Episode 1 -- The Beginning of the End

On the Island

1. Jacob's cabin appears to Hurley and Christian Shephard is inside!
2. The Losties split up into 2 camps led by Locke and Jack. (Claire, Hurley, Rousseau, Alex, Carl, and Ben go with Locke; the rest go with Jack)
3. The first of the Freighter people reach the island in their tumbling helicopter

Off the Island

1. Hurley is off the island and a member of the "Oceanic 6" (presumably in addition to Jack)
2. He tells the police officer that he never met Ana Lucia
3. The idea that some survivors are still on the island and something sketchy is going on, is presented by Charlie ("They need you"), Jack ("Are you going to tell?"), and Abbadon ("Are they still alive?")
4. Something happens that makes Hurley believe he should have chosen to go with Jack's group rather than Locke's)

What is Important About this Episode?

I think Christian Shephard being inside Jacob's cabin will probably end up being pretty important. He's flown under the radar every since he stopped appearing to Jack in the jungle, but it's pretty important that we don't forget he showed up on the island dead in a coffin and hasn't been seen since season 1. So, if he's wandering around making friends with Jacob, that's a pretty big deal. But, without any more information to go on, we'll let that one lie for now.

Hurly being part of the Oceanic 6 is a big deal as well, especially because he seems to be going nuts again now that he's reached home. He says in the beginning of this episode that once he gets home he'll be free since all his lotto money is most likely gone, but as we can see his off-the-island life is anything but relaxing now that he's put himself back in a mental hospital and is ever-tormented by the idea that he should never have left the island in the first place.

Finally, the beginnings of a conspiracy are taking root as we are given hints that perhaps there are some secrets being kept about what really went down on the island, some people referred to only by "they" are still somewhere and in need of help, and this Abbadon dude certainly doesn't seem to be very friendly.