The Greater Good (Lost): Difference between revisions

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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox Television episode | Title = The Greater Good

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

| Series = [[Lost (TV series)]]

| Season = 1

{{Infobox television episode

| Episode = 21

| image = Shannongun.jpg

| Airdate = [[May 4]], [[2005]]

| caption = Shannon holds Locke at gunpoint.

| Production = 119

| Seriesseries = [[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]

| Guests = [[Ali Shaheed Amini]] (Yusef), <br> [[Donnie Keshawarz]] (Essam), <br> [[David Patterson]] (Agent Hewitt), <br> [[Jenny Gago]] (Agent Cole), <br> [[Dariush Kashani]] (Haddad)

| Seasonseason = 1

| Writer = [[Leonard Dick]]

| Episodeepisode = 21

| Director = [[David Grossman (director)|David Grossman]]

| airdate = {{Start date|2005|05|04}}

| Image = [[Image:LOST121.jpg|250px]]

| Productionproduction = 119

| Episode list = [[List of Lost episodes|Episode chronology]]

| guests = [[Donnie Keshawarz]] as Essam Tasir <br /> [[Jenny Gago]] as Alyssa Cole <br /> [[Dariush Kashani]] as Haddad<br />David Patterson as Robbie Hewitt<br />Ali Shaheed Amini as Yusef<br />Warren Kundis as Imam

| Prev = [[Do No Harm (Lost)|Do No Harm]]

| Nextwriter = [[BornLeonard to Run (Lost)|Born to RunDick]]

| director = David Grossman

| season_article = Lost season 1

| Episode listepisode_list = [[List of Lost episodes|Episode chronology]]

| Prevprev = [[Do No Harm (Lost)|Do No Harm]]

| next = [[Born to Run (Lost)|Born to Run]]

| length = 42 minutes<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.netflix.com/au/title/70136118 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210011313/https://www.netflix.com/au/title/70136118 | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 10, 2024 | title=Lost - Netflix | publisher=[[Netflix]] | access-date=24 November 2017 }}</ref>

}}

''"'''The Greater Good'''''" is the 21st episode of the [[Lost season 1|first season]] of ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]''. It is the twenty-first episode of the show's first season. The episode was directed by [[David Grossman (director)|David Grossman]] and written by [[Leonard Dick]]. It first aired on [[May 4]], [[2005]], on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The character of [[Sayid Jarrah]] ([[Naveen Andrews]]) is featured in the episode's flashbackflashbacks.

{{spoiler}}

==Plot==

===Flashbacks===

Arrested at [[Heathrow Airport]] on trumped-up terrorism charges, Sayid is recruited as an informant by the [[Australian Secret Intelligence Service]] and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], who ask him to infiltrate a terrorist cell in Sydney of which his old friend Essam is a member. After they explain that they know where Nadia is, he agrees. It is revealed that after helping her escape several years ago, Sayid left Iraq and has been travelling the world trying to find her ever since. Sayid flies to Sydney and infiltrates the terrorist cell, telling the agents that Essam is in over his head, and that he can bring him in. The agents tell him to convince Essam to go ahead with the suicide bombing so that he will lead them to the explosives, and threaten Nadia's life when Sayid attempts to refuse. On the day of the attack, Sayid reveals he is an informant, and a distraught Essam kills himself. After Essam's death, the agents tell Sayid where Nadia is living in California, and hand him a plane ticket and money. Sayid inquires about Essam's body, and is told that because no one will claim it, the body will be burned. Sayid insists on claiming the body himself, as Essam was a [[Muslim]] man (and Muslims believe in burial, not cremation). Upon being told that his flight is in two hours so he cannot claim the body, Sayid asks them to reschedule his flight for the next day, to which they agree.

===On the Island===

At the caves, Sayid observes a mourning [[Shannon Rutherford|Shannon]] ([[Maggie Grace]]), before asking if he can do anything for her. At the same time, [[Kate Austen|Kate]] ([[Evangeline Lilly]]) tracks down an exhausted and obstinate [[Jack Shephard]] ([[Matthew Fox (actor)|JackMatthew Fox]]). Jack blames [[John Locke (Lost)|John Locke]] for([[Terry whatO'Quinn]]) happened tofor [[Boone Carlyle|Boone]]'s ([[Ian Somerhalder]]) death, but Kate pleads with Jack to return. At the beach, the survivors bury Boone. During the funeral, Locke arrives and attempts to explain what happened, but Jack ignores him and flies into a rage.

Afterward, Jack explains to Sayid, [[Sun-Hwa Kwon|Sun]] ([[Yunjin Kim]]), and Kate that Locke is lying, but they insist that Jack must rest. Locke asks Shannon’sShannon's forgiveness, to no avail; Shannon instead goes to Sayid and asks if he could do something about Locke for her. (implying that she wants him to kill Locke).

Meanwhile, [[Charlie Pace]] ([[Dominic Monaghan]]) tells [[Claire Littleton]] ([[Emilie de Ravin]]) that she needs to rest, and though reluctant at first she lets him take care of her baby. Charlie has a tough time getting the baby to stop crying, buteven finallyhaving manages[[Hugo to"Hurley" doReyes]] so([[Jorge afterGarcia]]) seeingsing the baby'ssong reaction"[[I Got You (I Feel Good)|I Feel Good]]" to no avail, but finally discovers that the sound of Sawyer's voice quiets the baby.

Kate attempts to take care of Jack, who stubbornly insists he needs to deal with Locke. Realizing he’dhe'd probably try this, Kate drugs Jackhis juice and he falls asleep, leaving Sayid free to deal with Locke. Sayid arrives at the caves and begins questioning Locke, asking Locke to show him the [[Beechcraft 18|Beechcraft]]. As they walk to it, Sayid interrogates Locke, who realizes just what Sayid is doing. Upon arriving at the plane, their cat -and -mouse game escalates. Sayid tells Locke he knows Locke has a gun, and Locke hands it over. LockeHe then reveals that it was he who hit Sayid over the head when he was trying to triangulate the distress signal. This enrages Sayid, who pulls the gun on Locke and questions him about the hatch. Locke lies, saying Boone was talking about the plane’splane's hatches.

Sayid returns to the beach and explains to Shannon that he believes Locke did not mean to harm Boone. This prompts an angry Shannon to take matters into her own hands. Shannon steals the guncase key from a sleeping Jack, and confronts Locke in the jungle. Kate, Jack, and Sayid arrive during the confrontation, but Shannon refuses to back down. Left with no choice, Sayid tackles Shannon just as she fires the gun, the bullet grazing Locke's head.

In flashbacks, Sayid becomes an informant for the [[CIA]], which has asked him to infiltrate a terrorist cell in which his old friend Essam is a member. Explaining that they know where Nadia is, he agrees. When Sayid discovers a plot in Sydney, he informs the CIA, who tell him to convince Essam to do it. On the day of the attack, Sayid reveals he is an informant, and a distraught Essam kills himself. After Essam's death, the CIA tells Sayid where Nadia is, and puts him on a plane. Sayid inquires about Essam’s body, and is told that because no one will claim it, the body will be burned. Sayid insists on claiming the body himself and tells them to change his flight.

That night, Sayid visits Locke, who thanks him for saving his life. Sayid replies that he only did it because he believes Locke to be their best chance for survival. He then tells Locke to take him to the hatch.

==Reception==

{{LostNav}}

17.2 million American viewers tuned into this episode.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet|date=May 10, 2005|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051005_08|title= Weekly Program Rankings|access-date=2008-07-30}}</ref> Chris Carabott from [[IGN]] commented "[Boone and Shannon] were both left with very little to do this season. Especially Shannon, whose high point of usefulness was deciphering Rousseau's documents for Sayid. Well, Maggie Grace is given an opportunity to shine and she does an acceptable job as the distraught sibling who is now looking for someone to blame for Boone's death. We finally get to see some real depth to Shannon's character and her quest for vengeance is believable".<ref>Carabott, Chris, (October 30, 2008) "[http://tv.ign.com/articles/925/925447p1.html IGN: The Greater Good Review]", [[IGN]]. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.</ref>

{{LostSeason1}}

[[Category:Lost episodes]]

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{Wikiquote|Lost_(TV_series)#The_Greater_Good_.5B1.21.5D|The Greater Good}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110606070525/http://abc.go.com/shows/lost/episode-detail/the-greater-good/40653 "The Greater Good"] at ABC

*{{Infobox TelevisionIMDb episode | Title = 0636296|The Greater Good}}

{{Lost episodes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greater Good}}

[[Category:Lost season 1 episodes]]

[[Category:2005 American television episodes]]

[[pt:The Greater Good (Lost)]]