I just don't see Kate as useful. Sure, I'd rather have coffee with her than Locke, but I wouldn't follow her, not now.

JZ, all metaphor-like, I am in agreeance with you. Kate, although untruthful, is not hiding anything that directly affects my survival; Locke probably is.

Locke is like a gigantic monster truck, and were I on the island I would want him far away from me so he can't perform mayhem on me.

Kate is like a racing motorcycle, twisty and fast and flexible, and you could just tuck yourself in behind her in an air pocket and smoove yourself into coconut telephone paradise.

Which makes Sawyer is a giant Catherine-wheel-encrusted parade float, covered with towers and uncomfortable children and awkward spires that catch on the power lines or break off in the middle of main street.

I just don't see Kate as useful. Sure, I'd rather have coffee with her than Locke, but I wouldn't follow her, not now.

I wouldn't follow her either, but I'd feel relatively safe in her company -- not necessarily safe from the invisamechasaur or the polar bears or whatnot, but at least safe from her. She did bad things, she doesn't want to talk about them; fine, I won't ask, it's all good.

(eta: Or, what Nutty said)

I not only wouldn't follow Locke but I wouldn't even want to be around him; I'd feel safer from the rest of the island's badness with him, but far less safe from him. Though, irrationally, not much safer from him at any distance either.

And Locke's been helpful in the past, but he's spent almost a week going out on fake hunts that actually consist entirely of hatch-gazing. Whatever else he's doing, he's not feeding anyone now (except possibly himself).

Rather, I don't see Kate as interesting. I'm interested in Locke, and all his crazy. What I really like about the character is how we all were led to completely disregard him from day one as Crazy Orange Smile Guy. His reaction to the crash seemed completely incompatible, so he must be crazy. But later, we learned where he was on his personal meter, and his reaction of joy and discovery was completely practical and personal.

Not that I think his role as Sharp Edged Weapon Distributor and Keeper of the Hallucinopaste is a particularly benevolent or necessarily positive, but I'm guessing it is practical and rational. If, you know, only for him.

However, bear in mind that, as my SO says, I want everyone to be evil (eta: you know, on television. Fictional television.), so my liking Locke prolly has some taint to it.

Well, not evil so much. Just to have depth. And usually with that depth comes a certain degree of moral ambiguity, 'cause that's how life is.

Rather, I don't see Kate as interesting.

I do agree. Should we do coffee, I'd do all the talking. Still, it would be safer than brunching with Locke.

I think many people on the island might disagree with what his idea of "right" is, should he ever share it. But I do think he's less selfish than a Boone or a Sawyer, and less dithery than a Jack.

Jin and Michael. I'd stick to them. Not Kate, no point.

I have nothing useful to add. However, thanks to this:

What sort of power generation

I have Thrill Kill Kult's "Princess of Queens (The Last Generation)" stuck in my head. Thank you.

Hee. Sorry.

Jin and Michael.

Right there with you.

Well, we do prolly need to see Michael's backstory to see about his fatherhood issues, but it looks like he's really trying, and under difficult conditions.

One of the interesting things (for me at least) while watching Lost is how much I have to recalibrate my notion of ethical Good against physical Competence and Contribution.

Which might be why I was so quick to cut Sawyer's designer stubbley throat. But my appreciation of Competence in these circumstances overrides a lot of my other concerns. I think Jack, Locke and Sayid are the most important people (in that order) to surviving on the island . Maybe Sun, once we go long term.

Why is Jack so important? I'd place food over medical care, since it seems apparent that no one can get their own food other than Jin and Locke. Also, Sun has some medical uses too.