Meet Kevin Johnson

I don't particularly like when the producers of LOST choose to (1) revolve the bulk of an episode around a flashback or (2) devote an entire episode to Michael Dawson, but March 20th's installment was actually rather riveting. Michael is driven less by Walt (a plot that was done to death) and motivated more by the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of the survivors he left behind on the island. Beyond this refreshing revelation for Michael's character, here are several musings on the content of a well-put-together episode:

• What's the deal with Tom Friendly's tryst with his gay lover Arturo? The inclusion of this relationship was...I don't know...ODD (not that there's anything wrong with that...)


• Sayid was B.A. Baracus, once again. Should Jack have uncovered 'Kevin Johnson's' treachery, he would have sympathized with the fellow Oceanic survivor and made an attempt to civilly get to the bottom of his absence. Not so with Sayid. Pulling Michael by an arm he could have snapped like a wishbone, Sayid took Michael before Captain Gault and blew his cover. Another reason why I like his character: he's decisive, forceful, and integral to the survivorship of everyone on the island. Outside of Desmond, Sayid is the most intriguing character amongst the LOST ensemble.


• Still fuming at the discovery of Jin's death (Daniel Dae Kim proves to be ANOTHER D.U.I. LOST casualty), I was glad to see two expendable characters perish in the form of Rousseau and Alex's irksome boyfriend Karl. These were two characters, despite minor actions that kept the survivors safe from the Others, that were rather useless. You would think that Rousseau's sixteen year tenure on the island would be valuable to Jack and Co...apparently not. Good riddance to Rousseau and her grimy, tattered tank top.


• I LOVE the upcoming potential for warfare between Charles Widmore and Benjamin Linus; this adds another appetizing element to the decision-making that must be made in the Jack/Locke camps.


• LOST will need to do something fresh to keep me caring about Jack; my interest in his character has slowly declined with every failed attempt at trying to reach Kate. Jack was at his best at three points last season: (1) upon performing spinal surgery on Ben, he gives Sawyer and Kate an escape by lacerating Ben's kidney and pleading for Kate to never return to him (a sign to suggest he can let go of Kate's ruinous personality); (2) despite battling Oxycontin addiction and the demons of his father's 'death' (in an amazingly scripted, flash-forward sequence), Jack had the ability to remain heroic and sympathetic; as a viewer, you couldn't help but pity a plight that didn't, for once, involve romance (why was he so obsessed with returning to the island?); and (3) in the season finale, Jack had the gall to take a stand against his two primary nemeses, Ben and Locke. Producers of the series should realize that Juliet's 'love' for Jack is not sufficient enough for a hopeful return to prominence for Dr. Shepard. Upcoming doses of fury and intemperance will do more for Jack's character than the instances of insufferable love we've become WAY too accustomed to.


• LOST couldn't help but bring more questions to light: What reasoning would Charles Widmore have for exterminating the Oceanic survivors once Ben was apprehended (never mind the fact he fabricated the submergence of a fake Oceanic plane)? What is waiting for Alex at the 'Temple?' Who is responsible for Rousseau and Karl's deaths? How will Captain Gault handle the news that Kevin Johnson was a traitor? I'm jonesing to find out....