Initial Reaction to "Ab Aeterno"

WOW. That was so incredibly compelling. I was in the story from beginning to end. The storytelling in this episode was gripping and heart-wrenching. I don't think that I've ever been this quickly invested into a character's backstory since we were first introduced to Desmond's story in Live Together, Die Alone. From the moment we saw Ricardo on that horse; I was sold. I'm excited, so enough with the chit-chat, let's talk, in great detail, about how incredible this episode was.

From Lostpedia

4.09 The Shape of Things to Come

1. Jack doesn't feel well, has a stomach bug, Kate wonders why they aren't back from the boat yet, Jack says Sayid said the engine is down, he's trying to fix it, that's he's probably wondering why they can't get in touch.
2. Vincent barking, Bernie calls for help, they find the body of doctor washed ashore, Daniel and Charlotte recognize him, Dr. Ray from the Freighter, his throat is slit.From Lostpedia
   
3. "We're all gonna die." Hurley
   
4. Locke, Hurley, Sawyer are playing risk, babysitting Aaron, Hurley says that Australia is the key to the game.
5. "I can't believe you're just giving him Australia. Australia's the key to the whole game." Hurley
   From Lostpedia
6. Keamy is holding Alex captive, he tells her to turn the sonic fence off, she asks him to spare Aaron's life, the code she uses on the fence is 1623.
7. The phone rings while Locke, Sawyer, Hurley and Aaron are at Ben's house playing Risk, the phone broadcasts code 14J, Locke leaves and tells Ben, he gets a shotgun out of the piano bench, says they have to get to other house for better positioning, they're here he says.
8. Ben flashes to the desert, wakes up, he's wearing a DHARMA parka, says Halliwax on the nameplate, he breathes out cold air, he's in the Sahara Desert, he vomits, he has a gash on his arm, Arabs arrive on horseback, one of the men starts to frisk him, Ben whips out his death beating-stick, flips the tables, kills the other dude with his friend's gun, destroys both of them instantly.From Lostpedia
9. Ben says that the code 14J is an early warning system, one of their people has been captured, they tripped panic switch at the security fence, they had a five minute debate about it before they went and got him, Ben sent Rousseau, Karl and Alex away yesterday and he says they're safe, Sawyer wants to grab Claire form the other house, Locke wants to go with him, but Ben says it's important that John survives what's about to happen, to stay close to him, people coming won't risk hurting him, that he's the best chance to live.
10. Daniel is examining the Doctor, Jack says his throat is slit, wants to know if he knows anything about it, Dan says he was fine the last he saw him, says when is a relative term, Jack says about fixing the satellite phone, but Dan says it could only be used for beeps and boops, Bernie says telegraph.
11. Ben says he's scared of the people that are coming, they cover the doors with bookshelves and furniture, Hurley takes care of Aaron, wonders how Sawyer is going to get back in the house.
12. Sawyer is on his way to Claire's house, talks to a random log carrying guy, asks about Claire, all of a sudden, the log carrier is shot mid-sentence, then there's a rocket explosion on Claire's house, then more gunshots, log carriers die, but Sawyer escapes without a scratch.From Lostpedia
13. Ben arrives at a Hotel in Tunisia, asks for a room, says it's not his first time in Tunisia, he's a preferred guest, Dean Moriarty, he asks woman at the desk the date, which is October 24, 2005, he sees Sayid Jarrah on the television, they mention the Oceanic 6, he says he wants to bury his wife in peace.
14. Aaron is crying, Locke asks why he has to survive this, Ben says there's only one person that can save them and that's Jacob, that he and Locke have to go to Jacob together, Locke says he doesn't know where the cabin is, but Ben says that Hurley knows where. 
15. Sawyers saves Claire from the rubble of her former house, she's disoriented and asks for Charlie, Sawyer tries to take her back to the house, but the door is barricaded, Hurley tries to move stuff, but then throws an ottoman through the window and tells Sawyer and Claire to come through, the door bell rings, Miles arrives with walkie, says they let him go and want to talk.
16. In Tikrit, Iraq, Sayid is at Nadia's funeral, Ben pulls out a camera and watches a bald man drinking coffee, Sayid is carrying the casket, looks up and finds Ben, tracks him down, Ben says he's there to find the man who murdered wife, that he took Desmond's boat to get off the island, The Elizabeth, he followed a heading to Fiji, says Charles Widmore tried to convince the world that his plane was on the bottom of the ocean, Sayid asks what that has to do with him and Nadia, Ben says there was a man there, named Ishmael Baker, and that he's one of Widmore's men, five days ago in Los Angeles, a photograph was taken by a traffic light camera, on the corner of La Brea and Santa Monica, three blocks from where Nadia was killed, Sayid asks why they would want to murder her.From Lostpedia
17. Miles says there's six of them, told him they were security, to escort Ben back to mainland, Miles says to take the walkie, that they have a hostage, Ben says his people are prepared to die, but Miles says it's his daughter.
18. Keamy answers the walkie talkie, tells him his name and that he's an employee of Charles Widmore.Martin Keamy, employee of Charles Widmore, says he wants to talk face to face, to look at him, states his terms, to put his hands on his head and walk straight to him, once in custody, no one else will be harmed.
19. Ben says his name is Martin Christopher Keamy, former First Sargent of the United States Marines Corps, served with distinction from 1996-2001, since worked with Mercenary Organizations, specifically in Uganda, knows exactly who he is, so dispense with the formalities.
20. Keamy calls out for Alex to be brought to him, he tells Ben to come out or he'll kill her, Ben says he wants to present a counter proposal, for he and his friends to leave and go back to helicopter, to forget they were ever on the island. 
21. Keamy tells Alex to say goodbye, she talks to Ben, says he killed Karl and her mother, begs him, Ben says it's under control, that she's not his daughter, that he stole her as a baby from an insane woman, that she means nothing to him, she's a pawn, says he's not coming out of the house, to go ahead and do it, and Keamy kills Alex execution style, Ben is completely shocked, because Keamy called his bluff.From Lostpedia
22. Alex is dead and Keamy has disappeared, Ben says that he changed the rules, Sawyer says that they should just toss him out, but Locke says he doesn't think they'll let them walk out alive no matter what they do.
    
23. Ben takes off, pulls back his bookshelf, flicks a switch and escapes into his secret room, where a door comes down behind him, before Sawyer can catch him, he pulls back his rack of suits to reveal an ancient stone wall with markings, hieroglyphs, Ben pushes the heavy door open.From Lostpedia
24. Ben watches and sips tea in a café, he then follows Ishmael Bakir, but gets caught, tells him his name is Benjamin Linus, and that he wants him to deliver a message to Charles Widmore, Says kill him, but keeps shooting even after the gun no longer has any bullets left, Ben says they're finished, Sayid says he has no life, they took it from him, that he spent the last 8 years searching for the woman he loved, he married her and he buried her yesterday, he wants to know who's next, Ben says he'll be in touch.
25. "I spent the last eight years of my life searching for the woman I love. I finally found her and I married her. And I buried her yesterday. So don't tell me this is not my war. Benjamin... Who's next?" SayidFrom Lostpedia
26. Hurley and Claire come out of the bedroom with Aaron.
27. "You all right, sweetheart?" Sawyer "Yeah, a bit wobbly, but, uh, I'll live." Claire "Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that." Miles
28. Ben comes out of the hidden room, he's covered in dirt, he tells everyone to run from house when he says, and to head straight for the treeline, the house begins to shake, the smoke monster comes, they leave the house, the smoke monster comes out and it attacks the men, summoned, Ben says goodbye to Alex.
29. "Did you just call that thing?" HurleyFrom Lostpedia
30. Daniel Faraday gets signal from the satellite phone and sends Morse Code, asks what happened to the doctor, says reply is that their friends are fine and the helicopter is coming back in the morning, Bernard says he's lying, that they didn't know what he was talking about and said that the doctor is fine, Jack asks why he said the helicopter was coming back, that they were never going to take them off the island, Dan says no, Jack is sick, collapses in pain.
31. Sawyer, Claire, Aaron and Miles are heading back to the beach, Locke threatens Sawyer, Hurley stays because Locke and Ben need him to find the cabin with them.
32. London, England, Ben arrives at a Penthouse, says he's there to see Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick in 4E, but it's really Charles Widmore's apartment, Ben enters a dark room, tells him to wake up, Widmore says he wondered when he would show up, Ben asks when he started sleeping with a bottle of Scotch (MacCutcheon) by the bed, Widmore replies that he did when the nightmares started, asks if Ben has come to kill him, but Ben says they both know he can't kill him, that he's there because Widmore murdered his daughter, Widmore says that Ben did it, not to blame him, everything that he has, he took from him, Ben says he's going to kill his daughter, he'll understand how he feels and he'll wish he hadn't changed the rules, Widmore says he'll never find her, that the island is his, that it always was and it will be again, but Ben says he'll never find it, Widmore says that the hunt is on for both of them. 
33. "You creep into my bedroom in the dead of night, like a rat, and have the audacity to pretend that you're the victim? I know who you are, boy. What you are. I know that everything you have you took from me." Widmore "I'm here, Charles, to tell you that I'm going to kill your daughter. Penelope, is it? And once she's gone, once she's dead, then you'll understand how I feel. And you'll wish you hadn't changed the rules." BenFrom Lostpedia

Questions:

1. How does the doctor's body arrive at the Island before he is killed on the Freighter?
   
2. What is the time difference between the Freighter and the Island?
   
3. Is the Risk game a clue? Is Australia really the key to everything?
4. Why is Sawyer impervious to bullets?
5. Did Claire die in the house explosion?
6. Did Ishmael Bakir really kill Nadia? Is he really working for Charles Widmore?
   
7. What is the significance of the hieroglyphs in Ben's hidden room?
   
8. Did one of the polar bears turn the frozen donkey wheel?
9. What are the rules in which Ben is referring to? How has Widmore broken them?
10. Why does Miles say "I wouldn't be too cure about that." when referring to Claire living?
11. Why can the Smoke Monster be summoned from beneath Ben's house?
    
12. Why can't Ben kill Charles Widmore?
13. What is the true connection between Ben and Widmore?
    

Favorites:

1. "No. My gut says we're getting off this island." Jack "I thought your gut was sick." Kate
2. "We're all gonna die." Hurley "Calm down, Chicken Little. The sky ain't falling just yet." Sawyer "This is exactly what he wants--to fight amongst ourselves. You're making a big mistake, dude." Hurley "It's his to make, Hugo. (To Sawyer) Let's get on with it." Locke "Right. ...I'm attackin' Siberia." Sawyer
3. "Surrender! Surrender!" Arab Man "Oh, so you do speak English." Ben
4. "Let me guess. "14-J" ain't the code for the pizza boy." Sawyer 
5. "When? "When" is kind of a relative term." Daniel 
6. "What's going on?" Doug
7. The whole scene where the log carriers die and Sawyer escapes without a scratch.
8. "I think the technical term is "shock and awe"." Ben 
9. "Charlie?" Claire
10. "Those people were murdered to make you angry, James. So you'd be more likely to come storming in here and throw me to the wolves." Ben "[Sawyer grabs Ben] Yeah, what's wrong with that? Sounds like a great plan to me. (To Locke) What do you say, on three?" Sawyer 
11. "(Sing-song) I wouldn't if I were you." Ben 
12. "How did you get here?" Sayid "I came across the Syrian border. It's really not as difficult as you might--" Ben "How did you get off the island?" Sayid 
13. "Well, Miles, sounds like you're not gonna collect your $3.2 million." Ben
14. "(Whispers to Locke) Who's Charles Widmore?" Sawyer "Later." Locke 
15. When Sayid keeps shooting the gun, even after it's out of bullets. Sayid is badass. 
16. "Hang on. "Jacob"? Who the hell's Jacob?" Sawyer
17. "(To Locke) You harm so much as one hair on his curly head... I'll kill you." Sawyer "Fair enough." Locke
18. The entire scene with Benjamin Linus and Charles Widmore.

Notes:

1. Ben shows up in Tunisia, which is the same place that Charlotte found the polar bear bones during her flashback in Confirmed Dead.
2. The painting seen in Charles Widmore's bedroom is the same one seen at the auction in The Constant.
3. The scene with Ben and Charles Widmore is very symbolic. Ben is seen in the dark, and Widmore is seen in the light. This is yet another representation of black and white, and could perhaps be a clue, especially if you've seen the end of Season 6.
4. I remember how mind-bending this episode was when it first aired. You could not believe that they actually killed Alex right in front of Ben, and that he just stood there and let her die. I remember feeling complete and utter shock in that moment.
5. The scene where Sawyer is going to get Claire and all the random log carrying guys die is hilarious.
6. This episode shows a lot of guts. My favorite episodes are when the writers take risks and don't assume that I'm too stupid to understand what's going on. I love when they stay complicated and don't spoon-feed me details. Give me the benefit of the doubt.
7. When Ben arrives in the Sahara Desert and the Arab men on horseback find him, they have a conversation. One notes that there is no trail, the other man wonders where he came from, and asks if he fell from the sky.
   
8. Finally, Claire mentions Charlie. What took you so long?
9. I like how Sawyer is taking charge in this episode and that he's worried about Claire.
10. Ben's flashforward takes place on October 24, 2005, which is one year, one month and two days after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
11. According to Wikipedia: On October 24,1593 a man named Gil Pérez, who was a Spanish Solider serving the Filipino Guardia Civil, suddenly appeared in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City.
12. Any woman that hooks up with Sayid must have a death wish. Every woman he loves dies. Poor Sayid. No wonder why he has to kill people. He's just making it even.
13. The scene were Alex dies is so sad. The last thing she hears before she dies is that she means nothing to the man she thought was her father, and this is after having to go through the death of her mother who she just met after 16 years and her boyfriend dying right in front of her. That scene is just heart-wrenchingly painful to watch.
14. The Smoke Monster scene is friggin' awesome. Except for the fact that no one really dies from it.
    
15. From Lostpedia: The symbols on Ben's secret room door appear to be hieroglyphs that are determinative signs in Egyptian, a basic translation of these hieroglyphs is "to summon protection."  
16. If you go to If the Earth Were A Sandwich you can see that Tunisia is on the opposite side of the world from the South Pacific, where the Island is, which could be why Ben transports to the Sahara Desert, in theory.
17. The final scene with Ben and Widmore is one of the two scenes in LOST history that hasn't been shot in Hawaii. It was shot in England to accommodate Alan Dale.
    
18. In a deleted scene for this episode, Ben is seen in the Sahara Desert after he kills the men and steals their horse, retrieving money hidden under a rock. When he arrives, he looks around to see if anyone is there, and another Ben is seen in the background laying in the sand, much like when Ben was transported there. The shot can be seen at the 0:25-0:27 mark.

3.11 Enter 77

1. Sawyer sees everyone carrying the ping-pong table, Hurley says Jin found while looking for firewood, they made legs, paddles and now all they need is a ball, it must've landed in the jungle when the hatch exploded, Sawyer says that he thought it collapsed.
2. Sawyer wants his Guns and Ammo magazine back from Paulo, but he says that they share things now, while carrying it wrapped around a roll of Dharma toilet paper.
3. Sayid says they're still heading North, bearing 305, Locke senses a lack of confidence, Sayid says they've been walking for 2 days following a compass bearing from Eko's stick, Locke says it's the only bearing they have.
4. Sayid is picking fruit, he hears a bell, finds a cow, a house, sees the eye patch man, calling the cow to him, it's another station.
5. Sawyer has a ball, challenges everyone to ping-pong game for his stuff back, pick their best man, they say no nicknames for a week if he loses.
6. Sayid circles the house, he says there's nothing but jungle surrounding it, there are horses, cows, fenced in, a satellite dish on top, Sayid says a dish of that size would have broadcasting capabilities for thousands of miles. From Lostpedia
7. Sayid asks Danielle if it's the radio tower, but she says no, she's never seen it before.
8. Kate asks Sayid where he recognizes the man with the eye patch from, Sayid tells her The Pearl video feed, the only way to find out who he is, is by asking him, if he's unarmed, he won't feel threatened, they cover him.
9. Rousseau says she has no interest on the man inside the house, that she survived by avoiding encounters, that she'll wait by the stream for those who survive.
10. Sayid is a cook, going by the name Najeev, meets a man named Sami, says he's Syrian, but Sami says he's Iraqi too, wants him to work for him because his chef quit, they're in Paris.
11. Sayid approaches the house, with his hands up, there is a horse, saddled, stirrups, a grey cat catches his attention, the eye patch man shoots Sayid, says he didn't cross the line, it's his land, they said he could stay there. Sayid tells him his name, he's not who he thinks he is, says he was on plane that crashed months ago, that he's unarmed.
12. Locke and Kate approach the house, tell the man to drop the weapon, he surrenders. He asks if they really crashed there, Sayid tells him over 40 of them did, Kate asks who he is.
13. "My name is Mikhail Bakunin and I am the last remaining member of the DHARMA Initiative."
14. Mikhail takes a look at Sayid's gunshot wound, spent time in Afghanistan, had experience with field medicine in the Soviet Army, tells Sayid his story while Locke and Kate investigate the station. Kate goes in the kitchen, while Locke sees a computer with a chess screen, "Ready to play? Y/N," he presses yes, the computer tells him it's his move. From Lostpedia
15. "I grew up in Kiev and joined the Soviet Army. I was stationed at a listening post at Vladivostok. After the Cold War, after we lost the Cold War, my unit was decommissioned. I was dismissed from my life in the military. And after years of conducting unpleasant actions against our enemies, I found myself wanting to do something good. So I replied to a newspaper advertisement." Mikhail "An advertisement?" Sayid "Would you like to save the world? it read. That’s how I met them, the Initiative. They’re very secretive, very rich, very smart." Mikhail "So, when did you come to the island?" Sayid "11 years now. I like computers, communications equipment, being along like a lighthouse keeper. So they put me in this station. They called it The Flame." Mikhail "What is the purpose of the flame?" Sayid " To communicate with the outside world, of course."
16. Mikhail says the Dharma Initiative all dead, initiated war against hostiles, the purge, didn't participate in it, likes being alone, after the war was over, 4 men appeared in the yard, they offered a truce, line around the alley, do not cross, he'll be left alone, they took 2 cows, never saw them again, satellite hasn't functioned for years, the hostiles were there a long time before Dharma Initiative.
17. Mikhail removes the bullet from Sayid's arm.
18. Sayid goes to see Sami at his restaurant, Sami greets him, introduces him to his wife, Amira, she says it's him, Sayid is attacked by Sami and his men.
19. Mikhail has a cat named Nadia, after Nadia Comaneci, greatest athlete the world has ever known, they have the same birthday. Mikhail stitches up Sayid's wound, he offers them some iced tea.
20. Locke plays chess on the computer, Mikhail says he's been playing it for 10 years, it's been programmed by 3 Grand Masters, and it cheats.
21. "Well, I’ve played a lot of computers and I’m pretty sure they don’t know how to cheat. That’s what makes being human so distinctly wonderful." Locke
22. Kate questions why they'd leave Mikhail there all alone, with the equipment, but Sayid says that it makes perfect sense, that Mikhail is one of them, and he's not alone.
23. Sawyer plays Hurley in ping pong, gets schooled.
24. Sayid says he noticed thick wires when he walked around the station, Mikhail says that it's the hub, they go around to other stations all over the island, Sayid asks if they go underwater, Mikhail says there's underwater beacon that emits solar pings to help guide in the vessels, submarine, Dharma Initiative used it to bring them there, hostiles have either destroyed or decommissioned it by now, Sayid says that explains how they were able to get around his position and capture the sailboat, lost it to them, killed one.
25. Mikhail wonders why they're playing a game, Sayid fights him, Kate and Locke draw their guns, Mikhail surrenders and they tie him up.
26. Sayid is being held prisoner by Sami, who brings him water, says he was a torturer in Republican Guard, he victimized his wife, Amira, arrested, harbored an enemy of the state, held for 3 months while she was questioned. Sami wants him to admit what he did, but Sayid only admits who he is, Sayid Jarrah, was in the Republican Guard, was an interrogator, but says he doesn't know Sami's wife, he can remember every face, Sami says his wife remembers, wants him to admit or he will kill him.
27. Sayid says Mikhail is not alone, the horse is still saddled, for someone much shorter. Locke says that he's checked everywhere, but Sayid reveals a trap door under a rug. From Lostpedia
28. Sami brings his wife into the room, Sayid says he didn't know her, wouldn't touch a woman, wouldn't admit to something he didn't do, bu Sami says Amira admitted to something she didn't do and he poured boiling water on her arms and hands, he beats him badly, but Sayid won't admit to torturing his wife. Amira says that's enough for today.
29. Sayid and Kate go underground, while Locke watches Mikhail, the entire place is wire with C4, Sayid finds Dharma Initiative Operations Manuals. From Lostpedia
30. Locke beats the chess game, you win, checkmate, a video begins with Dr. Marvin Candle, "Manual override complete. For pallet drop enter 24. For station uplink enter 32. For mainland communication enter 38." Locke enters 38, "The satellite dish is inoperable. Communications are down. For sonar access enter 56." Locke presses 56, "Sonar is inoperable. Has there been an incursion of this station by The Hostiles? If so, enter 77." Mikhail approaches Locke with a knife. From Lostpedia
31. Kate finds a rack of DHARMA jumpsuits, Ms. Klugh pops up from behind it and attacks Kate, Sayid stops her, Kate says it's her, she was there at the dock. Sayid asks if there's any more of them there, but Ms. Klugh is silent.
32. They bring Ms. Klugh upstairs, Locke and Mikhail have disappeared, they are now outside, where Mikhail has a gun on Locke, he wants to do a prisoner exchange.
33. Mikhail and Klugh speak to eachother in Russian. Klugh says Mikhail knows what to do, but he says they have another way out, she says they can't risk it, but he says no, she says he knows the conditions, they captured them, can't let them get into the territory, he knows what to do, it's an order, Mikhail says that there's still another way, but Klugh insists, he says to forgive him, pushes Locke and shoots her, but Sayid has his gun on Mikhail, who tells him to do it already, to finish the job, to kill him. From Lostpedia
34. Hurley beat Sawyer badly in ping pong, tells him his mom had a table in her basement, played a lot in the instu--this place he hung out at, gives him back one of his Playboy magazines, tells him that Kate's going to be okay, she's with Locke and Sayid.
35. Locke is looking at the computer again, Kate is downstairs, Sayid questions Mikhail, who admits he wasn't a member of the Dharma Initiative, but says that everything else was true. Rousseau wants to kill him, but Sayid says they're collecting whatever is useful from the house, they have a ticket to where the Others live, they can find her daughter, Jack and maybe a way home.
36. Mikhail says that he won't help them, but Sayid has a map to the barracks. From Lostpedia
37. "I didn’t say you were our ticket, did I? This is a map showing electrical and data cabling running from The Flame, here, to a place called The Barracks, here. It’s comprised of houses and dormitories, with water and power large enough to accommodate an entire community. Sounds like a place well worth visiting, don’t you think?" Sayid
38. Mikhail says Sayid will have his guard down, and he won't hesitate to kill him.
39. Sami's wife, Amira, visits Sayid with a similar cat to the one from The Flame.
40. "After my husband and I first arrived in Paris, I was afraid to ever leave our apartment. So I would stare out in the window into the alley, and I would see this cat looking for scraps. One day some children came into the alley and trapped him in a box. I watched them light firecrackers and drop them in the box. I could hear him howl from three stories above. So finally, I had a reason to leave my apartment. I rescued this cat and I brought him home. He sits with me when I read, sleeps with me, and he purrs. But, every once in a while, he will bite me or scratch me. He does this because sometimes he forgets that he is safe now. So I forgive him when he bites me, because I remember what it is like to never feel safe. And that is because of you. So today, I ask only one thing of you: I ask you now to show me the respect by acknowledging what you did to me. That it was you who questioned me, tortured me and that you remember me." Amira From Lostpedia
41. "I remember you. I remember your face. Your face has haunted me ever since I left Iraq. I am sorry. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I am sorry." Sayid
42. Amira forgives Sayid, says she'll tell her husband she was wrong, she made a mistake, that it wasn't him, that they're all capable of doing what the children did to her cat, but she won't do that, won't be that.
43. Rousseau says they should kill Mikhail, but Sayid wont kill him, Locke and Kate show up. Locke says he knows why Mikhail didn't want him to beat the game, The Flame explodes. From Lostpedia
44. "What have you done, John? That place was our one hope of communication with the outside world!" Sayid "The computer said that if there was an incursion of the station by The Hostiles, I should enter 77. So I entered 77." Locke
45. Sayid says they should leave, the explosion will attract attention, he sees the grey cat again.

Questions:

1. How did objects explode out of the hatch when it imploded?
2. How could Sayid live in Paris and not know a lick of French?
3. Why were the codes on the computer in The Flame hidden behind a chess game?
4. Was Mikhail really a member of the Dharma Initiative?
5. Why would Mikhail tell a story that was partly true?
6. Why would Sayid say the horse was saddled for someone much shorter than Mikhail?
7. Did anything happen besides an explosion when Locke entered 77?
8. Who occupied The Flame before Mikhail?

Favorites:

1. "Look, dude, all I know is the sky turned purple. After that I don’t ask questions. Just make myself a salad and move on." Hurley
2. "We’ve been walking for two days, following a compass bearing provided by the carvings on a stick!" Sayid
3. "Uh-uh. We need to do a quick prid quo first. I know I’ve been gone a while and you thought the General Store was having a “going-out-of-business” sale. But now I’m back. And I want what’s mine." Sawyer
4. "Ooh, looks like crouching tiger and hidden dragon got something good. Lay it on me." Sawyer
5. "So, you really the number one draft pick, Grimace?" Sawyer
6. "Not every nook and cranny, John." Sayid
7. "Sorry I beat you so bad, dude." Hurley "Sorry you hustled me, you mean." Sawyer
8. "Looks like that last slam didn’t cause any long-term damage to your forehead. And you got 3 points which is better than nothing." Hurley
9. "Uh uh. It’s Hurley. Or Hugo if you want." Hurley "Get bent, Hugo." Sawyer

Notes:

1. The Flame station's name foreshadows its ultimate fate.
2. This is where my severe thoughts of time looping began, with Paris and the grey cat.
3. One of my favorite bloopers is from the Season 3 DVD, perhaps my favorite ever, where Naveen Andrews exaggeratedly says, "Not every nook and cranny, John!"

2.09 What Kate Did

1. Sayid digs the grave for Shannon's body.
2. Sawyer says he loves Kate. Jack hears him.
3. Kate sees a black horse in the jungle.
4. Kate sitting on steps at a house, truck pulls up, lighter, she puts him to bed, gas explosion, drives away on a motor cycle.
5. Diner, Kate is 24, her mom, Diane, is a waitress, Wayne is her dad. Kate took out an insurance policy for the house.
6. "Just remember that you were here and you didn't see me." Kate
7. They have a funeral for Shannon at Boone Hill. From Lostpedia
8. Kate plays Patsy Cline in the hatch. "Why did you kill me?" Sawyer
9. Kate is buying a one-way bus ticket to Tallahassee, Edward Mars finds her, says her mom gave her up.
10. Locke cuts Jin's handcuff off. "Free at last." Locke
11. Kate feels vulnerable and kisses Jack.
12. Michael asks Locke about the blast doors.
13. Eko and Michael watch the Orientation film.
14. "What about all the missing pieces?" Michael
15. Sayid tells Kate that he saw Walt in the jungle before Shannon was shot.
    From Lostpedia
16. Edward Mars is taking Kate to the arraignment, he asks her if Wayne abused her too. They get in a car accident, he's hurt, she escapes, takes the car and drives away, sees the same black horse from the island in front of the car. From Lostpedia
17. Michael asks Locke why he can't put the code in at any time, Locke says you can only do it at 4 minutes. Michael asks if he can take a look at the equipment in the Swan.
18. Eko tells Locke a story about the King of Juddah, Josiah, a temple in ruin, people worshiped idols, false gods. Josiah sent the secretary to treasury to rebuild the temple with gold. "We found a book." An ancient book, The Book of Law, The Old Testament, they rebuilt the temple with it.
19. Eko tells Locke they found a place like the Swan on the other side of the island, and they found a book, with the film strip inside of it, he gives it to John. From Lostpedia
20. Sun leaves Kate with Sawyer.
21. Military office, Sayid on television, Kate goes to see her dad, Same Austen, says she had photos of him in Korea up until 4 months before she was born. Wayne was her father.
22. "I didn't tell you because I know you'd kill him. And your mother loved him. You were 5 years old. I wanted to take you along with me. She wouldn't let me." Sam Austen From Lostpedia
23. Kate thinks she's going crazy, that Sawyer is Wayne.
24. "Can you hear me? Sawyer? Wayne? I'm probably crazy and this doesn't matter, but maybe you're in there somehow. But you asked me a question. You asked me why I--why I did it. It wasn't because you drove my father away, or the way you looked at me, or because you beat her. It's because I hated that you were a part of me--that I would never be good. That I would never have anything good. And every time that I look at Sawyer, every time I feel something for him--I see you, Wayne. It makes me sick." Kate
25. Sawyer wakes up. "Are we saved?" Sawyer
26. Eko and Locke put the film back together.
27. "Somebody made this film. Someone else cut this piece out. We crash. Two halves of the same plane fall on different sides of the island. You're over there, I'm over here, and now, here's the missing piece, right back where it belongs. What are the odds?" Locke "Don't mistake coincidence for fate." Eko
28. Sawyer and Kate leave the hatch, they see the black horse, he sees it too. From Lostpedia
29. Jack and Ana Lucia have a drink.
30. Eko and Locke watch the film again.
31. "Do not attempt to use the computer for anything else other than the entering of the code. This is its only function. The isolation that attends the duties associated with Station 3 may tempt you to try and utilize the computer for communication with the outside world. This is strictly forbidden. Attempting to use the computer in this manner will compromise the integrity of the project and worse, could lead to another incident. I repeat, do not use the computer for anything other than entering the code." Dr. Marvin Candle
32. Michael talks to someone on the computer, presumably Walt. From Lostpedia

Questions:

1. Is Kate's horse real? Is it the smoke monster?
2. Was Sawyer really possessed by Wayne? Did Kate imagine it?
3. Why was part of the Orientation film cut and put in the Arrow station?
4. Who communicated with Michael on the Swan's computer?
5. Did Wayne abuse Kate as well as her mother?
6. Why would a Marshal hunt Kate for years because she killed her alcoholic, abusive father?
7. Can the smoke monster possess people and animals? Is it the island?
8. Why was Sayid on the television?
9. Why did Sam Austen think Kate was capable of murder?

Favorites:

1. "What's that smell?" Wayne "Probably your breath." Kate
2. Hurley giving Jin a thumbs up when he walks out of his tent with Sun.
3. "It looks like they went bloody Lord of the Flies out there. You haven't listened to a word I've said." Charlie talking to Kate.
4. "I spent a week in Tallahassee one night." Guy in line at the bus station.
5. "Sooo.. Rose's husband's white. Didn't see that one coming." Hurley
6. "So, you're like, mad at him?" Hurley "Why would I be mad at Sawyer?" Jack "Maybe because he's the one that always comes down here and chops wood, and now you are? It's like, transference." Hurley
7. "That's about the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Sawyer
8. "Who the hell's Wayne? I'm in a bunk bed." Sawyer
9. "If you mean the big ass horse standing in the middle of the jungle, then yeah." Sawyer

Notes:

1. I was pretty disappointed with what Kate did after waiting two years to find out. She may be a murderer, but she killed her father under some reasonable circumstances. She was made out to be this cold-hearted killer that a US Marshal spent years following, and then all she did was blow up her alcoholic wife-beating father? I mean, come on!
2. There are differences between the original Orientation film and the revised version. From Lostpedia
3. I still don't understand what Edward Mars' personal vendetta against Kate is.
4. This episode is the first time where Kate and the Marshal, Edward Mars, meet.
5. Of course Kate drives a motor cycle!
6. Jack and Kate kissing. Yuck!