I think Boone is a super Star Trek geek and is too embarrassed to admit it (he couldn't remember "the guy with the pointy ears"--and I don't know if he meant Data or Spock, since I don't remember which series he was referring to), but he was clearly into it enough to notice the Red Shirt thing.

Spock. The Red Shirt thing is ST:TOS. And I so shouldn't be the person telling you this, because I've never seen an episode of ST:TOS.

I like Saywer's character, but his nicknaming is finally becoming tiresome even to me. Also, his use of the word "Islams." Really, he's never come across to me as that ignorant. Bigoted, yes, but intelligent enough to know what the hell a Muslim is.

Wait, wait, what? Split up? Who said they were split up?

They discovered two trails, and Kate thought one was actually a fake trail planted by Ethan, but now it looks like Ethan went one way with Charlie and "they" took Claire the other way.

Locke and Boone are following "them."

Oh my God. I always thought the threat "I will kill one of them" sounded a little weak, but now it makes sense: he only had one of them!

Well, there were two tracks in the jungle, one that Jack & Kate were following, and one that Locke and Boone were following. At first I figured one of them had to be wrong, but now it seems likely that Ethan was working in association with "the others", and that he took either Charlie or Claire and "the other" took, um, the other. Which would explain why Charlie can't remember anything about where she was taken.

Also, does anyone think that the theory I mentioned earlier (that "the others" were somehow responsible for the plane crash, because they wanted/needed to get Claire and the baby) holds any water?

He had given up. He was taking out his frustration on Charlie's body.

The repeated knock against the chest is actually called "precordial thump". It's an accepted medical procedure for kick-starting the heart when a defibrillator is not available. Jack went on longer than others may have in the circumstances and was definitely not giving up.

Beverly, the Sayid/Sawyer scene went something like this:

Sawyer: HA! Ain't Karma a bitch?
Sayid: I am not afraid of your oddly arousing threat. You wanna shot at me? Take it.
Sawyer: (burning gaze)
Sayid: I left out of shame of my dirty wrong feelings about you of what I did to you. I wasn't going to come back.
Sawyer: Sorry, fresh out of sweet forgiveness. So why did ya come back?
Sayid: Crazy French woman took me prisoner and science expedition and OMG other people on the island and she keel them ALL!
Sawyer: Yeah, right. And Bob's yur uncle. So where are these *others*?
Sayid: She's never seen them.
Sawyer: ::snorts:: You believe her?
Sayid: (uncertain) maybe. Maybe not. On my way back, I saw something naaaasty in the woodshed! I mean, heard something in the jungle. Anyway, why the third degree, when you know I've got no answers?
Sawyer: (feigning nonchalance) Tide's in. Kept your signal fire burning.

the theory I mentioned earlier (that "the others" were somehow responsible for the plane crash, because they wanted/needed to get Claire and the baby) holds any water?

I thought of that the minute Charlie said, "they only wanted Claire. That's all they wanted."

Also, does anyone think that the theory I mentioned earlier (that "the others" were somehow responsible for the plane crash, because they wanted/needed to get Claire and the baby) holds any water?

Considering that all navigational instruments went wacky as told by the pilot and the crazy french lady...yeah.

On my way back, I saw something naaaasty in the woodshed!

Okay, I laughed so loud and sudden it sounded like a bark. I scared the cat.

Erg, oops. Gotta wait until West Wing is done taping, which is annoying, because I don't actually watch it.

But, heh, Nora and Vonnie's recaps work. And I did catch the "kept your signal fire burning," line. Dude. Kept the home fires burning is what.

hiding from talk of new episode as not seen it yet...and unspoiled

PARTYMAN!!! I'd been wondering where you were, and how it went with that one girl.

Hey Polter-Cow, I am... um... here!

Which one girl? This one, that one, or the other one?

In fact, that doesn't matter, the answer would still be... not so well!

Which one girl? This one, that one, or the other one?

The one you had to drive long distances to show her Wonderfalls.

In fact, that doesn't matter, the answer would still be... not so well!

Aw. Sorry, man.

The one you had to drive long distances to show her Wonderfalls.

Ah yes. Though Trains were the actual mode of transport as I don't drive.... Her. *sigh*

That kind of fizzled out after she decided that she wanted to get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Or something like that.