6:3 What Kate Does

I have to be honest, this episode was a bit of a let-down for me. After "LA X" my expectations were high - probably too high. I normally like Kate episodes but this one didn't resonate with me the way they usually do. Still, there's some cool stuff to talk about.

Flashsideways Connections

-I've heard a lot of cool theories about Claire's flashsideways life (the coolest: Stephanie from gspn.tv's podcast theorized that maybe Claire wasn't pregnant, but was at the airport picking her brother up for their dad's funeral!) - but so far Claire's life path seems to be pretty much the same in this version of reality. She's still pregnant and planning to place her baby for adoption.

-Kate getting her handcuffs removed reminded me of Fake Locke's comment to Richard "Good to see you out of those chains," and also Fake Locke telling Bram "There's nothing left for you to protect. You can go. You're free." The dichotomy of captivity and freedom is huge on LOST.

-Kate ends up being instrumental in Claire's decision to keep Aaron, while in the original timeline she was the one who took him away.

-Kate seems to recognize the stuffed killer whale in Claire's bag, which we saw 3 year old Aaron holding in season 5.

-Claire and Kate obviously sense a connection with each other, even though this is the first time they've ever met.

-Ethan is Claire's creepy doctor once again. But this time he has his father's last name (Goodspeed) and he doesn't want to stick Claire with needles.


Revelations

-Dogan explains that "a darkness" has "claimed" Sayid, and that it also claimed Claire. This explains why Claire would leave Aaron in the jungle and walk off with Christian at the end of season 4. She most likely died when her house exploded, and was "claimed" soon after that. My guess is that the "darkness" is the Smoke Monster, because the process we're seeing take place in Sayid seems very similar to what happened to Rousseau's team after their exposure to Smokey last season.

-The method used to claim people is explained as an infection, which is the same word Rousseau used. I think this is finally our explanation for what the vaccine was supposed to do - although ironically, Claire was the only survivor who actually received the vaccine. Maybe she stopped taking it?

-Claire has been in the jungle living by herself, setting up traps and carrying a rifle. I can't wait to find out more of her story and how she's become the new Rousseau.


Questions

-Why do the Temple Others think is it so imperative for Sawyer and Kate to be there?

-Sawyer's comments about Sayid stood out to me:

SAWYER: Of course he's fine.

KATE: What does that mean?

SAWYER: He's an Iraqi torturer who shoots kids, he definitely deserves another go around.

Is this just a throwaway line, or could he be on to something that those who are at peace are the ones who get to die? Sawyer commented in "LA X" that he wanted Jack to stay alive because he deserved to suffer along with the rest of them. Are the ones who are stuck on the Island being punished somehow? It's interesting that this was a big question during season one (remember all the purgatory theories?) and now it's coming up again.

-If Dogen is right that Claire's body has been claimed, what about Christian Shephard? Did he get claimed in a similar way? This would explain his missing body, and the apparent necessity of burying bodies on the Island or sending them off on burning rafts. But then on the other hand, Locke seems to have been "claimed" without the use of his body at all. Could there be two different methods the Smoke Monster uses to influence others, or are we seeing two different entities at work here?

-Thanks to Jack, we found out that the pill Dogen wanted him to give Sayid contained poison. If it's just a way to kill Sayid (or Fake Sayid maybe) why did Dogen say that Sayid had to take it willingly? Wouldn't poison work even if they forced it on him? Maybe Dogen can't kill Sayid and needs someone else to do it for him. Is this another case of the Others wanting someone else to do their dirty work?

-What has Claire been doing out in the jungle for the past 3 years?

Moments of Pure Awesomeness

-I laughed out loud when Sawyer told Kate "Don't follow me." He should know by now that in Kate Language, "Don't follow me" means "Please track me down and keep bugging me no matter what I say."

-Josh Holloway had some amazing moments, both in this episode and "LA X". He has come a long way as an actor.

-Sayid: "No, I am not a zombie" ... delivered in the most zombie-like way possible.

-Star Wars references! After being tortured Sayid tells Jack "They didn't even ask me any questions," reminiscent of Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. In another Han Solo moment, Aldo tells Kate "After you, princess."

-I didn't recognize Aldo at first, but once I heard his name it clicked. He's the Other we met during season 3 when Kate, Sawyer and Alex rescue Karl from Room 23 (using "the ol' Wookie prisoner gag," according to Sawyer.)

Not So Awesome

-Claire's wig was reeeeally bad. It's almost like the costume department is intentionally using bad wigs just to keep up with their bad wig reputation. Or maybe finding a good wig is a lot harder than it seems.

-Personal TV pet peeve coming up: If a woman with a healthy pregnancy went into labor at 36 weeks there is no way they would try to stop it just because she didn't feel ready. And even if they tried, there's no guarantee it would work. That said, I can understand why they made this decision for the story's sake - it mirrors Ethan telling Claire it's her choice what she does with the baby in the medical hatch.

-I had a hard time understanding the decisions made by both Claire and Kate throughout the flashsideways. If we're supposed to believe that they've never met, why on earth would Claire want someone who just carjacked her cab to come along with her to meet her baby's adoptive parents? And why would she cover for Kate at the hospital and then give Kate her credit card - just because she gave her a ride to the hospital? Kate telling Claire "I think you should keep him" sent me over the edge. Who says that to a stranger?? I'm able to suspend disbelief a lot on LOST but I had a really hard time with this one.




So what were your thoughts? Do you agree with my initial reaction? What do you think is going on with Claire?





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