The Beginning of the End Discussion and Mobisode 13

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In this episode of the JoshMeister's LOST Podcast, Josh and fellow LOST fans have a very in-depth discussion of Season 4 Episode 1, "The Beginning of the End." Mobisode 13 is also discussed in connection with Christian Shephard's mysterious appearance in this episode. A show outline follows, but much more was discussed in the show, which lasted about 2 hours and 7 minutes.

• Jack watches a car chase on TV, and the driver is Hurley
• The golden Pontiac is back
  
• Hurley: "I'm one of the Oceanic Six!"
• Does this mean only 6 people made it back from the island?
  
• Ana-Lucia's partner Big Mike talks to Hurley
• He presses Hurley to admit knowing Ana Lucia, but Hurley doesn't
• This seems to hint that Big Mike suspects something is up with the story about the Oceanic Six. Does he (or anyone other than the survivors) know about the island?
  
• Hurley keeps seeing things, and he's excited to go back to mental institute
• We find out that he saw Charlie twice by this point; the first time was in the convenience store where he saw Charlie by the Ho Hos, the second time in the police station when Charlie had "THEY NEED YOU" written on his hand
  
• Back on the island, Locke somehow ran off after throwing the knife at Naomi. How did he get away?
  
• Jack says he'll kill Locke if he comes back
• George McCowskey is the name of the guy on the freighter with whom Jack spoke
  
• Naomi's body is gone
• Naomi wasn't dead??
• In a flash-forward, supposed "Oceanic attorney" Matthew Abaddon offered Hurley an "upgrade" to a different psych hospital with his own bathroom
• His last name has implications of evil
  
• No business card
• Asks Hurley "Are they still alive?"
• Does he know about the island?
• On the island, Hurley found Jacob's house? Or was this all in his mind? And if he imagined it, why did it look the same as when Locke saw it, and how could he have imagined Christian Shephard being inside the house when (as far as we know) he's never met Jack's father?
• In Jacob's house someone was in the rocking chair (apparently Christian Shephard) and someone else (who at first glance looked like Locke) popped up and stared at Hurley, scaring him
• Jacob's house disappeared and reappeared in another place, then disappeared again
• After this, Locke stood over Hurley with a torch
• Was Locke visiting with Jacob?
• Speaking of Christian Shephard, he was the main star of Mobisode (LOST: Missing Pieces) number 13, "So It Begins," which was released recently. It takes place just moments before Season 1 begins, with Christian Shephard (or so it seems) instructing Walt's dog Vincent to go wake up Jack in the jungle because "He has work to do."
  
• The blood trail that Jack is following ends
• We find out that Kate stole the satellite phone from Jack because she was going to search for Naomi on a different path
• This seems to show Kate's lack of faith in Jack at this time
  
• Naomi somehow climbed a tree while bleeding profusely
  
• Naomi died after telling George on the sat phone that she was injured parachuting; she covered for Kate and the other survivors, in spite of John Locke attacking her and ultimately causing her death
  
• Hurley tells Claire that Charlie died
• In a flash-forward, Hurley sees Charlie again, and this is when we find out that he saw Charlie in the store, too
• Another person at the hospital tells Hurley that someone is staring at him, and points to Charlie
• Did Hurley imagine the other hospital guy, too, or did the other guy actually see Charlie too? If the latter, what could this mean? Are the island's group hallucinations (like Kate and Sawyer seeing "Kate's horse") somehow affecting people off the island as well?
  
• Charlie slaps Hurley to "prove" that he's there, although Hurley hallucinated physical sensations with his imaginary friend Dave as well
  
• Hurley counts to 5 and opens his eyes and Charlie is gone
• Back on the island, Jack tried to kill Locke!!
• ...but Locke's gun wasn't loaded
• Hurley gave a speech about believing Charlie
• A number of the survivors went with Locke to the barracks (it was unclear how many were in Jack's and Locke's groups)
  
• The flash-forwards from this episode take place before the Season 3 finale flash-forwards
• Jack hasn't grown a beard yet
• Hurley to Jack in a flash-forward: I'm sorry I went with Locke - I should have stayed with you
• Hurley: "I think it wants us to come back" (My wife and I thought he said "I think he wants us to come back" - if we heard right, who is "he"? Charlie? Jacob?)
• Eli Stone/Oceanic Airlines ad - YouTube link
  
• A flight attendant from the Find 815 Oceanic ads says that the Golden Pass (presumably the same one that Jack and the Oceanic Six were given) allows you to fly anywhere in the world as many times as you want (no price is mentioned)
  
• Vantage Point movie ad (use the clue 000-815 at abc.com/solvethepuzzle) leads to supposedly new information about LOST, but Josh didn't have time to play the game before or during the podcast