I didn't hate "What Kate Does", but I freely admit it wasn't the strongest episode. Toss it out, and this season would be a run of uninterrupted awesomeness, continuing today with "Sundown".
In 2004X:
Nadia is married with two cute kids to Sayid's brother, Omar. Uncle Sayid has a boring but comfortable life as a translator for an oil company; he's just returned from Sydney and will soon go to Toronto, bringing boomerangs (like the ones that washed up on the beach for the Tailies) back as presents for the kids. But Omar owes money to a loan shark and wants Sayid to take care of the problem. He refuses, insisting he's not the same man he used to be during the war, and it's apparent that Omar is a touch jealous of the relationship between his wife and brother.
Omar is mugged, and at the hospital Sayid and Jack literally cross paths. Nadia urges Sayid not to retaliate. Later, Nadia asks Sayid why he pushed her towards Omar; Sayid responds that he was not worthy of her because of what he did in the war, and that he's spent the last twelve years trying to make amends. (Remember, in the original storyline, it was only during the war that Sayid became a torturer, and he then continued in that line of work for several years before fleeing).
Sayid is later forced to get into a car by a man who appears to be mercenary Omar. He's taken to the loan shark himself...Martin Keamy. Sayid turns the tables, killing Keamy's men and then shooting Keamy as he begs for his life. He hears someone tied up elsewhere in the kitchen, and it turns out to be Jin.
I've enjoyed the 2004X stuff, but this week was easily the weakest story we've seen in flashes this year.
On the Island:
Sayid demands to speak with Dogen, who explains that there is a scale of good and evil in every man, and that the electro-machine Sayid was hooked up to allows them to determine which way the scale tips. Dogen and Sayid get into a fight, with Dogen eventually getting the upper hand and having the opportunity to kill Sayid, but he does not, instead just banishing him from the Temple.
Meanwhile, Black Robe wants Claire to go into the Temple, promising to reunite her with Aaron and maintaining that he always does what he says he will. He also assures here that he'll only hurt the ones who won't listen.
Miles tells Sayid that he was dead, and that it wasn't the Others who saved him just as Claire strides into the Temple. She wants Dogen to leave the Temple to talk to Black Robe; Dogen refuses as he believes Black Robe will kill him, and has Claire held in a hole. He wishes to speak to Jack and Hurley, but they are still out in the jungle on their lighthouse excursion. Dogen tells Sayid that Black Robe is evil incarnate, and that if there is any good left in Sayid he'll kill Black Robe by plunging a knife into his heart before he speaks. We're left to wonder why that would make a difference, but Dogen seems to know what he's talking about, as he knows Black Robe will appear as a dead acquaintance to Sayid.
After a brief and seemingly fruitless run-in with Kate in the jungle, Sayid hears the rustling associated with the Monster and pulls his knife. Black Robe as Locke speaks to him, then Sayid stabs him. This accomplishes nothing, as Dogen expected. Black Robe gets into Sayid's head by telling him that Dogen expected that he would kill Sayid, and he suggests that this wasn't the first time that Dogen had tried to have someone else off Sayid. He offers him anything in the world, even Nadia.
So Sayid returns to the Temple to deliver a message--Jacob is dead, and everyone is free to leave. Black Robe will be leaving the Island forever, and the deadline to follow him is (title drop) sundown. If they don't follow, they will die. Meanwhile, Claire is creepily singing "Catch a Falling Star" in her hole as Kate arrives to speak with her (after forcing Lennon to allow her the privilege). Kate explains that she took Aaron and that she's here to rescue Claire and reunite mum and baby. But Claire says that it's not her that needs to be rescued--"He's coming and they can't stop him".
Sayid's message has caused a panic at the Temple, as many Others of little faith prepare to leave, including Cindy. Sayid goes to return Dogen's knife; Dogen is sitting by the spring and gives us his backstory (just in the nick of time). He was a successful banker in Osaka until he was promoted one night and got hammered. After he picked up his son from besuboru practice (one mystery dear to my heart explained), he got in an under-the-influence crash, seriously hurting his son. A man appeared at the hospital, offering to save the boy if Dogen would come to the Island and never see his son again. Of course, that man was Jacob. Sayid observes that Jacob drives a hard bargain, states his intention to stay, then drowns Dogen in the spring. Lennon comes in and is shellshocked, saying that Dogen was the only thing keeping it out, so Sayid slashes his throat.
The Monster arrives and attacks the Temple, and mass chaos ensues. Many Others are killed, Kate goes back to rescue Claire and is forced to hold onto the top of the hole to stay out of the Monster's path. Ilana, Ben, Sun, and Frank arrive just in the nick of time to save Miles; that group hides in a hole in the corridor where Hurley and Dogen had their showdown in "Lighthouse". Before hiding,
Ben had gone to retrieve Sayid, but after telling him "There's still time" and getting a crazed response of "not for me", he slinked back empty-handed. Miles informs Sun that Jin is still on the Island. As the smoke (get it?) clears to a creepy version of "Catch a Falling Star", Claire and Sayid both join the group huddled around Black Robe. Kate seems to be following as well, although her look appears closer to terror than obedience. Jin is seemingly not in this group.
Sorry this is almost all synopsis and no analysis, but I didn't get to watch LOST until midnight and have to go to bed.
