For the rest of you, here's what I thought:
- I'll start from the end. When they showed that white-haired, old-lady quantum physicist, I was sure it was Daniel Faraday's mom and that Desmond was coming to talk to her. But he didn't move quite that fast. No, it was Ben coming to talk to her (AWESOME!) and she turned out to be the time-hopping flashback advisor who instructed Desmond after the hatch switch he flipped sent him time-hopping, too. This didn't change my stance on her identity as Faraday's mom, even though she has called herself Ms. Hawking. Her previous pearls of wisdom for Desmond (You can't change the future) harmonize quite well with Daniel's warning to Sawyer (You can't change the past). So I'm sticking with that theory.
- Hurley/Hugo defying Ben was maddening and invigorating at the same time. I want to rush the moment that brings the Losties back to the Island, but I also loved the fact that the most genial guy on the show stuck it to the bug-eyed evil one.
- Ben is turning into the perfect character, the Severus Snape of Lost. He has the potential to be simultaneously awful and noble. You can't doubt everything he says, because he's too good a liar to always be wrong. But you also can't trust anything he says, because he's too good a liar to let you know when he's manipulating you into ending the world. Love it.
- Hurley's conversation with his mom was beautiful. It had me (and not for the first time) wondering whether the entire show was a figment of his imagination, but his mother's response shot that theory to crap while also providing the feel-good moment of the 2-hour-old season: "I believe you, Hugo. I don't understand you, but I believe you." Precious.
- It's really interesting to me that there was no central character on this episode. I don't know if they're doing away with that premise altogether (which I would miss) or if secretly the Island was the central character. But I liked the focus on "being dislodged from time" in this episode. They have touched on the idea several times, but I loved having an entire episode where that was the theme. We've seen Desmond do it, and the show puts us through it all the time . . . but this time everyone on the whole freaking show got confused about whether they were having a flashback, a flash forward, or a flash present (which, according to the State of Indiana, is possible, but not entirely legal).
- One other thing about Hurley turning himself into the police: He followed Sayid's advice instead of listening to the imaginary dead people he kept seeing. That was too bad, because I felt like the dead people always gave him really good advice.
- What's happening to Charlotte? I wonder if she is turning into the version of herself that existed at the time they flashed back to while still appearing to be herself. Don't really care that much. I'm not a fan of the character just yet.
- Faraday's been to the island before. And he's not aging either. I'm beginning to think that he, Richard, Ms. Hawking/Faraday's mom, and possibly Desmond might be permanently and wholly dislodged from time. Last season, when Desmond was losing it on the chopper/freighter, his consciousness was skipping through time, but his body wasn't going anywhere. But Richard, Daniel, and his creepy momma seemingly go through time as they please without suffering any of its effects. And since Daniel has stabilized from what Desmond suffered, and Desmond is stable as well, I believe that one's whole self can be removed from time comfortably once they connect with their constants in multiple time zones.
- The orientation video spokesman is a real dude, a real smart dude, and a real arrogant dude. I loved the opening scene for so many reasons, even the choice of song ("Shotgun Willie," Willie Nelson). Awesome.
- I can't wait to see how they get back to the Island. I hope it doesn't take all season long. But you kinda know it will, right?
I'd rather watch American Idol! :)
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