6:6 Sundown

Talk about an aptly named episode. With creepy Claire, scary Sayid, and Smokey cleansing the temple, this was definitely the darkest LOST yet (and the darkest part of all - no Josh Holloway!)  Remember those promos that promised "The time for questions...IS...OVER"? Yeah, they lied.

As I watched new alliances developing and sides forming, I couldn't help but think of this promo photo for season 6.

It's clear now why Locke is the central figure - not only did he rise from the dead like Christ, he is the one directing most of the action so far. Now look who's on Locke's right - Claire and Sayid have already been "claimed" by him, and Kate also seems to be going along with his group. What does this mean for Kate, Sawyer, Richard and Ilana? (Also, comparing character placement to the real Last Supper, Sayid is standing in the place of Judas. Will he change allegiance near the end?)

Flashsideways Connections

-Nadia is married to Sayid's brother. Poor Sayid. Maybe it's because I'm really trying to see it, but even though this is an unhappy position for him to be in, he seems more at peace than we've seen him before. He seems to know who he is.

-One thing that's the same for Sayid - he is still doing other people's dirty work. We saw this theme begin when he killed a chicken for his brother, and later when he works for Ben.

-Keamy is the mob boss. Now there's someone I never wanted to see again. What a D-bag. 

-I was completely surprised by Jin being the one tied up in the closet. It makes sense though, since Widmore hired Keamy to be on the freighter, and Mr. Paik and Widmore were apparently business associates. It's all connected in this reality too.

-Sayid gives Nadia's kids a boomerang, which ends up breaking a vase. A symbol for karma? ("It'll come back around.")

Revelations

-Dogen tells Sayid that Locke is "evil incarnate." Throughout the whole series we've heard both sides insisting that they are the good guys, but after this episode I'm more inclined to believe Dogen than I was before. Whatever is going on with Claire and Sayid, it's not good. Of course, this doesn't mean that Jacob is necessarily the personification of good, but I think it's leaning that way.

-Dogen says that Sayid failed the test because "the scales tipped the wrong way", showing that he had more evil than good in him.  A machine that measures morality? This could be useful for people who are dating, or looking for a business partner. The image of balancing the scales is one we've seen recently, when Locke and Sawyer visit the cave and the scale is balanced with a white rock and a black rock. Is this whole game about balancing good and evil?

-The Smoke Monser/Locke wasn't able to get into the temple until Dogen died. Apparently the protective ash only works as long as the temple master is alive.

-When Sayid stabs Locke there is no blood on the knife. This is interesting to me (and probably only me!) because it's a bit of Mormon folklore/pseudo doctrine that a resurrected body has flesh and bones, but no blood. I'm sure that's what the writers were going for! In any case, it definitely suggests that Locke/Smokey is not in a mortal body, which most of us had already guessed.

Questions

-Dogen reveals how he came to the Island after making a deal with Jacob that if he went there, his son could live. Is this an example of Jacob's goodness, or just a selfish manipulation?

-What does Dogen's baseball represent? It seems to have been his son's, or at least it reminds him of his son. Dogen seems ready to kill Sayid until that baseball falls onto the ground, and he suddenly stops. Is not killing anyone part of his bargain with Jacob? If he kills, will his son's life be in danger? (On a side note, I learned today that there are 108 double stitches on a baseball.)

-Miles tells Sayid "Whoever brought you back [to life], it wasn't them [the people in the temple.]" What does this mean about Ben's experience in the temple as a child? Did Jacob bring him back, or Smokey?

-Dogen warns Sayid that if he lets Locke speak to him, it's already too late. Locke says "Hello" to Sayid right before Sayid stabs him, so he did speak. Is that why he was unable to kill him? 

Moments of Pure Awesomeness

-Claire was so, so scary. Singing "Catch a Falling Star" to a pretend baby, telling Kate "he's coming"...she's right out of a horror flick. I bet Emilie de Ravin (who always gets cast as the innocent sweetheart) is having the time of her life with this character.

-The samurai/banker goes head to head with the Iraqi soldier/torturer! Epic.

-Sayid stabbing Locke in the heart and Locke saying, "Now why did you do that?" as if he had just spilled a glass of milk. The look on Sayid's face was pure fear, not something we see from him very often.

-Sayid telling Dogen "I want some answers." Me too Sayid, me too. I hope that doesn't mean I'm also under the influence of the Smoke Monster.

-And not from the show, my favorite part of Jimmy Kimmel's monologue last night: "Tonight we learned that John Locke (or at least the guy that's renting John Locke's body) is evil incarnate. He's evil...today he tried to block the Island from getting unemployment benefits."