All my favorites all rolled up in one episode.  Desmond centric (I knew right there it was going to be good).  Charlie, Charlie and more Charlie!  And Daniel!  So far all the Des centric episodes have ranked up as my favorite TV of all time and this week did not disappoint.

1.  We didn’t need a “previously on Lost” this week because Des hasn’t been around yet this season.  But we did get the eye opening.

2.  Isn’t Liz Lemmon Zoe a geophysicist?  Why is she in charge of the meds for Desmond?

3.  If Ben shot Desmond then could he be working with Flocke?  Was he trying to stop Desmond because he knew that Des would come back to help stop Flocke and be used by Widmore?  It would also explain why Ben killed Locke, because he knew MIB needed his body.

4.  We get to see behind the scenes on Hydra.  But they didn’t just build this generator/time machine overnight so they must have been preparing for a long time much like when they were building the airstrip.

5.  I loved the lip twitch when Widmore tells Desmond that he’s back on the island.  Now THAT is acting!

6.  What sacrifice did Desmond make?  Did he leave his consciousness back in the new timeline and that is why he’s so docile once he gets back?

7.  Desmond is touching or interacting with each of the Losties much like Jacob did with them.  But, if the candidates are different this time it could explain why the numbers are different in the new time line (as they correspond with the candidates for this time line).  You will see that Hurley’s lottery numbers are different and thus I think that we have different candidates here.

8.  Looks like Minkowski is playing the same role the Creepy Eyed Man played in the old time line.  He’s driving people where they need to go.

9.  Nice scales in Widmore’s painting.  White and Black rocks, just like in MIB’s cave.

10.  Is Des going to have to take another sail boat trip? He was admiring the sail boat in his office – red herring or things to come?

11.  I was confused.  Charlie is NOT Widmore’s son.  I watched the scene back and Widmore wants Charlie bailed out because, he says, he needs him to come and play with Daniel at the event.  I love that Dan is now a musician, instead of a physicist.  I LOVE that Widmore is sending him right to Charlie so that Charlie can help him “feel it” or see what he needs to do.

12.  MacCutcheon whiskey.  Now Des can finally drink it. AND toasting his “indespensibility.”

13.  Interesting that Charlie can just walk across the street without getting hit. Much like how Michael couldn’t kill himself either and Jack couldn’t get the dynamite to explode.

14.  Reflection, full body, in the courthouse door of Desmond.

15. Charlie says “Spectacular, conscious-altering love.”  How apropos for this episode.

16.  Charlie sees Claire when he’s dead?

17.  I guess if you are going to get Des to do what you want then love would be the card to play.  However Widmore set this up he was right to use love and Penny to get Des to see or “feel” whatever he needs him to do.

18.  Choices – Des tells Charlie that there is always a choice. Then Charlie has to nearly drown (again) for Desmond to see what he’s talking about.  I really didn’t need to see drowning Charlie again as that scene will haunt me forever.  But we got the point brother!

19.  So there were guys walking around the pier and none of them jumped in or ran over to help?

20.  I thought for sure Des was going to go back to the island during the MRI since they were asking him the same questions and it’s magnetic energy.   But he did take quite the crazy brain ride!  Let me just say that it’s crazy and insane how the writers come up with these scenes.  To think this stuff up is genius!

21.  Whatever Charlie knows Desmond figures out by the end.  None of “this” matters.  No one in the hospital can help him.

22.  Eloise is surprised to see Des.  Probably because they are running at least a day ahead (according to what Zoe said to Widmore about not having the generator ready).  Widmore probably sends Desmond to Eloise to let her know whatever plan is taking shape here is going forward.  She tries to give him a similar warning as she did in the past.  What violation is he committing?  It’s almost as if she’s working on MIB’s side by trying to stop him.

23.  Nice Dan reflection – his was the first one where we couldn’t actually see him but only a black shadow.

24.  What is up with all these guys in love?  Dan talks about Charlotte (and I love that she’s eating a chocolate bar).  Then Dan wakes up and draws his advanced equations.  What if Des has to set off a nuclear bomb in the new time line to stop MIB and put things back they way they should be in the original time line?  That’s why Dan is back as he is COURSE CORRECTING!  In the new time line the MIB is free and roaming the earth and Des has to set off the bomb to stop him and put things back the way they should be.

25.  I was expecting Des to meet Jack again in the stands.

26.  I can believe a lot of things on this island but if you are a woman in a huge stadium running and some guy comes up to you would you shake his hand?  Would you go to coffee with him right after meeting him?

27.  And he touches Penny.

28.  Widmore had to know that Des was going to be taken.  Why else would he send Des out where he could get nabbed? And Des must know it’s OK to go with Sayid.  Maybe because Des left behind his consciousness in the new time line.  He’s now started on his mission.  His sacrifice is to leave Penny and Charlie behind in the old time line but he can begin again in the new time line.  If that is true and new time line is a good place then Desmond can show the Losties that Dan’s plan and Juliet’s sacrifice were both worth it.  why else would he need the manifest?  Or maybe he needs the manifest to find the new “candidates.”

29.  Sayid must have some decency in him as he tells Zoe to run instead of just killing her.

30.  Just had another thought.  Regarding the title – des finds his happily ever after in the new time line?  charlie found his in the old time line?

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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NOT HELL!

When Richard first said this I was saying “NO! They promised this was NOT the answer!”  And true to their word, they are not in hell.

1.  Does Richard represent us, the viewer?  He was ready to give up after thinking he was duped into devoting his life to a purpose.  Now even I don’t devote my “life” to Lost but I have given a lot of hours to the show and would be very upset if I found out it all wasn’t happening for a reason.  We are the disciples of the show, going out and spreading the word if you will.  However, I don’t think that I could be a candidate to replace Darlton.  I know that “Gitsie Girl” isn’t etched on that list.  Perhaps your name is?

2.  Clever eye opening but we’ve seen this one before.

3.  Sun is the candidate.  I want to believe that is true and the definitive  answer but we’ve all watched this show long enough to know that she may “think” she’s the candidate but in reality it’s Jin, or them both, or their daughter!

4.  Richard will know what to do next.  Like Jacob said earlier, you can’t just give people answers.  Richard has to figure out what to do next.

5.  Best line of the night when Ben tells Jack, “If it’s any consolation, it’s not exactly Locke.”

6.  Richard’s bible was turned to Luke 4;37 but looks like he was reading starting at passage 25.  I’ll get a screenshot of this.

7.  Richard’s priest in prison is like Claire’s psychic.  They are both manipulating them.  The priest won’t forgive Richard because he can sell him as a slave instead.  When given the choice of the ship versus being hung of course he’s going to chose the ship.  Both Richard and Claire were conned.  I think they blindfolded Richard so he wouldn’t see that there wasn’t a noose prepared for him at all.

8.  Mr Whitfield bought Richard.  Very close to “Widmore.”  And Magnus HANSO funded the voyage to the new land.  Guess Hanso has known about this island a very, very long time.

9.  In order for the ship to hit the statue the island must have been flooded.  In fact, they hit the head of the statue and pushed the boat inland.  Remember in the beginning of this season the island was flooded.  Guess that means the island isn’t necessarily going to stay underwater for very long.

10.  Looks like the crew members on the Black Rock contracted the same “sickness” that got Danielle’s crew and Sayid.  The Captain kills the slaves just like Danielle was killing her crew.

11.  Was that THE coolest scene when Smokey shows up at the boat the first time?

12.  Richard was “judged” by Smokey.  I guess Jacob isn’t the only one looking for a candidate.

13.  Is that a moth that flies into the Black Rock when Richard is trying to free himself?  Then it rains, giving him drinking water.  Could that be a trick Jacob uses to check things out (shape shifting) just like Smokey (well, minus the killing part)?  Plus I say moth because it reminds me of Locke’s moth story from Season One to Charlie.

14.  Boars.  Sawyer had a boar chasing him for awhile.  But ew, they were eating the dead.

15.  I think that Smokey “read” the vision of Isabella from Richard’s mind.  Seems like Smokey can only take the shape of the dead bodies that aren’t buried.  Why else would she be in the outfit he last saw her in?  The MIB sure is a good liar though.  He found what Richard “really” wanted and used that to get him on his side.  Just like he promised Sayid that he would reunite him with Nadia even though she is dead too.

16.  MIB touched Richard first.  Jacob touches him later.  Seems significant.

17.  MIB tells Richard that he is a “friend.”  Probably what he told Claire too since she says he’s her friend. MIB also tells Richard the same thing about not letting Jacob talk first.  Makes you wonder if their voice has some type of “Matrix” power that messes with their mind and what they see and/or believe.

18. Familiar line, “It’s good to see you out of those chains.”  Same thing MIB said to Richard when he saw him for the first time in Not-Locke’s body.

19.  Jacob is a bad a*s this episode.  He’s beating on Richard then “baptizes” him in the ocean.  He is much more angry then we seem him in present time.

20.  Jacob is like a vampire or I guess it would be the opposite since no one can come in his house without being invited.

21.  Now we understand why Jacob wants to keep MIB on the island, to contain the darkness that would spread.  Why does this darkness spread to some people on the island but not others?  Or, will it eventually overtake them all since it’s our nature to sin?  But Jacob boils it down to our choice.  We have the choice to do the right thing.  He shouldn’t have to force people to make the right choice.  But I have to think there is more to it than just Jacob proving to MIB that people are good and will choose wisely.

22.  And Jacob can bring people back to life as we saw when he resuscitated Locke after falling out of the window.

23.  Hurley and Richard had a very “Ghost” moment.  With the kooky sidekick telling the heartbroken lover the messages from beyond.  But I was touched.  It was a nice moment.  Nestor Carbonell was spot on tonight with his acting.  Bravo!

24.  Oh and Hurley is a terrible liar.  Isabella didn’t tell him that MIB can’t leave the island.  I think Jacob told Hurley to say that.

25.  And it’s a good thing Hurley speaks Spanish – so he could understand Isabella.

26.  And where is Vincent?

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!

The age old question of “what if…?”  But the new parallel time line isn’t just about what if flight 815 had not crashed.  Jack having a son was not a result of the flight not crashing.  Ben now being chummy with his father is not the result of flight 815 not crashing.  Juliet setting off the bomb has had a significant impact on the future of all the Losties, maybe even others we don’t know.  At some point we will see why it’s important that we know what happens in this other time line  but I suppose it’s human to wonder what your life would be like “if” you or your ancestors had made other choices.

1.  If Miles has to be near the body in order to pick up the last thoughts, how did he speak to that lady’s grandson a few seasons ago?

2.  Reflection.
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3.  The irony that Ben is tending to his father’s oxygen tank (looks and sounds like gas) when he gassed his father back in the original story.
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4.  They didn’t show us that Ilana is carrying this toolbox and collection wires for nothing.  My bet is on her helping signal Widmore to the island.  However, there is a chance that Jacob knew Widmore would be coming so he instructed her to set up a signal to help someone else, perhaps Desmond, to find the island?
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5.  Six candidates are left: Jack, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer, Jin/Sun, and Sayid.  Seems that Sayid and Sawyer would be long shots at this point.

6.  This scene is very reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and the scene in the field of poppies.  Only I don’t remember anyone waking up thinking about cheese curds.  And they took a nap (albeit involuntarily) on the way to see the Wiz (like on the way to the Temple).
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7.  Frank questions how different his life would have been if he had been flying Oceanic 815.  Yes, there could be yet another alternate reality out there where Frank was the pilot.  This series of “what ifs” reminds me of when you put two mirrors together and they just keep reflecting back in to each other indefinitely.

8.  Sure looks like the Black Rock.  The number 19 had heavy significance in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series… and we know that Darlton is a fan.
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9.  It’s funny that Artz gets so frustrated with Ben for stalling when he wants answers.  Kind of like how we feel, huh?

10.  Ben sure does dig a perfect rectangle.
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11.  “That guy is crazy and I know crazy!”
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12.  Man of faith.  We always see the eye opening so it’s interesting to see the change in Jack along with the eyes closed this time.
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13.  I think that Smokey may be tethered to the island by chains.  All the noise that he makes and the fact that he can’t jump fences makes me think that he might still be in chains and it keeps him on the island.

14.  I was surprised that Ben chose to stay with Ilana.  His shot at power was with Locke.  Maybe there really is remorse inside of him and hope that his sacrifices for Jacob still mean something.

15.  I was really disappointed not to see a Dharma patch on Alex’s backpack.
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16.  Never one to pass up on an opportunity, I love the Miles dug up the diamonds.
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17.  The final scene with Widmore was yet another reminder of the brilliance of the writing on this show (and the crappy CGI but I can live with that).  Who would have guessed this turn of events!  Who can imagine what crazy things are going to happen with this guy around?
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Along with Jack, my faith is back.  This week was at the top of my favorite list for sure.  And the “new” Jack, loving him!  Man of faith indeed! Oh and that twist at the end, unreal!

1.  So I was looking back at the Last Supper promo pictures for this season and I think that they each represent a time line.  AND, Ilana is on Locke’s side in both pictures. Ben is on Jack’s side.  I’m growing very suspicious of Ilana which I hate because I was very touched when she told Ben “I’ll have you.”  Here is a situation where I hope I’m wrong.

2.  Elba.  What a nice parallel for what Ben is going through on the Lost island.  How will Ben fare on his “island of Elba?”

3.  Hilarious that Artz has “stuff” on his shirt, much like Hurley had “Artz” on his shirt.

4.  Locke, the substitue, tells Ben he should be in charge.  Then later Not-Locke wants to put him back in charge.

5.  Glad to see that Miles had a somewhat larger role this week.  We also got a clear picture of what his true talent is AND that he talked to Nikki and Paulo (and why didn’t anyone notice that he said they were BURIED ALIVE?).

6.  There were some really great throwback moments tonight to season one (arriving back at the beach, seeing Sawyer’s dirty magazines, Jack and Hurley coming up on camp).  Ben even talks of being nostalgic to Frank.

7.  This year we have reflections (in the past it was the eye opening).  Ben’s was in the microwave as he waited for his lunch to cook.  BTW, I didn’t know they made “organic” TV dinners.

8.  So how cool was it to see Ben’s dad.  Have they all resolved their daddy issues in the new time line?  After all, we found out that Roger was in the Dharma Initiative, was on the island and somehow chose to leave.  Oh, and I loved that he says “who knows how much better our lives would have been.”  Um, maybe not so much.  Frank also mentions how different his life would be if he had piloted the original flight but Ben makes a good point that the island still got him in the end.  So will new time line Ben end up on the island too?

9.  Alex wasn’t his daughter but he still had “fatherly” feelings for her.  And that he sacrificed what he wanted for her was really sweet.  AND it goes back to the question if the father’s have to sacrifice for their children.

10.  What the heck is Ilana building with her tools, wires and mechanics?  Is SHE the one building a beacon so that Widmore can find the island?  Jacob did say someone was coming so he must want him there.

11.  Cheese curds.  Man, Hurley gets the best lines!

12.  I like the picture of “The Black Rock” in the book Ben is reading with Alex.

13.  Sounds like Danielle is having quite a life – she’s working two jobs just to pay rent?

14.  Ben always has a plan doesn’t he?  New time line or old he’s always thinking.  Blackmailing the principal sounded like a good idea in theory.

15.  Jacob gave all of those he touched a gift (or as some would say, a curse) of longevity.  Guess it didn’t work for Locke.

16.  Ben sure digs a nicely shaped rectangle.  Did you notice how perfect the shape was?

17.  This new Jack is so great.  He’s so calm.  He has so much faith in what will happen.  And instead of an eye opening, he closes his eyes.

18.  Ilana had to hear Smokey coming in when he approached Ben.  Hard to believe that she didn’t but then again there are a lot of things that are hard to believe here.

19.  To step back, I found it amusing that Artz kept complaining about their “outdated” equipment.  I wouldn’t have been surprised to see one of the old island computers in his room.

20.  Since Ben doesn’t shoot Ilana and chooses to stay with the beach people, is Smokey going to be mad or is this what he expected?  We saw what Smokey did to the people at the temple when they didn’t come out and follow him.

21.  When Ben tells Ilana that he’s going to go to Locke my thoughts were that this was the first time I’ve heard Ben tell the flat out truth.  And it was also the first time I believed him and actually felt sorry for him.

22.  Are they ever going to reunite Jin and Sun?  The story line has drug on long enough.

23.  I did NOT expect that twist at the end.  WOW wow and WOW!  Widmore wants to take back over?  This is going to be one interesting new twist.

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?

Didn’t Jill tell Jack last season that Locke was a proxy, a “substitute?”  I assumed at the time that she meant that the body was a substitute for Christian’s body, but now I’m rethinking the intentions of the Others back on land.  There have also been other substitutes.  We saw Locke in a flashback speaking to a “substitute” Helen (remember the phone girl?).  Locke used Sawyer as a substitute when he had him kill his real dad for him.  Kate is the substitute mom for Aaron.  Ben used Juliet to manipulate Jack as she was a substitute for Sara.  Frank had a substitute pilot on flight 815.  Others?

1.  This scene of Locke laying the sprinklers smiling reminds me of season one where it starts to rain and while everyone else is running for cover Locke just sits there and smiles.
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2.  Locke may have to choose between two color swatches but they still gave him a black and white cup to drink from.  Have to keep that theme going!  I also like that the cup is both black and white.  Symbolic.
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3.  Is it just me or is it incredibly creepy that Not-Locke is keeping  Richard wrapped up like a spider would keep it’s prey until it was ready to eat it?  And Not-Locke cuts him loose just to let him run away?  So creepy assuming Not-Locke is going to hunt him down again.
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4.  What is even creepier is that this looks like my workplace… and I’m pretty sure Randy works there.
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5.  Locke hasn’t completely changed in the new timeline.  Randy calls Locke “Colonel” which is the same mockery he gave him back in season one over Locke’s pretend “war games” he was playing.

6.  This new time line Locke has really become a lost soul in the sense that he’s lost his manhood.  I would assume that whenever he became paralyzed he lost that part of himself.  I would even venture a guess that Locke’s dad is again associated with however he loses his ability to walk even if we see they are still on speaking terms.  Like Sawyer said in season one, “a tiger doesn’t change it’s stripes.”

7.  Interesting picture of Locke and his dad at his desk.  Looks old from how Locke looks in the picture.
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8.  Would Jacob not have told Richard about the “candidates” because Richard would have been jealous and not have helped find them?  Or does Jacob have another use for the candidates beyond what Not-Locke has told us?  Why would Richard have followed Jacob and helped him for all those years and presumably never asked why he was doing all of it?  Again with more questions and only 14 episodes left.  I’m hoping that the Richard questions will be somewhat answered in his upcoming episode.

9.  I still think that this looks like part of the bomb sitting by Sawyer’s sink.
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10.  “I don’t give a damn if you’re dead… or time traveling or the ghost of Christmas past.  All I care about is this whiskey, so bottoms up.”  I hate seeing him in misery but he’s so damn good when he is!
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11.  Check out the polar bear in Locke’s stuff from his desk.  I really don’t think it means anything, it’s like the PTB insert little hidden items for us to find.
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12.  I love that Hurley is all cleaned up and happy.  Next we’ll see that he’s married to Libby!  Wouldn’t that be crazy?!
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13.  Interesting that Sawyer can see the little boy  but Richard couldn’t.  I don’t recall that anyone besides Jack could see his dead father running around the island.

14.  My guess is that we haven’t seen this little boy before.  But, we have several choices regarding who he tells Locke he can’t kill.  It’s not Jacob.  It must be either Sawyer or Richard that he’s referring to. I am thinking that the kid is some sort of “middle man” between Jacob and Not-Locke, someone who would be at the very top of the pyramid, if you will.

15.  Not-Locke yells to the boy “Don’t tell me what I cannot do!”  We all know this is a classic Locke line.  Is there some of our Locke’s psyche still lingering inside of his body?

16.  The weird temp agency lady was also the card reader that Hurley went to see back in season three (Tricia Tanaka Is Dead).  Guess she found a new career path in this time line.

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17.  I swear that Locke’s corpse looks like it’s smiling.  We assumed before that Smokey could inhabit bodies that weren’t buried.  It’s very unusual then that he can stay in Locke’s form then.  Ilana says he’s now “stuck” this way.  Guess our willing suspension of disbelief is going to come in handy here.
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18.  Locke’s alarm clock sounded just like the buzzer that was in the hatch right before “lock down.”

19.  Some people have pointed out that out of the three new time line stories we’ve seen, Locke is the first one who hasn’t looked at himself in the mirror (Jack and Kate did) thus perhaps signifying he’s the only one who doesn’t have a living counterpart in the original time line?
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20.  Red flowers.
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21.  It sounds like Locke has seen doctor’s before trying to regain his ability to walk.  He asks Helen if she needs him to see “more” doctors and have “more” consults.

22.  Now that the one ladder broke, how on earth are they getting back up the ledge?

23.  The white and black rocks.  We’ve seen this symbolism before with Locke (backgammon and when Claire sees him in her dream).  I think that Not-Locke is being a little too enthusiastic about throwing that white rock out.  He has to know that Jacob isn’t really dead.
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24.  Man of faith now teaching science – the human reproductive system.  Cute touch.  And, knowing that women on the island have problems carrying babies full term, even more meaningful.

25.  Sawyer has started another long con with Not-Locke.  He will not leave behind his friends.

26.  I’m not convinced that this is Jacob’s list.  Why scrawl these names across a cave ceiling?  And the symbolism of Not-Locke crossing out Locke’s name didn’t escape me either.  And the numbers do mean something and I don’t believe that the island doesn’t need protected.

27.  Here are a bunch of screen caps of the names.  Here is also a list I found out on the internet of the names that could be read.
4 – Locke (John)
8 – Reyes (Hurley)
10 – Mattingley – Other
15 – Ford (James)
16 – Jarrah (Sayid)
23 – Shephard (Jack)
31 – Rutherford (Shannon)
42 – Kwon (Jin or Sun)
56 – Burke – (Juliet)
64 – Goodspeed (Ethan Horace Olivia or Amy)
70 – Faraday (Daniel)
73 – Costa – ?
90 – Troupe – ?
115 – Bargas – ?
117 – Linus (Ben, Roger)
119 – Almeida – ?
142 – Lewis (Charlotte)
171 – Straume (Miles)
195 – Pace (Charlie)
222 – O’Toole – U.S. Military
233 – Jones – U.S. Military
291 – Domingo – U.S. Military
313 – Littleton (Claire or Aaron)
317 – Cunningham – U.S. Military
337 – Martin (Karl) – Other
346 – Grant – U.S. Military
Partial
20 – Rous (Possibly Rousseau)
25 – ___
30 – ___
33 – ___
49 – Cha (Possibly Chang)
62 – ___
251 – ___
260 – ___
272 – ___
285 – Jen (Possibly Jenkins)
__ – Reynolds
__ – Sullivan
__ – Lacombe