I think Sayid is one of the most interesting characters on LOST and I was glad to see another episode dedicated to him. He's been through a lot in the short three months they've been there and I'm glad to see an Arab, especially an Iraqi, portrayed with such depth and humanity as Sayid is being written. That said, he's a bad ass torturer.
Does he look familiar? More on this commanding officer later!
The show opens in Iraq as Sayid and a group of Iraqi soldiers burn documents. Suddenly the doors burst open and the great white hope of the American army storms in. They take everyone prisoner and warn the man in the back, who's still shredding papers, that he needs to stop. Why they don't have a translator on hand I don't know. When he doesn't respond they ask the soldiers on the ground who there speaks English. They tell them to warn the man that they'll kill him if he doesn't stop. Finally, Sayid tells the man to stop shredding the papers. The officer realizes Sayid can speak English and asks him where Tariq, their commanding officer is. Sayid says that he ran a few hours before. Once at Abu Ghraib the Americdan commanding officer takes Sayid aside. He tells him that a helicopter went down and they're looking for the pilot. He says it's very important they find him. They know he was taken by Tariq, Sayid's commanding officer. Come to find out, they've captured Tariq after all.
I thought for sure he'd break her neck. No such luck.
On the island Sayid is bathing and Ana-Lucia runs up to him. She asks for Jack but takes Sayid instead to Rousseau who's running around in the woods. Sayid realizes it's her and sends Ana-Lucia away. He approaches Rousseau and she begs him to come with her. He wants to know where but she won't say exactly. He doesn't trust her since last time they saw her she lied and said The Others were coming so she could kidnap Claire's baby. In an act of good faith she hands him her rifle.
"They will let him go if he tells them where the pilot is"
In Iraq the commanding officer has Sayid question Tariq. Tariq's not too forthcoming about where the pilot is. Sayid tries to convince him to tell them. The commanding officer says that they'll let Tariq go if he tells them where the pilot is. They know he's at least seen the guy since they have intel that Tariq questioned him the day before. Tariq thinks Sayid is betraying them because he's helping the Americans. The commanding officers tells Sayid that if he doesn't tell them, someone else will come in to get it out of him. Probably not so pleasantly.
The best part about this is the mandarin oranges in the can
On the beach Sawyer can't sleep because he hears what sounds like a frog of some sort. He asks Jin to help him find it but Jin ignores him. And not just because he doesn't understand English. Sawyer follows the sound into the woods and finds Hurley and a big vat of ranch dressing. He also has some chips, peanut butter and all sorts of food. Hurley doesn't want him to tell he stole food from the group. To keep his secret Sawyer recruits Hurley to help him find the frog.
I tried to think of something funny to say here but nothing's funny about a man in a trap. Almost nothing.
Rousseau finally leads Sayid to a man she's caught in a trap. He's strung up and yelling for help. Rousseau warns him not to believe a word the guy says. He wonders how long the man's been strung up there and he says he's been there over night and that his name is Henry. Sayid cuts the man down and he runs. Rousseau shoots him in the back with an arrow. She's hard core. Sayid's pissed and Rousseau is convinced he's one of The Others. They tie him up and Rousseau warns Sayid that he lies. Sayid takes him off to Jack for help.
He will alway be "Brother Justin" from Carnivale to me
In the flashback Sayid is taken to an American. He wants to talk to him about Tariq. He says he gets that he's loyal and that translating for them isn't going against any principal. The American then shows Sayid a video from a town up North. Apparently Tariq gassed it with Serin gas. A few of Sayid's relatives lived there. The American tells Sayid that they have his personell file and that's how he knew his family lived in the village. He says that all he wants is to find out what happened to the pilot. Sayid says that he'll never talk to them. The American pushes a box forward and says that they'll have to make him.
I thought they had a shower in the hatch? Why does it look like Sayid and Locke don't use it
Sayid brings Henry to Locke. They question him and he says that he was ballooning with his wife and they crashed onto the island. He says that a few weeks before his wife got sick and died. Jack walks in and Sayid downloads him on who he is. Sayid says Rousseau thinks he's an Other. Sayid warns Jack not to untie him. He then gets a far away look in his eye.
Sawyer and Hurley are still looking for the frog. Sawyer's being an ass. He warns Hurley to shut up and Hurley says that he knows he's fat, but that people at least like him. Hurley starts to walk away but then Sawyer catches him, begging him to help find the frog. Of course Hurley's a sweetheart and agrees.
See ya
Jack removes the arrow from Henry's shoulder while Sayid and Locke talk about what to do. Sayid implies that he wants to get Henry into the gun locker for a little questioning. Since Jack knows the combination, Sayid wonders to Locke how long it'll take to change it. Locke tells him only a few minutes. He then asks Sayid if he's angry and looking for someone to punish. He assures Locke that all he wants is the truth and he can't have goody two shoes Jack in his face. Sayid asks Jack if Henry said anything while he was gone. Jack says no. Locke approaches and says that they should move him so no one sees him. Sayid suggests the gun locker and Jack agrees. The three of them carry Henry in and once he's in there, Sayid closes the door behind Jack and Locke. Jack bangs on the door and wonders what Sayid is doing. He says he's doing what needs to be done.
"You need to tell me where the helicopter pilot is."
Back with Tariq, Sayid gets out some "equipment" in front of him. He thinks Sayid is bluffing and won't do it. He says that he's a loyal soldier and the son of a hero, and he won't disgrace his father's memory. Tariq says that he's his commanding officer and demands Sayid take his own life. When he doesn't Tariq spits in his face. This just pisses Sayid off. We then flash to later when Sayid emerges from the room. The American is standing outside. Sayid looks broken. He says that the pilot was executed a few days before, and that he'll take them to his body. He hands the man the torture box and he has blood on his hands.
Jack tries to open the gun locker door and can't. He confronts Locke about changing the combination. Locke says that he's been raising an army and doesn't know why Jack didn't ask him to be in it. He says that if he's raising an army that means they're at war. Locke says that whatever Sayid is doing behind the door is part of that. Jack asks what if he's telling the truth and Locke has a good point, what if he's not.
Hey, it's just a finger
In the gun locker Sayid starts questioning Henry who wants to know what's happening. Sayid tries to trip him up in a lie. Henry says that it's been about four months. Sayid starts shooting off questions to him and he answers them fairly convincingly. Then Sayid starts asking about his wife. Where they met, what her name was, that kinda thing. He then asks how she died and Henry says that she got sick. Henry doesn't know why he has to explain who he is when Sayid doesn't tell him who they are. Sayid tells him about the American's coming to Iraq and that he was a good man before and then after they left he was changed. He says that there was a part of him that was always capable of the bad things. He says that his name is Sayid (something I can't pronounce or spell) and that he's a torturer.
SQUISH
In the jungle Sawyer and Hurley finally find the frog that's been making all that noise. It's about two inches long and is a tiny little thing. The frog tries to jump away and Sawyer catches it. Hurley says it reminds him of the turtle he had when he was ten that his mom said ran away. Hurley wants to take the frog far away and find a Mrs. Tree frog for him. Sawyer has a better idea, he squishes it in his hand. He tells him that with a little ranch it'll taste just like chicken. He's so mean, but damn is he FINE.
Evil!
In the hatch Jack's cleaning up Henry's bloody clothes. He ignores Locke when he comes to apologize. When Jack is washing his hands he realizes his pliers are gone. Sayid asks Henry about the balloon that brought him and his wife there. Henry gives him the basic schematics which sound legit, but I've never flown a hot air balloon, so who knows. Sayid wonders why he would travel in that. He says that he was rich and that was his dream. Sayid questions him about using the term, "was" rich. Henry says that he got rich by mining non-metallic metal. Is that for real? What is non-metalic metal. Then to the good part. Sayid takes the pliers to the man's hand and threatens to cut off his fingers if he doesn't tell him where he buried his wife. He asks how deep, how many shovel fulls, all the details. When Henry says he doesn't remember Sayid breaks down and says that he would remember every detail of burying the woman he loved if it were true. Henry catches on to him losing someone on the island and Sayid says it was an accident, that Ana-Lucia though it was someone who was going to hurt her. Then Sayid flips out and starts kicking Henry's ass.
He's about to beat Sawyer's high score on Donkey Kong
Jack hears this from outside and demands Locke tell him the combination. Locke thinks this has to happen and Jack forces him to tell. You can hear the beep of the counter counting down and it warns that there's only a minute. Jack won't let him go unless he opens the door. Locke wonders if Jack would risk everyone's lives. Jack doesn't think anything would happen anyway. At less then thirty seconds Locke opens the door and runs to push the button. He gets there right as it hits "0". The tiles of the counter go red and flick to what I can make out is some sort of knife looking like thing, a bird, and an upside down walking stick. It's a few tense moments until Locke hits the final key and it resets back to "108:00". We're not too sure if this affected anything. Jack pulls Sayid out of the room. Henry looks at him with one evil ass look.
Hieroglyphics?
Later Jack questions Sayid and wonders what the hell that was about. Sayid tells him he knows Henry is one of them. Jack says that Rousseau also thought Sayid was one of them as well. Locke says that to her he was. That everyone is an Other to her.
"One day, there will be something you need to know."
In Iraq Sayid and the Americans are traveling by caravan. The commanding officer is looking at a picture. He asks Sayid if he has a wife and kids and Sayid says no. The commanding officer looks down at the picture and it's KATE!!! This guy is Kate's dad! The trucks stop and they get Sayid out and the American approaches him. He tells him that the war is over and they're letting him go. The American says that it's good he has new skills. Torturing skills. He says that one day they'll be a time when he needs to know something and this is how he'll get it out of the person. Ain't that the truth. He then hands Sayid about six or seven hundred American dollars and they take off. Next time we see Sayid he's living in a mansion in Bagdad.
Little Kate!
Sayid is on the beach with Charlie, Lord only knows why. Anyway, he tells Charlie about the man in the hatch and beating him. Charlie wants to know why he's telling him. Us too Charlie. Sayid says that Jack wants to know how he knows Henry is one of the Others. He says that he just knows, because Jack and Locke have forgotten. They've forgotten that Charlie was strung up by his neck and that Claire was taken. He says that they're merciless and can take any of them when they choose. He wonders of Charlie's forgotten. I don't think he has either.
