http://blog.melanism.com/2009/04/30/lost-season-five-the-variable/

What I Liked:

* What a great episode! Definitely one of the best of the season and probably will make the top 15 episodes of Lost ever.
* Jeremy Davies gave an amazing performance and I hope if isn’t overlooked come Emmy time. From his confidence as he tried to get his plan moving to the look on his face when he realized everything he believed was wrong and he was betrayed by the person he loved the most (finally someone on the show has mommy issues)
* The scene between Daniel and young Charlotte was touching (although it’s sad that adult Charlotte remember him as some crazy man)
* The look on Juliet’s face when Sawyer called Kate “Freckles” and how quickly she gave her the code for the sonic fence like “Time to go, bitch”
* Desmond lived!
* Confirmation that Charles Widmore was Daniel’s father
* All the call backs to previous episodes this season like young Charlotte’s line, the opening scene to the season, Jughead
* As everything started to fall apart, LaFleur slowly turned back into Sawyer with the nicknames
* Jack is out of the weed haze he’s been in since heading back to the island and is actively involved again
* The shootout with Radzinsky (even though we know he’s going to blow his brains out in the Hatch, I wish he could die twice)
* The final scene was just…WOW. Faraday didn’t just get shot, his whole world imploded on him looking into his young mother’s eyes and Davies played it perfectly.
* A special shout-out to President Obama for wrapping up his press conference on time. He must be a Lost fan

What I Didn’t Like:

* If he really is dead, I’m really really going to miss Jeremy Davies. His performances were one of the biggest highlights of the last two seasons.
* Now, despite how great an episode this is, I’m concerned if this is the endgame - altering the past to change the future. I don’t think is (we still have another season to go plus the people in the present) but I really hope that’s not how everything gets resolved.

Lines of the Night:

* “Good Lord, no!” - Eloise’s response to Penny thinking Ben Linus was her son
* “I got some bad news for you, Jack, You don’t belong here at all. She was wrong.” - Daniel to Jack regarding the destiny Eloise told him about
* “I can make time” - Young Daniel to his mother
* “The women in your life will be terribly hurt” - Eloise to Daniel regarding his future love life
* “I punched the man in the face. What am I supposed to say. My fist slipped.” Sawyer to Hurley about how to explain the man in his closet to the Dharma folks
* “You guys were in 1954? Like, Fonzie times?” - Hurley
* …”Helping H.G. Wells here talk to his mommy ain’t got nothing to do with it!” - Sawyer regarding Daniel’s plan to see the Hostiles
* “I’m not allowed to have chocolate before dinner” - Young Charlotte (this was the last thing adult Charlotte said before she died)
* “Uh, do you have something for a beginner” - Daniel to Kate while she was handing out guns
* “For the first time in a long time, I don’t know what is going to happen next.” - Eloise to Penny
* “He’s my son too.”- Widmore to Eloise regarding Daniel
* You knew. You always knew, but you sent me here anyway.” “Who are you?” “I’m your son” - Daniel and Eloise after she shot him

Questions:

* Why did Eloise pressure Daniel to become a great physicist and send him to the island knowing she was going to shoot him when she could have prevented? Was she hoping that he would be able to change things?
* Why did Widmore send Daniel to the island for that matter?
* Does this mean that Daniel is wrong about variables and destiny?
* Does this mean that the attempt to set off Jughead also falls under the category of “what happened, happened”?
* Is Daniel’s confession about his (and Miles’) true nature to Dr. Chang the reason he sends his wife and son away off the island?
* Did Ben know that Daniel was Widmore’s son?
* Why the hell did Sawyer and Juliet feel the need to pack so much shit?
* Why doesn’t Eloise know what is going to happen next anymore? Has Daniel already altered things by involving Desmond?
* What role will Desmond play in the rest of the series?
* Where is Sayid and Rose and Bernard and Vincent?
* Did Hurley and Jin get away?