I think the title this week is ironic.  I don’t know based on our known history of these characters that any one of them will have a happily ever after – except maybe Rose and Bernard.  Things look good as of the end of this week for Desmond and Penny but I’m very skeptical if it’s going to turn out where they can sail off into the sunset.

1. Typical opening scene with Desmond’s eye.  I can’t help but think back to Jacob’s cabin a few seasons ago when the eye appeared and freaked out Hurley.  Whose eye was that?  I’m not saying it’s Desmond’s eye but knowing that he can manipulate time and space then why couldn’t it be?  It could also be that at the time 4 X 01 was filmed they didn’t have Jacob and MIB cast so they just used “someone” but it’s far more fun to speculate.
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2.  If the generator hasn’t run for 20 years then does that mean they’ve been preparing all these years for this moment? What else could they have needed this large of a generator for?

3.  Call me crazy but this sure does resemble the inside of Jacob’s cabin.  Insert a crazy dog painting and there you go.  Could Jacob’s cabin have been more than just a place for Jacob to sit and wait on Ben to come for orders?  Could it have been some kind of portal between time lines?
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4.  Maybe they should have drug the fried dead guy out of the cabin before bringing in Desmond.  Might have not been such a scene that way.

5.  How does Widmore know that Des survived an electromagnetic blast?  Technically a lot of people, including Charlie, survived when Des turned the key.  But someone from the island got word to Widmore about the blast.   Also, this “test” that Widmore does this week is not the blast that he needs Desmond to survive and is not what he needs Des for yet.  They still need to channel the energy from the pockets on the island.  Maybe Des is going to be the conductor to the MIB and that is why is so OK going with Sayid.

6.  I don’t think we’ve seen what Des is going to have to sacrifice but I’m guessing that it’s his life in one of the two time lines.  Widmore showed him that he will have Penny either way so he can die in one and still have her in the other.

7.  OK, so they are using electromagnetic energy on Des so he can mind travel.  But I still think he’s got more work to do with this energy and that this experiment was just to set events in motion.  I like the “flux” gauge the best.
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8.  This show has had some pretty weak special effects but I thought they did a good job with this one.  Des almost looked like he was in a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” scene though.
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9.  Also, right after Des gets “lit up” the screen goes white then to the clouds.  This all reminded me of Juliet hitting the bomb, flash to white then start this season in the clouds.

10.  SKID, you are right.  Two Desmond reflections.  I would guess that yes, it’s of major significance.
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11.  So many things about the Losties lives are the same in both timelines and it brought them aboard flight 815 even down to the outfits that they have on.  Yes, there are some major differences in their lives (Saywer and his job, Jack having a son) but many things are the same.  In the original timeline Desmond was not on board the flight because he was already on the island.  There are many, many differences in Desmond’s life.  In science experiments you throw in variables to see what the difference in the outcome will be.  I would say that whether it be Jacob, MIB or Widmore playing this game, Desmond is for sure a variable on the board.  His choices, his fate affect the direction of all of their lives.

12.  Desmond reflecting on things that could have been, or were, or might still happen.
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13.  Widmore tells Desmond that unless he can get Drive Shaft to the charity even that his wife (Eloise) will “destroy” him.  Nice wording.  Probably literal.

14.  Desmond is finally worthy of Widmore’s MacCutcheon whiskey.  Widmore needs him now whereas before Desmond didn’t appear to be on the right path.  Maybe previously Widmore thought Des wasn’t “ready” and in this time line it’s Eloise that thinks he’s not ready/
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15.  I’m sure we will look back on this painting and it will mean more by The End.  For now I’m guessing it’s a wish for the scales to balance again.  I’m going to firmly take sides and speculate that MIB is free in the new timeline.  Widmore needs to use Desmond to balance the scales which does make him a good guy.  Maybe he was a good guy in the original too.  I still think that him wanting to kill Ben was to stop Ben from killing Jacob.

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16.  How cool was it to see Desmond and Charlie back together again?  They were having drinks again just like they did by the campfire.
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17.  There is something very surreal about Charlie in the new timeline.  When they go in the water while Desmond is struggling to get out Charlie just closes his eyes and succumbs to his fate.  When they are the in the hospital he runs to be free and tells Desmond that there is nothing that they can do for him there.  Why?  I don’t think the guy is suicidal and there is something very special about him here.

18.  Not Penny’s Boat.  How does Charlie know to lift up his hand?  But the doctor says Des bumped his head and it appears from Sun’s experience that you can cross over when you bump your head.
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19.  And why aren’t these people on shore helping?  Why not throw over a life preserver or something?
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20.  The guy with Des at the MRI tells him to try and not press the button because then he’ll have to start all over from the beginning.  Ironic, don’t you think?

21.  OK, there is no way that the MRI machine sounding like Smokey is just a coincidence.  And Smokey also “reads” people like the machine does (like when Smokey comes, Desmond is having flashes of his past/other life).  Not that Smokey is an MRI machine but it’s still pretty ironic.

22.  Gratuitous Charlie screenshot.  I don’t know if we will get anymore for the remainder of the show so I just had to get one more in here.  I love his character and thought it was fabulous to see him again.
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23.  Eloise does not look very happy to see Desmond.  While everyone else is finding their happily ever after mates something tells me that Eloise and Widmore aren’t the happiest married couple.  Widmore has his agenda moving forward and she doesn’t seem to agree by trying to stop Des from finding out who Penny is.  And SKID you are right again, the same symbol that Juliet had branded on her.  I’m leaning towards Eloise being on the “black” side of the scale.
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24.  I think that Eloise wants to stop Desmond because she does not want him to interfere with this timeline.  My guess is that she probably made a deal with MIB to have her son back and doesn’t want Des to interfere with that.  Remember that MIB does try to deal to bring back dead people (Nadia, Richard’s wife).  She probably helped to free MIB in this time line in exchange for her son (Dan).  She reminds Desmond that he has the “perfect life” including the thing that he wanted the most, Widmore’s approval.  That was true for the old time line as well.

25.  Another list.  Eloise tells Des that he’s not ready to see the list.  Who knows how many Losties are on that list.  By the time he leaves the stadium, however, he is ready for the list and asks for a different one, the flight manifest.

26.  Two dead people from the island and both reflections are black.  Mankowski and Dan.
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27.  I’m thinking that the “museum” is special.  We know that Pierre Chang and Charlotte work there.  Eloise has a connection (the fundraiser is there) and Dan hangs out there.  I would guess we are going to see more Dharma connections come along at the museum this season.  Maybe the new lighthouse station is there.

28.  Why would Dan pull Des aside to talk about Charlotte and his crazy dream?  Could it be because Dan wrote more than just one page of crazy equations?  Maybe the page is in there where Dan wrote that Desmond Hume is his constant? Seems that Dan’s mind crossed over in his dream after being “sparked” by seeing Charlotte and that is how he remembered some of his physics.

29.  Yes, Dan is a musician but his book was left behind in 1977.  You can believe that Eloise and Dharma got their hands on that book and is probably how they know so much about time travel, Desmond, and the alternate time line.

30.  I also wanted to get a gratuitous shot of Dan in here.  He’s another one of my favorite characters and we might not see him again this season.   Oh and yes, of course he’s wearing the tie!  Now they need to bring in Juliet!
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31.  OK, did Dan tell us that this new timeline wasn’t supposed to be an that maybe the energy needs to be released to end it?  He speculates to Des that maybe “this” isn’t the life they were supposed to live.  He may very well have to kill off all of the Losties in one time line or another to set things straight and it sounds like from Dan’s speech that the new time line has to go.

32.   Anyone expecting Desmond to tell Penny, “See you in another life, brother sister” at the stadium?

33.  Des wakes up on the island and is ready to go with Widmore’s plan.  I think it’s part because he knows he will still be with Penny and part because he’s working for Widmore and gained what he wanted, his respect.  There is a remote possibility that Des’s consciousness switched places between the two timelines so that the Des that didn’t have Penny can continue without her (on the island) and the Des that loves her now has her again in the new time line.

34.  Did anyone else chuckle when Sayid just killed two people yet told Des that “these people are extremely dangerous?”

35.  The fact that Sayid doesn’t kill Liz Lemon Zoe shows that he still has a little humanity left in him. There is good and bad in everyone.

36.  What could Penny be training for when she’s running these stairs?  Could it be for a sailboat trip around the world?

37.  Is Des going to show the Losties through love that they have another life on the island?  What about those who didn’t have it?  Is he going to show him the way back to that love so that if he has to kill them all here they will understand or agree to go?  Locke had to find a way to convince them to all go back, maybe Des does too.

Naomi had a picture of Desmond when she first parachuted to the island.  Widmore hired Naomi and the others to go to the island.  We assumed then that their primary mission was to kill Ben.  Yes, killing Ben was one of their goals.  Widmore had access, probably through Mrs Hawkings, to know that Ben would kill Jacob and therefore had to be stopped.  However, Widmore’s second mission in sending the freighter was to get Desmond and use him for (insert next week’s episode).  So…. it explains why Naomi had that picture of Desmond as the was her second goal on the island.
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1.  The island is not done with Jin.  We have seen (ex; Michael) that you cannot die if the island still has a plan for you.  Now I now how Jin really survived the freighter blowing up.  He still has something to accomplish.

2.  Is it really a surprise that the airport was going to confiscate the cash?  I don’t know the regulations for flying with that kind of cash (I’ve only had to check on liquids) but I can’t imagine that Sun’s dad didn’t know that carrying that kind of cash was against the rules.  He also knew about Sun’s secret bank account, which he closed.  He really set Jin up!

3.  Just because Sayid can’t feel anything doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what is going on.  He still has the capability of making choices.  I’m still holding out that Sayid will make the right choice when it comes to doing bad things to the Losties.
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4.  Flocke talked to Sun and she still wasn’t influenced by him.  Or is it just that you can’t let them talk to you if you plan on killing them?

5.  Further proof that Sun is now straddling time lines – as she’s running away from Locke and approaching the tree that she ultimately hits they are playing the sounds the segues from one time to another and right as she hits in Sun in the new time line opens her eyes.  It reminds me of when the hatch imploded and Desmond flashed to his past.  Not a normal transition.
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6.   Here is Sun’s mirror shot.  Going back and watching this it seems like she’s having  a “Jack” moment, like she almost knows that she’s in two worlds.
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7.  When Flocke comes back to his camp and finds them all passed out he goes to Sayid first.  He’s obviously important to Flocke’s plan but Flocke will kill Sayid just like any of them as soon as he’s done with them.

8.  Some new characters come along and fit so well into the story that I hate to see them go (Faraday).  But Zoe aka Liz Lemon really needs to go.  She’s not a great actress to begin with and her character just doesn’t fit into the story.  Perhaps if there was a different actress I would be buying it but as far as I’m concerned they can bury her alive any time now and give us more Widmore screen time instead.
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9.  Liz/Zoe asks Jin about the pockets of energy diagrammed on the map.  I think they are going to harness the energy to stop Flocke.
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10.  When Keamy is asking to get the translator there he calls him “Danny’s friend.”  Could he be referring to Dan Faraday!?

11.  And speaking of Keamy, here is a good example of a new character (yes, I know he was around before) who is welcome because he fits so seamlessly into the story.  Not to mention that this guy is either really evil in real life or he’s one heck of a great actor.
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12.  This seems like a heck of a lot of equipment to be hauling in a sub.  Anyone out there know how much space there is on a sub to haul large equipment like this?  And how did they get it out?
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13.  I think that MIB is not only using himself as a distraction so that Sayid can sneak up but I also think that he’s there to check out what kind of security and defense Widmore has going on.  Just like when Bram surrounded himself with ash in the temple and Smokey found a way to get him, he will also find his way around this.

14.  Outside of seeing Desmond (yeah!) this was my favorite scenes.  Flocke versus Widmore.  Bring it on!
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15.  Flocke says, “A wise man once said that a war was coming to this island.”  If memory serves, Widmore is the one that said that.  How does he know that?  So far it seems like all the big players are on Team Jacob.

16.  It was weird seeing Patchy/Makail being so helpful.  I don’t think that he would have hurt Jin either.
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17.  Sounds to me like Widmore is upset with Zoe because she blew their cover.  He says that she should have waited and taken Jin in the jungle.  I can only think that is because taking him from the camp really exposed what they were up to in taking Jin.

18.  There are two weird things about this picture.  First, why is the sign in English?  Second, there is a very large amount of space to the right.  Almost looks like a photoshop.
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19.  I was really moved by Jin’s reaction in looking at these pictures.  I would really love to see Sun and Jin get together and then find a way off the island to be with their daughter.  Ben used to travel back and forth.  Maybe they can use his route.

20.  Interesting that Flocke is using Sayid because of his total lack of emotions and Widmore is using Jin by bring forth all sorts of strong emotions.

21.  Widmore says if Flocke gets off the island everyone would simply “cease to be.”  Meaning…?  That they would cease to be in an emotional sense (ie; the sickness) or the world would literally end?  They might be about to find out in the alternative time line.

22.  If Sun had not left the island then she would not have had her baby.  The baby was not meant to be.  Sun very well, therefore, lose the baby in the alternative time line.  Seems like those with babies lose them and those with no children now have them.

23.  How is it that people can miraculously heal on the island but fruit cannot grow and dies?  Guess it’s not a Garden of Eden there.

24.  I don’t think Jack plans on leaving the island.  He promises to get Sun and Jin on the plane but doesn’t say “us,”  he only says “you.”

25.  Interesting that Saywer tells Kate that it looked like her brain “took a little stroll.”  If they end up like Charlotte all of their brains will be strolling.

26.  Desmond!
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I have to admit I came in this week not expecting much.  The past Jin and Sun episodes have been kind of slow but when they mixed in a little Widmore versus Flocke and a surprise Desmond at the end then I’ll take it!  I do just have to say that I was not surprised to see that Desmond was the “package” (see my post last week).  But dang am I glad to see him!

1.  Sawyer offers Kate “pretend” cocoa.  Very reminiscent of Charlie’s peanut butter he offered to Claire.

2.  Flocke asks Jin about his leg.  The real Locke knew a thing or two about injured legs.

3.  Jin gets to ask the question we all want to know, which Kwon is the candidate.  Of course Flocke lies and tells him he doesn’t know.

4.  I found it interesting that he has to get all the candidates together in order to get off of the island.  Similarly, all the candidates had to be together to create the perfect storm when they were trying to get BACK to the island as well.  I hope that they all end up back on the “good” side but from what I’ve read Sayid is gone forever in island time so unless he dies I don’t know how they can recruit him.  However, he did say he doesn’t feel anything but it doesn’t mean that Sayid doesn’t know what he’s doing and can’t still make choices.

5.  Sun was trying to pull money out of the bank that was really going to be used to kill Jin and she didn’t even know it.  Guess her daddy issues haven’t gone away in the new time line.  In the original time line Jin was also supposed to deliver a watch.  I wonder what that was about.

6.  Jin’s room is 842.

7.  The last time we saw poison darts the Others were trying  to take Kate and those guys.  They have really good aim!

8.  I love that Ilana has complete faith in Jacob and the island.

9.  Nice to see Sun back in her garden but how interesting that she lied about them being dead.

10.  Sun let Flocke speak to her yet she managed to resist his temptation.  He also tried to touch her but she resisted.  This girl might still have a chance.  I was very glad to see that not everyone gives in to the offers made to them by either guy.  I do think that Flocke said one thing that was true, he can’t make anyone do anything that they don’t want to do otherwise he could have just grabbed her after she knocked herself out.

11.  Jin wakes up in the same room that Karl was being experimented on.  Room 23.  They were really doing bad things to Karl.  I need to go back and find the images because I remember there was one about Jacob.

12.  Jin was making the maps back in 1977.  He was scouting around the island making maps for the Dharma Initiative.  Here is my theory of why they need him and his expertise on the pockets of electromagnetism.  Smokey is held on the island by the magnetism.  Whatever created him was a product of this energy.  The button pushing every 108 minutes not only kept the electromagnetism at bay but it also helped to keep Smokey tied to the island.  I think this is because he’s tied by chains and those chains are partially held there by the magnetism.  Maybe they need to somehow lasso this energy back to keep Smokey chained on the island.  Jin knows where these pockets are.

13.  Flocke basically tells Claire that once they are on the plane she can kill Kate.  Not that any of us are surprised by that.  He will probably kill all of them once he gets what he wants.

14.  Flocke lied to Claire because her name is on the wall (even if it’s crossed off) and Kate’s name is also on that wall.  Still think he’s a good guy because I sure don’t!

15.  How cool to see Patchy again.  He doesn’t seem to be nearly the bastard that he was on the island.  Keemy makes him look like Mr Rogers.  Did you see that Jin shoots him in the eye?

16.  I’m wondering if Sun’s head injury somehow allows her to straddle the two time lines without knowing it.  In the new time line she never learned English.

17.  The scene with Flocke and Widmore was excellent but left me wanting SO MUCH MORE!  Seeing these two power houses coming together was amazing.  I think that the point of Flocke coming himself was to distract Widmore so Sayid could swim up near the sub.

18.  Flocke needs someone to fly that plane so he will need to recruit Frank.  But it doesn’t seem like Frank has much for him to entice him with.

19. My biggest disappointment this week is that Jin and Sun are still apart.  Enough already!!!!

20.  Widmore knows exactly how to get Jin to cooperate with him – show him the baby pictures.  Smart move.  He plays on Jin’s heart strings to convince him to help keep Smokey on the island.

21.  I still can’t help but think that Jin understands English.  When Keemy tells him that he told Sun’s dad about them Jin sure seems to understand.

22.  I also don’t think that Widmore is on the island just to stop MIB.  At one point he wanted to be the man in charge and was pretty po’d that he had to leave.  I’m sure he wants to regain his position there.

23.  Sayid makes Jin free himself.  A common theme it seems – making someone trapped free themselves.

24.  Sun is preggo.  She can’t be very far along so if she dies the baby will die.  It’s not like she can deliver early and Jin raise her alone.  Jack will probably save her in the hospital or Ethan since he’s a baby doctor.

25.  Jack sure makes a big promise to Sun about Jin.  The writing thing could get pretty annoying but they have to be able to let her communicate.  But shouldn’t she write a bit smaller on that pad?

26.  YEAH for Desmond being back!  But BOO for what that means for Penny and little Charlie.  I don’t think that we have enough info yet to know what Widmore is going to use him for (obviously it’s to stop Smokey).  But next week is centered on him and they have always been great episodes.  MIB doesn’t like surprises but I bet he’s in for a real shocker when he finds out Desmond is there.

27.  One last thought – if next week’s previews are really scenes from next week then Jin and Sun are going to reunite.  But it’s impossible to tell because they were showing all sorts of old footage.

It was cute, in a weird way, that they book-ended this episode with Sawyer’s famous line “Son of a B*tch.”  I kept expecting someone to bring up Sawyer’s daughter (remember Clementine?) but it was more like Sawyer is the lonely bachelor which is weird because it seems like characters who didn’t have kids before (Jack, Sayid’s niece and nephew) now have kids but Sawyer, who did have a kid, now is childless.  Just seems odd to me.  Does that take care of his daddy issue?  And if he doesn’t have offspring then we can definitely say that it is his name on the list?

Which makes me think of one more point before discussing this week’s episode – are we going to find out what was up with the fertility “problem” on the island?  It played such a huge role in this show I’d like to find out what Darlton was thinking about this and why it was such a big deal.

1.  I forgot that Sawyer promises Jin in the opening scene this week that if Sun is on the island they won’t leave without her.  More proof that Sawyer is going to gather up his “friends” before leaving, and not just the ones that are with Flocke.
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2.  Speaking of, could they get Jin and Sun together already?  Jin and Sun have their episode coming up in a few weeks but in the meantime this separation is just annoying.  It’s played as far as it can go (or that is how it’s been going the past 7 episodes).  Maybe they will somehow end up being the Adam and Eve in the cave.  The only problem I have with that is that they would have to leave their daughter behind.  I’d rather see Adam and Eve end up being Rose and Bernard.  I can appreciate building a story but the outside of being on opposite teams in the upcoming “war” (which could be easily overcome by walking away) I don’t see how the separation is adding anything to the story.

3.  So Miles is the one that set up Sawyer and Charlotte and he knows her because she works at the museum with his dad.  His dad – Pierre Chang?  The name plate of Miles’ desk shows the last name of “Straume.”  I suppose they could have changed their name back home.  But did Pierre get off of the island before the bomb went off?  Does he remember his encounter with Miles back in 1977?  To know that would answer some important questions of how the time lines split.  And who is Miles’ girlfriend? It would be funny it is turned out to be Juliet.
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4.  In the new time line Sawyer has become a really bad liar as opposed to the “best liar” Flocke has ever met.

5.  Are we assuming that the Christian that appeared around the island was some type of MIB manifestation?  Because “Christian” is the one that drew Claire away the night that she took off and left Aaron behind.  I got the impression this week from the conversation Flocke had with Kate that he does want Kate to raise Aaron.  So my conclusion is that yes, MIB/Flocke was the one who played the part of Christian.  I think that question deserves and answer in the show but not sure it will be clarified.  But Claire originally told Jin that she had a friend AND Locke so from that comment I think that maybe Christian is playing a third role in the MIB/Jacob tug-of-war.  But the psychic told Claire that she had to raise Aaron making me think that Jacob would want Claire to raise Aaron because if he’s “raised by another” then he can take over Flocke’s position on the island.

6.  If I remember correctly, in one of the time flashes when the Losties were talking to Richard he said that they gave the Army the chance to leave peacefully and when they didn’t they killed them (I think Miles even stepped on one of their graves).  This is the same thing that Flocke says about the Temple dwellers.

7.  Terry O’Quinn is an amazing actor.  I’m already starting to get “fuzzy” on the way our original Locke acted.  I was watching him with Sawyer totally engaged and then realized how well I’m sold on Locke now being “Flocke.”
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8.  In the original story Charlotte became an archeologist because she was on a quest to get back to the place she was born, the island.  Here we are in the new time line and Charlotte still has pursued archeology and to add to that we can assume that she’s working with Pierre at the museum and he has intimate knowledge of the island.  We know that Dharma is/was around in the new time line because Roger Linus talks about being in the group on the island.  I think we are somehow headed back to the island in the new time line from the hints that they are dropping AND that I don’t know why we would even be seeing what is going on in this split universe if there wasn’t some point to the larger story arc.

9.  I agree that Charlotte should not have been snooping through Sawyer’s book but wow, talk about an overreaction!
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10.  Frank can fly that plane off the island.  Why isn’t MIB trying to get Frank if he is sincere in wanting to get to the Ajira plane?  Another lie, what a surprise!

11.  This doesn’t look at all like a trail of ash or ash around the bodies.  To me it looks like a trail left by a big cloud of smoke (ie; Smokey). Probably the trail of where he chased these people then mass murdered them.
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12.  The character seeing their reflection is becoming what the eye-opening was in the past.  Probably nothing more then a tiny piece that strings the episodes together – like a “Where’s Waldo.”
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13.  The irony of how Kate hid from Smokey in these trees in Season One and now he’s sitting in them chatting with her.
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14.  This season is about “mommy” issues whereas the past has been about “daddy” issues.  Flocke, Locke, Claire and Aaron, Danielle and Alex, (I’m sure we’ll see Eloise and Daniel), Kate and Aaron.

15.  Looks like Sawyer’s MO hasn’t changed much in each time line.  He brought a similar flower to Juliet back when they were still happy in Otherton.
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16.  When Saywer was on the sub telling Widmore that he’d help him get Flocke I kept yelling “no, don’t do it, they are working together!”  But glad to see that Sawyer went back and told Flocke  the same thing.  I think it was his best move yet.  Let them fight it out… or let them join forces to do whatever they are going to do here on the island.  When this all comes to a head it is going to be one crazy special effects episode.  Hope they can hire some good CG people before then.

17.  I’m not buying the Claire trying to make amends with Kate.  First of all we know she’s nuts and second, we don’t know what Flocke has told her.  He could very well be telling Claire to kiss and make up for now then she can get her revenge later.
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18.  I think that Flocke knew someone was on the other island but he didn’t expect it to be Widmore.  Makes me wonder who is in that locked door that he might have really been expecting.
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19.  Kate asks Sawyer who is going to fly the plane and he tells her that they are taking the sub.  OK so same question, who is going to be able to drive it?

20.  Next week is Richard centric and I am so excited.  I am expecting answers to big questions.  Let’s hope!

I understand that Sundown is when Smokey attacked the temple, but this week’s title seemed like it should have belonged to a Sun and Jin story.  I could probably skip the first 45 minutes of this episode and get to the meat of the story, but there are some larger themes to address (plus, seeing Keamy again was pretty cool).

1.  In the opening (Previously on Lost…) Ben’s dad shoots Sayid in retaliation for shooting his son.  Oh yeah, Sayid tried to kill Ben when he was a boy.  It would be the ultimate retribution to see Ben turn around and shoot evil Sayid.  Redemption?  And ironically Sayid seems to be the new Ben.

2.  I was also thinking back to the bracelet that Sayid was wearing.  I have a feeling that there will never be an explanation of this one.
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3.  Don’t forget that Jack still has the poison pill.  If there is some of the good Sayid left inside, he might just agree to take it somewhere along the line.

4.  Instead of a mirror reflection, Sayid has a distorted, half reflection.
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5.  Sayid says to Dogan, “You think you know me but you don’t.  I’m a good man.”  One of many indications that the “good” part of Sayid will come back around.

6.  I really want an explanation as to why the ash line kept out Smokey… until Dogan died and then it was a free for all!
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7.  Jacob told Hurley that he couldn’t go back to the Temple because someone bad was going there.  Jacob didn’t mean Claire at all.  He knew that Smokey would come and kill all of those that were there and therefore knew Dogan was going to die.

8.  I still think that this could be the box that Ben was hiding in Jack’s hotel room.  Since we’ll never get the answer on the show I’m sticking with my theory. I’m sure that this knife was an artifact that needed carefully guarded.
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9.  Whoops, guess Sayid let Not-Locke have the first word.

10.  I wonder if the same magic box that brought Locke’s Dad to the island would be used to reunite Sayid with Nadia (Not-Locke’s promise).  Even though the promise to have whatever he wants is enticing, there must be a price.  Maybe he has to go to the sideways world to reunite with her and would have to forget everything he knows from this world.

11.  Yeah, I’d say Claire and Kate are going to have a Kung-Foo fight out in the jungle.  From the look on Claire’s face, I wouldn’t mess with her.
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12.  “I make good eggs.”
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13.  Dead is dead.  Keamy was destined to die.  Course correction.  I’m assuming the same fate will find all of the characters we’ve met and they died.  Can’t wait to see Mikail’s return!

14.  What is Jin doing in the freezer?  He did have an enormous amount of cash on him at the airport and we know that Keamy makes loans.  Jin also had a watch to deliver to someone very important.
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15.  In the current world everyone has daddy issues, even Dogan.  Dogan is the daddy in his story.

16.  I hope that they use Miles for more than a few silly one liners this season.

17.  I couldn’t find any definitive images in Smokey.  I’m attaching one that looks like something there, but couldn’t find  anything very defined.  It’s very creepy that you can hear a scream as this goes by.
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18.  Ilana must know about the “candidates.”  Have you noticed that she calls them all by their last name?

19.  I just can’t believe that the Temple people went to Not-Locke’s side so easily.  I know this is some of them because the little boy (the one that wasn’t on the plane but was at the Temple) is standing there with Not-Locke.  So much for being faithful.
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20.  Not-Locke/Smokey was taking what appeared to be pictures of Kate and Juliet a few seasons ago (remember that?).  I don’t think that he expected to see her and I think that he’s suspicious of her being there.  But knowing that Jack is going to be on team Jacob it’s hard to imagine that she’ll stay with Not-Locke.  I know Saywer is on that side but he’s going to be pining over Juliet.

21.  In the previews for next week it looks like Ben is digging up Locke’s body.  I wonder if he’ll try to take it to the Temple to be resurrected.

Everybody’s Kung Foo Fighting!  Not that I encourage it, but the scenes where Sayid meets his match are always pretty exciting.  I have to say I was not loving the episode this week until the last few minutes.  Then it really got good!

1.  Sayid’s reflection in Nadia’s door. Not a mirror but still a reflection and he looked at himself.  So is he not dead?  The reflection was distorted though.

2.  Very interesting that there are more kids this episode.  Are the names on the wall/lighthouse the offspring?  Could everyone who has been on the island an ancestor of the Losties and then their children will follow after them?  Cyclical?

3.  Dogan says that for every man there is a scale, one side good and one side evil.  Some have said that Not-Locke and Jacob come from the same man.  Also, does this imply that each person has a choice in what side they embrace?  Sayid still has good.  Will we ever see that good again (I sure hope so!)?

4.  Sayid’s brother woke him up at 2:30 (play on the number 23).

5.  We have confirmation that Dogan has a son back home.  It’s a sad story.  But it sounds much like the same story that was told to Juliet (remember her sick sister?).  But Richard came to Juliet.  Jacob himself came to Dogan but it doesn’t sound like it was a very good deal.

6.  I liked the imagery of the boomerang.  And that they broke the vase that Sayid was trying to fix.  He was conveniently fixing it too right after Not-Locke told Sayid he could have anything in the world that he wanted.

7.  What brought back Sayid?  I assume it has something to do with Not-Locke but I’m not convinced that what’s done is done.  I think that Sayid can come back around.  There were multiple references to Sayid still being a good man, that he wasn’t the bad man he was in the war and that every man has two sides.

8.  OK so all of Dogan’s people were that easily convinced to leave the Temple?  And now they are just going to follow Not-Locke after knowing he was evil?

9.  I didn’t see Sawyer with Not-Locke at the Temple.  Maybe left him in the cave?

10.  Sayid’s brother comes to him asking him to help with the men he owes money to (of course it ends up being Keamy!).  Sayid ends up killing them.  Not-Locke also comes to Sayid for help in which Sayid also kills for him.

11.  So it wasn’t the ash that kept out Not-Locke?  As soon as Dogan is dead then he can cross the line?  And what is up with the special dagger to kill Not-Locke with?  Is this the same box that Ben was hiding in the air vent in Jack’s hotel room last year?

12.  Very interesting twist putting Jin in the cooler.  More that to come I’m sure.

13.  Sayid started looking dark when he went out into the jungle to find Not-Locke.  Then he was realllly bad by the end o this week.

14.  Notice the rain when Smokey started coming around – when there was trouble?  I don’t know at this point if it means anything or is just a story device to let us know that trouble is coming.

15.  There may be more 12’s but I caught that Sayid was 12 years out from the war and that Dogan’s son was 12 when he died.

16.  Claire is totally going to try and kill Kate.  Great acting when Kate told her that she did have Aaron.

17.  “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…”  the same song Claire used to sing to baby Aaron.

18.  It’s really not fair that Not-Locke’s team has the crazy smoke that can just kill all sorts of people.  How on earth can they fight that!  Maybe that is Jack’s important job?

19.  When Not-Locke tells Sayid that he can have anything in the world it reminded me of when Ben told Locke something similar and referenced the “magic box” on the island.

20.  The look on Not-Locke’s face when he sees Kate come out with Sayid says to me that he doesn’t believe that she really wants to be there.

21.  So here comes the “war” that we heard about, that was coming to the island.

22.  The fact that Claire is so surprised that Kate has Aaron makes me think it was Jacob that came to her back home in the image of Claire and told her not to bring him back to the island.

More numbers.  Good shots of the numbers.  But who is 108???  I’m voting Desmond.  He’s special.

1.  First shot.  Jack’s dad in a white suit, Jack and his mom in black.

2.  Second picture, Jack smiling with his arm around his dad.  Maybe Locke isn’t the only one in this new timeline that has resolved his “daddy issues.”  Not only do they look happy, but to have a picture of his dad out?  Most of us only keep pictures out of the people that we really care about, not some drunken relative that ruined our life.

3.  Jack looking in the mirror.  Seems to be a theme going here.  Alive on the “other side” and you look at yourself in the mirror (Locke didn’t).

4.  Jack suddenly discovers the appendix scar.  This Jack had it taken out at 7 or 8, Original Jack had his taken out three years ago.  He just now discovers the scar?  I’m thinking that things on the island are somehow crossing over like Faraday talking to Desmond  back in time then Desmond “remembering” it.

5.  I love that Jack has a kid and I love that he’s a “good” kid.  He gets his redemption with his son also.  Uh oh, we know what happens to characters that find redemption (at least on the island).

6.  Lots of reflections in this episode.  Next scene is Jack looking at himself in the water.  Jack seems to have some sort of “feeling” or intuition that there is more then just his one timeline.

7.  They must be going to do more with Miles then have him play tick-tac-toe.  He talks to dead people too.  Maybe one for each side?

8.  Hurley has become Jacob’s new Ben.  I remember Ben telling Locke that he wouldn’t be able to see Jacob and was shocked when he did hear him (help me).  Now Hurley is in the same position when Jack asks to see him.  And Ben told Locke that it didn’t work like that when Locke insisted he take him to talk to Jacob.

9.  The book David was reading “Annotated Alice’… Jack starts to talk about “Kitty and Snowdrop” who were the black and white kittens and according to Wikipedia, “At the end of the book they are associated with the Red Queen and the White Queen respectively in the looking glass world.”  Ah, so many crossover themes!

10.  Could anyone hear what David was listening to?  Jeronimo Jackson or Driveshaft?

11.  Jin hurt his “left” leg.  Locke was always hurting his left leg.  When Michael hurt his leg it was the left leg.  Claire points to her left leg when she says she was shot.  Probably doesn’t mean anything but at least they are consistent.

12.  Claire knows that they left the island?  If she saw the whole thing then wouldn’t she be shocked to see them back?

13.  OK so Hurley, dude,  THE best lines this week!  Indiana Jones stuff, Obi Wan Kanobi, lying to a samari… ROTFL!

14.  Dogan knows that the candidates are but Richard doesn’t?

15.  Do we know why the line “you have what it takes” means so much to Jack?  I’m thinking that he had conversation with his dad but not the specifics.  Jack talks to David near the end and says that his dad always told him that he “didn’t have what it takes” but can there be more to this then just the obvious?

16.  The doll that Claire has in the bassinet solidifies the fact that he is coo-coo for coco puffs.  That was so creepy!

17.  Oh yeah, and the fact that she just kills the temple guy without blinking an eye.

18.  And yes, I noticed how much she and Danielle were alike. But I think Claire has a huge lead on the crazy train over Danielle.

19.  I love the new crazy jungle claire too.  Without the perfect hair and make up she looks pretty cool!

20.  Claire’s buddy is Christian, I think she sees Christian.  Jin saw Locke.  He takes all sorts of forms.  Who will Jack see???

21.  It’s nice to see that Jack has stopped drinking back in the new time line.

22.  Did you catch the “McKutcheon” whiskey at Jack’s mom’s house?  I’ll get a screen shot.  It’s Desmond and Widmore’s whiskey if you recall.

23.  And Jack’s dad must not be too much better if he still has an illegitimate child (Claire) in the new time line.

24.  Should be very interesting when Kate does reveal she’s been raising Aaron.  Kate can really kick some butt and our new Claire is pretty intense.  Going to be quite the showdown.

25.  Shannon’s inhaler was finally found!  They thought that Sawyer stole it and if memory serves he got quite a beating over that thing.

26.  Did Hurley just tell us who is in the cave?  Is it Rose and Bernard perhaps?

27.  Was I the only one who loves seeing the caves again?  Very nostalgic.

28.  I think it was Jacob that led Jack to the cave.  Jacob tells Hurley that Jack has to find the answers in his own way and finding the coffin was probably one of the ways to lead him there.

29.  I assume that Sara is David’s mother but I guess it doesn’t have to be her.  I notice that they didn’t show the “mother” in any pictures, she was “out of town” when Jack went to the house and they never say her name.

30.  House key hidden in the rabbit.  Another reoccuring theme – rabbits.  But this bunny didn’t have any numbers on it.

31.  I guess by Jack hearing his message on the answering machine for David (before he left Australia) answers the question of whether this time line started on the plane.

32.  Jack came back to the island because he was broken.  Jack always has to fix things!  His faith brought him back because he thought the island could fix him.  And it will.

33.  Jack questions why they hadn’t seen the lighthouse before.  Maybe it’s like the cabin that appears and disappears.

34.  Remember how much Faraday wanted to play the piano but his mother wouldn’t let him because he had more important things to do?  I just can’t help but think there is some connection between David and Daniel.

35.  Dogan at the tryouts.  Coincidence?

36.  Gotta get screen shots again of those numbers.  Now this looks much more like Jacob’s work (very detailed and orderly).  I think Desmond is at 108 degrees.

37.  How cool were the reflections in the mirrors?  Will have to screen cap but I thought I also saw buildings from sun and Jin’s meeting with Jacob.  Why Jack’s childhood house for him to see?

38.  Someone bad is going to the temple?  Could that someone be Claire?

NUMBERS!

I never would have guessed that the numbers correspond to each of those on Jacob’s list.  I didn’t even expect an answer to the number question.  But I for one am more then satisfied with this answer.  And to all the naysayers that thought they made this show up as they went along, this is proof positive that the answers were there from the start.  Too many connections to the numbers not to have been a plan.  Darlton rules!

1.  What I want to know is how Locke became paralyzed in the new time line.  If his dad didn’t push him then what happened?  Was he “meant” to be paralyzed?  Is this is cross to bear in life?

2.  Ironically the sprinklers come on.  The water seems to be associated with trouble in this show.

3. Helen says that she wants to take her parents and his dad to their wedding.  Locke’s dad?  Can’t wait to see that dynamic.  His dad is the original Sawyer.  I can’t believe that his dad is not a con man in any time line.

4.  I also LOVED that we got to see from Smokey’s point of view.  I thought that was a terrific camera shot.  But, I want to know what is up with all of the noises Smokey makes.  The cricket sound, the growling and the mechanical ticking.  Plus remember when Smokey looked like he was taking pictures of Juliet and Kate?

5.  Not-Locke says that people seldom get a second chance.  Is that what this is about?  The island has given them a second chance?  We can see that their lives back home were pretty crappy in the non-crash time line.  Redemption?

6.  Randy is back.  Wow, that guy is a huge douche (like Hurley said).

7.  Hey, maybe we’ll find out where the nickname “Hurley” came from.  Or why Libby was obsessed with him.

8.  I’m glad we’re getting a Richard episode.  I want to know what Jacob did use Richard for.

9.  I’m also curious to see who the little boy that Not-Locke is chasing.  I don’t think we have enough back story yet to know who it is.  My guess is that it’s someone from long ago.  Obviously quite important to Not-Locke since he’s chasing him around like the White Rabbit.

10.  How very interesting that Sawyer could see the little boy but Richard couldn’t.

11.  Ilana has more connection to Jacob then we know yet.  She wasn’t crying over her team mates.  And collecting the ash will surely come in handy later.  She also knows a whole lot about this island.  I’m sure she’s spent some time here before.

12.  OK, I really think that Sawyer had part of the bomb at his kitchen sink.  I’ll screen cap it later.

13.  Saywer had “the best” lines this episode.  I hate what they did to his character (killing Juliet) but I love that they have brought back the slick con man from Season One.  We know there is a good guy down in there now so it’s hard not to like him.  Also, I will gamble and say that there is no way Sawyer will leave this island without at least Kate.  We know there is a good part of Sawyer down there.  No way he’ll leave.  Remember that Sawyer is a professional con man.  He could very well be playing a con on Not-Locke right now.

14.  So remember that Hurley owned a box factory in our original time line that blew up.  He made a lot of money off of it.  Guess Locke may have dodged a bullet getting fired from there.

15.  Hm, and Hurley introduces himself in the new time line as “Hugo Reyes.”  Maybe he is the only one whose life really was better without the crash.  But…. without the crash this new time line would not have happened.

16.  The little boy tells Not-Locke that according to the rules he can’t kill Jacob.  Not-Locke supposedly found a loop hole.  But did he?  Or, is the boy telling Not-Locke that he can’t kill Saywer?  He only says “you can’t kill HIM.”  So the little boy may very well be Jacob.

17.  Ben had said before that Widmore wanted to kill everyone on the island.  That if the freighter got there that they would kill everyone on the island.  Now Richard tells Sawyer that Not-Locke is going to kill everyone.  Coincidence?

18.  It’s pretty cool that Rose is working for Hurley.  She’s still the calm voice of reason.  And she still has her cancer.  Guess she’s about the same in both time lines.

19.  There is the possibility that Not-Locke is trapped much like Juliet felt trapped on the island.

20.  Ilana says that Not-Locke cannot change his face again, “he’s stuck this way.”  Guess burying Locke’s body was a good idea since he won’t be coming back then.

21.  This burial reminded me of the ones in the past.  No one had anything to say.  I was very shocked that Ben admitted to murdering him.  Right now Ben has to be so lost.  He’s not the leader, he doesn’t have Jacob to follow and his “family” is dead.

22.  The irony of the title of this episode.  Locke is the substitute in two ways.  Not-Locke and the substitute teacher.  Looks like this teaching job Rose found him will prove to be very meaningful in his new time line life.  And meeting Ben!  Wow, Ben was grouchy too!  Maybe because he’s teaching European history.

23.  Locke’s life has to be somewhat different back home.  He’s still engaged to Helen and she didn’t leave him.  He must have done some things right.  but, was interested that he lied to Jack about going on the walkabout. But he’s not as much of a man of faith, more like a good faker.

24.  Did you notice that Helen’s shirt said “Peace and Karma?”

25.  Now that Locke and Sawyer are down the ladders how on earth are they getting back up?  Not-Locke had to save Sawyer for now.  He must need him alive…. for now.  Maybe has something to do with his name on that cave wall?

26.  Three choices – do nothing, stay and “protect” the island, or leave.

27.  What answers is Sawyer looking for?  Does he even know?

28.  4- Locke, 8- Reyes , 15-Ford , 16-Jarrah, 23- Shephard, 42-Kwon (he didn’t know if it was Sun or Jin).

29.  Where was Kate on the list?  What do the numbers signify?  Why are the candidates to the be the leader?  What makes them qualified?  And what about Vincent?

30.  In the preview for next week I heard Ben’s voice stating that “someone is coming.”  I’m thinking that Desmond is coming.  He’s coming back.  He’s special, as Daniel pointed out.

32.  I’m expecting Walt to show up at the school where Locke is teaching.

What “did” Kate do?  I would say that there is something here just by the tense alone.  What Kate does. Well, Kate does get on my nerves.  But in relation to the grander scheme, in both time lines Kate is keeping Claire and Aaron together.  Aaron must be raised by Claire, or according to the psychic.

1.  Answer.  We know definitively who was walking through the jungle earlier (remember Jin and Eko watching the bare feet?).
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2.  Dogan – writing a letter to someone or journaling about the island?  Just seems odd to see him typing anything at all.

3.  Someone pointed out that Dogan keeps grabbing his necklace every time something dramatic happens.  Nervous habit, poison pill inside, ash, etc???

4.  Sawyer, “Course he’s fine.  He’s an Iraqi torturer who shoots kids he definitely deserves another go around.”  No, he’s not bitter (can’t say I blame him)

5.  Maybe nothing will come of this but I’d like to think that the look on Kate’s face at the airport when she looks back at Jack is dejavu.  I guess I’m hoping that some of the original time line is seeping into their consciousness.

6.  No, we have not seen the mechanic before now on Lost.  However, I started wondering why we had to see this scene.  We are in the home stretch of the show, do we really need to see how Kate gets the handcuffs off?  I don’t care how – I can assume she picked them or used some other way but why show us this scene?  Guess I’ll file it away in the memory Rolodex in case this guy shows back up to ask Kate to “return the favor.”  Ooo, maybe he’s a land Other.  Maybe he’s like Abadon and he’s just around to make sure they get where their supposed to go.

7.  The sound that used to happen between flashes now sounds like they are playing it backwards between scenes.

8.  Now I wonder if Danielle was also testing Sayid to see if he had “the sickness.”  Yes, I know she was trying to get information on Alex but I’m sure she was worried about him since her crew all had the sickness.  And how did he fail the test?  Because he didn’t die now they see he is immortal?  Maybe if he were good there would be a different reaction – no pain?

9.  Claire gets back in the cab with Kate because she is just as desperate as Kate is.  If Claire’s backstory is the same as the original, or close, she doesn’t want to keep the baby.  The father left, her mom is in a coma and her real father is a deadbeat.  Claire knows that the couple isn’t going to take the baby but perhaps has one last hope that they will and therefore agrees to go to their home.

10.  Best line!  “No, I am not a zombie.”  Darlton had to be laughing so hard when they wrote that line.  There is backstory here people with the zombie joke.

11.  I’m still sticking with the notion that Ethan is not simply a doctor that happens to get Claire’s case.  Faraday, in 1977, went back and built his lab and wrote all his notes down.  Therefore all of his research is out there in this time line for Dharma and the DeGroots to use.  So just because they aren’t on the original island doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.  Expect to see more “Others” as the weeks go by.
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12.  Oh, and his last name is Goodspeed because his parents were Amy and Horace.  “Rom” was only used with the Losties when he was trying to pretend he was on the plane.

13.  Coincidence?  When Claire tells Ethan she’s not ready to have Aaron the baby’s heart stops beating and flatlines on the monitor.  If you recall, in Season One Claire had mentioned that she hadn’t felt the baby move since the crash.  Was Aaron infected with the “sickness?”  Could he be infected also back in this time line?

14.  So if we believe that Claire must raise Aaron (and I love, love, love the theory that he must be raised by her in order to take over Jacob’s spot) then Kate did have a very pivotal line.  She tells Sawyer on the dock that if she can get to Claire and reunite her with Aaron then “all of this” would not be for nothing.  Is that our answer to it all right there?  Anything that happens in the meantime is just progress (as Jacob would say)?

15.  I went back and watched the scene from Season Four where Richard “tests” young Locke and you can watch it here – to see if there was a baseball involved.  Richard does present Locke with a baseball glove.  There has to be a connection and with the fact that there are millions of obsessed fans out there, if the baseball had appeared before we would know.  There is also the connection of Jack and his dad to baseball, but I’m thinking that the baseball glove also is a clue.

16.  Jack doesn’t end up swallowing the pill because Dogan gets it out of him.  I’m betting that Sayid will end up taking it.

17.  The original flight crashed on the island in September.  Here is a snapshot of Claire’s ultrasound and the date is clearly October 22,2004 – one month ahead of the original crash.  Maybe the bomb didn’t split time at all.  Maybe all it did was push Jack, Kate, Jin, Miles, Hurley, and Sayid back to where they were supposed to be in time.  So time in both is moving along as it should.  But because of the butterfly effect their flight was delayed one month, the island is under water and so forth.
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18.  I think Jack is going to take over the island much like Dogan runs it now.  He is the modern day medicine man, he now believes (or appears that way) and has nothing to go home to.  Dogan is telling him the secrets so maybe Jack and Locke will become the new Jacob and MIB (man in black) of the island.  Man of Science, Man of Faith.

19.  The guy tells Aldo that he can’t shoot Jin because he’s “one of them.”  Jin and the others were on Jacob’s list.  Remember that Jacob also had a list when the Others originally came and kidnapped Kate, Jack and Sawyer.  What’s up with these lists?

20.  I love that the new Claire is all dirtied up on the island!  No more makeup kit!  I think that even if the “darkness” has taken her over it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know who she is or remembers the other survivors.  Hopefully at some point though Jin can escape and get back to Sun.  But I’m going to be interested if Claire has taken over Danielle’s place on this island (recorded creepy soundtracks, wonder where her baby is, etc…).
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NOTE: Please go back and read my initial thoughts and then the terrific comments before leaving new comments.  I’m interested to hear what you think will happen from here and your theories.

Pop ups are evil.  I mean, if you don’t know about Jack’s dad and the coffin then you need to turn off your set and go back and rent Season One.  Then they tell us right after the fireworks go off that “Richard knows what the signal means.”  Really?  No kidding?  It’s a good thing they told us or I would have thought that Richard was confused and thought it was the Fourth of July.  Duh!  We have loyally put in 5, going on 6, years of time and thought into Lost so how could anyone possibly know what we know by watching 42 minutes of pop ups?

1.  When Lennon tells them that if they don’t save Sayid they would be in “trouble” I don’t think that he means kindergarten trouble but more like “we are screwed” trouble.  But if the darkness takes over they really are in trouble!

2.  Does anyone ever come out of that water not taken over by darkness?  Was Claire dead and baptized there?

3.  Darlton said we’d get the numbers in a “big” way.  Ne numbers, or old numbers?  There were a lot of numbers this week.  Will have to go slowly and get them all.

4.  Kate reallllly looks like she knows Jack when she sees him outside of the airport.  And not a look like she saw him on the plane.  Dejavu again?

5.  We are getting answers. I think they showed us Lennon walking around without shoes so we have no doubt that these are the Others that we saw “way back” walking through the jungle.  They are the Others that took the kids.  Seems like they really do want to protect them.  Explains why they took the kids.  Protect them from this “darkness.”

6.  OK, it’s Season Six and NOW Jack starts asking all the questions?  Glad to see it but wow, it took long enough.

7.  Sawyer said back in Season One “every man for himself” and he’s doing it again.

8.  At some point Kate needs to stop going back for people.  It doesn’t seem to work out very well for her.  She went back to Otherton to get Jack, in the sub to get Sawyer and back to Claire and who knows where she’ll end up.

9.  Did you hear Kate call Sawyer “James?”  She has never called him James.

10.  The test for Sayid is Ash (keeps out smokey), electricity (also kept smokey out of Otherton) but I didn’t understand the branding.

11.  They also tortured Sayid in a similar way that Danielle did when she first caught him.

12.   Death by fire (Jacob), life through water (Sayid).

13.  Why “would” Claire come to the States to adopt out the baby?  It didn’t seem like she was all that surprised that they didn’t pick her up or that the lady’s husband had left.  Maybe the fortune teller told her that she had to.

14.  So I thought that when Danielle talked about “the sickness” it was something to do with Smokey taking over.  But from the sounds of what Dogan says, the sickness is more then that.  Remember when Ethan was giving Claire the vaccination?  Desmond took it in the hatch.  Seems there is more there then I thought.

15.  Nice Zombie shout out.  Darlton jokes that they are putting in a Zombie.

16.  So Claire is now putting traps out like Danielle used to.  The new Other guy started to talk about it but the little guy stopped him.

17.  I guess we can see that Kate is meant to be with Aaron.  Just how much we are yet to see.

18.  Love it, Ethan!  I thought it would be Juliet but I guess he was very obsessed with Claire back on the island so it makes sense that he’d be there.  Then to say that he doesn’t like to use needles – oh the irony.

19. Ethan was “Rom” in Season One.  Now he’s Ethan Goodspeed.  Not sure I still trust that guy.  Seems suspicious.  And a OBGYN or Pediatrician.  Hmmmm.

20.  Ethan tells her that Aaron is going to be a “handful.”  I guess we’ll see.

21.  Live together or die alone.  Sawyer says some of us are meant to be alone.  Not sure I believe that is his fate.  I’m sure Hurley can relate to what he’s feeling.

22.  I didn’t get the symbolism of the baseball Dogan had.  Jack and his dad talked baseball.  I think Eko played as a kid with his brother.  Others you can think of?

23.  Dogan was “brought there.”  Hm, seems there is a clue there to Jack that he was “brought there” as well.  I keep seeing in commercials that Jack is somewhere with Dogan and asks how his name is on something.

24.  It really sounds like Kate gave her name to the hospital as “Joan of Arc.”  I think it was Joan Hart but that is not what it sounded like.

25.  Does something happen where Claire dies and Kate is mistaken for her because she uses the credit card Claire gave her?  Somehow they find her, thinking she’s Claire, and give her that baby.  Could be a car accident or Ethan’s people try to take the baby and hurt her in the process.  She was not meant to raise that baby, according to the card reader in Season One.

26.  Why do the new Others want to protect these guys so much?  Is it something to do with Mrs. Hawkings theory that they all have to be there?  Or does Smokey just kill everybody and they care about their safety? Or the “darkness” takes over anyone unprotected?

27.  Claire is looking rough.  Finally, she took the makeup off!

28.  And, to end on a note and go to bed…. I think that we may see Mrs Hawkings back in the new time line trying to get the course of events back on track.