Sundown

Oh, Sayid. Why are you giving me two difficult seasons in a row? Don't you know that I've been in your corner for forever? And how do you reward me? Death, destruction, and now madness. Let's get to it.

Sayid in 2004

One of the differences between this new 2004 and the original 2004 is that Sayid now has an Iranian passport, not an Iraqi one. I didn't pick up on that myself. We saw other differences in Sundown. Still deeply in love with Nadia, he pushed her into his brother's arms, and now plays an active role as Uncle Sayid. Why didn't he marry Nadia when he clearly could have? Because he couldn't forget the things he had done twelve years ago in Iraq - he didn't deserve her.

Omer, Sayid's brother, apparently couldn't forget what Sayid had done in the past either, wanting Sayid to use those skills to get him out of a dangerous relationship with a loan shark. But Sayid was having nothing of it, even to help Nadia, noting, "I'm not that man anymore."

He almost turned into that man when Omer is "mugged" outside one of his dry cleaning stores, but he didn't, swayed by Nadia's plea. But, as always, with Sayid, events happen, and while essentially kidnapped by Keamy (now a loan shark) and his henchmen, he uses his skills to protect himself. Perhaps shocking, but I'm not so sure, was his cold-blooded shooting of Keamy. Should Sayid have not killed him? Would Keamy have really left Omer alone?

This is the first sideways where we didn't see or meet an Other. Instead, it was Sayid's brother, Omer, who we met when he couldn't kill a chicken, Nadia, and the mercenary Keamy. And what a surprise to find Jin in Keamy's refrigerator. Did this have something to do with a bunch of cash in a suitcase?

Sayid in 2007

Well, Sayid started out righteously angry and ended up bat-shit crazy. Yes, bat-shit crazy is an extremely technical term, and I'm sure it will be included in the next DSM. Hearing from Jack that Dogen wanted Sayid to take a poison pill inspired Sayid to confront Dogen. But how frustrating that he accepted Dogen's answers, which consisted of vague comments on how Sayid's scale tipped toward evil. Sayid insisted, "You don't know me...I'm a good man." I guess that he's trying to convince himself. Dogen was clearly unconvinced, as he then attacked Sayid, and the battle between the Iraqi soldier and the Samarai commenced. A lot of people on the blogs really liked this fight. Dogen finally got the upper hand, but his baseball falling to the floor seemed to stop him from killing Sayid. Instead, he banished Sayid.

But Claire's announcement that "he" wanted to talk with Dogen changed everything. Did Sayid want to prove that he's good? All he had to do is stab the man who walked in the body of someone he knows who has died. But he must do so before the man speaks.

I watched Sayid in the jungle as he was surrounded by the smoke monster - it felt similar to when he heard the voices in the jungle after escaping from Rousseau. Was it his fault that notLocke said, "Hello, Sayid" before Sayid could stab him? It's not like Sayid was just sitting back, tapping his fingers. But nothing happened, not even a drop of blood oozed out.

Is this when Sayid changed? Is this when the infection took over his heart? By the end of the episode, he was clearly claimed, is this when it happened? Was it when he agreed to deliver notLocke's message in return for the life of Nadia? We know from Miles that Sayid was dead for two hours - and Miles would know - before he returned to life. Was it notLocke who resurrected him? It clearly isn't Jacob reincarnating as Sayid.

Sayid delivered notLocke's message to the Others, and the Others quickly divided into two teams - those who would join notLocke at sundown, and those who chose to die in the Temple (they were warned, after all). In the meantime, Sayid told Miles he had to return Dogen's sword to him. I assumed Dogen was going to end up with a sword in his gut.

Instead, we saw a warm heart-to-heart. Why did you try to get other people to kill me, but fail to do so when you had the opportunity? Dogen told Sayid how he ended up on the Island, after his son was mortally injured because Dogen was driving drunk. But Jacob, like notLocke, drives a hard bargain - Jacob would save the boy, but Dogen could never see his son again. Kind of like when he saved Rachel, Juliet's sister, who was never seen by Juliet again! When Dogen noted that it was sundown and asked what Sayid planned to do, I thought maybe Dogen's story touched Sayid when he said he'd stay. But Sayid immediately sprang into violence (his ability to do that is quite intimidating), shoving Dogen's head under the waters, just as Dogen had shoved Sayid's head under the water earlier. Then we learned that Dogen was all that was keeping notLocke out. A dead Dogen was all notLocke needed. The interpreter protested Sayid's actions, but then was killed for his troubles. Good-bye gentlemen. Nice knowing you.

It was clear Sayid was lost at this point. Presumably he was lost in the sideways 2004 as well. Ben tried to tell Sayid there was time to escape, but Sayid noted, "Not for me." Ben's expression told us he knew exactly what was going on with Sayid, and that it ain't pretty.

Finally, the scene with all the religious symbolism. Sayid, followed by Claire and Kate, wonders through the Temple yard amongst the dead bodies of the slain Others, and even a burning cross, with a look of ecstasy on his face. He passes through the doors, and joins notLocke. He is happy, and he is gone. Sayid is bat-shit crazy.

Ben in 2007

So, Ben followed Ilana to the Temple, and was quite the helpful boy scout, volunteering to find Sayid. I guess Ben still doesn't know that Sayid tried to kill him in 1977. But Ben certainly recognized whatever demon is in Sayid, slowly backing out of the room in fear. I guess maybe the Temple didn't turn him bat-shit crazy all those years ago.

Claire in 2007

Sayid is not the only one who is bat-shit crazy. She seemed almost normal in her conversation with notLocke - even seemed concerned about the Others that might be hurt by notLocke. After delivering notLocke's message, she spent her time in a pit in the Temple singing "Catch a Falling Star." This is the song Claire had wanted Aaron's adopted parents to sing to him.

It seemed to take Claire a minute to recognize Kate, but not long to understand Kate's message - Kate raised Aaron. I doubt she heard much of what else Kate tried to tell her, but as Kate was dragged away, Claire yelled out, "He's coming and they can't stop him."

Kate still didn't know that Claire is bat-shit crazy when she ran to rescue Claire from notLocke's attack. But Claire didn't need saving, at least, not from imminent death. Claire joined her fellow devotee with a similar ecstatic look in her eyes. She knows that notLocke's going to reunite her with Aaron. In the meantime, if I were Kate, I'd watch my back.

Dogen in 2007

Well, I was really getting into the hang of Dogen, so I'm a little surprised that he's now gone. What was the point of having him around again? Granted, he kept trying to get Sayid killed, but I was actually starting to like him. Oh, well.

Ilana in 2007

We still don't know a lot about Ilana, but she clearly knows a lot about the Temple. Only able to collect Miles from the survivors, she quickly saves her small group from notLocke.

Kate in 2007

I guess Kate changed her mind about searching for Claire in the jungle. It's kind of ironic that she found Claire in the very place she had determined to avoid. Using her finely honed people skills, she forced Dogen's interpreter to take her to Claire. Sadly, I don't think that Kate could see that Claire is bat-shit crazy, so I doubt she realizes that her life is in danger. It will be interesting to see her as she follows notLocke. I assume she is doing so as part of her pledge to reunite Claire with Aaron.

Martin Keamy in 2004

So, Keamy's a scary guy in any timeline. Why does't that surprise me? It took me a second to figure out who he was, as he talked about cooking eggs. The first time Keamy met Sayid, Sayid didn't succeed in killing him, but he did this time. But I'm guessing since we found Jin in the kitchen we'll be seeing Keamy again.

Miles in 2007

Wow, we finally get some Miles-time! Yeah! Granted, all he did was give information to various Oceanic survivors, but even that is better than the non-Miles we had.

I was a little frustrated when Miles told Sayid about how he died and was brought back to life without the help of the Others. Did Miles not see more than what we saw? Why didn't he say anything about it? Argh!

No Hurley this week, so we only had Miles to count on for humor. And he provided some, when Kate asked what was going on. He told Kate about Claire's entrance in the Temple, noting that while she was acting weird, she's "still hot though." Oh, Miles, we can always count on you.

But I was surprised by his empathic response to Kate about Sawyer though. His relationship with Sawyer was stronger than I would ever have thought it.

notLocke in 2007

According to Dogen, the entity wearing the looks of Locke is evil incarnate. And he certainly seemed so in this episode. Did he recognize that Sayid was infected? Either way, he manipulated Sayid with the skill of Ben Linus. And then he murdered every Other that remained in the Temple at sundown. That was one of the scariest scenes in Lost, even if some of the special effects weren't very special. I don't think he is happy that Kate is one of his followers, but he didn't turn her away either.

Sun in 2007

Sun, following Ilana, learns that Jin is not only alive, but also in her decade. That's all we saw of her.

I'll write more on theories tomorrow night, as it is late tonight. It's a little sad that Sayid has been pigeon-holed as the ruthless killer. I'm not sure that he's been all that different from Mr. Eko. But those are thoughts for further speculation.

In the meantime, post your thoughts!