LastPlace, Thanks for getting us back to theorizing here. Here's my two cents:
1. It’s not that the Losties caused the incident – well, maybe they did – but they may be here now to prevent the incident from occurring. Within the confines of the show, I don’t buy that you can’t change the past – I mean, then why bother? But if you can’t change it, you sure as heck can tweak it. The universe may be always course correcting, but sometimes the little things mean a lot. For instance, if Desmond had not prevented Charlie from being struck by lightning, Charlie wouldn’t have led Penny to the vicinity of the island where she could rescue Desmond and the others from an almost certain death at sea. Changing the timing of Charlie’s death radically changed the lives several people. It seems likely to me that the Losties are there to witness the gear up toward the incident and prevent it from happening.
2. I agree. We haven’t heard the last of Jughead, yet. It could be related to the incident. Could they use Jughead to prevent the incident? Wouldn’t the cure be worse than the disease? Didn’t I see that written on the blast hatch!?! Aegrescit medendo, which means "The disease worsens with the treatment," "The remedy makes the disease worse," "The remedy is worse than the disease," "He becomes ill by being cured," or "It becomes worse for the remedies employed." appears in the upper left hand corner of the map, directly to the left of the "Staff" station. (Thanks Lostpedia)
3. Intriguing point. But Sawyer has already had lots of money in hands during several occasions in his conning life. I don’t think money means that much to him – the thrill of getting over was what motivated him. Even when he got a legitimate award, he turned the money over to his daughter. He may simply be more content now feeling he’s part of a bigger purpose, as Juliet’s partner, Chief of Security, awaiting the return of Locke. However, you may have hit on what was going on when Miles asked Ben for 3.2 million dollars to tell his employer that Ben was dead. How did Miles know Ben had 3.2 mill? Perhaps charming Ben has been enriching himself all along with sports gambling, stocks, etc. Ben’s flunky Tom seemed pretty darn comfortable in his hotel penthouse eating room service and entertaining his boy toy. What did he say? He liked to “indulge himself” when he was off-island? This may be, of course, the reason that Widmore is interested in the island, too. But I’m a big Ben hater from way back.

I, too, thought about the Back To The Future II tie-in where by Sawyer could have profited from his knowledge of world and sporting events by leaving the island and using this knowledge in gambling. This ties in with BTTF's Biff Tannen using a 2015 sports almanac he receives from his future self to become a multi-millionaire thru his uncanny gambling "luck." Thus tying together TheLastPlaceYouLook's first and third points below. It would have been Sawyer's biggest and most successful con!! Not doing so, when it is almost certain that he would have thought of it, also speaks to his growth and a individual during his domestic stay in Dharmaville.

Good stuff lastplaceyoulook. You need to post more often! I agree with the cake analogy also. I am always comparing Lost vs Lost not some other show. So an 8 rating still beats any other show at its best.

I have to agree with LostBarber. I really think that the time on the Island now makes it home. The people left behind have gone on to live their own lives so to speak. Also, the glimps of the four-toed statue was absolutly amazing!!!!!!!

I thought this episode was great. It was a game changer. 3 years on the island, it's home now. The fact that it's been so long for the people left behind catches them up to Jack and co.

Hey Everyone, I've been sitting on the sidelines for all this time, running to this site almost every day to read the brilliant content from Sledgeweb & friends but not feeling I have anything to contribute after seeing how much insight, encyclopaedic knowledge, and brilliant theories you have. Until now that is, though I may be shot down for being obvious with something you have already theorised about.

This episode wasn't one of the best, but it depends on what you're looking for. We have had such a rich sequence of episodes so far in this season that that it would be impossible to think that the writers would be able to keep us on the edge of our seats all the time with such wondrous twists, turns, and reveals in every single episode. And if they were able to keep it up then I'd probably stroke out or need to pre-book lost-rehab at the end of this season because of the severe cold turkey until the last season (say it ain't so, ma). We need some breathing space for our own good, and to reflect on the great stuff so far, and I think this episode helped with that. Looking back at some of the padding episodes in previous seasons, LeFleur is pretty damned amazing in comparison. We've just been given so many treats so far this season that it's easy to throw our toys out of the pram if we're not fed better cake with each new episode at the moment. I can only speak for myself in saying that I feel I've been spoiled this season, and when I saw LeFleur I was disappointed and felt let down until a little voice in the back of my mind said "Are you kidding me! Sawyer's become Juliet's Romeo!...in the Dharma Initiative!...the other losties are back in time with them now!...and from the looks of it, Richard has a booming tailors and dry cleaning-business! (he is now very well dressed for a 70's lostie, especially when you consider what he was wearing when he first met the young Ben)". So I think it fair to call it a great episode in the run of things; it might not have been the best cake, but it was still cake at the end of the day! And why do I keep using a cake analogy? I'm hungry now.

Sorry, I digress. The reason I am writing this is because two things have been niggling at me over this past week, and it' probably been mentioned in the forums already so apologies in advance for wasting your time if so...

1. Now we have the key losties together, back in time (excluding Ben and Locke). I've been thinking that there is no way they would be allowed to be stuck there in the 70’s as there seems to be something in all our minds and faith that tells us that all the losties must and will end up all together in the current time. So how do we bring the back-in-time losties back to the future then? Speak to Michael J Fox? Nope. It would obviously have to be something big, maybe something that will give the island's electricity metre another hernia by lighting up the sky again and blasting them forward in time. So what could do this? What incident could possibly happ...hang on...no...it can't be...the 'incident' (said in a profound voice, preferably with some echo for dramatic effect). So our most famous 'incident' could have been caused by our lost friends from the very beginning. Of course, when you try and analyse it from a purely logical point of view then you're screwed. You'll be left asking things like "hang on, an incident years ago created the hatch and Desmond situation, Desmond apparently caused the Oceanic plane to crash, and only then did the losties start their time on the island, so you’re talking rubbish!". But, as we've seen so far, there has always been a certain amount of artistic licence with the whole time-travel thing, and I've torn it to pieces and ridiculed it in my mind ever since it reared it’s head. But I'm now coming to think "to hell with it, what’s happening with the whole time travel thing isn’t perfect and it will never be so just enjoy the ride and go with it. I’ve scoffed at some of the most crazy things in the past with Lost but have come to accept them, so chill out, sit back, put the Einstein and Stephen Hawking books back on the shelf, crack open the popcorn, and savour every last minute, this train is nearly at its last stop (ma, you still there?). So that’s my main point for writing this, and I am truly sorry if the ‘incident’ was so obvious that it’s been discussed already and that I should be ashamed of myself. The final piece for me was when I was looking through the future episode titles for this season earlier today...and what was the last one called? ‘The Incident’...the fun just doesn’t stop (for me at least!).

2. My second point is that Sawyer mentioned the whole Jughead issue again in this episode. Right, I find it hard to believe that the writers suddenly bring a big bad bomb to the island, bury it in all it’s active glory (apart from a small leak, but it’s the best weed-killer in the history of the island...since the failure to train smoky to do it where he couldn’t tell the difference between weeds and 40ft trees), and keep referring to the bomb so much for no apparent reason? Does that not tell you something big is coming? I’m sure something juicy must be on its way with this part of the story, whether it be used to help with the ‘incident’ or used as a potential island-destroying finale for the whole show (ma?).

3. Okay, I said I had two points, but this is just a light-hearted extra one. Sawyer had a chance to get off the island with Juliet on the sub but he made out there was nothing to go back to. Even though Sawyer is developing into a great guy who is showing more selflessness as time goes on, has built more relationships on the island than he ever did back home, and had Kate as a reason to stay on the island at one point, things have still changed now. If he didn’t think it when he had the chance to get on the sub at the beginning, then when he finally become resigned to the fact that he would never see Kate again he must have started to think “hang on, I know who will win the world series for years to come, I can become mates with Bill Gates, invest in Google, and become as rich as anything you like...and be the first to wear a piano tie in the 80’s!”. Okay, I can’t see Sawyer wearing a piano tie, but I can see him rubbing his hands together at how rich he could be back in the real world with his past knowledge, maybe with Juliet by his side. Plus he knows that almost none of the Dharma employees actually reach a comfortable retirement age, so I would have figured on him having some kind of plan for a prosperous future. I’m surprised he avoided that temptation.

I thought this episode was a 9.0 or 9.5, but my wife thought it was an 8.0 or 8.5

For me, the best part was when Sawyer applied the mind-f*** to Richard Alpert about Jughead, Locke and the rest. Which leads me to tell you all about my epiphany! Yes, I mean that I FIGURED THE SHOW OUT!!!! I'm not making this up, but I am convinced I have the ULTIMATE SPOILER in mah NOGGIN'!!! The best part is that it doesn't ruin the show in the least! If you wanna know, I can tell you, and you'll be happy for sure! Curious?

Then start voting already!!!

I also disagree with the rating, but understand that part of this is my own fault. I have never rated an episode. I just watch, enjoy and discuss. This was one of the better episodes this year, and sets up a good next step. I also liked Sawyer and Juliet together as the first real relationship in the show. Would hate to think that it all goes caput just because freckles is back in town.

Have to disagree with the overall rating - this was a 10 episode for me, definitely not just an average episode. I loved how the writers took the show in a whole new direction with Sawyer working for the DI and showing his growth also through his relationship with Juliet and that those in that group considered him somewhat of a leader.

ya and i bet the reason my theories werent mentioned is because i give too much greif to juggy... lol no bad blood... good write up.. cant wait til NAMASTE...

Juggy agrees with me!!! Thanks for summing this up. Everyone I spoke with felt the same as the community here at swls. Everyone was in agreement that this episode really showed how much Sawyer has grown. For me personally, I appreciate the writers validating him as a core member of the show. When the show began he was one of my favorite characters because he was so colorful. As the show progresses he is one of my favorite characters because he is the poster child for redemption. He has done a 180, but still hasn't lost his humor!