“A 12-year-old Ben Linus just brought me a chicken salad sandwich. How do you think I’m doing?”
It seems like forever since we’ve had a Sayid-centric story, so I was really excited to discover that tonight’s episode was all about everyone’s favorite Iraqi torture specialist. Unfortunately, for as many great lines as there were, it actually ended up being one of the flatter episodes of the season. That probably had something to do with the strange collection of flashbacks and flash forwards that accompanied the present day (or new present, anyway) storyline, because with the exception of Sayid’s introduction to Ilana – who doesn’t appear to be a federal marshal at all, but rather some sort of bounty hunter – we didn’t really learn anything new about the time between his rescue and return.
Even the action on the island was pretty dull. Well, not dull so much as just really thin. I mean, how many different times did we really need to see Sawyer trying to convince Sayid to cooperate with the Dharminians? And why didn’t Sayid want to take the easy way out by telling them that he was just trying to escape from the Others? I brought this up last week because it didn’t make any sense for Sayid to want to remain silent, and now it makes just as much sense after declining Sawyer’s offer to become one of them. If all he cared about was killing young Ben Linus, wouldn’t it have been easier to do so from within that circle of trust?
Apparently not, because Sayid didn’t budge one bit, and as a result, Horace took him to go see Oldham (William Sanderson of “Deadwood” fame) in order to get some answers. It was pretty obvious that Oldham was Dharma’s torture specialist the moment his name was brought up, but Sayid asked Sawyer who Oldham was nonetheless, to which Sawyer replied “He’s our you.” Now, if that didn’t send chills down your back, I don’t know what will, because that has to be one of the best episode titles in the history of the series; and even more so because of the way it was worked into the story. I would have liked to have found just what it was that Oldham stuck in Sayid’s mouth, though, because while it seemed to initially operate as a truth serum, the later effects made me think it was some kind of psychedelic drug instead. Whatever it was, it worked, but while it looked like Sayid would blow Sawyer’s cover by spilling the beans, the moment he mentioned he was from the past, Horace seemed unconvinced that the drug had worked.
After Dharma’s council votes to kill him, however, Sayid’s Christ-like sacrifice (which he seems to believe will atone for all his sins) is interrupted when he’s sprung from jail while everyone else is trying to deal with a flaming Dharma van that has randomly rolled into camp. (Even during times of stress, Sawyer’s wit is spot on: “Three years, no burning buses. You’re all back for one day…”). Curiously enough, it’s young Ben who’s responsible for saving Sayid, who does so under the condition that he can join him on his way back to the Others’ camp. I don’t know if that’s where Sayid plans to go (it seems to be his only option at this point), but he definitely doesn’t intend on bringing Ben with him. Granted, I didn’t expect Sayid to kill a child in cold blood, but then again, who’s to say Ben is really dead? Faraday has already stated that the past can’t be changed, so it’s probably more likely that Ben will be saved/revived by the Others and eventually made their leader. After all, Ben’s spinal condition had to be a result of something, so why not an old gunshot wound that he received as a kid?
most “truth serums” are psychotropic cocktails and are highly unreliable
one of the flatter episodes of the season?! sorry, but you are wrong on that one
Ha, he shot Little Ben. Although I do believe the writers made a conscious choice to declare this was after Ben met with Richard. Its one thing to kill an innocent little boy, another thing entirely to kill the monster once he has started down the genocide path.
Not the best episode, but not bad.
Yeah, I didn’t hate the episode, but compared to what we’ve been given so far this season, it definitely wasn’t as good.
I actually understood Sayid’s reasoning. He doesn’t want to be a part of Dharma for two reasons: they’re all going to die (as he told them on his acid trip), and joining Dharma would align him with Ben, something he will never do again. I’m sure he felt that his execution at the hands of the Dharma group was just punishment for his sins.
And then, of course, when Ben sprung him, he suddenly saw another path to salvation…
I actually interpreted it another way. I felt that Sayid’s resignation wasn’t because he was ready to sacrifice himself or didn’t want to align himself with Ben. I got the sense that he and Ben had talked about breaking him out prior to the flaming van hitting the house. Sayid was standing at the ready by the door when Ben came in, so maybe he knew it was coming (and he knew he was going to kill — or try to kill Ben). Faraday said that you could only “change the past so much,” and it’s not credible that Sayid (the assassin) wouldn’t make sure that Ben was dead by putting a bullet in his brain.
Regardless, I thought this was just another great episode. It was cool to see how Sayid ended up in custody. And I finally placed where the actress who plays Ilana is from — Zuleikha Robinson played an uber-hottie on “Rome.”
On a side note, I don’t remember a “romantic square” (Jack–Juliet–Sawyer–Kate) working so well on a television show. Both guys have feelings for both girls, and they make it work.
I have got to agree with JP. Ben had to have put the van in motion to set up the escape.
I still have a “12 Monkees” feel to the series, just a more intricate intertwining over the course of decades thing for the main characters.
This would reinforce my belief especially if Ben does live, and just has a spine issue that Jack would eventually fix in Ben’s adulthood on the island. That would also justify Ben’s adult “knowing” that Sayid is a “killer”. Just a theory…
Oh, I agree that Ben put the van in motion, but I am still unsure about whether Sayid would cooperate with Ben on anything at that point, even if it could be a means to killing him. It did look curious that Sayid was standing at the bars, seemingly waiting for him, but that could have been coincidence. Come on, you saw “The Sixth Sense,” right?
As for the shot to the chest versus the head, that’s the work of ABC’s standards and practices division. The real Sayid would have shot him in the head. Twice.
I’m talking about a follow up shot to make sure he was dead. There’s a pretty good chance that Young Ben survives and Sayid never would have let that happen. I wish they had thought of something to interrupt Sayid’s kill shot to better explain why he didn’t put another bullet in Young Ben.
It appears that they are just relying on the internal conflict shown on Sayid’s face as to why he did not seal the deal. Even though it is Ben, he is still a child, and Sayid witnessed how Ben’s father treated him. Maybe they just wanted us to buy that this in the end was too difficult for Sayid to go that extra step to make sure he was dead.
If that were the case, maybe he pauses at the body for a moment and then decides not to finish him?
I left the scene thinking that he wanted to kill Ben but didn’t finish the job like Sayid would. It was out of character.
I see your point JP. I think I just bought the scene based on how Sayid emoted.
Of course, we are all assuming that Ben can’t possibly be dead… That heightens the anticipation for next Wednesday.
How about an added interpretation of “He’s Our You”? If Richard had already picked Ben to be the next leader and Sayid interrupts that by shooting him, he could have created an alternate future. Richard could tap Sayid to be the new leader and we could flash back to a present where Sayid has become the manipulative evil one. “The universe has a way of course correcting,” as Faraday’s mother once said to Desmond.
Oh and the “love square”? Sorry, but I’m pretty bored by it. LOST is great in many ways, but it bogs down when reduced to teary whistful glances between the star-crossed lovers. (Notice from a diverse cast they focus on the pretty white leads, big yawn!)