Because Richard's group at the Statue see the signal flare sent up by the Temple Others.

Fuckin a.

The fact that the water was brown, and that the Others appeared to be freaked the fuck out when Sayid came to (not to mention Miles' reaction), makes me think that there is something very, very wrong and different with Zombie Sayid.

But they weren't all just like the characters we first met. Most of them were pretty similar or exact matches: Sayid, man of action; Charlie, hopeless junkie; Jin, overbearing douche; Jack, compulsive fixer; John, ashamed of his disability; Kate, fucking criminal lunatic.

Yeah, I can't remember who it was that first suggested it way back when, but I remember someone here suggesting the "Locke is really Smokey!" theory way back when Ben went to be judged; maybe even before that. I immediately subscribed to that particular newsletter; it's the first time I ever adopted a theory that…

He was Oldham, the Dharma Inititive's creepy backwoods pharmacologist/torturer.

Totally disagree. With the possible exception of Charlie, none of the characters on Redemption Island acheived as much redemption, via the longest, darkest possible road, as James. He earned it, he saved lives, he became a leader, earned Juliet's love. And in a blink of an eye, it all went away. I feel almost as…

Regardless, I'm thrilled. He had a more-than-satisfactory resolution to his story last season, but he's too good a character to keep in reserve. Especially given how he was used tonight.

Yeah, no shit. The love of his life just died in his fucking arms, for no reason whatsoever. (Or so he thinks.)

Knew I was forgetting someone.

Desmond
I thought Desmond wasn't going to be a main character this season. Did this change recently? He wasn't listed in the main cast prior to the season, didn't appear in the Last Supper promotions, etc., but there his name was in the main credits all the same. Was this a last minute change?

You got your Deadwood in my Lost!
Yet another refugee from my second favorite show of all-time showing up on my favorite.

My only complaint…
…is that, 83% of the way through the entire run of the series, we're being introduced to (at least) two brand-new, apparently very important Others, the existence of whom has never even been hinted at before.

That scene was fucking amazing. O'Quinn and Emerson are the best actors on TV.

Can not fucking wait.

Fuck yes. I can't believe more people aren't talking about that line. My good ladywife and I both cheered and laughed our asses off at that line. It's beautiful.

I'm so fucking glad I gave up on that shit midway through the second season. They're still banging that Kensei drum, huh? Jesus fucking Christ.

I was about to spontaneous combust just watching that. Hotness brought the hotness.

Holy shit, just saw that scene. Agent Hotness is batshit!

Most annoying subplot?
Are you fucking kidding? It's Kevin, and it's not even close. This subplot has even made me forget the presense of Kim, which is otherwise always the most annoying subplot by default.