I just sifted through all 5 pages on this episode and was very surprised not to see some major complaints about content, especially after all the complaints after the last 2 episodes. Those episodes IMO, had WAY more content than this one. Desmond's "travels", however you choose to decipher them, will likely end up being an episode we look back to once we know what the hell is going on. And the Jack episode, whether you lik it or not, DID reveal the fate of the children and Cindy, and squashed the "2 groups of others" theory.

Now what happened in this episode? Hurley and the boys went for a joyride, Kate & Sawyer returned, and Danielle made a silent appearance.

I was extremely disappointed in this episode, and I'm thankful this message board allows both positive AND NEGATIVE threads to co-exist.

I'm not that negative about this episode, but you are right. Perhaps the PTB thought that they had been revealing too much in the past two seasons and that we needed a break from getting all of these answers or moving the plot forward. (sarcasm) I've come to expect it.

Think back to the statue that the Losties saw from the boat. Did you even get excited about it? I didn't. Why bother? It's like backwards talking Walt or the power cable that goes into the ocean, the Black Rock, the Other's labor camp - may as well have not even been there in the first place. If it will be explained it probably won't be in our lifetime.

So I'll settle for the filler episode. It had characters that we like, a point and resolution. At least it didn't drag out a simple idea into four episodes like looking around in the hatch, or Sayid, Jin, and Sun going around the island to give the boat back to the Others, or anything else.

You're correct, this one didn't advance the plot much at all. But I loved this episode. So that made me think about why I hated last week's so much. I complained that it didn't tell us anything, but neither did this one. So that can't be the reason like I thought it was. Then I hit upon it: I would rather watch Hurley, Charlie, Sawyer and Jin hang around drinking beer and joyriding than watch Jack go through another angst-ridden moment any day! I just don't think his story is interesting, engaging or entertaining. If TPTB have to stretch out the story lines to fill the season, then I wish they would stick to using the beachies for filler and not the Others and Jack.

I completely agree. The Hurley background has just about run its course, in my opinion. We know the guy has bad luck. We know death follows him. Enough, already. Finding the van would have been more interesting had it contained, say, a dead baby polar bear or some kind of map or more interesting blueprint, but they didn't even examine the contents! I'm glad I didn't pay to see that episode, otherwise I'd be demanding my money back.

I agree this episode didn't give us much content, but it was fun and more importantly, it put the gang back together. Also there wasn't any yelling or torture.

Finding the van would have been more interesting had it contained, say, a dead baby polar bear or some kind of map or more interesting blueprint

Did you miss the map they found? I'm sure it will show up again later.

Yeah. Though I love Hurley, I was left feeling as though I'd just eaten a bunch of empty calories. There was hardly an ounce of substance in last night's episode. And, sorry, but the whole thing about Hurley making his own luck and starting the van at the end? Dumb.

The more I think about this episode, the more I believe it is showing us that the Castaways DO have control over their Fate.

Hurley made a deliberate choice to "make his own luck".
Charlie cast off the shroud of death that was haunting him and chose life.

Free Will? You betcha. :3:

I just sifted through all 5 pages on this episode and was very surprised not to see some major complaints about content, especially after all the complaints after the last 2 episodes. Those episodes IMO, had WAY more content than this one. Desmond's "travels", however you choose to decipher them, will likely end up being an episode we look back to once we know what the hell is going on. And the Jack episode, whether you lik it or not, DID reveal the fate of the children and Cindy, and squashed the "2 groups of others" theory.

Now what happened in this episode? Hurley and the boys went for a joyride, Kate & Sawyer returned, and Danielle made a silent appearance.


You're correct, this one didn't advance the plot much at all. But I loved this episode.

I loved this episode too, whether there was mythology or not.

But, it seems like people are missing a large piece of the mythology that was included in this episode. "Make your own luck" has been a recurring theme on this show... "Make your own luck", "Make your own kind of music", Walt playing backgammon and getting Whatever number he Really wanted to roll, Charlie being brought back from the dead by Jack beating on his chest... this is the first time that someone Else has used that "ability". I mean, Jin declares the car to be unfixable, but Hurley gets it to work by just popping the clutch...? There's far more to it than that.

The question becomes, is this something that all people can do, just certain people, or only on that island? And can this save Charlie from his "fate"?

The difference between this episode and the last is that this one was MEANT TO BE FUN. And at that, it succeeded. It wasn't OMG WATCH OR YOU'LL MISS THREE MAJOR REVELATIONS. It was just Hurley, Charlie, Jin and Sawyer, and a lot of fun. The last one was missing all the fun. That's why people didn't like it.

The difference between this episode and the last is that this one was MEANT TO BE FUN. And at that, it succeeded. It wasn't OMG WATCH OR YOU'LL MISS THREE MAJOR REVELATIONS. It was just Hurley, Charlie, Jin and Sawyer, and a lot of fun. The last one was missing all the fun. That's why people didn't like it.


Bender, I understand what you are saying- that there were no real revelations at all. That is more or less true. But I agree with Nevermore. This episode was meant to be light, fun. All of the episodes this season have been heavy with pain, torture, loss of hope, being held against one's will, etc.

This episode was a return for the ensemble cast- and with the return of Kate and Sawyer, a chance for the characters (and the viewers) to take a deep breath, relax, and just enjoy the reunion. I thought the humor and banter was well-suited after everything that has happened. Now yes, in some ways it may come across as weird that these Losties are laughing and having a good time while Jack is imprisoned, but I feel this episode was a sigh of relief for the viewers.

Now we can collect ourselves and get ready for the mystery and danger again, starting next week...

The more I think about this episode, the more I believe it is showing us that the Castaways DO have control over their Fate.

Hurley made a deliberate choice to "make his own luck".
Charlie cast off the shroud of death that was haunting him and chose life.

Free Will? You betcha. :3:

I don't know if that was the point of the episode. Bad things happen to Hurley when everything seems to be safe. This time he did something dangerous in the hopes that it would break his curse, so of course it wouldn't manifest itself. I'm thinking that if Charlie is going to bite it, it is not going to be something that he chooses to do but some kind of weird accident or the victim of murder.

I don't know if that was the point of the episode. Bad things happen to Hurley when everything seems to be safe. This time he did something dangerous in the hopes that it would break his curse, so of course it wouldn't manifest itself. I'm thinking that if Charlie is going to bite it, it is not going to be something that he chooses to do but some kind of weird accident or the victim of murder.

If "fate" was going to "course correct" it was given the perfect opportunity to last night, but didn't. I agree in that I think they both cast off their curses. They both stopped being afraid and "made their own luck".

This episode didn't answer much, but it differed from the other filler/jump the shark episodes, because it was fun. It was fun to watch them get the car started, and watch em hanging out drinking beer. Sawyer was funny as hell. I laughed outloud more in this episode than I have in a long time. If they're gonna do a filler, this is the way to do it. The Jack crap is much more boring. Plus, this was all about hope, which was kind of a nice change. (And I criticized the first 6 episodes of the season to DEATH).

No progress if you don't count Hurley's character development where he learns he can make his own luck and break the supposed curse. No progress in character development if you don't see James developing friendships within the group and Charlie kicking his recent funk. I don't think the new character, Roger, will do much for the show.

No plot development if you don't count Kate revealing her guess about Alex to Danielle. No plot progress if you don't count the formation of a search & rescue team (Kate, Danielle, Sayid & Locke) that actually has some hard information to work with in searching out the Other's and possibly rescuing Jack.

I think that this was a fun filled episode and that was a major point in making it. But I also feel it did show progress.

I didn't see this episode as filler at all. It moved character development forward more than plot but why is that any less important? I know we've seen Hurley being cursed before, but that was not the point of the flashback. The issues he had with his dad leaving and then returning while he was dealing with his "curse" seemed a lot more important to me. The idea of hope vs fate vs curses, etc. On the island, Hurleys character progressed by finally letting go of the curse which has been holding him back. Whether he succeeded or not is up for debate, but the point was that Hurley thought he did. I really liked it.

No progress if you don't count Hurley's character development where he learns he can make his own luck and break the supposed curse. No progress in character development if you don't see James developing friendships within the group and Charlie kicking his recent funk. I don't think the new character, Roger, will do much for the show.

No plot development if you don't count Kate revealing her guess about Alex to Danielle. No plot progress if you don't count the formation of a search & rescue team (Kate, Danielle, Sayid & Locke) that actually has some hard information to work with in searching out the Other's and possibly rescuing Jack.

I think that this was a fun filled episode and that was a major point in making it. But I also feel it did show progress.

I didn't see this episode as filler at all. It moved character development forward more than plot but why is that any less important? I know we've seen Hurley being cursed before, but that was not the point of the flashback. The issues he had with his dad leaving and then returning while he was dealing with his "curse" seemed a lot more important to me. The idea of hope vs fate vs curses, etc. On the island, Hurleys character progressed by finally letting go of the curse which has been holding him back. Whether he succeeded or not is up for debate, but the point was that Hurley thought he did. I really liked it.

By the end of this show, I bet we find out that this whole, "fate/curse/luck" thing was very important.

It was filler but it was enjoyable. The recent other filler episode about Cindy promised everything and delivered nothing. Thats what pisses people off. I don't mind an enjoyable episode that doesn't reveal anything but I hate episodes that promise so much but don't deliver.

Nice parallel between Hurley/Charlie/van and Locke/Boone/plane, too.

By the end of this show, I bet we find out that this whole, "fate/curse/luck" thing was very important.I don’t personally hold that view. However if it proves true would this then be viewed in retrospect as a pivotal curse breaking episode for plot development? :biggrin:


It was filler but it was enjoyable. The recent other filler episode about Cindy promised everything and delivered nothing. Thats what pisses people off. I don't mind an enjoyable episode that doesn't reveal anything but I hate episodes that promise so much but don't deliver.The promises were from the promo people not the writers. I went into that episode with expectations based on the title and apparently was much happier with it than those who watched and believed the promo.,

Bender, I understand what you are saying- that there were no real revelations at all. That is more or less true. But I agree with Nevermore. This episode was meant to be light, fun. All of the episodes this season have been heavy with pain, torture, loss of hope, being held against one's will, etc.

This episode was a return for the ensemble cast- and with the return of Kate and Sawyer, a chance for the characters (and the viewers) to take a deep breath, relax, and just enjoy the reunion. I thought the humor and banter was well-suited after everything that has happened. Now yes, in some ways it may come across as weird that these Losties are laughing and having a good time while Jack is imprisoned, but I feel this episode was a sigh of relief for the viewers.

Now we can collect ourselves and get ready for the mystery and danger again, starting next week...
I agree whole-heartedly with this. It pretty much sums up what I felt about this epi. Well said and biring on next weeks drama!

So, we're not ever supposed to have an episode where the vast majority of the fans who watch it come away happy and glowing inside, even if no big huge secrets were revealed? You know, there's more to Lost than it being an extension of The Lost Experience game... :ohwell:

Seriously, if you think about it there was more to this episode than filler.

Locke, in Season 1, gets his legs back, presumably "from the island", and proceeds to take Boone out and (unintentionally) get him killed in the plane, by himself, as a "sacrifice the island demanded". Locke is doing what he thinks the island wants him to do.

Although Boone's death was unintentional it was directly because of Locke demanding he get up in that plane because Locke couldn't.

Hurley feels cursed by the numbers, which he has seen on the island. He demands that Charlie, also "cursed" (feeling like a sacrifice the island demands, perhaps?), go with him to ride in the van. They do it because they want a victory over the curses they see on themselves, in spite of what the island wants. Hurley goes with Charlie. Both live.

I find it an interesting parallel. Locke followed what he thought the island wanted him to do, lost faith in the island, and lost everything he worked for, killing Boone at the outset.

Hurley and Charlie followed what they thought was right, had faith (hope) in themselves, and WON their victory!


Sure it may not have answered what DHARMA's projects are or how they can get off the island or even how Locke got his legs back, but I thought it provided the perfect foil to "everything happens for a reason" with "you make your own luck".

Filler to the mysteries, not necessarily to the mythology.

I've been wondering, too, why I enjoyed this episode so much, when I was *so* disappointed by SIASL. I think I've had too much of the self-important characters like Jack, Juliet, and Ben for a while. On a long train ride, I'd rather sit by Hurley, Sawyer, even Tom for a while. The show was wound so tightly, we needed some banter instead of people saying cryptic things and staring off into space.

It was filler but it was enjoyable. The recent other filler episode about Cindy promised everything and delivered nothing. Thats what pisses people off. I don't mind an enjoyable episode that doesn't reveal anything but I hate episodes that promise so much but don't deliver.

Let me guess: you watched the promo?

I really wonder why people watch the promos, I never do. I had absolutely no idea that Cindy would be in this episode, and when she and the kids appeared in front of Jack's cage I went :eek2::eek2:

I enjoyed that episode very much and was not disappointed the least bit. Maybe you should stop spoiling it for yourself and not watch those stupid promos.

I agree whole-heartedly with this. It pretty much sums up what I felt about this epi. Well said and biring on next weeks drama!


Yes, I am excited about next week, too!

By the way, I am still hearing Shambhala in my head- that was a very uplifting song ;-)

Ok, so there wasn't much content in the episode. Ok, it didn't forward the story much. Ok, there were no new big reveals. BUT it was FUN! Like Hurley said, maybe we all just need a little fun to break the tension. I liked the episode.

All the complaints are valid but it was so nice to see Hurley and Charley together again like in the old days. It reminded me of the first season episode where Hurley made the golf course. A round of golf like the "rich dudes play" had nothing to do with forwarding the story either but it sure was fun.

When people say this epi was just filler, I think about the filling in a Twinkie...it just wouldn't be a Twinkie without the sweet, sweet filling.

When people say this epi was just filler, I think about the filling in a Twinkie...it just wouldn't be a Twinkie without the sweet, sweet filling.

That's a very interesting way of putting it. Yes, the filler was good, or should I say "sweet" this week. ;)

And the Jack episode, whether you lik it or not, DID reveal the fate of the children and Cindy, and squashed the "2 groups of others" theory.

I don't agree with this. We now know that Cindy and the children are with Ben and that group of people. That doesn't mean there can't be another group somewhere. Patchy is still out there, and we don't know anything about him yet.

I didn't see this episode as filler at all. A lot of episodes involve the characters resolving issues. Hurley resolved his issue with the curse, and we got a clue with the road map. We also got to see Kate telling Rousseau about Alex. I don't see any filler in there.