From what I've seen, any shmuck who gets lost in the woods could find (a) caves and (b) water. Possibly (c) invisimechasaurs as well, but their appearances are awfully convenient.

Sun and Sayid are the two who have shown the longest-range planning, although that's not saying a hell of a lot. As a group, they're just not willing (or haven't been willing) to think strategically. They haven't even mapped Lost Island, and don't know if, ten miles down the beach around that curve, there might be a Club Med.

I'm not really sure what would be a catalyst for the survivors to cohere and begin to think strategically about the group as a group -- I'm sort of surprised that the Ethan/Claire debacle didn't have more impact. Being a raging paranoiac myself, I find the idea of an infiltrator freaky, and a kidnapper double-freaky. I would, at this point, long since have organized a buddy-system for going anywhere, emergency noise-makers or whistles, and a rotation for guarding the camp at night.

If we don't count medical saves, has he saved more than Locke? Given that both Sayid and Locke have the skillset to find water too?

Dragged Claire and Hurley out from under an about to collapse fuel-filled wing; pulled a drowning Boone out of the water; went back to rescue trapped Charlie from rampaging Lostzilla. Locke's hauled Jack up from a cliff; that's his only save so far.

I guess I'm counting value in terms of uniqueness. Sure, Jack is the only doctor, but most of his skills will never come into play. And only a few people have needed what only he can bring to the table.

But that's the thing; Jack's skills *are* unique, and extraordinarily hard for anyone on the island to learn the full array of. Protein-gathering is something any reasonably competent adult can figure out. This is not to dis those who do it especially well and tastily -- Jin would definitely be in the running for my 4th pick after Michael -- but I'm confident I can provide my own protein, and *not* confident I can undislocate my shoulder, set my own leg, and sew up gaping wounds. And while I bet Jack hopes he never has to do a Cesaerian section or a trepanation, at least the victims would have a fighting chance.

Locke's hauled Jack up from a cliff; that's his only save so far.

I guess I'm still counting feeding 40 odd survivors for at least two weeks as save-ish.

Jin would have to be catching a whole lot of fish to match a couple hundred pounds of boar. Also, the monster in the woods has not eaten since Locke stared it down/made his contract/it turned into Ethan and helped him catch rabbits.

I would love for Locke to hand someone over to the monster for food, as some sort of sacrifice. It'd be funnier if he went around asking random islanders if they were virgins.

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 pshawed the idea that someone as willowy as she could be any danger to the marshal after being warned about her by same. It wasn't until Hurley pointed out the gun that he entertained the possibility she might be able to kill the weak-as-a-kitten antagonist whose survival might mean an indefinite jail term for her.

Maybe that's it. Maybe I just think that Jack is lame because he's an inconsistently written character. Or an idiot. Or both.

That could be the root of my disdain.

Maybe (P-C/virgin scenario) that's why he was dragging Boone around, and when he couldn't get an answer other than "my sister...mumble mumble" Locke decided to tie him up and get away.

It bothers me that no one seems to be freaking even a little about the fact that there is at least one mysterious crazy person on the island who was not on the plane, has kidnapped a helpless woman and tried to kill a man for reasons unknown, and he's still out there. Even if everyone's assuming Claire and the baby are dead, Ethan is still a danger, and no one even seems worried about it, much less taking any precautions.

I'm suspicious of Locke. I don't think he's actually intending to hurt anyone, but he could end up helping them to death. Boone is an idiot for not demanding to know why and how Locke did what he did to him. But then, we know Boone pretty much is an idiot, so there.

I was both sorry and not-sorry that Shannon was not really dead. Because I don't like her and wouldn't miss her, but this episode she just started getting interesting. I don't feel cheated by the fake-out; I found the purposeful hallucination even creepier than her death would have been.

I guess I'm still counting feeding 40 odd survivors for at least two weeks as save-ish.

I count Locke's first boar and the water find as about the same level of save; in both cases, food and water were in the jungle for anyone to find, but it took Locke and Jack to get off their asses and actually find it.

Jin would have to be catching a whole lot of fish to match a couple hundred pounds of boar.

We saw him pull in three good size fish with one throw; if that's the sort of success he's having, and he's fishing every day, he's probably bringing in the same level of protein as Locke bringing in 100 pounds of boar meat on a more irregular basis.

It'd be nice if they salvaged up some snorkeling equipment -- we had at least two divers on board and one has their dive bag -- and went hunting for crustaceans.