3x17, "Catch-22"

This is one of those flashbacks that I'm sure many fans saw as "more filler." Instead I was struck with how they managed to seamlessly blend biblical references (Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac), literary references (Catch-22) and comic book references (Superman vs Flash) into a rumination on faith and love.

The show's unique internal logic made Desmond's catch-22 possible:
*On any other show, Desmond's choice should've been really simple: he'd save Charlie just as he's saved him several times before.
*BUT... LOST's internal logic means that Desmond's unique archetype ("the coward"), his power to see the future, his basic goodness needing to save Charlie and his love of Penny all clashed together making that decision anything but simple. It's bizarre if you think about it: he believed the love of his life would be delivered to him if he led Charlie to his death. Delivered by whom? God? The Island? And where does this surety come from? "Flashes" before his eyes? On paper that's a recipe for some maddeningly bad writing, but somehow it all clicked and clicked wonderfully. It's as good as magical realism can get on TV without getting too esoteric.

It also leads to one of the more bizarre questions in the show's history: Was it originally Penny in the flight suit -- and if so, did Desmond change that by saving Charlie?

And just who is this new woman? According to the latest podcast she spoke Portuguese, the same language the two arctic station dwellers spoke at the end of Season 2. Has Penny hired an entire crew of Portuguese to find Desmond?

*Just how awesome were the two major teases of the show? First, by bringing up the story of Abraham and Isaac, we're led to think Desmond's going to sacrifice Charlie, his love for Penny overruling all. Eh-eh. Turns out he's still too good even under these circumstances to let that happen... (Makes you wonder what he would do if he weren't caught in such a catch-22.) Does that make Desmond a current for not going through with the sacrifice? Or does it prove Desmond anything but a coward because he was so willing to go against his flashes and write a new destiny for himself (and Charlie).

Also, by dragging out Sonja Wagner's appearance as much as possible, we were left thinking that, yeah, her first appearance might very well be in the flight suit. Showing up at the end of the flashback instead of in the Island story suddenly gave the flashback potent meaning -- it was the story of their first meeting, set-up by his random meeting of the monk on the street. Notice, too, that the picture on the head monk's desk includes Mrs. Hawking, the woman who "course corrected" Desmond in "Flashes Before Your Eyes." The monk and Hawking have thus been instrumental in guiding Desmond toward Penny and then away from her -- a path that led relentlessly to the Island, the Button and saving the world. To Desmond that path is confused, nonsensical. But taken as a whole it makes perfect sense.

*Brian Vaughan was most definitely in the house. It's hard to place but the pacing, the cute dialogue and some random character moments were definitely BKV touches. The Superman/Flash references were possibly a nod toward his comics background though some on the Fuselage have speculated that Flash's ability to vibrate may somehow tie into what the Island is. Is it any coincidence that the comic book from Season 1 also included The Flash?

NEXT: The Jin and Sun-centric "D.O.C" (for "Date of Conception")