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!

He's Our You

Wow, what a stunning episode. Okay, well, stunning ending - the episode itself was just so-so as it led inexorably to a scene I hoped never to see: Sayid killing a 12 year-old boy. This scene sparked so much thought in me, that honestly, I’m glad I had an extra day to compose my thoughts. Further, just that scene alone requires me to have separate posts about this episode, one focusing solely on that final scene, and another on everything else.

Many of y’all know that Sayid is one of my favorites. A large part of it has to do with how, well, gorgeous the man is. The actor plays an Iraqi but is in reality of Asian descent (India), and I’ve always had a thing for Asians. But Sayid is more than just a pretty face (and body) to me. He’s a fierce warrior with a strong streak of loyalty. He develops strong attachments to women, Nadia, Shannon, even Elsa. He has almost as much of a spiritual component as Locke does, and believes that he must atone for his sins. Yes, he’s a killer, but he’s a killer with a heart of gold. Right?

I know I said last week that it looked like Sayid was going to try to kill Ben, so I sort of expected something like this, but this foreknowledge didn’t lessen the impact. But because of my previously mentioned affection for the character of Sayid, I honestly didn’t think too much about the death of Ben. I figured he’d survive, one way or the other. If the island doesn’t mean for him to die, there will be a course correction, and a young Ben will hold this extra betrayal in his devious little heart and be closer to being the Ben we know and love and detest. Instead, I went to bed thinking of the implications of Sayid’s actions on Sayid’s soul. I gave Ben hardly a passing thought.

That ended the next day, in talking with friends (hi Amber, Brian, and Karen!) and reading blogs here and there. People really are contemplating that Ben might be dead. That Sayid pulled what people have wondered for years – he’s gone back in time to kill a horrible man before he becomes the horrible man. Sayid killed his personal version of Hitler.

Or not. So, this post will focus on the shooting and the two major characters in this transaction, Sayid and Ben, both dead and alive.

Sayid Kills a 12 Year-Old Boy

When it comes down to it, Sayid killed a 12 year-old boy who had placed his trust and hopes for the future in Sayid. Ben may have had ulterior motives (and honestly, what 12 year-old child doesn’t? I was 12 once – I remember.), but he did show kindness to an imprisoned Sayid, bringing him sandwiches and a book. Sayid justifies his actions by declaring, “I know exactly why I’m here.” He told Ilana that Ben was a liar, a manipulator, and a monster, and Sayid was clearly disgusted with himself that Ben manipulated him so easily. Lastly, Sayid told the young Ben that “You were right about me. I am a killer” before shooting the boy. The killing was justified – why else would Sayid be back on the island in 1977 with a defenseless Ben – yet clearly a terrible thing to do.

The episode seemed designed to have us agree that Sayid is a killer at heart. We open to a scene reminiscent of one we’ve seen before. A young boy can’t kill, so his brother kills for him. In Mr. Eko’s case, his brother Yemi had been ordered to kill an old man. The victim in “He’s Our You” was a chicken. I know that we were supposed to think, how coldly Sayid the boy killed that chicken! But I just can’t go there. The doomed chicken was penned with a number of other chickens; clearly, the family was raising their own food. When you’re raising your own food, you don’t anthropomorphize them like I would, you don’t give them names (Prunella and Bobbin come to mind, for some reason), and you develop no attachments to the beasts. I don’t find it that odd or telling that the young boy can do what he’s probably seen done hundreds of times. Was he a little efficient at it? Yes, he was, so it probably wasn’t his first time. I think it more means that he’s a survivor. He becomes a cold-hearted killer later.

The next flashback shows us the killer side of Sayid. He’s in full assassin mode, hunting his prey heartlessly. Clearly, being Ben’s assassin has given Sayid’s life meaning, for he’s clearly adrift when Ben tells him, rather coldly, that Sayid’s done. There’s no one left to kill. Sayid is now free to live his life. Sadly, Sayid has no life to live. He never bothered to develop one.

We then see Sayid in full atonement mode, working with a Lost-created version of Habitat for Humanity, building homes or schools or some such. Here takes place the conversation that I had to watch over and over. Ben comments on Sayid’s lack of enthusiasm about killing the men watching Hurley. The rest I wrote (thank goodness for DVR):

Sayid: What makes you think I want to [kill the men watching Hurley]?

Ben: You are capable of things most other men are not. Every choice you’ve made in
your life, whether it’s to murder or to torture, it hasn’t really been a choice at all, has
it? It’s in your nature. It’s what you are. You’re a killer, Sayid.

And to some extent, Ben’s right. Sayid has always fallen back on his torture skills when he felt the situation called for it. Remember when he tortured Sawyer in the belief the con man was hoarding Shannon’s asthma inhalers? That’s the only way to get information out of someone? And the only way to keep your friends safe is to kill a group of people named by Ben? A man you know to be less than forthright and honest? Whether Sayid took joy in torture or killing, whether it is his nature, however, I believe to be debatable. Just because he’s capable doesn’t mean it’s what he is.

The final flashback reminded me of Sayid’s relationship with women, as Ilana seduced the depressed Iraqi. He bemoans that he no longer wants to do the one thing in the world that he’s good at. What? The only thing you’re good at is killing and torture? Isn’t he some kind of telecommunications expert? Wasn’t he perfectly capable of fixing anything electronic? And the only thing you’re good at is killing? Whatever.

I had hoped throughout the episode, that Sayid would see what kind of life 12 year-old Ben had. Sayid witnessed the elder Linus' brutality toward the boy. Why couldn't Sayid instead of taken pity of Ben, helped him escape from his life, and generally be a good influence? Did Sayid even consider this option?

We last saw Sayid flying through the jungle. No matter how fast or far he runs, however, he won’t be able to outrun himself. He will feel the consequences of this for the rest of his life.

A Young Ben is Shot, Part I: Ben Lives

So we'll first assume that Ben survives the gunshot wound to the chest or somehow is resurrected as John Locke was.

My friend Nicole has a theory about resurrection. Ben needs to die and be resurrected in order to become the Chosen One, the leader, or the Little Prince of the Island, which has chosen him for this role. This is an interesting theory, and one I’ll think of for some time to come.

However Ben survives, if he survives we must rethink everything we know about Sayid and Ben’s relationship. I have to assume that Ben remembers the man who tried to kill or successfully killed him (similar to how Locke remembers that Ben killed him). Sayid first meets “Henry Gale” in one of Danielle’s traps. Perhaps “Henry’s” fear was more than just feigned – here’s the man who killed me. (If I really want my nose to bleed, I would have written, “here’s the man who will kill me nearly 30 years ago”).

Then there’s “It’s your nature” speech. We knew this speech was designed to manipulate Sayid to rescue Hurley and eventually return to the island. Was the harshness also designed to inspire Sayid to kill him? So he can be resurrected?

In This Place is Death, Ben angrily told Sun and Jack they’d thank him “if you had any idea what I’ve had to do to keep you safe”. Was he referring the amount of time he had to spend with the man he knew would shoot/kill him?

A Young Ben is Shot, Part I: Ben Dies

And by dies, I mean that he is not resurrected, he’s either buried or cremated, and Michael Emerson loses the best job he’s ever had. If that happens, then everything changes.

Does Widmore remain on the island?
Does the Purge never happen?
Will adequate staffing of the Swan mean that Oceanic Flight 816 never crash?
Does Juliet never leave Miami?

The questions are never ending.

So, with all these thoughts still racing in my head, I’ll sign off. I have at least one more post in me for this episode. We gotta discuss Sawyer’s comfortable Dharma life, Juliet’s realization that “It’s over”, and Sayid's reaction to truth serum.