Jack knew he was giving up Allison and the baby by going back.

I don't think that he did. When he was talking to Henry about the guy tripping and spilling his chili, he acted as if everything was going to happen the same way, so he may have thought that he would get to go through courtship again, and not make any mistakes, but still end up married to Allison.

Yeah, Carter's "there's no way, no how, that we don't end up together" from OiaL does support the idea that Carter thought he could still have a life and family with Allison (and he probably didn't understand that even if he did, that it would come about differently, that any babies would be different babies.

But Henry knows that. Henry also knows that Carter, despite his bumbling, still has a chance at reclaiming some semblance of that future, paradox-free. Carter still has hope. So I don't expect Henry to really be able to feel he's in the same boat with Carter, but I think Henry's act in the end was partly an acknowledgment of Carter's loss.

Also, one thing I thought odd watching, but now realize was a result of his living four extra years in Eureka, was how extra smart Carter was this ep. The lines he was spouting and conclusions he were coming to and equipment he was handling (Carter is putting electrodes on Stark?!) seemed out of 2006!Carter's league.

Cferg, for you I shall chalk it up to needed exposition and take away from it the fact that Carter was on top of the world in the beginning, full of hope and optimism. Which, like I said, counterpointed the ending so nicely.

In last season's finale, at what point in the future did Henry go back to save whassername the first time?

a result of his living four extra years in Eureka, was how extra smart Carter was this ep

I wonder if he will somehow keep that savvy, maybe subconsciously, or if he lost it with his memories?

In last season's finale, at what point in the future did Henry go back to save whassername the first time?

Months, years? Or maybe just weeks or days. He had to lobby to get Stark's job, which Nathan lost due to "Cutting corners on the Artifact", which could take time.

Since Stark losing his job wasn't due to something catastrophic like a death, the DoD might not be in as much of a "rush" to replace him and take their time finding alternate candidates. It took them a month to finally fire him in this timeline, so maybe longer in the alternate one.

Then he had to get Walter's tachy-whatzamahoozit-thingy out of deep storage and in working order for his own purposes.

I wonder if he will somehow keep that savvy, maybe subconsciously, or if he lost it with his memories?

Well, he seemed to still have an affinity for that book of sonnets, although I prefer him not so savvy. Part of his charm.

Months, years? Or maybe just weeks or days. He had to lobby to get Stark's job, which Nathan lost due to "Cutting corners on the Artifact". Then he had to get Walter's tachy-whatzamahoozit-thingy out of deep storage and in working order for his own purposes.

Thanks. So that means that, in the original original timeline, the same people should have gone explode-y as in last night's episode. In which case, shouldn't Henry known what was going on, since he's been through all three timelines?

I wonder if he will somehow keep that savvy, maybe subconsciously, or if he lost it with his memories?

it might make for some fun "how did I know that?" moments.

Thanks. So that means that, in the original original timeline, the same people should have gone explode-y as in last night's episode. In which case, shouldn't Henry known what was going on, since he's been through all three timelines?

ah, time paradox

Jon, wasn't that lobbying thing I mentioned from the alternate timeline? Although I suppose it would still hold for this one, except he's not lobbying for Stark's job, but Allison's.

I think you're right, though. Henry would have known about those other deaths (explains his guilty "Oh, I never noticed those guys before"). I think he's still on the same path (time travel hurts brain!). But then again, things still are truly different from how they went down the first time he went back, when Carter wasn't there to stop him, because otherwise Henry would have known that Carter would have tried to stop him and and and *splat*

I think that Henry's position that anything may change next time round may cover things--like a writer-installed handwave. *I* would think only clearly dependent things would change, but Henry seemed to imply more.