There were a few small, but noticeable changes from the flight 815 that crashed, and flight 815 that lands safely. I need to watch the episode again, but here were the ones that I picked up on. First off, Hurley makes it a point to say that he has only had good luck. He doesn't have to worry about getting scammed because nothing can go wrong for him. This is very different from the "original" Hurley who is convinced that the numbers have cursed him. We also saw a different attitude from our buddy Boone. He was flying back to LA alone, unable to convince Shannon to come with him; and he seemed happy. I thought it was a nice touch that at the end of his conversation with Locke he made a comment to the effect of: "If this plane goes down I am sticking with you."
The interaction between Jack and Rose was also quite different. In this new reality Jack was the one freaking out and Rose was the one to comfort and reassure him. Also, the flight attendant only gave Jack one bottle of alcohol, where as before she clearly gave him two. The second would be used after the crash as a disinfectant for the gash on his back. It was clear they wanted us to notice that one less bottle was given to him this time around. I have no clue what the significance of that is, but I am sure we will find out before the final episode.
There were a few other small differences I noticed, and I am sure there were tons more that I totally didn't catch. I did recently re-watch the pilot episode, so it was a lot easier for me to notice those little things. If I hadn't gone back and watched that I am sure I would have missed a lot more. With all of the differences I was sure that one thing would still be the same. Towards the end of the first hour when they are all exiting the plane they showed Locke sitting in his seat. I knew that he wasn't going to be able to walk. Still, that didn't reduce the sadness I felt as they were lifting him into the wheel chair. He had such a pathetic look on his face. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
The second hour was definitely interesting. We got a huge answer about the smoke monster, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding that situation. I really need to go back and re-watch the conversation between Locke and Ben after smokey is finished kicking ass. It seemed that Locke, or Man In Locke, was saying that he really wanted to get off the island, but Jacob was keeping him there against his will. Is this whole thing just a plot for him to finally get off the island now that Jacob is gone. Not sure I totally understand what is going on here, but it might be more clear upon a second viewing. We were also having some trouble with our U-verse freezing up, so I missed a few lines of dialog in this scene. We did find out that the circle of ash around Jacob's cabin was there to keep out the smoke monster. Braum tried to quickly make himself a little safe circle, but that didn't work out too well for him.
At the end of the episode we finally get to see the hidden temple that we have heard mention of. We have to assume this was where Ben was taken as a young boy to be saved when Sayid's shot him in the the chest. Ironically now we Sayid is the one being saved by the magic water. Some have speculated that maybe Jacob has now inhabited Sayid's body, but I do not think that is the case. I never got that impression in the first place. Then I saw Damon & Carleton on Jimmy Kimmel Live and they dispelled that theory also. So, it does not appear that Jacob is now living inside the body of Sayid. Whatever is possessing Sayid is most likely the same thing that has been possessing Ben since he was a child. My best guess is that it is somehow "the island" that has given life back to them, but I really don't even know what that means.
One thing I found interesting was the reaction of the temple dwellers when they found out Jacob was dead. They all freaked out. The one dude shot off off the fire cracker, and the other guy started making an ash ring to presumably ward off the smoke monster. Back in the day the smoke monster seemed to live at that very temple when he ripped of the French guy's arm. Did the temple people used to be friends with the smoke monster and now something has changed? There is still a lot that needs to be answered about smokey. For one, why does flushing the underground toilet seem to summon the smoke monster? Is the water that Ben released from that underground drain the same as the water that is in the magic healing pool? I don't think any of that stuff really even matters, it just popped into my head.
I have heard a lot of mixed things about the first episode from others that watch the show. A lot of people didn't seem to like it very much. I agree that it was a little odd, and seemed to move slowly. I also think there were enough reveals to keep me interested the entire way. More than anything it got me excited to watch the final season. I have high expectations, but I doubt that any way it finishes will truly disappoint me. I have had a really great time watching it, and I will continue to enjoy it to the very end.
-deric
