Karen is captured by a member of the Phoenix Group, and John attempts to find her before she is killed. But what do they want from John and will they tell him?

This is an episode that really opens up the series by killing one of the series regulars and another recurring character. For Karen, it seems her demise has been a long time coming simply because she's been next to useless for most of the season. On this level, it's a shame that she's taken out of the running because we haven't really invested very much in the character yet. What it does do is give John a more proactive attitude towards those who take and kill her, which should push the story forward more. When he discovers that she is being held on Horseshoe Island, his shout to those who know who he is beautifully delivered and suitably heartfelt from Dominic Purcell. The only problem with it all is that because Karen is found dead, there's little explanation of why the Phoenix Group believes she is especially significant and there's not a lot more in the episode.

The other main section sees John picked up by a branch of the NSA and asked to scratch their back in exchange for help finding Karen. Again, there could be more explanation here; why is the NSA interested in the Phoenix Group? Exactly who are they? And considering John's current mission, it seems oddly callous to try to get him to play ball in such stressful circumstances. Why not ask him for assistance one day at his home rather than kidnapping him? It's not the best way to gain help. That said, the way John escapes them, by simply feigning ignorance of everything except a few useless facts is hilarious and serves them right. It's a shame that as little is accomplished, it comes across as showing John having his time wasted in an attempt to waste a bit of time in the story.

The more interesting aspect is at the very end, when the woman we thought dead who knew about John turns up critically injured in hospital and asks for John. The series is made significantly more intriguing by learning that John is the Phoenix the group is after, and then transferring our attentions to Rome where the missing staff the Group is seeking can be located. But what exactly is going on here? Who is John? The Phoenix motif suggests someone rising from ashes, and Rome suggests a religious connection: could John be the Second Coming? Just another question to add to the many others this series has given us so far…

****

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