Lost - The Little Prince - 2/4

"I have always been with you".

It's the exact thing I would like to say to the LOST writers. At this point I know that I was right to trudge through the muddy third season, standing strong beside my show; having faith that it would find it's groove again. I knew I was right by the end of the fourth season and I know it even more now, as I sit on my couch every Wednesday night, vibrating with excitement...and also vibrating because Brett's foot is knocking ceaselessly and rhythmically against my couch's wooden frame, also due to excited expectation.

However, even though I could say lovingly to Damon and Carlton, "I have always been with you" and always know that I was right to trust, is Jack really worthy of Kate's post-vanished Island declaration? This was a great opening scene to this episode, as it shows us the drastic difference between Kate and Jack's relationship three years ago compared to their relationship now. At both points, Jack needs Kate's trust to do what he thinks is right...but the change in her reply between the two points is obvious. Jack has lost Kate's trust and he's going to need it to get back to the Island. I'm very curious to find out how he regains it, or if he ever really does.

Also in this opening scene, we get a small glimpse into Kate's feelings about Sawyer being, in her mind, gone forever. It's an excellent prelude to the future scene where we get to really see Sawyer feelings about Kate being, in his mind, gone forever also. With all the rumors flying around about a possible relationship between Sawyer and Juliet (which, for the record, I am NOT ok with), it's nice to know that the writers haven't given up the Kate and Sawyer relationship (which, for the record, I am TOTALLY ok with).

With everything else that has been going on; flaming arrows, flashy, time-traveling Island, young Widmore, dashing and brave Faraday, badly bearded Jack, dead Locke, awesomely shirtless Sawyer, etc, one tends to forget some of the other important, small scenes. As Sawyer has now found a shirt and Jack has now shaved his loverly beard, we now have room in our already way-too-crowded minds for the nearly forgotten Sun/Widmore alliance. Opps! Forgot about that, did ya? Well, even if you didn't, I did and I was rudely reawakened to the situation as I watched Sun receive an intriguing package from the doorman (who, in Brett's opinion, are always cute...but that's another show for another day). Anyhow, as we see Sun look down at the pictures of Ben and Jack, our minds click things into place, or at the very least, remind us of things we may have brushed aside before: Sun's two meetings with Widmore, her intensity as she points out that they both want the same thing: Ben dead. And there we have it, folks. Ben is running around L.A., trying to gather up the Oceanic Six in order to return them to the Island and even though many would happily see him dead, one is a little more gung ho about it than the rest. Again, I have to voice my complete frustration about this situation. Certainly Ben is semi at fault for Jin's (supposed) death, but he's hardly more responsible than Charles Widmore is. It just seems stupid and silly that Sun would blame Ben but not Widmore and Sun is just NOT stupid and silly. My guess, as before, is that she means to use Widmore to get to Ben and then come back and try to kill Widmore. If that's not the case, I'm going to be very disappointed.

Let's talk about one of my favorite parts of this episode (and hey, let's face it, EVERY episode): Sawyer. There is no denying that the cold, sexy con man act is...well...sexy, but when we get a glimpse, even for a second, of the pain that Sawyer has carried around since his first sight of that terrible column of dark smoke, coming from the blown-to-smithereens freighter, I could sob for days, even though Sawyer never would. This episode was sprinkled with quick close-ups of Sawyer's grief-ridden, sorrow-eyed mug and every close-up was like a knife shoved into my heart. I can barely stand the wait until Kate and Sawyer are finally reunited. Soon, perhaps?? Pretty please?

On that same vein, the relationship between Sawyer and Juliet is becoming very interesting. Sawyer doesn't back down from anyone (Kate was about the only one he's bow to) but when Juliet stared him down and told him to "go away" during the Charlotte situation, I was as surprised (as he was) to see him back down. Also, Sawyer refused to talk to Locke about what he saw in the jungle, but as soon as Juliet asked him what was wrong, he instantly told her what he saw. I find it fascinating that he would refuse to talk to one of his own people and prefer to talk to an 'Other" instead. The writers are obviously setting up the audience for a future "thing" between Sawyer and Juliet. Let's just hope it doesn't last long, if something DOES happen. Team Skate!

Sticking to On-Island drama, I have to get a little ranty about Charlotte's time-traveling episodes. It would seem evident that with each time-travel flash, her nose-bleeds and brain function would get steadily worse, but she doesn't seem to have a problem with EVERY flash. I find that confusing and slightly frustrating, but I'm willing to wait and see if I'm given an explanation as to why she doesn't experience nose-bleeds every time the Island flashes through time. On that same note, it's an interesting theory that a person's time on the Island directly relates to how that person's body responds to the time-travel. If we look at it in order, it was first Charlotte, Miles and then Juliet. This doesn't tell us much, besides bringing up the question of where Miles came from...Brett likes to think he's Dr. Chang's child (the one we saw in the first episode) but only time, and our wonderful writers, will tell.

As suspected, then refuted, then confirmed, Ben is behind the lawyers looking to take Aaron away from Kate. Sneaky writers! I have to admit, having Claire's mother, Ms. Littleton, as a distraction for Kate/viewers was a sly move by Ben/the writers. She would have made a perfect person behind the lawyers that most people wouldn't have thought about beforehand (that's me!).

A couple other bullet points:

- It was great to be able to move forward with the Non-Islanders storyline, but Desmond and Penny were sorely missed. Are they even now sailing towards L.A. and an uncertain future? Hopefully we'll get to see them next episode.

- Again, who is after Sayid? They aren't trying to kill him, but capture him. My best and only guess is that it is, again perhaps, Ben, trying to give Sayid, like Kate, a reason to go back to the Island. It could be Charles Widmore's people, perhaps trying to capture Sayid and use him to find the Island. Who knows? I'm getting a headache...

- This episode gave us our first glimpse of Ajira Airways! So, obviously the airline has "people" and at some point in the future (huh? which future?) they will be on the Island, perhaps harassing the few surviving people from the plane crash (Rose and Bernard, anyone???). It's been speculated that Ajira might be the way our Oceanic 6 make it back onto the Island. Maybe that water bottle was Kate's. Then again, who was shooting at our Islanders?

And the biggest and best surprise twist for The Little Prince:

Why don't we quote the late and great Charlie on this one:

"The French are coming! I've never been so happy to hear the French!"

That's right, Charlie. The French have arrived and they've pulled our favorite, blown to smithereens Korean to safety. Who else guessed who we were about to see as soon as Locke asked "anyone speak French"? Oh, I did, I did! Did I also guess who they'd pull out of the water? No, I'm too slow for that. But that's ok, since it made the scene so much more exciting! So, there's Sun, getting out of the car with a gun, gung ho-ing towards Ben for take revenge for her dead love...and there's Jin, lying cracked and dehydrated, but alive, on the Island's beach, looking up at a young and preggers Rousseau. Oh, fate, you are a fickle bi**h, indeed.

Until next week, LOST lovers!