'Not in Portland' & 'Flashes Before Your Eyes'

From Broadcast Depth

The six episode story arc that opened the third season of LOST ended with a bit of a whimper; not the ideal way for a show to end before a three month hiatus. However, there's no denying the came back from that hiatus with a one-two punch of tremendous episodes. Juliet gets her first flashback that explains her past in science and how she came to the island. We pick up where we left off to see whether or not Jack complete the spinal surgery on Ben and if Sawyer and Kate successfully make it back to their Island. Desmond receives what isn't truly a flashback, but what is considered a "mind travel" back in time, where he exists in 1996 but retains all of his memories from the Island. This of course creates a great deal of confusion, anxiety, theories on Time Travel, and a chance encounter with a future Island mate. This is one of the more interesting episodes to date.