Lost Season 2: "Collision"

Finally the two groups meet, though not on the best of terms. It is interesting how these two groups seem to parallel one another. This episode Eko and Locke meet, the two men of faith on the island. I wonder if their beliefs will be conducive to one another, or if the belief in God will conflict with the belief in the island. Time will tell.

This episode also provides the back story of Ana, and we learn that she was just as fiery and reckless before the island as she is now, although slightly more dangerous as more guilt is added to the pile. She has killed Shannon and has Sayid as a prisoner with nowhere to turn. I almost feel sorry for her, but she seems determined to stay alone. People try to reach out to her, to bring her back among them, but she refuses their help, clinging to her grief and guilt. I'm not saying all is forgiven or that it is easy to do so, but she attacks the hand that is reaching out to help, only worsening the situation.

This seems to not be a situation that only presents itself when stranded on an island. The writers are exploring a very human experience. How often to we spurn the grace offered to us when we are convinced we cannot be helped? How often to we close doors opened for us when we prefer to hold so closely to our guilt that is slowly causing us to die? As Sayid says, there's no point in killing Ana because it would change nothing, a feeling he knows himself all to well. I'm curious to see how much grace the group will extend to Ana after all she has done, if there will be more opportunities for her to come out of her solitude. Jack put down the gun when he found out it was Ana with Sayid, so perhaps there is hope that mercy may abound in her future.

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