Summary: Flashbacks show Michael going after the others. He is captured and taken to a small camp where he is broken by a brief meeting with Walt. The others send him back to free Henry and to bring them Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley. In the present, Michael tries to get Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley to attack the others, but everyone decides to have a funeral first. Sawyer invites Sayid on the trip so Michael goes to him and tells him not to come. At the funeral, Sayid tells Jack that he suspects that Michael is lying, and suggests that they play along for now. Meanwhile, Charlie learns that Eko is no longer working on the church. He tries to work alone and accidentally stumbles upon the heroin which he throws into the ocean. At the end of the episode, a boat appears off the coast of the island.
The Good: Harold Perrineau carries this episode. His performance is incredible and he gives it his all to make Michael somewhat sympathetic, an impressive feat considering that he just murdered two people in cold blood. This episode does a great job of making us understand why Michael did what he did. We learn that he wasn't brainwashed; he did everything of his own accord, and the reason he did so is presented simply, but effectively through an outstanding scene with Walt (see: Best Moment). Outside of Michael's story, this is good if unspectacular set-up for the season finale. The tensions in the camp develop organically to prepare for another epic trek across the island in order to get Walt back. The ending cliffhanger is very interesting, and I'm curious to see who is on the boat and what it means for the story (see: The Unknown). The flashbacks were some of the most interesting parts of the episode. The others were portrayed just as mysteriously as ever and I was fascinated by the little tidbits that we learned about them. The others are very cunning, and the ambush to capture Michael was clever and intimidating. Their interrogation of him was very interesting. Miss Klugh's questions for Michael intrigued me and it seems like these people are much more interested in science and experimentation than any kind of physical torture, recruitment or whatever else that has been theorized. There were a few moments that I really liked. Eko's speech about the boy and the dog was a signature Eko moment. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays the role with such charisma that every scene with him becomes must-see. I also liked that Claire was momentarily afraid of Charlie's claims that he tried the vaccines, considering his history as an addict. I was very happy with Sayid being able to see through Michael's crap and determining that something was up. Locke being able to walk again after such a short time was also quite nice. The Bad: Some things didn't work in the episode. I was surprised that Jack agreed to let Michael decide who went on the trek. Jack has always been overly emotional and often insists on being in control of things, so I expected that he would have wanted to make some suggestions. The fact that he was alright with Hurley going with them is quite baffling. Hurley doesn't even know how to use a gun! And he's also proven to be squeamish (Tabula Rasa) and fearful of violence (Exodus). Why would anybody want to take him to go kill people? Charlie throwing away the heroin was a wasted moment. It feels too late for him to pass up on the heroin as his character has already been sabotaged by poor writing and questionable behaviour. The moment doesn't have the weight that it would have had if Charlie had been giving a better story. This simply felt like a hollow attempt to course-correct a character who had been badly mishandled. It's a small detail, but the location where Michael had a brief gunfight with the others doesn't match up with the location in "The Hunting Party". It's a small thing, but it did bother me. The Unknown: Why do the others want Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley specifically? Does it have something to do with them assorting people as good or bad? Miss Klugh mentions that Walt was apparently appearing in places he wasn't supposed to be. Does this have something to do with Shannon randomly seeing Walt earlier this season? What tests are the others doing on him? What are the others pretending to do? Does this have something to do with those fake beards that Kate found? Also what is the room that Miss Klugh threatened Walt with? Who is on that boat? Is it the others? Could it be Desmond? Or another group of people who have discovered the island? Best Moment: The others allow Walt to speak with Michael, albeit briefly and the relief in Michael's eyes is palpable. But then Walt has to be taken away from Michael again and we get to see the panic set in as Michael is forced to watch, helpless, as the other take his son away from him once again. And it breaks him. Michael breaks down into tears and submits to the others, willing to do whatever it takes so that he wouldn't have to look at himself as a failure of a parent anymore. It's a really sad scene that is acted brilliantly, and it allows us to sympathize with Michael. Character of the Episode: Michael. Conclusion: This was a solid enough set-up episode elevated by Harold Perrineau pouring his heart out to make Michael sympathetic. Score: 68
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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