Anyway, I’m with you guys on Locke’s Daddy being the con man that got Sawyer’s family. How many con artists can there be on this frickin island… I’m now counting four.

I still don’t believe Jack is brainwashed — I think he was playing nice until his ship/sub set sail — but you do have an interesting idea about a Manchurian Candidate thing. That would be pretty cool.

I think Tom does genuinely like Jack, but I’m not sure why. Even when he was playing dress up, he seemed friendly… hmm, wasn’t he known as Mr. Friendly before we got a real name?

If I was Jack, I would have been raining down haymakers on Locke as he kneeled on that dock with the sub burning in the background. I’m firmly in the Locke hating camp right now. For whatever reason, I’m at the point where I don’t feel sorry for him at all. I think his original encounter with Old Smokey really fraked him up. I get that the guy believes there’s some higher thing going on, but what about considering the other survivors on the island? My gawd, what about getting Aaron of the island?

Anyway, if Ben somehow turns Locke, I’d be shocked. It sure seemed that Locke wasn’t buying anything he was selling, even if he was snarfing down the leftover gobbler.

Lastly, about Jack’s new tattoo… it stood out to me too, but then, I noticed it in one of the flashbacks in the Nikki/Paulo epsiode, so I think maybe we just didn’t notice it, they didn’t show it or something… but then, you could be right in that it is new. Would seem weird to have a tattoo parlor in the village, but then nothing should surprise anymore…

As for Nikki being eye candy. If they wanted eye candy they should have kept Shannon alive. Although then Syaid would not have been all bad ass on Ben. I actually forgot about that. Syaid might be in for some pain as payback for torturing Ben back in the Hatch.

Hopefully Lando Calrissian has the Millenium Falcon parked on the other side of the island so they can off. I’m sure it full of Colt 45 just like the VW bus was. Then they can hotwire and fly off….

Now – a cool twist would have Jack back with his people and then in the season finale – he suddenly utters the phrase before capping one of his fellow survivors (sort of a Manchurian Candidate activation).

I know Jack said he made a deal with them but I don’t think the revelation of their brainwashing facilities nor the repeated focus on that phrase (it was on the brainwash slide show as well as Carl repeating it) is purely accidental. That plot point will recur at some point. I just found Jack’s complete immersion into Other culture so soon after those events (its only been a few days) to be a bit sudden and I think there’s something going on there.

Do you think Tom is one of the guys who has lived on that island for all his life as well?

As for Nikki and Paulo, they have been useless thus far. Nikki exists as expository eye candy. She always pops on screen and provides a recap of some old plot point – usually telling Paulo “Don’t you remember when Locke blew up the hatch?” – which seems like a stilted attempt to bring casual viewers up to speed. For a show where people can spot a Dharma logo on a fleeting 2 second shot of a shark, I’m not sure we need the Crib Notes. Maybe it’s time old smokey chowed down on two more morsels.

I think you are right on the money with Cooper being the original Sawyer and now that he is on the island – Sawyer may finally get his revenge.

One last thing – I saw a screenshot of the first scene where Locke was eating his dinner in his tiny apartment. The TV tray that he had his dinner on was adorned with symbols all around the edges. The symbols? They were the hieroglyphics from the Hatch timer. I doubt it means anything – just one of those little Easter Eggs they like to pepper the show with.

One thing I did notice was when Tom brought Jack in to see Kate, he warned him that his conversation would be listened in on. I think that relationship is a strange one. Tom seems to genuinely like Jack.

One theory I have is could Lockes father be the con man that conned Sawyer’s mom causing his dad to kill himself? We know he killed the wrong man in Sydney and while Locke’s father is a little older it must have been 25 or so years ago that Saywer’s dad killed himself. Everyone seems to be interconnected and this would be a connection between Sawyer and Locke.

I am not sure I am up for the introduction of the newbie’s. Why have them come to the forefront after 2 1/2 seasons. I have heard they will play a big role in the rest of the year so it will be interesting how they work them in.