Why is Widmore seemingly surrounded by idiots who botch the capture of Jin and over-drug Desmond? Can he not afford the best there is at this stuff? Tiny Fey is messing up all his plans!

The aphasia might make sense if there is feedback from the sideways characters interfering in the main universe. Otherwise very weak gimmick.

So…
Crazy theorizing out loud:

Desmond is the variable. He can move between times but also between worlds. He was the first example of a character moving between two sideways flashes. He needed to find a constant in both. Penny is his constant, and allowed him to slide comfortably into one or the other. A couple of the other crew on WIdmore’s last boat had it happen to them and they died without a constant.

Faraday knew how to move in time, and was able to follow Desmond. He died–but not before he had almost 3 years in the 70s to travel time and maybe different worlds. Desmond was his constant–never used yet in the series but I am pretty sure we’ll see either alternative Faraday or 70s, not dead yet Faraday appearing near Desmond.

Something that happens in the side universe or on the island will pull the characters into resonance with their alternate selves. We may also see that there are an infinite number of possible alternate lives that could be happening. The energy pockets are where the worlds come together close. The explosion in season 5 and the end of season 2 have damaged this universe significantly.

If the MIB escapes in one reality he escapes in them all. But Widmore just wants to tap the energy for some reason — Penny!? Could this Widmore be from a world where Ben killed Penny and he wants to get to one where Penny is alive?

What does it all mean? We’ll find out next week.

Yeah, since no resolution to the Sun & JIn storyline, even though I thought it was interesting, no resolution means not very satisfying as there is no more time for another flash sideways to tie up their story.

The time for waiting around doing nothing was in the 1st season when no one knew much about the island and they were just waiting to be rescued.

Like I mentioned before, basically no shows besides The Wonder Years have ever had satisfying series finales. Hell, even the epic The Wire floundered in its final season and especially its final ep. Didn’t care for the ending to Buffy. Even Deadwood was totally weak. If that badass show can end things right, who can? Maybe ROME was ok.

Momentum is key. I want to see a juggernaut rolling down hill. Want characters to be really dying or really making huge choices every ep. Can’t stand all this fake dying. Like Locke is gone, but we never got to feel his death because it was all gimmick. Jin too, died, but wait, won’t he come back? Charlie, who cared? Let him die his stupid death. Sayid, maybe kind of dead but yet another gimmick death. Same with Claire. I guess the only truly real death in awhile was Alex’s. That was a rough one.

The next episode is a Desmond one, and those have never failed us before.