Principal Purpose: Culture and Meaning in LOST 6.07 “Dr. Linus” by Pearson Moore
LOST Theories, Recaps/Reviews, Season 6 View Comments
“What was truly devastating to him was the loss of his power. They allowed him to keep the title of Emperor, but without any power it was meaningless.”
Ben knew well the significance of his history lecture, for in another reality, he had been Emperor, only to be stripped of power and exiled off the Island. Likewise, Richard knew the power of immortality, but it carried no value for him. Death had more meaning.
For both men, power was an illusion, and they gave it up. They surrendered: To Ilana’s forgiveness, to Jack’s faith.
Ben’s exile is over now. Richard’s life has just begun. They discovered something more potent, more meaningful, more triumphant than power: They discovered purpose.
Fathers and Sons
“The Chosen”, the book Ben discovered among the ruins of Sawyer’s tent on the beach, was a most appropriate choice as LOST’s book of the week, for several reasons. “The Chosen” is the story of two boys growing up in mid-twentieth century Brooklyn, New York. Like LOST, “The Chosen” is an engrossing story rich with meaning at several levels. In a strange parallel with our favourite television programme, one of the boys sits down with his friend and says, “I wanted to kill you.”
Those who have read “The Chosen” will quickly identify one of the major motifs of LOST. However, I believe it is not the recurring theme itself, but the way in which the theme is developed in “The Chosen” that has deepest relevance to this evening’s episode.
“The Chosen” seems to focus on the lives of two boys, but the novel really hinges on an entirely different issue. The story is similar to W. P. Kinsella’s “Shoeless Joe”, which at first seems to concern Ray’s quest to bring peace to Shoeless Joe Jackson and renewed purpose to J. D. Salinger’s writing career. In both novels, final resolution is achieved not by bringing closure to the early plot threads, but by reconciling father with son.
I believe “Dr. Linus” was similarly structured. As with many installments of LOST over the years, tonight’s episode contained multiple references to father/child relationships. “The Chosen” seemed to be about two boys growing beyond the limitations of their childhoods to carve out new pursuits and new careers, but was really about two boys making a perfect circle back to one boy’s father. In the same way, much of LOST seems to be concerned with father/son reconciliation, but tonight’s episode tells us something more important is at issue. We can be sure this is true because of a quiet conversation around a keg of gunpowder on which was placed a stick of dynamite with short burning fuse.
Good Day at Black Rock
The first of two major revelations tonight occurred on the Black Rock. The event changed two lives, and probably altered the balance of power between the Smoke Monster’s group and Ilana’s pro-Jacob band.
Richard, admired for his eternal youth and unperturbed bearing, found life suddenly meaningless and unbearable. Jacob’s death, the growing power of Jacob’s nemesis, and the destruction of the Temple convinced Richard that another day of tortured existence was intolerable. “I devoted my life–longer than you can possibly imagine–in service of a man who told me that everything was happening for a reason, that he had a plan, a plan that I was a part of, and when the time was right that he’d share it with me–and now that man’s gone. I just found out my entire life had no purpose.”
Then he and Jack had a short conversation, facing each other across a makeshift coffee table, a soon-to-explode stick of dynamite acting as unique centerpiece and focal point of the nineteenth century decor.
Jack has come a long way from convinced Man of Science to floundering and indecisive cork bobbing aimlessly on the currents of spacetime to his breathtaking confrontation on the Black Rock. The Man of Science is gone. Doubt no longer has any hold over this man. Jack, facing what would have been certain death for anyone else, demonstrated the depth of his faith. He has not yet moved mountains, but he has accomplished something that will have immense impact on the end game: he saved Richard from annihilation.
Ageless Richard not only has renewed purpose, but he again has a leader to follow. What secrets will he reveal to Jack? How will Jack exploit this information? One hundred and sixty years or more as consigliere to an angel (or whatever type of entity most appropriately expresses Jacob’s substance and form) must have made him privy to stories and events known to no one else in the world. Having Richard on the team will expand their chances of short-term survival and improve their odds of final success.
But neither Richard’s salvation nor the revelation of Jack’s faith provided the essential lesson of this short scene. The central element was not faith, salvation, or any other matter of the spirit. We saw it in the focus of Jack’s piercing gaze, in the positioning of palms on thighs, in the tensed legs ready for advance, not retreat.
Jack is ready, eager to learn the task for which he has been chosen. He recognises his importance as Candidate. He probably doesn’t realise that among the Candidates he is special, chosen for a task no one else can perform. But he is committed, energised, engaged, burning bright with new-found certainty and desire.
The importance of Jack’s unyielding conviction, an assurance that not even the prospect of death can perturb, is that it trumps every other concern he has ever had. In particular, he has not reconciled with his father. Many believe that he will, and a few commentators believe father/son reconciliation is a central focus of the series. But Jack’s new vigour, his certainty and sense of purpose, has no dependence on the outcome of any future interactions with Christian.
It seems likely that Jack’s focus will make him more amenable to reconciliation with Christian, with Kate, with Sarah, with everyone else he has alienated or refused or tried to “fix”. But this means in the end that reconciliation flows from Jack’s new drive, and is not pre-requisite to it. There is no Shoeless Joe for Jack. No ancient professional ball player is going to whisper, “If you build it, he will come.” Jack and Christian may at some point share a game of catch (or do whatever it is surgeons do for fun), but he need not come full circle, like Danny and Reuven in “The Chosen”. The final curtain does not fall when Jack and Christian embrace as father and son, but when Jack’s assignment is complete. The outcome of Jack’s task will determine the end of this story, and he’s taking us there, father’s blessing or not.
Captains and Kings
Potentates and Pretenders
Or emperors and principals.
Not Linus or Mr. Linus. It’s Dr. Linus, thank you. Ben Linus’ mastery of European history, long years in graduate school, genuine love of his discipline, intoxication with the stuff of history and the ability to instill that wonder in his students has earned him this: a week of supervising delinquents in after-school detention. Not only is he over-qualified to teach high school history, but he is tasked with an assignment that could as easily be performed by a teacher assistant. The Ph.D. after his name earns him neither better pay nor higher esteem. He has the honorific, but no authority. As he said of Napoleon in exile, “They allowed him to keep the title of Emperor, but without any power it was meaningless.”
So sideways Ben sought the very centre of power in his high school. Leslie Arzt was impressed. No longer would Dr. Linus be subject to the whims of administrators “above his pay grade”. He would have real power, not the undeserved backwater exile of a truly gifted educator.
Ben of the Island, the man who controlled the lives of scores of devoted followers, who had it within his power to summon demons and Smoke Monsters, could have taught the good Dr. Linus a thing or two about the real significance of power. Ben began to understand the futility of appointed leadership late last season. He was, for fifteen years or more, Leader of the Others. He learned from bitter experience that the title was hollow. He might as well have been an exiled emperor; even as Leader his real ability to effect meaningful improvement was kept in check by forces beyond his control. Being Leader had no appeal to him.
What if you could have anything you wanted? Anything in the entire world? Perhaps Cerberus should have posed the question to Ben. Instead, he assumed Ben spent days and nights yearning for the restoration of power. “Follow me, Ben, and I’ll make you ruler of the Island when I leave.” More likely, it seems to me, the MIB will devote his talents to the sinking of the Island, merging its fate with the sideways reality. If the Smoke Monster wins the coming war, Ben will have no island to rule, and probably no life to live.
He should have posed the question. Ben has been rudderless since long before the murderous night in the foot of the statue, since even before he moved the Island. Alex’s murder changed everything for Ben Linus. Lust for power neither animates his faculties nor determines his actions. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Arrogant, sure of the unopposable power of temptation, the Smoke Monster reveals his own weakness and commits a major error. Ben cannot be tempted in this way.
What if you could have anything you wanted? Cerberus didn’t pose the question, but Ben did provide a response, in his confession to Ilana. Ben does not seek leadership. He does not seek diamonds or a better parking space. He seeks to belong. His motivation for following the Smoke Monster: “He’s the only one who’ll have me.” It’s a place Ben could belong. If only Cerberus had known, or had the desire to find out, or possessed the humility of an open mind.
But humility was not among his strengths. He offered only cold comfort and a moldy bag of Ol’ Roy for this beaten and broken follower.
Ilana heard his confession, heard the rare words of honest pain and sorrow from lips that had never before spoken from the heart. And then she granted something not even the Smoke Monster could bestow: True absolution. “I’ll have you,” she said. It was one of the most powerful scenes in the six years of LOST.
Faith of Our Fathers
The story of Benjamin Linus’ redemption does not end with absolution and acceptance. Ben, too, will have a job to perform in the coming conflict, and he will need to skills requisite to the task. We’ve known his strengths for some time, but tonight’s episode permanently fixed these in the plotline.
The sideways spacetime is all about potentials and instabilities and connections. We know of sideways Jack’s strange connection to the Island: the feeling of deja vu on Flight 815, the wound at his neck, the appendectomy scar he can’t seem to remember. We know of sideways Kate’s strange discomfort in seeing the photograph of the stuffed animal she’d given to Aaron, now a gift to unborn Aaron from his mother, Claire. The connections are obscured, chaotic, partially recognised. Faraday’s Boulder–the splitting of spacetime into separate streams–is a destabilising entity. The streams will converge at some point; Ben’s long-ago connection to the now submerged Island gives us fresh insight into the fragile and temporary nature of the separation. These points of solid connection between the two realities will likely prove useful to enterprising travelers and seekers in future episodes.
Tonight we witnessed the explicit connection of Ben and Roger to their former island home. Ben gassed his father again, this time with life-saving oxygen rather than the respiratory poison he administered at the purge.
Roger was a different man, choosing to join the Dharma Initiative on his own, and for the good of his son. No longer hiding his love as he did on the Island, Roger was the firm foundation for Ben’s scholastic achievements. Roger’s faith in his son’s abilities allowed him to blossom into a man passionate for bringing his love of learning to ready minds.
Ben began to show what we took to be his true colours: conniving, scheming, always ready to manipulate people and situations to his advantage. The opportunity to simultaneously ruin Principal Reynolds’ life and take ownership of the biggest office in the school must have had him salivating in anticipation.
But something happened. We’ve seen it before, but it always seems a new occurrence, because it is so out of character for this manipulative mouse of a man. “Kill it,” Charles Widmore said when he learned of Ben’s abduction of baby Alex. “Get it out of here.” Ben was horrified. Did Eloise overrule Charles? Did Richard talk Charles into accepting the infant into their midst? Years later, Ben carried out a coup and had Charles exiled, officially for the sin of having fathered a child off-island. But we know Ben well enough by now to discern the true reason for Charles’ exile. Charles hated children. Ben loved children. Motherless Ben knew that children need to belong. They need parents. On Island and off, Ben has shown himself time and again heartless, cold, and cruel–except in any situation involving children. “You’re the best, Dr. Linus.” Alex meant it. And it was true. The high school kids loved him, because he had their interests foremost in his thoughts. “Taking care of the kids. That’s what’s important,” he told Arzt.
Ben has his priorities straight. It was that clarity of purpose that made him realise the error of his attempted coup at Sideways High. He had something better, more enduring than power. He had the interests of his students in mind. He had the ability to touch their lives in the most profound manner, sparking their interest in the world around them. They had a place in his heart, and he found his way into their hearts. He belonged. He served. He had purpose.
The Seven
“Six remain,” Ilana said. But for several years, across a span of decades, seven Candidates walked the Island and affected events significant and small, temporary and enduring. Thanks to Jack and Kate and company, the “Incident” tore asunder the reality of not only the Island, but of all spacetime.
There were seven:
04 Locke
08 Reyes
15 Ford
16 Jarrah
23 Shephard
42 Kwon
51 Austen
Only three of the numbers are odd (Ford, Shephard, Austen), and only one is prime (Shephard). One is dead. Has been for a long, long time. His rotting corpse lies next to Boone’s. Could even the miracle of resurrection apply in such a case? Perhaps we will progress through three days over the course of these eighteen episodes, from the Last Supper of Maundy Thursday to the Empty Tomb of Sunday morning. Doc Jensen’s idea appears to be sound, in keeping with the Christian theology of the Triduum, in keeping with his theory and mine that Locke will again walk the Island.
But I don’t see the necessity of a physical resurrection of the buried corpse. Locke is alive and very well–in the sideways reality. We see growing connections between the two realities. Could sideways Ben, guardian of children, see Aaron safely through the unstable vortex separating his world from the Island he and his father once inhabited? Could sideways Jack and Island Jack, working together, perhaps through Desmond as spacetime intermediary, transport (teleport?) Locke to the Island? Richard’s been around a while. He’s never observed a resurrection. He’s been unwilling witnesses to the MIB’s macabre re-animation of long-dead corpses, but that is something entirely different from the Easter event. Perhaps the coming resurrection will be more like an awakening of spirit, an end of exile, a discovery of the Candidates’ principal purpose.
Two realities rush forward with unrestrained velocity, accelerating toward a grand collision. Upheavals of immense scale will unify some and tear others apart. The powerless will confront the omnipotence of evil incarnate, but they will discover in their unity something more potent, more meaningful, more triumphant than power: They will find their purpose, and their cause will prevail.
PM
Related posts:
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Terms of Indenture: Culture and Corruption in LOST 6.06 by Pearson Moore - Risk: A Cultural Thesis for LOST 6.03 “What Kate Does” by Pearson Moore
- Mirror, Mirror (Part II): Cultural Reflections on LOST 6.05 “Lighthouse” by Pearson Moore
Tags: Episode 6.06, LOST Theories, Pearson Moore, recaps&reviews, Season 6
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Great post as always PM. The 7 theory is looking more and more relevant each episode (especially since in the above picture the current 2 camps are separated by Locke. I'm still trying to figure out why Widmore is the one coming to the island. As you said he hates children, was banished, and seemed to only be concerned with Ben. I don't think he is the one Jacob is bringing to the island. Widmore told Locke he knew a war was coming, so he has to be in MIB's master plan (a very very long con). Jacob had to have known as well, so he probably enlisted Desmond and possibly others to fight for him “They're coming” Can't wait to see how it all turns out!!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Hi jLatino,
I'm glad you enjoyed the article. I also think the Theory of Seven is holding up relatively well so far, though Darlton have released some information that would tend to cast doubt on the theory. For instance, one of them said in a recent interview that Kate's name appears on the cave ceiling and it is crossed out. This would seem to contradict her uncrossed name on the lighthouse wheel, and might tend to support arguments that Kate will not have great importance in the end game. If anything, though, her importance seems to have been growing over the last few episodes, and since she is the female lead it would make most sense for her to have a crucial role in the final scenes of the series.
I give Widmore a 30% chance of being the one Jacob has summoned to the Island. I think it much more likely Jacob seeks to bring John Locke back–either from the grave or from the sideways reality. Widmore is the real bad guy in LOST, I think. I guess we will find out pretty soon! I think again chances are pretty good that Sun will be the one to either get Widmore onto the Island or help him in some critical way.
PM
March 12th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Amazing post Pearson,
Brilliant as always. I really enjoyed your sections about Jack & Ben.
The black rock scene made me fall in love with my favorite Lost character once again; Jack.
As you mentioned in your previous posts, Jack is the wounded healer. He has now everything needed to be considered a god-like entity, he's immortal, ageless perhaps (like Richard), & a savior. I think – keeping the LOST-supper picture in the back of my mind- Locke's death served as a catalyzer for Jack to become the man of 'faith+science' he is now. Locke (in his own words) was “a sacrifice the island demanded” leading to the rebirth of a noble leader Jack has become.
I find it quite interesting that Ben & Richard are the only people who've resisted Smokey's deceptive offers so far. When Miles told Ben that Jacob cared for him until the very end, I remembered the death scene, & that Jacob actually 'touched' Ben, when he collapsed into his arms, holding him. So perhaps Ben too, like Jack has a bigger purpose in his life.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Amazing, as always. Thanks for your highly fascinating articles Pearson!
To me this was the most meaningful and philosophical episode in a very long time in LOST (if not the most meaningful). It was mainly about contrast, black and white, opposites and dramatic character change, as you said yourself: Jack finding his way to the man of faith, Ben for the very first time 'naked', no lies and no scary Ben, just Ben, his very soul (I too was asking myself if there has ever been such a dramatic scene in LOST, possibly Juliet's death comes close to this one, however, Ben's speech is not to be compared to anything else, this moment of television-magic was just too divine.)
One thing that was also kind of a contrast which carried a great deal of irony: Dogen tried to have Smoky kill Sayid, but his plan didn't work, as a consequence Sayid turned to the dark side and is now playing in team Locke. Ironically Locke tried in the same way to use Ben for his purpouses and similarly he did not succeed, Ben is now playing in team Jacob – also a nice contrast.
Widmore ist definitely a complex question that was posed in the last seconds of the episode. The question is definitely going to be why or in the name of whom he came to the island. I don't believe he came in Jacob's name. Why was he not interested in stopping where these people on the beach were? Where else could he be going? To be obviously it can only be hydra island, where Locke asked Ben to come, which would meen Widmore is trying to team up with Smoky.
Secondly Jacob's words were “they are coming”. All right, could be there are still more people on the submarine that we haven't seen so far, but to me it should probably be Wallace that is coming to the island and that is going to be the one coming among the ones called to the island by Jacob.
Looking forward to seeing the next episode next week already, as always…
March 12th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
And a general remark on LOST. I What I find so uncomprable in this show is how it developed from the beginning. I can't think on any other TV show that changed so dramatically over a couple of seasons. Is it just me or was LOST nor a rather realistic show at the beginning? When I watched Season 1 for the first time, the show was mysterious, unique, but I somehow expected the show to be at an end when these people return home. A huge turning point was then the one episode where we saw “Jacob” for a short instance. I remember many fans being puzzled (or angry) about this, since it laid the way to a totally new direction: ghosts, immortality, and later on time travel, even other dimensions and parallel universes. Could anyone have expected this back at season 1? Just look at season 6, what we are actually talking about here: Lighthouses that show people's homes, Losties talking to dead Jacob, resurrection ob obviously dead people, an entity actually transforming into smoke, people who cannot kill themselves….. I could add a lot to this list. What I'm trying to say here is I sometimes almost can't believe how large, how epic and how incredibly great LOST hast become…
March 12th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Hi Hygoniz,
Thank you for your kind words.
Yeah, the scene on the Black Rock was amazing, wasn't it? I almost made the dynamite screencap the first photo of the article, but finally decided the episode was mostly about Ben.
I haven't written about Locke's funeral, but the way it was down-played seems a solid confirmation that he will be back in some capacity. Terry O'Quinn has moved on to play the Smoke Monster, but Locke–the central character for many seasons–was virtually forgotten in death. That is a storytelling imbalance that virtually begs to be corrected, and I'm more sure than ever that we'll see just such a correction very near the end of the series.
Very interesting observation about susceptibility to the Smoke Monster. Maybe those who've been on the Island longer are less susceptible to his temptations? I am going to be very interested in seeing how Kate interacts with Sayid, Sawyer, Claire, and Uncle Evil Incarnate himself. I see her as being stronger than any of the seven, with the exception of Jack.
PM
March 12th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Hi Adrian81,
Thank you for your generous comments!
I find myself thinking a lot about Widmore's arrival, not because I have big questions about Widmore himself (I decided a long time ago that he is the truly evil person in this series), but because I have very big questions about who he's going to align with. I see a significant outside chance that he's the guy Jacob invited to the Island. Much more likely, I think, Jacob is going to have Locke delivered to the Island, but Widmore is a possibility, and would make a terrific, almost unbelievable twist in the story. It would demonstrate the moral neutrality or possible outright evil of Jacob. What a delicious twist that would be!
PM
March 12th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
LOST definitely ramped up the mythology in Season Two, but I think much was already there in Season One. There was a smoke monster doing unaccountably strange things. We knew that the Smoke Monster had issues with Rousseau and her gang. We knew of the millennia-old backgammon game and Claire's dream in which Locke had one white eye and one black eye. We knew that Boone's death and the nearly simultaneous birth of Aaron was no coincidence; Boone had to die so that Aaron could be born alive. And of course we knew the Island healed both Locke and Rose. Right away, during the pilot, we knew something was very different, very compelling about this place.
PM
March 12th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Hi again,
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I agree with you about Locke's story that needs more to it.
I think Locke's funeral scene indicated two things:
1-We will see Locke somehow in the original timeline again.
2-Dead bodies “should” be buried.
I know it's a risky theory but I think the way they buried Locke & show's emphasis on the sand, & Locke's body being carried around on the island for some episodes, could indicate that maybe if the bodies are buried then Smokey won't be able to take their forms. For example, let's assume that Smokey took the forms of Alex, Yemi & probably Christian, the bodies of these three guys were left un-buried if I'm not wrong; Yemi was in the plane, Christian's disappeared & Alex was left in front of Ben's dharma home.
Also, if Ilana really wanted Ben to die (if the great redemption Ilana-Ben scene hadn't happened), then she had a good reason to force him to bury himself!
I think the Monster was somehow 'not comfortable' with Kate ending up on his team, or maybe surprised, that look on his face was no excitement I'd say…
March 12th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Well I give you that, the twist would be really unbelievable. However, why was Wallace on 108? Or is this just Widmore (Widmore and Wallace both start with an W and end with an E)? Even though your theory is really interesting, I still hope and believe that there is something fundamentally good about Jacob. If Jacob was indeed evil then the change that we saw in Jack would be almost stupid and senseless. You know, when I watched this weeks episode and saw the moment where Jack was playing russian roulette with Dynamite, I was so excited, my hands all over my face and my hair, that was just such a revelation, such a joy to finally see Jack where Jacob always wanted him to be. It would be a really sad thing if all of this would only have happened for our Losties to be tricked into believing in 'evil-Jacob'… To me the comments of Darlton (we don't know who is 'good' or 'evil' of those two men (MIB and MIW) was to me only a diversion that was used to keep things interesting and not to obvious. But that is me, a man of faith, believing in Jacob being the good guy.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Right, could be, that that was just my subjective (naive?) way of seeing LOST back in Season 1. However, of course it was always clear that there was a certain mythology, only the pilot hinted at so many different questions, but what I meant in my previous post was that the series seemed still to be of a certain 'realism', one did not necessarily expect science fiction elements within it. Of course there were theories about time-travel already in Season 1 (the skeletons could be the Losties etc.), but somehow these concepts seemed so far-fetched many fans even doubted them or simply couldn't imagine such a thing.
LOST exploded depth-wise in all directions from season to season. While the second one came up with an incredible twist between the two concepts faith and science the third one presented a highly unexpected future off-island, the fourth one blew the audience away when the whole island disappeared after tuning the donkey-wheel, the fifth one does not even have to be mentioned, so obvious was the unique double-cliffhanger there. In that sense LOST now at the very end, where only a few hours are left, has become so much bigger than I could have ever imagined back in Season one, or two, or three, or four….
March 12th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I agree. I think it's most likely Jacob is seeking Locke's return to the Island, and we will find out in short order that Widmore is firmly in the MIB's camp. Most evidence points to Jacob as being essentially good and the MIB very bad. I think there's a good chance we're going to be asked to consider some new definitions of the type of philosophy and behaviour that constitute “good” thoughts and deeds. Taken to an extreme, this could mean that even something like the Smoke Monster might be found essentially good. This seems less likely with each episode, but I always try to keep the possibility in mind.
I'm starting to think of Jacob as good but incomplete. He did talk of “progress”, after all. If progress is required, that's just another way of saying that those making progress have much yet to assimilate; they are incomplete in some way.
PM
March 12th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Excellent observations. I've been thinking about LOST funerals for the last couple of days. And about Kate–could it be that the MIB cannot harm those whom Jacob touched, or more narrowly, those marked as Candidates? The distinction between the two groups could be crucial, too. Jacob touched Ben, but Ben is not a Candidate. Also, Jacob made a point of not touching Ilana, even though he was “the closest thing” Ilana has to a father. Is she to be sacrificed to the Island?
March 12th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Great Post PM,
I was just thinking, could it be possible that MIB (aka Flocke) is, and has always been Jacob himself? When you think about balance between good and evil within us (As Dogen explained to Sayid) maybe it's been a symbolic picture that we saw on season 5 finale… this will explain why we don't even know MIB's name. I could be completely wrong, but as far as the war goes, I think I'm with you with the whole Real Locke coming back, I sure hope this happens, and as you said having Desmond helping to achieve this would be awesome.
March 13th, 2010 at 3:46 am
Great notes on Jack I really enjoyed it and Emmerson hammered home any Emmy nomination for sure in my opinion. I do think your 7 theory is slipping a bit with what I have also hear from Darlton and from some sneak peaks spoilers and other stuff. I personally think it would be a joke to bring back the one character who thought he knew so much about an island or a place in general but he actual knew nothing and in that i mean john locke, don't bring back a story line you took since season 4 till an few episodes ago to finally put to rest. I respect your opinion and like most of your articles but were at odds on that but thats ok. Namaste
March 13th, 2010 at 6:27 am
One more thing that came to my mind: We actually still don't know who Locke's father is. I realized this in the flash-sideways when Locke talked about inviting his father to the wedding. Well, did he mean that cheating Sawyer guy? BEcause actually that is not his real father. Could this the the revelation I talkd about in another post? I still think there is going to be someone in the flash-sideways that should not be there. So what if John's father would actually be Jacob? I think in the episode backin season 3 his mother talked about John father, saying that he disappeared. Why? And if Jacob is actually John's father that would mean that he is indeed highly important and needs to come back to the island. I start also beliveing in John LOcke to be the person that must be broght back to the island. Why did Walt say he has dreams in which many people hunt John Locke? Well, if John Locke is brought back to the island, there are going to be two of them, rather difficult to tell them apart. What if then the “wrong” John Locke would be hunted down, like Walt saw it?
March 13th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Hi Adrian81,
Locke kept a photo of his supposed father (Anthony Cooper) in his cube at the box company (as seen in 6.04, “The Substitute”). But I don't think this proves Cooper is Locke's father, and I agree someone else–even Jacob–could be Locke's father. I wouldn't be surprised if this were revealed in a few episodes, and I even mused a bit on the possibility in “The Wounds That Heal Us” (my analysis of Lost 6.01-6.02). By the time Locke returns, Smokey will have other bodies to inhabit. If I were him, I'd probably choose a younger body–like Sayid's. I think Sayid's days may well be numbered now that he has joined with the MIB.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Hi Ethos,
Thank you for your kind comments. I think the theory that Jacob and the MIB are different manifestations of the same person has some support, especially after we learned of Dogen's theory that everyone contains good and evil. I don't believe this theory myself (I think Jacob and MIB are two distinct persons) but it is supportable and would explain a good many things that could not be reconciled in any other way.
PM
March 13th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Hi, for me Lost is a re-engineering of human thoughts and values, it is so subtle sometimes, that is borderline with subliminal education, this is an epic show comparable in it's proportion and time with Shakespeare or Cervantes.
Hope we get to know more about Jacob and Richard, who his foe counterpart at the beach is? that part is the centerpiece of the whole story, when the Galleon is approaching.
The rest are human situations and reactions according to emotional states and conditions, with a lot of profound meaning, as Dogen said, THERE'S A BLACK AND WHITE IN EACH OF US, make the good side of us prevail.
We have to thank ABC and Disney for this, it is educational and fun, the way life should be, learn from error and build upon them, as Jacob said THEY WILL DESTROY THEMSELVES BUT IN THE MEANTIME THERE'S PROGRESS, Jacob was giving a second chance for the Oceanic passengers.
That young Kid must be Jacob confronting his Foe for beaking the rules, there should be rules even for good and evil, there's a border, that border is respected by the good, the evil has no respect for anything.
It is so profound, SO SUBLIMINAL AND SUBTLE.
godspeed
March 13th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Intersting, indeed, however, Ilana stated that he has to stay in that form, I think it's still unclear how the Smokemonster actually got to be in John Locke's form.
I just had an amzing idea that run through my mind, spontaneously: You were talking about John Locke being brought back to the island. But the question is: Why IS there a second “body” of Locke on the island? What if the Smokemonster in sayign to Jacob : “You don't know what I went through to get here” actually meant: He DID GET John Locke's body from the alternate reality! So in fact the flash-sideways would be the timeline that explains how the Smokemonster got into the body of Locke in the flash-sideways and then he moved back to the Island-reality! Why else would there be a body that is 100% similar to John Locke but inhabited by Smoky??? Also: IN the alternate reality we know through Ben and his father that what happened before the incident is the same thing that we saw in some of the flashbacks. So what about Jacob and Smoky? They could also be around somewhere in that alternate reality? Or maybe there is only ONE Jacob and ONE Smoky and they can only be in one of the two realities but can “move” from one to the other?
Still, I could imagine this to be the great mystery of the alternate reality, as Darlton said: It's going to be the great question of Season 6 how the two realities belong together…
March 13th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Hi Jet7111,
Thank you for your comments! I've been impressed by most all the actors this season. Emerson, Fox, and Lilly especially.
PM
March 13th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Hi Alfonso,
Thanks for your comments! Re-engineering of human thoughts and values–interesting thought.
PM
March 14th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Interesting thoughts on the significance of the sideways spacetime. Your timeline could work, I think. If I understand the “rules” about the relationship between the two realities, I'd guess the normal expectations regarding space and time don't apply. It doesn't seem at all unthinkable that the Smoke Monster could make a visit to sideways Locke, have someone cause his death (if, as I believe, the Smoke Monster cannot kill a Candidate directly), inhabit the body, and then make it back to the other reality in time to sink it or take whatever action is necessary to free himself from the chains that have held him to the Island. Of course, this presumes that he is not physically held to the Island, an assumption for which we have no evidence as yet. He could use agents, of course. But the unsupported assumption about his movement does make me wonder about just what it is that keeps him on the Island.
PM
March 14th, 2010 at 7:42 am
Well, the flaw in my own theory would also be that Smoky knew John Locke's final thoughts “I don't understand”. If he would have stolen his body from the alternate universe, how would he have known that? Guess my theory is not that clever… Well, can't wait to get more answers. The Sneak Peek from next week looks amazing, I just hope there is going to be a reunion soon and I really really really hope that Jin is doing well and Claire did not hurt him……
March 14th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
This guy is a genius.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Reading your and Pearson's ideas here made me realize that Smokey could have easily 'stole' the properties (the appearance) of Locke's body, and not inhabiting it, as the same with Christian, Alex and Yemi. And, as Miles sensing the last thoughts of the dead he encounters, Smokey could have known the thoughts of the dying Locke. I imagine that a simple contact with the dead bodies would do the trick, with the bodies in the same state as before (rotting)… Consider the fact that bullets and knives can not harm him, and that he can still change his shape to smoke and 'body' whenever he wants.
March 15th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Sheppard destroying his father life
Kate freeing her mother by taking the law in her hands
Kate's mother calling the cops for kate
Locke's father conning him for his kidney
Ben Linus always killing and doing wrong for his personal purpose or in the name of the Island
Locke's always ready to kill in the name of the island.
Sayid always killing.
Hugo's one of the few with clean hands and always positive, I'M SO LUCKY NOTHING TO BE AFFRAID OF, always in mental institutions, that's why he's the mind's healthiest one, he is the true candidate, always fun comments, Sawyer's the salt and he's the pepper. He's a really fun character.
Every character shows faces of human nature.
Why do Human leaders have to dirty their hands? Doing wrong in the name of a purpose?
The means justify the ways?
IS THAT THE NEW TREND?
Or thats the way always has been, under the blankets?
March 15th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Hi Jakehyde,
Interesting thoughts. Smokey's mechanism of persona assumption/corpse reanimation could be critical. If Smokey inhabited Christian's body in the same way that he now inhabits Locke's body, why have we not seen Christian's corpse on the Island, but we have seen Locke's corpse? The difference in what we have seen may indicate a difference in mechanism or purpose, or it could indicate that Christian is not under Smokey's control.
PM
March 15th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
That could be true, in that case the complex universe-shift would not be necessary, interesting idea. Hoewever, I don't agree about Christian. If Christian's body was lost also in the first Oceanic 815 universe, then where would the smokemonster have the “information” of Christian's DNA from? If, however, christian's body was not lost and actually landed /crashed: Then the question is where did his body go to? I somehow can't imagine Cristian to be on the dark side (or even Smoky himself). He said: Say hello to my son. I know, it could also have been an attempt to get Jack back to the island. But since LOST is so much about “daddy-issues” and bad parenting, I somehow still believe there is going to be a reunion between Jack and Christian. Additionally I think there is a deeper importance to the sense of family (Claire, Jack, Christian, Aaron). This is definitely no coincidence and somehow these 3 generations will be highly important toward the finale.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Yes, there's a lot of violence, and really unnecessary violence. Even Hurley's hands are not clean (he ran over at least one of the Others with the van on the beach at the end of Season Three). Murder was one of the aspects of the human condition that the MIB said never changed. If the Candidate is going to prove Jacob right and prove the MIB wrong, it seems likely that reliance on murder as a tool of “improvement” will end. I would guess the Candidate, or Jacob's replacement, will probably institute rules requiring that people work out their differences by negotiation.
PM
March 15th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Yeah, I want to believe Christian is not under MIB's control, but he did appear in Jacob's cabin, at a time when it was likely under control of the MIB (if we can trust Ilana's comments at the end of Season Five–that Jacob left the cabin a long, long time ago), Christian appeared with daughter Claire at a time when she was likely under control of the MIB. I think a good amout of evidence indicates Christian is under Smokey's control, even though I'd prefer to believe otherwise.
PM
March 15th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
What I find most strange about Christian is his smile and his obvious positive spirit. In the mobisodes of Season 3 we saw him just after the crash, 'talking' to Vincent before he ran to Jack, Christian said to him: “Go and see my son. He's got work to do.” Then when we saw him in Jacob's cabin (together with Claire) there was that broad smile on his face, this positive attitude. This is also true for when he appeared before Michael's death on the freighter: He said: You can go now, but again with a highly energetic tone and a smile on his face. The last time he appeared was when Sun and Frank saw him in the Dharma houses. Supposedly he was Smoky: Why would he want to bring Sun and Jin together? If the candidates are supposed to do something for Jacob and if they were brought to the island because of Jacob then Smoky would want them dead or want to use them for his own purpouses, the look he gave to Kate showed that lot. I don't see Christian to be the same negative, evil entity that Smoky is, Christian appeared to be a lot more positive so far.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Good points. And the mobisodes are considered canon if I remember correctly. Having Christian in Jacob's camp would solve a lot of problems, and make some things easier (like Jack's reconciliation with his father.
PM
March 17th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Hello Pearson Moore,
Before anything, I'd like to thank you for the most interesting reads I've had during this last season. It's definitely uncomparable to the other “guidelines” I had during the previous ones of this über show.
The reason I'm making such an effort to write over here (yeah, I'm among those who always spectate this kind of stuff rather than participate. But here I am none the less!) is about what you said a few posts above, replying to adrian81.
Refering to Boone's death, why did it necessarily meant Aaron's birth? I'm not totally illiterate to Lost's background so this statement kind of bothered me a little… much.
So yeah, maybe when you've enlightened me it will be one of those obvious things I keep forgeting nexted by an auto slap in the face eh eh..
Huge cheers from Portugal DrPM!
March 17th, 2010 at 4:49 am
That would be nice, Lost has lost a lot of great characters , Mr Ecko, Juliet, Rousseau, Charlie, Faraday was fenomenal, Ethan, Boone, so many good characters and interesting personalities, Juliet is beautiful also this Redhair Aussie cutie
March 17th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Hi Luis,
Thank you for your very kind comments.
I cannot prove that Boone's death was required for Aaron's birth, but there are some interesting connections that are worth considering, and I will outline them here.
We know that Boone's death was the first “sacrifice the Island demands.” We might ask why the Island would demand the sacrifice. We know that Aaron was the first child born on the Island after Ethan Rom (Ethan Goodspeed) some 30 years earlier. Also, we know that every pregnant woman in the third trimestre–until Claire–died, and her baby died with her. Claire and Aaron were the first survivors of childbirth on the Island in 30 years. Juliet would like to believe that the treatments she provided to Claire ensured Aaron's survival, but it seems more likely to me, especially in light of the more recent revelation that Jacob's abode was inside the remains of a statue of a fertility goddess, that Aaron's survival had nothing to do with Western fertility science and everything to do with some kind of arrangement between Jacob and the Island that allowed Aaron to live only if another person gave up her life. In this case, the person sacrificed was Boone.
I think that's the essential explanation of the commonly-held notion that Boone's death made way for Aaron's birth, but I invite comments.
PM
March 18th, 2010 at 5:37 am
Hey Pearson!
Thank you very much for explaining your take on that situation. Of course, by the way I posed the question, it would be natural if a 3rd party started thinking it was a meant-to-be fact from the show but of course I meant it in the way of an hipothesis. And a very poetically interesting one at that!
In that light, I can see how Boone, in his post-mortem participations, was important to Locke by portraing this servant/messenger through Jacob. Although since recent events, everything that happened in the past involving deceased persons appearences and dark smoke dwellings&sounds started to seem rather dark and negative… (wich might not relate in the situation where Boone is “summoned” but in most other cases, they did imo)
It's funny how your thread responses tend to get as interesting if not more than the thread itself thanks to the sheer exchange of ideas and opinions between the readers and yourself the writer. Wich of course can only exist because the threads are what they are in the first place… So one must not only judge the thread quality by its body but as well by the responses it originated… Hmm… I digress!!
So until following doubts,
Luís
March 19th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Hi Luis,
I agree: the comments section is usually more interesting than the original article. This takes nothing away from myself or other analysts, but brings us to the fact that when people collaborate (or partake in dialogue) there is a greater chance that one or more parties will touch on subjects of high relevance to a lot of people. Truths are uncovered that would otherwise remain dormant or unspoken. One person's comment provides the synergistic catalyst to discovering thoughts that would otherwise never have been formulated. Brainstorming… two heads are better than one, and all that. It's very true, I think, and brings richness to our interactions here.
PM
March 26th, 2010 at 4:09 am
You've got me reading all of your back posts, now, I'm not sure why I didn't discover them earlier! They are quite eloquent and insightful. have you thought about writing a LOST book after the series is complete? i would buy it!
regarding Jack and the series finale: do you think there is a major clue in the air date being May 23?
March 26th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Hi Jengal4,
Thanks for joining the discussion! And thank you for your kind words about my articles.
I think Jack (#23) will have to be featured in the finale. I don't know if the air date is significant and intended to point to Jack or more generally to the numbers; I suspect that kind of thing is more a result of network scheduling requirements than any meshing with LOST mythology, though I suppose such a thing is possible. Darlton did claim, possibly in jest, that the Feb. 2 (Groundhog's Day) air date for the season premiere was intentional and related to the Bill Murray movie, but that seems a bit of a stretch to me, too.
PM
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