LOST: The Greater Good

By: Jason Davis
Review Date: Friday, May 06, 2005

After four weeks of anticipation, LOST once again confounds desire by skulking around the side of a pressing plot point. Picking up shortly after the preceding episode, "The Greater Good" is an uneven installment that provides dramatic highs between Locke and Sayid, a mediocre pseudo-sequel to the latter's flashback in "Solitary", and a tedious C-plot involving Charlie's attempts to soothe Claire's newborn to pad out the hour. Though not as solid as "Do No Harm", the episode does continue its predecessor's emphasis on story over surprise, which will do it credit over the years and syndication deals to come.

Continuing the character through-line established for Jack in the previous show, the teaser finds the island's doctor still unwilling to let go. With Boone's death robbing him of a life to save, Jack now clings to Locke's culpability in misinforming his method of treatment. If he couldn't save Boone, he'll make Locke pay for his inability to save Boone. This situation, heightened by Jack's blood loss from the operation makes for an interesting interplay between the revenge-bent and exhausted surgeon and Kate, who's willing to sink to underhanded means to thwart his misguided mission. Cheers to the writer for setting up a logical situation whereby Jack would be in a drug-induced stupor, which allows for a later plot point. Jeers to the leaders of the island's populace for leaving the briefcase/arsenal out where any irrational narcissist could find it after robbing the keeper of the key. Matthew Fox excels as the spent Dr. Shepard, and his expression when Locke arrives at Boone's funeral conveys more seething rage than any speech committed to paper could ever invoke.

Happily, Sayid's flashback in this episode finally explains his presence on the doomed flight while forwarding the episode's thematic underpinning that no good deed goes unpunished. Sayid could almost stand side by side with Locke as a poster boy for that concept (though Locke still wins for the events in "Deus Ex Machina"). Here, Sayid's attempt to serve the greater good leads to blood on his hands, and an effort to make some small amends for that death leads to his exile on the island. In Locke, he finds a kindred spirit -- someone who's been kicked in the gut for taking the high road. The interplay between the two men resolves a plot point seemingly abandoned since the second episode with a logical, though possibly retro-fitted, revelation while setting up an alliance that will hopefully culminate in a return to the most vexing plot point on the table -- the hatch and, more importantly, its illumination!


With Sayid's recent history revealed, his relationship with the self-centered Shannon suddenly seems rather forced. It's as if the writers suddenly decided that, despite his obvious chemistry with Kate, he would be excluded from the alpha-male pursuit being played out between Jack and Sawyer for her affections. Though it lessens the complication in that story arena, it calls into question the depth of Sayid's feelings for Nadia, his lost love. For someone to trade in memories of a fiery woman like that for Shannon seems a bit convenient to the story of this episode and cheapens Sayid in the viewers' hearts.