This recap is a little late. I apologize but work has preyed upon my brain and I’ve run behind on a number of these. I’m publishing this observation (the ep originally aired three weeks ago) and one on last night’s installment – as well as a couple 24 recaps and I will be fully caught up.

Anyway, onto S.O.S.

1. For the first time, we got some insight into how Rose (an late 50′s African-American woman) came to meet her soul mate, Bernard (an early 60’s Caucasian dentist.) I thought it was a nice touch, early in the season, when Hurley first encountered the oft-discussed but never seen Bernard. If you recall, Rose insisted that Bernard survived the crash, speculating he was with a group of survivors from the tail section, on some othe part of the island. When the Tailies came together with the original Losties, and Hurley encountered Bernard, his reply “So Bernard’s white? Dude, I never saw that coming”, nicely summarized the reunion as well as played off of some ingrained assumptions we sometimes, unfortunately, make.

2. That said, while this episode was light on mythology it was truly dense with heart and feeling. The flashback sequences, which depict Bernard and Rose meeting cute, proposing at Niagara, and then Bernard’s quest to ‘fix’ Rose when he finds out she is dying of cancer – did a great job at providing some lived in history for this loving couple.

3. That’s one of the great things about this ensemble. While the cast has its share of Beautiful People, none of them look like they just crawled over from the O.C. What cast – outside of the medical dramas – boasts roles that include everything from former Iraqi Republican Guard to mature biracial couple to bald parapalegic to Hobbit.

4. I loved that great scene between Locke and Rose – where Rose elevates Locke from his despair over the broken leg with a knowing retort to his diagnosis of a 5-week recovery time. “Honey, you and I both know, it’s not going to take that long.” The flashback depicting a chance meeting by Rose and a wheelchair-saddled Locke – cemented the bond they both share and underscored their faith in the island. The island gave them new life.

5. On a second viewing, I noticed something a bit ominous in Bernard’s massive S.O.S. sign. In Bernard’s zealous quest to build a mammoth S.O.S. sign on the beach (in a bid to once again, save Rose) – he ends up losing every helper through poor management skills. By the end of the episode, as he realizes Rose’s secret and her desire to stay on the island, he offers to take down the sign (built with large pieces of magma aligned in the sand). As the camera pans up – we realize there are two piles of rocks and only one portion of one S completed – forming a giant emoticon.   :  (

6. Finally – Michael is back. You know, there are so many damn characters to keep track of, I forgot he left.

Next week, Michael yells ‘Waaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllltttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!’