This episode kicks off with an effective hook, a dream sequence in which Claire stumbles across an evil-looking Locke in the middle of the jungle. She reaches into a cradle, finds a pool of blood, then wakes up the Losties in the cave with bloodcurdling screams. Pretty good start!
After she claims to be attacked the next night, Hurley decides it's time to compile a census in the interest of safety. This was a fun tangential storyline, a nice contrast to the tension surrounding Claire's situation.
The writing is solid but not mind-blowing. The exchanges between Claire and Charlie are credible if not slightly awkward (by design). The flashback scenes with Claire and Thomas are VERY realistic, almost to the point where I felt like I was intruding on a very private moment.
In terms of writing the last three minutes are the payoff, with Sayid returning, Hurley discovering a major problem with the manifest, and Ethan crossing paths with Claire and Charlie all in the same sequence. This was the perfect setup for the episode that would follow ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues").
Emilie de Ravin seems to be one of the most underrated actresses on the series. I've seen her described as terrible, annoying, and a variety of other unflattering adjectives. I'm not sure I understand it, for I'd ask anyone to watch the first 10-15 minutes of Raised By Another and tell me she isn't an outstanding actress.
Her screams in the cave are God-awful by design, and her panic-stricken exit from the caves is completely understandable. Her acting in the flashback scenes with Thomas was excellent; as soon as she sensed something wasn't quite right with him she bit her tongue and tried to muster every bit of restraint she had. Once he started justifying his fear of parenthood all bets were off, and that led to an impressively realistic and heated argument.
A slight bonus for Jorge Garcia, who kept me laughing throughout the various stops on his census tour. When Locke chides him about who's watching the census-taker (Hurley), he responds with a hilarious, "Uh... good one." Heck, even before the census tour his awkward conversation with Sawyer had me in stitches. "Screw off?"
Another slight bonus for Dominic Monaghan, who provides his own brand of charm in talking with Claire. "Dear Diary, I'm still stuck on this bloody island. Today I... swallowed a bug."
Deductions for William Mapother and Jenny Chang (Claire's friend Rachel) for wooden performances.
The opening sequence with Claire sleepwalking was executed quite nicely. Other than that, there were certainly opportunities for special effects and visuals (namely Malkin's psychic readings), but for whatever reason they decided not to capitalize on them.
Deductions for the scene with Sawyer and Hurley, as a plane can be seen soaring across the distant sky. I'm not sure how director Marita Grabiak failed to see it or how it made it through post production.
Hurley's census adventure is entertaining enough to warrant several rewatches. Even though I have a soft spot for Claire and really appreciated Emilie's acting in this episode, her flashbacks don't really lend themselves to repeated viewings. Psychic readings are certainly intriguing the first time around but they tend to slow scenes to a crawl on subsequent rewatches.
This episode is plenty enjoyable but I think it's the first casualty of the "setup episode" category. We're learning that the Losties aren't alone on the island and the intensity's been percolating for the last few episodes. A flashback episode about sweet and innocent Claire was questionable timing, certainly a tough sell in the broader context of the on-island storyline.
