Charles Widmore at the end? Darlton needs to take some tips from Joss Whedon and if we aren't supposed to know that a character will be making that surprise appearance until the end of an episode, don't show his name in the opening credits. The minute I saw Alan Dale's name in the credits, I was looking over my shoulder for his appearance, knowing that he was going to come as a "surprise." When we saw that reveal in the end, I wasn't startled the way I should have been. It is kind of like playing hide and seek with a three year old and they pop out and say "boo." Also reveals like that in the end of TV shows just aren't quite as shocking as they were ten or fifteen years ago? Is this because they have been done to death, or because I'm getting jaded in my old age?

Overall I will admit it was an okay episode, but not a great episode. As I have said, things are getting predictable. Yes it was nice to give Michael Emerson the "monologue of redemption" and to make the character a shade less gray. However in doing that, they've managed to defang him, we don't fear him the way we did seasons three through five. One of the things that was most interesting about Ben is that he was a dark shade of gray, and unpredictable. After tonight's episode and that monologue, the character is just a bit more predictable, and I hate to admit it but a tad less interesting.

There is just something missing this season. While I don't watch this show for the love triangles, but one of the things I've always liked were the relationships, specifically the friendships, between the characters. Over these past few episodes, we've really lost that with all the characters spread in different places across the island. What can I say, I miss seeing everyone in one place!