>>what did Locke really do to assure Hurley that things would be OK?

You’re in for a long reply here; buckle up... ;-)

>> Jack has no one with him...

I’ve never watched Survivor, but I agree that Jack is good at keeping quiet when he needs to.

Agree 100% that Ben keeps Locke close by, because Ben sees him as a threat. (Later in Season 5 we learn that some of Richard’s fostering of Locke has to do with the time-travel.)

>>I theorize that the plan to go to the beach is actually Juliet’s idea ... Ben was convinced that there was a solution to this problem of pregnant women on the Island, so Juliet could take advantage of this hubris and offer a new idea.

>>Juliet just has facts on him, but does she know what makes him tick...?

>>when Juliet and Kate were handcuffed together in Left Behind, and how Juliet asked her what she knew about Jack.

>>finally, Season 6, where he actually does get it right (although I suppose we might have a debate about that, given that he could have gone home with Kate and Claire and company in a different scenario).

>> you asked about Jack knowing if Ben killed Locke... Maybe Ben told him in a private moment at the beach, but by then, there were much bigger stakes. 

Re: Manifest & characters “popping:”

>>Jack ... feels like he owes Juliet for helping Kate and Sawyer escape...

I’m sorry I didn’t answer this sooner; there’s a lot here to unpack.

>>And Sawyer has that look that he knows no matter what he does, Kate will always go back to Jack in the end.

I love that idea of Kate being Hugo’s majordomo, instead of Ben. Not because Kate is bad-ass (she is!) but because Kate has already shown herself to have a deep affiliation with and affinity for the Island, exemplified by her black horse.

Interesting idea, that Locke also became “unstuck in time,” although not as much as Desmond.

Agree 100% about Hugo being able to “defuse” Jack; point him in the right direction.

On “Live Together, Die Alone:”

Re: Ben & “cheating:”

Re: Hugo’s Oceanic Nightmare: