LOST: So what's up with you guys and the old Dharma jumpsuits?

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Hurley (to Caesar): Dude, you might want to fasten your seatbelt.

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2008.

We get to watch Ajira 316 go down in what I'll call "present day."

I'm digging Jeff Fahey, and y'know what? I'm not sure why. His recent GRINDHOUSE role just sort of... I dunno... rebooted him. He just suddenly kind of came into his own, grew into his own skin, y'know? Maybe it only makes him really good for a certain kind of character, but if that's what he's doing, nothing wrong with that.

His Lapidus is so straight-shooter, fair-minded, and down-to-earth, he's the closest thing to an able man-on-the-street involved in the LOST madness, y'know? Not bringing any crazy baggage, just his skills, common sense, survival instinct, and respect.

Lapidus: Oh, no... Oh my god!

So fun to watch and hear him in the moments before it all hits the fan. He Knows. And when we see the Island appear through the clouds, it's like being in the cockpit of the Falcon when it's being tractor beamed to the Death Star.

Copilot: Is that a runway?

How awesome is it that Lapidus Sullys Ajira 316 down on the gravel that Kate and Sawyer were busting back when they were Ben's captives? Pretty frickin awesome, that's how awesome. =)

Could this be Lapidus's gift? Flying? Or maybe it's more of an Abaddon trait. Getting people to where they need to be, but in more of an unconscious manner than Matthew.

Is it just me, or did Alanna not look all that surprised or worried about the freaky turbulence? And when Caesar rouses her, who does she ask for? Sarah? She doesn't make a big deal about her prisoner (?) being gone, tho, does she? So, Sayid got flashed back, but...

Sun is still in the present! Blerg! So, she's the woman who scarpers off with Lapidus and the manifest. I couldn't think of a reason why Sun wouldn't be flashed back, but I guess there must be one!

Actually, having her get Christian to pull a SHINING moment on her and show her the 1977 DI new recruits photo is reason enough. =)

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1977.

We return to Sawyer's reunion with Hurley, Kate, and Jack. Another opportunity for the show to kill some time with people looking at each other and sizing one another up.

Sawyer should TOTALLY kiss Jack!

O well. Hurley leads with a hug, of course.

Sawyer: Easy on the ribs there, Kong.
Hurley: Kong... I actually missed that.

And then, the Sixers get bonked over the head with time travel.

Hurley: So what's up with you guys and the old Dharma jumpsuits?
Sawyer: You didn't tell them?
Jin: No, I was waiting for you...
Sawyer: We're in the Dharma Initiative.
Jack: What? They came back to the Island?
Sawyer: No, we came back. So did you.
Jack: What?
Sawyer: It's 1977.
Hurley: Oh... What?

Jack wants to find out what happened to Sayid, and Sun. Jin races off to see Radzinsky(!) at the Flame, who would be the DI guy who'd know if a plane (crash)landed on the Island.

Radzinsky's kind of a tool, but that's to be expected from Kelvin's talk about him. Kind of a reach to have the designer of the Swan as one its snowmen for so long that he'd end up killing himself, but, whatev.

Were Kelvin and Radzinsky the first snowmen? I would have thought that there were a few shifts before Kelvin arrived, post Gulf War, right? In 1977, Radzinsky is designing the Swan, so maybe it doesn't get completed for 10 years. What w the Swan being controlled by an Apple II computer from the 80s, I guess that makes sense.

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2008.

Lapidus steps up to rally the survivors. Caesar's interested in checking out the nearby buildings (the Hydra). Ben realizes where they are and sets off into the jungle on his own. Sun follows Ben. Lapidus follows Sun. Ben leads them to the outrigger canoes and thinks he's going to make it to the big island with Sun. He removes the sling from his arm—arm healed by the Island! Ben lectures Frank, and Sun oars Ben!

Lapidus: I thought you trusted him.
Sun: I lied.

Wheee!~ I *like* dark Sun now that she doesn't seem (AS) unbalanced.

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1977.

Ethan Rom is the son of Amy and Horace?! Bleah. I had a fraction of a thought that that would be the case, but I couldn't buy it. That means that he's growing up in the DI while Ben is growing up there, and conspiring w the Others. Ben and the Others wipe out the DI, and we're never shown any sign of any Dharma men, women, or children being spared. And I think it's kind of important that we're led to believe that Ben is a loner, and friendless in the DI. For Amy's Ethan to be Ethan, that means that he was recruited or handed over to the Others as a child. Maybe he grows up to wish his mom and dad dead, the way Ben does?

Bleah. I still don't like it. I liked Ethan as a long-time Other. What other DI peeps survived to be assimilated into the Others? Some or all of the children?

Boo.

LaFleur's plan to bring the Sixers in: have them join the groggy new recruits coming off the sub. I was hoping that this would be when Roger and Ben Linus arrive on the Island, but alas, not to be. We do get to see Peter Chang hand Dr. Jack a "Workman" jumpsuit and explain that he's been assigned janitorial duties. We also get to see Sawyer stick him with a wonderfully ridiculous preppy tool outfit! =)

Hurley asks Sawyer about revealing to the DI their ultimate fate (aforementioned pit of dead).

Sawyer: I ain't here to play Nostradaus to these people. Besides, Faraday's got some interesting theories about waht we can and can't do...

Unfortunately, we don't get to visit w Faraday this episode. Sawyer continues to write him off as fruitcake material, cracked, nuts. No doubt when he's not playing Weird Uncle to little Charlotte, he's mucking about in the fringe science research of the DI, looking for clues to time travel. Or who knows, maybe leaving clues to be found 30 years later...

Do you suppose Daniel's middle name might be Jacob?

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2008.

Frank and Sun arrive in ruined New Otherton, abandoned except for one bungalow, occupied by Christian Shephard, whom neither recognizes, of course. Sun asks if he knows where Jin is, and he tells them to follow him. He leads them to a DI hut with framed photos on the wall. He pulls down the 1977 "New Recruits" photo, shows it to them...

Christian: I'm sorry, but you have a bit of a journey ahead of you.

I'm really glad he said that. I'm taking that to mean that we're gonna get some more time hopping. Eventually, at least. Of course, that also leaves the door open for all kinds of even more destined to have already happened manipulations.

For a minute I was scared that Christian was gonna lead them to the pit of the DI dead and point out a jumpsuit with the label "Jin - Security." That would've sucked in a kinda cool way.

The SHINING photo reveal is way better, tho. =)

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1977.

Jack, Hurley, and Kate are now DI. Sayid has been brought in as a Hostile. Radzinsky believes him to be an Other spy who should be summarily shot, but LaFleur invokes the terms of the truce, gets Sayid to admit to being a Hostile, and then gets to bring him into the village as a captive.

Jack goes to visit Sawyer in his cabin. Juliet answers the door. Heh. He thinks he's got the wrong place, but she tells him he's got the right place, and invites him in. Sawyer is sitting in the living room, about to read a book. Jack and Sawyer have words about what to do. Sawyer takes Jack's leadership skills to task...

Sawyer: Thats how I like to run things. I think. I'm sure that doesn't matter to you...

There is something seriously ominous about Sawyer's presence in that room, in this scene. Something that hints to me at his role as a serious player in the struggle on the Island. Could Sawyer somehow become Jacob? A Jacob? A Widmore?

Jack leaves.

Meanwhile, back at the DI brig. Young Ben brings Sayid a sandwich! Ben wants to get closer to a Hostile...

Ben: What's your name.
Sayid: Sayid. What's yours?
Ben: I'm Ben.
Sayid: It's nice to meet you Ben.

I predict that we are going to see Sayid attempt to off a little kid... Woohoo! =)

So, Roger and Ben are already on the Island in 1977. I'm gonna guess that they arrived after 1974. This means that Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, and Faraday would know that they share the village with young Ben, but haven't done anything about it. Faraday's theories applied, perhaps? The logic being, since we know that Ben will be alive in the future to torment us, if we DID try to change or even kill him in the past, we must have failed, so, what's the point in trying?

But, hey, Sayid hasn't heard Faraday's theories, right? He gets to do the old kill-Hitler-as-a-baby thing, but with Ben! Wheee!~ =)

Keep on keepin on~

p.s. Some random outbursts...

Do Miles and Ethan have the same, or same sounding, last name?

Jacob's cabin was surrounded by a circle of ash, or salt.

Have any time-skippers given up Ben's name or destiny to Alpert?

Does Sawyer do regular face-to-face meets w Alpert?

Where are Elle and Charles in 1977?

What's going on with Aaron, Desmond, Penny, and Charles in the present?

How does Ben know that he's going to need a gravel runway for Ajira 316 to safely crashland him back onto the Island? Why, he goes back in time to tell himself, of course!