LOST: Episode 5.01 and 5.02

Because You Left and The Lie

Oh my goodness, wasn't that good??  Even with all of the time-traveling stuff, I don't really feel all that confused!  (That's probably because I completely misunderstood everything, heh) Both of the episodes were just jam-packed, and I really liked how they seemed to pick up right where they left off, and you couldn't tell there was a gap of almost 8 months between the season 4 finale and these episodes.

I am totally jazzed about the change in the storytelling structure.  While before we would have events from the POV of a single character in "real time" on the island and either flashbacks or flash forwards, now the action encompasses the entire ensemble and takes place either on the island (in late 2004) or off-island in 2007;  and it almost felt like the island action was a flashback for the 2007 action, while the 2007 action felt like a flashforward for the 2004 action.

As the preceding paragraph clearly shows, things got pretty complicated last night, so I am going to forgo recapping 2 hours of time travel.  Instead, some things I liked, and some things I have questions about:

• I really liked Juliet last night, and I REALLY like her with Sawyer.  Dump Kate, James!
• I enjoyed seeing Yemi's plane, Ethan, Dr. Candle, the Hatch and Hatch Desmond again.
• I learned a valuable lesson: Remember to close the dishwasher before engaging in a fight-to-the-death in your kitchen.  (or, you could always just put your knives in pointy part down!).
• Hurley dragging around Sayid's unconscious body was hilarious to me, especially when he put the sunglasses on him.
• Even though I didn't like her all that much when she was alive, I loved Hurley's visit from Ana Lucia and the "Libby says Hi."
• While the ensuing flaming arrow attack was terrifying, Frogurt's death was a welcome reprieve.
• These episodes were really heavy on the mythology, and a little light on the character-driven, emotional moments, but the one that really stood out for me was Hurley's talk with his mother.  I'm so glad she said she believed him.  I think that's part of what gave him the confidence to stand up to Ben.

OK, now some questions:

• So Daniel made a trip back to the early Dharma years?  Did he do that when he was at Oxford?
• I think I get the "skipping record" explanation for the island's time-jumping phenomenon, but I'm not sure what's actually jumping.  I think it's the plane crash survivors who are jumping.  The island and The Others jumped to a place and time, but Sawyer and crew are bouncing around and can't complete the jump until the 6 return.  Maybe? But then why are Daniel, Charlotte, Miles and Juliet all jumping around in time, too?
• Sun totally blames Jack and Kate as well as Ben, for Jin's death, don't you think?  She was freaking me out during her conversation with Kate.
• Alan S. pointed out that the compass that Richard gave John is probably the same one that John was supposed to choose when Richard tested him as a child:

They look pretty similar, but I'm not sure it's the same one. I think Alan's right, though, that the two are connected in some way. Good catch, Alan!

• What do you think is going on with Charlotte's nosebleed?  I think it's safe to say that it's an effect of the time travel, and that Dan knows it's  not a good thing, but why just her?  Is it because she was a Dharma baby and grew up on the island, as some have theorized?
• No matter how hard he tries to be trustworthy, poor Ben's crazy eyes just give him away.  What is he up to now?  Is he behind the lawyers that visited Kate, to give her a reason to run back to the island?  Who the heck is the butcher lady?  I must say it certainly is convenient to have a butcher lady friend with a walk-in freezer when you have a dead body that you need to hide and "keep safe". 
• Who are the guys shooting the flaming arrows?  They can't be a new group - they must be either Dharma or, more likely in my opinion, members of Rousseau's crew.
• What is Mrs. Hawking doing in that church basement with her chalkboard of equations, swinging (Foucault?) pendulum, Dharma-era computer and monk's hood?  Who is she?  Oh wait, could she be at a monastery?  Do you remember that she was in that photo on Brother What's-His-Face's desk at the monastery that Desmond joined?

Lastly, can I just tell you how happy I was to see Desmond in both of these episodes?  No, I probably don't have to!  I was really worried that his story was over, but apparently he's going to play a key role.  Yay!

I'm not digging the short hair so much, but I did like his sailing outfit.  Here's the best screencap I could find.

So, talk to me - any thoughts??