Flashback: Jack saves the life of a woman injured in a car accident, but when she wakes up, he has to deliver the bad news: there is extensive damage to her spinal column, and a good chance she will be paralyzed for life. Jack’s father thinks that he should stress the possibility of hope; the woman’s fiance seems troubled by the prospects of a lifetime of intense care and physical assistance. The woman’s determination inspires Jack to promise that he will fix her; that promise leads to an late night of running up and down stadium steps to expiate his guilt when he can’t fulfill it. A fellow runner introduces himself as Desmond and raises a question: what if Jack did fix her? He dismisses the idea… until the next day, when she wakes up and wiggles her toes.
The Island: Within a bunker, a man types commands on a old computer terminal, injects himself with some kind of chemical, and works out while listening to one of a large library of vinyl records. His routine is interrupted by a sudden tremor – the result of the dynamite blowing open the hatch. Jack, Kate, and Locke peer down into the hatch and see nothing but a broken ladder; the shaft goes down into the darkness. Jack realizes that the hatch will not provide a sanctuary and wants to head back to the caves immediately. Locke is more eager to explore, but ultimately concedes to Jack. On the way back, Hurley tells Jack about his previous experiences with the numbers.
At the caves, panic is starting to set in. Shannon sets out to find Walt’s dog Vincent, and Sayid accompanies her. They are briefly separated, and for a moment she sees Walt, soaking wet and whispering something. Sayid finds her and Walt disappears. Shortly afterward, Jack and the others return, and Jack reassures everyone that they’ll be fine, that the sun will come up in a few hours and they’ll see it together. But Locke is determined to go back to the hatch. Kate follows him in case he needs help. And Jack decides that he’s not going to let the two of them face the inside of the hatch alone.
Locke lowers Kate into the shaft. Before she hits bottom, some force pulls her down despite Locke’s attempts to brace himself and keep hold of the rope. A bright light shines out of the hatch, and Kate is gone. When Jack reaches the hatch, neither are there. He finds his way into the bunker and the music starts playing again; the room is filled with decades-old equipment. Jack reaches for the terminal, but Locke encourages him not to touch it. And whoever it is holding a gun to Locke’s head thinks that’s a pretty good idea too.
written by Damon Lindelof
directed by Jack Bender
music by Michael GiacchinoSeason 2 Regular Cast: Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Maggie Grace (Shannon), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Malcolm David Kelley (Walt), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Terry O’Quinn (Locke), Harold Perrineau (Michael), Michelle Rodriguez (Ana Lucia)
Guest Cast: John Terry (Shephard), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Julie Bowen (Sarah), Anson Mount (Kevin), Ivana Michele Smith (N.D. survivor), Katie Doyle (EMT), Julius Ledda (EMT no. 2), Masayo Ford (Nurse), David Ely (Intern), Larry Wiss (Anesthesiologist)
LogBook entry by Dave Thomer