I thought the episode was great. I have watched all episodes, DVDs, etc, and it really solidified some of my thoughs. Its tough to get into unless you know all the background. So many little details that get you sucked in, just like owning a BMW, that if you don't have that background, its not as enjoyable to watch. I would highly recommend watching DVD episodes from prior Seasons back to back to get caught up. Netflix is perfect for that.

The person in the casket is most likely Michael as if you pause the HD recording of the obituary Jack is reading on the plane it shows New York. Also in the episode before this season opener they gave away some clues and said it was a man from NewYork. Only one that fits this is Michael. Plus Michael betrayed everyone to get off the island,so no friends or family.

Also they gave clues out on the location of the island. In the new episode there were Ho Hos snacks, and Jack and Hurley played to HO in H-O-R-S-E. Ho HO Ho = North Pole. Also if you pause the screen when Jack is out of it in the future, there is a scene of maps that if you pause show him looking north of Norway. Pretty much everyone surmissed that they were at the South pole, because of magnetism and flight path but hinting at the North Pole, suggest the duality of life, bipolar,etc, which ties perfectly into the characters.