(S05E02) "There's no calling my father off." - Penny

Everybody lies. Some people enjoy the thrill of getting away with it ... and then there's Hurley. While this wasn't a traditional flash-back/flash-forward episode with one character as the focus (hard to say if those will ever be feasible again), this was pretty much a Hurley-centric hour anyway.

As the plot progresses this season, it's going to be interesting to see who becomes important (and who becomes irrelevant) to the ultimate endgame. That being said, we learned one pretty important fact in this episode:

Without Hugo in the mix, "then God help us all."

• Who attacked them? Two options. Either the DHARMA Initiative or The Others. Right now, either would make sense to me, but I'm leaning towards The Others, only because flaming arrows seem far more primitive. Plus, we know DHARMA patrol goons have guns, as evidenced by the attack on Juliet and Sawyer. Also worth noting? When Locke saved their lives, he used his knife - it's the one item that still serves him and serves him well. So I'll pose the question again: Why did Richard balk when young John chose the blade?
• One other island tidbit - Faraday knows something about Charlotte's condition (bloody nose, headaches, memory loss), but he isn't saying anything. Why? What harm could come of it ... unless harm could come of it.

OK, back to the mainland - that's where most of this episode took place. First, let's talk about Hurley and his vision of Ana Lucia. If we can assume (and I think this is a safe assumption) that Hurley is intrinsically good, then it's also safe to infer that his visions are offering honest and good advice to him. If that's the case, then he should have heeded Ana Lucia's warning to not get arrested. But he did at the end to escape Ben. Hurley thinks he's doing the right thing here based on Sayid's advice to not trust Ben. (Speaking of which, what happened between Sayid and Ben? They were on the same team for a while.) Anyway, Hurley might actually be doing the wrong thing by not going back - at least that's what I'm thinking.

More thoughts on "The Lie":

• What did everyone think of the conversation between Sun and Kate? Sun told Kate that she didn't blame her for Jin's death. Remember, on the freighter, Kate said she would get Jin, but Jack stopped her and brought her to Frank's chopper instead. Anyway, the entire conversation struck me the same as the one Sun had with Widmore in tonight's first hour - she seemed fake. Sun came across as cold and calculating, saying what needed to be said in an effort to then elicit answers to the questions she really cares about. Like "how's Jack?" I can't put my finger on it yet, but it seems like Sun is up to something. I do think she blames Kate in some regard, and I don't think she just wants Ben dead - at least not in the same way as Widmore does.
• One other point Sun made that I liked? Regarding the lawyers who came to Kate's door, she was right in saying that if they wanted to expose the lie, then they just would. I think this lends more fuel to the "Ben is their client" fire. He wants Kate spooked because it'll make it easier to convince her to join the group.
• What happened to Frank? On The Searcher, after being rescued, he agreed to go along with the lie with everyone else. However, if you recall, prior to joining Abbadon's group, Frank was a bit of a Flight 815 conspiracy theorist, and I can't see him just laying this all to rest. So what's he up to three years later?
• It seems as though Ben has eyes and ears everywhere - Jill at the butcher shop and her cronies, Gabriel and Jeffrey. What exactly are they all up to, and how did he recruit them? And here's a question for you - what did Ben take out of the AC vent at the motel?
• How did Miles find the boar? Do his "talk to the dead" telepathy powers extend to animals, as well? Or was he conversing with someone who had died and knew of the boar's body?
• The one thing I loved about Ben's conversation with Hurley? While he tried to pacify Hurley with the reassurance that if Hurley came back with him to island, he'd never have to lie again, I couldn't help but think, "Ben is lying."

The final moments of the episode were arguably the best few minutes of tonight's whole two hours. We watched as a hooded figure furiously scribbled equations on a chalkboard, checked a computer that looked eerily similar to the same one Desmond had to use in the Swan, and waited patiently as a giant pendulum drew intersecting chalk lines on the floor. The computer flashed "Event Window Determined," and that's when it all made sense. The hooded figure was trying to determine where in time the island was. A few thoughts on the reveal:

• Ms. Hawking! Now after Daniel's mention of his mother earlier tonight, it seems an awfully safe bet that she is the Faraday matron. However, Daniel said his mother was in Oxford. How did Ben get from LA to Oxford? If so, he has a way to travel there pretty fast (it was the same night that Hurley surrendered), which would lead to something many have speculated about - could there be DHARMA stations all over the planet? Regardless, Hawking is still my guess for the mother. Why else would she share so many of the same "interests" as Daniel?
• Why are there only 70 hours? Presumably, that's how long her calculations indicated before the next flash.
• Why is Hurley key? Why can't they return to the island without the complete Oceanic Six? Why don't Frank or Desmond need to present, as well? Or do they?

OK, that's all I've got. My head hurts, and I hope yours does too. See you back here next Wednesday when Lost returns to a non-headache inducing one hour a week with the third episode of the new season, "Jughead."