Season 1, Episode 8: Cofidence Man

A Sawyer episode. Ah, the famous peanut butter episode, which reminds me of a joke ... Q: What's the difference between peanut better and jam? A: I can't peanut butter ... Oh, never mind. This is a blog about Lost, a reference for each episode of stuff that caught one Lost addict's attention, Namely mine. It's not, however, a forum for dirty jokes (unless Sawyer wants to tell them. Am I right? Or am I right?)

In many ways, Sawyer oddly becomes our conscience. He reminds us that there's a little good in everyone, and often a lot more than meets the eye.

MAJOR PLOT POINTS

Sawyer's charms are on full display in this episode, which helps explain his conniving ways and introduces us to his life as a con man (away from the island that is). It opens with him reading Alice in Wonderland and Kate catching a glimpse of him boffo. Mommy likey.

Sawyer, the bad ass, is also on display as he catches Boone rifling through his stuff and pounds him. He was trying to snatch his step-sister Shannon's inhaler, which he assumed was in Sawyer's stash. Sayid, with approval from other survivors including Jack, tortures Sawyer with bamboo under the fingernails in an effort to find the medication.

Of course, such behavior flies in the face of Sayid's declaration that he'd never torture again and Jack's declaration that the survivors were not savages. The survivors already are angry with Sawyer, though, because Locke deflected blame for the destruction of the transponder onto Sawyer.

We also learn of Sawyer's letter to the real Sawyer, who seduced his mother and fleeced his father, leading to a murder-suicide he witnessed as a young child that robbed him of his parents and set him on his life course. Of course, down the road, when Sawyer starts a con that he comes to find out involves a kid, he bows out, revealing that there are limits to his deceit.

The torture (and the letter) only bring Kate's feelings for Sawyer, who cons her into a passionate kiss while being tortured even though he doesn't have the meds they want anyway, to the surface. It also leads to a fight between Sawyer and Sayid, that gets Sawyer stabbed in the arm and forces Jack to save his life. In the aftermath, an ashamed Sayid strikes out on his own to map the island.

Oh, yeah, as for the peanut butter: Preggo Claire craves it and Charlie insists he's going to get some for her. Dudes will do anything for a lady they love. We're such a sad lot. Unable to find any, he pretends to have a jar of the sweet goo, which — though imaginary — he gladly shares with Claire. She giggles.

QUOTABLE
"That's all you've got." — Sawyer to Jack after taking a couple on the chin from the doc