Hurley, Libby, and Madness

SPOILER ALERTS!!!

The past 2 Losts have returned the show to the level it maintained for most of last season. Most importantly, the plot made some significant steps forward, many of them surrounding the fantastically creepy "Henry Gayle." We now have the map (conveniently reproduced in this week's EW although you need to blow it up to try to decipher it somewhat fully), and, it seems, an Other in captivity.

Of course, last night's idea that the whole thing is in Hurley's mind makes a kind of sick sense (as "Dave" made quite clear). I realized from the start that Dave (played by the always excellent Evan Handler (I even watched "It's Like, You Know . . ." in which he starred) was in Hurley's mind, but the two bigger twists still have me puzzled. In the end, I don't think we are in Hurley's mind (although St. Elsewhere's genius ending comes to mind), but just putting it out there fits in with his madness. We now must question, even more, what is real and what is not--did Hurley really win the lottery? did all of these bad things really happen to him? Of course, as we know, Hurley isn't the only one to see things on the island--Jack and his dad, Kate and her horse . . . .

Which leads us to Libby. You knew there was more to Hurley's recalling her from somewhere, but that she was a fellow mental patient (maybe) was something I did not see coming. Why is she on the island? Why was she in Australia? Is there even more to her relationship with Hurley? I even asked whether she too was a figment of Hurley's imagination (an ego to Dave's id), but she has been seen by others on the island and in the absence of Hurley. I want her backstory, but wonder if we will get it in the remaining episodes. (Next week, we learn about Rose and Bernard.)

I also keep thinking about "Henry" and the book he was reading--The Brothers Karamazov. The most famous episode in this novel involves a dream in which Jesus returns during the Spanish Inquisition and is promptly arrested. The Grand Inquisitor tells him that he has provided humanity with freedom and choice, an impermissible burden that leads to fighting and suffering. Instead, the Inquisitor and the Church offer mankind happiness through ignorance, and thus Jesus must be rejected. Moreover, the Inquisitor implies that the Church now follows Satan aka THE OTHER. (Hat tip to Wikipedia for reminding me of the plot twists of this episode.) Now, is "Henry" Jesus? Is Locke? Is Sayid the inquisitor? Jack? Anna Lucia? the leader of the Others? Is this a red herring--I doubt it.

It looks like there are about 4 more episodes this season, and hopefully the last two weeks are a great harbinger of the remainder of the season. I assume we will learn more about Michael and Walt, the map, "Henry," The Jack/Kate relationship, but I am still dying to know about (1) how Locke became paralyzed, (2) how Jack got his tattoo, and (3), as noted above, what is up with Libby. Until next week . . . .