The second season's penultimate episode bounces around the timeline quite a bit, but reveals a lot along the way.
Episode #2.22, "Three Minutes"
Written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Directed by Deran Sarafian
Guest Stars: Michael Bowen (Pickett), M.C. Gainey (Mr. Friendly), April Grace (Ms. Klugh), Tania Raymonde (Alexandra Rousseau).
Air Date: May 17, 2006
Ironed out, events transpire like this: Michael again types to Walt, or someone claiming to be him (it's probably some middle-aged vice cop…I've seen Dateline, I know how these things work), and follows his directions – head north and look for a rock formation with a hole in it. A group of Others, led by the charismatic Mr. Friendly (Gainey), intercept him and bring him to their camp, which has a rock formation just as described on the computer. Along the way, Michael meets Alex (Raymonde), Danielle's daughter who helped Claire escape. She even asks about Claire and the baby. Very thoughtful.
At their camp—which is just as Michael described it with the guarded hatch and only two (visible) guns—they take a blood sample (without even aiming for an artery—damn they're good) and then out comes Ms. Klugh (Grace, Magnolia). She interrogates Michael about Walt's childhood: if Michael is his biological father, when Walt started to talk, if he had any illnesses, if he ever appeared somewhere he shouldn't have been (like Shannon’s visions?). After a week of these questions, they finally let him see his son. Walt seems to have aged a bit since the finale of season one. Keep in mind that island events have transpired over about two months now, while the show has been on for two years. Did the writers know what they were getting themselves into when they created a part for a prepubescent boy that needs to live in this timeframe? Methinks they’re in trouble. Or Walt is.
Walt acts odd at first, almost comfortable with the Others, but soon blurts out that they make him take tests and that they are "pretending," to which Klugh threatens putting him "back in the room." She tells Michael that he and Walt will be unharmed if he goes back and frees Henry Gale. He is also to return with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley—those four and only those four. Why them? It's obvious: Jack, Kate and Sawyer will be forced into a threesome for the entertainment of the Others, who will clap along and make sing spontaneous limericks about Kate’s tits. Hurley will be roasted on a spit to complete the luau.
Missing from this equation is any mention of Ana Lucia. They only wanted Henry back, they didn't say to kill her, meaning her death was Michael's decision. He determined, it appears, that killing her was the best way to free Walt. Why not lie to get her out of the hatch, or use the show’s oft-used version of the Vulcan neck pinch: blunt object over the head? I hope there's more to it than that; he seems truly guilty for what he's done, but that doesn't excuse it.
Sawyer enlists Sayid to join them in the hunt but Michael objects, as he wasn’t on the list. He can’t say that of course, so he gives some half-assed excuse to the former military interrogator. Sayid suspects his intentions, and explains to Jack that Michael may be leading the excursion under duress. Armed with this knowledge, they may avoid a slaughter by the Others (assuming that’s their intention), who are always one step ahead.
Eko apparently decided to abandon construction of the church and moves into the hatch. He punches in the numbers and then wears a satisfied grin. Charlie goes looking for him and in the meantime gives a case to Claire containing a syringe and bottles of serum. Later she holds his hand, so apparently the gift went over well. Some girls can be wooed with poetry or jewelry; evidently for Claire it’s unproven vaccines for theoretical diseases. When Charlie does find Eko, he berates him for disappearing with his “Jesus stick,” which is not the first time Eko’s staff has been described as so. I think Moses is a better parallel, personally. Ask any theologian and he’ll tell you that the old testament prophet and leader was also a drug smuggler who occasionally wore cornrows. It’s true, look it up. Vincent is kind enough to lead Charlie to the stash of heroin, to which his eyes glaze over. But he’s finally licked his addiction, however, as he tosses the statues into the sea. Locke watches this impassively from up the beach, then removes his leg splint. Rose was right, the island does aid healing.
In the end, the island’s fourth and fifth memorial services are held for Ana Lucia and Libby. (Forgive me if I lost count; this show has more funerals than Fallujah in the summer.) Jack gives some short, empty eulogy for Ana while Hurley stumbles through an earnest, if inelegant, one. He turns to Michael abruptly and recants his earlier refusal to avenge Libby’s death. Michael’s list is now complete and the chosen few will head out to rescue Walt and/or war with the Others. But the closing scene may muddy their plans, as Sun points out a boat adrift not far offshore. Another moth drawn to the island? An abandoned sailboat pushed by coincidence and currents? We shall see.
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