Par Avion - Season 3x12

[Kiowa Warrior]

PAR AVION

The twelfth episode of Season 3 is Claire’s flashback, where we learn that she was involved in a car crash that puts her mother in a coma and that her medical expenses are being paid for by Christian Shephard. Christian reveals that Claire’s dad didn’t die as she was told, and that it is actually him. Christian meets Claire for coffee after she finishes work at a tattoo and piercing parlour, and tries to convince her that letting her mother die peacefully may be the best option. Claire angrily disagrees and walks away, not even knowing her real father’s name. Claire continues to visit her mother, and we see that she is now clearly pregnant, and she breaks down and apologises to her for arguing with her in the car just before it crashed.

Meanwhile on the island Claire believes she has a way to get everyone rescued, which involves tying a note onto a gull’s leg in the hope that it will have been tagged and will return to a place where someone will read it. But Charlie is sceptical and doesn’t support the idea, and after Charlie refuses to tell her what’s wrong she gets the truth out of Desmond: that he keeps predicting Charlie’s death. They retrieve a gull and, no longer angry with him, Claire and Charlie write a note and tie it onto the bird’s leg before setting it free with the hope of rescue.

Elsewhere Locke, Sayid, Kate, Danielle and Mikhail come across a sonic security force guarding the Others’ barracks, a fence that Mikhail claims no longer works. Testing out this claim Locke pushes Mikhail between them and Mikhail, frothing at the mouth, collapses dead on the ground. Everyone cuts a tree down in order to climb up and over the fence before coming across the barracks: the homes where the Others live. But the most surprising thing for them to see is Jack, happily playing a game of football with Tom.

[The Wizard]

I loved seeing the sonic fences and all the action involving them. WOOP WOOP!

[Easily confused]

Originally Posted by The Wizard

I loved seeing the sonic fences and all the action involving them. WOOP WOOP!

I think it would have been better if the A Team music was playing when they made their tree ladder thing

[D-Roc]

Is this the one where Mikhail dies?

[JB Sawyer]

I love this episode. It reminds me of the beauty of the S1 episodes. I can't say too much as there is, to be honest, very little to be said about it imo. Just that it is beautiful in the literal meaning of the word. I know alot of people liked 'Tricia Tanaka...' because it gave back a little bit of hope; this episode for me does it 100 times better than TTiD. Claire in the hospital with her mum really tugs on the ol' heartstrings. Plus Locke is proved to be the murderer that he is (yet he still gets away with it) Anyway, gorgeous episode.

Re-watch rating: 8/10

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by Easily confused

I think it would have been better if the A Team music was playing when they made their tree ladder thing

[keeno_82uk]

u know i must have missed this one when going through them. just finished watching it.

wow claire looks hot as a rocker lol

[lost-lover]

Was anyone else as shocked me me that Christian is Claire's father? Jack's her half-brother and they don't even know!

[keeno_82uk]

that will probably come to light in season 4 or something, not sure how they'll find out tho.

i was shocked.

[D-Roc]

Brilliant episode, again, one of the best from season 3.

Claire centric's are always good ones..surprising considering she is one of the least interesting and one of the less exceptionally acted characters.

The Christian being her father thing was hardly surprising, although I thought it was still well done. I noted the growth in Claire's maturity when the last flashback is shown - gone are the rebel piercings and make-up, gone is the jet black hair and the teen-strop attitude, and it it's place is a more mature and regretful Claire..with Baby. I never noticed before how that final scene served to show how much Claire had grown up over those months/years. Her "sorry" speech to her mum was, as mentioned above, heart warming and good to see.
The island story was fantastic - again, the Mikhail factor really turned out to be S3's 'Henry Gale' - spiking the season just when it needed energising. I LOVED the scene where he told the losties exactly who they were and why they weren't on "the list". I thought it was so well acted on all parts..the looks on the Losties faces as Mikhail spoke his riddles was a thing of beauty. Shame Rousseau had to interject JUST as Mikhail was about to tell John about his "fleeting memory" - John looked both relieved and angered at that point.

Alot of answers seemed to come our way in this episode, which isn't a bad thing, although I'm wondering why Mikhail told the Losties so many truths..I mean he could've lied had he wanted, yet he told the truth about the Submarine, the Sonic Fence......... I guess the Others really don't lie.

The 'B' story was good - liked the fact that Claire FINALLY gave Charlie the love and support that he deserved. Although I was reminded of just how horribly shouty she can be as she almost bit Charlie's head-off when he was caught in his own thoughts, after Des had been to visit him. She'd be a nightmare to live with. Still, she can cook up a speech, which was beautifully delivered by Charlie.

The cliff-hanger at the end was wonderfully crafted..seeing Jack integrated in Other society was wonderful..I remember my jubilation at the time.

Also funny to see Friendly "throw like a girl".

Re-watch value 9/10

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by D-Roc

although I'm wondering why Mikhail told the Losties so many truths..I mean he could've lied had he wanted, yet he told the truth about the Submarine, the Sonic Fence......... I guess the Others really don't lie.

He said that the sonic fence hadn't functioned in years...

[Easily confused]

Desmond annoys me in this one. Why after telling Charlie catching birds is not a good thing does he fire his gun to scare off the birds when Charlie isn’t even around ?? There is just no need imo. He is just being big headed and knew Claire would follow him later so she would think he is a hero because he can just walk up to birds and capture them just like that, as you do.

The trekking stuff with Locke and Co is good but I think if they hadn’t of hurried and jammed so much into Enter 77 that they could have carried some more of that over onto Par Avion

Flashback quite good, nice to see another side to Claire.