Lost in the Vines: Enter 77

We delved deeper into the Sayid's morally checkered past and discovered a new hatch with a mysterious resident, along with yet another message from the DHARMA Initiative that sheds light on how they relate to the Others.

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Locke, Sayid and Kate investigate a strange structure and its mysterious inhabitant. Meanwhile, Sawyer competes in a ping-pong competition to get back his belongings.

Note: "Lost in the Vines" is made for discussion of the series "Lost" on ABC. As such, here be spoilers! We talk frankly about the events of the night, speculate about future events, and so on. Read no further if you don't want spoilers.

Flashback: Sayid

The Big Reveal: The eyepatch man is Mikhail, purportedly a survivor of "the purge" and resident of the Flame hatch for the last eleven years. The DHARMA Initiative knew about the presence of people on the island and prepared contingencies when creating hatches.

Summary:

(Flashbacks are in Italicized text)

Sawyer walks along the beach alone, finding the survivors carrying a ping pong table. Hurley explains that Jin found it, and that it must be from the hatch explosion. Hurley asks around about needing a ball, while Sawyer finds Paulo carrying his magazine. Paulo says they share things now and Sawyer gets upset for a moment, then brushing him off and telling him to keep it.

Sayid, Locke, Kate and Danielle walk through the jungle and pause for food. Sayid checks his compass to assure they're still on course, but doesn't seem confident about following a bearing from Eko's stick. Locke says it's the only bearing they've got, and Sayid - frustrated - leaves to find some food. He gathers fruit in the midst of the jungle and hears a noise coming from within a thicket. Picking up his gun, he walks towards the noise and finds a cow chewing on the greenery. Someone whistles, and the cow walks away towards a barn structure with an antenna, complete with another cow and a horse. There, we see the man with the eyepatch, tending to the animals.

Sawyer walks to some of the survivors and presents them with a ping pong ball, but says before he gives it to them he wants what is his. Nikki says it wasn't his to begin with, and he asks who the hell she is. He offers to play a ping pong tournament to win his stuff back. Hurley asks what will happen if he loses; he says he won't, but if he does, they can name the conditions. Sun suggests that he stops giving anyone nicknames for a week. Sawyer says they're on and tells them to pick a player.

Sayid and the others look at the barn, and Sayid claims it's completely isolated. Sayid asks Danielle about the radio tower and she claims she's never been before. Sayid explains to Kate that he saw the eyepatch man in the video feed while in the Pearl station, and claims there's only one way to find out more information: ask him. Danielle leaves the group, saying she's survived by avoiding these types of situations, and Sayid sneaks towards the barn.

Sayid works in a restaurant under a false name, and is told a man needs to talk to him. He goes to speak to the customer, who asks if he cooked his meal. Sayid affirms and the man, Sami, says it was delicious. Sayid takes a seat at Sami's urging, who knows he is an Iraqi. Sayid asks what he wants and Sami says he has a restaurant he'd like to hire him for, for twice the pay. Sayid asks why, and Sami replies that they're outsiders, and his chef just quit.

Sayid walks towards the barn, arms raised in surrender, seeing a horse and focusing on a gray cat. Suddenly, he's shot. The man in the eyepatch yells at him about crossing the line, about how they had a truce. Sayid explains who he is and says he's unarmed, and the man tells him to stay as he comes out to him; but as he does, Kate and Locke advance and disarm him. The man asks if Sayid really crashed here, and he affirms they did. He identifies himself as Mikhail Bakunin, the last living member of the DHARMA Initiative.

Mikhail and Kate help Sayid into the barn and Sayid asks if he has experience with gunshot wounds. Mikhail says he was in Afghanistan and had experience in the Russian army. He tells Kate to go get a medical kit and she reluctantly does so. Mikhail starts to patch his wounds while talking about the DHARMA Initiative. Locke and Kate look around the barn.

Mikhail explains that after his service in the Cold War, he was dismissed from the military and wanted to do something meaningful, so he replied to an advertisement that asked if he wanted to save the world. He says he's been on the island for 11 years now, and he likes being alone here like a lighthouse keeper. He says they call this hatch "The Flame." Sayid asks for the purpose of it, and Mikhail tells him it is to communicate with the outside world.

Locke finds a computer asking if he's ready to play. He hits the yes key and finds a computer chess game, beginning to play it.

Mikhail explains that there was a purge on the island, and he refused to participate, which kept him alive. After it was over, four men appeared and told him not to cross a line in order to be left alone. Kate asks why they weren't interested in the satellite, and he explains that it hasn't worked for years. Sayid asks what the hostiles wanted, and Mikhail claims that whoever they were, they were there for a very long time.

Sayid walks into a restaurant looking for Sami, and the two cordially greet. Sami introduces his wife, Amira, and Sayid notices injuries on her wrist. Sami's men grab Sayid and he asks his wife if she's sure it is him; Amira says yes, and the men begin to beat Sayid brutally.

Mikhail continues to patch Sayid's wounds, and yells at one of his pet cats to behave for Sayid as it paws at a rug. He finishes stitching Sayid and asks if he would like some iced tea, and goes to check on Locke. Locke continues with his game of Chess, and Mikhail says not to bother; for 10 years he's been trying to beat the computer and never has, as it was designed by three grandmasters. Mikhail also says they cheat. Locke says computers don't know how to cheat, as that's what makes humans distinct.

Kate says Mikhail doesn't make sense, the fact that the Others are letting him stay. Sayid says it makes perfect sense because he's not DHARMA, and is instead an Other. Kate asks why they're still sitting there, and Sayid replies that he is not alone.

Hurley comes to challenge Sayid and asks if there will be a mercy rule; if one person is winning by a large margin they automatically win. Hurley takes the first serve, easily volleying and scoring a point. One-nothing, he says.

Mikhail brings tea to Kate and Sayid, and Sayid asks about the wires all over the station. Mikhail says the wires lead to various stations, including one wire to an ocean beacon that guides in vessels. Sayid realizes that's how they were able to capture his sailboat, but it was lost to the hostiles. Mikhail calls it unfortunate, and Sayid replies that they were at least able to kill one of them. Mikhail then asks why they're playing the game, and proceeds to fight Sayid. Sayid fends him off, and Kate kicks him down and trains a gun on him. Sayid tells her to get some rope.

Sayid waits in a small refrigerated room and Sami walks in with some metal objects in a bag and a small bowl of water for him to drink. He asks if Sayid was a torturer in the Republican Guard, and if he doesn't recognize one of his victims. Sayid claims he's never seen her, and that Sami has him confused with someone else. Sami explains that Amira was arrested for harboring an enemy of the state, and was held and tortured for three months. Sami says he is not confused, and calls him by a different name. Sayid tells Sami his real name and comments that he was an interrogator but that he didn't torture that woman. Sami says she remembers his face so well that she recognized it from a short glimpse as she walked by the restaurant that he was working. Sayid asks what Sami wants, and he simply replies that he wants him to admit what he did. Otherwise, he will leave the room in the bag.

Kate, Sayid and Locke tie up Mikhail, and Sayid explains that the stirrups outside are set for someone shorter than him, so he's not alone. Sayid claims Mikhail was sent because they lost communications. Locke comments that they've searched every nook and cranny, but Sayid flips up the carpet that Mikhail's cat was pawing at, finding a hatch.

Sami walks into Sayid's room again with Amira looking on. This time, he carries a metal rod, but Sayid insists he's been telling him the truth. Sami beats him, accusing him again of torture. Sayid persists, and asks if he thinks this will force him to confess to something he didn't do. Sami replies that his wife confessed to something she didn't do when oil was poured over her arm, but Sayid maintains his claim. Amira stops her husband before the torture escalates further, and Sami says he will see Sayid again tomorrow.

Sayid and Kate walk down the hatch as Locke looks after Mikhail's unconscious body, distracted by beeping of the chess game. Sayid sees C4 explosive wired throughout the structure's base, but isn't sure why. Locke walks again to the constantly chirping chess game and continues to play. Sayid finds a set of DHARMA folders with various manuals. Locke continues to play chess, finally winning.

Suddenly, a video of Marvin Candle appears offering various options. Locke enters 38 for mainland communication, and the video explains the satellite is down. After further instructions, Locke then enters 56 for sonar access. The video says sonar is down as well, then instructs that if there has been action by the hostiles, to enter 77. Locke nearly does, but is interrupted by Mikhail carrying a knife to his throat.

Kate continues to look around, and is tackled by Ms. Klugh. Sayid stops her with a gun to her head, and Kate hits her, identifying her as an Other. Sayid asks if there are any more of them here as he points the gun to her chest, then grabs her to take her upstairs, yelling to Locke to warn him. When they arrive up, he yells for Locke and finds him outside with Mikhail holding a gun to his head. Mikhail offers a trade of the two hostages, but Locke says not to listen because he won't kill him. Klugh yells to Mikhail in Russian and the two have a long exchange until finally Mikhail turns the gun on Klugh and shoots her. Locke pushes Mikhail to the ground and Sayid holds the gun to him; the Russian requests death.

Sawyer cleans his glasses on the beach and Hurley comes to apologize for beating him so bad. Sawyer accuses him of hustling, and Hurley says his mom had a table in the basement and almost reveals that he was in an institution. Sawyer asks what he wants, and Hurley says he came to give him some of his stuff, because he's the kind of guy that needs stuff. Sawyer asks if he's a shrink now, and Hurley assures him that Kate will be alright. Sawyer calls him by a nickname, but Hurley admonishes him for it as per the bet. Sawyer walks away angrily.

Locke watches the video again. Sayid walks outside with Mikhail, calling for Danielle. He asks if Mikhail was ever a member for DHARMA, and Mikhail says that was a lie but everything else was true about moving there after the purge. Danielle comes and holds Mikhail at gunpoint. Mikhail says there is nothing they can do to make him go there, and Sayid says that he never said he was their ticket to the Others. He brings out a map of the island, tracking the electrical routes to the Others' village. Mikhail threatens him for someday when his guard is down, and Danielle agrees that they should kill him, asking why Sayid is keeping him alive.

Amira enters and speaks to Sayid, stroking a familiar gray cat. She explains that she witnessed the cat being tortured by local children, and she rescued it. She says the cat is with her everywhere, purring, but that sometimes the cat will still bite or scratch because he forgets that he is safe. She says she forgives him when he bites because she knows what it is like to be unsafe... because of Sayid. She asks him to show her the respect of acknowledging what he did. Sayid finally says that he remembers her, and that her face has haunted him for years. They both begin to cry, and he apologizes for what he did to her. She holds back the tears long enough to forgive him, and that when her husband returns she will claim she made a mistake release him. Sayid asks why she's letting him go, and Amira explains that they are all capable of doing what the children did to her cat, but she will not be that person.

Sayid regards Mikhail to Danielle's urging for his death. He refuses, and says Mikhail is his prisoner, and he will decide his fate. Locke approaches, and Sayid says he didn't find anything. Locke says he just played the chess game again, and realized why Mikhail didn't want him to beat it. Suddenly, the building explodes in a burst of flame. Sayid asks why he did that, and Locke explains the message from the video and that he hit the number 77. Sayid encourages them to leave before the explosion attracts attention. As the survivors head away, Sayid sees the gray cat once again and turns away.

The Big Questions:

Did the DHARMA Initiative know about the Others? What did they plan for them?

Where did Mikhail come from? Was he taken to the island by DHARMA, the Others, or some other method?

Did Mikhail really abandon the Others during the "purge" and start living in the Flame at that point?

How do Ms. Klugh and Mikhail relate to each other? How does Ms. Klugh speak Russian?

What was Ms. Klugh doing in the basement of the Flame?

If a member of the Others, what is Mikhail's job and why was he sent to the Flame?

What was the cause of the purge, and who were the two warring factions?

Did Sayid really torture Amira, or did he make a false confession?

Was Amira's cat the same one as on the island or a vision (like Kate's horse)?

Answered Questions:

Why are the Others staying on the island?

If Mikhail is telling the truth, they feel they have the right to. They were always there (for at least this generation) and, as they aren't members of DHARMA, they feel their land was being intruded upon.

What was the hatch that the eyepatch man was in?

The Flame.

Who is the one-eyed man?

Mikhail, obviously.

Will Danielle help Kate retrieve Jack?

She certainly seems to have plans to.

Next, on Lost:

Claire becomes suspicious of Charlie when he exhibits peculiar behavior after she comes up with an idea that could get everybody rescued. Meanwhile, tensions mount between Sayid and Locke as they continue their trek to rescue Jack.

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