“Left Behind” (A Katecentric Episode)

[spicedogs]

 

This episode was a display of the many ways Kate was left behind. Although Kate is not my favorite character, because I just can’t empathize with her, I found that in this episode, I actually felt sorry for her.

The Flashback

Most of the time, I find Kate to be an annoying character that always makes the worst choices ever. However, watching this episode I learned that Kate is loyal to those she loves and will do anything for them, even murder.

 Kate’s loyalty was apparent with her relationship with her mother. Her mother was abused by her stepfather (who in reality was her biological father). Kate decided to help her mother escape the abuse and set her off financially. She took out an insurance policy on their house, set the house on fire, making it look like it was an accident. Kate, however, didn’t think that her mother would put her husband above her own child and call the authorities on her daughter. Kate couldn’t understand that her mother was happy with her life, despite the abuse she was experiencing. 

 Throughout the episodes of LOST, we always come across that most, it not all, of the characters have deep father issues. Kate, so far, is the only one to, not only have father issues, but also mother issues. She is truly left behind.

The Beach

Meanwhile at the beach, Sawyer is being threatened that he might be kicked out the clan if he doesn’t mend his ways. I guess, that’s another form of being left behind. Sawyer tries his best to mend his ways and then he finds out that it was a cute con made up by Hurley, who felt that the only one left to lead the castaways with all the other leaders gone was Sawyer. I question what will happen once Jack, Kate, and Sayid come back with Juliet. Will Sawyer still be the leader or will Jack reclaim his post?

The Others

In this episode we learn that the Others left their little village with John Locke, leaving Jack, Sayid, Kate, and Juliet to fend for themselves. My question is as follows: Was Juliet really left behind? Why wasn’t she in the compound with Jack and Sayid? Why was she handcuffed to Kate in the middle of the jungle?

When Kate asked the same question, Juliet replied that Ben loved mind games. Was this Ben’s idea? Juliet certainly did make it sound that she was left behind and Ben was playing with her and Kate’s mind. However, I think that the only mind Ben was playing with was Kate’s.

 Ben didn’t take in consideration that the smoke monster would appear suddenly. Juliet, who at first feigned ignorance of the smoke monster, certainly knew how to defend herself from it. She ran right towards the pylons, set it to work, and watched the monster slink away. This was the first lie she was caught in.

 In order to escape the monster, Juliet had to have Kate’s cooperation, who at the time was not willing to run in the direction that Juliet wanted to go to. So Kate took the key to the handcuff and set herself free. Juliet was caught in the second lie told: Juliet was not handcuffed to Kate unwillingly. Either she (as she claimed to Kate) did the handcuffing, or Ben was the culprit or even the mastermind.

 For someone who was left behind, Juliet certainly knew where Sayid and Jack were left when the Others left the village. Sayid, who, in my opinion, is the only one aware of any danger, of any question that need to be asked, and of any precaution to take did not want to have Juliet come back to the beach with them. Jack was adamant. Juliet was left behind, she would come with them. Juliet and Jack, walked in the front together, Kate was left behind with Sayid.

What the Episode Had to Offer

We got to meet Cassidy (Sawyer's girlfriend who gave birth to his daughter Clementine). Cassidy and Kate crossed paths. Kate helped Cassidy in a con that was going bad, and, in turn, Cassidy helped Kate meet with her mother for the last time. The male audience got to have girl fights, girl mud wrestling.  We learned why Kate's mother yelled for help when she was dying in the hospital of cancer. All in all it was an OK episode.

 

 

Next Week

Next week, we will be shown “One of Us,” which will be a Julietcentric episode. Hopefully, we will learn whether Juliet is a plant or was actually left behind by her people.

 

Source for the screen captures: lost-media.com