LOST: Down the Hatch | Season 1, Episode 12: “Whatever the Case May Be”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) go swimming with their jeans on as they try to open up “Whatever the Case May Be,” the current title holder for worst episode in LOST history.

Are the rumors true? Is “Whatever the Case May Be” really the worst episode in LOSThistory? Almost definitely not! Josh and Mike begin their deep dive into the episode with a look at the circumstances leading into the episode’s creation, and how that helps explain some of its more uneven aspects.

Then, Josh and Mike dig into the plot: Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) finds a mysterious case on the island, and obsessively tries to open it, keeping all others from finding out its true contents — specifically, the toy airplane that belonged to “the man [she] loved,” who also happens to be “the man [she] killed.” In flashbacks, we discover the circumstances that led to Kate finding the airplane… sorta. Not really, honestly. It’s just a bank heist that probably did not need to go down. Anyway, we’ll talk about it!

“Whatever the Case May Be” was directed by Jack Bender and co-written by Damon Lindelof and Jennifer Johnson. It originally aired on January 5, 2005.

LOST: Down the Hatch is a full-tilt spoiler-filled rewatch of LOST. Every week, Josh and Mike break down an episode of LOST with the benefit of knowing the series’ full trajectory, using the following structure as a guide:

• We Go “Fourth” – Josh and Mike begin each podcast with a deep-dive into the story both in front of and behind the camera, and they do so with the assistance of…
• 8 Sounds – The events of LOST pop right off the camera and straight into your ears with eight memorable moments replayed on the podcast, helping us guide through the story;
• 15/16 Others – Josh and Mike answer questions and comments sent their way through the official e-mail address: [email protected]
• 23 Points – Each week, Josh and Mike hand out points for the best and worst characters of the episode in question, in a foolhardy attempt to determine the most and least valuable players in the LOST pantheon.
• 4.2 Stars – Josh and Mike will attempt to create an official Down the Hatch ranking of every episode of LOST, by rating them all on a scale from 0 – 4.2. Josh and Mike will offer their individual scores, listeners’ scores will be averaged as a third data point, then the three points will be combined for the podcast’s official score on each episode.

Each episode of Down the Hatch clocks in at no less than 108 minutes. If the podcast falls short of that runtime, Josh and Mike have triggered a crisis! Consequences may (and almost certainly will) ensue thanks to the Frozen Donkey Wheel.

• The Lost: Down the Hatch Wikipedia Page
• Josh’s Lost Episode Rankings (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Lost Will and Testament (Javier Grillo Marxuach)
• Damon Lindelof’s History of Lost (The Wrap)
• Damon Lindelof on “Whatever the Case May Be” (Vox)
• Damon and Carlton on “Through the Looking Glass” (Syfy Wire)
• Soundtrack Analysis: “Whatever the Case May Be” (Jim Fels)
• The Hatch Boys, Illustrated (Sami Cappa)

• Kate: 7
• Sayid: 4
• Locke: 4
• Charlie: 4
• Jack: 3
• Sun: 3
• Monster: 2
• Claire: 2
• Hurley: 2
• Jin: 1
• Walt: 1
• Rose: 1
• Peach Man Ray Mullen: 1
• Bpo Bpo the Dog: 1
• The Moth: 1
• Danielle Rousseau: 1
• Nadia: 1
• The Stewart family: 1
• Trucker: 1
• Ethan Rom: 0
• Seth Norris, Brother of Chuck and John: -1
• The Marshal: -1
• Margo Shepard: -1
• Chrissy the Oceanic Agent: -1
• Allison Janney: -1
• Liam Pace: -1
• Driveshaft: -1
• Anthony Cooper: -1
• The Family Sawyer Conned: -1
• Omar: -1
• The French crew AKA the Blowfish: -1
• Richard Malkin: -1
• WTCMB Bank Robbers: -1
• Shannon: -1
• Mr. Manager: -1
• Da Boars: -2
• Gawkers: -2
• Sullivan AKA Rashole: -2
• Boone: -3
• Randy Nations: -3
• Michael: -3
• Thomas: -3
• Sawyer: -4
• Christian Shepard: -4

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