I was going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars but the ending I think pushes it to the 5. Jin and Sun, Rose and Bernard. Yup, I was all teared up again! That was so great! The flashbacks were what made me question the possibility of 4 stars.
Don't get me wrong, they were good but not great like some of the others were. I can understand now why Ana Lucia is so angry and why she took the kidnapping of the children so much to heart. I had totally guessed that she was a cop. Her attitude, the way she speaks and commands such authority just screams cop!
I think that's another reason why she's so very angry on the island. All these people taken from them and she, a person used to keeping law and order, has been helpless. I think it's just natural that she feels extra responsible for the harm that has come to her people.
Everyone thinks Ana Lucia is overreacting when she ties up Sayid but since we know her past from her flashbacks, we know that she knows how much revenge can fuel you. She killed the guy who had shot her in cold blood because he'd killed someone she'd loved; her unborn child. She went really far with it, too. She lied to her mother and the police force by saying the guy they caught wasn't the guy all because she wanted to take him out on her own. She saw and recognized that level of anger and hate in Sayid's eyes when she'd accidentally shot Shannon.
I actually think it was a good thing that she did that. Not the right thing, but in the end, it forced them to face what's happened and to kind of come to this understanding of how alike they are. It's sad, though, that they both feel so dead inside. There's still the hate there in Sayid's eyes but there's also understanding along with it. I don't understand why Ana Lucia lied about what really happened to the guy that had shot her. I think if she would have confessed what she'd done and more importantly, why she'd done it, there would have been more understanding on Sayid's part.
It was so great to see Jack and the gang again! I really missed the mid-sectioners and most especially, the fun banter of Jate.
I so loved the whole golfing stuff between them and it was hilarious how Kate kicked his ass at golf. He is, after all, a doctor, lol!
Yah, yah, Skaters got their moment in this episode too with the whole "whisper-in-the-ear thing."
I really loved that moment when Mr. Eko and Locke met! It was so surreal. The two men of faith who speak so wonderfully philosophically coming face to face. Locke has definitely slipped lately, doing very questionable things, but despite that, it would be amazing to watch these two have philosophical debates!
We also have another really important like-characters meet face to face; the mid-section leader Jack and the Tailies leader Ana Lucia. All this time, we thought Jack was having difficulty with his role simply for the fact that he wasn't wanting to be the leader but man, Ana Lucia had it way worse! She definitely took charge without question and without being nominated to the position and he job was way, way harder.
Well, there's definitely no question about it... Shannon is dead. I know that we didn't have any question about it right after it happened at the end of "The Other 48 Days" because the trailers for the next episode said that someone would die but we didn't know who. If you watch the video at the top of "Abandoned" discussiosn thread you'll see that it says "One of these survivors will be lost forever." We knew someone was going to die and we had to wait THREE weeks for the next episode! Speculation was Sawyer as he had been shot but that was just too easy. Since it was a Shannon-centric episode, some of us automatically guessed it would be her. Still though, with Lost, you never know!
I loved when we start seeing the Tailies clash with the mid-sectioners! The first was Mr. Eko appearing. The look on Kate's face as she looked past Jack and then the look on Jack's face when he turned around were so great! Here was this giant man with Sawyer slung over his shoulder. It was so exciting, seeing the people we've already gotten to know and love meet up with this other group of people we've gotten to know and are starting to care about. The way their time on the island has been the past 48+ days now have been so different that it's almost as if we were watching groups of people on two different shows come together on one show. Kinda like a crossover episode that's here to stay crossed over.
I just love Mr. Eko more and more each episode. He's so calm, collected, and wise. It was amazing, the way he held himself while being confronted by Jack and the others in the hatch. I don't think I know anybody that can keep so calm and peaceful when being verbally attacked and threatened for information. I really should keep that in mind if I'm ever, heaven forbid, in that situation and just calmly and civilly use his "Anything I say will only make you angry" line. It did seem to throw water on the Jack's fire. Jack was still angry but considerably calmer. It was only when Michael showed back up and Mr. Eko lost the upper hand, leaving Ana Lucia in danger as Jack and Co. could now follow Michael to the location, guns in hand, that Mr. Eko broke that calm and collected demeanor and pleaded with them. The shock of recognition on Jack's face when Mr. Eko said Ana Lucia's name was crazy. That definitely put the fire out completely. Thank goodness that Jack had met Ana Lucia in that bar. If it had been a total stranger instead, he'd probably still had gone off with guns and vengeance.
The way they did the reunions at the end was just so beautiful! The music, the at-times slow motion, the acting... Oh man, I was all teared up and doing that happy cry-giggle of joy. I think it was Rose and Bernard's reunion that got to me more than even Sun and Jin. Knowing that they hadn't seen each other since they were on the plane and seeing Rose's faith that he was alive when I and most other viewers had thought she was crazy with denial was a lot more poignant for me. The very end scene was very symbolically and well done also, with Jack and Ana Lucia facing each other. The two leaders, face to face, joining these two separate storylines.
Gosh, so much has happened and there's still so very much more coming our way! I can't wait!
Favorite quotes/moments:Bernard/Rose reunion, Jin/Sun reunion
Mr. Eko and Locke's meeting
Jack: You hooked it. Try keeping your left arm straight.
Kate: You giving me tips?
Jack: Kate, I'm -- I'm a doctor.
Kate: So, you think you could do better?
Jack: Anyone can hit a ball. That's not golf.
Kate: And what's golf?
Jack: Golf is accuracy.
Kate: Well, why don't we play a few holes and see which one of us is more accurate.
Jack: You know the lady's tee at my golf club back home is about 10 feet closer so if you...
Kate: Shut up, Jack.
Jack: Are you going to talk to me or are you just going to sit there?
Eko: Anything I say will only make you angry. So, yes, I will sit here.