The Shape of Things...

Don't get me wrong. I am, in no way, suggesting that the writers of LOST go on strike more often. I'm just saying that if last night's "The Shape of Things to Come" is what we can expect after an extended hiatus, in such extreme cases as a strike, maybe they should hold out for even more money. Just sayin'. 

OK, so... WOW. "The Shape of Things to Come" shaped up pretty fantastically, no? The (Ben-centric w/ a side serving of Sayid flashforward?) episode started out intriguing (why is Jack popping pills?), went on to become suspenseful (Alex has been taken hostage! The freighter folk are on their way! Code 14J, people, Code 14J!!), and went on from there to be downright awesome (Ben controls Smokey! And has the ability to time travel as he pleases! Did I mention that he controls Smokey?!)!

This episode also generated some Emmy buzz for the Creepiest Supervilian this side of New Otherton, Michael Emerson, who turned in a performance so freaking awesome that I, too, just might start sleeping with a bottle of scotch next to the bed. HIs reaction to the death of daughter Alex, his Jack Bauer-esque rumble in the jung -- er, desert with the horseback Tunisians, to the creepy, oily, break into Cal's apartment (sorry, I KNOW his name is Charles Widmore, but to me, Alan Dale will always be Cal Nichol, The O.C.'s resident creepster). Michael Emerson was just freaking AWESOME.

But as with any other really, really good LOST episode, intruige and confusion and more questions arose. Clearly, when Ben woke up in the middle of the desert wearing a fur-lined winter parka and expelling a frosty breath of air, he wasn't time-traveling from any place we've ever seen (unless he was kickin' it with the folks who have been monitoring that equipment and calling Penny in the middle of the night). And, following the point-blank assassination of his (adopted?) daughter, he just slipped behind that hieroglyphic-adorned door where he either a) skipped into 2005 to go visit Chuckie in London and say "Oh no you din't just kill my daughter, you foo'. Tit for tat, you buttface, I'm gonna go kill YOUR daughter now." (paraphrased, obvi) or b) went to the depths of the underworld to summon the Great Smokey (who clearly has just been sitting on the couch eating Doritos since we last saw him, as Smokey seems to have put on a few pounds since then, huh?) to wreak vengenance upon the freighter folk, who clearly have some Ugandan history they'd rather not be brought to light. 

So whilst all this is going on, Sawyer seems to have taken a great interest (or at least, a protective disposition) to Claire, running into her just-blown-up house amid sniper shots from the treeline to rescue her from the rubble (and wasn't her confused muttering of "Chhaalie?" just oh-so-heart-wrenching?) while nameless survivors in red t-shirts were shot down all around. Why is Claire all of a sudden so important? You'll remember prior to the phone ringing to warn our peeps that the fence had been turned off and "THEY'RE HERE," Hurley had made a comment that I think should, nay, must be taken out of the context of the game of Risk that was currently occupying his time: "Australia is the key to the whole game." Whether he means Australia, as in The Land Down Under, from where our illustrious band of survivors departed and ultimately began their journey, or Claire and Aaron, the country's residents who, it seems, are waaaay more important in the Whole Scheme of Things than we've been giving them credit for, I think, has yet TDB (hahaha, those who also watch The Office can appreciate that one...).  

Other things to think about before next week's Jack-centric "Something Nice Back Home:" As we already saw in the previews, the freighter folk seem to have survived the Smokey attack. What up with that? And how does a dentist know Morse Code and how broken is Jack's heart now that he knows Locke and Ben were ultimately right? What is it, exactly, that is ailing Jack? Juliet seems to think it's appendicitis, but wasn't Jack clutching his kidney early on in last night's episode? (Stop drinking the Dharma soda, Jackie, TRUST ME!) And how do you think ol' Dezzie is gonna feel when he finds out that Ben is now on a mission to kill his beloved Penny? What did Charles (Cal) mean when he said "I know who you are, Benjamin, WHAT you are?" (The whole scene had a God/Lucifer feel to me...) And finally, FOR THE LOVE OF JACK, when are they going to get Emilie de Ravin a new wig?!