LOST, "What Kate Does" - They Shot Mac!

"But I think some people are just meant to be alone." - Sawyer

Take a long sigh of relief LOST fans: this is probably the last Kate-centric episode we'll ever have to sit through.

Look, I don't want to take up this whole note hating on Kate. And in no way do I feel this episode was nearly as bad as many are claiming it to be. Because I went in with lowered expectations, "What Kate Does" worked well enough for me as a set-up episode, if not the 'HOLY F#%K, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!' mindfuck that was "LA X."

Perhaps if Kate was a more interesting character I would have been enthralled by her latest adventure. But she never has been (especially stacked up against dynamic characters like Locke, Ben, Sawyer and even Jack) and her episodes have always been lacking. Think back to her Season 4 episode, "Eggtown." We spent a whole episode with Kate in The Barracks attempting to find out if the freighter people knew she was a fugitive and the flash-forward saved itself from being useless with a few key details about The Oceanic 6 lie, as well as the reveal that Kate was raising Aaron.

But compared to Kate's episode last year, "Whatever Happened, Happened" (in which Kate finally took responsibility for her actions and declared she was going back to the island to find Claire) this episode unfortunately did not come close to being as compelling or dramatic.

I also recognized that the second episode of any LOST season is inevitably slower-paced and more character-centric than the premieres, allowing the writers to set up pieces to be picked up on later on.

Finally, I want to touch upon the unfortunate word 'filler.' I think it's disingenuous to call any episode at this point filler. Back in the early seasons, when they were clearly padding out seasons with episodes because they did not know their end date, that word could definitely apply (Nikki and Paulo anyone?). At this point, we really do just have to have faith that the writers know what they are doing and will be able to deliver a dramatic and emotionally satisfying conclusion.

Like Damon Lindelof (the co-creator of the show) posted on Twitter last night, 'For those of you complaining of "filler." Seriously. PLEASE WATCH NCIS: LOS ANGELES. I promise not to hold it against you.'

A show like Lost couldn't sustain itself if every episode was as action packed and mythology depth as episodes like, 'LA X.' Episodes like 'What Kate Did' may not be a great episode, but it served it's purpose, and will probably work much better on a marathon run on DVD.

With that, let's move on to the episode.

"What do you care about, Kate?"

The title of the episode is a play on a Season 2', 'What Kate DId.' In this episode it is finally revealed why Kate was on the run: she murdered her abusive biological father by blowing up his house.

'You asked me why I did it... It's because I hated that you were a part of me. That I would never be good. That I would never have anything good.'

Kate's story has always been one of running (When Kate asks Sawyer at the start of this episode, "What are you thinking,' he replies, "I'm thinking of running Kate,' in reference to this). She wants to run away from her home, from her abusive father, from the murder she committed, from her feelings for Jack and Sawyer.

In fact, it is not until she comes to take care of Aaron that she begins to change. Motherhood profoundly altered Kate. And when she informed Claire's mother, 'I'm going back to find your daughter,' Kate finally had something to run towards.

At first I thought maybe the episode's title meant that we would be given a new backstory to Kate in the flash-sideways; that 'What Kate Did' to be on the run in the original timeline would change in the sideways world.

But LOST never has been that simple. And since the writers demand a focus on character, perhaps it is in reference to the actions Kate takes in this episode. In both the island story and the flash-sideways Kate acts selflessly to help and rescue another character. On the island, she chased after a heartbroken and grieving Sawyer and stayed with him in his mourning. In the flash-sideways Los Angeles, she found and helped a pregnant Claire through her emotional crisis after stranding her on the side of the road.

Kate, in an extension of her choice to return to the island, deems herself responsible for helping and protecting those around her. The selfish person she once was (and she has made plenty of selfish decisions) is no more. In a way, this reminded me of the namesake of her Season 4 episode, 'The Little Prince,' a book that's thematic message was, 'You are responsible forever for what you have tamed.'

Now, in this sense 'tamed' (as according to 'The Little Prince) means, "to make ties to." And this idea also works in context to the larger story of Season 6 and the series in general. Our characters are bonded and connected to one another (both on island and the flash-sideways) to one another and are now accountable for one another.

Kate holds herself accountable for finding and saving Sawyer. Jack takes responsibility for Sayid being shot. Sawyer holds himself responsible for the death of Juliet because he asked her to stay with him on the island in 1974.

As I wrote last week, it is interesting that there seems to still be a kind of inter-connected weave between all our characters in the flash-sideways reality; that even if they did not land on the island they still would have found each other and helped them through their struggles. This episode featured Kate helping Claire through her labor pains and struggles with Aaron just as she did on the island in helping Claire give birth. Right now, we don't know if these mirrored moments are just nods to fans or something much deeper... but knowing the writers I'd go with the latter.


"No, I am not a zombie."

Sayid has indeed come back from the dead, but it is not without it's consequences. Many theorized last week that Jacob's soul was now inhabiting Sayid, but I never bought that. It seemed to simple and it was never established on the show that this could happen.

Let's look at a few 'dead' characters who have made an appearance on the island and see if we can find a connection: Christian Shepherd. Eko's brother, Yemi. John Locke.

We know that the Monster is now posing as a perfect replica of John Locke. Yemi was a manifestation of the Monster (who looked at Eko with disgust and stated, 'You speak to me as if I were your brother,' right after Eko wouldn't repent for his sins and shortly before he killed him). Christian Shephard is either some manifestation of the Monster, or 'claimed' by it as Dogen put it.

To understand this all a bit better, it would be a good idea to re-examine the story of Danielle Rousseau and 'The Sickness.'

Now, I don't know if many of you remember, but the mystery of 'The Sickness' has been around since Season 1. In fact, it was one of the bigger mysteries back then, especially after meeting Rousseau.

In Season 1's 'Solitary' Sayid is captured and tortured by Rousseau (which is paralleled in the torture scene in this episode), demanding to know where her daughter, Alex, is. Over the course of the episode, when she determines that Sayid is not an Other, she reveals the story of how she came to the island and what happened to the rest of the crew.

She tells Sayid that she was part of a scientific research team (FUN FACT: In the original script to this episode she told Sayid that they were studying, 'Time.' This was deemed too weird this early in the show and was scrapped from the episode). She states that her team was infected with a sickness and slowly went crazy, trying to kill her. In defense, she killed them all.

It took them, one after the other. I had no choice. They were already lost. - Rousseau

(What's ironic, years after this episode, is that Sayid responds, 'I'm not sick.')

At the time, we didn't know if we could believe this or not. After all, Rousseau spent 16 years alone on the island. What if she was making it all up? What if she was the sick one who killed her whole team? Knowing this show, we'd NEVER get an answer to this.

Until we did last season in the episode, 'This Place is Death.' Jin washes ashore after the freighter explosion and time-travels to 1988 where he is found by Rousseau and her crew. They hike through the jungle together, only to be attacked by The Monster. The Monster drags one of her crew, Montand, through a crevice in the Temple Wall (after ripping his arm off) and the rest go down to rescue him (except for a pregnant Rousseau).

There is another time flash and Jin is sent a few months into the future. He runs back to the beach to find two dead bodies.. two of the men who went down the crevice. In the distance he finds Rousseau and her husband holding each other at gun point. Rousseau's husband, Robert, begs her to put the gun down. But Rousseau is insistent that The Monster changed him.

He replies that it is not a Monster, but a security system, and that he would never hurt her. Rousseau puts down her gun and Robert draws on her. Fortunately, Rousseau thought ahead and removed the firing pin from his gun. She shoots and kills him.

The Monster claimed her crew and they were changed. That is 'The Sickness.' The same sickness that has claimed Sayid and apparently, Claire.


"I don't trust myself."

I'm really liking this new and improved Jack. He's been through a lot and has come a long way. For him to admit that he doesn't trust himself is a big step in the right direction. He is embracing that there are some things he does not know and is not correct all the time.

Now, here's the most telling part to the whole 'posing pill' aspect of the episode. It is the fact that they need Jack to give it to Sayid and (more importantly) Sayid needs to make the choice willingly. If Sayid is such a threat, why don't they just take him outside and shoot him?

And I think it goes back to the whole idea of choice. The island, the Others, Jacob, The Monster... they can manipulate and steer a person in a certain direction, but in the end it must be the person's choice to commit and action.

I will say that I did feel this part of the story could have developed a bit quicker and I wish Dogen had divulged more information sooner. It seemed that they were holding off just for the Claire reveal at the end of the episode.

But I appreciated the attempts to humanize Dogen's character as well as his bonding time with Jack. Little things like Dogen playing with his baseball went a long way for me in accepting him as another person and not the Island's version of Mr. Miyagi.

He tells Jack he wasn't born on the island, but brought there like everyone else (presumably by Jacob). What's great is that Jack doesn't reject this notion, even if he still can't embrace it fully. I think Jack is ready to accept his destiny on the Island, whatever it may be, even if he can't understand all the reasons surrounding it.

Oh, and Jack's suicidal pill pop was awesome. Part of me likes to thnk he knew it was poison and frankly didn't care if he died or not. If he lived, he got his answer. If he died, well, at leats he was out of his misery. But the gamble paid off and Dogen revealed that Sayid had contracted 'The Sickness.' As it did his sister.


"I was gonna ask her to marry me.'

For those who don't get the title of my note, it's in reference to the character, Aldo (the obnoxious Other shot by Claire at the end of the episode). He was last seen in Season 3's, 'Not In Portland' and was knocked out by Kate when her, Sawyer and Alex were breaking Karl out of Room 23 (the crazy, techno room with the trippy video of images). Aldo is played by Rob McElhenny, the creator of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' in which he plays the character, Mac. The writers of LOST are big 'Sunny' fans (and Rob is a big LOST fan) so they asked him to play an Other back in Season 3. It's a little ridiculous that they'd bring him back now, but hey, with every other character coming back this season, why not?

So Jin and Kate go after Sawyer with two Others, Aldo and Justin. They come across a trap, similar to Rousseau's, but Justin states the she has been dead for years. And before he can say Caire built it (or tell Jin that the Ajira plane did land safely on the island) Kate trips the trap and knocks out both Others.

Kate and Jin argue over whether they can trust the Others. Kate claims they don't care about them (although Dogen probably would have something to say about that... more on that in a bit). Jin replies that he needs to find Sun and asks Kate, 'What do you care about?' Kate runs off to find Sawyer, leaving Jin behind.

When she finds him, he is prying open the floorboard in his old house in DHARMA-Ville. God, is Josh Holloway just killing it this season or what? His grief for Juliet is mounting and finding the engagement ring he was going to ask her to marry him with may have pushed him over the edge.

Kate's scene at the dock with Sawyer nicely mirrored his scene with Juliet last season (which he talked about). Kate apologizes to Sawyer and relents that she came back to reunite Claire and Aaron, but only caused Juliet's death. And as they sit on that same dock that Sawyer sat on with Juliet, he tells Kate he doesn't blame her for Juliet's death. He blames himself. If he hadn't of asked her to stay, because he didn't want to be alone, she never would have stayed on the island and eventually die.

And slowly he reverts back to his old line of thinking; that maybe he is supposed to be alone and even deserves it. That it's fated in a way. With that, he throws the ring in the water (which mirrors another moment of the show where Desmond throws the engagement ring he got for Penny in the river... another case of that fickle bitch, destiny, getting in the way).

Like I said, Holloway is outstanding and this is one of his best scenes to date. And as a nice little coda to this story, Kate has to watch as Sawyer retreats into his old, abandoned home again. This little moment spoke volumes about the state of mind Sawyer is in.. and puts him in prime position to be manipulated by the Monster.


'Claire?'

The Others wake up and find Jin and Aldo is ready to revenge all over the place and shoot him. Justin tells him that he can't, because Jin is, 'One of them.' Aldo replies, 'We don't know that.'

In the past the term, 'One of Them' has been used derisively, either used by the 815ers to describe the evil Others or the Others to describe the 'unworthy of the island 815ers.' Here, it takes on a different, more special meaning. Justin is probably speaking in reference to Jacob's latest list, in which Jin's name was on. Are the 815ers the Island's special chosen ones? The ones who are the only one who can defeat the Monster and save them all?

Dogen tells Kate that it is very important that Sawyer return safely. And he does feel he is protecting Jack & Co. We have been wondering from the start why these characters were brought to the Island and this was just another piece being positioned into place.

Aldo is about to shoot a bear-trapped Jin when he (along with Justin) are shot themselves. Jin looks up to find a Rousseaued-Claire. He speaks her name and she puts down her gun, scratching her head, confused.

Claire may have been infected with 'The Sickness.' It is possible the Monster claimed her when she went off into the jungle with her dead father. When Locke found her in The Cabin back in Season 4 she definitely seemed to be in a weird state. But what happened to her in the three year interim between now and then? Why has she been setting all these traps? And is it possible for her to be turned back into the good, sweet Australian girl we knew?


"I think Aaron's going to be a handful."

For me, the weakest aspect of the episode was the flash-sideways. I am actually a fan of this new, narrative device and I am sure the writers will connect the two timelines in a satisfying way. But since this is a new, big mystery (and not just a typical flashback) I expect every one to divulge a little more information in relation to this connection (in the same respect that every Flash-Forward revealed the 'How's' and 'Why's' of The Oceanic 6).

Yes, it was great to see the flash-sideways continue to mirror the original timeline. And while the slight moments of deja vu- Kate recognizing Jack at the airport, Claire acknowledging that the name Aaron just 'came to her- were great, it was too similar to Jack's recognition last week that something was 'off' in this reality. I guess, like last week, I want a bit more substance to this reality; more of a reason to really care.

So, Claire is abandoned by Kate on the side of the road. Kate sticks up a gas station emplyee to remove her cuffs and looks through Claire's bag (which she stole) for clothing to change into. And that's when she discovers Claire is pregnant. She find maternity stuff, a pic of preggers Claire and a stuffed orca whale (the same Orca Aaron carried around in Season 4's, 'Something Nice Back Home' when Kate was raising him).

Kate looks at the whale, saddened and angry that she abandoned this girl on the side of the road. But is there something more to this moment? Could this be triggering some more of Kate's memories from the original timeline. It's telling that this moment takes place in front of a mirror. Mirror Universe. This reality mirrors the original. And last week, when Jack found the cut on his neck, he was looking in a mirror. I would not be surprised if this motif is continued throughout the season and each flash-sideways featuring our characters also features a moment in front of a mirror.

That's not to take away from all of it, however. It was great seeing Claire again and heartbreaking to find out she had been abandoned, yet again, by the 'nice couple in Los Angeles' who were going to adopt her baby. Her little moment where she gets defensive in the car when Kate didn't agree that they had simply forgotten to pick her up, was endearing and classic sweet and innocent Claire.

And irony of all ironies, Ethan was her doctor. Ethan! The same guy who kidnapped her in the hopes of stealing Aaron. He had his funny, winking lines ('I don't want to stick you with any needles unless absolutely necessary) but again, this was about more than just nodding to the fans. Even in this reality, Ethan would have a connection with a pregnant Claire and give her medicine to help her.

His appearance off-island also makes me contemplate when The Island actually sank. I was under the impression that in this timeline, when Juliet triggered the bomb, it somehow sunk the island and all it's inhabitants. This would have included Ethan and his parents, Horace and Amy Goodspeed. Yet, here Ethan is. So what exactly did cause the island to sink and when did it happen?


Look, this certainly wasn't one of my favorite episodes of all time (especially compared against some of the classics we've received the past few years) but it was not nearly at the wretched level of, 'Stranger In A Strange Land' (Jack's Tattoo). As we move closer and closer to the finale, we need to accept that not every week is going to be ridiculous and plot heavy. And if there are more character-centric episodes, they will inevitably be better than this one because the other characters on this show have always been more interesting than Kate.

Next week's sounds like it could make up for those who were unhappy with this week's episode, however. If anything, this episode was lacking due to the absence of The Monster, Ben, RIchard, Sun, Lapidus and The Ajira Folk. That storyline is certainly the most compelling right now and we should see it's return next week with, 'The Substitute.'