Did we really need the back story on these two? I mean, it’s not like they’re major players on the island, and I doubt they’ll ever provide any sort of assistance later down the road. Sure, Bernard made a half-assed attempt at making an SOS sign out of black rocks, but he didn’t even get through the first “S” before eventually throwing in the towel. They’re filler characters, and they should’ve stayed that way. Perhaps the only important element of the couple’s story was the revelation that the island indeed has special healing powers. The proof? Rose was in remission with cancer before leaving Australia, and now, she’s perfectly healthy. The same is true of Locke, who we know was restricted to a wheelchair before the plane crash. What we didn’t know, however, is that Rose met a wheelchair-bound Locke in the airport pre-flight. Why she hasn’t said anything until now is beyond me, but perhaps she doesn’t want to jinx her blessing.
Because the major storyline seemed to be revolving around Jack and Kate this week, I half-expected to see a continuation of one of their stories, but alas was disappointed. The two decide to journey back to “the line” this week, however, with the intention of trading Creepy Balloon Guy for Walt (who’s been missing for the entire second season), but Creepy Balloon Guy puts it simply: “They’ll never give you Walt.” This guy is bad, man. Lest us not forget the incredibly sinister smile that he shed towards the end of the episode when he realized that he had successfully pissed of Locke. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the leader of the Others. He’s certainly proved his cunning and willpower over the past week, and I wouldn’t doubt for a second that he’s got a few more aces up his sleeve.
The next episode (which airs after a two week break) looks to be one of the biggest hours of the entire second season – especially with the return of Michael prompting an all-out war on the Others. Will we finally see the survivors fight back? Can Locke remember all of the details of the blacklight map? Is Sun really carrying Jin’s baby? Or is all of this just a figment of Hurley’s imagination? Surely one of these questions will be answered before the end of the season, but it will most likely raise seventeen more.
