Recon

Recon
Season	6
Episode number	08
Airdate(s)	March 16, 2010
Writer	Elizabeth Sarnoff & Jim Galasso
Director	Jack Bender
Guests	Alan Dale as Charles Widmore Neil Hopkins as Liam Pace Kimberly Joseph as Cindy Chandler Sheila Kelley as Zoe Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as Ava
Co-stars	Allen Cole as Sergeant Mickey Graue as Zach Kiersten Havelock as Emma Christopher Johnson as Police Officer Fred Koehler as Seamus
Uncredited	Michael Green as Lawyer
Transcript	Recon transcript

"Recon" is the 8th episode of Season 6 of Lost and the 111th produced hour of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on March 16, 2010. The Man in Black tasks Sawyer with a mission.

Synopsis

Flash-sideways timeline (2004)

James tries to convince Ava he is not a con man.

A naked James is in bed with a woman named Ava. Ava looks at the bedside clock and reminds him that he is supposed to meet a guy at 9:00, which is in 18 minutes. He jumps up, starts to dress, and moves a briefcase to the bed. It falls open, revealing a lot of money in bundled banknotes. Ava asks what he is doing with the money, and James says that she wasn't supposed to see it. He explains that the money is for a potential investment. As he tells her that he won't take long, the woman draws a gun and points it at him. She says she can spot a con man because she's married to one. James tells her that she's a fool because the whole situation is a set up. He informs her that there is a van outside and that the room is bugged and surrounded by cops. He explains that the cops just want her husband. Ava calls his bluff. James says the code word "LaFleur," and the police burst into the room. Miles leads the LAPD team in arresting a stunned Ava. Miles tosses James his LAPD badge, and he addresses Miles as "partner."

James attempts to locate Anthony Cooper.

Back in the police station, Detective James Ford is calling a list of men named Anthony Cooper. He rings one and asks him to verify that he was in Alabama in 1976. As Miles approaches James' desk, he overhears him calling Anthony Cooper. James hangs up and claims that Cooper was an old buddy who he ran into in Palm Springs when he was there last weekend. Miles reminds him that he has a blind date with a coworker of Miles' father that evening. There is a moment when Miles seems to wonder if James is being completely truthful with him about things, and he assures James that he can always tell him the truth. James tells Miles that that he wouldn't lie to him.

Charlotte finds a family picture of young James and his parents.

James is dressed up and arrives at a bar. He rings Miles to ask what his blind date looks like, and Miles explains that she's a redhead. James sees a redheaded woman alone at the bar and introduces himself. She introduces herself as Charlotte Lewis. They sit down for dinner and get to know each other. Charlotte tells James that she's an archaeologist. Later, they are in bed together at James' place. Charlotte asks to borrow a t-shirt, and he directs her to one of his drawers. Charlotte rummages in the drawer for a t-shirt and finds a notebook marked "Sawyer." A family photo slips out, and Charlotte opens the notebook to replace it. Inside the notebook she sees an old newspaper cutting about a man killing himself and his wife, while their 9 year old son survived. The photo in the clipping is the same as the one that fell out of the notebook. James comes in and falls into a rage. He tells Charlotte to leave.

Miles quits as James' partner.

The next day at the LAPD, Charlie Pace's brother Liam is asking the desk sergeant about Charlie's arrest at the airport on a drugs charge. Liam approaches James, but James tells him that that is not his department. Miles emerges and abruptly tells James to come with him. Miles is furious because, by tracing James' credit card transactions, he has discovered that James was in Australia and not Palm Springs as he claimed. ] Miles talks about trust, but James tells him that what he was doing in Australia is none of Miles' business. Miles says that he is not James' partner anymore and leaves. James smashes a mirror.

Charlotte rejects James' apology.

That evening, James arrives home and prepares a frozen dinner. He sits down to watch an old episode of Little House on the Prairie. On the television screen, a little girl, Laura, tells her father that she would be devastated if anything ever happened to him and her mother. Her father tells her that if you live your life worrying about the future, life will be over before you know it. He tells her that people aren't really gone once thay die, and that you hold on to their good memories until you see them again. James appears to be affected by this, and he goes to Charlotte's apartment with a sunflower and a six pack of beers. Charlotte is having none of it. She tells him that he blew it and closes the door in his face.

James captures the suspect, and discovers a familiar face.

Later, as Miles exits the LAPD office, James is sitting in his car and calls him over. Miles reluctantly gets in, and James hands him the notebook marked "Sawyer." James explains that, when James was 9 years old, his father, after being conned by a man named Sawyer, shot James' mother and then committed suicide. He tells Miles that the only lead he has is the name Anthony Cooper, and that when he finds him, he's going to kill him. As they speak, the sound of a police siren approaches, and a blue sedan suddenly broadsides into the back of James' car. The driver of the car jumps out and makes a dash for it, as James and a squad car pursue her. James captures the woman and slams her against a gate. He is surprised when he realizes that he recognizes the suspect. It is Kate, the woman he encountered at LAX and passively assisted in evading other law enforcement personnel.

Original timeline (2007)

Sawyer promises Jin they won't leave the Island without Sun.

Sawyer is making tea at an open fire outside Claire's hovel. He wakes Jin and tells him that Claire and Locke told him that they will be back by sunrise. Jin says they have to get out of there, but Sawyer says he's with Locke. Jin says tells him that it's not Locke, amd Sawyer tells him that he knows, but that he doesn't care who he is, as long as he can get them off the Island. Jin says he can't leave because Sun is around somewhere. Sawyer says if she's there, he promises that they will not leave without her. As they speak, the Man in Black in his Locke form leads his group into the camp. There are 20 of them in all, including Sayid and Kate.

The Man in Black comforts Zach and Emma.

Inside her hut, Claire packs a few belongings and goes to the cradle to tuck in the make-do skeleton doll of Aaron. Kate comes in and asks Claire what's in the cradle, and Claire tells her that it's all she's had. The Man in Black calls everyone together and tells them they are going to move. Cindy wants to know what happened to the rest of the people who stayed at the Temple, and the Man in Black pauses before saying that the black smoke killed them. This upsets Zach and he begins to cry. The Man in Black walks up to Zach and Emma and comforts them, promising them that he'll keep them safe. Claire takes Kate's hand and Kate reacts with uncertainty to this gesture. Sawyer approaches Kate and asks about all of their friends. With great concern, Kate asks him if he is now with Locke. Sawyer tells her that he is not with anybody.

Sawyer and The Man in Black have a private discussion.

The Man in Black leads the group to clearing and tells them that they will make camp there. Sawyer interrupts and asks when they're getting off of the Island, and the Man In Black suggests to him that they talk in private. Once aside, an angry Man in Black tells Sawyer that he wishes he hadn't interrupted him. Sawyer sarcastically apologizes and asks how the Man in Black knew to rescue people from "the smoke thing." The Man in Black tells him that he is the smoke thing. Sawyer is incredulous that the Man in Black killed all of those people. The Man in Black replies that he gave them the opportunity to leave peacefully, but they didn't take it. He explains with conviction that those people believed they were protecting the Island from him, whereas all he wants to do is leave. He says that it is either "kill or be killed," and he doesn't want to be killed.

Sawyer is slightly skeptical of The Man in Black.

They arrive at the beach with a view of Hydra Island. The Man in Black orders Sawyer to take an outrigger to Hydra Island to do some recon. He tells Sawyer that he will find Ajira Flight 316 over there, and that he has reason to believe that some of the passengers that remain mean to do harm to him and his group. Sawyer asks what to do if he finds people over there. The Man in Black tells him that he's not worried, because Sawyer is the best liar he ever met. He tells Sawyer to gain their trust, find out whatever he can, and then return. When Sawyer asks why he is doing all of this, the Man in Black implies that they will use the plane to get off of the Island. Sawyer starts his voyage across the water. Once on the island, Sawyer sees the cages where he and Kate were held prisoner and finds the dress that she wore during that time. He reflects on their past there.

The Man in Black reprimands Claire for attacking Kate.

Kate sits down to talk to Sayid. She asks him if he believes Locke can get them off the Island, and Sayid says yes. She then asks if he is okay and he says that he is not. Claire suddenly attacks Kate from behind, trying to stab her in the throat with a large knife. Kate screams at Sayid for help as she is overpowered, but he looks on disinterestedly. The Man in Black appears and throws Claire off of Kate roughly, saying that Kate did what she had to do by taking Aaron when she couldn't find Claire. He slaps Claire full in the face and, grasping her, says her behavior is completely inappropriate. Kate is distraught and when the Man in Black asks her if she's alright, and she angrily tells him that she is not. She looks on in disbelief at the circumstances as he squats to talk with Claire.

Sawyer meets Zoe.

On Hydra Island, Sawyer finds the plane. He checks its condition and then finds charcoal from a fire. Drag marks in the sand lead him to a pile of decaying bodies. Sawyer draws his gun when he hears and then sees someone running from him. He chases and brings the person down. She calls herself Zoe and claims to be the only one left alive of the survivors from Ajira Flight 316. She says while she was collecting wood, she heard screaming and, when she came back, the others were all dead. Sawyer walks with her to the outrigger, asking a lot of questions. When they reach the outrigger, Zoe asks him whether the people he is with have guns. This appears to tip Sawyer off, and he pulls his pistol on her. She whistles loudly, and four men appear from the bushes with rifles; they take Sawyer prisoner.

Emotionally drained, Kate cries.

Kate is sobbing in a grove apart from the others. The Man in Black approaches and apologizes to Kate for Claire's attack, saying he has to take responsibility for Claire's behavior, as he told her the Others had her baby. Kate asks why he would say that, and he tells her that, because Claire was devastated without Aaron, he gave her something to hate in order to keep her going. He goes on to say that hearing the truth from Kate caused Claire to release all of the anger she had been holding on for so long. He promises that he will keep Kate safe, and that everything will be alright. Kate asks where Sawyer went, and the Man in Black, offering his hand out to help her get up, tells Kate that he will show her. She gets up without his help.

Claire embraces Kate, apologizing and thanking her.

He takes Kate to the beach and points out Hydra Island as the place he sent Sawyer. Kate recognizes it as the island she and Sawyer were locked in cages. The Man in Black explains that he is not a dead man, and he knows what she is feeling because his mother was crazy. He says that a long time ago, before he looked like he does now, he had a mother who was very disturbed, and as a result of that he has problems that he is still trying to work his way through, problems he could have avoided had things been different. Kate asks him why he told her this story, he replies: "because Aaron has a crazy mother too." Later, Claire finds Kate and makes a heartfelt and teary apology. Kate remains very wary as Claire falls on her sobbing and thanking her for taking care of Aaron. Kate eventually gives in and returns the hug.

Widmore andSawyer make a deal.

As Sawyer is taken to the submarine at the Hydra Island Dock, he notices the armed science team is erecting pylons, similar to the sonic fence on the main Island. Zoe takes him inside the sub, where Charles Widmore introduces himself. Widmore asks if Sawyer knows who he is. Sawyer replies that he is the man who sent a freighter to the island with orders for the crew to kill them all. Widmore denies murdering the people from the Ajira flight. Sawyer is direct about John Locke sending him to the island and what Locke's purpose was. Sawyer acknowledges the man who sent him is not really Locke.Sawyer offers Widmore a deal: he will tell the Man in Black that the coast is clear and that he didn't find anyone on Hydra Island. Then he'll bring him right to Widmore's doorstep in exchange for the absolute protection of anyone on Sawyer's boat and safe passage off of the island. Widmore agrees to the deal.

"We're taking the sub."

Sawyer arrives back at the beach and tells the Man in Black that all the passengers are dead. The Man in Black asks him what happened, and Sawyer reveals truthfully everything about Widmore and his crew, the submarine, the pylons similar to those surrounding the DHARMA barracks, and the deal he made with Widmore. The Man in Black tells him that he appreciates Sawyer's loyalty. After nightfall, Sawyer sits down next to Kate who is poking at a fire. She asks Sawyer what he's doing running errands for Locke, and he claims he isn't running errands for anybody. He tells her about Widmore and reveals his plan to let Widmore and Locke fight it out and, while the two men have their hands full, the two of them will get off of the island. Kate is confused, since neither one of them is capable of flying the plane. Sawyer tells her that they're not going to take the plane, instead they will take the submarine.

Trivia

General

• Charlotte makes her first appearance since "Follow the Leader", a gap of 10 episodes, and Rebecca Mader makes her first appearance since "This Place Is Death", a gap of 19 episodes.
• This episode was originally broadcast on March 16 (3/16). It also addresses Flight 316's fate after most of the survivors left the plane to go to the main Island, and is the first time it has been shown since the flight landed.
• This episode marks the first time that the name of Oceanic Flight 815 was specifically mentioned in the flash-sideways timeline.

Production notes

• This episode marks Kate's 100th episode of the series.
• Nestor Carbonell (Richard), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Michael Emerson (Ben), Jeff Fahey (Frank), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Yunjin Kim (Sun), and Zuleikha Robinson (Ilana) do not appear.
• As of this episode, Cusick has been missing for 7 episodes, tying Harold Perrineau's absence in Season 2 for the longest streak of not appearing in an episode while still being a regular.
• For the first time in Season Six, this episode does not contain a Previously on Lost.
• This episode resumes the pattern of mirroring character-centricism in episodes from Season 1. ("Confidence Man")

Bloopers and continuity errors

• The tail number for Ajira flight 316 was N25705 when it originally appeared in the episode "316". However, in this episode the same plane bears the designation N9748C.
  • In reality, N25705 is the tail number of a Boeing 737 currently in use by Continental Airlines. N9748C is a tail number reserved by the FAA for film use, and has been used in many other TV and film productions.
• When Sawyer is calling Anthony Cooper, we can see his computer screen. It clearly shows Microsoft Office Word 2007 which was not available in 2004.
• Kate slams into the rear and driver's side of Sawyer's unmarked police car, yet when he stops the car in the alley to pursue her on foot, there is clearly no damage to the driver's side of the vehicle.

Recurring themes

• The clock on the night stand read 8:42. (The Numbers)
• Claire attacks Kate for taking Aaron. (Revenge)
• The Man in Black talks about his issues with his mother. (Parent issues)
• Claire apologizes for attacking Kate. (Redemption)
• Kate crashes into Sawyer's car. (Car accidents)
• All the redshirt survivors from the Ajira flight have been killed from an unknown cause. (Life and death)
• Sawyer still has feelings for Kate after coming across her dress in the cages. (Relationships)
• Zoe lies to Sawyer about being a survivor of Ajira Flight 316. (Deceptions and Cons)
• Sawyer refers to Widmore as "Chief" and to Kate as "Freckles". (Nicknames)
• Ava refers to Sawyer as "Dimples". (Nicknames)
• Sawyer and Charlotte have a one-night-stand in the flash-sideways timeline. (Character Connections)
• Sawyer and Miles are partners in the LAPD in the flash-sideways timeline. (Character Connections)
• In the flash-sideways timeline, Liam Pace is trying to find his brother at the LAPD station where he asks Sawyer if he knows where Charlie is being held. (Character Connections)
• Sawyer says that he is pitting the Man in Black and Charles Widmore against each other in order to create a distraction that will allow him to steal the submarine. (Deceptions and cons)
• James attempts to con Ava into taking a briefcase with a tracking device in it to her con man husband. (Deceptions and cons)

Storyline analysis

• In the flash-sideways timeline, Sawyer attempts to trick Ava into leading the LAPD to her husband, a known con artist. (Crimes)
• It is revealed that Charles Widmore is seemingly against the Man in Black. (Rivalries)
• After Kate's car slams into Sawyers', Sawyer runs down a fleeing Kate, instantly recognizing her face. (Crimes)
• James "Jim" Ford and Charlotte have a one-night-stand. He then throws her out for finding his hidden "Sawyer" file. (Relationships)
• "Jim" and Miles are partners in law enforcement both on the island from 1974-1977 as part of the Dharma Initiative in the original timeline and in the flash-sideways timeline as detectives for the LAPD. (Coincidence)

Cultural references

The books in Sawyer's room

• Indiana Jones: Sawyer compares Charlotte to the globe-trotting archaeologist. (Movies)
• Little House on the Prairie: Sawyer watches a rerun of Little House on the Prairie, which was an American television series from 1974 to 1983. In the episode that Sawyer is watching Pa Ingalls is telling little "half pint" about how "if your live you life based on what's going to happen.. before you know it your life is over." Sawyer once confessed to Kate in the original timeline that he used to be a fan of the series. (Movies and TV)
• Watership Down: This novel, written in 1972 by Richard Adams, is on Sawyer's chest of drawers. The novel is a spoof of humans searching for a new home using a society of rabbits as characters. The rabbits find what they think is utopia - but discover that it is a farm with traps and snares, and they have to live together or die alone while establishing new rules to live. (Literary works)
• A Wrinkle in Time: This sci-fi children's novel, written in 1962 by Madeleine L'Engle, is on Sawyer's chest of drawers. The story follows Meg Merry, a teenager who travels in time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O'Keefe. Their mission is to rescue their father, who is a scientist being held prisoner in an alien planet dominated by a large dark cloud called The Black Thing. (Literary works)
• Lancelot: This novel, written by Walker Percy in1977, tells the story of Lancelot Lamar, an attorney who finds out he is not the father of his youngest daughter. Lamar kills his wife by blowing up their house. He ends up in a mental institution with his memories, where reality and the past get blurred for him. (Literary works)
• Some Like It hot: The Man in Black says, "Well, nobody's perfect," to Kate. This expression is famous for being the memorable last line of Billy Wilder's famous film "Some Like it Hot" featuring Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps more aptly, it was also used as the last line of the film "Mad Monster Party," that took place on Monster Island.
• Bullitt: Sawyer references this Steve McQueen police film as the reason he wanted to become a cop.

Literary techniques

• In the original timeline Sawyer is a criminal, whereas in the flash-sideways timeline James is a police officer . (Juxtaposition)
• In the original timeline, Kate tells Sawyer that they're having rabbit for dinner; in the flash-sideways timeline a copy of Watership Down is seen in James' room. (Juxtaposition)
• Both the first words Sawyer speaks in this episode (in the original timeline) and the last words he speaks (in the flash-sideways timeline) are, "Son of a bitch!" (Regularly spoken phrases)
• Miles asks James if he wants to "die alone". (Regularly spoken phrases)
• Sawyer reveals to Kate that his real plan is to have Widmore and the Man in Black fight it out while Kate and he steal the submarine and leave the Island. (Plot twist)
• The Man in Black tells of his crazy mother and his "growing pains", a story not only reflected by Claire and Aaron but also Danielle and Alex's and Locke and his mother. (Coincidence)
• Although it seems to be that James is still a con man in the flash-sideways timeline, he is actually a cop working undercover as con man. (Plot twist)
• With a single code word James springs a group of armed men (police) on Ava in the motel room, saving him from peril at gunpoint. On Hydra Island, Zoe springs a group of armed men on Sawyer with a single noise, placing him in peril at gunpoint. (Coincidence)(Juxtaposition)
• The exact same theme that is used as Kate makes her escape from Los Angeles International Airport in "LA X, Part 2" is playing moments before James catches Kate running out of the alley. (Foreshadowing)

Episode references

• James' code word to call the police into the motel room is "LaFleur." ("LaFleur")
• Miles called Sawyer "Jim." ("LaFleur")
• Miles mentions his father. ("Some Like It Hoth")
• James presents Charlotte with a sunflower. ("LaFleur")
• Sawyer and Miles are partners in law enforcement. ("LaFleur")
• Sawyer encounters the polar bear cages on Hydra Island and finds the dress that Kate was forced to wear in one of them. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
• Liam Pace comes to the LAPD office to ask about his brother Charlie, who was arrested on the Oceanic 815 flight for drug possession. ("LA X, Part 1")
• In the LAPD office, James is trying to contact Anthony Cooper. ("Deus Ex Machina")  ("The Brig")
• Charlotte finds copies of Watership Down, A Wrinkle in Time, and Lancelot on James' dresser. Sawyer read these books on the Island in the original timeline. ("Confidence Man")  ("Numbers")  ("Maternity Leave")
• James watches an episode of Little House on the Prairie. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")
• Sawyer tells Widmore that he knows him because Widmore sent a freighter full of mercenaries to the Island to kill everybody. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Charlotte tells Sawyer about her work as an anthropologist. ("Confirmed Dead")
• After a sexual encounter, James grabs a briefcase that falls open revealing a large sum of money in order to con Ava into a deal that will be bad for her and her husband. ("Confidence Man")  ("The Long Con")
• Charles Widmore's men appear to be constructing a sonar fence, which is known to repel the Smoke Monster. ("Left Behind")

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Recon/Theories

Original timeline

• Why was a room inside the submarine locked ?
  • What is in this room?
• How were the survivors of Ajira Flight 316 killed?
• Why didn't Sayid help Kate when she was attacked by Claire?
• How does the Man in Black expect to get the Ajira plane to take off?
• Who is the Man in Black's mother?
• What are the growing pains the Man in Black speaks of?
• What is the history between the Man in Black and Widmore?

Flash-sideways timeline

• Who is Miles dating?
• How did Miles and his parents get off the Island?
• If Sawyer was a cop, then why didn't he stop Kate at the airport when he saw her in handcuffs?

External Links

ABC Press Release