LOST: Dissecting "Sundown" (6x06)

This week's Sayid-centric episode was as straight-forward as "Lost" can possibly be, and the result was perhaps the most satisfying, intriguing hour of the final season, one in which control of the island clearly passed from Jacob's disciples to the Smoke Monster.

That last scene was great, wasn't it? Smokey's assault on the temple was intense, Sayid's choices were tragic, and Claire's ghostly rendition of "Catch a Falling Star" was as creepy as anything the show has ever shown us. Even Benjamin Linus ran in fear, hiding from Smokey and Sayid as they purged the temple, just as Ben helped purge the island of the DHARMA Initiative all those years ago.

By the end of "Sundown," Smokey has recruited Sawyer, Claire, Sayid, and Cindy, with the strong possibility of Kate and Jin also joining the cause. Dogen and Lennon, the temple's keepers, are dead, leaving Ilana, Lapidus, Sun, Miles and Ben to find and ally themselves with Hugo and Jack -- and Jack's not going to blindly accept the fact that his sister and his former fiancee are now simpatico with the ghost of John Locke. Things are looking pretty grim on the island.

And they're not much better off the island, where ALT-Sayid continues to live up to his horrific past. Sure, it was satisfying to see Martin Keamy die -- again, this time begging for his life -- but it is disheartening to see that Sayid still can't shake his past, even amid what should be a happy life amid family. (Well, minus the whole "Nadia being married to his brother" thing, of course.)

ALT-Jin's appearance in ALT-Sayid's life was one of the bigger surprises this week, especially since we last saw him being taken away by customs agents at LAX. Hopefully the upcoming Sun and Jin episode will fill in the gaps and take us further.

But Smokey once again stole the show, offering Sayid a chance to see his beloved Nadia again and casting further doubt on Team Jacob's intentions. Smokey sure seems to be a smooth-talking seducer, and surely we must credit Terry O'Quinn for making that work. Smokey appears to be direct and forthcoming, whereas Jacob makes Hugo and Jack jump through hoops, promising nothing in return. If Damon and Carlton's intention was to have the audience flip-flop from Team Jacob to Team Smokey and back again every other episode, they've succeeded -- and I am now more sure than ever that neither Jacob nor Smokey care about our heroes' best interests. (Just listen to Dogen's story.)

Maybe Jacob wanted Jack to break the mirrors in the lighthouse. Maybe Jacob doesn't want whomever is coming to the island to reach it, because maybe that person(s) will expose this conflict for what it really is.

As always, I can't wait to see what's next.

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Best scene: Smokey's invasion of the temple, and the creepy aftermath.

Best performance: Andrea Gabriel, whose Nadia hasn't had this much screentime since her first episode, Season 1's "Solitary."

Best line: Miles, talking to Kate in the temple: "Right, Claire. She just strolled in here a couple hours ago, acting all weird. Still hot, though ..."