LOST Rewatch: The Greater Good

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How does everyone respond to the death of Boone (and the birth of Claire's baby)? We all know that John Locke is missing in action. We know that Jack is angry and bent on revenge, wanting to immediately march out into the jungle find him. But Kate convinces Jack to slow down--due to his exhaustion, brought on by lack of sleep and loss of (transfused) blood. [She even "sweetens" the deal by crushing up some sleeping pills in his juice and knocking him out.]

Most importantly, how does Shannon respond? Well, she asks Sayid to "take care of it" in so many words. The implication is strong that she wants her Islamic lover to snuff out John Locke. So, just when we thought that Shannon was beginning to humanize a bit . . . she starts getting other people to do her stuff for her. First she wanted Charlie to fish for her and now she wants Sayid to kill for her.

(I think there is a Teach a Man to Fish joke in there somewhere . . . )

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The Flashback for this episode also involves Sayid, telling the story of how he was coerced by the Australian intelligence agency to infiltrate a Muslim group of immigrants who are suspected of plotting a bomb attack in Sydney. Why do these Australians want Sayid? Well, he was once a communications officer in Iraq's Republican Guard. But these terrorists are Syrians, which Sayid derisively points out to the intelligence officer. No . . . the real hook is that the leader of the plot is Sayid's old college roommate, Essam.

Reluctantly, Sayid agrees to help.

Honestly, the Flashback is not that compelling. Sayid earns the terrorist's trust, he works with them up to the planned date of the attack. He even commits to being one of the suicide bombers, along with his former roommate. But at the last minute, he reveals his complicity and Essam rejects him, turning a gun on himself to commit suicide.

Back on the Island, Boone is buried (on what--from now on--will be called Boone Hill) and Sayid gives a nice eulogy. Locke appears and apologizes to the Lostaways en masse for making a mistake (not for the first time) and allowing Boone to die. Later Locke takes Sayid to the Beechcraft so that Sayid can look for radio parts to fix up a signal maker for the raft. While there Locke and Sayid engage in lots of suspicious talk past each other, as Sayid tries to determine Locke's real actions and what really caused Boone's death.

In the end, Sayid comes to believe that the event was really an accident. Shannon is not pleased by this evaluation later, however. She steals the Haliburton case key (where the guns are stored) and goes after Locke.

Jack (now awake from his induced nap) and Kate and Sayid run after Shannon into the jungle to save Locke. There is a standoff and eventually, Shannon shoots but is knocked aside by Sayid. Locke is only grazed in the temple by the bullet. But everyone walks away in disgust. Locke is quickly becoming the new pariah--replacing the ever popular Sawyer.

As the episode ends, Sayid forces Locke to show him where this Hatch is located, so that he can see if for himself.