Wow.

I just…

Wow.

This episode of Lost — honest to God — felt like it had as much information, action, and insight as the past ten combined. It feels like we’re suddenly on a brand-new roller coaster, one that leads straight to… Well, not hell, really. The season finale, though, certainly.

There was so much to love in this episode and very little to hate. Sure, the revelation that Locke’s dad was Sawyer’s nemesis was telegraphed early on in season two, but it was still worth it…especially since Sawyer actually did the deed and offed him! I was worried that the producers would wimp out, but no! Sawyer goes nuts and chokes him to death in a powerful, intense scene that — I swear to God — had me cheering. (Locke was right — bastard deserved it.)

I am still annoyed that the castaways STILL haven’t even discussed moving to Otherville. Please. People. For the love of God. It’s been a week of island time now — all I ask is a single sentence! It’s just this completely idiotic bugaboo. Fix it.

Oh, and finally everyone TALKS! No one trusts Jack — great! And he’s such an idiot that he insists on hanging out with Juliet despite Kate’s freakin’ obvious hints. (I was annoyed that Kate got so petulant that she spilled the beans in front of Juliet, but hey — that’s human.)

All in all, we seem to be barrelling toward a hell of a season finale in a few weeks, what with crosses and double-crosses. Then again, we ran full-tilt into a hellacious finale last season, too, and then launched straight into the weakest string of episodes on the show when season three began. So let’s hope that season four lives up to the promise of the waning days of season three.

Last but not least — are they all dead and in Hell? Puh-leeze. Like you’re gonna believe a bunch of robot cameras four miles under the ocean? Cameras can be fooled. Photos can be faked. And Papa Locke fatally wounded his own theory when he mentioned he was injected by a paramedic before “dying.” To say nothing of the fact that Ben very specifically said (in the last Locke-centric episode), “Bring me the man from Tallahassee.” So Ben can order up people from the real world in his “magic box.”

They’re not dead, folks. There’s something else going on. And for first time in a while, it feels like we might be getting close to some sort of answers.

(Hey — and what the hell is Rousseau up to with that dynamite? Man, something’s gonna blow up real good!)