I never noticed that before! I was always just paying attention to the fuzzy faces and trying to make sense of them. I believe one of the people was Irina, and one was Jack with his beard. I've got to check those letters out though!
Sure the bearded guy wasn't the bearded guy who recognized her from the second ep? It doesn't make sense that it would be Jack. And Jack didn't grow a beard until he was in jail anyway, so Sydney wouldn't have seen him with one unless she was having a psychic vision.
I like your idea of Syd's psychic vision VH. I think it would be a good twist if Syd starts having dreams/nightmares and she'll think they are flashbacks - then she finds out these events are from the future.