If things to come are in the shape of the crazy-assed black smoke I think I’d be running! That had to be the coolest thing to date. A friend of mine at work (you know who you are) said that the show is becoming too sci-fi and not based enough in reality. So I had to point out to her that even so-called reality shows aren’t really a portrayal of reality. But now I’m ranting. For any and all naysayers out there who thought Lost couldn’t sustain the premise for 6 seasons, you should watch this epi as it was just that excellent.  And, for any parent who has ever lost a child, I think that the rage they would feel is accurately portrayed by the black smoke.
See my initial thoughts for more…

1. Why did they have to kill Danielle? We never got to see her flashback. If anything, she’ll probably reappear is some form (along with Alex) like we’ve seen other dead bodies come along in this show. Better get them buried.

2. I don’t think that we are seeing a precursor to Jack’s later pill habit. I think he’s taking antibiotics because he has appendicitis. Bernard is going to do the surgery. It’s probably going to end up being very anticlimactic.
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3. Scott - good call on Vincent Price. Never would have thought of it, but I could see one of the writer’s paying an homage. I wonder if we’ll ever get the Vincent flashback we’ve been promised. Could shed a whole bunch ‘o light on what’s been going on. (see the comments after my last post)

4. The dead doctor. We know he was killed - but why and by whom? We know that back on the boat he’s still alive - which negates the idea that time travels faster off the island. We know that Dan has been lying - if he lies about this what else has he been lying about?

5. Here are some screen shots of the game board from Sawyer, Hurley and Locke’s game.
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6. Where ever (whenever) Ben is traveling from, he’s got a nasty cut on his arm. I’m feeling like we’ll see that story in a future episode.
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7. I don’t think we can possibly know exactly what this device is yet but my guess is that it is directly connected to the time travel and probably how Ben can do it physically as well as with his mind. On a side note, isn’t Michael Emmerson freaking amazing in this part?
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8. It was Christmas Eve when Sayid made it to the boat. When Ben comes to the hotel it’s October 24th 2005. Not much time has passed. They must leave the island very soon.

9. I can’t believe the way that they killed Alex. I was expecting Richard to come along and stop them. Totally shocked by that one.

10. I actually felt sorry for Ben here.
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11. Ben and Widmore as constants - another piece of evidence is that these bad guys that are coming to get Ben refuse to kill him. Also, Ben keeps saying that once they have him there is nothing stopping them from killing everyone on the island. In other words, Ben must live even once they capture him.  You cannot kill of your constant.
12. I’m still not convinced that Widmore had anything to do with Nadia being killed. I don’t see any reason he would have to do that. However, I can see many reasons why Ben would.

13. When Claire comes out from laying down she says that she is a bit wobbly, but she’ll live. Then Miles says, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Beyond the crazy situation they are in, Miles knows more about what’s going to happen. Why on earth are they trusting that guy?

14. Now *this* is the stuff nightmares are made of! How bad was the black smoke this time? It’s almost like it’s been energized by Ben’s anger. Like he somehow transferred those feelings into the smoke.

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15.  Looks like Widmore is a fan of the abstract art that keeps showing up (the mural, Claire’s boyfriend’s art).
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16.  Dang it, I did see that it’s Desmond’s scotch.  And Widmore is drinking it because the nightmares started.  Well, that should be an interesting story that we get to see.
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17.   So Ben stole everything he has from Widmore?  This makes me think that Widmore was one of the founders of the Dharma people that Ben killed off.  I could definitely see why Widmore would want to gas Ben’s people when that is exactly what Ben did to his.

Hello friends! Was that freaking fantastic or what?

1. I liked how Vincent was there barking at the dead body. Where death is…. there is Vincent!

2. Ray had his throat slit. He was the doctor. Jack is the doctor. Maybe *they* don’t want the doctor to fix people. The only reason I can figure that the doctor is alive on the boat (according to the code) is that time is actually moving more slowly *off* of the island, which is completely different than what I thought.

3. So, according to Hurley “Australia is the key to the whole game.” Clue from the writers or red herring?

4. Code 14J. Nothing significant I can think about right now. Any thoughts?

5. Both of Ben’s eyes opening when he wakes up in the desert. He probably is pretty aware of everything going on and himself.

6. Falliwax was the name on his coat. Ben is coming from somewhere obviously very cold and then travels to the desert. But, Charlotte also found the Dharma polar bear in Tunisia so maybe there is some *time* there that is very cold that they travel from.

7. Ben can kick some major boooty! I think the secret to his *traveling* was the little black device he was carrying. But it also reminded me of the little walkie talkie things the Star Trek guys used to carry when they wanted beamed back tot he ship.

8. I’ll be interested to find out why it’s so important to Ben that Locke survives whatever is about to happen. Yes, he can *talk* to Jacob but can’t Miles also? Maybe Ben actually likes his company.

9. OK, what was up with the dummies that heard the gunshots outside the cabins and kept coming out! Duh!

10. Claire must be special to survive the house blowing up. Seriously. Desmond and Locke also survived the hatch blowing up and we know that there is something special about them both. Guess we will eventually see.  I also liked how when Claire first came to after blowing up she said, “Charlie?”
11. Dean Moriarity is the catalyst for most of the adventures of the book “On The Road” by Jack Kerouac. In the book, Dean is the “the holy con-man with the shining mind.” He’s a traveler. Dean is the name Ben gives to the desk clerk in Tunisia.

12. Jacob is the only person who can help. Miles will be able to talk to him! How convenient! Maybe these guys really want Jacob and not Ben. But they know Ben will go to Jacob for help thus leading them to him. Miles says he’s going to the beach but maybe he circles back. Actually, I want Miles to talk to Jacob. How cool!

13. Poor Sayid. Got Nadia back. Then taken away. Horrible! Looks like Ben might have even had something to do with that being set up.

14. Jack must have had a toothache to need Bernard. Or he needs a surgery and Bernard is the only one that can handle it. I can’t see Juliet doing it because she cares for Jack. I’m sure Bernard has done some cutting in his profession. We know Jack lives whatever it is.

15. I’m not convinced that the guy Ben tells Sayid killed Nadia really did it. Remember when Sawyer is set up to kill the guy in Australia that he thinks killed his father? I think Ben wanted this guy dead and Sayid did the dirty work for him.

16. OK that black smoke scene was the bomb! OMG! And it was freaking angry! How does Ben have that control over Smokey? I can’t wait to see more. And smokey just blows right past them and doesn’t bother him while he’s saying goodbye to Alex.

17. Which, by the way, I was totally SHOCKED that they just killed her off like that. Did they really think Ben was going to surrender after they killed her? And what was up with those rules?

18. You know it’s not a good thing happening around them when Aaron is crying. And that baby was wailing when Hurley agreed to go with Locke and Ben to Jacob’s shack.

19. Widmore was drinking the same scotch as what Desmond was making in the monastery.

20. Ben and Widmore are constants. That is why they can’t kill each other.

21. But now it’s even more obvious why Widmore helps Desmond (remember in Desmond’s time travel epi) to find Penny. He knows that Desmond will protect her no matter what.

22. The picture of the Black Rock is hanging behind Widmore’s bed.

23. I’m thinking that Widmore’s people are the one’s that Ben killed (the original Dharma). Ben had jammed the signal so Widmore couldn’t find the island again.

24.  I loved seeing the good guy, hero Sawyer in this episode.  Will have to screencap some of the classic Sawyer “looks” that we saw again this week.

LOVED IT!!!!

See my last post for initial thoughts.

1. Why is the center of the signal going out on North America? Look at the bottom of the phone. At the very least, if they had headed out from Australia, wouldn’t the center of the signal be more in to the West?
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2. As I said in my last post, someone gave the *Christian One* these coordinates so that the plane would be found, not for sunken treasure.
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3. Why is Dan so upset when he hears about Oceanic 815 being found? On one hand, I thought that he is just kind-of a nutty, sensitive guy. But, after seeing all four of the flashbacks, I think that each of them knew something about the plane AND he’s a nutty, sensitive guy. I was really digging the morning hair too.
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4. Daniel Faraday. Apparently, a “faraday” is an electrical unit. If you click on the link, also check out Michael Faraday, a physicist who established the basis for the magnetic field concept in physics.

5. Ben doesn’t seem very pleased but Locke looks happy or amused that Hurley knows about Jacob’s shack.
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6. Colonel Kurtz. Yeah, I see the resemblance. And, I missed hearing Sawyer’s nicknames for everybody!
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7. There is some serious biohazard gear in Daniel’s pack, besides the gas mask. Maybe Ben was actually telling the truth when he warned them that the people on the boat would kill every living creature on the island.
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8. I found it odd that Daniel wore a tie. He’s going to a potentially dangerous island where they are wearing bullet proof vests, packing gas masks and carrying guns and Daniel found it appropriate to wear a tie. I love this guy!
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9. Here is a shot of the boy in the picture at the grandma’s house. I don’t think that we’ve seen him before but, he could become someone from the Lostie’s flashbacks. I was thinking they were showing the pictures more to show that Miles had a conscience, even if it were only there for a moment.
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10. Miles Strohm. Like “maelstrom?” Another Edgar Allen Poe reference.

11. Posters for “Battle Royale” and a large number 15 on the wall. Battle Royale is a novel about a group of children who are gassed on a bus and taken to a deserted island to fight each other to the death.
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12. I really liked the lighting they used in this scene while Miles is talking to the dead grandson.
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13. Daniel says that the light doesn’t scatter right. Interesting because scatter has to do with reflection. I still think that mirrors or some type of reflection is being used here on the island (in the past, I’ve speculated that the use of reflections could be how to explain Walt appearing but talking backwards, the big dipper in the sky being backwards, the mirrors in Desmond’s hatch, and even why the whispers were backwards). It could explain why Hurley saw the cabin in two different spots. Scatter was also the name of a monkey owned by Elvis. Maybe he’s on the island.

13. When Jack tells Miles to put the gun down it reminded me of when Jack & company met up with Mr. Friendly in the woods when the Others had kidnapped Kate. Mr. Friendly warned them that they were surrounded and then the torches lit up. Here, Jack warns Miles then there are gunshots from Sayid & others to show that they are surrounded. The Losties have become The Others to the boat people.

14. I’ve been thinking about the idea that time moves differently off the island, faster perhaps (would explain how Walt has grown so much). But I haven’t been able to establish a real time line off of the island. When the plane is discovered could be a month after it crashed but then when the four boat people arrive it could be a year after the crash, only the Losties think it’s only been 92 days. Maybe we will know when Michael reappears and thinks he’s been gone a very long time when in fact on the island it only seems like weeks.
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15. I still think that as remote of an area that this dig is at, this could have been another one of Dharma’s experimental sites. Maybe there weren’t any people at the time, only animals. Maybe it’s been such a well kept secret that Charlotte is excited to find out it’s real.
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16. This dog always means trouble is around.
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17. More red flowers just in the middle of nowhere.
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18. I’m sure there are those of you out there who remember Kate’s toy airplane and wonder if they will ever resolve that story line. Probably not. And there was a huge reminder in this one for those of you out there who wonder if this and other side stories will ever have a resolution.
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19. Back to the timeframe that the plane went down and then it was “found.” Frank was supposed to be the pilot on Flight 815 but for whatever reason (drinking, it sounds like) he didn’t fly that day and since then has lost his job. But, he had enough time to open a vacation shop? Could he have reasonably done that in just 90 days? Too much time couldn’t have passed or the pilot’s body would not be as intact either.
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20. OK, so why is Locke so po’d that Ben shot Charlotte? Locke threw a knife in Naomi’s back and he’s mad at Ben?

21. I’m assuming here that Naomi is meeting up with Creepy Eyed Man in the former Oceanic offices (big empty room).
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22. After watching this scene again it makes me wonder where Naomi thinks she’s going because she asks several times about possible survivors of Flight 815. But, what does Oceanic have to do with Ben since that is their primary goal. What background must Naomi have as it seems she must be quite the bad ass going in as the 4 boat people’s protector. And what is the specific purpose of each of the four? And…. what is Naomi doing with Desmond’s picture? And not just Desmond, Desmond with Penny!

23. And what does Naomi mean by “A mission like this?”

24. Number on helicopter: N842M. I think that Sayid can fly this thing. Could explain how there are only going to be six getting off the island (there is a panic and Sayid flies them out of there). AND also explains what *them* Creepy Eyed Man asks Hurley about (four boaties plus Naomi).
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25. When Miles calls back to the boat why does Regina tell him that Mankowski can’t come to the phone right now? Has Patchy found the boat? What has happened to them? Is Regina the mole for Ben and she has done something to Mankowski? Drama on the boat!

26. I think that Jack is going to bargain a trade to make sure Juliet gets rescued. There is no way he would agree to leave her behind. I think he’s going to give up where Ben is in order to get Juliet rescued.
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27.  Whoa!  Ben - old school!  So we know some things just from this picture.  Ben has been off of the island since he was a young boy.  But, it appears it either has been a *very* long time (check out the hair and clothes) or he has been hiding since the 70’s.  I think perhaps he infiltrated the DeGroots (remember the video and how they were students in Michigan looking to create a better society) and back on land they know what Ben did with the Others to the Dharma group. He must have found a way to create a “cloak” around the island using the magnetics to prevent others from finding him.
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1. I’m loving Daniel. I think they need to keep him.

2. This reminds me of the group they put together to go back to the island in the 2nd Jurassic Park movie (The Lost World). So far we have the genius physicist (Daniel), the psychic soil sampler (Miles), the anthropologist Charlotte and the drunk pilot. In Jurrasic Park:The Lost World they also send four people back to island *B* to explore the island. And lo and behold, they find another sinister group of people.

3. Jack may be the doctor but it is obvious that Sawyer has the street smarts. Dan admits that saving them is not their primary objective and then because of a distraction Jack lets him walk away before telling them what their objective is. Flash to the other side of the island and Sawyer is questioning Locke up one side and down the other. YES! Finally, somebody asking questions and not backing down.

4. Sawyer probably has it exactly right, that Ben will get them. He probably does have it all planned out. We haven’t seen the Others in awhile. Will they come to save Ben? Why do the boat people want him? They obviously know about the flight, so what does that have to do with Ben and why do they care?

5. Rain as helicopter was trying to land = electrical storm = security system.

6. Daniel & friends may have gas masks for whatever, but back at the barracks they have gas masks too.

7. Notice that the salvage vehicle was called the “Christian One?” (Jack’s dad is Christian). Also, they were searching for remains of sunken trading ships. Like the Black Rock perhaps? Even though they found the plane in the Indonesian Ocean, there is no reason to believe that is anywhere even near where they crashed.

8. The ROV’s were searching in an area of coordinates that they pulled off the guys map. Perhaps they were given that map by someone who wanted them to find the fake plane wreckage site.

9. I don’t know that I can speculate why the four crew members know about Oceanic back at home except that Hanso has something on all of them and that is how they convince them to find the island. But, they have to be told before they go that there are survivors there. Like Sayid said, they didn’t seem really surprised to find them living there.

10. We obviously know now that Mr Creepy Eyes isn’t a lawyer for Oceanic and if he is, well he plays more than one fiddle in that band.

11. Tunisia - remote enough that Hanso could have had another facility there. Why else would there have been a polar bear with a Dharma symbol on it’s collar?

12. Daniel was terribly nervous when he landed. They all have guns. What were they expecting?

13. Vincent! Damn dog! Where has he been?

14. I like how Locke tells Sawyer that Walt is telling him what to do. Locke explains that yes, it’s Walt, only taller. Uh huh, have to explain that growth when he comes back. I wonder if Walt died on the boat with Michael? Maybe Jacob has inhabited the body to talk to Locke?

15. I thought for sure they were going to find Kelvin’s bones in the sandy area where Miles landed. Where the drunken pilot was pulling himself up the cliff also looked like where Jack almost fell off in Season One and Locke came along to save him.

16. Miles is not a nice person. I don’t like how he kept the money from the grieving grandma, but he did give her some of it back. And what was up with the handy Dirt Devil? Reminded me of the goofy contraptions from Ghostbusters. I think he just carried it to cover noise anyway. Need to get screenshots of the grandson.

17. Interesting how Daniel says the light on the island is strange.

18. If Miles is a psychic, won’t it be interesting to see a Miles and Jacob showdown?

19. Dialing the phone can hurt them? Remember that Michael was warned not to try to contact the outside world from the computer in the hatch?

20. Oceanic Hotline 888-548-0034, the number works! It’s just a recording about the flight being found. Yes, of course I called it.

21. Why was Charlotte wearing the bullet proof vest? They really were expecting trouble.

22. Anyone catch the numbers on the helicopter?

23. Ben doesn’t know what the black smoke it? Not sure I’m buying that. I think it’s all part of his plan to only tell what goes along with what he wants them to know to trust him.

24. So Ben has a spy on the boat? How the heck have they been communicating?

More to come! Must screencap. Not obsessed here, no way!

As requested, here is the picture sent to me by “William.” Picture is presented as looking like Vincent.

My opinion? I think that Vincent has acted very strange for three seasons and I would guess that there are theories out there about animals being possessed or taken over by invisible entities. So is it far fetched (no pun intended) that Jacob could somehow inhabit Vincent?

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Here is the original image:
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**Edited after posted **

I hate to do this, but I have to add to this post.  Check out the picture below.  I think that the dog image is to throw us off (I know, shocker) because in this one it looks like someone with long hair and you can see their hands crossed in the bottom of the picture.

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I know you think that I’m at home right now still doing the happy dance…

But this is what I want to remember about EVERY SCENE (except the last one, of course) that Ken and Barbie were in:

1. I wasn’t going to watch it but when I found out that Ken and Barbie were probably going to be a goners I just had to. Except now I have to send apologies to Scott because he has probably not heard such a constant stream of curse words from me ever (yet there was that one time…). Plus he probably wanted me to shut up already about the horrible acting and how I stayed up until freaking 10:00 to watch this and after last week how could they, blah, blah blah. You can all argue away with me but my feelings stand that I cannot stand Barbie as an actress and the big payoff of satisfaction watching them die was stolen by an entire HOUR of suffering having to stomach those two and their cheesy dialog. I’d rather watch Billy Ray Cyrus dance for an hour than suffer through that episode again. *blech!*

2. I truly think that the powers that be at ABC know that they made a huge mistake just plopping Ken and Barbie down on the beach and expecting fans to just accept them. So they had to hurry and clean up their mess = last night’s episode. Wasn’t there supposed to be some big mythological reveal last night? Maybe the revelation is that Ken isn’t the chronic pooper that we thought he was but rather just some tv-executive killing con man. I mean, were we really supposed to believe all the reshoots of the famous scenes in the show (plane crash)? “Oh, gee, guess I must have missed them the first time.”

3. I’m not going to post a shot from Nikki’s breakout role, but let’s just say my theory on why they *really* cast her was just reinforced.

4. “Plywood.”
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5. So is Boone supposed to be the gay character that was revealed? In the airport, Shannon says, “If you would quit flirting with random guys maybe we could actually get on the plane.” Yes, I know what you are thinking… but he slept with Shannon. Ever heard of bi? Maybe he had a moment of weakness. Who knows. But in our conservative society I doubt they are going to make a prominent character gay. But it’s on at 10 now so maybe they could get away with it. Hurley, Charlie, Desmond love triangle? Ew, creepy!

6. How ironic. In the airport Barbie makes Ken promise her that they will never end up like them (Boone & Shannon). Both couples are dead. Guess he didn’t keep his promise!

7. Yes, I know she was on the Cobra show and that is the same show Locke was watching last week.

8. There is a theory out there that when Desmond *went back in time* his decisions changed the course of time and somehow instead of Rose and Bernard on the plane, Ken and Barbie ended up there. That is why we haven’t see R&B and K&B just suddenly showed up. However, being the obsessive fan that I am I looked through my screencaps because lo and behold, Rose is getting CPR on the beach as Barbie runs around looking all sweet in her clean dress. So there, they *have* to still be on the island somewhere.
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9. Oh, like her acting wasn’t unbelievable enough, look how clean her dress is after surviving a plane crash and running all over the place looking for Ken. OK, so she has a little scratch on her arm. Boo hoo.
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10. Sawyer, “He wasn’t saying You’re Next about them he was saying You’re Next as in you’re all next.” Hurley, “Yeah, that’s not really better.” Crack me up!

11. Artz has been dead at least several weeks and all these bugs, especially the butterfiles because they are they only one’s that I’m remotely familiar with, are still alive?
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12. Now here is an interesting piece that might come back into play in the future. A walkie talkie from The Others.
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13. I found it interesting that Sawyer was so angry when he came back to find his tent ransacked yet he doesn’t waste a second going through K&B’s stuff.

14. The scene where Kate was arguing with Artz and Shannon was very out of character too, at least, it was not the Kate that I remember from Season One. Why would she be discussing the guns with anyone? I remember that she kind-of hung back from the crowd as they didn’t know that she was a fugitive.

15. Hey, the pigs are walking!
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16. OK people! So tell me that Ben and Juliet didn’t notice that the hatch was open when Paulo was down there hiding! Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, let’s say he closed it to be extra sneaky. So wouldn’t they have noticed, then, that the dirt was off of the cover and the latch was really easy to open? Then, as Nate said in the last comment section, Ben just blurts out his plan? Ben? Remember Henry? Ben doesn’t reveal anything in black and white (he’s like an ethics professor!).

17. Good boy Vincent!
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18. Yeah, we haven’t seen the end of Sawyer and those diamonds. He’s a con man. He didn’t throw them all down there.

19. Opened her eyes just in time to see the dirt coming. I would think with a couple hundred pounds of dirt coming at you, there is no way to dig out of this one. Do you think that the actors will have nightmares about shooting this scene?
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I had to watch the episode twice but I actually found some charm in this one. It was *not* my favorite episode nor do I think we are back to previous quality, but there were some moments that had the feel of the *old* lost (Kate on her mission and finding Danielle, the boys in the van).

1. Let’s discuss one important flaw with this week’s episode right now. Someone finds a CAR in the jungle (on a semi-deserted island) and NO ONE except the *joke* of the beach is curious about it? Sure, if your 10 year old ran into the house and told you they found an old beat up car you’d probably have very little interest outside your child’s safety. But these people are on an island, sleeping on the ground, hoping to be saved and they have no interest? My questions would be what you could scavenge from the car (cushions to sleep on , gas, radio, shelter inside the body even if it didn’t run). I would wonder where the gas in the car came from. I would wonder if there were roads to drive on. I would wonder where the driver was. I would wonder what in the heck the car was doing there in the first place. So many questions. But no, the survivors are apparently too busy on the beach to be bothered with such things.

2. A lot of red in the opening scene with young *Hugo.* Probably signifying the death of his hope (when his dad leaves him). Red car, toolbox, cloth, handles on the tools and his shirt.
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3. Hurley puts one of the scary red flowers on Libby’s grave.
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4. I kind of missed the dog.
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5. Ironically, the key ring is a lucky rabbit’s foot.
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6. It was interesting that Charlie is wearing a Bob Dylan “Highway 61″ t-shirt. Accoring to Wikipedia, the road was a symbol to Dylan of freedom, independence and a chance to get away from his life. Highway 61 is known as the “Blues Highway” because it’s regularly mentioned in blues songs. There is also an interesting myth that one singer sold his soul at the cross of Highway 61 and Highway 49.
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7. Well, at least they have a couple of boxes of chicken left…
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8. Now we know that Hurley is from Diamond Bar, California. I found it interesting that in *real life* this city was founded on a Ranch but was purchased by a major corporation in the 1950s for the purpose of developing one of the nation’s first master-planned communities. Sound familiar?

9. I can tell you how the dart got in the middle of the jungle (that Sawyer stepped on). Hint: It had something to do with a huge implosion of a certain hatch.
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10. I agree with Sawyer. Maybe the survivors on the beach should explain why they didn’t go looking for them. *That* is a good question!

11. I also agree with Sawyer that he has nothing to be sorry to Kate for. Jack said leave him behind and that is what Sawyer did. Should he be concerned with Jack …. maybe. But wouldn’t it make more sense to get back to camp and get help then for the two of them, after living in cages for weeks, to go back for Jack? They have guns at the camp! They have trackers and more importantly, Sayid!

12. Here is my next HUGE bone of contention in this episode. Kate and Sawyer were KIDNAPPED by the Others and after returning to camp everyone is so happy and so not curious what happened to them. It’s like they have been on a little vacation and they are back. Yeah! No questions as to what happened, if they are being chased, where is Jack, what the Others are up to, on and on. Nothing. Just one little happy reunion on the beach. The end.

13. The lines they gave Ken and Barbie were enough to make me want to change the channel. Any more from them and I would have had to flip and see what was happening over on NBC.

14. Roger “Work Man.” Seems primitive. Could be that the Others assigned roles to everyone originally and so that everyone knew their place they had name tags of sorts. Could be some type of prison or rehabilitation again where roles are set up and so that others know your role you have to wear it (Scarlet A).
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15. The only person who I think was believable in the episode was Sayid. He was asking questions about the Others! Imagine! He wanted to know about the boat. He wanted to know about where they live. Questions that might be helpful not just to Jack, but to them all. Well, and Sawyer when he saw the beer. lol

16. You can see either a dharma station or the logo on the map. I think it’s as simple as they were making roads between the stations. This could be very useful and I have a feeling that Sawyer will be the keeper of the map and we will see it resurface again in the future.
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17. Another psychic we can’t believe. I think the writers are skeptics, what do you think? You make your OWN luck.
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18. “Let’s look death in the face and say, Whatever Man.” Hurley and Sawyer had some great lines this episode, I will give them that.

19. I could imagine that the van ride was probably the most normal the four of them (Hurley, Charlie, Jin and Sawyer) had felt in a long time. But did it restore their hope? Did it break the *curse* over Hurley and Charlie or is it as Hurley’s dad said and you make your own luck? Mind over matter. I almost felt sorrow for Sawyer at the end of this scene because Jin had Sun, Charlie was with Claire, Hurley was in the van and all he had was the beer.

20. FINALLY! Someone tells Danielle about Alex! Of course she’ll help, but isn’t there a lot of information that Danielle can give to them? She’s been on the island 16 years and has mapped it. Certainly even without the compass she knows where she is going.

21. This was not my find, but it *is* very interesting: Click here to link. Maybe all of the “recycling” that Sawyer referred to in the van was research on people and/or projects back on the mainland.
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I was pretty upset when they killed Eko. What a supreme dichotomy of good and evil wrapped into one character. But then I got to thinking… and I said to myself that the *only* way that I would accept that the writers know what they are doing is if the actor himself wanted out of this show. Well, what do you know? He did. You can read the full article here, but if you love this character you may not want to read it. He comes off sounding very arrogant. You are on the number one show on television and after just one backstory you don’t like what they are doing to the character and want out? Now his big project is an autobiography. Yeah, I am almost happy that he is moving off of this show.

That doesn’t mean that I want Ken and Barbie there, but I would rather Eko bow out of the story gracefully, or violently, before I know anymore about what kind of person this guy is outside of the show. I like my little pretend world where all the actors are *just* like their characters. Don’t spoil that for me!

1. I thought this was an interesting shot of the priest, only with half his body showing. Almost foreshadowing that Eko would be back although he would in his heart only be 1/2 priest.
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2. Interesting that they chose to have the eye this episode closed. Eko wasn’t blind to his *sins* any more than any other character on the island. Maybe, however, he was the only one that was making a concious choice to have his *eyes closed* because the pain of his life was too much and he didn’t want to face them.
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3. Thank goodness some of the writing is still alive. When Sayid is beside an unconscious Eko he asks Charlie what happened to him. Charlie responds, “Before or after we saved him from the polar bear cave?” Savid walks away in disgust. Ah, just like old times.

4. Poor Hurley. He asks Eko to stay alive. We know why. And we know what happens later on this episode.

5. Obviously from the way Eko was running around seeing things, Locke got to him with his special wacky paste. First of all, who put Locke in charge of making everyone let go of their past (Boone, himself, Charlie, now Eko)? Anyway, I wonder who was really standing there in the tent? My bet is Locke. The tent burns up. I doubt this was a mistake, I dont’ think, however, he meant to burn the tent down. But, Locke was forcing this vision quest for Eko. On the other hand, Shannon saw Walt inside of her tent before she died and I don’t think it was Locke in that case. Is someone on the island leading them to their doom by inducing hallucinations of people from their past?
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6. I still think it’s Locke in Eko’s *sweat tent.* He runs up right after the fire starts and asks where Eko is (making sure he got out?). Then when Charlie looks around and says he’s gone Locke doesn’t look too surprised. Locke also sends *Charlie* and *Hurley* to look for his tracks. Doesn’t sound like Locke was *that* worried what happened and where Eko went.

7. Ok so Ben just lets Jack wander about during Colleen’s funeral? Obviously it’s part of the mind game but get real, would they not have him somehow shackled?

8. I think for the first time since his appearance, Ben actually looks surprised when Jack mentions his tumor. Is it there, is it a set-up, who knows. But I believe that it was Juliet who put the X-rays there and Ben did not know about it. It’s her con that they are playing now. I do believe that she wants Ben dead but I don’t think it’s because he is some sort of tyrant leader but something more sinister with *her.*
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9. Not sure what to make of the white, I’m sure there is some religious significance to it. What is more important is that these Others know that their dead must leave the island. Think about it, Jack’s dad and Yemi both were not buried, their bodies disappeared then reappeared to the person who would know who they were and then led them somewhere. Eko died and Jack could have as he slipped off the cliff (Locke came and saved him). Is whoever is running the smoke monster resurrecting the bodies and using the image against the survivors?

10. Like the *family* Locke lived with back home, this group of Others is looking more and more like a cult. I doubt it’s religious, but imagine what the Hale-Bop gang would have done with some technology and an operating room. Creepy!

11. This dog is not Vincent, but where has he been? The dog always show up when there is trouble (like Scooby Doo!) so where is he? Maybe he’s with Rose, Bernard, Jin and Sun since we haven’t seen them either. Do the writers think we aren’t going to notice this? Forget writing for Ken and Barbie, keep the characters on screen that we know. Flesh them out more and forget trying to liven up the joint with a hot chick and a perfect haired man.
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12. The little swarm that swims around in the jungle is definitely different and another entity from the *big* black smoke. It seems almost as if it’s the look out, that finds something interesting to report back. As far as Eko’s hallucination of the people he killed in the church, first the little boy shushes Eko eerily similar in the way Walt did to Shannon. Then, to clear the record, he says “confess,” not something backwards. We know the meaning. End of comment.

13. What a stupid set-up about anybody coming along with Locke and then Ken and Barbie volunteer. Could they have just left it with Hurley asking because he’s too afraid or whatever cute and charming thing Hurley might be thinking? Barbie turns around, RAISES HER HAND and says, “I’ll go.” Enough said. *Insert groan of disbelief here*

14. Reflections. This one was the most symbolic so far to me. This is from when Locke was dipping his bottle for water. Very dark.
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15. ABC, can you please give Desmond more screen time? To me, he is now the most interesting character. True, we know the least about him, but he asks questions, he is doubtful of intentions, he pays attention, he does what the viewers keep yelling at the tv! If *he* runs across Danielle, I bet they will have quite a chat! Is Desmond the only one who truly wants to get off this island? For the record, however, Sawyer still gets the best lines.
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16. These must be some religious writers and cinematographers. This scene was like the Lord’s prayer all wrapped up in a nice screenshot. Oh yeah, except for the smoke monster part.
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17. The scene where the men come to the church for the vaccination is interesting. First you think that Eko is some bad-a** standing up for the church. Then you remember that he is a drug dealer after all and it looking to get his own cut. But then you remember that he has something to make up to Yemi so would he or wouldn’t he take off with the medicine?

18. Smokey retreats here. But is it because Eko startles it by standing up to it or is it because Locke & co. are coming? I think that this thing somehow feeds off or can sense fear and Eko startles it.
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19. What is up with this cheeseburger? This chick is psycho and probably did kill the cow, etc… But Desmond appeared to be eating eggs that weren’t really eggs so who knows what the cheeseburger might *really* made of. “Soylent Green is people!” lol
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20. Ben vs. Juliet. Ben comes in and *reveals* to Jack what the con was going to be. For the record, I don’t think that Juliet looks like Sarah. Anyway, all part of the con Jack, WAKE UP BUDDY! The two are obviously at odds. Is Jack that naive?

21. Here is my sister’s theory, and I like it! What if Jack cuts open Ben and doesn’t find the tumor? Jack won’t kill him, I don’t believe it. But Ben will awake and tell Jack that it was the only way to get him to believe that the island heals. Of course, Ben is hoping that as a scientist Jack will want to stay and as a surgeon who desperately wants to fix everyone.

22. But, what if that X-Ray actually was Locke’s? Or someone else we don’t know about? Jack would believe the con. Especially with Ben’s big speech about God dropping a surgeon out of the sky. Come on Jack! Has he forgotten that Kate and Sawyer are caged too?

23. I’m not going to discuss the rolling away of the stone from the plane. It’s been discussed to death on all the boards.

24. I was expecting more of a reaction from Desmond over going down into the hatch. He spent *years* down in one and I would think that a person would have some post traumatic stress from that! The writers missed a big chance here. Of course, they found it more important to show Ken coming out of the toilet. Yeah, good choice ABC.
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25. The patched man. I think he’s running smokey. He’s the *wizard* behind it. I have a feeling that after meeting him we will truly start believing that Ben’s Others are *not* the bad guys after all!
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26. Juliet supposedly puts in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” One of the major themes of the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird is an exploration of human morality, and presents a constant conversation regarding the inherent goodness or evilness of people.” Pretty obvious meaning there.

27. Could this be a field of poppies? Ironically, it is the same type of field where Hurley met Dave. It is also from a famous scene in the Wizard of Oz. Hallucinogenic possibilities?
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28. This is so creepy because whoever is messing with Eko put on this burnt suit to trick him. What I love about this show was right on track in this scene. When Yemi says, “You speak to me as if I were your brother,” they were right on track. Of course we were all saying, “What the….” just like we love from this show. I don’t want to know right now all the answers. I don’t want the obvious resolution to who Fake Yemi is. I want to keep guessing!
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29. Eko finally appears afraid of old smokey. That is why I think he dies.
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30. I don’t think that smokey is really just smoke. This is a machine, to use my daughter’s words, “shrouded in smoke.” I couldn’t have put it better. I think that we see the bigger part of the machine rise up from the ground and then a mechanical arm reaches out for Eko. I think that Mr. Patch is running the thing, too. Remember when it had Locke by the leg it didn’t look like smoke had him.

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31. “We’re next.”
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OK, so I have been obsessed with this dog. How did Vincent survive the crash with not a scratch? How does he seem to show up when there is trouble? Where does he go all the time? Check out this website, of course it’s sponsored by the Hanso Foundation. I think it gives us some major clues to the role of Vincent on the island. He might just be good afterall.
Retrievers of Truth

Notables:
1. Friend. Companion. Soul mate. The yellow lab can read your mind. Hear you thoughts. Sense your pain. They can communicate without making a sound. Are you receptive?

2. Canine clairvoyance facts:How do they know you so well? Why do they show unconditional, unquestioning love? The answer; they speak to your very soul!

3. The founder: Dr. Vincent “Wally” Bolé -His life was a hellish nightmare of neglectful parents, and a near fatal accident until a kindly yellow lab pranced into his life and change him… forever.

4. President Clinton had a dog named Buddy that was *supposedly* killed and replaced by a dog named Seamus. The site states, “His name is Seamus or SAME US - “one of us.”

1. Widmore bullets.

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2. There can be no doubt that this was not Walt talking to Michael. Unless he was some sort of prodigy Boy Scout, how would he know that he was North? He tells Mike that he is being held by the rock with the big HOLE, but isn’t that a convenient landmark?

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3. Why do the Others want these four specific survivors? They don’t seem to be *good* like the tailies that they took. The only theory that I have so far is that these four have seen things on the island that do not possibly belong there. Jack saw his dad. Kate and Sawyer saw the horse. Hurley saw Dave. Eko and Locke’s visions don’t count because they came to them in dreams. But I don’t know yet how the Others know that they have had these visions unless they have somehow induced them.

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4. What happened to Kate? She is so scruffy! Just because you’re stranded on an island with killer Others is no reason to leave the hatch without some lip gloss! Get it together girl!
Earlier this season

Now

5. Um Mike, you’re not going North. Plus, I thought compasses weren’t supposed to work on the island?

6. Hell. For some reason a Squirrel Nut Zipper song comes to mind… *In the afterlife…* Oops, off on a tangent. Anyway, Mike asks Eko about hell which seems to spark a story that is remarkably meaningful considering the situation. Me thinks Mr. Eko knows human nature and has already figured out Mr. Mikey’s crime. Why else pick the story about the boy “protecting” his sister and as long has he was “sorry” he would not go to hell. It also is very Shakespearean “Out damn spot” when he is trying to clean the blood off the floor.

7. Michael puking. Is this from guilt or drug withdrawal or both? I still think this guy was drugged and that is the only way I can see the audience forgiving him for his crimes.

8. Immunizations. I wonder how this is going to play into next season? Charlie has injected himself to see how it would feel before Claire gives it to the baby. Was he injecting himself with a virus or immunizing himself?

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9. Kate must have amnesia. Zeke is standing talking to Mike right as Jack and co. walk up in the jungle. He tells Mike, “If you make a sound you’ll never see your boy again.” I watched this back and Kate is right there when he says this. Why hasn’t she said anything about this? She has to know they were talking to Michael.

10. “Caught in a net,” I like this new Sawyerism. However, I don’t think that Sawyer was buddying up to Jack or thinks that they are now BFF’s. I think that Mr. Sawyer knows that he has given up his edge by handing over the guns so he needs to be on the good side of the survivors if he plans on getting back his hold. I also think that he was so eager to hand over the guns now is because of his own guilt over Walt being kidnapped and Sawyer wants his own revenge. Plus he has some unfinished business with Mr. Friendly. Showdown at the OK… hatch?

11. Eko’s cross being drawn to the wall is a *nudge* to us to remember that magnetic wall. I hear that it’s going to be opened up this week so we can see what is back there. Any guesses? Probably not Jimmy Hoffa.

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12. Poor Charlie. Building this church gave him purpose, not to mention he was like a kid telling his girl that he had a new job, when he was talking to Claire. I wonder if Charlie will try and enlist some help to get it done. Bernard is probably not busy.

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13. I have a theory about the rock with the big hole and about what the symbol on the Other’s hatch is. I think that this rock was put there as a symbol to any ships coming ashore to know where to dock on the island. It’s their lighthouse if you will. I think that the symbol on the hatch is a door. It is the entryway to the island. I would guess that if you opened the doors you would find a corridor that leads out to a dock where the seabilly’s boat is hidden. There is probably some sort of cutout in the rocks that makes the dock secluded and hidden from view. If they are keeping Walt in this area it would explain why he is wet when he appears around the island (this would be a damp area). If I’m wrong, then I would guess it leads underwater to a different hatch.

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14. Didn’t the Others camp seem a little too set up like a Hollywood movie set? No one seemed all that surprised to see Michael and their little camp was so quaint with their villagers milling about at their tents with their drying fish. Not to mention the guns and needles. I don’t think that this was a production error but just the Others going with their image (remember the spirit glue and fake beards)? All here to keep up the facade for the survivors.

15. I’m guessing in season 3 we are going to see Miss Klugh show up in a flashback. Didn’t she sound remarkably similar to the custody attorney when she questioned Michael on why he knew so little about Walt?

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16. Scott called it right away when Sayid grabbed both of Michael’s hands. He was checking his pulse and his palms to see if Mike way lying. Sayid is good! But why wouldn’t Sawyer or Jack be suspicious of why Mike wouldn’t want the only “real” soldier to go into battle with them? Wouldn’t you want a trained soldier going with you for your kid instead of the overweight goofy guy? Is it just me here folks?
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17. Even more than a Charlie - Claire reunion, I want to see a Charlie - Locke friendship back. Maybe they’ll build the church together. Locke seems to take inspiration from Charlie here as he just cuts off his cast and heads back to the hatch. Can’t wait to see Locke’s version of letting go! Plus, I think that the writers knew that they couldn’t keep the audience interested in a story line that required a button to be pushed every 108 minutes. They are killing Locke’s obsession and our imprisonment to this story line.

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18. The scene with Mike and Walt was weird. If Walt hadn’t hugged him I would have thought he was projecting himself again. But Walt did say that they were pretending however I don’t think that Mike is taking this into consideration. He is taking them at face value.

19. Boat. Will they find Desmond asleep on the boat? I thought originally that the Others might have sent a boat over as a *nudge, nudge, remember your mission* to Mike but then I remembered that Desmond had a sailboat and he has probably been working on it since he left the hatch. Guessing that he would like to get off of this rock and back to the world now that he knows it hasn’t blown up… or so he thinks! Will he take the boat next season and sail off with some of the survivors?

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20. Damn dog.