S.O.S.
Original Airdate: April 12, 2006
Writers: Leonard Dick & Steven Maeda
Director: Eric Laneuville
Rose and Bernard are two interesting castaways as far as casting is concerned.  They are the only non-lead cast members to get any significant coverage on the show.  So it would make sense to eventually get flashback episodes for the recurring characters like them.  While the past between Rose and Bernard wasn't shocking, like they weren't professional assassins on one more hit before retirement, it is still another touching love story, which also tied into some of the recurring themes of Lost.
Some were caught off guard that Bernard was white, and it also worth noting that they met and married late in life (perhaps this was cheaper than hiring two more actors to play a young Bernard and Rose, which could've worked with a little revision).  It'd be interesting to know why Bernard remained a bachelor for 56 years, considering his motivations.
Bernard would probably get along very well with Jack if they had more scenes together.  He spends his time trying to save others, primarily his wife.  It starts mildly as he gets her car out of the snow and ice.  When he learns that she is terminally ill (presumably cancer), he can't let it go, so he takes her to Australia on their honeymoon so he can take her to a faith healer, going to the extreme of donating 10 grand to get there.
Rose on the other hand, is a person who prefers to go with the flow, letting fate take her wherever it may.  If she is to die of cancer (we assume), so be it.  Similarly, if she's stranded on an island, which somehow cures her, that's fine.  She only intervenes because she doesn't want to be rescued now, partially out of fear of the sickness coming back, and because she doesn't think she's done what she was put there for.  The way she sees destiny is the opposite of Locke's, who believes that it must be pursued aggressively to obtain.
It is interesting that Rose knew of Locke's handicap before the flight, yet never mentioned it to anyone before now.  Along with "The Whole Truth" (assuming it is Jin's baby), the writers are reexamining the concept of the island being able to heal those on it.  Perhaps this reiteration is setting us up for a detailed exploration in the future. Isaac, while trying to "heal" Rose, mentioned that the magnetism of that particular area in Australia was special.  We know that the magnetism on the island is special too.  Although not everyone was healed, as is the case with Hurley's mental illness (it's unclear about Libby).
Bernard makes some great points in this episode, but the way he handles some of them is problematic.  The survivors have gotten awfully comfortable on the island, building things like food pantries and a church.  No one is doing anything to get them rescued.  While not building another raft makes sense with the possibility of The Others attacking it high, an S.O.S. signal on the beach, in addition to the campfires they have, is a good idea.  However, Bernard needs to work on his people skills.  While he clearly loves Rose and wants to get her back home, he lets that eagerness get the best of him and fights with everyone, all of whom have passive interest in the project.
Bernard also questions the food, something no one else has done.  Considering the food is packaged with Dharma labels and names ("Fish Crackers" substituting for Goldfish in the last episode), it wouldn't be hard to believe that the food has been tampered with somehow.  Everything has the code "DI 9FFTR731" on it.  DI obviously stands for Dharma Initiative.  The middle is hard to tell.  The tag, 731, could refer to Unit 731, a Japanese medical group that focused on Human Experimentation during World War II.  The 731 were also used as a part of The X-Files mythology.
It isn't surprising that what Eko and Charlie are working together on is a church, with Eko's epiphany with the monster and discovering his brother.  Charlie helping is interesting, and plays along the Eko/Locke dynamic well.  Locke was valuable in helping Charlie kick his heroin, but Charlie's recent behavior, along with Locke's crisis of faith, caused them to fall out.  Now it seems that Charlie is pursuing some type of redemption via helping Eko.  It'll be interesting to see if more people go on his side and how it compares to Locke last season with Charlie, Boone and Walt.
"Henry" has declared all out war on Locke through subtle manipulation.  His vow of silence is really getting to Locke following last episode's "this hatch is a joke" exchange.  It's unknown why "Henry" wants Locke to believe that the hatch is nonsense, but it is working.  "Henry" breaks Locke to the point where he declares that he's "done with the hatch".  Could anyone imagine the Locke of season one saying that?
Unfortunately, the blast door map, his sign to set him straight, was only shown to him for a few seconds in less than ideal conditions.  He can still recall some of it, but obviously, there are going to be a lot of missing pieces.  Despite his best guesses, he can't figure out how to drop that door and turn on the black lights again for a closer look.  It would make sense for them to start mapping the island, using what Locke can remember alongside Rousseau's map.
Since "Henry" isn't worth keeping around, Jack's right in attempting to try to get The Others to trade him for Walt.  It also places Jack in a position with Kate again, where they can finally talk about things like the kiss and "Henry".  Kate has been out of Jack's good graces for some time lately.  If this were season one, Kate would have told Jack about The Staff hatch and Jack would've mentioned "Henry".  Of course, open communication about all the weird things they encounter is best for the group, as it'll help them compare notes as to what is really happening.
However, this hasn't affected their chemistry, exemplified when Jack and Kate get caught in that net.  I think most of the guys I regularly watch Lost with wouldn't mind trading places with Matthew Fox in this scene.  The tension is palpable, as they have to maneuver their hands close to each other's body, and when they get free they fall on top of each other.
Despite the trust issues they have, Jack seems to still be willing to pursue some type of relationship with Kate, as he expressed no remorse over the kiss.  Jack probably never invited Sayid, who I seriously doubt wouldn't want to be involved in some action against The Others, and instead used this alone time to hash out the problems they've faced recently.  Of course, once Michael stumbles in, such conversations are moot.
Throwing Michael back into the fold sets up the final act even further.  There isn't much to go on from his brief appearance.  It's unknown if he managed to scout The Others effectively or if they captured him. If The Others had him, what did they do and why didn't they come out and confront Jack about the trade?  Clearly there is a lot to be answered, since he was gone for so long.  Whatever happened will certainly play a big role in the final episodes.
This episode, while touching on some recurring elements of Lost, feels like the calm before the storm.  Michael's return is certainly going to make things interesting, as it appears things with the Others are going to reach a head by the end of the season.
Score: 8/10
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