Whatever the Case May Be

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Lost (TV series) episode
“Whatever the Case May Be”
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 12
Guest star(s)	L. Scott Caldwell (Rose), Michael M. Vendrell (Trucker), Victor Browne (Shooter (Jason)), Achilles Gacis (Six Foot Five), Tim Halligan (Hutton), Dezmond Gilla (Baseball hat)
Writer(s)	Damon Lindelof & Jennifer Johnson
Director	Jack Bender
Production no.	110
Original airdate	January 5, 2005
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"	"Hearts and Minds"
Episode chronology

"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 flashback.

[edit] Plot

While swimming, 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.

Sayid asks Shannon to help him translate Rousseau's notes. 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 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 enter and attempt to rob the bank. One of them pulls Kate into a back room 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 admits her involvement in the robbery to stop the man she kissed from hurting the bank manager. She then demands that he give her a key to a specific safety deposit box—the true reason for the robbery.

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. Sawyer gives him 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. 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 says her husband is still alive and she prays with Charlie. Shannon recognizes Rousseau's notes as a 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.

[edit] Trivia

• The song on Rousseau's notes is Charles Trenet's La Mer, the French original of Bobby Darin's classic Beyond the Sea.

Lost
Production:	DVD releases • Episode list • Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Soundtrack
Main characters:	Ana Lucia • Ben • Boone • Charlie • Claire • Desmond • Hurley • Jack • Jin • Juliet • Kate Libby • Locke • Michael • Mr. Eko • Nikki • Paulo • Sawyer • Sayid • Shannon • Sun • Walt
Supporting characters:	Bernard • Rose • The Others
Organizations:	DHARMA Initiative • Hanso Foundation • Oceanic Airlines
Elements:	Crossovers • DHARMA Initiative stations • Flight 815 • Mythology • Thematic motifs
Miscellaneous:	Gary Troup • In popular culture • Lost Experience • Rachel Blake • Video game

Episode list Season Two Lost Season One

Pilot (Part 1) • Pilot (Part 2) •Tabula Rasa • Walkabout • White Rabbit • House of the Rising Sun • The Moth Confidence Man • Solitary • Raised by Another • All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues Whatever the Case May Be • Hearts and Minds • Special • Homecoming • Outlaws • ...In Translation • Numbers Deus Ex Machina • Do No Harm • The Greater Good • Born to Run • Exodus (Part 1) • Exodus (Part 2)