I think that there is something inherently wrong with me. I have missed the beginning of every episode so far. This week, I missed about twenty minutes, but I'm trying to remain somewhat unspoiled about it, in the hopes that they replay the ep on Saturday.

And, I LOVE Hurley. That golf course is the best. He can't play worth anything, and it doesn't even bother me that the have the heavy guy being the comic relief, because he just rocks.

Being heavy myself, having Hurley be "the jolly fat guy" was irritating at first, but they've redeemed him a bit in his exchange with Charlie last week, as well as having him be the morale officer on the island. Now, all he has to do is figure out (maybe with Sayid's help?) how to rig up a still, and they're in business!

I'm willing to handwave the linguistic accuracy if we get Mira Furlan for our troubles.

So am I.

Interesting on the maps -- it looks like there could be a central valley -- consistent with this being a volcanic island, especially if the "mountains" are the sides of a massively worn-down crater.

Since the series is filmed in Hawaii, the terrain is consistent with what you can find in an authentically volcanic island at least. :-)

And black rock, oh yes. Maybe there's a huge block of Obsidian somewhere....

I am Hurley's size, (maybe bigger, I'm a horrible judge of how huge I appear to others) I had trepidations also. But he's been more than just Jolly, he's been smart and dumb and inspired and a little crazy. He was even tired and clueless about Charlie's guitar back in "the Moth." In other words, they aren't making him always comic relief, Just like Charlie. I like that.

I enjoyed the crazy laugh he gave when he was running off to build the golf course.

I think Cleolinda was the one who snarked about why they brought the bags they had found to Hurley. I think that's because Hurley has become Jack's de facto company clerk/assistant. They were dropping them off at HQ, basically.

I'm seeing Hurley these days as Quartermaster and Chief of Morale. Which are not bad roles to have, even if they're not Leader and Healer or Shaman and Hunter.

I'm liking the Charlie-Hurley friendship -- the actors have a relaxed buddy vibe between them.

I like it that they've had Hurley get snarky on occasion too, like that "Oh, could I?" from a few episodes back. Hmmm, sarcasm also somewhat redeemed the Groosalugg as a watchable character.

especially if the "mountains" are the sides of a massively worn-down crater.

I think they showed this a bit when they were playing golf, mountains on both sides.

I'm hazarding a guess they are on the south end of the island, to the left on the map.

I've added a crude directional arrow to map 3, corresponding to the one on the map.

I'm liking the Charlie-Hurley friendship -- the actors have a relaxed buddy vibe between them.

It was really nicely set up in that fishing scene way back in one of the first eps.