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1.16 Outlaws Sawyer: "Oh, that hog is going to suffer. I swear to God." This may be the closest we'll get to a comic episode. I thought it was terrific. This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was that huge, snarling boar, which was Sawyer's guilty conscience. And in the end, he couldn't kill it. Sawyer, a character I initially disliked intensely, is becoming one of my favorites. In many ways, the snarky, brash Sawyer is still that terrified little boy hiding under a bed. Sawyer's mother loved him deeply, but Sawyer probably doesn't believe she did. He probably believes that the death of his parents was somehow his fault, even though that isn't possible (hence his acquisition of the killer's persona). He desperately needs someone to love him, but I'm certain that if someone did, he would probably push her away with both hands. Is that why Sawyer and Kate were alone and drunk and he didn't make a pass at her? Is he afraid subconsciously that she'll start to love him and that it won't be a one-night stand, being as they're stranded on an island and all? The scene with Sawyer getting drunk with Jack's father was a surprise, hinting that the survivors have more interconnections than we thought. I was not surprised that Sawyer didn't tell Jack that his father really loved him and was proud of him; Sawyer has too much baggage for that, and feels too much resentment toward Jack. Jack is everything Sawyer probably wishes he could be. And of course, Jack is his main rival for Kate. But I had a thought. We still don't know what Sawyer was arrested for in the "Hearts and Minds" flashback; he was shouting something about giving the bottle back. Was it the bottle he bought in this scene? Did Sawyer have something to do with Christian Shephard's death? Was that another reason why he didn't tell Jack? "That's why the Red Sox will never win the damned series" was Christian Shephard's way of saying, "It's fate." The Sox have indeed won the pennant since the crash. Were the writers implying that what was happening on the Island was not fate? Plus, I thought the continuing joke that Australia was Hell was interesting. We could extrapolate that the survivors actually left Hell and are now in Purgatory, couldn't we? (Would that make L.A. heaven? :) On top of the Sawyer-and-boar main plot and the wonderful "I Never" drinking game, this episode was chock full of good scenes. I particularly loved Charlie and Hurley burying Ethan; who thought a scene like that could be so wryly funny? And then there was that bit where Locke told Sawyer and Kate about his sister Jeannie and the dog. (Kate: "So you're saying the dog was your sister?" Locke: "Well, that would be silly.") There was a reason for the story; it was about how we assign our own motivations to what animals do. Was the boar thing just a coincidence? Was the boar doing it on purpose? Was it a manifestation of the Island, like the Monster? "It'll come back around," indeed. Karma, karma, and karma. Character bits: -- Sawyer's real name may be James. And it may not be. Sawyer lies, you know. -- Sawyer's mother's name was Laura. His father (whose face we didn't see) wore cowboy boots, killed Laura and himself, and Laura was afraid he would kill Sawyer, too. -- Sawyer has never kissed a man. (He said nothing about sex, though.) He never went to college, never went to Disneyland, never voted Democratic (too bad), has never been in love, and has had numerous one-night stands. No surprises there. -- Kate has never been to college, never been to Disneyland, never voted, and never had a one-night stand. However, she has been in love, and was married briefly. That was a surprise. -- Sawyer and Kate have both killed a man. Charlie just joined that particular club. So has Sayid and Rousseau. And Jin did come home with blood all over him... -- Frank Duckett was why Sawyer was in Australia. What struck me was that Sawyer didn't know what his nemesis, the original Sawyer, really looked like. Was Sawyer too little at the time? Was it possible that he never actually saw the guy? -- Hibbs (Robert Patrick) said that Sawyer wasn't the killing type, and then tricked Sawyer into killing Duckett. I wonder if we're going to get more of Hibbs. It would probably be too convenient if Hibbs were the original Sawyer. -- Sawyer is from Tennessee, and he wears cologne. -- Locke had a sister named Jeannie who fell off the monkey bars and broke her neck. He had a foster mother. And for awhile, he had a golden retriever. -- Claire seemed to be getting some of her memories back. -- Jack, or Matthew Fox, has a large tattoo on the inside of his left arm. I don't remember seeing that one before. Bits and pieces: -- This episode began with a close-up of young Sawyer's left eye. -- Michael was working on the raft. -- The guns are under lock and key again. For now. -- Christian Shephard misplaced his wallet. Was there something about a wallet in "White Rabbit"? -- Sawyer yelling, "Here, piggy piggy" made me think of Piggy in Lord of the Flies. I haven't read that book since high school. I should probably get back to it sometime soon. Quotes: Sawyer: "If you'll excuse me, I have some revenge to tend to." Charlie: "I killed Ethan. I can bury him." Hurley: "Yeah. Until he rises from the dead. Dude, I know how this works. This is going to end with you and me running through the jungle, screaming and crying, and he catches me first, because I'm heavy and I get cramps." Hurley: "Did you ever get that Gulf War syndrome?" Sayid: "That was the other side." Kate: "I never wore pink." (Sawyer drinks) Kate: "I knew it!" Sawyer (wryly): "The eighties." Sawyer: "He peed on my shirt! He took my shirt out of the bag, and peed on it. And you say this ain't personal?" This episode was so well constructed, written, and acted that every scene was a joy to watch. The story was exceptionally compelling, funny, and moving. Four out of four polar bears, Billie |
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