We should just get to the jump, right? The episode was incredibly action-packed, stunning on multiple levels, and informative. The EW recap? Cant say the same. We feel cheated – this is the one show where we don’t want spoilers – and yet the writer has probably seen the next three episodes, and you can tell that in his writing. Boo. Spoilers after the jump.

It’s a game, right? Ben vs. Widmore. Just like Risk! The quest for world domination, which apparently begins and ends with time travel. We really hope it ends with Desmond saving Penny and killing Ben. Random musings:

* It sucks that Claire will probably die. (The bastard at EW infers it, and of course Baby Aaron gets off the island, but Claire isn’t one of the Oceanic 6.) Why must she die? Is the goal to kill off all the attractive women? Maggie Grace and now Claire?
* So Ben goes into this room and: A) Talks to Jacob, B) Talks to Black Smoke Thingy, C) Travels in time somewhere to do something, D) Jacob is Black Smoke you dolt.
* When was the island Widmore’s? He said, “It was mine, it will be mine again.” Does this mean that back when Ben was a kid and arrived on the island … that’s when Widmore “owned” it?
* Ben is pretty bad-ass. He jacked those two dudes in the desert and was hiding a gun in the piano. That’s gully.
* This Jack/appendix bursting storyline appears weak. Almost forced. It’s probably something to draw Jack and Evangeline Lilly closer again, but the whole love storyline slows things down.

We absolutely have to reference the Office now; what an episode. Dwight was tremendous, first with the hobbit stuff, and then with the female basketball players. Pouring out the drink was awesome. Just a guess: the temp goes into drug rehab, and Jim has to switch branches to take his place, putting the proposal to Pam on hold. Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of the gorgeous Karen Filippelli? Thursday is easily the best (only?) night of TV. Now only if Gossip Girl could get moved to 8 p.m. …