This counts as one of those LOST episodes that we’ll look back on at some point in the future and talk about how crucial it was for shedding light on the mythology underpinning the show. Locke-centric episodes often seem to be this way. Where to begin? There’s so much to talk about. Let’s start from the beginning. How many of you guessed it was Locke’s biological mother we were watching in the opening scene? I had a strong feeling. Did you know that a year ago the same week we watched an episode in which another mother named Emily gave birth prematurely? Do you remember who it was she gave birth to? Yup, Ben Linus. Are we to believe that Ben and Locke are brothers? At the very least, they are presented to us in a parallel fashion. We are clearly supposed to take notice of the similarities. I wonder if Locke was originally the ‘chosen one’ but wasn’t ready as evidenced by his failing the aptitude test given by Richard Alpert (you had to love seeing the ageless wonder again!) Maybe the island, Richard, whomever, moved on and identified Ben as the next savior of the island. Is Locke now coming into his own, displacing Ben as the rightful savior? Or possibly it was always meant to work this way and it’s just now time for Locke to replace Ben. Of course, Ben still might be in charge, working out his plan in a way we can’t see. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. What are your thoughts?

What’s the deal with Richard? I’m convinced he’s a time traveler himself. In a recent interview the producers shared that time travel is defintely part of the series. They also mentioned that Richard will figure more promintenly into the show as it moves forward. Who exactly is this guy? Why does it appear that he doesn’t age? I’m convinced it’s related to the time travel factor. I’m sure the scene where Richard appears to 5 year old Locke to give him the aptitude test has massive implications for the show. What are we to make of Locke’s drawing of what appeared to be the smoke monster? Coincidence, or does the past, present and future all blend together so he’s already been to the island in a sense? I have no idea what I’m talking about. What about the various items Locke had to choose from in the test? A baseball mit, a vial containing sand, a comic book with the question “What was the secret of the mysterious hidden land” on the cover, a knife, a compass, and a book titled The Book of Laws. Look up The Book of Law on Wikipedia when you get a chance. Why was Richard so ticked when Ben chose the knife? 

The appearance of dead Horace was a tad spooky, especially with that bloody nose. Have you noticed that bloody noses are a regular occurence in this show? Horace seemed to be trapped in a time loop, cutting down the same tree over and over again. The island/Jacob spoke to Locke through Horace in his dream. Does the island incorporate dead folks into its consciousness somehow and then manifest itself through these people on occasion? Why is Christian Shepherd representing Jacob these days? And what in the world is Claire doing with Christian in the cabin? Has Claire been dead all along, since the explosion? I’m beginning to think so. Remember after the explosion someone asks her if she’s okay and she assures them that she is fine? Miles then retorts, “Are you sure about that?” Did he know that she was dead since he has the power to see into the spirt world? Speaking of dead people, we finally saw the freighter doctor go overboard after his throat was slit. This is confirmation that the island is ahead of the freighter in time. I loved Keemy’s line after he killed the Doc: “Does that change anything?” He poses the question to the pilot, implying “Is that enough to now compel you to fly the helicopter?” But it’s so ironic because it changed more than he could know (and more than we even know presently I’m sure). The Doc washing up on shore led those on the shore to find out that the freighter wasn’t there to rescue them. So as the crew on the helicopter returns, the folks on the shore will have their guard up. Fortunately, it looks like the pilot has their good in mind evidenced by him throwing the locator down to them.

Michael Abbadon (how creepy is this guy?) shows up again as the nurse who pushes Locke in his wheelchair after a rebab session. Did anyone else think he was going to push Locke down the stairs? Who is Abbadon anyway? What’s his relationship to Widmore, Richard, Ben, etc? His conversation with Locke was very intriguing. Some think Abbadon is a future version of Walt: He calls Locke “Mr. Locke” echoing Walt, and also worked to get Locke “back into the game” much like Walt did when he rescued him from the body pit last season. Finally, what does it mean that Locke was told to move the island? What are the implications? I get the sense that something cataclysmic will happen in the not to distant future. What do you think?

The conversation continues…