The Tail Section

With the debate over the possible negative impact of excessive re-runs boiling over in the background, "LOST" returns with the first of an at-least three week run of new episodes.

Who’s it about? "LOST — The Whole Truth" is Sun centric in its flash-back sequences and her situation in island real-time is interesting as well. To sum up the essence of her story in "Lost" terminology, it’s a "lock-esque" moment.

The other major thread was Ana Lucia’s induction into the Henry Gale mystery. "LOST –The Whole Truth" was short on filler, save for a moment of squabbling between the returning Rose and Bernard. The tone is a mixture of lights and darks that are all about setting up the dramatic future of the rest of the season.

The first half hour of the episode moves along quite well, with several of the wide running arcs being pulled in, and some good expansion there as well.

We see the dominating, overprotective side of Jin reappear as he yanks up Sun’s garden, forbidding her from leaving the beach. Flashbacks reveal Jin pining for a child, while Sun secretly learns English from former (?) love interest Mr. Lee, the hotel magnate. His presence explains a lot about the elaborate plan to smuggle Sun out of the country. Trips to a fertility doctor reveal, however, that sun is incapable of baring children. In realtime Sun struggles with a mysterious ailment, and approaches an as-usual prying Sawyer for a pregnancy test.

Henry Gale makes his third appearance in what has been suggested will be a five episode arc. His efforts to breed sedition have born fruit in Locke as the bald one taps Ana Lucia to extract more information from the mysterious "aviator". Locke basically says he is tired of waiting around and is ready to do something about him, one way or another, and he makes sure to point out that he doesn’t really care what Jack thinks anymore. Locke’s comments betray an arrogance that has been hidden up until now. It should be interesting to see how die-hard Locke fans accept this character change. Personally I’m hoping there is something in the hatch (the magnetic field?) that is affecting the characters most exposed to it. That would be a pretty good explanation for why these guys are so out of character from season one.

Ana attempts to convince the skeptical Gale that she will do her best to attempt to prove he is not one of the "others", all he has to do is draw a map. She is able to get his compliance, but burnt by the fact that Jack kept Gale a secret, and the obvious struggle brewing between Locke and the Doc, she decides to keep the information secret.

On a side note, the writers really seem to be making an attempt to redeem Ana. Ana is played very pragmatically here, someone who is a suffering captive of errors; despondently seeking redemption through penance and contrition. Michelle Rodriguez does a wonderful job of delivering this with credibility. If the character, and the writers, can put the annoyingly tough grrl behind us and keep her there we may yet have another character of depth in the mix. (Didn’t they say they would do this all along? )

Sun, meanwhile, finds out she is indeed pregnant. EASTER EGG ALERT! The pregnancy test is manufactured by "Widmore Labs", remember in "Fire + Water" we were told that the Widmore Construction sign would be of importance later in the show.

Ana, meanwhile, has found an unlikely hiking partner in Sayid who she feels has as much a need to prove Henry’s "other" status as anyone else. Renewing his position as the islands preeminent third wheel is Charlie. When they reach the "X" on Henry’s map, they find nothing; at first.

Geronimo Jackson made a surprise appearance! Was that their 70’s acid-rock riffs in the background? NOPE! It was "Pushing Too Hard" by The Seeds (thanks to Wayne Allen Sallee for the quick word on that.)

Back in flashback land we find out that it was actually Jin who lacked the baby-making abilities, not Sun. Sun shares her news with Jin in a touching scene where she comes upon the shamed Korean replanting her garden. The matter of sterility is brought up, of course, but Jin is utterly convinced of Sun’s faithfulness. (If only he knew how close Sun had become with Mr. Lee inbetween English lessons!) The baby is determined to be a miracle by all involved.

Jack decides he is going to have a little one on one with Gale and surprises Locke by bringing Henry out for a bowl of Dharma corn flakes. Fans who balk at how the castaway’s rarely question obvious things will have a huge LOL moment when Gale berates them for not seeming curious about the many mysteries of the hatch (fresh cereal is, well, a bit weird.) Gale spills the beans that he drew a map for Ana. The sedition has now branched again as Jack and Locke realize that their bickering has prompted Ana to take a lead of her own. Absolutely out of the park performance here by Michael Emerson as he invokes a pensive Henry Gale musing on how he could have used that map to lead Ana et al to capture. Chilling.

And thus the episode ends. A bit anti-climatic, yes, but definitely the beginning of something. Something you just can’t put a finger on, but you know is going to be great. All in all, a fine episode with a great balance of info and character development. The hardcores should be pleased!