The interesting thing about Season 3 is that it’s near universally acknowledged that it has a steep upturn in quality as it goes, but nobody can exactly pinpoint any one moment where that happens. I think by this episode (if not earlier), pretty much everybody looks back on the season and says “Hey, when did this get good all of a sudden?” Maybe it’s because the overall plot of the first sixteen episodes pretty much boils down to a couple of lengthy treks to and from the Other’s location, trying to get all the characters back to the beach. That accomplished, “Catch 22″ is when an end game finally emerges.

Now then. I really enjoyed a lot about “Catch 22,” but it wasn’t without its share of problems. Let’s start with the flashback. I saw it’s purpose, we got to see some more of Desmond’s cowardice (which often feels like an Informed Flaw, considering how many brave things he’s done), and it continued to enforce the idea that Desmond has a path that he’s meant to follow. But honestly, up until the final meeting with Penny (which is great), I was always wanting to switch back to the present. The flashback fell into the same territory as Episodes 10-12 or thereabouts, solid, but not great.

At the beach, it’s a subplot purely focused on the Jack/Kate/Sawyer triangle. Never my favourite storyline, but it’s been kept to a minimum lately. One episode where it’s at the forefront isn’t going to kill me. And knowing now that Kate is ultimately going to choose Jack, it makes her waffling easier to sympathize with. She had sex with Sawyer earlier in a high pressure situation, and still cares for him, but her hearts with Jack. Seeing him with someone else drives her into the arms of someone else, without really considering their feelings about the whole situation. A lot of us have done it, and although it’s not great television, it’s not frustrating or unbelievable.

Time for another great sci-fi/romance confection that only the Desmond episodes can bring, as he gets a premonition of his (seeming) lady love arriving on the island. A camping trip with Charlie, Hurley, and Jin ensues, and I love this character configuration every time it occurs. I especially love that Jin isn’t remotely an outsider anymore, capable of having a great time with his friends despite the language barrier. But a bit less successful is Desmond’s underlying dilemma. The idea is that Charlie has to die to find Penny, but the situation never feels like that. Charlie getting hit by the arrow feels like something that can be prevented and doesn’t have to impede the path to the parachuter, which is pretty much what happens. Desmond’s conflict might have been more successful if somehow, Charlie’s death were to directly result in the rescue of the parachuter. A genuine Catch-22.

Regardless, the episode caused me to do a great deal of pondering. We know that “The Universe” has a plan, and it’s immutable. But we know the island/Jacob has its own will as well. What if these are two separate forces? What if “The Universe” decided that Charlie had to die, but “The Island” needed to stay alive long enough to him contact the freight? So it worked through Desmond, allowing him to see the flashes? Who knows, to commit to this theory, I’ll have to figure out who the freighter’s arrival benefits more, Jacob or the Man in Black.

I guess in the end, the episode centres entirely on Desmond’s interpretation of the whole course correction thing, which doesn’t match with reality. I think it’s safe to assume that Desmond saving Charlie didn’t result in the identity of the parachuter changing. And even if it did, Naomi is even cuter than Penny so I don’t know what his problem is amirite?

Loose Ends:
Why would Brother Campbell find a lousy photo of Ms. Hawkings and then photoshop it into a picture of himself? Why not Alison Brie or Jessica Alba like the rest of us? Nobody does that, I meant to say.

So overall, “Catch 22″ was a mixed bag in a few respects, but I enjoyed way too much for those little problems to derail the episode.

Rating: 8.5/10
Ranked 8th out of 17 episodes.
Average: 8.21/10