John Locke episodes usually don't disappoint. And though this one was entertaining, it really was just John Locke the entire time with a couple of cameos from the rest of the cast. I like my Locke episodes sprinkled with a bit of side story from the rest of the crew. But either way....
We start the show off with that hispanic guy who was on the plane with the O6 last week and who we all knew would serve a greater purpose because he got the honor of speaking to Jack. He's in some sort of room reading Dharma files. In walks the FBI agent. She says there is a guy on the beach wearing a suit who wasn't on the plane. Are these two Dharma folks? Are they Others? Do they have their own list of good and bad people? Are they Nikki and Paulo version 2.0? Why is this show introducing me to yet another set of characters?!??!
Turns out they were just passengers on the plane (or so we are being led to believe). Caesar (the Hispanic guy), and FBIchick head to the beach. On the way they pass the crashed plane. Everyone is sitting around a campfire. There is a man covering his head with a blanket. Caesar approaches him. "Who are you?" he asks. "I'm John Locke." says John Locke. Ooooh.....
Now, my memory gets a little hazy on the order of events here. It didn't help that I had just returned from happy hour before I started watching. Yes, I write this all from memory. I don't take notes while watching the show and I don't read recaps before writing this.
Locke is standing on the beach looking quite stoic. FBIchick approaches him. There are canoes just like the ones the time traveling Losties took to get to the Orchid on the beach. Locke asks her if they belong to them. She says no, but the pilot and a woman took one and headed out to sea (Lapidus and maybe Sun?). He asks if she has a list of passengers on the plane. She says no, but Caesar might. She asks who he is and why he wasn't on the plane and why he is wearing a suit. Why does his clothing choice matter? A lot of people wear suits on a plane.
Locke tells her he thinks it's the suit they were going to bury him in. Duh duh duhhhhhhh. She wisely backs away slowly.
We flashback (?) to Locke pushing the frozen donkey wheel. After pushing it, he wakes up in the Tunisian desert. This is the same place that Ben ended up when he pushed the wheel at the end of season 4. And where Charlotte found the remains of a polar bear in a Dharma collar in her flashback episode. His leg is still disgusting and broken and he decides to gross us out even more by vomiting up some milky substance. Ewww, Locke.There is a camera set up. He screams for help. Eventually a truck full of Tunisians rolls up and whisks him away. They take him to a makeshift hospital and gross us out even more by ramming his bone back into his leg. Damn that looked painful.
When Locke comes to, Charles Widmore is sitting next to his bed. He tells him he is here to help him and to help him get his friends back to the island. We find out that Ben lied to Widmore and was the one who made him leave the island. Widmore was also "special" and was chosen to be the leader. Widmore believes Ben made Locke leave, as well. Locke swears it was by his own choice...but come on, Locke. All those stories from Ben about how special you are didn't influence your thinking?
Locke tells him that Richard Alpart said he would have to die to get everyone back. Widmore tells him that's bogus. He introduces Locke to his sidekick....Matthew Abaddon. You may remember Abaddon as the orderly who told Locke about the Walkabout in Australia. He also showed up at Hurley's mental institution after Hurly returned from the island and told him he worked for Oceanic Airlines and wanted to confirm there are no other survivors.
Widmore tells Locke that Abaddon will be his driver and help him find his friends. He gives Locke a file containing all of their information and tells them he's been following them to make sure they are okay.
Did anyone else get a Heroes vibe from this interaction? Widmore as
Horned Rimmed Glasses guy trying to find all of the other "Heroes". Abaddon as The Haitian mind control guy who makes it possible to round up the Heroes. He even appeared from behind a blowing sheet which I swear is how The Haitian made his appearance in every episode of Heroes that I ever watched. Locke would be the reluctant Hero wary of seeking out his friends.
Locke is given a wheelchair. This made me so sad. He's back off the island and back in a wheelchair. You can just see the hurt in his eyes. You know he would give anything to be back on the island where he was special and walking.
Locke and Abaddon head to their first stop, Santo Domingo, to pick up Sayid.
Sayid apparently has joined Habitat for Humanity or something like it since he stopped being Ben's go-to assassin. He's also learned Spanish. He tells Locke he will never go back to the island and that he has found peace by helping others. Locke is 0 for 1.
They then head to New York to track down Walt. I was pleased they addressed this. Walt was on the island. He needs to go back, too, right. But then this means that Desmond and Sun's kid need to go, too. Or is it just people from the plane, which would exclude Desmond? Who knows. Does anyone really know what the island really wants?
Locke is given a wheelchair. This made me so sad. He's back off the island and back in a wheelchair. You can just see the hurt in his eyes. You know he would give anything to be back on the island where he was special and walking.
Locke and Abaddon head to their first stop, Santo Domingo, to pick up Sayid.
Sayid apparently has joined Habitat for Humanity or something like it since he stopped being Ben's go-to assassin. He's also learned Spanish. He tells Locke he will never go back to the island and that he has found peace by helping others. Locke is 0 for 1.
They then head to New York to track down Walt. I was pleased they addressed this. Walt was on the island. He needs to go back, too, right. But then this means that Desmond and Sun's kid need to go, too. Or is it just people from the plane, which would exclude Desmond? Who knows. Does anyone really know what the island really wants?
Another thought I had about this Walt visit....is it possible that Abaddon is
grown up Walt? I know this theory has been thrown around before, but I think this encounter made it seem all the more possible. When Walt came walking out of school, Abaddon made a comment about how "the boy has gotten big". Now, I know the writer's like to point out Walt's growth spurt as much as possible, but the way Abaddon said it, it almost seemed like he was proud or that he was marveling at his young self. Then, as soon as Walt started to approach, Abaddon said he would leave them alone and stepped away. I know from watching Back to the Future so many times that coming face to face with yourself could cause catastrophic happenings that could destroy the whole world (woah, that's heavy). I bet Abaddon knows that, too.
Walt asks about his dad and Locke lies. Locke realizes Walt has been through enough and decides not to ask him to come back. Locke is 0 for 2.
To pass the time to their next destination, Abaddon starts asking Locke if there is anyone, ANYONE that Locke wants him to find. Locke asks him to find Peg Bundy..oops... I mean Helen Norwood, his lady love from his rehab days. Abaddon says he's on it and they continue on to Los Angeles to see Hurley at the mental institution.
Hurley thinks Locke is just another one of his ghost friends until he asks his nurse to confim that he is there. She does. Hurley sees Abaddon standing by the car and freaks out. Locke tries to tell him that Abaddon is a good guy and helping them. But Hurley remembers how he said he was from the airlines and runs from Locke screaming. Locke is finally starting to grow suspicious.
0 for 3. They head to Kate's.
Kate isn't going back. She blathers on about love and I try to figure out why this means she can't go back. I thought she looooovvveeed Sawyer. But then she also looooovvvvves Jack. Maybe she's talking about HER SON and how she won't bring him back.
She makes Locke feel bad about only ever loving himself and the island and he calls her on her shit and tells her he used to love a woman named Helen Norwood but how he lost her because he was angry and obsessed. She tells him he hasn't changed and he smacks her upside the head and calls her a whore. Locke is 0 for 4. Oh, whoops, that was what I was hoping would happen. Instead, he wheels himself out and asks Abaddon if he's found Helen yet. At first he says no, but after some prodding he brings Locke to the cemetery. Looks like Helen died of a brain aneurism. I am terrified of aneurisms. That and appendicitis. They are probably my biggest fears. I'm weird. It doesn't h help that I get odd headaches and strange side pains all the time. Anyway...
As Abaddon is loading Locke's wheelchair into the trunk of the car he is shot. Multiple times. He is dead. So now I hope he is not AdultWalt because I would hate for this to be the way Walt's life ends. Locke manages to crawl into the front seat and drive away. Good thing Abaddon left the keys in the ignition, right? I mean, most people probably would carry them in their pocket. Especially if they had to open the trunk of the car. But whatever.
Locke goes flying down the street like a lunatic and gets into an accident. Is this how he dies?
Nope. He wakes up in Jack's hospital. Jack is staring at him on the verge of tears. He knows he will have to ask how Locke got there and, as we've witnessed in the past, Jack can't handle new information.
Locke says it was FATE that brought him to this hospital. Jack says it was just probability since he crashed on his side of town. I think Jack might have a point there. Jack goes on and on about how Locke is just a stupid lonely old man and continues to kick him while he is down and I'm just getting really tired of people making Locke feel bad. Locke tells Jack his father says hi and this just pisses Jack off more and he leaves.
Locke is 0 for 5.
Back at his hotel room, Locke is rigging himself up a noose. He writes his suicide note (the one that Jack read last week) and stands up on the desk and puts the cord around his neck. This is becoming really difficult to watch. Terry O'Quinn is such a brilliant actor and this seems all too real. He does this scene with such heartbreaking beauty.
Just as he's about to step off the ledge, Ben breaks down the door. He pleads with Locke to stop and tells him, once again, how special he is. He tells him Widmore is evil and using Locke to find the island and destroy it. Why else would he send the freighter full of explosives? Locke sees the light and steps down from the desk. He breaks down in tears and tells Ben how he can't get anyone to join him. Ben says Jack bought a plane ticket and they still could try for Sun. Jack says he can't bring Sun back, he promised Jin. He tells Ben about the wedding ring Jin gave him. Ben pumps him full of revigorating juice and Locke starts to get hopeful again. He gets up and starts to gather his stuff together and tells Ben they need to visit Eloise Hawking to get back to the island. Ben says he knows her, but you have to wonder if he's lying. As Locke packs up his stuff, Ben approaches him from behind with the cord and strangles him. Locke is dead. Ben is an asshole. He grabs Jin's wedding ring, hangs Locke from the ceiling to make it look like a suicide, cleans for fingerprints, and leaves.
We now flashback or forward (or who knows) back to the island. Locke is still talking to the FBIchick. She shows him where Caesar is. He seems to be in one of the hatches, but I don't recognize it. Locke tells him a bit about Dharma and that he once lived on the island for 100 days. They chit chat a bit and Caesar tells him that the pilot and some woman took the manifest when they took off on the boat. He then tells Locke that just before the plane crashed, a fat guy with curly hair was talking to him, then there was a bright flash of light, then he disappeared... and so did a couple of other people. Locke says he now knows how they ended up here. Caesar says that everyone has been accounted for except for the ones who disappeared before the crash. They even included the hurt people. Locke asks him to bring him to the hurt people. He does. One of them is Ben. Locke says, "that's the man who killed me." Boom. End of episode.
So, it was a good episode. It tied the season together. It covered Locke's story in one swoop. But I'm a bit annoyed that we now have a whole other cast of castaways hanging around. I was so happy when they killed off all the remaining extras in the first few episodes.
It also seems that Jack, Kate, and Hurley were flashed to the past and Locke, Ben, Sun, and Lapidus are in the present....maybe? Why else would Kate, Hurley, and Jack be so far inland.? And where is Sayid? The FBIchick doesn't seem to be concerned. Maybe I shouldn't either.
Walt asks about his dad and Locke lies. Locke realizes Walt has been through enough and decides not to ask him to come back. Locke is 0 for 2.
To pass the time to their next destination, Abaddon starts asking Locke if there is anyone, ANYONE that Locke wants him to find. Locke asks him to find Peg Bundy..oops... I mean Helen Norwood, his lady love from his rehab days. Abaddon says he's on it and they continue on to Los Angeles to see Hurley at the mental institution.
Hurley thinks Locke is just another one of his ghost friends until he asks his nurse to confim that he is there. She does. Hurley sees Abaddon standing by the car and freaks out. Locke tries to tell him that Abaddon is a good guy and helping them. But Hurley remembers how he said he was from the airlines and runs from Locke screaming. Locke is finally starting to grow suspicious.
0 for 3. They head to Kate's.
Kate isn't going back. She blathers on about love and I try to figure out why this means she can't go back. I thought she looooovvveeed Sawyer. But then she also looooovvvvves Jack. Maybe she's talking about HER SON and how she won't bring him back.
She makes Locke feel bad about only ever loving himself and the island and he calls her on her shit and tells her he used to love a woman named Helen Norwood but how he lost her because he was angry and obsessed. She tells him he hasn't changed and he smacks her upside the head and calls her a whore. Locke is 0 for 4. Oh, whoops, that was what I was hoping would happen. Instead, he wheels himself out and asks Abaddon if he's found Helen yet. At first he says no, but after some prodding he brings Locke to the cemetery. Looks like Helen died of a brain aneurism. I am terrified of aneurisms. That and appendicitis. They are probably my biggest fears. I'm weird. It doesn't h help that I get odd headaches and strange side pains all the time. Anyway...
As Abaddon is loading Locke's wheelchair into the trunk of the car he is shot. Multiple times. He is dead. So now I hope he is not AdultWalt because I would hate for this to be the way Walt's life ends. Locke manages to crawl into the front seat and drive away. Good thing Abaddon left the keys in the ignition, right? I mean, most people probably would carry them in their pocket. Especially if they had to open the trunk of the car. But whatever.
Locke goes flying down the street like a lunatic and gets into an accident. Is this how he dies?
Nope. He wakes up in Jack's hospital. Jack is staring at him on the verge of tears. He knows he will have to ask how Locke got there and, as we've witnessed in the past, Jack can't handle new information.
Locke says it was FATE that brought him to this hospital. Jack says it was just probability since he crashed on his side of town. I think Jack might have a point there. Jack goes on and on about how Locke is just a stupid lonely old man and continues to kick him while he is down and I'm just getting really tired of people making Locke feel bad. Locke tells Jack his father says hi and this just pisses Jack off more and he leaves.
Locke is 0 for 5.
Back at his hotel room, Locke is rigging himself up a noose. He writes his suicide note (the one that Jack read last week) and stands up on the desk and puts the cord around his neck. This is becoming really difficult to watch. Terry O'Quinn is such a brilliant actor and this seems all too real. He does this scene with such heartbreaking beauty.
Just as he's about to step off the ledge, Ben breaks down the door. He pleads with Locke to stop and tells him, once again, how special he is. He tells him Widmore is evil and using Locke to find the island and destroy it. Why else would he send the freighter full of explosives? Locke sees the light and steps down from the desk. He breaks down in tears and tells Ben how he can't get anyone to join him. Ben says Jack bought a plane ticket and they still could try for Sun. Jack says he can't bring Sun back, he promised Jin. He tells Ben about the wedding ring Jin gave him. Ben pumps him full of revigorating juice and Locke starts to get hopeful again. He gets up and starts to gather his stuff together and tells Ben they need to visit Eloise Hawking to get back to the island. Ben says he knows her, but you have to wonder if he's lying. As Locke packs up his stuff, Ben approaches him from behind with the cord and strangles him. Locke is dead. Ben is an asshole. He grabs Jin's wedding ring, hangs Locke from the ceiling to make it look like a suicide, cleans for fingerprints, and leaves.
We now flashback or forward (or who knows) back to the island. Locke is still talking to the FBIchick. She shows him where Caesar is. He seems to be in one of the hatches, but I don't recognize it. Locke tells him a bit about Dharma and that he once lived on the island for 100 days. They chit chat a bit and Caesar tells him that the pilot and some woman took the manifest when they took off on the boat. He then tells Locke that just before the plane crashed, a fat guy with curly hair was talking to him, then there was a bright flash of light, then he disappeared... and so did a couple of other people. Locke says he now knows how they ended up here. Caesar says that everyone has been accounted for except for the ones who disappeared before the crash. They even included the hurt people. Locke asks him to bring him to the hurt people. He does. One of them is Ben. Locke says, "that's the man who killed me." Boom. End of episode.
So, it was a good episode. It tied the season together. It covered Locke's story in one swoop. But I'm a bit annoyed that we now have a whole other cast of castaways hanging around. I was so happy when they killed off all the remaining extras in the first few episodes.
It also seems that Jack, Kate, and Hurley were flashed to the past and Locke, Ben, Sun, and Lapidus are in the present....maybe? Why else would Kate, Hurley, and Jack be so far inland.? And where is Sayid? The FBIchick doesn't seem to be concerned. Maybe I shouldn't either.
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