The Thread of Jacob

You like it? I did it myself. It takes a very long time when you're making the thread, but, uh... I suppose that's the point, isn't it?

Making the thread; (verb) to pass continuously through the whole course of (something); pervade. As in, Jacob created a thread that brought the survivors together. As in, Jacob is using long loose stitches to hold his fabric together. In sewing we call it basting. Often, when a seamstress is creating gathers in a garment, she will baste the fabric then pull the threads to draw the extra material into folds.

I see each of Jacob's touches as one stitch in the basting process that creates a common thread that runs through our Losties. In season six, we will see how the thread is pulled to gather them all into one place.

It took years for Jacob to touch each of our survivors lives. Kate and Sawyer when they were quite young. Jack, John, Sun and Jin when they were adults. Six visits were prior to the crash. Which tells me that Jacob had hand picked them for the island very early in his quest to set into motion his plan to counter AJ's loophole.

Hurley and Sayid were visited after they were rescued from the island. I'm not sure of the significance of this yet, but I do know that both were reluctant to lie about their ordeal and neither really wanted to return to the island. That is, until Jacob visited Hurley in the taxi the day before Ajira 316 and, I'm assuming here, he had Illana convince Sayid that he was going to Guam.

Each of our survivors at some point of in their lives have felt the touch of a being older than most countries. They have a common thread that runs through them and it guides and protects them. It will help them to remember the people they were, who they have become and what they've learned along the way.

We can assume, for now, that Jacob touched Ben when he was young and nearly dead from the gun shot wound inflicted by Sayid. This could be significant to the success of Jacob's plan. I've stated that I believe that Ben was the loophole AJ had been looking for.

A single thread is unremarkable when standing alone, weak and easily broken. But when skillfully woven together, all the threads become one and exponentially grow in strength, difficult to break. This will be important in the coming season as I believe each of our Losties will need to come together and unite their different strengths. Kind of gives new meaning to "If we can't live together, then we'll die alone" doesn't it?

In season one this was meant as a way to get the survivors to work together, find something they were good at and do it for the good of everyone. In season six, it could mean exactly the same thing. Jack, Kate, Hurley, Saywer, Sun, Jin and possibly Sayid will need to figure out what their strengths are and how they can combine them to win the fight of their lives for the good of everyone.

I believe the thread Jacob has created will pull his people together, much the same way a thread is used to create gathers in a garment, for without the thread, the garment falls apart.

I know this thought does not bode well for our Ghost Whisperer and our fertility doctor, but I am hopeful that Jacob visited them at some point in their lives. As I've said before, I just can't believe that Miles' story could be over. There is so much more we need to learn about this man. The same can be said for Juliet, for I can't bring myself to accept her fall down the shaft and the brilliant white light ending.

What do you think? Could Jacob's touch be some sort of invisible cord that will draw the Losites to where they need to be?

What will happen when they arrive at their destination? How will they arrive in 2007? And for that matter, will they go directly to 2007 or will they flash through time in much the same way as some did in the beginning of season 5?

With every thought I have I come up with at least ten questions. I'm going to have to start carrying a clipboard around with me to record them!

Apples and Oranges

I'm not so certain it's the book itself that's as important as the title, where that phrase originates and how it echoes Jacob's outlook on humanity. Briefly the title is the theme of a religious philosophy describing a spiritual version of evolution. It theorizes, that lower life forms evolve to greater and greater complexity and diversity and now have risen to the level of mankind. Mankind is seen as existing on a plane midpoint between animal and the Godhead. But instead of a biological evolution or diversification, humanity is rising towards, reaching for a convergence, a unification of spirit with God.
Both Jacob and Darkman see us, as at a midpoint between animal savagery and Ultimate Unity as One in the Christ head. Darkman sees us as O'Connor depicts humanity as a grotesque, pitiful, chaotic being that which is stuck in a bleak cycle of sin, violence and anger. Jacob sees us as in an evolution of spiritual progress and holds hope that we will rise towards convergence with the Goodness of God. This is our choice do we wallow in a destined place of no exit or exercise our free will and rise above from whence we came? The Darkman believes we cannot deny the fate and pull of our inner animal; that the physical and the ego will always override the cerebral and the soul.
Penny-Ante ABC Lost Message Boards

The above post was so profound that I felt the need to repeat it here as it bears credence to what many of us sense is the struggle between Jacob and Fake Locke, or Anti-Jacob, or Darkman. Stated so eloquently and clearly that I’m not even going to attempt to rewrite it in my own words, for I cannot.

Until I read the above statement, I had been thinking that Jacob and Darkman were arguing apples and oranges. If that is so, then both are correct! It was confuddling me to no end and I felt that it was a cycle that never ended. Round, round we go.

There are only two facts in life that are certain. One is taxes and the other is death. We are born we live, learn and grow toward what end? Tada! The end! That’s it! Death is the end that both Jacob and Anti-Jacob speak of. But we knew that already, right?

However, I had felt that Jacob’s point was this; the journey holds precedence over the destination, and it is in the journey through which humanity grows, and changes until, at the end, their spirituality meets with that of God, converges. As Jacob agreed, it ends only once for each human and anything before that is progress, for it is in the journey in which humanity makes the progress from the base antagonistic animal fighting for survival, to the enlightened being who able to make a choice between remaining in the hole of despair or climbing out and moving on.

For Anti-Jacob, it all ends the same. It doesn't matter to him that when they come, they arrive in a different manner (ship, freighter, outrigger, magic box, plane).

When they fight, it isn't what they are fighting for, but the fact that they fight.When they destroy, it doesn't matter why they destroy. To Anti-Jacob, it will always end the same.

The dictionary defines fate as "that which is inevitably destined, the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably proscribed; the decreed cause of events. I read it as the end.

Fate = the end = death = the destination

Freedom of choice = progress = the journey

It's not the destination that matters but the journey. For without the journey we fail to evolve, we fail to learn from our past experiences and if we fail the journey, it will end the same as those who went before us.

So, that's my take on Jacob and Anti-Jacob's disagreement. They remind me of two boys who have been put into the time out room and told not to come out until they have sorted out their problem. Oh, and they can't physically fight, they must use diplomacy and tact to come to an agreement. Both entrenched in their belief that the other is wrong and there is no compromise to be had. Neither willing to not just hear, but to listen to the other side of the argument.

QUESTIONS:

Has Anti-Jacob become the very thing he despises?

Who or what will be coming, now that it appears Jacob is dead? Is Jacob really dead?

Who will Illana fight for?

What is Frank a candidate for?

Will Sun get angry at Fake John Locke for stringing her along? If she does, will she be the one to end his life? I can see her losing her temper, grabbing the knife from Ben and, since she's seen the corpse, slicing into the impostor. She has a right to be seriously ticked.

My Enemy's Enemy Is My Friend?

It's an ancient proverb which means that because two parties have a common enemy, they are friends. Often described as an Arabic proverb, there is also an identical Chinese proverb which may be an extension of another Chinese proverb that says, "It is good to strike the serpent's head with your enemy's hand." A historical example of this policy occurred when the Greeks were attacked by the Persians at Thermopylae; the Greek city-states put aside their differences and fought the common enemy.

Could this be the case for Ben? Will he choose to align himself with Fake John because he now views Jacob and his own people as his enemies.

It is conceivable. We saw John remind Ben of practically every failure he suffered as a leader of the Others. He reminded him of all that he apparently was forced to sacrifice in his service to Jacob. And for what? Absolutely nothing. Not even a "good luck in your future endeavours" when John arrived to take over as leader. No gold watch. No shares in the company's stock. No "happy retirement" party.

But serving Jacob is not like working for the company for 35 years, putting in your time and looking forward to drawing from your retirement fund. But, like the faithful who go to church every week and drop all they can into the collection box, all they can hope for at the end is forgiveness for their sins and entry to the place they call heaven.

But did Jacob ever promise Ben a reward? Sure, he made Richard ageless, but we have yet to learn the circumstances of that event. I hope we get to see this next season. If there are any other Others with special qualities, please let me know. And I don't mean Ethan and his super strength.

I was wondering if it really was Jacob who saved young Ben's life back in 1977. I've decided that he did, but only because he knew Ben's fate was not to die then and there, Ben wasn't finished just yet.

Was Ben ever destined to become leader of the Others? I don't think so. I think Ben, like his father, believed he was more than what others assessed him to be. Remember when we saw the flashback of Ben and his father arriving on the island? Remember how angry Roger Linus was to find that he'd been assigned janitorial duties according to his aptitude tests? And we see a grown up Ben also working as a workman, which I'm sure it more than what he aspired to be.

I have a little theory on how Ben became leader of the Others. I could be no where near the ball park on this one, but it's all I can come up with right now.

Other than the promise of a great relief from the restrictive society that Ben finds himself living in, the Hostiles promise an escape from the apparent anger and hatred of his father. Life with Roger Linus had been illustrated as dark, depressing and a serious blow to the kid's self esteem. I don't blame young Ben for wanting to escape such a miserable existence and the promise that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence is too tempting for young Ben to resist. Above all else, Ben believed, like his father, that he was greater than the sum of his parts.

But here's the kicker. Ben was only ever considered to be a member of the flock. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was expected to do what he was asked and not to take the initiative. His reward was acceptance within a society that accepted him for whatever he was. The realization that his position within the Hostiles was equal to his position with Dharma must have been one hell of a shock. So, he manipulated and contrived and insinuated himself into a higher position, eventually taking control in a bloodless coup. He exiled the island's true leader and took what he thought was his rightful place at the top of the pyramid.

Then along came cancer. Whether Jacob could have allowed it to occur, I really can't say either way at this point. Then came Oceanic 815 and a whole host of problems. Remember that Richard and the Hostiles were told in 1954 that a man named John Locke was going to arrive via a plane crash and he would be their leader.

It would have been a long awaited and anticipated arrival of the messiah. Talked about often and how a great leader would come. The current, or interim leader, Ben, must have felt inferior and not very appreciated. He had never seen nor spoken to Jacob, didn't have a communion with the island and really, his instructions arrived by messenger Richard.

Ben did all that he could to sabotage John Locke and maintain his tenuous leadership position. He lied to him and lead him into situations of great danger. On several occasions he tried to kill him or have him killed and ultimately managed to strangle him to death. He manipulated the Oceanic 6, the survivors of the crash who were rescued, into returning to the island, insisting they take the body of John Locke with them.

I believe Ben was taking the body of John Locke back to the island as proof that the Others were without a leader and attempt to reclaim the job. There didn't seem to be any other candidates in the wings. Ben's shock and utter frustration must have been disheartening, to say the least. Only this time, Ben doesn't have a back up plan. He never counted on John Locke's resurrection.

He was used as he had used John. He was manipulated as he had done to John. All, it would appear, by John Locke himself. And yet, despite his loathing of John Locke and all that he seemed to be taking away from him, Ben made a choice. Only time will tell if it was the right one for him to make.

Using a common enemy as the basis for an allegiance is dubious, likely because there are probably very few other areas for mutual agreement. Remove the common enemy and the friends are apt turn on each other.

More on Jacob and Who They are

Doc Jensen, who recaps Lost for Entertainment Weekly has a most amazing theory about Jacob and his thouchy-feely need, and how those he touched are going to factor in the next season. Give it a read because the light of revelation will, hopefully, shine as bright for you as it did for me.

I agree with the stewardship of the soul idea Doc Jensen has written about, but I differ on the execution. The cards are cast and now we must wait to see if we come up with the winning hand. I think the flash of white we saw is going to be the final leap through time that brings Jack and gang back to 2007, landing in the middle of this burgeoning war. They will have to choose sides and Jacob is willing to put his eternal soul on the line betting that they'll all end up fighting for the good.

Which is when Jacob can be resurrected. Once all the pieces of his soul are united in a common cause, and only then, can Jacob return. The very last image we have of Jacob is of him burning in the flames. Like the Phoenix rises from the ashes, so too will Jacob. Just as soon as Jack, Kate, Jin, Sawyer, Hurley and possibly the mortally wounded Sayid arrive.

It's not looking good for Miles, now that I think about it. He may be stuck in 1977 with his father, which isn't all that bad. He could have that relationship he lacked as a child. Also, I understand that Dharma needs new a head of security and one of his first jobs can be to take out Radzinsky. I hear they might need someone over on Hydra to weigh polar bear poop and with Radzinsky's analytical mind, he just might be perfectly suited to it.

I find it a bitter irony that Jacob saved Ben's life, only to have him take Jacob's life in a fit of anger. If Jacob did indeed save Ben's life, which I am doubting more and more.

I think Ben was always fated to be the tool with which Evil John would "kill" Jacob. Jacob knew that Ben's "destiny" was to do this. By ignoring Ben, not corrupting his "vision" of Jacob and not validating his leadership of the Others, he did not "interfere" with fate and allowed Ben, even at the very end, the freedom to choose which road to take. Jacob believed that, most importantly, Ben had a choice. To kill him or to walk away.

Unfortunately we are all painfully aware of how that turned out. Ben appears to be the classic example of the faithful having lost their faith who have turned their once devoted love to anger and hatred. He was weak and Evil John took advantage of his anger and I don't think it bodes well for our beady eyed friend in the end. One thing to note, and it struck me as painfully obvious once I wrapped my brain around the idea, is that Ben may believe that he will return to what he thinks is his rightful place as leader. Evil John promised that things for Ben would be much better once Jacob was gone.

However, one of the recurring themes of Lost is Redemption. Right now it seems unlikely that Ben can redeem himself and reconcile his actions toward any moral worth. His future is unclear at this point. Does he realize he has been manipulated by Evil John, in a manner akin to the way Ben himself manipulated John Locke,and rise up against the machine? And how ticked is he gonna be when he learns that he was beaten at his own game?

They're Coming

I have a half mowed front lawn right now. As I was riding around my half acre of heaven, cutting the grass, I had a thought and had to get it out there. This is going to be a long hiatus for me. I can't stop thinking LOST!

Just before Evil John, which is what I am now referring to him as, kicked Jacob into the pit of fire, Jacob uttered: "They're coming"

Once I managed to get over my initial shock, and my grief over the jeep, I began to wonder who "They" were. Once again I am about to put two and two together to equal eleventeen, but I see two options.

1. Could it be Illana and her people, since Evil John had mentioned about dealing with them? He had face to face contact with both Illana and Cesar, and possibly subconsciously impelled Ben to shoot Cesar, could he have read their thoughts, thus knowing that they could be a detriment to his ultimate goal to control the island? Worth a thought.
2. Could Jacob have meant the group from 1977? Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Miles? Which leads me to another question: Did Jacob put them in 1977 not just because of what they needed to do there (detonate the bomb), but also for safe keeping until they were needed in 2007? And I use safe keeping very loosely here, by the way.

I'm kind of leaning toward the second option and here's why.

Although some of them had a role to play in 1977, they also have a job to complete in 2007. Jacob needed them in both times, but not at the same time. When Lost premiers next January, I'm hoping the first thing we see is that white flash and hear that high pitched whirr.

I can't believe that our 1977 survivors have executed all that the island needs them to. Let's face it, Hurley's destiny is NOT to introduce garlic mayo to the world! There's something inside that guitar case that will help them fight Evil John and restore the islands balance.

And Miles wasn't meant to talk to dead Alverez to learn about some hot chic and fillings being pulled out through the brain, nor was he to meant to enjoy a great relationship with his father. I think he will talk to dead John Locke and find a new loophole that could help to defeat Evil John and, possibly, give Jacob a new, stronger presence on the island. Irony moment! What if Dead John's body becomes the vessel by which Jacob continues?

Just a thought. Now I have to finish mowing the lawn then I need to fix up the pool and, hopefully fill it for the season. But, as I seem to keep having random thoughts and ideas, I'll be back.

Let Me Grieve....

One of the most heart wrenching scenes of the Incident, besides the grievous loss of Juliet and possibly Sayid, is the moment that beautiful blue jeep starts its painful journey toward the magnetic shaft of destruction. Stu Radzinsky has a great deal to answer for and he had better stay the heck away from me. There's nothing worse than an really ticked of redhead with a temper stronger than that magnetic pocket he just tapped so recklessly into! Just what the heck did he think was going to happen when he hit that giant pocket of electromagnetic energy, anyway? I bet he hadn't even contemplated how to control it! Like any mad scientist of fiction, he was on a slippery slope and hell bent on taking whomever, and what ever, he could with him as he descended into his own personal hell. If things haven't been changed by the survivors' actions, then history tells us that he found his own sweet acre of Hades here on Earth.

While we mourn Juliet, I also mourn the blue jeep. I only hope Dharma had more than one, but not to be destroyed. I have a personal attachment to blue jeeps. In fact, my first post ever referenced how much I love the jeep and how excited I was to see Le Fleur tooling around the island in one. It's like my own personal connection to Lost.

Now, each time I drive my own beloved blue Jeep, a piece of me is saddened and yet I am buoyed by the realization that the Dharma Jeep lives on. The trail never ends!


My Jeep Liberty.

The Incident

VINCENT IS BACK! Doesn't he look great? Three years he has survived and, like Hurley, hasn't shed an ounce!


Whew, now that I've released the big news, lets get down to it, shall we?





Let me iterate, The Incident was the best episode we have seen as yet. It provided us with many answers, a slew of clues to other mysteries and, as always, left us with some pretty pressing questions. I expected nothing more than what I received. Damon and Carlton have raised it up yet another notch! And how freakin' cool was that new inverted Lost logo!

I have eighteen double sided pages of notes to sort through. I've never taken so many notes, not even in college, so it's going to take me some time to get through it all, but, here we go.

Our episode starts with what appears to be ancient clay pots, a man spinning thread, then weaving a tapestry. All by hand. The man is wearing a white shirt and black pants. He appears to be in a time long long ago. Where he lives is basic with stark furnishings. We see this man enter the sea and collect a fish trap emptying of its contents and cook the fish on fired stones. Another man approaches. He is dressed in black. They greet each other, the man in white offers the other some fish, but it is declined. They talk about the approach of the sailing ship. They, for lack of a better word, debate why it is here. I'll talk about what I think their words mean later.

I'm going to start with what we have learned about Jacob first of all. Basically, almost all the flashbacks in this episode feature one thing in common. Jacob. At various times in the survivors' lives Jacob has visited them, and touched them physically. I think the touch is a sort of protective shield to keep them safe until and during the crash of Oceanic 815. Fate lending a helping hand? I don't know.

We learned that Jacob has been existing on the island for what appears to be eons and that he lives in the four toed statue. Speaking of which, we were gifted with a really great view of it's head this time around, but more on that later. Jacob has a cohabitant on the island who seems to have a very dim view of humanity and truly hates Jacob. In fact, he'd like nothing more than to kill him, but something, perhaps some sort of rule, does not allow him to do so.

I think Jacob is responsible for bringing humans to the island. He seems to be an optimist and considers our evolution progress. His cohabitant, on the other hand, appears to believe that humans will never change. They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same. Jacob tells him that it only ends once, and anything before that is progress. Evolution? I'm not sure yet what he means by this.

We see Jacob visiting with each of our survivors at different times in their lives, usually a highly stressful time or, in John's case, horribly tragic. In each case he said each of their names and made sure to physically touch them.

When he visited Kate, she was a young girl and had just been caught having tried to steal a New Kids On The Block lunch box. When the shop keeper was about to phone her mother, Jacob intervened and paid for the item. He then extracted a promise from her never to steal again and touched her on the nose. "Be good, Katie"

Next we see him approach little James at the church where the funeral had just be held for his parents. This kid played an amazingly convincing Sawyer, who is writing a letter to the man who caused all the tragedy in his life to happen. His pen runs out of ink and Jacob gives him a new one. Again, making sure their fingers touch. Again, Jacob states his name.

There is a busy intersection. Sayid and Nadia are about to celebrate their anniversary and are looking for a great place to go for dinner. Nadia would just like to find her sunglasses. As they cross the road, Jacob asks Sayid for directions, holding him back as Nadia continues on, looking in her bag. She finds her sunglasses, turns and is hit by a SUV. She dies in the street. Her last words: Take Me Back.

Our next Jacob flashback was a surprise to me. It is in a foreign hospital and there's a patient whose body is completely bandaged. Something terrible has clearly happened to this person. It is Illana. When he visits her, she appears to know him and is happy to see him. He tells her he needs her help and she agrees. We don't actually see him touch her, but his hand does appear to reach for her.

John is next to be seen with Jacob. Jacob is sitting on a bench reading the book, Everything That Rises Must Converge, written by Flannery O'Conner. We hear the sound of braking glass followed by a gut wrenching thud. Jacob calmly walks over to John laying on the grass, kneels down and touches him. At that point we hear John inhale. I think he brought him back to life. He tells him not to worry, every thing's going to be all right and apologizes to him, then walks away.

Sun and Jin's wedding ceremony follows, with touching declarations of eternal love and promise for the future. Jacob meets them int he receiving line and tells them that their love is a special thing and it should never be taken for granted. He touches them both on the shoulders at the same time. When he is gone, they ask each other who was that, only to realize neither knows him.

Jack is operating. It's the girl he told Kate about in the pilot. We see the accidental cut and the panic rise within Jack. Christian is there, tells him to close his eyes, count to five, banish the fear and get on with what he was about to do. Afterward, Jack tries to buy an Apollo chocolate bar from a vending machine, but it gets stuck. He berates his father for making look bad in OR, just then a man calls out. Is this yours? Jacob has purchased the same chocolate bar and two have come out. He passes the spare to Jack and their hands touch.


Hurley is being released from the jail. He is innocent and they made an mistake. He gathers his belongings and hails a cab, but it already has a fare. The occupant offers to share. It is Jacob, who tells Hurley that he isn't cursed, but blessed. He assures him that he isn't crazy and tells the cabbie to stop and gets out. Hurley tells him he left his guitar behind, to which Jacob replies that it isn't his. It was Jacob who convinced Hurley that he could, should, return to the island.

We saw one flashback that did not feature Jacob. That was Juliet's. Her parents have sat down with Juliet and Rachel to tell them that their marriage has failed. They were getting a divorce, but they still love each other. Sometimes, even though two people love each other, they are not meant to be together. This flash back is just as important as the others as you will understand later.

Now on to 2007, and you will understand why when we get there.

John and the others are on their pilgrimage to see Jacob. They have a long way to walk. John wonders why Ben hasn't told Richard of his plans to kill Jacob, which is when Ben told him that he'd promised his dead daughter, under threat of destruction, to do what ever John Locke wanted him to do. This was a surprise to John, but he was pleased. He wouldn't have to convince Ben to kill Jacob then. They take a break at the survivor's old beach camp.

It's in disarray from three years' neglect. Most of the make shift huts have fallen down and Aaron's cradle is falling apart. Sun is saddened by the memories the camp evokes. She puts the cradle upright and spots something glistening in the sun. It's The DS ring that Charlie had placed in the crib, his final gift to baby Aaron, a family heirloom for his island kin. Ben admits to John that he has never seen Jacob and wonders why John wants him to kill Jacob. And so, John begins to plant seeds of anger in Ben.

"Despite your loyal service to this island, you got cancer. You had to watch your own daughter gunned down right in front of you. And your reward for these sacrifices? You were banished. And you did all this in the name of a man you've never met? Why wouldn't you want to kill Jacob?"

As the Others continue their trek, the mysterious people from Ajira 316 are paddling from the Hydra island to the larger island. They've brought the metal crate and an unconscious Frank. They make the beach and unload the crate. Bram wonders why Illana wanted to bring Frank with them. He didn't know the answer to the question. But Illana tells him that he could be important and Bram wonders if he could be a candidate.

I'm loving Frank because I just knew that he was awake, listening to them. I'm sure he'd been conscious for most of the journey, but since he's a pilot, rowing just isn't his talent. Illana tells him that they are his friends. You gotta love Frank's queries. He always words them so well...

"So, you smack all your friends in the face with a rifle, shove them in a boat and kidnap them?"

"Only the ones we like." Illana can give as well as she can take.

They show Frank what's in the crate. Judging by the look on his face he's both confused and horrified. I wanted to see too, but my TV isn't 3D and I couldn't change the angle of view. Drats. They lock up the crate and head into the jungle. Illana knows where she is going, which makes me think that she's been there before. She is taking them to the cabin, and Frank really wishes he hadn't asked what was in the crate.

They arrive at the ramshackle cabin and Bram notices the line of ash has been broken. Foreboding fills the air as Illana heads inside. She sees a painting of a dog (I still think it looks a lot like Vincent), broken dishes, debris on the floor. Pinned to the wall with a knife is a square of woven material. Whatever, or whomever she is looking for is long gone. She shows the material to Bram. He frowns. He knows where they're going next. They torch the cabin, much to not tree hugging Frank's objections and leave. Nothing is ever easy, right?

The others reach the base of the four toed foot and gather. It is getting dark now, but John wants to see Jacob right away. Richard urges patience. Jacob will come to you. But John is impatient and wants to see him now. Ben admits to Sun that he's never met Jacob and tells her the giant foot has been like that since he arrived. She asked if she should believe him, and is told probably not.

After some prompting, Richard agrees to show John the way into Jacob's place. He tells John that Ben can't continue with him. Only one leader allowed on the island at a time. That made me wonder. Is John truly the leader? But time flies when you're having fun and Richard pushed the heavy stone wall open. "Tell him I said hi", he says, then goes back to the group on the beach. John and Ben enter the base and John gives Ben a knife, assuring him that things will be different once Jacob is gone. Ben is still seething, which is what John wants. They move forward into the main area where Jacob lives.

It is stark, just as we saw at the beginning. The only difference? The tapestry is complete. It is magnificent and draws Ben's attention. Jacob has been waiting for them. He tells Ben that he spun the thread by hand, and to weave it took forever, which is the point. John greets Jacob.

Illana and her men arrive at the base of the statue and asks for Ricardus. Richard greets them. It's quite tense, then Illana asks the important question. "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Richard's response is in Latin, those buggars! Damon and Carlton, you will rot in hell for this!

Thankfully, there's babelfish, and if I did it right, Richard's reply was: "He who will protect us all."

Illana tells him she has something he must see and orders the crate to be opened. They open the crate and tip it over, spilling it's contents onto the sand.

Not in one million years was I expecting what tumbled onto the beach! Nope. And I was so surprised I jumped up screaming. My border collie is still regarding me with accusing eyes. Poor thing was in a lovely deep sleep on her doggie bed and, at my scream, leaped three feet into the air, looked for the intruder and was not happy that she didn't get to chase one away. I'm sure she glared at my back while I slept last night. It hurts right between the shoulder blades, just where her eyes would have been leveled.

Anyway, in case you missed it, the body of John Locke fell out. GASP!?!?!?!?!?!!? Illana had found him in the cargo hold of the plane, inside the coffin.






Sun asked the question we were all afraid to voice... "I don't understand. If this is John Locke, who's in there?"

Yeah, and he's been leading Ben astray, I'm thinking. Although, Ben is pretty astray all on his own doing.

Inside the Foot, Jacob greets his "friend." Ben is stunned as he watches their exchange.

Hello Jacob.
Did you find your loophole?
Indeed, I did. And you have no idea what I've been through to be here.


Fake John urges Ben to kill Jacob. Jacob gives him a choice. He can do what Fake John asks, or he leave and let them discuss their issues.

Ben is angry. The anger of 35 years of being ignored boils over and he stabs Jacob to death.

With his last breath, Jacob tells his nemesis, whom I believe is the man from the beach at the beginning, that they are coming. Fake John, for lack of a better name, kicks him into the flames.

1977

There was so much going on that I've watched this episode three times already and am still working on trying to make sure I've caught everything. Likely, I'll have missed something.

On the sub, Kate tries to convince Sawyer that he needs to go back to the island to try and stop Jack. Jack is going to blow up the island, according to Kate. Oh ye of little faith. That's been their problem all along. Neither Jack nor Kate have had the faith in each other that they should have. But Sawyer is still brooding. He's upset that his happy life with Juliet in Hippyville is over and he wants only to start a new life with his love in the real world 1977, away from everyone else. But, alas, it is not to be.

Now I don't know about anyone else, but I've been thinking that Juliet has had an advance "awareness". Her decision making process is deliberate, yet quick. She knocks out the orange juice sedative delivery dude, uncuffs herself and Kate and, after giving Sawyer an option, uncuffs him as well. They force the captain to surface and put them off the vessel, then with characteristic compassion, insists that he promise to take his passengers as far away as possible and don't come back, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Jack and Sayid are studying Daniel's journal. It's a good thing that Daniel had the foresight to realize that two men, who know absolutely diddly about time travel and nuclear explosive devices, would be reading his journal. The detail to which he ensured anyone could understand was astonishing as Jack and Sayid carefully removed the plutonium core and prepared to transport it to the Swan site.

Richard and Jack have a quick chat about John. Richard has his doubts, and rightfully so, but Jack tells him not to give up. I almost choked on my York peppermint patty! Jack defending John? Dharma cooks must have baked some of those special brownies for breakfast that the 70's were so famous for! Richard reminds Ellie that the reason they plugged up the bomb and put it underground was because it was leaking radiation, oh, just in case she forgot, he also reminded her that she was pregnant.

With the plutonium core safely wrapped and strapped to Sayid's back, lucky guy, Richard leads them down the tunnel to a wall with a triangular stone in it. He breaks through the wall smack dab into Horace Goodspeed's basement! Richard knocks out Ellie, and is she ever going to ticked when she comes to, but he'd rather face her wrath than grieve for her. He's only protecting his leader, after all. Jack and Sayid are on their own.

Fair enough. They cautiously creep up the stairs and peer out the window. The compound is in chaos and it looks like Phil got himself a field promotion, as he's out there directing traffic. What to do, what to do? Sayid slips on one of Horace's jumpsuits and they walk calmly toward the boundary. They were almost home free, too, when Roger Linus, in a rare fit of vengeful fatherhood, recognized Sayid and shot him. Oh crap, I groaned, this is not going to end well.


Meanwhile, Sawyer, Juliet and Kate are left to row, row, row their boat back to shore. They arrive at a beach which no-one recognizes. There's a sound and the tall grass rustles and out comes our favorite golden lab, Vincent. I don't remember him quite that chubby, though, I thought as he happily greeted his visitors. And while Vincent is glad to see them, his room mates are not as pleased by the intrusion.


Rose and Bernard (who's really let himself go and looks like he's Rip Van Winkle) explain that they wanted to stay retired and so, when Saywer and the others joined Dharma, they easily avoided detection. They built a nice cozy cabin by the beach, pilfered Dharma food supplies, and were raising their son Vincent to be an irresponsible carefree citizen of the island. Anything that happens will just have to happen without them, which means they've opted out of the Jack is gonna kill us all school of thought.

Jack and Sayid were cornered and it didn't look good for either of them. Bullets were flying at them from all directions, and, though Jack tried to fight back (isn't his aim getting so much better with all that practice he's been getting?), I was beginning to worry. Then along comes Hurley with his magical Dharma micro bus loaded with Jin and Miles to save the day!

Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind
On the road to Shambala
Everyone is lucky, everyone is so kind
On the road to Shambala
Oh Yeah baby!

Ahem. Urrrrch! The van comes to a stop. Sawyer, Juliet and Kate are standing in the middle of the path. Can't call that a road, can we? Sawyer asks for five minutes to talk to Jack. Was I the only one who giggled with glee when Jack got that he-wants-to-be-my-friend look and agreed to the chat? Biggest mistake of the day, for Jack, because Sawyer's sad story about his parents and the fact that he could have hopped a sub and stopped it failed to sway Jack. So, as is Sawyer's way, he resorted to beating the tar out of Jack. Jack took it well, too, for the first little bit. But Sawyer was really really ticked about having his happy hippy life ruined and, since Jack was the closest, he went berzerk on the poor doc's face.

Juliet, as ever the voice of reason, finally called James off his punch fest and explained that Jack was right. Whaaaaat? Poor Sawyer. Even after living with the woman for three years he still can't grasp that whole women's perogative about changing their minds at the drop of a palm frond. This is where we remember that whole flash back of Juliet's and how two people could love each other and not meant to be together, because Juliet is about ready to cut Saywer loose despite loving him with everything she has.

At the Swan, Radzinsky is throwing yet another hissy fit. Chang has shut down the drill. He doesn't spend six years planning a station that'll manipulate magnetic energy in ways we can only dream of for nothing! The drilling begins again and Stu's walkie beeps. It's Phil. The Hostiles have been spotted and accoridng to Roger, they have a bomb. Radzinsky orders Stu to get his hiney up to the Swan, and bring some guns.

Sayid is in a bad way. He knows that Jack can't stop the bleeding and it's only a matter of time. Jack scopes the Swan site and watches the drilling. He manages to convince Kate that this is the only way she can be sure that Aaron is where he belongs. Kate tells him that she's with him. Suddenly an alram goes off, something is happening at the Swan. They've hit the pocket. As Jack heads to the Swan to drop the bomb, Miles asks a very interesting question.

"Has it occurred to any of you that your buddy is actually going to cause the thing he is trying to prevent? Perhaps that little nuke is the incident."

And then it hit me like a feather tied to a brick! Miles just could be bang on right about that.

The group ponders the thought for a moment. Until, that is, they hear a noise and see Phil and his gang of hooligans racing toward the Swan. That's when they decide, live together, die alone, Jack is gonna need their help. Phil orders his merry men into position and, as luck would have it, he spots Jack and starts shooting. Since the good doc has had a great deal of practice, he takes out a few guys on his own before the calvary arrives, guns blazing out the windows of that lovely powder blue micro bus.

In my head I could hear Trooper screaming: Raise a little hell, raise a little hell, raise a little hell.

Which, if their plan didn't succeed, is exactly what the island would become. For a few tense moments I was wondering if they would. Just when I was about to give up hope, they managed to gain control of the situation. Dr. Chang grabbed Stu's gun and tried to turn the drill off. But it was too late. The magnetic energy was slowly pulling it in. Jack drops the bomb.

Juliet and Kate closed their eyes in agony and waited for the inevitable. Jack held his breath. Sawyer, I think, bit his lip and loosened his grip on Phil. They were all going to die when it hit bottom anyway. And they waited. Thunk. What the heck?

They realized it didn't work, but the pull was growing much stronger. A tool box flew across the site, hit Jack in the back of the head and knocked him out, then it flew down the shaft. A wheelbarrow skuttled across the dirt and fipped itself in. Stu and few of his boys, now horribly frightened, tried to take off in the Jeep, but its attraction to the hole was inescapable. Phil, who seemed to think he was impervious to danger, pulls a gun on Sawyer. Oh LaFleuuuuuur, he calls with giddy glee....just as scaffolding crumbles around him and he is gored by rebar. Serves him right for hitting Juliet.



Speaking of Juliet. Suddenly I really hate that the red shirts always seem to get killed on away missions and on Lost, they always bite it in the most spectatular ways. Grabbed by chains that are snaking toward the hole, Juliet screams. Kate leaps forward and grabs the ends, but can barly hang on. Sawyer reaches for and grabs Juliet's hand. They try to untangle her, but they can't and their grip is slipping. I am in tears as I watch her let go and the total devastation that consumes Sawyer as he watches the only person he's truly loved fall to her death.

I hate you team Darlton, I thought. Juliet's final sacrifice is at the bottom of the shaft as the drilling apparatus collapses and falls. She struggles to reach the bomb and hits it repeatedly until.....Flash of White!


WHAT I WANNA KNOW

1. Where the heck is Horace? Did Stu tie him up and put him in Sawyer's closet?
2. Why didn't Jacob visit Hurley when he was a child? Why wait until his entire psyche had been totally shattered?
3. If Jacob knew what would happen to Sayid after Nadia was killed, why didn't he stop it? Did he need Sayid to become a killer?
4. How did Phil get off the sub? Last we saw of him he was on the sub as they closed the hatch.
5. Where's Amy and baby Ethan? Have they gone to the Other's camp?
6. When they were bulding Dharmaville, why didn't they notice the tunnels below?
7. Where were Rose and Bernard stealing the food from and why didn't the Others find them? Did they have Dharma Dog Food or did Vincent eat what they ate?
8. Who is Jacob's nemesis and why does he want to kill Jacob?
9. Was it Jacob's nemesis who took John Locke's form and convinced Ben to kill him or was it another entity?
10. Are Smokey and Jacob's nemesis the same thing?
11. Was that the Black Rock we saw sailing into the bay at the island?
12. Did Jacob set up every one so that his nemesis could kill him?
13. Is Jacob dead?
14. The white flash at the end, was it one more time jump to take Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Jin, Kate and Miles back to 2007? If so, did it take Juliet as well? What about Rose, Bernard and Vincent?
15. Who is Christian really speaking for? Jacob?
16. Did the bomb work?
17. Was Ben ever supposed to be leader of the Others or did he go against Jacob's wishes and exile Charles Widmore on his own, pretending that it was Jacob's orders?
18. Why did Jacob ignore Ben.
19. Was it Jacob who healed young Ben?
20. How did Jacob and his "friend" get to the island? Did they used to be friends? Brothers?

TRANSLATION OF GREEK ON TAPESTRY

Accroding to Dark UFO the greek symbols on the tapestry translate to this:

May heaven grant you in all things your heart's desire.

Odysseus speaking to Nausicaa

Homer - The Odessy Book 6, line 108

There also appears to be Egyptian and possibly Roman on the tapestry, but I'm not too sure.

Well, that's it for now. I've been working on this all day and am, again, exhausted. I want to watch the episode again and then I'll publish my favorite quotes. I'll also add more thoughts and my take on what I've seen.

I'm also planning a few 'research' projects for the loooooong hiatus. But mostly I'll be specualting, and likely being very wrong, about the upcoming season.

I'll likely watch Lost starting from season one and post what I'm thinking about those as I connect the dots.

Namaste

Arcticroses

The Incident - Initial Thoughts

Wow. That had to be one of the most amazing episodes ever, and definitely the best finale since season 1. I'm going to give you a few of my thoughts, get some sleep and return tomorrow. I am exhausted.

Notice the correlation between Jacob and his island mate and Ben and Charles Widmore. Also notice that one wears white and one wears black (the stones they found)

Each time Jacob visited our survivors, he made sure that he touched them. I have an theory on that, but it will wait until tomorrow)

Now we know how Chang lost his arm.

We now know that it was Jacob who brought Hurley back to the island.

When we got the flashback of Juliet I waited for Jacob to appear, but he didn't. This is significant.

Ben never met Jacob.

Richard was right. John Locke is TROUBLE! And it isn't even the real John Locke. I'm blaming Ben.

The fake John Locke is the guy from the beginning of the episode. Think banned from paradise, returns to island to get revenge and uses Ben, because neither Jacob nor his buddy can kill the other. Ben-Widmore

Good think Vincent is okay. Rose and Bernard really rockin' the good life. And Bernard's beard was trippin'. Gotta love these two (adam and eve?).

Did you notice that at the end of the show the background was white and the word LOST was black? This has got to be significant.

Phil is a jerk.

Radzinsky is the craziest scientist I've ever seen. He's not gonna be happy when he realizes he's wasted the last six years of his life.

My brain is goo and I have a migrain coming on. I'm going to get some sleep then get back to this.

Tonight We Will Be Blown Away!

I have not seen any previews for tonight's finale with the exception of the one that followed last week's episode. It looks to be an explosive event in more ways than one. So, to prepare you for this chaos, I have provided a picture of serenity for you.

Photo by Arcticroses.

Remember to click on the photo for a larger view.

Jug Head

I'm not going to go into a deep analogy of the hydrogen bomb. The only thing I know hydrogen bombs is that they go boom and cause a great deal of death and destruction. I'm not even going to try to relate it to the classic comic character from the Archie series. I read one or two issues when I was a teen, but that's about it. I just want to clarify something and either be wrong or right.

I think that Daniel's plan has merit and could, to a small degree, work. However, he has failed to take into account other variables. By variables, I mean other people's actions. Let's first deal with the plan, then I'll talk about what I think could happen.

The plan is to detonate the hydrogen bomb at or near the Swan construction site to negate the sudden and violent burst of electromagnetic energy that is released when the drilling begins.

Negate: (verb) to nullify or cause to be ineffective

Dan's plan is to render the electromagnetic energy burst ineffective.

Of course, now that Dan is dead, we have a slight, itsy-bitsy problem. Jack, Eloise, Richard, nor Sayid have a clue how to detonate the bomb, nor do they know when the drilling at the Swan site is supposed to start. This left me wondering.

Remember when Miles drove Dan to the Orchid? Daniel checked his watch, then consulted his journal. Written in the journal are key dates and times. I am assuming that Dan, indeed all of the survivors, have been experiencing the time loops over and over again, each time learning a little bit more information that will help them to stop the cycle. Daniel has written in his journal the time Radzinsky's drilling hits the pocket of energy, thus telling Jack when the bomb needs to be detonated.

What? Two explosions of out of this world energy? At the same time?

Yes. If positioned properly, and detonated at just the precise moment, both blasts can neutralize each other. Either that or the island is blown to smithereens and, blip, it's all over. But consider this. A synonym for neutralize is cancel. Each blast cancels the other, and we have a less destructive effect.

Now, let's get back to the variables I mentioned earlier. People. We have a scenario that seems to be overlooked. Remember that I posted earlier that Sawyer drew a map to the Hostiles in exchange for an exiting trip on the Galaga? This is where things change from other times the scenario was played out in the previous loops. What if Radzinsky decides to mount an attack on the Others, disguised as a rescue attempt to retrieve young Ben?

Radzinsky instructs his crew to start drilling, despite Chang's warning. Jack and the others detonate the bomb according to Daniel's instructions. But, with an other than expected result. Perhaps Chang tries to stop the drilling and loses his arm, which causes a delay, the bomb explodes and then the burst of energy is released. I just don't know at this point in the game and, as each minute passes that brings us closer to the finale, my mind is working over time.

But I know that, to me, Radzinsky appears confrontational, angry and aggressive. He has always appeared to me like this. I'm not even sure how he was ever deemed Dharma material if these are the only traits he displays. Dharma has guns, yes, but I think they were purely defensive. We have never seen Dharma be on the offensive, just the defensive. They want world peace. Which is why I have such a problem with Radzinsky's character.

It's not a perfect theory, and I haven't figured out all the minute details, but it could happen.

The Incident - What Is It?

As we all know the season finale is titled "The Incident".

The name itself leads us to believe something on a massive scale is about to happen, and many people are thinking that the incident involves the Hydrogen bomb, the Swan Station and something called Electromagnetism and it all coming together explosively. Indeed, many audience members are expecting such.

But, just a thought, what if the "Incident" doesn't really have anything to do with the H-bomb, the Swan or the infamous electromagnetic energy burst?

In Follow The Leader the last thing Sawyer trades to get himself and Juliet onto the sub is a map to the Hostiles. Radzinsky demanded it. Do you remember? I didn't even pay attention to that part of the scene until today, as I was thinking about what could be the incident.

Then I started putting two and two together and possibly have come up with eleventeen, but bear with me.

We know an "incident" occurred during of shortly after construction of the Swan.
Pierre Chang's right arm is unmoving and appears to have been amputated in the orientation video.

Ben and the Others apparently did not know about the existence of the Swan until after Locke and Jack had blown the hatch door (I am skeptical of this, but I'll explain later).
Despite the gassing purge of the island, Danielle survived, as did Radzinsky and Kelvin Inman.

Okay, so here's my blazingly brilliant thought.

What if the incident is Dharma attacked the Hostiles, a battle ensued and, in the end, neither side wins?

Just a thought.

The reason why I doubt that Ben and the Others didn't know about the Swan's existence is simple. There were enough people working on the project within Dharma, some of them actually wearing coveralls with the Swan insignia, that Ben would have noticed. Not only that, I believe Amy, Ethan's mother and Horace's wife, was a Hostile spy. I can think of no other way how Ethan would have been with Ben and the Hostiles in 1988 when Alex was taken. ClearwaterChica from the Lost Message Boards actually helped me to make the connection by pointing out the elderly Amelia. Amelia. Amy could be short for Amelia. Someone else on the boards also pointed out the pendant Amy's first husband wore around his neck, and how important it was to Amy. Which was the same symbol connected to the statue. Even if Ben himself didn't know about the Swan, I'm sure Amy, having Horace's confidence, would have known and told the Others.

"Uhm, hey, guys? Remember when I was living among the Dharma folks and having babies and sharing pillow talk with their leader? Well, he told me about a top secret station they were building in our territory.....And well, if you're gonna kill all these people, maybe you might want to take care of the ones in that station too. Just thought you'd like to know...."

Or something like that. The point is, the Others utilized every resource they could from Dharma and it stands to reason that they would make sure they had total control of the island by taking out whomever was in that station. Of course, they could have made a deal with Radzinsky to push the button and let him think he was saving the world. There is also the possibility that, with the duration of the term of service in the Swan, the station was sealed for that period of time automatically ( a kind of don't' open until Christmas idea) and, by the end of that time the Others had forgotten about it.

Or not. Soon we will see.

A super-hyped, getting really, really excited Arcticroses.

Can Jacob Be Killed?

The last thing we hear is John Locke telling Ben that he is going to kill Jacob.



Here's my thought on this.



Jacob, like Richard Alpert, is very very old. They may even have arrived onto the island at the same time. Possibly on the Black Rock, maybe even earlier.
I think Jacob is good and that he may have been the original leader of the Others, but Richard staged a coup and chose a "puppet" leader, ruling the Others via proxy as the Advisor.

The ash circle around Jacob's cabin is not to keep people OUT but to keep Jacob IN.

I have suspected this since the first time his name was mentioned and when Ben said only he or Richard have ever seen him. When Locke heard Jacob's cry for help Ben knew he had to act and shot John, leaving him to die in the Dharma Death Pit. But the island healed him because it needs John.

Richard and Ben have been perpetrating an elaborate hoax, ala King John, by locking away the true leader and ruling in his stead, following his own agenda but claiming it is decreed by the real king. Richard and Ben have realized that John Locke will be their downfall, which is why Ben keeps trying to kill him. Ben did not know that the island would revive John and imbue him with such confidence, purpose and knowledge.

I believe the only reason Ben boarded the Ajira 316 flight was to return to the island and resume his leadership of the Others. Seeing the new and improved John Locke is causing both Richard and Ben to fear. How is it that Richard was not aware of John's return to the island? And Ben admitted that the island never told him anything and came perilously close to admitting to never seeing Jacob.

John Locke in NOT going to kill Jacob but is going to kill the myth of Jacob. He is going to pull back the curtain and reveal the deceit and lies that Richard and Ben have been telling to everyone for so many years. They have been using Jacob's name as an instrument of fear to keep their people in line.

Follow The Leader (or are you still with me?)

Okay, so earlier I posted my recap of Follow The Leader. It was such a great episode that I felt, in order to do it justice, I needed two posts.

Follow The Leader was about taking charge. Radzinsky took control of Dharma. Eloise took control of her future son's fate. Jack took control of his own fate. Locke is taking steps to ensure his control of the Others.

I have a few questions.

1. Is Locke really supposed to be the leader of the Others, or, through a series of crazy time loops, did he set himself up as the leader? It's a sort of what came first, the chicken or the egg dilemma. For four seasons John has been told that he is special, that his destiny is not as a regional collections officer at some box company. In light of last night's episode where we see the scene of John and Richard at the Beechcraft from a different perspective and learn that John was watching the exchange between himself and Richard's. So, I wonder; would Richard have assisted John at the smuggler's plane if John hadn't taken him there. Would he have told John that he had to die? And did the island tell John to tell Richard to tell flashing John this in the first place?


2. Is Eloise already pregnant with Daniel in 1977? I've searched for Daniel's date of birth but can't seem to find anything stating the date he was born.
   
3. Is Richard as attuned to the needs and wants of the island as we've been lead to believe? Would the island not have told him about Ben's return, especially after judgement day beneath the temple? And didn't they hear the plane crash? I know it didn't break up in mid air, but didn't it make a great big noise hitting the trees? Richard didn't know that Ben was back and he didn't know where John had gone. Did they even bother to look for him after he flashed away?
   
4. Did anyone notice how freaked out Ben and Richard were by the new Locke? Its almost like they have been running the biggest scam on island, like selling candy to school children out of their back packs, and the new principal is about to catch them.
   
5. When is Sun going to realize the John has no intention of even attempting to reunite her with Jin? He keeps giving her platitudes, words that are meant to keep her calm but really don't promise anything. She needs to get ruthless again.
   
6. How does Jack know for certain that his reason is to detonate Jug Head and possibly stop the plane from crashing, thus reversing everything that has happened in the last three years? Yes, I see him making decisions and having faith that they are the right ones! He reminds me of someone standing in line at the convenience store buying everything on the counter just because it's there. They never really planned on buying the Tic Tacs in the special anniversary packaging. I understand why he wants to explode the bomb, I just don't see how it is going to work. Wouldn't the fates of EVERYONE on board that plane need to not be connected to the island? John Locke? Mr. Eko? Daniel? Charlotte? Doesn't he realize that some of the survivors don't want to erase the past?
   
7. What's with Sawyer and Juliet making a deal and leaving their friends behind? What happened to loyalty? What happened to looking after each other?
   
8. What's in Hurley's guitar case? Seriously, it's not a guitar. At least, it better not be. I have a feeling that it carries something that is going to help them return to 2007. Either that or it's the largest collection of Twinkies on the planet. I've never had one of those things and I hear that they'll survive a nuclear explosion and still be edible.
   
9. Where has Sayid been hiding out?
   
10. Did Hurley pack a can opener when he stole the food?

Here's what I'm thinking.

I think that, despite detonating the hydrogen bomb, the accident at the Swan site will still occur. Radzinsky is intent on drilling and even the threat of cataclysmic failure isn't about to stop him. Jack will not be able to stop the incident at the Swan station. I don't know anything about the explosive power of a hydrogen bomb but I'm pretty sure it's mighty destructive. I wonder if it will be strong enough to neutralize the energy that is released when Radzinky begins to drill into the ground. Somehow I doubt it. The universe will make sure it happens and no matter how frequently one goes back in time and changes what has been done leading up to the major event, it will still happen. The outcome will be the same with minor changes along the way.

Quotables!

Ben - His name is Richard Alpert. He's a kind of.....advisor. And he has had the job for a very very long time.

Ben - What John, don't you trust me here with my former people? Afraid I'll stage a coup?

John - I'm not afraid of anything you can do anymore, Ben.

Ben - Well, in that case, I'd love to come along!

Sawyer - Son of a bitch! *after Phil hits Juliet*

Radzinsky - Who the hell is Hugo Reyes?

Phil - He's the fat guy.

Ben - Your timing was impeccable, John. How did you know when to be here?

John - The island told me. Didn't it ever tell you things?

Ben - Uhm, no.

This week I have two favorite quotes.

Richard - Well, you seemed pretty convinced, especially when I said you were gonna die. I;m certainly glad that didn't have to happen.

John - Actually, Richard, it did. *stunned look from Richard*

And

Richard - I'm starting to think that John Locke is gonna be trouble.

Ben - Why do you think I tried to kill him?

I have few thoughts about Jacob. Who he is, where he came from and can he be killed, but that will need to wait until tomorrow. Until then...

Arcticroses

Follow The Leader (Or How Jack Got His Groove Back)

Well, that was interesting. Okay, it was awesome! It was widely rumoured that Follow The Leader was a Richard centric episode and I know a lot of people were eagerly anticipating learning about his backstory. I, too, am a bit disappointed that we didn't learn anything new about Richard. Or did we? I'll get back to that later. First, let's get to what went on, shall we? Follow The Leader didn't have any flashbacks or flashforwards, it just travelled along two parallel lines. One in 1977 and the other in 2007. This episode was about what it means to be in the position to lead and what happens when the masses disagree with you (paging Horace Goodpeed). Also, it's about what happens when one decides to take charge of one's own destiny, grab the proverbial bull by the horns, so to speak.

1977

We pick up where The Variable left off. Daniel has just been shot and killed by his mother, and I am ready to crucify Eloise at the stake for murdering her son. Kate and Jack are about to flee when Charles Widmore comes upon them and captures them, taking them into the Others' camp. We see Eloise flip through Daniel's journal and an odd look crosses her face. Sort of like recognition, maybe? She realizes that Jack and Kate are not Dharma and tells Charles to put them into her tent, where she tells Jack and Kate about her encounter in 1954 with a young man who told her he was from the future and then disappeared before her eyes. She adds that she just shot and killed that same man and that he told her he was her son. With her frame of mind opening wider and wider to understand what just happened, she was ready to believe Jack when he told her that they can undo what just happened. They just need to get to the hydrogen bomb. Oh, is that all? Just follow the simple instructions in the journal and voila, all will be undone! But, Eloise is willing. We don't know it yet, but I'm sure she is pregnant at that time. Eloise decides to take Jack and Kate to the hydrogen bomb. Ooops, one problem. They buried it underground, but Dharma sort of built their town right on top of it!

Jack has found his purpose, and boy oh boy it's a doozie! Kate doesn't understand why Jack would want to erase all that has happened over the past three years. She's convinced that what ever happened happened and nothing is going to change it. When she tries to leave Jack to find the others, Eric the Other aims his rifle at her and is about to shoot her when he himself is shot. Sayid pops up out of the bushes and aims his gun at Richard and Eloise, who readily surrender. As an aside, did anyone else notice that just before she put her hands up she dropped something into her bag? I wonder what it was.

Jack explains to Sayid what the plan for the bomb is, much to Kate's displeasure. She has everything to lose if Daniel's plan works and Oceanic 815 doesn't crash, but lands safely in LA instead. Remember, she was a fugitive on her way home to be prosecuted for a couple of murders. Sayid, on the other hand, has a whole new life to gain if Jack succeeds. He was on his way to LA where he knew his beloved Nadia lived. As a plus, neither Ben nor Charles would be a threat to Nadia's life in the future. Can you imagine how tempting it would be for Sayid if there were even an inkling of a chance that he could have a long life with Nadia.

Richard and Eloise lead them into a pond and through a long underwater tunnel to where they secured Jughead. Of course, no one really knew what to do from there and dear Eloise is going to have to learn to understand her son's journal really quick.

Meanwile, back in Dharma village of the damned Sawyer and Juliet are about to feel the deranged aggressiveness of Radzinsky, and pimple faced Phil (at least it looks like a pimple just beneath his right nostril) looks on in glee. He's gonna get payback, I'm sure. Horace tries to be the leader but ole Stu has staged a coupe of his own and taken charge. Peace loving Horace hasn't got the stomach for what happens next. When Sawyer refuses to talk, Phil takes it out on Juliet.

Of course, while Sawyer is on the receiving end of Stu's fist, Hurley is raiding the Dharma kitchen for food, then sneaks away. He is followed by Dr. Chang, who needs to know the truth. In one of the best scenes of the episode, certainly the funniest, Peirre quizzes Hurley. He was doing pretty good until he couldn't remember who the President of the US was in 1977. Miles and Pierre had a quick bonding moment and then they went their separate ways. Miles, Jin and hurley to the beach, Pierre to evacuate the island.

Dr. Chang rushes to find Horace, and stumbles upon the beat fest, demanding that the island be evacuated now. If they keep drilling at the Swan and even of cataclysmic proportions is going to happen. Radzinsky says it's the drilling will go as planned and tells Pierre that he is in charge now. Sawyer makes a deal. "Well tell you everything you want, just put us on the sub." Or something like that. But not before Radzinsky demands a map to the Hostiles, which Sawyer provides. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm thinking that map is the same as the one Daniel has in the future. Dharma is evacuating the island of all non-essential personnel. Miles, Jin and Hurley watch from the bushes and are surprised to see their friends being led to the sub. When Hurley asks what the plan is to rescue them, Miles tells him there isn't one. Besides, there are thirty guys with guns against two (Hurley doesn't have one).

Sawyer and Juliet board the Galaga. He tells her that they'll be okay. In the real world these guys have no authority. They'll buy Microsoft and bet on the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 and be rich. On the sub they affirm their love for each other. So sweet. Just as the sub is about to be closed a pompous and smug Phil arrives with Kate. She too, is being deported. He took great joy in telling them that she was caught coming into town!

When last we see the Galaga it is diving below the surface heading to parts unknown.

2007

In 2007, we see Richard with the ultimate hobby. Building ships in bottles takes diligence, excellent eyesight and more patience than I could ever muster, not to mention a steady hand. And didn't that ship look like a model of the Black Rock? It did to me. Anyway, he is told that He is back and Richard leaves his tent. He is met by John Locke, boar on his shoulders. John brought dinner, which is an effective way of winning people over.

Richard notices something is different about John and tells him so. John has a purpose, a new reason for being on the island. Something tells me that this new John's purpose may not be a good thing. But, hey, he brought dinner, right? John had brought Sun and Ben as well, and when Ben explains that Richard is an advisor, and has been one for ever and ever amen, Sun approaches him to ask about their 1977 friends. I have to say, I was not believing him when he said that he watched them all die. I called out, NOOOOOOOO and my dogs gave me that "you are disturbing me" look! John assured her that he would find a way to reunite her with Jin. If what Richard said was true, then it will only be in death that Sun sees Jin again.

Locke takes Richard and Ben on an errand. They must move quickly as there isn't much time. I honestly did not expect that that errand was to the Beechcraft where Richard took the bullet out of his leg. I should have seen it though. The signs were there. The Ajira water bottle on the beach, the flashing survivors being shot at. Out of the bushes stumbles flashing Locke and Richard attends to him, telling him that he must get the others to come back and that he'll have to die to do so.

While Richard is busy with flashing Locke, John and Ben have an interesting conversation that made me giggle. But I stopped giggling when John practically accused Ben of never seeing Jacob, and by the look on Ben's face, John's assumption is correct. There's something odd about that, but I can't seem to pin point exactly where my doubt originates. Anyway, we hear a POP and see Richard kneeling over nothing. Richard tells John that flashing John appeared to be convinced of what he had to do, then added that he was glad that John didn't have to die in the end. I loved the look on Richard's face when John told him that he did have to die.

Back at the beach camp John wonders if there are more Others and learns there are more at the Temple. He tells them that for far too long they have been blindly following orders from some unseen omnipotentate and that has to stop. If someone is giving orders, then John, for one, wants to know exactly who is giving them. His people agree and Richard and Ben acquiesce to take them to Jacob. Early in the morning the Others depart on their pilgrimage to find Jacob. Ben tries to distract him by telling him that Richard has some concerns about his leadership. When that doesn't work, he tries to remind him that he promised to reunite Sun with Jin, but to no avail. John doesn't care about reuniting his people. He's going to kill Jacob!

BOMBSHELL!

I'll post more tomorrow after I have watched the episode for the fourth time. We are having some rather severe weather right now that keeps knocking out power. I'm okay on the laptop, but my Internet connection is dicey right now.

Let me know what you think. As always,

I love excellent conversation.

Arcticroses.