Where we left off: Jack jumped off the boat to join Darth Smokey; the beach was shelled, inaccurately, and Sawyer was scowling. Also, Desmond survived being thrown head-first down a well, brotha. This week: I predict tromping around the island, with everyone pointing weapons when they hear someone in the foliage.

Some notes jotted down as the first half unfolded:

1. Having never been in a similar situation, I can't really say I would fire a gun at a powerful smoke-creature and expect results, but you really can't judge until you're there.

2. How many times have you shown up for a flight, only to be told it's cancelled, and you'll have to shoot your way onto a sub? It's like every traveller's nightmare. Plus, Smokey might be all-powerful, but I wouldn't trust him to make sure the baggage transfers.

3. Vindicated! There is post-escape tromping, and everyone points weapons at Sayd.

4. Again, I've never masterminded an underwater escape from an island saturated with metaphysical ambiguities, but if I knew one of my crew was basically incorporeal and impervious to gunfire, I'd wonder why he's hanging back.

He's going to finish what he started.

5. "Who's not on the sub?" "Claire!" "Oh, good! DIVE."

--

I didn't write anything for another 20 minutes; too compelling. All that jungle-stomping and tribe-switching and Widmore-drama led to the moment in the sub when Jack understood what Locke wanted him to do. Why, that's Jacob-level insight! Sayd was redeemed;; Sawyer was saved by his rival - and then we had the saddest moment on TV this season that ever cut to a commercial break without having the decency to pause for at least half a second. Give us some black, the floaty LOST letters, anything, just don't cut from that to an ad.

The cast was reduced by half; the story's honed and focussed again. The closer it gets, the fewer questions I have - and while I still think it'll all be explained, I suspect the answers will be generalities, not a 27-minute disquisition that explains everything from the Numbers to why the Dharma project used proprietary generic food labels. It's coming down to Jack and Locke, as we knew it would, and is there any doubt how it'll go?

Or is that a head-fake, too?