Finally managed to watch the episode. It kills me watching the posts ratchet up and not be able to read them. But threadsuck is my friend. Yes.

I watched it with a distinctly non-fannish friend of mine, and she's now concinced that Jack was in love with Boone. Which I guess ties the flashback into the main storyline. But would also imply that someone would be able to find Boone interesting. Bye, Boone. Don't let the hatch door hit your ass on the way out.

I don't understand why Jack and Locke are on different 'sides'. Locke, yeah, fine, he's got his island mojo working for him, but Jack just seems to be ticking along. He's not instigating any of the 'get off the island quick' schemes, which might be the one thing that would put him in opposition to Locke's plans. Other than Boone's death (which, yes, Big), I don't think there's enough difference between them to divide the survivors into 'sides'.

I doubt it's a great idea for a brand new baby to be on set

Which is why preemies are often used.

Actually, I'd just want to know *anything* he said, period, particularly if I hadn't been there.

But, "he thought of you" is closure. "Tell Shannon---" isn't. Because then you spend the rest of your life going, "Tell me what ?"

Playing catch-up....

Wasn't the axe ruled out because they don't have it with them, it having been stolen by Boone and Locke?

When the baby was born, I thought "hey, Boone reincarnated!" and then they flipped back to the caves and Boone was still alive. humph.

I actually thought Kate was a bad choice for the baby delivery but only because she kept freezing up when Jack was giving screaming orders. I halfway expected her to freeze up and Jin to step smoothly in.

I'm definitely in the camp of "what the heck was the flashback of the wedding for?!"

And how adorable was Sayid?

I'm definitely in the camp of "what the heck was the flashback of the wedding for?!"

I'm going to copy what I've posted in a couple people's LJs as a comment:

Jack's dad said commitment is what makes him tick, and I really think that to put it in those terms cemented so many fundamental aspects of his character. That and the fact that his bloody wife calls him a hero in front of everyone else. See, maybe we didn't learn anything new about Jack specifically, but I think we learned a lot more about why he is the way he is. I mean, look at the guy. Look at what he has to live up to. He has a hero complex because he's expected to be a hero. Put this together with the fact that he has a fierce need to be fully committed to something, and you have a man who must! save! everyone! And it's like...I almost feel sorry for him, because I'm not sure this is who he wanted to be, but it's who he's become because he's had to. Aw crap, I almost cried writing that. Identity issues always get me.

But, "he thought of you" is closure. "Tell Shannon---" isn't. Because then you spend the rest of your life going, "Tell me what ?"

Sounds like a good contest: "Tell Shannon ---"

"I had Sayid first."

Wasn't the axe ruled out because they don't have it with them, it having been stolen by Boone and Locke?

Jin was using it (or one) to work on the raft in the beginning of the ep.

Thing is, Jack hasn't mentioned his wife, we didn't actually hear a pronouncement or see the end of the ceremony. I'm suspicious about this whole wife thing. Something else happened, even if they did get married.

Don't let the hatch door hit your ass on the way out.

They weren't going to use it on his ass.

Jin was using it (or one) to work on the raft in the beginning of the ep.

Ah. nevermind then.

*goes back to being annoyed about the preview "look at all this stuff you don't get to see for another month!!". grr.*

I actually did want Kate to give Jack some kind of, "Look, just because I have BOOBS doesn't mean I know how to DELIVER BABIES!" speech, because it seems to be a common television misconception, and just ONCE I would like to see it corrected. (Farscape came closest.) But she didn't.

I couldn't decide whether it was a case of chauvinism on Jack's part, chauvinism on the writers' part, Jack giving the task to someone Claire would be more calm and comfortable with, or Jack knowing that Kate does well under pressure whereas Charlie would be having the mother of all freakouts and be no help whatsoever.

I can speak from experience that you don't give two shits what gender the hands are that are pulling the kid from you. Nope. And that person could be accompanied by a entire brass marching band and it wouldn't increase your discomfort level by one whit.

I think the choice of the female delivering the baby is more a comfort for the people doing the delivering (or not in this case). I didn't care for the almost waiting-room like aspect of having Charlie and Jin sitting back while Kate and Claire did all the work. Since there was no birthing chair or bed for Claire to lie in, it could have made her more comfortable to have the guys bracing her legs while she pushed.

Or if the goolie was too scary for the boys, at least have Charlie sitting behind her cradling her to get her into a sitting position and keeping her cool with a wet cloth or something useful.