The episode title, "The Little Prince" is an homage to the book of the same name. And I'm sure it's meant to make us think of Aaron, but that's not where it stops. The book is about a little boy who leaves his planet to visit a bunch of others, but only finds stupid grown-ups on them, who don't even know basic things -- like that you truly see with your heart; and that you can't own something unless you care for it and it cares for you. The only way the boy can get back to his home planet is to die and leave his body behind. O HAI JOHN LOCKE! Why, I will start by talking about the strand-aways first; thanks for the suggestion. You know summing up an hour of this show in a few hundred words is like trying to truly see a thing using only eyes.
The Strand-Aways: Charlotte's not dead. It's just a flesh-wound. Of the brain. Okay, no, it would be like a flesh wound of the brain if FWotB were caused by magical jet-lag of the brain, and if jet-lag caused hemorrhaging. Blame Daniel for that mess, by the way. Even Juliet's like OMIBBQPOLARBEAR worst explanation ever, dude -- and I never explain things. Locke realizes he has to get everyone to the Orchid Station, to stop the flashing and to get the escape-aways to return. Sawyer's less than confident he'll find a way, but maybe he's never read The Little Prince, bookworm though he is.
The flash at the end of Jughead brought them to the night Boone died/the night Aaron was born. Locke steers everyone clear of the hatch, from which Desmond's light is emanating. He's so into who/what/where/when he is today, that he doesn't want to do anything to screw up the journey he's now on. Meanwhile, Sawyer's too broken up about seeing Kate help Claire deliver Aaron to argue much, or even use nicknames. Along the way, Miles' nose starts bleeding, and Daniel asks if he's ever been to the island before. Miles doesn't think so, but I'm feeling fairly certain he's Pierre Chang's baby from the season premiere. He should read the recaps. Or maybe not, because then he might suss out that extended exposure to the island seems to be a predictor that a patient will succumb to (fatal) nosebleeditis, the natural consequence of magical jet-lag of the brain.
When the strand-aways finally get to the beach, they find their seemingly long-abandoned camp, but no Zodiac (and no Rose and Bernard) which they were intending to take to the Orchid side of the island. Someone conveniently left a canoe though (with a bottle of water from an airline, and we'll hit that in the full recap). Also? Juliet's nose starts to bleed, but only she and Sawyer know this. While paddling their way 'round the island, another small craft approaches the strand-aways' canoe and starts shooting. Soon they FLASH to the middle of a thunder storm, and make their way to shore, where they find some curious French jetsam.
On The Mainland: Ben's moving his chessmen around like the master he is. Kate leaves Aaron with Sun to go see the lawyer Norton (who wanted blood samples from her and Aaron). He won't out his client, so Kate puts her island-honed skills to use tracks his ass. Meanwhile, at the hospital, the still-suspended Jack gets his ass handed to him for treating Sayid, and Sayid is nearly drugged again by another dart-wielding assailant disguised as a nurse. Sayid overcomes him, and goes all Jack "Who are you working for" Bauer. He gets a slip of paper out of the assailant's pocket, which reads: 42 Panorama Crest. Jack recognizes this as Kate's address, so he sends Sayid off with Ben (Sayid's *thrilled* as you can imagine, and insists on driving). They'll meet up later at a pier.
Jack tracks down Kate, who's still hunting lawyer, so he joins her and they trail the lawyer to a motel where he meets with Claire's mother. After the lawyer leaves, Jack talks to Claire's mum, who has no clue about Aaron or anything else, and is just there to collect a settlement from Oceanic (and to serve as an unwitting pawn in getting Kate back to the island). Kate drives Jack to the pier and is freaked when she sees Ben. She realizes Ben is the one who's behind the blood test court order. Jack says Ben would never do something like that, but Ben's all, "No, it was totally my lawyer and me. Psyche!" Norton will soon have Hurley free from jail, so it won't be long before the Oceanic Six are reunited. Truly. Sun's already at the pier watching the whole scene play out from her car. Aaron's with her, as is dossier on Ben and Jack, and the handgun that was delivered to her in the false bottom of a box of fine chocolates. Mrs. Gump was totally right.
At Sea: A bunch of French people are in a huge rescue raft during the middle of a big storm. They spy some interesting looking flotsam. It's JIN! He's alive and has been close enough to the island to be jumping along with everyone else. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. (Quick, someone tell Sun, before she guns down everyone on the pier.) On the beach, poor Jin manages to say he doesn't understand French. So then he and the very pregnant French woman introduce themselves in broken English. Her name? Danielle Rousseau! (But you totally figured that out as soon as the people started Frenchifying at each other, right?)
Find out which characters have the best backstories and which characters are just plain old useless. Come back week for Cindy's detailed recap.