Lost 2.16: "The Whole Truth"

Written by Christina Kim and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Directed by Karen Gaviola

In which Sun makes a discovery that could change her relationship with Jin in a fundamental way, while Locke enlists Ana Lucia’s help in getting the truth out of the prisoner in the hatch…


Status Report

Considering just how many reruns were inserted into the schedule this winter, combined with the revelations of the previous episode, it’s not hard to predict that the transitional nature of this installment will garner criticism from the fans. It’s all about setting up the next episode, where a number of plot threads promise to come together, and taking the time to explore one of the more popular couples on the show in the time provided.

The marriage between Jin and Sun has evolved into one of the more unique and interesting relationships on the series, overcoming the problems that usually come along when massive amounts of subtitles flit across the screen of the general audience. The fact is that Jin and Sun are unusual characters, especially on a series with such mainstream popularity. Their relationship comes across as very genuine. (Of course, these are general statements based on comments noted since the beginning of the series; mileage may vary.)

Some will inevitably consider this episode a retread, covering established ground, but this does begin to fill in details in the background of both characters. It makes sense that Jin would want to be a father and that complications would ensue, and if Sun is telling the whole truth (and there’s room for plenty of doubt), this is the first time in a while that the island’s apparent ability to bring about miracles has surfaced.

It’s good to know that Jin hasn’t turned into the perfect husband. There was the “honeymoon” reunion period, but after a few days (and nights), it makes sense that the old issues would begin to resurface. It’s hard to remember that very little time has passed since Jin’s return, and as such, it’s very significant that he’s made the choice to make things better with Sun instead of dwelling on the past. Daniel Dae Kim brings an embattled dignity to the character of Jin, which neatly compliments caged beauty Sun.

Of course, the writers will presumably avoid the usual pitfalls of the “baby plot” by keeping the current pace of the timeline consistent. Under those circumstances, the baby wouldn’t be born until somewhere in the eighth season! The real question is what this might mean for the Others. The way the episode was structured, it was easy to anticipate that Sun would be abducted at the end, which made the lack of such a plot twist all the better.

In a sense, the Jin/Sun plot thread (and the related material for Rose and Bernard) allows the tension between Jack and Locke to deepen more naturally. Their conflict has only been building over the space of about two weeks in “island time”, so it would be a bit jarring for it to come to a head too quickly, regardless of the scheduling complaints.

Locke’s character arc in the second season has been a lot less active than in the first. He’s still seeking meaning in recent events, and much of his anger with Jack is transference. He’s far more angry at the “island” for not delivering on the promise that the hatch represented. He felt that the hatch would explain his destiny (given how he still refers to it as “my hatch”), and it has kept its secrets well. It is not unlike a primitive priest who cannot understand the meaning of the temple he has taken as his own.

Jack is an easy target for that anger because Locke supported his leadership role with the understanding that Jack was playing a role appointed in his destined purpose. But Jack continues to defy Locke’s faith-based interpretations. The whole warrior chieftain/shaman relationship is gaining momentum, and as one would expect, both “leaders” are becoming more focused on winning the philosophical battle with each other than actually seeing to the best interests of the tribe.

Locke did, however, have a good idea, even if his motivations were questionable. Ana has to have a purpose beyond planning for an army to fight the Others, and there’s the unfinished business with Sayid. Sayid also needed an opportunity to follow-up on his lingering anger after his interrogation of Henry Gale, and so putting them together was a brilliant move.

Sayid finally makes the observation that should have come to mind much earlier: there’s evidence that Shannon’s death was contrived by the Others. It could just be Sayid railing against the capriciousness of nature, but the evidence is there for something more sinister. It also gives him a way to forgive Ana, who is in dire need of a relatively friendly face on the island. If Sayid can come to peace with Ana, then it would allow some of the other survivors to do the same.

Sayid’s attitude about Henry should also serve as a great excuse to bring up all the possible conspiracy theories about the man and his story. It’s entirely possible for all the evidence to support Henry’s story, even if he is one of the “Others”, based on how far-reaching Dharma seems to be in light of the previous episode. If the Others can pretend to be survivors themselves, they can contrive to insert another agent under mysterious circumstances.

For that reason alone, Henry is representative of the island itself, which is why his place in the current plot thread is such a wise move. It’s entirely possible that everything about Henry is part of some plan, some larger purpose that has sinister implications for the survivors. It’s also entirely possible that his story is completely true and accurate with no implications to the survivors at all. That parallels the difference in interpretation between Locke and Jack regarding the phenomena on the island and the island itself.

Some of the most compelling scenes in this episode involved Henry, especially at the very end. Regardless of whether or not his story is true, he has a keen insight and has been using it to mess with Locke and Jack since he arrived. He asks a lot of the questions that the audience might be asking: why haven’t they tried to figure out what the hatch is for, how old is the stuff in the hatch, etc. It’s exactly what the survivors have avoided since opening the hatch in the first place.

This exposes another metaphor: are the characters avoiding the most obvious questions about the hatch because they don’t really want to deal with the consequences and responsibility of the knowledge? In turn, they are also avoiding what it would force them to admit or consider regarding their own philosophies and psychological issues.

The episode still manages to spend a little bit of time with other characters, though not as much as might be desired. Sawyer is involved because he’s become the master of the Island Barter System, which is a great way to evolve his role on the series, and Kate continues to be a confidante for Sun, which is a nice link to the first season. Charlie, on the other hand, continues his darker turn, with a more biting side to his self-deprecating humor. Hurley, unfortunately, has become the center of jokes about eating more than one’s share, which could and should be brought to a conclusion as soon as humanly possible.

As with most transitional episodes, the lack of a major plot twist could be perceived as a lack of progress. Even the possibility of a miracle birth isn’t quite enough to overcome the fact that this is more of a lead-in to larger events. That doesn’t make this a bad episode, but it does keep it from being more than the average solid episode of “Lost”. Then again, after the struggles in the beginning of the season, that’s more than enough.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is clearly a transitional step, setting the stage for more significant events in the next installment. The writers take the time afforded by this move to introduce another element with multiple levels of possible interpretation, but one that fits rather nicely into events past and “present”. Another good solid episode to round out the “complication” phase of the season.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

(Season 2 Average: 7.3)