Lost: Season 3, Episode 6 "I Do" Review

 "Kate, damn it, run!"
-Jack Shephard

The 6th episode of season 3 kicks off with a Kate (Evangeline Lilly) flashback.  Kate, using the name Monica, gets married to a Miami police officer, Kevin (Nathan Fillion).  She calls up her old nemesis, U.S. Marshal Ed Mars (Fredric Lehne), and begs him to stop chasing her.  He agrees, if she can manage to stay put, but he says they both know that isn't going to happen.  After a pregnancy scare, Kate drugs Kevin and tells him the truth before leaving him.

On Hydra Island, Jack (Matthew Fox) refuses to do Ben's (Michael Emerson) surgery.  Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) tells Kate that Danny Pickett (Michael Bowen) is going to kill Sawyer (Josh Holloway) unless she can convince Jack to do the surgery.  Kate tries to get Jack to do it, but he refuses.  Kate escapes her cage and opens Sawyer's so he can escape, but he tells her they are on another island and they have nowhere to go.  Instead, they have sex.  

Jack finds the door to his cell open and comes across some security monitors and sees Kate and Sawyer together.  Heartbroken, he agrees to do the surgery if Ben lets him off the island.  In the middle of the operation, Danny prepares to execute Sawyer, but Jack slices open Ben's kidney and holds him hostage to give Sawyer and Kate a chance to escape.  He radios them and tells Kate to run.

On the main island, Locke (Terry O'Quinn) and his group decide to bury Mr. Eko (Adewalke Akinnuoye-Agbaje) in the jungle as there have been too many funerals lately.  Locke retrieves Mr. Eko's Jesus stick and uses it to mark Eko's grave.  The sun lights shines directly on part of the stick, which reads, "Lift up your eyes and look north, JOHN 3:05."

What Works:

Evangeline Lilly gives probably her best performance on Lost to this point.  She's one of the best cry-actors on the show and she spends most of the episode doing just that.  It's heartbreaking every time.  The scenes where she pleads with Jack and Danny, as well as where she breaks down in front of Kevin are some of the best of the episode.

Jack is awesome in this episode.  Matthew Fox is great as he yells as both Ben and Kate.  Plus we get to see Jack outmaneuver both Ben and Juliet.  An impressive feat.  He also gets the final line of the episode, which gives us an iconic cliffhanger.

Michael Emerson gives an excellent performance, as always.  We get to see his plans fall apart, but that doesn't stop him from continuing to manipulate as best he can as he gets more desperate.

Finally, the near execution of Sawyer is epic.  The first time I watched this, I really thought they were going to kill off Sawyer.  The music, the rain, and the performances are perfect and I still get chills every time I watch this scene.

What Sucks:

Apart from Evangeline Lilly's performance, the flashbacks don't really work for this episode.  Could I buy that Kate would settle down and get married while on the run?  Maybe...but to a police officer?  Never.  I just can't buy into this development whatsoever.  I know Nathan Fillion is charming, but still.  It just doesn't jive.  That said, I think Lilly sells it as best she can and her scene with Mars is very good.

Platinum Polar Bear:

The Platinum Polar Bear goes to the most competent character in an episode.  For "I Do," this award goes to Jack for outmaneuvering Ben and Juliet to give Kate and Sawyer a chance to escape.  This is Jack's 8th time winning this award, which ties him for 1st place with Locke.

Verdict:

Out of the first six episode block of season 3, "I Do" is my favorite episode.  Evangeline Lilly, Matthew Fox, and Michael Emerson are all incredible and we get an all-time great cliffhanger.  The flashback doesn't work very well, but the rest of the episode more than makes up for it.  "I Do" has absolutely got it going on.  

 9/10: Great