When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.
"Confidence Man" may not be quite as good as "Pilot" and "Walkabout", then again it is a tall order for any succeeding 'Lost' episode to be as good as those two which are among the greatest episodes of the show ever made. Having said that, it is almost as great and is the best 'Lost' episode since "Walkabout" quite easily. It is not quite perfect, the rather extreme torture scene felt out of place within the episode and doesn't add a significant lot to either the show or the characters the scene concerns.
The episode however is crucial for Sawyer's development, and what is a tautly written and tension-filled episode with a complex back-story for Sawyer makes for one of the best Sawyer-centric episodes in 'Lost' history. It's also one of the best character arcs on 'Lost' and is one of the finest examples of modern television character writing.
A lot is crammed in, with little feeling pointless (with one exception, aforementioned), while not short-changing the rest of the characters (perhaps trying a little too hard to finally give Sayid something more interesting than before). "Confidence Man" is excellently photographed, made with a lot of atmosphere and slickness and with no cheapness at all, while the setting is both beautiful and mysterious.
Even for so early on, the writing is smart and taut as well as provoking a lot of thought. Everything about the episode is absorbing, and not just Sawyer's back-story, all the stuff between the rest of the survivors makes its mark.
Faultless too is the acting all round, with an exceptional performance from Josh Holloway who is hugely successful at making Sawyer a complex human being.
In conclusion, a lot of confidence here. 9/10 Bethany Cox