Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A+ | 1411 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Is Richard Alpert... Myth-taken?
By Cindy McLennan | Season 6 | Episode 9 | Aired on 2010.03.23
When Richard pleads for mercy, Whitfield says they're stranded in the middle of a jungle, with limited supplies and no fresh water (hey Whitfield, it's a jungle, not a desert), and there are only five crew members left. He tells Richard, "If I freed you, it would only be a matter of time before you tried to kill me." Richard goes to grasp his cross and plead his innocence, but the cross is gone. Just before Whitfield slays Richard, we hear the telltale ticka ticka rattle clank, and a terrific commotion up above, with men screaming.
When Whitfield shouts to his crew for a report, their blood answers -- pouring down through the grates and onto his head. Not what he was looking for, guys. Again, Whitfield yells, "REPORT," and who should answer but Smokey! He envelops Whitfield and drags him back up through the grates. Richard, struggles to rip his chains from the ship, but freezes when Smokey pours back in. He faces off with Richard, who closes his eyes and (I believe) prays. When the ticka ticka rattle clanks stop, Richard opens his eyes, and the camera closes in on one. It reminds me of the shot of Jack's eye in the pilot, and many eyes since then. It also makes me laugh though, because on first glance, the shot does nothing to shore up Nestor Carbonell's claims that he does not wear eyeliner. But if you're watching on DVR, pause here and take a closer look. Some people claim they can see his contact lens, but that's not my point. My point is that he is not wearing eyeliner. His lashes are so incredibly thick and plentiful that they clump even at their roots. I've never seen anything like it. But I suppose that's not the scene's point. The scene's point is: Richard gets judged and passes. DUN!
The Lunesta Butterfly flits through the forest and into the bowels of the Black Rock, where it finds Richard trying to loosen a nail from the floor boards in order to free himself from his chains. When it rains, he tries to catch a drink off the drips from above, but much like Tantalus, it's always just out of reach.