Thoughts on Eggtown...

Why do Kate's episodes keep leaving me cold? It's not the character or the actress who plays her (i.e., Evangeline Lily) both of whom are hot. The main problem has been her flashbacks, which I've found increasingly dissatisfying as the series has progressed. Kate seemed like such an effortless ass-kicker to start. I suppose, on some level, I'm disappointed her backstory wasn't revealed to be more like Alias or La Femme Nikita.

I was afraid a similar complaint would taint my appreciation of Kate's flash forward as well. And for most of Eggtown, my fear appeared justified. But that jaw-dropper of an ending just about redeemed the episode. What creeped me out the most was how Aaron called Kate "mama" -- I can't wait to see how she adopts him as her child. I just hope whatever happened to Claire isn't the letdown that What Kate Did turned out to be...

This development particularly intrigues me because of my speculation (see The Star of Jacob ) that Aaron might become an evil Anti-Messiah if raised by someone besides Claire. The psychic, Richard Malkin, was very insistent that "great danger" surrounds Aaron, and that Claire's "goodness" must be an influence on his development. Many, myself included, figured he meant that Aaron must not be raised by an Other.

But remember Sam Austen's explanation of why he didn't tell Kate that Wayne was her real father? Sam said he knew Kate would kill Wayne and implied she had murder in her heart. Think about that -- Sam has waged war personally but Kate was the real killer between the two of them. Kate has apparently evaded legal liability for her crimes, but I have to wonder if this will still come back around in the form of Bad Aaron...

Here are some other thoughts and questions I had about Eggtown:

* My initial reaction to the card scene was that Charlotte seemed to be testing Daniel's psychic powers -- perhaps to remember the future. After rewatching several times, however, I agree with DJ and others, who believe the scene was really about Daniel's memory loss problems. Great catch!

* I like the memory loss explanation because it fits well with Mikhail's notation in the Flame that he's "forgotten so much," and Ben's rueful comment about Richard still remembering birthdays. Memory issues could also explain why the CC referred to Daniel's "caretaker" during the crying scene in Confirmed Dead (thanks to Wayne Allen Sallee for the find). It's too bad Stephen Tobolowsky has such an important role on Heroes -- a Sammy Jankis sighting is in order.

* What did Miles mean by his comment that he knew what Ben can do? Was this purely a reference to Ben's money and influence off Island? Or does Miles know about Ben's ability to commune directly with Jacob, and thereby exploit the Island's miraculous natural properties?

* Interesting that Frank and Sayid never made it back to the freighter. It's possible they're still bouncing around in hyper-space like the rocket. Or maybe the trip always covers the same distance from the perspective of the traveler, but may take varying lengths of time from the perspective of observers on the Island or Freighter. If it's the latter, Sayid and Frank will pop out near the Freighter after some random interval of time with no sense of how long they've been gone.

* Another possibility -- the second sat. phone number calls the immediate past. In fact, Frank and Sayid already *did* make it back to the Freighter. They're being interrogated by Minkowski, which is why he doesn't answer the phone. The second number reached Regina in the past, before the helicopter returned.

* If the preceding scenario turns out to be the case, the second phone line may be a kind of Fail-Safe. In emergencies, the brief time differential can be used to change the immediate future, thereby averting the crisis. Such an effect could also explain how someone (Jacob?) exploited the Island's existence out of phase with the world's timeline to change the fate of Oceanic 815.

* Interesting how Locke has become so authoritarian, like Ben before him. Is this a reflection of their personalities or Jacob's? Some believe the latter is really a good guy, but I personally have my doubts. I get a Grand Inquisitor vibe from the Island's ghostly patriarch...

* Who is paying for Kate's attorney and that nice house where she and Aaron live? Oceanic? Charles Widmore? Ben? All of the possibilities seem disturbing and point us back to the Anti-Messiah speculation.

* Finally, I wanted to thank you all for stepping in with your excellent comments while I was gone. There was a time the lights on this blog would have gone out if I weren't here to tend them. It's so gratifying to know that's no longer the case. Week after week, you readers thrill me with your thoughts and insights -- keep them coming!