So what exactly does it take to turn a nine-year-old boy whose father killed his mother because of a con man into a vengeful cop rather than a vengeful criminal?
While Sawyer — known as Jim Ford in Flash-Sideways Land – has a different job, he has the same end goal: to find and kill Anthony Cooper, the con man who ruined his family.
In his flash-sideways, Sawyer gets set up by his partner, none other than Miles, with archaeologist Charlotte. He damages both relationships, however. By lying to Miles about his trip to Australia, his partner dumps him out due to lack of trust. After a successful date — and roll in the hay — with the redhead, Sawyer catches her snooping through his file on the original Sawyer and kicks her out. His apology to Charlotte — a sunflower, beer, and puppy dog eyes — is rejected, but Miles gives him the opportunity to explain his lies. His confession is interrupted when they get blindsided by a car and Sawyer has to hop out to chase a criminal, who turns out to be Kate. Reminder: Sawyer helped Kate escape the cops in the airport in the beginning of the season! Why would a cop do that?
Kate and Sawyer reunite on the island as well, as members of Smocke’s squad. He even promises to help deliver her from the island. Smocke sends Sawyer on a special mission to Hydra Island to find the Ajira plane and see if the coast is clear. While there, Sawyer runs into Widmore’s submarine crew and promises Widmore that he will trick Locke into coming to Hydra Island so Widmore can kill him. Once returning to Locke’s camp, however, he plays the men off of each other, telling Locke what he promised Widmore and explaining that all he wants to do it get off the island. He finds Kate afterward and tells her that he is going to let the old men battle it out — and while they are busy doing that, escape in Widmore’s sub.
Kate also reconnects with old friend Claire, but in a less friendly manner. Aaron’s real mommy attacks Aaron’s foster mother and holds a dagger to her neck — while Sayid looks on motionless — until Smocke pulls Claire off of Kate and slaps her into submission. Following the incident, Locke isolates both females for pep chats. He tells Kate that, like Aaron, he had a crazy mom who caused many problems in his life that would have been avoided. Smocke’s conversation with Claire was not revealed but whatever he told her changed her attitude because by the end of the episode, she was apologizing to, hugging, and holding hands with Kate.
So we did not really learn anything this episode. Yes, Smocke is definitely, explicitly the Black Smoke Monster. But we already knew that, and we did not learn much else this week. As my brother pointed out, this is the first episode where the flash-sideways had more action than the island world.
Also, did you catch Charlie’s brother in the police station? He was looking very clean while attempting to pick up his drugged-up brother.
I am wondering if the flash-sideways are glimpses of the lives the Oceanic group would have lived had Jacob not intervened in their lives. Did Jacob’s touch at his parent’s funeral force Sawyer down a life path of conning which eventually made him into the man hardened enough to be a candidate so he was drawn him to the island?
From the comment board, I would like to share the thoughts of Steve Replenski ’05. “What if the flash sideways are simply a reality in which Smocke grants everyone’s most desired dreams? Those wishes, though granted, are granted with clauses, and those clauses are not thought through by our survivors.” This was submitted before this most recent episode but I think the theory has some merit. Sayid, for example, gets to see Nadia again but she is married to his brother. Sawyer lives a decent life but he’s still haunted by the original Sawyer. I think Steve might be on the right track, but there are still (of course) some problems. For example, I think Kate’s greatest wish would be to have Tom back or to be free of criminal charges. And Sawyer would probably go way back and want his mother to never meet Sawyer 1.0.
My brother, on the other hand, thinks that the flash-sideways are just Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof’s attempt to try out spin-offs. Who wouldn’t love to watch a Miles/Sawyer cop show or a Dr. Shephard medical comedy?
Only time will tell what these flash-sideways really mean. I’m just hoping that time is sooner rather than later.
Comment below with your thoughts and theories
See ya in another week, brotha!
