When
LOST executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton
Cuse informed their fanbase that season three would be about
relationships only one thing came to mind: the three-way
love tussle between Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. As sexy as that
may sound, we were told that by the close of the sixth episode,
Kate will have made her decision between the two boys, and
this will somehow inform events to come.
What we weren’t told, however, was
just how brilliantly the writing team intended to push the
relationship angle. While the rest of us quickly pondered
the thousands of possibilities between the three captives,
it appears that the creative team was busy developing the
shifts in relationship amongst the rest of the Losties on
the island – a practice that will likely continue
throughout the rest of the season.
On LOST,
things are never quite what they seem, and in "The
Glass Ballerina" we are reminded of this fact in flashbacks
illustrating more of the history between Sun and Jin. Not
only do we gain further insight about Sun’s relationship
with her father and his subsequent relationship with Jin,
we are also given more detail about that fateful night when
Jin was asked to do a business associate harm at the request
of Sun’s father.
Yes, there really is more to the story.
The implication thus far has been that Jin had sold himself
to Sun’s father in exchange for Sun’s hand –
a noble act that had previously darker implications based
on some of their previous flashbacks. However, it seems
that Jin’s loyalty to her father was less sinister,
until daddy found his daughter in bed with her English teacher,
Jae Lee.
Before anyone cries foul or exclaims that
this is a drastic shift in character for our dear Sun, let
me remind you, the seeds were planted in previous episodes.
Jae had expressed feelings of interest and a serious dislike
for Jin in previous episodes, and Sun’s relationship
with Jae was never clearly fleshed out. Let’s face
it, she meets him in a hotel room for her personal lessons.
Sun’s flashback is bookmarked with
an opening seen in which she breaks a glass ballerina, is
caught by her father, questioned, and ultimately lies that
the maid was responsible. When her father explains the implication,
and the outcome that will occur should she stand by her
claim, Sun remains firm in face of the maid’s condemnation.
Back
on the island, we are finally given what any fan of the
show has been waiting for – more Sayid. He’s
a man on a mission, and if anyone could possibly infiltrate
the Others’ camp, he would be the one to do it. With
the help of Sun, who lies to a steadfast and insistent Jin,
Sayid finds the dock from the closing scenes of season two.
The
plan is simple: light a fire that will hopefully draw the
Others out. But Sayid’s plan has one flaw. While busy
lying to Jin, Sayid doesn’t count that the Others
would plan a sneak attack. It seems that the boat is actually
more valuable to Benry than Sun, Jin, and Sayid. So, it’s
time to go back to the rescue attempt drawing board.
This entire episode is predicated upon the
concept that people lie, and quite simply, the people you
suspect least often lie really, really well. We get more
of Kate and Sawyer, as they are put to work chiseling rocks
with pickaxes in a makeshift rock quarry. Why? Who knows
for sure, but it gives the two captives some time to bond,
and even more time for Kate to grow to trust Sawyer.
I’m putting this out there now –
I think Kate will choose Sawyer, but she will not be happy
with what he does next. Let’s see where this one goes.
We also get another glimpse of Alex Rousseau,
who tells Kate that the dress she was given belonged to
her. Recall, she was stolen from her mother as well, so
perhaps there is some sort of ritual with the dress? She
is also looking for Adam, the escape artist from the season
opener. Interesting.
Meanwhile, Jack is given one of the biggest
surprises ever…a glimpse of the truth. With all of
the power dynamics in play, the isolated Jack must be the
most vulnerable at this moment. Juliet continues to work
at chipping away his trust boundaries, and she even gets
some help from Benry (Ben + Henry) this time out. When questioned
about the outside world and where he sent Walt and Michael,
Benry explains that he sent them home. He assures Jack that
they have contact with the outside world, and that should
he cooperate he too will be sent home.
Jack’s disbelief is firm, until shown
footage of the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series on
television. What will Jack do now?
Next
Week: More resolutions for LOST fans come in three
names: Locke, Mr. Eko, and Desmond. Yes! What happened?
Who made it out alive? We want to know!!
