Now, my question is this: how do we know that Dave isn't real?

I do feel that he was imaginary back when Hurley was in the "real world." However, one theory is that the island uses a person's subconcious to create something they're thinking of or something that has been plauging them.

Jack's father... Kate's horse... Walt's polar bear... All of these things could have been potentially "created" from the minds of those on the island.

So, using this theory, it's entirely possible that, once they arrived on the island, Dave became a real manifestation of Hurley's mind. I know Libby said she didn't see Hurley with a slipper, but she just said she "didn't think so."

I just think there's a chance he was real...

Good episode. Although I figured out the imaginary friend thing fast.

They can only come from the sky dropped from a plane or a helicopter, so why would Dharma care if they knew which one?

I posted a screen grab way back when Mr. F confronted Jack & Co. in the jungle. One of the men surrounding them looked like Desmond.

Found it: From The Hunting Party -- 1.18.2006 (Forum Discussion about it)

Because at that time, the drop was scheduled, and it didn't matter if the numbers were entered or not, IMO.

Liked the episode a lot, even though not much happened that furthered the main plot. On two completely unrelated notes:

I've been noticing, the last couple of episodes, that the look of the show, from camera positioning to the actors' blocking is getting very cinematic, which is a nice change from other shows - Lost doesn't look like a TV show. If you have "Dave" recorded, look at the first shot of Henry Gale shackled to the armory wall - for such a simple shot, it took full advantage of its frame.

Any 24 fans out there? Is Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) still on the show? I don't follow 24 enough to know. If he is, I imagine it'd be pretty tough to get Desmond back on Lost before next season's premiere, which is a shame, because I think he's pretty key to the whole mess on the island.

Cheers,

-the Jesus

I think the island Dave was definitely real. As real as the other things you mentioned at least. Whatever it is that scans people and creates things out of their thoughts scanned Hurley and made Dave. The really ominous part of the episode was that it's moved from simply creating things from people's past to creating them and using them to try to harm the survivors.

so if they've been there two months why havent they built houses or buildings yet? Like swiss family robinson. They're all still sleeping at the beach in tents.

Eko should be building an appartment building. make more sense then a church.

Although an outhouse would be helpful.

It would lend credence to the idea that Libby is an other because she shuffled around the question about the slipper from Hurly. I also didn't like the look she gave Hurly at the very end. I don't think it was related to the fact they were in the funny farm together - it seemed much more of a dismal grimace than that.

Agreed. It looked like a "dammit, I'm stuck with fattie" grimace.

Yes, the very first time he said he was building a church. He was in a grove of tress (that same one) and was scouting out a location. Ana Lucia asked him what he was doing and he said "I'm looking for wood to build a church" (paraphrased, not the exact line).

Ever since then he's been building it.

No big deal was made about it, maybe that's why some people didn't notice.

I was thinking the planet from Star Trek: TOS where things are conjured up from their mind.

Did anyone else seem to expect Hurley slipping off the cliff and either falling to his death or almost falling to his death? Looks like the previews on the 3/29 episode were a little deceiving.

I was wondering the same thing. I could have sworn the previews showed him precariously slippling on the edge of the cliff. I kept waiting for Libby to push him off after she mashed on him.

I didn't realize that Dave being an imaginary person was supposed to be a surprise or anything, i knew from the moment they first showed him.
And as for him being "real" on the island, i think that is rediculous because when he was at the food drop with all the other people surely someone would have said "uh, who the f*** are you?" or at the very least gotten suspicious when he took off running into the woods.

BTW, some great nicknames/lines this episode from Saywer: baby napper, deep dish, etc.

Have you ever watched television before?

Well after the actress that played Libby had to kiss the actor that plays Hurley, I'm surprise she didn't jump off the cliff.

Good point.

With Kate's horse, Jack's dad, Walt's appearances and Charlie's visions, it was made very clear that things 'the island' shows people can appear and disappear pretty much instantly. We also know these things are not entirely in people's heads, as Sawyer saw the horse and Sayid saw Walt. Within the rules the show has set up, it's not a stretch at all for Dave to have been 'real' on the island and Hurley to have been the only one to spot him at the food drop. He only appeared for a moment or two, in the background, and everyone else was fighting over the newly arrived food.

While I don't deny what you said, I think its been heavily debated whether Sayid REALLY saw Walt or not that night.

Minor point, and this is just a small pet peeve of mine, but "reveal" is a verb, not a noun, like when people talk about "the reveal". Let's not start learning English from reality shows.

It's been used as a noun regarding TV shows (and movies) for years now.

Why does everyone assume that fake Henry is there for a reason?

Russeu found him a good ways away from the camp, stuck in a trap. No guarantee that anyone would ever find him. If he wanted Russeu to find him, there was no guarantee that she would take him to their camp and not just kill him on the spot.

"It made a sound like a magnet powering up."

What kind of sound does a magnet make? If I heard the sound of something powering up, a magnet would be pretty far down the list of things I would think of.

So what's up with "Dave" looking, acting & talking like "Dave" Atell? That's the real mystery.

Reveal is both a noun and a verb. Source: any dictionary.