TV

It was interesting to see the Daniel Faraday of 1996, who seemed much healthier, stronger and more confident of himself at Oxford than does the Dan of 2004, on the Island. Obviously Dan has been through some sort of traumatic experience that has changed him drastically.

Did he, too, become unstuck in time somewhere between 1996 and 2004? Did all the radiation in his lab affect him in some crucial way? Remember, Dan put on a radiation smock to protect his body -- but he wore no protective headgear, which Desmond commented upon. Is that the source of the illness that Dan seemed to be experiencing, during his flashback to the TV reports on the "discovery" of Oceanic 815?

Are "side effects" of the radiation exposure why Dan now seems so fragile, so wounded? Even those who seem to like him apparently regard Daniel as a damaged soul. How could he help Desmond, when "Faraday can't even help himself," was the disparaging comment heard on the boat.

Daniel and Frank seem to be the most sympathetic members of the Freighter Four. Charlotte's secretive and hard to read, although she does behave kindly toward Daniel, whom she seems to regard as her intellectual equal. Miles, even with his apparent spiritual gifts, is coldly calculating, greedy, and seems to care for no one but himself. But bluff, shaggy Frank seems like a decent enough guy, while Daniel is a diffident, vulnerable genius whose first instinct is to trust the Lostaways. It'll be interesting to see how these initial impressions of the new characters change and evolve over the remaining episodes.

For Lostpedia's developing recap of "The Constant," go here.