So are we assuming Ethan dragged off Charlie on his own, and the Others took Claire down the path Locke followed?

Oh, oh, I wonder if you're right. Which would mean that Locke didn't lose the trail after all.

Oh, dude, point.

And damn was that a fakeout or was that a fakeout? I don't know how possible it is either, but the whole time, I was shouting words of disbelief at the screen, and they weren't bringing him back. Damn.

The steel thing is totally a secret laboratory.

Javier G-M is the one who wrote the Sawyer episode, right? I didn't think this episode was...okay, I really can't separate my opinions of the episode from the environment anymore, I don't think. Because there were many good little things, but it's really hard to be engrossed in the show when there are three people in loud conversation bursting into laughter every few minutes.

I wonder if the bit about the red shirts was a TWoP shout-out, as someone did start a Red Shirt topic for the extras.

Possibly cereal:

I missed the Sayid/Sawyer reunion scene (theyaresoinlove), Beverly, but I'm going to go rewind right now.

If Ethan blindfolded Charlie, then dragged him off, he would'nt have much to remember. His eyes had a raw patch around them, so the blindfold might have been on a while. Or is that a suffocation thing?

I was feeling it too- that killing Charlie would be exactly the most perfect, horrible, horrible thing they could ever so I was admiring their guts.

But also, I was teary, screaming, and throwing things, thinking of how sad I'd be ever watching it again.

Yeah, I'm massively happy that Charlie isn't dead, but there is a part of me that was admiring them for killing him off, since he's one of the most beloved characters on the show, and regrets--just a teeny bit--that they undercut the effectiveness of that scene by bringing him back.

I agree with askye that Jack was supremely annoying in this episode, and that I hope he'll be taken to task at some point over his unwillingness to listen to others' advice.

Also, I have said it before and I'll say it again: I could not love Locke more no matter how hard I tried.

Jack giving up, then not giving up on Charlie=Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in The Abyss. Both scenes had me in tears.

Yes, Michael went out to the south, but I think he took Steve and/or Scott with him, because there was somebody with him when he came back.

Walt said, "Brian. My other dad." So. Did Walt lose the stepfather when he lost his mom? And Michael has a Brian-shaped yardstick to measure up to, in Walt's eyes.

Can nobdy tell me about the conversation between Sawyer and Sayid?

However, this is the second time Jack has saved someone from the brink of death and I really really hope it doesn't happen again.

I was thinking Jack will think of this one as coincidental. He had given up. He was taking out his frustration on Charlie's body.

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Also, I think Ethan was totally going to off Charlie in the way that he did. I think the supposition that they were split up is intriguing, and likely. This is why Charlie knew nothing of Claire.

I hate sweeps cliffhangers. and by hate I mean love.

True words. I remember talking all summer about who shot J.R.

Running out the door again. I only saw the last 15 so I have to wait until tomorrow to see the beginning.

Well done.

I missed the Sayid/Sawyer reunion scene (theyaresoinlove)

I've never done the slashy thing before, but so help me, I see it here.

Also, I think the steel thing is a bunker. For totally.

I thought that Locke was trying to get rid of Boone so he could commune with the island/get the magic to work. Plus I think either Locke rubbed some of his magic off on Walt, or Walt's got some of his own going on because the dice thing was weird.

I noticed this too. In the last episode the expression on Locke's face was such that it gave me the impression that he was almost annoyed that Sayid had come back to the caves to tell everyone about others being on the island.

My prediction with regard to Locke is that, while right now he's pulling for the good guys, something happened to him or the island did something to him so that he might not be acting of his own will and he will subtly start acting in favor of the "others" or whatever's out there. And Walt will be his sidekick. The writers are putting so much tension between Locke-Walt-Michael for it to not play out later.