Let's just forget about it. - Keamy (in 2004)
I can't. - Sayid

Sayid has always been a dark soul, one haunted by the actions of his past. When we left him at the end of season five, he was afraid of where he'd end up after he died.

When we saw his sideways life this week, he couldn't allow himself to be happy with the woman of his dreams because he didn't deserve her.

And when "Sundown" ended, we were left to wonder if this was an infected individual, as Dogen had warned Jack about, or if the darkness that had always been lurking could no longer be held down.

Based on his extreme actions and based on his knowing smirk when he officially joined Fake Locke's dark side to conclude the incredible hour, it's safe to assume that the real Sayid died a couple episodes ago. Just like the real Claire died at the barracks in season four. Now, of course, the questions linger...

• Did the Man in Black infect these characters?
• How? When?
• Despite seemingly being infected, they are still left to make their own choices. Nay, they must make their own choices. How does this play into the overall issue of free will on the island?

While light on specific mythology or answers, Sayid's sideways storyline revealed an awful lot about this character's island fate. To wit:

His version of events in this parallel world was the first to not end with some of character redemption. As quoted above, his admission that he could not forget and that he did not deserve Nadia continued the theme that this was a lost soul.

Moreover, there was an "unfortunate incident with a boomerang" in 2004? Boomerhangs, no matter how far they are thrown, come back to their original destination. Sayid, starting with his season one torture of Sawyer, has never been able to escape his dark past and his inner demons, no matter how much he loved (RIP, Shannon) or attempted to change on the island.

This, again, begs the question: Did he kill Dogen due to his infection? Or was this a natural progression for a character that, as so many have discovered through the years, you simply don't want to mess with?

Every time Sayid has tried to prove that he's a good man, he's been asked to kill someone. At some point, the internal struggle ends and one can no longer fight who he is.

This reading of Sayid makes us think, more than ever, that the sideways world is an epilogue to the series. Think about it:

In a way, each of the stories we've seen so far has made it seem as though various characters have a second chance at happiness, but not without their on-island hang-ups/live still playing a role.. Some sort of deal has been struck: Locke is with Helen, but back in his wheelchair. Jack has serious father issues, but can at least try to be a good dad to his son.

Sayid gets to see Nadia, as Fake Locke promised this week, but he can't shed who he truly is. Even Dogen, from what we've seen, is back with his child.

Everything is far from perfect in Sideways 2004, but the castaways aren't... well, lost. At least not as much as when we first met them.

Let's turn it over to a few bullet points before we ask for reader feedback:

• Dogen told Sayid that the Man in Black would appear to him as someone he knows who has died. But Dogen wasn't explaining this specific situation, unaware it's Locke. He was simply explaining what the Man in Black does in general. Interesting.
• So he was always Christian on the island, that much is clear. Was he Charlie at Hurley's mental hospital? Ghost Walt the couple times he's shown up?
• Jacob wanted to get Hurley and Jack away from the Temple, but made it clear Kate couldn't come along. Her last name also wasn't assigned to one of the key numbers. This doesn't bode well for the future of Ms. Austen.
• How entertaining, and frightening, is Crazy Claire?!?
• What was Sawyer up to? He wasn't helping his new pal assemble his dark team.

We'll likely think of more questions and points to make as the day goes on, but for now, you tell us: What did you think of the episode?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.