A Flock of Seagulls

So, the most annoying thing about last night's episode was the damn "Dancing
with the Stars" promo. At one point, it looked like there were people
dancing in the horizon and I found it very distracting.

I the problem with last night was the reveal that Christian is Claire's
daddy. The only reason that I see it as a slight problem is because they
backed themselves into this corner almost a year ago and people have been
talking about the very real possibility of Jack and Claire's related-ness
since. If Christian wasn't her father, it would have been a really annoying
red herring. As it is, it was nice to have confirmation, but very
anti-climactic. I think the situation itself (much like the situation with
Rousseau and Alex) is a bit of a catch-22, but they chose the lesser of 2
evils in this case. Basically, they only way it could have been handled
better is in the past (especially since the producers know that their fan
base is made up of crazies and conspiracy theorists). But hey, I think
Claire looks much better as a brunette, so the flashback gets points for
that.

So that's really the only "eh" I felt about last night. I think with the
last two weeks of bringing Sayid and Claire back into the ensemble (and
allowing both of them to actually act, something they both did very well)
has made the show stronger, and is coming closer to finding the right
balance between flashback and present day action that is what made most of
season one so captivating.

That said, I think the cast could use some trimming. I thought Rose and
Bernard were fun to have around, but unless they head in the direction of
the Island's healing powers (which I think Locke would like to avoid), I
don't really think they need to show up anymore. I hope after Nikki and
Paulo prove their importance, they will have something to do other than be a
distraction. While I don't hate them, I don't really see their point.

The problem with the show is that they create too many interesting
characters and there's not enough time to utilize all of them enough. What I
think the show was correct in doing was killing Ms. Klugh last week and
killing Patchy this week. While I found both of them very interesting, with
them dead, that is (pretty much) the end of their story, so (presumably) we
can now focus on other interesting characters. I don't know what they are
going to do about interaction with the Others and the beach dwellers in the
future, but here's how I think they should move forward:

Keep:
Jack (Just no more flashbacks, please)
Sawyer (Because like Hurley, he provides levity and is far more interesting
than Hugo himself)
Sayid (Because he's a soldier, a leader, is logical and usually thinks
before acting)
Locke (Because he's so frustratingly interesting)
Desmond (I'd kill Jack before I'd kill Desmond)
Juliet (Because she's the only interesting female lead on the show)
Ben (Because we haven't seen a Ben flashback yet)
Tom (Even though he is peripheral, I think he serves to humanize the Others)
Vincent (The dog has to survive, like in Independence Day - which,
incidentally, is the only thing I remember about that movie)


Probably Keep:
Kate (But only because they've killed too many girls)
Claire (Unless the Others get Aaron, she probably has to stick around)
Hurley (I like him, I just wish he was more interesting. And there's really
no reason to kill him.)
Jin & Sun (I'd say kill one of them, but I don't really see the point in
that and I like to see how they've grown as a couple on the Island)
Rose & Bernard (But only as peripheral, rarely seen characters - we don't
need anther flashback)


Kill:
Charlie (As soon as possible)
Paolo (Or at least let him speak in his native Portuguese because his
English is as awkward as Milo Ventimiglia's acting...dammit, and I'm the one
saying that critics shouldn't compare those two shows.)
Nikki (Or give her a point, soon)
The Sheriff Lady (Cuz she's the only Other that I've ever seen on screen
that did not interest me)

Did I forget anyone?

Glad that they have all gotten to finally asking and answering questions
every week, with Claire following Desmond to find out what was going on and
Sayid and Locke quibbling and questioning one another.

Speaking of Locke, what is his game? Does he just really, really want to
stay on the island? Why doesn't he want people to know he was paralyzed? (He
looked like he was gonna shit his pants when Patchy almost said that he used
to be paralyzed.) He seems to think he knows what he's doing, and I can't
say that I think he was wrong in sacrificing Patchy, but why always so
mysterious? Maybe we'll get some answers next week, since I saw a quick
flash of Locke's face at the beginning of next week's previews (before I
could close my eyes and cover my ears), so I'm assuming that next week is a
Locke episode.

But the absolute best part of the episode was the end. Never have I been so
happy to see Jack before! (And smiling, too!) Fantastic.

Since his re-introduction at Island #2, I think Tom has come off as the most
relatable of the Others, so it doesn't surprise me that he is who Jack is
bonding with. (If, in fact, Jack's not trying to pull a fast one on them.)
But Jack's attitude notwithstanding, Kate's and her cohorts have got to be
rethinking their plans after seeing what they saw. How could they possibly
hope to "rescue" Jack? Even without all the people in their way, how will
then get back through the security system?

Man, I loved that ending though. I'm still smiling about it.