He wasn’t “coerced”, he realized that it was the right thing to do, after he selfishly tried to keep his ex from taking their son to a better life. The ex who still cared about him and paid for his therapy, btw. We don’t know that he was unable to continue his artistic life after that happened. And acting jerky to Sawyer after Walt was taken.
I agree that we’ve seen him at some stressful times, but he has shown some large character flaws and jerkiness as well.
It was made pretty clear in the episode that she did it, wasn’t it? She lit the fire and then came to the camp (she wasn’t already there), and told them what the fire meant. Then she stole the kid and went to the smoke. Since when her baby was stolen the fire was real - she figured she could try setting it again, and they’d see the message and come, and she could make a trade.
I don’t have my DVDs to doublecheck, but I thought the smoke only appeared after she showed up at the camp. It seemed to add some legitimacy to her claims, as I recall, but I may be recalling incorrectly.
I don’t think that was made clear. It was Charlie who was insistent that was the scenario but Charlie isn’t always the most intelligent or reasonable. Judging by Sayid’s reaction he didn’t seem to agree with Charlie, and we saw this reaction twice - when they got the kid back and when he and Charlie returned to the group and Charlie made a comment to another Lostaway that there never were any Others. Which was rather stupid of Charlie because we know there were Others because of Ethan.
Besides, we the audience, know that the other events back up Rousseau’s story. The Others did go after a child after all, so it makes sense that she did hear the whispers and the Others did indeed set the fire.
It’s a little ambiguous, but I don’t think Rousseau lit the fire. It’s clear that it was lit before she came to the camp. (That’s why she came to the camp, after all-- to warn them that she’d seen the smoke and that it meant the Others were coming.)
That being said, think about her actions after that. She took Claire’s baby and ran to the source of the smoke. When Charlie and Sayid caught up to her, Charlie accused her of starting the fire herself – but that doesn’t mean she did, and she vehemently denied it.
She said she heard them whispering, saying that they were going to take the boy – so she grabbed Claire’s baby and ran to the signal fire, hoping to exchange it for Alex.
I think she genuinely expected to find the Others and bargain with them. It doesn’t make any sense for her to make up the story about the smoke coinciding with the loss of her child, set the fire herself, and then try to arrange a swap with people she knows aren’t coming.
I guess it’s possible that it was dissociative behaviour, and she didn’t remember setting the signal fire, but it doesn’t seem likely.
On preview, what Wile E said.
Why was it the right thing to do? Michael’s ex may be wealthier and more successful, but who says that life with her is for the best? As we saw from the episode where she died, she was not the most attentive mother. Most of her love went to her career. Also, I don’t think she paid for Michael’s therapy out of love. I think she did it as a further means to control the situation. She had the upper hand, after all.
I agree, Michael was coerced into it because he was made to feel worthless. It would have been possible for the ex to leave the country with Walt and still allow Michael to have a relationship with his son, he could have corresponded and talked with him on the phone. But that wasn’t good enough for her, she wanted Michael out of the kids life permanently so he had to give up his parental rights. She didn’t even give the kid the cards and letters Michael had sent him over the years.
Michael had to eventually forget about ever seeing his kid or having a relationship with him, so when he did get him back it was a big adjustment for him. Not to mention that his kid didn’t know who he was or even want to know him. Michael just didn’t know how to deal with that, he’s learning as he goes along and he doesn’t always make the best choices and his situation isn’t quite ideal either. I agree that he could handle it better and be less of a jerk, but I certainly don’t hold it against him.
No no, the fire was NOT lit before she came to the camp. She came to the camp because she heard the whispers that the Others would be coming for the boy.
She told the Lostaways about the theft of Alex, and that it was preceded by the appearance of the black smoke. She predicted that the theft of Aaron would also be preceded by black smoke. The Lostaways, having seen no black smoke, dismissed her as a nutter.
Then, and only then, did the black smoke appear.
New question brought up this episode. How many survivors will ask Jin to pee on them? You know it’s going to happen again. Who do ya’ll think will be next? My money’s on Locke. Only this time it will be a real medical need.
Also, who will be the first one to knock Ana Lucia on her ass. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess Sun. That’ll be unexpected, and mysterious, and funny.
How many new episodes until they show a rerun?
Based on the remarks made replying to my post that was replying to another post…
I will say I was wrong. Sorta. 
I didn’t see the episode where she died and I was only taking Michael’s attitude based on the recent “custody” ep. If you look at him in that one without the others, he doesn’t come off well, but I will try to see the earlier one you mention and then give my judgment. What’s it called?
I always thought her going to Rome was not to make a better life for Walt, but to make a better life for herself.
A willing father should never have his kids taken from him permanently.
Plus, in an earlier episode, she asked him to relinquish the rights while he was in traction after getting hit by a car.
In my household, we cheered when she died. She’s evil…
They showed a rerun last night (Saturday) here. So I watched it again to pick up all the details I’d missed the first time, and to confirm things I thought I’d seen.
I thought Michael’s ex was horrible, too. Why would he have to give up his parental rights just because she was moving abroad? Especially, as it turned out, when it was obviously her idea and not the other guy’s, considering how quickly he dumped Walt back on Michael.
I was just reading one of the many fansites for the show and I wanted to add something that the Dopers who track the # of Survivors never mention. There is always discussion of the pilot, US Marshall, and drowning victim surviving the crash, only to die later.
But no one ever brings up the guy who survived the crash, only to get sucked into the turbines.
I don’t know if he matters to your counting, but he should be part of the discussion, right?
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd]
It’s a little ambiguous, but…
[QUOTE]
Now there’s a response everyone can agree with 
There are a lot of plotlines that haven’t been expanded in some time.
I want to see a little more about (or the very least a mention of) Adam and Eve, Black and White stones, a reference to Ethan, The Nigerian Plane crash.
I suspect we’ll be learning more about the Nigerians soon, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some of that other stuff explored…or at least referenced…
Oh, and I forgot to include Danielle’s map and the french version of Beyond the Sea…
And what ate the pilot?
And what was that black smoke that tried to drag Locke down?
And then there’s that pesky polar bear…
There’s a lot of plots that were started and then dropped. I just hope they don’t stay dropped permanently, or some writers will be deserving of a giant case of whoopass when the series ends.
I don’t think anything is being dropped. I think the first season introduced all the various terrors and weird things on the island, and now we’re starting to find out what they are - one at a time. This way the writers can stretch the plotline out for years if the series is popular.
Remember, there are a number of stations on the island, and they all have a different function. Animal experiments, remote viewing, alien communications…
I still think that someone discovered very strange properties on this island, and set up various isolated experiments to test out the effect of the island on a number of different things. We’ve found one now, which we’re trying to sort out. There are undoubtedly other mysteries just as confusing and compelling around the other ones.
The next episode is new, but the following week will be a repeat of “Adrift”.
So, 5 new episodes total this season before we get a repeat.