First of all, I think the “girl with gun” (named, I think, Ellie in the episode is a young Eloise Hawking), also the name of Faraday’s rat and his Mom. I figure Faraday knows much, much more about the Island and its mythos than anyone else in his “crew” of misfits, as it were.

If this closed the loop in as far as Richard finding Locke, well, does that mean that Locke doesn’t remember the encounter with Alpert as a kid? I guess not. Wouldn’t make much sense if that were true.

Also, this explains why Ben hates or rather fears Locke, if he knows that Locke is destined to be the leader of the Others. Any theories as to how he dies?

By far the stuff going on back home (three years in the future, or present) is b-o-r-i-n-g compared to the storyline unfolding on the island.

Still, I wonder… who really is Jacob? Man, I can’t stop thinking about stuff now.

Is this shaping-up to be the last season? I watched a little of the first one, then gave-up after I heard the show turned sucky two season on.

(PS: Also your second paragraph is, without a dount, the longest sentence I have ever read.) :)