6x09 "Ab Aeterno" Flashback

At long last we finally get Richard Alpert's story. I've been waiting for this episode for a very long time.

1. Canary Islands, 1867. Richard is 240 years old!

2. His sick wife Isabelle gave him her cross before he went to the doctor.

3. Ah 1860's healthcare. When the doctors had the attitudes of insurance companies.

4. In his rage, Richard accidently killed the doctor. That bottle of sand in his hand is a bottle he showed young Locke in his test in "Cabin Fever."

5. And sadly, Richard couldn't make it back to Isabella in time.

6. Ah the corrupt practices of Catholic priests. Refusing to absolve one of their sin right before his execution.

7. Richard had been teaching himself and his wife English in the hopes of making a trip to the New World.

8. Richard was drafted into slave labor on the Black Rock, under the command of Magnus Hanso.

9. When the Black Rock came to the Island, it rode a wave so high it crashed through the statue. It must have been a tidal wave.

10. The officers of the Black Rock chose to kill the slaves in order to preserve their supplies. Ouch.

11. The Monster stepped in at the exact moment and wound up saving Richard's life. It scanned his mind the same way it did Eko, and used it to conjure up the image of Isabelle.

12. Using the lie that the Island is hell, the man in black convinces Richard that Jacob is the Devil. His claim that he must kill Jacob before he can speak sounds like Dogen's claim that Sayid must kill UnLocke before he can speak.

13. Man in Black also claims that Jacob took his body. Does that mean their true forms switched at some point?

14. Jacob seems to recognize the knife that Richard was given.

15. Why did Jacob resist when Richard tried to kill him but roll over when Ben came to kill him at the end of last season?

16. According to Jacob, the Island is a Pandora's Box of sorts. But if that's the case, the fact still remains that the Man in Black (assuming he's telling the truth) was human at one time.

17. Jacob brings people to try and prove that humans aren't corrupted. People truly get a new life on the Island.

18. However, Jacob doesn't want to interact with the people he brings because they must make the right choice themselves.

19. Jacob offered Richard the job of being his representative. The pay: immortality. However Jacob could not offer absolution for Richard's past sins, which leads me to believe that he is NOT God.

20. Richard was sent to deliver a white stone to the Man in Black, and he in turn was given Isabella's cross.

6x09 "Ab Aeterno" Present

1. In Ilana's flashback, we learn that she was expected to bring the candidates to Richard, as he was supposed to know what to do. Obviously Jacob died before he could tell Richard what needed to be done next.

2. It seems that Richard reverted back to believing that the Island is actually Hell in light of Jacob's death. He actually tried to leave the camp to join Locke.

3. So Hurley's visitations are no longer done in "secret." The dead people come to talk to him practically in front of everybody else.

4. Hurley's latest visit: Isabella.

5. Richard's willingness to believe that Isabella is standing next to him allows for him to hear and feel her standing next to him.

6. Isabella's last words is that Richard must stop the Man in Black from leaving the Island, or else "we all go to Hell." What happens if he's able to leave?

6x08 "Recon" Alternate 2004

1. So Sawyer pulls cons in this reality, but only he does it to trap con artists as a detective.

2. Miles is still his partner in this reality. Guess some things never change.

3. In this reality, Sawyer now knows that Anthony Cooper conned Sawyer's parents out of their money. He just doesn't know where he is.

4. Like John Locke, Sawyer is also lying about where he went.

5. Miles set Sawyer up on a date with Charlotte. Which means she also got off the Island back in 1977.

6. Why did Sawyer choose criminal over cop in the original reality, and go vice-versa in this one?

7. Why was Charlotte looking through Sawyer's drawer? Did Miles send her to investigate him?

8. Holy crap! Charlie's brother is in LA lockup!

9. Sawyer still likes Little House on the Prairie!

10. I guess the old sunflower routine doesn't work for Charlotte. It did however work for Juliet.

11. So Sawyer's intention is still to kill Anthony Cooper.

12. What the hell is Kate doing running around LA? Well she's caught now by Sawyer!

6x08 "Recon" Island

1. Sawyer's task is to carry out a recon mission on Hydra Island.

2. "You are the best liar I ever met." So how can UnLocke trust him?

3. UnLocke's plan is to take the plane and fly off the Island? Does he have a pilot available for that?

4. So Alex's dress is still at Kate's cage. Do the Others ever clean up after themselves?

5. Why is Sayid just watching as Claire tries to kill Kate?

6. Who killed all the people on Hydra Island? Was it Widmore's people?

7. UnLocke's reasoning for lying to Claire is that she needed something to hate. That means that he's responsible for every person she's killed as a result of his lie.

8. If UnLocke is not a dead man, then who exactly is he?

9. UnLocke has mommy issues. I wonder what she did? Is Aaron a potential successor to whatever UnLocke is?

10. So the war that Charles Widmore warned us about last season was between the Others and UnLocke. The pylons they're setting up are proof of that.

11. It seems that UnLocke may be wrong about Claire being crazy.

12. So Sawyer's plan is for him and Kate to steal the sub when the fighting breaks out. How does he plan to pilot it?

6x07 "Dr. Linus" Alternate 2004

1. Elba is where Napoleon was exiled, but "what was truly devastating to him was the loss of his power." Sounds like Ben after having to leave the Island.

2. In this reality, Ben is stuck at what he feels to be a dead end teaching job. He even pulls detention duty all week.

3. Ben feels like he cares more about his job then principal Reynolds.

4. Dr. Arzt teaches science at the same school as Ben.

5. Back home Ben cares for his ailing father.

6. According to this episode, the Island does in fact exist. This is a universe in which the bomb went off, and everyone who was evacuated in 1977 never went back.

7. Ben still has Alex, however as her mentor and tutor.

8. Alex is a potential student at Yale University, lacking only a letter of recommendation from a Yale alumni.

9. Principal Reynolds has been having an illicit affair with the school nurse. Now Ben sees his opportunity to seize power.

10. It's funny to watch Ben and Arzt hatch their scheme to oust the principal.

11. "Linus you're a real killer." Oh Arzt, you have no idea.

12. Linus puts his blackmail scheme into effect, only to find that Reynolds is prepared. He can have the principal job, but Alex won't get her letter of recommendation.

13. Ben has chosen to back down from his coup in favor of Alex's future and he seems more content with it. I believe this choice stems from a subconscious recollection of the original reality in which he stayed on the Island.

6x07 "Dr. Linus" Island

Ben, Sun, Frank, Miles, and Ilana

1. Miles can in fact sense a dead person's thoughts from their ashes. He doesn't need a body.

2. And now Ben Linus is outed as Jacob's killer.

3. Ilana has daddy issues, with Jacob as her surrogate father.

4. So Ilana doesn't even know what our six people are candidates for.

5. Ben was looking in Sawyer's old tent.

6. Frank Lapidus missed Oceanic 815 because he overslept? How anticlimactic.

7. Jacob's last thought was that he was hoping he was wrong about Ben.

8. Now, the Monster has given us another piece of his plan - have Ben act as the new Jacob. He even magically unlocked Ben's shackle. What a standup guy.

9. Ben seems to realize that having power has only brought pain and misery throughout his life.

10. Ben's initial choice to go to Locke, stems from his abandonment issues. Ilana's choice to have Ben in her camp presumably also stems from abandonment issues.

11. I cannot believe that Miles dug up Paolo and Nikki's graves for the sake of retrieving the diamonds.

12. And lastly, how the hell did Charles Widmore find the Island?

Jack, Hurley, and Richard

1. Richard looks like he's seen better days at this point in the show.

2. So Richard was indeed a prisoner on the Black Rock.

3. In light of Jacob's death, Richard has lost his faith in the Island.

4. "When Jacob touches you, its considered a gift." Does that mean people touched by Jacob are chosen?

5. The way Richard talks has him sounding like the Jack Shepherd of the early seasons. The way Jack handles the situation has him seeming more and more like John Locke.

6. Jack is officially a believer. He now understands that he's had a purpose for a very long time. FINALLY!

7. And just like that, the Island prevents the dynamite from blowing up.

6x06 "Sundown" Alternate 2004

1. Nadia is married to Sayid's brother, Omar. They have two sons.

2. Sayid himself has gone corporate translating contracts for oil companies.

3. Sayid has the same surveillance photo of Nadia that was given to him in the original reality.

4. Omar borrowed money to open his new store from a loan shark.

5. Omar was brought to Jack's hospital after his "mugging."

6. It's clear that Nadia and Sayid have the same romantic feelings for each other as they do in the original reality.

7. Omar and Keamy, our old friends from the freighter are the loan sharks who are hustling Sayid's brother.

8. In any world, it seems, Sayid always has the capacity for murder.

9. What the hell is Jin doing in Keamy's meat locker? Was the money that was confiscated in customs at LAX meant for Keamy?

6x06 "Sundown" Island

1. At the start of this episode, Sayid doesn't seem to be any different then he was before he was shot.

2. Sayid vs. Dogen = BEST FIGHT SCENE EVER!

3. Dogen can't bring himself to kill anyone directly because of his son.

4. FLocke is lying about reuniting Claire with Aaron. He also promised to help Sun get back to Jin and never made good on that promise either.

5. So the Monster this whole time was Evil Incarnate? Of all the times he has appeared in front of our castaways, he hasn't killed many people until this season.

6. And of course, stabbing Flocke doesn't work. Is there nothing that can kill this guy?

7. Is the Monster actually offering to bring Nadia back to life for Sayid?

8. If FLocke intends to leave the Island, then why does it matter if anyone stays?

9. Claire is singing "Catch A Falling Star."

10. Why isn't Kate telling Claire that Aaron is with his grandmother?

11. So Dogen nearly killed his son because he was driving drunk. Jacob offered to save the boy, but Dogen could never see him again as a result.

12. So now that Dogen's been drowned in the water, does that mean he is really dead?

13. Ben, Ilana, Sun, and Frank reach the Temple just as the Monster arrives. Talk about your bad timing.

14. Among the people leaving the Temple in FLocke's camp is Kate. Although I doubt she's leaving willingly.

6x05 "Lighthouse" Alternate 2004

1. Jack doesn't seem to remember having his appendix taken out. Are the two realities merging for Jack?

2. Jack now has a son, David Shepherd. Who is his mother?

3. What is it with the Shepherd family and the Red Sox? Are they living in Boston?

4. Why is it good that Jack isn't drinking in this world? Is he supposed to be in recovery?

5. I wonder what Christian left to Claire in his will?

6. The key to Jack's exwife's house is hidden under a white rabbit.

7. What happened in Australia that had Jack so shaken up?

8. In this timeline, Dogen has a son. Does his son also exist in the original timeline?

9. Jack is clearly a better father to his son. In the last scene of his flash-sideways, he says everything to David that he wishes Christian had said ot him.

6x05 "Lighthouse" Island

At the Temple

1. Hurley and Miles are playing Tic-Tac-Toe.

2. Why is Jacob so interested in the spring?

3. Do Candidates really have a higher level of authority? Why isn't Dogen a candidate.

4. Jacob has Hurley tell Jack, "Do you have what it takes?" Jack is meant to think that Jacob is his father.

Claire and Jin

1. Claire's behavior and lifestyle has me calling her the new Rousseau.

2. Why wasn't Claire caught in the time shifts from last season.

3. "My father told me and my friend told me." I guess this means that Christian isn't the monster, but why did he lie to her? Why are both Christian and the Monster lying to Claire about her baby?

4. Why doesn't Claire believe Jin's revelation about Aaron? How much time does she think has passed?

5. So Jin's leading Claire to the temple. Everyone there is screwed, especially if she comes back with an army.


Jack and Hurley

1. Why isn't Kate allowed to join Jack and Hurley? Is this more proof that she isn't a Candidate?

2. So we finally found one of Shannon's inhalers.

3. We're back at the caves, just like in "White Rabbit.

4. Jack thinks he's chasing after the ghost of his father again, just like in "White Rabbit."

5. Ah, so Jack truly did learn his lesson. He must have realized that his life on the Island truly was better then anything he had back home.

6. Depending on where the mirror is positioned, it's possible to see a specific person's dwelling.

7. At 23 degrees, we can see Jack's house.

8. At each degree on the wheel, we see a person's name. Are all those people candidates?

9. Jack smashing the mirrors is similar to Jack smashing his father's coffin in "White Rabbit."

10. What is the important thing that Jack has to do? Is he the one who will succeed Jacob?