A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

A TOSSUP BETWEEN "STAY GOLD, PONYBOY" AND "CLUCK YOU": Hey, it's Lost feeling like Lost again! Flashbacks that are actually interesting and relevant to the plot! Disturbing yet oddly entertaining dream sequences! Characters besides Locke, Jack, Kate, and a soupçon of Sayid and Hurley! Four episodes since we last heard him run his mouth off, Charlie remains the most annoying and least relevant character on the show! (Anyone disagree?)

Some observations:

• Why does Claire's face look so different from last season? Did she gain weight? Lose weight?
• Okay, admit it, who thought that Bernard was the guy guarding the pit? Oopsie. Can't wait for that flashback.
• Love the sense of humor that crops up here and there. "[Fade to black] . . . bitch."
• Are there actually only thirty days of food, or did Hurley and his new sidekick concoct that story to avoid Everybody Hates Hugo II?
• What got into Ana Lucia's wheaties?
• That Randy guy? Not his first appearance on Lost. Anyone catch it? Check the comments for the answer.

Thus far I'm quite pleased with Lost's sophomore effort, except for one thing: the flashbacks in Season One were uniformly much more interesting and plot-advancing than the four we've seen so far this season. I suspect it stems from the fact that JJ and the gang, now knowing that they've got a bona fide hit on their hands, have realized that they need to stretch out these backstories for a while because the show's not going away anytime soon. So I'll be surprised if we get too many big reveals via flashback this season.

See ya in the comments.