The DHARMA Initiative struggles to discover the identity of Sayid Jarrah, while Sawyer tries everything to make sure that his secret remains safe.
Sayid is once again confronted with his past. We’re reminded that Ben led Sayid to believe that there was a great purpose to his globetrotting killing spree, even though he was simply using him, again. In response, Sayid decides redemption can be achieved by preventing the existence of an adult Ben. We’re left at episode’s end with a dead young Ben, wondering whether Faraday was correct when he said “Whatever happened (in the past), happened.“.
THEORIES TO DISCUSS
1. Time to re-watch the Room 23 video again.
2. The “Dharma Tribal Counsel” voted unanimously to execute Sayid. Amy was motivated to eliminate the threat he represented to protect both her newborn, Ethan, and all the other Dharma children. There was something in the way she emphasized ”children” that gave a strong impression that children play an important factor in Dharma’s origins… THEORY: Dharma may have started as an attempt to create a model/alternate society, but a new mission emerged, perhaps a secretive one, and it led to the construction of stations like The Swan. Discuss.
FACTS CONFIRMED
1. The scene with Oldham, Dharma’s resident torturer, and Sayid stole the show for me last night. Oldham is played by the fantastic William Sanderson (E.B. Farnum on HBO’s highly acclaimed Deadwood) and is a welcome addition, even if it’s just for one episode.
2. We now know how Jack, Sun, Ben, Ilana and Sayid came to Ajira flight 316. Still waiting for back story on Kate, Hurley, Caesar…and don’t forget off-island Desmond/Penny.
3. Another appearance by our favorite night cap.
4. The book young Ben gives to Sayid is A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda, pretty interesting background here.
5. Ann Arbor, MI is confirmed as Dharma central and decision making does occur there.
6. Sayid’s childhood flashback remind anyone of Eko and his little brother Yemi?
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. I’ll assume we all agree that Ben isn’t really dead, so… “Shooting him didn’t immediately cause reality to blink away, so we are left to wonder: Did the Overmind (Jacob?) which regulates the course of events on the Island direct Sayid’s bullet to avoid Ben’s major organs? What’s your best guess?
2. At the end of the episode, young Ben was talking about his dad in the past tense instead of present. Why? Does he know that he will kill him in the future?
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.]