Lost ReWatch: One of Them
Season 2, Episode 14
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Hero of the episode: Danielle Zero of the episode: Sawyer, “Henry Gale”
Quote(s) of the episode: “What we ain’t friends anymore?” –Sawyer when Jin ignores him | “If I wanted to kill him, I would have killed him.” –Danielle | “At least people like me.” –Hurley when Sawyer threatens to reveal his food stash | “All that noise from this tiny critter.” –Sawyer just before he kills the tree frog
Music vibes: sounds of war, shooting, planes descending | harried when the button needs to be pushed
Little things: Danielle gives Sayid her gun as a show of trust | Sawyer is annoyed by the sound of a tree frog | Hurley’s secret stash of food
Episode notebook:
Sayid flashbacks. He’s at war. American soldiers invade an Iraqi military outpost, capturing Sayid and his fellow soldiers.
One of the American soldiers is Kate’s father. A detail I missed the first time around. All of the survivors are connected.
Sayid’s commanding officer, Tariq, has information on a missing American pilot. Sayid is tasked with getting that information.
Ana-Lucia spots Danielle in the jungle and tells Sayid.
Danielle is back with another message, but Sayid is skeptical. Danielle gives Sayid her gun as a show of trust.
Danielle reveals she caught one of “them” in one of her traps.
The mystery man claims his name is “Henry Gale” and he’s from Minnesota.
Danielle shoots “Henry Gale” with a crossbow arrow. She doesn’t trust him but trusts Sayid to know what to do.
Sayid takes “Henry” back to the hatch for medical attention from Jack.
With help from Locke, Sayid decides to torture “Henry” for information. Sayid is still grieving the loss of Shannon. Is he objective enough to get information from “Henry”?
Sayid has to torture Tariq to get the information on the missing soldier.
Sayid tells Charlie about “Henry.” Sayid doesn’t believe anything the mystery man told him.
Episode recap: The return of Danielle marks the return of Sayid’s inner demons. Still reeling from the loss of Shannon, Sayid has yet to release some of that grief. However, with Danielle's return comes a new focal point for his pain: a man named "Henry Gale." Danielle takes Sayid into the jungle, revealing a man ensnared in a net, whom she adamantly believes to be one of "them"—someone not to be trusted. When Sayid frees him, Danielle immediately shoots him in the shoulder with a crossbow. Danielle is fine with Jack treating “Henry” but then Sayid should take over—the old Sayid. The man who knows how to get answers with torture. A version of himself that Sayid would rather forget.
That torturous spirit was awakened in Sayid when he was a young soldier. Captured by American military forces, his proficiency in English becomes both a tool and a burden. The Americans exploit his language skills, engaging him in conversation and playing to his capacity for empathy. An American pilot is missing and Sayid’s superior officer, Tariq, is the only one who knows what happened. Attempts to talk to Tariq peacefully are rebuffed. Sayid also seems reluctant to press him further. Perhaps showing Sayid who Tariq is will break the bonds of loyalty. Tariq wiped out a village with poisonous gas, including several of Sayid’s relatives. That’s all the motivation Sayid needed to torture Tariq for the information. Torture. It’s a skill Sayid wishes he didn’t have but as one of the Americans points out, it’s an ability that will come in handy.
Sayid’s special skills have come in handy on the island. He tortured Sawyer for information, but Sayid was scared to go down that rabbit hole again—until “Henry Gale.” After Jack patches up “Henry,” Sayid hatches a plan with Locke to get some answers. Sayid gets Locke to change the combination to the now empty armory and then locks himself in with the mystery man. A plan that goes against Jack’s wishes, but it has to be done.
“Henry Gale” claims to be from Minnesota. He and his wife, Jennifer, crashed on the island four months ago. Their ill-fated journey involved an attempt to traverse the Atlantic in a hot air balloon. While his story seems plausible, Sayid remains unconvinced. Everything “Henry” has said is superficial, Sayid wants concrete details. What type of balloon were they in? Why did they stay on the beach? What kind of beacon did the balloon have? And most importantly, details about his wife’s death, including her burial. Sayid can remember every agonizing detail of Shannon’s death. That sense of grief oozing from Sayid is so palpable, “Henry” tries to appeal to that sense of grief, but it doesn’t help him. The torturous spirit kicks in and Sayid starts to beat Henry.
The screams of pain are Jack’s breaking point, he tries to force Locke to open the door which he refuses at first. John believes he’s protecting the lives of others by pushing the button, which is why the sounds of the alarm are his breaking point. It’s time to enter the numbers into the computer. John relents and lets Jack into the gun closet. Jack pulls Sayid forcefully off “Henry,” which does nothing to stop his belief that the mystery man is a liar. While Jack and Locke may have forgotten the harsh realities of their early days on the island—such as Charlie being strung up from a tree and left for dead or Claire's abduction—Sayid remains acutely aware. Jack might have stopped him for now, but sooner or later Sayid is going to find out who “Henry” really is.
Please come back in two weeks for recaps of episodes fifteen and sixteen.
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