Well, the number confirmed on the island is 46.

48 includes the pilot who died. The narshall died. The woman swimmer we never saw, the man whose name few people knew was killed by Ethan. Boone. That leaves 43.

Add to that, Claire's kid. Danielle and Desmond.

/chopped liver

Oh, there you are Jess. It's about time you closed that tag. I thought I was all alone over here....

I would have happily traded the flashbacks for more raft time.

I would have too. While I thought they added a little, I think we would have been better served with more of their story on the raft. I think the real problem is that the writers felt they're sort of stuck with a Main Story/Flashback format now, and had to do somebody's flashback. And they probably already have big plans for Sawyer, Kate and Locke, so they were left with a Michael backstory, and frankly, I think Michael's just a character without a lot buried in his past, so there's not much left we're going to glean from his flashbacks.

For the life of me I could not figure out why on earth they would show us that flashback narrative, because nothing new happened.

The one thing it showed me that (I think) was new was that Michael had seen Walt once in person, and vice-versa, and been introduced to him as his father. Whether Walt was old enough to even remember is a whole 'nother question.

Not enough of a thing (or potential thing) to spend THAT much time on, though. I would have rather had half (or less the amount) and another Sawyer flashback as a tag-team.

And, no, by tag-team I do not mean porn, but you all can do with it what you will.

and frankly, I think Michael's just a character without a lot buried in his past, so there's not much left we're going to glean from his flashbacks.

They should start using backstory from his Oz character. Lots more material there.

Nonsense. I'm over there, too. I'm still liking it a LOT.

You have to close your chapped liver tag, or I can't see you.

ETA: I was going to correct my misspelling, but I'm now intruigued by the idea of chapped liver.

You have to close your chapped liver tag, or I can't see you.

Yeah, I'm getting that a lot lately.

You have to close your chapped liver tag, or I can't see you.

Jess, how did you manage to chap your liver?

Jess, how did you manage to chap your liver?

I think that's a rather personal question, don't you?

Oh, and FTR still enjoying it for the actors (much the way I do ALIAS). Michael was an asshat on the debris, and basically a patsy in the flashbacks, but Harold Parrineau was awsome and sold me on both.

I think that's a rather personal question, don't you?