Lost Season 4, Episode 4

"Eggtown"

Five down, one to go. Now that we know the identity of five of the Oceanic Six (because Aaron counts, right?) we can examine the ridiculous amounts of new information and new questions this episode delivers.

First, what happened to Claire? From Kate's roommate in Otherville to...what? Giving up Aaron to Kate? Did Claire meet some kind of grisly end on the island? Is that why future Jack is clearly uneasy about going to visit his half-nephew? Is Claire still alive, just trapped on the island?

Secondly, in Kate's flashforward, which depicts her trial for her pre-island crimes, we see Jack take the stand as a character witness. He tells the jury that only 8 people survived the crash, and Kate acted like a hero in the crash aftermath, dragging people to safety and saving his own life. So now we know their lie. I think the true burning question this season will leave us is: what happened to the people left behind on the island, and what happened to make the Oceanic Six to lie about it?

Back on the island, Locke has assumed control over his group, without much flexibility, to mask his internal self-doubt. He's holding Ben in his basement and Miles in the boathouse. Kate wants to go talk to Miles, but Locke won't let her. Naturally, Kate won't take no for an answer, so she tricks Hurley into telling her where Miles is being held. She gets in to see him, and apparently wants to know if she's still considered a fugitive back in the real world, but Miles won't tell her until he gets to see Ben.

Kate teams us with (or "uses") Sawyer to distract Locke long enough to get Miles down to Ben's cell, where Miles demands $3.2 million dollars from Ben to keep his employer from finding out that Ben is alive. Given that he's currently imprisioned, Ben asks for a week to gather the money. And the more clues we get here, the more I start thinking that Ben is some kind of international criminal mastermind. I mean, he can just give away $3.2 million?

Anyway, Kate gets caught by Locke with Miles outside of Ben's cell. Kate is banished from Locke's colony, and Miles gets a grenade in his mouth with the pin removed. Which probably sucks a whole lot, if you think about it. He can't go to sleep!

And Kate, upon hearing of her banishment, goes and hangs out with Sawyer in his bedroom. And, like all straight women with a pulse, she cannot resist the power of a shirtless Josh Holloway, and they start making out. The morning after, we find out that Kate is definitely not pregnant, which Sawyer is happy about. Kate doesn't take his reaction very well, and announces that she's going back to the beac. Sawyer (rightly) calls her out on her bullshit, saying that he'll just be there waiting until she gets mad at Jack and comes crawling back to him. This earns him a slap in the face, which...for Christssakes, Kate. What the hell is wrong with you? Jack is whiny and obnoxious, Sawyer is at least funny, sarcastic, hot, and obnoxious. Make up your mind, I'm getting sick of the triangle.

In other news, Daniel and Charlotte play a memory game, and Daniel...has no short-term memory? Or something?

And also, the helicopter never got back to the boat, according to Regina on the frieghter. Uh-oh. I have a feeling it's got something to do with the time differential between the island and its bubble and the outside world. But next week's ep is Desmond-centric, so I'm sure we'll see what happens there.

I have to say, this season has hooked me into the show as much as I was during that exquisite first season. The new structure has me counting the minutes until the next show.