WHAT HAPPENED
”Whatever Happened, Happened” revealed quite a bit and it centered on Kate and her need to be Aaron’s mother to help her alleviate her guilt over abandoning the Lostie Left Behinders. You see, Kate has a heart for fate-screwed kids, even ones who grow up to be killers, which makes sense, given how much Kate can relate to those particular circumstances. Her supposed step-father was an abusive monster who turned out to be her biological father, and when she discovered that hideous truth, she killed him.
Last week, Lost established a symbiotic relationship between Ben and Sayid and showed how their respective life stories mirrored each other. ”Whatever Happened, Happened” did the same for Kate and Sawyer.
Sawyer: Fugitive who found maturity and security during his three years apart from Kate, in large part due to his relationship with Juliet.
Kate: Fugitive who found maturity and security during her three years apart from Sawyer, in large part due to her relationship with Aaron.
…and all of this to save young Ben…
THEORIES TO DISCUSS
1. Ben murdered Locke. Eloise Hawking said the Oceanic 815 experience had to be replicated in order for Ajira 316 to return to the Island. Jack dressed Locke’s corpse with his father’s shoes so Dead John could play the role of Dead Christian Shephard’s proxy. Christian has a little more in common with Locke than a pair of shoes. Christian’s death wasn’t the result of a bad bender Down Under; Christian was actually murdered by a certain someone keenly interested in making sure Jack and all his castaway friends followed paths of destiny that led them straight to the Island. Christian was murdered by Ben Linus. Discuss.
2. Roger Linus shares with Kate: ”My son stole my keys so he could bust that animal [Sayid] out of jail. Because of me. I thought I was going to be the greatest father ever. I guess it didn’t work out that way. I tried to do what she wanted me to do. But I guess a boy just needs his mother.”
We don’t know anything about the Ben-Roger relationship from this point until the Purge, which is about 15 years into the future at this point. It would be a tragic irony if we were to learn that Roger had changed as a result of this crisis, that he wanted to be a better father and redeem himself in Ben’s eyes, but Ben couldn’t or wouldn’t allow that to happen because he had been made into a cold, hard, innocence-less fella during his recuperation in Richard’s Temple.
FACTS CONFIRMED
1. The Hurley and Miles time travel conversations were classic, witty, and helpful. Essentially, Miles told Hurley that their participation in past events is shaping the future that they have already experienced. Wrap your mind around that a little…I’m still thinking on it…
2. Kate’s stated reason for going back to the Island: ”I’m going back to find your daughter,” she told Claire’ mother. I thought this was pretty rad. Kate leaving Aaron in the care of Claire’s Mom, Carole Littleton was good for some tears. The emotional investment we put into a primetime drama: can’t live with it, can’t live without it.
3. Anyone notice what the name of the boat is from the Oceanic 6 dock scene that keeps reappearing every week? ”Illusion”
4. The song, “Catch A Falling Star” that Kate was singing to Aaron was the same song Claire insisted that the would-be adoptive parents sing to Aaron. Claire knew this song because her rarely seen father, Christian, sang it to her as a little child.
5. No surprise here… what Sawyer whispered to Kate in helicopter — resolved. Take care of Clementine.
6. History: Kate had once shared an adventure with Cassidy. They did a road trip together and Cassidy helped misdirect the FBI so Kate could have one of her patented soul-crushing conversations with her mother. In last night’s episode, she found her kindred spirit acquaintance living comfortably in the suburbs. (Cassidy’s socio-economic circumstances were given short-shrift, but remember, back in season 3, we got that flashback episode where Sawyer became a jailhouse snitch and in return got a nice bundle of cash which he passed on anonymously to Clementine).
7. Juliet: Why did you come back?
Jack: ”I came back because I was supposed to.”
Juliet: ”Supposed to do what?”
Jack: ”I don’t know yet.”
Juliet: ”Well, you better figure it out.”
Jack is the new John Locke. Wait — the new Sawyer. Or? …
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. So. Can we answer Hurley’s question to Miles? Why didn’t Ben acknowledge knowing Sayid when the he was torturing him in Season 2 during The Hatch/Henry Gale period?
2. A few episodes ago, Richard Alpert boasted superiority to Dharma’s sonic fence. Last night, he claimed he already knew that Sawyer and Kate were coming to him. How? A Desmond-esque flash from the future… or maybe Richard simply didn’t want them near the Temple? Remember, Jin is the only Lostie that knows the Temple even exists.
3. Richard was challenged by his fellow Hostiles on the propriety of bringing Ben into the fold without discussing the matter with ”Ellie.” (Presumably this Ellie who might also be this Ellie. And then one added: “And if Charles should find out…” Richard says he doesn’t answer to them. What exactly is Richard’s relationship to the Hostiles/Others and his role in the leadership structure?
4. ”If I take him he’s never going to be the same again. He’ll forget this ever happened and his innocence will be gone. He will always be one of us. You still want me to take him?” Last words to Kate and Sawyer from Alpert. What do you make of it? In the Bible, the fall from innocence was a result of eating from a tree that gave Adam and Eve forbidden knowledge. Is that what Ben’s going to get? Knowledge of his future?
5. Why doesn’t Kate tell Jack (or anyone else) she has left Aaron with Carole?
6. Based on Miles’ time travel definition, the Losties may only have themselves to blame for who Benjamin Linus eventually becomes. Do you agree? Remember the room 23 video “We are the causes of our own suffering.” And better still, “Think about your life.”
7. Sawyer got the chance to kill the man responsible for the death of his parents. If Jack is the new Sawyer and Ben had something to do with Christian, might there be a Black Rock vengeance in his future, too?
Post away!
[Note: In this column, many weeks I borrow from other LOST sites, primarily Doc Jensen and EW.com. I’ll try to put as much of myself in these as I can, but EW gets to screen the episodes in advance and I certainly don’t … so … much love to the Doc, we couldn’t dig in quite the same without you.]