LOST -- Season 4, Episode 4

To all of my faithful readers, I apologize for the delay. I've been busy, and quite honestly, unmotivated to write my usual Lost episode analysis. But I'll give it a go as it is currently cold, snowy, and windy outside, and I can't seem to find any other way to procrastinate at the moment.

Let's start with Episode 4, "Eggtown."

Of course, the biggest revelation of the night was at the end, when we discovered that in the future, Kate is raising Aaron. Also, I think we can assume that Aaron is the "him" that Kate was referring to when she met up with Jack at the airport at the end of last season.

Also, based on Miles' interaction with Ben, we learn that something makes Miles think that Ben can get him $3.2 million.

Surrounding these events, lots of questions were raised:

• Miles tells Kate that they know exactly who she is and the crimes she's committed. If Kate knows this, why would she decide to go back? If she's as terrified of the consequences as she seems, would she really willingly make that decision?
• Why doesn't Kate want her mom to see her son? My guess: Kate knows that her mother would realize, based on his age, that he's not her biological son. If her mom saw her right before she went to Australia, then she would know that she wasn't pregnant when the plane crashed. Remember, Claire was about 8 months pregnant when they crashed.
• Then again, does everyone actually believe that Aaron is Kate's biological son?
• What happened to Claire? Did she die? Stay on the island? Get captured?
• The weird psychic guy repeatedly told Claire that she must raise Aaron herself. What will happen if Kate is now raising him?
  
• Why doesn't Jack want to see Aaron? Is it because he feels responsible for Claire's death/absence? Or did he somehow find out that Claire is his half-sister and can't bear to see Aaron?
• Why is Jack lying about what happened on the island?
• Who are the "8 survivors" that he refers to? And what happened to the other 2?
• Is Aaron one of the Oceanic Six?
• Why does Miles want $3.2 million? Why not more?
• How does he think Ben will get this money?
• What's up with Daniel Farraday and his apparent memory issues?

Some fun facts (found on Lostpedia):

• Valis: the book that Locke gives to Ben. VALIS is an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System, which is the author's gnostic vision of one aspect of God. Dick's novels often feature protagonists immersed in dissolving or fluctuating realities.
• The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares: the book Sawyer is reading. The story is about a fugitive who hides on a deserted island somewhere in the South Pacific.