Lost 2.5: "...and Found"

Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse
Directed by Stephen Williams

In which Sun realizes that she has lost her wedding ring, which prompts her to remember how she met Jin, while Jin leads a search for Michael when his friend runs off to find Walt…


Status Report

Much like the previous episode, this installment provides an example of why “Adrift” was one of the less impressive episodes of the season/series. While this episode focuses on one of the less prominent characters and doesn’t tell a story far beyond the information already available from the first season, there’s much more happening in the background. There’s not much forward momentum, but there’s also no sense of rehashing the same ground.

The Jin/Sun episodes of the first season weren’t necessarily the best episodes, because they do demand a bit more from the audience. In this case, a bit of time and perspective works wonders. Jin and Sun began their journey on the island with very different goals in mind. Sun, in particular, had been coming off plans to flee her marriage.

This episode sees Sun in a very different position. It’s not the most surprising character development in the world, but it does define a progression in her character arc. She had a lot of issues with Jin at the beginning, just after the crash, but now she’s focusing on all the reasons she fell for him in the first place. It makes sense in terms of Jin and his choices, and it’s an interesting follow-up to Sun’s actions in “Born to Run”.

On the other side of the island, Jin is demonstrating the depth of his loyalty. He could just let Michael go find Walt and be done with it. He would certainly have a better chance of survival with those who understand the threat posed by the Others, if only in terms of numbers, by leaving Michael to his own devices. But Jin decides instead to put his life on the line to help Michael. This is in stark contrast to Jin’s relationship with Michael in “..In Translation”.

One might quibble over the fact that this character progression was obvious, but this is where the comparison with “Adrift” comes in. As noted for that episode, the issue was the lack of character development for Michael. In essence, that episode didn’t take Michael any further down an arc than any previous episode. This episode is different because it moves the characters forward, even if it’s an incremental step.

This is rare example of a “double flashback”, because the scenes from the past are seen from two different points of view. Sun’s memories are focused on her search, however reluctant, for a man she can love and who might appreciate her for who she is. It does highlight Sun’s innate beauty and the very different cultural mandates that dominate Korean society, but the point is largely to explain why Jin’s arrival in her life happened at just the right moment.

Jin’s story, on the other hand, is a commentary on class struggles, which were alluded to in “…In Translation” and fleshed out over time. Still, this is the most straightforward exploration of the topic. Giving Jin such a complicated background is a good thing, because it gives his character motivation. The parallel between Jin’s past and his present decision is also a bit less obvious than it could be.

The fact that Jin doesn’t speak English is still a challenge for the writers, but it gives Daniel Dae Kim the chance to display his acting skills. Jin’s intentions are never a question, and he manages to communicate with Eko rather well under the circumstances. As mentioned earlier, Jin wasn’t the most sympathetic character in the beginning, but his loyalty to his own “people” in this episode is quite clear.

Jin and Sun really dominate the episode, which isn’t the ideal situation, but it does make sense in light of the situation. The downside is that there’s very little exploration of the overall mysteries as a result. This is primarily a character-driven series, and that’s where the effort is typically directed, so that’s not as bad as it might be for a series like “Invasion” or “Threshold”. Still, it plays into the hands of those complaining that the forward momentum is far from apparent, since only 4 days have passed since the first season finale.

There is a slight bit of information about the Others, but it mostly confirms what has already been revealed. They seem to have a lot of experience in moving around the island without much of a trace, they have Walt, and they’ve been killing off the AnaLucia Tribe since the crash. Speaking of which, the AnaLucia Tribe also mention the unusual abilities of the Others, which suggests some kind of inhuman changes to the Others themselves. But that’s all indirect information that’s been on the table for a while.

From a character perspective, this doesn’t really add much. There are some good character moments here and there, but they are present in a largely supportive capacity. Jack gets a scene where he reveals, indirectly, that his marriage has been over for some time. Kate, after an episode with a lot of flirtation with Jack, demonstrates her regret for leaving things with Sawyer on such shaky ground. Hurley gets a wonderful scene about a dog. As usual, the Locke scene simply underscored his overall philosophy.

With things being so slow for the JackLocke Tribe, it makes sense that more time was devoted to the AnaLucia Tribe. Ana continues to be very abrasive, but now it makes a little more sense. She’s been filling Jack’s role as the leader of her tribe, but she’s been fighting a losing war against the Others. It certainly seems as if “survival of the fittest” has been her primary concern. If/when she runs into Jack and Locke, her reaction to their decision-making process ought to be interesting!

Libby and Bernard are still enigmas, but they are certainly less Draconian than Ana. Libby in particular seems to be a lot more sympathetic. Frankly, it would be interesting to see Libby after she has a chance to clean up; that outfit is far from flattering. But Libby could become important over time in terms of working out motivations.

Minister Eko is a very interesting character, falling somewhat between Ana and Libby on the compassion scale. He has a rough way of dealing with the survival aspect, but he recognizes what kind of person Jin must be, and acts accordingly. There’s still a sense that Eko has yet to reveal his true nature, in terms of his own motivations, but for now, he seems similar to Sayid in his bearing.

If there is a weakness in this episode, it’s the justification for why Michael wasn’t captured or killed by the Others. Supposedly Michael manages to sneak by in front of the Others, thus escaping attention. However, Michael is supposedly running around, screaming for Walt at the top of his lungs, and basically doing things that ought to make him easy to find. Michael’s part in the story doesn’t make much sense.

For whatever reason, the network has decided to postpone the next episode. This is not the ideal situation. For one thing, the season has started off rather slowly, but the ratings have been steadily climbing. Having this break, without a strong episode going in, could have a negative effect for those still unsure about sticking with the show. Then again, there’s probably little chance of a huge drop in ratings during the sweeps. After all, unlike “Desperate Housewives”, the critics are still solidly behind the series and there’s a strong positive buzz. Still, it’s going to be a long wait to see how the season moves forward.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode doesn’t advance the overall story arc much, but it does represent an important stage in the character development for Jin and Sun. Much of the information in the episode is simply confirmation of what has been suggested in the past, which adds to the impression of a slow start to the season. This is not the most exciting episode, but it also avoids the retread problem that could have dragged it down.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10