This week's big revelation: Sayid is one of the Oceanic Six, and is working as an assassin. Okay, that last part isn't much of a surprise. In fact, I was kind of pulling for this to happen. It seemed like it fit with the character. So add hired gun to the ever growing list of Oceanic Six off-island jobs: drunkard, crazy person, and supermodel (because with all that makeup, there's only one thing Kate can do).My friend Andrew pointed out that since Desmond and Juliet were not part of the crash, they would not be included in the count, Oceanic Six. So it is unknown if they get off, but I'm assuming they would both be willing to kill someone to do so.
Sayid is working for Ben, though. Big surprise, given his ominous proclamation that the day he trusted Ben "would be the day I would have sold my soul." Ben gives Sayid the names of anti-island people, and Sayid executes them. This week's focus was the Economist; with his smoke screen assistant and absence from the episode, I think that he is far up in the anti-island food chain. So, here's how I imagine it: IN THE FUTURE, THERE IS A WAR. One side, the Island, is headed by Ben, as it has been for many years. He's trying to protect his sacred home. The other side is the Organization, headed by the Economist, trying to rediscover the island. The Organization employs Michael Abbadon, who questioned Hurley about the remaining survivors, and is the backer of the current expedition.
Did Sayid want to leave the island? Is it possible that after whatever unnamed heartbreak that awaits him, that heartbreak briefly mentioned, that he had to be coaxed by Ben to serve as the island's designated hitman? What was his fixation with Naomi and the bracelet? Does the bracelet and impending heartbreak deal with Nadia, his past love?
I must side with Jeff Jensen's assertion last week that Michael is Ben's man on the boat, or man in the boat, but hopefully not man over the boat. Next week, I wager, will be his reintroduction.
Apart from Sayid, this episode gave a very opaque disclosure. Good Ol' Daniel, performing one of his magic tricks, found an anomaly in the island. Or at least I think that's what it's called. The deal was, the ship fired a rocket at Daniel's position, and reported it's arrival thirty seconds later. Two hours and forty five minutes later, it shows up, though the rocket claims to have been traveling for three hours and sixteen minutes. So in conclusion, or at least a possible conclusion: the island provides some sort of interference, which makes navigation impossible (hence Daniel's helming instructions to Frank), but, more importantly, time on the island passes more slowly than time on the outside. If you have a lot of spare time and no friends, you might try calculating exactly how slowly; as it happens, for ever second on the island, 1.19 seconds in the real world pass. If Jack's guess that they've been on island for a hundred days is true, that means they've gone forward in time more than two weeks. Make sense? No, I don't suppose it does.
And what was the deal with Frank telling Daniel to "hang up right away" if George answered the phone? Apparently, the expedition trusts the boat as much as the Losties do.
IN OTHER NEWS, Ben is Jason Bourne, Hurley betrays his friends and thus loses his entire appeal, everyone, including his teammates, hates Miles, Sawyer proposes to Kate, Daniel gets a little touchy-feely with Charlotte, and I'm still waiting for Jack and Juliet to hook up. I mean, come on, already.
I think this episode marks a significant turn in narration. Previously on LOST, the flashbacks, and even flashforwards, have provided only background (or, foreground?) on the characters, explaining their actions and providing characterization. With Sayid's story, we are seeing the beginning of plot. How will the other Oceanic Six be pulled into this? Who are Ben and Sayid fighting? Why do those on island need protecting? Do they know it? I don't know about you, Ricky Shade, but this future story intrigues me as much as the present one.
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