Back On The Island

Tonight was another great episode!  This season has been pretty good about giving some answers instead of creating nothing but endless questions. 

We started with a curious scene of Jack in the jungle, rescuing Hurley and Kate.  (Isn’t that what he does best?)  I was flabbergasted with how this came about, so I was glad that the whole episode tracked the two days leading up to that point.

We go back to the spooky church with Mrs. Hawking, who explains that she can help them get back to the island.  She takes them to a secret Dharma room in the bowels of the church where we see a really cool pendulum.  Mrs. Hawking gives them a quick education on the history of the island and shows how Dharma scientists used mathematical formulas to predict a very small window of opportunity to get back to the island.  Desmond decides he wants nothing to do with this and goes back to Penny and his son.  (Good move, Desmond!)

Mrs. Hawking also tells Jack that he must give something of his dad’s to put in Locke’s coffin.  I’m not quite sure where this is going, but we did find out in the preview for next week that John comes back to life (surprise, surprise!).  Jack conveniently gets a pair of his dad’s shoes from his granddad and puts them on Locke’s body in the coffin. 

Ben, in a mysterious phone call, with even more mysterious injuries, asks Jack to pick up Locke’s body.  Jack brings the body to the airport and gets it on the plane to Guam (or, rather, the island).  I have a feeling we’ll see the guy again who gave Jack condolences in the airport.  The group of Losties who make it on the plane are:  Jack, Kate, Ben, Sayid, Hurley, and Sun.  Oh, and let’s not forget FRANK, the pilot!  I’m so glad he’s back…he was really cool. 

Let me interrupt this recap to ask the question that is foremost in my mind:

If Jack KNEW he was going back to the island, why oh why did he wear a SUIT AND TIE on the airplane??? 

Anyway, the plane starts experiencing turbulence and the next thing we know, Jack is in the jungle.  So, here are some questions I have after this episode:

1. Why was Sayid escorted on the plane as if he was under arrest?
2. How did Hurley get out of jail and find out about the flight?
3. What did Kate do with Aaron?
4. How did Ben get bloodied up?  (Did he fulfill an “old promise” by trying to kill Penny?)
5. What happened between the turbulence and Jack waking up in the jungle?
6. What “time” are Jack, Kate, and Hurley when Jin drives up in the Dharma van?
7. Where are Sun, Ben, Sayid, and all the other people on the plane?

My favorite line of the evening was when Jack and Ben were on the plane.  A very nervous Jack sees Ben calmly reading a book.  Jack asks, “How can you read?”  Ben replies, “My mother taught me.” 

Next week’s episode looks incredible!  We will find out about Locke’s interaction with the Oceanic Six in L.A. and how he came to kill himself.   I can’t wait!