“Hearts and Minds”

Lost season 1, episode 13
Original air date: January 12, 2005

Backstory:
Boone is playing tennis at his club with a blonde, who looks a lot like Shannon, when he gets a call on his cell phone from Shannon. She's screaming, and Boone asks where she is. After yelling at someone in the background to stay away from her, she finally tells Boone she's in Sydney.

When he tracks her down, she blows him off by saying that she and her boyfriend are on their way out. However, she subtly displays a bruise at her scalp as she shifts her hair, at the same time begging Boone to leave. He does, but he then attempts to make a police report about Shannon's abuse at the hands of her boyfriend. The police office says he can't just barge into the apartment without a complaint form Shannon, though, while Sawyer is being wrestled by two police officers in the background. In the course of making this repot, the officer asks about Boone's relationship to Shannon, like the fact that her last name is and his is . He says she was previously married and also that they're only step-siblings. His father married her mother and now he runs companies for Shannon's mother's wedding business.

Not having any luck with the police, Boone then tracks her boyfriend down at his boat and offers him $30,000 to stay away from Shannon. He scoffs at Boone's offer, but Boone reveals that this is not the first time he's paid off one of Shannon's boyfriends. The boyfriend again refuses, saying that Shannon's worth more money. Boon then writes him a check, while at the same time the boyfriend protests that he really loves Shannon.

When Boone goes to clear Shannon out of her apartment, though, she doesn't help him begin packing. He realizes that she's scammed him — her boyfriend is taking the money, but they're not breaking up. It also dawns on Boone that this is not the first time Shannon's pulled this stunt. He leaves her there and heads back to his hotel. Shannon shows up later that night, drunk, and she seduces Boone. She says she knows he's been in love with her for years, and she encourages him to finally act on his feelings. Boone acquiesces, and they have sex, but afterwards, Shannon withdraws and warns Boone not to tell anyone what has happened. Bitter, he reminds Shannon that she's always in control and makes all the decisions.

Current:
Boone and Locke return from the jungle, and Shannon immediately questions Boone about what they've been doing out there. He says they're still searching for Claire, but Shannon says that the trail's cold. Others are beginning to grumble about the fact that Locke's not bringing any food back with him. Boone tells Locke that he wants to confide in Shannon about the hatch they found, but Locke doesn't trust Shannon. Boone says he's going to anyway, and Locke knocks him in the back of his head with the handle of his knife, knocking him out.

When Boone wakes up, he's trussed in bungee cords such that if he moves in any direction, the ropes painfully pull his limbs in all directions. Locke smears a sticky substance in the wound on the back of Boone's skull and then tosses the knife to his feet. Locke tells Boone that when he's properly motivated, he'll find a way to free himself.

Boone drifts in an out of consciousness until he hears Shannon screaming. He's finally able to wrench himself down to pick up the knife and cut through his ropes. He finds Shannon similarly tied and frees her just as the monster comes upon them. They run from it, but it sucks Shannon up into the air. Boone finds her body on a rock in a stream, mauled and dripping with blood. He cradles her and sobs, but when he gets back to camp, he discovers that she's alive. He confronts Locke about what happened, but Locke only asks what Boone saw. Boone realizes that the substance Locke smeared on his head caused the whole, trippy experience, which is exactly what he needed. Now, he can let Shannon go.

Meanwhile, Jack discovers that Kate and Sun are collecting seeds and planting a garden. While they're doing so, Sun reveals to Kate that she can speak English, but she begs Kate to keep it a secret. Hurley's convinced that Jin hates him because he wouldn't eat the raw fish Jin offered him weeks ago. He follows Jin to the ocean while he's fishing, but he steps on a sea urchin. Jin helps him remove it from his foot, and then offers him fish as a peace offering. And during all of this, Sayid discovers that the compass Locke gave him that afternoon isn't pointing to where north should be. Sayid says it can't just be a magnetic anomaly, because that would only account for a 2-3 degree difference.