Lost - ...In Translation

In his love for Sun-Hwa, Jin-Soo inadvertently married her corrupt father as well. Ashamed of his wonderfully sweet but simple fisherman father, Jin-Soo pretends to others that he is dead! In his dismay, Jin-Soo needs guidance from [and just some pleasant time with] his father. His father might just be (to society anyway…) a simple fisherman, he’s worth five times what Sun’s father is as a human being. Jin-Soo knows this, and that time spent just pulling up fish from the drink where the conversation is about dedicating a new life in America to Sun has more merit and quality than anything he’s experienced since marrying his wife. Exploiting his love for Sun, her father has turned Jin into something she can barely recognize. On the island, when Jin once again makes demands in regards to Sun covering up her body where a good bit of flesh is allowed to be kissed by waves’ wind and the sun thanks to a very tiny bikini, Michael and others wish to interject but this tension between them must settled by the married Korean couple. What develops concludes Sun’s secrecy involving her understanding (and ability to speak) English. Much to every one’s surprise (except Kate and Michael), Sun can in fact speak English, and that knowledge certainly alters her relationship with Jin…perhaps for good.

For the past few episodes, Michael has been dedicated to building a raft off the island for him and his son. Sawyer “bought” his own “seat” on the raft-like boat through materials needed to help build it. What Michael doesn’t anticipate is a fire…to his boat. It was coming off nicely, too, this boat. Michael immediately suspects and accuses Jin but he’s unable to defend himself due to the language barrier. That language barrier is the death knell in Sun’s deceptive secrecy involving the English she supposedly doesn’t know, but in fact does. While this revelation frees Sun from further lies, it causes a major rift between her and Jin. And, ironically, it drives Jin towards Michael as the two will now work together to start over on a new—and Michael tells his son, better—boat. Sawyer had followed suit, piggybacking on Michael’s cause, regarding making Jin pay for his supposed responsibility. But Sawyer, like Michael, would have to retract using physical violence as Jin wasn’t responsible. In fact, the burns on his hands were because he was trying to stop the fire not start it!

Locke knows who started the fire. He pawns it off on “those others on the island you know exist but fail to consider” but he knows. And when alone…with Walt (!!!)…he simply asks why the fire was started. Walt simply doesn’t want to move around anymore. During Walt’s whole young life, his mother and foster father had moved him place to place. When was enough going to be enough? Here is this island that Walt enjoys—even as his father doesn’t—and so why would he want to go to New York and move yet again? Into a city no less? It is a neat twist that has a reasoning behind it that makes sense. Locke tells Walt this will be kept between them. Locke obviously likes living on the island as well. However what Locke said about others being on the island…that isn’t to be discounted.

Boone letting go of Shannon, embracing his own path while on the island, allows her to actually do the same. Sayid addresses his potential feelings for Shannon with Boone who just advises him on how she likes older men that will take care of her and that once she’s done with him, he might be discarded as the others were. Shannon is furious when Sayid returns, questioning whether or not they should take their burgeoning romance any further. Locke, as always, happens to be in the right place at the right time, posing a reasoning to Shannon: he’s moving on so why doesn’t she? Why not start her own life, one without Boone? It was certainly something to consider, and Shannon does. As a fire burns, Shannon and Sayid, silhouetted in that romantic night photography, kiss and allow for things to develop without concern about anything else. It is an island ripe for such romantic development, but it is also perfect for relationship strife, as evidenced by the split apart of Jin and Sun.