Lost/Three Minutes

Three Minutes
Season 2, Episode 22
Airdate	May 17, 2006
Production Number	222
Written by	Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Directed by	Stephen Williams
← 2x21 ?	2x23 → Live Together, Die Alone (1)
Lost — Season Two

Three Minutes is the twenty-second episode of the second season of Lost, and the forty-seventh episode overall.

A determined Michael convinces Jack and several castaways to help him rescue Walt from "The Others." Meanwhile, Charlie struggles with Eko's decision to discontinue building the church.

Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Malcolm David Kelley (Walt), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Terry O'Quinn (John), Harold Perrineau, Jr. (Michael), Michelle Rodriguez (Ana-Lucia), Cynthia Watros (Libby).

Guest Starring: M.C. Gainey (Tom), Michael Bowen (Pickett), April Grace (Miss Klugh), Tania Raymonde (Alex).

Plot Overview

The Island

• Outside the Swan, Michael holds a note with a shaky hand and lights if on fire. As the note burns completely, Jack bursts through the Swan's doors and asks Michael what he's doing out, then tells him to come back down so they can talk. Inside, Michael tells Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley that the Others don't know he found them and that they should take the guns and head to the Others' camp. Jack dismisses the idea, since it would only be the five of them against twenty or more, and they don't even know if they really do have just two guns. The two argue about how many to take, but Hurley interjects, reminding everyone that Ana-Lucia and Libby are dead and haven't even been buried yet. Hurley and Jack take Libby's body, while Kate and Sawyer take Ana-Lucia's. A short time later, Michael leaves the Swan and throws up outside where Jack finds him. Michael once again affirms that it can only be the five of them going after Walt or it won't work. After retrieving the weapons, Jack and Sawyer sort them out inside the Swan. As they work, Sawyer tells Jack that he didn't even know Ana-Lucia's last name and Jack tells him what it was. He then tells Jack that he and Ana-Lucia had sex and that was how Ana-Lucia got his gun. Jack asks him why he's telling him this, and Sawyer tells Jack it's because he's the closest thing he has to a friend. At the beach, Michael finds Kate and Hurley digging the graves. He tells Kate they're leaving in the morning and asks Hurley if he's coming, but Hurley asks him why he'd want to go. Michael tries to guilt Hurley into going with them for revenge, but Kate has him stop. With the graves dug, the castaways gather for Ana-Lucia and Libby's funeral. Locke sees everyone gathering and cuts the splint off his leg, leaving the crutches behind as he walks off into the jungle. Jack says a few words for Ana-Lucia and Hurley tries to find some words for Libby. Upset, Hurley tells Michael that he's going with him. As the castaways observe a moment of silence, Sun sees something and exclaims, "Boat!" The group turns around toward the ocean and see a white sailboat heading towards the beach.
• Inside the Swan, Michael tries to mop up the blood from Libby's wound when Eko appears. Michael asks him if he found fake Henry, but Eko tells him he didn't. He asks Eko if he believes in hell since he's a priest. Helping Michael mop of the blood, Eko tells Michael that he served for a brief time in a small parish in England. A young boy confessed to him that he beat his dog to death with a shovel because it bit his sister and wanted to know if he would go to hell because of it. He told the boy that God would forgive him if he was sorry, but he knew the boy did not care about forgiveness - he was afraid that, if he did go to hell, the dog would be there waiting for him. Later, Eko passes by the barricaded doorway with the electromagnetic disturbance and notices his cross being pulled by the force. The timer alarm sounds and Eko pushes the button as Charlie appears, wondering where Eko has been. He asks Charlie to bring his things from the beach to the Swan, but Charlie asks him about the church. Eko tells him he's supposed to do something different now and asks him again to bring his things from the beach, but Charlie refuses and leaves.
• At the beach camp, Charlie approaches Claire's shelter where she's looking after Aaron. He tells her that he found something in the pallet that she might need, and pulls out a black case with the Swan logo emblazoned on the case. Inside are a pneumatic injector and eight vials of vaccine. He shows Claire how to use it and tells her he's already tried it to see if it was safe for her and the baby. The directions on the vials say you're supposed to inject yourself every nine days. After learning that Eko is no longer building the church, Charlie attempts to continue the work. As he struggles along, Vincent appears with one of the Virgin Mary statues. He follows Vincent back to Sawyer's shelter and discovers the remaining statues inside. Charlie takes the statues and tosses them all into the sea. After tossing the last one, Charlie notices Locke watching in the distance.
• At Sawyer's shelter, Jack and Sawyer retrieve the remaining eleven guns. As they leave the shelter, Sayid approaches them to find out if Henry really escaped. Sayid asks when they're leaving to go after the Others, but Jack tells him he's not going as Michael wants to keep the group small. Sawyer interjects, sarcastically agreeing with how Michael thinks Kate and Hurley are ideal candidates for an armed rescue mission, but thinks they need a guy who actually fought in a war - Sayid. Jack refuses again, telling them it's Michael's call, but Sayid reminds him it's their call. Sawyer hands Sayid a handgun and welcomes him aboard. After learning from Sawyer about Sayid, Michael tells Sayid that he's not going. Michael argues his case and Sayid agrees to not go. As the castaways gather for the funeral, Sayid tells Jack that he believes Michael has been compromised, that he believes Michael freed Henry and is leading them into a trap. Jack tells Sayid he believes a lot, but Sayid replies that he also believed Henry was one of "them." Jack thinks it over and decides to go talk to Michael about it, but Sayid tells him not to, so that Michael will believe he's still in control and that they can create an advantage.

The Flashback

• Flashback: Michael

13 Days ago
Inside the Swan's armory, Locke is sorting the weapons and ammunition when Michael appears. He asks to borrow a gun and Locke assumes it's for more target practice, but notices Michael looking at his watch as if he's in a hurry. Michael gives him an excuse for the watch, and purposely knocks over a box of ammo when reaching to get some bullets. As Locke bends down to pick up the loose ammo, Michael knocks him out with the butt of his rifle. He rushes over to the computer terminal and starts typing away at the keyboard, muttering to himself, "Where are you?" Nothing happens at the command prompt for a few seconds, but then the letters he was typing show up. Apparently conversing with Walt, Michael is told by him that he's being held by a beach on the northern part of the island near a rock formation with a big hole in the middle. Michael then hears Jack, and pushes something on the keyboard to clear the screen of his conversation with Walt. He holds Jack at gunpoint inside the armory, telling him he's going after Walt alone, and then locks Jack and Locke inside before taking off.

Running through the jungle, Michael stops and checks his bearings with a compass. He comes across a male Other and orders him to not move. The Other asks him if he's Walt's old man and then gives a slight nod. Michael turns around and sees another Other behind him, Mr. Friendly, who wrestles the rifle away from Michael after it fires two shots. Michael manages to break free, drawing a handgun and firing three shots blindly as he flees. The first "Other" returns fire twice, but Mr. Friendly stops him as they "need him." He whirls a bolas at Michael's legs, taking him down. Mr. Friendly orders the three Others to place a bag over Michael's head and restrain him quickly as Michael's friends are not far behind.

At night, Mr. Friendly brings a bound Michael to a camp fire being stoked by a young girl. An Other appears out of the jungle with a bound and gagged Kate, telling them that she was following her friends. Mr. Friendly whispers to Michael that if he makes one sound, then he'll never see Walt again. He orders Michael to be gagged, and for the rest of them to ready the torches while he talks to their people. As Mr. Friendly talks to Jack, Locke and Sawyer, the girl tries to calm Michael, telling him that Mr. Friendly is only delivering a message and has to scare his friends to do it. Mr. Friendly calls for Alex to bring Kate out, but the girl asks the male Other to do it instead. Alone with Michael, the girl - Alex - asks Michael if Claire is okay, if she had the baby and if the baby is okay, and if it's a boy or girl. Mr. Friendly returns with the hunting party's weapons, telling them that Michael's friends are heading home and to divvy up the weapons. He motions to Alex and she, after apologizing to Michael, knocks him out with the butt of her rifle.

11 Days Ago
The group of Others and Michael finally arrive at their destination at a beach. Michael notices a rock formation with a big hole in the middle, like Walt told him. Below the rock formation is a small village of huts and canvas tents. All the people are barefoot and wearing ragged clothing. Michael notices a set of doors built into a black rock wall with a DHARMA logo on the doors. Two men with rifles are standing guard outside the doors. The Others sit Michael down and Mr. Friendly sends Alex off to tell "her" they've arrived. One of the Others takes out a syringe and draws blood from Michael's arm and puts the syringe into a clean, plastic zip lock bag. After he leaves, a woman approaches Michael and tells him her name is Miss Klugh. She quizzes Michael about Walt, such as if he's his biological son, how old he was when he started speaking, if he had any illnesses when he was growing up, if Walt ever appeared in a place he wasn't supposed to be.

3 Days Ago
At night at the Others' camp, Miss Klugh brings dinner to Michael who is tied to the inside of a hut. He asks her when they're going to kill him, since he knows where they are and they've only been asking him questions he doesn't have the answers to for over a week. Miss Klugh tells him that there's been a development since he arrived, that one of their people has been captured by his people. They can't go get him back, but he can. Miss Klugh offers to release him and Walt if he frees their man. Michael demands to see his son and Miss Klugh has Pickett bring Walt inside. Walt tells Michael that they make him take tests, but Miss Klugh tells them that they aren't going to talk about that. Walt tries to tell Michael that the Others aren't who they say they are, that they're pretending, but Miss Klugh threatens to put Walt back into "the room" again, which quietens Walt. Pickett drags Walt out of the hut, leaving Miss Klugh alone with a sobbing Michael. She tells Michael that after he frees their man, he has to do something else. She writes down four names on a note - Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, Hugo Reyes, James Ford (Sawyer) - and tells Michael that he is to bring those four people, and only those four people, to them. If he doesn't bring all four people on the list, then he'll never see Walt again. After getting the list, Michael tells Miss Klugh that he also wants their boat.

Notes

Mysteries

• What do Miss Klugh and the Others want with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer?
• What tests are the Others making Walt do?
• What is "the room" that Miss Klugh threatens to put Walt back into?
• What is the station the Others control? What is inside?
• Where did the sailboat come from? Is anyone onboard?
• How does Michael's compass work when they never did before?

Answers

• The young girl that helped Claire escape from the Staff is Alex Rousseau. (2x15 - Maternity Leave)
• Michael shot Ana-Lucia in order to free fake Henry Gale. (2x20 - Two for the Road)
• Michael let Henry go as part of a deal with the Others to get back Walt and a boat. (2x20 - Two for the Road)
• Michael lied about the Others. He didn't follow an Other back to his camp, rather he was captured. He did see Walt and the Others are expecting them. (2x20 - Two for the Road)
• The Others are guarding a station built into a rock wall. (2x20 - Two for the Road)

The Cursed Numbers

• The injection kit contained 8 vials.
• Miss Klugh's list contained 4 names.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Jack and Sawyer retrieve the guns, bringing them back to the Swan.
• Michael demands that only he, Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley go after the Others and his son.
• Eko abandons the church, and decides to move into the Swan and take over the button pushing.
• Charlie tries to continue work on the church. He finds his Virgin Mary statues, but tosses them into the ocean.
• Charlie found a vaccination kit on the pallet and gave it to Claire after testing it on himself.
• Ana-Lucia and Libby are laid to rest.
• A sailboat is sighted heading towards the beach camp.

Characters

• Disappointed with Eko's decision regarding the church, Charlie has become less than friendly towards Eko.
• Sayid believes Michael has been compromised by the Others and told Jack about it.

Referbacks

• 2x11 - The Hunting Party: We see the events of The Hunting Party from Michael's perspective.
• 2x15 - Maternity Leave: Alex asks Michael about Claire and her baby, since she helped Claire escape.
• 2x19 - S.O.S.: In S.O.S., Jack takes Kate with him because he thinks that the Others are not interested in her or in himself; however, now both their names are on the list that Ms. Klugh gives to Michael.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Yurtville: According to executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the Others' village is nicknamed "Yurtville." A yurt is a circular, domed, portable tent used by nomadic peoples of central Asia.
• Location, Location, Location: The Others' beach village is located at Sandy's Beach on Oahu.
• The Living Dead: Ana-Lucia and Libby are credited in this episode, but do not appear.

Allusions and References

• Pippi Longstocking: Sawyer refers to Kate as "Pippi Longstocking." Pippi Longstocking is the main character in four children's books by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren and also the title of the first of these books. Pippi is a nine-year-old with red braids who is very assertive, incredibly strong, and rich. She lives alone with a monkey and a horse in an old house named Villa Villekulla. Her friends, Tommy and Annika, accompany her on her adventures. The first book was published in 1945 and has been made into a Swedish feature film in 1949 and again in 1969, an American feature film in 1988 and an animated series in 1997.
• Grape Ape: Sawyer refers to Hurley as "Grape Ape." The Great Grape Ape was a Saturday morning cartoon show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1975 to 1978. The title character is a 40 foot tall purple gorilla named Grape Ape who loves grapes.
• The Dirty Dozen: Sawyer refers to the group going after Walt and the Others as the Dirty Dozen. The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 war film directed by Robert Aldrich. The film takes place during World War II where twelve imprisoned Allied soldiers, several facing execution, are given the chance to go on a suicide mission into France to assault a château frequented by German officers. If the prisoners agree to the mission and survive, their sentences would be set aside.
• Episode Title: Three Minutes is in reference to the three minutes Miss Klugh was going to give Michael with his son.

Quotes

• Michael's conversation with Walt over the computer:

>: You okay?
ok. no time. come soon?
>: I'm ready. Coming NOW. You said north
>: -- north WHERE?
when they take me out. there's huge rocks
with a big HOLE in the middle by the
beach. you'll know when you see.
>: It's gonna be okay. I'm coming.

• Eko: For a brief time I served in a small parish in England. Every Sunday, after mass, I would see a young boy waiting at the back of the church. And then one day the boy confessed to me that he had beaten his dog to death with a shovel. He said the dog had bitten his baby sister on the cheek and he needed to protect her. And he wanted to know if he would go to hell for this. I told him that God would understand. That he would be forgiven. As long as he was sorry. But the boy did not care about forgiveness. He was only afraid that if he did go to hell... that dog would be there waiting for him.
• Mr. Friendly: [takes the bag off Michael's head] Hey there, Michael.
  [Michael spits in Mr. Friendly's face]
  Mr. Friendly: Not gonna hold that against you. Fair's fair. I took your boy. Hah hah. But don't do that again, okay?
• Michael: Get off of me!
  Mr. Friendly: You got a problem, Michael?
  Michael: You march me day and night. Without any rest? Yeah, the problem's I'm tired.
  Mr. Friendly: Well, I'd offer to knock you out and carry you, but we're here.
• Sawyer: I screwed her.
  Jack: What?
  Sawyer: It's how she got my gun. Ana. She jumped me. We "got caught in a net."
  Jack: Why're you telling me this, Sawyer?
  Sawyer: [sighs] Because you're about the closest thing I got to a friend, Doc. Because she's gone... Well, least now we get to kill somebody. [pumps the shotgun]