Did anyone else sense a bit of tension between Jack and Sawyer during their little ping pong match? He still has beef with Juliet, and when Jack mentioned being with Juliet the night before, Sawyer gave up a point as he stood there speechless for a sec, then fired back the next shot with what seemed like a bit of anger.

I'm also wondering if the last few episodes have been forshadowing Sawyer becoming the new 'leader' of the losties. It occured to me when he said something like "I finally found something I could beat you at" after he beat Jack. We were introduced to the idea a few episodes ago when Hurley brought it up, and it seems like Sawyer has been transforming into a decent person ever since getting it on with Kate in the bear cage. He's been competing with Jack for alpha male #1 since season one, and if Jack suddenly loses favour with the losties because of his closeness with Juliet, I can see Sawyer taking his spot. Any thoughts?

Sawyer realized that the only reason Kate came onto him the night before was because she saw Jack and Juliet together... that's what that was about. He still has issues with Juliet but that's not what that look was about.

The ping pong game was one of the few good moments in this eppy. I am glad the writers didn't wreck the Jack/James relationship. They certainly mucked up most other characters tonight! (Charlie was an impressive exception. Way to stand up for yourself, Charlie!)

Sawyer realized that the only reason Kate came onto him the night before was because she saw Jack and Juliet together... that's what that was about. He still has issues with Juliet but that's not what that look was about.

ahh nice one. how did i miss that?

Sawyer won the game. If there had really been a lot of tension between the two guys, I seriously doubt that he would have agreed to play again.

I thought that the game was just a freshing moment of male-bonding.

Sawyer won the game. If there had really been a lot of tension between the two guys, I seriously doubt that he would have agreed to play again.

I thought that the game was just a freshing moment of male-bonding.

I gotta disagree with this one. In my opinion, Sawyer approached Jack and challenged him to a game of ping-pong mostly because he was feeling victorious about having Kate in his tent the night before. Score two for Sawyer (so to speak) :biggrin:

Didn't Sawyer even smile and say, "finally found something I can beat you at?" Until sex with Kate and ping pong, the good doc has always outdone Sawyer... but just as Sawyer feels he's won, he learns that Kate only came to him after seeing Jack with Juliet.

He even noticed her tears. And in typical Sawyer fashion, acts macho at the end of the episode to mask his vulnerability.

I gotta disagree with this one. In my opinion, Sawyer approached Jack and challenged him to a game of ping-pong mostly because he was feeling victorious about having Kate in his tent the night before. Score two for Sawyer (so to speak) :biggrin:

Didn't Sawyer even smile and say, "finally found something I can beat you at?" Until sex with Kate and ping pong, the good doc has always outdone Sawyer... but just as Sawyer feels he's won, he learns that Kate only came to him after seeing Jack with Juliet.

He even noticed her tears. And in typical Sawyer fashion, acts macho at the end of the episode to mask his vulnerability.


I agree with you 100% - If I'm not mistaken the last scene we see before Jake/Sawyer seen is Sawyer asking Kate if she had told Jack yet, and then he asks to play ping pong? hmm....

I think it was half friendly/half tense. And yeah, Sawyer finally thought he could win. Oh well. ;)

If there was any tension, I think it was mostly on Sawyer's part. Jack was just enjoying the game and answering Sawyer's questions straight up. Sawyer was looking for a little info and he got what he wanted, or rather didn't want.

I think Sawyer winning the game was a big shout out to the forums where everyone talks about how Jack beats Sawyer at everything. Well, not ping-pong, until of course Jack has had a little more practice.

I like how, in spite of the triangle, Jack and Sawyer are friendly. Makes you wonder what will cause the speculated Losties split into two groups, one headed by Jack, the other by Sawyer.

Sawyer won the game. If there had really been a lot of tension between the two guys, I seriously doubt that he would have agreed to play again.

I thought that the game was just a freshing moment of male-bonding.

I agree....If there is suppose to be tension between these two characters, I'm just not feeling it right now.

IMHO, Jack seems way to passive....allmost beat down. Sawyer has really begun to make a change in how he comes across. I think it may be an attempt by TPTB to make Sawyer a more likeable/believable option as a leader among the Losties.

I dunno. I think I saw Sawyer asking for the game because now he thought Jack knew about him and Kate that some of that tension thats been there in the past would of gone and they could just "bond" in a typical male fashion now.

But then of course he learns about Kate seeing Jack and Juliet together etc and he realises that all is not what it seems.concerning Kate.

I can't help but feel like the people who saw the so-called tension aret just looking for the worst in Sawyer. If this scene took place back in season 1, I might agree with you, but Sawyer has really grown and changed for the better. He's not the same person that he used to be. I believe the reason that he asked Kate whether or not Jack knew about them was because he didn't want to feel akward about inviting Jack to play. If you will recall, the last one on one conversation that these guys shared was back at the end of season two when Sawyer (who at the time was still under the assumption that Jack and Kate had hooked up) told Jack that he was the closest thing to a friend that he had on the island. I think that this ping pong scene, like their hug last week, was just following up on the idea of a budding friendship between these two guys. They will always have their differences, but I thought that it was nice to see them rise above the triangle crap and just have fun together playing a game.

I think the tension is between Saywer and Kate. I don't think Jack really picked up on Sawyer's vibes.
I think Sawyer asked Jack to play just to beat him, I think he really still needed to beat Jack at something, other than the affections of Kate!!!

I can't help but feel like the people who saw the so-called tension aret just looking for the worst in Sawyer. If this scene took place back in season 1, I might agree with you, but Sawyer has really grown and changed for the better. He's not the same person that he used to be. I believe the reason that he asked Kate whether or not Jack knew about them was because he didn't want to feel akward about inviting Jack to play. If you will recall, the last one on one conversation that these guys shared was back at the end of season two when Sawyer (who at the time was still under the assumption that Jack and Kate had hooked up) told Jack that he was the closest thing to a friend that he had on the island. I think that this ping pong scene, like their hug last week, was just following up on the idea of a budding friendship between these two guys. They will always have their differences, but I thought that it was nice to see them rise above the triangle crap and just have fun together playing a game.

You put it more eloquently than I did. But I agree. :biggrin:

I agree that Sawyer asked Jack to play out of some sort of alpha male feeling, but he learned something that he might have been suspecting about Kate's motivation for coming to him--the she and Jack may have had a fight or something. When Jack said "that's just what Kate said last night in the kitchen," Sawyer then found out that Jack had eaten with Juliet, and a little bell went off in his head as to why Kate was crying and suddenly jumped him.

It reminded me of the scene in Outlaws where Sawyer returns the gun to Jack, and Jack says "that's why the Red Sox will never win the series." Sawyer's heard that before and works the conversation to find out if Jack's father is a doctor. Then he tucks that info away - "Why'd you ask?" "No reason" and later we got that amazing scene where Sawyer told Jack about what his father said.

And Sawyer is the one again who learned some interesting information, this time about what spurred Kate to come to him. I wonder if in an upcoming ep Sawyer will tell Jack he knows Kate feels more for Jack than for him. Or, conversely, tell him that Sawyer is Kate's lover now. (Jack already figures the latter so that would be less dramatic, imo.)

The vibe I got from the ping-pong challenge, and the game itself, was that little brother FINALLY found something he can beat big brother at. Hee!

The conversation was companionable enough, and it's only by accident that Sawyer was able to put two and two together and realize that what Kate had been upset about was seeing Jack and Juliet together. That's when he disconnected from the game long enough to lose a point. Josh did a really nice job with that; you can see about a dozen different expressions cross his face as he puts that together.

All I got between the two guys, however, was a companionable vibe. They''re both competitive, as evidenced by Jack's excuse about not having played since he was 12... but then he did want to go two out of three when he lost. Cool scene. :biggrin:

I loved that scene cause between the two guys, there is a definite sense of becoming friends. Of course anything at all can suddenly have them lunging at each other, but in a normal setting with no outside drama, they are friends. If they could have more scenes like this, I would be much happier about the character drama of the show.

If Kate would JUST choose Sawyer and stop D****** him around, they would become a good team to lead the Losties. Now if we can just get them all asking questions, it would be perfect!!

I think the tension is between Saywer and Kate. I don't think Jack really picked up on Sawyer's vibes.
I think Sawyer asked Jack to play just to beat him, I think he really still needed to beat Jack at something, other than the affections of Kate!!!


I don't think Jack has tension with Sawyer at all. If anything he has it with Sayid. Seems he has accepted that Kate has *apparently to him* chosen Sawyer. He's okay staying with Juliet. Prolly why he wanted her to come back with him. Now he doesn't have to mope (alone).

D/

Here again (because I liked the Skex scene) I think the encounter demonstrates maturation of the characters, particularly Sawyer. They are channeling their aggressiveness and competitiveness into a positive, harmless, energy-burning direction and doing some work to repair and improve a raveled relationship.

Sawyer has shown so much emotional growth lately that I'm beginning to fear something terrible will happen to him.

Sawyer has shown so much emotional growth lately that I'm beginning to fear something terrible will happen to him.

Eerie... as a true Jack fan, I expressed the same worry to a fellow Jack fan - only to surprisingly discover we both panicked at the thought of no Sawyer! :frown:

He was never a favorite of mine (although I will admit his lines and nicknames have always been the salt n' pepper of the show, no doubt), but the changes we've seen his character embrace this season have really made me warm up to him, especially while the trio were in captivity.

Honestly, I don't want any of the original Losties to die... I know its inevitable, but even Jin and Sun have become endeared. Trying to choose who'd I'd miss the least of the originals only led me to discover how badly I want all of them to remain.