There is little doubt that "Whatever The Case May Be" is one of the weaker episodes of the series up to this point (probably the second weakest, after "The Moth"). After the kidnapping of Claire and the discovery of Charlie in near-death condition, you'd have expected the survivors to rush back into the jungle to find her, but they seem more concerned with moving their camp further up the beach because the tide is bringing the waves higher and higher. And as for the case that the whole episode centers on, when it finally gets opened and we see what's inside, it hardly seems worth all the fuss. To get the pleasures of this episode, you have to look at the sides: the opening scene, where an idyllic swim near a waterfall is interrupted by a gruesome discovery; the blindsiding twist in Kate's flashback, as well as the sight of her going Lara Croft with two guns in her hands; her headbutting Sawyer; Sawyer's increasing frustration at not being able to open the case; Hurley laughing at him; Rose comforting Charlie; Shannon trying to translate Danielle's maps to Sayid; etc. So, a lesser episode, but still very enjoyable. *** out of 4.
7 Reviews
Another Kate episode
MaxBorg8924 October 2010
Amazingly enough, Lost's first 2005 episode (which at the time of its original broadcast marked a return on TV after a four-week break) feels like a so-called "filler", i.e. something that is put together in the most basic way while the better stuff is waiting behind the corner. Of course, in the case of Lost, even a filler episode is above average, since the show's mythology is consistently present in the shape of the Island.
Picking up some time after the previous episode, Whatever the Case May Be starts with Kate and Sawyer finding a suitcase while swimming. Kate knows what's inside and wants it, but Sawyer refuses to had it over, resulting in a conflict that eventually calls for Jack's help. Meanwhile, Shannon wonders what Boone and Locke are doing in the jungle every day, but soon has other things on her mind when Sayid asks her to help him translate some notes he got from Rousseau. As for Charlie, still sad because of what happened to Claire (well, that and almost dying), he gets some healthy advice from Rose (L. Scott Caldwell), no stranger to matters of the heart since her husband Bernard, who was on the plane with her, hasn't turned up yet.
As for the suitcase, hints to what it may contain are given in the Kate-centric flashbacks: while applying for a bank loan using an alias (the usual Maggie or Meg), she finds herself right in the middle of a robbery, with her own life on the line. Or not, as it turns out: the robbery was her idea all along, so that she could access a safety deposit box, numbered 815...
Aside from that final coincidence, which is never directly addressed, this is very much a character-based episode, with no real focus on the ongoing mysteries and more scenes featuring various interactions. Some of these (Kate and Sawyer) are fun but very basic, some (Sayid and Shannon) bordering on trivial, but there's real emotion in Charlie's conversation with Rose, and there's that Locke/Boone subplot which promises a good payoff. Plus, there's one revelation about Kate that is guaranteed to have long-term repercussions. In other words: textbook Lost, albeit a bit lightweight.
Picking up some time after the previous episode, Whatever the Case May Be starts with Kate and Sawyer finding a suitcase while swimming. Kate knows what's inside and wants it, but Sawyer refuses to had it over, resulting in a conflict that eventually calls for Jack's help. Meanwhile, Shannon wonders what Boone and Locke are doing in the jungle every day, but soon has other things on her mind when Sayid asks her to help him translate some notes he got from Rousseau. As for Charlie, still sad because of what happened to Claire (well, that and almost dying), he gets some healthy advice from Rose (L. Scott Caldwell), no stranger to matters of the heart since her husband Bernard, who was on the plane with her, hasn't turned up yet.
As for the suitcase, hints to what it may contain are given in the Kate-centric flashbacks: while applying for a bank loan using an alias (the usual Maggie or Meg), she finds herself right in the middle of a robbery, with her own life on the line. Or not, as it turns out: the robbery was her idea all along, so that she could access a safety deposit box, numbered 815...
Aside from that final coincidence, which is never directly addressed, this is very much a character-based episode, with no real focus on the ongoing mysteries and more scenes featuring various interactions. Some of these (Kate and Sawyer) are fun but very basic, some (Sayid and Shannon) bordering on trivial, but there's real emotion in Charlie's conversation with Rose, and there's that Locke/Boone subplot which promises a good payoff. Plus, there's one revelation about Kate that is guaranteed to have long-term repercussions. In other words: textbook Lost, albeit a bit lightweight.
The Dark Past of Kate Austen
claudio_carvalho9 April 2006
Kate Austen is plucking and picking fruits and seeds in the woods, and James "Sawyer" Ford meets her. They find a beautiful lake with a waterfall and decide to swim. They find on the bottom of the lake a wallet, and Kate, while recalling her past, tries unsuccessfully to take the wallet from Sawyer. Meanwhile, Rose helps Charlie Pace to recover, and Sayid Jarrah asks Shannon Rutherford to translate some French maps he stole from Danielle Rousseau.
"Whatever the Case May Be" discloses the dark past of Kate Austen, but the reason for the dispute for the wallet sounds silly, at least at this moment of the story. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Whatever the Case May Be"
Note: On 20 March 2013, I saw this episode again.
"Whatever the Case May Be" discloses the dark past of Kate Austen, but the reason for the dispute for the wallet sounds silly, at least at this moment of the story. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Whatever the Case May Be"
Note: On 20 March 2013, I saw this episode again.
Oh dear...
ametaphysicalshark8 July 2008
"Whatever the Case May Be", written by Jennifer Johnson and Damon Lindelof, is just an awful, almost unwatchable mess. The flashbacks are utterly embarrassing as opposed to simply boring like most other Kate flashbacks, with the whole bank robbery feeling extraordinarily fake and clichéd and the reasoning behind it being so amazingly sappy and ludicrous that I wonder if the writers wrote this one as an intentional joke.
If there's one real positive in the entire episode it is Jack Bender's work as director. Very good. We also thankfully have some scenes on the beach with Sayid, Jack, Shannon, and some others. These scenes are definitely not anything special but they really are a relief from the nausea-inducing dialogue and excruciatingly, insultingly obvious attempts to further set up the romantic geometry on the show. Oh, I nearly forgot the only excellent scene in the whole episode, Rose's discussion with Charlie, very nicely-written that.
"Whatever the Case May Be" deserves no discussion or analysis. It is perhaps the worst sort of filler in all four seasons of "Lost" thus far and generally completely worthless. One need not look beyond the hilariously awful swimming scene with Kate and Sawyer to see this.
3/10
If there's one real positive in the entire episode it is Jack Bender's work as director. Very good. We also thankfully have some scenes on the beach with Sayid, Jack, Shannon, and some others. These scenes are definitely not anything special but they really are a relief from the nausea-inducing dialogue and excruciatingly, insultingly obvious attempts to further set up the romantic geometry on the show. Oh, I nearly forgot the only excellent scene in the whole episode, Rose's discussion with Charlie, very nicely-written that.
"Whatever the Case May Be" deserves no discussion or analysis. It is perhaps the worst sort of filler in all four seasons of "Lost" thus far and generally completely worthless. One need not look beyond the hilariously awful swimming scene with Kate and Sawyer to see this.
3/10
A reasonably intriguing case
TheLittleSongbird30 December 2017
When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.
After the season being on such a high previously, "Whatever the Case May Be" is not 'Lost' at its best. It is still reasonably intriguing but it is hard not to feel disappointed, considering that all the previous episodes ranged from very good to outstanding and this was just pretty good but less than great. It is the weakest episode up to this point of 'Lost' and one of the lesser ones of the first season.
It does feel like a filler episode, something that "Whatever the Case May Be" has been criticised for, and this does affect the momentum which was in need of more kick in places.
For me too, "Whatever the Case May Be" could have done with focusing more on everything to do with the case and the Sayid and Shannon scenes didn't add as much as they could have done and would have fared better perhaps if in an episode of its own.
The Kate flashbacks on the other hand are suitably harrowing and interesting, it was nice to see more development to Kate, and the case stuff is very well done, there just needed to be more of it. Actually found the Charlie and Rose scene quite poignant.
Visually, "Whatever the Case May Be" is well made with the island as beautiful and mysterious as ever. The music is understated and chilling, even beautiful at times.
There is evidence of taut and smart writing in a script that could have done with more tightness. Acting is very good all round.
Concluding, pretty good but this felt disappointing considering the high standard of the previous episodes. 7/10 Bethany Cox
After the season being on such a high previously, "Whatever the Case May Be" is not 'Lost' at its best. It is still reasonably intriguing but it is hard not to feel disappointed, considering that all the previous episodes ranged from very good to outstanding and this was just pretty good but less than great. It is the weakest episode up to this point of 'Lost' and one of the lesser ones of the first season.
It does feel like a filler episode, something that "Whatever the Case May Be" has been criticised for, and this does affect the momentum which was in need of more kick in places.
For me too, "Whatever the Case May Be" could have done with focusing more on everything to do with the case and the Sayid and Shannon scenes didn't add as much as they could have done and would have fared better perhaps if in an episode of its own.
The Kate flashbacks on the other hand are suitably harrowing and interesting, it was nice to see more development to Kate, and the case stuff is very well done, there just needed to be more of it. Actually found the Charlie and Rose scene quite poignant.
Visually, "Whatever the Case May Be" is well made with the island as beautiful and mysterious as ever. The music is understated and chilling, even beautiful at times.
There is evidence of taut and smart writing in a script that could have done with more tightness. Acting is very good all round.
Concluding, pretty good but this felt disappointing considering the high standard of the previous episodes. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Wow this is tedious
k-6033720 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Ok so while Claire is being held hostage by a psychopath, these idiots are arguing about a case.
I have noticed the show does this a lot - introduce something crazy in one episode, and then absolutely ignore it in the next. Like, in one episode we find out that there's a gigantic monster capable of knocking down hundreds of trees in one swipe and lifting almost half an airplane. In the next episodes this is completely ignored and people do not hesitate going back into the jungle...
I have noticed the show does this a lot - introduce something crazy in one episode, and then absolutely ignore it in the next. Like, in one episode we find out that there's a gigantic monster capable of knocking down hundreds of trees in one swipe and lifting almost half an airplane. In the next episodes this is completely ignored and people do not hesitate going back into the jungle...
Kate is one of the most interesting characters
gedikreverdi9 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Kate was a bank robber. Sawyer and she found two dead bodies at the bottom of a lake by the waterfall. They retrieved a case and she said it's the air Marshall's and there's a gun inside. There must be something else. They dug up his body to get the key to the case. There's an envelope in the case and Kate's lying like he lied to her partners in crime and shot them.
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