hey! ask me more questions about time travel!

I'm finally back with a LOST post. Sorry for missing last week! There wasn't an awful lot to say last week though, since most of the episode had answers rather than questions. Except for the last ten minutes or so, which I'm sure will be covered extensively in this episode. So here we go! This isn't going to be a stream of consciousness post like the last couple, but I am writing it on commercial breaks as I'm watching so it will be in semi-chronological order.

I assumed that Sawyer's whisper to Kate on the helicopter was about his daughter, and I remembered his backstory with Cassidy and his alleged daughter, Clementine. But I had forgotten that Kate knew her, too. In case you forgot that background, as well, you can catch up here. Kate knew her story about Sawyer but Cassidy never told Kate his name. She couldn't have connected the two until Sawyer whispered to her and asked her to check on his daughter.

I love when they use Hurley to represent the audience. He lays it all out and complains that he doesn't understand what's going on and if it's like Back to the Future he doesn't actually exist. Miles' explanation is a bit complicated and cryptic still, but it's enough to believe that time is somehow co-existing. That these things happen and the Losties still experienced what they did -- they are not changing the future here, they are explaining some things that happened in the future/present.

Still super confusing, but now this explanation seems to make the most sense, because of Ben's wound. Juliet says it's near his spine and someone has to get in there to fix it. This probably is somehow related to his spinal tumor later and the surgery Jack has to perform to save him as an adult. Jack has an internal crisis about whether to save the kid because of what he knows about what he'll become.

The theory about time co-existing and meshing and all working together (being generally non-linear) is challenged by Roger's attitude. He seems to be warming up toward his son and we're seeing this softer side of Roger. But Ben would still kill him and the entire Dharma camp.

Miles and Hurley's whole argument is one of my favorite things this season. That is total homage to the fans. Those two sound just like all the groups of us who gather, or call, or email on Thursday mornings to discuss theories and argue about what's happening.

That was totally effed up with Aaron in the grocery store. That woman looked so much like Claire it was so creepy.

Still lots of role reversal in this episode. Sawyer is the responsible one, trying to do what's right to protect his people no matter what it takes. Jack is the one sitting around pouting and behaving like a child. I think Sawyer & Kate taking Ben to the Others for the help he needs will push Ben even further to an allegience to them instead of Dharma. All this is creating the relationship that Ben needs with the Others to shape his adult life on the island. Fits with Miles' theory about time being non-linear -- it's the Losties' present but it's Ben's past.

The scenes with Jack & Juliet and Sawyer & Kate were a nice little tying up of loose ends. Both made it clear that the relationship would never have worked out. Sawyer seems to have actually grown up and made a happy life with Juliet.

I assumed that Kate left Aaron with Claire's mom, but she just also promised her that she was going back to the island to find her daughter. She seemed completely sincere, so I think we're going to see Kate looking for Claire before the end of this season.

Apparently it's even more complicated than Ben building a relationship with the Others based on this experience -- sounds like wherever Richard is taking him (the hatch where the smoke monster dragged a member of Danielle's team!) is going to actually alter him somehow. But, even more importantly, that Other guy told Richard Alpert that he shouldn't do it without asking Ellie (aka Elouise Hawking) and cautioned that Charles shouldn't find out (aka Charles Widmore). Dun dun duuunnnn! So we know that in 1977 Ms Hawking and Widmore are still actively involved with the island. I still think Penny and Faraday are siblings. This connection supports my theory, I do believe.

The look on Ben's face when he saw Locke is still alive was awesome. Ben came back to the island to be judged -- is it going to be the smoke monster that judges him? Remember when Mr Eko looked into it, the smoke monster flashed people and events from his past at him.