Looks like Danny Pickett (that broken nose look), but there's no way it's him (PLEASE...) It also kinda looks like Christian. One commenter suggested it's Horace, the guy who recruits Ben's father to the island and is the only person whose eyes Ben bothers to close when he slaughters the Dharma Initiative. Or maybe it's someone we haven't yet seen.
There's so much to think about in this episode, most obviously: Is Ben crazy, or is he really a conduit who can hear Jacob? Is he a prophet of some kind? I'll post my most recent response to the comments on the board here, because I really want to keep this discussion going. This episode was such a WHA?? moment in Lost, that it NEEDS to be discussed:
What's most interesting to me about Locke's reaction in the room is that the science vs. faith argument lasted throughout season 2. Locke was the faith, who believed in something even if he couldn't see it. Jack needed scientific proof. Now, Locke refuses to believe that there's someone in the chair. What about all the Old Testament prophets who spoke directly to God? The people didn't think they were nutters, and believed that God really did have a conduit on Earth. Yet Locke refuses to believe that Ben, of all people, could be that conduit. Maybe Locke really is very religious and sees Ben as an unworthy prophet.
It makes us see the Ben/Locke situation in an entirely new light. Looking at it from a "Ben is jealous of Locke" point of view, suddenly everything takes on new meaning. That Ben destroyed the last of Locke's faith at the end of season 2 by making him believe in Ben completely and then betraying that trust. That Ben told him to kill his father, as if he needed to bring Locke down to his level.
However, this ALSO sheds a question on Richard. Last week I asked if Richard was acting on his own when he gave Locke that file, or if he was working for Ben. I think it was Brian who posted and said there's NO question he was working for Ben (and I agreed at the time). But now I'm not so sure. Maybe everyone now sees Locke as the true Messiah and sees Ben as a charlatan. Notice no one helped when Locke was beating the bejesus out of Mikhail. If Ben needed Locke to kill Cooper to destroy his soul, it was Richard who offered him the way out.
Ben's position within the community has been threatened by Locke, and he needs to get rid of him.
26 comments:
I think Ben really can talk to Jacob. I also think he's crazy.
Killing your own father to pay back for years of mental abuse is one thing (not necessarily the right thing) but killing everyone is something else again.
Richard still looks like the guy from Survivor to me, and it freaks me out.
Just because the producers have said everything has a scientific explanation, does that mean it's true? Or are they as honest as Ben saying he was born on the Island.
Last night, I was very curious about the line of dust, ash, or whatever that grey substance was. Locke stopped to examine it, so it may be important to the story. Does it form a ring around Jacob's cabin? Is it protective, or does it serve to emprison him? I, for one, am curious!
The producers may yet have a scientific explanation for the Monster, Jacob, the apparitions, the whispers, and all the other bits of strangeness on the Island, but I don't expect it will jive with established scientific theories.
When they say that everything has a scientific explanation, I suppose they simply mean that they will posit that certain things exist (ESP, perhaps, and/or ghosts) and that everything on the show is self-consistent. Sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic according to a quote from Arthur C. Clarke.
In the fictional Lost universe, phenomena which are almost certainly not real (again, ESP and ghosts) may be considered real. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for a good story.
I think Jacob is "real", that Ben had a monopoly on seeing/hearing him. I suspect that he shot Locke out of jealousy, since Locke seems to have seen/heard Jacob also.
I hope Locke makes it. I suspect that if Locke would have died during the episode if he was meant to die at all. Ending the episode with him still alive tells me that he'll make it somehow.
(I love your book, and I'm looking forward to the Season 3 supplement, btw.)
Hush you! Don't remind people I was wrong :-)
The writers were very careful not to tell us too much about Ben and the events leading up to "the Purge". After all, they have 3 more seasons of 16 episodes - how many more Jack backstories can there possibly be?
No doubt, in future backstories, we will find out how Ben was seduced to the "dark-side". No doubt, we will also find out what happened to the girl who gave him the doll when he was young.
My guess is that Richard is one and the same, and that natives do not age like guests of the island. When Richard recruited Juliet, did he not show her an image of a womb of a 70 year old?
I also think that the circle or line of ash around the cabin is significant. If Jacob really did say "Help me", it seems to suggest that it could be used for imprisonment.
I still have to wonder - if Ben is the only one who has seen and spoken to Jacob, how was he able to prove this to the rest of the Others? For the most part, I think we'd all look at things like Locke did, and suspect that Ben is the man behind the curtain. No doubt, Juliet must have had a similar doubt when she arrived - How did they make her a Jacob believer?
I think Jacob may be the first person to be shipwrecked on the Island.
I wondered about the ash. Then I thought it might be salt, that could imprison or keep away a supernatural force. I wonder if ash can do the same. If so, what's the ash been burned from?
The plot reminded me of Michael Emerson's part in SAW. You think Ben's the one instigating everything , but...
Colleen: I think he can talk to Jacob, too. I'm still not convinced he's crazy, but I'm getting there... I also don't trust the producers; the island could be purgatory, for all we know. :)
Mr. Tourigny: I don't know if you ever watched Angel, but this line of ash reminded me of an episode where a little boy had a demon inside him, and the gang decides to do an exorcism. They strap him to a bed and then pour a circle of ash around the bed, enclosing the space, and the demon can't jump outside of it. I wonder if it's a similar concept?
And good point about science: You could use science to explain certain things like time travel or ESP, but it doesn't necessarily make them scientific concepts. So it'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm with you: I'll suspend my disbelief until the very last episode. :) I'm glad you liked the book!!
Brian: Oh, you know it doesn't happen often, and I have to jump on it when it does! hahahaha (that said, I agreed with you, and we still don't know that it's wrong, but it certainly is looking like Richard's acting alone now)
Samir: I'd completely forgotten about the 70-year-old womb!! What a great point. I wonder if it's an Other who was frozen at the age of 26, but perhaps their insides keep aging? Hmm... great point. Or, on the other hand, maybe the island can STOP aging on the one hand -- so Richard continues to look 35-40; cancer can be halted because the cells don't grow -- but when it comes to fertility it has the opposite effect. Maybe all the female wombs are aging at a rapid rate on the island, and it's why they can't have children? Then when they DO get pregnant, things speed up even more and it kills them, like some incredibly rapid aging thing.
Colleen: Good point about Jacob being the first on the island, probably in the Black Rock. Maybe he's been there for 200 years and can't age, and can't die. Now he's being kept alive and doesn't want to be? Hmm... man, this episode opened up so many new possibilities!
When I saw the ash, I figured it had something to do with the island's volcano erupting, that Little Ben learned about in school (in the flashback). I like the idea of it being some sort of binding circle.
Somehow I got the impression that Ben couldn't hear Jacob, he could only see him. Maybe because Ben didn't know what Jacob said to Locke. And Locke can't see Jacob but can hear. Hmm. Hear no evil. See no evil....
Hi Nikki,
I can't wait for your new book. Please say when it's coming out!
Since the show airs at 10 p.m. in the U.S., I don't have time to "digest" it before bed, so I'm often surprised about your analysis (and probably still would be if I saw it at 8 p.m., hah!).
I'd say that Jacob does exist -- you can see him. Locke saw him too, so why doesn't he believe? You have to admit that scene had an "Oz"-like quality, but Ben did seem to be thrown by Jacob at some point.
Richard seemed to act on his own when giving Locke Sawyer's file: Ben seemed very surprised by some of Locke's statements. Sounds like there might be some kind of mutiny going on.
My questions:
Anyone who's ever jumped teams (think last season's Survivor) is seen as a reject, ne'er do well, traitor to the new team. Why would "The Others" trust Ben? Killing your father is one thing; allowing others to be gassed en masse is something else. However, survival is a powerful element, so perhaps Ben allowed the Dharmas to be gassed so he could survive. But, with the "traitor" concept in mind, how on earth could the Others consider Ben to be their leader?/glenn
Crissy: You're right about the volcano! I bet that's what the substance actually is, the question remains how are they using it. I backed up the little volcano lessons a couple of times because it clearly has some significance. The question is, what?
Ben can definitely hear him; he argues with him back and forth and Jacob keeps cutting him off and Ben's saying, "BUT I TOLD YOU THAT!" so he's responding. But, the way God could speak to Moses but no one else would hear Him, I think Jacob does the same thing, so he speaks to Ben, but Locke can't hear him, and then he allows himself to be seen and heard by Locke, but Ben doesn't hear him this time.
But you're right; that volcano stuff still has me thinking. This episode is going to take me weeks to write. :) (Uh... can I have an extension on my deadline??) heehee
You guys are so awesome; seriously, I get a note in my email saying someone's posted, and by the time I'm finished answering them, there's another comment already sitting there!
Glenn: My blogs are certainly skimming the surface of what I'm eventually writing. You should see the episode guide I have written so far; it barely resembles my original blogs. I tend to like to think and think and think and think about something until I've probably thought about it way too much, so my blogs are always gut reactions to things (and because I've recently watched the previous episodes a few more times I'm seeing a bit more) but then I'm changing it completely after I've had a few days to think. :)
You pose an interesting question: I wonder if no one has ever CHOSEN to be an Other? (for the sake of clarity, I'll keep referring to them as that, not hostiles or natives). I know I spend far too much of my life in a Buffy headspace, but it was almost like someone WANTING to be a vampire (forced to roam the earth, never aging, etc.) and not becoming one against their will. (Could that explain those bodily fluids in Jacob's cabin? :::shudder:::)
But why do they uphold that? It's a good question. Man, I hope the season 4 opener is another Ben flashback. :)
The book, by the way, is scheduled to be released same time this fall as the previous one was last fall, so it should be in stores early October. :) (Though this episode could seriously slow down my progress, hahaha!)
I'm wrong quite a bit on this show. I thought that Rasinski was first Ben, then Patchy. Now I think he's Tom. Of course, he could really be dead, but I've got this idea stuck in my head.
Richard could just be 10 years older then Ben. Giving the nature of television, I wouldn't put too much stock into the no-aging thing just yet. Of course, the producers could jump on this to explain it anyway.
When's the next Ben episode? How do Tom and the other Others, Rouseauu, Rasinski and Kelvin fit into what we saw last night? What happened to Annie? Did she die, and that's what turned Ben from DHARMA. Did she also become an Other and died trying to get a child with Ben? Or something else entirely?
What are the Whispers? Are they the Others, as we've been lead to believe? Are they Smokey? Jacob? Or something else entirely?
So...many...questions. And we're probably going to have to wait to next February to get more Lost after the season finale!
Egads! I keep forgetting to post this, but here's something I wanted to point out:
1. Ben assumes leadership of the Others after killing his father.
2. Ben attempts to discredit Locke by having him NOT kill his father.
3. After Locke does kill his father (even if it's through Sawyer, Locke was responsible for bringing about the events that lead to his father's death), Ben's authority with the Others takes a hit.
My theory on this is their is some prophecy about an outsider coming to the island who kills his father and becomes the Other's messiah. Or something like that.
Jason and others...lol! Love all the biblical references. Here's a few more to ponder...
I'm sure someone has already mentioned that Benjamin is Jacob's son and while not his favorite son (Joseph) he was the youngest and from his favorite wife Rachel. After Joseph was sold by his brothers, Benjamin was the son Jacob kept close to home to protect.
Joseph (favorite son), abused & sold into slavery by his brothers, rises to become second in command to Pharaoh. Joseph is often seen as a pre-Christ figure. Wonder if Locke's middle name might be Joseph?
My other and contrary thought is Ben as Lucifer - Locke as Christ. Didn't someone once mention that Locke is the only Lostie who hasn't done 'bad' stuff? He's taken tons of abuse and is always willing to forgive. Jacob as God, the smoke monster as the Holy Spirit. Lucifer was originally the highest angle in heaven, literally the worship leader for all of heaven until pride got him cast out. Lucifer is the ruler of earth until Christ came (battle ensues)... definitely some jealously, definitely a crucifixion where Lucifer thinks he wins. But...
Jesus never beat the snot out of anyone (Patchy, Charlie..). I can't see the Holy Spirit pounding the snot out of Echo. Some of Locke/Jesus Bible stuff just doesn't pan out.
Finally, people can't see God and can only experience Him through faith. At first only prophets could speak to God in the tabernacle (small tent/building). Only the priest could enter (death to others) but that 'kind of' trapped God inside. Christ 'helped' God by letting him out where he could have relationships with His people. The people were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Savior ('wink'). The Jews didn't believe Jesus was the Savior because he didn't come as a powerful conqueror ('wink').
Maybe instead of Lucifer, Ben is a jealous John the Baptist. At first anointing Locke as the Savior and then doubting it later. If Ben gets beheaded, it’s so true.
Have to quit.
MatthewD: This show has definitely forced me to bone up on my Bible! Luckily, I bought a children's bible for my toddler about a month ago, but sad person I am, I'm reading the stories to her but in the back of my mind thinking, "Oh MAN, that's a perfect tie-in to Lost!" D'oh. We just read the Jacob/Ben/Joseph story early last week so it's fresh in my mind.
I think there's definitely something to be said for the Lucifer/Ben; Christ/Locke idea. I think I should be reading Paradise Lost on top of the Bible here... it's been years since I read it, but I know it's rife with material that could be connected to Lost.
On The Simpsons, my all-time fave moment with the Flanders kids is when Bart has to spend the night there, and Ned pulls out a bible board game and at the beginning he says there are two tracks you can use to play, and it zooms in on Old Testament or New Testament. Ned says, 'Do you want the Old Testament Angry God or the New Testament Happy God?" And the kids go "Happy god, happy god!!" That's how the bible's been divided in my head ever since.
Maybe Locke is some sort of meld of the two: One minute, totally angry, the next calm and peaceful. He could be the very embodiment of the two halves of the bible coming together and clashing.
Brian: Ugh, don't remind me about February! It's going to kill us, isn't it?? I need to come up with topics for us to discuss for the next 6 months. ;)
Great theory on the prophecy!
OK, I saw this on another board and it freaked me out and giddy how much it makes sense. As far as I know, nobody on this board has talked about Annie, the girlfriend of the young Ben.
What ever happened to Annie? We didn't see her after she was a little girl and not even implied that she died in the nerve gas purging.
The theory? Annie is Danielle, they had a falling out (or she was cast off) after getting married and having Alex, and so Danielle doesn't want to go anywhere near the Others...what do ya think???
I think Ben is more akin to the Antichrist than Lucifer.
Btw, I recommend Complete Idiot's Guide to The Book of Revelations if anyone wants to brush up on their Bibical end times. It reprints the complete Biblical text, broken up for analysis, without all the intense Bible-study stuff that inaccessible to a layman.
And yes, the Season 3-4 break is going to kill us. So thing with Battlestar Galactica! Let's hope Heroes doesn't follow their example.
What a great episode! I agree with those who feel that the ring of ash around the cabin is there to contain Jacob, not protect him. I assume it's volcanic ash. It looked like pumice.
I think Alex gave Locke the gun in order to protect him from Ben, not Jacob. She probably knows how resentful Ben would be if anyone else managed to speak to Jacob, and indeed it's true; He's seething with jealous rage!! There has to be a reason why Jacob spoke to Locke independently. I don't think they can kill Locke off at this point, they're obviously setting up a future story line for him. He'll pluck that bullet out of his chest and be back on his feet in no time.
I am convinced that Jacob is a character we have not seen yet.
Obviously they want us to feel certain that Ben is not responsible for the tape going missing. Whodunnit? Locke or Richard? I think Locke. I have never lost faith in his motivation, even when he appeared to be losing his cool. I had to laugh when he pummelled Mikhail. I guess he showed him who's boss! I don't like Mikhail, he's far too surly.
Carlton and Damon have revised their statement that science can be used to explain the events on the Island. They now say it is based on "pseudo-science" I take this to mean that they live in a world where comic book science rules the day, which is fine by me!
matthewd:
Certainly the analogies to religious text is not a one-to-one match, but I do think it's a matter of similarities in the story line acting as a comparison. The question is, why the comparison? What insight is it giving us to the story and character development?
That's why we ask the questions and recognized the comparisons that are seemingly made.
niki:
Thanks for the kind words - as the proud holder of an English degree, it's always nice to feel appreciated after doing some critical analysis.
all:
I've been thinking a little more on a few aspects used in last night's episode. In the movie The Last Temptation of Christ, Christ goes into the desert to try to talk directly to God. He draws a circle in the sand and refuses to leave it. This circle not only acts as a vessel or him to talk to God, but also as a Circle of Protection (M:tG anyone?) from a lion, a snake and a scorpion - if I remember correctly - all sent by the devil to harm Jesus. Perhaps the cirle of ash or sand or dirt - or whatever it is is acting as a ward or something to keep Jacob trapped - or maybe the Others out... I thought it was very interesting that Ben refused to step on it and was very careful to step over it. Did he not want to break the circle? John inspecting it really didn't mean much other than we need to draw extra attention to it - b/c Locke is the type of person to inspect things that are not natural. However, Ben did seem to hurry him along when he started to investigate it further - so that leads me to believe that it's a ward keeping something trapped.
Now, I know what some of you are going to say about a scene from a movie that most do not view as a very accurate religious source. "Scorsese didn't write The Bible and the Last Temptation of Christ certainly does not reflect Holy Scripture So what does it have to do with religion?"
In a word, nothing. HOWEVER, I'll bet a few of the writers have seen a Scorsese movie or two - and I'll bet some of them have even seen The Last Temptation of Christ. I don't believe that the writers and creators of Lost are trying to accurately recite gospel to us. I don't think they're trying to pass on their faith or belief system to us. And they're certainly not trying to recite a sermon to us. What they are trying to do, however, is use stories, stories based on stories and even Scripture - itself - to drive their own story. Hints, symbolism and comparisons to other works of literature and film are devices used to further their own story line and help us to relate to that which we know outside the context of Lost.
I do believe it's very important to remember that to the writers and the creators - Lost come first and Biblical text is supplimentary at best.
So, Locke beats the hell out of the Russian and Charlie (a drug addict). They're not trying to make Locke into Christ. They're trying to draw subtle (and not-so-subtle) comparisons so that the line is drawn as to who the good guy-savior is and who the bad-guy deceiver is. There are also some who believe (here goes another Last Temptation of Christ reference) that Jesus of Nazareth was born a man and became The Messiah, right? In the context of that movie, Christ begs God to stop talking to him. He builds crosses used to crucify Jews in hopes that God will hate him and stop talking to him (which causes excruciating pain (sounds kinda like giving up and pressing the button, doesn't it). John Locke was a crippled man that was reborn on the island from the womb of his wheelchair supernaturally - but still clings to his humanity. Ben claims he was born on the island, and I believe he claims this because he believes that he was reborn on the island - much like a messiah - or John Locke.
John Locke has never been more interesting than in his own death...
I think Annie could definitely be Danielle but what about the dead bodies in the cave? Other castouts? Maybe an affair partner?
Remember the early hatch visions (Desmond's I think) of people in suits and masks? Ben and crew didn't have suits on? What kind of chemical can gas people where they sat/played in the outdoors? Ben had a little can. Was the gas a Dharma product or something the Hostiles had? If Dharma (I’m guessing) why did they have it?
If I remember correctly, the Jewish tribe of Benjamin is the only tribe of the 12 that can still be traced. There are no records linking anyone alive to any of the other tribes.
Has anyone researched the "Black Rock" name? I'm sure it has meaning.
Does anyone else think Richard is creepy looking in a beautiful kind of way? Remember how Mel Gibson's satan looked in "The Passion"? Seductive evil.
The first inhabitants arrived by boat, but everyone else seems to have arrived by falling out of the sky. Satan and his demons fell like stars from heaven.
Can an extreme magnetic force warp time? I think I remember something from Stephen Hawking about gravity and time. Something about a clock running slower/faster on top of a mountain (why airplanes have satellite controlled clocks). Could this slow the aging process? Ben aged normally from boy to man though.
What the heck does the hatch, the countdown clock and Hurley’s numbers have to do with anything that’s happened lately? Was the countdown to counteract a repeating natural occurance like Old Faithful?
Brian: The publishing house I write for (ECW Press) has books coming out on Heroes and BSG the same time as my book (plug! plug!)
Tanyam: I agree about Alex giving Locke the gun, which is what I was suggesting earlier. I wonder if this has happened before and Alex knew if Locke heard Jacob he'd need to defend himself?
Jason: Great analogy to The Last Temptation of Christ. It's been years since I've seen that film, and it's definitely worth bringing up because Lost is offering us a reinterpretation or a reimagining of events, not a literal interpretation, as you say. So it's completely appropriate to be thinking of other reimaginings of it.
Roland: Gasp! Do you think?? That would be SO cool, but my only question would be, why does Rousseau have a French accent and Annie doesn't? Clearly they could be drawing the parallel and knew giving the little girl the accent would be far too obvious, but why else would she have it? Was she taken by French people who raised her and then died? (Perhaps the people in the caves?) Annie would have been about 12-14 when he last saw her, so I doubt she'd pick up the accent at all, unless they were the only people she was around. Hmm... I am so intrigued by this theory!
There were so many people I was thinking about after this episode last night -- primarily Danielle and the couple in the cave. Especially after we saw the mass grave at the end.
MatthewD: So many questions!! Wow, I'll take most of them as rhetorical ones that will make us think, and they're awesome (my list of questions at the end of this episode will probably be as long as the rest of the guide... my editor just shuddered reading that...)
Now you definitely make me want to read Paradise Lost again. Satan and his minions fell like stars from the heavens and landed in the lake of fire, where they just floated for days before Satan rose up and began to rally the troops. At the beginning of the book he's a small, tiny, ugly little thing, but by the end of the book he's this huge, massive, heroic, beautiful monster. Is someone else being built up this way?
Maybe Locke is Lucifer. After all, he's at odds with Jack, who we all know is God. :::vomit:::
I just bought A Brief History of Time the other day (and just to be faithful to the show, I bought the early edition that Ben keeps on his table... I'm a super geek) so I'll be starting it soon. Expect me to expound on theories of time and space and black holes... or I'll just be extremely confused and go hide it under a sofa cushion or something.
Hang on, guys! Ben CANNOT hear Jacob! He says that very clearly after he shoots Locke and is about to shoot him again. He's pretending to talk to Jacob, but he can't actually hear him. Ben says something to the effect that in all this time, Jacob has NEVER spoken to him or he has NEVER heard Jacob or something like that, which is why he wants Locke to tell him what he heard, and why he freaks out madly after Locke says "Help Me." Ben must be the binder!
This makes me think that Locke is now a somewhat reluctant Messiah. After having lost all faith in Ben, and many other things, he comes to question the very things he believed in. After Ben's treachery and Locke's public humilation of Ben and Mikhail in front of the Others, I think Locke is skeptical of anything Ben throws at him.
I think Ben is clear that there is a presence/spirit (poltergeist-ish thing) in the room, hence the binding spell.* Locke, I think, is unaware that there is a presence, until it makes itself visible to him. I don't think Ben has a CLUE as to where the spirit is, or what it's doing. I think he's felt it misbehave before, but he wouldn't know where it was when he entered the room. So he just pretends to talk to the chair. This can also be confirmed because he never takes a flashlight into the room. Therefore, he has never seen Jacob. When Locke shines the light is when the pyrotechnics erupt. Which makes me think -- is there an element of a sound and light show in this thing? It seemed too real to be all orchestrated by the Others.
What was that famous line from Shakespeare? "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." I think Jack is the one who's born great (God complex, anyone? But also explains the whole Bai Ling tattoo flashback jibber-jabber), Ben achieves greatness, and Locke has greatness thrust upon him because his Messianic qualities slowly reveal themselves to the others.
It's weird how this Locke arc feels like one giant parable. Locke is the prophet who comes to the land of the Unbelievers, slowly converts them by his acts/words/gestures, and arouses the jealousy of the current king/leader of the tribe, who then offs him before he can threaten his position of power. Jews, Jesus and Pilate anyone?
I don't think we're going to find out what happens to Locke until next season. I got me this sick feeling about it.
P.S. I absolutely love the excellent unpacking of the Jacob's ladder theory by everyone.
Oh -- re: the circle. I don't know why that part got lost from my entry. In Hindu mythology (esp. The Ramayana), Lakshmana draws a circle in the around around Sita and Ram's house before he and Ram go hunting. The circle in this case is to prevent evil from entering. It's a keep-out circle, not a keep-in circle. If Sita steps out, she will be vulnerable, but as long as she stays within the circle, no one can touch her. Of course, she steps out. There wouldn't be a Ramayana or a ten-headed demon to kill if she didn't.
P.S. That volcano bit has GOT to be relevant somehow, don't you think? Oh my god! What if Jacob is Lord Xenu who jumped out of the volcano and is being held captive by Ben? Then Ben's a good guy!
:-)
There is something that hasn't been mentioned that has me worried. As a fan of Locke, I'm happy with the airtime he has been getting this season. But, by embarking on his solitary quest to get answers, I'm concerned Locke may be writing himself out of the show (so to speak).
From a storytelling point of view, it seems to me like they producers can't really afford to focus on a solitary character doing his own thing away from everybody. I have a feeling that after this season, the Others will recede into the background again. We've been privy to what they've been doing only when our Losties have been there with them.
Locke seems to be setting himself up to either join the Others or start his own faction - either way, it doesn't seem likely he'll be going back to the Beach, and he may not interact with the other main characters much. That would limit the amount of air time he would receive, I suspect.
Is Locke too popular a character to suffer this fate (of reduced visibility)? Is something going to happen to ensure he's in frequent contact with the other Losties? Will his story be told in parallel, or kept secret until some future date? Will he become a Rousseau-like character - coming and going mysteriously, only seen when interacting with the main cast?
Does this make any sense to anyone but me? Am I overthinking this?
Chapatikid: Thanks for the info on Hindu mythology! It definitely plays a big role on the show (and esp. with Locke).
Loser: Good questions. I'm not ready to write off Locke just yet, and I think with 48 more episodes, the writers WILL actually start to have time to focus on solitary characters. Rousseau will start getting more airtime, and we don't know which way Locke will go. Maybe Jack's jerkoff behaviour will finally be too much for everyone, and they'll let Locke return and oust Jack (after all, Locke's the one saying he's a mole with the Others and gave Sawyer the tape). There's no way they're going to do this much exposition on the Others, then dangle them in front of our faces so prominently in the Ben episode and then dump them in season 4. I think you're right in that the focus will shift again (it does every season) and maybe it'll move to individual stories, in which case Locke is safe. Season 1 was about trying to get off the island. Season 2 was about learning to stay on the island. Season 3 is about the Others and how the presence of another "tribe," so to speak, is causing major rifts in theirs. So season 4 could move inward again and look at the individuals and how they're being affected by all of this. As long as they don't resurrect Nikki and Paulo (look guys, it's the Lazarus story!), I'm good with that. ;)
If the focus is taken off Locke, that's OK. They'll put some back on people like Sayid, maybe. But Locke will always be there. He was very much in the background for most of this season until recently.
Has anyone considered a father-less conception? The writers hinted in a recent podcast (after the DOC ep) that there may be a third possibility for Sun's pregnancy. And according to Juliet, it happened on the island. They would not confirm that Jin was in fact the father.
They also said that we'd learn what the cable leading out into the ocean is for by season end. My guess: There are probably several cables, each leading out to some kind of masking device. With these positioned around the island, the Dharma group was able to hide the island from satellite maping.
One more random question? If Des is reliving parts of his life a second (or more) time, do you think he's turned the key more than once? If so, and then he was rescued, Penny would have known to look for the magnetic disturbance. Why else would she have people looking for it?
I think the head in the picture looks a *lot* like Terry O'Quinn with a wig. Of course it seems a bit weird considering Locke was standing on the other side of the room, but there's always a way to explain.
But I am sure the producers would never just take somebody else to take Jacob's part if they were going to show more of him later, they would already take the right actor. And I just had one glance at the head and thought of Terry.
Dan
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