LOST recap: S.O.S.

Mike's back! Say it with me:

WAAAAAAAALLLLLTT!!!

I wonder if poor Harold Perrineau knew that his only contribution to the second season, after being one of the top three or four featured players in season one, would be running through the jungle shouting that exact line; over and over again.
I'm glad to see the Michael-Walt storyline addressed again, because as good as the second season has been it's been painfully obvious that they've written themselves into a pretty big corner here.
The bottom line is: the show has a short timeline, and Malcolm David Kelly will be growing much faster than Walt is. So the writers are faced with the choice of dumping the character or concocting a plot involving time travel or growth experiments that could strain credibility.
I think LOST in general is pretty fearless with their characters, so whatever's happening with Walt, they need to resolve it this season. Hopefully Michael's return is the beginning of that.

Rose and Bernard make me smile. I really, really love these guys, and I was jazzed to see they were getting their very own flashback episode; a nice breather from all the hot angsty flashback action we get with the younger, sexier island residents.

The problem with the episode is that it seemed like they just wanted to get their flashback out of the way, and so they ran through the entire length of their relationship: the meet-cute in the snow, the proposal at Niagara Falls, and the visit to the faith healer to explain their presence on an Australia to Los Angeles flight.
They're good characters, they deserve more than that, the same slow reveals that we've gotten with Sawyer and Locke.

And the visit with the healer was far too similar to Clarie's visit with the psychic in Season One.
There's also the hint that the island itself, and the the big giant magnets or whatever therein, may have healed Rose and Locke.
We also learn that Rose is the only castaway so far to know of John's previously disabled status. The moment with the two of them on the beach was nice (if a bit creepy). L. Scott Caldwell brings a quiet peace to Rose, (which is also needed when certain supposedly level headed 'leader figures' go off screaming in the rain like idiots), but we've seen that side of Rose. The flashbacks were a chance to see different, deeper Rose; and I don't feel like we got that.

We learned a lot here, so why does it feel that we're just like Rose in the snow: spinning our wheels?

In other island happenings; Locke's still throwing a little hissy girl fit about whether or not 'Henry' pushed the button . How about this evil smile:Love that Michael Emerson.
But it's a note too similar to the one Locke's been playing the last few weeks.

We also get Jack and Kate caught in a net together because, well, I guess that's the only way the writers could think to get them that close together. It was a cute moment, if a bit too sitcom-ish. But, for once, Jack actually out-testoseteroned Kate, when he shot the rope.
We also see that Jack still has his Season One crush on Kate, in spite of her stubborn disobeyance in The Hunting Party.

And lonely little Ana Lucia in the hatch: pobresita. She must be pining for the good old days of the Jack and Ana army of two. Maybe if you tried smiling, dear, the boys would pay attention to you.

LOST is all repeats and clip shows until May 3rd, so download the ones you missed kids: we're a-headin' for a showdown.

LOST Episode 2:19; S.O.S.: B-