A Ford In Your Future or Recon Recap

The latest Lost, "Recon," was another satisfying episode, this time Sawyercentric. Nevertheless, the central issue of the final season is still unresolved--just what do these flash-sideways have to do with the main story. We're almost halfway through znd so far they exist on a parallel track. I never thought we'd go this far without an explanation, even on Lost.

This is unparalleled, as it were. Lost has always had a back and forth structure, but we've always understood how the two stories related (beyond thematically). Indeed, the characters we're seeing in the sideways section don't even have the connection of being the same characters we've gotten to know.

The show starts on the island with Sawyer helping out the still-hurt Jin. They both may be with the MIB, but they're both still the same basic characters they were before. We can't say the same for Claire or Sayid, who now march back with the rest of those who survived the Temple massacre.

Kate and Sawyer have slight reunion. Okay. Has it been 24 hours yet since they had their last talk?

Now we're on the mainland, and it looks like Sawyer is pulling yet another con, the pigeon drop. He's with a woman, but late for a meeting. He pulls a suitcase and the money falls out. I'm suspicious. Not of the con, but of who this sideways Sawyer is. We've seen all this before, more than once. He's not only pulling the same con, we've also seen the story where he redeems himself as a con man. They can't be pulling the same stunt.

Turns out the women sees through him. (Not the first time.) She pulls a gun on him. But he explains he's a cop, undercover (I'll say), and he's actually going after her crooked husband. She doesn't believe him, but he says the magic word--"LaFleur"--and his gang, headed by his partner Miles, knock down the door. (Watching the credits can be dangerous, but at least when regulars are doing different things you can't see it coming.)

Hmm, Sawyer and Miles, sounds like the makings of a decent buddy cop flick. So altaSawyer is a good guy now. But how good? How much has he changed?

Back on the island, Claire is taking care of squirrel skull Aaron. She grabs a knife. A big one. Yes, that's a knife. Kate, whom she's sworn to kill, wants to know what's going on. Kate is confused, but who wouldn't be. She's finally found Claire, but it's not the homecoming she was expecting. And good friend Sayid is acting strange. Oh yeah, Locke is alive too, and may even be Smokezilla.

Speaking of the Devil, Flocke gives a speech (since he's taken over Locke, he does this a lot). He's sorry for their trouble, but they need to march, no time for explanations yet. Cindy wants to know what happened at the Temple and he says the black smoke killed them. It may not be a full answer, but it's a lot better than Jacob--you can serve him for a century and he won't tell you anything.

At this point, we still don't know Flocke's plan, which this season is about. Jacob is dead, to begin with, but Flocke still can't leave the island--apparently there's a lot more to do. But what? And why? It does seem, good or bad, that Flocke believes in what he's doing. He honestly seems to think the Jacobins are nuts. And when he talks to others, and far as I can tell, he tells the truth--he's not just lying to lead them on.

He's taking them to Hydra Island (though he'd rather go to Disneyland). Not sure why, though he did say to Ben last week he'd do this, so at least he's consistent.

Sawyer wants to know from Kate about the rest of the gang at the Temple--did they survive? Including Miles, his old, and sideways, partner. Back on the mainland, Cop Sawyer--make that James Ford--is cold calling for an Anthony Cooper. Aha. So just like the old con man, he has a quest to find the man who killed his parents. (We might have thought from the Locke episode Cooper had gone clean, but I guess not.)

Miles is suspicious, but can't read minds until they're dead. Sawyer's even lying about his trip to Australia (just like Locke). Miles sets up a date for Ford--a gal who works with his dad at the museum. So Pierre Chang lives! Does he still make videos? Miles wonders if Ford will die alone. We've heard that before.

Flocke tells his group they're going to make camp for a while. Sawyer, like the viewers, wonders what's taking this guy so long to get off the island. He pulls Flocke aside and learns he's the Smoke Monster. Flocke doesn't really want the others to know about this, but I think he figures he needs to get Sawyer's attention. (He does "forgive" Sawyer for getting out of line.)

He also explains the way things work, it's killed or be killed. "And I don't want to be killed." He may have supernatural powers, but underneath he still seems like a regular human being.

He leads Sawyer to the outrigger. (They're still teasing that scene.) He wants him to check out Hydra Island and find the Ajira flight. (Flight 316, on a show aired 3/16.) Flocke fears people on Hydra may mean them harm. Flocke says he plans for them to fly off the island on the plane. Really? He's the Smoke Monster, not the Mechanic Monster.

Ford goes to the museum and meets--as the credits warned--well-known archaeologist Charlotte Lewis. She and Ford are a goodlooking couple. He explains how he became who he is--he had two choices, become a crook or a cop. Got that right.

They hit it off and she goes to his place. No con. But looking for a t-shirt (really?) she stumbles onto info about his childhood, and he goes nuts and throws her out. So he may be Ford the Cop, but underneath he's still pretty similar to Sawyer.

On Hydra Island, Sawyer sees the old cages, and Kate's old dress. Happy days.

Back on the regular island, Kate tries to talk to Sayid, but Kate grabs her and plans to carve her a new mouth. The freakiest thing, though, is Sayid watches, emotionless. It takes Flocke to come in and pull off Claire. He slaps her and gives her a time out.

Meanwhile, Sawyer finds the plane, right on the runway he helped build. I don't see it flying any time soon--wouldn't that bother Sawyer?

I was actually curious to see what was going on at the island. Last season all the main characters left, but did they leave anyone behind?

Sawyer finds a pile of bodies (not the first on the show) and catches one survivor, Zoe (which means life), played by Sheila Kelley, who may just be the last new recurring character the show has.

Ford passes by Liam, looking for his brother Charlie, whom we last saw screwing up at LAX. Sorry buddy, can't help you.

Miles is pissed. Not about Charlotte, though. He's found out Ford went to Australia, not Palm Springs like he claimed. James won't explain what he's doing--we definitely see flashes of the old Sawyer here. Miles says fine, you don't have to tell me, because we're no longer partners. He walks off and Ford punches a mirror. We knew there'd be a mirror sooner or later. The shattered image is like the shattered soul that Sawyer is in the other world. (Poetic, man.)

Zoe and Sawyer compare notes, but neither tells too much. She seems pretty scared. I'd be, too. They walk back to the outrigger.

Meanwhile, Flocke has pulled Kate aside. She's not taking all the changes well. He commiserates. He seems to honestly feel for her. He explains the Claire deal--having her hate the Temple kept her going, and then that hate focused on Kate. Flocke seems to need Kate for some reason, probably having to do with Aaron. How important is Aaron? How much is Flocke using the look of Locke (sounds like a song) to gain sympathy? How much is the personality of Locke coming through Flocke? He takes Kate to the best view of Hyrda Island available.

Sawyer and Zoe are at the outrigger now. She's asking questions. Too many. He pulls a gun--she's conning him. Ford the cop easily dealt with his woman, but Sawyer the con man has it tougher. This time she's the one who calls for reinforcements. A bunch of guys with guns pop out from the weeds. "Alright, alright, you got me. Take me to your leader." He's pretty calm. Does he know as a candidate he'll be protected?

Locke and Kate sit down and talk some more. On a lot of shows, we may want more action, but we're invested enough in the characters, and know so little about them, it can be a relief when they start talking. Flocke says he knows what Kate is going through. (Didn't Ben say that to Ilana last week?) Flocke says his mom is crazy, so he understands. Wait a second, Locke's mom was crazy. Whose memory is this?

In any case, Claire is now a crazy mom. (Is Claire Flocke's mom? Certainly possible on this show.) Kate asks "why are you telling me this?" This is usually a poor line, indicating we've just heard bad exposition. But on Lost it's more an expression of surprise--no one tells anyone anything. Looks like Flocke may just insist Kate raise Aaron.

Sawyer is led to--who else?--Widmore. We all live in a private submarine.

Ford comes home and watches his favorite show, Little House On The Prairie. (As always, there were callbacks on the show--we see Sawyer's book Watership Down there.) Michael Landon is talking about how life is about loving each other, and how no one's gone when they die, since we can remember them until we see them again. This could mean so many things I don't want to go into it. (The only thing we know for sure is the Lost producers didn't write it.) Ford figures he'll apologize to Charlotte with a sunflower, but like eating chocolate before dinner, it's a no-go. (Will Sawyer meet his true love, Juliet, next?)

Sawyer goes down in the sub and meets Widmore. The sub was last seen off the Beach--is there a reason Widmore "proceeded as planned" to Hydra. More important, who is he fighting for? Flocke seemed nervous, but was he scared of Ilana's gang? The young, impetuous Widmore seemed to be on Jacob's side--and Jacob was trying to call someone to the Island--but did Widmore turn when he was exiled? Widmore seemed to want to help Locke, but was that to kill Jacob? Certainly Ilana's gang wanted nothing to do with him.

Fairly big sub, by the way. There's a hidden room, even. Zoe says keep moving. What's on this boat? A coffin with the body of Desmond?

Widmore wants to make a deal. He knows all about Ford, of course. And Sawyer knows Widmore's the guy who financed the freighter that tried to kill everyone. By the way, trying to kill everyone can be something that Jacob followers believe in as well--in fact, wasn't Widmore behind the Purge? But if he's doing it for Flocke now, what does he hope to achieve in the end? He says to Sawyer "It's sad, actually, how little you know." Is he mocking us all?

There's definitely something big afoot, but we still don't know what this War is about, or even who the sides are. Widmore, like Ben, believes he's on the side of the "good guys." He doesn't even believe he murdered those in the Purge. Meanwhile, Sawyer is one of those guys who's never really cared about the bigger mysteries--let Jack and Locke fight that out.

So we're wondering will Sawyer talk. You bet he does. He spills it all--Even sells out Locke. (Would Widmore want to attack Flocke, or greet him happily?) They make a deal--Sawyer will tell Flocke the coast is clear. This is a bit odd, since Sawyer knows how powerful Smokezilla is. But Sawyer is still decent, bargaining for safe passage off the island for him and his friends. They shake on it.

Kate and Claire have it out. Claire has been admonished, and she seems to feel sorry. She even thanks Kate for taking care of Aaron. They hug, and she doesn't even pull out a knife. How much normal Claire is still in her noggin?

Sawyer returns on the outrigger. He tells Flocke everything that happened. I guess he figures it's wise not to fight the Smokie The Monster. I hope he's not lying, since Smokey can look into your soul, and would kill you as quickly as look at you. Flocke appreciates his loyalty, but who's scamming whom?

Charlotte is gone, but Ford tries to make up with his real partner, Miles. (Since "LaFleur" they've been a team.) Miles asks the great question "who's Sawyer"--thematic, but fitting. Ford tells the story of the con man who destroyed his life. He's now tracking him down, and plans to kill him. Good to know Ford is still Ford. Though I don't know if in this world Ford has written his letter. More on this below.

Instead of asking why are you telling me this, Miles wants to know what he hasn't been told before. Then a car slams into their car. It's Kate, on the run. Ford chases her down. Does he recognize it's the hot chick from LAX who was handcuffed? Small world. Are all the survivors going to get together? Jin and Sayid are involved in crimes, and sooner or later everyone needs to go to the hospital to meet Jack.

Kate and Sawyer also meet at the island camp. He explains he's playing Locke and Widmore against each other (which'll work fine unless they're working together--since both Flocke and Widmore's plan were to go to Hydra Island, I wonder). In the meantime, he and Freckles will take to sub off the Island (and this time Locke won't blow it up).

LOST

After watching this episode, it gave credence to a theory that's going around: altaWorld shows the true character of the Losties. It's what life would be like if "free will" Jacob had just left everyone alone. He intervenes at important moments and sets people on paths (that generally lead to the Island). Without him, this is what the world would look like. If true, does this mean the Losties will have to make a choice, and, even if they like the other world, go back to the Island to take care of business? Is this what the War is about--which vision of the world we get?

By the way, Lost titles are often plays on words, and this was one of the best. "Recon" refers to the job Flocke asks Sawyer to do on Hydra Island. But it's also a second chance to revisit con man Sawyer, and see how his life looks if he takes the other path.