I enjoyed that episode and reading everyone's thoughts. Here are mine:

When Little Worlds Collide

Jack’s worlds are tearing him apart: From his victorious present to the decay of his future, we meandered between his two worlds. But is it “his” future? More than ever, this episode showed that we are dealing with space-time distorsions, parallel universes, if you will. The glimpses into his future seemed to be dictated by what would happen if they get off the island with Naomie’s people. Death and despair are what awaits him back in the “real” world. There is a first continuity issue with this interpretation: Jack only got to the island because his father died. No future should be possible in which his father is alive.

Putting that aside, the news of someone’s death almost pushed Jack to kill himself. I’m thinking that the funeral was for Locke, Jack feeling remorse for having forced him off his beloved island. It would have some symmetry as Locke also contemplated suicide when he felt the island’s power had deserted him. Back in the “real” world, Locke would think again of suicide.

Present Jack, Moses if you like, will probably have to save his people again from the incoming search party to avoid becoming future Jack. Who are these people if they aren’t Penny’s staff? They would have to be Dharma since Ben considers them “Bad”. That poses a second possible continuity question: Dharma knew the location of the island before the “Purple Sky” event since they did at least one parachute drop. Why would they need to reestablish communications?

Island Kate is torn between Jack and Sawyer but in the “real” world, she seems to have come to peace. She tells Jack that: “He’s going to be waiting for me” and that “It’s not gonna change” when Jack urges her to go back with him. The following exchange was quite telling:
- Jack: “I’m sick of lying. We were not supposed to leave the island.”
- Kate: “Yes, we were.”
- Jack: “We have to go back.”
Kate, the fugitive, was the one that had to lie in her past world. In the “future” she seems content with her new life and seems to have chosen who she wants to be with. What will hold “present” Kate on the island? Content doesn't mean happy.

Ben’s world is falling apart. The combined threats of Locke’s abilities to communicate with Jacob and the impending arrival of a search team have forced him to change his plans:
- When Mikhail asked Ben why he lied, Ben answered: “I’m doing this for the island…We’re about to be under assault.”
- When Richard asked him what he will do with 40 people that will do anything to get off the island, Ben answered: “I’m gonna talk them out of it.”
- When Alex asked him why doesn’t he simply let them leave, Ben answered: “Because I can’t.”
Ben sees impending doom for his way of life, for his world and he is ready to die to save it. When his bluff failed, he found a strange ally in Locke who stopped Naomie’s attempt to contact her crew but couldn’t bring himself to stop Jack. We know Ben has let people come and go before so why are the Losties different?

Locke had a powerful introduction in this episode. We were ready to see the island help him survive Ben’s bullet but not quite that way. Walt’s appearance was a nice surprise and showed that he is the “Special One”. Walt had spent most of his time with John after the plane crash, leading me to believe that he was the one that enabled Locke to walk again in the first place as he did this time. As far as the island goes, Walt is on the same page as Ben and Locke, because he tells John: “You have work to do” and that work turns out to be the same as what Ben had been trying to do.

If Walt is with Ben, that would mean that Ben, despite everything, isn’t the bad guy. Just as Desmond had to save the world every 108 minutes, somehow Ben, by protecting Jacob perhaps, is also saving the world. The question becomes: Which world?

As powerful as Locke’s introduction was, his exit was a let down. He had Ben right there so what better way to make Jack think about the call than telling him something like: “Ben shot me and left me for dead, yet I see he is right in preventing this call.” What does Locke do? Nothing but retreat, completely ignoring Ben.

The Alex- Danielle reunion was also a let down. I expected it to be a key in understanding. What does Danielle first tell her daughter? “Help me tie him up.” I guess we have to wait for real emotions and revelations.

Sawyer is also becoming a let down. For two episodes, he has become a catatonic bore and now he kills one of the few Others that seemed willing to talk. I know he had to leave room for Jack’s return to hero status but did Sawyer’s personality have to disappear?

On the other hand, Hurley’s heroism was a nice touch. The possible time loop with “a musician” programming the jamming code could be interesting. A final thought: Desmond must be quite a lover if Penny was ready to send a message the second the jamming device went down. Did she spend 3 years constantly dialing?