Recon

Well, if this episode didn't make my mother happy, she's just impossible to please. We got plenty of Sawyer, and the producers know how to make it's female viewers happy - he spent quite a lot of that time without a shirt. Oh, my.

This episode wasn't about redemption and it had little to no mythology. Instead, it was all about relationships. Specifically, James Ford's relationships with the people in his life, and his relationship with the world. Let's get started.

Jimmy Ford in 2004

Yes, that's right. Our favorite con man never took on the name of the man who ruined his family. Instead, when it came time to choose to be a criminal or a cop, he chose the later. We were tricked, of course. In LA X, Jimmy's warning to Hugo Reyes that his bragging will attract con men made us all think that Jimmy was setting him up as a mark. At the beginning of Recon, we saw the beginning of the first season episode Confidence Man. It's post coitus with a beautiful woman, when she suddenly realizes he is late to a meeting. As he rushes to get ready, a briefcase opens up, spilling money all over the place. Oops - she wasn't supposed to see that. But this woman recognizes the con game - it seems her husband is a con man too. Suddenly, we realize that Jimmy's life is different from Sawyer's.

He tries to tell her (and us) that he's a cop. She's not the only one shocked, I'm sure, when he says the magic word - LaFleur! - and the cops burst in, including Jimmy's partner, Miles. Yeah! More Miles time!

Although Jimmy has taken a more legal path in his life than his counterpart, it is still an empty life. We have learned that his parents were still killed when he was nine after Anthony Cooper conned them. This has left a hole in his heart and soul, and he still has difficulties trusting others. He has a hot date with Charlotte Lewis (!), but it ends abruptly when he realizes she's found his Sawyer file. He lies to Miles about his trip to Australia, and when confronted by the lie, he refuses to trust his partner. He lives in a barely furnished apartment and watches Little House on the Prairie.

Michael Landon is long dead, but apparently, his message lives on. Jimmy pays close attention as Pa Ingalls tells Half-Pint that she shouldn't worry about his future death: "People aren't really gone when they die." He reminds her to enjoy her time while she's got it.

So a sunflower and six-pack later, Jimmy shows up at Charlotte's doorstep. Sadly, it's too late for her to accept him, so he leaves the sunflower and slinks away. Charlotte's made of far sterner stuff than I am, by the way.

Jimmy then reconciles with the person he should have - Miles. He shows Miles the Sawyer files, and explains why he kept his investigation from Miles - Miles would prevent him from killing Anthony Cooper. Their conversation is interrupted by a car plowing into them. A car and foot chase later, Jimmy captures ... Kate. Of course.

Sawyer in 2007

Sawyer is a man of many names. Recently, he had been James Ford, but I think he's now returned to Sawyer. But he's a little different from the Sawyer we first met, six years ago. That Sawyer was out for himself. This Sawyer seems to be, but his goal is not just to get himself off the Island but all his friends. And not just Kate, though the last scene might imply it. But I think he was genuine when he told Jin that they wouldn't leave the Island without Sun.

But Sawyer's tolerance of notLocke has lowered. And who can blame him after notLocke tells the group that they have to settle in a clearing for a few days? notLocke clearly doesn't like being challenged by Sawyer in front of the group, so he sends the con man on a recon mission - find out which survivors of the Ajira flight is on the Hydra Island, as notLocke believes they don't mean him well.

Apparently we're spending Season 6 looking at all the places we've known and loved through the series. Tonight, we got to see the polar bear cages where Kate and Sawyer were imprisoned in Season 3. And remember the dress that Mr. Friendly gave Kate? So did Sawyer. He seemed to remember a lot.

I love that this episode is called "Recon", since it's kind of a Sawyer con and re-con against two powerful men (well, one might be more entity than man, but still). Sawyer figures out Zoe isn't who she says she is, so he gets a quick trip to see Charles Widmore on his sub. He then tells Widmore about notLocke, and lies that he'll tell notLocke no one is on the Hydra Island. But then he tells notLocke all about Widmore.

Why? Well, he's not anyone's errand boy. And while notLocke and Widmore fight it out, Sawyer and his friends can take the submarine and finally leave the Island.

Charles Widmore in 2007

We watched as Widmore's people collected Sawyer, put up pylons, and were generally busy on the Hydra Island. He makes fun of Sawyer for not knowing much of what's going on, but says nothing more because, of course, Sawyer doesn't ask. Instead, he seems to take Sawyer's words at face value, acting at though they are allies. I am presuming that he knows better.

Charlotte in 2004

Wow, Charlotte's hot. Gentlemen, you'll have to let me know if her hotness made up for all that shirtless Sawyer.

Charlotte is still an archaeologist, but she seems less obsessed with finding a mysterious Island. I can only assume that since she's working with Pierre Chang, she was on the Island, just as Ben and his father were, but that's just supposition. She loves her work, and finds travel to be exciting and romantic. She's very flirty and very attracted to Jimmy. Until he kicks her out, that is.

Charlotte is probably right in turning the apologetic Jimmy away. After all, "You blew it". You don't kick hot women out of your apartment at 3 a.m. The sunflower was a really nice touch, though. James Ford understands the power of a single flower in any timeline.

Claire in 2007

Claire remains a creepy figure on the Island. Did you shiver a bit when she grabbed Kate's hand as they listened to notLocke? But we quickly learn that she's just biding her time. While Kate is distracted trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with Sayid, she attacks. And is shocked when notLocke, her "Friend", pulls her off Kate, and slaps her.

Claire appears to have heard notLocke's message that Kate took Aaron because Claire was missing. She finds Kate, and hugs her, thanking her for caring for Aaron. Is it a sincere reunion? Just too hard to tell.

Jin in 2007

We don't have a lot of Jin time this episode. He's still recovering from his bear-trap-induced injury. He tries to convince Sawyer to leave Claire's shack of scariness, and is shocked when Sawyer reveals he's with notLocke: "That is not Locke." Not news to Sawyer. Jin tells Sawyer that he can't leave the Island without Sun.

I don't remember seeing Jin after that. I assume he follows notLocke and his crazy band, along with Sawyer and Kate, but we don't see him. I also assume he still needs help, though maybe the Island's healing mojo has worked its magic on him.

Kate in 2007

Kate's world on the Island continues to fall apart. She quickly realizes that there's something wrong with Sayid, but is then shocked when she's attacked by Claire. She had plenty of clues that something wasn't quite right with Claire, but clearly didn't expect her friend to attack her with a knife.

So we find Kate sobbing away for the second time this season. Kate's a tough woman, and to be beaten down so much is hard for her. After all, she'd been friends with Claire, and had even helped her deliver Aaron. Sayid is missing in action. And she's getting apologies from a dead man. A dead man she never really liked all that much.

I'm not sure what notLocke's game with Kate is all about, and neither is she, but she appears to be listening, especially to the part about Aaron now having a crazy mother. Sadly, it's true, and Kate doesn't look all that mollified when Claire apologizes for herself later.

Liam Pace in 2004

Did you recognize Charlie's brother as he tried to get details from uncooperative police (including Jimmy)? In our original timeline, Liam had turned into a sober family man who refused to rejoin Drive Shaft. I wonder who he is now? Clearly, a caring brother.

Miles in 2004

Is he Miles Straume or Miles Chang? I never heard nor saw any indication one way or the other. We do know that Miles' father works at a museum with Charlotte Lewis. I was really hoping for a glimpse of Pierre Chang, but no such luck. Instead, we got plenty of Miles-time. Miles is Jimmy's partner, just like in their alternative DHARMA days. One difference, though: Miles has a girlfriend, but Jimmy doesn't. So he sets up Jimmy with his father's co-worker.

In this timeline, Miles needs to know that Jimmy trusts him. He may or may not be a ghostbuster in 2004, but he definitely can tell when he's being lied to. Apparently, the best liar notLocke ever met isn't good enough to snow Miles. Maybe Miles is a lie-buster in this timeline? Either way, he investigates, and can't believe Jimmy went to Australia without telling him. Sometimes people just don't like being lied to. And when Jimmy refuses to tell Miles why he went to Australia, Miles breaks up with Jimmy. I mean, he refuses to be Jimmy's partner.

It was good to see Miles and Jimmy make up at the end of their time on the episode, and how well they worked together to capture the fleeing Kate. I think that they are back on track.

notLocke in 2007

I think it is safe to say that notLocke is not happy to have the uncrazy Sawyer and Kate in his retinue. He promises his group answers, but then stalls them in a clearing.

What did you feel as you watched notLocke console Zach and Emma? Honestly, it didn't make me squirm nearly as much as notLocke's attempt to smile at Kate.

What made notLocke send Sawyer on his recon mission? Was it Sawyer's open challenging of his authority? Did that make him realize that Sawyer's not a pawn? He confessed to Sawyer that he was "the smoke thing" that killed remaining Others at the Temple. What he didn't explain was why they had to be killed so he could leave the Island. It doesn't really make sense. Later, he thanks Sawyer for his loyalty, but I doubt he buys that Sawyer is really loyal to him. What is cool is that Sawyer is loyal to his own group, not just himself. But didn't I touch on that earlier?

notLocke interacts much more with Kate this episode. He has to, if he's going to protect her from Claire. And he promised to keep all his people safe. Whatever that means.

What it means with Kate is pure, unadulterated manipulation. And it is there that we learn a little about the creature that has taken on Locke's shape. He asks Kate, "Have you ever had an enemy? Someone you needed to hate?" I'm trying to think. Honestly, I don't think she has, unless you count her father, Wayne.

But later he tells Kate, "My mother was crazy, a very disturbed woman...Because of that I had some growing pains." He made it clear it wasn't Locke's mother by indicating this is the mother he had long before he took on Locke's shape. And because he was raised by this woman, things happened that didn't have to happen.

That takes me back to Genesis, to Rebecca, the mother of Esau and Jacob. Remember that post? Rebecca made decisions that caused her family great problems. She made her preference for Jacob obvious (in her defense, Isaac, their father, made no secret of his preference for Esau), and arranged for Jacob to steal Esau's birthright. Just thinking.

Is notLocke lying about whom he is? Well, I don't think so. Maybe I'm just thinking that because we only have 10 hours left. We had to have some mythology this week.

Sayid in 2007

While Claire's eyes retain that religious ecstasy expression, Sayid's are now just dead. His impassive face gives us no idea of what he's thinking or feeling. And impassive is a good word for him. The Sayid I know and love would never have just watched while Claire tried to kill Kate. This Sayid barely seemed to know anything was going on.

Seamus in 2007

I'm probably the only fool that caught this. Remember the guy who came out of the bushes yelling at Sawyer to fall to his knees when Zoe whistled? He's played by Frederick Koehler. He played Chip Lowell, on Kate & Allie as Allie's son in the 1980s. He's been playing thugs and teenagers ever since then. It made me happy to see him.

Zoe in 2007

Sheila Kelley plays Zoe. She had a bit of a career in the 1990s. I haven't seen her lately. Until now. She asked too many questions for anyone to assume that she was anything but a trick. It would never occur to me to ask someone how many guns they have.

A lot of people on the blogosphere are really ticked that she joined the show. Oh, my goodness! A new character at the end of the show!?! What were the producers thinking? I'm not so bothered. Widmore needs servants. What are they expecting?

Extraneous Thoughts

So, who is Widmore working with? He seemed surprised that Locke is the shape of whatever our entity is. Is he here just to kill Ben and take control of the Island? Or does he have deeper alliances? And who or what is in that locked door on the sub?

Is the Anthony Cooper that conned Jimmy's parents the same that is John Locke's father? Remember, we saw a picture of Anthony Cooper with John on John's desk at work. Does John not know that Cooper is a con man?

I noticed a bit of parallelism in the episode. Okay, it was obvious, but still. When asked if he's okay by Kate, he says no, just as Kate does minutes later when asked by notLocke. There's a lot of that going on.

We've seen Watership Down before. It was one of the books that Kate found in Sawyer's tent in Confidence Man, and now on Jimmy's chest of drawers. Ford likes to read in any timeline.

Are we moving from father issues to mother issues? Does anyone have a healthy relationship with their parents?

So, tell me what you think.

LaFleur

Do you think my mother will ever watch Lost with me again? The first week of Lost after I return home, and it's all about Sawyer. If I were her, I wouldn't watch Lost with me either.

And what an episode it was! Josh Holloway has really grown as an actor, making Sawyer one of the most compelling characters on a drama full of characters. The con man conned his way into the Dharma Initiative, and before he knows it, he is an upstanding member of the Initiative. So much so, that he's chief of security and arranges with Miles to keep Horace's alcoholic indiscretions "on the down low". How did that happen?

Well, I don't know if or when we'll find out. But it all makes sense. Locke disappears, leaving the Left Behinders with two more skips in time - some ancient time when the four-toed statue was intact, and then to 1974. Sawyer is clearly trying to keep it together, and takes on a leader role, a move which Juliet clearly supports. His moral compass remains in tune, leading to the rescue of Amy from the Hostiles, and their eventual capture by the Dharma Initiative. He figures out just the right thing to tell Richard Alpert to prevent the end of the truce between the Initiative and the Hostiles. He's still the con man though, deciding that lies would be safer than the truth. So, Jim LeFleur was born (apparently LaFleur is a common Creole name).

As for Sawyer and Kate, this one hour made me now root for Juliet, who's been second to Kate before. What a sweet couple Sawyer and Juliet made! He talked her into doctoring Amy, even though she's not had any successful birthing experiences on the island. She made him dinner, but more importantly, she supported him, in a way I don't think I've ever seen Kate do (for Jack or Sawyer). Juliet had his back, even if she didn't like his decision. What a great partner! I don't want to see her pine for Jack and I certainly don't want to see Sawyer pine for Kate. But, I doubt that wish will be granted.

That said, Sawyer's face when he saw Kate was exactly what I had hoped to see all those episodes ago in The Little Prince. Despite his assertion to Horace that he couldn't even remember what Kate looked like, the moment he saw her, he looked like a man in a desert eyeing a cold glass of water. Kate, what have you done to deserve this?

Other random thoughts:

• Pay attention to all the Egyptian symbols in this season. We've seen hieroglyphs before, and now an ankh and a statue that looks like Anubis, the Egyptian god with a jackal head, associated with mummification and the afterlife. Remember when Jin, Sun, and Sayid saw the four-toed statue?
• Remember Horace Goodspeed? We met him in the early 1960s, when he met Roger Linus after Ben was born and as Emily died. Horace then encouraged Roger to join the Dharma Initiative. Horace, of course, was killed in the Purge of 1992. He also showed up in one of Locke's dreams, telling Locke that he needed to find his body for what eventually turned out to be blue prints for Jacob's cabin.
• I want to throw dynamite at trees. It looks so entertaining.
• Pretty cool to see the con man at work. Haven't seen that in a while.
• Charlotte's body did not skip in time with the other Left Behinders. I nearly cried watching Daniel's devastation. He clearly loved Charlotte. He repeated, "I won't tell her. I won't do it." Does he mean that he plans to not tell Charlotte to stay away from the island? And I wasn't sure whether to be touched or freaked out when he stared at the red-headed girl. Yes, I'm sure she's Charlotte.
• Did you notice we never saw Daniel in 1977?
• Daniel releases the Left Behinders to act: "Whatever happened happened."
• I wonder if my mother likes Sawyer without a beard?
• I was so happy to see Juliet successfully deliver Amy's baby.
• Jin's English is much better.
• There were a number of scenes that just got to me, including Daniel mourning Charlotte, the guards' obvious fear at waking LaFleur/Sawyer, Juliet's recognition of Richard Alpert, Sawyer's conversation with Richard Alpert, Sawyer convincing Juliet to deliver Amy's baby, Sawyer giving Juliet a rose, seeing Juliet and Sawyer spooning in bed, and Sawyer greedily eating up Kate with his eyes.
• How long will we keep looking? As long as it takes.

I finally feel like we're back where we seemed to be heading when the season first started. "316" and "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" were excellent shows, but, as I commented before, I felt like we were in a holding pattern. But that's okay, they're back.

Except for one thing - no new Lost next week?