2.13 The Long Con

Jack has decided to move his stash of guns into the gun locker. He and Locke discuss the heroin statues that are stored there too. Jack asks Locke for the combination, which Locke gives up somewhat grudgingly. Locke also suggests that Jack store the medicine in the locker.

Charlie has moved a small structure away from the others, and is teased by Sawyer about being even more hated than him. Charlie says he should be more worried about Jack ransacking his tent. Sawyer confronts Jack, who is taking back medicine that Sawyer took from the hatch. Sawyer tells Jack to put the pills back, and he looks mighty serious, but Jack ignores them and takes them anyway. All he gets for now is a seriously dirty look at his back as he walks away.

In flashback, Sawyer is in bed with a woman when he realizes he is late for a meeting. His case opens as he hurries to leave, and bundles of cash fall out. But the woman is aware she was going to be swindled, and instead, she asks Sawyer to teach her how to con people.

Kate brings Sawyer a magazine titled ‘Elegant’. Sawyer lost his glasses on the raft so he asks Kate to read it to him. They discuss Locke moving down near Kate, with Sawyer introducing his usual sexual innuendo. Sawyer has also heard about Jack and Ana’s army; neither he nor Kate has been invited.

Sayid is angrily breaking coconuts. Hurley brings him news that Bernard is a dentist. Hurley also has brought the short wave radio that Bernard used to communicate with Boone. Sayid says it is a glorified walkie talkie and is of no use. He apparently is still depressed from Shannon’s death and is just going through the motions of life for now.

Ana finds out that Jack got the combination from Locke. She asks Jack to share it with her, and when he just stares at her, she says she was kidding.

Sun is working in her garden when she hears rustling noises. Vincent emerges from the jungle, giving her a brief fright, and then disappears. Rain falls heavily. Suddenly, a hood is pulled over her head and she is dragged away.

Sawyer scoots into his shelter to avoid the rain. He and Kate hear Sun’s cries. They run into the jungle and find her, bashed but alive. Kate runs to get Jack and Sawyer carries her to the beach. Jack examines her. Kate says Sun’s hands were tied – Ana simply says, "They’re back."

Kate, Jack, Ana, Sawyer, and Locke discuss what to do. Ana wants to search the area with guns. Locke says they are more likely to shoot themselves if they do that. Jack says that they should wait for Sun to wake up and tell them what happened, and then they are going to do something about it.

Kate and Sawyer take a look around the area where it happened. They find the hood, but it doesn’t match the one used by the Others on Kate. Sawyer thinks Ana has done it to convince people to join the army.

In flashback, Sawyer’s former mark helps him con a couple of guys into buying some worthless jewelry.

Jack tells Jin that Sun is strong and getting better. Kate tells Jack about her concerns that Ana bashed Sun. Jack just ignores her.

Ana tells Jack that a few more people are interested in joining the army after what happened to Sun. Jacks asks Ana where she was during the rainstorm, but he is interrupted by Claire’s news that Sun is awake. Sun did not see who did it or how many did it. Jin is agitated and wants "gun." Kate and Ana exchange looks, and Kate tells Sawyer that this whole thing is a ploy for Ana to get the guns. Kate asks Sawyer to go tell Locke that they are coming.

In flashback, Sawyer’s mark Cassie wants to do a big con, a long con. Sawyer needs money for that and Cassie has 600 thousand dollars.

Sawyer tells Locke that Jack and others in the camp are on the way to arm up and take a posse to look for Sun’s attackers. Locke decides to move the guns, and he asks Sawyer to man the hatch.

In flashback, Sawyer is at a diner, meeting with his buddy to tell him that his 600 grand mark is all lined up. Sawyer says he won’t do it, but his buddy tells him he is a conman and must go through with it.

Jack arrives at the hatch to find Sawyer at the console and the guns (and heroin statues) missing from the gun locker.

It is evening, and Jack finds Locke at a beach campfire. Locke says he moved the guns because Jack was about to violate their agreement. Jack repeatedly asks Locke where the guns are. They are interrupted by gunfire. Sawyer emerges from the jungle, carrying a rifle. He has found and re-hid the guns, and now he has control of them. Sick of being bossed around by Jack and Locke, he has taken control of the situation and says that anyone who wants a gun has to see him.

In flashback, Sawyer tells Cassie that Gordy is waiting outside, ready to kill them both if Sawyer doesn’t deliver the 600 grand. Sawyer knew about the money from the start, and she was the long con. Sawyer gives her some of the money and tells her to get out of town, with the plan that he will meet her in a day.

Kate tells Sawyer he did what he did so he would be hated.

Sayid has modified the radio to receive signals. They pick up a radio station playing big band hits, but Sayid says it could be thousands of miles away.

Sawyer meets with Charlie. It was Charlie who followed Locke and found the gun location. Sawyer offers Charlie a statue, but he doesn’t want one. Charlie did it to make Locke look like a fool. Charlie also admits that he bashed Sun.

In flashback, Sawyer says goodbye to Cassie and leaves through the front door. The car that he said Gordy was in, waiting to kill them, is empty. He goes back in and takes the money, and leaves.

Sawyer tells Charlie that he’s not a good person.

Comments

You can feel that Locke is always a hair’s breath away from trying to take more control of every situation. For a moment, he acts like he is not going to share the gun locker combination with Jack, and he makes his decision to share it based on Jack still trusting him.

Sawyer’s convoluted plan to get the guns could only have been written, and could only have worked, on a television series. Let’s take a closer look. Sun is bashed on purpose so that people will want to get the guns out to get revenge. That’s a jump in itself. Locke doesn’t want the guns to get out, but up to now, he has not directly confronted Jack – he has always gone around his back. But this time, he does contradict Jack, and somehow Sawyer knew he would. Locke’s logical tactic would be to change the combination, but in this case, Locke says that will not work, because Jack will find a way to get into the armory. How will Jack get into the armory? If it is that easy for anyone to get into the armory, why bother locking the guns in there in the first place? And how did Charlie manage to follow Locke without Locke knowing about it? Just one episode ago, Charlie followed Locke and Locke knew he was there all the time. In short, this could be the moment when Lost starts to Jump the Shark.

Sawyer has a gun, but how is he going to sleep at night? Can’t someone take that gun away from him? I know he says he won’t tell where they are, even if he is tortured, but his life could be pretty bad if he is thrown in another pit and made to live there. Besides, couldn’t Locke or Kate follow his trail and find the guns that way? If he really wants to do something like this, he needs allies.

The revelation that Charlie would go so far as to bash Sun just to make Locke look bad made my stomach a little queasy.

Nits

Kate and Sawyer find the hood used on Sun, and Sawyer conclude that because it is a different color and weave than the one the Others used, that it was not the Others that attacked Sun. So now the Others have one brand of standard hemp hood that they use for every attack? What, is it written up in their Attack Specification Manual? C’mon, they’re a wild tribe! They could have a few different styles of hoods that they use.

Memorable Moments

• The background music as Jack and Sawyer face off about the missing guns

Quotable Quotes

Jack: John! The combination.
Locke: I’m willing to go ahead and assume that you’re asking me because you’re worried that I might fall off a cliff or something – that it would be irresponsible for just one of us to have access to this room, rather than this bein’ an issue of trust.
Jack: Well, there are a lot of cliffs on this island, John.
Locke: Alright, but I think we should agree, Jack, that if either of us need to open this door, we consult each other first.
Jack: Absolutely.
Locke: Right 7, left 33, right 18. You need to write it down?
Jack: Nope. I got it.
Locke: Alright. And Jack, you may want to consider lockin’ the medicine in here too.
Jack: Why would I need to do that?

"Even made Locke take a swing at ya! Hell, that’s like getting’ Ghandi to beat his kids!"
- Sawyer to Charlie

"Yeah, well, guess me and the doc are on the outs. One less Christmas card I’ll have to send this year."
- Sawyer to Kate

Kate: [gives ‘Elegant’ woman’s magazine] Maybe that’ll cheer you up. It’s from the hatch. I know you’re hard up for reading material.
Sawyer: Well, as much as I’d like to learn to feather my hair…

Ana: I got a couple more people interested in joining up.
Jack: Yeah, who?
Ana: Uh, the big guy who lives behind Sayid, and Scott.
Jack: You mean Steve. Scott’s dead.

Jack: [enters hatch control room] What are you doing here?
Sawyer: One second. I’m just this close to the high score on Donkey Kong.

"There’s a new sheriff in town, boys! Y’all best get used to it."
- Sawyer