Maybe he was trying to protect the baby. From whatever disease the old group contracted.

Of course, the threatening to kill her next week doesn't really lend credence to that theory.

Yup, okay.

(And for those keeping track of the rewatch, it definitely was Ethan who was Locke's hunting partner.)

So now, why? Why is the island interested in the baby? Who is going to raise it to be an evil, evil creature?

as, I think, Nora pointed out

it was Le Nubian.

Le Nubian is going to raise Claire's baby!??!?

Well, do we think Ethan's working alone, or is there another colony of people on the island that he belongs to? Maybe they sensed the power of Claire's baby and wanted to use it for their own purposes.

I think the baby situation is the first instance on this show of real metaphysical forces at work, beyond whatever the monster on the island turns out to be. I mean, okay, we're going on Creepy Psychic's word, but if the baby is actually destined to be evil, then we're dealing with a world in which both destiny and pure evil are real. (Does that make sense to anyone but me?) It takes it one step beyond the world we inhabit, in my mind.

maybe the psychic went to the Wesley school of prophecy and how to interpret them.

I think the baby issues could still be not metaphysical. The introduction of the psychic is an interesting element, because we must either take him seriously and at his word, or not. Or he could be phrasing things in language that would cause a response in Claire.

Re: Ethan, well, Rosseau seems to believe there's a 'them' out there somewhere.

Wait, wait. Assuming the psychic was right in everything he said... first, he saw that the baby would be the Bad Seed if anyone but Claire raised him. He saw an Essence of Good in Claire. Then, he manipulated Claire to get her crashed on an island, and he must have known she would not die, so she must be the one to raise the baby, so she must not die, or Psychic would be wrong. If there were someone/something on the island that would bring out the Essence of Evil in the baby, then why would the psychic have sent her there? Gah.

Maybe Ethan is actually trying to protect the baby, not to hurt it. From what? Maybe not from the island, but from the other lost folks. Maybe he expects whatever happened to Danielle's crew to happen to them, and thus they won't be able to raise the baby. Ethan obviously has some social skills; it's hard for me to imagine that he was raised from childhood on a deserted island with no company except Crazy Danielle. I don't think Ethan is Alex, and I don't think the island is evil. I don't know what I do think.

I think I'm going to go watch my new Galaxy Rangers DVDs like I planned to half an hour ago.

I have one small point to make and then i must get off of this computer. my head is pounding.

if everyone's names were supposedly on that roster does that mean that Sawyer told Hurley his real name? and if not, i'd say that brings up an interesting quandary.

oh, tiggy, good point!