holy crap it was amazing im glad he didnt kill penny

That was amazing...I don't even know what to say. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't actually see the Temple. But, it was still awesome seeing where Smokey comes from.

good mythology episode. hate how they answer one question but set up at least two more. like "whats is at the bottom of the statue"? and what exactly is the temple if what we've seen is only the outer wall 1 mile away?.

Alyx!!!! yay she's back!

got a lot of answers in this episode.....of course plenty more questions. really interesting what happened throughout. especially seeing whidmore as an other. also the storyline with the 316ers is getting interesting.....shadow of the statue line?
did anyone recognize the woman in the picture ben took out of the desk at hydra station?
finally: ben shotgunning caesar=wow

@Maela: I think what Ilana meant by "what is in the shadow of the statue?" or whatever, is just code. Somewhat like "what did one snowman say to the other?" Remember that, with the Hatch? I think it's like that. Which leads me to believe she's on a Widmore mission or something. Who knows.

AWESOME episode though.

I thought it was slow and didnt show enough new things. disappointed, like a kate episode more than a ben :(

By whats in the shadow of the statue she probably meant the orchid station/well/donkey wheel because we saw the back of the statue from right outside of there.

So this confirms Widmore was leader of the Others. But it seems to contradict his claim to Locke that he was tricked into leaving the Island. His banishment looks to have been justified, at least according to Others-think. Funny how the story surrounding those two flips around every time we learn about it.

I'm glad Cesear is dead. That guy was a dick.

But yeah, I got so excited that they were approaching the temple, then when Ben said that the temple was like a mile inward, I got even MORE excited. Then when Locke was like "we're going under, screw that" I got frusterated. I want to see that temple, dammit.

Ben said that "we" built this wall around the temple. that would mean that the others would have had to draw all of those ancient hieroglyphics on it

Great Epi !!!! Great Stuff !!!
I give it 9 Smokies !!!!

@Brian Buckley, Nice catch! Didn't think about them having to make those hieroglyphs since they were the ones that built the wall, according to Ben. Then again, Ben has lied before.

WOW. It was amazing. Seeing smokey, the under-temple, it was fantastic. And bad-ass Locke was awesome! Ben's gotta respect him now!

@Callum: I don't think Alex is back, I think she was an apparition formed by the smoke monster just like Yemi (Eko's brother). I didn't get a clear view but I'm pretty sure the girl on the picture was Alex...
Also I think we got a glimpse of the statue... Did you see the picture of the egyptian figure with a fox/wolf head carved on the stone, summoning the smoke monster that Ben saw above the place where smokey came from? I think that's the statue... It had cat-like ears (the statue)...

Could the "shadow of the statue" business have to do with those people getting "the sickness"?

I agree with LostAddict about the 4 toed statue picture. I was disappointed not to see inside the Temple, but it gives me something to look forward to!

Great episode and Locke rules!!!!

great episode. i laughed when caesar got shot. he pretty much had no purpose it seems now.

as for below the temple... the hieroglyphs from where smokie came out of his hole featured smokie in front of the egyptian god Anubis, god of the afterlife. perhaps smokie has some control over the afterlife and brought back alex for just that moment to scare ben straight.

judge me by my enemies.

the picture in the desk is Ben and Alex

Ben's reaction when Sun said "His name was Christian"... I wonder, if Ben has met him.

Im sure Alex was a creation of the monster but i dont know Christian what exactly he is?

Lapidus left Sun with two weird people!! what a coward!

The others build the wall outside of the temple, the hieroglyphics that Ben saw are part of the temple since they are beneath it. if the wall has hieroglyphics then those ones where made by the others.
in a podcast we already knew that it was the wall and that it sorrounded the temple.

There is a scene where Ilana and a guy at the begining are trying to open the huge metal crate and Bens ask for help...
what is inside that crate? (she said inside there are things they need to move on)
What lies on the shadows of the statue??? omg either she is nuts or she is in a mission and that is a code like Brian said!

Awesome episode, im glad Penny is alive :)

maybe widmore was tricked// ben said to him "you had it coming" maybe Ben set him up to be kicked off. also.. maybe the statue is part of the temple and she wanted to know what was inside.

this was a great episode a ton of new info. and it was sooo nice to finnaly see locke and even more desmond again.. my men! i'm so excited to see next week!

AND WHERE THE HELL IS FARADAY

ps.. lipidus is a weiner

Was anybody else bothered by the actor who played Widmore at the begining of the episode? If they put young makeup on the old Widmore why couldn't they just put old makeup on the young one? Did we really need an entirely different actor?

i agree with LostAddict,Christian,Yemi,Alex are the manifestations of the "monster"(in order to guide our survivors,like in that episode when Jack followed his "father" and at the end of the road he has found water). in this episode it's obvious that once you're dead you only "came back" in another form;it is like i've believed, that the monster, the guardian of the "underworld"/afterlife, it is also judge:Eko was killed because he was not felt sorry for the evil done,Ben understood where he was wrong(that he's responsible for the death of his daughter).
With Locke , here is another story;he's not dead like Christian,Yemi,Alex, he is resurrected,and that i think it's related with this magic island and also with time,probably ajira 316 reached the island some time before the time of Locke's death.(i think....).Statue?Anubis?
great episode!

There is something wrong. Why Ben told Sun to tell Des sorry? He didn't kill Penny. Or did he?

One of the best episodes!

becuause he shot desmond lol obv

Excellent Episode...

We finally get to know more about the monster. The episode successfully answered a few mysteries and created a bunch of cool new ones.

1.We now know for sure smokey if of mythological origin. But then the Dharmaville has a provision for summoning it!!! Is there a dharma connection to the monster or was it the others who after the purge built that summoning room.

2.For a few episodes i was starting ti think i might never see locke again in any of the missions in the Island's forest but i was wrong and im so glad i was.

3.We've had this constant debate on Destiny versus free will. From the episode I just get this feeling the island gives a certain amount of free will to its inhabitants. What do you guys think..?

4.The fact that smokey warns Ben not to hurt locke again makes me more sure of the fact that he just feels insecure of the Island wanting locke to lead now.

5.Richard said "Jacob wanted to die..". Why would he..? who the hell is he..? It seems he was a man once.

@Wetsand: He said to tell Des he's sorry because of the parallel in the episode. He was gonna kill Danielle but didn't just took her child. He was gonna kill Penny, but realized she had a kid and realized he was wrong to include her. But it was too late. He wasn't gonna do it but Des was shot and reacted so he wanted to apologize.

It makes me wonder more about Ben. Not completely cold hearted but still an Evil SOB!!! I don't think all the others were involved in building the wall. I think the DI would have noticed if they were building such a large structure as that can't be done in the span of a few years. Also Ben touched the glyphs in awe not that he understood them.

Please do NOT comment the preview for next week's episode on this post!

@Anand, Richard said "Jacod wanted it done..."

I think Penny will leave Desmond because she is scared their son will be in harms way again.

@Leo he didn't hurt him or anything. There must be someting elese. Or he just apologized of attempting to kill Penny.

shadow of the statue has to be jughead and these people are widmores people!!! Coz widmore cant get back and does not want ben back on there or something like that he is going to ignite the bomb and destroy the island!!!

That's an interesting theory, Boomer. I think Ilana has some kind of communications equipment in the aluminum crate and they are planning on sending a beacon to Widmore so he can locate the island. Widmore definitely came across as evil in this episode so he's probably planning to take over the world!

No one has mentioned that Ben had no idea that the O6er's were around in Dharmatime. The episode didn't show us how Ben makes his way back to the DI. I imagine that the Losties are gone by the time Ben returns to Dharma.

Well i don't think that the smoke is christian, because the smoke couldn't go all the way to LA when christian when to talk to jack. Also what about Charlie, was charlie the smoke monster in LA.??
Also i think what is inside Llana's box is widmore. Some say that he wanted to comeback to island to star his war and that there was more people we know in the airplain 316(widmore).

i like that theory araceli it would be hilarious to see widmore come out of that box guns blazing!!!

@Cheapycheapskate:

But even if the O6 are gone by the time Ben gets back, it doesn't explain how he doesn't remember Sayid. Since he's the one who broke him out of jail. And Sayid shot Ben. Yet, Ben didn't remember any of that the whole time he was with Sayid?

The 316 people aren't Widmore's crew. For starters it's too obvious and second Ben spoke to Widmore the day he was flying and Widmore was in London and wouldn't be able to set up a team to go cause hurly brought all the remaining tickets. yea

@Fantus:

U must not watch the show very much, cuz im pretty sure last weeks episode explained why Ben doesnt remember sayid shooting him or any of the other O6 in from '77. Richard specifically said that if they heal ben he will not remember any of what just happened and he will no longer have his innocence. U might wanna watch that one again.

ok no one has even a little bit asked what the hell is in the drunk. me thinks it is dharma related. i mean come on now where getting close to season end and we no from comic con that dharma will at least try start up. these people were sent by dharma, good times

@ Abot
I heard it like 10 times now still aint clear but yours makes more sense.

does everyone who is dead where eyeliner? christian/alpert/ now alyx?!!! lol

anyway someone pointed this out maybe two episodes ago but why the hell would penny and des sail from london to la. wouldnt that take FOREVER? i guess its not really a big hole but it's something.

does anyone have any sailing experience and would know how long it would take to cross atlantic and panama canal on a trip from london to la?

@ Callum
I think they choose a sail boat to travel to LA to avoid been spotted and followed by Widmore.