Sundown

As I watched Sayid walk through the burning temple grounds, I almost kicked in the t.v. because it stopped taping exactly at 10pm. I took 3 deep breaths and then let my hacker skills go to work until I found the full episode online. So I did get to see the episode ‘til its triumphant end. I thought this episode was great! I thought it told us several key things….even if my theories turn out wrong. We are a third of the way through this last season and I am still enjoying the ride. So let’s begin.

Summary

This episode was Sayid centered and focused on him moving from the middle to the dark side. In the original timeline and in this one, on and off the island, Sayid has battled against what he perceived was his true nature. Is Sayid good or bad? I think we can all agree that although we love him…he is most definitely bad. He kills for what he believes is the greater good. Sometimes to protect and to avenge those he loves or like when he was in the army, to support his ideals. Even when he was a child with his brother and ruthlessly killed the chicken, there was always darkness inside of him. I saw this episode as his final decision to embrace his dark side. His creepy, slow turn towards Ben inside the temple was absolutely chilling.

I love Miles now as much as I have loved Hurley in the past. He seems like he is just along for the ride. Never asks questions and is not on some inner quest, he is simply there being guided by the fate of others. He had a great line about Claire, “and she’s still hot!” He is just living in the moment as everyone is blinded by the past and stumbling towards redemption. I would have been really sad if Smokey had killed him. Not sure if its important to note that both Sayid and Claire were killed, brought to the Temple and now live with what seems to be evil inside them. I think Claire is lost forever.


I also loved it when Sayid and Doggen fought. I remember when they cast Doggen and it was said that it was odd for a martial arts movie star to be cast on Lost. But now we know why…to give Sayid a run for his money. I am interested to learn more about why he was needed to keep SM Locke at bay. But he seemed to have been there simple for redemption for killing his son, as it seems many were.

Connections

Doggen is reading Deep River by S husaku Enho. It’s the story of a group of Japanese in India, that go on a pilgrimage to the River Gange for absolution and find out the answers lie within them. We learn the significance of the baseball and father/son issues of Doggen and can compare it to the other daddy issues of others on the show. The symbol on the wall that Ilana pushed is of the Shen Ring. It symbolizes eternity and protection. Claire is singing Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como. The song is often played around Claire and she said that it was sung to her as a small child by her father. Sayid passes Jack in the hall at the St. Sebastian Hospital. The man working for Keamy that kidnapped Sayid, also worked with Keamy as a mercenary on the island. The kitchen was the same kitchen Naomi brought Miles to to recruit him to the island.

Questions

Sayid/Keamy – Both seemed to have lived the same life in both timelines. Both performed the same function in both timelines. I think it’s interesting that up until now the new timeline has seemed better for the Losties. However Sayid still hates himself, does not get the love of his life Nadia, and is still killing people. I think he finally embraced that part of himself on the island, and it would have done the same in 2004. He felt he was unworthy of Nadia before and now he has killed 3 people, it may be his turning point there as well.

Just a Man – Doggen said that SM Locke was just a man that grew angry over the years because he wanted to leave the island and can’t. But we know he is Smokey and that he cannot be killed by normal means. So once he leaves the island, will he turn back to a normal person? Does he just need a vessel to take his place on the island? Why does he need all the Temple people to be on his side?

The Deal – Jacob said that they are some people you tell what to do and others that you allow to stare off into the sea (paraphrasing). So Doggen was given the option to come to the island and his son would live. Perhaps Ilana was given the option of life when Jacob met her in the hospital room. Even Juliet was brought so that she could find a cure for her sister. And Richard kept trying to recruit Locke. SM Locke seems to be doing the same thing, but with the promise of getting off the island. Sawyer gets to get away from the memory of Juliet, Sayid to get the one he loves, and Claire to get her son. Just like the scale analogy that Doggen referred to, it tips both ways, and now on the side of evil. But SM Locke is not offering redemption but self interest whereas Jacob asks them to work for the greater good.

Timeline – So first I thought that the timeline was in 2004 and the result of what happened after they set-off the bomb. But too many far-reaching changes were showing so that it had to be something bigger. I then stated that I thought that it was their lives if Jacob had never touched them. But again, we never saw Jacob interact with all of the people in 2004 but their lives are still changed. Next, I began to think what if this was the timeline if SM Locke wins. They never come to the island, SM Locke is free – but that idea has so many holes I can’t even begin to plug! But what if its life if Jacob wins? Doggen is with his son at the piano recital, Jack with his son in a good relationship, Locke happy with Helen and his dad, Claire keeps Aaron, Hurley is rich and happy, Rose is positive about her disease. Even Sayid may have a happy ending if he runs into Shannon (she died in his arms too!). I keeps nagging me in the back of my brain, why is the alternate timeline so important? The flashbacks gave us insight into the Losties and how their lives intersected. Also why they may have ended up to that point on the plane and reasons for how they acted once on the island. Flash forwards showed us time off the island and how none of them were ready to continue back in the real world. Even the flash way back to Dharma allowed us to see how they had been the ones to create the history as it was originally. I believe that Jughead was the incident that the orientation videos talked about. It was always meant to be. So the new 2004, the island did exist because Dharma was underwater and the experimental shark was swimming by. But none of the people that we now see where ever on it or meant to be on it. Is it their lives if left to choice or is it their life if left to fate? And if it’s choice, does that mean that SM Locke wins? My brain hurts. I am just anxious to see how the timelines combine.

Conclusion

I didn’t get to see the previews so I am going into next week blind. I would guess that it would center on Jack and Hurley at the lighthouse. I plan to listen and catch up with the podcasts so be sure to check the comments section just in case I get any more hints. Be safe, have a great week…until next time…c-ya!