I had been so looking forward to this episode, but in the end...so-so. Nestor Carbonnell acted his role well enough, and he's pleasant to look at when clean-shaven, but honestly? The 'big' reveal wasn't so big. The Island is Hell. The Island is not Hell. Jacob is the Devil. Jacob is not the Devil and speaks with 20th century American accent. MIB is the Devil. MIB isn't the Devil, although he is the essence of evil. And he wants to get out. Except that he talks about wanting to go home, not 'get out and spread'. So, is he the Devil's son? Trapped outside Hell by Jacob? Tricked by his mother? Whom we learned nothing new about? Not even a brief mention?

I'm not keen on either Jacob or MIB. MIB is more obviously deceptive, manipulative, and selfish in his goals, but Jacob? He 'brings' people to the Island and then abandons them (both in the case of letting Ricardo nearly die of thirst and starvation until tended by MIB--what was Jacob expecting, exactly?--and in the case of Danielle Rousseau--she's left to go insane, although it would seem MIB never bothered with her--and in the case of Oceanic 815ers, who are left to fend for themselves while Jacob's 'Others' terrorize them and kidnap their children.

Jacob's people--who would have us believe that they are really 'the good guys', as they constantly self-refer--are, as Cannoli points out above in more colorful language, horrible, self-righteous elitists.

MIB's people--Claire, Sayid--are murderous crazies.

What's the other option? Is there one? Could we have been given a clue?

What we learned in this episode was very unsatisfying:
Richard's origin story (okay, so I did enjoy that, I will admit. As I said, the actor is easy on the eyes, when not in a crazy beard)
The first time a Hanso becomes associated with the Island (although we already learned that in the episode 'The Constant' ) . And by the way, Hanso's slaver guy, who goes around killing the slaves...was his last name Widmore? Did I hear correctly? That would be an interesting ray of sunshine in this lackluster episode. EDIT: wishful thinking. The name was Whitfield.
Jacob's request of Ilana (we learned only an ounce more, and half of it was already shown last season)
We learned that some dead people are MIB manifestations, and some are something else. I'm unconviced it's Jacob and unsatisfied we don't know more.
We didn't learn who/what Jacob is, or how it is he is capable of granting Agelessness and anti-suicide powers. We did learn that both Jacob and MIB like to connive people into stabbing each other with daggers, and think of each other as having a Magic Voice.

Also, we learn that Jacob stole MIB's body (although he certainly appears to have one for special occasions), and now that he is in Locke's body, he is stuck (according to Ilana). We still don't know who the boy with bloody hands is, why Ben could ever have gotten it into his head that the Smoke Monster was an Island judge, why MIB is repelled by a sonic fence or ash circles.

EDIT: AND, final I'm-annoyed-rant is this. We are left with the statement that the reason why Jacob brings people to the Island is so that he can prove a point to his fellow demigod, MIB. Are you kidding me? That's the grand purpose? To convince The Essence of Evil that he's wrong about humanity? What happens then? He throws off the black clothes and starts weaving tapestries? What is the big 'ending' towards which Jacob is aiming? I was hoping for more from his conversation with Richard, but was left with...are you kidding?

Bah. I won't be so bothered if I weren't so 'invested' in the show I'm going to be travelling for the next two weeks, so I'll miss the next two weeks of discussion and will need to play catch up.