Three Minutes

Infobox Television episode | Title = Three Minutes
Series = Lost


Caption = Michael being taken to the Others' camp
Season = 2
Episode = 22
Airdate = May 17, 2006
Production = 222
Writer = Edward Kitsis &
Adam Horowitz
Director = Stephen Williams
Guests = M.C. Gainey
Michael Bowen
April Grace
Tania Raymonde
Episode list = "Lost" (season 2)
List of "Lost" episodes
Prev = ?
Next = Live Together, Die Alone"Three Minutes" is the 46th episode of "Lost". It is the twenty-second episode of the second season. The episode was directed by Stephen Williams, and written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. It first aired on May 17, 2006 on ABC. The character of Michael Dawson is featured in the episode's flashbacks.

Plot

Centric Character(s): Michael

This episode switches back and forth from "Today" to "13 Days Ago"; "11 Days Ago"; and "3 Days Ago" as it establishes Michael's story that led him from going to rescue his son to murder and betrayal.

It begins with a flashback from thirteen days previously where Michael asks Locke for a gun. This links with the opening scene of "The Hunting Party". Though Locke cooperates, Michael knocks him unconscious, and then heads to the computer to receive directions on how to find his son, Walt. Jack arrives unexpectedly; Michael confronts him and locks both him and Locke in the armory, before setting off to rescue Walt. En route he is captured by the Others and has a bag placed over his head before being taken to another location.

When the bag is removed, he is greeted by Mr. Friendly and various Others, shortly before the former's encounter with the survivors in "The Hunting Party." From the Others' point of view, Mr. Friendly is seen to order Alex to bring the captured, gagged, and tied up Kate out, but she refuses and asks Pickett to do it instead. When alone with Michael, Alex tells him that Mr. Friendly is just sending them a message to scare them. She asks Michael about Claire and her baby, wanting to know whether Claire gave birth, and if the baby was a boy or girl. After Mr. Friendly's encounter is finished, he returns and orders Alex to knock Michael out. Alex apologizes to Michael and then strikes his forehead with the butt of her rifle.

Michael is then dragged to the Others' camp, where they appear to live in makeshift tents. Pickett approaches Michael with a syringe, to take a blood sample, after which Michael is questioned about Walt's childhood by a woman identifying herself as "Ms. Klugh." She eventually explains that she wants Michael to return back to his camp to free Henry Gale. Michael demands to see Walt, and she agrees, giving him three minutes. Michael is then reunited with his son, who seems relatively unharmed. Walt informs Michael that they make him take "tests", and he cautions Michael that the Others are "not who they say they are". When Walt is dragged away, he calls out to his father, "They're pretending!" Ms. Klugh threatens Walt by asking him if he wants to go back to "The Room", and Walt is subsequently forcibly taken away after throwing himself at Michael, begging him to save him.

Ms. Klugh tells Michael that he and Walt will be set free if he brings four people from his own camp to the Others. She gives him a pink slip of paper, which contains their names: Jack, Hurley, "James Ford" (Sawyer), and Kate. She states that Michael "must" bring his companions back if he is ever to see Walt again. Michael agrees, but also demands that he and Walt are given the boat in return.

The scene moves to the present day, where Michael is burning the pink slip of paper, after which he debates with the other survivors as to who should accompany him to the Others' camp. He does not tell them about his instructions, but insists on limiting the number to the names that were on the paper. When Sawyer informs Michael that he has recruited Sayid, Michael protests, then reluctantly agrees, but then directly tells Sayid that he is not coming. Michael also convinces Hurley to go, by reminding him that Libby was killed.

Sayid suspects that Michael has been "compromised" by the Others, and decides to work on a new plan with Jack to try and regain an advantage.

On the beach, Charlie brings a DHARMA kit to Claire, containing what is apparently the vaccine and a pneumatic injector like the one used by Desmond in "Man of Science, Man of Faith", for her and Aaron. Charlie says that he injected himself with a dose just to make sure that it was safe.

Charlie is later seen struggling with the construction of the church, as Vincent approaches with a Virgin Mary statue, which contains heroin, a drug in which Charlie previously indulged. Charlie follows Vincent back to Sawyer's hidden stash and discovers the other statues, but decides to throw all of them into the ocean. This is observed by Locke, who is sitting on the beach.

Back at the Hatch, Mr. Eko inputs the code into the computer. Charlie demands to know why Mr. Eko has abandoned building the church. Eko replies that he has been told that this is what he must do now. Charlie refuses Mr. Eko's request to bring his things back to the hatch.

During the funeral for Libby and Ana Lucia, Locke is seen looking thoughtfully at his injured leg, then draws a knife and cuts the splint off. He stands up, his leg apparently healed, and limps off up the beach, shouldering a rucksack, leaving his splint and crutches behind. The castaways stand around the graves of Ana-Lucia and Libby, but are then interrupted by Sun suddenly spotting a sailboat, coming towards the island.

Cast Notes

* Malcolm David Kelley (Walt) is credited with the starring cast for this episode.

References