Episode 15Maternity LeaveThis has probably been the only episode in which the flashback sequence has been better than what’s going on on the island, and I would state that wholeheartedly… except for the Henry Gale factor. Mr Henry Gale’s claws have sharpened… but more on that later.
Claire… I’m not sure what I think about her, to be honest. I’ve never really had an opinion on her – except when it came to Charlie’s feelings about her (which I thought was very sweet initially, now I think its just freaky). Her back-story is fascinating though, or at least the bit with the crazy fortune-teller guy is fascinating. It seems that Claire is actually one of the “normal” folk on the island.
No mental institutions, no drug addictions, no history of being a torturer, murderer, etc etc. She’s actually a bit boring, if you think about it. Which is why I was totally blown away by this recollection of hers. I always knew that when we finally find out what happened to her when she was kidnapped would be awesome, but this exceeds my expectations.
Most of Claire’s flashbacks occur as she and Kate and Danielle scour the jungle, looking for the place that she has been held captive. Little Aaron’s developed a rash, and Claire is really worried. While Locke sprints off to get Jack from the hatch. While he’s away, Danielle appears, and tells Claire that Aaron’s been infected. She also asks Claire if she doesn’t remember. At that moment, Claire has a very quick montage of flashbacks, each lasting no longer than a few seconds. All I can remember is a large needle!
So, even though Jack gives Aaron a check-up and states that he’s alright, Claire is not happy. She says that Danielle told her that Aaron’s infected. Yes, if anyone knows what’s wrong with the baby, the crazy lady does. Kate and Claire convince Libby to help Claire regain her memories.
When her first flashback came on I assumed two things. The first was that this was pre-crash because Claire looked calm and happy. But then it struck me that Claire has
never looked calm nor happy during her pregnancy!! The second assumption I made was that the doctor would be Henry Gale.
Whoa! Not for a moment did I even imagine that it would be Ethan!! Claire was obviously drugged. She looked way too happy and giggly for someone who had been kidnapped. Ethan injects her belly with what he claims is a vaccine.
Later he takes her to a room that turns out to be a nursery. While in the nursery, he speaks to someone... who I am positive is Zeke from an earlier episode.
Zeke tells Ethan he is unhappy that Claire was brought to the facility as the list had not been prepared, and that a higher authority (referred to only as ‘he') will not be pleased. Ethan tells Zeke that the survivors had a passenger manifest and knew that he was not on the plane.
Back in present time, Claire decides that she needs to find Danielle, as Danielle knows the location of this place she was held. Kate speaks to Sawyer about a gun, and amazingly, he hands one over without much of an ass. Claire leaves Aaron with Sun and goes off with Kate into the jungle.
Danielle finds them, but doesn’t know where Claire was held captive. She gets a bit upset, does Danielle. Claire notices a tree stump that triggers another memory.
She and Ethan are walking out in the jungle and they sit on the stump to rest. Ethan looks a bit taken with Claire, and tells her that he will miss her when she’s gone. When Claire wants to know why she can’t stay with her baby, he tells her that they have been through all of this before…that she has a choice in the matter, and that they are good people.
In present time, Claire is frantically searching the jungle for the enclosure and they stumble across another hatch. It has the Dharma logo on it, but the symbol is different from Des’s hatch. The hatch is quite abandoned, but Claire finds the room that was to be Aaron’s nursery. Kate, on the other hand, does some exploring of her own and finds a set of clothes, some theatrical glue and a beard! Zeke’s beard, if I am not mistaken!
These Others are way more intelligent than I have given them credit! The clothes… hmmm… they are not some jungle people like I have been assuming all this time. It’s a clever disguise.
Claire meanwhile finds the fridge in which the vaccine was located, but it’s empty. She has another recollection – a young woman who wakes her, and begs her to run away. The teen tells Claire that they are preparing to “cut the baby” from her and kill her.
Back in the jungle, a despondent Claire and gang make their way back to camp. Claire has her final recollection – that Danielle helped her escape, and was not planning on taking her back to Ethan. She asks Danielle if her baby had been a girl, and when Danielle replied that it was a girl, Claire tells her about the young teen who helped her escaped.
The teen (let’s call her Alex) even looks like Danielle. Awww. Poor Danielle. Now they have got us feeling sorry for Danielle as well… Anyway, Claire returns to camp and has a conversation with little Aaron, who is as cute as a button. She tells him that she now knows that they are meant to be together and that they need to look after each other.
Meanwhile, in other island news, Henry Gale is still prisoner and Locke gives him some reading material. “What. No Stephen King” remarks Henry Gale. That’s all we need…a whacko reading Stephen King! Outside Henry Gale’s room, Locke tells Jack that Ernest Hemmingway wanted to be the greatest writer in the world, but felt that he could never escape being in the shadow of Dostoevsky (Dostoevsky being the author of the book that Locke’s just handed Henry Gale).
Eko wishes to speak to Henry Gale. When Jack wants to know why he should let Eko visit Henry Gale, Eko remarks “You want this to remain a secret”. Amazing how quick people are to blackmail each other on this island!
Eko visits Henry Gale, who simply looks alarmed at the sight of Eko. Eko tells Henry Gale the story of how he had been dragged away on the first night, and how he killed the two people who took him. Henry Gale, at this stage, was probably preparing himself for another beating.
Henry Gale asks why Eko is telling him, and Eko replies that he had to tell someone. Eko then cuts the two twirly-wirly knots out of his beard and leaves. It is implied that he is cutting the knots both as a sacrifice to atone for his sins, and as a warning to Henry that he will do what is necessary with faith that he may ask forgiveness later.
The best moment is yet to come however. Locke brings Henry Gale something to eat, and Henry Gale brings up the conversation between Jack & Locke about Hemmingway. Henry Gale asks Locke who he relates to more – Hemmingway or Dostoevsky, but Locke has no answer. As Locke is leaving, he asks Locke, why Locke allows Jack to call the shots!
Hooooo Boy!! Outside the armory, Locke decides that the best way to finish the dishes is to sweep them off the counter and onto the floor in a rage. Inside the armory, Henry lifts his head, and smiles. I guess he can't believe that his completely transparent manipulation suckered Locke, who should really be way too smart to fall for it.
