Great episode. While I'm not a fan of flashback/clip episodes ("Shades of Gray," anyone?), I really enjoyed this one's reuse of older material, weaving it in with new material. (Plus, there was very little clip material. But even a little, used as filler, ticks me off.) It helped us to understand the older episodes better.

Touching scene between Jack & Sawyer, when Sawyer vents to Jack and says he's the closest thing to a friend. And when Sawyer pumps that shotgun and glares at the camera, saying he's going to kill someone? Very chilling. He wasn't kidding when he told "Zeke" that they weren't finished.

So, we finally get to see Alex. I'd heard speculation that she was Rosseau's daughter. Looking at her, it definitely could be possible, though the resemblance is far from positive proof.

When Michael asks how he's supposed to convince the four (Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, and Jack) to come back with him to the camp, Miss Clue (sp?) says that "they'll be angry enough." And, as it turns out, that's exactly right. Hurley's anger motivates him to come back for revenge. Question, though: did I miss something, or how did Miss Clue know that the 4 would be angry? Did they just not show us a scene where he was instructed to kill Ana-Lucia? And, even if he was, Libby's death was an accident, and that's the motivation for Hurley coming along. Well, the previews--the 5 seconds I saw in the time it took me to flip over to NBC to catch the "Law & Order" season finale--PROMISED that we'd get answers. I hope so...

Umm...the boat?

Good episode. I was pretty much right in thinking that Mike was lying to Jack and the others and was just trying to lure them to the Others. Me, I don't see this as a clip show, because they were simply showing where Mike was during those other scenes.

But I sure wasn't expecting that boat at the end. Shouldn't they have supplied it to Michael after he had successfully delivered Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley to them? Or are they gonna pull a Gilligan's Island and blow up the boat if anyone tries to touch it?

This would make the third episode to not feature a pre-Oceanic 815 flashback, right?

Time note: This episode takes place 13 days after The Hunting Party. Given the title card before the closing scene of Act 4, and the fact that it takes at least two days to walk from the Others' camp to the Lostaways', it is about one day after the end of S.O.S.

Michael tells Jack and the others in the teaser that if they move fast, they can get to the Others' camp by "midnight tomorrow". That means between one and two days. But the title cards in Act 1 indicate that Michael was captured 13 days before this episode, and the one in the opening shot of Act 3 indicates that they arrived at the Others' camp 11 days before this episode, which is two days. Moreover, Michael complained in the opening scene of Act 3 that they had been walking without any rest. So if they walked for two days non stop, how does he figure they'll get there in less than two? Or is he supposed to lead them to a completely different location?

Sawyer tells Jack in the closing scene of Act 3 that he's the closest thing he has to a friend. But aren't Sawyer and Kate closer than Sawyer and Jack?

God, there's just something so macabre about Michael pitching in to help Kate and Hurley dig Ana and Libby's graves in the opening scene of Act 4, even goading Hurley into going with them by pointing out that "they" killed Libby, when it was really him who murdered her. You just have to wonder how this guy sublimates his own conscience like that.

Okay, so obviously why the Others want Jack, Kate and Sawyer ties into the overall questions of the show's premise, but I really wanna know why they want Hurley.

Jesse: So, we finally get to see Alex.
Luigi Novi: We saw her in Claire's flashbacks in Maternity Leave.

And yeah, Miss I-Don't-Have-A-Clue's statement about them being "angry" also didn't make sense to me. Angry about what?

Sawyer tells Jack in the closing scene of Act 3 that he's the closest thing he has to a friend. But aren't Sawyer and Kate closer than Sawyer and Jack?

There's a difference between friends and lovers.

One thing I've learned from this show -- if anyone says "I'm sorry" without an obvious reason, you'd better either duck or get the heck away from them. This was the third time in the last few episodes. (Michael, Eko, Alex).

even goading Hurley into going with them by pointing out that "they" killed Libby, when it was really him who murdered her.

Michael did say "They were murdered" when asked. It was Hurley who said "they killed" them. So Michael didn't actually lie. Still, I also felt that something was missing, seeing as killing Ana Lucia was the most extreme thing to do when there were other options.

Kate and Sawyer were never lovers. But I certainly got the impression that there is a sense of sympathy for him on her part, perhaps in part because they're both criminals who ended up in their lot in life because of outside forces that began in their childhood that pertained to their parents.

One thing I've learned from this show -- if anyone says "I'm sorry" without an obvious reason, you'd better either duck or get the heck away from them. This was the third time in the last few episodes. (Michael, Eko, Alex).
Luigi Novi: Oh wow, I hadn't even noticed that.

Thanks for clarifying Mike and Hurley's dialogue.

Re: The boat
SPOILER WARNING FOR FINALE Highlight to read.

It looks like a sail boat and not the tug they had in last year's finale. Since Desmond is supposed to be in the finale and he apparently landed on the island when he crashed his boat, it's probably him.

Jesse: When Michael asks how he's supposed to convince the four (Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, and Jack) to come back with him to the camp, Miss Clue (sp?) says that "they'll be angry enough." And, as it turns out, that's exactly right. Hurley's anger motivates him to come back for revenge. Question, though: did I miss something, or how did Miss Clue know that the 4 would be angry?
I guess she thought they might be angry after Henry escaped and when Michael came back determined to get Walt. Angry enough to attack the Others though? Good point.

Luigi Novi: You just have to wonder how this guy sublimates his own conscience like that.
As Sayid points out, a father will do anything for his son.

Luigi Novi: Okay, so obviously why the Others want Jack, Kate and Sawyer ties into the overall questions of the show's premise...
How so?

Influx: Michael did say "They were murdered" when asked. It was Hurley who said "they killed" them. So Michael didn't actually lie
Actually, when Michael's helping Kate and Hurley dig, he tells Hurley he should come with them "because they killed [Libby]".

A couple more questions that Walt's few lines of dialogue raised, paraphrased. The line about Them making him take tests, and the one that they were not what they appeared to be.

the one that they were not what they appeared to be.

We knew that already from Maternity Leave. It's becoming more and more apparent that The Others are Hanso.

It's obvious that the tent city is a Potemkin Village.

What's funny is that I'd channel surf during commercial breaks and came across one of the latter Drew Carey episodes with Cynthia Watros in it when she (or at least her character) was pregnant. Drew was trying to get $1,000 from her to bet on his Greyhound racing dog.

I flipped back and forth to the Angels game during commercials. Of course, they lost

Looks like it's back to the future for my Halos. Hopefully it's only like 2003, and not like 1987.

P.S. yeah, I know this belongs on the Sports More or Less board in the Kitchen Sink. Nyah, nyah, nyah.

Humongous nit.

How can anyone believe Michael when he says The Others don't know he knows where they are.

1. They've proven to be masters at stalking in the jungle
2. Michael was returned with a bag over his head, indicating that The Others were the ones who returned him. The strong implication is that they caught him.

And Michael expects people to buy that they don't know about him?

JoshM: How so?
Luigi Novi: Sorry that I screwed up the wording/grammar.

I essentially meant either externally, since they're the most prominent of the main characters, and internally, becuase they tend to be the leaders of the group, especially (in the case of Sawyer) when comes to weapons and tactics. (Of course, they didn't request Locke or Sayid...)

Scott, Michael was not returned with a bag over his head. You're thinking of when Kate had one over her head in The Hunting Party, or when Michael was gagged during the events of that episode, as seen in the flashbacks of this one. (I just checked.)

Weird. I could have sworn from the flashback that he was bagged!

It's obvious that the tent city is a Potemkin Village.

Well. I learned a new term today!

You could have learned it two weeks ago when Scott first speculated that it was a Potemkin Village that Michael "found,"

Blushes

Scott: Weird. I could have sworn from the flashback that he was bagged!
Luigi Novi: It's the island. It's playing tricks on you!

Influx: Well. I learned a new term today!

Me too!!

For those who still don't know: Potemkin Village.

As to why Jack and the folks are acting like they believe Michael it may be that they don't believe him. Sayid definately struck me as not exactly being all that much of a believer. But they are acting like this and secretly or otherwise getting things ready to go do some force recon of what is going on with the "others" I know Sawyer certainly seems like hes all for it.

And speakign of Sawyer that was a major movement for him to say that Jack was the closest thing to a friend. Maybe a slight crack in the shell?

As for the rest of it I missed bits and pieces of it in the ER waiting room so. *shrug*

R: As to why Jack and the folks are acting like they believe Michael it may be that they don't believe him. Sayid definately struck me as not exactly being all that much of a believer.

Sayid tells Jack as much at the end of the episode. Jack, for his part, is shocked that Michael would turn on them.

Oh ok. I missed that. I could only watch it in bits and pieces while the wife was in the ER.

Does it strike you that it looks like locke may do some percussive reprogramming next week or what? I noticed that in one of the promos.

Also what in the world is with the racing yacht? Why would one show up just now? And if it is Dezzy how did he fix his yacht? Do a gilligan or did he take a bunch of the handyman's secret weapon with him when he left the hatch?

In a bit of macabre humor, I thought the bamboo shovel they used to dig one grave was very Gilliganesque.

You know I just had a bad thought for a crossover. The leader of the "others" the mysterious bad man Henry was afraid of is.... Gilligan! Dharma project is actually the original castaways led by the professor!

The name of the yacht is the S.S. Minnow.