Just finished watching episode 2 of the final season of "Lost" and here's a few thoughts and observations:

- Another 'Wow!' ending to an otherwise blah episode titled, "What Kate Does." Claire, who's been missing since last seen with Christian in Jacob's cabin, popped up as an innocent bystander during Kate's get away in a flash sideways at the end of the season premiere. Well, well, well. What a different story at the end of the Feb. 9 episode. A edgy-looking, rifle-bearing Claire saves Jin from the clutches of two members of the Others. Good stuff, but what's up with Claire? Where has she been? Has she been living solo on the island?

- Another Claire question: What does temple master Dogen mean when he tells Jack they must stop Sayid's darkness growing inside him, aka "the infection," similar to the one his sister has? Maybe everyone jumped the gun last week assuming Jacob had taken over Sayid's body.

- Surely you noticed Claire's doctor, Ethan Goodspeed, in the L.A. flash sideway, didn't you? Yes, the same Ethan we first saw in Season 1.

- Another minor Claire note: On a scale of 100, I give a 1 on the believability scale Claire would get back into the car after Kate returns her bag in the L.A. timeline. Poor writing.

- Was disappointed there was no Locke, Ben or Jacob this episode. That could be the one drawback of the final season, too many storylines at once to cram all into a one-hour show each week.

- Another question was answered when Kate tells Sawyer why she wanted to return to the island. It was hardly a question I needed answered, though.

- Even though I was underwhelmed by episode 2, there were enough revelations that will most likely prove instrumental to the series' conclusion, the most obvious being the appearance of Claire on the island.

- Mark Podolski