This was a connection episode. They needed to get from Point A to Point B, and this episode was what they gave us to accomplish that. It's the kind of thing that will play a lot better when you're watching on DVD and can move right in to the next episode.

So while the writers are slowly putting the pieces together for the inevitable Big Events at the end of the season, we were treated to a relatively pointless flashback, a few new developments, and the promise that Jack will be reunited with the rest of the castaways soon. Concerning the flashback: I appreciate how the writers keep trying to make them "matter" by throwing acquaintances from other characters' flashbacks in. Jack's dad showed up in Ana-Lucia's and Claire's, and now Sawyer's ex-girlfriend befriends Kate in this episode. The problem is, these developments don't make the actual plot of the episode any less pointless. Kate went on a quest to find out why her mother turned her in, when, really, any random person could have cleared that up for her. You murdered her husband, Kate. Really not that confusing.

We did, however, find out that Sawyer's ex really is pregnant with Sawyer's kid, unless for some reason she decided to lie to Kate about that, too. When we originally heard in Sawyer's last flashback that she had given birth, I assumed it was a con to make Sawyer send her money.

Back on the island, we actually did get a few decent developments. First of all, the Others up and left - bringing Locke with them, and leaving Juliet behind. (How much do you want to bet that by the time the survivors see him again, he'll be more aligned with the Others than with them?) The bigger question, though, was where the heck they were going. My guess is that it must have something to do with Ben's "magic box"; that must have a location, and that location must be some ultra-secret place we don't know about yet. Or is it the other island? (I hope not.) Or wherever they keep the flight attendant and the children? Or another hatch?

The bigger issue is that the "box" doesn't belong to the Others, exactly - Ben didn't know how it worked. The Others used it, but they didn't create it or seem to know where it came from. It will, I believe, be one of the focal points of next season. This whole season, to me at least, seems to have been building up to a major conflict between the castaways and the Others, and whatever the outcome of that, I don't think we'll need to worry much about the Others next season, at least in the capacity that we do now. They'll be usurped by a much bigger threat - one more closely tied to the actual island. The "box", the monster, the Black Rock - all these things suddenly seem much cooler than a bunch of wannabe "good people" living in a quaint little neighborhood. Just a theory.

Speaking of the monster, it reared its head again this week. (Figuratively speaking. It doesn't have a head, you know.) With the exception of Eko's death, which I found to be handled a little clumsily, the monster is always a welcome addition. This time we found out that the Others, again seemingly in the dark about the nature of the island, don't seem to know what exactly the monster is. I believed Juliet when she said that. It can't, however, get through the electromagnetic pulse-fence surrounding Othersville. Is that a writing convenience or a clue to the nature of the monster? You decide. (Plot hole: couldn't it just jump over the fence like Kate, Locke, and Sayid did?)

After Kate and Juliet spent the night bonding (are we ever going to learn how Juliet became a ridiculously capable master of self-defense, by the way?), they made it back to Othersville to pick up Sayid and Jack. Kate and Jack had a nice little reunion, and then they all head back to the good old beach. Juliet included, because, after all, "they left her behind, too," Jack said. Sayid and Kate's shared look after Jack said that was priceless.

Of course, this begs the question. Juliet: mole or no? As a mole, she's clearly just there to draw Jack further under her charms and cause confusion among the ranks until the Others do whatever it is they're going to do. As someone simply left behind, the Others obviously disowned her thanks to her murder of Pickett and the possibility that she wanted Jack to kill Ben. (Which, may I remind you, we know is true.) She's now an ex-Other with no other alterior motives.

So which is it?

Personally, I've never trusted her. But how about this: how about we actually find out who the Others are next episode? Sayid, Juliet is yours. Get some answers out of her. I know you want to. I'm not one to "need answers" if the show is suitably compelling, but we've been tap-dancing around asking very obvious questions to the Others all season. It's time.

One last note, since I haven't mentioned the B story - as per usual, it was mostly used for humor, with Sawyer conned into being nice to people by Hurley, who told him people wanted to banish him. It was cute - I liked the bit with Claire's baby - but it turned surprisingly interesting when Hurley told Sawyer that the castaways looked to him as their leader. I hope they explore that a little, although with Jack's impending return, I don't know if they'll be able to. A bit of a shift in power would be very cool though, especially if Jack finds himself too busy getting "caught in a net" with Juliet.