Not a bad episode, I’m gonna recap it ala my last Heroes post, then add some questions and theories at the end, or maybe in the middle, and say goodbye to Lost until February *weep*

Previously on Lost: Henry’s plan has gotten shot since Jack knows he’s sick.

(others: Thinklings, Michael, Susan Stacy, Filmfodder, )
(the rest is in that other part of the post…)What, where is the eyeball, instead we get the back of the head shot of some Breck girl? wha?

Oh it’s kate, getting back to her hotel room, funcky fashions, is this before or after she blew her step dad to smithereens. Oh, what is in the shoe box? It isn’t a shoe box its a veil. Don’t don the BURKA Kate.

Knock on the door, its the Police. Someone dangerous is in the hotel. They need to search her room. He’s gonna break the door down. *raising cresendo of LOST music*

Kate opens the door. Hey it Captian Mal! Shiny! Is this the earth that was, before we used it all up?? Too bad about Wash, Mal, but you didn’t have to go over to the side of the Alliance, did you? Mal? Mal? (yes, still bitter that Friefly isn’t making more shows… *weep*)

Nathan Fillion gets all the good pickup lines, “Hey, wanna get it on?” Kate flies into his arms. Kate he’s a COP! Don’t know when this is timeline wise, is Kate a Fugie yet, or still clean. Never had a non-fugitive Kate, so I’m assuming she’s on the lam, and keeping her enemy close.

*LOST back to real time sound*

Kate’s in the cage, and Sawyer’s throwing rocks. Is Kate trying to keep him feeling productive? Kate has that guilty Kate look on her face. I’m in the camp that thinks that Kate has been *turned* by Benry and the others, and isn’t working for the home team wholly anymore. The Kate we all know would have ran from Sawyer once out of the cage and free. So she has some sort of incentive to stick around. I’m not thinking its all about romantic thoughts about smelly old Sawyer. She just is too much a player not to have been looking out for number one all this time.

Juliet and Benry give a visit to Jack in the shark tank. Jack’s looking over Benry’s medical workup and x-rays. Benry’s week old x-rays show a tumor that is about a week away from being inoperable. Henry says – *Gulp* Oh! *Gulp*

Jack gets more information from Juliet regarding the status of the OR and whether its fully equipped. (ugh, what is this ER, Grey’s, we got enough doctory show already) Tell’s Benry he needs to be in surgery yesterday. Benry’s ready for it, but Jack gets all up in Benry’s grill (through the plexiglass) “I think you misunderstood me, I didn’t say I was gonna do it, I just wanted you to understand how you’re gonna die.” (Hoo-ahh Jack …) And then Jack goes into a tirade about not believeing any of you people, not even Juliet and her silent movie pleading with Jack to kill Benry on the operating table.

This makes sense, I think from Jack’s position. He knows nothing of the location of Kate and Sawyer, and if medically Benry is gonna burn out soon, why make a mockery of it on the operating room table, where Jack could get caught, and then be in bigger trouble.

The bluff played, but Jack doesn’t know all the cards. The next card played will of course be Kate.

Roll credits.

Kate is in bed with Captian Mal in pre-marital, post-coital cuddling. Inara’s gonna be pissed. Kate’s dress is a bit snug… small dress. Melancholy thoughts pass across Kate’s face, and Mal says he loves you Monica *WHA??!?* and Monikate loves Kevin too.. *WAHH!?* Okay, I’d better introduce them, Kate this is MAL… Mal this is KATE.. M’kay… no do better on your lines. Who would put together a Monica and a Kevin.. Crazzee talk.

Flashback swoosh… and Mr. Uglyface-beatupSawyer-man is ready to get Kate out for work. But Kate’s not going alone, and they are a team, Kate won’t work unless Sawyer works. So out they both go.

Back at the scene of Eko’s death (see last week) Locke, Sayid, Desmond, Nikki and Paulo contemplate Eko’s beaten corpse. Musta been an animal, maybe one of the bears. We’ll bury them here. Nikki is Ms. Greek Chorus this week. The Peeps back in camp don’t need to see Eko buried. So Locke will slip back and get a few shovels so they can intern him where he lies. Sayid is Mr. Security, so he demands that he ‘slip back’ with John. Sayid (Greek Chorus #2) asks what killed Eko, and Locke tells him a story about what the ‘folks on the beach’ call ‘the monster’. John believes Eko died for a reason, just doesn’t know what the reason is, which is why they aren’t headed back directly to beach, little detour first. Bear or Monster?

At the stalag 13 work site, Sergent Shultz responds to a ‘COMPOUND BREACH’ by asking his walkie talkie ‘where is she?’ and telling them to put Kate and Sawyer on the ground. ‘How the hell did she get over here!? ‘ Shultz asks after a meaningful walkie talkie exchange confirming that Jack isn’t out and asking ‘Well does he know?’ know what? Splat! Alex (Danille Rouseaux’s captive daughter, that helped Claire escape, and has a thing for Karl the cagey boy) is hitting people with a slingshot. M’kay, kinda hokey.. but those things can really hurt, just ask Goliath. She’s encouraging Kate and Sawyer to get up and run.

This is one of those meaningful cliffhanger conversations between Shultz Danny and Alex, so lets switch to transcript mode.

Danny (drawing gun on her): Alex, hey!

Alex (stops turn, aims slingshot at danny):

Danny (patronly): What the hell do you think you’re doing

Alex (bravely): What are ya gonna shoot me?

Danny (big brother like): You know you’re not supposed to be here, So lets just caaalm down

Alex (stepping on his line): What did you do to him? Where is he?

Sawyer and Kate exchange meaningful looks

Alex: I want to talk to Ben.

Danny: Sure (smiling and making okay sign) that sounds like a great idea. So why don’t we just lower our little sliiing

Alex (stepping on Danny’s line again): Where IS HE?? Tell Me??

Ruffian grabs Alex from behind, and Danny tells him to take her away, as he holsters his sidearm, and put back on the pointy helment.

Alex yelling at Kate: Listen, what ever they say, don’t believe them, they’re going to kill your boyfriend. Just like they killed mine!

Kate looks back at Sawyer…

Urh… okay… so what to glean from that. We know from past episodes that Alex’s boyfriend is Karl that escaped from the cage across from Sawyer’s. We also know from past episodes that she’s been helping the tailies with somethings. We really don’t know enough about her to gauge loyalties. Her appeal to talk to Ben is interesting… I’m vamping, nothing much to see here.

Back on the chain gang, Kate is busting up rocks, Sawyer is putting them in the wagon. Juliet is talking to Danny then comes over to Kate, holds out a burlap sack, and says, “I’d like for you to put this on and come with me, please.” Kate enjoys Juliet’s manners but declines. Juliet clarifes that putting her head and a sack and coming with Juliet might save Sawyer from the wrath of Danny. So is Sawyer the boyfriend their going to kill, or is it Jack. Kate takes the sack, and Burkas up.

Flashback to Kate in her too tight wedding dress. WOO!. Older lady comes in, who is not Kate’s mom, but probably Mal’s mom, from Shadow, where he grew up. (‘Our Mrs. Renyolds’ was on Universal HD the other night, which I taped, suckahs!) They share the usual pre-wedding banter and the elder Mrs. Renyolds gives Kate a nice pendant that totally makes the whole wedding outfit. (who knew, you could do that without diamonds or pearls?)

The whole backstory thing. We’ve seen six different ones, four with the main people, Jack, Sawyer, Locke and now Kate. Sun/Jin and Eko got the other two. None of the backstories have revealed more about the characters, but have more reinforced what we already know. I suspect that Kate’s will reveal that she will ditch her groom, because she is a perpetual fugitive. Which really makes me wonder why she’s stuck around the cage, when she could easily escape.

The royal wedding of Monica and Kevin Mal and Kate, the thing that Mal liked most about Kate was that ‘what you see is what you get’. Irony runs high in this back story. Kiss the bride… so the runaway bride gets married and all that. Smiles down the aisle… Mal is used to brides that sucker him, he’ll be okay.

Burka kate gets brought into the far side of Jack’s plexiglass wall, and unburkaed. Jack smiles, Kate looks worried/relieved they do the whole touch glass and weep thingy, while Juliet leaves to give them ‘privacy’. Jack and Kate compare notes, Kate and Sawyer live in cages and work on unknown big things. At the ‘did they hurt you’ question Kate clams up and cries, and Kate tells him to do it. And spills that the reason their still here is that their gonna kill Sawyer. Jack is pissed. Kate says if he does it they’ll let them go. Jack asks, “and you believed them?” Kate says, “I have to.” Jack contemplates that, and Kate pleads more, and Jack says “We’re done here.” Fade to the control room, and Benry tell Juliet to get her out of there, while we here Kate in the monitor still pleading ‘Jack Jack Jack…”

Back on Shadow in Plesantville, Stepford Kate is shopping for Taco night. Talking on her cell to Mal, who then calls Wash to swoop down and pick her up before the Reavers get her. Kate walks to the phone booth and dials… The MARSHALL. Marshall starts the phone trace and eggs Kate on about not calling more often, hard to celebrate the Holy Days without her. Kate wants to stop running. AHHH Context. Kate calls him Edward, and want him to let her go. Ed the Marshall says, “If you can really stay put, really settle down, and I’ll stop chasing you.” Ed smiles triumphantly, “but you and I both know that’s not gonna happen.” Kate hangs up as her egg-timer/call tracing device rings.

Another hint.. WHY DOES KATE STAY IN THE CAGE… She is a fugitive.

Back in the cage Kate goes, in comes Sawyer. Juliet talks to Sgt. Shultz/Danny and Danny cold cocks Sawyer on the back of the neck. Sawyer, who relishes in the fact that he’s just be punched for like the sixth episode in a row, stand ups and asks Kate, “and how was your day honey.”

At the Eko murder scene, Locke is eulogizing. Recalling the Jesus stick from the sky scene, and that he thinks there is a reason he died… Locke says, “Rest in Peace, Mr. Eko. Thanks for helping me find my… ” Trails off, as he reads the Jesus stick. Close up on the Jesus Stick. And it shows what it showed on the first Locke episode – “Lift up your eyes and look north“. Seriously, I’m guessing that will be the episode title when Locke finally puts the peices together and he and his horde (Desmond, Sayid, Nikki and Paulo) head up north to find Alcatraz. But since he’s seen those words before, did Eko really have to die… I’m guessin its more a contract negotiation thing.

Kate and Sawyer sitting in the cage, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Well they do.. but first they have to have a meaningful shouting match about the little girl saving the big strong man from the bad nazi, Denny Pickett. In which Kate escapes from the cage with ease. Again. Doesn’t run away, but breaks Sawyer lock and crawls into his cage, and then his arms. I’ll skip the dialog and just let you recall, the cages are under the watchful eyes of cameras, ergo, Benry, who will make the most of Kate’s macking out with Sawyer. I’m in the camp that Kate is not fully playing with the good side here, and plays her role of inciting Jack to jealousy. That is the whole reason that Kate, Jack and Sawyer’s name is on the list… to leverage Jack. Sawyer won’t run, because Benry showed Sawyer there is nowhere to run. Kate gets mad at Sawyer for not telling her the truth about the island. Which to me seemed convenient, just as convenient as the lip lock she gives Sawyer. Then commences with the removing of the clothes, and I guess gets her row plowed by Sawyer.

Happy morning breakfast for Mr. & Mrs. Renyolds. Kate puts a little sugar smiley on Mal’s french toast, and Mal surprises Kate with two Oceanic tickets to Costa Rica. Because they need to grab some stuff from there, to take to Beaumond to trade. Kate acts wimsical, and Mal sense her dismayt and asks what’s wrong. She just loves him so much.

Flashback/forward to post-coital Sawyer and Kate. Cuddling, and Sawyer recalls Kate saying she loved him while Picket was knocking him seneseless a few episodes back. Kate answers with only a kiss, and Sawyer admits that he loves her too. Significant that she didn’t confess her love to Sawyer? I dunno.

Crackly intercom speaker in Jack’s shark cage, and Jack goes over and tries to talk to it, a voice comes over.. “Try it, the door” (Alex’s voice? Persomne?) The door is open for Jack and he ventures fown the hall to the wall of televisions and scans them, then just missing the camera view of Sawyer and Kate, opens a wall locker full of guns and pistols and bullets, Oh MY! Jack grabs a pistol and locks and loads, then notices the camera view of Kate and Sawyer making out. Shock/Smile/Considers. Benry comes out behind Jack and says, “If it helps, I was suprised too, if I were a betting man I woulda pick her and you.” “Shut up” says Jack, pointing his gun at Benry. “Well I suppose this is the proverbial nail in my coffin. Jack pauses and thinks, black smoke curls from his ears, then he says ‘Tomorrow.” and lowers the gun. He’s gonna operate on Benry in the morning. All Jack wants is to get off the island. Benry nods, “done.”

Kate awake in Sawyers arms, Kate in the bathroom back in Pleasantville. Negative pregnancy test. Wonder if it was a Widemore labs test, have to compare it with Sun’s. At least now we know why she was able to read Sun’s… those things are so hard to read. Kate greives her lost child, or the one thing that could keep her from running.

Kate brings out a glass of juice for Captain Mal, who is working on fugitive stuff from Tampa. Mal takes a drink of the juice. Kate confesses that she’s a fugitive, and that she blew up her father. Spills everything, and confesses her names is not Monica. It is Saffron, and I just slipped you a mickey. Mal loses his balance as he realizes that his darling wife just gave him a narcotic kiss via his tea. And collapses on the ground. Kate fracks up the fusion drive and computer, and sets it on a course to her ship scrapping buddies, fuses the cockpit door shut and heads to the the empty shuttle, but instead finds Inara. Oh.. sorry… wrong show. Kate gives Mal his mom’s pendant then skedattles.

Prepping for Surgery, Dr. Jack preps his crack team of fertility doctors to follow his orders in the OR. Benry is on the gurney, and asks Jack if he’s nervous. Jack is a man on a mission, no time for nerves. Time to count back from 20, but before he goes out, Benry asks Juliet, “Did Alex ask about me?” Juliet says, “No, they took her home last night, I don’t know where she is now.”

*screeech* Okay, this gives reason to believe that the Hydra station/island is NOT the home of the Others, but a remote station for the purposes of getting Jack to operate on Benry. If Juliet says home, then home is someplace other than where they are. Either that or home is Alex’s home, but Alex was part of Zeke’s team in keeping Jack et al, from going after Michael. Oh I don’t know… start the clock again.

“Well, see you on the other side,” says Benry, “I’m ready.” Jack administers the drugs, then grabs the scalpel. and starts cutting into Benry’s lower spine.

Danny leaves the veiwing area, leaving Zeke to watch the surgery. Danny’s cohort says, “Ben just went into surgery.” Danny snaps back, “Ben just put his life in the hands of one of them. Sheppard wasn’t even on Jacob’s list.” ****WHA??! who is JACOB? What List??? **** Danny pulls his gun, and notices Kate in Sawyers cage, but only wants to get Sawyer.

Back to operating on Benry, in the middle of the procedure, Jack quickly nicks something with the scalpel, and Benry’s heart rate starts to escalate. The red-shirt other notices and realizes that Benry is bleeding rather badly. Jack smashes the guy in the face, and tells Juliet to stay away from the table. Zeke is agast in the gallery, and Jack asks if he can hear him. Jack tells Zeke that he just made a small incision in Ben’s kidney sack, and if he doesn’t fix it Ben will bleed out in an hour. Jack tells him to get down to the OR and bring his walkie talkie.

Back to the rainy cages. Sawyer gets the drop on Danny and chokes him, Stooge #2 grabs Kate and holds her at gun point. Sawyer relents and Danny takes him outside, and kneels Sawyer down, cocking the gun at his head. ‘This is for Colleen, you son of a bitch.’ (Sawyer is the scapegoat for everyone, Sun killed Colleen, Ana Lucia killed Goodwin, Charlie killed Ethan
, Eko killed to other others…)

Walkie talkie squawks, its Zeke telling Danny to pick it up, pick it up. Zeke’s in the OR, Jack wants to talk to Kate, and if he can’t talk to Kate, Ben’s dead. Kate gets on the walkie talkie… Jack tells her to run, with an hour head start, tells her to remember the story on the beach back in episode one, and when she’s safe to radio him with that story. But Kate can’t leave, but Kate says she can’t, Can, Can’t. Kate dammit run… ** m’kay see you inrew months,**

——————————-

Okay, this is clearly episode 6 of a 22 episode season, not the best of cliffhangers, and the first six episodes worked very slowly to set this up but all in all a not very good ‘cliffhanger’

There are some interesting snippets here. Who is Jacob? Where is Alex’s Home? Is Alex’s boyfriend dead? Why does Ben care about Alex? Why can’t Kate run? What will keep them from killing Jack for this stunt if Ben dies, or even makes it through surgery.

Locke’s moving north, will he find the Hydra station island? Will he be able to aid Kate? What is happening on the beach? Do we care? When will Paulo and Nikki die?

Yeah, thin gruel to get us through til February. Mighty risky of ABC to let LOST end the fall season with this, Wednesday night is open for the other networks to attack this time slot while frustrated Lost watchers wait and pine for the show to start delivering… Kinda like conservatives waiting on the Republicans… will they vote with their remotes and send LOST to a short lived grave?