Awesome to finally see him again!

indeed. what now?

He looked different

should have been him taking a chain wrapped dive

Ya know, for those of us who don't read spoilers, this would have been an absolutely great one if only they hadn't put HP's name in the credits for 6 freakin' weeks before he actually appeared! I had it figured out by episode 2... spoiler free.

I managed to watch the episode without knowing, I suspected it would be him but I knew nothing about photos and cast lists before watching. I think it's best to watch the episode, discuss it for 24 hours, then keep away from all Lost info until the next episode is over!

I don't care if this was the worst kept secret ever, I'm glad it's Michael.

I agree with Aversion, no Lost info for me between episodes.

I don't care if this was the worst kept secret ever, I'm glad it's Michael.

I agree with Aversion, no Lost info for me between episodes.
I agree totally it was the worst kept secret ever! :roflmao: But i totally agree, it was great to see him again. He also has shorter hair and no beard thats why he looks different now. ;)

I wonder what his story is for getting there...you'd think a guy and his kid in a little boat could only come from an island very nearby...if they knew about the survivors of flight 815, you'd think they might be suspicious of them, and their story. You'd think they might peg them as being from the manifest, Kevin Johnson or no.

Yes! Michael is awesome and I'm soo happy he's back. I figured it might be him, but I was not spoiled so I didn't know for sure until I actually saw him.
Yay!!! Michael is back!

The return of Michael will make a great storyline. Can he redeem himself for what he did? I can't wait to see how the Losties will react to him, and to hear about his story of how he became Ben's man on the boat.

As far as I'm concerned, Michael is a murdering piece of human refuse, and I was glad that he was absent for so long; I was hoping, although I knew it wouldn't happen, that he would never return. Now that he's back, I can only hope that he gets what's coming to him in a timely manner.

I'm trying to figure out how this makes sense in the time line.... I mean, how much time has passed since Michael and Walt took off in the boat anyway? Was it anywhere near enough time to get rescued, get another identity that's solid enough to get a job, locate Widmore (or his people) and somehow get onto the actual freighter that is headed back to the island? Wouldn't you think a background check would be in order for any job on that boat?

Unless Ben somehow sent Michael back in time through a different wormhole.

Ya know, for those of us who don't read spoilers, this would have been an absolutely great one if only they hadn't put HP's name in the credits for 6 freakin' weeks before he actually appeared! I had it figured out by episode 2... spoiler free.

Darlton explained in a recent podcast that adding the regular actors' names to the beginning credits is contractual issue and there's no way around it, unfortunately.

I think this reveal to some is a whoop-de-doo and WTF to others..
I personally wasn't shocked, but it certainly was a creepy moment.
The writers have had enough time to plan out what his characater
has become since we last saw him, so I am excited to see that
unfold.

On the other hand, in season 3, Sayid knew that Michael was
compromised and his selfish act led him off the island and put 3
others in captivity of an unknown group.

Why after all that would he not grab him, and give him a republican
guard beating?! More of a rhetorical question then anything else.

Okay, so we knew Michael was coming back this season---I suspected he was the "man on their boat" as did many I believe---so how about that "return"? ;) Did it live up to your expectations? Had you already been spoiled "briefed" on the specifics?

I thought the cinematography was clever in that Michael was standing far away and in shadow, trying to keep a low profile yet "ordered" to walk towards the camera---and ultimately reveal himself to Sayid and Desmond. The handshakes were visually dramatic. Nice touch of music, too.

In any case, your thoughts on how he was re-introduced?

should have been him taking a chain wrapped dive

Actually, it should have been Jack, Kate, and Sawyer wrapping Michael in the chains and then THROWING HIM off the freighter. ;)

I liked it. A lot. I expected it due to being spoiled, but my wife did not and she was surprised.

The best part to me was Sayid's quick cover-up and playing along. Jack would have decked him and started yelling, and then crying.

Yay Sayid!

I pretty much figured it was Michael. I'm spoiler free, but sometimes you read things you didn't want to. It's ok that I was "spoiled" in that sense, since a greater mystery is still at hand. Where is Walt? Why does Michael have a new name? Why is he on the freighter? Can't wait for next week!

The best part to me was Sayid's quick cover-up and playing along. Jack would have decked him and started yelling, and then crying.

LOL. How true. Sayid is more calm and calculating than Jack--at this time.

Worst come back ever. He was a totally uninteresting charachter from the beggining and I sure hope they find a way to make him somehow interesting (wich I doubt). Sorry for being apathetic, I feel cheated and betrayed by a bunch of hollywood writers with no ideas where they're going and just want to squeez more bucks outta that show:(

I liked it a lot. I had gone over it in my head like "How could they possibly bring him back and make it interesting or suspenseful?" I guess it just happened to "work out" just right that when I first saw him, I didn't know it was him, and then the possibility occurred to me that wait, maybe that's him! And as he got closer to the camera, so did my hopes that it was. Then when his face became visible, I was just like "DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!"

It seemed like he didn't want to be seen by Sayid or Desmond, but the doc demanded he clean up the stain. I guess he was afraid of Sayid's fists. Or maybe he didn't expect Sayid to play along and that would blow his cover.

Worst come back ever. He was a totally uninteresting charachter from the beggining and I sure hope they find a way to make him somehow interesting (wich I doubt). Sorry for being apathetic, I feel cheated and betrayed by a bunch of hollywood writers with no ideas where they're going and just want to squeez more bucks outta that show:(

What are you talking about? of course they know what they're doing,
And how is Michael a "uninteresting" character, he built the Raft,
he killed Ana lucia and Libby (which was awesome) he got Jack, Kate,Sawyer
captured by the Other's, in exchange for Walt and the Boat. yep boring character:rolleyes:

Even without spoilers you could see this coming a mile away.

Worst come back ever. He was a totally uninteresting charachter from the beggining and I sure hope they find a way to make him somehow interesting (wich I doubt). Sorry for being apathetic, I feel cheated and betrayed by a bunch of hollywood writers with no ideas where they're going and just want to squeez more bucks outta that show:(

??????????????????????????????????
Well I'm sure they are a bunch of Hollywood writers. And I sure hope
they have a plan for his character. We shall see. What ever they write,
I'm sure it will be well thought out and put through spell check though.

Worst come back ever. He was a totally uninteresting charachter from the beggining and I sure hope they find a way to make him somehow interesting (wich I doubt). Sorry for being apathetic, I feel cheated and betrayed by a bunch of hollywood writers with no ideas where they're going and just want to squeez more bucks outta that show:(


Really? I thought he was one of the top 2 or 3 more interesting characters of the show, just with the whole shocking murder of Ana Lucia and Libby, mixed with all the heart wrenching moments with his evolution with Walt. Some of those flashbacks had me, a fully grown man, teary eyed.

I guess its all a matter of opinion. All I can say is I've been waiting for this moment for two seasons, and am glad my favorite character from the show is back from outer space. Woo!

I bet he is in the coffin by the end of the season.

Expected, but just ok. As long as he doesn't break into endless "I've got to get Walt back..." type rants, I'm cool with him being back. He is an interesting character played by an great actor, but I definitely got tired of (nearly) every line out of his mouth containing a reference to Walt.

OK, I Get It! The guy's driven by the love of his son. But sheesh...too much more of that and he should join Hurley in the Mental Ward.

I've been watching OZ reruns, so the first thing I thought when Michael popped up was "where are his dreadlocks!?". It took a minute to refocus.

The character was interesting enough HP is a fine actor. I am looking forward to Michael hopefully having a flashback this season.

Everyone could see it coming, but I was impressed by the execution of the scene. Nice direction, and I liked the tricks they played with the cinematography and the lighting. Sure, it was telegraphed, but I appreciate that they played it up with moderation. I liked that they didn't hype it as the big twist of the episode (that would be Jin) but they put enough weight in it to properly suit its significance. Given all of our expectations, it was neither over-played nor under-played. It was just right.

Actually, it should have been Jack, Kate, and Sawyer wrapping Michael in the chains and then THROWING HIM off the freighter. ;)

Also agreed, but I think they should wait so that Hurley could throw a few punches beforehand. I'd say just let him do the whole thing, but he's not a murderer. He's a good man.

Let me put it this way: I was spoiled a bit, and I still got the chills. When he and Sayid shook hands...awesome.

"We've got a sabateur on this boat and I have no idea who it could be. The only ones here are the crew and that shady janitor guy."

I wanted to see this happen, just so that everyone can get their revenge on what he did. Even if he was doing it for Walt, that doesn't justify some of the actions he did. He is the lowest of low, and I can't wait to see him get what he deserves.

i still really like Michael... :ohwell:

i still see Sayid being the mole, working for Ben. we shall see...

"We've got a sabateur on this boat and I have no idea who it could be. The only ones here are the crew and that shady janitor guy."

:roflmao: You just made my night!

I never cared for Michael in the past, and I knew long ago that he was coming back. I thought the way he was brought back was well done, and I honestly think he might be a lot more interesting this time around.

I'm fairly annoyed that Harold Perrineau's contract apparently had his name in the credits all season until now. Sometimes the needs of storytelling should take precedence over an actor's publicist. This "surprise reveal" was given away in 401 to anyone mildly pondering the opening credits.

Bleck. I was hoping that Sayid would have whipped out a knife and offed him right off the bat.

The character of Michael is annoying. As someone mentioned, if it weren't for Walt and the dog, he'd have no lines. "Where's Walt? Where's Vincent? Where's Walt? Where's Vincent?" HP's acting is the pits. He speaks most lines spitting through clenched teeth. He over acts and over dramatizes. He gets the Island Diva award in my book.

I hope like heck that when he was picked up by the freighter they beat the living daylights out of him and then brainwashed him into being a character with character, an actor with skeels.

I bet he's wishing he was freakin' back on the island right about now. Sayid is gonna rock his world.

indeed. what now?

Well, he'll probably have a lot to say about "*my SON!*"

should have been him taking a chain wrapped dive

Agreed.

I love Michael and I am so glad he's back! And we had better get a "WAAAALLLLLLT!" before long!

As for the "surprise," I knew it from spoilers, but it seems about 90% of the Lost community telegraphed it without them. I do like how TPTB have said, to paraphrase, "It's not the who, but the how that will be shocking." I can't wait till next ep!

Bleck. I was hoping that Sayid would have whipped out a knife and offed him right off the bat.

The character of Michael is annoying. As someone mentioned, if it weren't for Walt and the dog, he'd have no lines. "Where's Walt? Where's Vincent? Where's Walt? Where's Vincent?" HP's acting is the pits. He speaks most lines spitting through clenched teeth. He over acts and over dramatizes. He gets the Island Diva award in my book.

I hope like heck that when he was picked up by the freighter they beat the living daylights out of him and then brainwashed him into being a character with character, an actor with skeels.

I bet he's wishing he was freakin' back on the island right about now. Sayid is gonna rock his world.


I have to back up HP's acting skills here. Although I don't like the character Michael, it isn't due to HP's acting, its just because he is made out to be unlikeable, with his only saving grace being his love of his son. That is his role in the show, and he does a good job playing it. Still not convinced, then go out and rent some Oz.

Even without spoilers you could see this coming a mile away.

Even if you avoided spoilers, you'd have to deliberately IGNORE the name "HAROLD PERRINEAU" in the credits ever since "The Beginning of the End".

i still see Sayid being the mole, working for Ben. we shall see...

How can Sayid possibly be the mole when he has only been on the freighter for, like, two days?

Unless he somehow magically travelled back in time and is now on the freighter twice.

I can't imagine how this could have been a surprise to anyone! It was no secret that he was coming back this season, there are very few episodes left, his name has been on the credits every episode, and Ben has a man on the boat whose identity is such that Locke has to "sit down" to hear it. I'm spoiler-free, am often taken by surprise by the little twists and turns, but Michael's presence on the boat couldn't have been more predictable!

I wanted to see this happen, just so that everyone can get their revenge on what he did. Even if he was doing it for Walt, that doesn't justify some of the actions he did. He is the lowest of low, and I can't wait to see him get what he deserves.

Damon Lindelof has said that his character needs to find redemption now that he is back on the show. I think that by the end we will like Michael again. At least I hope so... I hate what he did. Killing Anna Lucia and Libby was truly terrible. But this is one of my favorite characters and I expected him back from the moment he left on the boat with Walt. If he hadn't returned in one way or another to the show that would have been an insanely huge cop-out. The writer's are making good on this. I'm looking forward to seeing his story play out.

I think this is pure awesomeness. I always loved Michael tons and tons, even after he shot Ana and Libby and betrayed the Losties. I'm so thrilled his back, I can't wait to see more of him! I know seeing him as the man on the boat wasn't exactly a surprise to anyone, but I still thought it was a pretty exciting scene when he was reintroduced. But the big point of this whole thing is the "why" and the "how".

So, what do you guys say? A good or a bad thing?

Too bad it was so widely known that he was returning this season. Heck, he was even listed all season as a regular. Could you imagine if you had stayed away from spoilers, and not known he was returning. That would have beena jaw dropper!!!

Its was still cool though.

Glad to have one of the "original" Losties back, but the spoilers out there were sorta deflating.

I couldn't be happier about his return. This is so amazing! Can't wait to see more of him. Michael was always one of my favorites and now I just love him more than ever. Welcome back!

Oh, and that scene was totally awesome.

I am glad he is back as I love Harold as an actor, but I hope that they make his character a little less selfish now. I was so sick of the what a father won't do for his son story line, it just got tiresome for me. Show a frickin back bone Michael and communicate with the other people around you.

But as a redemptive arc, I like him being back, so I am curious how this will unfold, but if I see more betrayal from him, not sure I can stomach the character.

Glad to see a good actor back in the mix though

I'm happy only because i want to see him get the living crap kicked out of him

I'm still not convinced that he is Ben's spy on the boat.

I’m very intrigued to find out what has happened to Michael while he’s been away and of course where Walt is. He left under a huge cloud so I can’t wait to see how the Losties react to him. The tension between Michael and Sayid was already very clear. I don't think Michael and Desmond have ever had any scenes together?? Presumably they are meant to have met before?

I'm thrilled that Michael is back. I can't wait to see what's gonna happen with him now, and what Sayid has to say about it. (yes! more conflict). I'm liking his new haircut too.

I love Harold Perrineau's haircut and shave. He looked great. I guess we'll get some answers on what happened to Michael and Walt after they left the island. Is Walt dead? Is he back in the States? How did Michael end up on the freighter?

Bleck. I was hoping that Sayid would have whipped out a knife and offed him right off the bat.

Why? Because he betrayed the group for his own son? I can think of millions of parents who would do the same.

I wanted to see this happen, just so that everyone can get their revenge on what he did. Even if he was doing it for Walt, that doesn't justify some of the actions he did. He is the lowest of low, and I can't wait to see him get what he deserves.


Does that mean you want to see Jack pay the price for trying to kill Locke? Shannon paid a price for trying to kill him. Do you want to see Kate pay a price for her crimes? Or Juliet? Or Sawyer, who has murdered two people since being on the island? Charlie has paid the price for murdering Ethan. Ana-Lucia has paid the price for killing Goodwin and that guy, Jason.

Or do you want Michael to suffer for going against the group? Does that mean that the group (aka "society") is always supposed to be more important than individual needs . . . even when one's own child is concerned? Not everyone thinks so. Apparently not Michael.

I feel differently about Micheal now that I've gotten to see just how manipulative Ben can be. I'm really excited he's back!

I dont like Michael anymore, cant forgive him for shooting them...he pretends he's the only person with something to lose

I'm happy only because i want to see him get the living crap kicked out of him

i'm sure ben would be as pleased as you so he can take a break from being the island punching bag. :biggrin:

I am happy about it. I hope we get to see what has been going on with him since we've seen him last. Should be interesting.

I had a feeling it would be Michael but was secretly hoping it would be the miraculous return from the grave of either Mr. Eko or Boone. That would really be wild and much more interesting that Michael.

I have never cared for Michael's character. He is so obsessed with his son now, but where was he for the son's first 10 or 12 years (cannot remember how old Walt is)? Even though Walt's mom moved him around the world, Michael could have visited him at some point if he's such a great father. Ugh...I'm not looking forwad to his character in the show again. I hope Sayid pummels him. :biggrin:

I'm gonna take a guess and say that Michael is the one who will "rescue" the Oceanic 6. This is how he will find some small measure of redemption before ending up in that coffin.

Glad he is back, but I am with the group that wants to the see the character developed a little more then crying for Walt and overly selfish and annoying, woe is me. But I also think as with most characters, we are going to hate, love, hate and so on. Look at how people loved Jack, hated him and now he is just kind of stuck, same with Sawyer, Ben and so on. So yeah, glad he is back because HP is a fine actor, just hope they give him more to work with.

I am interested how on earth michael gets the job on the freighter anyway!!

I dont like Michael anymore, cant forgive him for shooting them...he pretends he's the only person with something to lose

I disagree. He's done everything he could with the best intentions of his son in mind. You may disagree with his actions, but I don't think you can call him selfish.

i think he's gone insane due to the co-ordinates Ben made him use. I have no idea how he got the job on the freighter!

I'm happy. I just hope this time around he gets more to do. Harold is such a good actor that he deserves more meat in his role than he had previously.

Now ... let's bring Walt back. :biggrin:

I can't imagine how this could have been a surprise to anyone! It was no secret that he was coming back this season, there are very few episodes left, his name has been on the credits every episode, and Ben has a man on the boat whose identity is such that Locke has to "sit down" to hear it. I'm spoiler-free, am often taken by surprise by the little twists and turns, but Michael's presence on the boat couldn't have been more predictable!

If you manage to block out the names of the credits when you are watching, which most casual viewers do; if you didn't see the preview saying someone we didn't expect to see again would be back; if you didn't watch the mobisodes; if you read no articles.

I haven't been spoiled since last, like, March or April. Here and there, I accidentally pick up a little information, but I consider myself basically as spoiler-free as one can be. The ONLY reason I knew Michael was coming back, was because he was in the mobisodes. I knew there was no way HP would film those unless he was back on the show. I asked my sister about it (she's spoiled) and she was like 'yeah, DL & CC announced it ComiCon this summer, I can't believe you didn't know!"
If Darlton are announcing it, they aren't even trying to keep it a secret. lol.

But, seriously, if you avoided everything, even what I said above, then the only indication of Michael returning would be the mole on the boat, using your deduction, and then the kicker of Locke having to sit down for it. If you're a minor sleuthe, you get the answer. I'd love to talk to casual fans (don't read articles, don't watch episodes more than once, don't go online) and see if they had even THOUGHT of it. Who knows.

As for the actual return of Michael. I thought it was good. I knew right away so the suspense of him walking down the aisle wasn't great. Bad compared to the suspense of Kate coming out of the shadows at the end of TTLG. But the look on Sayid's face? AWESOME. Sayid is such a good actor! He totally killed it. Absolutely zero recognition on his face. Love Sayid.

Only happy because of the actor, Michael the character has a lot to do to earn my respect back.

I'm glad Michael is back. Perhaps this is his chance to start redeeming himself. I find it hard to believe that he would come back for any thing other the getting even with Ben for setting him up to keep Walt. Libby was an accident but he had to kill Ana Lucia at Ben's request.

I disagree. He's done everything he could with the best intentions of his son in mind. You may disagree with his actions, but I don't think you can call him selfish.
He killed 2 people, best intentions or not you can't kill people, especially 2 innocents, AL may have killed someone off the Island, but she had just lost a baby so I can see that she was obviously emotional, but Libby was innocent totally innocent, what ever she may have been doing on the plane, I doubt she ever killed someone.

He killed 2 people, best intentions or not you can't kill people, especially 2 innocents, AL may have killed someone off the Island, but she had just lost a baby so I can see that she was obviously emotional, but Libby was innocent totally innocent, what ever she may have been doing on the plane, I doubt she ever killed someone.

I'm not and have never justified him shooting/killing two people. What I said was he wasn't doing it to save himself. He did it to save his boy. The guy was a wreck after it happened, and I'm sure it's destroyed his life. He didn't want to kill anyone. He just didn't see any other way out. Again, I'm not agreeing with his methods. They just weren't as selfish as people make them out to be.

Yeah no one misses Ana Lucia, though I really do miss Libby. Michael has lot of explaining to do, and I hope he gets beat up a little bit by Sayid :) maybe the toe nail/finger treatment he gave to Sawyer back in early seasons :)

I'm not and have never justified him shooting/killing two people. What I said was he wasn't doing it to save himself. He did it to save his boy. The guy was a wreck after it happened, and I'm sure it's destroyed his life. He didn't want to kill anyone. He just didn't see any other way out. Again, I'm not agreeing with his methods. They just weren't as selfish as people make them out to be.
I know, I was saying people aren't upset with him because he is selfish, they are upset with him because he killed two people, well I can't really speak for other people, but I'm not upset about the selfishness, just the killing.

I'm glad he's back as it gives some glue to the past 2 seasons. As long as he doesn't start whining "it's my SON" over and over again. ;)

BTW I never read any spoilers and I was certain he'd be on the ship. The reason being I knew the boat he left on might, just might, have a range of about 100 miles give or take a few. Seemed plausible once we found out a boat was 80 nautical miles (close to 100 regular miles) from the island that it was not out of reach for him.

I hate his character, he is not a nice person and the only thing he ever does is act like an arsehole and run around screaming WAAAAALLLLLLLTTTT.

Hopefully there will be something more to come from him, either that or a quick death!

I know, I was saying people aren't upset with him because he is selfish, they are upset with him because he killed two people, well I can't really speak for other people, but I'm not upset about the selfishness, just the killing.

Yeah, fair enough! Killing two people tends to polarize people. Just kidding. I hated it when he killed them, he'd been one of my favorite characters. Still is really, it just adds another element to his character now. Hopefully he finds some shot at redemption. (I still think it's him in the casket though).
100%
I'm glad he's back as it gives some glue to the past 2 seasons. As long as he doesn't start whining "it's my SON" over and over again. ;)

BTW I never read any spoilers and I was certain he'd be on the ship. The reason being I knew the boat he left on might, just might, have a range of about 100 miles give or take a few. Seemed plausible once we found out a boat was 80 nautical miles (close to 100 regular miles) from the island that it was not out of reach for him.

That... and the fact that Harold Perrineau's name had been all over the credits all season long. :biggrin:

Just for people wondering, Desmond has never seen Michael before in his life: Early in season 2, jack, kate and locke get into the hatch and desmond runs off without seeing anyone else... final episode of season 2 michael betrays losties and leaves - early in season 3 desmond comes floating back on his boat.

Just for people wondering, Desmond has never seen Michael before in his life: Early in season 2, jack, kate and locke get into the hatch and desmond runs off without seeing anyone else... final episode of season 2 michael betrays losties and leaves - early in season 3 desmond comes floating back on his boat.

That timeline is a little off. Desmond appears again in LTDA when his sailboat appears on the beach during Libby and AL's funeral. Michael is in the survivors camp when this happens. Jin, Sun and sayid use the boat as part of Jack and sayid's plan because they don't trust Michael. So Michael and Desmond could have met, or at least glimpsed each other, albeit only for a short time.

That timeline is a little off. Desmond appears again in LTDA when his sailboat appears on the beach during Libby and AL's funeral. Michael is in the survivors camp when this happens. Jin, Sun and sayid use the boat as part of Jack and sayid's plan because they don't trust Michael. So Michael and Desmond could have met, or at least glimpsed each other, albeit only for a short time.

Yeah, Desmond may have a drunken blurry memory of Michael, but that's it. Probably why he didn't look that shocked when he saw him. Seemed like he knew something was up though.

No I don't buy that him trying to save his son is not selfish. That was his only motive, that is all he cared about, was saving his son. Not selfish in that he is saying I am getting off this island I don't care if my son is with me or not, me me me. But selfish in that he wanted his son back and safe. He killed two people, turned over four, allowed three to be kidnapped and tortured and betrayed an entire camp so that he could get what he wants, oh yeah, and got a boat off the island chartered for himself. No that is not selfish at all, that is a perfect example of a selfless act.

For me, that is selfish. Yes, he was manipulated by the master Ben, but still his character had only one concern and he was going to do whatever he could to meet that end. I think the nice thing is we will see a new Michael. And of course I say all of this with my hats off respect to HP and the portrayal he does of Michael as I believe that is how we are supposed to feel about him.

Yeah, Desmond may have a drunken blurry memory of Michael, but that's it. Probably why he didn't look that shocked when he saw him. Seemed like he knew something was up though.

Well, with what's happened before on the show, the viewers may have one idea, yet TPTB have a complete different one and throw us all a curveball. For all we know there's an episode in the future that flashes back to that day and we see Desmond and Michael having a little pow wow and sharing a bottle of MacCutcheon Scotch.:biggrin:

I'm not and have never justified him shooting/killing two people. What I said was he wasn't doing it to save himself. He did it to save his boy. The guy was a wreck after it happened, and I'm sure it's destroyed his life. He didn't want to kill anyone. He just didn't see any other way out. Again, I'm not agreeing with his methods. They just weren't as selfish as people make them out to be.

That's how I have always felt about what he did. Michael's character is supposed to be seen as racked with quilt over giving up Walt when he was young. So he's finally reunited with his son and he's trying his best to be the father he never was, but instead he ends up on an island where people are being kidnapped and killed, not to mention the beating he took from Jin over a watch. So, unlike most of the other Losties that are content to pretend they are on some tropical vacation, he actually decides to do something constructive and builds a raft, determined to save Walt and himself. But what happens - he ends up having Walt ripped from his life again by weirdly dressed strangers, his raft is blown to pieces, he and Sawyer have a close encounter with a shark, then he's beat up by AL and co., thrown in a pit and kept prisoner, only to be let go yet find himself a prisoner again by the very people who took Walt!

Now I don't know about anyone else, but as a parent I'm going to be more than distraught by this time and just about willing to do anything, including kill anyone that gets in my way of getting my child back and off that damn island. Yep, Anna Lucia is going down if she gets in my way! :biggrin: (Libby was an accident, imo, due to Michael being overwhelmed by what he was having to do).

But Hurley asked Michael, in the jungle that Michael if you had the time... and not being overwhelmed, would you still had shot Libby, and Michael looked down... I think Michael would have killed her in cold blood as he killed Ana Lucia.

I agree with everything said here, he cares about his sons, but he never tried to get help from Jack and others, basically he is the crazy dad that will do anything to save his son, no matter what and taking people to the wrong hands.

I am sure Sayid will give him some middle eastern welcome next episode ;)

I don't trust him...

Yeah and that is all I am trying to say, is that he does this all alone, does not get help (well unless it meets his needs). I am not saying anything is wrong with doing anything to save your child, just saying the character become one-dimensional is all. I look forward to seeing more about him.

I am glad that he is back if only that I am hopeful that we will get the answers to some interesting questions. Where did he go and who did he contact when he got off the island? What happened to Walt?

I just wish it had been more of a surprise that he was coming back.

I really like Mike's character, especially since he shot the 2 people I hated most on the island at the time.

Michael is the Jar Jar of Lost.

I could barely stand the character in Season 1 and absolutely detested him in Season 2. Season 3 was great, in part because Michael was never in it.

Michael is the Jar Jar of Lost.

I could barely stand the character in Season 1 and absolutely detested him in Season 2. Season 3 was great, in part because Michael was never in it.

LOL, I too cannot resist the Star Wars parallels. Is Ben the Vader of LOST? Jack & Kate = Luke & Leia, Sawyer = Han. Hurley is R2/3P0, Desmond is Lando...Tom is Salacious Crumb...or something...

But I'd say Michael is more like the Anakin of Lost. i.e. the overly angsty character portrayed by a good actor who was unfortunately given subpar material to work with. But that only applies to season 2 Michael, IMO, with the WAAAALTs. He was likable in season 1.

I am absolutely THRILLED about Michael's return. I don't trust him because of what happened with Ana & Libby but thrilled to see him. I wish I could interrogate him! Where's Walt?! Why are you working here?! Did you make it home?! Who cut your hair? Can you refer your stylist to Sawyer, he is begging for a haircut???!!!

At least he's not constantly running around doing stupid, illogical things and yelling WAAAAAAALT! all the time now :biggrin:

What a pity this was so widely spoiled/predicted. It would really have been a jaw dropper if you didn't know about him coming back and hadn't guessed.

I would've liked more options on the poll, but yeah, in general I'm happy to see him back, though I hope he's either punished for what he did, or sacrifices himself in an act of redemption.

I'm not convinced Michael even recognized Sayid or Desmond...maybe he really thinks he's Kevin Johnson

Good to see HP back as Michael but I wish it was more of surprise. It pays to NEVER ever read spoilers & too bad the media leaked it way back when. Unlike others I really don't catch all the names of the cast members at the beginning of the show because I'm too busy looking at what's happening in the scenes. I wouldn't have known anyway that HP's name was listed or not. And all this Michael speculation here added to the non-surprise. okaaaaaay, Michael is back. no great shakes on that. :mad:

I'm optimistic about Michael. I was never happy with the idea that he would just sail away after the crimes he committed on the island. Now that he's back, he can redeem himself and/or die a gruesome on-screen death.

I'm not convinced Michael even recognized Sayid or Desmond...maybe he really thinks he's Kevin Johnson

That's a good point, I was wondering that too. But then why did it seem that he was purposely tryng to avoid Des and Sayid seeing him?

I do not like his charater. Mostly because of all the time he spent scraming Walt. Which I hope I never hear again.

I will say his charater is the only one that shows the true desperation of their situation.
Micheal is the poster child of what can happen when a basically good person is put in a very bad situation.

Micheal had to kill Libby too. Why? because if he didn't then Desmond would have met her on the island and caused some kind of universal time funktitude and we can't have that. Recall that Desmond was found in his sailboat (actually Libby's sailboat) just offshore right after they buried Libby and Ana.

Frankly Ana had it coming.

Remember when Jason showed up again on Power Rangers? It's going to be like that; on crack. I can't wait see Michael's story play out along with what happened to him after leaving the island. I expect his story to eventually be redemptive with him turning on Ben and helping the survivors off the island.

I must admit I missed Michael, so I'm super excited for the next episode!! I heard in the podcast it will be one of the best episodes yet!

If you're a minor sleuthe, you get the answer. I'd love to talk to casual fans (don't read articles, don't watch episodes more than once, don't go online) and see if they had even THOUGHT of it. Who knows.

My husband predicted Michael and he is a very causal viewer. He usually falls asleep in the chair during the show and if he doesn't, he's usually irritated by the slow pace of the series.

I avoid spoilers and only visit this board and a couple of other sites occasionally, but I've been a faithful viewer since day one. I kinda thought Michael but didn't want it to be him because I don't like his character.

LOL, LandR, I love your avatar! :rotflmao2:

I was so psyched to see Michael again. Yes, I hate him for killing off my favorite character at the time (Libby). But I'm not overly concerned with his morality, selfishness, etc, because it's just TV, and I think his return brings a lot of exciting storytelling possibilities along for the ride.

What happened when he and Walt left? How did Walt appear to Locke? What is up with the freighter? What happened when they crossed outside the bubble-thing around the island? What does he know about Ben? I want to get a serious information-dump out of this return. PLUS, there is good potential for emotional reunions and confrontations with many of the losties, in particular Sayid, Sun and Hurley.

I say it's good for the storyline as long as don't have a repeat of seaosn two:

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!!

It seemed like he didn't want to be seen by Sayid or Desmond, but the doc demanded he clean up the stain. I guess he was afraid of Sayid's fists. Or maybe he didn't expect Sayid to play along and that would blow his cover.

I think it was a little of both, and after all he did not leave the island(hah) in the best of circumstances.:bash: :sneaky2: I thought this "meeting" was handled quite well! Can't wait to see what develops! Where is Walt? Is Ben holding his safety over Michael's head in return for the latter's co-operation? This season just gets better and better!

Also agreed, but I think they should wait so that Hurley could throw a few punches beforehand. I'd say just let him do the whole thing, but he's not a murderer. He's a good man.

Pfft. I don't think there's a person on the island who wouldn't turn a blind eye if Hurley had been the one to force Michael to walk the plank. He's a good man, but justice is meted out differently on the island...

i like that michael is back. only because i desperately need to know what happened with him and walt.

but.... when sayid asked what he was doing on the freighter.....he replies "im here to die". i wonder if he really IS the owner of the coffin outfit

I say it's good for the storyline as long as don't have a repeat of seaosn two:

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!!


ha ha ha!!!:105: for a second i thought you wrote " WA WA WA......." which is how i saw his season

Very happy about this. I don't like when any of the original Losties leave the show, so it's nice seeing them worked back into the show.

Despite Michael not being the greatest person in the world, he's (usually) an interesting character, and Harold is a good actor so it's good to have him back, if only for a short while

Despite Michael not being the greatest person in the world, he's (usually) an interesting character, and Harold is a good actor so it's good to have him back, if only for a short while

What do you mean by "for a short while"? You mean to say that they had brought him back for only a few episodes? WTF?

He looked different

You can say that again. He looked 'yum-my'!


The return of Michael will make a great storyline. Can he redeem himself for what he did?

Can the other Losties who have blood on their hands or have tried to kill others redeem themselves?



On the other hand, in season 3, Sayid knew that Michael was
compromised and his selfish act led him off the island and put 3
others in captivity of an unknown group.




Being more concerned and willing to do anything for one's child is . . . more selfish than thinking about the group aka "Society"? I don't have any problem with that kind of selfishness. I wonder what kind of selfishness drove Sawyer to kill two people . . . wait, three people in cold blood or led Kate to murder her dad in cold blood and commit insurance fraud. Was Jack really thinking about Naomi when he tried to kill Locke, or was he pissed because once again, Locke threatened to ruin his trip off the island?

So then where is Walt???????

That's a good question.

elly_smiles, you really should (re-)read the spoiler rules - what you posted above was from a preview and as such a SPOILER! So yeah, thanks for spoiling people who decide not to watch the previews, myself included... :wallbash:

AnalogKid, is that speculation on your part or an actual spoiler? I hope it's not the latter!

I've pretty happy and pumped about his return. The actor is great, and despite all the whining about him that goes on here, I like his character.

Yeah, I think he adds an eliment the show has been lacking for quite some time. Michael was the one that was pushing so hard to find a way off the island. He seemed to add a aggressiveness to the show and with it a direction and since of urgency. W/out him for the past two seasons the show has been able to explore other possibilitys around the island that would have been impossible with him there alway's pushing to get off the island. I do like michaels character in the show and I'm glad he's back, but not sure he will add that same deminsion that he had before he got off the island. I guess it depends on what has happend to him in the last month.

Not so much happy about this.

The murdering traitor is not dead?!

I'm indifferent about his return. I'll have to see what happens in the next few episodes before I give a thumbs up or thumbs down.

elly_smiles, you really should (re-)read the spoiler rules - what you posted above was from a preview and as such a SPOILER! So yeah, thanks for spoiling people who decide not to watch the previews, myself included... :wallbash:
Not to start a problem, but I just went back and look at her post and she does have a spoiler font. I have to click on it to read it.

Unless she has a post farter up in the thread that I haven't seen.:confused:

Not so happy, and I have one word why:

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLTT!!!"

I really, really don't like Michael. But that being said, I am confident that D&C will do good things with his story.

elly_smiles, you really should (re-)read the spoiler rules - what you posted above was from a preview and as such a SPOILER! So yeah, thanks for spoiling people who decide not to watch the previews, myself included... :wallbash:


Not to start a problem, but I just went back and look at her post and she does have a spoiler font. I have to click on it to read it.

Unless she has a post farter up in the thread that I haven't seen.:confused:

That's because Starrox, the mod, came on and spoiler fonted it later on to prevent others from reading it.

Not so happy, and I have one word why:

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLTT!!!"

:laughing: Now that is one thing that I am NOT looking forward to. :chair:

That's because Starrox, the mod, came on and spoiler fonted it later on to prevent others from reading it.
Okay, thank you. Duh! Just pass the stupid award my way:biggrin:

I'm happy that Michael is back, I'm very curious to find out what he has to say to Sayid and Desmond. You can already feel the tension, so I'm looking forward to the interaction between all those three characters.

I can't wait to hear his story and then see how many Losties are going to stand in line to kick his A$$!

I like Michael. Always have. Even when he shot Ana-Lucia and Libby, I couldn't hate him. I felt sorry for him. It sucked and everything, and it was wrong, but he was a desperate man backed into a corner. I can't make excuses for the guy, but when you back a guy into a corner like that, he'll do anything to get out of it. His life and his son's life were at risk. He did what he had to do, and I think he truly feels guilty and sorry for what he's done.

Ya know, for those of us who don't read spoilers, this would have been an absolutely great one if only they hadn't put HP's name in the credits for 6 freakin' weeks before he actually appeared! I had it figured out by episode 2... spoiler free.

I agree. They should (like 24) put the credits at the end of the show.

I agree. They should (like 24) put the credits at the end of the show.


Hmmm....while I agree they shouldn't have spoiler Perrineau's return, I've always kinda liked the way they did the credits, extending into the first few, even several, minutes of the show. Don't know why I always liked that so much...

He was the first person which came to my mind, no surprise at all. I am disappointed by that, because I like twists, surprises.
But hey, the writers will make it work.

What ever they write, I'm sure it will be well thought out and put through spell check though.
:biggrin:

While this move was very much telegraphed to the unspoiled and spoiled alike, I thought they did a good job with Michael's reintroduction to the show.

There really weren't that many options as to "who", were there?

Michael and Walt left the island alive, so they were the most likely to return.

Charlie drowned, but no one saw a corpse, so I guess his return was possible but not likely.

Mikhail, who seems to take a licking and keep on ticking, as unlikely as Charlie. Even more than Charlie as he was actually holding the grenade when it exploded.

Naomi - Apparently dead - body on the chopper.

I really can't think of anyone else who has "died" ambiguously or who left the island alive.

Given those options and the fact that Walt is a child - Michael was really the only option.

Having his identity revealed to Sayid and Desmond first was a stroke of genius. I don't think Des ever met Michael and Sayid's savvy enough to keep mum about it until he learns the full story.

I agree. They should (like 24) put the credits at the end of the show.24 has credits at the top. All shows do. It's a contractual thing.

Not so happy, and I have one word why:

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLTT!!!"



Not again!:rolleyes::hide:

When will the madness end?!

24 has credits at the top. All shows do. It's a contractual thing.
Yeah, they also answered in it in a podcast, and I think it was recently talked about in EW. They don't have a choice about when/where to credit the actors.

I'm happy that Michael is back, I'm very curious to find out what he has to say to Sayid and Desmond.Oh, I'm sure it'll be the exact same thing the Losties got from Ben, Juliet, and the Freighties...

Glad he's back, truly awesome. Love his character and im sure we'll all appreciate the story that he now brings back to LOST.
Him being Ben's man, not much of a surprised. A lot of people had to be "spoiled" to figure this out, which to me was funny. Was a bit of a let down for me, but non the less, He's backkkkkk yeaaaaa.
Where the heck is Walty boy??




"Welcome to Craphole Island, ill be your host this evening ; )"

I'm happy that Michael is back. If he had come back in the middle of S3, I would have still been mad at what he did in LTDA. But now, it adds another layer of interest (and not even confusing interest....just interest.)

I haven't found where anyone else has asked this, so I will. Is Michael pretending to be this Kevin Johnson guy, or is Kevin Johnson a real character, separate from Michael? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, because maybe the answer is obvious from the previews for the next episode, but I do not wish to make assumptions.

elly_smiles, you really should (re-)read the spoiler rules - what you posted above was from a preview and as such a SPOILER! So yeah, thanks for spoiling people who decide not to watch the previews, myself included... :wallbash:

AnalogKid, is that speculation on your part or an actual spoiler? I hope it's not the latter!


im sorry, i guess i was so excited either i forgot where i was or just didnt notice. a thousand apologies, to you and everyone else i accidentally spoiled.

I'm delighted he's back. HP is an excellent actor and Michael was always one of my favorites. He started out as one of the most sane, normal people there, and I liked the way he made himself useful and then got the idea for the raft and saw that project through. The loss of his son made him desperate and took him down a dark road, and I could sympathize with him. I'm looking forward to seeing what happened to him and Walt after they left the island, and how he came to be working on the freighter.

So a big thumbs up for me on seeing more of Michael's story! :biggrin:

It sorta depends, I think he'll be fine (as in I'll be ok with him being back) as long as Walt isn't there to make him do stupid things.

that was awesome

Did anyone see my question from a few posts back?I haven't found where anyone else has asked this, so I will. Is Michael pretending to be this Kevin Johnson guy, or is Kevin Johnson a real character, separate from Michael? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, because maybe the answer is obvious from the previews for the next episode, but I do not wish to make assumptions.

AZ, I would say that it isn't something we know through just watching the show. I can't speak for previews/spoilers (obviously, you'd have to look elsewhere for that!), but I'm personally just assuming it is Michael unless told otherwise. I don't see why it wouldn't be him.

Whether you saw it coming or not (and I did due to the credits), his return is bound to provoke some interesting story developments. I've personally always loved Michael and Walt's story, which was never resolved. Their story is a shared one, and neither character can achieve a resolution without the other's story being complete. Hence, if we want to see Walt's story reach its conclusion, Michael's needs to also.

I'm also a big fan of HP (Oz), and so his return to the cast is a big plus for me.

I'm trying to figure out how this makes sense in the time line.... I mean, how much time has passed since Michael and Walt took off in the boat anyway? Was it anywhere near enough time to get rescued, get another identity that's solid enough to get a job, locate Widmore (or his people) and somehow get onto the actual freighter that is headed back to the island? Wouldn't you think a background check would be in order for any job on that boat?

Presumably he would only need Ben to produce a fake identity for him. From what we've seen, Ben seems highly capable of doing so. He would then only need to intercept the freighter once he left the island with Walt. To my mind, there'd be no need for him to return to the States first. If the freighter picked him up during his journey away from the island, then it would make sense that they'd give him the lowliest job on the ship - janitor. He probably wouldn't need much beyond the fake ID from Ben in order to do that job, and therefore there wouldn't be much, if any, background checking required on the part of the freighter crew.

Why after all that would he not grab him, and give him a republican
guard beating?! More of a rhetorical question then anything else.

I know it's hypothetical, but I'd like to think that Sayid's too smart to blow anybody's cover without knowing the story behind it first.

As Ricky Roma says in Glengarry Glenn Ross:

"You never open your mouth until you know what the shot is."

I haven't found where anyone else has asked this, so I will. Is Michael pretending to be this Kevin Johnson guy, or is Kevin Johnson a real character, separate from Michael?

I don't watch the previews or read spoilers (if I can help it), so my guess would be that Kevin Johnson is a false identity that isn't based on a real person. As I alluded to above, it is probably an identity that Ben prepared for Michael and which Ben knows is 'safe'.

Peace
M

AZ, I would say that it isn't something we know through just watching the show. I can't speak for previews/spoilers (obviously, you'd have to look elsewhere for that!), but I'm personally just assuming it is Michael unless told otherwise. I don't see why it wouldn't be him.
The reason I ask is that we were told at one point, if I recall, that twins would play an important part. In fact, if you'll recall when Walt was abducted, we were told that two of the Others were twins. I just wondered if it was possible Kevin was Michael's twin or something, and not Michael as everyone suggests (admittedly, this info might come from spoilers such as previews).

I think Michael sucks....:biggrin:

But he's still back which adds an interesting dynamic to the show. Two things: 1) Ben never confirmed he is the spy on the boat. 2) Michael will ultimately be killed by Hurley as his pennance for shooting Libby.

I think adding him back will add more to the story. It stinks that they have had him in the credits because it was no surpise. When Ben said "I have a man on the boat.", it was like duh there, it's Michael.

Thanks Beavis.

The Michael saga is one storyline that I could have lived without ever having resolved itself. Michael was my least favorite character from the beginning. I am not happy about his return (although I think the actor is amazing) but I will deal with it and still love the show. I hope it propels the storyline forward.

My friend texted me with "Waaaaalllltttt" b/c she and I are in agreement over our aversion to Michael.

To be completely honest, I thought that was entirely predictable and I think the writer's might be losing their edge. That, or I'm getting too used to their style.

With that said, what do you think happened to Michael? Weren't he and Walt supposed to leave? If Michael's helping Ben, why is Walt helping Locke? Did Michael and Walt get split up at some time? Because I believe now, that Ben and Locke are antagonists to each other, which would put Michael and Walt on two different teams.

I thought the reason that Michael and Walt were not in the third season was
due to contractual issues. Another contractual issue is that his name is to
appear in the starring credits, which in some sense is a spoiler.

I guess they locked a deal too late into season 3 that they were forced to deal
with their story at a later time. People think it sucks that it's Michael on the
boat, but I mean c'mon would it be anyone else?! Imagine all the great threads
if Nicky and Paulo zombies were on the boat?! hahahahaaa..

It's time to bring him back, learn what happened between his departure and
now and get this show rolling forward. Keep the momentum.

: Very interesting eppy. I was never a fan of Michael myself, but greatly admired the actor.
Michael is carrying around a ****load of guilt, as he should. Tom and Ben were easily able to manipulate him, using that guilt. What really bugged me, was the fact that Michael involved Walt in his guilttrap, by confessing to Walt about the murders. Some of you have asked where Walt is, well according to the episode he is with his paternal grandmother, who rightly refuses to let Michael see his son. Walt wants nothing to do with his Dad. , whom he likely sees as a murdering traitor. As does Sayed. As do I. Yes, I have a child myself, how far would I go to protect her? I would kill if she were directly threatned, but thats not what happened here. Michael made a hell of a lot of mistakes. He had a Huge chip on his shoulder from the start. Why? I dont know. Too much pride for one thing, I suspect. I would like to kick his *** myself, but by golly it makes for a good episode(s)! :biggrin: