POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING!!!!:

Word on the street is that someone dies in this episode. That would fit with the title. Seeing that its his flashback, he was just mauled by a bear, and Jack's not around, I really really hope it's not Mr. Eko.

Having just complained about them killing off two-thirds of the main-cast tailies, I certainly don't want to see the last one go. Plus they've already done the John-feeling-sorry-for-himself storyline which they already did with Boone and don't need to repea/t.

Josh, I thought I colour-coded the text but I must have goofed it up, if you want to edit it. My message effectively negates your spoiler warning.

It was normal black on he preview page but I wasn't sure if it would be anyway or not.

It doesn't really matter on the Last Day Page. Just the actual message page. Besides, since this is the episode page, people should expect spoilers, or possible spoilers, for the episode.

D*mn. Such a great actor and character. The Tailies were such a great way to inject new life into the cast, and now they're all gone (save Bernard, who isn't a main cast member).

I could not believe they killed Eko off. But after Two for the Road I should not have been surprised. I wonder when we get to meet Eye Patch Man.

FYI, the first seven words of Triggins' post above is visible on the Last Day Page, and non-American viewers might see the spoiler.

Thanks.

Well, it appears that Eko asked to be written off. He has some kind of film project in the works, and he couldn't handle that and being on Lost. Check out this story for further details.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-lost3nov03,0,4151279.story

I agreed with the sentiments of many, that killing off Eko was poorly done. I'm not screaming because I liked the character; after all, I really liked Libby and Boone. But their deaths were done in a way, IMHO, that enhanced the story. For some reason, Eko's death seemed every bit the shoehorned-in last-minute story element that it was. I don't know about others, but to me this twist had all the earmarks of a last-minute story edit, much like the plot twists in the X Files after the network decreed that the series would not end after the planned five episodes. I didn't buy it. I remember how I felt when Michael shot Ana-Lucia & Libby. It was an absolutely electrifying moment. My wife and I looked at each other with ours mouths open; neither of us could speak for a few seconds. Here, too, I couldn't speak, but it wasn't because of the moment being powerful; it was because I couldn't believe that TPTB that just done that. I was aghast, as I still am!

I thought I had mentioned this here, but I guess I didn't. Am I the only one who thinks that the Smoke Monster is a shapeshifter that can take the form of people close to our castaways? When people see visions like Jack's father, Hurley's imaginary friend Dave, the black horse Kate and Sawyer saw, Walt, etc., are they really seeing the monster?

Of course, after Eko tells Yemi that he will not confess because he did not sin, rather than morph into the smoke monster, "Yemi" walks away, and only after Eko goes after it do we see the smoke monster sneaking up on Eko before grabbing him and pummelling him to death. Is because it and the visions aren't one and the same, or merely because the creators didn't want to disclose to us yet that they are?

Luigi Novi: I thought I had mentioned this here, but I guess I didn't. Am I the only one who thinks that the Smoke Monster is a shapeshifter that can take the form of people close to our castaways? When people see visions like Jack's father, Hurley's imaginary friend Dave, the black horse Kate and Sawyer saw, Walt, etc., are they really seeing the monster?

Nope, you're not. If you read the episode notes I put up (as well as the Unanswered Questions), I've mentioned it. It's one of the theories.

I don't think, however, that the visions of Walt are a result of ol' smokey. I think that's Walt and his possible special condition.

Where is Unanswered Questions?

I put then under the episode's notes.

Or sometimes in them, for that matter.

It's possible. But I've wondered if it re-animates the bodies. Christian Shepard's (presumably) and Yemi's are on the island but not buried. But those who have died and were buried (Boone, Libby, et al) we don't see again, save in flashbacks and dreams. I'm not betting a lot of money on this, but if so this would mean the horse, Dave and Walt have nothing to do with it. Walt was something to do with his ability as Josh notes, and Dave was in Hurley's mind. The smoke monster would have just killed him if he really wanted him dead. The horse I don't know. And why the bodies aren't decayed I don't know either.

I guess the shapeshifter is the Occum's razor explanation, isn't it? :-)

Well, Ockham prescribed searching for simple solutions to the exclusion of more complicated ones, but with this show, I think the concept of "simple solutions" pretty much goes right out the window in the pilot episode.

Ockham specifically says "Entities shall not be multiplied without reason". Whether it applies here, well.... You'd have to ask the Hanso Foundation.

I guess there's not much point in directing you to this page then, is there?
http://www.voicesofunreason.com/fullthread$697

:-)

Nope. Based on your smiley, I'm assuming that you've looked at who originated that thread...

bows humbly