4.8 Meet Kevin Johnson

On the island:

Locke brings Miles to a meeting of all, and explains why Miles and his gang are here – but everyone already seems to know that. Outside, Sawyer asks Locke why he didn’t tell about Miles 3.25 million dollar bribe. Locke didn’t think it was meaningful or possible, but Miles says Ben will find a way to survive. To prove it, he points to how well Ben has done so far: one minute – locked up. The next – eating dinner with everyone.

Ben takes a moment to give Alex a map to the Temple and ask her to please flee there for safety, and to take Karl and Danielle there to guide her. They all agree and head out. Ben seems sincere, but as they leave, it seems his mouth curls into a tiny smile of victory. On the way to the temple, shots ring out; Karl and Danielle are killed, and Alex surrenders. The episode ends as she waits, arms extended, for the shooter to emerge from tall grass.

On the boat:

An alarm wakes Sayid and Desmond. They rush on deck to see the Captain beating a crewman who was trying to leave on the inflatable. He warns the crew about what happened to Minkowski after he tried the same thing.

Sayid confronts Michael and gets the entire story of how and why he is on the boat. When Sayid finds out that Michael is working for Ben, he drags him to the captain and tells the whole story.

Michaels’ flashback:

Michael is living in New York City – if you can call it living. Foolishly, he decided to tell Walt that he killed Ana and Libby. Walt has decided not to speak to him – he nows lives with his grandmother, who won’t even let Michael see him. Michael tries to commit suicide by ramming his car into a dumpster and shooting himself Neither works, and he is haunted by the ghost of Libby at every turn. He is also visited by Tom, who asks him to redeem himself and save the people on the island by going undercover on the freighter and killing everyone aboard – before they can kill the island inhabitants. Michael agrees.

It doesn’t take long for Michael to suspect that the freighter is not on a rescue mission – the gunplay and nonchalant demeanor of the crew indicates that they are more in the mercenary class.

Michael has been given a bomb, but when he detonates it, a little thingy pops up that reads, "Not Yet.’ Soon after, Walt calls – but it isn’t Walt at all – it’s Ben. Ben says that they are surprised that Michael detonated the bomb. Ben rigged it as a joke to prove that he isn’t as ruthless as Widmore, whom he says will kill everyone on the island. Ben asks Michael to make a list of the people on the boat, so the innocents can be spared. He then tells Michael there will be one more phone call when Michael can give Ben the list, and, afterward, to disable the radio room and engines.

Comments

This is a good but ultimately confusing episode.

Tom says that Widmore faked the crash of Oceanic 815. Yet in a previous episode, Charlotte claimed that Ben did it. Maybe Ben and Widmore are working together?

Tom also tells Michael to stop trying to kill himself because the island won’t let him do it. How does the island have such power?

I have the feeling that Captain Gault is going to say that he knows all about Michael already.

Is the shooter of Karl and Danielle going to be Mikhail? Is Karl dead? It certainly seems so. Is Danielle dead? I hope not – I would miss her.

Not only can Miles read dead people; he can read the living, too. When Michael gets on the ship, Miles tells him that his name isn’t ‘Kevin Johnson’.

Nits

Why would Michael tell Walt that he killed Ana and Libby? Wouldn’t that just make Walt feel guilty for it too? Big mistake. And would Walt really react by not wanting to talk to or see Michael? Wouldn’t he be more confused and less moralistic?

Ben says once the boat people have him, their orders are to kill everyone else on the island. Why would their orders be framed in that way? Why not kill everyone except for Ben to start with?

Quotable Quotes

Tom: Oh, you met some of them now. Got some names and faces and you're gettin cold feet, huh?
Michael: Yeah, actually I am.
Tom: Well here are a few more names for ya, Sun, Sawyer, Jack, Claire, her baby, and the only way you're going to save their lives is if you man up and get on that boat. Or maybe you wanna come back and explain to your kid how you let all of them die too. It's game time, are you in or out?
Michael: I'm in.

Minkowski: What, are you going Nicholson on us?
Michael: What?
Minkowski: You know, Jack Nicholson in The Shining, when he's bouncing that ball against the wall? Next thing you know, you're gonna go after your wife with an ax.

Michael: Walt?
Ben: I'm so sorry, Michael, but he's still in New York. So I'm afraid you're stuck with me. Michael? Are you still there?
Michael: You put me on this boat, talked me into blowing it up, and when I push the damn button, a flag pops up.
Ben: You actually activated the bomb?
Michael: (Shouts) It's not a bomb! It's a...It's a joke
Ben: There are people on your boat who are innocent. They have no idea that the man they work for is a monster, a killer without conscience or a greater purpose. I had to show you the difference between him and me. When I'm at war, I'll do what I need to do to win, but I will not kill innocent people.
Michael: Ana Lucia and Libby... they were innocent.
Ben: You killed them, Michael. No one asked you to. I don't blame you, Michael. We did have your boy. And what wouldn't a man do for his son?
Michael: What do you want?
Ben: I want you to compile a list of names... every person on your boat. When I call again, you'll give me that list. Then you will disable the radio room you're sitting in. When the crew is disoriented by their lack of communication, you'll take out the engines, too. That way, the boat can never get to this island, and your friends will be safe. Will you do that for me, Michael?
Michael: Yeah.
Ben: Then consider yourself one of the good guys.

Captain Gault: What the hell is this?
Sayid: This man is not who you think he is. He was a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815. I spent two months with him on the Island before he betrayed us. This is the man who sabotaged your radio room. He destroyed the ship's engine, and his name isn't Kevin Johnson. It's Michael Dawson, and he's a traitor.