S6 E10 "The Package"

"That's one stubborn tomato. I guess no one told it it was supposed to die." -Jack

I felt this episode was stronger than I had feared it would be. I know there will be some critics out there who feel like it was another filler, to get several of the key characters to an emotional place. But we did learn several new facts about both story lines. And don't even get me started on Desmond being referred to as "The Package!"

Connect The Dots
First I'm going to remind you of a few details about Jin and Sun in "LA X." They were flying together but did not wear wedding rings. He told her to button her top button and she obeyed. Just like in the pilot episode. The customs officer called her "Miss Paik." And it was unclear if Sun understood English.

James told Kate to "pretend" the drink was cocoa as the camera panned to Claire. This was reminiscent of Season 1 when Charlie and Claire shared a jar of "pretend" peanut butter.

Jin told Sun he doesn't ask questions of her father. "I do what he tells me." In one of their early flashbacks, Sun had questioned Jin about some blood on his hands. His answer was "I do what your father tells me to do. I do it for us." ("...In Translation")

The scene when they were all attacked by darts reminded me of two other scenes. The most obvious was the flaming arrow attack from last season. ("The Lie") The second was when The Others caught Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley with the help of Michael at the end of Season 2 "Live Together, Die Alone."

I'm going to assume that you recognized Keamy and Omar since we just saw them several episodes ago. Now we know why Sayid found Jin in the refrigerator. But did you recognize Mikhail without his eye patch? For me, his voice gave him away but he looked so much younger and cleaner than the man we saw on the island. And of course, the eye Jin shot at the end of the episode was the same side he wore his patch on.

Zoe brought Jin to Room 23 which is back on Hydra Island. That was the room The Others held Karl hostage and showed him that brainwashing film Jin stumbled on. Alex recruited James and Kate to help rescue him. Room 23 is also where Walt was held after The Others took him from the raft.

"A wise man once said that war was coming to this island." UnLocke said to Widmore. The "wise man" to whom he was referring was Widmore himself. Widmore said it to the real John Locke after John turned the wheel and time-traveled to Tunisia. Widmore offered help in rounding up the Oceanic 6. When John asked why, Widmore's reply was "Because there's a war coming, John. And if you're not back on the Island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win." ("The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham")

Tonight, Widmore told Jin "The package is not a 'what', it's a 'who.'" Earlier this season UnLocke told Ben "I'm not a 'what,' I'm a 'who.'"

Details and Easter Eggs
It was nice to see Sun in her garden again. We've seen her retreat there many times when she was frustrated.

Well you know we are back in Sideways World when someone stares too long into a mirror. Right before Sun answered Keamy's knock at the door, she checked her hair and lingered at the mirror. All the sideways characters have had that same kind of moment.

Bpo Bpo is still alive! Sun's Shar Pei was in the pictures with Ji Yeon. Jin gave her that dog when it was just a puppy.










When Sun revealed that she was pregnant that was a BIG newsflash. Remember: Jin is supposed to be infertile! In their original storyline, Jin was not able to conceive a child without island intervention. So does that mean he does not have that problem in this sideways world or is Sun cheating on him?

Locke says "Whatever happens, happens" when referring to Claire and Kate. "Whatever Happened, Happened" was the name of a Season 4 episode and a common saying of Daniel Faraday.

OK, I have to talk a little about Desmond. My favorite character has returned but I am not happy with his conditions or the fact that he is wearing a red shirt! Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond, has been absent for 8 episodes even though his name has been in the credits every week. The last time we saw him in this story line was in the hospital after being shot by Ben. This was the first time Sayid and Desmond have seen each other since Sayid left Desmond on Penny's boat. At least they are taking him to the infirmary!

My Theory
I am really hoping that in this new sideways storyline Jin is the one who secretly understands English. It seemed possible in the fridge when Keamy was spelling out his fate and Jin replied "Thank you." It would seem very ironic in this episode since Sun lost her ability to speak English.

Questions
What did UnLocke mean about Kate's name being on the wall "not anymore?" Is he implying that she is somehow unqualified to be a candidate? She's gone over to the dark side like Sayid and Claire?

Why did Widmore need Desmond? How will Desmond help fight Smokey? Can he wear a red shirt and not be a "red shirt" doomed to die?

Namaste!