Lost: "The Brig" airdate 05/02/07

Locke and Sawyer: Flashback to “8 Days Earlier” (what? the writers ran out of history and now can only manage to go back a week?) when Locke sees his father tied up in an Other bunker. Locke says, Dad, how did you get to this Island? and Anthony replies, Island? Don’t you know where you are? Ben tells Locke they are leaving. Locke, as we know, readily goes with them.

Back on the beach in non-flashback time, Locke approaches Sawyer: I’ve kidnapped Ben and I want you to kill him. Sawyer demands to know why “Tarzan” needs him to do his dirty work. Locke confesses, with a bit of panic in his voice: I can’t do it. Flashback to “3 Days Earlier” at the Others’ new camp. Ben asks Locke if he is ready to really join the Others; Locke says yes; Ben, ever the game-player, says: No, you’re not – you have to kill your father first. Locke can’t do it and Ben announces to the assembled Others: I’m sorry, he’s not who we thought he was. In present time, Locke has brought Sawyer to the Black Rock. Sawyer goes to take a look at Ben, bound and gagged with a bag over his head in the brig, and Locke locks him in. Sawyer = not well-pleased. He removes the bag and surprise! It's not Ben: it's Anthony. Flashback: at the Others’ camp, Richard (looking very clean and well-eyelinered for someone who’s been camping) gives Sawyer’s file to Locke, saying if you can’t kill your father yourself, try this guy. Present time: Rousseau shows up at the Black Rock, saying she’s there for the dynamite when Locke asks. She doesn’t blink at the shouting from behind the door. Locke says my favorite line: “Be careful. It’s unstable.” Rousseau has a wry, look-who’s-talking expression.

Sawyer and Anthony talk; Anthony believes that he, Locke and everyone else here is dead and the Island is Hell [Anthony's been reading the boards]. Sawyer = not convinced. Anthony turns out to be the conman who killed Sawyer's parents and, when Anthony scoffs at his letter, Sawyer kills him, just as Locke (and Richard) knew he would. Afterwards, Sawyer asks Locke why. Locke: He ruined my life, he ruined your life, he had it coming. Locke sends Sawyer back to the beach with the information that Juliet is a mole for the Others, and he himself heads into the jungle after the Others, toting along Anthony’s dead body.

Naomi and the Losties: The four jungleteers have stashed Naomi the heli-pilot in Hurley’s tent. Desmond doesn’t trust Jack and so they bring Sayid into their confidence. Sayid questions Naomi; she’s from a search and rescue ship 80 miles off-shore, although they didn’t know the Island was even there. According to her, Oceanic 815 was found in the ocean off Bali, all bodies dead and accounted for. Sayid: so who are you searching for? Naomi: Desmond. Desmond: shit-eating grin (so cute!). Kate, who is looking really buff, by the way, stumbles upon the Naomi-secret and, of course, runs to tattle to Jack. Jack can’t imagine why the rest of the Losties don’t trust him, forgetting that he just had a week vacation with the Others and has been exclusively hanging out with everyone’s favorite double-agent since his return. Juliet is right by his side, again of course, and she says to Jack: We should tell her. Jack: Not yet. Kate: Tell me what?

Here's an issue: if the show holds true to form (a la Boone, Shannon, Anna, etc., accomplishing a personal goal or realizing a truth about themselves and then being able to leave the Island [dying]), then Sawyer as a character with longevity is doomed. I think Lost needs Sawyer as an anti-hero; Jack, the erstwhile hero, is whiny, mopey and not nearly as fun. By the way, click through on that link: it's a well-written thoughtful analysis of this episode.