Initial Reaction to "What Kate Does"

Apparently I liked this episode more than most people did. I don't know what everyone's problem is. Just because this episode was slow moving, that doesn't make it filler. There were a lot of good things that happened in it. Sure, Kate has gotten annoying. But you have to look at the big picture. This is setup. There were a lot of great character moments in this episode. If you think this episode was so terrible, please go back and watch Stranger In A Strange Land from Season 3, and try to tell me that episode had any purpose whatsoever.

From Lostpedia

Here are some of my thoughts, questions, and theories on "What Kate Does" (Some written while viewing the episode.):

Questions:

• What's with the type writer? What is Dogen writing?
• Why do the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 need to be protected?
• How does Sayid come back to life? Did the others really heal him?
• How is Sayid healed if the water wasn't clear and he appeared to die?
• Why do the others need all of them at The Temple?
• What is the test and why does Sayid fail? Why does Lennon tell him that he passed?
• What is Sayid infected with? Does he have the sickness?
• What is the pill that the others tell Jack to give to Sayid? What is it made of?
• Since when does Sayid trust Jack?
• Why is Ethan using his family name, Goodspeed, as opposed to Rom? 
• How did Claire "just know" to name her baby Aaron? What is the significance?
• Is Kate going to deliver Claire's baby again?
• What's in the box that Sawyer digs up in he and Juliet's old house?
• What's with the baseball?
• What's the poison for? Why would they want to kill Sayid?
• Why would they give him a pill instead of just shooting him?
• Who or what has claimed Sayid?
• When and how did the darkness take over Sayid?
• What is Dogen's leadership role? Is he leader of the others? Is he above Ben's ranking?
• What happened to Claire? Where has she been the past three years?
• Did Claire die? If not, how did she become infected?

From Lostpedia

Notes:

• Sawyer is bitter that Sayid, a murderer and torturer, gets a second chance because Juliet is dead.
• Dr. Arzt dropping his luggage in the middle of the road was hilarious. Dude, you had enough time to pick it up. Obviously he hasn't changed much.
• Claire is still pregnant in this time line.
• Miles has really grown on me. But, you know what, Hurley has done a pretty good job, so shut up for a minute Miles. He knows more than you do.
• Good job taking credit for saving Sayid there, Jack.
• Obviously Jin wanted to go with Kate because he wants to find Sun. It couldn't be more obvious that both Jin and Kate had different motivations than what they said.
• I have no idea who the actor who played the mechanic is, but he's one of those dudes that's been in everything and it was cool to see him in this episode, if only for a minute.
• Kate finds the same whale in Claire's bag that Aaron had when he was living with Jack and Kate.
• I wish they would stop with the stupid love triangle bullshit. Kate wants to go after Sawyer. Kate and Jack look at eachother, they linger, he tells her to be careful. Ugh.
• Aldo (Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is back. Kate doesn't remember him. Come on, Kate! He fell for the old Wookiee prisoner gag!
• Also, Aldo, come on. Shut up and stop being so cranky that Kate didn't remember you. Justin seemed willing to give us all the answers we needed.
• Sayid notes that when they tortured him they "didn't ask him any questions" which is interesting, but also a line straight out of The Empire Strikes Back, which Han Solo says after being tortured by Darth Vader.
• That's right, Jack. A lot of people have died on your watch. It's time for you to pay.
• Hurley asking Sayid about being a zombie and their whole exchange was not only hilarious, but a callback to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse's ongoing joke that the Seventh Season of LOST will be the "zombie season." Although, it kind of appears that they may be the zombie season!
• "We'll be in the food court." Miles
• I find it kind of suspect that Sayid says he trusts Jack. Clearly he hasn't before, and not even too long ago, he threatened both Jack and Ben saying that if he ever saw either of them again, it was going to be extremely unpleasant for them. Although, Sayid may be staying close to those he's trusted in the past, it makes me feel weary that this is the real Sayid.
• So, there really was a couple in Los Angeles? I don't get it. I thought Richard Malkin only said that to get Claire on the plane, so she would crash on the island. I never thought there really was a couple in Los Angeles.
• I totally thought the person Claire was going to give Aaron to was going to be someone significant. I was certain of it until she opened the door. Perhaps the husband is someone we'd recognize.
• Really, lady? Kate's right. Claire comes all the way from frakking Australia and you don't even call her to let her know that you don't want her baby anymore?
• The scene with Josh Holloway and Evangeline Lilly was superb. I thought they played off of eachother really fantastically. What an intense scene.
• Josh Holloway really had a standout performance in this episode. He even made me cry. Dude really busted out his acting chops in this episode. Great Job by him.
• The way that Sawyer threw the ring in the water was very reminiscent of how Desmond threw the ring he was going to propose to Penny with.
• Someone better give Josh Holloway an Emmy RIGHT NOW.
• "I was brought here, like everyone else." Dogen
• "You know exactly what I mean." Dogen
• The scene where Jack takes the pill was also pretty damn intense.
• Damn, I thought Jack was going to kill himself. Too bad.
• The Ultrasound says October 22, 2004, though that could be a pregnancy due-date and not the actual date.
• Joan Hart is Kate's alias.
• Good job there, detectives. You don't even check the entire room?
• Kate seemed to recognize something when Claire called her baby "Aaron."
• Kate says that she's innocent. Claire believes her.
• "I don't know why I said it. It's like I knew it or something." Claire
• "I think you should keep it." Kate
• I love how Sawyer barely notices Kate right now.
• "There is a darkness growing in him, and once it reaches his heart, everything your friend once was will be gone." Dogen
• "Because it happened to your sister." Dogen
• If Kate would've just shut up and stayed with Jin, she would've found Claire.
• Of course Claire knows how to shoot a gun now.
• I can't believe that I'm going to say this, but it's good to see Claire again.
• There were so many homages and callbacks to Danielle Rousseau's story in this episode.
• They're really laying the FlashForward and V promos on pretty thick during LOST. Pretty annoying for shows that aren't coming back for another month or so.
• I liked this episode. It wasn't the best, but there were some great moments.

I think the biggest reason people may be upset about this episode is because we got no John Locke/Man in Black/Richard Alpert/Benjamin Linus in this. And that's fine to be upset about, but if you aren't new to this show, you should have some patience by now, that's all I'm saying. It's about suspense, mystery, giving more questions than answers. I think that LOST has been somewhat consistent when it comes to that, and there's still a lot more story to tell. I would be upset if it was just answer after answer with no great character moments. Do I want answers? ABSOLUTELY. But do I want to sacrifice great character moments to get said answers? NO.

The episode following the Season Premiere has always been kind of a lull, and a slow-paced episode. I think it's the combination of coming off the high intensity of a Season Premiere and setting up some of the story for the rest of the season. A lot happened in the premiere. You can't expect the characters on this show to be at a constant high-pace the entire season. There are going to be some character episodes. Sure, the biggest reason that I love this show is the mythology. But, I also love it for the characters. That's what made Season One my favorite season. And if it weren't for the wonderful mix of dense mythology, never-ending questions, and rich characters, it wouldn't be such a great show. I think that's it's appropriate that LOST is book-ended by huge character moments AND mythology, just as it began. People, you need to relax, sit back, and just enjoy the rest of the show, because before you know it, it's going to be over, and you're going to be sorry you spent so much time complaining about it. I'm enjoying the rest of the ride; you should too.