My one major reservation about "Do No Harm" is that it is a Jack-centric episode, and in my opinion it should have been a Boone-centric. Obviously Jack is a more important character in the vast scheme of things (and Matthew Fox gives an extremely convincing performance here), but he already had two Season 1 episodes devoted to him (+ arguably the most screen time in the Pilot of the show), and he would go on to have many more. On the other hand, Boone got only one episode ("Hearts And Minds"), and "Do No Harm" was his farewell to the show (not counting his guest appearances in "Exodus", "Abandoned", "Further Instructions" and "Expose"). I think there was more of his backstory to be told, maybe through early childhood flashbacks, his growing up with Shannon and slowly falling in love with her, etc. Instead, we get Jack's flashbacks, which, although they do provide new information (Jack's marriage), feel VERY loosely linked to the current events on the island. But enough complaints; "Do No Harm" is still generally compelling, and although it is probably the most tragic episode of LOST up to that point (there are barely any humorous lines), it handles the tragedy in a tasteful manner, and finds room for a ray of hope (Claire giving birth to a healthy baby). It may also be the first Season 1 episode that gives Sun and Jin a chance to shine outside of their "own" episodes: Sun becomes Jack's most useful assistant as he's trying to save Boone, while Jin finally drops the hard exterior on the island and jumps around with joy after Claire's baby is born. *** out of 4.
Review of Do No Harm
