LOST AGAIN: SEASON 1x22 - BORN TO RUN

This episode of Lost Again brought to you by Keds. Run faster, jump higher.

Kate's flashback brings into focus her relationship with the man she loved and killed. She has all kinds of tricks up her sleeve for avoiding the authorities including a stash of license plates and hair dye. But she is drawn back to Iowa when she discovers that her mother is dying of cancer. Her childhood sweetheart, Tom, works at the hospital. Guess Kate has a thing for doctors! She asks for his help securing a covert meeting with her mom who is being guarded by law enforcement around the clock. To pass the time before the meeting, Kate hangs out with the ex and discovers he is married with a son. Feeling nostalgic, they go dig up their time capsule from 1989, a year that is probably best left buried judging by the NKOTB lunch box. This is the lunch box we will see her steal in the Season 5 finale that Jacob pays for. Inside that box is Tom's toy airplane which Kate goes to extreme lengths to acquire on and off the Island. Also contained in the box is a tape where Kate and Tom ponder their future. Seems Kate has always wanted to run due to a rough family life, but they thought they would be married to each other. Reliving old feelings, they make out a little. That Tom's wife is a lucky lady! Wouldn't it be a coincidence if her name was Juliet?!

Kate finally gets her meeting with her mother, but it does not go well. Her mother yells for help like she said she would if Kathryn ever came near her again. Kate asks for Tom's keys and makes a beeline for the parking garage with security in hot pursuit. Tom decides in a moment of fatal stupidity to ride shotgun believing that this will force her to turn herself in. It's like he doesn't know her at all! Kate defiantly drives through a hail of bullets, then gets into a car wreck. Tom did not escape the gun play, and Kate left her true love dead in the passenger seat as she ran from the law.

On the Island, Charlie has Kate worried about what might happen should the raft venture be successful. Rescue parties would be aware that Kate Austen, the captured fugitive, was on the plane. Arrest would be unavoidable, and due to the immense fame any survivors would possess,(Oceanic 6) there would be nowhere she could run anyway. All her anonymity would be gone. Her only chance is to get on that raft, so she can disappear. Using Joanna's passport, the woman who drowned in White Rabbit, she plans to adopt a new identity. Her plan is foiled when Michael tells her all the spots are filled. Sawyer took the last slot. Sawyer gets a little miffed when he hears Kate has been casting doubt on the wisdom of allowing Sawyer to hitch a ride. He confronts her and lets her know that he's aware of her fugitive status. If she knows what's good for her, she will back off.

Later, Michael is sidelined from raft construction when he develops some severe stomach troubles. Jack checks him out and discovers that someone has deliberately poisoned his water. Because of the bickering that's been going on between them, Michael assumes that Sawyer did it. He kicks him off the raft prompting Sawyer to reveal what he knows about Kate to the group. Even Jack can't say for sure whether Kate would stoop to poisoning someone to get what she wants. Hell, she has already drugged him. Kate is temporarily shunned by the group, and Sawyer is given his spot back. It turns out Sun was the culprit in the poisoning game this time. Her intention was to keep Jin from leaving. She fears for his safety, and wanted him to be just sick enough to have to stay behind. But it was Kate's idea. She had a horse in this race, so it wasn't just sisters gotta stick together crap whatever Sun might think.

Even more important than all the raft drama, is the Hatch drama. Sayid demanded that Locke take him to the Hatch. Lies were no longer acceptable. Sayid then went to Jack, wanting his support in the Don't Open It campaign. Jack is furious that Locke neglected to tell anyone what he was digging up for the past three weeks, but Locke reminds Jack that there are things he didn't share with the group either. They both used their "best discretion". The conflict with these two goes deeper than any hatch, in any jungle, in any world! Though Jack is pissed, he does agree that they should open it to see what's inside that they can use. It could function as a shelter if nothing else. Sayid observantly notes that there is no handle which would seem to indicate that it is not meant to be opened. There are plenty of horrific things that could be inside. Like men who refer to everyone as "Brutha".

In other Island developments:

• Dr. Arzt makes his first appearance as the group's perpetual Debbie Downer and tells Michael that to avoid shifting trade winds which would send the raft to Antarctica he needs to launch his raft yesterday. WTF! Where was Arzt yesterday????


• Walt tells Locke not to open that thing. If Walt is psychic, shouldn't he know that trying to reason with Locke is a waste of time?


• Walt confesses to burning the first raft, and Michael is surprisingly understanding. Let me get this straight. Arson, no biggie. Reading a Spanish comic book, major discipline needed.

LOST AGAIN: SEASON 1x21 - THE GREATER GOOD

This episode of Lost Again brought to you by The Big Book of Baby Names. You'll want a name for your kid ASAP, or people will start calling him any name they want. Like Turnip Head.

Sayid is in the awkward position of crushing on the girl who has just lost her brother (lover) in a tragic turn of events. He offers solace and comfort to an unresponsive Shannon. There isn't much he can do, but he does give a touching eulogy at Boone's graveside. Only to have the mood ruined by John Locke who finally decides to show his face. Seriously dude, you could have at least changed your bloody shirt. That is disturbing in the extreme. Jack, who has been running himself ragged first in his attempt to save Boone, then in his search for Locke, is not satisfied with Locke's explanation of what happened to Boone in the jungle. Locke is at least indirectly responsible for Boone's death because he lied to Jack about the cause of the injuries which affected the course of treatment. But, Jack suspects he might be more directly responsible because of Boone's last statements about John keeping secrets and a mysterious hatch. This is plenty of reason for Jack to wail on him at the graveside service.

After the melee breaks up, Locke apologizes to Shannon for any part he might have played in Boone's death. Shannon is all "Thanks, but I think I will have my boyfriend kill you anyway." Sayid does not trust Locke and asks to be taken to the beech craft under the pretext of gathering electronic equipment for the raft. Along the way he asks plenty of questions and is convinced that though John confessed to being the saboteur of the triangulation project and is being dodgy about the Hatch, that Boone's death was an indeed an accident. Shannon takes matters into her own hands by stealing the key to the gun case and cornering Locke in the jungle. Under a steady downpour of rain, she aims at him with every intention of killing him. All I could think of was how Shannon herself will be shot in a downpour. Jack, Kate and Sayid have no luck in talking her down. She pulls the trigger and would have met her mark if Sayid had not pushed her to the ground. Sayid is in the doghouse with Shannon, but he thinks that Locke might be their best hope of survival. He could not allow Shannon to kill him. What he did was in service of the Greater Good.

This was not his first time sacrificing a personal relationship to ensure the safety of the population at large. The CIA used their knowledge of the whereabouts of Nadia as motivation to recruit him to infiltrate a terrorist cell in Sydney that had enlisted his old college roommate. This friend had been tapped to perform a suicide bombing, and in order to get the required information, Sayid had to convince him to go through with it. In the end Sayid confessed to him in the minute before they were to go through with the plot, giving him an opportunity to escape. Instead, his friend killed himself. Taking care of funeral arrangements put Sayid on a later flight which turned out to be Flight 815.

In other Island developments:

• Jack is refusing all attempts to get him to eat and rest. So, Kate goes to her playbook and drugs him. She did it to her husband Kevin, and she suggested it to Sun as a way of keeping Jin from leaving on the raft. So, if you are on a date and someone offers you the Kate Special....just say no!


• Claire is as stubborn as her brother in her refusal to sleep when she is clearly in need of it. Good thing Kate was distracted with Jack. Drugging a new mother would be frowned upon.


• Walt is worried about sharks attacking the raft. Silly boy! That ridiculous! It's only abductions and explosives you need to worry about on open water. Oh yeah, and Dharma sharks, just kidding.


• Charlie begins his bonding with Turnip Head, but can't get him to stop fussing. Only Sawyer's sweet southern accent can lull the child into serenity. Can't believe Hurley's melodic screaming didn't work!

LOST AGAIN: SEASON 1x20 - DO NO HARM

This episode of Lost Again brought to you by The Hangover on blu ray. Because your fiance's best man could do a lot worse than drinking at the rehearsal dinner!

Do no harm seems to refer to the Hippocratic Oath that is near and dear to the hearts of doctors. And especially one, Jack Shephard. He is fully committed to that oath, and if there is one thing Jack is good at, it's commitment. In the flashback to his wedding, he is struggling at the last minute to write vows and gets some advice from his dad. He fears that he might only be marrying Sarah because he was her surgeon that gave her a near miraculous recovery. Otherwise wouldn't the vows come naturally. And he worries about living up to expectations in the future. Christian eases his sons fears about being a good husband and father, and as a surgon he cannot be expected to write vows with ease. That's not his gift. He could use some work in the letting go department as far as his father can tell. That is his real weakness. For Lost, this is as good a moment with a parent that any character is gonna get! Jack's vows to Sarah are given off the cuff, but they are full of honest sentiment that moves everyone in attendance. I am sure this marriage is going to go the distance....of approximately 3 years.

On the island, Jack's commitment is being tested in his treatment of Boone. His injuries are not only extensive, they are severe. Treatment is given based on the information Locke gave before he disappeared. Believing Boone fell off a cliff, Jack sets his leg after taking care of his collapsed lung. The next challenge is a blood transfusion with someone whose blood type is a match to Boone's. Since no match is found, Jack, as a universal donor type, steps up and gives his own blood. Jack is determined to succeed in fixing Boone because he has made a promise to do so.

Sun fills in as scrub nurse while Kate goes to get the rest of Sawyer's alcohol stash. No, she is not looking to play another round of "I never". Jack needs it for sterilization purposes. On her way back to the OR, aka the caves, she runs across Claire who is very much in labor. Unable to leave her alone she enlists Jin to go fetch Jack. Since Jack is currently occupied, he sends Jin and Charlie back to Kate with Birthing 101 cliff notes. Claire is obviously very distraught at the prospect of giving birth in a jungle, but she is also scared about how to bond with a child she didn't want in the first place. Kate gives a nice pep talk reassuring her that she isn't alone in this. "This baby belongs to all of us. Maybe a little more to you, but mostly to me. Have my baby already, and then stay away from my son!!!!" It is ironic to hear Kate take a little ownership of Aaron at his birth when she takes full custody of him off island. And somewhere in those overgrown bushes Sawyer is looking on from the future...or past...or something.

As Claire gives birth to a healthy son, Sun does her best to convince Jack that amputation of Boone's leg would not save his life. It would only increase his suffering. He is too far gone, and Jack cannot save him. To which Jack utters Locke's famous line, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" Boone stops him from this unnecessary, drastic measure at the last minute. He knows he is dying. He also knows that Jack tried his best. He lets Jack off the hook. Before he dies, Boone tells Jack that he fell from a plane in the jungle. Locke wanted everything kept secret because of the Hatch.

So, life and death collide as the camp is introduced to baby Aaron while Jack tells Shannon that her brother lover is dead. Angry at the senseless death that might have been avoided if his treatment of Boone had been based on actual facts instead of Locke's lies, Jack is going to go find John Locke.

In other Island developments:

• Sayid takes Shannon on a romantical picnic where Shannon confesses that Boone isn't her blood relation, but he is in love with her. While you're making confessions Shann, maybe you should mention how you seduced him a month ago!!! Gees.

LOST AGAIN: SEASON 1x19 - DEUS EX MACHINA

This episode of Lost Again brought to you by Lens Crafters. We promise we won't make you look like a steamrolled Harry Potter.

The episode opens with Locke, the toy store employee, explaining the game of Mousetrap to a child in a flashback. Obviously this is foreshadowing of Locke's coming troubles with his father as well as his ultimate end. But it has to be considered that all the castaways, not just Locke, are mice in a giant island mousetrap. All the pieces that represent the significant moments of their lives have been moved into place leading them to the Island where two cosmic-type figures have been using them for their own ends.

John's daddy issues kick into high gear when he encounters his mother, Emily Locke, at the toy store, and she tells him he was immaculately conceived. Um. Yeah. This peaks Locke's curiosity about his father, so he conducts a search and finds Anthony Cooper. A well-to-do Mr. Cooper welcomes John into his life and bonds with him over some manly hunting. Knowing what we do, Locke would be better off hunting with Dick Cheney! Because Anthony Cooper is a con-man that has failing kidneys. Locke, being a close blood relative, would be the perfect donor. So everything that seems spontaneous and natural to John has been orchestrated by a selfish father who has no interest in being a dad but every interest in avoiding death. After the surgery, Emily confesses the scam to John. A stunned Locke is denied entry at his father's home, solidifying the fact that he has been used in the worst way by someone who should have had his best interest at heart.

On the island, Locke's struggles are centered around the Hatch. He and Boone have tried various ways of opening it to no avail. The deus ex machina comes to him in the form of a dream where he sees Eko's brother's beech craft crash. Some rather jarring images of his mother pointing towards the crash site as well as a bloody Boone chanting "Teresa falls up the stairs, Teresa falls down the stairs" do not frighten Locke as much as the sight of him back in his wheelchair. When he wakes up, his new mission is to find that crash site. Boone follows along despite reservations.

Sawyer's got some problems of his own. His pounding headaches are making him a real treat to be around. Kate takes him to Jack for an exam. Jack makes the most of the situation by asking intensely personal questions about Sawyer's sexual history. Prostitutes, check. STD, check. Any recent outbreaks? That ought to keep the ladies, specifically Kate, off his junk. Nice try Jack! After Jack has his fun, he tells Sawyer that he is simply far sighted and needs glasses. But if he wants to continues his Island Book It program he is going to have to sacrifice some fashion points.

Locke and Boone discover some artifacts and a body from the plane which points them towards the beech craft hanging in the canopy. At this point John has lost the feeling in his legs, and he knows he is being tested. If he fails, the healing gift of the use of his legs will be taken away permanently. Manipulating Locke is so easy. He will avoid being crippled and all the helplessness that is associated with that at all costs. He doesn't know why, but he trusts his vision that the plane is important. And he elects Boone to check it out since he is indisposed at the moment.

Boone reaches the cockpit of the precariously positioned plane and finds the smuggled drugs. When the plane shifts, Locke tells Boone to get out. Besides the fact that there is no discernible need for anything on a heroine smugglers plane, the situation is becoming increasingly more dangerous. Boone spots some communication equipment and decides to give it a try. He announces a mayday into the static and gets a reply from Bernard on the other side of the Island. Unfortunately before either man can make the connection, the plane plummets to the ground crushing Boone in the process. Locke carries him to Jack explaining that he fell from a cliff.

In the confusion that follows, Locke slips away to the Hatch. Pounding on the Hatch in despair, he is inconsolable. He did what the Island wanted, so why was this happening? Inside the Hatch, an equally despondent Desmond hears a commotion from above and turns on a light that illuminates Locke from below giving them both the faith to carry on. Still gives me the chills to watch it.

In other Island developments:

• According to the timeline of when they crashed and the number of days stranded thus far, it's Halloween on Craphole Island! Sawyer is clearly going as Harry Potter. Claire just barely gets to be a pregnant nun. Locke was going to be Mr. Clean, but someone got blood all over his shirt. The nerve!