Recapped: Lost – Episode 5

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Back with another recap for Lost, and as I’m writing this, the Red Sox are the 2004 MLB Champions. The curse is broken, finally! I’m happy for the Red Sox, but I recognize that now Chicago Cubs fans like myself are now alone in their misery. Myself, I did not get around to checking out the game, as I took a nap in the late afternoon and ended up getting about seven hours of sleep, which is why this recap might be a little late.

All that aside, let’s dip our hands into the mailbag, which is pretty shallow this week, perhaps because of a lack of viewers for Lost’s episode last week which was up against baseball.

Some thoughts on what the monster might be. I was thinking that if since there was a previous crash that obviously had survivors, perhaps the monster is one ofthose survivors. More specifically, i was thinking someone who may have been even younger than Michael. if a 3 or 4 year old survived the crash and outlived the other survivors, thus growing up without human interaction, that person would end up being primal, acting like an animal rather than a human. Prehaps seeing a primal human is something that Locke might consider beautiful. To me that would be alot more credible than manifestations of fear or guilt.

To me, the thread hangs on Locke’s sudden ability to walk again. That’s difficult to just explain away in a logical manner. If the writers are able to come up with a logical reason why (i.e. it was just one of those freak unexplanable medical miracles, but he soon loses the use of his legs again, then fine, i can buy that. But the whole “there is some evil/magical force on this island” is too Twilight Zone. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Twilight Zone, but it was what is was. You knew going in that something wierd was at work or was going to happen. Here we didnt expect that when we got hooked on the show, and I have a problem with the writers taking it that route 5 or 6 episodes in.

As for the strange polar bear, I’m hoping that it is a decendant of some cargo from the previous wreck.

Also, have the characters taken the time to walk all the way around the island shore? Assuming there are other survivors or other island residents, wouldn’t they too hang out on the beach?

Taking this paragraph by paragraph:

1) I assume you mean a survivor that is even younger than Walt (who is commonly confused for Michael, his father). That’s very possible and an interesting idea, but considering the knocking down trees and the clanking sounds as it approaches, it’s hard to swallow that it’s a primal human unless it mutated into something very large and very horrible. An interesting theory, certainly, but one that the writers don’t seem to be setting up.

2) If Locke does lose the use of his legs soon, it’ll be interesting to see how he gets around on the beach. Wheelchairs aren’t very effective in sand. Perhaps the writers realize they’ll be writing themselves into a corner if they have Locke lose his ability to walk and might kill him off before or slightly after something like that happens.

3) I don’t think the polar bear would’ve lasted very long following the French woman’s wreck, considering the climate. The writers can do whatever they want with the show, but it’s hard to swallow that the polar bear could’ve lasted very long on a tropical island.

4) I think most of the characters are scared to stray too far away from the beach where they landed because they never know when they might be saved and also because they don’t want to be too far away from safety if the monster decides to rear his/her/its ugly head.

I hope that my call for no more spoilers didn’t discourage people from sending in feedback, I always like getting it. Anyways, on with the recap!

Previously, on Lost: Charlie Horse can’t get enough of his heroin, and he’s high as the plane is going low. We are reminded of the French woman’s transmission that she is the lone survivor of a previous accident, and how the group that found the transmission agreed not to tell the others at the risk of taking away their hope, which is all they have. Dr. Jack is looking for his dead father, but finds fresh water from a waterfall, and then comes back to tell the others to either go with him to collect the water or find some other way to contribute instead of fighting all the time. Finally, Sun and Michael seem to have some kind of chemistry between them.

Sun is sniffing some flowers as Jin is trying to wrangle up some fish, and Sun looks over at Dr. Jack and Kate. Kate is wondering why a doctor has a number of tattoos, and Dr. Jack doesn’t want to spill the beans about it as Charlie Horse interrupts their verbal copulation, saying that there are many thirsty survivors who need drinking water, and that Locke–or the “Great White Hunter,” as Charlie Horse puts it–is getting restless. As the group of four takes off, Kate tells Charlie Horse to ask Dr. Jack about his tattoos, and Charlie Horse sarcastically expresses his joy that Dr. Jack and Kate are the first of the survivors to have an inside joke. Back over to Sun, who is startled by Jin slamming a fish against something–I honestly don’t know what the hell he’s doing. Anyway, Jin walks off to do more fish-beating, and Sun drifts off into a flashback.

Sun is laughing with some friends at an elegant party as Jin comes up and offers champagne to the ladies. Sun accepts and Jin moves onto another table, but looks back with a smile at Sun. Later, Jin and Sun have a conversation about eloping to America. Despite his love for her, Jin isn’t so keen on the idea because of Sun’s father, but Jin agrees to talk with her father and see if he can’t convince him to make the right decision and let the two lovers head off to America. Jin gives Sun a flower and promises that it will be a diamond soon as the two kiss again…

…and the flashback is interrupted by Jin smashing one of Sun’s flowers into the sand. Jin is a man on a mission as Sun yells after him, but Jin gets sight of Michael and Walt playing by the beach and sees red, as he rushes up and tackles Michael from behind, mounting him and punching the hell out of him, shoving Walt away when he tells Jin to stop. Holy crap! Sun and Walt are both yelling at Jin, but he keeps pounding away on Michael and shoving his face under the waves. Sun screams bloody murder and…

LOST.

And now, a word from our sponsors…what an amazing start to this episode, I was waiting to see how Jin would react to the whole Michael/Sun thing, and it turns out that he reacted very badly. Crazy stuff, and I wonder if this will be the trigger for Sun to leave Jin and go into the arms of Michael.

We’re back, and Jin is still beating the shit (pardon my French, but that’s what it is, folks) out of Michael, with Walt and Sun still screaming at Jin. Finally, Sayid and Sawyer rush down to the beach, and Sayid dives at full speed, slamming into Jin and knocking him off Michael as Sawyer checks on the brutally beaten Michael. Sayid retains Jin and asks for the handcuffs, as they restrain him to a piece of the wreckage. Sayid turns to Sun and Michael, asking what happened, but no answer is immediately given. What a weird show of unity with Sayid and Sawyer rushing down together after being the first two to ever fight on the island.

Welcome to the jungle, as Dr. Jack, Kate, Charlie Horse and Locke are trekking towards the waterfall which Dr. Jack luckily found. Locke looks around suspiciously in the distance, and then continues on. It’s not long before they reach the water source, and Charlie Horse points out a piece of the wreckage, suggesting that they look through it to see if there is anything else, especially medical supplies and drugs. That’s a trigger word for Charlie Horse, as he runs off to take some more heroin. Locke surprises him by telling him not to move, and Charlie Horse tries to cover his tracks, but Locke insists again that Charlie Horse not move. Dr. Jack and Kate come up to the scene as well, and Locke explains that Charlie Horse is standing on a beehive. Charlie Horse starts to freak out, but Locke tells him to be quiet and instructs Dr. Jack and Kate to go find something to seal off the hive.

Back at the beach, and Sayid is still interrogating Michael about exactly what the hell caused Jin to snap and attack Michael. Michael explains again that he was just walking along the beach with Walt, and that he didn’t do anything, but Jin shouts something in Korean, likely the Korean word for liar. Sayid thinks that Michael is hiding something, but Michael informs him that he doesn’t know what goes on in Sayid’s home of Iraq, but in America, Koreans and black people do not get along, so Sayid would be better off to ask Jin about what happened. Sayid turns to Sun, who motions to him that she wants him to take off Jin’s handcuffs, but the cuffs stay on. Hurley is considerate of the crazy Korean, acknowledging that he’s going to get “pretty crispy” tied down to the wreckage. Sayid says that they all saw Jin try to kill Michael, and the cuffs will stay on until they know why. Sayid walks off, followed by Michael and Walt, and Sun drifts off again into another flashback…

Sun is standing near a stream as Jin comes up and tells her that Sun’s father gave them permission to elope to America. Sun is very pleased, and asks how Jin managed to do it. Jin said that he’d work for her father for two years to get enough money, and that it’s only temporary. Jin then pulls out a box with a diamond, saying that he can afford it now. Sun puts it on her finger and they hug again, with a big smile on her face…

…turning into the somber look we’ve all come to know and love from her, as she snaps out of her flashback.

Over to Charlie Horse and the Beehive Problem, as bees are covering Charlie Horse’s face. Dr. Jack arrives with a suitcase to cover the hive, but Charlie Horse gets antsy and slaps at one of the bees on his face, and his foot accidentally smashes the hive as all four of them run off, Charlie Horse and Locke in one direction and Dr. Jack and Kate in another. The latter group reaches a clearing and they strip off their shirts, trying to get the bees away as Kate runs over to a rock formation, catching her breath and turning around, gasping as she sees a skeleton on the rock.

And now, a word from our sponsors…hells yeah, the plot thickens, homies! It’s easy to assume that this skeleton is from the French woman’s wreck, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have brought it up in the Previously. This episode is moving along quite nicely, and I’m liking where this is going–even the Jin/Sun story, because you know that something terribly wrong is going to happen with it.

We’re back, as Dr. Jack takes a look at the skeleton, and points out that the skeleton and another one very close to it were likely laid to rest and not murdered here. Kate wonders where they came from, and Dr. Jack asks about the polar bear they shot last week, and where that came from. There isn’t an answer for either question right now. Dr. Jack thinks that the skeletons have been there for at least forty or fifty years, and then he uncovers a pouch near one of the skeletons, and inside the pouch are two stones…white and black. Oh my. And as I think of him, he shows up: Locke comes around the corner, finding Dr. Jack and Kate, as Dr. Jack returns the stones to the pouch. Charlie Horse arrives as well, giving Kate her shirt back. “It was full of bees.” “I’d have thought C’s, actually.” Charlie Horse apologizes for his comment, and then notices the skeletons, saying that these were the people here before them. Locke doesn’t know what Charlie Horse is talking about, and he covers by saying that there COULD have been people before them, right? Locke wonders who these men are and Dr. Jack says that one of them’s a female. Locke recognizes them as “our very own Adam and Eve”.

Back to Jin and Sun, as Sun is applying some ointment to Jin’s raw skin, which is raw because he beat it raw against Michael’s face. The ointment from the plant stings Jin as Sun goes off into another flashback…

…Sun arrives home to her apartment(?) and finds a present box with a dog inside. Jin is already home, and tells her that Jin is working such long hours, Sun might need the company. Sun tries to remind Jin of the time when all he could offer her was a flower, but Jin doesn’t have time to reminisce as he gets a phone call…

Meanwhile, at the waterfall, Dr. Jack and Kate are taking off as Locke volunteers to help Charlie Horse look through the wreckage. Dr. Jack says that the amount of water they’ll have to transport to the beach will be a pain in the ass, and that the Adam and Eve likely found this cave and realized that they could survive here. He suggests that instead of bringing the water to the people, they bring the people to the water. “I think we could live here.”

Over to the beach, which we might not see much longer, as Walt is playing in the sand as Jin watches him from a distance. Michael arrives and looks over at Jin, asking him threateningly if he’s said anything to his boy, and Jin responds in Korean as Michael grabs Walt and takes him someplace else after looking at Sun for a moment. Walt asks Michael why people like Jin don’t like people like Michael, and Michael says that he was just angry when he said that. Walt wants to know what Michael did to piss off Jin, and Michael says that he’s been with Walt almost the entire time, and he hasn’t had time to anger someone. Michael thinks that his wife has said something to Walt about him, but Walt says that his mother never talked about Michael. Michael and Walt both tell each other that they don’t know each other, but Michael can remember Walt’s birthday and Walt can’t do the same for Michael. Michael tells Walt to forget about it and they both walk off.

Sun wants to explain the situation to people so they can take the handcuffs off Jin, but Jin makes a good point–how will she explain it to them? Jin tells Sun that her place is by his side, and that they will not explain themselves to a thief. What? Sun looks a little shocked as well as she goes into another flashback…

Sun is sleeping on the couch with the dog as the door opens and Jin rushes in. Jin goes into the bathroom as he washes blood off his hands. Sun wants to know what Jin was doing and whose blood it is on his hands. Jin tells her that he was working, and Sun wants to know just what kind of work Jin does for her father. She absolutely has to know, but Jin gets frustrated and pushes her away, so Sun hauls off and smacks Jin across the face. Jin gets a VERY angry look on his face, and tells Sun that he does what her father tells him to do, for the benefit of the both of them. Jin continues to wash his hands as Sun is silenced by those words.

And now, a word from our sponsors…so, is this where the relationship changes and Jin becomes the dominant one in the relationship? It’s hard to say.

Dr. Jack and Kate are continuing their trek back to the beach, as Kate needs to rest for a moment. She bends over to tie her shoes, and then looks over at Dr. Jack and asks if he was checking her out. Dr. Jack claims that if he was checking her out, she’d know, so Kate quizzes Dr. Jack on exactly what he was thinking just then. He explains that he was thinking about building a dam around the spring to give everyone fresh water. Kate likes the idea, and Dr. Jack says that he was thinking that because most of the people on the beach still think a rescue boat’s coming, and that he has a lot of convincing to do. Kate tells Dr. Jack in a cryptic manner that he hasn’t even convinced her. Whatever the hell that means.

Back at the wreckage, Charlie Horse is looking through some stuff as he tends to his stings. Charlie Horse walks off and Locke tries to follow, but Charlie Horse notices this and tells Locke that he’s just going to take a restroom break. Locke asks if there’s anything Charlie Horse wants to share, but Charlie Horse tells him to bugger off. Locke stops him by telling Charlie Horse that he knows who he is, and he knows what he’s looking for. Charlie Horse is startled, but Locke only says “Driveshaft. You played bass.” “And guitar…on a couple of tracks.” Locke says that just because he’s over forty doesn’t mean he’s deaf, he actually owns both Driveshaft albums and thought that the debut was much better than “Oil Change”. Locke asks how long it’s been since Charlie Horse has played, and Charlie Horse says it’s been about eight days, but he probably won’t see it again since it was likely lost in the wreckage. Locke gets all prophety, however, and tells Charlie Horse that he WILL see that guitar again, oh yes. Locke says that because he has faith, and Charlie Horse seems creeped out by the whole thing.

In a clearing in the jungle, Dr. Jack and Kate come up on Sayid chopping away at some wood and they share some water as Sayid explains his plan to get some information out of Sun: He’ll let them stand there in the sun a while longer, then take Sun aside, find some way to communicate, and learn what happened, because Sayid thinks that Sun knows why Jin attacked Michael. Dr. Jack offers to talk with Sun, but Sayid has it under control. Dr. Jack has a plan as well, as he intends to tell people about the caves and get a few people there by nightfall. Sayid is a little surprised that he’s serious about this idea, and wonders why no one else was consulted when Dr. Jack decided to create his own civilization. Dr. Jack says that digging into the caves together is the only way to survive, but Sayid maintains that they have to stay on the beach and keep the signal fire burning so that a plane or a ship can spot them and rescue them, and going into a cave is suicide. I’ll have to agree with Mr. Sayid on this one. Kate tells Sayid that it’s the only source of fresh water and Dr. Jack continues by saying that being on the beach without water in the hot sun is pretty much suicide as well. Sayid isn’t convinced, however, as he takes his wood and goes home to the beach.

Speaking of the beach, Walt is playing with his dog as Michael watches from a distance. Michael notices Dr. Jack arriving to talk with people, likely about the cave, and then sees Sayid walking up to him again. Michael doesn’t want to be interrogated again, but Sayid came to apologize for being suspicious and also to ask Michael where he stands on the issue of going to the cave with Dr. Jack. Michael says he has one priority, to get Walt off the island, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for missing a chance to get Walt off the island.

Dr. Jack gives Jin some water and then walks up to Hurley, thanking him for coming to the cave. Hurley asks Dr. Jack about his relationship with Kate but Dr. Jack just tells Hurley to get his stuff together and leaves with Hurley smiling.

Cut to Sawyer who walks up to Kate on the beach and asks what it’s like to have both “the doctor and Captain Falafel” fighting over her. He acknowledges that he isn’t the only one wondering where Kate’s going to go. He sees it as the pessimists going into the cave and the optimists staying on the beach. Kate asks whether or not Sawyer is going, and Sawyer thinks that if they go to the cave and a plane passes by, they won’t bother to stop. But if they stay on the beach and get destroyed by the monster, no one’s going to be alive to be rescued. Kate wants an answer, but so does Sawyer, and Sawyer asked first. Neither of them get an answer as we cut to the next scene. Still, an awesome scene, as I’m liking Sawyer more and more.

But anyway, cut to another part of the beach as Sun is sitting on the sand with Michael walking up in his vibrant orange shirt. He doesn’t notice Sun and just walks right past, as Sun looks over at Jin handcuffed to the wreckage. Turns out Michael is over in the jungle chopping up some wood for the fire, and Sun watches him from a distance as she goes into yet another flashback…

A interior design lady is with Sun in the apartment and talks about how money is no object when it comes to re-modeling the house, saying that she’s a very lucky wife. Sun laughs but Jin interrupts and tells Sun to move the dog since he’s on the phone with someone. Sun and the lady go off into the bedroom and the lady changes her tone, asking Sun if she’s taken her lessons and that her husband and her father will do anything to find Sun. Huh? Sun thinks there’s no turning back, and asks the lady (who I assume is a relative) to take care of Sun’s dog when she’s gone. The lady agrees, and grabs an envelope, instructing Sun that at 11:15, she is to make an excuse and leave the airport, bringing nothing as a car will be waiting for her outside of the airport. What the hell is going on? She tells Sun that Sun is to stay out of sight until her family assumes that she is dead, and after that Sun will be free to go wherever she wants. Sun repeats the time that she is to leave the airport over and over again…brainwashed?

Anyway, Sun snaps out of the flashback, still in the jungle as she watches Michael chopping the wood. She emerges from the jungle, and Michael isn’t happy to see Sun, and doesn’t look too up to talking with him. Sun tells Michael, in ENGLISH, that she needs to talk to him. Michael is understandably surprised by this…as we go to a commercial.

And now, a word from our sponsors…so, Sun hired some lady to get her away from her husband and to go to America alone? This is certainly interesting, and I’m also liking the “Who goes to the cave?/Who stays?” storyline.

Back from commercials, and Michael tries to confirm what we’re all thinking. “You speak English?” Sun tells him that Jin doesn’t know about this, which is why Michael hasn’t figured it out sooner. Jin has a bad temper, and the fight today was simply a misunderstanding. Michael doesn’t believe that, but Sun points out that the fight was over the watch. Michael says he found the watch among the wreckage, but it turns out that the watch belonged to Sun’s father, and Jin protecting that watch was a question of honor for him. “You call trying to kill me in front of my kid ‘honor’?” Sun tells him that he doesn’t know her father, and that Sun needs Michael’s help.

Back with Charlie Horse, as he is trying to walk off but Locke cuts him off again. Charlie Horse wants some privacy, but Locke just gets to the point and tells Charlie Horse to hand it over, since going through detox now will be a lot easier than later, when Charlie Horse runs out, and he certainly will run out. Charlie Horse denies that Locke knows anything about what Charlie Horse is going through, but Locke points out that he knows a lot more about pain than he thinks. He doesn’t envy Charlie Horse, but he wants to help him. Charlie Horse starts to walk off, so Locke asks him if he wants his guitar. Charlie Horse says that he wants it more than the drug, and Locke tells him that the island will give him something, but Charlie Horse has to give something to the island. Charlie Horse finally hands over the heroin, and asks if Locke really thinks he can find his guitar. Locke tells him to look up…not to pray, but because as Charlie Horse looks up, he notices that his guitar is sitting along a cliff side. Charlie Horse is so happy he’s in tears…

…as we go back to the beach. Kate is on the Sand Dune of Reflection, and Dr. Jack comes up to tell her that it’s time to go. Kate doesn’t want to be Eve, however, and she can’t dig in. Dr. Jack wants to know what her problem is, but he had his chance to know and he passed it up. Good job, Dr. Jack. Dr. Jack simply tells Kate that she knows where to find him, and Kate says the same to Dr. Jack.

On another part of the beach, Michael looks pissed off as he swings around to find Jin handcuffed to the wreckage. He wields an axe(!) in his hand and gets in Jin’s face, as Jin backs as far away as he can from Michael so that he doesn’t catch the business end of the axe. Michael tells Jin that he isn’t having the best month of his life, since he has to take care of a son he barely knows, and a Korean guy is trying to kill him. Michael says that he knows it’s about the watch, and he explains that his watch broke and he saw another watch in the wreckage, figuring why should a $20,000 watch go to waste. But that’s silly, since time doesn’t matter on an island. Michael throws Jin the watch and then lets out a yell as he swings the axe down, breaking the handcuffs and freeing Jin. Jin looks up at Michael as Michael gives his parting words: “Stay away from me. And my kid.” Michael walks off with his axe as he goes past Sun in tears.

Flashback to the airport, as Dr. Jack is having some words with the clerk at the desk about getting his dead father on the plane. Sun and Jin are there as well, and Sun notices the time and then sees the car outside the airport. Sun looks over at Jin waiting in line for the plane, and starts to walk off towards the car that will take her away from Jin, but she comes to a stop and then notices Jin, who has the flower that he first gave to Sun. They both smile, and Sun realizes that she can’t leave, rejoining Jin at his side. Jin gives her the flower and asks if something is wrong, but Sun just tells him that it’s too beautiful as Jin steps up in the line to get the arrangements for the plane.

Sun silently sobs thinking about it back on the beach…

And now, a word from our sponsors…I liked the tie-in of Dr. Jack at the desk talking about his dead father’s coffin. Good stuff, and this Jin/Sun story is pretty interesting. I especially liked Michael’s speech with his axe. Whattabadass.

Back for the home stretch, as Charlie is playing on his guitar. Dr. Jack arrives with his group, as he introduces the new tenants to Locke, which include Hurley, Jin, Sun, and some other random survivors. Hurley immediately sits and listens to music as he views the scene around him, launching another montage to end this show. Dr. Jack is gathering water as Sawyer sits at the signal fire with the optimists as the song continues, “Are you sure this is where you want to be?” Walt and Michael is at the fire as Walt asks Michael when his birthday is. Michael gives his son a hug as the camera pans around, showing Sayid and Kate at the signal fire as well. Dr. Jack and Locke sit by the cave fire as Jin and Sun look through clothes and Charlie continues playing on his guitar. Dr. Jack is thinking deeply as the shot fades into Kate doing the same. “Are you sure this is where you ought to be?” Willie Nelson croons as the show comes to a close.

End show!

Okay, so this episode of Lost was badass. Jin/Sun/Michael took center stage and the story progressed along quite nicely, as this subplot was clearly able to be featured for an episode and wasn’t weakly written. Although Jin and Sun went to the cave and Michael stayed behind with Walt, will Sun and Michael ever cross paths again despite Michael’s tirade with his axe?

The cave/beach separation is an awesome storyline, and it should make for some interesting plots in the future, since the writers did a good job of keeping important characters on both sides of the line, especially separating Dr. Jack and Kate who are obviously smitten for each other.

No mention of the monster again this week, and I just hope they haven’t ditched the idea completely. It’d be fun to see the monster come back and play head games with Charlie Horse as he goes through his detox with the help of his sponsor Locke.

Obviously, the big storyline is what will happen now that the group of survivors has been separated, but hopefully the monster won’t be too far behind.