The Variable Wtf?

Lost's 100th episode. Our first Faraday flashback. The mirror episode of this series' best so far: the Constant.
It's safe to say that my expectations were running high, and unreasonably so. Quite possibly nothing short of the the next Citizen Kane would have satisfied me.
That being so, could they not even have tried?
Okay, I get that we're in one of the building episodes to the finale and that a lot of cool shit must needs be set up here. And sometimes set-up isn't the most gripping stuff ever. But. Still.
We'll just put aside the fact for now that Daniel has joined those who 'Eat chocolate before Dinner in the Sky'; this episode featured a lot of characters, some who are smart, some who are Jack, acting in unbelievably stupid ways. Daniel grabs a sub from Michigan with a notebook of equations and his head all full of Nuclear Detonation dreams (wtf?!??!). His first order of business then, of course, is to barge over to Jack's house in the middle of the night. I understand that Dan's out of the loop and not aware that Jack's been demoted to janitor, but what I do not understand is the exchange that happens next.
After demanding how Jack got back and who sent him and learning, as best as he was going to anyway, the answers he says:
"You don't belong here at all, Jack. She was wrong." Cue spooky music.
Now, unless Dan hates Jack as much as I do, it's difficult to see just what exactly he's talking about, especially in context with the rest of the episode. He could be referring to his plan to prevent the Incident and 815's crash, but considering this is more or less his plan come to fruition (started way back when he sought out Desmond in the season premier) he seems less than impressed.
After the teaser comes our first flashback, and I was right and it is Daniel and, damn!, can that kid ever play piano! However, his evil murderous of a mother is more interested that he can keep exact count of the metronome ticks while he plays (which I admit is super-cool), rather than his playing itself. She takes some liberties with the definition of the word 'Destiny' and more or less begins her long and cold pre-meditated murder.
Seen in retrospect, this scene gives me chills. Mrs. Hawking gives me chills. Creepy bitch.
Anyways. After barging in, waking Jack up, Miles feels the pull of the writers pen. He has no time to explain, he says. The writers need him over at the Orchid, stat! Something about an obligatory scene from the season premiere.
I mean, the whole thing just felt awkward. Miles is the driver because... I don't know. Circle of trust? All Dharma security guards are also drivers? Actually, as obsessive as Dharma is about giving everybody One Task to do (and stitching it on the overalls), I find it dubious that they don't have Designated Drivers. Miles is along for the ride because he was meant to be, Mrs Hawking would tell us. Miles is there because his name was on the script.
The awkwardness continues at the Orchid, where Daniel, racing the clock as we later learn, walks past Chang to have his brief aside with the foreman. ('Time travel. How stupid does that guy think we are?')
WHY does he walk past Chang? Oh Lords of Kobol, tell me why??!!!!
Whatever they wrote, happened.
I am out of time, having put this recap off again until -literally- the last moment. In 6 minutes it's 'Follow the Leader'; an episode I have seen naught but the trailer for; an episode which is the penultimate this fine, fine season.
The Variable was balls though.
Lost is a drug so I love it while it's happening. But sometimes the skag is better than others. Sometimes, you go to Thailand.
Sometimes, very smart characters are written stupidly.
Chaos ensues.