Lost - "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3"

Ahh, spoilers!

What Aaron Liked: Of the two biggest developments from last night's season finale, I can honestly say that I didn't see the Penny/Desmond reunion coming. At all. I generally mock this show's paid puppets at TVGuide.com and EW.com when they squish all over the slow-motion sentimental pap, but it was beautifully handled with a completely drained Desmond lighting up at the sound of her voice. Speaking of which, the whole rescue sequence – with all of its fits and starts and false hope – was excellent. I especially enjoyed Jeff Fahey's "Frank Lapidus" who lent some authentic urgency to the clichéd "…we're outta gas, we're goin' down…!" pilot role he was saddled with. The fight sequence between Keamy and Sayid was a kick and I gotta say I'm equally digging the futuristic silky-haired Sayid tryin' to look all sexy and swarthy while assassinating sh*t. Ooh, and I can't type another word without mentioning the lines of the season, which involved Ben gently chiding Locke for his ignorance in exotic flowers and Locke's "I don't know what they look like" response.

What Aaron Didn't Like: The whole "Jeremy Bentham" red herring was ridiculous. I guess I understand the need for anonymity within the context of the show, but it still felt like a cheap two-hour tease designed to artificially amp up what was already a compelling storyline. As for the big reveal of the coffin's inhabitant…meh. Once Ben emerged from the darkness of the funeral parlor and began his exposition, I turned to Mrs. Bootleg and called Locke. Believe me, I'm not bragging – hell, I'd been wrong about that eventual twist all season – it just came across as a little too obvious at that point. Elsewhere, I'm really hoping the writers find a way to make Sun just a wee bit more convincing in her new role as "Sun Bradshaw Layfield". So far, she's been awful. The "pissed-off widow" bit just doesn't click with me. I'm looking forward to the exploration of the "bad things" that happened on the island after the Oceanic Six left. In fact, I hope it includes a long overdue thinning out of tertiary characters like Rose, Bernard, Jin and Michael. Really, if Rose has nothing better to do that be the "peanut police"… Finally, Lost writers…can you please resolve the Walt storyline before turns 30? What are they feeding that giant? He's like the Black Apache Chief.

Verdict: It's a strong finish to a very strong season, in my mind. I keep hearing that the narrative will change next year, as the "flash forwards" become present time and the post-Oceanic Six island serving as the flashbacks. That works for me. There are still enough significant loose ends from the first two seasons that remain frustratingly unresolved, even as new questions arise, so for all the nitpick b*tching that I do…I'll keep right on watchin'.