Kate and Fate
"If you've got leavin' on your mind
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If you've got leavin' on your mind
If there's a new love in your heart
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart
Don't leave me here in a world
Filled with dreams that might have been
Hurt me now, get it over
I may learn to love again
If there's a new love in your heart
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart"
These are the lyrics to the Patsy Cline song, "If You've Got Leavin' On Your Mind." This song first appeared in "Tabula Rasa," the third episode from LOST's debut season, which was also the first Kate-centric flashback. It immediately establish Kate as a character who always has leavin' on her mind. As the story has progressed, Kate has changed. By the end of season five, she became a woman who chooses to face her fears instead of running from them. She returned to the Island, giving up her squatter's rights to Aaron, so she could reunite him with his mother.
As season six begins, the lyrics to Cline's song now feel more ironic than revelatory. "Don't leave me here in a world filled with dreams that might have been," "Hurt me now, get it over." Patsy Cline is imploring her lover to put her out of her misery so that she may start anew. In "What Kate Does," a subtle and understated episode, these two lyrics stand out to redefine who Kate is. Before, Kate was the lover who needed to "get it over" and leave; now she's the wounded who needs to start again.
No where else do we see this as clearly as in the scene between her and Sawyer on the Dharmaville dock. Kate tracked Sawyer down to take care of him and get help finding Claire, but she also seemed to be there to get an understanding of where their relationship stood. When Sawyer reveals he intended to propose marriage to Juliet, Kate weeps as much for the loss of his affection as she does for him. Her eyes cry out "hurt me now, get it over." It's a beautiful scene, for it puts a rest to the love triangle/quadrangle of the past five seasons, and re-establishes for season six the overarching theme of "live together, die alone." Sawyer, after all, makes it clear that some of us may just be destined to be alone. That will, no doubt, be put to the test as the next episode's promos tease that the Nemesis will be knocking at Sawyer's door.
This Kate, who is choosing to face her fears, is also present in the parallel storyline. While she runs from the law, she doesn't run from her personal decisions. When she discovers Claire's baggage, she realizes she needs to help the girl in need. Obviously, as so many have pointed out, this is evidence that while free will exists in this world, there is some manifest destiny that has interconnected many of the characters. Kate has always been meant to help Claire with Aaron, in the Island world and the off-Island world. It's fate.
Another Theory That Will Be Disproven
What does it all mean, though? Where is any of this headed? We have a good idea of where the story is headed on the Island. There is no doubt going to be some sort of division amongst the survivors, leading to a "war." What about off-Island, though? The writers have given us some hints as it relates to deja-vu moments for the characters: Jack has a recognition of Desmond and struggles to orient himself on the plane; Kate seems to do a double-take when she see Jack waiting for a cab outside LAX; Claire calls out Aaron's name during the sonogram. I have a theory for this, albeit one I'm not so sure of.
Theory: these moments of deja-vu will draw the castaways together, and they will realize they have to go to this Island. Why will they have to go there? The Nemesis will have destroyed everyone and taken the Island for himself, and the castaways will need to re-establish order. When Jacob said, "They're coming," he wasn't referring to the castaways in 2007 -- he was referring to those in 2004. How will the castaways return to the Island? With the help of Charles Widmore, who will encounter Ben -- in league with the Nemesis -- and the two will put an end to their smaller version of the Jacob/Nemesis war.
How sexy does that sound? Sexy, but improbable. Oh well...I guess I'm still going to have to trust Darlton.
Random Things
This season, I'm really enjoying Jack. The last couple seasons he's been very depressing and desperate; a crybaby, really, as many have pointed out on other sites. This year, though, he has been calm and steady. The way he handles Dogan and Lennon is terrific, especially when he swallows the pill. Did he really intend to swallow it? I doubt it. I bet he was more looking for a reaction.
First nitpick: I am still really frustrated with how easy it was for Claire to hop back into the cab with Kate. Couldn't they have established a better situation to make that happen? Maybe Claire was getting hounded by someone and Kate had to rescue her? Maybe Kate just keeps following her? I don't know. If I were a pregnant woman, the last thing I'd want to do -- even if I were in a strange city with no money -- is hop into a stolen cab with an armed woman.
Second nitpick: at the end of "LA X" part two, Lennon approached Jack to have a private conversation, which Jack violently declined. Once Sayid arises from the dead, it's as if that request never happened. When Jack finally visits Dogan to talk about Sayid, it's almost as if Jack became an afterthought. What did they want to say to him?
Third nitpick: why was Sawyer using a crowbar to pull up the floorboards in his house so he could get the shoebox containing Juliet's ring? It makes me wonder how he got the shoebox in there in the first place without Juliet noticing.
Aldo's an asshole! Sure, Kate kicked the shit out of him back in season three, but that doesn't mean he has to be a dick about it. I'm glad Claire shot him. This season doesn't need another Phil.
Sayid is "claimed." By whom? The assumption is the Nemesis. At this point, is it safe to assume the obvious is true? What does claiming signify? Does this mean that, if left unpoisoned, Sayid will start to use his significant Iraqi fighting skills to kill everyone in the Temple? Is there a way for the "claimed" person to fight against the "infection?" If this is the way Sayid goes out, by turning evil, I will be heartbroken. Even though Sawyer is technically right -- Sayid is a torturer and child killer -- the Sayid we know is a man with deep love and compassion. Maybe when he learns of this, Sayid will kill himself as a sacrifice for everyone. That would be honorable.
Claire returns! Her return at the end of this episode felt similar to the return of Michael as Kevin Johnson during season 4. I wasn't as surprised as I should've been. I attribute this to seeing the promo pic of Claire that I posted here a few weeks ago. I'm more intrigued, though. What has happened to Claire since we saw her in Jacob's Cabin with her ghost-Dad? How did she go all Rousseau? Does she remember Jin, who's at her gunpoint? And, if she's infected and claimed, will she go crazy and try to kill everyone?
Ahhhhh, too many questions!
One thing I can say is that, after watching this episode a couple times, it is an excellent episode. I really enjoyed it, despite my nitpicks. This show really showed how far Kate has come as a character and has established a couple essential pieces that will play out during the rest of the season.
Can't wait for Tuesday! "The Substitute!"
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