First - Jen, thanks for posting! I thought we weren't gonna have a Lost analysis this week.

As for the episode - it was more water treading, but at least it was more enjoyable water treading. It was nice to spend some time with Hurley again. Though for my money, the real mystery is why the gas in the van was still good.

And while there was a lot of Sawyer-cultural refs, I did love the part where he taught Jin the necessary English phrases to get along with Sun ;)

And the end seemed so anticlimactic. Well duh, someone was gonna finally connect the dots between Rousseau and Alex. Not worthy of an episode ending moment as far as I was concerned.

Was the reporter Tricia Tanaka supposed to be a nod to the Family Guy's "Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa"? I hope so.

Just because Hurley and Charlie *think* they have broken the curse, doesn't mean they actually have. If Joss Whedon were writing this show, their moment of happiness would be a prelude to the destruction of that happiness...actually, just like killing Libby last year right after she and Hurley got together.
I hope not - I like both of them - but I don't have a lot of trust that characters won't be killed at any moment.

In other news, I'm very excited to have read that the graphic novelist/comic writer extraordinaire Brian K. Vaughan is now on Lost's writing team. He is amazing. A clever writer, and a master of plot and character. This can only be a good thing.

If you're looking for a connection between "Shambala" and the island, "believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened" could reference the island survivors who are named after philosophers - enlightenment philosophers. Desmond David Hume, Rousseau, John Locke... etc. They keep throwing us that philosopher bone, so a connection may not be out of place.

Totally agree with your "treading water" analysis, Jen. This ep was also a bit of a homage to Woody Allen's "Sleeper" with the VW miraculously coming to life after years of dormancy. Not sure if there's a connection there or not.

Is it me, or has Jin gotten even more buff since the last time we saw him? And Sun is looking awfully thin. If she's preggers, she sure has a long way to go.

For Vincent, just because we haven't seen him on the show does not mean he hasn't still been hanging around the Losties. Maybe he's been hanging around Rose and Bernard?

I actually believe Vincent isn't Vincent. Instead, he's the same force that caused Jack to see his dead Dad, Kate to see a horse, Hurley to see his imaginary friend, etc.

For Hurley's curse, Starting a car isn't really breaking a curse. For all we know, that car may now cause other people to get killed (Drinking and Driving?)

You don't need a 45 degree slope to pop the clutch and push start a car! And why did he have to start the car before he could turn the wheel?! Anyway...

Good to see Hurley. Lots of pretty funny lines and a great scene with "...it's been 17 years...I have needs."

I loved the scene when Locke, Sayid, and Kate were talking about the Others living on the island and keeping Jack and her going back to get him. That sort of stuff had always been the main plot line that drew everyone to the show. Now the fillers have become the central theme and everything else that MATTERS is secondary. Let's hope the next few weeks get back to some action.

Best Lost moment last night:

Hurley to Sawyer: Whatever, Red... Neck... Man.

Sawyer: touche.

awesomeness.

Re: The apparent inconsistency between Desmond's episode and this episode. There is a great article on ew.com in which someone writes that what this show is ultimately about is about Freewill vs. Determinism and that all the other mysteries are just the mans to this end. Given that there are numerous philosphical and bilical references throughout the show, I think this explanation of what "Lost" is about is right on, and last night's episode is another good chapter in the show (hinting that there is some room for Freewill).

Anyone else notice that Sawyer seems to have jumped on the Charlie-bashing bandwagon referring to him as "Munchkin" and "Jiminy Cricket"? Poor little Hobbit...

All in all I really enjoyed the episode.

Speaking of Asian Reporter Tricia Takanowa, how about Charlie screaming "Victory or Death!" when the van started off? In early Family Guy's that was Stewie's alternate catch phrase. Now that's an homage!

So is the island a literal purgatory or just a metaphorical one? Hurley abandons his family because he believes in bad luck, only to finally learn to hope and make his own luck... Kate abandons the man who loves her to save herself, only to finally know she has to risk her own life to save a man she loves... The children and good stewardess live a happy carefree life with the Others...

I really enjoyed last night's episode because I think Hurley is great. I just want them to stop showing those two, B-list players. They didn't give them much screen time last night but any screen time they get means less for the people I want to see like Hurley, Locke, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, etc.

question: how did a VW van end up in the middle of a tropical jungle to begin with -where there are no signs of any kind of roads (paved or dirt) whatsoever? Are we to believe that VW had a van version of an ATV back in the 70's?

I loved last night's episode. It was nice to leave all the melodrama of Jack/Kate for a few laughs with Hurley. And although no new answers were provided, at least I didn't want to scream at the end because additional questions were raised.

Best...line...ever:

"Let's look death in the face and say...'Whatever man!'" - Hurley

Remember that while it's been months since WE have seen Vincent (wasn't Claire looking after him in one of the episodes last fall?), only a few days have elapsed since then in the Lost world.

Another important question -- why on Earth did Sawyer and Kate just abandon the boat? I know they stopped on land to get water, but then why hike across the island instead of just going back out and sailing to camp?

It seems everyone is always reading either too much into these episodes or ignoring the obvious. In Hurley's flashback his dad talks to him about the need to have hope. Hurley even repeats this to his fellow castaways when explaining why they need to start the car.

When he repeats to himself 'there is no cure' that's just more of Hurley having hope. He hopes getting the car started will prove there is no curse. And remember, sometimes just thinking there is a curse on you is a self fulfilling prophesy.

I don't think Kate was the first to reveal the existence of Alex to Rousseau. At the end of the Season 2 episode where Claire is rescued from the others, doesn't she tell Rousseau she saw a girl with the Others who would be about the age of Rousseau's daughter?

Thanks to Lostpedia, the episode is Maternity Leave, where Claire reveals Alex's existance to Rousseau. So, why does it come as a surprise to Rousseau in last night's episode?

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Maternity_Leave

Jen, quite a few issues here:

1. Why does every episode have to be about island mythology? This episode reminded me a lot of a Season 1 episode. Losties have to deal with stress of being on an island, find something to do, flashback teaches us about a character and directly relates to happenings on the island, an a cliffhanger ending. What's not to like?

2. Where's Vincent? Why does it matter if the dog comes and goes if he pleases? I think the more important question is where are Rose and Bernand? Well, the actors are doing other work, so they're obviously busy.

3. I don't think Hurley was ever cursed. This is just another Free Will vs. Determinism issue (ask Desmond DAVID HUME about that, hint hint). Hurley thought he was powerless to the numbers. Turns out he isn't. Don't make the same mistake Hurley did. Coincidence isn't something else, like a curse; its coincidence. And the numbers are still important, even if they aren't cursed - see the button.

4. The Beer - see your own paper's Food 101 section yesterday. The Beer most definitely not skunky. Stale, yes, but not skunky.

I love this show and have enjoyed this season tremendously. I think Desmond's episode two weeks ago may have been the best episode ever as far as I am concerned.

Having said that, last night's episode sure looked like a "jump the shark" moment to me. So much of this episode was just plain unbelievable, and it was paper-thin as far as any actual plot or content is concerned. The only clue of any interest at all was the blueprint of the road system. Everything else was pure filler -- just a terrible episode.

Why are the awful Nicki and Paolo (who we STILL haven't been formally introduced to) getting screen time when Sayid and Locke have been MIA since November? And based on the previews for next week, it looks like the producers are determined to turn Locke into an impulsive screw-up once again.

Since the beginning of this show we've had two characters, Locke and Mr. Eko, who radiated wisdom, grace, and a sense of purpose about their mission on the island, and served as a balance vs. the hotheads who race off into the jungle every time a twig snaps. Now the show has killed off Mr. Eko, and they seem determined to whittle Locke down to nothing. What a waste of the two best actors on this show.

I have two suggestions for the producers: 1) have Nicki and Paolo stand next to Hurley so a meteor can fall on their heads; 2) Dedicate ALL of your screen time to: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Sayid, Desmond, Charlie, Claire, and Hurley (OK, Jin and what's-her-name too). Just pretend the rest of the islanders don't exist, and the island will be a much happier place...

Steve

The corpse in the VW van was either a Work Man (although, really, who calls a janitor a work man?) or his last name was Workman. I have no idea what this could mean, but maybe someone else knows some obscure reference that might give it meaning?

just a thought, but since we know the "lost" writers love to leave seemingly inane developments that later turn out to be important to the story, does anyone think the map sawyer found in the van could have meaning later?

As for Sun being awfully thin, of course she has a long way to go. They've only been on the island about 95 days (or less?). Everyone remember, despite the way Claire's baby seems to be aging, island time & our time are not the same. They're still in 2004!

those Pedigree dog adoption commercials make me all weepy. I wanna adopt them all!

going back to Hurley's curse.. island seems to be a place where people free themselves from the 'determinism' of the outside life - Locke can walk, Sun - get pregnant, etc so the island changes everything and i think Hurley's not cursed on the island but it is still in his mind and the car was just a powerful episode of his transformation...

I think Lost has lost it. It's gone from must see TV to Tivo and maybe catch it sometime over the weekend.

That was the most entertaining show ever. I'm glad the show took a break from island mysteries and just had fun with character development. The four characters they focused on - Jin, Hurley, Sawyer, and Charlie - we're so much fun. Learn to relax a little, take a break from the guessng game, and enjoy the characters.

Does anyone know of a link where we get a shot of that map?

Doesn't something eventful always occur when Vincent runs out of the woods and leads someone back with him?

I have to agree with Steve in so far as Locke and Eko being some of the most enjoyable characters - they indeed have been the ones who provided the philosophical insight as to what the Island might be, or might represent. With Eko gone, I hope they keep Locke as the resident deep-thinker.

Not sure if this was the case for the old VW busses, but many cars are extremely difficult to steer with the engine off because the power steering is also off. Having had to recently wrestle my dead SUV down a steep driveway after the fuel pump went out, I was sympathetic to Hurley's difficulty in trying to work the steering wheel. However, I must say, I can't imagine the gas in that tank was any good. In any case, I personally have had more than enough of Jack and was pleased to see some of the other regulars back in action.

---Desmond or Hurley -- which episode do we believe? ---

Both! I found Hurley's episode reinforced what I learned in Desmond's. In Desmond's we learn that there is some level of determinism based on the universe righting itself after being altered. Desmond must buy the ring in the right way or "we're all dead". In Hurley's we see that Hurley uses the numbers to win the lottery but everythng he purchases, things that should not have existed, are somehow obliterated: His mother's new house, his chicken restaurant, etc. In Desmond's episode the universe is trying to kill Charlie but I'm not sure why. Actually, all the Losties should be dead after such a plane crash. Maybe the island altered their universe and that is why they sometimes die, except Desmond of course, he was not on the plane.

Desmond's episode also had Julia's husband being hit by a bus, presumably at the arrangement of Erin and the other guy. That bus accident looked exactly like an accident in the moive Final Destination, where some teens cheat death only to have it stalk them. They do what they can to try to change events which are conspiring to kill them. They learn to watch for a potential series of events that, if they happened, could kill them, because their world is run by Murphy's Law where whatever can go wrong will go wrong in order to kill them. I considered the bus accident a clue by the writers. Hurley is not being stalked because he did not use the numbers to stay alive, just purchase things, which were all later destroyed (the curse).

So I'm getting this grand picture: The island started out as this experiment to make a better society. An ability to alter the future was found but the universe would try to right itself. Some left the island and became very wealthy in the same way Hurley accidentally did, by using this power. The Others are the "good guys", staying on the island and working elsewhere to manage the universe. It also explains why the guy in Hurley's mental hospital became so agitated when he learned Hurley used the numbers.

The reason for all the secrecy and the willingness of the Others to torture and kill is because the stakes are so high, nothing less than the fate of our existence, which may have similarly been altered to save the world from some possible past nuclear war. So the island and the Others are holding it all together. In other words, humanity should have been destroyed in, say 1962 when the US and Soviets came close to nuking each other. Dharma intervened and is working to stabalize the altered universe so we all stay alive. ... Or ... maybe not :^)

Gas in the 70's had lead in it; which made it always good!!
I would leave a whole tank in my lawnmower over the winter and then next summer-just rip out the cord to send my mower into Jet engine overdrive.
When I got a new mower and the new crap gas-I did that and had to have the engine re-built !!??

I must say I am disappointed with the Losties!? Hurley had what?- 6 episodes to organize a rescue party and nothing was done!!
Sawyer had the right line when he said something like "We was kidnapped and all you guys did was use up my stash ( "Where's My Stash!!??" ) and forget about us!!??
Since Kate is hot to rescure Jack; she should be more reflective and realize that its not a 8 person rescur team that's needed; but a 200-person resue team. All of the Losties should go!!

Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, NoCharlie,
and a couple other useless losties should form a "rescue" party and storm across the middle of the Island making a lot of noise and arguing among themselves. Then when the others attack them with a 30-other war party they can be captured again.
Meanwhile, Locke and Sayyid captaining 90-odd man Lostie commands attack the Other band right after and capture all of the Other war-Band. This is followed by an immediate attack on the Other Village-found after torturing some of the captives.

Hurley didn't organize a rescue party because he was sent back with the clear message that there would be trouble if anyone went after them.

For a company that bothers to make multiple logos for each area of their company, isn't it odd that someone's jumpsuit would simply say "workman" instead of something more specific? If it didn't have the name on it, then I might guess they were generic jumpsuit for all workers. But why bother to personalize with a name and not a specific title, even if that title were 'janitor' or 'driver'?

Concerning the boat: I believe Sawyer persuaded Karl to take the boat back to the second island to rescue Alex - during his "Cowboy up" speech. I assume he did that so Kate wouldn't be able to go back to get Jack.

Then all of the Others can be enslaved to build boats out of the plentifull trees on the Island; so that the Losties can escape. The Losties get to live in Other village while the Others are kept in the cages.
Seriously, an Island symptom seems to be that characters can't remember previous episodes or actions. especially that small rescue parties are ridiculous and always get captured?? How many times does a person have to be captured uintil he say "I'm not going on a raiding party until it has 90 people in it!!!" Being a trans-ocean flight the aircraft probably had from 200 to 300 odd people on board; so the Losties should have the manpower not to keep making the same strategic mistake over and over again. Oh, and its time for Charlie to get his for getting Locke to not believe in putting the number in and getting the Dharma hatch to almost explode in a black hole -taking the entire planet with it.!

"Not sure if this was the case for the old VW busses, but many cars are extremely difficult to steer with the engine off because the power steering is also off."

Actually, 70s-era VW minibuses did not have power steering...but almost all cars have steering column locks that don't release until the engine starts.

"You don't need a 45 degree slope to pop the clutch and push start a car! And why did he have to start the car before he could turn the wheel?!"

True, you don't need a 45 degree slope, but you do need speed. It would've been very difficult to get enough speed on a semi-level jungle ground.

As soon as you pop the clutch, it goes in to gear, the car instantly slows down. So if it doesn't have enough speed, it could grind to a halt without the engine getting enough turnover to start it. So the force and speed of the hill gave them the best chance to jump the engine (which I do have my doubts would've been successful. But really, with all the other stuff on the island, this is the least of my concerns.)

As for not turning before hand, well, that would've killed the force and speed the van was generating.

if they've been on a more or less uninhabited island fending for themselves for 95 days, shouldn't hurley have lost at least 25 pounds by now?

"if they've been on a more or less uninhabited island fending for themselves for 95 days, shouldn't hurley have lost at least 25 pounds by now?"

Have you missed the massive amount of food (which they even showed near the beginning of this episode) that they have on the island thanks to the Hanso Corporation?

Also Hurley's beg enough of a guy that losing 25 pounds wouldn't be that noticeable on him.

I love how the big questions here are "what is the plausibility of a VW bus being in the middle of the jungle" and "why does Vincent suddenly reappear?" Remember, we're on an island with polar bears, super magnets and psychics. Nothing should really surprise us here, people.

People here don't know cars:

The steering column would release if the key was turned, hence why you can steer a car with a dead battery, power steering or no.

The Gas could be fine if it didn't corrode the tank. the oil on the other hand would have congealed.

BUT the kicker was that the tires definitely would have leaked and would have been flat. Those tires had a goo 30 pounds per square inch pressure in them for the look of it.

Re: VW steering

Aw, the good old days. The Bus doesn't have power steering, but that's OK because it's rear-wheel drive with the engine in the back. I am, however, surprised Hurley could fit in the driver's seat. Buses have huge steering wheels.

Well, it isn't a VW. It's a *Dharma* bus

Claire got Rousseau thinking, Kate confirmed it about Alex.

Yes, old gas, old beer, popping the clutch on a 15% grade...ok, ok, a little beyond the pale.

I like this show because it offers something for all: For the ET types, you have the mythology, for the romantics, the love triangle (now quadrangle with Julia), for the pragmatics, thers's Jack, Sawyer and Sayid and the good vs. evil.

.. and for the light hearted, Hurley's humor!

That episode sucked. Lost is putting in "filler" episodes. No wonder the ratings are down. That show had no purpose to the story line overall, save maybe the last minute. What a disappointment.

The show has jumped the shark. Last two episodes have done absolutely nothing to advance any kind of story.

Everybody knew Kate was going to see Frenchie, I don't know how they thought that could carry a whole episode.

Question 2: Hurley's curse operates only off the island. On the island, proximity to Hurley has no effect on luck.

Question 2: Desmond is uniquely subject to fate because he frequently leaps into moments that have already happened. This does not quite tell us whether there is some more fundamental now, past which point the future is yet undetermined. So it could be both ways: loose determinisim in the past, more or less existential freedom in the present. Or not.

to JJJ at 11:29

I totally agree - I was laughing so hard, I had to watch that part twice.

Love to have a little laughter in Lost some times.

the 'red neck man' was funny.

So was Hurley's mom, who covered the ears of her solid gold Jesus before saying "It's been 17 years, I have needs."

This show has lost its way since the great first season that peaked with Ethan hanging Charlie. I didn't think I could go from caring about characters so much to not giving a damn. Except for Sawyer.

"Jumbotron" was the highlight of the episode. This might be a show where a spin-off could actually work. I'd much rather watch Sawyer walk around the island making fun of all the lame-asses than see anymore of this Grey's Anatomy meets Gilligan's Island meets X-Files.

That was the lamest episode ever. Not only was there little plot, but the dialogue was flat. Except for Sawyer, no one sounded like himself/herself. Did guest writers write that episode? UNWELCOME guest writers. (My colleague wondered if the episode was the winning entry in a fifth grade contest.) It was good to have so much Hurley time, and it was good to see the other Losties. I had missed them. But they seemed to be plugged into another series, one of the teen-centric shows on CW. Please do not let us down. I am a huge fan of the show.

... "Speaking of Asian Reporter Tricia Takanowa, how about Charlie screaming "Victory or Death!" when the van started off? In early Family Guy's that was Stewie's alternate catch phrase. Now that's an homage!" ...

"Vitory Is Mine!" is Stewie's tagline. "Victory of Death", as I recall, might be a darker reference -- it was the last line written in the last letter by CO LTC. William Travis at the Alamo.

[gulp] for Charlie.

"Roger Workman" is such a dull name. Could you rearrange the letters? "Regor," which is Roger backwards, is apparently a very bright and big star also called Gamma-2 Velorum. "Shining at bright second magnitude (1.78) with a hot blue-white light, the star itself is nothing less than spectacular." Tie-in to last week's starry night theme?

I thought Hurley looked even larger than ever . The actor appears to have lost his diet plan. I say any episode with Sawyer and Hurley can't be all bad -- it's all good.

Notice how promenently Hurely's keys kept appearing. On the dead arm with a rabbit's foot, in the flashback, and in the Van. Hurley's keys translates to Hugo Chaves in Portuguese. Hmmm.

I am not generally a critical Lost viewer (I enjoy the show and am willing to go along with whatever ride the writers are taking us on), but I thought last night's episode was one of the worst ever.

Maybe I'm just not that into cars, but to have the main story-line of an entire episode revolve around Hurley's effort to drive an old VW van -- my feeling was, I could care less. And not, starting a car does NOT represent breaking a curse or anything else. It's just starting a stupid old car. For Hurley to turn it into some major symbolic act -- just plain silly.

Besides, Hurley himself said one of the reasons he was doing it was for fun (like when he suggested they build a golf-course). (I supposed when they were playing on their crude golf-course back in season 1, Hurley could've said "if I make this hole, it means the curse is broken. Would make as much sense as attaching that significance to popping the clutch on an old vehicle.)

By the way, for the poster who tied in Charlie's riding shotgun to face death, may I remind you that Desmond's prophecy was that Charlie was doomed to die while trying to protect Claire (NOT while going on a joy-ride with Hurley!).

And for the poster wondering what amazing powers of the island caused Sun to become pregnant, it wasn't the island. It the handsome young fellow (the hotel owner's son) she had the affair with back in Korea in the weeks/before prior to boarding Flight 815! (Did you not see that episode)?

I really enjoyed last night's episode. Obviously people want answers cause Lost has raised so many, but I think an episode like last night is good. No questions answered, just a fun episode to watch. Lost wouldn't be as enjoyable if it was so serious all the time, always dealing with mythology, the people need stuff like a golf course and a car to drive.

---This show has lost its way since the great first season that peaked with Ethan hanging Charlie.---

Wow! I missed the first season. Charlie has death stalking him today and Desmond is saving him. Now I hear Ethan tried to kill Charlie in season-1. Anyone know why? Might what Ethan did be related to Charlie's impending doom?

In the Desmond episode the man in red shoes was doomed. The woman who could see his future could have saved him she said but he'd just meet his fate the next day or the day after that. Might Charlie having been saved from Ethan's hanging have placed Charlie in the same position and Desmond is saving him?

I'm telling you folks, see the movie Final Destination. When you see the bus scene you'll know there is a connection. If this pans out, the smoke is death itself.

I thought last night's episode was great--reminded me of many season one episodes. And it was nice to see an acknowledgement of Libby's death and the pain it would cause Hurley.

To SJH about Charlie/Claire. Desmond never explicitly said Charlie would die trying to save Claire, he said, "no matter what you do" you're going to die. This is open ended.

That was the best episode in so long, I think they need to have a Lost spin-off and just call it Hurley (or Hurley and Jun)

The gas would of evaporated or gone bad, the tires would of been flat. This episode had to be written by a chick.
Lost is losing me if they're going to start Dallas type dream sequence crapola.

I thought Vincent left on the boat with Michael and Walt?

Nevermind...I answered my own question.

"Scenes in the Season 2 DVD extras showed Vincent in the boat with Walt and Michael. Although he was never seen to be with them at the end of "Live Together, Die Alone", this led many to believe Vincent had left the island with them."

Source: http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Vincent

I guess you had to be there (in 1970-something) to pick up more on the VW subtext.

When I read this week's synopsis, I thought, "WOW! They used the old VW joke"--A joke, based on old VW commercials where the Beetle undergoes various torments and starts right up---that was spoofed in Woody Allen's "BANANAS." Woody, a 20th century nerd, wakes from an accidentally-induced suspended animation state. Early in the film, a series of misadventures in the future finds him a cave with a VW Bug, that, of course, starts immediately and allows him to escape to a different set of adventures.

I was surprised not to see a reference to the film or commercials in the synopsis or posts---so I thought I'd check in.

Given that Cheech Marin did a cameo (whose character may have been around for the commercials and the film) one question for the viewer is: Will this be a gag that gets extended and reflects other elements of the Allen film and Cheech and Chong's early humor???

Didn't get to read all this on Thursday, so my observation (Friday) is that we are all very focused on the "destination" -- i.e., resolution of this, that and the other -- and what Lost is offering now is more "process."

Okay, I'm willing to admit that not every episode can deal with the Big Mysteries but seriously, the writing has gotten so bad. I hate having a theme for every episode that just beats you over the head. Hurley's dad says, you gotta have hope, and then the whole episode is Hurley saying hope, hope, hope. Truly GOOD, clever, subtle writing would have you saying at the end, "Oh yeah! That reminds me of what Hurley's dad said!" instead of "Oh my god, enough with the hope already."

I feel like the theme of Season 3 so far is, ENOUGH, WE GET IT. Jack's supposed to be some great leader? WE GET IT. Jack/Kate/Sawyer love triangle? ENOUGH. Alex is Rousseau's daughter? WE GET IT.

At least in this episode people kind of talked to each other, and gave each other information, which is a rarity these days on the show. Lost, you used to be so good! Sigh.

Touching on Ethan, whom I find to be one of the most compelling and creepy characters in television:

Does anyone besides me seem to have a serious mental griding of gears in how Ethan was protrayed while he was with the losties in season one (before and, particularaly, after he was discovered)?

His kind of automaton-like persona, his beating the holy crap out of Jack, his snarling otherworldly not-quite-human demeanor made for a great villain.

But how on earth does that parse with the sweet doctor that took care of claire; or that he was the Others' surgeon? Let alone why on earth would Benry send their only surgeon into a potentially life-threatening situation?

DD

Seriously, how much weight HAS Hurley gained? He seems HUGE!

I think saying things have "jumped the shark" officially jumped the shark about four years ago. I say the replacement expression should be "meteored the chicken shack."

Ugh. Through the whole episode, I kept thinking, "is this the lamest episode ever"? The dialog was excruciating: "We're gonna flip the van over" ; "Why?!" ; "So we can start it." ; "What for?!" Blah, blah, blah!!! Who wrote this crap?! What a waste of time. They spend the whole season on this nonsense -- then they're going to rush through all the really interesting stuff to end the series. Waste!

As far as not seeing Vincent goes, we don't see everyone in every show. Vincent was off camera. . .