Mike Flacy

An advantage to the truncated season of Lost due to the writer’s strike is that each of the remaining episodes will likely be filled with a fast moving plotline. Last night’s episode proved that assumption and then some. Locke’s faction of Losties finally got attacked by the mercenaries from Michael’s boat and Jack had to deal with the washed up body of the boat’s doctor, who hadn’t died yet according to the boat’s communication.

- The game of Risk was some sort of foreshadowing. Hurley says “Australia is the key” (The Losties flight 815 originated in Sydney.) Loved Sawyer’s face when Ben unloaded the shotgun.

- I despised the way that the writers dispatched the 3 remaining extras that followed Locke. Having each run directly into gunfire to check on their downed friends was ridiculous. Of course their comical deaths fit their roles as mere sheep following one leader or another.

- The death of Ben’s daughter was extremely disturbing. I had a feeling that Alex was going to be executed, but that didn’t change the impact of the moment. I thought to myself that Ben had completely snapped at that point and went for solace in his panic room. Little did I know he was going to bust out an ancient cave with similar drawings as the flipping countdown on the hatch timer. I can only assume that the cave controls the smoke monster, although there is a theory that he travels to Tunisia at that point in the story to recruit help and inform Charles Widmore of his intentions.

- The recruitment of Sayid was fairly predictable, but I was fooled by Ben’s intentions. The sly little smile he had after Sayid begs him to join the cause was classic Ben. It’s also possible that Ben killed Nadia to manipulate Sayid.

- In the end, the ironic part of Sawyer leading the charge back to Jack’s camp with Claire & the baby is nearly the same moment that Daniel admitted to Jack that the boat wasn’t there to rescue them. Neither camp is benefiting from either leader at this point. I’d imagine they will rejoin by the end of the season.

- I loved that the previews showed Keamy (Alex’s executioner) still alive. That son of a bitch deserves an up close and personal death from Ben.

Tiny tidbits I noticed that may mean something important. (or nothing at all!)

• Ben’s coat, when waking in Tunisia, had a new Dharma logo on it, swirly rings with a small sprout in the middle (possibly the Orchid station). It also had the name Halliwax on it. Halliwax was one of Marvin Candle’s names in the introduction of one of the orientation films.

• The painting of the Black Rock ship was hanging beside Widmore’s bed at the end of the episode.

• Alex typed the number ‘1623’ for the fence code.

• The Rocket ship hieroglyph from the hatch clock was also seen on the cave wall.