Lost - Hearts and Minds

As “Hearts and Minds” does give significant time to Boone and Shannon’s back story and Boone’s attempt to rescue Shannon from the pursuit of a creature after freeing her from rope binding (around a tree), there’s plenty of subplot development and time provided to other characters on the island. Sun-Hwa accidentally revealing she understands English after Kate realizes she understood a joke, and their preparing a garden together provides them with some time together. Sun-Hwa obviously doesn’t want Jin-Soo to know she understands English, appealing to Kate (who is no stranger to holding a secret) that this concealment is because “she loves him”. Jack and Kate appear to be okay, even though he was very upset with her over the previous episode’s “contents in the case”. With Sawyer nowhere to be found in the episode, it does allow Jack and Kate to warmly share dialogue about fruit seeds. Kate shows Jack the garden and he later finds some guava seeds for them. It is a sugary sweet bit of business, surprising considering how tensions were quite aflame at the conclusion of the previous episode. It could just be that Jack likes Kate so much he can’t allow himself to stay angered at her. No Sawyer in the episode (we see him in the flashback in a Sydney police station as Boone was filing a report against the boyfriend Shannon currently was suffering abuse from) allows us to see less angst and melodrama, so perhaps this was a minor relief for those viewers who didn’t like him.

I had mentioned Sayid’s emerging potential romance with Shannon but the episode also follows his attempts to make sense of Danielle’s map, given a compass from Locke who tells him he no longer needs it. Locke wants Boone to let Sayid be because his talents were needed on the island, as an ally instead of an enemy. Very strategic, Locke sees the value in Sayid and the detriment that comes from inviting a fight with him. Sayid goes to Jack with the compass, letting him see just how magnetically “off” the island is.

Although other characters aren’t emphasized all that much, Jack asks Charlie how he’s doing, with the two briefly eyeing Locke off to himself. This allows Jack to ponder how trustworthy Locke is, and Charlie, with no hesitation, completely expresses his faith in the man. Out of all the people on the island, Charlie believes Locke is the one that you can put your trust (and life) in. Jack even has his own “moment” with Locke, sharing a minor conversation on boars and Boone. Few boars have been coming out of the woods lately even as Locke and Boone spend a considerable amount of time in there. Locke brushes off talk of boars by claiming their realization that heading away from “new predators” is the best idea has driven them further into the woods. As good an excuse as any, I guess.

Hurley is having his share of digestive problems. There’s only so much fruit you can eat before protein is needed. Jack assures him he’ll need to try fish if there is no boar meat available. Hurley wishes he could perhaps endear himself to Jin-Soo after the rejection of the urchin early into the season. Jin-Soo has often been viewed as a bit difficult but little details have proven that, although he might be a bit protective of and guarded towards Sun-Hwa, he isn’t altogether a bad guy. In fact he is a big help for Hurley who eventually goes to him for pointers in catching fish. A foot puncture/poison incident further has Hurley realizing just how reliable and kind Jin-Soo can be. Hell, Jin-Soo even catches and cleans a fish for Hurley. So perhaps Jin-Soo deserves the benefit of the doubt. The early fear in Sun-Hwa’s eyes and how Jin-Soo insists she remains isolated didn’t immediately endear him to us but time and story development can alter that initial perception of a character, providing understanding to questionable behavior. Any show worth its salt will take characters and evolve them like a potter molding clay, not completely ridding them of their imperfections but unveiling the richness and depth that is there.