5x07, "316"

The stupidest theory I ever heard was one that held the Island moved, as if it were on a conveyor belt making it's way around the world. That's how it was able to pick-up the Black Rock, the Nigerian Drug Plane, etc. Hawking didn't exactly say the Island moved like that (really if it moves in space at all it appears to be within a small portion of the Pacific). But I know it's just going to revive theories like that.

*Then there was a once stupid theory that I long subscribed to: that time loops were going to be a huge part of the show, that the entire show might even end as it began with Jack waking up in the jungle. Well now that they did it here, I guess that won't be the the finale. But it still wouldn't surprise me to see something like that, maybe with a crash involving the children, like Aaron and Walt.

*Annnnnd finally: what Hawking said all but confirmed that the VIle Vortice theories have some truth. There's supposedly pockets of electromagnetism all over the world where wacky shit goes down (healing, disappearances, possible teleportation). The Bermuda Triangle is supposed to be one as well as Ayers Rock, featured in the Season 2 episode S.O.S.

*Does the episode's title, "316", also refer to John 3:16?

*There's a DHARMA station in Los Angeles? Really? And if it's so hard to figure out how to get to the Island how come The Others could do it so easily with their submarine? And the Freighter was able to find it? Hmmm....

*It's evident we're going to get more Real World 06 flashbacks:
-We need to find out what convinced Kate to come along, what left her crying on Jack's bed, and why she left Aaron behind.
-What convinced Sun to come along and why she left Ji-Yeon behind
-Why Hurley's with a guitar case and what convinced him to actually do what Ben wanted
-How did Sayid get arrested and why is he on the flight? Why is that woman worthy of coming to the Island with the O6?
-Did Ben go after Penny? Did he kill her or just get his ass beat attempting it.

So that's at least five episodes just rehashing the 36 hours or so of the 06's life before they boarded the plane. Plus we need to learn more about the two people who look to be new cast members: the woman who accompanied Sayid and the man who was also in the first class cabin with the rest of them

And what happened to Lapidus?

*So when are they now? I'd bet they're around the time that started the season, right when DHARMA was first building its stations. I'm also betting that everyone is now in the same time and we'll be seeing some Jack/Kate/Sawyer triangulation soon enough. The story of how the Left Behind got assimilated into the DHARMA Initiative will certainly be interesting.

Next week: "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham"