Like I said a few minutes ago on my Twitter:

A genuine flashback telling a story we wanted to hear that also gives legitimate answers? What are you trying to pull on us, LOST?

Richard was always one of the more intriguing characters to me, its nice to have a solid episode that tells his story.

Here's a thought:

Jacob uses the wine bottle as a metaphor for the Island holding back the evil. He give the wine bottle to MIB and he smashes it. What if this is more than a metaphor? What if MIB actually was responsible for Jack and Co blowing up the Island? Would that make the flash-sideways the one where evil is loose? Cause that doesn't really make sense. That's what its just a thought.