I agree with you that it could go either way. It could be an error, or the writers could have planned it.

It just seems nitpicky to lean towards the “error” side when there is a possible valid explanation which has evidence to support it.

Oh, wait….Troll. That’s something I can say.

See, going to this site ONE TIME has made me toxic already.

Live with it. Move on. Get outside for a change. You know, there are REAL islands outside that magic box in your living rooms!

Here’s the point. You ASSUME it’s a mystery because you ASSUME the writers/producers intentionally used this time discrepancy. Notice I’m using the word assume. Why? What happens if this is never addressed? What if the series ends and we never know exactly why Michael’s timeline doesn’t match up with the rest of the story? I’m making the same ASSUMPTION, but I’m humble enough to admit that I could be wrong. Therefore, those who don’t make THAT ASSUMPTION, have a valid argument. The time travel we have seen IS made painfully obvious to show it is intentional (Docter washes ashore and in the same episode we’re told he’s still alive on the boat), and this one was not. So believing it to be a part of the time travel mystery is JUST AN ASSUMPTION. While we have enough evidence that WE’RE willing to make that ASSUMPTION, that does not make our view any more valid that those who are not.

You’re last comment was just repeating the fact that you disagree with me without any further explanation. Nothing new was said. That’s why it’s beating a dead horse.

That now makes six different ways that I’ve tried to explain this. If we go for seven the horse gets promoted to god of his own universe.

See, most people just call those “mysteries”. And since you consider complaints about mysteries to be valid… yeah, I can see why you’d feel “intoxicated”.

Myself, I can see why Damon and others just see it as nitpicky.

Now, I’ve explained this to the point that not only is the horse dead and buried, but it’s making appearances on the island and telling us all to stop beating it. Yes, some see it as nitpicky, some see it as lack of intelligence, and some see it as valid criticism.

I’d like to apologize for my first comment. I am 100% sympathetic to Damon now. I feel completely intoxicated.

If it’s not a bad thing, then why are complaints about it valid?

I agree that they are open-ended, I disagree that they are plotholes. A plothole infers that the writers simply messed up the timeline as in the examples that you have pointed out such as (“We’re supposed to believe that Michael made it back to New York, lost Walt, met Friendly, etc. in the span of what? Three weeks? Less?”) when that situation actually has a very simple explanation considering how many examples we already have that time works differently off-island.

I understand that You don’t have a problem with the episode and trust the writers, but at the same time you’re saying that you can see how others would see it as an error. I can’t see how they would considering what we’ve been shown time after time. So, it comes across to me (and others as just being nitpicky) and comes across to others (like DM) as a lack of intelligence.

Now, why is the Doctor’s death and Michael’s timeline a plothole? Because they have open-ended resolutions. We can only theorize about them at this point. Is this a bad thing? NO. It merely means that currently it’s an unanswered question, or an open plot. That’s why I…me, myself, and I…had no problem with this episode. I have faith, like I said, that it will all come out in the wash, so to speak. Others however, may not, and they have legitimate reasons. While I trust that the authors will eventually show that there is a HUGE discrepancy between off island time and on island time (since the rocket test it seems to be growing), there’s no guarantee that they will. Some fans lack faith and even though many of us feel they shouldn’t, they have every right to question and critique this episode without being belittled for it.

For me, I don’t understand why anyone would assume “time discrepancies” in Michael’s episode are plotholes when it’s been shown repeatedly this season that time works differently off-island than it does on-island.

And my college literay professor rolls with a gang, so your’s might beat him/her up, but then they’re doing a drive-by on your entire college. They don’t play.

BTW, my college literary professor can beat up your college literary professor.

NURSE: Ugh. Let’s get some light in here. Now I thought I heard someone shout, and something tells me it wasn’t him. You okay? (Sighs) You’re lucky to be alive. E.M.T.S say they found you in a wrecked car with a note pinned to your chest. You didn’t have any I.D. on you. Want to tell me your name? (sighs) Yeah, I didn’t think so. You want me to call Walt?

MICHAEL: What?

NURSE: The note pinned to your chest. It was written to “Walt”. You want me to call him?

MICHAEL: (Whispers) No.

NURSE: Okay, then.

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Meet_Kevin_Johnson_transcript

Now I just rewatched that scene on abc.com because I like to be certain about these sort of things, and yes, that transcript fits the dialogue and Michael was definitely in a neckbrace. Now, she did say he was lucky to be alive and then we cut to him visiting his mother’s house. All in all, from crash to release I’d have to say it at least took a full three days…and then I’d still expect him to be wearing that neckbrace, which he wasn’t when he went to his mother’s house. Getting ridiculous enough for you?

Your comment proves two things:
A – you’re very passive agressive. You’re initial comments about the intelligence of the average Lost fans was your attempt to carry-on the debate over my article. The first part was directed to me and therefore we must assume, so was the added mention.
B – you’re the one who seems to have problems with people disagreeing. I’ve said…count through the comments now…at least five times that I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THIS EPISODE, BUT PEOPLE WHO DID HAVE A LEGITIMATE BEEF.

That seems to be the big pisser for you and others; that some people had a problem with this episode and I’m actually defending their right to have the criticism.

Now, as for the last comment about themes…wow, that was a completely different article and you’re still going on about it aren’t you? I can only explain something so many times before we either have to agree to disagree or fight to the death. How absurd do you want this to get?

And, yes, I’m not an illiterate nerd. I know this strikes you as crazy since you can’t accept people disagree with you, but, hey, billions of us have studied writing and literature. Jesus, you can’t even see the implications of certain themes (while struggling with what qualifies as theme).

forgiventhewarlord
I read your comment the first time and really thought my responses were self explanatory, but guess not. Let me repeat myself – “As I said, I had no problem with the episode. Sure, it seems like a big hiccup to me, but I am willing to let it go. I even trust that it will all come out in the wash, that’s how much respect I have for these writers.” Why should a viewer assume there’s a plothole? Because there is. It’s the fact that we neither know if this timeline IS OR IS NOT a result of the time discrepancies. That IS OR IS NOT would be a blank space because it could go either way, therefore no one can fill it with any certainty. Therefore…PLOTHOLE.

If I seem to be coming across a bit…acerbic, it’s because some of you guys are taking this way too personal; as if criticizing the show is tantamount to blasphemy and as a result you’re either trying to make snide comments or reposting your previous comments as if to say “answer that!” Now I truly understand Damon’s point. You go on a board, read twenty comments you agree with, but then…

Since when did Michael sail from the South Pacific to NYC in a little boat? Michael only took the boat as far as another vessel that was waiting for him. Michael never suffered any injuries from the wreck. You’re making all of this sound like some kind of overwhelming or impossible task. You just have to assume some things in TV land occurred (maybe he was assisted by Ben’s crew, who the hell knows) and get on with it.

Is it a stretch? Yes, but who the hell cares? It’s an unimportant aspect of the story whether he did it in a week and a half or two weeks. Might as hell harp on trying to figure out the identities of the O6 + 2 even though they never existed in the first place.

It’s just a crappy and useless avenue to explore.

I agree with the guy who said the average LOST fan stumbles somewhere around average and below average intelligence.