I liked the episode. I don't Sayid killed Desmond, especially since they didn't show it.

I'd be so thrilled with this season if there weren't just 5 or so hours left in the entire series.

No way Sayid killed Desmond. Not sure why Widmore felt he had to take the Losties prisoner ... maybe he's afraid their working for Locke still, maybe he just wants to keep them under control because of how important they are.

I'm also more confused than ever about the flash sideways and their significance. I can't shake the feeling that it makes sense to use the flash sideways as an epilogue, a way for us to have some satisfaction as to what happens to these characters. If we look at that reality right now ... everyone is happy, or we can reasonably assume they will be. Sayid may be the one exception, but can't we assume he's paying for his sins on the island? The alternative is that the flash sideways reality takes a turn for the worst because it's what happens if MIB escapes, the losties stop it from becoming a reality, and we get a sopranos type fade to black ending.

As time ticks down, the more probable I think it becomes that this flash sideways is our ending assuming it stays positive. Desmond is the one outlier ... mainly because running over Locke still doesn't fit. If this is the ending, we can assume he became so willing on the island because he knew he'd meet and get to be with Penny ... but that doesn't explain why he decided he had to commit attempted murder, not to mention do it so carelessly that it seems as if he has no regard for the reality he's in and that consequences there don't matter.

This has me quite turned around at the moment, feel like I'm chasing my own tail.

I still think he did it to give him a near death experience. Something told him to do it that way and Locke would survive. It is the same reason he knew to bring Claire to the lawyer.

Ok, the last three episodes have been pretty excellent. Sun losing her voice/the periscope were really silly, but I'm back on board. Think they'll answer what the deal was with kids? I assume so considering all these weird jungle kids that make MiB uncomfortable...
I'm still hoping for one last huge surprise, like Jacob being just as evil as the Man in Black.

So I've been reading around the net and the general consensus seems that this episode wasn't the best of the season but it was a necessary setup for the rest of the season and it was apparently a greatness of a setup. How in the hell do they know if this was a great setup or not if we still don't know how the remaining five hours (approximately 3 hours 45 minutes without commercials that is) will play out?

The episode was good. Not among the best ones this season, but it was actually enjoyable throughout. But I think that the characters coming together in the sideflashes is still a bit too gimmicky and not something I'd expect from Lost, a show that showed a great deal of respect towards little things. I'm not sold on them being the reality we'll end up with. It's a horrible deus-ex-machina plot to sum up everything and they're just not satisfying in terms of what the show promised all along.

That being said, can something finally happen? Characters going back and forth to one side or the other is starting to get a bit annoying. Especially since we're still pretty vague about the good/bad side.

Also it would've been better if Smocke killed Desmond. And they've used the same tactics again with Sayid. Who's going to supposedly kill Desmond in the next episode? And how did that well went from being mega deep into a pretty shallow one?

Argh. There's no new episode next week. That's stupid.

Agreed.

No new episode next week?!!

It was a pretty good episode, though. I agree that nothing particularly amazing happened, but it was interesting and well-constructed. I really like Jack's development.

I don't think the side they are on matters. If they are on MIB's side and try to leave the island MIB wins. If they try to leave the island on their own, MIB wins. I think Sawyer and the rest are doing pretty much exactly what MIB wants them to do.

One theory I've heard is all the ghosts Hurley talks to is the MiB (saying when that eye slammed his face in the cabin a few seasons back, MiB got into his head.) This would include ghostJacob - who led Hurley to take Sayid to the temple... where he eventually unleashed the destruction benefitting MiB. Then he led Jack/Hurley to the whitehouse... where set off Jack 'regaining his faith'... which may have led him into MiB's grasp. If MiB is in control of everything that's happened so far, he could be using Hurley to get things done

I also like the idea of the episode title "The Long Con" foreshadowing some big twist in the last couple episodes - that one of the characters is pulling off a very long con on us and the other Lostaways

The whitehouse?!?

For those who care about spoilers, Gawker media allegedly found a call sheet from the finale that describes a scene or two. I glanced at it, realized what it was and stopped. It looked very genuine but who knows. If you talk about it here that's cool but please put it under spoiler bars.

I saw it at io9 yesterday but not sure if that's where it originated.

I also don't believe that MIB = Christian. Even the scene win which he said that it was him seemed...off.

I thought the scene was good. And I loved the explanation for why he guided Jack. You needed water. Heh. So simple and yet so true.

It didn't make much sense. How was he Christian on the freighter in season 4?

Maybe Jacob was Christian?

I think the biggest telling of Locke being Christian was in Season 5 when Sun and Lapidus were waiting in Dharmaville at night and Christian told them to wait there until Locke showed up. As soon as he appeared, Christian was gone. I think it's just his physical body that can't move over water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3T_4efeRh8

Hopefully viewable outside the US.

That. was. amazing.

Wow what a shock 4 characters dead in a matter of minutes. Wasn't surprised about Sayid I knew he was going to die a heroic death. It sucks about Sun and Jin, that was very sad they had to die together. I think this shows the MIB is pure evil.

I think so, Sayid told him you are the one. We still have Desmond's role in the end game. I forgot about Lapidus's death. He sure had not purpose in this story.

Well that was one helluva ep.

I think the rash of deaths just prove that the sideways will be some kind of epilogue, where these characters can live in peace.

That's what I concluded too.

But wow... did not expect that on Jin and Sun. Really great last moments though. And not even a last sad scene for Lapidus... what the heck!!! This makes me think he might still be alive.

Crazyness!

na