"Something Nice Back Home" : Reaction to new LOST episode

Only thing that's bugging me about this episode: aren't appendectomies, even those done on remote tropical islands in less-than-ideal sanitary conditions, supposed to leave scars?

But then again, this is Lost and like Rose said at one point tonight, people don't get sick on this island, and even get better. So I'll let that one slide.

Last week's episode "The Shape of Things to Come" was one of the most intense that Lost has ever delivered. And it's usually the pattern of this show to follow-up the chapters that most further the mythos with one that feels a little lacking. And tonight's was a Jack-centric episode too... which many people will argue is a red flag for mediocre story (in spite of "Through the Looking Glass", which still stuns to think about almost a year later).

Instead, this week's installment, titled "Something Nice Back Home", was about as perfect a "come-down" episode as one could hope for after what we saw last week, while also providing a lot of development for several threads of this story. I've tried to like the character of Juliet ever since she was introduced: tonight's story finally convinced me that she's earned her spot in the Lost tapestry, and I think that I can appreciate her more from now on. I'm also convinced afresh that Daniel, Charlotte, Miles (yes even Miles) and Frank - and especially Frank - are not aligned with the rest of the freighter crew. I enjoyed seeing Bernard in action, given his background in medicine. The scenes with Sun and Jin were a pleasure to watch... which Lisa will no doubt enjoy when she gets to watch it tomorrow, 'cuz she's a huge fan of Sun and Jin :-) And is anyone else having fun watching Sawyer, who seems to be relishing his change from hopeless scoundrel to noble warrior?

But the heartmeat of this episode is about Jack and Kate and Hurley, and what we saw of them from Jack's flash-forward.

Ever since last year's season finale, we've known that at least some of the Flight 815 passengers made it off the island. This season has revealed who exactly got away. But after this episode, not for the first time I have to wonder: at what terrible price did salvation come? And what are they going to do to find peace with themselves for it?

Is there anyone who doubts that Lost is not only the best show on television right now, but is one of the finest fictional stories... ever? Because this show is consistently hitting on all the right cylinders and it doesn't look to be letting up at all.

Next week: rumor is that we're getting a Locke flashback and that Richard will be returning (because CBS canceled Cain and Nestor Carbonell needed the work :-P).