Season 6, Episode 7: "Recon"
So this episode didn't do much for me, but not every week can be perfect. The Flash-Sideways storyline was interesting, with Miles and Sawyer starring in their own buddy cop show, but some of the Island scenes dragged a bit. It wasn't awful, but I guess I just didn't see an evolution for the characters' story lines in "Recon"...but then again, maybe that was the point.
As we've discussed here over the past few weeks, characters that find their purpose on the Island, for better or worse, seem to reflect that purpose and change in the Sideways world. Ben redeems himself on the Island, and is a changed man in the Sideways. Sayid reverts to evil on the Island, and does so as well in the Sideways...and so on. So when it became clear that "Recon" focused on Sawyer, I was expecting some sort of moment of clarity for our old friend. Will he stay with Flocke, or will he (re) con him and save the day for team light? What choices will he make and how will they impact the not only the story, but his role in both the Island and the Sideways? But in the end, no such moment came. Sawyer reverted back to his old (Season 1-3) self...looking out only for himself, playing sides against each other, getting hot on Kate, and you know... just survivin'.
So when we see him in the Sideways, he's not really any different than what we're used to seeing with him. Sure, he's a cop instead of a criminal, but it's almost as if the cop gig is just a cover for his true mission: to find and kill the man that is responsible for his parent's death. And it is this tragic event - both in the Island and Sideways world - that Sawyer can't overcome. His lack of trust for others, failed relationships, loner attitude, selfishness, and penchant for violence all stem from the loss of his parents at a young age. And if he can't move past these feelings, start to trust and work positively with others, he will remain without purpose both on the Island and in the Sideways. It's no coincidence that Jacob touched Sawyer outside the church where his parent's funeral was held. It is this event that defines him, and Jacob's hope is that it will end up making him stronger, not weaker.
The only time Sawyer came close to putting the past behind him was during his time with Dharma. He held an important position within the community, was respected by all and trusted those he worked with. Most importantly, he fell in love, an act that requires a certain vulnerability that he was never truly capable of before. It's almost as if this period was Sawyer's time of redemption. All the pain he suffered before due to his past was gone, and he was at peace in his life. But when it was all ripped away, ending with Juliet dying in his arms, he unfortunately reverted back to his old ways. You can't blame him for being upset and wanting to just leave it all behind and get the hell off the Island, but something tells me that when it comes down to it, he won't be able to leave his friends behind.
Sawyer "still has work to do" and that the Island isn't done with him yet, and I also don't think we've seen the last of his episode-centric story lines. My guess is that the hero within him will rise again, as it has in the past, and he will choose the right side, as he has in the past as well. He is capable of greatness, and I hope that he lives up to that capability. And if he does, I believe that we will see him once again in the Sideways, but this time in a different light. Instead of holding on to the thought of revenge and dealing with his grief through six packs and one night stands, he'll be hand in hand with Juliet, going "dutch over coffee," happy as can be. His reward for redemption on the Island will be to reclaim the happiness he once lost in the Sideways. That's my corny guess, anyways.
Some other stuff obviously went down in "Recon," the most important being Widmore's return to the Island. His meeting with Sawyer was interesting, and we were left to wonder what Widmore's true intentions really are. But the scenes left us with more questions than answers. What's in that locked door in the sub? Did Zoe and the others come with Widmore on the sub, or were they planted on Ajira 316 by Widmore so that he could finally find his way to the Island? Did they kill the remaining passengers or did Flocke? (I'm guessing Flocke). How does Widmore plan on killing Flocke? (Maybe with whatever is in that locked door?) But one thing is for sure, both Flocke and Widmore are aware of each other, and it doesn't look like they're buddy buddy either. This seems to point more to the fact that Widmore is actually a good guy, and has returned to the Island to help protect it. Time will tell, though.
A quick thought regarding Flocke: he's full of shit. This isn't a monumental claim or anything, but in no way do I believe that "his mother was hard on him" and that he went through some "growing pains" in their relationship as he claims in his little chat with Kate. Flocke is recruiting, just as he was when he appealed to Sawyer's weaknesses in the cave to have him join the team, and how he tugged on Sayid's strings when mentioning Nadia. He's using Kate's strained relationship with her mother (Kate's mother essentially chose an abusive husband over her, a tough pill to take for anyone) in order to create bond between them so that she will fully join his side. And the "crazy mother" comparison to Claire was a nice finishing touch. Dangling Kate's love for Aaron was as the final nudge to what he hopes will be her full conversion to the dark side. But Kate - for now - isn't taking the bait.
She, just like Sawyer, is still in limbo per her overall purpose on the Island, and remains somewhat side-less. Therefore, it's not a surprise to see that she hasn't changed too much in the Sideways either. Kate the convict is still on the run, running away from both her problems and her responsibilities. Hopefully Kate and Sawyer can help each other find what their looking for.
Tid Bits
The man in the police station looking for his brother was Liam Pace, Charlie's brother. I hope we get to see a little more of Charlie eventually, but for now he's locked up for carrying drugs on the flight.
From Lostpedia, a summary of the books on Sawyer's dresser:
Alright folks, strap in for next week, which focuses on the man, the myth, the legend: Richard Alpert. And the episode apparently runs 6 minutes over, so plan accordingly!
So this episode didn't do much for me, but not every week can be perfect. The Flash-Sideways storyline was interesting, with Miles and Sawyer starring in their own buddy cop show, but some of the Island scenes dragged a bit. It wasn't awful, but I guess I just didn't see an evolution for the characters' story lines in "Recon"...but then again, maybe that was the point.
As we've discussed here over the past few weeks, characters that find their purpose on the Island, for better or worse, seem to reflect that purpose and change in the Sideways world. Ben redeems himself on the Island, and is a changed man in the Sideways. Sayid reverts to evil on the Island, and does so as well in the Sideways...and so on. So when it became clear that "Recon" focused on Sawyer, I was expecting some sort of moment of clarity for our old friend. Will he stay with Flocke, or will he (re) con him and save the day for team light? What choices will he make and how will they impact the not only the story, but his role in both the Island and the Sideways? But in the end, no such moment came. Sawyer reverted back to his old (Season 1-3) self...looking out only for himself, playing sides against each other, getting hot on Kate, and you know... just survivin'.
So when we see him in the Sideways, he's not really any different than what we're used to seeing with him. Sure, he's a cop instead of a criminal, but it's almost as if the cop gig is just a cover for his true mission: to find and kill the man that is responsible for his parent's death. And it is this tragic event - both in the Island and Sideways world - that Sawyer can't overcome. His lack of trust for others, failed relationships, loner attitude, selfishness, and penchant for violence all stem from the loss of his parents at a young age. And if he can't move past these feelings, start to trust and work positively with others, he will remain without purpose both on the Island and in the Sideways. It's no coincidence that Jacob touched Sawyer outside the church where his parent's funeral was held. It is this event that defines him, and Jacob's hope is that it will end up making him stronger, not weaker.
The only time Sawyer came close to putting the past behind him was during his time with Dharma. He held an important position within the community, was respected by all and trusted those he worked with. Most importantly, he fell in love, an act that requires a certain vulnerability that he was never truly capable of before. It's almost as if this period was Sawyer's time of redemption. All the pain he suffered before due to his past was gone, and he was at peace in his life. But when it was all ripped away, ending with Juliet dying in his arms, he unfortunately reverted back to his old ways. You can't blame him for being upset and wanting to just leave it all behind and get the hell off the Island, but something tells me that when it comes down to it, he won't be able to leave his friends behind.
Sawyer "still has work to do" and that the Island isn't done with him yet, and I also don't think we've seen the last of his episode-centric story lines. My guess is that the hero within him will rise again, as it has in the past, and he will choose the right side, as he has in the past as well. He is capable of greatness, and I hope that he lives up to that capability. And if he does, I believe that we will see him once again in the Sideways, but this time in a different light. Instead of holding on to the thought of revenge and dealing with his grief through six packs and one night stands, he'll be hand in hand with Juliet, going "dutch over coffee," happy as can be. His reward for redemption on the Island will be to reclaim the happiness he once lost in the Sideways. That's my corny guess, anyways.
Some other stuff obviously went down in "Recon," the most important being Widmore's return to the Island. His meeting with Sawyer was interesting, and we were left to wonder what Widmore's true intentions really are. But the scenes left us with more questions than answers. What's in that locked door in the sub? Did Zoe and the others come with Widmore on the sub, or were they planted on Ajira 316 by Widmore so that he could finally find his way to the Island? Did they kill the remaining passengers or did Flocke? (I'm guessing Flocke). How does Widmore plan on killing Flocke? (Maybe with whatever is in that locked door?) But one thing is for sure, both Flocke and Widmore are aware of each other, and it doesn't look like they're buddy buddy either. This seems to point more to the fact that Widmore is actually a good guy, and has returned to the Island to help protect it. Time will tell, though.
A quick thought regarding Flocke: he's full of shit. This isn't a monumental claim or anything, but in no way do I believe that "his mother was hard on him" and that he went through some "growing pains" in their relationship as he claims in his little chat with Kate. Flocke is recruiting, just as he was when he appealed to Sawyer's weaknesses in the cave to have him join the team, and how he tugged on Sayid's strings when mentioning Nadia. He's using Kate's strained relationship with her mother (Kate's mother essentially chose an abusive husband over her, a tough pill to take for anyone) in order to create bond between them so that she will fully join his side. And the "crazy mother" comparison to Claire was a nice finishing touch. Dangling Kate's love for Aaron was as the final nudge to what he hopes will be her full conversion to the dark side. But Kate - for now - isn't taking the bait.
She, just like Sawyer, is still in limbo per her overall purpose on the Island, and remains somewhat side-less. Therefore, it's not a surprise to see that she hasn't changed too much in the Sideways either. Kate the convict is still on the run, running away from both her problems and her responsibilities. Hopefully Kate and Sawyer can help each other find what their looking for.
Tid Bits
The man in the police station looking for his brother was Liam Pace, Charlie's brother. I hope we get to see a little more of Charlie eventually, but for now he's locked up for carrying drugs on the flight.
From Lostpedia, a summary of the books on Sawyer's dresser:
- Watership Down: This novel, written in 1972 by Richard Adams, is on James' chest of drawers. The novel is a spoof of humans searching for a new home, using a society of rabbits as characters. The rabbits find what they think is utopia, but discover that it is a farm with traps and snares. They find that they have to live together or die alone, while establishing new rules by which to live.
- A Wrinkle in Time: This sci-fi children's novel, written in 1962 by Madeleine L'Engle, is on James' chest of drawers. The story follows Meg Murry, a teenager who travels in time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O'Keefe. Their mission is to rescue her father, who is a scientist being held prisoner on an alien planet dominated by a large dark cloud called "The Black Thing."
- Lancelot: This novel, written by Walker Percy in 1977, tells the story of Lancelot Lamar, an attorney who finds out he is not the father of his youngest daughter. Lamar kills his wife by blowing up their house. He ends up in a mental institution with his memories, where reality and the past get blurred for him.
Alright folks, strap in for next week, which focuses on the man, the myth, the legend: Richard Alpert. And the episode apparently runs 6 minutes over, so plan accordingly!
posted by Rutherford at
12:45 PM
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