"The Last Recruit" (Season 6, Episode 13)

This was one of those episodes that felt like so much happened, but upon review, not much did in the way of moving the story along. I'm sure it's laying the groundwork for what's to come in these final episodes. It was intriguing to see how many characters could cross paths in the alternate time line.

Best Line

• ". . .And that pilot who looks like he stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie." Sawyer's description of Lapidus.
  

Did You Notice? - 2004 Parallel Time Line

• The name tag of the paramedic working on Locke in the rescue squad is Simon Holt. This is also the name of the author of a young reader horror novel, The Devouring. The plot tells of the Vours, black smoke-like beings that possess humans who can't conquer their fear. Sound familiar?
  
• The EMT who wheels Sun into the hospital is played by Todd Coolidge, who also played the paramedic who wheeled Desmond into the hospital after he was shot by Ben in the original time line in the episode “The Variable".
• I believe Sun's near-death experience from the gun shot allowed her to remember and recognize Locke (or UnLocke).
• I was reminded of Adam and Eve when Sawyer offered Kate the apple in the police station. Was this the writers' way of hinting that the Adam and Eve skeletons will turn out to be them? Sawyer and Kate weren't even one of the options in my last survey! If they had been, would they have received any votes unlike Sawyer and Juliet?
• Kate is adamant she is not a murderer. She has said this before (to Claire) in the alternate time line. I'll be curious to see what really happened to make her a wanted woman.
• Now we know why Sawyer, a police detective, didn't do anything when he encountered the hand-cuffed Kate in the airport elevator. He would have had to explain his trip to Australia. If you remember, he had told everyone he had gone to Palm Springs.
• Ilana’s law firm is Sweetzer and Verdansky (her last name). In “Happily Ever After," Penny made a date with Desmond at a coffee shop on the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer.
• We are once again teased with the identity of David's mother as Jack talks to her on his cell phone. I'm thinking she will be revealed when she comes to the hospital to pick up David. My money's still on Juliet.
• Jack's reaction to learning Claire is his father's daughter was similar to him learning this from Claire's mother at Christian's funeral when the Oceanic 6 returned to Los Angeles.
• When Jack see’s Locke’s x-ray, he notes that the dural sac is obliterated. In the series pilot, Jack told Kate a story of how he once accidentally ripped a patient’s dural sac to explain to her how to control her fear, a story that was explained in the season 5 finale.
• Our weekly mirror moment is back! It occurred when Jack, before beginning the surgery, looked down at the operating bed's mirror and saw first his face, then Locke's.
  

Did You Notice? - 2007 Island Time Line

• Another mystery solved: Jack's dad, Christian, on the island was really the Man in Black impersonating him. That is if you can believe UnLocke.
• The Man in Black was really bashing John Locke to Jack. Makes you wonder if he was laying it on too thick.
• I like that Sawyer knows the Star Wars jargon of "going over to the Dark Side" but never heard of Anakin (Darth Vader's alter ego for the uninitiated).
• Well, now we know what UnLocke's stick is for: smashing walkie-talkies. I got the sense when UnLocke looked at the device, he had no concept of the technology.
• Sawyer tells Jack that Sayid is a zombie, not the first time there has been a reference to these undead creatures.
• The sail boat is Desmond's. If you remember, it was given to him by Libby for his around-the-world race. This is why it is named Elizabeth.
• So do you believe Sayid followed through on UnLocke's request to kill Desmond? I don't. That Desmond is good at convincing.
• I didn't hear Zoe say into her walkie-talkie to turn off the sonic fence until I re-watched this episode, so I had a moment when I thought Jin and Sun's reunion might be short-lived as they ran to each other.
• "I love you" were Sun's first words since she lost the ability to speak English. I thought the moment was ruined though by Lapidius' unnecessary need to point out (to the viewers) that she'd found her voice. Yeah, we get it. The power of love.
• Why has Widmore changed his mind and reneged on his deal with Sawyer?
• If you watch closely, the first explosion that throws Jack in the air leaves UnLocke standing unscathed.
• I presume the title of "Last Recruit" refers to Jack now being with UnLocke.
  

The Numbers - 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 16 23 42 108

• Sawyer describes Zoe to Hurley as Widmore's number 2.
• The adoption agency and Ilana's law firm are both on the 15th floor.
  
• Sawyer explains that for 3 years, the Dharma folk came and went from the island by sub.
• Jack tells David's mom that he will have him home by 5 o'clock.
  

Previews
You probably couldn't tell from the previews, but next week is a repeat (the only one of the season). It is the episode with Richard's back story. I believe they are doing this to allow the finale on Sunday, May 23, to fall during the important ratings sweeps period. I'll be blogging again in two weeks. See you then!