At the beginning, Sawyer looked like a bad boy and a threat, a wild card who couldn't be trusted.

I guess I see him as more lazy than softened. It's more work to constantly be a threat than it is to just be a jackass, especially in a situation where he really can't gain anything. (And his backstory hasn't shown him to be the kind of long-range planner that would want to manipulate the other survivors into making him King of the Island -- he's just not that kind of thinker.)

Liked his work during the "I Never" game, too. Playful, snagged, darkly bitter. He was workin' it this ep.

oooh!! me too. especially when Kate called him on his "baggage". that glare and slight eye roll was superb! i loved the directing in this ep. the close-ups from the "I Never" seen especially!

See, and I didn't find Sawyer sympathetic, and I don't see where he's been redeemed in any way.

Nope. It's awfully tough to redeem a murderer. At least for me.

(or what Betsy said...)

he killed a guy in Sydney just to watch him die

Except, he didn't.

I'm not talking about effect, here. I'm talking about authorial intent. And I really feell that they're sanding everyone down.

I think the writers have no guts in general. I was completely surprised when Sawyer's murder didn't turn out to be a dream sequence. By now, I've come to expect every evil or even naughty deed to be unrolled by the end of the episode.

Except, he didn't.

He doesn't get a revenge pass from me. Original!Sawyer didn't kill his parents. Sawyer's father killed his parents.

I like the fact that, not only is he a murderer, he's an incompetent murderer. Woobify that, mushy people!!

Ask questions first, shoot later. Advice for the ages.

I am with Jessica, classing Sawyer in the Jackass arena rather than antagonist/antihero. Like, he is a Jackass with a Secret Pain, but mostly, he just acts like a jackass. Spike was overtly woobified, which was annoying as all get-out BTW, whereas one must woobify Sawyer on something other than his canonical merits, if one is to woobify him at all.

I think the writers have no guts in general.

On this we agree. Having Sawyer having killed the right guy, and/or having no regrets -- then he's still bad. Showing him upset and used? Sanding down.

He doesn't get a revenge pass from me

Again, not talking about from you. Talking about what the writers seem to be trying for.

Sawyer didn't kill his parents. Sawyer's father killed his parents.

I had to read this a couple of time to get it straight.

Jack's father was quite the Diabolus ex Machina.

I like the fact that, not only is he a murderer, he's an incompetent murderer. Woobify that, mushy people!!

AND an even more incompetent mercy killer. He really should give up the whole killing thing - it's not working for him at all.