LOST Characters in Season Three

Below is a recap of LOST's main characters, deep into Season Three. Are these characters still interesting, or should we vote them off the island?

Jack: Jack's character, originally slated to be killed early in Season One, is still the cornerstone of the show. He continues Season Three in his hero/martyr role trying to save Sawyer and Kate from the Other's evil clutches, while performing surgery on Ben and organization his own escape. The flashback episode highlighting his travels to Thailand was visually interesting, but lacked strong character development. We've still got to stay tuned at the mysterious concept of him being "set apart". Jack's relationship with Juliet remains stale, but the promise of future conflict with the Jack/Kate/Juliet/Sawyer theme looms on the horizon.

Kate: Questions abound for LOST's loyal viewers. Just what the heck motivates this woman? Does she really want to leave the island? We're still not sure if she's got feelings for Sawyer or Jack, and whether those feelings are romantic, platonic, or pure survival-born. Just when we think she and Sawyer are a couple, the tides turn, and she's island-searching for Jack. Whatever the case, she still kicks butt in the survival world -- climbing trees, running through the jungle, and shooting bad guys. Even Sawyer seems impressed.

Sawyer: Still LOST's bad-boy, Sawyer never disappoints with his snappy come-backs and original nick-names. His love scene with Kate in the Other's cage was certainly a ratings booster, but also showed off a sensitive side he rarely displays. His feelings for Kate seem strong, giving the writers room for huge conflicts in future episodes, especially if/when Jack makes his return.

Locke: Ominous rumblings ahead for this character. We finally discover how he was brutally paralyzed, adding to his growing middle-aged angst. The discovery of his father on the island was certainly one of the most shocking moment's in LOST's history. Has he turned to the dark side, ready to join the Others? Even if he doesn't, his motivations seem more self-serving every episode. Locke has many secrets, and they make him do all sorts of crazy things.

Hurley: Hurley is still LOST's best comic relief. He received interesting development in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead", fleshing out his father-related anger. Images of him tooling around the island in the official LOST van were priceless, as was his thorough beating of Sawyer in a friendly game of ping-pong.

Jin and Sun: This couple is keeping the middle-of-the-road status they achieved at the beginning of the series. Like everyone else on the show, they have skeletons in their respective closets, including mob-style strong-arming for Sun's father and an illicit affair, but compared to the other survivor's deep, dark secrets, their stories are almost tame.

Charlie: Glad to see he's out of rehab, and is changing his dysfunctional ways. Desmond's death visions for Charlie's are disturbing, but who knows what will happen on this crazy island.

Claire: The revelation that she is Jack's sister was an interesting twist. (Just how many ways are these survivors connected?) We got a little of her background during her flashback episode, but her character still seems flat. Maybe the whole Aaaron, "raised by another" issue will give her more conflict.

Juliet: The writers need to show us some interesting scenes where we feel compassionate towards her character. She still seems cold, especially when she's shooting one of her own, or making deals with Ben.

Ben: Still as creepy as in Season Two. Will we ever trust a thing that comes out of his mouth?

Desmond: He's been given much more opportunity to grow this season, and LOST's future episodes seem designed to follow his story. Penny still waits in the wings, hot on the trail after the hatch implode event.

Rose and Bernard: Helooooooo? Where are you? Did you move to another part of the island, or have you been snatched up by the Others? Come back, please - we miss you!