2:1 Man of Science, Man of Faith

Without further ado...let's start season two!

-The title "Man of Science, Man of Faith" centers on Jack and refers to his constant struggle to believe in what can't be proved. The usual approach is to see Jack and the man of science and Locke as the man of faith, but another option is to see Jack as both. He has a hard time believing in anything other than science, but at times he does choose to believe. At one point he believes he can fix Sarah, because he wants to so badly even though he's aware of how unlikely it is. In the same way, his love for Kate drives him to follow Kate and Locke into the hatch, even though it's not a logical thing to do.

-The beginning sequence is probably my favorite opener of any season. I remember seeing it for the first time and about halfway through the sequence saying out loud, "Wait a minute - is he in the hatch?!" I don't think anyone thought there would be a guy on an exercise bike listening to Mama Cass down there.

-This is the first time we see a Dharma Initiative symbol, on the front of the cabinet Desmond opens to get out his injection. It's a Swan Station symbol.

-Speaking of those injections, we still don't know what those were. Were they just a placebo, designed to keep the DI volunteers from leaving the hatch?

-Jack is seriously annoying when he bosses Locke around. Locke is great at listening to him and then just ignoring whatever he says.

-Jack's wig in his flashbacks is so bad. Oh so bad.

-Locke seems to know that their lives are not really in danger. Jack was desperate to get the hatch open so everyone could hide inside it, but this is clearly not Locke's motivation - he just goes along with it to get Jack's help. How does Locke know that the Others aren't coming after them?

-Vincent leads Shannon into the jungle where she sees Walt, who is drenched from head to toe and speaking backward. He says "Don't push the button. The button's bad." Still unanswered is 1) how Walt appeared to her in this way and 2) why he would say the button's bad.

-Sayid will face his own dilemma of science vs. faith when deciding whether or not to believe Shannon about what she's seen.

-Jack gives his now infamous "live together, die alone" speech, following his father's advice about how to deal with patients: "Folks are much more inclined to hear that 1 percent chance that things are going to be okay."

-When Kate is being pulled into the hatch, the sound effect is the same as when Locke was pulled into the ground by the smoke monster.

-I had forgotten that there was water at the bottom of the hatch entrance. Do we ever find out why it's there?

-The hatch has lost most of its mystery for me now that I know the history of the DI, etc. I remember though how bizarre and cool it was to see it outside of that context. I wish I could get my LOST virginity back somehow.

-Sarah being healed seems to coincide with Jack meeting Desmond. Was her healing (similar to Locke's) just a random occurrence, or does it have something to do with the Island, or Jacob?

-Did Desmond intend a double meaning when he told Jack to "lift it up"?

-Favorite lines:

Hurley: Joke, dude.
Jack: I'm not really in the mood, Hurley.
Hurley: Really? Wow, usually you're, like, Mr. Ha-ha.


Jack: I'm - I'm intense.