Lost: Season 2, Episode 1 "Man of Science, Man of Faith" Review

"See you in another life, yeah?"
-Desmond Hume



The season 2 premiere of Lost gives us an episode about Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox).  In flashbacks, we see how Jack meets his future wife, Sarah (Julie Bowen), by saving her life in the Emergency Room after a car accident.  With severe damage to her back, Jack operates on Sarah to restore her ability to walk.  Believing he failed, Jack goes for a run, where he meets a man training for a race around the world, Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick).  Later, he returns to the hospital to deliver Sarah the bad news, but discovers a miracle has happened and Sarah has feeling in her legs.

On the island, Jack says they don't have enough time to get all of the castaways down into the hatch, so he brings Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), and a reluctant Locke (Terry O'Quinn) back to the caves where everyone is in a panic because Shannon (Maggie Grace) claims she saw Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) out in the jungle when he should be on the raft.  Jack gives a speech to calm everyone down and promises everything will be okay.

Locke returns to the hatch and Kate joins him to make sure he doesn't hurt himself.  Locke lowers Kate down, but a floodlight shines out from inside and something drags Kate into the hatch.

Jack decides to go after them and arrives to find no sign of Kate or Locke.  He descends down into the hatch himself and starts exploring.  He finds a magnetic wall and a computer before being blindsided by a floodlight and extremely loud music.  Eventually he finds Locke being held at gunpoint by a man Jack recognizes: Desmond.


What Works:

"Man of Science, Man of Faith" is probably my favorite episode from season 2.  The opening sequence alone is one of the most brilliant things Lost has ever done.  We are so used to the flashback formula at this point that the opening, filled with items from the 70's, made me think this was simply another flashback.  The reveal that this was all in the hatch happening at the same time as what's happening on the island is insane and one of the best reveals the show has ever done.

Speaking of great twists, the fact that Desmond is the man living in the hatch is insanely amazing and I never saw it coming.  The odds of this being someone Jack has met before are astronomical, but it makes so much sense in the world of Lost.  Desmond is one of the best characters on the show and his introduction here is absolutely stellar.

This episode is also one of the most terrifying in the run of the show.  Kate's descent into the hatch is chilling.  The strange noises, the light, her being grabbed...all of it makes your imagination run wild and it's fantastic.

Jack entering the hatch is also terrifying.  The lights coming on and the music blaring might be the scariest moment in the entire show.  It's amazing that they manage to make Mama Cast Elliot so scary.  This is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show and will be forever ingrained in my mind.

Finally, I love the flashbacks here, especially the final one with Jack and Sarah realizing she can feel. It's an incredibly emotional moment with fantastic performances from both Fox and Bowen.  We needed some joy to save us from the terror the rest of the episode brings.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for ya.


Platinum Polar Bear:

The Platinum Polar Bear goes to the most useful character in a given episode.  The first award of season two goes to Jack Shephard for giving a speech to make everyone feel better, getting everyone back to the caves instead of plunging into the hatch, and going after Kate and Locke to try and save them.  This is Jack's 5th time winning the award putting him in 1st place.


Verdict:

This is an all-time great episode of Lost and the best of season 2.  It's utterly terrifying with amazing twists and powerful performances.  There is no question that this episode has got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

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