Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 2997 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT Namaste Or Nama-Go Now?
By Cindy McLennan | Season 5 | Episode 9 | Aired on 2009.03.18
Dharmaville: There's a big banner up which reads, "Welcome New Recruits." There are blue and white balloons, parents and kids, and the strains of "Ride, Captain, Ride," by the Blues Image playing in the background. Sawyer, Hurley, Kate and Jack get out of the van. Hurley's wearing Sawyer's oversized bulldog hoodie. It's no "I heart my Shih Tzu" t-shirt, but then, what is? Kate's wearing a peasant blouse with pretty purple and blue embroidery, which I'd totally wear, and then I'd remember I'm too busty for peasant blouses, and fret all day that I looked pregnant. Evangeline Lily just looks adorable. Jack's wearing an ill-fitting, cheap-looking blue polo shirt, or a proto-type thereof, that's probably a blend. Sawyer puts a lei on Kate. Foreshadowing? If so, I hope it ends there, because he then puts one on Hurley and Jack, too. They're funky leis -- part flower, but mostly shells. Sawyer gives the Returnees the recruit-processing rundown. Juliet's worked it all out for them, so they should go into the processing center for the meet and greet, watch the video, smile, and act doped up like they're still coming off the sedative. Jack does not say, "That'll be a snap," so Sawyer continues with his instructions: smile and take your work assignments (which Sawyer has handled for them) and everything should be okay. Hurley wants to know what to do if they ask something he doesn't know, like who was President in 1977. It was Jimmy Carter, you infant. Sawyer says, "It's not a damn game show, Hugo. Besides, I'm gonna be in there to get your backs, all right? Let's move."
As they make their way toward the processing center, Miles drives up in another VW Bus. "LaFleur! Where've you been? I've been trying to reach you on the walkie." And then he realizes who all is surrounding "LaFleur." "What they hell are they doing here?!" Sawyer smiles, puts his arm around Miles' shoulder and says, "They're new inductees." Inductees? What is this, the Baseball Hall of Fame? They're recruits, dummy. Get your story straight, James. And Miles, close your mouth before you start catching flies. Now that I've told them what for, let's get back to their side of things. Miles tells Sawyer that he needs to talk to him about Jin. There's a 14-J at The Flame. Sawyer radios Jin, who explains they found a hostile, but then once he gets out of Radzinsky's earshot, tells Sawyer the hostile is Sayid. Sawyer says -- say it with me now, "Son of a bitch!" Then, "Was anyone else with him?" Sadly, Jin says no, that Sayid was wandering alone and we cut to...