If there’s a word I could use to describe “The Last Recruit,” I would use “foreboding.” Tension was a mainstay in the episode, which featured some really interesting character development (in the Island time, especially). There were some things I didn’t expect, a few things I groaned at, but mostly the episode was one big case of, to quote Radiohead, “jigsaw falling into place.” I wouldn’t call the episode a ‘filler’ one, but it was certainly transitional.
One thing about the episode that made me happy was the return of Claire in kind of a big way. After episodes of her lingering around in the background at the Man in Black’s camp, she finally got back in on the action with tonight’s episode, and perhaps is showing some signs of fighting the hold that the Man in Black has on her. Emilie de Ravin was great in the episode (greasy hair or not), and seeing Jack and Claire meet now that they know they’re siblings was slightly underwhelming, but was such a minor part of the episode that I can’t honestly say I blame the writers for cutting that story short.
Speaking of the Shephard family, we finally got an answer to a question that has been plaguing us since season one: was the Christian Shephard who Jack saw in “White Rabbit” the Man in Black? Turns out, it was. MIB admitted to it openly, though his reasoning (“you needed to find water”) seemed less than honest.
Of course, honesty was not the best policy for any of the characters in the episode, perhaps most notably Sayid, who perhaps had the most character evolution out of all of them. Sayid managed to show emotion without showing emotion, which isn’t an easy feat. I doubt Naveen Andrews will be getting an Emmy come awards season, but he definitely deserves kudos for this episode. Though it’s not revealed whether or not Sayid chose to shoot Desmond (despite the sad music in the background of the scene), I’m assuming he didn’t on the comic book principle of “if you see no dead body, there is no dead man.” Desmond is alive, people, and he’s at the bottom of a well that I had assumed was a lot deeper.
The focus of the episode, though, was Sawyer’s plan to double cross the Man in Black and to steal the submarine. I didn’t think that this would actually succeed (and if you did, I’m surprised), and it didn’t. Sawyer, Kate, and the Hurleyites (as I like to call them) hopped aboard the Elizabeth (the boat which had brought Desmond to the Island and which Kelvin Inman had repaired) and crossed the canal between the main Island and the Hydra Island. Of course, on the way, there were a few complications; Jack decided he was going to go for a swim after coming to the conclusion that perhaps leaving the Island wasn’t the best solution, perhaps proving that he and Sawyer will never, ever be on the same page. Ever.
Jack swam to the mainland to hang out with the Man in Black while Sawyer’s crew reached the Hydra Island. As they were confronted by the Subbies, Sun spotted Jin and the two tearfully reunited after over three years apart. It was a touching scene, and perhaps on the same level of emotion that Rose and Bernard’s reunion in season two brought. Only this time, they were interrupted by the Subbies, who went back on their deal, held everyone at gunpoint, and bombed the Man in Black’s camp (since their demands for the return of Desmond had not been met).
Bye, Zack and Emma. See you later, Cindy Chandler. All the Others who had joined MIB in “Sundown” were toasted by the artillery that pelted the beach. MIB carried Jack into the jungle, leaned him up against a tree, and, with explosions in the background, assured him that “You’re with me now.” Jack looked on in shock from the explosions as he realized that he was the titular last recruit. (This means that the only Island Others still alive are Ben and Richard. It’s a far cry from the seemingly dominant group we first met in season two.)
The flash-sideways timeline was more of a “jigsaw falling into place” than the normal timeline was. Desmond once again exhibited his ability to be benignly creepy when he took Claire to meet his lawyer (who just happened to be Ilana, reappearing much sooner than I thought she would after igniting herself last week). By extension, Claire met with Jack, who had arrived with his son David to hear the reading of his father’s will. Claire revealed to Jack that they were half-siblings, obviously shocking Jack. He didn’t have much time to sit around and be shocked, though, because he had to go save John Locke’s life. He and David (whose relationship with his father now seems too idyllic) rescheduled the meeting and rushed to the hospital, where Jack scrubbed in to operate on the man to whom he had given his business card at the airport all those weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Sun and Jin recuperated in the hospital, with Sun’s baby having survived as well as the gunshots being non-fatal. However, their arrival at the hospital prompted the L.A.P.D. (Miles and Sawyer) to seek out Sayid, who they had linked to the deaths of Keamy, Omar, and Mikhail. To do this, Sawyer had to leave Kate at the station, which he obviously regretted; there was great chemistry between the two (of course). After a cool flanking maneuver, the two apprehended Sayid.
Overall, the episode was transitional yet interesting (though it wasn’t without its tiny flaws), and will of course make the two-week wait until next week’s “The Candidate” even worse than before. As we wait that long two weeks, I’ll give the episode a B+.
See promotional photos for “The Candidate.”
Follow Us
