I have to say right off the bat — I don't understand why this episode gets so much heat from the LOST community. I personally think it rivals Tabula Rasa for the best Kate-centric!
Steven Maeda and Craig Wright constructed a very well-paced episode, starting off with a shocker even before the title sequence. We finally — FINALLY — get to see what turned Kate into a fugitive. To be clear, her actions were despicable no matter what Wayne did or didn't do, but it was great to finally move forward with Kate's storyline.
Her whirlwind post-explosion tour was very interesting, including one last meeting with her mother (Diane Janssen) and the man she presumed to be her father for many years (Sam Austen). Both scenes were well-written and well-acted, but more importantly they shed a considerable light on what kind of psycho Kate really was. Let's break it down:
1. It wasn't registering with her that she'd just taken a life. All she knew was she "took care of" Mommy and fancied herself a hero in her own twisted way.
2. She was genuinely surprised that her mother turned her in, judging from the expression on her face when Marshal Mars caught up with her.
3. She asked Sam why HE didn't kill Wayne, as if killing someone was as mundane as going for groceries.
Okay, so the flashbacks once again end with Kate on the run, but the parameters had finally been set and I was satisifed with what I knew.
The island storyline was also intriguing, with Michael and Eko watching the Swan orientation film and Eko later providing the missing film splices. The "Hello?" text on the Swan computer was one of the better cliffhangers in recent weeks.
A few deductions for Shannon's funeral, which was just as awkward in the writing as it was in execution.
I think Evangeline Lilly knocks this one out of the park, mostly because she recognizes the subtleties I mentioned in the writing section. It seems Lilly recognizes that Kate is definitely not your traditional protagonist, that her sense of right and wrong are a bit skewed.
That's not to say Lilly invests less of herself when Kate's clearly the wrong — far from it. Lilly is just as convincing when she's bantering with Sawyer as she is when she's insulted because her parents won't celebrate her criminal act.
Bonus points for Terry O'Quinn and AAA for their scene in the Swan dining nook. Eko does most of the talking in revealing the secret within his Bible, but Terry's brief responses and reactions are perfect. It's one of my favorite pure-dialogue scenes in Season 2.
Big-time bonus points for guest star Lindsey Ginter (Sam Austen), who was truly a man in an impossible situation. The look on his face said it all... he knew it was the last time he'd see his daughter.
This was Paul Edwards' directorial debut and it was an impressive one (he was a camera operator for a handful of previous eps). Any time an episode has brisk pacing I give credit to both the writer and the director.
Major props for the opening scene with Kate riding off-screen just moments before the house explodes. That's the obvious one. There are other moments and added touches which are seemingly trivial but really go a long way with me.
Case in point: the Locke/Eko scene in the dining nook. Whoever made the decision to sit them there is a genius, for the artifical light actually plays a character unto itself. Eko's face is only half-illuminated throughout the scene, giving his biblical tale an almost eerie quality. The light is also necessary for Locke to hold up the film and give us a glimpse of what's to come. Brilliant.
Edwards would go on to direct nine more episodes in the series, so his work was obviously noticed and appreciated.
This rewatch has been interesting in the Longevity department, for as Collision is leveling off (if not trending downward) What Kate Did was actually a pleasant surprise this time around. I'd forgotten how much of the episode took place on the island and the Hatch, and I DEFINITELY forgot how smooth the flashbacks were compared to other Kate-centrics.
In terms of importance, eh, it does light the fire under Michael to go after Walt again — obviously a critical component of Season 2. Establishing what Kate did wasn't necessary critical to the series but it sure as hell made me feel a lot better.
The one moment of genuine emotional impact was when Kate visited Sam Austen. I put myself in his shoes and completely empathized with him.
Conversely, Shannon's funeral was completely botched to the point where it was borderline silly. Most of the cast seemed to be going through the motions in this scene, standing lethargically around the grave like they were in line at the DMV. Not even Naveen, who stuttered through one of the worst eulogies you'll ever witness on television, could manage any tears.
The biggest Intangibles bonus is the emergence of Eko as a Locke-like figure. It's fun to watch Locke stare at him with a slight sense of awe, even more fun to watch Eko's cold stare in return.
