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L.A. Reality: Sayid reunites with Nadia... and her husband (Sayid's brother, Omer, not Omar) and children. He brings the children a boomerang from Australia. What an apt gift on this show. Anyhow, Omer's on the hook to some bad guys (Keamy!). He borrowed the start-up cash for his second dry cleaning shop, and although he's paid them back, he can't keep up with the protection payments. Omer wants Sayid to take care of them, but Sayid says, "I'm sorry. I'm not that man, anymore." But when Keamy roughs up Omer, Sayid (who passes Jack in the hospital corridor) refrains from retaliating, largely at Nadia's request. Alone at her house, Nadia asks Sayid why he pushed her toward Omer years ago, when clearly he loves her. Sayid says he's spent the past dozen years trying to cleanse himself of his wrong doing. He cannot be with her, because he doesn't deserve her. And when Keamy's two minions (including Omar, not Omer) grab Sayid and bring him to their boss, Sayid takes out the three of them in about 30 seconds. He's so badass. Are they in the same restaurant or whatever in which Naomi delivered Widmore's proposition to Miles? I'll check on that for the recap, but if you know, shoot me an e-mail or twit at me. Anyhow, as a reward, Sayid gets L.A. Reality Jin Soo "No English" Kwon, who was tied up in a walk-in. I love how the new reality crew keeps crossing paths.
Island Reality: Sayid goes to Yoko for answers, so he gets them. "I think it would be best if you were dead." Sayid's all, You don't know my life! And then they fight. Yoko is about to do in Sayid, but when his baseball falls from his desk, he has a change of heart. He tells Sayid: "Go, leave this place and never come back." Sayid updates Miles on the way out the door, and laughs bitterly at the fact that the people who saved his life are the ones who have now branded (literally) him evil and are banishing him from the Temple. Miles gives up some answers. Although the Templars tried to save Sayid, they failed. Sayid was stone cold dead for two hours. "Whatever brought you back -- it wasn't them."
Meanwhile, Claire enters the Temple grounds on Faucke's behalf with his promise that he'll give her back her son, which is ironic, considering he's the one (I mean presumably and in the guise of Christian Shephard's ghost) who led her away from Aaron in the first place. She tells Dogen "he" wants to see him. Dogen knows if he steps outside "he" will kill him, so Claire suggests sending someone "he" won't kill. Dogen reverses Sayid's banishment and gives him a dagger and the assignment to find and kill "him." "He" will come to Sayid as someone he knows -- someone who has died. Dogen also gives us some answers. For years, Smokey has been trapped, but now that Jacob is gone, he is free and will not stop until he's destroyed all life on the island. "He is evil incarnate." Dogen gives Sayid a final pep talk. "You said there is still good in your soul. Prove it."
Kate runs into Sayid not far from the Temple. He tells her to ask Miles what she missed. At the Temple, she does just that, and learns Claire is there. Meanwhile, Sayid and his dagger run into Faucke. Sayid stabs him, but Faucke won't die. Is there no good left in Sayid at all? Faucke promises Sayid his heart's desire, provided he delivers a message to the Temple for him. Once he returns, Sayid gathers the Templars around and tells them about the man in the jungle. "He wants you to know that Jacob is dead, and because he is gone, none of you have to stay here, any longer. You're free. The man that I met is leaving the island forever. Those of you who want to go with him should leave the Temple and join him. You have until sundown to decide." Cindy is standing off to the side with the children. "What happens at sundown, if we stay?" Sayid says, "You die." Meanwhile, with Lennon's reluctant help, Kate finds Claire down in some deep pit inside the temple. She's singing "Catch a Falling Star." It's both creepy and heartbreaking. They only have a couple of minutes to talk, so Kate explains that the Templars don't have Aaron. She says that when the Losties couldn't find Claire, she took him and "raised" him. She adds that she came back to rescue Claire so that she could be reunited with her boy. As the Templars drag Kate away from the pit, Claire says she's not the one who needs rescuing. "He's coming... and you can't stop him."
Sayid gives Dogen back his dagger and notes that's the second time he's had someone else try to kill him. He asks why he didn't do it himself. Dogen gives him his brief biography. He was a successful banker. When his son was 12, Dogen got promoted, and in celebration, had a bit too much to drink before he picked up his son from baseball. Dogen survived the accident. But his son... At the hospital, Jacob came to him and promised to save his son's life, if Dogen would come to the island and never see his boy again. Sayid says Jacob drives a hard bargain. Dogen stares at the baseball in his hand and then at Sayid. "I take it the man outside offered you a similar bargain." You bet your sweet bippy he did. Dogen observes, "It is sundown, will you choose to stay, or go?" Sayid says he'd like to stay. Dogen is surprised by this, but he's even more surprised when Sayid tosses him in the Murky Mikvah and drowns him. Some samurai. Lennon happens upon the scene, rushes into the mikvah and educates Sayid. "Do you realize what you just did? He was the only thing keeping it out. Idiot! You just let it in." Sayid cuts Lennon's throat. He falls, lifeless, into the mikvah. Sayid stares down at his day's work. "I know." Goodbye, Plastic Ono Band. We hardly knew ye.
Outside, the familiar ticka ticka rattle clank starts up. Kate grabs Miles and tells him they have to go, now. Original recipe Smokey pours into the Temple and slays the faithful remnant. Miles and Kate are on the run, but they separate when Kate goes off to find Claire. While hiding from Smokey, Miles is found by Ilana, Frank, Ben and Sun. Ben, who has had better ideas, runs off to get Sayid, thinking he's rescuing him. Ilana tries to stop him to no avail. Kate jumps down in Claire's pit, just before the angel of death Smokey passes over. Ben finds Sayid and sees what he's done, but tells him he knows a way out of there. "There's still time." Sayid smiles like a man possessed. "Not for me." Ilana leads Frank, Miles and Sun into Hurley and Jacob's secret passageway, even though she doesn't have any instructions written on her arm. As soon as they're out of the hallway, Smokey rushes through it.
Sayid walks through the Court of the Gentiles in chilling slow-mo. He observes the the carnage, and flames. Is that a flaming cross I see? An eery, echo-y version (Claire's rendition?) of "Catch a Falling Star" plays as Claire and Kate, also in slow-mo, follow in his wake. Kate snags a rifle from the fallen faithful. Outside, they meet Faucke and his now much larger Band of Buggered. Faucke smiles and nods at Sayid, and Claire. He nods at Kate too, but eyes her suspiciously. Faucke leads his captives followers into the dark. Kate's face jumps right through my screen and yells, "WTF?!?!?!? I'm following focking Faucke?" Dun. Bad Robot.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" --Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)
"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." --Luke 14:18
"Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket. Never let it fade away. Catch a falling star and put in your pocket. Save it for a rainy day." --Perry Como.
I'm starting the full recap now, so until then, please join us in the forums, where I hope someone is working on Terry O'Quinn and Naveen Andrews' Emmy reels.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously, on Lost, Roger Linus shoots Sayid. Later, the Templars drown dip Sayid in the murky mikvah. Oh noes, Sayid is dead. Oh hurrah, he was just kidding! Later still, Dogen tortures Sayid. He's not kidding in the slightest on account of having no sense of humor. When Sayid cries out in pain at being shocked and branded, Dogen determines Sayid is infected... with a working nervous system? He gives Jack a green pill to administer to Sayid, saying it will kill the infection, but neglects to mention that it will do so by killing Sayid, since it's poison and all. When Jack wants to know what the hell is up with that, Dogen says there is a darkness growing in Sayid, and once it reaches his heart EVERYTHING HE ONCE WAS WILL BE GONE! Even later still, Sayid asks Jack what he's hiding. Jack tells him about the poison pill. "They wanted me to kill you." Which brings us to...
Currently, on Lost... L.A. Reality: Sayid hesitates a moment and then exits a big yellow taxi -- bouquet of yellow roses in hand. Once he reaches a house, he rings the doorbell, and then, continuing this season's trend of the L.A. people reflecting on their reflections, he spots himself in the front door window. In lieu of a screencap, here's a link to my latest assault on the arts, in which you can clearly (pushing it?) see that only a little less than half Sayid's face is reflected in the glass. The rest of it is obscured by the colored, patterned glass, OR BY THE DARKNESS growing in SAYID -- oh and did we mention that once it reaches his heart EVERYTHING HE ONCE WAS WILL BE GONE?! But I'm sure I'm panicking over nothing, nothing, nothing at all.
It's obvious, what we have here is just a sweet love story, right? I've got my bonbons at hand, ready for an old school romantic reunion between Sayid and Nadia, with all the bells whistles. The door opens and there she is! Nadia -- in love with Sayid even in this reality -- embraces Sayid. And Sayid -- in love with Nadia even in this reality -- embraces Nadia right back. And then two beautiful, pleasant, cheerful, well behaved children -- a boy and girl, natch -- join in the family reunion. Too good to be true? Absolutely. And that's clear once the children refer to Sayid as Uncle Sayid, because, you see, in this reality, Nadia is married to Sayid's brother Omer (not Omar), previously known as the Jarrah boy who wouldn't choke the chicken on his father's command. At first, Omer (Cas Anvar) acts peeved that Sayid has brought flowers for his wife, but he gets over it once Sayid jokes that they can be Omer's, instead. Have you boys been reading fan fic?
After dinner, the children want their Our Uncle is a World-Traveling Torturer and Assassin with an Emerging Interest in Pedicide, but all We Got is This [Whatever] present from Australia. Sayid sends them to rifle through his bag, which he's left on the couch. This gives the adults time to play exposition fairy. Sayid is translating contracts for an oil company, and I don't think he means interpreting. Omer, meanwhile, has just opened his second dry cleaning shop. When Omer's phone rings, Nadia chides him. "I thought we talked about cell phones at the dinner table." Omer checks the caller ID and comes over all shifty as he rises to leave the room. "Dinner is over. This is business."
Once Nadia and Sayid are alone, she asks if he got her letters. When he says he did, she asks why he never wrote back. Before Sayid can answer, the moppets run back in the kitchen, all excited. Sam (Aramis Knight -- oh come on, that can't be his real name) thanks Sayid for the boomerang, which is such an apt gift on this show. Meanwhile, little Eva (Kailee Velasco) brings out the well-traveled photo of Nadia. "Mommy, we found a picture of you in Uncle Sayid's bag." Nadia and Sayid exchange meaningful looks, and then as if summoned, Omer appears in the doorway at the far end of the kitchen. Sayid tries to hold his brother's gaze, but eventually lowers his eyes.
Island Reality: Sayid storms into Yoko Dogen's Unholy of Unholies, demanding "answers." Raise your hand in the air if lines like that make you feel like the writers are snickering at the audience. Now wave it like you just don't care; sit back, and enjoy the ride. Anyhow and for starters, Sayid would like to know about the Templar's Princess Bride-esque torture machine/medical device. Yoko says that there's a scale within everyone. One side is good; one is evil. "This machine tells us how the scale is balanced." It's totally scientific, see? "Yours tipped the wrong way." Sayid whips out his impressive powers of deduction and correctly surmises that's why the Templars tried to kill him. Yoko says, "Yes. I think it would be best if you were dead." Sayid's all, You don't know my life! "I'm a good man, so if you're trying to kill..." Oh sheesh, shut up and fight, already!
Yoko (hearing my cry because he's a mystic) makes the first move -- sucker punching Sayid in the gut. Rather than making up terms for what are probably actual fight moves with already defined terms, I'll link you to this interpretive dance, instead. Suffice it to say they kick, punch, sweep the leg, throw potted plants, knock over metal racks, and bash each other with objects. At one point, Yoko beats Sayid with a pipe. Sayid beats Yoko with a broom. Silly Sayid, who brings a broom to a pipe fight? Pipe beats broom. Samurai beats Torturer. Yoko winds up on top, and just as he's about to stab Sayid (the slash just writes itself), the baseball rolls off Yoko's desk and onto the floor, reminding him that he hasn't yet done his fantasy draft. That takes more time than you'd think, so Yoko releases his grip on Sayid and banishes him, instead. "Go, leave this place and never come back." As Yoko walks away from his captive/victim and picks up his baseball, Sayid thinks: that's not cricket.
Jungle: Outside the Temple grounds, the camera pans over the ash circle and then over to Faucke, as he convinces Claire to deliver a message to the Templars. She whines that he should send Jin or Sawyer, or go himself. Faucke says, "If I could do it myself, I wouldn't be asking you, Claire." Claire weighs his words for a moment, or perhaps she's just fighting off the urge to bring up Jin and Sawyer again. Finally, she says, "If I go in there, I need to know you'll do what you said. I want my son back." Faucke says, "I always do what I say." Oh Claire, considering your "friend" is probably the entity that wore the guise of your dead father in order to tempt you into abandoning Aaron in the jungle, in the first bloody place, I hope you paid particular attention to focking Faucke's focking phrasing. Call it a hunch if you must, but I'm thinking he's not above playing the That Depends On What Is Is card. Claire can't hear me through her wig of wingnuttery, so starts out on her mission, but soon turns back toward her friend. "Are you going to hurt them?" Faucke: "Only the ones who won't listen."
L.A. Reality; Omer's Living Room; 2:30 AM: Omer surprises a sleeping Sayid, and lives to tell the tale, but just barely. Once Sayid silences the beast within himself, the brothers catch up on what's really going on in Omer's life. King of the Bad Ideas, Omer not only married Sayid's woman, and had the poor judgment necessary to sneak up on a sleeping Sayid in the middle of the night, he also borrowed the start-up cash for his second dry cleaning shop from an...unscrupulous lender. And although he claims to have paid back the principal in full, he can't keep up with the interest (i.e. protection payments for as long as he's in business). Sayid offers him some money, but Omer wants Sayid to... convince his... banker to back off. But just like a sibling, and to his own detriment, he can't help but rub it in. "Sayid, don't forget who you're talking to. I know what you did in the war. You were an interrogator for the Republican Guard. I know what kind of man you are." Sayid refuses to hurt someone just because Omer was a stupid tool, so Omer whines about his life savings, the risk of losing his home, and perhaps subtly plants the seed that Nadia and the family might be at risk, too. "Look, I know you care about Nadia. If you care about us -- about her -- you will do this, Sayid." Sayid maintains his resolve. "I'm sorry. I'm not that man, anymore." Yeah, choke your own chicken, Omer.
Island Reality; Temple: On his way out of Dodge, Sayid updates Miles on his chat with Dogen, and laughs bitterly at the fact that the people who saved his life are the ones who have now branded (literally) him evil and are banishing him from the Temple. Miles gives up some answers as a parting gift, explaining that although the Templars tried to save Sayid, they failed. Sayid was stone cold dead for two hours and when he sat up, the Templars were just as surprised as everyone else. "So, whatever brought you back -- it wasn't them."
Just then, Claire enters the Temple grounds. The guards aim their weapons at her, but Lennon orders them not to shoot, then asks Claire what she's doing there. She replies directly to Yoko Dogen. "He wants to see you." Yoko directs his reply (in Japanese) toward Lennon, until Claire calls him on his b.s. "Speak English." Yoko: "Who wants to see me?" Claire: "You know who." Yoko knows if he steps outside "he" will kill him, so Claire suggests sending someone "he" won't kill. She tries to stroll away all casual-like, but Yoko commands the Plastic Ono Band to seize her. Then, he addresses Lennon in Japanese. Subtitles: Put the girl in the hole until this is resolved. Then bring Shephard and Reyes to my room, immediately. Since Jack and Hurley haven't returned from their excellent adventure, and probably never will, Lennon has to admit he can't find them. Yoko yells at Lennon in Japanese. Subtitles: Look. Harder! Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band march offscreen with Claire, as Sayid and Miles look on and do sod all.
Once they're gone, Yoko approaches Sayid. "Come with me." Sayid says, "I thought you wanted me to leave." Dogen: "Things have changed." Back inside the Unholy of Unholies, Yoko asks where Jack and Hurley went. Sayid doesn't know. Hewants to know why Claire is there and what she was talking about. I can't help but wonder if Jack actually told Sayid that Claire is supposedly infected with whatever infection Sayid has allegedly contracted. Anyhow, Yoko removes a wooden box hidden under the soil in one of his planters as he tells Sayid that Claire is a confused girl under the influence of an angry man. Sayid says, "What man?" Dogen answers: "For years, he has been trapped, but now that Jacob is gone, he is free. This man will not stop until he has destroyed every living thing on this island. He is eeeevil incarnate." Sayid is just thrilled at the prospect of speaking to this mysterious man, but Yoko has other ideas. He removes a velvet package from the box, and reveals the dagger wrapped within. "I want you to kill him. He will come to you as someone you know -- someone who has died. As soon as you see him..." He pulls the dagger from its sheath, for emphasis. "...Plunge this deep into his chest. If you allow him to speak, it is already too late." Sayid observes that in his brief stay at the Temple, he has been drowned, beaten and tortured, "At your hands. Why would I ever do anything for you?" Dogen speaks as softly as Sayid. "You said there is still good in your soul. Then prove it."
L.A. Reality; Nadia's House; Exterior: The kids want Sayid to stay for a while -- Eva adds that it makes Mommy happy too, but Sayid has to go to Toronto for work. As soon as Sayid helps the children onto the school bus, Nadia runs outside, yelling his name. We cut to...
St. Sebastian's Hospital: Sayid and Nadia pass (instantly awesome dad) Dr. Jack Shephard in the hall just before catching up with Omer, who is being wheeled into surgery. Omer is suffering from a punctured lung and some internal bleeding -- injuries in which our very own Spinal Surgeon Shephard doesn't truck, so Jack just keeps walking, after a passing glance. Sad now. Another doctor (Peter Stray) is on the case. Anyhow, the doc tells Nadia and Sayid that the EMTs think Omer was mugged. That's all Action Hero-Villain Sayid needs to hear. He's rearing to retaliate, and only refrains at Nadia's tearful request. He takes her in his arms and shoves her hair up his nose. No. Seriously. There's head kissing. There's hair sniffing. And then there's whatever that was. Thank goodness I didn't draw you a picture, and thank goodness, it's time to cut to the...
Island Reality; Jungle: Kate runs into Sayid not far from the Temple. When he's "not exactly sure" whether or not he's leaving, Kate asks what she missed. Sayid tells her to ask Miles. A certain segment of the fandom screams YOU MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL KATE! But my daughter is relieved that Kate will live to see another day because she's "pretty," so I am too.
Temple: Kate finds Miles and they commiserate on getting the cold Sawyer shoulder. Miles says he thought about going after him, too. "But I knew he'd just end up berating me until I turned around and came back. Is that pretty much what happened?" Yep! He welcomes her back "to the circus" and tells her that the Australian chick is back. Kate's all CLAIRE?!?!?!?!?! Miles says, "She just strolled in here a couple of hours ago, acting all weird. Still hot, though." Hot, really? In the wig of wingnuttery? I mean Emilie de Ravin is breathtaking, but as Feral Claire, don't you think she's tilting the wrong way on the Hot/Crazy Scale, Miles? Then again, that was after your time, huh? For your own sake, assume that restraining order Sawyer issued is still in effect. As Kate asks Miles where Claire is, we cut to the...
Jungle: Sayid and his dagger run into Faucke. Well, it happens like this.... As Sayid stops to take a drink and splash himself off with some water from his canteen, something watches him from above and behind. The wind whips up. Sayid grabs his dagger as the dull roaring begins. Ticka ticka rattle clank. And here's Johnny... Faucke. He is silent for a moment, but says, "Hello, Sayid," before Sayid acts. Sayid does stab him, right in the chest, but it's not even a flesh wound. When Faucke removes the blade from his torso, it's all shiny and clean. He tilts his head as he looks at his attacker. "Now why'd you go and do that?" Commercial.
ASIDE: I'll take this opportunity to throw out some theories being tossed around as to why Faucke didn't die. First and most plainly: Yoko may have known all along that the dagger wouldn't kill Faucke. In other words, he was setting up Sayid to be killed by Faucke. Second: When Yoko gave Sayid his marching orders, he told him not to let "the man" even speak. And while many (myself, included) just took this to mean that he shouldn't listen to Faucke/evil incarnate some people are speculating that there's something else at work. Perhaps the Smokey to Faux-Locke transformation isn't complete until he speaks, or something like that, there. Third: And this was my original thought (see recaplet) -- perhaps Faucke can only be slain by someone good, and Sayid is just too far gone. Okay, now, back to the show.
Sayid's eyes are wide, and he starts to back away slowly as he looks at Faucke and his surprising lack of a wound. Faucke closes in on him to return the dagger, smirking as he says, "I won't bite." Sayid wants to know what Faucke is. Faucke is cryptic and manipulative, for starters. Once he learns that the Templars told Sayid that he (Faucke) is evil incarnate, Faucke says Dogen knew Sayid had no chance of killing Faucke and was banking on Faucke killing Sayid (as I said during the commercial). He then shames Sayid for playing Dogen's fool. Who would do a dangerous errand for someone he knows already tried to kill him? "And this wasn't the first time that he tried to get someone else to do it for him, was it?" Sayid wants to know what Faucke is trying to talk him into, which gives me hope that Sayid isn't too far gone, after all. Faucke says he just wants Sayid to deliver a message to the folks at the Temple. Sayid wants to know why he didn't have Claire deliver it. Faucke says, "Because it will mean a lot more, coming for you." Or perhaps Claire is just confused and easily manipulated, whereas Sayid is so much more. Faucke then promises Sayid his heart's desire, but words it such that it's no promise at all. "Sayid, if you'll do this for me... what if I told you that you could have anything that you want? What if I said you could have anything in the entire world?" Sayid's eyes appear more wistful -- more full of regret, longing, and loss, than they ever have as he cocks his head. "I would tell you that the only thing I ever wanted died in my arms -- and I'll never see it again." Nadia? No. She died on the street. Shannon. Nah. She died on the jungle floor. Clearly, Sayid is still missing that spunky, funky chicken. Faucke moves in as he maneuvers to seal the deal. "What if you could?" The glee on his face stands in stark contrast to Sayid's utter despair.
L.A. Reality; Nadia's House: Nadia returns to find Sayid repairing a broken vase which fell victim to a tragic boomerang accident. They chitchat about the kids' bedtime and what Sayid told them about Omer (he had an accident and will be fine), and Omer's condition (he's through surgery, awake and will be fine). Sayid tries to broach the subject of the loan, but Nadia tells him, "No. This is Omer's responsibility. He brought this on himself." Brrrrrrrr. Nadia doesn't want to talk about her husband; she wants to talk about the man she loves. She asks why he didn't want to be with her -- considering he still carries around her picture. "If you cared about me, why did you push me toward your brother?" They hold hands, as Sayid says he's spent the past dozen years trying to cleanse himself of his wrong doing. He cannot be with her, because he doesn't deserve her.
Island Reality: Sayid reenters the Temple grounds to find Yoko watching raindrops fall on the moat, and missing his new BFF Jack, no doubt. Sayid ignores him and gathers the Templars around to tell them about the man in the jungle, who is just about a mile south, by the outer wall. "He wants you to know that Jacob is dead, and because he is gone, none of you have to stay here, any longer. You're free. The man that I met is leaving the island forever. Those of you who want to go with him should leave the Temple and join him. You have until sundown to decide." Cindy is standing off to the side with the children. "What happens at sundown, if we stay?" Sayid says, "You die." Thunder rumbles, or maybe that's just Yoko's tummy.
Temple Interior: Lennon tries to apprehend and question Kate, but is apprehended and questioned by her, instead. That's why I'm glad Sayid didn't kill her. (Also, she is pretty.) She slams him up against the wall until he understands she is dead serious about finding Claire. He nods. "All right, you should let go of me, okay?" And after a quick cut, Lennon is once again manhandling Kate, which makes no narrative sense, but I'm enjoying the hell out of the ride tonight, so *jazz hands jazz hands*. He half drags/half shoves her into a chamber where at least two men are standing (sitting) guard. In the center of the chamber is a large, deep, round pit. Lennon tells Kate she has two minutes as he leaves.
Before we see her, we hear Claire singing: Catch a rising star and put it in your pocket. Never let it fade away. Kate looks down at her old friend, who continues her serenade, despite the fact that the cameraman is totally looking right down her shirt. Catch a rising star and put it in your pocket. Save it for a rainy day. For love may come to tap you on the shoulder some starless night. And just in... Kate interrupts. "Claire? Claire, it's me." Claire can't believe Kate is there and asks if they captured her, too. Kate says no, and looks as if she's going to offer more of an explanation, but how to sum up that shit in two minutes? Besides, now Claire is rambling on about the dingos Templars taking her baby. Since they don't have much time, Kate quickly explains that the Templars don't have her Aaron, adding that when the Losties couldn't find Claire, she (Kate) took him off-island and "raised" him. Regrettable word choice, Freckles. Kate's not listening to me, though. She explains that she came back to rescue Claire reunite her with her boy. Claire looks neither impressed nor grateful -- just murderously angry and as crazy as ever. No matter. Their arbitrarily assigned two minutes are up. As the Templars drag Kate away from the pit, Claire says she's not the one who needs rescuing. "He's coming... and they can't stop him." Commercial.
Temple; Court of the Gentiles: Lennon shouts at everyone to calm down and then scolds Sayid for creating a panic. Sayid remains unperturbed. "I was asked to deliver a message and that's what I did. What your people do now is up to them." Lennon scurries off after Cindy and assures her that as long as they all stay in the Temple, he can't come in, and can't touch them. He continues on his way, trying to stop the defectors with mixed results.
Miles approaches Sayid and asks him what happened. "One minute you're banished. The -- you're telling everyone they're going to die." Sayid nods. "That's the sum of it." Miles wants to know if they're getting out of there. Sayid says, "Not yet." He pulls Dogen's dagger out of its sheath. "I have to return this."
L.A. Reality; Nadia's House; Exterior: Two thugs, one of whom is Omar (not Omer) stop Sayid on his way to meet the school bus. Omar (Anthony Azizi) encourages Sayid to get in the car and come with him, and is not above making veiled threats about the Jarrah children, when Sayid considers declining the invitation. The Other Thug (TOT) opens the door and Sayid climbs in. They take him to their boss, who is waiting in what appears to be the same restaurant kitchen in which Naomi recruited Miles to work for Widmore. And their boss is none other than Martin Keamy, who was Widmore's chief mercenary bitch in charge back on the freighter, another world ago.
Keamy cooks eggs as he turns on what a psychopath such as he must think of as charm. A psychopath such as Sayid (oh, hush, I love him too, but you know he is) isn't taken in by Keamy's wiles, however. Keamy plays cute as he tells his boys the news about Omer's (not Omar's) tragic mugging, but then he misjudges our boy Sayid, which we can tell, because he makes implicit threats about Nadia and the kids. They discuss whether or not Omer is actually still in Keamy's debt. And then Keamy starts blathering about it being a dangerous world, which Sayid should know because he was in Iraq. He nearly spits out that last word, and as he starts to say, "You never know when someone's going to sneak up..." Sayid interrupts him, by elbowing Omar (not Omer) in the gut. TOT aims his gun at Sayid and fires, but since Omar is now his human shield, Sayid Jarrah lives to kill again. He grabs Omar's gun and does so, right away. First, he takes out TOT. Then he aims at Keamy, who's all Debt? What debt? In fact I probably owe Omer some change, I'll drop it off when I bring him flowers and candy at the hospital, when I go to pay the bill in full. Keamy then smiles his psychotic smile at Sayid and says, "Just relax and forget about it." Sayid tilts his head and raises his eyebrows. "I can't." BANG! Keamy's dead. Again. Just the way we like him. I am ignoring the dire implications this has for Sayid's character, so come along with me to a fresh paragraph.
Sayid, who is so badass that he just took out all three thugs out in under 40 seconds is startled by a banging noise and muffled grunts coming from another part of the restaurant. The noises lead him to a walk-in refrigerator, where he finds Jin -- just chilling. Sayid rips the duct tape off Jin's mouth and Jin immediately starts yelling. In Korean. Sayid asks, "Who are you?" Jin answers: "No English." *sigh* Now I want Korean for lunch.
Temple; Murky Mikvah Mezzanine: Sayid finds Dogen playing with his baseball, poolside. Dogen says, "You let him talk to you," (which is a point on the side of those who speculate that Faucke didn't die because Sayid didn't kill him quickly enough). Sayid says, "I stabbed him in the chest like you told me to, then I let him talk to me." He lets the dagger drop to the floor and notes that's the second time Yoko has had someone else try to kill him. He asks why he didn't do it himself. By way of an answer, Dogen gives Sayid his life story. He was a successful banker. One Friday, when his son was 12 years old, Dogen got promoted, and in celebration, had a bit too much to drink before he picked up his son from baseball. "The accident was very bad. I survived, but my son.... And then, in the hospital, a man came to me -- a man I have never met. He told me that he could save my son's life, but I would have to come here, to this island, where I would have a new job -- and I could never see my boy again."
Appearing touched by the story, Sayid sits down to Yoko Dogen. "Who was this man?" Yoko says, "His name was Jacob." Yeah, Sayid. Try to keep up. Sayid then adds that Jacob drives a hard bargain. Yoko stares at the baseball in his hand and then at Sayid. "I take it the man outside offered you a similar bargain." You bet your sweet bippy he did. Yoko then observes, "It is sundown, will you choose to stay, or go?" Sayid says he'd like to stay. Yoko is surprised by this, but he's even more surprised when Sayid tosses him in the Murky Mikvah and drowns him. Death frees the baseball from our sorry samurai's clutch. As Sayid ascends the mikvah steps, Lennon happens upon the scene, and rushes into the pool in a futile attempt to save Yoko. When he realizes Yoko has given up the ghost, Lennon says, "Do you realize what you just did? He was the only thing keeping it out. Idiot! You just let it in." Sayid picks Yoko's dagger up off the floor and cuts Lennon's throat. Lennon falls, lifeless, into the mikvah. Sayid stares down at his day's work. "I know." Alas, Plastic Ono Band. We hardly knew ye.
Outside, the sun has set. In the courtyard, Miles spins around in a blind panic. We see a line of torches shining through the jungle night. Oh Faucke, how Other-ish of you! In the Temple courtyard, two of the faithful remnants, armed with guns, walk slowly forward. A small, white beam flashes across the scene. It could be a trick of light. It could be an oops. Over in the episode thread>, figaro 317 suggests it could be Yoko's soul, leaving the Temple grounds, but I'm partial to AuntTora's suggestion that it's Tink. At any rate, there's the familiar ticka ticka rattle clank. There's a tree pulled up by its roots, or knocked down, or what have you. My point, and I do have one, is: SHOWTIME!
Kate grabs Miles and tells him they have to go, now. Original recipe Smokey pours into the Temple and begins the ritual slaughter of the faithful remnant. Miles and Kate are on the run, but somewhere in the maze that is the Temple, they separate, when Kate goes off to find Claire. Miles hides from Smokey in some room, and holds the door closed with his body. Someone or thing on the other side is struggling to break it. I don't think it's Smokey; he could just seep under the door, right? It's then that the outsider's pushing overpowers Miles and he falls to the floor. The door swings open to reveal ILANA! Yay! And I don't even like her much. Frank, Ben and Sun come running in after her. When Ilana asks where Jarrah is, Miles tells her he was headed to the Murky Mikvah Mezzanine. Ben, who has had better ideas, runs off to get Sayid, thinking he's rescuing him. Hee. Ilana tries to stop him to no avail.
Meanwhile, Kate throws a ladder down into Claire's pit, and tells her to they've got to leave, but Claire says, "No. [...] You'll be much safer, here." Just then the monster appears at the door. Kate throws herself into the pit, but holds onto the top of the ladder as the angel of death Smokey passes over. Kate looks into it, amazed, and all I can hear ringing through my ears is Original Recipe Locke saying, "I've looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw... was beautiful."
Ben finds Sayid at the mikvah. Lennon's blood is still dripping off the dagger. Ben sees the two bodies lying in the pool and tells Sayid that he knows a way out of there. "There's still time." Sayid smiles up at him -- a sicker and yet more pathetic smile I've never seen. "Not for me." Ben backs away, slowly at first, and then turns tail and runs. Run away, Ben! Run away!
As Ilana leads Frank, Miles and Sun through the hallways, Miles asks Sun where her husband is. Sun's all WHAT? I'm totally with Frank, now!" Or possibly just, "What?" Miles explains that Jin just left the Temple, yesterday. Sun grabs his arm. "Jin was here? He's alive?" I'm totally with Frank, now! Meanwhile, Ilana is reading the hieroglyphics along the way, so Frank wants to know whether she has a plan or if she's just going to stare at the wall. She totes has a plan, Frank. Ilana finds the proper stone, pushes it, and opens the doorway into Jacob's secret passageway, even though she doesn't have any instructions written on her arm. As soon as they're out of the hallway, Smokey rushes through it. I wonder where Ben is and start to worry until I remember he's Ben, for heaven's sake.
Denouement: Sayid walks through the Court of the Gentiles in chilling slow-mo. He observes the carnage and flames. Is that a flaming cross I see? An eery, echo-y version (Claire's rendition?) of "Catch a Falling Star" plays as Claire and Kate, also in slow-mo, follow in his wake. Kate stops to snag a rifle from one of the fallen faithful. Sayid and Claire exit the Temple. Sayid walks right up to Faucke and smiles a dirty, vile smile at him. Faucke, who has his new Band of Buggered with him, totally approves. Faucke smiles and nods at Claire, who nods back. He's about to lead everyone off into the night, when Kate exits the Temple, too. Faucke eyes her suspiciously, cocks his head, and turns to go. His captives followers slog behind him, into the dark. Meanwhile, Kate's face jumps right through my screen and yells, "WTF?!?!?!? I'm following focking Faucke?" Dun. Bad Robot.
Other than noting that I was absolutely blown away by the performances of Naveen Andrews and Terry O'Quinn, I... really have nothing sensible to add, so I'll just toss you some food for thought.
Revelation 12. The whole chapter.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" --Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)
"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." --Luke 14:18 (KJV)
"Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket. Never let it fade away. Catch a falling star and put in your pocket. Save it for a rainy day." --Perry Como.
I'll see you Wednesday morning with the recaplet of episode 6-7, "Dr. Linus" - in which Ben deals with the consequences of an uncovered lie. Um... just one?
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Cindy McLennan is uncharacteristically speechless. Got any good speculation for her? Send it to CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com or shout-out to her on Twitter.