3x11, "Enter 77"

*So did Sayid really torture the woman? I think it's one of the typical Lost mysteries that is open to interpretation and won't ever have a definitive answer. I'm going to go with no. The telling sign was Sayid saying, "I see your face every day." That's also what her husband told Sayid she experiences herself, that she sees HIS face every day since she left Iraq, which is why she was certain of his identity. Sayid was so moved by her story that, thinking he was a dead man anyway, the least he could do was give her some closure. More than that she needed someone to tell her that her pain and suffering was actually shared by the person who caused it, otherwise she'd be just another victim, another notch on that torturer's belt. Sayid restored her self-worth and dignity and in the process his own life. This does fit into The Watchmen Approach, where I wrote that each character has his or her own (often self-declared) archetype or role to play. Sayid has said many times in the past now that he's a "torturer." Ironically, declaring it again here, even if it was a lie, actually makes him more noble.

*The Man of Too Much Faith? Yes, Locke acted like a dumbass the entire episode. While, I've seen a lot of crticism about this, it's all been perfectly set-up by the events of Season 2. After his expierences with The Button, losing faith in and then getting it back, Locke more than ever is a devoited to the Island and whatever tasks it lays before him. Oddly enough that still comes in the form of orientation video from Dr. Candle. If he happens upon another video with Candle telling him to save the world by sucking on his big toe for twenty-three straight minutes every forty-hours, I'm sure he would do it. He lost his faith once, and he may never lose it again. This looks ridiculous, but it's actually been properly set-up by LOST's unique narrative logic.

*I've got your stinkin' answers! Another of the biggest criticisms lobbed at LOST is a supposed lack of "answers". I don't know if that's a legitimate criticsm as most of the mysteries on LOST are essentially MacGuffins meant to generate plot. Case in point: the cable on the beach. Everytime I'd read a post or article talking about dropped storylines or forgotten plot points, one of the favorite examples was the cable. Now we know it was a power or data cable for a sonar beacon off-shore. That's definitely the sort of thing that deserved the low impact reveal it got on this episode. But for those waiting since the middle of Season 1 for a spectacular reveal to be associated with it, they were sorely dissappointed. They got an answer, it just happened to be a dull one. Maybe it's just that Damon and Carlton were too good with their MacGuffins in Season 1, but it's become an all comnsuming thing with the show's detractors that the MacGuffin's are more mportant than the plot, the characters and the themes -- and that's a huge problem that may now never be fixed.

*Whither "Jumbotron"? Oh, ho! This is gonna be good. In story time, Sawyer's week long fast from nicknames may last the rest of the season or at least a very hefty chunk of episodes. His names have acted as double edged sword, keeping the Losties at a distance and acting as a way to get over an inferiority complex by putting himself over everyone else. Will this be a unique moment where Sawyer actually has to connect with the group, on a level he never has before? or will he act out even more harshly to make up for his lack of "arms."

*Next up: The Claire-centric, "Par Avion"