LOST Rewatch: Orientation

Credit: tle1lost.wordpress.com

In this episode, we continue to follow two stories that have defined this season so far: first, what is happening with Michael, Sawyer, and Jin now that the raft escape failed and they are back on the Island--apparently being threatened by the Others.
Second, what exactly is going on down in the Hatch?

Let's start with our raft friends. If you remember, Michael and Sawyer had just dragged themselves up on the shores of the Island, after floating around on bits of raft wreckage in the previous episode. Sawyer is still injured from the bullet in his shoulder. Michael is still worried about what has become of his son--his name is Walt, as you might remember. Jin was escaping from the Others, but the three of them fall back under the sinister clutches of these mystery dudes . . . and Our Raft Friends are thrown into a pit, covered with a bamboo cage. It's not looking very good for those guys.

In the other story, Desmond has a gun on Locke; Jack has a gun on Desmond; Kate is climbing around in the air ducts. Eventually shots are fired and the old computer is damaged--the computer that Desmond uses to punch in the Numbers code. He begins to really freak out because he believes that the only way to prevent the end of the world is to punch in those Numbers every hour and 40 minutes--forever! (It does sound weird, but Locke is desperate to believe that all of this Island . . . stuff means something! So he is willing to go along with the nonsense that Desmond is going on about. Jack, of course, is absolutely skeptical and thinks that it is as crazy as it sounds.)

Still, Kate comes down from her airduct journey and is quickly dispatched to the Beach to get Sayid for help repairing the computer. Meanwhile, Desmond gathers up some supplies and prepares to run for it. It turns out he's been stuck on the Island for a long time and he wants out/off. He's gonna leave the job to Locke and anyone else willing to repair the computer and get on with punching in the Numbers. Jack tries to talk some sense into Desmond, but Desmond really wants to get away. See you later Desmond. Sorry that we didn't get a chance to know you better!

Back in the Hatch, Sayid is working on fixing the computer and the timer is counting down from 108:00 to 0:00. And if it gets down to 0:00 . . . then what exactly might happen? Well, Desmond warned them that it was something bad. But Jack really didn't believe that. So, is there another opinion that we might get? Well, before Desmond fled into the jungle, we told Jack and Locke to watch the Orientation film. What's that, you ask? Well . . .

Does that clear it up for you? No . . . I didn't think so. But that's okay. I think you'll learn more about the stations (of which this one is only 3 of 6 you may note) later in this season.

But back to Michael, Jin, and Sawyer. Remember that they were down in a pit, being threatened by the Others? As they are formulating a plan to try to trick the guards, the top of the pit opens and an unknown female is thrown down with them. They talk to each other about how they got in the pit and it turns out that they were all passengers on Flight 815. And sure enough, the female down there with our heroes is the very same lady that spoke to Jack in the airport bar flashback in the Season 1 finale. (Ana Lucia, remember?)

So, there are other survivors of the flight on the Island. As they start to feel a bit better, Ana Lucia hauls back and punches Sawyer really hard and takes the gun that he has been holding onto from the raft. And then Ana gets lifted out of the pit. Turns out she was with our friend's captors and was just posing as a prisoner to gather information on the prisoners. Was what she said about being on the same flight true? (Well . . . we know that she was, but THEY don't know that. And we aren't sure about the rest of them.)

So, as this episode ends the raft-goers are still stuck in a pit and the leaders of the Lostaways are getting stuck down in the Hatch slowly becoming enslaved to a pitiless timer and computer. What'll come next?