What I'm Watching: Lost

Lost: Season 6, Episode 8 "Recon" (B+)

Sawyer is awesome. Seriously, I didn't care much for the character in the first four seasons of the show, but when "LaFleur" rolled around and he had a change of heart, he became my favorite character. The start of this episode was one of the best reveals this show has ever had, almost as exciting as when it was revealed that he was in fact LaFleur, chief of security for the Dharma Initiative. Sawyer as a cop is truly a fantastic idea, and having Miles be his partner is even better. While it's hard to understand exactly how Sawyer ended up as a cop, despite his brilliant explanation that he was either going to become a cop or a criminal, it doesn't matter because it really works as a way of getting into his psyche and developing an understanding of the character. It's also important to remember that Sawyer really has changed from who he was when he was LaFleur, and that he's pretty much back to what he was like when he first arrived on the island. The flash-sideways version of Sawyer is much closer to LaFleur, and it's great to see that side of him again. Reincorporating Charlotte as Sawyer's date-gone-wrong was terrific because it emphasizes her role as a peripheral character, and it makes sense that Miles would know her because they both grew up on the island. On another note, seeing Jodi Lyn O'Keefe get taken down in the first scene was particularly satisfying for those who came to detest her on "Prison Break" over the past few years. Back to the island, however, it's fascinating to see Sawyer manipulate both sides into trying to take each other out so that he and Kate can slip away, and he should really be applauded for standing up to Widmore, since that's not an easy thing to do. Man No. 2, who has been termed the "Locke Monster" by some, is becoming even more interesting as he talks to Kate about his mother being crazy and reacts to hearing Widmore's name. I can't wait to find out more about him, and I really like what I've learned so far.