Probably the best season 6 episode since "Ab Aeterno", "The Last Recruit" benefits from the multi-centric format, which ties together nearly all the different story lines in the alternate universe, while at the same time giving the spotlight to the original Losties (plus Frank and Desmond), who actually think and act (or at least try to) for themselves here, instead of sitting around passively and waiting for orders. This is the most active Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Claire have been in a LONG time. There are also some great lines, like "John Locke wasn't a believer. He was a sucker!" and "You've already decided, ever since you let him speak to you". I particularly liked the scene on the boat between Jack and Sawyer; their roles have been reversed, with Sawyer desperate to leave the island and Jack prepared to stay. And of course the ambiguity as to who is (relatively speaking) "good" and who is "bad" is sustained. With Widmore and Flocke increasingly violent in the pursuit of their agendas, and Jacob sitting back and letting it all play out, it would be an understatement to say that the Losties are caught between a rock and a hard place. There is also a big reunion in "The Last Recruit", but it feels rather underwhelming after such a long wait. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next episode, because the show itself is finally moving forward. *** out of 4.
Review of The Last Recruit
