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Hero of the episode: Sawyer Zero of the episode: Ben, Anthony Cooper
Quote(s) of the episode: “Don’t you know, John? Don’t you know where we are?”—Anthony Cooper | “How ‘bout you tell me why you joined up with the damn enemy?”—Sawyer to Locke | “’Magic box’ is a metaphor, John. I can’t show you anything until you can show me that you’re ready and willing to be one of us.”—Ben to Locke
Music vibes: eerie, high-pitched sounds as the episode opens with a shot of Locke
Little things: Sawyer walking through the jungle without shoes and still cracking jokes; while Locke has Cooper and Sawyer locked up in the brig, Danielle stops by the Black Rock for dynamite
Episode notebook:
Another episode focused on Locke’s family trauma; this is getting a bit repetitive.
Kate is spending more time in Sawyer’s tent.
Locke comes back to the beach for Sawyer.
Hurley, Desmond, Jin, and Charlie are hiding the woman, Naomi, they found in the jungle.
Locke has been a literal healing presence for Ben. The feeling in his legs started to return when Locke showed up.
Other people in the camp stare at Locke as if he’s the chosen one.
Ben tells Locke what Juliet is really doing at the beach camp.
Locke wants to be part of Ben’s group but can’t until he passes a test.
Naomi tells her story to Sayid; her crew was recruited by Penny Widmore, Desmond’s girlfriend, to find the island. She has lost contact with her ship. Sayid is skeptical.
Locke tries to con Sawyer, but his comrade figures out the ruse.
Ben wants John to kill his father, but it’s a struggle for Locke.
Richard Alpert gives Locke a file on Sawyer and an alternative to give Ben what he wants.
Sawyer comes face-to-face with the man who ruined his family.
Kate stumbles upon Sayid and Hurley with Naomi’s satellite phone.
Kate tells Jack what everyone is hiding from him.
Locke gives Sawyer ammunition on Juliet.
Episode recap: Traumatic experiences can swallow you up and take over your life—if you allow it. When Oceanic Flight 815 crashed, it wasn’t just the passengers that landed on the island; their emotional baggage did too. Jin and Sun’s marriage was on the rocks. Sayid was haunted by his past as a torturer. Claire tried to run from motherhood. Hurley struggled to shed the bad luck that plagued him. Jack’s daddy issues have roots in every decision he makes. Kate isn’t in a physical prison, but she’s still in an emotional one, running from the dirty deeds of her past. Sawyer and Locke both have deep emotional wounds because of one man—Anthony Cooper.
The Man from Tallahassee episode revealed the elusive con man, who stole things more valuable than money, was on the island. The how and why of Cooper’s presence on the island is a mystery to his son but one Locke is genuinely curious about. On the other hand, Cooper isn’t interested in answering questions, choosing to attack John physically and emotionally. Locke, still desperate to belong to a family, wants to join Ben’s group, but first he must pass a difficult test. It’s time for Locke to let go of the hurt of Cooper stealing his kidney—which Helen tried to get him to do multiple times. The only way to do that is to kill him. John can never move on if Cooper is still breathing and living. Even when Cooper isn’t around, the emotional scars are still present, which is why he has to go. Despite all the pain this man has caused him, Locke can’t bring himself to take a life, but he knows someone who will.
Sawyer’s childhood was shattered when his father, after being conned out of his life savings, killed his mother and then turned the gun on himself. All of this because Cooper charmed his way into bed with Sawyer’s mother, eventually conning her and her husband out of their money. Young Sawyer was determined to one day make Cooper pay for ruining his family. Until the day of justice comes, Sawyer becomes what he hated—a con man, even taking the name of the man who ruined his family (see the Confidence Man episode). Never letting himself get attached, conning woman after woman but still searching for the source of pain, leading to Oceanic Flight 815. With some help from Richard Alpert, Locke cons Sawyer into heading out to the jungle to kill Ben. What he really wants is for Sawyer to kill the person responsible for their years of pain and trauma.
While Locke and Sawyer are plotting revenge on one side of the island, Desmond, Jin, Hurley, and Charlie are plotting an escape. They’ve brought the woman, Naomi, they found back to the beach but are hiding her from everyone—especially Jack and Juliet. Jack spent over a week with the enemy, and not everyone believes he came back the same person. Even though, as a doctor, Jack can be trusted to treat the injured Naomi. But where do his loyalties lie after getting so cozy recently with Juliet? Instead, they seek Sayid’s advice and his expertise with Naomi’s seemingly broken satellite phone. The phone signal is blocked. By what or by whom? However, nothing can be kept secret on this island as Kate spots Sayid working on the phone. Sayid and Hurley are forced to clue her in but beg her not to tell Jack. Kate has repeatedly shown she doesn’t listen and goes right to Jack, who seems incredulous that people don’t trust him. Jack has been holding something back, information Juliet implores him to tell Kate, but he refuses—for now.
Locke and Sawyer reach the Black Rock, Danielle’s long-damaged ship, which now rests on its side as a permanent fixture in the jungle. Sawyer discovers Cooper, not Ben, locked in the brig, but not before John locks him in. John is convinced nature will take its course, Cooper will brag too much about his past, and Sawyer will see he’s come face-to-face with the man who destroyed his family. Cooper begins to talk. At first, the conversation sounds casual but turns sinister as Sawyer realizes who he’s speaking to. The moment he’s been waiting for, giving the letter to Cooper, making him read it, and finally making him pay. True to form, Cooper plays along briefly but tears the letter up, not wanting to give Sawyer any satisfaction or resolution—much like he’s done with John. But Sawyer gets his payoff, choking the life out of Cooper. But it doesn’t seem like a relief, after being freed by Locke, he runs into the jungle to vomit. Was this moment everything he hoped for? Who knows, but finally Sawyer and Locke can move on, they can find their true purpose. What that path looks like lies in the episodes ahead! Please come back in two weeks for my recaps of episodes twenty and twenty-one.
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