LOST: Last-Minute Decisions

A very interesting episode. Not too exciting, but not too mundane either. I could have watched Ben Linus and Miles bicker back-and-forth for another half hour. I was have expecting Jack so-far-unknown wife, not Claire, to show up at the breakfast table. I totally suspected that Linus would sell his soul for another shot at running the Island. I didn't think we'd get a group meeting headed by Jacob.

All and all, it was a decent balance of revelation and suspense: we learned enough to be satisfied for what is now a LOST TV movie on Sunday, yet it's not like the next two-and-a-half hours will be fluff.

REVELATIONS

1. The biggest one of all was Jacob's rationale for bringing everyone to the Island: they were flawed people missing something in their lives, and he was hoping that by bringing them to the Island they would find something to make them whole.
   
2. X-world Desmond has connections with the LA Police Department, namely our favorite trigger-happy cop, Ana-Lucia.
   
3. Desmond thought running down X-Locke was the best way to wake him up.
4. X-Miles and his father know each other, and are (presumably) on good terms.
5. Widmore (claims to have) talked to Jacob, and (presumably) had a change of heart.
6. Ben keeps C-4 in his home.
7. Ghost Boy Jacob was corporeal enough to grab his own ashes out of Hurley's hands. I could only write a sentence like that about LOST.

OBSERVATIONS

1. Jack noticed another injury in the mirror.
2. Ben apparently still blamed Widmore for Alex's death. A real shame; I had hoped to see Chuck in the endgame.
3. Jack's eagerness to be the New Jacob rubbed me the wrong way. It just feels like he's doing this because nothing else he's done has made him feel better. I really think the Island's going to end up with someone else running it when it's all said and done.
4. None of the other three seemed too taken back in seeing Jacob; wonder if they knew he was, well, dead.
5. X-Kate's "eww" reaction to having to wear a dress was priceless.
6. Desmond has become the new hatch; the thing everyone wants. Ironic considering he was guarding the original hatch.
7. I totally caught the subtle flirting between Danielle and X-Ben.
8. When it comes to dealing with Smokey, Richard just can't catch a break.
9. Smokey left Claire behind in his trip to Dharmaville.
10. Again, Miles is the luckiest non-First Season character on LOST. Him and Hurley are like #21 and #24 from "The Venture Bros." Then again, #24 died so...nevermind.
    

THEORIES/PREDICTIONS

1. Something happens to Jack and Kate takes over. She's the least likely person with Sawyer possibly wanting redemption for Sun and Jin dying and Hurley, despite not wanting the gig, would also want to protect his friends. Besides, in the original draft, Jack's character was supposed to die leaving Kate's character to be the leader. And, if you think about it, Kate's one of the least developed character in the show; I mean think about it: how has she grown in comparison to Jack, Sayid, Locke or even late-comers like Desmond and Ben? She's due for a character growth spurt.
   
2. Of Clarie and Ben, one person will die in service to Smokey, the other will die while having a change of heart. Just not sure of who will do which yet.
3. If Jacob has found a way to kill Smokey by now, he would have told the Final Four. I don't buy the "He wouldn't reveal it because it's his brother" because last week proved Jacob was not above hurting him. So there's a good chance that whoever becomes the New Jacob will have to watch Smokey until their replacement.
4. I believe Desmond is a failsafe as Widmore suggested, but not as he thought: Desmond's role is to impact the X-World enough to change the real world to the remaining Candidate's favor.

QUESTIONS

1. Why can't there be more than one protector?
2. Why would Widmore leave the safety of his camp? Was his entire team wiped out?
3. Why is X-Ana-Lucia in such desperate need for cash?
4. Was Desmond's comment about Ana-Lucia and indication that her (and others) could be "awakened" as well?
5. If Jacob's rationale for bringing the Flight 815 survivors is accurate, what about those who didn't survive, or who died on the Island without make a significant impact? What about main characters like Libby or Shannon?
6. Did Jacob drop some other knowledge on the Final Four between the cuts? I hope so.
   
7. Wait; where did Miles go?
   
8. If Smokey wants to destroy the Island, doesn't that mean Ben has no real motivation to help him anymore? I mean, Ben wanted the Island; that's wht he's done every horrible thing he's done. Sooooo...helping the MIB destroy the Island would mean all of Ben's efforts were for nothing, right?