When, in the bathroom, Ellen explains to the gang that the lobster wouldn't go to its oceanic freedom, they are looking at it in the bathtub: its claws are still strapped with rubber bands. If she had indeed released it, like she claims she did: A) she wouldn't have left the elastics on (Ellen is animal-aware and not cruel with them---at least Ellen Morgan isn't) and B) the lobster wouldn't have been able to crawl right back at her with rubber bands on, like she claims it did and C) Ellen wouldn't have had those large elastics handy and D) even if she did, she wouldn't have put them back on its claws all by herself.