Last night's Lost episode was definitely strange, and not just because it was directed by Mario van Peebles. (But srsly, wtf?) There was also weirdness about Richard Alpert, our mysterious and eyelinered island eternal.

He can't seem to die, can he? And boy did he want to! Well, he can die, just not by his own hand, and not of natural causes. Richard told Jack that he'd been "touched" by Jacob (show Smoky on the doll...) and thus was... what? Immortal? Mostly invincible? And does that mean that our six touched castaways suffer from the same plague of everlasting life?

It's interesting how, as we head into the last nine episodes, the castaways have completely assumed the position of dominance. Ben's power has waned (and finally completely disappeared, in beautiful Michael Emerson fashion, last night), and now Richard is a suicidal wreck, shattered by the death of Jacob and what he deems a meaningless life. Both of these former big bads are now mostly beholden to the Losties, which is probably why those folks are Candidates and Ben and Richard are just island custodians.

What do you think? Does the idea of an immortal Jack — one whose specialness can stop dynamite from exploding — intrigue you? Annoy you? Make you want to play with dynamite?