LOST ("The Most Powerful Episode Yet")

(The first really "long" Lost Email I wrote - little did I know this was just the start...)

Did you see the previews for tonight where they claim tonight’s episode is "The Most Powerful Episode Yet"? It might just be a clever marketing ploy, but after last week’s episode, I think it might be true.

Tonight’s Episode Title: "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"

Tonight’s Character Spotlight: Jack (that’s right - a second episode!)

TV Guide Episode Preview: Survivors wonder why Charlie and the pregnant Claire have been abducted - and by whom - and a search party ventures into the treacherous jungle to try to find and rescue the missing duo. Meanwhile, inner-demons about his father resurface for Jack, and Boone and Locke discover another island mystery.

Deeper Meaning: That title is way to oddball to not have something deeper to it. Since the episode is about Jack, it means that he’s the "cowboy" and he has "daddy issues". What does Jack as a cowboy mean? That he was some sort of renegade doctor, who didn’t follow the rules? What about Jack’s daddy issues? Did Jack and his father have some sort of falling out? All I remember about Jack’s first episode was that his mother was like "You need to go bring your father home" - but did his dad run away to Australia because of something Jack did? No idea. But I think that the flashback / backstory is going to take a back seat this week, as there looks to be a LOT of action on the island going on.

Points to Ponder:
1. Remember last week’s episode title? "Raised by Another"? What if it’s "raised by an other" (aka - the "others" on the island?) Who is the creepy guy at the end? ETHAN ROM - First, it’s not a coincidence that Ethan spelled out his very odd last name for Hurley last week. They wanted us to know the spelling. Ethan Rom rearranged is "Other Man"…

2. Who is Ethan Rom? Someone who was originally on the island? One of the "others" or "voices" that CFL talked about meeting on the way back from Black Rock? What about this - We’re all going on faith from Hurley that Ethan wasn’t on the plane - what if Hurley was the one who wasn’t on the plane, but is trying to throw us off his track?

3. Is there a whole other civilization on the island that Ethan is a part of? Do they live at the "Black Rock"?

4. The three main people we don’t have backstories on are the Father and Son, Hurley, and the Brother and Sister. Per the Internet, the next episodes deal with (in order) - Kate (again - hooray!), the Brother and Sister, and the Father and Son. This further strengthens my opinion that something is up with Hurley and his reveal will be a BIG ONE.

5. The only thing working against my "Ethan is a Red Herring" theory is the scene in the previews for this week’s episode that has him standing on Jack’s chest saying, "If you keep following me, I’ll kill one of them". I can’t really argue with that.

6. Is Sayid back to normal? Is he going to be crazy like the French people? Is he becoming one of the "Others"?

7. Is Ethan the CFL’s "Alex"? - I think not (due to the age difference not really adding up), but it’s a possibility I suppose.

8. How did Ethan carry off both Charlie AND Claire? Were there "others" around to help? Did he just overpower Charlie and take Claire, and then Charlie chased after? Did he somehow "hypnotize them"? (see Locke point #11 below for a similar situation).

9. Do you think they’ll find Claire and Charlie this week? My money is on them finding a beat up Charlie, but no Claire - and then later Claire will have her baby, and be killed by the Others.

10. Is the baby the anti-Christ? During last week’s episode, when Claire asked her boyfriend how long it had been since she took the pregnancy test, he answered "6… 66 seconds" (666) and then said the color of the lines were "red, not pink". The psychic obviously knew that the plane was going down - did he put Claire on it to force her to raise the baby, or to just be sure that the baby would be eliminated? Did he cause the plane to go down? Is he connected to the "Others" who wanted that baby on the island for some reason?

And then here are thoughts relayed late last week that some of you may not have read:

11. I’m more convinced than ever that Locke has already become one of the "Others" or is possessed by something on the island. I went back and re-watched the Sayid episode from three weeks back, and there is a scene of Locke and Ethan "hunting at night". Locke was really not that good at hunting / walking around, etc. in the early part of his episode - remember? The first boar just knocked him down and took off. Then, he meets the "monster" and all the sudden he is Johnny Cool - a hunter, really wise, and calm about everything that is going on on the island. What if the "monster" took him over / converted him to being a hunter like Ethan? If so, this is how he has such an understanding about what is going on (and would explain all the sage like advice he has been giving) - this would also make him a "hunter" who is on the inside with the new group and could work to convert them over. Locke seemed super calm when Said came back and was talking about the others being on the island. Who’s willing to bet Locke is working to sabotage the rescue effort / help Ethan?

12. Or maybe Locke is somewhat "possessed". He is always shown with both white and black, good and evil (the backgammon game, his eyes in Claire’s dream). Maybe he is fighting the "Other" in him with his natural goodness?

13. Here are Lost themes so far, as written by my roommate:

Black v. White (good v. evil)
Do people have free will or is there predestination (Claire's child being evil if not raised by her)
Locke's name as a reference to the philosopher John Locke. (One of John Locke's main points was that man should not be held against his will). Just as he gave Charlie the drugs back after three times, he didn't help Jack out of the cave, etc.
Survivors v. Island (Man v. Nature, and the ability for man to overcome it surroundings against the power of nature over everything on earth.)
Man's understanding of a higher being (The "Monster", the "voices")
Mind over Matter (Locke being able to walk/the girl beating asthma without an inhahler/the guy with the hives)
Science/Evolution (The CFL and her role as a scientist and her creation/offspring "Alex" and its affect on the survivors)

That was a mouthful. Lucky thing I’ve been discussing and jotting down my thoughts every night since last week’s episode with anyone who will listen.

Obsessed. Me? No.