LOST Thoughts – S5 E8

Here are my thoughts on the eigth episode of Lost (season five), “LaFleur”:

1. The newly-shorn locks of “LaFleur” seem to indicate the presence of a Dharma barber, which makes it that much harder for me to understand why after more than four seasons wandering the island without so much as a Flowbee, the previously clean-cut Jin all of a sudden looks like the fourth Jonas Brother.
2. Dharma also apparently has a climate-controlled supply of dynamite, because if Horace had attempted such drunken fuse lighting with the humidity-compromised stash found in the wreckage of the Black Rock, he’d have gotten Arzt-ed to high heaven.
3. For being in the mid-’70s, Dharma is certainly well ahead of the technology curve, based on their earwax-igniting sonic fence and general early warning capabilities.  After seeing the salacious look grown man Faraday gave little girl Charlotte, let’s just hope they were 20 years early developing the Amber Alert.
4. Speaking of the aforementioned sonic fence, I noticed Alpert mention that he and his people are immune to its effects.  Is that because he’s a ghost and can just float over it, or does living for hundreds of years leave you with a thick enough barrier of ear hair to repel even the deadliest frequency?
5. I’m a bit confused as to how Juliet ended up on mechanic duty in the Dharma motor pool.  Do her c-section skills directly translate to cutting out a catalytic converter from a VW microbus?
6. You think Juliet’s going to want a do-over on not taking that first sub outta Dodge when “LaFleur” starts roto-rooting Kate’s esophagus with his Sawyer tongue?
7. Seeing the giant statue in all its glory before the final flash was pretty bizarre.  I wonder just HOW far back in time they were.  I almost expected a pterodactyl to swoop in and carry Miles off like some deleted scene from Jurassic Park.
8. Recognize that symbol on the necklace Horace’s baby mama Amy pulled off her dead husband Paul before completing the trade with Alpert for a corpse to be named later?  I’m thinking there’s some sort of subtextual connection with the plot of Logan’s Run going on here.  Either that, or Paul was a roadie for Blue Öyster Cult before joining the Dharma Initiative.  Wait a minute…BÖC’s lead guitarist is named Buck DHARMA!  Woah – talk about more cowbell!!!
9. Any guesses as to the possible identity of Horace and Amy’s baby?  He’s got to be someone who was born in 1977, so I’m thinking it’s either Charlie, Boone or Screech.
10. Shouldn’t young boy Ben be amongst the 1974-77 Dharmites?  Or did he and his drunk daddy, Uncle Rico, arrive on the island in the late ’70s?  Something tells me we’re going to soon witness an encounter between child Ben and adult Ben.  What will become of Independent George?!?