Every Man for Himself

Season 3, Episode 4, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Sawyer's rebellious attitude causes Ben and the Others to conjure a plan to keep him in check. At the beach, Desmond starts to mysteriously seek certain items for some kind of construction.
9.1
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
1,429 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Netflix
Subscription
Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy
Hulu Plus
Subscription
Amazon Prime
Free Trial/Subsc...

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (115)

See All

  • Awesome.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By Sarah_LOST, Oct 12, 2010 Report Abuse
    Colleen dies and her husband Pickett takes out his anger by beating Sawyer. Sawyer is deceived into thinking that a pacemaker has been implanted in him and that his heart will explode if his heart rate exceeds 140 bpm. Ben reveals to Sawyer that trying to escape is futile because they are on a separate island off the coast of the island where the survivors' camp is. In flashbacks, Sawyer cons his way out of prison and finds out that he has a daughter. After claiming that he doesn't care about her, he anonymously gives a large sum of money to his daughter. I love Desmond in this episode. We learn that he kind of knows the future. I love the Jack scenes and the Sayer and Kate scenes too. I love the way Danny's wife dies and he wants revenge so he takes it out on Sawyer. I love Sawyer's backs tory. I love the Ben and Sawyer scenes - awesome. I love the way Jack walks through the yard of Kate and Sawyer - awesome scene. I also love the Juliet and Jack scene, there awesome together I think.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 2

  • Some interesting twists, but not as good as we've been getting

    7.5
    "Good"
    By DavidB226Morris, Oct 11, 2009 Report Abuse
    The last couple of episodes have shown us that Sawyer seemed more than a little used to being in prison. Now, in this Sawyer- centric episode we find out that this was indeed the case. We also find out even there, he managed to keep up his cons. It also tells a little more about his character then we thought we knew.

    While he was in prison, Sawyer learns that there was a man with a lot of money. And being Sawyer, he managed to run a con to do it, even if this time, he was on the side of the angels But that's not the only part of the story we get. We also meet the victim of his last con--- Cassidy, who Sawyer ran a long con on in order to get her life savings. She retaliated by pressing charges against him. And then a little later, she had a daughter named Clementine. A popular fan theory was that Cassidy was running a con of her own on Sawyer, and this was the second part of it, in order to get even more of his money. It's an interesting theory, but later episodes will reveal that she was being honest. So at least Sawyer could take solace in the fact that he was doing right by his daughter. Not that it probably made him feel much better at the time (if that last expression on his face in the final part of his flashback is any indication) Now Sawyer tries to get a chance to break for it when Colleen is brought back to the Others camp. Sawyer tries to use it as a way to get out, but he doesn't know about the cameras. As a result, he gets beat the crap out of by Ben (are we ever going to learn why the Others get their super strength) and they tell him that they've placed a pacemaker in his chest. One that will cause his heart to explode if he over exerts himself. Sawyer has no reason to doubt them which once again demonstrates how easy it is to con him However, it doesn't answer the bigger question: what the hell kind of games are the Others playing? Is this some kind of experiment?

    As for Jack, he gets pulled into another part of the camp when Juliet's efforts to operate on Colleen end up going nowhere, and she goes over the head of Ben in order to do it? Nevertheless, Jack does his level best to save Colleen, but fails. When he finishes though, he makes an effort to try and comfort Juliet, who seems genuinely upset about what's just happened. Of more interest are two other revelations. First of all, Juliet says that she is a fertility doctor. Since I sincerely doubt there's a medical school on the island, that would seem to imply that Juliet hasn't lived here as long as Ben. Once again, how did she get here? And why is a fertility doctor on the island? Is there some problem with reproducing we don't know about?
    Secondly, Jack sees a set of X-rays while scrubbing up. He know enough to recognize them as belong a man in his forties with a tumor on his L4 vertebrae. This seems to indicate that someone on this island does need his help But if that's the case, why all of this espionage? Why not come to them on the island, introduce themselves as longtime inhabitants, and say they need your help? Of course, we know from Rousseau that the subtle approach is not used in their arsenal, but why not ask? And why go through all this manipulation? There's a larger plan here, but even now, I'm still not sure what it is they're trying to pull.

    Kate also reveals that she can escape her cage, and does so with no apparent repercussion, even though we know that Ben is watching them. Maybe, it's because after Danny Pickett, taking out his vengeance against Sawyer for the death of his wife, beats the stuffing out of him, forcing her to say she's in love with him She later tells Sawyer she lied, but Kate is very good at keeping her cards close to the vest. Is there more to it? This at least, we'll get some leverage on

    The final revelation occurs when Ben removes Sawyer from his cage, and shows him that they are not even on the same island that they were. The idea of the second island is intriguing, and does play to the idea of where the Others are coming from, but there are a lot of other questions that arise. For starters, how come Sawyer and Michael never noticed the other island when they were on the raft near the end of Season 1 Why didn't Sun, Jin and Sayid see it when they were trying to track the Others? For that matter, why didn't Desmond notice it when he was on that same boat a few weeks earlier? And even if they are on a separate island, what about the little commune that we saw at the opening flashback in 'A Tale of Two Cities'? There the writers seemed to indicate that they were on the same island. Is this is in fact where the Others live, or are there more points too it?? There are a lot of inconsistencies that have never been truly cleared up by this even near the end of Season 5.

    And while were focusing almost all of our interest on the Others, what the hell is happening on the other island? About the only thing we see doesn't make much sense--- Desmond tries to get Claire to move from her tent, borrows a golf club from Paolo, constructs a makeshift lightning rod, and just like Locke did in Season 1, predicts when it's going to rain, just before the lightning electrocutes Claire. Has Desmond truly become psychic? And why is that the only story we get?

    'Every Man for Himself' isn't a bad episode--- it reveals quite a bit more about Sawyer's dynamic (along with the fact that he's always been something of a reader), and some interesting questions, but it doesn't do much to illuminate what's happening with the rest of the castaways, or where Sayid, Jin and Sun are, or a lot of other questions So far in Season 3, the writers seem to be having trouble balancing what's going on between the groups. Furthermore, we don't seem to be getting a lot of info as to why so many of these Others have the attitudes they do. All we know now for certain is that making a run for it is pointless Bt considering where they are, is there any kind of escape for these people?
    My score: 7.8moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Interesting but not Great!!!

    7.0
    "Good"
    By Dante_Edy, Jul 09, 2009 Report Abuse
    Logic/Details - Another episode that not only is predictable, has some filler scenes with it. It makes sense to center in Sawyer and with this another Flashback, however, this time his flashback are below from the previous one, simple because the writers tried to copy "the long con" and made a bad copy, since the flashbacks was predictable.

    Sawyer situation on the island with the pacemaker was well done, until Ben revealed that pacemaker was not real and made this episode just pure filler, since Ben could tell Sawyer from the beginning that why they could not escape from this Island.

    Like the previous episode, the producers think that is better to only focus on Jack, Kate and Sawyer. It was not a bad idea, but this could transform this episode in a failure, but all the scenes have some quality on it. The psychology game was interesting and Desmond predicting the future was nice to see.

    Progress - Nothing really happened, which is bad. Desmond continues to predict the future, Sawyer was conned and someone from the Others died.

    Emotions/Stimulation/Highlights - The interesting thing here was the psychology game made by Ben. Was interesting to see Sawyer behavior. The flashback give us a little information about Sawyer. Sawyer been beaten up was a nice drama, when Kate is forced to say that she loves him. Jack discovering what he suppose to do was interesting to see too.

    Ending - The last Scene was good, but made all the episode seems like a pure filler, since the important information was revealed only in the last scene.

    Overall - Not great, but still watchable and is interesting to see that Sawyer has a heart and how he was manipulated.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • InnerWar

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By napen, Nov 13, 2008 Report Abuse
    Cada personaje que aparece en esta temporada se me antoja interesantsimo y esto hace que la serie vuelva a despegar una y otra vez. Benjamin y su arte del distraer, la ex de Desmond y su cnica bondad, Desmond himself y su don de saber lo que va a pasar.
    Mataron a Colleen, lovely Sun did it, y la guerra empez... empez? La isla revela ms secretos: el slo verla desde afuera nos introduce en un nuevo plano.
    Qu es ese submarino? Realmente perdieron contacto with the outside world? Entonces no est todo bajo control? Bueno, al fin y al cabo son humanos y tienen errores como cualquiera de nosotros.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • Season 3 shifts another gear with its best episode so far.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By martync7, Oct 02, 2008 Report Abuse
    Sawyer's episodes(like Locke's) are the most entertaining and smart episodes of Lost. And this one is no different. With Sawyer in charge of the running time, you can expect many twists and turns and this one delivers. The final denouement this time round is that there are two Lost islands, not one. The last Sawyer episode twist was that Charlie was part of a con Sawyer implemented against the other survivors so he could gain access to the armory guns from the Hatch. This episode's twist is much grander and also stems from a con implemented not by the con-meister himself but by the Others, namely Benjamin Linus. Despite this twist working to shock the audience, it initially has many flaws. Hopefully the series or its creators can clarify how none of the survivors have noticed this second island before whilst on the raft or Desmond's sailboat. Twists only work in the long-run if they make sense. This one has great potential but some imminent problems still exist that harms its potential future as one of Lost's great twists.
    It is quite strange that this twist occured, though, considering that I had a theory that the Losties and the Others wern't on an island at all but on a very remote stretch of mainland somewhere. To back up my theory, I went to the tip of the Northern Scottish coast, a year ago, and there was this extended area of land that was only generally used for the military as a training ground and base camp. This extended mainland was called Cape Wrath and could be reached only by foot across a beach or alternatively by a boat and then a tour bus across to the other side where stood a lighthouse. I remember thinking that if a plane crashed here, it would not occur to many instantly that they were on the mainland. I thought that this could be where our 815 survivors could be.
    Not since Do No Harm back in Season 1 have we been subjected to such a harrowing hour of television. You can't help but feel every blow that poor Sawyer has to take from Danny. Woah, that was truly brutal, and I remember thinking how the censors allowed this scene to be shown. It is surely the most violent moment of television. But it doesn't stop with Danny's outburst. Ben gets his two-penny's worth with him too and so too does a white rabbit (a reference to both Alice and Wonderland and Stephen King's memoir, On Writing). For a moment there I thought that Lost would have to face the Animal rights activists, but then the Rabbit survived...or did it? I think the writers are stepping on shaky ground here and certainly the tortury toward the bunny, whether it killed it or not, is nonetheless very unpleasant to watch, making this the most controversial moment of Lost to date.
    As controversial, harrowing and overtly violent as this episode is, it does help to retain the creepiness of the Others, that was sadly dissipated once we knew that they lived in a tranquil suburbia, and they seemed, on the surface, to be like us. This reminds audiences of how creepy, menacing and mysterious they were meant to be in earlier episodes. We also get a clue as to the reason/s why Jack has been held captive by The Others - his medical/surgical skills. The blatant presentation of a tumor-infected spinal X-Ray to Jack was there to pique his attention and his curiosity and now believes, with good reason, that he was brought here to operate on The Others. Maybe there are many on the island in need of a doctor with skills that Jack has. But then Juliet did tell Jack that they've never had any medical emergencies before Colleen's gunshot wound. So the X-Ray is not a medical emergency? Is it an X-Ray of someone that is not an Other? Maybe Locke? As with every question raised we are forced to wait patiently for an answer.
    The flashbacks were okay, and served the story well, despite not being that exciting or revelatory, save for the fact that Sawyer has a Daughter! Unless that is a con by Cassidy.
    Overall this episode was a solid hour of television and the best of the season so far. However, despite the consistent quality of the season so far, no episode has yet found the perfect mark just yet. Season 2 had 2 already by now and Season 1 had 3. This one was close but not close enough, I'm afraid.
    The next batch of episodes will be interesting, as this where Season 2 lost momentum, not regained until past the half-way mark.
    Let's hope things get going much quicker this time around.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Ben tells Sawyer the island they are held captive on is roughly twice the size of Alcatraz. Alcatraz is 22 acres of island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. This would make the Hydra Island on LOST about 44 acres in size...a very small island. Edit
    • Ben interrupts Juliet and Jack. He tells Juliet that the sub is back and that they have a situation. This means that a submersible of some sort was used by The Others to allow them to steal the sailboat from Sun, Jin and Sayid. Edit
    • Number 4: When Juliet enlists Jack to help save Colleen, she takes him to a medical facility. Jack notices x-rays hanging which Juliet points out are not Colleen's. He then states that a patients x-ray shows a tumor on the L-4 vertebrae. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Michael Emerson and Josh Holloway both submitted this episode for consideration on their behalves in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" at the 2007 Emmy Awards. Edit
    • Though credited, Adewale Akinnuoye-Abgaje, Naveen Andrews, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Terry O'Quinn and Kiele Sanchez do not appear in this episode. Edit
    • International Air Dates: Denmark - Wednesday December 27, 2006 on Kanal 5 The Netherlands - March 23, 2007 on Net 5 The Czech Republic - September 23, 2007 on TV Nova Spain - Monday September 17, 2007 on FOX TV Spain Germany - Monday November 5, 2007 on Pro7 Macedonia - Thursday October 11, 2007 on A1 Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Ben: You ever been to Alcatraz? Take the tour? Right now you're standing on a small island roughly twice the size of Alcatraz. And that over there? That's your island, the one you've come to know and love. I just wanted you to know there's nowhere to run. Edit
    • Sawyer: How do I know that's the same bunny? That you didn't just paint an 8 on another one? Ben: You don't. Edit
    • Kate: I've been checking out my cage. And I think if I climb to the top I can squeeze through those bars. They're spaced farther apart up there. Sawyer: Don't bother. Kate: What are you talking about? Sawyer: I'm talking about being smart! I think we should just chill out here a while...get the lay of the land. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Gidget: Ben is called "The Big Kahuna" by Sawyer. Kahuna is a Hawaiian word, defined as "Priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession". In the 1959 film Gidget, 'The Big Kahuna', played by Cliff Robertson, was the leader of a group of surfers. The term then became commonplace in beach party films of the 1960s, where the "Big Kahuna" was the best surfer on the beach. Eventually, it was adopted into general surfing culture. Edit
    • Father Knows Best: Sawyer asks Cassidy what she expects from him, to turn into Father Knows Best?. This was a popular American TV and radio sitcom of the 1950s and 1960s, which portrayed an idealized vision of middle-class American life of the era. Edit
    • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft: The white bunny numbered 8 is a reference to Stephen King's autobiography and writing guide. King describes a caged white rabbit with the number 8 painted on it as an example of the power of words to transmit pictures and ideas. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Lost Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 3 Episodes

See All
Ep 23
Through the Looking Glass (2)
Ep 22
Through the Looking Glass (1)
Ep 21
Greatest Hits
Ep 20
The Man Behind the Curtain
Ep 19
The Brig
Ep 18
D.O.C.
Ep 17
Catch-22
Ep 16
One of Us
Ep 15
Left Behind
Ep 14
Exposé
Ep 13
The Man from Tallahassee
Ep 12
Par Avion
Ep 11
Enter 77
Ep 10
Tricia Tanaka is Dead
Ep 9
Stranger in a Strange Land
Ep 8
Flashes Before Your Eyes
Ep 7
Not in Portland
Ep 6
I Do
Ep 5
The Cost of Living
Ep 4
Every Man for Himself
Ep 3
Further Instructions
Ep 2
The Glass Ballerina
Ep 1
A Tale of Two Cities
 
Lost: Revelation

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use