WRITERS: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse DIRECTOR: Tucker Gates
CAST: Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Matthew Fox (Jack), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliette), Michael Emerson (Ben), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Nathan Fillion (Kevin), Michael Bowen (Pickett), M.C Gainey (Tom), Tania Raymonde (Alex), Eden-Lee Murray (Suzanne) & Fredric Lehne (Edward Mars)
Jack makes a decision concerning Ben's operation, with his choice affecting Sawyer and Kate...I always look forward to episodes written by "showrunners" of a series, here Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, because they're the ones who effectively plan the entire season. Therefore, their episodes tend to be the ones with most focus, and contain subtle hints for the future.
I Do is the last episode until February, completing a "mini-season", which means it's a miniature season finale. The focus of the flashbacks is Kate, and reveal she married a police oficer called Kevin (Fillion) while on the run from the Feds, then started a marital life built on lies.
Evangeline Lilly is an actress whose beauty and regular semi-nude photospreads have caused people to overlook her acting talent. She's effortlessly believable in any situation and brings a warmth and sassiness to her role that has gone overlooked since season 1.
It's also easy to forget just how fantastic Matthew Fox can be when he's given the chance. I much preferred Jack's heroic nature in season 1, and I Do affords him the same opportunity. Fox clearly relishes the chance to be Alpha Male and I Do should remind viewers just how much they missed the old Jack. Welcome back.
Nathan Fillion (superb in Serenity, great in Slither) makes a welcome appearance as Kate's husband Kevin in the flashbacks. Fillion's currently Hollywood's best-kept secret in my opinion, and deserves a breakout role. It's a shame he's not more involved in Lost, although his appearance via flashback is a welcome one while it lasts.
Interestingly, while Lost flashbacks are always par for the course, a B-plot involving Mr Eko's burial is not expanded upon to any great degree. The emphasis here is on the captives in the Hydra Station, and it's wonderful to see things build up to a tense climax that should put silly grins on the faces of everyone who think the Others deserve their comeuppance.
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wave a few carrots under our noses (Eko's cryptic message on his prayer stick, talk of "Jacob's list", another appearance by Alex) in prepation for the rest of season 3, but for the most part they focus on Ben's spinal operation and the Others' harsh treatment of Sawyer. It was also very refreshing to see some characters talk to each other about events (Sawyer reveals the true nature of their prison, Locke chats about the "monster", etc). I hope this is indicative of a shift away from the cloak-and-dagger conversations of yesteryear, which are becoming increasingly frustrating to me. But somehow I doubt it!
I Do is a suitable send-off for the show until 2007. It's not quite the jaw-dropper I was expecting, but it certain ends on a dramatic highnote that will be interesting to see continue in episode 7,
The wait starts here... see you in 3 months...
