transfusion useless. Blood is pooling in his leg, the only way to remedy that is amputation. Although Sun isn’t a doctor, she can see the futility of amputation. Taking extraordinary measures would just prolong the inevitable—Boone is going to die. Jack did everything humanly possible, which Boone is aware of. Boone gives Jack permission, which he was probably too afraid to ask for, to let him go.
Kate delivers Claire’s baby boy, a bit of joy in an otherwise sad episode. One life ends as another is just beginning. The smiles all around as Claire shows the baby to the rest of the group was such a beautiful moment, it didn’t last long as the camera pans to a blissfully unaware Shannon. There are no words spoken during this scene, but the music does the job of conveying the euphoria and the sadness.
This one was a tearjerker. I remember the first time I saw it, thinking Boone was going to survive. He’s a main character, they don’t killed off so early. TV magic/island magic will save him, but it was not meant to be. Boone is the first of many main characters to bite the dust. I’ll give the creators that, they were unafraid to make the big moves. Please come back next week for recaps of episodes twenty-one and twenty-two.
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