Season 3, Episode 19:
The Brig
"Well how about that. Sawyer's my name too."
Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.
Directed by Eric Laneuville.
Cooper: Don't tell me I'm your daddy.
Sawyer: No. You killed my daddy.
In flashbacks, Locke discovers Ben has brought his father to the Island. Ben informs Locke that Juliet is acting as a mole. To be allowed to join the Others, Locke is required to kill Cooper, which he cannot bring himself to do. The Others leave for a new camp, and Ben tells Locke not to follow unless he is carrying Cooper's body. Richard tells Locke that the Others believe he is special, and that Ben is setting him up to fail. He suggests having somebody else kill Cooper for him, and gives him a file on Sawyer.
At the beach, Locke approaches Sawyer, telling him he has kidnapped Ben and wants Sawyer to kill him. The two head into the jungle together. Desmond, Charlie, Hurley and Jin bring the parachutist, Naomi, back to camp, but keep her hidden from Jack. Sayid questions Naomi, who claims to have been sent on a freighter by Penny to search for Desmond, and reiterates that Oceanic 815 was found on the bottom of the ocean, with all passengers dead. Sayid mends Naomi's satellite phone, but is unable to contact the freighter. Kate discovers Naomi, and tells Jack about her. Jack and Juliet debate whether or not to tell Kate something, with Jack saying "not yet."
At the Black Rock, Locke locks Sawyer in the brig with Cooper. Danielle arrives, and takes some dynamite. Sawyer realizes that Cooper is the original Sawyer who caused his parents' deaths, and kills him. Locke gives Sawyer the tape Juliet left for Ben, and sends him back to camp. Locke heads after the Others, carrying his father's body.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Agony of the Feet: Sawyer doesn't have time to get some shoes before Locke finds him, causing him pain as they go hiking through the jungle.
- Arc Words: Richard tells Locke that the Others believe he is special, since his paralysis was cured when he landed on the Island.
- Asshole Victim: Anthony Cooper is such an asshole that his own son thanks Sawyer for killing him.
- Batman Gambit:
- Ben arranges for Locke to kill his own father in front of the Others' entire camp, knowing that he will be unable to go through with it, which will damage the rest of the Others' belief that he is special.
- Locke locks Sawyer in the brig with Cooper, knowing that eventually Sawyer will figure out that Cooper is the man responsible for his parents' deaths, and that Cooper will be such an asshole about this that Sawyer will snap and kill him.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Ben uses Locke's "Don't tell me what I can't do" against him when he tells him that he can't leave him behind.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Subverted. Cooper initially says that he ran the same con two dozen times, but when Sawyer gives his mother's name, Mary, he says he remembers her and taunts Sawyer about how she "begged" him to take the money and rescue her from her life.
- Card-Carrying Villain: While Cooper believes that he is in Hell, he doesn't question for a second that he deserves to be there, even while showing no remorse for his past actions.
- Cassandra Truth: Cooper truthfully tells Sawyer that Locke was paralyzed after he pushed him out a window, but he doesn't believe him as he's only known Locke since they've been on the island. However, Locke does confirm it shortly afterwards.
- Chekhov's Gun: Danielle's quick trip to the Black Rock for dynamite becomes very important in the next few episodes.
- Faux Affably Evil: Cooper is perfectly civil with Sawyer when he meets him and repeatedly calls him "friend", but drops the act when Sawyer reveals their connection and is incredibly rude and disrespectful towards Sawyer's late parents, showing no remorse for causing their deaths.
- I Have Many Names: Cooper lists off a number of aliases he's used over the years, revealing that even "Anthony Cooper" is probably not his real name. He gives one of them as "Alan Seward," when, in "The Man from Tallahassee," he gave his name as "Adam Seward."
- If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!: Ben tells Locke that he has to kill his father to prove his commitment to the Others. Though Locke is unable to go through with it, he arranges for Sawyer to do so instead.
- It Works Better with Bullets: After being locked in the brig, Sawyer threatens to shoot through the door. Locke points out that, if he had bullets, he wouldn't have had to threaten him with a knife earlier.
- Just Between You and Me: When Locke overhears Juliet's tape from the medical hatch, Ben casually tells him that the Others are going to take Sun and any other pregnant women from the survivors' camp. Locke later warns Sawyer about the coming raid so that the camp can prepare.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After everything he did to Locke and Sawyer, Cooper's past actions finally, finally catch up with him.
- Karmic Death: Cooper is strangled to death by Sawyer, one of the many people whose lives he ruined with his cons. The fact that he showed absolutely no remorse for causing Sawyer's parents' deaths makes it all the more satisfying.
- Kick the Dog: Cooper mocks Sawyer over his parents' deaths, and tears up the letter he wrote for him. This last act is the final straw that convinces Sawyer to kill him.
- Literal-Minded: Ben has to outright tell Locke that the "magic box" he told him about is just a metaphor when Locke asks him to show it to him.
- Manly Tears: Downplayed. Sawyer is desperately trying to hold back tears when he gives his mother's name.
- Mistaken for Afterlife: Cooper believes he is in Hell right up until the moment that Sawyer strangles him to death, since Oceanic 815 was discovered at the bottom of the sea with all the passengers confirmed dead, and the last thing he remembers is being in a car crash. Sawyer, on the other hand, doesn't buy it for a second.Cooper: You sure it's an island?
Sawyer: Well, what else is it?
Cooper: A little hot for Heaven, isn't it? - Never My Fault: Cooper shows absolutely no remorse for having caused Sawyer's parents' deaths, and claims it was all Sawyer's father's fault for overreacting.
- Not Staying for Breakfast: After having sex with Sawyer, Kate prefers to return to her own tent and sleep alone.
- Once More, with Clarity: The reason for Locke's bandaged hand in "Left Behind" is revealed. Anthony bit him after being shown to him.
- One Degree of Separation: Turns out, Anthony Cooper is the man who conned Sawyer's parents and ultimately killed them. Locke lampshades this when he's given Sawyer's file and asks Richard how they even know each other.
- Rage Breaking Point: Having spent his whole life waiting for "Mr. Sawyer" to read his letter, Sawyer yells for Anthony Cooper to finish reading it, and when Cooper rips it up, Sawyer wraps the iron chains around his neck and strangles him.
- Retcon: Sawyer gives his mother's name as Mary. In the flashback to their deaths in "Outlaws," his father is clearly calling his mother Brooke.
- Skewed Priorities: Invoked by Richard against Ben, and also played straight in the former’s case. Richard tells Locke that Ben has been “wasting [The Others’] time with novelties like fertility problems”. Except, how is preventing the deaths of pregnant women on the island a novelty, Richard’s own people no less? Also, Locke destroyed their sub, which makes recruiting harder now.
- Wham Episode: Locke's father is revealed to be the man who caused Sawyer's father to kill his mother and himself, and Sawyer kills him. Sawyer finds out that Juliet is a mole. Jack and Juliet find out about Naomi and the existence of the freighter, and are revealed to have some secret plan they have kept from the other survivors.
- Wham Line: Cooper lists off the string of names he's used, but then he gives one of them as "Tom Sawyer."Cooper: A conman goes by many names, friend. I've been Alan Seward, Anthony Cooper, Ted MacLaren, Tom Sawyer, Louis Jackson, Paul—Sawyer: Tom Sawyer.Cooper: I was young and Huck Finn was taken. And the ladies, they loved that one. Made me charming.Sawyer: Well, how about that.Cooper: How about what?Sawyer: Sawyer's my name, too.
- You Killed My Father: Sawyer finally confronts the man who indirectly killed his parents, giving him the letter he wrote as a boy and strangling the life out of him.Sawyer: You ever been to Jasper, Alabama?Anthony Cooper: Why?Sawyer: Have you or haven't you?Anthony Cooper: Yeah, I've been to Jasper. Don't tell me I'm your daddy.Sawyer: No. You killed my daddy.
