In Memory of Momofuku Andou

Grab your Soy Sauce and Hello Kitty dolls because this week's episode focuses on the Asians of the island while revealing a bunch of stuff on the boat that we already knew (or figured out).

After a particularly long Previously on Lost…we are treated a mysterious and vague conversation between Frank and seaman. We then meet Regina, who happens to be established stunt artist Zoe Bell, who spent most of her time answering their calls earlier. Frank then talks to Desmond and Sayid, held prisoner in the sickbay; he brings them some food, delicious canned lima beans.

Jin and Sun have a nighttime campfire discussion and Jin practices his engrish. They discuss baby names (he wants a girl named Ji Yeon…so asian) but Sun is quite uneasy about it and would rather focus on getting off the island first. Since it will kill her. On the bright side, I’d like to remind everyone that the island fixed Jin’s broken pee pee.

In our first flash, Sun is packing some Korean toiletries into a bag and then begins applying some make up. She has some sudden pains and calls for an ambulance because she’s preggers.

After the title screen, we see Jin running into a toy store and is looking for a stuffed panda so he can bring it as a gift to the maternity ward. He gets a call on his phone and reaffirms that he is on his way.

Jin is seen taking a nap on the beach and Sun wakes him up because Kate and Jack are back. I don’t see why they should care so much but they go talk to Kate about what happened on her adventure. Kate conveniently mentions every bad thing that the boaties and Juliet did (Charlotte hitting her, Juliet lying about the poison gas, etc) I guess to keep the rest of the losties from trusting these tagalongs because Kate makes it clear that she doesn’t think they will rescue the losties. Which makes me wonder why she cared so much that Miles knew who she was. Whatever.

On the boat, Sayid is getting tired of eating lima beans and they get a note, supposedly from Ben’s man on the boat. It reads ‘Don’t trust the Captain’ and this is like the third warning they’ve gotten about him in this episode.

Dan is futzing with the iphone and Sun introduces herself slash opens with her being preggers so she can bluntly follow up with a question about the boaties’ intentions. Dan awkwardly deflects blame by claiming the decision is not up to him and she storms off.

At the pantry/kitchen/dinner table/whatever, Jin practices his English on Jack by asking for the cereal. I wonder what kind of cereal it is, probably shitty corn flakes. Jin makes a reference to Sawyer trying to teach him English, claiming Sun is better at it. When Sun returns, Jack asks some doctor-y questions and then takes his leave. This is when Sun announces she wants to go to Locke’s camp.

She is then raiding Juliet’s camp for the pre-natal vitamins where she is caught red-handed. When she tells Juliet that they plan to go to Locke’s camp, Juliet makes several arguments against it. Sun doesn’t trust her though, which I guess implies that she does trust Locke (which, in my opinion, is the stupidest thing ever. She’s asian, I thought she’s supposed to be a little brighter than, say, Kate).

Sun is wheeled into the hospital and the nurses are excited because she is one of the Oceanic Six. Mildly delirious, Sun makes a big deal about removing her ring. A Dr. Bae comes in, covering for her own (who is out at a conference) and she keeps asking for Jin as the pain medication is pumped into her veins.

Meanwhile in classic sit-com situation, Jin is rushing to the hospital. He grabs a taxi and puts in his bear when his shitty cell phone rings. As he’s answering it, someone else swoops in and takes his cab—along with the bear. Then a moped runs over his phone and he screams angry threats. Three things immediately jump to mind, which ruin the twist for the clever, are nice details that the writers included. They are: 1. Jin’s cell phone is shitty and old 2. Jin is super aggressive and self important 3. while no one recognizes him as a member of the Oceanic Six (even though the nurses recognized Sun). This draws one to the early conclusion that while Sun is obviously in a flash forward, Jin is in a flashback. You writers were being tricky, but sometimes viewers are quicker than you think. Anyways, Jin of course goes back into the store to buy another panda. Though the clerk says they are sold out, Jin sees one that has been put on hold. He offers all of his money for it, like 10 times the retail price. The clerk reluctantly gives in and he rushes off again. If this entire situation wasn’t taken directly from like an episode of I Dream of Jeanie or Three’s Company or something, I’ll be very surprised.

Kate draws the Asians a map on how to get to the barracks and they share a hug. Kate claims she has to tell Jack but will give a headstart. Juliet shows up and tries to ruin the party. Though Sun refuses to translate, Juliet keeps saying that Sun is in danger. Finally, Juliet brings out the big guns and tells Jin about Sun’s affair. Jin is emotionally wounded but composes himself in asian stoicism (actually, I thought this one moment was some of the best acting I have seen on Lost, conveying several different emotions from all three actors without any actual dialog) as Sun bitch slaps the shit out of Juliet. I’d’ve done the same. By the way, while I feel completely comfortable saying ‘I’d’ve’, writing it looks like a complete disaster. Strunk and White are probably rolling around in their graves. Well, they would be if roflcopters and lollerskaters weren’t already defecating all over the site.

Jin has returned to the beach, packing his fishing gear and Sun tries to talk to him but he can’t even bear to look at her. Bernard comes up and asks to come fishing, until he realizes he has come in the middle of a very awkward situation, what with Sun in tears and all. But Jin asks him to come anyways, because I guess he needs a friend right now and he doesn’t really have too many.

On the boat, Bernard tries to relate to him by mentioning that they are the only two married guys on the island. Followed by an awkwardly hilarious moment where Bernard makes sure Jin understands that they aren’t gay and aren’t married to each other. He may not speak English, but he’s not an idiot Bernard. It’s not like suddenly he’ll think he’s married to you, you homophobe. Bernard opens up a little and mentions Rose’s cancer to Jin and how to island cured her. He relates on how Rose decided to stay with Jack, because Locke is a murderer (so true) and how Bernard will stand by her and a discussion of karma is interrupted by them catching a nice fish. Jin looks like he realizes he was being irrational.

On the Kahana, Desmond is pacing around like a hamster as the tapping is driving him nuts. Sayid suspects someone, and not something, is making that noise when the doc brings them up to the deck. The helicopter is gone and Sayid is asking 20 questions but that falls to the background as Desmond watches Zoe Bell, tied in chains, decide to jump over the side of the boat. While the losties panic and want to save her, the captain comes out and orders everyone to stand down. It’s too bad, because I think I would’ve liked if Zoe had a more substantial role on the show (even though I have said, numerous times, I hate new characters). The captain justifies his inaction by keeping the rest of his crew alive, since he claims that many of them are suffering from heightened cabin fever. He blames it on the proximity of the island and also reveals that someone (obviously Ben’s man) has been sabotaging the engines so they cannot move to ‘safer waters.’ When Sayid asks if the boat will rescue them, the captain passes the buck along even further. He then reveals that the boat is Charles Widmore’s (even though we already knew that) and that they were told about Desmond too.

In his office, the captain shows a black box from ‘Oceanic 815’ and explains both the giant staged wreckage and that Widmore wants to confront Ben about all those unnamed corpses.

Juliet continues to try to convince Sun that staying with Locke is the wrong move. She details the symptoms and I guess Sun is won over by her.

In the hospital, the doctor wants to perform a C-section but Sun wants to wait for Jin. In fact, she calls out to a stranger thinking it is Jin. He must think she is crazy. The nurse says the baby is crowning and in a few seconds out comes a slimy and hairy baby girl. The mother and daughter share a moment.

Back on the boat now, the doctor leads Sayid and Desmond to their new room, on ‘the quiet part’ of the ship. He also alludes that it may be moving despite popular belief. In the room, not only do bugs crawl around but a blood stain reminiscent of a suicidal gunshot (ala Radzinski) is still present. The doc calls for the janitor to clean it up, who turns out to be Michael (what a shock!!!!!! Oh my god (n64 for those using itap)! ), going under the alias Kevin Johnson. Sayid and Desmond keep up the charade as the ‘shocking twist’ music swells.

Sun is making her bed and Jin comes, with dinner as a sort of peace offering. They reconcile, Jin explaining that he understands who he was blah blah blah. He’s willing to go to Locke’s camp (which seems weird, since the pep talk with Bernard reinforced the idea that LOCKE IS A MURDERER) but Sun has come to her senses and will stay on the beach. She also reconfirms that the baby is Jin’s (because the island fixed his wang) and they tear up together.

Jin is then seen rushing into the maternity ward where it is revealed he is bringing the panda to the Chinese ambassador (hence why as a Panda, it is very important) as a representative for Paik Automotive. As if to drive the point home, a little explicating dialog with a nurse reveals that he has only been married for 2 months in this scene.

Sun is once again applying make up and then puts on her ring (apparently, the name on the bag isn’t hers though—jewelry thief!). The door rings and it’s Hurley come to visit! He asks if anyone is coming and when Sun says no, he kind of makes a sleazy sounding ‘good’ while looking a little like Ron Jeremy. Well, I guess it’s good that Kate didn’t come…she’d probably try to steal little Ji Yeon. Baby snatching bitch. Hurley mentions that she really looks like Jin (I guess implying that they are both asian) and then Hurley suggests visiting him.

They go to the cemetery and Sun talks to Jin, revealing she named their daughter just as he wanted and how she misses him. It only reminds me of how when I was young, my mom always brought me to the cemetery to visit my dad. I sat there for a moment, being silent like a good child until my mom excused me. I would run off in the open grass while I guess my mom grieved. I understood that my father was dead, I just don’t think I ever appreciated those visits since I don’t actually remember him (since he died when I was one) and also that I was a little kid. I guess I am saying, I hope this baby doesn’t end up as fucked up as I am. And also I kinda want to go visit him right now. I have not been there since probably around when I left Santa Barbara the first time, in second grade. I don’t think my mom has either. And now it makes me sad.

On that note,

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