Lost Thoughts: Meet Kevin Johnson

If you weren't questioning your Lost loyalties before now, this episode certainly should have done the trick. Widmore? Ben? Who to hate? Who to hate? Maybe we should hate Michael! Although, thankfully he didn't once shout "Waaaaaaaalt!" tonight. So instead of hatin', I'll just have to tell you what I thought of the whole darn episode.

Family Meeting -
Locke holds a meeting with the Lockettes (in case you've forgotten, that's what I'm calling his groupies living in the Others' barracks) to come clean and divulge his plan. It's not a big plan, really. They're all going to protect Ben. Sure he doesn't say how, or with what, or for how long...(that we saw!)...but at least Locke has a purpose, and we all know he works much better with a purpose.

Miles and the Mind Games -
Is it just me, or is Miles completely messing with Locke and the Lockettes all the time? He whispers to John about how Ben is eating desserts instead of being pistol whipped in a boat house with a grenade stuffed in his mouth (jealous, Miles?). And lets it slip that if Ben is captured everyone on the island will die. Oh, and he'll keep his mouth shut for a few million bucks. Something just isn't right here about how Miles is working the system. It's very Ben-like. Could Miles be working for Ben? I've considered before that the millions Miles wants is actually a code between him and Ben. I'm just saying...

By the way, did you notice how the Boater is being held hostage in a boat house? Ha! These writers have a great sense of humor!

Captain Smaaaaash! -
Don't try to jump ship or Captain Boater is going to beat the tar out of you...out of love. Remember people, he's doing this to save your lives. But is the Captain really that afraid of people getting the Flashies Syndrome? Does he really care if his people die? (Sure didn't seem to phase him when they jump off his deck with chains strapped to their bodies.) Why sound a loud alarm across the whole ship when someone makes for a raft? It just seems to be a little overkill there, Cappy. Oh, and did you notice how the Desertion Alarm is the same sound as the hatch computer alarm to push the button??

Michael's Song -
And we thought Future Jack was F-ed up! It turns out after getting Walt off the island Michael was carrying around a little guilt about Libby and Ana Lucia. So he tries to kill himself...with a car....and a dumpster. What an odd and potentially very painful way to off yourself. I'm tryin' not to judge here, but daaaaaaamn.

Libby the Friendly Ghost -
While in the hospital from his first suicide attempt, Michael sees a vision of Libby as a nurse coming to bring him...(wait for it)....BLANKETS! Ha! More props to the writers for style points.
Waaaaaaaalt! -
Father of the Year, Michael, decides that after his vehicular suicide attempt he wants to see Walt again. Only then do we learn that Walt is with Grandma Dawson and doesn't want to speak to Michael because of that murdering two innocent people in cold blood thing. And Grandma Dawson doesn't want to speak to Michael because she has to keep their survival and identities a secret. You'd think she'd just be grateful to have her son back, but noooo! Why didn't Michael come clean about who he was publicly and try to tell officials the truth? I know Ben said no one would believe him, but shouldn't he try? For his friends? And for his son's sense of identity?

The Return of Mr. Friendly -
Man, I missed Tom. It was so good to hear his burly voice again and watch him mock a Lostie just like old times. This time he recruits Michael into working for Ben aboard our famous Boaters' boat (obviously this happened before the island showdown where Sawyer takes Tom down for good). This way Michael gets to redeem himself a bit to the Losties and the universe (in a sick way) and maybe he can get killed in the process. And thank goodness! Because that gun thang wasn't working at all. Tom lets him know that the island won't let him kill himself. The Island's "powers" can reach that far? Is the Island watching me right now? What about when I'm on the toilet - does the Island see me then?

More Finger Pointing -
Aside from the creepy Island control bit, Tom has some other helpful info. He tells the Others' side of the faked crash scene story, which is, of course, that Papa Widmore staged the whole thing. And Tom has (authentic?) documents to prove it! Pictures of emptied graves in Thailand where he got hundreds of bodies. Airplane shell receipts with "Widmore Industries" typed at the top. And freighter shipping logs that document the airplane shell and Thai occupants being foisted into a trench at the bottom of the ocean too deep to excavate. Call me naive, but I'm believing Tom here. But who is that handsome Arturo? Anyone special, Tom?

Bomb, ba-bomb, bomb, bomb -
Michael packs his depressed bags and heads to be depressed on Papa Widmore's freighter...with a "bomb" waiting for him so that he may off all of the people on-board (per Tom's request). Except that this bomb just messes with Michael's already fragile state. First Ghost Libby reappears, playing that Mama Cass song again and saying "Don't do it, Michael". Not that he listens...he just presses that very familiar "EXECUTE" button, and...nothing. He gets a little note that reads "Not yet". Disappointing.

The Boaters Know -
Elsewhere on the freighter Michael meets the Boaters who are headed to the island as part of the "science team". Except that I'm guessing they know Michael isn't just a janitor. Miles calls him out for having a fake name right away, saying that 80% of the people on the boat have secrets. Really, Miles? Like what? What other major secrets could all the Boaters be keeping? And then Pilot Frank just happens to spew out a convenient "secret" to the janitor about how Papa Widmore's a hero for trying to save all of those lost souls from the plane crash. They know more than they're letting on, mark my words!

Reach Out and Touch Someone -
Ben rings up Michael on the freighter (which was pretty ballsy if you ask me) to give him new orders, since his fake bomb of mercy didn't work. Why was Ben so surprised that Michael actually tried to detonate the bomb? Especially if he wanted Michael to learn a lesson of the Others' mercy? In any event, now Michael has to make one of Ben's famous lists, and then dismantle the boat.

Traitor -
Sayid pulled one heck of a Jack move tonight. Normally Sayid is the type to sit back and watch a situation play out to work it to his own advantage. But Sayid reacts with emotion tonight, like dear old Jack, and he turns Michael in to the Captain as the saboteur. Ouch. Well, Future Sayid does end up regretting acting with his heart instead of his head at an unknown time. Could this be it? Will Sayid grow to rue the day he betrayed Michael?

He Hates These Cans!...More Cans!
Back on the island Ben is acting as though danger is really closing in. So he instructs Alex to go with Karl and Rousseau to The Temple - "the last safe place" on the island. A sanctuary. But apparently not a sanctuary for babies or young mothers or scared plane crash victims. No, only for jungle teens. But sadly for us - and of course, Alex - they shouldn't have listened to Ben. Somewhere in the jungle a sniper waits and picks off Love Karl with a single bullet. And then shortly after takes down Rousseau too. Did Ben send these snipers? And is Rousseau really dead? I'm willing to believe that Karl's a goner. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my favorite crazy French woman.


GREATEST LINE OF THE EPISODE:

"It's a cold night. I brought you some extra blankets." -Spirit Libby to Michael

THINGS YOU MIGHT'VE MISSED:

• The song playing during Michael's car suicide attempt is "It's Getting Better" by Mama Cass. This is the second time a song of hers has been prominently featured on this show. "Make Your Own Kind of Music" was a regular tune in Season 2 (particularly for Desmond).


• The code to set the bomb off was 71776. This likely stands for July, 1776 - Independence Day.


• We see three reminders in this episode of the Hatch and the button they all had to push back in Season 2. First, the siren alerting the freighter that there are deserters was the same as the computer warning that time was running out. Second, the bomb has an EXECUTE button which greatly resembles the same button they had to hit on the computer. Third, Mama Cass music played just as we heard regularly during the hatch season.


• The watch Michael pawned to buy a gun was Jin's.


• The boat's name is Kaha_____? It is not "Katarina" as I had initially guessed.


• Tom is staying at the penthouse of the Hotel Earle, which is in NYC.