Whatever the Case May Be

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“Whatever the Case May Be”

Lost episode

Episode no.

Season 1
Episode 12

Written by

Damon Lindelof & Jennifer Johnson

Directed by

Jack Bender

Guest stars

L. Scott Caldwell
Victor Browne
Tim Halligan
Dezmond Gilla
Achilles Gacis
Michael Vendrell

Production no.

110

Original airdate

January 5, 2005

Episode chronology
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"All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"	"Hearts and Minds"

Lost (season 1)
List of Lost episodes

"Whatever the Case May Be" is the 12th episode of the first season of Lost. It was directed by Jack Bender and written by Damon Lindelof and Jennifer Johnson. It first aired on January 5, 2005 on ABC. The character of Kate Austen is featured in the episode's flashbacks.

[edit] Plot

While swimming near a waterfall, Kate and Sawyer find a locked case among some sunken wreckage. Kate wants it, but refuses to tell Sawyer what's inside, so he takes it. At the beach, the tide is rising and will soon submerge the fuselage. Shannon asks Boone what he and Locke do every day, and Boone replies that they're looking for Claire. While Shannon complains that Boone should locate food, Boone gets upset; in retaliation he truthfully calls her "useless".

Sayid asks Shannon to help him translate Rousseau's notes; at this point they start a relationship. Rose comforts Charlie by telling him that what happened to Claire isn't his fault and he did everything he could. Sawyer tries to pick the lock on the case, but Michael tells him the only way to open it is with pure force. Sawyer drops the case off a cliff, and it still doesn't open. Kate steals it from him, but Sawyer pins her hands down and gets it back. He tells her that he will give the case to her if she tells him what's inside. She refuses.

In a flashback, Kate is in New Mexico, opening a bank account using an alias ("Maggie", "Meg", "Miss Ryan"). Three masked men with guns enter and attempt to rob the bank. A man tells Kate that they can stop them before he grabs and disarms one. Kate grabs the gun but when the man tells her to shoot the thief she claims that she can't use a gun. One of the thieves pulls Kate into a back room after the situation is handled and they share a kiss, revealing that Kate is a part of the robbery. The man hits Kate to make it look as if she's an innocent civilian.

Kate goes to Jack and says the case contains weapons. It belonged to the U.S. Marshal and the key is buried with him. They dig up the body and Kate pulls out his wallet. Before giving it to Jack, she palms the key, but he catches her. Sayid becomes impatient with Shannon when her translations do not make any sense. Upset, Shannon runs away, saying that she's useless. Jack gives Sawyer an ultimatum: if he does not hand over the case, Jack will stop giving him antibiotics for his knife wound. Fearing any contagions will get into his wound, Sawyer hands over the case.

In a flashback, one of the robbers tells the manager that the whole robbery was Kate's idea. However, she shoots the felons and tells the manager to open the safety deposit box #815—the true reason for the robbery.

At the caves, Jack and Kate open the case. There are guns inside, and a manila envelope, which Jack gives to Kate. She opens it and pulls out a toy airplane. When pressured, Kate says it belonged to the man she loved—and killed. She then cries, but receives no sympathy from Jack.

Rose tells Charlie that she believes her husband is still alive. Charlie, distraught, begs Rose for help, and she prays with him. Shannon recognizes Rousseau's notes as "La Mer" (the original French version of "Beyond the Sea"), which featured in a French-dubbed animated film (though not named, the film is Finding Nemo, which features the song over its credits). By her campfire, Kate stares at the toy plane.

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