I think we’ve established with this episode that the Black Smoke is some kind of telepathically attuned entity which is capable of manifesting as certain persons from a character’s past, possibly via the restoration and reanimation of dead bodies it finds in wreckage. Past LOST storylines have emphasized the importance of a character coming to terms with an internal conflict by finding redemption in forgiveness, repentance, or simple closure. When Eko’s method of coming to terms with his brother Yemi involved a prideful rather than humbly repentant approach, (thus cementing Eko’s reputation as a bad theologian — reference his baptism gaffe) Smoke-Yemi disowned him as a brother. Smack then proceeded to be laid down, ridding the island of yet another actor whose driving had run him afoul of Hawaii’s Finest.

That leaves only one Tail Section survivor in the group, not counting those kidnapped by the Others: Bernard, who has not been seen since the second season finale. What was the point of the whole Tail Section subplot, then? To provide a pool of disposable characters whose deaths could be used to generate TV magazine buzz without actually disrupting the core storyline too much?

I did like the explanation for Eko’s building a church on the island. Originally I had thought of it as a sign that some of the survivors would want to stay on the island rather than be rescued, and he was preparing to provide for their long-term spiritual nourishment, but the revelation that he was instead executing a personal form of penance for his brother (owing Yemi one church) is a far more profound explanation in line with his character development.

While I was prepared for Eko’s death and Ben’s spinal tumor from various spoilers, Juliet’s treacherous Cue Card Message came totally out of left field. Blew me away. Of course Jack’s whole dilemma at this point is whom and what to believe: is there really deathly dissent among the Others, or are Ben and Juliet conspiring to create the appearance of dissent so as to sway his surgical sympathies towards Ben? After all, Ben did say that he wanted Jack to want to operate. On the other hand, certain third-person scenes have shown Ben and Juliet in a subtle power struggle with each other, so she could be upping the ante behind his back. If indeed her cue cards were sincere, Juliet says in her silent message that Ben is a dangerous liar — but this audaciously murderous plan shows her as being fairly dangerous too, as Sawyer pointed out in the previous episode. This should make for an interesting three-pointed conflict as Jack makes his decision.

Subterfuge or no, I really do enjoy Ben’s candor with Jack. His spiel about the whole plan to “break” Jack with an inculcation of emotional investment was an excellent extension of the Of Mice and Men allusion, i.e. “the best laid plans.” One nugget of insight: the plane crash wasn’t a deliberate act carried out by the Others. If the “book club” teaser didn’t put that theory to rest, then Ben’s own profession of the plane crash as a fortuitous act of God should — it wasn’t something he expected to happen.

Yeah, yeah, Pearl Station, Eyepatch Guy, Paulo using the toilet, etc., etc. Thanks to the writers for actually throwing in a few lines to clarify that Paulo and Nikki aren’t part of the “inner circle” that Arzt previously complained about, and throwing them that bone via Locke’s new leadership ethic of inclusiveness. It’s a far better way to introduce the characters than that whiny start Nikki got earlier. Why do I get the feeling that Paulo and Nikki are there as amalgamations of Shannon, Boone, and Ana Lucia, though?

More from Penny Arcade, TV Squad, Easy Does It U, The Tail Section, MostlyMuppet, Nik at Nite, and Moxie.

Note: This entry is about the third season LOST episode “Every Man for Himself,” in which Sawyer learns in a flashback that he may have a daughter named Clementine. (Or, possibly, Cassidy was trying to con him using the ruse of a fake child.) Those of you searching for the American folk ballad Oh My Darling Clementine, please look here.

Paulo and Nikki

Remember the Poochie episode of The Simpsons, where alongside the “Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie” story arc, “Roy” suddenly appeared with the family, completely out of nowhere, and was treated as though he had always been around? It was, of course, a gag referencing shows which pull “Cousin Oliver” maneuvers on their audiences, and I got the same feeling from the introduction of Paulo and Nikki. You have Nikki yelling familiarly at Hurley, “When were you planning on telling us this?”, amd Desmond talking golf with Paulo, what’s essentially a day or two after the 2nd season finale. How hard would it have been to have an expository fifteen second “who are you” scene similar to what Ethan or Dr. Arzt got? Maybe Charlie going “Who are those?” to Hurley, and Hurley going, “Oh, that’s Pau and Nikki. They were on the manifest. Cute, isn’t she?” Or something like that.

On Sawyer and Kate

I do believe this is the first episode that I’ve heard Sawyer call Kate by her name rather than “Freckles.” Also, after Kate’s whole second season “I’m sorry I kissed you” heart to heart with Jack, I guess she’s made her decision. Remember how the tension between Jack and Sawyer was a reflection of her own inner conflict over her “good” and “bad” fathers in What Kate Did? I guess she’s coming to terms with being Bad Dad’s daughter.

Psychic Intercom

Juliet says the intercom doesn’t work, but Jack keeps hearing things from it. Wires crossed with Ben’s surveillance system, or is it some DHARMA-induced psychic ability emerging on Jack’s part, manifesting to him via his perception of his surroundings? (That is, he thinks the sound is coming from the intercom, but it’s actually how his disoriented mind interprets its own latent telephathy.) Might be related to his visions of his dead father, and the way the Island has “talked” to Kate and Locke about their tortured pasts via the unconscious Sawyer and Eko respectively.

Another Island

The “pacemaker” con was a brilliant little twist in Sawyer’s character development, bunny and all. But there’s that big question about the “other island” that Ben showed him: how did the Losties miss seeing it? The prevailing theory I favor is that if the island is contained in a closed cosmic loop (what Desmond called the “snow globe”) all one need do is walk far enough to go in a circle — or see the other side of the island.

Killers

“Because we’re not killers,” says Ben. The necks of Charlie and Nathan would beg to differ.