I was totally creeped out by Locke in this eppy. (I mean, more than I usually am.) I think he's in cahoots with Ethan et al, I don't know but Major Wiggums!

I too was vaguely disturbed by the Charlie-Claire "aww" stuff coming right after he riddled Ethan with bullets. Same thing on Alias after Syd tried to kill Vaughn , and then they're all googly-eyed again as if nothing happened.

Thanks, Jeff!!! Count me as another who's been missing the Mejias.

And the more I think about it, the more I was right last night - they should have had the flashbacks be Scott's instead of Charlie's. That would have been SO mean and twisted, but in a way I couldn't help but respect.

Thanks for the warm reception.

I think he's in cahoots with Ethan et al, I don't know but Major Wiggums!

I don't get this vibe, mainly because Locke was chief among those screamning that they wanted Ethan alive.

I agree that the flashbacks weren't too well done. It seemed like they were in there because, hey, that's the format they're committed to. Although I did laugh when Charlie barfed on the copier (I expeted the machine to work right after).

I don't buy Charlie's assertion that they wouldn't have gotten anything out of Ethan. I mean, they do have "a neurosurgeon and a genu-ine Iraqi" who would be much more motivated than when they tortured Sawyer, IMHO.

True. But remember...Sayid swore off his behavior. I don't think he wants to torture anyone anytime soon.

I do think Locke has his own agenda, but I don't necessarily think he's evil.

If someone killed me, they'd better not let me near him and a weapon. I can't think of a better time to lose my mind.

It might not be a good idea, but if temporary insanity had a time and a place, that'd be it. There's no reason for him to be rational.

Except -- they played it like protection, and him needing to protect. Not so interesting.

Claire looks really unpregnant. Did they examine her to be sure it's not a breadfruit jammed up her shirt?

1. Aggro-Jack in clingy-wet clothing? About as hot as I've seen him.

2. Aggro-Ethan? Same.

3. Jack has zero interpersonal insight, doesn't he? He shows Locke exactly where he hid the guns instead of keeping that a secret; he gives oh-so-reliable, oh-so-accurate-a-shot Sawyer a weapon, but doesn't even think of Kate. (Who may in fact be a mass murderer for all he knows, but coins to coconuts knows how to handle herself around firearms.)

3A. Am I correct in the assumption that Jack and Kate just FORGOT about the marshal's gun until Sawyer reminded them of it? It is useless without bullets, yes, but, um, Jack didn't discover the cache of bullets and then say, Hey, whatever happened to...? Dumb.

4. That was about the shittiest job of guarding people I've ever seen. I think that if you gave everybody a warning and a sharpened stick, they'd do a better job keeping each other safe than the Locke Squad could do. I mean, you don't have to be a Most Dangerous Game to give a yell when something isn't on the up-and-up.

he gives oh-so-reliable, oh-so-accurate-a-shot Sawyer a weapon, but doesn't even think of Kate.

Oh, I don't think that was it. I think he very specifically didn't want her to get her hands on one of the guns, if only because she's been wanting one so much. Now whether Sawyer was a better choice is a whole 'nother question.

doesn't even think of Kate.

How much did Kate tell him? Hadn't she been playing dumb about guns?

She played dumb back in the WTF polar bear days, but Jack wasn't there for that. He seemed to assume she had some kind of competence when they broke open the suitcase.

And, I can understand he's wary about her, especially because he's effectively keeping her secret. (Hurley knows too, right? But doesn't think it salient to mention.) But there is wary and then there is not using your tools. Kate's a lot of things, especially a liar, but she's demonstrated a pretty solid sensibility of "I want to live and I want the people not named Ethan around me to live too."