"Hell, Yes"
Those were the final words uttered this episode. And I totally agree. They were spoken by James "Sawyer" Ford, or #15 according to Jacob.
We found out a lot this episode....A LOT. As Sawyer waved the lit torch along the cave walls exposing the names of his fellow Losties and names of other travelers lost to The Island, I screamed out loud "Answers! Answers! Answers!"
What did we learn? We learned the following:
Jacob, the mysterious being that has been hovering around the lives of everyone of our Losties and Others and Other Others, has been looking for a substitute. A substitute to take his place in protecting the island. Protecting it from what? Nothing, according to NotLocke or DeadLocke or SmokeMonsterLocke or UnLocke or whatever you want to call him these days. The Island is just an island like every other island. But do we believe him? Do we believe this wall of smoke that has taken the shape of John Locke? Why should we believe him? He/It's shown has nothing but negative energy this series. Constantly killing and judging people. I believe that if Sawyer knew who/what he was really dealing with, he wouldn't be so quick to join hands and head home. But, I guess he thinks he's dealing with some sort of zombie and he's cool with that, so what do I know?
And what happens when a judgmental stream of black smoke heads "home". Where is its home? Will it stay as John Locke, will it take on its original form? Whatever that is.
So, I guess, we actually got more questions. But we also got answers, let's not forget.
Even if UnLocke is lying that the numbers are arbitrary, they still have some meaning in that Jacob gave one to each of our Losties, but not all of our Losties. Some were left out. Let's take a look at those numbers:
4 - John Locke
8 - Hurley
15 - Sawyer
16 - Sayid
23 - Shephard
42 - Kwon
An interesting group of people. Yes, it is our core Losties, but there are key players missing. Namely, Kate. Kate was also "touched" by Jacob as a child, yet she did not get a number. Why is that? Is it because she didn't stay pure like he asked her to? You know, because she killed her father and got her best friend killed and robbed and fled and was just acting like Kate does?
Also missing: Claire, Charlie, Sun or Jin (we don't know which Kwon is the chosen one), Arntz (just kidding), Rose, Bernard, Vincent (yes, Vincent. I have not forgotten or golden lab friend), Boone, Shannon, Libby, Anna Lucia, Mr.. Eko, and, probably the two biggest most glaring omissions: Michael and Walt. Or namely, Walt. I understand that Walt the Actor has grown up and can't do this role anymore. But, come on! He was such a core player in the first 2 seasons. He was special, just like Locke. So special that The Others had to have him. There must be some way to tie him into all of this without the need to use that actor. Just, I don't know, say his name. Have his name scribbled onto a cave wall with a number by it. They could even have it crossed out. But at least acknowledge that he existed as an important plot point on this program.
I love, and hate, how the show has found a completely easy way to toss aside mysteries (the numbers) and people (Michael and Walt and Claire and the whole rest of the crew) that we've put time and energy into in such a way that leaves us completely satisfied.
Ending Rant (for now).
So we know those things. Maybe. If UnLocke is telling the truth. Which he probably isn't.
Let's dive into the rest of the episode.
Off Island
This was a Locke episode, and they are always the best. Both on and off The Island. This one was no different.
In Locke's alternate life, he is still wheelchair bound. But he seems
somewhat more at ease. He has just returned from Sydney where he was attending a conference for the box company. Except he wasn't. He headed to Australia on the company's dime to try to go on that Walkabout (but couldn't. Because he can't walk). Of course, the company found out and he was rightfully fired.
On his way out to his car, he finds that someone has parked their Hummer next to his handi-van and blocked him in. It's Hurley. Hurley owns the box company and tells Locke that he also owns a temp agency that will help him find a new job. Hurley is so sweet.
Locke's home life is a little better. He is married to Helen (or Peg Bundy), who kind of looks like what Jamie Gertz would like if she let herself get old. Not that Helen has let herself get old (hello, botox!). It also seems he's on good terms with his father - or someone he might think is his father. Either way, it wasn't dear old dad who pushed him out of the window causing him to be paralyzed. Or maybe it was in some weird way we don't know about. But I doubt that Locke would want to invite the man who did this to him to his wedding, as Peg suggested he do when she brought up the idea of running away to Vegas with their parents in tow.
At the temp agency, Locke meets our Rose. She runs the agency and tells Locke to get his act together and stop dreaming of a life he can no longer have. Like she has had to do ever since being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Poor Rose. Rose and Bernard will always be two of my favorite characters on this show. Yes, neither has really done anything, but I just like them. They seem like good people.
She hooks him up with a job as a Substitute Teacher. Get it? Substitute? On his lunch break he meets another teacher. Ben Linus!!!! Ben is teaching European History and he's just anal as ever. Locke finds him complaining about how no one changes the coffee filter in the teacher's lounge. Locke requests tea. Ben likes this. They bond.
I love the idea that in this alternate life, Ben is "just" a history teacher. Ben always wanted to be special, like Locke. It would make sense that in this alternate life that seems to be more miserable for everyone than their on Island life that Ben would be a teacher at a school who gets upset about the coffee filters.
But is this life worse for everybody? Wouldn't it make sense that the one guy who loved The Island so much, that he died for it, have the better life after the reset button was hit? Look at Locke's life: He's marrying the woman of his dreams, he's found a job that he really enjoys, and he's come to terms with his wheelchair bound life. At the end of the episode, he seemed quite content with everything.
On Island
We open with the perspective of the Smoke Monster. He's "running" around the jungle, judging and clicking and then he's back into his Locke form. It was pretty cool.
He has Richard hanging in a contraption in a tree. After cutting him down, he asks Richard to join his side. Richard refuses and runs away.
Locke then makes his way to where Sawyer is hanging out, listening to punk music, and drinking himself to death. Sawyer is wary of the dead guy who is talking to him, but after UnLocke tells him he can give him all the answers if Sawyer follows him, Sawyer follows him.
As they trek through the jungle, UnLocke keeps getting spooked by visions of a young child (who looks an awful lot like Jacob). Locke also seems amazed that Sawyer can see this kid. At one point, he even chases after this vision - in his Locke form. Why didn't he just turn into Smokey?
While UnLocke is off running after his vision, Richard stumbles out of the woods to try and persuade Sawyer to come with him to the temple. He tells Sawyer that UnLocke is very dangerous and wants everyone Sawyer loves dead. Sawyer says he's going with the guy who's going to give him answers. Richard heads back into the temple and Sawyer follows UnLocke.
They make their way to a cliff overlooking the ocean. There's a ladder that goes a long way down. They eventually make their way to a cave on the side of the cliff. Inside is a scale with one black and one white rock. They are perfectly balanced. UnLocke takes the white rock and whips it into the ocean. Sawyer asks what that was about. UnLocke tells him it's just a game he and Jacob like to play. (Hmmmm...answer?)
Sawyer demands UnLocke tell him why he is there. Locke brings him to the back of the cave. All along the walls and ceiling are names with numbers next to them. Most have been scratched off. Except for our lucky 6. And except UnLocke goes to scratch off DeadLocke's name. Good old #4. He's no longer a candidate.
Those were the final words uttered this episode. And I totally agree. They were spoken by James "Sawyer" Ford, or #15 according to Jacob.
We found out a lot this episode....A LOT. As Sawyer waved the lit torch along the cave walls exposing the names of his fellow Losties and names of other travelers lost to The Island, I screamed out loud "Answers! Answers! Answers!"
What did we learn? We learned the following:
Jacob, the mysterious being that has been hovering around the lives of everyone of our Losties and Others and Other Others, has been looking for a substitute. A substitute to take his place in protecting the island. Protecting it from what? Nothing, according to NotLocke or DeadLocke or SmokeMonsterLocke or UnLocke or whatever you want to call him these days. The Island is just an island like every other island. But do we believe him? Do we believe this wall of smoke that has taken the shape of John Locke? Why should we believe him? He/It's shown has nothing but negative energy this series. Constantly killing and judging people. I believe that if Sawyer knew who/what he was really dealing with, he wouldn't be so quick to join hands and head home. But, I guess he thinks he's dealing with some sort of zombie and he's cool with that, so what do I know?
And what happens when a judgmental stream of black smoke heads "home". Where is its home? Will it stay as John Locke, will it take on its original form? Whatever that is.
So, I guess, we actually got more questions. But we also got answers, let's not forget.
Even if UnLocke is lying that the numbers are arbitrary, they still have some meaning in that Jacob gave one to each of our Losties, but not all of our Losties. Some were left out. Let's take a look at those numbers:
4 - John Locke
8 - Hurley
15 - Sawyer
16 - Sayid
23 - Shephard
42 - Kwon
An interesting group of people. Yes, it is our core Losties, but there are key players missing. Namely, Kate. Kate was also "touched" by Jacob as a child, yet she did not get a number. Why is that? Is it because she didn't stay pure like he asked her to? You know, because she killed her father and got her best friend killed and robbed and fled and was just acting like Kate does?
Also missing: Claire, Charlie, Sun or Jin (we don't know which Kwon is the chosen one), Arntz (just kidding), Rose, Bernard, Vincent (yes, Vincent. I have not forgotten or golden lab friend), Boone, Shannon, Libby, Anna Lucia, Mr.. Eko, and, probably the two biggest most glaring omissions: Michael and Walt. Or namely, Walt. I understand that Walt the Actor has grown up and can't do this role anymore. But, come on! He was such a core player in the first 2 seasons. He was special, just like Locke. So special that The Others had to have him. There must be some way to tie him into all of this without the need to use that actor. Just, I don't know, say his name. Have his name scribbled onto a cave wall with a number by it. They could even have it crossed out. But at least acknowledge that he existed as an important plot point on this program.
I love, and hate, how the show has found a completely easy way to toss aside mysteries (the numbers) and people (Michael and Walt and Claire and the whole rest of the crew) that we've put time and energy into in such a way that leaves us completely satisfied.
Ending Rant (for now).
So we know those things. Maybe. If UnLocke is telling the truth. Which he probably isn't.
Let's dive into the rest of the episode.
Off Island
This was a Locke episode, and they are always the best. Both on and off The Island. This one was no different.
In Locke's alternate life, he is still wheelchair bound. But he seems
somewhat more at ease. He has just returned from Sydney where he was attending a conference for the box company. Except he wasn't. He headed to Australia on the company's dime to try to go on that Walkabout (but couldn't. Because he can't walk). Of course, the company found out and he was rightfully fired.On his way out to his car, he finds that someone has parked their Hummer next to his handi-van and blocked him in. It's Hurley. Hurley owns the box company and tells Locke that he also owns a temp agency that will help him find a new job. Hurley is so sweet.
Locke's home life is a little better. He is married to Helen (or Peg Bundy), who kind of looks like what Jamie Gertz would like if she let herself get old. Not that Helen has let herself get old (hello, botox!). It also seems he's on good terms with his father - or someone he might think is his father. Either way, it wasn't dear old dad who pushed him out of the window causing him to be paralyzed. Or maybe it was in some weird way we don't know about. But I doubt that Locke would want to invite the man who did this to him to his wedding, as Peg suggested he do when she brought up the idea of running away to Vegas with their parents in tow.
At the temp agency, Locke meets our Rose. She runs the agency and tells Locke to get his act together and stop dreaming of a life he can no longer have. Like she has had to do ever since being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Poor Rose. Rose and Bernard will always be two of my favorite characters on this show. Yes, neither has really done anything, but I just like them. They seem like good people.
She hooks him up with a job as a Substitute Teacher. Get it? Substitute? On his lunch break he meets another teacher. Ben Linus!!!! Ben is teaching European History and he's just anal as ever. Locke finds him complaining about how no one changes the coffee filter in the teacher's lounge. Locke requests tea. Ben likes this. They bond.
I love the idea that in this alternate life, Ben is "just" a history teacher. Ben always wanted to be special, like Locke. It would make sense that in this alternate life that seems to be more miserable for everyone than their on Island life that Ben would be a teacher at a school who gets upset about the coffee filters.
But is this life worse for everybody? Wouldn't it make sense that the one guy who loved The Island so much, that he died for it, have the better life after the reset button was hit? Look at Locke's life: He's marrying the woman of his dreams, he's found a job that he really enjoys, and he's come to terms with his wheelchair bound life. At the end of the episode, he seemed quite content with everything.
On Island
We open with the perspective of the Smoke Monster. He's "running" around the jungle, judging and clicking and then he's back into his Locke form. It was pretty cool.
He has Richard hanging in a contraption in a tree. After cutting him down, he asks Richard to join his side. Richard refuses and runs away.
Locke then makes his way to where Sawyer is hanging out, listening to punk music, and drinking himself to death. Sawyer is wary of the dead guy who is talking to him, but after UnLocke tells him he can give him all the answers if Sawyer follows him, Sawyer follows him.As they trek through the jungle, UnLocke keeps getting spooked by visions of a young child (who looks an awful lot like Jacob). Locke also seems amazed that Sawyer can see this kid. At one point, he even chases after this vision - in his Locke form. Why didn't he just turn into Smokey?
While UnLocke is off running after his vision, Richard stumbles out of the woods to try and persuade Sawyer to come with him to the temple. He tells Sawyer that UnLocke is very dangerous and wants everyone Sawyer loves dead. Sawyer says he's going with the guy who's going to give him answers. Richard heads back into the temple and Sawyer follows UnLocke.
They make their way to a cliff overlooking the ocean. There's a ladder that goes a long way down. They eventually make their way to a cave on the side of the cliff. Inside is a scale with one black and one white rock. They are perfectly balanced. UnLocke takes the white rock and whips it into the ocean. Sawyer asks what that was about. UnLocke tells him it's just a game he and Jacob like to play. (Hmmmm...answer?)
Sawyer demands UnLocke tell him why he is there. Locke brings him to the back of the cave. All along the walls and ceiling are names with numbers next to them. Most have been scratched off. Except for our lucky 6. And except UnLocke goes to scratch off DeadLocke's name. Good old #4. He's no longer a candidate.
A candidate for what, you ask? Well, for nothing. Jacob thinks The Island needs to be protected. UnLocke says it's just an island. Who's right? Will we ever know.
He tells Sawyer he has three options: 1. He can walk away and go back to drinking his troubles away. 2. He can become the new Jacob and live there for eternity protecting The Island. 3. He can leave, right then and there, and go "home" with UnLocke. I put home in quotes, because we still don't know what home is to this thing. And neither does Sawyer. But Sawyer seems to think home is his home. So he says, "hell, yes" to option 3.
I need to give a shout out to Terry O'Quinn who portrays John Locke/UnLocke. This guy can act his ass off. When he is Smokey, there is this evilness to his eyes that is terrifying. Even Sawyer commented on it. He says that he knows he's not really Locke because even when Locke is trying to act tough, you can still see that he's afraid. And it's so true because the actor plays that so well. When he see sweet Locke off island living his life, your heart breaks for him.
I also forgot to mention what else was happening on The Island. Sun and Ben and and the Pilot Guy and that NotFBIChick are hanging around by the 4 toed statue. They decide they need to bury DeadLocke. Sun makes a big deal about it and then I feel bad for NotFBIChick because all of her friends were just killed and Sun mentions nothing about burying them. As they are walking to the burial site, NotFBIChick makes a comment about how Smokey is now stuck in Locke's body. Which makes this part interesting:
When UnLocke is running after his kid vision, he catches up to the kid (actually he trips and falls and the kid stops). The kid tells him he didn't play by the rules and that he can't kill him. What does UnLocke say? "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!"
Is Smokey becoming John Locke? Is that why he couldn't morph back into Smokey to chase the kid? Is that why he uttered that famous John Locke quote?
Oh, show, how I love you.
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