Well, it’s an ok show I guess. A little uninspired, not really up my alley. Peter Macnicol is a favourite character actor of mine, but I much prefer him in…

Woah-ho! I was pretending I was about to review the CBS show instead of Lost! TWIST!

For whatever reason, Hurley’s backstory was put off and put off, only showing up long after several other characters had already received their second centric episode. In the end though, I’m glad they waited, since “Numbers” manages to recapture that freshness from early in the season as we mined a character’s past and found unexpected revelations. It’s a major highlight of Season 1′s less consistent second half.

Given that this is the eighteenth episode, Hurley is the character who is most well defined going into his own episode. And wisely, the writing staff don’t tinker with his established personality too much. Aside from the reveal that Hurley once spent time in a mental institution, it’s all about seeing this character we’re familiar with in a strange and darkly humorous situation.

Number’s biggest contribution to the series, aside from Hurley’s backstory, are the numbers. Um, duh. And all these seasons later, no matter how many times we’ve seen them in different contexts, I find them one of Lost’s most fascinating mysteries. Although I still don’t know exactly why they bring so much luck to Hurley and the people around him. Is it the influence of Jacob or the Man in Black? Does the “curse” on Hurley have something to do with his eventual ability to interact with the dead?

On the island, it’s time for another trip to Rousseau’s. Hurley braves booby traps, rickety bridges, and strenuous physical exercise, all in the name of finding somebody who also believes that the numbers are cursed. I love his participation in one of the jungle treks, and his interaction with Charlie, Jack, and Sayid. But mostly, I love that image of Hurley grabbing Rousseau in a huge bear hug.

And there’s a bit of room for a subplot in which Locke gets Claire to help him build something. Because… they’re two characters who haven’t really interacted yet. But in the end, he’s built her a crib! That’s pretty sweet.

Don’t let the relative brevity and shallowness of this review mislead you. I loved Number’s dark comic tone. I love the way it expanded the show’s mythology. And I love how it finally gave definition to Hurley’s personality, tossing out some truly unexpected revelations while keeping the character completely consistent. Numbers is a fantastic episode, one of my favorites of Season 1.

Rating: 9.5/10
Average: 8.33/10
Ranked: 3rd out of 18 episodes so far.