This episode definitely got my brains spinning…maybe too fast.

Love everyone’s theories! It gets me through my week!

Hanna, I love this idea that the blurred line between yin and yang is similar to the line between our two parallel universes. The question is whether it’s possible for yin and yang to blend together into a sort of gray. I mean, that’s what we’re talking about here when we say that Smoke and Jacob may be neither good nor evil. If so, then it seems logical our parallel worlds will do the same.

About the mother, I’m really hoping it’s not Juliet, I mean that’d be totally predictable and Darlton are NOT like that. So, I’m hoping it’s not her. It could totally be her ex, Sarah.

I like your theory about the wounds and the water, and I’m expecting Desmond to make an appearance soon, maybe he’s the one that’s coming?

Or maybe I just really want Des back…

In other news, saw a very short clip for this week’s upcoming episode at PaleyFest tonight and looks like it’s going to be a good episode! Also, Damon said they never think of themselves as smarter than the audience so when they use a name that you can Google to find the basis for their use of it and how it connects to the show, it’s because they expect fans to do that. (The example he used was Dogen.) I thought it was interesting as to how that ties back to our discussions here last season about the Egyptian symbols, etc.

oh! did anyone noticed how Hurley didnt really notice the numbers, i guess because its on a dial it would make much sense for him to freak about it, but he was told to put it on 8 and jack was like turn it to 23! i dunno i feel like maybe he should have noticed that their names were on 2 of the “numbers” i dunno something i just though about.

so one question: adam and eve are the two previous good/bad people right? seeing that they had those pebbles in their pockets?

I guess it depends how we look at the situation, ie was Jacob simply just saving Kate in the shop or was the shoplifting just a front and he had all evil and manipulative plans underneath.

Another great reminder from this episode was when Jack said he followed his dad and that’s how he found the caves. Was that an act of good or evil (either of the men) or was it simply just Jack seeing his dad?

Also, I really liked the mirror-thingy. I kinda wish they had even more stuff like that. Very Atlantis-like stuff. More interactive technological things like the mirror and the donkey wheel and less bonsai trees. Just saying.

I just put up my Lost post earlier tonight. Had a crazy week, like you did, so my thoughts have been ruminating all week- and the longer they sat, the more they coalesced around the Through the Looking Glass parallels throughout the SERIES, as well as through the episode. Jack looks into a looking glass twice and notices something strange BOTH times: his scar and in Jacob’s mirror, his home. He’s also the only one with a sense of deja vu, much like what Desmond had when he jumped to another timeline (something that, the more I read up on string theory, is what I think happened in season 3, as opposed to season 4, when his consciousness was merely ‘unstuck’). Anyway, so I agree with you- I think it’s an Alti. I think Jack has to help himself (as well as others) get back to the Island. But to do what? Just to reconcile the timelines? Or to stop Smokie? Will those on the Island not be able to stop Smokie until Jack brings the Alties (good term, by the way) back to the Island?

OHMY. Just thought this… what would happen if Alive Locke showed up on the Island whilst Smokie is stuck in Dead Locke’s body? Anything cataclysmic?

John you are dead right about the water having healing properties and about Hurley’s potential. I remember an early episode when Jack was AWOL and Hurley tricked/manipulated Sawyer into being the leader because they needed someone to follow – Hurley has the potential to be a freaking mastermind!

The more I see of Jacob the more I am convinced his behaviour mimics that of an evil cult leader, further supported by the way the others, (his followers) are reacting now that they have lost the island’s protector (prophet).

Lastly, even though she butchered someone with an axe, I’m still not convinced that CrazyClaire is evil. Woot! Team Claire!

Definitely a better Jack episode than expected, probably because of the rising of that Shepherd line theory…
..by the way, I still don’t think too much of Jack’s acting. Wasn’t he outplayed by David?…

Cabrera, what do you make of Desmond?? He used to be such a free element, + that scene in the Alti-plane….what are they getting him ready for??…

But of course, it could be.

An Aside: Have we see any of the other Tailies besides Bernard and Cindy (thanks to Am for helping me remember her) this season? I know that may be somewhat dictated by cast availability but talking about Ana Lucia reminded me.

Umm. I have more to say but my brain doesn’t seem to be functioning so I’ll be back once it gets back to “normal.”

O well, now that I got that out.. John, your recaps rock, I tell all the Losties I know about them =)

Ok, I am not entirely convinced anymore that smokey=evil, I’m starting to think that maybe hes just a pist off mist just trying to get off the island hes been prisoner on. Jacob is shaping out to be in my mind (do I dare say it……..) selfish. Ya i said it. He tries to control everyone- and no one has had a say in it.. I am not anti-Jacob, I promise.. I just think that it would be a nice twist to have the one we all thought was the “good” one, to turn out, well, not to be so perfect.

Biblical stuff on Jacob: Jacob became rich… as Laban [no relevance or smokey] became increasingly poor. And then, one day, without telling Laban his plans, Jacob packs up all his belongings, his wives, his children, his servants, his livestock, and takes off, fleeing from Laban. After a couple days, when Laban found out that Jacob had fled, Laban pursued him. He was upset because so much of his wealth left with Jacob……. he and Jacob [eventually] made a peace agreement, and Jacob traveled on with his belongings, returning to the land [island?] where he grew up.

However, coming back to the land, he knew he would have to face Esau [smokey], his brother who had threatened to kill him. He feared Esau greatly… ah enough of that.

I have to disagree completely that Juliet could be the mother. Seems totally lame, esp since the story wrapped us so emotionally with her & Sawyer. But who knows, this is Lost.

One more thing.. PLEASE NOOO TO THE RETURN OF SHANNON!

But Claire is just a pawn. It’s sad. I still like my idea that the “infected” are the worker bees of Smokey.

Now I’m worried about what this infection will mean for Sayid. And I’m scared for Jin and don’t know why he would want to take her to the Temple! This will end badly.

Also, I thought the lighthouse was cool as hell! And I read an idea somewhere that the cave was actually Smokey’s lair and the Lighthouse is Jacob’s… so perhaps Smokey was also tracking folks? That’s an interesting idea.

I love Jack as a daddy. This season is really making me warm towards Jack, I usually find him to be really annoying. And I will be annoyed if Juliet is the baby mama, because Jack doesn’t deserve her. Of course, maybe that’s why they aren’t together anymore. But, it would be a pretty good twist.