Lost: The Long Con or There's a new sheriff in town

Wherein this episode rocked unlike the geriatric Rolling Stones


First off, the usual crosslinks::

• Greg has this week's podcast highlights I never got around to transcribing. Also good comments on the episode. For example, the diner waitress was Kate's mom.
  
• Chicks dig the long con

Basically, the reevilization of Sawyer. This is one of those episode that has me so busy following the head fakes and dodging the misdirections, I missed the obvious. I was still holding out that Ana Lucia was responsible.

To recap
Locke reluctantly gives hothead Jack the combination to the gun safe. Sun is attacked, Ana Lucia is convinced it's The Others and now everyone is interested in her army idea. Sawyer hints to Kate that isn't this convenient, now everyone is behind Ana Lucia and wanting at the guns. Kate tells Jack, now Jack is suspicious. Eventually Jack is persuaded to get the guns, this concerns Kate so she tells Sawyer to warn Locke. Sawyer does so, Locke hides the guns, Jack is thwarted and hotheaded, and confronts Locke. Locke ain't giving the guns to anyone, but that doesn't matter because Sawyer has the guns and the balance of power has shifted. Everyone, especially Kate, feels betrayed. And there's still the question of who attacked Sun, because we know it wasn't Sun. Oops, it was Charlie, working with Sawyer to get back at Locke. He followed Locke to tell Sawyer where the guns were.

Now we're back to suspicions and mistrust. Locke and Jack are at odds - this is where I always felt the season was going, everyone's out for revenge, Sawyer is the focus of most of the anger, but no one knows if Sawyer was somehow behind the Sun attack or that was the others. Also, everyone knows all the weapons are no longer secured.

What else? A couple throwaway in-jokes for us Lostians. I doubt An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge means anything. I think it's just the writers acknowledging a popular theory. Also funny was Hurley hearing the shortwave broadcast and speculating "Maybe it's from another time...just kidding!"

Sayid did rig up a shortwave radio to an antenna. This should prove useful. Locke showed Jack the heroin stash for possible medicinal purposes. Sawyer offered Charlie one of the heroin statues for payment, but Charlie turned it down. Good for him, though as Charlie is turning completely evil maybe he could use a hit to calm down. Also note that if Sawyer does not return the statue Locke will realize one is missing and be able to implicate Charlie.

Suspicions and speculations

• I'm still betting on there being another group of Others out there besides Mr. Friendly's crew. These will be the ones picking off the Tailies.
  
• There is still a spy in the group and now one, or both, of The Others will know the weapons are no longer locked up.
  
• Charlie will either have a redemptive moment, or betray the group to one of the Others.
  
• Desmond was a plant, his story is false. We'll meet him again. But that doesn't explain him leaving a locker full of weapons. So scratch that. No clear idea on the Desmond angle.
  
• Sayid has been working on getting around the concrete wall in the bunker. We will find out what is behind it. Most of us will say "whoa!" The rest will jump off of the bus.
  
• We will see our lostaways have to form allegiance with one of the Others to fight the other Others.