After the electrifying Season 3 premiere, “A Tale of Two Cities,” “Lost” resumed a slower pace with the subsequent installment “The Glass Ballerina.” The complex romance between Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) is one of the more interesting marriages in “Lost.” Sun feels helpless and ignored by Jin, and they are trapped in traditional South Korean gender roles. Jin changes his behavior when he recognizes that his wife is in pain. They are one of the rare screen couples who come into conflict, and you can empathize with both characters.
Sun has an affair with Jae Lee (Tony Lee), but it’s not out of anger toward her husband. She feels neglected and is in search of a genuine connection. The scenes between Sun and Jae are more tender than scandalous. Even within the confines of network television, “Lost” shows intimate moments. At the same time, this complicates Sun’s revelation that she is pregnant. That sets her up with an important decision. Jin may not be the father, and that would shatter his pride.
Kim is phenomenal in the scenes in which Jin tracks down Jae. Despite his rage, Jin isn’t a murderer, and it’s important to see his inherent empathy before his actions on the island. These flashbacks do a great job of making the storyline during which Jin and Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) are sailing into danger in the present more exciting.