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Written by: Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis
Directed by: Jack Bender
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Flash Forward: Sayid becomes a hired killer.
In the Present: Sayid does a deal with Locke, swapping Miles for Charlotte, so that he can hitch a ride on the helicopter to the boat.
Verdict: I’d happily give “The Economist” four stars just for the way Sayid tricks Frank by swapping Miles for Charlotte (and Frank’s reaction that he’s glad to rid of the irritating scrote anyway) but there’s loads more to enjoy about this impossibly packed episode. The Sayid flashforward is gripping stuff with a shocking ending – how many times has the guy taken a bullet in this show? He must have a chest like Sam Beckett’s memory by now. And as for that cliffhanger! That’s a surefire way to keep viewers tuning in. Beyond the clever plotting there are some fine character moments too: Sawyer and Hurley can always be relied on for some good quotage.
Day: 94, 24 December ’04.
Cliffhanger: Sayid’s future employer is Ben!
Did You Spot? Elsa is wearing a bracelet similar to Naomi’s.
The Numbers: Daniel’s timing device says 03:16:23; on a 24 hour clock that’s 15:16:23.
Odness: Daniel calculates the time difference between the boat and the island as 31 minutes. By “The Constant” this has grown to two days.
Oceanic Who? Sayid becomes the fourth confirmed returnee (after Jack, Kate and Hurley). Is Ben a fifth? More likely he’s kept his return a secret.
Best Line:
Miles: "Where the hell did they go, tubby?"
Hurley: "Oh awesome, the ship’s sent us another Sawyer."
Dave Golder
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