And I thought Ben had an amazing flash! In next year’s spring line-up, ABC needs to put the Miles + Sawyer buddy-cop show on after the Ben to School show. Must see TV is back! Anyways, in his flash we got a glimpse of what Sawyer’s life would be like if he never chose a life of crime and instead chose law enforcement. It’s honestly not too much of a stretch; being an undercover cop requires the same acting and skills of manipulation that conning people out of their money does. Undercover cops are con men with badges.

It’s also not a stretch because flash Sawyer is also obsessed with finding Anthony Cooper, and he still plans on killing him once he does. That’s why he still stole away to Australia and lied to his partner Miles about it. But it was also a glimpse into what Sawyer’s life would be like if Jacob had never touched him. Jacob’s a dick, I’m tellin’ ya. Look how much better off their lives are without him. Think about Jack’s flash and Locke’s and Sawyer’s. They’re changed for the better. Kate and Sayid seemed to have not changed for the better or at all. On the Island they’re with MiB, so there might be some connection there. I think the flashes are showing us everyone’s true nature.

That Little House on the Prairie shit was a bit much.

I always enjoy shows more when there is no clear-cut good and bad side. Like The Shield and The Wire, for example. A big debate now for Lost is whether Jacob or MiB is the good guy. I’m fine with them leaving that grey, but in the end it’s likely that the producers will make a decisive selection between good and evil, with the Losties as pawns the entire time.

In a few subtle ways, Widmore returning to the Island aids the argument that MiB is the good guy. His endgame is still anyone’s guess, but Widmore’s comment to Sawyer about the freighter made me think harder about how all of the blood spilled in season 4 is on him. He sent the goddamn freighter. No matter how much he spits his “I’m the good guy” rhetoric, Widmore is responsible for a lot of deaths.  Also, him and his crew are constructing a barrier which will repel MiB, and when an elitist, rich bastard in a submarine is against someone (or in this case, something), I’m taking the little guy’s side. But can Widmore even kill MiB if he wanted to?

There are only nine episodes left, so nobody wants more mysterious dropped in their lap. But the door with three padlocks had me giddy. Is it meant to keep someone out, or someone in??? Any thoughts as to what could be behind the door?

With Juliet pushing up Dharma daisies, Sawyer is stronger and bolder in his grief. He’s playing a dangerous game conning both Widmore and MiB simultaneously. MiB tells him that he’s an incredible liar, so it’s going to be difficult to fleece a man who already knows Sawyer’s ways. His grief has also made him selfless. He’s willing to risk his life for the only thing left to care about: getting his friends off the Island. Since the third season I’ve been betting on Sawyer dying in a sacrificial manner. It’s the only logical way, IMO, that his character arc can come to an end. For him to regress into the man consumed by self-preservation from the early seasons would be retarded.

The biggest revelation of the night was that MiB has mommy issues, a nice change from a show swollen with paternal ones. Possibly he was just conning Kate – “con” was the name of the game last night – but I don’t think he was. As cryptic as his statements usually are, I think MiB is honest for the most part. So who is this crazy mother? He alludes that she was just like Claire. It better not be Claire. It could have been alluding that Aaron will be the next MiB.

Holy shit they have a lot to wrap up in a short amount of time.

- Oh Mars