It took me a long time (ok I admit it. I'm dense) to figure out why Kate was acting so coy about that case. First she wanted it, then she handed it over to Sawyer, then she tried to steal it..yadda yadda.

She gave it to Sawyer to see if Sawyer could open it. She knew good and well the key was in the grave and she probably didn't want to dig it up herself. If Sawyer couldn't open it (as was the 'case') she had Jack as her back up plan to help her dig the grave.

Now I have NO Idea what she would have done had Sawyer been able to open it. Help him hide the guns and take the toy plane and pretend it was a sentimental thing... ???

However that is what I 'think' she was thinking.

Good call. She was right there when Sawyer dropped the case out of the tree. Could very well be that she was just waiting for him to open it. I don't know why else she would let him have a case that she knew had guns and ammo inside. Maybe after saying that the case was hers, she realized her cover would be blown so she decided to say it wasn't hers in order to protect her secret, thinking she could steal the case back before Sawyer opened it. Whatever the case, it was frustrating to have her hand it right over and then want it back so desperately.

The most important thing to note about the whole case and basically that the episode centered around how mysterious it was and how facinating the contents were is this: IT HAD A TOY AIRPLANE as the great mystery!!!

How completely stupid. After watching I felt like someone had gotten a hold of the script and played a very UNfunny trick on all of us. This episode was the most concentrated one in terms of character involvement but had the worst payoff!! I left feeling like, "what just happened??" No Claire, no french woman, no monster, no Locke leading a search party or whatever just a.....fricken toy airplane. UGH.

I think you missed the point.

That case was bashed, beaten, and thrown from thirty feet up with a smashlanding on a solid rock.

Yet the delicate toy plane inside remains unharmed.

This plane is obviously made of some space age material impervious to the laws of physics. As such, they can possibly use it to fly back home.

they have coconuts. They can make a plane. I mean...duh!

Mr Tibbs, I like you. You're funny, and there's a place where I live called "Mr. Tibbs Ribs" so your posts always catch my eye.
I have now thought about the final episode of ST. ELSEWHERE, where it turned out that everyone was a figment of the autistic boy's imagination. He was staring into a snowglobe with the little hospital model inside, and dreaming it all up. Maybe some kid is playing with a toy airplane, it broke, he doesn't have any other toys, and now has to keep playing with a broken piece of the airplane and imagine that the story continues. Not possible of course since the toy plane is impervious to the laws of physics and can't be broken, but a nice way for me to waste a few minutes musing none the less.

Mr. Tibbs ribs? The place in Bakersfield? The owner died playing chicken with a whale?

I've heard of it.

"Mr. Tibbs" is my bulldog's name, I just borrow it for internet deeds. Oddly enough I bought him in Bakersfield, though the ribs place didn't factor into the name game. The character in "The Heat of the Night" was a personal hero of mine growing up.

I'm with you, if the final episode of this show ends with Patrick Duffy waking up in a shower, I'm hunting JJ Abrams down.

Don't tell anyone because I don't openly admit to it, but yes I live in Bakersfield and that's the Mr. Tibbs I was referring to. What a sad and freaky accident, to be taken out by a whale.

It's a cool name for a dog, I am a dog lover as well as a lover of cool dog names, so cheers.

I certainly hope that Abrams has things worked out well into the future, because the magic won't last if he's making it up as he goes along like they do with soap operas. Or if he puts something out there like the toy plane, and then decides the idea doesn't work so "nevermind" and we're just supposed to forget about it. People are way too into the little details of this show for him to get away with that kind of thing so I have faith in him (for now, anyway).

they have coconuts. They can make a plane. I mean...duh!

NO COCONUTS

I think Kate KNEW there was no way Sawyer could open the case.

At first I thought that the plane's signifigance would come into play in a later episode and it'll all make sense, but all you guys talking about St. Elsewhere and X-Files is scaring me!