Dandy, I loved your focus on Dharma’s social structure – btw, loved how we also got a parallel glimpse into the social structure of the hostiles when Richard said he didn’t answer to neither Charles nor Ellie.

About Jack: Yeah, he’s definitely a mix between Locke and Sawyer right now. Though he’s a man of faith like Locke, Locke would have found a pointless button to press by now. Jack still hasn’t figured out why he came back, and he seems in no hurry to. Also, Jack shirtless… squee! (sorry, I couldn’t help that).

Anyway, Mark, great analysis of the episode. I watched it late last night, and I think I was too tired to appreciate it as much as you did. But after reading this post, I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching the ep again tonight.

I agree Kate was amazing this week. Her maternal need (a side effect of her own dismal childhood I’m sure) battling against the matter-of-fact logic that she can’t effectively care for Aaron finally came to a head. I’m happy she gave Aaron away to his grandmother.

I need to watch the episode again, but was this the first time she realized her back story was connected to Sawyer’s via her former (SUPER BITTER!) gal-pal?

Check out the scene again, but it wasn’t Jacob’s cabin that Alpert took young Ben into – it was Smokey the Monster’s Temple.

Also, I agree that the Dharma campus has become a sleep away safety zone for all of us, but most importantly it’s a home now for Sawyer who is so desperate to keep the status quo that he mirrors the earlier scenes of Jack storming into his personal space to demand assistance in saving someone’s life.

And Jack as the new Locke? I agree that he has become a man of faith, but I feel there’s touches of old Sawyer as well. Whereas Locke is a man of faith, he’s also a man of dynamic action. Jack has become so passive – refusing to take action. And if anyone, Kate is suddenly the new Jack!

I loved the hints at the awkward Dharma club social structure. Its totally what happens when long suffering nerds suddenly find themselves in areas of power. Their expertise becomes their status and then an even more miserable pecking order develops.

Both Kate and Jack were reprimanded for being in the wrong places, and Ben’s dad’s comment about initiates being tricked into taking garage and janitorial jobs was telling as well.

And speaking of Ben’s dad, could this be a turning point for him? What if we learn that this was the crisis that finally sobered him up – and put him on a caring, loving path for his son, only to have an eeeeeeeevil Others-Ben left to care for. The purge happens like 10 or 15 years after this point in the timeline, I think.