Whoever said that it was a flash foward? I think it was a flashback for fact that Jack mentioned his father. His father died in Australia, so it HAS to be a flashback. However, if it is a flashback, HOW does this meeting of Jack and Kate take place? Then again, in the first episode, Jack and Kate were barely introducing each other, which makes this indeed a Flash Forward. Neither scenario makes sense. I need to watch that episode again. I'm definetly missing something. After all, in the episode with the Room 23, one of the decrypted messages is "only fools are enslaved by time and space." Perhaps there's a bit of time travel that took place and history was rewrittent to make this a flashback. No matter how you look at it, it was still a good episode, and I agree that the ending was very horrible. Not suspenseful at all, just down right confusing.
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Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys, and there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove, waitin' to board.
Sit closer together and keep yer ruddy hands inboard! That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys,
Dead men tell no tales! Heh heh heh...