Born to Run (Lost)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Born to Run
Series = Lost (TV series)
Season = 1
Episode = 22
Airdate = May 11, 2005
Production = 120
Writer = Story by Javier Grillo-Marxuach,
Teleplay by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director = Tucker Gates
Guests = Mackenzie Astin
Daniel Roebuck
Beth Broderick
Anosh Yaqoob
Tamara Lynch


Caption = Jack, Sayid and Locke at the hatch
Episode list = "Lost" (season 1)
List of "Lost" episodes
Prev = The Greater Good
Next = Exodus

"Born to Run" is the 22nd episode of "Lost" and part of the first season. It was directed by Tucker Gates, written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and based on a story by Javier Grillo-Marxuach. It first aired on May 11, 2005, on ABC. The character Kate Austen is featured in the episode's flashbacks.

Plot

Centric Character: Kate

Charlie and Kate discuss the fame that awaits them if and when they are rescued, and this disturbs the latter. After the group learns that the raft needs to have left already, Michael hurries to finish it, and Kate seeks a spot. Michael refuses, reiterating the fact that all places have already been booked. After a conversation with Sawyer, however, he reconsiders, reasoning in spite of their deal that Sawyer has little grasp on the art of sailing and will be of little assistance once the voyage is underway. Sawyer storms off to confront Kate, whom he rightly perceives as his biggest threat, telling her that he knows why she wants on the raft: she wants to escape capture from authorities in the outside world.

Sayid and Jack meet Locke at the hatch. Surprised at what he finds there, Jack asks Locke why he failed to tell anyone about it. There follows a brief confrontation between the two leaders, after which Jack states his belief that the hatch ought to be opened. This prompts a furiously nervous response from Sayid, who fears its content, and who actually brought Jack along to dissuade Locke from the idea, but the matter is left unsettled.

Michael suddenly becomes ill while working with Jin. Having returned from the hatch, and summoned by an urgent Kate, Jack examines him and searches for the cause of the illness. He eventually discovers some partially-dissolved drugs in a water bottle from which Michael has been drinking. Upon learning of this, the afflicted immediately suspects Sawyer, but, in short order, Kate also is suspected, leading Jack to confront her about it. She denies any involvement, apparently offended that Jack should think her capable of such a thing. Walt, meanwhile, assures Locke that he is not responsible either, fearing that he suspects him after his earlier sabotage of the raft. When Locke touches his arm to assure him that his fears are unfounded, Walt becomes frightened and, in spite of having no prior knowledge of it, begs Locke not to open "it"; that is, the hatch.

Sawyer walks up to the recovering Michael and offers him a bottle of antacid. Angry at his ostensible cheek, Michael kicks him off the raft. Furious, and finally tested beyond the bounds that his patience allows, Sawyer exposes Kate's criminalism to everyone present. [Significantly, Sun is not present.] Stealing her bag, he empties it to reveal that Kate has pinched the passport of Joanna, the woman who drowned in "White Rabbit", in a bid to steal her identity. Thus is Kate forced to admit that she was the person in the Marshal's custody.

:"Flashbacks briefly show Kate in the outside world, changing the license plate of her car, dying her hair, taking a shower, as well as claiming a letter under the alias Joan Hart. She returns later to her hometown to visit her dying mother and, while there, meets up with her now-married ex-boyfriend Tom Brennan, who is a doctor at the hospital. The two decide to dig up a lunch box time capsule that they buried back in 1989. Among its contents are Tom's toy airplane and a tape recording that they made to mark the occasion of the burial. Later, with Tom's help, Kate is able to be alone with her mother and apologise. Far from appeased, however, her mother begins to scream for help. Kate flees, knocking out a policeman before running into Tom, who gives her the keys to his car and climbs into it. When the police try to block their exit from the hospital, Kate implores Tom him leave, but he refuses. As the police open fire at the speeding vehicle, Kate rams theirs out of the way before crashing into another. With the car brought finally to a halt, Kate looks over at Tom and finds him dead. Distraught and left with no choice but to flee, Kate climbs out of the car and runs."

As the raft is hurried toward completion, Jack walks up to Sun and confronts her about the poisoning. Sun admits that she is the one responsible, explaining that she wanted to keep Jin from leaving. Jack has already reasoned that, with Jin and Michael working in such close proximity, it is easy for them to mix up their water bottles. He sees no reason to reveal her indiscretion to the others, though, and promises her that he will not do so. Later, in a private conversation with Kate, Sun swears not to tell anyone that the drugging was her idea. Her reasoning is flawed, however, for she believes that Kate's idea was hatched for the sole purpose of helping her.

That night, Kate and Sawyer say farewell and make something like amends, while Walt confesses to his father that he is responsible for the fire that destroyed the first raft. He explains that he wanted to stay on the island. Michael, surprised, says that they can still stay behind, but Walt insists that they leave.

References

http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=recap#t=38115&d=40654

Trivia

The episode's title is likely taken from the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name.