1.08 - Confidence Man

Shannon suffers from an asthma attack and Sawyer has the inhalers which could save her life. When he refuses to turn them over, Jack and Sayid resort to brutality in an attempt to get him to cooperate.

It's about bunnies! --- Sawyer

Here I am, tied up in the jungle of mystery having just been tortured by a spinal surgeon and a genuine Iraqi! --- Sawyer

Kate walks along the beach, a bunch of bananas slung over her shoulder. She stops, seeing a pile of clothing, and picks up the book lying on top of them. We see the book is Watership Down.

Sawyer yells to her from the water, saying "It's about bunnies!". Sawyer wades ashore, apparently naked. Kate observes that the water must be cold. Sawyer suggests that she could warm him up. Kate rolls her eyes and continues up the beach. Sawyer gets the thousand yard stare of impending flashback.

Flashback: Sawyer is in bed with Jessica, a very pleased woman. The two are making small talk when she suddenly sees the clock and points out that he is almost late for a meeting. He hurriedly gets up and starts getting dressed, telling her he will be back soon. He grabs a briefcase and it opens, spilling a large amount of money on the floor.

"You weren't exactly supposed to see that." he tells her.

Back in the present, Sawyer is walking through the jungle when he hears something ahead. Moving quickly, he finds Boone going through the items in his tent.

"This is going to hurt." Sawyer tells him.

At the caves, Jack is tending to Sayid's head. Sayid explains what he was trying to do with the transmitter and says he remembers nothing before being hit, whoever did it came from behind. He also says that they destroyed the transmitter and other equipment.

They hear a call for help from outside and rush out to find Shannon supporting a badly beaten Boone. They ask what happened and he tells them "Sawyer".

On the beach, Charlie approaches Claire and gives her a bottle of water. He asks why she is on the beach and she says she wants to be there for when they are rescued. He asks if the sun is a problem and she points to her hat.

Back in the caves, Boone is explaining what happened to Jack and Sayid. Shannon has asthma. She has been all right so far because she had her inhaler but it has run out. He had packed several spare cartridges in his suitcase but he assumed it had been lost. Then, he saw Sawyer reading Watership Down, which had been in his suitcase. Since he had the book it meant that he had the suitcase and thus the inhalers. Jack says he will take care of it.

Jack arrives at Sawyer's tent and starts going though the items there, as an annoyed Sawyer looks on. Jack demands to know why he beat up Boone for trying to help his sister and Sawyer says he beat up a thief who was trying to steal his stuff. He says that on the beach they have a right to defend their possessions.

Jack tells him to get up. Sawyer doesn't at first but does after Jack tells him a second time. They stare at each other but anything further is interrupted by the arrival of Kate. She demands to know what is happening and Jack leaves, Kate following. Sawyer looks after her.

Flashback: Sawyer and Jessica are now both getting dressed. Sawyer explains that the money is for an investment in an oil drilling rig. Three hundred thousand dollars buys one share. But, in a few weeks, a government program kicks in and triples the money.

The briefcase contains $140,000; all the money he has. Jessica points out that it isn't enough and Sawyer says he has a contact who is putting up the other half.

Jessica says that there is another option; she could come up with the other half of the money and they could split the profit. Sawyer asks where she would get the money from and she says "my husband".

Jack has finished telling Kate what is going in. He threatens to kill Sawyer and she points out that doing so wouldn't help them get the inhalers. He says it would make him feel better but admits that he won't, because they aren't savages. Yet. Kate offers to talk to Sawyer, saying he thinks they have a "connection". Jack asks if they do and she simply rolls her eyes.

Kate finds Sawyer chopping wood. She asks what he wants for the inhalers and he says he will give them to her in exchange for a kiss. She looks at him in disgust and says that she knows he isn't that heartless and mentions that she has seen him reading a letter over and over again, which she thinks means he has some feelings for something.

Sawyer becomes angry and, taking the letter, gives it to her and demands that she read it aloud. Sounding fearful, she does. The letter is from a young boy and addressed to Sawyer. It says that Sawyer slept with the boy's mother and stole some money from his father. When the father found out what happened, the father killed the mother then himself. The boy ends the letter by saying that someday he will find Sawyer and give him the letter so he will know what he did to his family.

Sawyer takes the letter back from Kate and asks "about that kiss." Shaken, Kate leaves.

Sayid finds Locke and asks him where he was the previous evening. Locke says he was skinning a boar and admits that there were no witnesses. He then suggests that someone may not want them off the island; someone who is making a place for themselves by hording useful items.

Sayid dismisses this since Sawyer fired off the bottle rocket on schedule. Locke counters this by saying that he could have set up a delayed fuse using a cigarette. Sayid looks thoughtful. Locke then gives Sayid a knife "just in case there's a next time." Sayid takes the knife.

Some time later, at the caves, Shannon is having trouble breathing. Jack is frantically looking through his medicines while Boone attempts to help Shannon and Sun looks on in concern.

Sawyer enters the caves and, barely glancing at Shannon, goes to fill his water bottles. Jack intercepts him and demands the inhalers. Sawyer simply says he wondered when Jack was going to quit asking politely.

Jack hits Sawyer in the face then grabs his own shoulder in pain. Sawyer seems amused by this. Jack hits him again. Sawyer, face bleeding, asks if that is all Jack has. Jack turns away in disgust and walks off. Sawyer stares into the distance.

Flashback: Sawyer is in a restaurant with Jessica and David, her husband. Jessica seems intent on making a deal with Sawyer but David and Sawyer himself both seem a bit reluctant. Sawyer says he knows Jessica from working with her at an auto dealership and says that he feels that doing business with friends is a bad idea.

For his part, David doesn't seem to trust Sawyer, even after Jessica has Sawyer show him the money in the briefcase. He says as much to Sawyer, who even offers to let him keep the money overnight to make sure it is real.

When David still seems reluctant Sawyer agrees that it is a bad idea, especially since he still has someone else who wants in on the deal with him. He drops some money on the table and gets up to leave, but has only taken a few steps before David calls for him to wait. Sawyer smiles.

Charlie and Claire seem to be sorting laundry and are talking about what foods they miss. Claire says she misses peanut butter (and claims to be the only Australian who likes it). Charlie says he will get her some peanut butter if, when he does, she comes to the caves with him. She laughs and agrees.

Later, in the caves, Shannon is having another asthma attack. Jack starts talking to her and manages to calm her down by getting her to concentrate on her breathing. She eventually does and manages to get her breathing back under control, the attack passing. Hurley congratulates him, calling it a "Jedi moment" but Jack tells Boone to keep Shannon calm and leaves without another word. Sayid sees him leave and follows.

Outside, he asks Jack what will happen if they do not get the medicine for Shannon. Jack says nothing. Sayid then says that he will get the inhalers from Sawyer.

Jack asks how and Sayid reminds him that he was in the Republican Guard. Jack seems confused and says he thought that Sayid was a communications officer. Sayid says he was, and that part of his job "entailed getting the enemy to communicate." He says that if he has ten minutes with Sawyer, he will get the inhalers. Jack hesitates for a moment, then agrees.

Somewhere in the jungle, Charlie finds Hurley and asks if he has any peanuts or peanut butter. Hurley says they don't and is offended that Charlie thinks he is hording food because of his weight.

Elsewhere, Michael is attempting to clean a fish; though not very well. Sun approaches him cautiously and, after looking around, asks about Shannon. Michael tells her about the asthma and Sun says she thinks she can help her.

Sawyer wakes up to find Sayid standing over him. Sayid knocks him out. He and Jack then drag Sawyer into the jungle. Kate sees them and protest but they ignore her. They tie Sawyer to a tree.

Jack again asks Sawyer for the inhalers but Sawyer refuses. Sayid then steps forward. He has been sharpening some bamboo and shows the splinters to Sawyer. Sawyer seems unimpressed and tells Sayid that he doesn't think he has ever tortured anyone.

"Unfortunately for us both," says Sayid. "you're wrong."

Sayid shoves the bamboo slivers under Sawyers fingers. Sawyer screams while Jack paces uncomfortably, looking at Sawyer then away. Sayid pauses and Sawyer taunts him, asking if he has anything more.

Jack yells at Sayid but Sayid pulls the knife and, placing it against Sawyer's face, threatens to cut his eye out. Sawyer finally gives in and says he will tell them where the inhalers are. But, he will only tell Kate.

Flashback: Sawyer is in a pool hall with Kilo, who wants to know why Sawyer left his $150,000 with someone else. Sawyer explains that it is easy to get women to go along with his plan; a few drinks and a few tricks in bed and they fall for it. Men, he says, have to see the money and hold it for a while before they go along.

Kilo asks where the rest of Sawyer's money is if he is so good at his con game and Sawyer admits that he likes spending it as much as he likes earning it. Kilo tells him he needs to have his money plus 50 percent back the next day or Sawyer will be the one to suffer.

Kate arrives in the clearing where Sawyer is still tied to the tree. He again asks her for a kiss. She protests a bit but eventually kneels in front of him and gives him a surprisingly affectionate, lingering kiss.

Sawyer, suddenly subdued and almost seeming embarrassed, tells her he doesn't have the inhalers; he never did. The book washed up by itself on the beach. He never saw the suitcase it and the inhalers were supposedly in. Kate, suddenly angry, slaps him and stalks from the clearing.

Kate returns to Jack and Sayid and tells them that Sawyer claims to not have the inhalers. Sayid becomes angry. He yells that Sawyer is lying, that he doesn't want them to leave the island and that he must be the one who attacked him and destroyed the transmitter. He runs back into the jungle, Jack and Kate following and Jack yelling for him to stop.

Sawyer has managed to free himself and he attacks Sayid as he charges into the clearing. The two struggle for a moment and Sawyer winds up with the knife stuck through his arm. Jack pulls it free and blood starts spurting; the knife cut an artery. Jack puts pressure on the wound and yells for Sayid to go get his equipment from the cave. Sayid runs off.

At the caves, Sayid rushes in and grabs Jack's backpack. Boone sees him and demands to know whose blood it is all over Sayid. Sayid admits it is Sawyer's. Boone is angry that Jack and Sayid went after Sawyer without including him and starts to follow Sayid back to the beach. Shannon calls to him and asks him to stay with her. He hesitates then returns to Shannon. Sayid watches them for a moment then runs off.

Elsewhere, Michael approaches Sun with some plants and asks if they are the right ones. She smells them and smiles, saying they are.

Jin appears and yells at them in Korean, looking from one to the other. When neither says anything, he yells again. Sun takes the plants and leaves. Jin makes to go after her but Michael tells him "Don't. Just... don't." Michael leaves as well. Jin looks after Sun.

Back at the beach, Sawyer seems to struggling with Jack. He says that Jack should be happy since he gets to play hero again, then tells him that if the situation was reversed he would watch Jack die.

Flashback: Sawyer is in a house with David and Jessica. They are shaking hands, apparently having completed their deal. Sawyer promises to have the money back to them in a week.

A young boy enters the room and asks Jessica to read to her. She says she will, after Sawyer leaves. Sawyer becomes extremely agitated at the sight of the boy and suddenly announces that the deal is off. David and Jessica become angry but Sawyer simply repeats that the deal is off and, even leaving his own money behind, quickly leaves the house.

Sawyer wakes up to find himself in his tent, Kate sitting beside him. She says Jack went back to the caves to check on Shannon.

She then says she wondered why he beat up Boone instead of telling him he didn't have the medicine, or why he kept pretending to have it when he didn't. She decided that he must want to be hated then re-read his letter and noticed that the stamp on it was from the bicentennial in 1976. She observes that he would have been a child then and so couldn't have been the one who pulled the con. He was the one who wrote the letter.

Sawyer lies back and admits that it is true; he was the boy who wrote the letter. Then, years later, he needed money to pay off someone. He found a woman with a rich husband and seduced her. He became Sawyer, the man he hated.

He snatches the letter from Kate. She stares at him and he angrily tells her not to feel sorry for him then yells for her to get out. She leaves, upset.

Back at the caves, Jack arrives to find Sun rubbing a paste on Shannon's chest. Boone tells Jack that Shannon is suddenly doing much better. Jack sniffs the plants Sun has made the past from and identifies it as eucalyptus. He laughs then thanks her. She smiles.

Jin appears in the entryway and glares at them. Sun looks at him then turns back, no longer smiling.

On the beach, Claire wakes up to find Charlie packing her clothes. He tells her that she is coming to the caves with him. She takes this to mean that he has found some peanut butter and he claims that he has. He shows her an empty jar.

When she protests he insists that the jar is full of peanut butter, dips his finger in it then sticks it in his mouth. He claims it is the best peanut butter he ever tasted. Claire looks at him for a moment then goes along with him, dipping her own finger in the jar and tasting it as well. They laugh together.

Later, Sayid is walking along the beach. Kate sees him and calls to him. Sayid says he is leaving; that what he did that day was something he had promised to never do again. So, he plans to walk the island, attempt to map it and discover what he can. Kate seems somewhat sad but he says that they may meet again. He takes her hand, kisses it, then walks off up the beach.

As the song I Shall Not Walk Alone plays, we see several scenes of the various survivors. Charlie and Claire leave the beach together, carrying her belongings with them. Boone sits beside a now recovered Shannon. Sawyer holds the letter over a cigarette lighter, but closes it at the last moment.

Sayid walks off, alone, away from the crash site and the others on the beach.