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.

Kate seems capable of getting her own food, as the gatherer to compliment Locke and Jin's hunting/fishing.

Did we ever see her getting her own protein?

Jack has already saved a couple of people and if Claire hadn't been kidnapped, would be helpful in her giving birth and shit. Ethan's her midwife now. If Jack hadn't been around, Charlie would be daid.

Sawyer would be dead for sure...Sayid no doubt would have killed him twice over.

Shannon might have been dead if Jack hadn't gotten her to breathe before the koala bear food took effect.

I'm not saying that Jack hasn't been useful. Just asking why he's more useful than the person that has been feeding the community (since everyone poopseats, and only some people have been ill or injured), or the backup feeder.

For me it depends on how much I know: what an observer on the island would pick up, or the audience's limited omniscience.

Hurley knows Kate's a criminal, Sawyer knows she makes Shannon seem sincere and unmanipulative, and only Jack knows both facts (and he is utterly clueless about how dangerous she is, whereas I think the other two at least realize that getting her really mad would be a Bad Idea.) To everyone else she's the strong trustworthy broad with good ideas that's been gathering fruit for everybody for weeks.

Locke, on the other hand, is the somewhat creepy survivalist guy who came armed with enough knives to put on his own production of West Side Story and rambles about visionquests and Destiny when he's not off by himself in the jungle imitating Colonel Kurtz. I know which I'd feel more at ease around.

As an informed viewer, I think I'd pick the same. I think someone who's dangerously off kilter when their personal buttons are pushed is a lot easier to predict and get along with than someone who has the vibe of a religious fanatic.

Matt,

I think Jack has an idea about how dangerous Kate can be. Unless he has lost his mind, he can't forget about how desperate the marshal seemed to find out where she was. He still wants to know WTF she did. And her deception won't easily be forgotten.

Did we ever see her getting her own protein?

No, though she did say she was a vegetarian. Maybe there's a secret soybean farm on the island.