Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 5870 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT I Once Was Lost, But Now Am Found
By Cindy McLennan | Season 6 | Episode 17 | Aired on 2010.05.23
When Sayid was with Shannon -- he was working on being a better man. When Shannon was taken from him, he refused to give into his thirst for revenge. Add all that to the importance of the Island and Lostaways in Sayid's redemption -- and the fact that Shannon and Sayid have the Island in common, and it starts to look less ridiculous for them to end up together. I have to admit though, no matter how much I buy into the defense I've just presented (and I mostly do), I still get a whiff of fish. I can't prove it, but it still smells like Sayid and Shannon end up together, largely because Darlton got the chance to bring the lovely Maggie Grace back for an episode. Had she not been available, I bet folding money Nadia would have been in that sanctuary, instead. This is a place where the tale is a bit suspect. Functional? Sure. Beautiful and moving? Yes. True? Eh, 75 percent.
Penny and Desmond: I'm ashamed of myself for being as moved at her wordless inclusion in the sanctuary as I was. She was reduced to an object of desire in what ended up being fairly blatant emotional pornography. Okay, that's too harsh and not entirely true. Sure, Penny was never on the Island, but the Island had a profound effect on her earthly life. Consider this: Widmore's Island-ties stretch back before her birth, and his on-Island affair with Eloise must have affected Charles' relationship with Penny's mum; Desmond washed up there as part of his quest to become worthy of Penny; Penny spent years and fortunes trying to locate the Island; It was she who rescued the Oceanic Six. I'm good enough with this and am learning to let go of my shame.
Claire and Aaron: I get why -- emotionally -- newborn Aaron was in the Sideways. Claire has always been such a sympathetic figure. Heck, I wanted to see her get a second chance too, but I also like to eat more cookies than I should, you know? Given Christian's explanation that the Lostaways created an afterlife meet-up so they could find all their most important people -- it makes little sense (from Aaron's perspective) that Aaron was there, at least as a newborn. He was three years old, the last time we saw him, and would have no conscious memory of the Island. Even if Claire, Charlie and Kate were the people most important to his entire life -- it makes no sense that he'd enter his afterlife as an infant. His inclusion is emotional porn, for sure.