Recon

My brother hated this episode, but I really liked it. What does he know, anyways? Quite a bit, actually, but he doesn't even like Hurley, so he's not that important right now.

Highlights:

In this alternate universe, James seems to be con man still, but turns out to be an undercover cop!

His parents were still conned and murdered by the influence of Tom Sawyer, or Anthony Cooper, and he is still hunting him down. Only he has kept it a secret to his partner and everyone around him.

Oh yeah, and his partner is Miles! The two of them were co-workers and good friends in their days in the Dharma Initiative, and this universe is no different.

Miles sets James up on a date with Charlotte, an 'friend from a museum'. Nice.

Charlotte and James hook up, and she finds a file labeled "Sawyer" in his drawer while looking for a T-shirt. James freaks out and kicks her out. Real smooth, James.

Miles confronts James about his trip to "Palm Springs"and roughs him up in the locker room. He said he scanned his credit card and knows that he was in Sydney. He tells him that they need to trust each other because they are partners, and demands answers. James is stubborn and says its none of his business.

James goes home and gets some insight from Little House On the Prairie. He grabs a sunflowe (much like the one he gave Juliet in season 4) and apologizes to Charlotte. She slams the door in his face.

James brings his Sawyer file to Miles and comes clean to his partner. Miles is understanding, but advises him not to pursue it. They are then quickly hit by a rogue car, and someone runs out of it.

It's Kate. Shocker.

On the Island, Claire tries to slit Kate's throat, and Sayid just watched as it happens. Smokey comes in and tears Claire off of her, explaining that she took Aaron because she couldn't find Claire. Claire doesn't accept that answer, and Smokey bitch-slaps Claire! Looks like Daddy's home.

Smokey tells James to go to Hydra island and do recon on the people over there. James does, and meets a girl named Zoe who quickly reveals herself to be working for Widmore. She takes him to a submarine where Widmore is hanging out, and James makes a deal with him. He tells him he'll bring Smokey to him if he and his friends can leave on the sub. Clearly Widmore is not as evil as we all thought. Or is he?


Meanwhile, Smokey and Kate have a special moment. He tells her that his mother was crazy, and he might have turned out differently if she were better. He tells her that Aaron has a crazy mother, too.

Claire then cries, apologizes to Kate, and hugs her for a long and awkward period of time.

James returns and tells Smokey everything he told Widmore, and tells him they need to change their plan so Widmore is caught off guard.

He then tells Kate that they are getting off the island by submarine.


Special/Key Moments:

I really loved that James is a cop. I love it even more that Miles is his partner. What I didn't notice until Tony pointed it out was that Miles and James were both Con Men in the past. Miles conned parents of dead children into giving him money when he couldn't speak to their ghosts, and James obviously ruined rich couples' lives. This universe seems to be an opposing parallel for almost all of our characters. Jack is a good father and faces the issues he had with his own father, Ben gives up power for Alex's happiness, and James and Miles are cops who serve the public. Amazing.

I always force myself to watch Sayid carefully. He told Kate that he was not alright, and just seemed zoned out while Claire attacked her. That being said, however, he looks like he is using a lot of self control to go along with Smokey's antics, and like he is thinking very hard how to turn all of this around.


Charlotte asks James why he wanted to be a cop, and he tells her that there is a moment where he had to decide to be a criminal or a cop. This time, James chose to be a cop.

I liked that Charlotte came back, and seeing her with James was kinf of cute. I just never imagined them together.

Does this mean that Faraday will come back in a Flash Sideways? We've already got Miles and Charlotte. Daniel has to be next... right?

I couldn't stop laughing when Locke bitch-slapped Claire. It was awesome.

That Widmore lady looked like an uglier Tina Fey.

I loved seeing Liam ask James if he knew where Charlie was. He seemed to be clean and off of the drugs in this universe.

I liked seeing Smokey talk to Kate as if he was her father and she was a child upset in her bedroom.

I'm sick of seeing James with his shirt off. We get it, ABC. We get it.

Kate was actually tolerable in this episode. Who saw that coming?

James called the real Anthony Cooper the first time. I could hear his voice on the other line. But how is he going to know who the real one is? I guess it's not really that important.

Theories/Questions:

As far as Sayid goes, I think he might be completely there. I think he might have a little darkness in him, but is fighting for total control. I think that he knows he has to act a certain way to earn Smokey and Claire's trust. I think he and James are doing the same thing, but going about it in different ways.

I think that Sawyer might indeed be the one to inherit the island. Or it will be down to him or Jack in the final showdown. What am I basing this on? Nothing really substantial, but bear with me. Or is it bare with me? Either way, just do it. I know that a few weeks ago, I talked about James wearing one of Richard's shirts as a joke. But in this episode, he pours tea int0 a mug that looks just like the one Richard is always drinking from. Coincidence? Or foreshadowing? Just saying.