Best. Backstory. Ever.

was it worth it? there's still a lot of the ranks to thin.

Not an attack on you, Drinky, but why do so many people keep saying that "next episode thing's are gonna start happening". I mean, my gosh, are you even watching the show, or are you're ideas of "things happening" and mine completely misaligned?

What the smoke ends up being will be the make or break for this show. They could make it brilliant or turn it out to be silly very quickly. I wonder if they (writers/producers) even know yet?

i hope to shit they know.
becomes sometimes it does seem like they are making shit up as they go along, which would suck. (unless they are really really really good at that)

I feel that way sometimes, but then everything comes together, like with the Plane and Eko, and it seems like they must at least have an outline.

But I can't think of any awesome explanations for intelligent black smoke.

Nanotechnology is not awesome. It is topical.

Apparently, you saw visions of Eko's past when the camera panned through the black smoke.

I didn't see anything, but what I heard was a receipt printing.

They've stated that they know where they're going, but not exactly how they're going to get there (which seems pretty obvious from the slow development this season.) They've also stated that it's not nanobots, but I think that's a ruse because admitting that this early would probably blow some of the mystery. It almost definitely has to be some sort of nanotechnology, but, of course, the big mystery is why it's there, not the fact that it exists. They've been pretty good at not going the silly route with their reveals, but they're going to have to be very careful how they incorporate something as intangible in today's world as nanotech is. Otherwise it will seem like a cop out.

i think that we're looking at a cloud of magnetically drawn iron dust from one of those toys where you draw the beard on the hobo's face with the magnet pen. i have no idea where you're getting this nanotech thing.

Well it's the only "scientific" explanation for it, and people seem to be assuming it's got to be sciency. But I think you're right that it probably has something to do with the magnets.

We got Eko's backstory (except for how he ended up on a plane from Sydney to LA) which I guess counts for *something happening*, but did you see the preview for next week? It looks like an episode where a bunch of things are gonna come to a head. Might not be, but it certainly looks more eventful than this last one.

And FYI, I thought the last two or three episodes before the break were great and very eventful. However, there's a reason why *so many people* have complained about this season moving slowly. That's because compared to the first season, it really has. Period.

what is this nanotech stuff you guys are talking about?

<---dumb

<---and lazy...i don't feel like googling right now.

It's a relatively incipient technology at the nexus of computer science and biotech that involves building or growing tiny "robots" that behave in predictable, controlable ways, so that theoretically you could engineer them to combine like cells into a single organism-like machine.

That's barely scratching the surface, and a bit on the futurist side, but you get the picture.

Yeah, having basically one episode per month can lead to people viewing the season as moving slowly. Other than that, I don't see the action or revelation of story being that slow as compared to season one.

Except that the first season aired at pretty much the same rate.

Which proves my point?

Um, no.

Haven't looked at any of the other sites to see if there's hidden meaning in all of this. Overall, I thought it was a good episode. Did anyone else notice that when Michael was chatting with "Walt" on the computer, as soon as Jack came around the corner to look at the screen, it was blank? Also, I'll say right now... KILL OFF CHARLIE! I can't stand his character.

As for PR, Chase, Marla did get voted off this time, along with nerdy nasal girl. Honestly, Santino and Nick *should* have gotten voted off for their poor ensemble and horrific window display, but of course they're going to keep them around. I thought Emmet and Chloe should have won the challenge, honestly. Heidi was looking very pretty on the show last night too.

Well, yeah. Are you implying that it was all in Michael's head? My impression was that communications dropped out while Michael was talking to Jack. The other explanation is that some intelligence can see who's in the room and is intentionally trying to trick Michael only.

yes! and the last line from walt read: "you need to com" and then they cut to michaels face and his eyes got real wide. what the hell????

I'm starting to think that. I'm starting to wonder if Michael's going a bit insane over his kid missing. What's the connection with only Shannon and Sayid seeing Walt in the woods anyway? No one else has seen him, and if anyone NEEDS to see him, it would be Michael.

Maybe the Walt in the woods is made of nanobots!

haven't a bunch of people seen walt?

not since they took him. just sayid and shannon, i think.

And I'll form....the head!