Sayid sits alone on an unfamiliar stretch of beach. He stares at the photo of the Arab woman we saw Claire return to him in "Walkabout." After running his fingers lovingly over it and placing it back inside his pack, Sayid stands to continue his journey. But something catches his eye. A closer look reveals it as a piece of wire sticking out of the sand. Sayid pulls the wire, lifting it out of the sand, leading into the jungle.
On our beach, Kate tells Jack she's worried about Sayid — it's been two days since he left. Jack tells her that Sayid is a trained soldier and can take care of himself.
Back in the jungle, Sayid continues to follow the cable until he sees something that causes him to stop in his tracks. There, hidden in the thick undergrowth of the jungle is a tripwire. Sayid carefully steps over the booby trap only to find that the wire was designed to get him to do exactly that. He's snatched into the air and slammed into a tree, impaling his leg on a branch. He continues to hang in the trap for a long time, quietly praying when he hears something coming. Caught between fear and hope, he calls out for help. The rope that's holding him is cut with one swipe of a machete and Sayid comes crashing to the ground. He's able to see the faint outline of someone coming towards him before he passes out.
At the caves, Jack is tending to the various ailments of the survivors. Hurley comments that everyone appears severely strung out. Jack tells Hurley at least they're surviving and they should be happy about that. Jack: "Things could be worse." Hurley: "How?"
As Sayid slowly regains consciousness, he hears a woman's voice ask, "Where is Alex?" When Sayid doesn't answer, the shadowy figure that belongs to the voice flips a switch and electricity surges through the wire bed frame that Sayid is tied to. His body jerks in response to the pain. Sayid begs her to stop and tries to tell her he doesn't know who Alex is, but the switch is flipped again and the light bulbs dim as the voltage is channeled to more painful use.
We FLASHBACK to an interrogation room where a younger, uniformed Sayid works over a prisoner tied to a chair. He beats him savagely until his victim relents. Sayid's superior, "Omar" is impressed enough to promote him and as they playfully tease each other outside the torture rooms, a female prisoner is led across their path. She and Sayid seem to share a flash of recognition, but before they can act on it, she is led away.
Night has fallen at the caves and Hurley is roused from his sleep when Locke returns to camp with some additional luggage he and another survivor found while out tracking game. As they leave it to Hurley to process for useful items, Walt wakes up and asks Locke if he can go hunting with him. Before Locke can answer, Michael wakes up and answers for him. No chance…
We rejoin Sayid in the island in midst of another jolt of electricity. He pleads with his captor, claiming he doesn't know who Alex is! He survived a plane crash and heard a distress call that a French woman left—one that has been playing for sixteen years. When his captor repeats the distress call, we realize that Sayid is being held by the FRENCH WOMAN herself! As she comes into frame and reveals her wild eyes, she tells Sayid that she knows who he really is and knocks him out again.
When he comes to once more, Sayid sees the French Woman rummaging through his pack. He takes a moment to look around her habitat and notices a name stenciled on the back of a jacket. He says it aloud, "Rousseau." But hearing her name only makes her more suspicious and she wants to know more about Sayid. She finds the photos in his backpack and asks him who the woman is. And that question is answered when we FLASHBACK to the prison where we saw Sayid earlier. He has been given a new prisoner to interrogate, but when he steps inside to begin his questions, he discovers this is no ordinary prisoner—it's the woman who crossed his path in the previous flashback. She calls Sayid by his given name and we learn that they grew up together, when he knew her as "Nadia." She wonders how the boy she liked so much as a child could willingly serve the regime of Saddam Hussein. She shows him the scars that mark the other interrogations she has suffered through and says she will tell him nothing. Sayid: "Then I'm going to hurt you." Nadia: "I know."
Back in real time, the French Woman wants to know if the woman in the photo is on the island. Sayid tells her that she is dead because of him. This admission seems to form a connection with the French Woman who tells Sayid her name is "Danielle" and shares that she knows what it is like to lose a love. Sayid asks if she means "Alex", but she says it was Robert, a fellow scientist stranded with Danielle when their research vessel sank off the island years ago.
Meanwhile, at the caves, Michael is in the middle of showing Jack his design for an ingenious shower system when Charlie summons them to a grassy hill over the ocean where they are met with something totally unexpected—even for this island. A golf bag was found in the wreckage and Hurley has been busy constructing a primitive 2-hole golf course to raise spirits.
Back at Danielle's habitat, she shows Sayid a broken music box that Robert gave her. Sayid offers to fix it…if she will untie his hands. She goes to a cabinet and removes an ancient hypodermic syringe, using sandpaper to remove the rust from the needle itself. As Sayid begs her not to do it, she jabs him in the leg and sends him under. When he comes to, Sayid is chained to a desk by his feet and the music box is waiting in front of him. She mentions the presence of the "others", but when Sayid asks if she has actually seen other people on the island, she says no. However, she claims to hear them…out there in the jungle. They whisper…
We FLASHBACK to the prison in Iraq as Sayid enters Nadia's cell with some food—and a seemingly genuine concern for her. Sayid shows her a series of photos and begs her to simply nod at the one who helped plan the bombing he's been investigating. If she does just that, he's sure he can get her released. And though we can see her affection for Sayid, Nadia won't do it.
Back in real time, Sayid uses the tools Danielle provided to work on the mechanics and soon it is playing just like new. As Danielle revels in the joy of the music, Sayid asks her to let him go. He now realizes that he must return to his friends. If they have any hope of rescue, they must all work together. Danielle tells him he can't leave, he needs her if he wants to survive—and as they are arguing there is a menacing ROAR from outside. Danielle immediately springs into action, grabbing her rifle, a knife and extra ammo. "Maybe it's one of the bears," she says. "Dinner." Sayid asks her to untie him so he can go with her. She tells him no—she knows he will only run off. As she is climbing out of the habitat, Sayid warns her that it might be the monster. Danielle looks at Sayid with a mixture of pity and reassurance—"Poor Sayid," she says. "There are no such things as monsters." As soon as she leaves the habitat, Sayid opens his hand to reveal a tiny screwdriver he managed to palm without Danielle seeing. He uses it to break free and he quickly gathers his things. He takes the many charts and maps on the table, stuffs them into his backpack and grabs the spare rifle before climbing his way out.
In FLASHBACK we go once more to the Iraqi prison to learn that Sayid has been ordered to shoot Nadia. He argues for more time, but Omar orders him to get on with it—it's been months and she's given them nothing. Sayid marches Nadia under armed guard toward the killing room. When they reach the room, he dismisses the other guards, telling them he'll take over from there. Once they're out of sight, he removes Nadia's hood and leads her to a door. He tells her that there's a truck outside that will be leaving for Baghdad in a few minutes—if she hurries, she can hide in the back and escape before anyone notices. As he removes her chains, Omar comes from behind and demands to know what's going on. Sayid's face answers the question for him and as he pulls his sidearm, Sayid draws his own and shoots Omar. Nadia begs Sayid to come with him, but he tells her he can't. If he deserts, Saddam's forces will murder his entire family. Nadia manages to write something on the back the familiar photo that Sayid carries before fleeing out the door.
Back in the jungle, Sayid struggles on his bad leg to escape. He hears someone coming and hides just in time to see Danielle looking for him. He gets the drop on her and tells her to throw down her weapon, but she won't listen. He tells her if she doesn't drop the gun, he'll have to shoot her, but she still raises the gun into firing position. Sayid is forced to pull the trigger — CLICK. Nothing happens. Danielle tells Sayid that she removed the firing pin. After an impassioned exchange between them, Danielle agrees to let Sayid leave, but refuses to come back with him. Sayid has one final question before he leaves, "Who is Alex?" Danielle has a look of sadness when she answers, "Alex was my child."
Meanwhile, in the valley, the whole camp is watching the first "Island Open" as Jack, Charlie and Michael battle it out on the golf course. People are actually laughing for what seems like the first time since they crashed here. Even Sawyer manages to share the moment with the others. But not everyone is at the Golf tournament. As Locke practices throwing one of his knives into the trunk of a tree, Walt emerges from the brush. He asks Locke to teach him. After considering the question for a moment, Locke turns the knife around and hands it to Walt. As he takes it, we are left to wonder just what he has begun…
As night falls, Sayid struggles to make his way back to the beach. The wind howls around him and for a moment he thinks he hears something…the whispering of voices. As we push in on Sayid, we are left to wonder whether the wind is playing tricks on him or…if there really is something out there.
I thought it was a pretty good episode. At least we got some answers...Finally.
So what does everyone think? Is there really other people on the island? They only thing that gets me is you would think that after 16 years this woman would have seen someone.
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
All good questions Maxwell. I have quite a few of my own. I would like to know: What Kate ever did to become a criminal?, and What is this 'so-called' monster and does it actually exist?.
I have many more, as I am sure we all do. I am hoping that they will continue giving us answers, they have dragged out a few things quite long enough.
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
Well, Danielle said that there wasn't a monster... true?
She also said that she hears people in the trees and at the end, Sayid heard them too. What's up with that?
Yes, she did say that. But she seemed a bit out there
And either I wasn't being very perceptive I just heard the wind....and maybe some rustling noises. Was there really whispering?
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
In an obscure way, I thought I did hear whispering... but then again, that is why poets always talk about whispering leaves and trees...
I think it's at least what the producers were trying to convey.
Danielle is definately out there, but I would imagine that if she did know anything it would be about the island. It's all she's had for 16 years, deranged or not!
At least we know we will see more of her... they made it a point to show us that Saiyd left the picture of Nadia!
I thought I heard a voice also. As well, Danielle said to Sayid that, "There's no such thing as monsters" with her already trademark Mona Lisa-like smirk/non-smirk. So, with that statement, is she expressing a knowledge that she's keeping to herself regarding the "monster", or is just another of her deranged coping mechanisms? Sayid said it best though. I think she's been alone too long...
Anyone that had been alone for 16 years is going to be a bit insane. But then again....she might know something. It would have been interesting to see her come to the island. Oh well....we had better see her again.
Perhaps the people making the series just wanted you to 'think' there was people out there. It wasn't obvious enough...just enough to keep you wondering.
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
Did everyone but me hear whispering? I'll have to rewatch it when they have a rerun...And you're right they haven't really told us that much yet. But they are getting there....Very slowly. They need to stop dragging everything out
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
Yea, some things looked a bit off to me about her. I noticed the whole clean clothes thing as well. Unless perhaps she washes them in a stream somewhere. But what would be the need? She isn't trying to impress anyone because no one is around.
How has she survived so long on the island if there is so many dangerous animals? And how have the bullets lasted? So many questions, and no answers....
May the wind always be at your back and the sun always upon your face, and the winds of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.
11-18-2004 09:43 PM
