3x03, Further Instructions

LISTEN:
Desmond David Hume has come UNSTUCK in time."

The Polar Bear! Nix that: THE EINSTEIN OF BEARS.

Overall, great episode. One could argue the flashback walked over well-worn ground. But I'll put forward that this was the first time we saw that the Losties are the "family" Locke was always destined to be part of, perhaps now head of. He also declared himself "The Hunter" -- another type to add to the Watchmen thread.

*Did anyone find it odd that Locke waking up in the jungle is shot in virtually identical manner as how Jack woke up in the Pilot. Hmm... you don't think what saved the Losties during the plane crash was the same thing that saved Locke, Eko and Desmond from being imploded along with the hatch, eh? Nah....

*So what was up with the "Deja Vu"? Does Desmond now have superpowers? Can he predict the future? Did he time travel? Well... as the Terminator taught us, you time travel in your birthday suit or you don't time travel at all. My guess: he very briefly came "unstuck" in time ala Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five or perceived past and future as one moment like Dr. Manhattan in the Watchmen. (And yes, I had to explain Slaughterhouse Five to the newbies at The Fuselage.)

*Why was Desmond the pilot in Locke's vision quest? Maybe because he brought the plane to the island by not pressing the button.

*Note too, Kate and Sawyer looked chummy while Jack hung back behind them forlorn. Foreshadowing of Kate and Sawyer getting together with Jack on the outs?

*Locke picked up something in the cave that has the Pearl Station logo on it. Were the last Pearlies eaten by Einstein Bear? Was that why it was abandoned?

*I thought it was interesting that after the first two episodes of the season where you saw Jack and Sun show much darker sides to their characters than previously revealed, we were give a scene where Locke could've actually killed someone... but didn't. I know with the way the flashbacks have been going I seriously thought Locke would pull the trigger.

*What were the "Further Instructions"? Were they from The Island itself? What does the Island really want Locke to do?

*Next week: Sawyer goes to Gitmo in "Every Man for Himself".