Whatever Happened, Happened

There was more "filling in of the blanks" in tonight's Lost episode, this time centered around Kate. We got not only the full story of what led her to give up Aaron and return to the Island, but also what whispered request Sawyer made of her in last season's finale.

And it was all really good stuff. I'd already assumed what most of these missing pieces had to be, but wasn't too sure how logical it was going to seem for the characters when it actually played out. But having Kate choose to return to find Claire makes perfect sense. It made for a powerful moment in tonight's episode, and should be a powerful motivation for her in the episodes to come.

The saving of Young Ben's life made for even more compelling drama. As the pieces first began to fall into place, it seemed a stretch to imagine anyone would have an attitude other than Jack's -- he puts us through hell as an adult, let him die. But with Kate freshly stung from the wound of giving up Aaron, I can believe the lack of cold logic, and the desire to save this other boy she could help.

Things were even more telling for Sawyer, who showed that he has indeed become a different person in three years. Yet none of it he did to be "good," but simply because it's what Juliet wanted. A great turn for the character, now so far from the self-serving con man of three years earlier.

But arguably the biggest transformation of all was in Jack. We've seen the surgeon threaten lives before, so that wasn't what was new. (In fact, as mentioned in the episode, he threatened to let Ben die in need of surgery once before.) Rather, what we saw was a full solidification of a new man of faith. The old, doubting Jack would never have admitted bald-faced that he came back to the Island "because he was supposed to," and that he doesn't know what purpose he's yet meant to serve. He would never suggest that the Island has ways of "working things out for itself," and that he should probably get out of its way. Jack has now had a complete conversion to Locke's way of thinking. A huge journey for the character.

Of course, Richard Alpert's statement that Ben would not remember these events was an overly convenient explanation to preserve continuity -- but what are you gonna do? Best to look the other way on this, I think, and let the drama be served better for it.

A good episode, and a nice final scene teasing that next week might shift back to the present to follow Sun, Locke, and Ben.