Recon

Dragging index on this episode: 6 out of 10. Gave us some stuff, took too long to do it. Seeing as to how they specifically tell us how many episodes of the show are left, they're aware that there's not much time left to explain things, right?

Anyway.

Reality A

1. Widmore and Esau are not buddies. Considering Widmore and Ben are also not buddies, does that mean Ben has been working for Esau for at least since 815 crashed? Does this indicate that Widmore may be aligned with Jacob? Considering Jacob was trying to help someone find the Island and then almost immediately Widmore pulled up to the driveway in a submarine, I'd say the odds are good.

2. Sawyer is pulling the ol' triple-cross. I totally saw this coming, by the way. Leave it to Sawyer to let the two giants slug it out and slip away in the confusion. Or shoot, even if one side wins decisively, he's got a promise from both Charles and Esau of safe passage of the Island. Currently, Sawyer wins either way.

3. The way Locke/Esau reprimanded Claire for her attack on Kate was very father/daughter. Are the Infected essentially his children?

4. Esau had a mother. Or at least he tells Kate he did. Need backstory. Lots of it.

Reality B

1. Sawyer and Miles are detectives. Somewhat odd considering they each have counter-culture tendencies in Reality A, but as my wife pointed out, sometimes those people make the best law enforcement personnel.

2. Sawyer is still hunting Sawyer, though this time around it appears his Australia trip ended in him obtaining Anthony Cooper's name instead of him shooting and killing an innocent man.

3. Charlotte is a friend of Miles' who was rummaging around in Sawyer's dresser looking for something. I think she was looking for his Sawyer file and found it, her protestations of innocence notwithstanding.

4. Sawyer catches Kate, after letting her go at the airport. Him allowing her to escape despite clearly knowing she was in handcuffs is a much more interesting decision now that we know he's a cop.

5. Miles mentions his father, who works at a museum. If this is Pierre, how did he get off the Island before it sank? Was he ever there?

It seems to me that at this point, the object of Reality B is to show us that these individuals are still all being drawn together by some force even though the Island isn't around. There's some higher power at work. Is Jacob running around? If there's no Island, does that mean Esau is free?

So many questions. I might even try to answer them before the next episode. (Richard-centric! Woo!)