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Actor Naveen Andrews and young actor Sterling Beaumon added lighter fluid to the already blazing LOST season 5.

I’ve debated about whether or not I should issue a spoiler alert for my review, but I’m going to try to keep my fingers silent on the ending—just let me say, it’s one you won’t want to miss. I will have much to say without spoiling the end for my own readers. The flashback into Sayid’s early years revealed a young boy who could easily lure and kill a chicken while his brother quailed in fright at their father’s orders. In true LOST fashion, during the next segment, back to the 1977 lockup, young Ben brings Sayid none other than a chicken salad sandwich. Nice touch.

Sayid’s back-storyline proceeds to reveal his relationship with Ben during his days off the Island. Ben tells Sayid, “It’s in your nature. It’s what you are. You’re a killer, Sayid.” Believing he must save Hurley, Sayid once more pursues two of his passions, ahem, which lands him on the return flight to the Island in handcuffs. (He should have known a one-night stand in a room numbered 316 would not end well.) But all this is back-story.

The brilliancy of “He’s Our You” lies in Sayid’s relationship with young Ben. His performance, as his mind sorts through why philosophically he ended up on the Island, is monumental, poignant. I held my breath as I waited to find out what “peace” he was after.

At the same time we see young Ben, played by Sterling Beaumon, living the hell of an abusive parent in the middle of hippie heaven. Dharma Island is anything but paradise. His performance was masterful. This kid is going places, hopefully in a better direction than his character.

After the cliffhanger ending—again in true LOST fashion—the directors and producers left us grappling with the idea that this could possibly be what really did happen (as per Daniel Faraday’s beliefs on time travel) or possibly Sayid changed history. We don’t know. Period. The writers and producers have so masterfully built the over-arcing plot; all we can do is reel inside with our suspicions. And pray that we too can defy time to catch next week’s revelations sooner than we expect.

I do have one criticism: Why wasn’t Dr. Instructional Video at the vote whether Sayid should be or shouldn’t be? You’d think there would be a lot more people in on that meeting and that he would be high enough up the ladder to get a vote. Maybe that room of people only represented security personnel, but you’d think the decision to execute a prisoner wouldn’t be left to the people who watch the monitors. That’s just my thought anyway. I’m still giving out a five because the performances deserve even more than a five.

5