Lost/Tricia Tanaka Is Dead

Tricia Tanaka Is Dead
Season 3, Episode 10
Airdate	February 28, 2007
Production Number	310
Written by	Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
Directed by	Eric Laneuville
← 3x09 Stranger in a Strange Land	3x11 → Enter 77
Lost — Season Three

Tricia Tanaka Is Dead is the tenth episode of the third season of Lost, and the fifty-ninth episode overall.

Hurley's discovery of an old, wrecked car on the island leads him on a mission of hope not only for himself, but for a fellow survivor in need of some faith. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer reunite with their fellow castaways, but Kate is still torn about leaving Jack behind with "The Others."

Starring: Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Michael Emerson (Ben), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Kiele Sanchez (Nikki), Rodrigo Santoro (Paulo).

Guest Starring: Cheech Marin (David Reyes), Mira Furlan (Danielle Rousseau), Lillian Hurst (Carmen Reyes), Suzanne Krull (Lynn Karnoff), Sung Hi Lee (Tricia Tanaka).

Co-Starring: Billy Ray Gallion (Randy), Caden Waidyatilleka (Young Hurley).

Plot Overview

The Island

• At Libby's grave, Hurley tells her the story of being captured by the Others to warn everyone to stay away and how everyone is scared because of that and Eko's death. He tells her that he's been scared most of the time he's been on the island, except for when he was with her, and misses her. Finding Charlie, Hurley is told about Desmond's visions of Charlie dying. Instead of telling Charlie that Desmond is crazy, Hurley believes Desmond might be right and that it's his fault - he's cursed. Vincent comes out of the jungle carrying a skeletal arm with a rabbit foot key chain. Hurley follows Vincent into the jungle, retrieving the keys and finding an overturned VW Type 2A Bus. Inside is the remains of a man whose jump suit identifies him as a work man from the Swan named Roger. Back at the beach camp, Hurley tells the survivors of his find and how they have to fix it as it'll be fun and they need some fun after everything that's happened. Unfortunately, everyone declines Hurley's invitation except for Jin, who can't understand what Hurley's saying. The two head back to the bus and find DHARMA Initiative beer and light beer inside. Sawyer shows up and is greeted with a bear hug from Hurley and a hug from Jin. Hurley believes their return and the discovery of the car are a sign of things getting better, and tells Sawyer that he's going to help them fix the car because there's beer in it for him. The trio manage to right the car and Sawyer retrieves the beer for himself. Jin tries to get the engine to work, but motions to Hurley that it isn't possible. Hurley is reduced to praying for help, leading Sawyer to tossing him a beer which rolls down a hill and gives Hurley an idea. He recruits Charlie for a dangerous mission and, returning to the car, the group push the car clear of the foliage and to the precipice of a steep hill. Letting them in on his idea, Hurley tells them to push the car down the hill so he can jump start it while Charlie calls shotgun. Hurley's gamble pays off and the car starts, and everyone else jumps in for a ride.
• In the jungle, Kate and Sawyer continue on their way back to the beach camp. Kate isn't enthused about explaining to the survivors why Jack isn't with them, but Sawyer wonders if the survivors will explain why they didn't come looking for them. Sawyer steps on a dart thrown from the Swan's implosion and Kate removes it. Kate tells Sawyer that he just has to say "sorry" and they could have a clean slate, but Sawyer tells her he has nothing to be sorry for. Upset by his remarks, Kate stops calling him by his real name and welcomes "Sawyer" home. Making it back to the beach camp, the two are welcomed home by the survivors. Kate tells Locke and Sayid how Jack told her not to come back for him, and how Michael took an Others' boat and left. She tells them about the Hydra, but how Karl told them the Others live on the main island. She leaves the two for the jungle and to find help - Danielle Rousseau. That night, Locke and Sayid find Kate in the jungle. Locke tells her has a compass bearing he believes will lead them to Jack, and Sayid wryly adds that the bearing came from how the light hit Eko's stick when Locke was burying him. Gunfire erupts from the jungle and, after Kate yells that they're just there to talk, Rousseau appears. Kate tells her that she's heading to the Others camp and needs her help, that she escaped from the Others with the help of a 16 year-old girl named Alex and she thinks the girl is Rousseau's daughter.

The Flashback

• Flashback: Hurley

A young Hurley begins to work on a car sitting in the driveway when his father, David, walks up carrying a duffel bag. Even though the car needs a new carburettor, David hands Hurley the keys and tells him to start the car. When the car fails to start, Hurley complains about how it was stupid to try it, but David tells him having hope isn't stupid and he has to believe good things will happen; he has to make his own luck. David breaks the news to Hurley that he's leaving for some work in Vegas and won't be able to make the road trip to see the Grand Canyon. He gives Hurley a Glacier candy bar and, after Hurley protests by telling him his mom wouldn't want him to have it, tells Hurley to live a little. David leaves on his motorcycle while Carmen Reyes watches from a window.

After winning the lottery, Hurley purchases the Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack he used to work at. Tricia Tanaka, a reporter with Action 8 News, tries to interview Hurley for a puff piece, but Hurley begins talking about all the bad things that's happened to him since winning the lottery. She cuts the interview and heads inside the Mr. Cluck's to film some more, despite Hurley's superstition that something bad might happen. Hurley quizzes Randy, making sure the gas inside is off and nothing can go wrong, when a meteor strikes the Mr. Cluck's and obliterates it.

Immediately heading home to his mansion, Hurley informs his mother that Tricia Tanaka is dead. He tells her it's his fault because the numbers are cursed, but Carmen slaps him. He tells Carmen he has to go to Australia as that's where the numbers came from, but Carmen tells him she can prove the numbers aren't cursed. She shows him that David, his father, has returned after 17 years.

At dinner, the Reyes family are served by the Trons, a couple Hurley found at a Bennigan's and then hired as his butlers. Hurley asks his mom if she isn't the slightest bit suspicious that his father showed up after 17 years - once he won the lottery. But Carmen tells him that she asked David to come as she thought Hurley needed a manly influence to stop the cursed numbers nonsense. Believing his father is only after his money, Hurley tosses the Trons a wad of money as severance pay and informs his mother he's getting rid of all his money and everything else, starting with his father. Carmen, however, tells Hurley that David is staying at the house and, after covering the ears of her golden Jesus statue, tells Hurley she has "needs". Carmen asks Hurley to show his father what he has in the garage, the car from his childhood.

In the morning, David wakes Hurley up and brings him to see Lynn Karnoff, a psychic. The psychic tells Hurley that he's come into possession of a great deal of money, but it hasn't brought him happiness. She tells him darkness and great tragedy surrounds the numbers; death surrounds Hurley and more is coming. She orders Hurley to remove his clothes in order to exorcise the curse. Hurley asks her if his dad put her up to the reading, offering $10,000 if she admits it, and she does. David tries to tell Hurley that he was trying to help, but Hurley leaves.

As Hurley packs for his trip to Australia, David tells him how Carmen called him about the lottery and was on his bike before she hung up. He saw the lottery winnings as he means for retirement and came home for the money, but that's not why he's talking with him now. David tells Hurley that going to Australia isn't going to break any curse, rather what Hurley needs is a little hope. He thinks Hurley should give away all the money except for enough to work on the Camaro and make that road trip to the Grand Canyon. Hurley tells David that he'll send him a postcard from Sydney and walks out.

Notes

Mysteries

• What happened to Roger?

The Cursed Numbers

• Young Hurley has a 2-way 4-speaker stereo. The tuner reads 108 as one of the megahertz. 108 is the sum of the numbers.
• Tricia Tanaka worked for Action 8 News.
• The psychic recites the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 to Hurley.
• The psychic deals 4 cards to Hurley.
• The DHARMA van has a working 8-track player.

Scrutiny

• DHARMA Bus: A VW bus is not really an off-road vehicle. This would indicate that some kind of street infrastructure may have existed (or may still exist) somewhere on the island.
• Blueprints: The blueprints Sawyer finds has a diagram of the Swan station on it. However, this diagram is missing the section of the Swan that was blocked off with concrete after the "incident." This is most likely a production error.
• David: Hurley's father is called David. The imaginary friend Hurley makes up while he is hospitalized is called Dave.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Kate and Sawyer return to the beach camp.
• Hurley finds a DHARMA van and gets it running.

Characters

• Rousseau learns that Kate may have found her kidnapped daughter, Alex.

Referbacks

• 1x18 - Numbers: Hurley tells his mother that he has to go to Australia as Lenny told him that's where the numbers came from. In "Numbers", Hurley visited Lenny to ask him about the numbers.
• 2x01 - Man of Science, Man of Faith: A meteor hits Hurley's Mr. Cluck's. After blowing open the hatch in "Man of Science, Man of Faith", Hurley told Jack about all the bad things that happened to him after winning the lottery, including a meteor hitting the chicken joint he used to work at.
• 2x04 - Everybody Hates Hugo: Hurley buys the Mr. Cluck's he used to work at. Hurley mentions how his former best friend, Johnny, ran off with his girlfriend, Starla. In "Everybody Hates Hugo", Hurley quit his job at Mr. Cluck's, went out on the two with Johnny, and asked out Starla.
• 2x23 - Live Together, Die Alone: At Libby's grave, Hurley tells her the story of being captured by the Others in "Live Together, Die Alone."
• 3x05 - The Cost of Living: At Libby's grave, Hurley mentions Eko's death in "The Cost of Living."
• 3x06 - I Do: Locke mentions a compass bearing he believes will lead them to Jack, and Sayid tells Kate that Locke got it from how the light hit Eko's stick when he was buried. Locke noticed an inscription on Eko's stick in "I Do."
• 3x08 - Flashes Before Your Eyes: Charlie tells Hurley about Desmond's warning of his impending death in "Flashes Before Your Eyes." Sawyer confronts Charlie about going through his stash and taking his bottle of scotch.

Trivia

The Show

• Missing in Action: Jack, Juliet and Ben do not appear in this episode.
• Blueprints: The blueprints that Sawyer finds has the dirt road leading to the Swan. The Swan's blast door map contains notations referencing a hub for a DHARMA Initiative Hanso Group road system.

Behind the Scenes

• Location, Location, Location: Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack, Hurley's former place of employment, is actually a Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits in Honolulu.
• Shambala: The song on young Hurley's stereo radio and the song playing on the DHARMA van's 8-track player is "Shambala" by Three Dog Night and released as a single in 1973. "Shambala" was originally written by Daniel Moore, an American poet.
• DHARMA Beer: According to the March 5^th, 2007 Official Lost podcast, the DHARMA beer cans are actually root beer cans.

Allusions and References

• Amah: David's motorcycle is a Yamaha, but the "y" and "a" are missing to form the word "amah". Amah Rock is a rock located on a hilltop in Hong Kong, and its shape looks like a woman carrying a baby on her back. According to legend, the faithful wife of a fisherman climbed the hills every day, carrying her son, to watch for the return of her husband. She did not know that her husband had drowned at sea and so, in reward for her faithfulness, she was turned into a rock by Matsu, the Goddess of the Sea, so that her spirit could unite with that of her husband. This legend possibly parallels the events of the flashback in which Carmen Reyes remains faithful to her husband who disappeared for over 17 years.
• Tricia Tanaka: Tricia Tanaka is an Asian reporter with Action 8 News. In FOX's Family Guy, Tricia Takanawa is an Asian reporter with Quahog 5 News.
• Little House: While talking about clean slates with Kate, Sawyer references Little House on the Prairie. Little House on the Prairie is a children's book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, published in 1935. It is part of a series of books known collectively as the Little House series. The series was loosely adapted into a television series called Little House on the Prairie that aired on NBC from 1974 to 1983.
• Oliver Twist: Upon finding his stash picked through, Sawyer confronts Charlie and refers to him as Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist (1838) is Charles Dickens' second novel and the name of the novel's protagonist, an orphan living in England.
• Munchkin: Sawyer refers to the 5' 7" Charlie as "munchkin". Munchkins are the natives of Munchkin Country in the Oz series of books by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being short of stature.
• Snuffy: Sawyer refers to Hurley as "Snuffy". Snuffy is the nickname for Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street.
• Hooked on Jin: After Jin greets Sawyer in English, Sawyer remarks how Jin's hooked on phonics. Hooked on Phonics is a commercial brand of educational materials designed for reading education through phonetics.
• Lady Tron: Hurley hired the Trans from a Bennigan's and then refers to Mrs. Tran as "Lady Tron". Ladytron is an English electronic music band.
• Rocky: After Sawyer takes a sip from a DHARMA beer, Hurley tells him the beer had to have been sitting out in the jungle since before Rocky III and maybe even Rocky II. Rocky III is third installment of the Rocky series and was released in 1982. Rocky II is the 1979 sequel to Rocky.
• Skeletor: Sawyers refers to Roger's decomposing body as "Skeletor". Skeletor is a fictional character in the various Masters of the Universe series and 1987 movie. He is the arch-enemy of He-Man, seeking to conquer Castle Grayskull and learn all of Eternia's ancient secrets, thus making him an unstoppable force of evil. Skeletor is aptly named due to having a visible skull for a head.
• IHOP: While giving Jin some English lessons, Sawyer points to Hurley as being an International House of Pancakes. IHOP, or The International House of Pancakes, is a United States-based restaurant chain that specializes in breakfast foods.
• Jumbotron: Sawyer refers to Hurley as "jumbotron". The JumboTron is a large video screen typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close up shots. "JumboTron" is a registered trademark owned by Sony, but the word "jumbotron" is often used by the public to refer to any such device.
• Jiminy Cricket: Sawyer refers to Charlie as "Jiminy Cricket". Jiminy Cricket is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1940 animated film Pinocchio. He was appointed by the Blue Fairy to serve as the official conscience for Pinocchio. He is also a comical partner who accompanies Pinocchio on his adventures.
• Bennigan's: Hurley said he found the Trons at "Bennigan's". Bennigan's Grill and Tavern is a chain of Irish-themed restaurants throughout the United States of America. Wikipedia: Bennigan's

Memorable Moments

• Sawyer enjoys a flat beer next to Roger's corpse, referring to Roger as "Skeletor" and knocking the beer can against his head as a toast.

Quotes

• Sawyer: It's flat and it stinks. [takes a sip of the DHARMA beer]
  Hurley: [to Jin] Can you get it to work? Do you know what's wrong?
  Sawyer: Chill out. Let the man do his thing.
  Hurley: Dude, that beer's been sitting there since before Rocky III... maybe even II. It's probably poison by now.
  Sawyer: [motioning to Roger's corpse] Skeletor seems to like it. [taps the beer against Roger's skull] Bottom's up!
  Hurley: That's not cool, dude! That guy had a mom, a family and friends. Oh, and a name! Not "Skeletor", it's Roger Workman!
  Sawyer: It's "Work Man", you blockhead! That's his job! He was a DHARMA janitor.
  Hurley: Yeah, well, you should still respect the dead.
• Hurley: Come on! Get up! We got work to do.
  Sawyer: What's your problem, jumbotron?
  Hurley: Shut up, red... neck... man!
  Sawyer: Touché.