10... but are we really surprised? I'm Mrs-freaking-Alpert.
Besides the fact that this episode was jam-packed with Richard, it gave answers while still confusing us, we got to see three mysterious characters at the beginning of their relationship, and Richard's backstory with his wife was heartbreaking and romantic. We see that Hurley is necessary to the Big Plan, since he's the only one who sees the dead and speaks Spanish, and therefore he's the only one who can bring Richard back from the Dark Side.
Sure, parts were melodramatic (Locke looking from Hurley and Richard to the camera? Cheesy but creepy), but Richard's despair balanced it out and carried the show. Seeing him as the only survivor, chained to the ship, watching boars eat his fellow prisoners, just out of reach of fresh water... that's hell. That whole scene is described in classic literature as some of the things you can look forward to in hell.
I like that we see ruins we hadn't seen before, and that MiB is so freaking manipulative.
There's so much more, but my mind is racing. The parts that were slow were still beautiful, between the language and the cinematography and the overall story. At one point I asked Adam, How did they get all these fantastic old props?!?! ... I think they've been paying more attention to the cinematography this season, how the shots are framed and the colors, etc., because every episode looks like so much care was taken to make it look perfect, even if the lines or answers we get isn't quite.
Poll