LOST -- Season 4, Episode 3

Sorry for the delay, but I was at a concert on Thursday night, so I missed out on watching LOST with the rest of the world. Thankfully, ABC posts full episodes on their site, so I was able to watch it last night.

Of course, the main focus of this week's show was Sayid. As the writers reveal more flashforwards, I find myself more and more saddened, yet still interested, in the unraveling of this story. I should say that I love Sayid. Sure, he was a torturer in Iraq and most certainly committed many unspeakable acts, but we can probably all agree that essentially he is good and tries to make decisions that he sincerely thinks would benefit his friends, not just himself. Just as in Iraq he had to do many awful things for the "good" of his country, we see him in a parallel situation in the flashforwards -- doing awful things for the good of his friends on the island. Though I'm sad to see Sayid serving as Ben's hitman, I have to continue to believe that whatever it is he's doing, he's doing it because he believes, in the end, it is for the greater good. Shoot, I'm starting to even believe that Ben, while pretty creepy, may even be doing something that we'll also believe, in the end, to be a worthy cause.

Based on the reaction of the man that Sayid killed on the golf course, once he revealed that he was one of the Oceanic Six, I'm assuming that all of these people on Ben's list are responsible for some wrong act. The man seemed nervous -- maybe even guilty and ashamed. I think it's too soon to start guessing what it is exactly that the all did, but I guarantee they are in some way responsible for whatever it is that's happening to the people who are left on the island. Assuming this, I have to wonder why the other five (Jack, Kate, Hurley, and the mysterious other two) are not helping Ben. If Sayid really believes that working for Ben will help his friends, then why aren't they in on it? Of course, we know that at some point, they, or at least Hurley and Jack, start to feel guilty for not, but it doesn't seem in their character to not do whatever possible to help their friends if possible -- and as soon as possible.

After hearing Sawyer's speech about having nothing to go back for last night, I would assume that he stayed on the island. If he did and he were in danger, wouldn't Kate do whatever necessary to help him? But then again, maybe he did come back with her and he's the one she refers to when she and Jack talk at the airport.

So here are my random questions:

• What's up with the time difference? 31 minutes? What are the implications of this?
• Where did Jacob's cabin go? Why can't John find it?
• How did Ben get away with traveling all over the world? Didn't the Others notice that he was gone?
• And why was he traveling the world?
• Why is Ben disguising himself as a veterinarian in Berlin?
• Why does Ben say that it's good that the people on the list are now on to Sayid's plan?
• Who is R.G. -- the initials on Naomi's bracelet.
• How are Naomi and Elsa related (both had the same bracelet).
• Why didn't Sayid notice that she was wearing the same bracelet before he killed her? Or did he?
• Do Elsa and Naomi have the same boss?
• What is their connection to Penny and Desmond?
• And again, why are the "rescuers" looking for Ben?
• Who is Minkowski, and why did Frank tell Daniel to hang up if he answered the phone?

Some fun facts that I found on Lostpedia:

• Among Ben's foreign banknotes is an original Series E £20 note issued by the Bank of England, withdrawn in 2001. The design incorporates the face of Michael Faraday.
• The New Zealand passport shown briefly from the drawer is a diplomatic passport. Standard issue New Zealand passports are blue, while the one shown in the episode was red.
• The numbers 16 and 23 appear on the rocket's digital clock that Daniel Faraday is holding during his experiment. (The Numbers)
• In 24-hour format, the time would be 15:16:23 (The Numbers)
• The apparent time inconsistency between the two clocks in Faraday's experiment is 31 minutes. 3+1 = 4, while 15+16=31 and 23+8=31. (The Numbers)
• In the cafe where Sayid and Elsa met for the first time there´s a picture on the wall showing a beer commercial "1516 Rein." The German purity law for beer (Reinheitsgebot) was declared on 4/23/1516. (The Numbers)
• Sayid finds a passport of Ben's with the alias Dean Moriarty, a central character in this novel by Jack Kerouac, who also wrote Dharma Bums.
• Elsa may be a reference to Ilsa Lund, the tragic female lead in Casablanca, a movie that centers around political intrigue, clandestine love affairs, and a café.