Lost: Season 1 Episode 20 "Do No Harm" Review

"I don't know my bloody blood type!"

-Charlie Pace

The 20th episode picks with Jack (Matthew Fox) attempting to save the critically injured Boone (Ian Somerhalder).  Jack sends Kate (Evangeline Lilly) to get alcohol from Sawyer (Josh Holloway), while he and Sun (Yunjin Kim) start to work on the injured Boone.  They manage to gets his breathing stabilized and reset his broken leg, but Jack realizes Boone needs a blood transfusion.  Unable to find someone with a matching blood type, Jack, a universal donor, gives Boone his own blood.  Boone begins speaking deliriously and mentions being in a falling plane, the hatch, and that Locke (Terry O'Quinn) said not to tell.

After getting the alcohol, Kate makes her way to the caves, but comes across Claire (Emilie de Ravin) on the way and realizes she is about to give birth.  Kate calls for help and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) comes to her aid.  He brings the alcohol to Jack and explains the situation using Sun as a translator.  Unable to leave Boone, Jack sends Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) back with Jin with supplies and instructions on how to deliver the baby.  Though extremely hesitant, Kate helps Claire deliver her baby boy.

With Boone's condition worsening, Jack realizes that the blood is all pooling in one of his legs and that the leg is effectively dead.  Using the sliding door of a cargo container from the plane, Jack plans to amputate the leg.  Sun realizes that Boone is internally bleeding and beyond saving.  She tries to stop Jack from going through with the amputation, but he refuses to listen.  Boone finally wakes up and asks Jack to let him go and tells him not to be sorry.  Jack ultimately lets go and allows Boone to die.

Sayid (Naveen Andrews) takes Shannon (Maggie Grace) on an overnight picnic and they are completely unaware of what is happening with Boone.  The next morning, they return and Jack delivers the bad news, which devastates Shannon.  Jack, believing Locke is responsible for Boone's death, heads off into the jungle to hunt him down.

In flashbacks, we see Jack preparing for his upcoming marriage to Sarah (Julie Bowen), a woman he saved after a car accident.  His surgical abilities miraculously gave her the ability to walk again.  Jack is having a hard time writing his vows and goes to his father, Christian (John Terry), for advice.  Christian tells him that commitment is what makes Jack tick, but he isn't good at letting go.  Jack does not write any vows, but professes his love for Sarah in his own way and they get married.

What Works:

"Do No Harm" is a fantastic episode of Lost that features almost the entire cast working together to solve various crises.  It's really satisfying watching all of these characters handle this worst case scenario.  Jin and Sun put their differences aside to do what they can and Sawyer immediately drops the bad boy act when he hears about Boone and offers what he has.  Everyone rises to the occasion and everyone involved is more likable when all is said and done.

This is the first episode where we lose a main character and it sure leaves an impact.  Practically this entire episode is about trying to save Boone's life, but in the end, our hero fails.  It's brutal and extremely memorable.  Though Lost will have superior deaths for the main cast throughout the rest of its run, this one is still very memorable.  The episode continually gives us hope that Boone will make it, but he ultimately doesn't.  There isn't really another episode like this in the show.

Matthew Fox gives a fantastic performance in this episode.  I wouldn't be surprised if he really had some of his blood drawn to achieve greater authenticity.  He's incredibly believable as the alpha surgeon who is willing to do anything to save a life.  Jack may not be the most likable character on the show, but Fox's acting ability is top-notch.

This is a very dark episode, so I appreciated the sprinkle of light moments throughout.  Sayid subtly hinting to Shannon that they are lost in the jungle is great as are Charlie and Jin's reactions to the successful baby delivery.  It's a spark of joy in an otherwise brutal and depressing episode.

Finally, though the flashbacks are very different in tone from the main story, the continuing exploration of Jack's character and motivations are interesting.  Jack is one of my favorite characters and I find him fascinating.  Plus we get one of the only positive scenes between Jack and Christian in the series here, which is nice.

What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.

Platinum Polar Bear:

Nearly the entire cast has an argument for winning the Platinum Polar Bear, which goes to the most useful character in a given episode, but I have to go with Sun.  She has no real medical experience, but did a fantastic job as Jack's assistant.  She came up with using the stick for Boone to bite on, using a sea urchin as a needle, and was willing to put aside her differences with Jin for the greater good.  She also saw the Boone situation much more clearly than Jack and was the only one willing to tell him he was wrong.  This is Sun's second time winning the award.

Verdict:

"Do Not Harm" is another outstanding episode of Lost.  The majority of the cast comes together to try and save Boone and help Claire have her baby, which is awesome to watch.  Matthew Fox is incredible, the episode has just enough light moments to prevent the darkness from being too overwhelming, and the story is extremely memorable and a standout of the series.  Without a doubt, this episode has got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing