The Lost Diary

Holloway was stunning in this episode. His dynamic with O'Quinn is the best on the show by a LONG way.

first

wheeeee!!! loved it!

So, if ben the european history teacher only came to the mainland after the bomb then that is the post mortem ben? or my 3rd universe theory is holding strong because what we are seeing are significant changes that pre-date the incident too. the island losties must still do something significant that has ramifications prior to Ben becoming an other.

OF COURSE we are NOT SURE!!!! that's the best part! I have no idea whose side to be on...stay on the Benwagon and all will be well!

Jacob is the bad guy. Maybe.

Also - the blonde little boy I am thinking he is young jacob!

Threw? Really, Daniel?

I don't think anyone is the "bad guy".... that being said, I completely agree! Great episode!

I think based on Not Locke's comments about them not making their own decisions and Jacob bringing them to the island, that the "flash-sideways" are what would have happened if Jacob had not interfered. I think that everyone's Jacob-free life will be explained except the one who is chosen as the guardian. I think the children of the corn kid might be Aaron, who I think will be chosen as the guardian in the end, but how great would it be for Kate to be the guardian and Sawyer to be the new Man in Black?

Twistie and I debated who is good and who is bad and I still think Jacob is good - only because he doesn't have to try to convince the others to follow him, Flockey is trying way to hard to recruit that always seems suspicious to me.

Best line of the night?

"Inside Joke"

Also why wasn't Kate one of the numbers? Maybe she is a candidate for flocke not Jacob?

Jacob's Ladder? Maybe?

Is FLock gonna have to pull a smoke monster to get him and Sawyer out of the cave since Sawyer broke the ladder?

Who is the kid telling FLocke he can't kill?

Maybe Jacob WAS the bad guy... Richard followed him blindly... It was fun to see the usually serene Richard freak out.

Maybe the MIB inside FLocke couldn't leave the island because of Jacob? Now that Jacob's dead, he has the ability to leave...

Interesting to note that FLock tossed the white rock into the ocean, leaving the black rock on the scales. I'm assuming he arrived at the island on the Black Rock?

Loved this episode.

Anyone else notice the "equation" theme going on with some of these Lost episode titles??

"The constant"
"The variable"
"The substitute"

Hhhmm...you know there's no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to Lost.

Any math folks with a theory?

NOWAY is James with him. He is a con-man and he is totally playing Not-Locke. I bet it comes out the James is the protector!!! GREAT A++++

could it mean anything that to get to the cave, not locke & sawyer had to climb on "jacob's ladder"?

I'm with you on the little boy being Jacob - but he was wearing Locke's season 1 vest/green shirt/cargo pants which was weird.

"Jacob's Ladder" anyone? lol

Here's what I don't get: Ben is still the same Ben that was on the island as a small boy...healed by the mysterious temple thing...and now he's a history teacher? I'm thinking that the timeline between Island Losties, and non-crash Losties diverted the second the Bomb exploded (kind of like a "Back to the Future" type deal - there are two different realities that split the moment the timeline was messed with)...so Ben had been on the island, was healed in the temple, and according to the creepy "other Others" isn't the same because of it, and all this happened BEFORE the bomb exploded so in both worlds he's been on the island and seen all these strange things....so how the hell is he so normal, and living his life as a history teacher?? I guess I just don't get the whole "different times" thing.

I'm pretty sure--("Locke it down"), that the "Man in Black/Smokie/Not Locke" is bad. There are too many spiritual references to have it be the opposite.

Thanks again, Daniel for writing another great review! ;~)

Nope. Not sure that NotLocke is the bad guy.

Bigger question -- if the numbers are Jack, Sawyer, *Kwon* (which one), Sayid, and Hurley ... why not Kate?

Hate, hate, hate the Hippie Others.

i also think the boy was young jacob...

oh, and did anyone else notice that not locke did NOT mention kate's name and it was NOT written on the ceiling?? only hurley, sawyer, jack, kwon (jin or sun..) sayid...

interesting.

I was so happy to see your recap was up! I loved last night's episode too. When it was over, I was simply stunned. Oh, and I am also questioning whether or not Not Locke is the bad guy. I have been for a while...

Unlocke said he wasn't sure if it was supposed to be Jin or Sun whose name was written on the cave walls (and bad set design, it looked like a Disneyland cave, not a real cave). Couldn't it be their baby?

Yay!! Rose showed up in this episode. Maybe next week Bernard will be doing dental work on Sayid. I have no idea how the writers will work in one more sighting of Vincent the Wonder Dog. I loved Locke and Ben as public school teachers. And the island boy - could he be Aaron? I am so gonna miss Lost.

I always read this blog but never comment.Lost hasnt felt like Lost for awhile..BUT-that all turned around for me last night!I couldnt have been more impressed!I was having a text off with one of my friends who happens to be 2 hours behind,and i rewatched it just to get her reaction.I was THAT into it.and its been SOOO long since Ive been this psyched over and episode.it felt vintage.Old school.The good ol lost days.and hes right "Dont tell me what I cant do!!!"NEVER gets old:)

Perhaps Sun is the Kwon. Remember in the new universe Jin is up sh*t's creek by not reporting that money and Sun is free to do whatever.

Wouldn't it be amazing if what Juliet saw before dying was everything working out ok? The fact that Hurley is happy and a benevolent leader in the mainland universe seems to be sign that maybe we will see everything work out for them in the end. Too easy most likely but I dolove happy endings.

The Boy could be Aaron.. but probably not. Overall this was an average episode. Sawyer blindly following Locke and not asking any real questions or questioning why he's not dead seemed way off even for lost and sawyer

So will the last ep be named "The solution?"

Young boy is clearly Aaron. Great casting-looks just like Claire.

Did the numbers, beside each of the names, on the wall match the Hugo numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42). I remember 8 and 42.
Great episode. Can't wait until next week.

Sawyer is a con man and might have a death wish and be looking to destroy the island and himself.

RE: MERF

The white/black rock symbolized a balance between good and evil. Jacob is dead, thus the reason why Fake Locke throws the white rock into the ocean. I think this is a pretty clear sign that Fake Locke is meant to be the bad guy here...

first good episode of the season.

is there a time difference between coasts? sorry, i was unaware.

I believe it went

4 Locke - now scratched out
8 Reyes
15 Ford
16 Kwon
23 Shepard
42 Farrah

If Sawyer flips, maybe Hugo needs to do as well in order to triumph - if the lower number is significant that is

I am 100% sure that Jacob is the 'evil' one and MIB is the 'good' one.

The little boy was definitely little Jacob.

Sawyer and Locke's acting was amazing, they captivated me in all their scenes and I re-watched the good scenes during the commercials!!

Yes - great episode! So crazy to think that Locke's better off not on the island vs. on the island (happy, getting married vs. dead & buried). Never would have guessed that one. Sawyer was amazing this episode too.

I believe it went

4 Locke - now scratched out
8 Reyes
15 Ford
16 Kwon
23 Shepard
42 Farrah

If Sawyer flips, maybe Hugo needs to do as well in order to triumph - if the lower number is significant that is

One down side of this season...is it me or are there way too many commercials this year. It seems as though I'm spending as much time in the kitchen making another snack as I am watching the show...if this keeps up, I'm going to have to start watching the Biggest Loser instead.

That said, it was a great episode.

Young boy is clearly Aaron...thus beginning the explanation of why he was taken by the Others. Perhaps fate/design/the game had him as the successor to Jacob.

Yes the numbers matched "the numbers" but they were only for the men not Sun or Kate. I just want some answers which are not coming. They better not wait unit the last ten minutes of the last episode.

Of course, I'm not convinced that Not-Locke is the bad guy, at all. Just because he is associated with Black and Jacob with White, I think the writers want us to think that he is the bad guy. Personally I dont think this is about good vs. evil at all, perhaps neither are bad, and just have different motives.

On that note, I'm still in denial about the real-locke being dead. I think some essence of Locke is still alive in Not-Locke. Why else would Not-Locke continuously shout out 'Dont tell me what I can't do!' or was it mere irony? Either way, Terry O'Quinn is gonna deserve an emmy for his performances this season, and it's only just begun.

You can't con a con man. Sawyer will get what he wants out of Unlocke, who was conning the Real Locke since their meeting in the clearing.

Last night's episode was AMAZING. Any show about BEN or LOCKE bring down the roof!

So,,,, I also thought the little boy might be Aaron. If it isn't, they sure went through a lot of effort to make him look like Aaron! This island grants powers,,,, and often kids who are not on the island show themselves to deliver messages. (Walt)

So this Jacob's ladder thing got me thinking...
Book of Genesis (28:11–19):
"Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to the place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it [or "beside him"] and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it." And he was afraid, and said, "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Not sure who the kid is, was trying to figure it out... practically shouting at the TV to have FLocke say his name. Stinks that Rose still has cancer. But still, loved this episode. Locke epi's always seem to be some of the best.

And is Locke on good terms with his father now? Does that mean he broke his spine some other way? He did tell Jack that he had broken the spine in a fall, right? Maybe it was something with construction...

So, whenever Keamy killed Alex, Ben screamed went to whitmore and said, "those aren't the rules, you can't couldn't kill her". so little child of the corn is telling lock, "you know theh rules you can't kill him." maybe james is a child of someone?

i thought kate's name was on one of the lists at some point...but her name wasn't on the wall?

So this Jacob's ladder thing got me thinking...
Book of Genesis (28:11–19):
"Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to the place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it [or "beside him"] and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it." And he was afraid, and said, "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Actually the correct numbering is...

4. Locke
8. Reyes
15. Ford
16. Jarrah
23. Shephard
42. Kwon

Maybe who is good and who is bad is open for interpretation. Someone posted about the alternate interpretation of the whole Adam and Eve bible story, so maybe some of us will think that Jacob is good and others will think that MIB is good. Right now, I'm leaning toward anyone who will give me answers!!!! So bring on the answers, MIB!!

@ESPENN good point with the rules! I love reading people's insights!

I really loved this episode.
I wonder how Sawyer and Not-Locke are going to get out of that little cave now?
It was fun to see Richard all scared - and he obviously doesn't know as much about everything as he thought he did - I guess he's not a candidate!
Strange that Kate's name or flashback with Jacob was not shown in the cave - perhaps she is not a candidate. However she was on Jacob's list in the Ankh, so I don't know what to think.

Locke was on the ceiling alos.

I'm between the boy being Jacob or Aaron.

Good review Daniel, except it's through not threw. lol I finally agree with your grade. One of the best episodes. Of course Kate wasn't in it so that should give it that extra point for an A. The writers have a great sense of humor this season.
Loved the eulogy by Ben and reaction of Lapidus.

Similarity - "What are the odds of: you just running into a spinal surgeon/ a spinal surgeon falling out of the sky. Locke/Ben.

What is the significance of the order of numbers - if there is one. 4 Locke, 8 Reyes, 15 Ford, 16 Jirrah, 23 Shepherd, 42 Kwon.

Debating on "how bad" MIB is. "You did meet him...He (Jacob) manipulated you! Made you think choices were yours."

I think good vs evil is misleading. For every "evil", there are followers who feel it is good and think that "good" is evil. It's all from perspective. I think that's what's potentially great about this show. We are able to see things from both perspectives. Maybe both are good, just in their own right.

Ah, yes just realized that Kate's name was not associated with a number, or seen written anywhere. Odd because Jacob did visit her as he did with the others.

Loved this episode.

Anyone else notice the "equation" theme going on with some of these Lost episode titles??

"The constant"
"The variable"
"The substitute"

Hhhmm...you know there's no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to Lost.

Any math folks with a theory?

Another thing to add is if this has anything to do with the numbers? Now THAT might be far-fetched, but it is LOST afterall

I got the numbering correct Mr. F unless you were responding to someone else.

Also since Ilana took Jacob's ashes I am thinking that whoever was Jacob's predecessor his ashes are the ones that have been used up to now. If the ashes are protection (very religious ESPECIALLY as today is Ash Wednesday) again it supports Jacob being the good one.

Great ep! More than anything, FLocke/MiB wants to go home, which must be off the island. He has manuevered things - Jacob, himself, and Sawyer, so he has a way to get off - and put some role (I like to think of it as an enchantment) on Sawyer (Richard or any of the others guys on the cave roof would have done, but he has Sawyer in the cave with him). Is wanting to go home after so long something evil? Doesn't seem so to me.

I'm very worried for kate now that we didnt see her name with a number. he crossed off locke's name because he was dead...

Not Locke/Smokie/Flocke did kill Mr. Eko, the pilot, Bram & crew in the statue

Oh, did I really get the numbers of Kwon and Jarrah mixed up? I though I saw Sayid's name last.

Could it be that our Losties are destined to be the parents of the candidate, or the one who gets the job in the end? And is the "Candidate" the person who would be the anti-Christ, or the parent of the Anti-Christ?

Just spitballing here.

Just throwing this out there... what if the boy was Aaron??

Many people are saying the young boy who came to FLocke could be Aaron...I don't know about that...How would Aaron have ended up on the island? As far as the boy being a young Jacob...that, I kinda buy. Only because of the SCARED look on FLocke's face after he first saw the boy (while he was talking to Richard).

I also noticed Kate's name was absent from the list. Maybe it is because she was supposed to care for Aaron in Claire's absence and therefore couldn't be a candidate because she had another role to play. My thought with Kwon was that it referred to Sun - she can be pretty tough when she needs to be.

@Kruxoli, I am with you on the boy possibly being Jacob. Cant seem to wrap my head around how it could be Aaron. Maybe it is, but my money is on him being Jacob.

Sawyer following the Locke-ness Monster could very well be a con. We have to remember, he is the same ole Sawyer, especially now that Juliet is dead and gone.... Seeing Richard freak out is an interesting thing... it's still unclear as to who's good/bad b/c this is LOST and we've been thrown curve balls before so I'm not convinced that Jacob is the good one.... I'm not sure about the boy.... blonde hair, blue eyes, my first reaction was Aaron... All in all, I thought it was a very good episode...

@drew I thought those were the numbers as well!!! I was ok with the episode. But enough build up guys I want answers!!! I to am going to miss Lost. Daniel, Jacob could be bad and the only reason I say that is that smokie judges people. I do think that Jacob has died before I think the ashes protect but that could mean Jacob is good! AHHHH I'm confused!!

Hmam. Helen "My parents and your dad..."

Sawyer is three sheets and lucky he didn't kill himself on the laddre, so do you think he's really thinking straight to ask too many questions? He's lost Juliet, so getting off the island just sounds good.

I don't think the Others ever really got Aaron. Had Claire while pregnant, but she escaped thanks to Alex. Still not sure if the chidl is Aaron or Jacob. Both blonde and important to the island.

Loved Richard's expressions. Mr. Calm is in shock!

Interesting, MIB has been trapped presumably by Jacob and Richard had been freed from his chains by Jacob.

This entire episode could have been nothing but a smokie cam and would have gotten an A from me. Why? There was NO JACK!!! Even though we had to hear his name and see his card we didn't have to see him. YAY! And no Kate was just a bonus. I found it interesting that Kate's name was not in the cave and also that Richard (who is known as "The Hotness" in my house) actually seemed worried and confused. Hasn't The Hotness always been the guy that doesn't get rattled and knows all the answers? Anyway, if the rest of the season keeps to this quality we are in for a hell of a ride.

what if Jack and Kate get ultimately married in a flash sideways, and then kate is Mrs. Shepard.

If you remember in season 3 when Ben needs to get operated on, one of the others says to ben about jack. "he isnt even on jacob's list"

...??

I thought for sure that one of the kids in Locke's class was going to be Walter.

I have been a long time reader, but this is my first post. First of all I want to say thanks for The Lost Diary. It is the highlight of my Wednesday mornings :)

I have been pondering that same idea, whether or not the Smokie/Man in Black/Not-Locke is the bad guy. I suggested that to some friends a while ago and they totally brushed me off. But I think its possible. I know each episode has really played up the dark vs. light thing, but I dunno.

I think the fact that there was not a single scene with Kate adds to the A- grade! :D

Just because the Locke-ness Monster crossed off Locke's name, doesn't necessarily mean it's just b/c he's dead. Claire's name is crossed (Littleton) out and she's not dead and the same goes for Ben's name. I think that just means that they're not "candidates" anymore....

Somebody needs to tell me why such a cheesey reference to good and evil,with the scale and black/white stones. Locke throwing the white stone?

The Locke-ness Monster is a good guy.

We all are supposed to fear G/god. We don't always know its intentions, nor are we meant to understand. But we do know he is all powerful and has our interests at heart.

Jacob, is akin to the devil, a silver tounged, smooth talking guy who gives you all of the reasons in the world to trust. But trust what exactly?

@ Scott Beach: very good memory!

Maybe MIB/Smokey was lured to the Island in one of Jacob's experiments in human behavior and trapped by Jacob. He's been protecting the island unwillingly?

@Jules I thought the whole scale thing was kind of cheesey too but I did get from it that things were "balanced" between light and dark until UnLocke threw out the white rock.

@glee the first - History teacher Ben is different because he wasn't shot/healed by the temple waters - changed.

So it's Ben that grew up on island for a time, but then went mainland.

I don't know if I but Flocke's "I want to go home" spiel. (Or at least that it is referring to a place off the island) We do know for sure that he is several hundreds of years old at least. I assume that he was human/mortal at one time. If he were to return home now, it wouldn't be anything like it was. Civilization would be different and all of his loved ones would presumably be dead. Flocke can't be referring to "I want to go back to Detroit" (or insert your home town here...Let's hear it for the D).

This ep was the substitute, which is Locke (as a sub teacher in alt timeline). In island timeline, then maybe he is a substitute for someone -- but who? He was the substitute for Christian on flight 316...so i think there is something there. Thoughts?

Janelle - he still could be. IT's just the beginning of that story.

Jeff - I didn't see Claire's name on the ceiling. Will have to go back and watch for that. If so, that changes the idea that only men were on thelist Kwon = Jin.

copying post from the other blog: Twistie thanks for saying it made sense!

OK, here's a really odd thought: we are all assuming MIB is a man.

We know MIB takes other bodies - and yes, we've seen males. But who is to say....

That MIB is actually female, who, as the game/time/cycle has played, she figures out having a male form gets her more recruits, and assists her living on the island. Historically speaking, being male would be advantageous - as women were chattel up until recently... (with exceptions of course)

So, Adam and Eve can still be Jacob and MIB - but when they were young and innocent.

Maybe the reason no women are listed on the ceiling is because long ago MIB stopped taking on that form - and Jacob knew that males would be needed?

Am I making any sense?

the scene with Flocke/Ben in Season 5 Finale was very reminicent of Job/Satan from the bible. he asks Ben why he's still following Jacob after all that's happened to him. Also Richard was definitely scared of MIB.

Loved last night thank you, (uhm)
i am starting to rethink the whole Adam and Eve thing.
(remember the 2 body's found in the cave in season 1 with the black and white rocks)

i am starting to think that Jin and Sun, might end up on different sides in this "war"

Remember 'way back in season one, when the Losties fled the beach to the cave to hide from The Others? They found two skeletons, one with a black rock, one with a white...I think those were Jacob and Faux-Locke's original bodies.

I think Ilana is the "Jacob's child" I've been hearing about.

I'm with the group that says Blond Kid is young Jacob. At that time on the island Aaron is only 3. But Aaron does have a part to play in what's happening.

I don't think the Alt-World is what happened due to the island sinking. I think Faux-Locke and Jacob are playing a game, moving the pieces like pawns to see what they do.

When I first saw the blonde kid that Not Locke ended up chasing through the jungle my firs thought was "Aaron?"

I think the kid was Jacob reincarnated.

Useless and insignificant I know, but I immediately recognized the woman working at the temp agency (not Rose) as the psychic Hugo's dad took him to in order to convince him that the numbers weren't cursed and he didn't need to go to Australia - does anyone else remember that?

>>Are we sure -- like 100%, lock it down, no doubt about it sure -- the Man in Black/Smokie/Not Locke is really the bad guy here? Just asking.

My 2 sense?? I am NOT 100% certain that MIB is the "bad" guy....That doesnt mean I think Jacob is bad. The two have been playing a game a LONG time, but I am leaning toward MIB not being totally bad -- the fact that he scares Richard IS something to consider... But are we 100% sure Jacob/Richard is good?? Nope. We are not 100% sure of ANYTHING!

Great review Daniel!

I'm gonna say the Man in Black/Smokie/Not Locke/Widmore is 100% evil!

Did you guys hear the song that Sawyer had playing? Was that the Chili Peppers? It make a reference to being dangerous (Not Locke or maybe Sawyer).

I'm leaning toward Sawyer replacing Jacob because Not Locke needs to have a balance.

The kid has got to be Jacob reminding Not Locke that he can't kill Richard (aka neutral Switzerland).

I also give the episode an A-. Loved it!!!

Any ideas on why Flocke can't take any more identities. The only thing I can tink of is when they buried Flocke, there were several other graves as well. Did they gather all the dead bodies and bury them to trap Flocke in Locke's body. If that's not the explanation, I'm curious as to why he can't change anymore. (I'm assuming that the other grave sites are not the answer as Ilana said before even getting to the statue that she wants everyone to see what they are up against and obviously they couldn't have located and buried all the bodies by then.)

didn't jacob die like an HOUR before the bomb blast. mabye b/c ben killed jacob, that is why sideways is happening?

Duffy - Clarie's name is there. You can see it on a screencap. "313-Littleton".

@ Suede66 -- according to Lostpedia, you are right! Which now makes sense why she was asking Locke what animal he was and whether he was a people person

From Lostpedia: James Ford is listening to The Stooges' "Search and Destroy." Which offers in the refrain the lyrics, "I am the world's forgotten boy; the one who searches, searches to destroy," plus reference to nuclear/hydrogen bombs. The lyrics also plead "Somebody better save my soul."

>>Young boy is clearly Aaron. Great casting-looks just like Claire.

I dont agree it is "clearly Aaron"... to me it was "clearly Jacob".

We think that Not Locke needs a balancing power to help him get off the island, Jacob was trying to keep the smoke monster in, thus all of those boundary contraptions...

Upon his return, Sawyer asks the Man in Black about the kid, to which he simply replies "what kid"? Maybe MIB doesn't consider him a child? Maybe he knows he's something else.

I think one of the "rules" is that Jacob/MIB can only take the form of someone who has left the island and returned to be buried. Which makes me think Christian had been on the island before.

I think the MIB vs. Jacob...Good vs Evil is all about perspective. MIB apparently doesn't want people to come to the island because they fight and destroy and probably harm the island. Jacob feels otherwise and thinks man can only bring progress...not sure if that progress to the island, the world or something else entirely. Even in Season 2 when we are introduced to the Others, we think they are bad, but we just don't know their agenda at that point.

Right now I am thinking that MIB has been trapped on that island for so long that now he has found his way to physically get off the island. It could be that Jacob did something a long time ago that trapped them both there somehow.

>>Of course, I'm not convinced that Not-Locke is the bad guy, at all. Just because he is associated with Black and Jacob with White, I think the writers want us to think that he is the bad guy. Personally I dont think this is about good vs. evil at all, perhaps neither are bad, and just have different motives.

On that note, I'm still in denial about the real-locke being dead. I think some essence of Locke is still alive in Not-Locke. Why else would Not-Locke continuously shout out 'Dont tell me what I can't do!' or was it mere irony? Either way, Terry O'Quinn is gonna deserve an emmy for his performances this season, and it's only just begun.

Great post (to me) because I agree with you on everything you wrote!!
I'll just say "Ditto".
I especially agree that there is a part of the real "John Lock" left..

MIB seems to have taken particular forms that were relevant to the person seeing them. Jack/Christian, Eko/Yemi, Ben/Alex. Not sure if they have to have left the island or not. I'm not sure if Alex has technically ever been off the island. widmore says to Locke, you need to be on the island b/c there is a war coming and if you're not there the wrong side is going to win.

FLocke/MiB was able to tell Ben what real Locke was thinking as he Ben was killing him. Assuming real Locke's body must mean that FLocke also retains some of Locke's memories and frequent sayings.

>>>I also thought the little boy might be Aaron. If it isn't, they sure went through a lot of effort to make him look like Aaron! This island grants powers,,,, and often kids who are not on the island show themselves to deliver messages. (Walt)

Did that much time pass that would have made little Aaron age?? I thought it was only days (??)I'll have to look more closely when I rewatch, but I really dont believe this is supposed to be Aaron...

Ok, so i too am starting to think that Not Locke is gonne be the good guy. I kinda feel bad for him when he says all he wants to do is go home. And Jacob has not done too many goot things in the past. You could really blame Jacob for Nadia getting hit with a car right? Or am I wrong about that? But you also cannot trus Not Locke, he has killed so many people as the smoke monster throughout all six seasons. Who knows.. but thats what makes Lost... well... LOST!

>>Maybe both are good, just in their own right.

This is what I am leaning towards...

>>I'm very worried for kate now that we didnt see her name with a number. he crossed off locke's name because he was dead...

LOL, I'm not, was hoping it meant she is not important, maybe she will die (Sorry -- just really HATE her character)

You can't con a con. I don't think Sawyer is buying
what Not Locke is selling.

The Jacob/FLocke interaction reminded me of something. In the bible, in the Garden of Eden, God informs Adam and Eve that they are not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. They end up eating from the Tree (after the serpent's temptation) and God becomes angry and banishes the couple from the Garden. Now, on the surface that seems like a cut and dry story. But, I am reminded of a different interpretation. Most will agree that the serpent is equivalent to the devil, or Lucifer - a "bad" or "evil" character. But, Lucifer means "light bearer," and, in the context of the above story, he/it is the one who leads humans to the "knowledge" possessed by God. Some people see this as "enlightening" or "freeing" humans from the life God made for them. Had Eve not eaten the fruit, humans would be in a state of oblivion (remember, in the bible Adam and Eve had NO IDEA they were naked until they ate the fruit). One can read this how they wish, but on the surface, it seems that God did not want humans to have the same knowledge he/she/it has/had. The serpent allowed people to obtain this previously forbidden knowledge.

What does this have to do with LOST? I'm not sure, but I THINK that Jacob might be the God character and FLocke the serpent. This could be why FLocke is "disappointed" with the people on the beach. They were following Jacob, the one trying to keep them subjugated and not FLocke, the one who opened them up to knowledge.

I posted the above last week but I think it plays into this weeks episode as well. FLocke told Richard something like "You've been doing his bidding and he (Jacob) NEVER TOLD YOU WHY." This looks like FLocke is trying to paint Jacob as someone who doesn't want everyone else to know what he knows. Also, FLocke offers Sawyer something...KNOWLEDGE of why he is on the island...

richard said that MIB wants everyone dead. i guess he could be a good guy, just depends on how you look at it.

I am just pondering all of the "Others". I am wondering how many are there? Where/When are they from? Why do they move around so much? They live in huts, in tents, in barracks, on the hydra station, in the temple. Are they a melting pot of people "brought" to the island (black rock, Dharma, plane/boat/baloon crashes? Many things I've read lists the others as the original inhabitants of the island. That is not entirely true now is it? Ben, Juliet, the stewardess and kids from the Oceanic flight. Why are some Outsiders let into the group if they are not on the "LIST"?

@margaret - I agree. I think Sawyer is going along with Not Locke to see where he will take them.

Does anyone know the original seat numbers? Could the numbers correspond to their seat numbers on the plane?

>>If you remember in season 3 when Ben needs to get operated on, one of the others says to ben about jack. "he isnt even on jacob's list"

...??

Thats what confuses me... Sayid, Hurley, Jin, Sun were never on Jacobs list (if we go back to when Michael brought them out there) Now these Losties are on the list?? Had the list been updated since their crash??? I thought last season that Jacob (last show of the season) went "back in time" to touch these Losties... Maybe that is true (??)

LOL, "Unlocke" and "Lock-ness" I am so gonna miss this group.
Carley

Good call on the interviewer being the psychic!
And I thought the Stooges song was significant as well.

Side bar-- all I could think of when they were climbing down that cliff was "It's the Cliffs of Insanity!" Too much Princess Bride.

Good Omen,

Thats what I thought at first too, about the seat numbers corresponding...

LOL I think the only thing clear about the child is he's a little blonde boy!

Nicole - thanks for the music info! Clearly chosen for a reason.

Jeff - thanks for clarification.. Wonder what the number means.

LostMarvin - IMO, wrong. I don't think you could blame Jacob for Nadia getting hit. He was at each of their lives at a very important moment, to make contact with them. That was the key. It was a turning point in their lives.

Great episode.... but dave posted earlier that

"I'm with you on the little boy being Jacob - but he was wearing Locke's season 1 vest/green shirt/cargo pants which was weird."

and I cant remember clearly but the episode in which Richard goes to visit Locke as a child and tells him to pick out items he brings. Young Locke looked a lotttt like the boy on the island plus wearing the clothes Locke wore in season 1. Folks dont b surprised with a twist that the little boy could be Locke!!!!

Strangely the Princess Bride also had a man in black.

Someone said it earlier, but the names of the episodes could correspond with the order of the people's names on the wall.

Like...:
4 Locke (The Constant)
8 Reyes (The Variable)
15 Ford (The Substitute)

@ Bill:

Nice observation

Never posted on here before, but I just noticed something. Season one, the third episode was Kate Centric and the 4th was Lock Centric (Specifically about his Walkabout). It seems that this season is following the same pattern as the first?

@ Kruxoli...Very good theory

As for the flash-sideways...I don't think they are an alternate universe at all. I beleive by the losties blowing up the bomb and causing the plane not to land, they changed the past. However, changing the past didn't stop them from ending up on the island. I beleive this season will show how the characters got to the island by other forms....So the flashes are still flash-backs, but their whole histories were changed.

I also beleive the little boy on the island is Aaron, which means time skipped forward, which makes sense when you see the distraught state of the house sawyer was drinking in.

Did anybody else think it was Walt at that high school? (Locke asked where the teachers lounge was.)

Did anyone else pickup that all the other candidates on the list have been off the island and back to the real world expect Sawyer? Maybe if NotLocke gets Sawyer off the island he wins the game with Jacob..this dovetails nicely with the backgammon reference.

@ Michelle:

Care to elaborate? I don't see how 4 Locke (The Constant), etc. makes sense... THANKS!

I dont know if people relaized this yet, but the numbers next to each of the survivors names that were not corssed off were 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42... wow!!

@ Kruxoli...I really like your theory and I am going to agree with you!

in the season 3 premiere, a guy in the book club doesn't like that juliet picked Carrie as the book. Juliet says something like "Here I am thinking that free will still exists on this..." stuff starts shaking, flight 815 crashes.

Ok, again pure conjecture here, but as Mo Ryan at The Watcher theorized recently, Lost and Supernatural have a lot in common lately, including that the same guy who played Jacob is playing Satan on that show.

On Supernatural, we just found out that Sam and Dean come from Cain and Abel's lineage. Could it be that the people on the List are also from Adam/Eve's lineage?

This also goes to my idea, that the Island is Eden (or Atlantis, or one in the same). And is also why I think that Adam and Eve in the cave really are Adam and Eve.

That would make MIB the serpent, and Jacob would be ... OK, don't know. The angel Michael maybe?

So, the numbers could correlate to their lineage (like 4th in line to the throne). it is their degree of separation from being pure or holy?

Sayid pure or holy?

Everybody keeps asking why Kate doesn't have a #... you guys don't remember in I think season 3 when Locke was trying to convince the others to take her in and Locke said sorry but you aren't on the list?

@flashest monk
Ok I may be waaaay off base here, but is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks of men having a different role then women in heaven? I know that women cannot become priests. Could this be why no women are on the list? Maybe because women are the “mother/nurturer” they would find it difficult to do the “judging/punishing” part.

Pure lineage, I should say. since Sayid is from the Middle East, he could be a closer blood line

@Andrea - Princess bride had MIB, Miracle Max (healed the mostly dead = Sayid? thus Max could be Dogen) Lennon could be Valerie? I've often thought of Hugo as Fezzik - and Ben as Vizzini (but Ben is much smarter)

It's not the first (or last I bet) similarities for PBride

Maybe the reason we didn't see Kate's name in the cave is because the "candidate" might have to be male. Then "Kwon" would reference Jin.
I don't think the list of names in the cave is a reference to who is "saved" and who is not. Just a reference as to who the replacement may be and that it probably has to be a man. (No offense to any women---I'm a woman too!) :~)

twistie - Claire may not be on the list, but they wanted Aaron and she is apperently on the ceiling.

To Liz:
The producers confirmed that there are no more flashbacks OR flashforwards....
>>I also beleive the little boy on the island is Aaron, which means time skipped forward, which makes sense when you see the distraught state of the house sawyer was drinking in.
Remember -- three years have past since anyone was in the houses (2004-2007) The others have been in the temple since..

Did anybody else think it was Walt at that high school? (Locke asked where the teachers lounge was.)

Yes, I so thought that was gonna be Walt!! I had to rewind it, LOL

twistie - Claire may not be on the list, but they wanted Aaron and she is apparently on the ceiling.

To Liz:
>>>So the flashes are still flash-backs, but their whole histories were changed.

The producers confirmed that there are no more flashbacks OR flashforwards....

>>I also beleive the little boy on the island is Aaron, which means time skipped forward, which makes sense when you see the distraught state of the house sawyer was drinking in.

Remember -- three years have past since anyone was in the houses (2004-2007) The others have been in the temple since..

>>Did anybody else think it was Walt at that high school? (Locke asked where the teachers lounge was.)

Yes, I so thought that was gonna be Walt!! I had to rewind it, LOL

To reiterate, I think the women could be the MOTHER of the candidate.

To reiterate, I think the women could be the MOTHER of the candidate.

And Thank you, Daniel :)

So, I'm on lostpedia because I thought of Room 23 and how the Other's were brainwashed and then I remembered the flash "God loves you as he loved Jacob..." Also, while I'm typing it says at the bottom of the page there is an easter egg as to who Adam and Eve were in the episode Not in Portland. I must say, I'm really going to miss this show when it ends!

Does that mean we have to rewatch Not in Portland to find Adam and Eve? lol

The song Sawyer was listening to was Search and Destroy by Iggy and the stooges. The Original punks!

Loved this EP!! Your so right Locke themed eps NEVER fail. I'm gonna go with HELL YES MIB is a bad bad bad guy. He killed Mr.Eko and remember Eko told John that "he was next". Smokie is as evil as they come why is he throwing the light stone off? Hes evil. He killed Jacob who has only helped the losties....

I agree - i am not 100% sure that Not Locke is bad.... I LOVED this episode!!! And I LOVE the Lost Diary!

If Not Locke is "trapped" in his current form, how did Smokie appear to Ben as his daughter?

Smokie can still take on other people's appearances. He chose Locke because Locke gave him and Ben access to where Jacob was to kill him. He is still smokie and can still take on other forms, just not his original form (I'm guessing his original form is the MIB we saw on the beach with Jacob).

I dont believe the numbers correspond to the seat numbers of the Losties, except for Jack. Jack I believe was in row 23, but Locke was seated behind him in the middle section, so no way he is in row 4. And row 42 (Kwon) was in the tail section, actually it was Ana Lucia who was sitting in row 42.

Dont count Kate out yet, she is our hero of the story, maybe Jacob kept her secret from MiB for a reason. :)

Also, not sure how much stock we should put into the mysterious list Mikhail mentioned. Now that we know Jacob never spoke to Ben, how can we be so sure Ben didnt make the whole Jacob's list up? Put me down as skeptical at best.

@ Kitz -
Lostpedia says that Jack was in seat 23, but ana lucia was in 42 on Oceanic 815. On Ajira 316, Jack was in seat 8.

Really? There's an easter egg in Not in Portland on Adam and Eve? Definately going to have to rewatch that soon...

Gotta rewatch this episode tonight.

@suede66- yeah I thought that that was the same woman from Hurley's flashback. It was kind of weird to see all these people that were on the plane who worked for Hurley in the flashsideways.

Not sure who is good or evil on this show. Maybe they're all evil, and some are just more evil than others...

What are we going to do when LOST is over? I don't think there are many other shows on where you can really get to the level of theories and figuring out stuff like with LOST. At least not for me... and there's no show that I tell people I can't go out that night and can't talk when they call... I'll just go back and watch an episode each week from the start. ;)

Okay, probably not. But there has to be something to fill the void that will be left!

@TDA, that is the same question I posed earlier this morning on the previous blog (before this one came online).

How do we explain Alex appearing to Ben under the temple wall? If Flocke is now stuck with Locke's face from now on.

Isn't Aaron technically a Shephard? Son of Claire who is the sister of Jack? Just like we don't know which Kwon, couldn't it be which Shephard?

Thanks for the reminder about the cave in season one. I forgot about the stones. Gosh I'm going to miss reading all the input and ideas.

There's an easter egg with a clue on Adam and Eve? Guess I'll be going back to watch Not in Portland.

@suede66- yeah, I had noticed that about the interviewer too. I love how they're bringing back these minor characters this season, some in whole new roles. Last week the same person who was Aaron's caretaker was the nurse who took Claire into the hospital.

Not sure who is actually good and evil on this show. I'm starting to wonder if there are any "good" people and if they're all just "evil", only some more than others, different levels of "evil". I don't know who to trust on this show and I love it!

What will we do after this show ends? Are there any other shows like it out there? Might just start a big rewatch, starting with season one and going all the way through. ;) There has to be something out there that will fill the void that will be left come May 23.

I followed the link on the Adam and Eve hint in Not and Portland and it took me to this :

What is the meaning or significance of the two skeletons that Jack and Kate found in the cave of season 1?
CUSE: The answer to that question goes to the nature of the timeline of the island. We don't want to say too much about it, but there are a couple Easter eggs embedded in [the Feb. 7 episode], one of which is an anagram that actually sheds some light on the skeletons and hints at a larger mythological mystery that will start to unfold later in the season.

@ LovesSteamyKeamy:

FRINGE, FFORWARD. 2 really good shows. Not on LOST's level, but still...

Also, even though is off the air, THE WIRE. My all time fav...

Whoops... sorry for the double post. Computer's being weird today.

When Alex appeared to Ben, it was MIB setting up his attack on Jacob. He knew that He (MIB) would be in Locke's body, so he made sure that Ben would follow FLocke's orders to kill Jacob, and "free" him.

Dont count out Ji-Yeon either, Jin and Sun's child. After watching Jacob touch each person again last night, he touched both Sun and Jin at the same time. Maybe it was symbolic?

i have never been convinced that it has been about good and evil but merely perspectives of different individuals. the light and dark aspect is more important than trying to judge good and evil. there could be something to the jacob and lightbearer...i have thought that recently as well as the jacob's ladder references.

hmm such a good epi. loved every version of locke and so happy to helen even if only briefly. in one timeline they got to be together and happy so...

hmm no kate on the wall but like the earlier poster said locke did tell her she wasn't on the list.

candidates...protector of the island.

still think MIB is a genie/djinn and is seeking to be released...whatever that means

@Kruxoli- yeah, I've watched Flash Forward, thought it was pretty good, lke you said, not on LOST level, but still intriguing. There has to be something, somewhere...

Let's not forget that, technically, Claire is a Shepherd as she is the half sister of Jack, so maybe the Shepherd on the wall is Claire, or even Aaron.

@Nicole, that is what we have thought all along. But after Ilana made the comment lastnight, we need to rethink this.

Ilana said to Ben that MiB can no longer switch faces, he is stuck that way from now on. MiB has been Locke sense 316 crash landed, and the Alex scene appeared after the crash.

At what point did MiB becoming (F)Locke become permanent?

Does anyone else feel like we might be immensely disappointed when all is said and done. I read all the great posts/theories, and it seems like a lot of things are going to be left unanswered.

I maybe oversimplifying it, but Jacob was shown in the flashbacks as "giving" something to everyone he had contact with. A pen to Sawyer, A granola bar to Jack etc.
Without getting into the details, I've heard and agree with the theory that the flash sideways lives of the Losties are in another universe living aternate lives. You know how people say we have a double of ourselves walking around? They are their doubles in a different universe co-existing at the same time but in different ways. Locke has no personal power, Hugo has respect and authority, Jack is filled with doubt etc. If God can make this universe, who's to say he didn't make another and we're all there too trying to get it right?
Thanks everyone for your insights. I love reading them!

Somewhere on the wall is LITTLETON (Claire) so she is NOT one of the Shepard's. It's Jack, or Christian, or Aaron, but Aaron has yet to arrive on the island, unless Claire's mom was a stoweaway on the Ajira flight...I don't think Aaron is on the island...yet...

@Gregg, yeah, there are going to be so many things left unanswered, simply because of the number of questions there still are. Guess we better start preparing for never knowing some answers. ;) I just hope the disappointment won't be too much. idk if I could take a great disappointment after so many years of theories and ideas and rewatching episodes...

I give this episode an A+! So much Locke, with a dash of Ben, Hurley, Smokie, Rose, Helen, Sawyer, and the numbers thrown in. Oh heck yeah! I have rewatched that cave scene several times and my head is still reeling. Love me some Terry O' Quinn!

@ AustinWendy:

Somewhere on the wall is LITTLETON (Claire) so she is NOT one of the Shepard's. It's Jack, or Christian, or Aaron, but Aaron has yet to arrive on the island, unless Claire's mom was a stoweaway on the Ajira flight...I don't think Aaron is on the island...yet...

Sorry for the post ! 10:29, that was me!

mr. f...maybe it was the killing of jacob that made flocke "stuck" with lockes body...

to greg: I agree with you 100% !!!!!

@ Mr. F : right there with you (see comment at 8:30). I think the Kwon referenced on the ceiling is the child, because he touched them both at the same time! And wasn't there a question of whether or not Jin could father a child? did Jacob's touch heal him?

Wondering if the spider crawling off (dead)Locke's neck was relevant. Was it Nicki and Paulo that had the spider bite coma, but not dead? Maybe (dead)Locke is not so dead.

@buttercup and @Mr. F - that's what I think Buttercup...

Flocke is body-bound to this body because he changed the rules/game, etc. by killing Jacob...

lsk - there's always Flashforward, although it's not the same. :(

and by 'this body' it's the body that that has cloned Locke - it's not Locke's body...

This gets confusing...

@LSK and @Duffy - doesn't FF have to resume before the ides of march cuz that's when that one guy is supposed to die? And then 4/29 is the culmination of everyone's fforwards? hee

Course, with that suicide - I think something has changed and as we see from previews - another fforward may be needed..

I'm only about half way through the comments so hopefully this isn't a repeat. When the young boy told Flocke that he broke the rules, you can't kill him. How could he be Jacob? If he was Jacob he would have said you can't kill me.

Maybe Fake-locke isnt the only smoke monster? Since both MIB and Jacob seem to be special in ways that we can't even fathom at this point, perhaps Alex appearing to Ben was not MIB but actually Jacob. The smoke monster hasnt exactly always been predictable. Killing Eko, sparing others (like Juliet & Kate that one time), perhaps it was not always the same person acting.

I still wonder whats up with the sound that smokie makes, sounds like chains or something

Was just about to answer the same thing as buttercup - I think he's "locked" - no pun intended - into Locke's body since Jacob was killed.

Minley - it was a crab not a spider. Thank god!

Daniel...completely agree with you this week. This was a fantastic episode. No, we are not absolutely sure that Flocke/MIB is the bad guy.

So, in Locke's flash sideways, Helen wants to invite Locke's dad to their wedding. Obviously in Locke's alternate reality he is still in a wheelchair but his father did not cause it. Wonder what happened there.

As far as the boy in the jungle, I am with those who believe that he is a young Jacob. Just makes sense.

fanolost....BRILLIANT leap you've made with the Adam and Eve/Jacob and MIB theory. Combine that with SakitSaPuwit's notion that the "Adam and Eve" skeleton's were found with black and white rocks surrounding them. Makes you go hmmmmmm....

Best. Episode. Ever!!

fanolost - I agree I think that Dim's suicide changed things and a FF may be necessary to course correct. Or am I still stuck on LOST? lol

FF is good, but I'm not invested the same, although it is just the first season.

i laughed when i saw daniel's comment about finding out about libby and the mental institution. that one is killing me!

Wow wow wow! Busy busy morning!!

1. I don't think the young boy was Aaron or a young Locke. They have stopped time traveling, and the age would not fit for Aaron.

2. Hilarious with the rock throwing and "inside joke" thing!

3. We do not know that Kate's name was NOT on the ceiling, they just may not have showed us. Maybe she is 108 :)

4. Ben as a teacher was hilarious. BUT if this is an alternate timeline AFTER the bomb goes off on the island in 1977 then Ben had already been shot and healed in the temple so he is still the changed Ben.

Great great episode!

i agree i think it is jacob telling him he can't kill him. someone previous thought he was talking about killing richard? i thought he meant he couldn't kill sawyer/james/ford due to being a candidate?

The boy Locke stops to ask about the teacher's lounge....was it Walt?

So following along the lines that Jacob had given each person that he touched something, he actually gave Locke life.

Why do you call the pilot (can't remember his name) lawnmower man?

if adam and eve were actually jacob & the man in black wouldnt jack have noticed that both remains were men being that he's a doctor & all? & i'm not buying that the MIB is a woman using men's bodies cuz she thinks people will be more likely to follow a man...its too easy and frankly a bit insulting.

Could Jacob 'touching' the losties protect them from MIB ? I'm leaning toward a Cain/Able relationship concerning Jaco/MIB. I'm sure Kate not being one of the chosen one's on the wall was no oversight....I'm ready for a few answers to start being answered...i.e. Jacob was into numbers..WHY??

Claire's name was crossed out (Littleton). So was Ethan's (Godspeed). His was right above Hurley's. Other names I saw that I didn't recognize were "O'Toole", "Troupe", and "Mattingley". And I think I saw "Costa". Does anyone know if these names are relevant? I don't recall hearing them before.

@fanolost, just read, Flash Forward is coming back a few days after Ides. I couldn't help but think after the guys suicide, "But the universe always has a way of course correcting itself..." I'm too much thinking LOST stuff, lol. It's a good show, but I can not see an ep on its normal night and just watch it the next day no trouble. But hopefully it'll at least help the void. At least I'll be able to get work done once LOST is over. ;)

I am freaked out that Locke's father, Anthony Cooper, is back in the picture... Literally!!! There are pictures in Locke's cubical of Cooper and Locke, on what looks like hunting or fishing photos of a father and son week-end.

haha! i got so caught up in the names that i misspelled my own screen name! lol

@Desmaond'sLostShephard, not sure about most of the names, but "Troupe" was one of the people who died in the 815 crash... I think he was the one who got sucked into the turbine.

@buttercup....I think the idea of the theory is that at one point, the MIB WAS a woman, but assumed a man's body at a later point in time.

A little off topic but-- Do we know where Yi Jeon is?

@Cam - in alternate Lost, Ben would not have been shot because Sayid would never have been on island/time skips - and so not need healing from temple (and being 'not the same'). We're seeing Ben as he would have been without Lostie interference - off island and teaching...

@Suze - thanks. The rocks are significant - but I have to think over all these cycles, that male/female get jumbled by which body you're in.

For instance, I feel that Kate, if we find cycles and soul jumping are happening - might well be male... Jack, perhaps female.

Still theorizing, but ...

@Desmond'sLostShepherd - Lostpedia has all of the names of the people written on the cave, as well as if they are still alive or not. Interesting mix of Oceanic 815 passengers, others, and dharma initiative people.

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Cliffside_cave

@buttercup - it's about body availability - and yeah, I had to choke down some womanly feelings to post what I did.

If you're gonna dash 17th century ships onto your shores - they will be male folk, not women. This would have been likely for quite some time - as women just didn't travel much across the seas.

And whether you agree or not - up until the last century (and not even all of it) - women DID NOT, as the norm, hold the power, nor the promise to gather many to her cause.

So if you're in this game of sorts, yeah, adapting - to find that loophole - would be in order.

Fake Locke is the evil one. He threw the white (meaning good) rock into the ocean and the black rock was left on the scale weighing it down. Meaning black, or evil, is now dominant on the island.

You can also see 291- Domingo and 238-Jones in the screencaps. I wonder if everyone on the island was a potential candidate since they were all "brought" there?

@ Good Omen: Thanks! I'll check it out! THat will definitely be easier than trying to read the blurry screencaps! heehee

I'm not convinced that Not Locke is bad necessarily. I think it's a matter of perspective. To Jacob followers, who's goal is to stay on the island, the MIB would be the bad guy. To the MIB who wants to leave, Jacob would be the bad guy. I wish I understood this candidate and recruitment biz is. Both sides are recruiting...but for what exactly?

I think I finally liked an episode this season because it was just the old gang. I realized today I don't like any scenes that have to do with the temple, and I don't want to meet any new characters six years into this obsession of mine! So no temple scenes = no annoying new characters! Well that and any episode with so much Sawyer is of course going to be awesome, especially, pantless Sawayer! ;)

@fanolost - our views of alternate lost are different then... I am under the belief that alternate lost is what happens when Juliet makes the bomb go off an "it works" and their lives are changed from that moment on... so, Sayid did shoot Ben, in my version of the alternate lost :)

Pretty good episode, things I'm thinking....

-Austin (Kate) was not one of the names but Kwon was, so that still doesn't explain why Sun didn't end up in the 1970s with the other losties.

-I have been saying for a few seasons now, that Log from the Black Rock that Widemore bought is a key artifact that I believe has all the names.

-Is the Ladder to the Cave "Jacobs Ladder"

-The tapestry in the temple below the statue or the wall writing (I think they were really similar) shows a bunch of people flanked on either side, reminds me of the last supper promos they released before this season....

-Lawnmower man didn't say anything, WTF?

-IMO Illana drank Jacobs cool aid and she really doesn't know anything about anything.

-When the children of the corn kid said "You know you can't kill him" I think that means also that candidates can't kill other candidates? (or shouldn't?), So if Jack is to blame for Sayid being shot does that count in some way?

-Pretty good episode and my big thumbs up for the Lost writters is that any show with Katy Segal is worth watching, so at least with her in an episode it should get a minimum of a B+

Glad your back Daniel to being into the show, I was with you so far though this season is far to slow and trying to cram too much info into one season.

I will forever be a fan of shows with a true 26 episode season. There are many shows I like (Mad Men, Always Sunny, Nip/Tuck. to name a few) that never do more than like 13 episodes. IMO they should not qualify as a series. Instead we have to suffer through shows like extreme home makeover, Survivor 108 (wow there getting close to UFC) and Reruns of past canceled shows.

so for me its 24-26 episodes or your not a true tv series.

OK! Daniel, i agree with you, great episode, loved it!! You were so positive that i was questioning whether or not you wrote the diary, plus the whole "threw" thing "threw" me off! Haha, see how i did that?

Ok, my post is gonna be long.

First, is MIB the bad guy? I say yes, an almost without a doubt yes, but not quite a fully undoubted yes. The reason i think this is because of the 'temptations'. He tempted Richard(Richard was strong enough to say no), he tempted Sawyer, he tempted Ben, he is a master manipulator, we have seen it, he's dangling the only carrot he has - knowledge. All we have seen out of Jacob is that he touched people and that touch was significant but we don't quite know how, in fact i would argue that Jacob kept information back to NOT manipulate people.

I was really leaning toward the other direction but last night's ep solidified it for me; he's bad and i think that Jacob wasn't protecting the island per se, i think he was keeping MIB on it-that's his role, i am looking up the mythology later about this because i kinda remember a story about a guy being chained to an island and one man had the task of keeping him there and got outsmarted somehow... anyone know what i am talking about?

I don't think MIB CAN get off the island on his own, he needs someone to somehow get him off the island. But whoever posted above that James is a con man is awesome because i didn't even think of that, he is a con man and he is not going to follow this guy, i hope.

Ok, the kid. I am totally with Cam on this - not Aaron because they are in present time, plus the kid was covered in blood. This reminds me of Eko and his brother, Locke and Boone, this kid is probably someone MIB killed and feels guilty for; he was startled as heck to see the kid.

Also, not Jacob here's why; the kid had on a hoodie vest complete with buttons, he was wearing modern age clothing, so post black rock but pre flight 815. I think the kid is representing a mistake that MIB made at some point. Killing an other's child or possibly killing the kids dad or something.

Ok, plus, i didn't read ALL the posts so if someone posted this already then sorry - but - How many losties are now working for Hurley?? I am sure there are going to be more. This is so significant but i can't quite guess why, i think maybe it has something to do with Hurley's role on the island.

ALSO, Michael and Walt; here is my prediction: I am quite sure after seeing Ben last night that the sideways reality is life as it exists without the island at all. So Ben and his dad were never part of the DI, perhaps his mom never died in childbirth. Anyway, so since i thought that about Ben i began to think that probably the reason Walt and Michael weren't on the flight is because they were never in Australia because Walts mom never took him away. Just my prediction, but if thats true than how else are things different in the sideways world? Locke's Dad?? Brilliant!!!!

Great episode. One thing that I caught was that when Locke's alarm clock was going off, the alarm was the sound that was made in the hatch when the numbers had to be pushed. Loved it!

After staring at my paused TV screen for way too long, here is a list of some of the names and numbers on the cave wall that I could make out and what I found out about some of them...

10 – Mattingly –(was the guy who Locke attacked and ultimately stabbed when he was about to cut off Julliette’s hand.)

64 – Goldstein (unknown)

75 – Costa (unknown)

90 – Troupe (unknown)

115 – Bargar (sp?)(unknown)

117 – Linus (Ben, Roger, Emily)

119 – Almild (sp?) (unknown)

140 – Lewis (Charlotte)

222 – O’Toole (unknown)

291 – Domingo (unknown)

317 – Cunningham (An other that ambushed Sawyer and Juliette after the “flaming arrows attack”.)

335 – Hen(rik) (manned tracking station when searching for Desmond; member of Oceanic 6 rescue freighter. Could also be Hen(dricks) (Australian at the helm of the freighter Kahana)

376 – Aguil(lar) (As in Father – the priest who performed the funeral for Hurley's grandfather, Tito Reyes. During the funeral he was hit by lightning in what Hurley referred to as a "freak storm".

Goodspeed – (Horace, Olivia, Ethan)

Sullivan – (815 survivor who died during the “flaming arrows attack”.)

Any of these name familiar to anyone else?

Of course... lostpedia has it all broken down for ya!

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/
wiki/Jacob%27s_Wall

Miles is important IDK why and i don't think it is just because of his father. But there is a big reason why he and Lapidus are the only freighters left.....

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Gary_Troup

Gary Troup was on 815

@ted - nice theory - regarding sawyer having to leave to win the game. obviously widmore left, and ben left, but ben came back and we were told ben can't come back. the earlier game we watched was widmore vs ben. ben now looks lost

I still think "home" for Flocke is Heaven. My religious scholarship is pretty pathetic so maybe flashest monk or Mr. F. or Kruxoli or fanolost or CAM or Jenn2 or whomever can come up with a theory that would would accommodate my thought? :)

I also have an overwhelming suspicion that the end of this series will be that Locke had an operation performed by Jack but he ended up in a coma. While in this coma, his mind goes "island hopping". The final "eye" we see opening will not be Jack's...but Locke coming out of his coma.

I'm have a weird day!

remember the premier Hugo said "I'm the luckiest man alive" I think that line was supposed to be "I'm the Cluckiest Man alive" get it???

is this thing on????

I didn't get through all of the response comments... But in the case of Kwon... Isn't/wasn't Sun pregnant?? So that would add a third Kwon into to mix....

@Cam - we are of different minds - but I submit for your thoughts: alternate Losties did not crash into island, never met.

While we don't know when the island is at the bottom of the ocean - it could be that it's there as Oceanic flies over. Regardless, there is no way Ben was shot by Sayid as a boy because Sayid is not on island to do this.

@jaytch - nice thought but that would put MIB in purgatory which the producers shot down theory during season one. My personal theory is that home for MIB is the temple.

how do we know non-locke is not jacob? when he carried away Richard near the the dead real lock, he yelled "i'm so disappointed in you all!" WELL from what we know, jacob had illana, et all come to protect him. so maybe ben didn't kill jacob? maybe jacob is now fake lock. why would he be disappointed in the 316 crew? they were there to protect jacbob right?

how do we know non-locke is not jacob? when he carried away Richard near the the dead real lock, he yelled "i'm so disappointed in you all!" WELL from what we know, jacob had illana, et all come to protect him. so maybe ben didn't kill jacob? maybe jacob is now fake lock. why would he be disappointed in the 316 crew? they were there to protect jacob right?

@Reverend Rock: Sun gave birth to her daughter last season, so yes there is another Kwon :)

@fanolost - agree to disagree....

The Kwon name on the wall MUST refer to Jin or Sun...When did the child get to the island? Same thing with the kid with the bloody arms who spoke to FLocke...how could it be Aaron when Aaron hasn't been on the island...

@ CAM - Of course they do... Why do I even bother? There is even way more detail than I was able to gather... Thanks for the link!

@Kruxoli - Aaron was born on the island, so he has been on the island. Ji Yeon was conceived on the island, so technically she has been on the island.

However, I agree with you on both points, I think it is either Sun or Jin on the wall and the young boy is not Aaron.

to espenn - you typed this, earlier this morning:

So, whenever Keamy killed Alex, Ben screamed went to whitmore and said, "those aren't the rules, you can't couldn't kill her". so little child of the corn is telling lock, "you know theh rules you can't kill him." maybe james is a child of someone?

Posted by: espenn | February 17, 2010 08:40 AM

my question for you, is do you read spoilers? because if so, you may have a theory going...

i don't want to say anymore and ruin it

@ Kruxoli - Aaron was born on the island.

@Michele - I like lostpedia because it makes me look smart :) haha!

@ssarah badara - NO SPOILERS GIRL!!!! Hahaha... on that note... tell me this tidbit on facebook :)

All -- Believe me, I KNOW Aaron was born on the island. The names in the cave were people who were BROUGHT to the island. Sun conceived on island, so Ji Yeon was NOT BROUGHT there. Aaron, maybe, technically because Claire was preggers when she boarded the Oceanic flight. Still, CLAIRE was the one brought there...If Aaron was the one to be brought there, Jacob would've touched him...

At 9:44 when Helen is giving Locke a hug, did anyone else notice the black fingernail polish. Probably nothing but it got me to start looking at other splashes of black. I'll have to go back and see what I can see.

By the way, when I saw Helen, I started screaming...PEGGY BUNDY!

I see where everyone is trying to find a similar plotline or story. What about Dogma? They needed a loophole to attack God while he was in a human form. So in order to wake God up they had to kill the old man's body she (Alanis morrisette) was using. Much like Jacob had to be killed by Ben not MIB. Maybe the "candidate" either needs to be killed or sacrifice their life so Jacob's spirit can take over. Cleary MIB is the bad guy. Did everyone forget the scene on the beach? MIB: Do you know how badly I want to kill you?

CAM - sent you a message on facebook.

If anyone is interested in spoilers, I recommend spoilers anonymous - but they also have spoilers for other shows too, so beware!

@Krux, I think Yi-Jeon is still in the mix. It was Jacob who brought them both to the island. As MiB/Flocke told us, he brought everyone there. They could not have a child until the magical island turned Jin's sperm into Michael Phelps. :) Interesting...

@Buttercup, so the death of Jacob "locked" (pun intended) MiB into Flocke from that point. Sound theory, I could buy that.

@CAM/fanolost, I was so sure I was on CAM's side of the Sayid shooting Ben until I tried to rationalize it myself. Now I cant seem to pick a side... interesting debate.

Did anyone say this already?

Walt looked like child of the corn in past seasons - when he appeared, did he not wear clothing (once) that looked 'old?'

So this child is 'special' like Walt? How? Still figuring that out but it does make me think it could be Aaron...

@ Mr. F:

I'm not saying she's (Ji Yeon) not important, just that she's not the KWON being referenced on the cave wall. Plus, how is she, or Aaron for that matter, going to get to the island? Unless Grandma Kwon and Littleton get on a plane sometime soon...

@ Fanolost:

Unless Aaron teleported to the island, I can't see how the boy can be him. As far as we know, Aaron is with Claire's mom, in LA, no?

@syed - I agree about the rules of the game and how the candidate figures into it - like Sawyer. But MiB could still be good and want to kill Jacob, if Jacob is the evil one. Just seems like they won't go with the easy answers on Lost, like white is good and black is evil.

@espenn, good point that FLocke might be Jacob... he did say he was very disappointed in everyone. I'm still wondering why he said that to them.

Oh the number of questions that may be left unanswered... it worries me.

The Jacob/FLocke interaction reminded me of something. In the bible, in the Garden of Eden, God informs Adam and Eve that they are not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. They end up eating from the Tree (after the serpent's temptation) and God becomes angry and banishes the couple from the Garden. Now, on the surface that seems like a cut and dry story. But, I am reminded of a different interpretation. Most will agree that the serpent is equivalent to the devil, or Lucifer - a "bad" or "evil" character. But, Lucifer means "light bearer," and, in the context of the above story, he/it is the one who leads humans to the "knowledge" possessed by God. Some people see this as "enlightening" or "freeing" humans from the life God made for them. Had Eve not eaten the fruit, humans would be in a state of oblivion (remember, in the bible Adam and Eve had NO IDEA they were naked until they ate the fruit). One can read this how they wish, but on the surface, it seems that God did not want humans to have the same knowledge he/she/it has/had. The serpent allowed people to obtain this previously forbidden knowledge.

What does this have to do with LOST? I'm not sure, but I THINK that Jacob might be the God character and FLocke the serpent. This could be why FLocke is "disappointed" with the people on the beach. They were following Jacob, the one trying to keep them subjugated and not FLocke, the one who opened them up to knowledge.

I posted the above last week but I think it plays into this weeks episode as well. FLocke told Richard something like "You've been doing his bidding and he (Jacob) NEVER TOLD YOU WHY." This looks like FLocke is trying to paint Jacob as someone who doesn't want everyone else to know what he knows. Also, FLocke offers Sawyer something...KNOWLEDGE of why he is on the island...

I'm still trying to tie this all into when Ben says "why did he let me kill him" "why didnt he fight back" and fake-locke shrugged it off saying "I guess he knew he was beaten" or something like that. Theres obviously a lot more going on here.

espenn, maybe your theory is right...

Ilana was insistent on burying Locke six feet under to insure that Lockness could not move back in time to correct his mistake.

@ SK:

Actually, Sun insisted that they bury him...I don't think Ilana cared one way or the other. When they were on they're way to bury REAL Locke, Ilana said that FLocke is stuck like that...I don't know why, but it's got nothing to do with burying REAL Locke.

I agree the Kwon could be JiYeon. I think the fact that Sun and Jin have not been able to be together again on the island has something to do with them not making more children.

"I also have an overwhelming suspicion that the end of this series will be that Locke had an operation performed by Jack but he ended up in a coma. While in this coma, his mind goes "island hopping". The final "eye" we see opening will not be Jack's...but Locke coming out of his coma."

@JAYTCH - That is one sweet theory!

@Michele, nice post on the names from the cave ceiling. One of them jumped out at me... TROUPE. As in Gary Troupe, the author of Bad Twin book. Nice tie in.

@Krux, I understand the reasoning in regards to Yi Jeon getting the island. That is a hurdle to overcome for sure. But I am still stuck on Jacob touching both Jin and Sun at the same time. He brought them both to the island to create Yi Jeon. Yeah, its a long shot... I know. Smart money is on Jin, but heck I am a gambler.

In general, I just dont see how Aaron appearing to Flocke fits in the story at all. It makes much more sense if it is a vision of Jacob, possible MiB can see dead people too like Hurley. Maybe lil' Jacob is simply there to remind him of the rules. But the look of shock/surprise leads me to believe there was some recognition between Flocke and the boy.

@berky

Generally when good is against evil it is rarely the good one that wants to kill the bad guy. I think of this as MIB is tired of Jacobs "rules" and used the loophole to trap him. I'm guessing MIB might have to make sure all the candidates are dead before he can leave. Thats why he scratched Locke's name off. But the catch for him is he can't kill them. Everyone seems to think Ben has changed. Remember he did kill Locke and he was the one who got the Oceanic 6 back to the island. Maybe he is really working with MIB to accomplish this.

@kruxoli - as Walt is special, so is Aaron - and I believe the linear use of time should not be applied to them.

If Aaron is 'so' special - the donkey wheel could have been used - and me saying 'Aaron' I mean 'the person that is/was Aaron' is more appropriate. I believe Aaron has lived before - the soul - and so could be on island now having come forward from the past. Or something like that.

Richard, Jacob, MIB - these are old, old, old souls. Aaron is likely same. IMO of course

What if the boy's Sawyer? Haha, dirty blond hair, intense eyes, dealt with horrible family accident? Wouldn't make to much sense but its LOST we're talking about, right? :)

@ Mr F.:

I agree about FLocke and the boy...FLocke CERTAINLY knows who that is... Also, did anyone else think it was weird that the kid ran away, like he was scare of FLocke and then spoke down to him after FLocke fell down...I don't know, just seems weird to me.

As far as Ji Yeon, we've all seen some WEIRD stuff throughout lost...Who knows, perhaps she and Aaron are the next group to come to the island...

I think the substitute is Sawyer...remember, Richard wouldn't come with Flocke, so he went after Sawyer.

Someone said on another blog that the reason Kate's name wasn't on the rock was because Jacob tried to point her down the right path as a kid and she ended up living a life a crime and that nulled her chances of being chosen...if that was true, Sawyer wouldn't be on the list either (murdered two people).

I'll have to find screenshots of the wall and analyze them for a few hours. Hunt down all the crossed off names.

I was very happy with this episode. I'm sure more will come to me as the day goes on, but I think I'm still a little pooped for the overspeculation last week.

@Kruxoli

I think the reason the kid 'ran away' from fake-locke was to isolate him from Sawyer so that they could talk.

@ Fanolost:

I agree, Aaron is special, and "time" as we know it on LOST is sketchy at best. I just don't think the kid that came to FLocke is Aaron...

I think Kate not having a number means that she will be the new Jacob. The other losties who have numbers are candidates for something that we'll find out what later.

I still think Non Locke is the bad guy. The fact that he doesn't think the island needs protecting tells me that. Can you imagine what would happen if the island became knowledge to the whole world. But having said that I don't think Jacob is perfect either.

@syed - I was struck very strongly, at the end of the ep last night, that on the Island we were in a fairy tale and that MiB was under an enchantment. He can't get off the Island by himself - he needs the Candidate to take over his role or Jacob's role - not sure which. But I don't think he wants to kill everyone on the Island and I'm not sure his past history of killing makes him evil - there could be extenuating circumstances!

Perhaps Jacob and MIB are two sides of the same person. That would explain why they couldn't kill each other, but the loophole allowed MIB to manipulate Ben into killing the Jacob persona. The smoke monster could be a manifestation of either "side" at any given time - sometimes good, sometimes evil.

The Jacobites and the Unlocke's are now forming sides to do final battle in the game. Poor Richard has always been used and enslaved by Jacob and no longer has free will. It will be interesting to see how the Losties decide which side to follow. Which way will Ben go? Maybe it doesn't matter except for the names in Jacob's cave. Perhaps the only way that MIB gets to go home is to convince Reyes, Ford, Jarrah, Shephard and Kwon to leave the island with him. They all must go together. The Jacobites must convince them all to stay.

First, I am always skeptical to believe anything presented in LOST at face value. I'm not convinced yet that Not Locke told Sawyer the whole truth about his options.

Also, anyone who recorded and still has the episode should go back to the scene when Not Locke and Sawyer are getting reacquainted. Just before Locke tells Sawyer that he can answer the "most important question in the world," Not Locke's eyes flash black. It's so subtle, but super creepy awesome.

Finally, could the kid be Young Locke?

Can't wait till the weekend when I have time to TiVo, slow-mo, freeze-frame and add captioning! It will be very rewarding with this episode.

Maybe the little boy is Penny and Desmond's Charlie?

@ Aimers:

How did Charlie get on the island? He was never brought there, nor was Desmond or Penny touched by Jacob...

I thought this was a great episode but there has to be more about the numbers.
How do they link to the the serial number on the hatch?

on thing i noticed in the rerun of last weeks episode they said the alternate reality is "what would have happened if the plane never crashed" this is the second time i've seen it worded that way...not "this is what happened because...if. could be nothing but something about the way they word it bothers me...like its not really happening.

@Kruxoli - I just have to say you are being very narrow minded. It is your theory with the whole "Jacob touched them thing." No need to jump on other people's theories since they don't fit yours. This is a free space to throw theories around, play nice please :)

sorry- mom moment there and I am not even a mom lol!

Has anyone touched on the fact that Helen's "...and your Dad" comment means that Locke's Dad probably did not push him out of the window? If not, how did he become paralyzed?

Ok ok, new thought.

The plane/off island scenes. Maybe not an alternate reality occuring along side with the island. Perhaps just a view of what would have happened if Jacob had never sought out these people in any way.

It has nothing to do with Jacob touching these people, because he was influencing them more than that. We think the only contact Jacob had with these characters was those moments that we saw, but if that were the case, how would Hurley have been exposed to 'the numbers'? MIB was right, Jacob has been manipulating them the entire time, not just the one time he touched so and so.

Furthermore, Jacob tells MIB (in season 5 finale) 'it only ends once'. I'm thinking now that this will somehow tie into the off island scenes, and that our losties are going to put an end to the cycle of 'corruption' on the island. Apparently that means the island ends up on the bottom of the ocean. If this is the case, the writers are going to have an error in the fact that the island still has dharma ville and the statue when its underwater, but I'm under the impression that if the losties put an end to things, time starts over and everyones lives continue as though the island is not there.

Am I making any sense?

@ CAM:

I didn't know I wasn't playing nice...I'm not trying to step on toes or anything, I was just wondering why someone thought something...Just trying to see things how others do...I apologize if I came across otherwise...not my intention!

@ buttercup - I'm so glad you brought that up! I saw that too - about "what might have been." Maybe they write the annotation that way because it is easy to understand and short. But it sure doesn't seem as LA in 2004 is going to evolve somehow into Island in 2007.

Just thinking out loud... Are we to assume EVERY name written on the cave ceiling was people Jacob touched, thus bringing them to the island?

Isnt that what Flocke implied to Sawyer? This is why you are here, showing him the names and his own name FORD in the cave.

If everyone was brought to the island for a reason, then isnt it logical to assume at some point in time Jacob touched everyone of the names listed? If not, then wouldnt it only be those 6 people listed?

Not sure where I am going with this yet, just taking a step back and trying to see the bigger picture.

Did Jacob come up with a list of 500 people and MiB has slowly been eliminating them 1 by 1 until it eventually ends?

@ Mr. F.:

I was thinking along the same lines...If FLocke eliminates everyone Jacob "brought" to the island, is that when "it" ends?

Re darkness and light - how does the darkness which has overtaken Claire and is slowly claiming Sayid fit into the "two sides" - MiB and Jacob?

@Mr.F - when you say Flocke implied - I get the feeling one cannot trust Flocke at all - that he's is just as likely to be the manipulator as he claims Jacob is.

Can you trust him?

Isn't it like old Ben? It's like you cannot have the multiples of the same persona.

So Ben is not the Ben of past seasons - and Flocke emerges as a Ben-type.

It's the flopping notion I threw out after the first epi.

Claire is new Rousseau, Sayid will likely be 'not Sayid' but his quasi opposite; like, say, Charlie. Or maybe Locke.

Jack is emerging with more of a backbone (a pet peeve of mine in the past).

Richard isn't what we knew him to be...

And Sawyer is playing.

And why can he see the kid? Who is he becoming (no one say the sixth sense kid... heheheh)?

Kate, yeah Kate. She flopped. Wanted Sawyer - got burned. In the past she couldn't make up her mind.

As the scale tipped upon the 'death' of Jacob - it appears the scales of who the Losties are/were have too.

@Kruxoli - just throwing it out there. The kid kinda looks like (Penny and Desmond's) Charlie. Also, we know Walt appeared to John Locke on the island when he wasn't actually on the island and the Others asked his dad if he ever appeared anywhere he wasn't supposed to be. Maybe this kid - whoever he is - has that ability?

That said, the kid really looks like The Little Prince - which would sorta point to him being Aaron. Or not.

If the power on the island has shifted from the Others, to Widmore, to Ben and to Jacob, then who is calling the shots now ? Locke or the kid ?

Anyone - how did Jacob move from island to mainland? I doubt he was donkey-wheeling every time.

I suppose same of Richard?

Could Walt and Kid of the Korn... be using/doing same?

@fanolost, is there anyone on this show we can trust? :)

@Kruxoli, thanks for the support. Kind of like these special people brought here by Jacob are humanities last chance or something. I dont know yet, but there has to be something to all those names.

For the record I like Kate!

She's a scrapper and a doer, not a cryer a whiner and a poor me person. Me thinks the ladies here who hate her are Jealous cause she it hot and tough. Not the smartest perhaps but no dumber than any of the men on the island.

Also I LOVE Jack. He's a man who is accomplished, has a sense of morality and is not afraid to put his OWN hide on the line for others as opposed to Sawyer (who I also like) who really only looks out for him and the chick he is boinking. I also trust Sayid and who he is allied with (jack).

after reading all of the posts, I think the "kid" is Young Sawyer.

My guess is the blood on his hands means "he has blood on his hands".(like he is a murderer)

But it is very curious that Locke and Sawyer saw him but Richard didn't.

@ fanolost how do you know? The only time interrupting incident we know of is the bomb going off and that was AFTER Ben died and was brought back to life.

I agree it is not the same ben but only because it is not the same universe as the one in which the bomb went off by itself, something else had to happen that predates ben dying for him to be such a normal guy and teacher.

Glee - for the record, I also don't hate kate or jack. Their scenes arent my favorite, but how could I possibly hate any of the well written characters of this show? Everyone has their purpose.

@ Aimers:

Hey, I wrote this earlier, but I apologize if I came aross negative...I was just trying to see what you were thinking...and, I TOTALLY forgot about Walt coming to Locke...I remember now tho...right after Ben shot him...Walt told him to get up and that he still has "work to do." Good call!

I was also way confused by the fact that Sawyer could see the blonde kid, but not Richard. Then again, I thought back to when Shannon was shot after she saw Walt in the rain, BUT, Sayid saw him too. The producers did say that Shannon's absence from the plane in the premier was significant. Sayid and Sawyer were both on the list, and therefore able to see these "apparitions"...?

Just a little observation.

I said this before, but I don't know if I buy Flocke's "I want to go home" spiel. (Or at least that it is referring to a place off the island) We do know for sure that he is several hundreds of years old at least. I assume that he was human/mortal at one time. If he were to return home now, it wouldn't be anything like it was. Civilization would be different and all of his loved ones would presumably be dead. Flocke can't be referring to "I want to go back to Detroit" (or insert your home town here...) but where is he referring to.

We don't know if Richard couldn't see the bloody armed kid...When he turned around to look, no one was there...The kid may have ran off. But, I think that only certain people can see him, which is why FLocke was so surprised that Sawyer was able to see him...

@Aimers & @Kruxoli...Who do you think was behind Walt's visit to Locke? Smokey? Jacob? It's hard for me to wrap my brain around who. Walt's mysterious appearances throughout the series were preempted by whispers, indicating the Others were involved maybe? If it was Smokey doing the projection, he couldn't have projected the blonde boy to himself. Richard was the clue that either the blonde kid wasn't really 'there'. So it had to be either Jacob (dead or maybe not dead?) or someone else.

Again...just my theories!

@ Betheaux:

Not sure, but I remeber when the time shifting started and Sawyer and Co. ran into Ethan's mother and the two others. She was ADAMANT that the bodies be buried. Perhaps, when a body is left unburied, it can be "claimed." By who, I am not sure. How this ties into Walt, I'm not sure either because Walt never died...Maybe Locke was killed by Ben's bullet and, since he wasn't buried, was "claimed." I don't know how Walt fit in though...

On lists and candidates.

Maybe there are lists for different reasons and candidates for different positions. We know there is a Jacob and a Smokey, we know there is the leader of the others and and an advisor to the others. And it appears there is the position of temple manager too. If the others are getting done what needs to be done the island needs new hires?

@Glee the 1st - if you're speaking to my post regarding the Losties never having been on island...

That is what the episode is/was: the alternate 2004 timeline we're seeing 'off island' right now.

If Oceanic did not crash, then we're seeing 2004 off-island without knowledge of donkey-wheel, temples, etc. Not saying a jughead didn't go off - and that's why the island is at the bottom of ocean (though in truth the island wouldn't look pristine as it does) - but the Losties are not involved.

If Sayid was never on this island - then he did not travel back in time, did not know little Ben, did not shoot, him. Ben was not brought to Temple to be healed (and not the same) by Richard.

But it appears Ben is off-island teaching - and doesn't yet appear to be psycho-sociopath Ben we know and love.

"aren't getting done" is what I meant to say

how many characters have died and came back. Or almost died or should have died?
*Claire- buried in burned up house
*John- Ben shot him
*John- fell out of window
*Charlie- hung by Ethan
*Sawyer- realy sick after being stabbed by Sayid
*John- Ben strangeled him
*Charlie- drowned
*Sayid- in the Temple

how do we know any of these people were the same after they woke up?

@Kruxoli

I really hope they explain the Walt connection, since, supposedly **SPOILER** a certain someone related to him is rumored to be making an appearance this season. If Locke did indeed die in the pit, I have no clue how that would have played into him leaving the island and then returning and turning into Flocke.

@ Beatheaux:

I'm basically thinking out loud...I'm not sure about Walt. They made such a big deal about him early on, and then he dropped off. I still think he's important, but I'm not sure in what context.

@Kruxoli...I'm with ya'...we're slowly getting answers...it's so hard to be patient! Maybe this 'character reveal' later on in the season will wrap up some things in that area.

@ fanolost I do agree with you it is not previously dead ben who is now happily teaching history I just need to see what happened to prevent it! What would the point be of showing us a universe in which the losties were not at all affected by what has already happened to the island? obviously something happened to put the island underwater or they never would have shown it in that universe and that has to have something to do with the change of events. we just haven't seen yet what causes that change of events in the future. We also saw that dharmaville still existed so at what point did it stop existing we can't assume it was before Ben arrived. We have no real reason to think that magically everyone who used to be there automatically didn't go there in this timeline without a specific cause. The whole point of the story is the losties are the cause!

What I think is fascinating is all these people are meeting up in the alternate timeline, as if someone is still playing puppetmaster!

Not sure who it was, but someone said that the "flash sideways" were in reference to the LOSTies HAD THE OCEANIC FLIGHT NOT CRASHED. Does this mean that everyone was still touched by Jacob? Does that mean they will still be involved with each other...?

@Kruxoli

If you read my post @ 1:22pm

I personally believe that the 'alternate reality flight' takes place in a reality where Jacob has not interfered or manipulated anyones lives in any way. That's why there are slight differences...Hugo's not unlucky, Lockes father is not the reason for his paralysis, etc. etc.

@ Kitz:

Makes sense...but then, are the meeetings between LOSTies mere coincidences? I'm not actually asking for an answer, but just wondering...

@Kruxoli

I think some parts of their lives were always 'meant to be' such as Lockes paralysis, Rose's cancer, Hugo's lottery win, Kate murdering her step-dad. One particular part of fate might be the interaction between these people, with or without Jacobs interference.

My question is: why is Frank Lapidus still on the show? He has to have some important part in all of this, or they would have killed him off by now.

@ Kitz:

Well said. I can't help but agree...

@ Suzie Stephens:

Lawnmower Man is around for whatever reasons, but, for me, it for the comic relief!

@Kruxoli -- Are we sure that the "Walt" that Locke saw after Ben shot him wasn't really Smokie? Just wondering:)

@Kitz...I know we're on the same page there, but like Kruxoli, I'm curious as to how on earth such a small group could intertwine so coincidentally. Jacob could leave travel to and from the island, but MiB could not (I think?)...otherwise I would have theorized the alternate reality being a result of MiB involvement, on the other side of the coin.

Goin' bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

@ Jaytch:

I'm not sure...I mean, @ that time, Walt was off island. So, for him to appear to Real Locke would mean he teleported, or that some one/thing took his appearance. I'm leaning toward Walt being Smokie...just like when Mr. Eko saw Yemi...

@Jaytch...That would mean that Smokie projected himself to Shannon also, dripping wet (as a premonition to her dying in the rain after she and Sayid both saw him).

@fanolost... that is the confusing part of the equation. If Sayid never goes back in time to shoot Ben, then he never goes back in time to rig the H-bomb. Which means Jack never goes back in time to toss it down the shaft, so who set off the bomb to change events?

I can feel a little WHH starting to come back around. :)

@Kruxoli...It is a conundrum, since Walt was not dead and Yemi was...Walt is special, though what is special about him has yet to be revealed. ARGH!

Helen's shirt reads "Peace & Karma".

Question...
In the "flash sideways" why does it seem that everyone's reality seems to fit them EXCEPT Hugo. Why is he the most lucky guy instead of the most unluckiest? What makes him different?

But the problem with MiB appearing as Walt would be that Walt is not dead. As I think most agree smokie seems only able to appear as dead people.

Possible Jacob was involved with the Losties and intertwining their destiny so that is how they are connected in LAX. If we could just figure out how and when the island went underwater.

I don't know why Hurley is so lucky. Maybe he is married to Libby now!

But more important, Why does Hurley have a RED SHIRT ON on the island??

That really scares me. I love Hurley.
Please don't kill Hurley!

@ Betheaux:

Exactly what was bothering me. I get how Smokie can take the appearance of people who died, but Walt is alive...Did Smokie ever "scan" Walt? Maybe that's why he can take Walt's form without Walt being dead...

First off... WHAT AN EPISODE!!!! A FREAKIN +. Where to begin: I've been thinking since season finally of last season who is "good(Jacob)" and who is "evil(MIB)". Up to this point we've been lead to believe by the writters that Jacob is without question the leader of the island and that everything goes thru him. Now in season 6 the writters(genius) are putting doubt in are minds of whose who and whats's what.

I love the Of Mice and Men reference(favorite book) fits so well here. And Sawyer will follow FLocke until he gets what he wants and then quickley turns his back on him.

I was sure Locke would go see Jack...loved Helen talking about destiny TO Locke.

Of all shows, why would you want to get spoilers, especially it being the last season.

And everyone should be watching Fringe

I second Scott's statement:

"...everyone should be watching Fringe"

lsk - that was me blending LOST and FF. Of course until LSOT is officially over, FF is just a weak substitute :)

Yeah, Suzie, I don't like Hurley's red shirt either.

Of course Flocke (man in black ) is the bad guy. He killed Eko and all those others in the temple. Yep he's evil.

i don't think the little boy is Aaron. the little boy in the jungle has no shoes on. neither do any of the folks in the temple. dead john locke was to wear back Christian's shoes. i think the fact he was wearing christian shoes' has something to do with MIB inhabiting dead john locke's body

@suzie stephens....I don't think the young boy with blood on his hands could be a young Sawyer. Sawyer saw the kid...I'm sure he would recognize himself. Right? Flock seemed the most distressed to see the boy. Maybe it's a young Jacob...OR even a young "Flock". The blood on his hands could be symbolic, or it could have been an event that happened in his past...his pivitol moment where he turns to the "dark side". ?!?!? Who knows.

@espenn, I think you are on to something with the shoes.
Locke took those shoes off and put them back on several times in that episode when he is first reserected (as Flocke).
And Kate took shoes from a dead body in the pilot.
And remember, Christian's white tennies were shown hanging from a tree.
And the Temple Others never wear shoes.

am I the only one wondering ,since the numbers that had to be inputted into the computer every 108 minutes correspond to the names on the wall of our favorite LOSTIES, that pushing the numbers was helping to keep our LOSTIES away from the island or help bring them there.. And who came up with the numbers that had to be inputted into the computer. Clearly this was done after the got out of the 70's. But was this a Jacob intervention or MIB doing??

@ Suzie Stephens:

In last night's episode, when they buried Real Locke, he had the black dress shoes on. Now, if the dead Locke had the shoes on, how did FLocke end up with a pair of shoes? I am SOOOOO confused.

the kid with the blood on his hands seems to be standing in a sort of jesus christ pose.

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Lost604.3.jpg

@ Walt!!!!!:

Also, Sayid was carried out of the "healing pool" in a crucifix-like pose...

@ Kruxoli
nice catch, didn't notice that

@ Walt!!!!!:

Yeah, there's a WHOLE BUNCH of religious/spiritual stuff going on here...Got my head spinning.

I think that the Not-Locke is similar to the devil. When he was talking to Sawyer about Jacob it reminded me of a scene from the movie The Devil's Advocate when Al Pachino was talking about God and how he tempts humans and judges, but the devil doesn't judge.

I read somewhere that in regards to Walt, there was going to be more of him pertinent to the story but because the real actor grew up so fast physically, unless they recast him, which was not done before with any character, they had to rethink Walt's future role on the island. That kid did change from a small looking boy to a teenager overnight in my opinion.

remember walt said to locke when he visited him - i have been dreaming about you locke - people trying to hurt you and such and locke brushed him off. i think walt can either astraproject or telekenesis sp sorry of some type why they wanted to study him and ask all sort of questions and was in the room 23 building. klugh asking michael about him being places he shouldn't etc.

it had to be walt talking to locke in the pit - it doesn't seem smokie/MIB's M.O. the walt in the forest with shannon is the one hard to pinpoint.

other walt stuff was what? the birds outside the window and the bird in AU and the convo with his step dad and michael about weird stuff happening...

ben - sigh such a liar - he did admit that it is his way. again going back to purpose...

it doesn't seem like he lil bloody boy could be sawyer - again like said before would recognize himself.

and didn't kate's step dad end up being her Bio dad? the army dad told her that when she was on the lam and went to see him???

all our characters have either mommy or daddy issues or both. trauma that has damaged them and they seem unable to heal or learn from it. ...free will?

My prediction... "history teacher" Ben will kill "substitute teacher" Locke...

UnLocke was freaked out that Sawyer was able to see him so there is some significance to Sawyer seeing him.

Perhaps the young boy is Jacob and Sawyer is his son or the chosen one, which is why Sawyer saw him but not Richard.

I think the boy was gone when Richard looked up not that he couldnt see the boy. I'm tossed up on who he is, but I'm more interested in how does he know UnLocke is breaking the rules? Who is watching? And does the Book of Rules that Richard presented to young Locke?
And in the substitute world how cool would it be to go on a school field trip with Messrs.Linus and Locke! Maybe to the Egyptian Exhibit! Talk about the BENwagon!

@ LostLover:

I originally thought that Richard might've been able to see the boy, but I have since changed my mind. Only because of the way FLocke said to Sawyer "YOU can SEE him?" This leads me to believe that FLocke KNOWS that the boy/apparition is NOT SUPPOSED to be seen...or at least NOT SUPPOSED to be seen by EVERYONE...I'm not really sure...just tossing that out there.

I just watched the ending again and now I think Lockness is the bad guy, he said that there is nothing to protect, it's just an island. A LIE !!! the island has powers:

1.Donkey wheel(travel/time jumping
2.massive energy pocket
3.A Smoke Monster
4.Healing water in a temple
5.Healing powers(Rose and Locke walking)

there are probably more I can't think of but he is lying to say there is nothing worth protecting...

Why would Ben admit to murdering Locke in his eulogy, but lie to Ilana about murdering Jacob ? Is there a method to his madness ?

Ben: "So, yes, I lied. That's what I do."

Thinking about how the Dharma Initiative might correlate with this episode: Dharma is an aspect of Buddhism, which is practiced mostly in East Asia. In China, they oftentimes associate numbers with Chinese words because of the similar way they're pronounced. Here is the list of names again with the corresponding numbers:
4 - Locke
8 - Reyes
15 - Ford
16 - Jarrah
23 - Shepherd
42 - Kwon

I just thought it was interesting to note that in Chinese culture, they believe that the number 4 symbolizes death and the number 8 symbolizes prosper and wealth. I'm not sure if the other numbers listed here have meaning in Chinese culture. But, what about the first two?

Coincidence?

Ben is such a schemer. He did say that he "always has a plan."

I'm really confused about something. Well, a lot of things, but narrowing it down to this one for now. When FLocke is explaining to Sawyer who Jacob was, and how he came to touch all of them, we saw flashbacks of those moments with Jacob. Whose point of view was that supposed to be? Sawyer would only "see" the time Jacob gave him the pen, and FLocke wouldn't have seen any of those incidents.

It seemed a little weird that the show would give us these reminders without it being someone's POV.

Unless FLocke was there in all those meetings too, but just don't know what form he was in?

If Widmore was exiled for regularly leaving the island, how did Jacob get away with it for so long ? We know that he made several trips to the mainland because of his interaction with the Losties.

It sems that it is important to NotLocke that he gets a companion. He tried for Richard and then tried and got Sawyer. Can he only get off the island with a second person? Does getting off the island result in the death of his current body, so he neeeds a second one to switch into? It will be great to get some answers, but everytime we get an answer we get closer to the end.

Ok, call me crazy, but I don't think last night's episode was that great. I say that because of how you usually grade the episodes based on the- what did we learn, would missing this episode make any difference. I don't think it would have, that's my two cents.

Could Sawyer be the substitute for Richard ?

@Dave
good eye on “kid corn” clothes so now its down to young Jacob or Locke
@Mr F
Boy wouldn’t that just upset the balance of this blog if Kate were a hero? Great point keeping her a secret
@buttercup
I’m with you on smokie now being stuck in lockes body because he killed Jacob and can not transfer
@Kitz
it does sound like chains. We know Smokie used to be a man with feelings etc. But that was taken from him and he is now trapped “chained” to the island.

MAYBE just MAYBE Lockes Dad was “influenced” by someone making him do the dirty con with Sawyers Mom. If in the LA X timeline Lockes Dad was never “influenced” then that would make sense why he is in Locks life in the LA X timeline. Well now then Sawyer wouldn’t be a con man would he?

I meant to comment on Daniel's question. I would say I'm 75% sure FLocke is evil and Jacob was good. But I'm wavering on that a little. Jacob, all lightness and calm demeanor, luring people in with his kind manner. Tempting them perhaps? I don't know. It doesn't seem all that clear cut to me.

Oh poor Richard.....he always seemed like he had the inside information, however last night he seemed to be running scared, not even knowing which direction was the right one. I have always thought that Richard was on the "good" side. Given that, that the group at the Temple and Jacob would be on the good side.

On the other hand, remembering that Ben was abled to call the smoke monster out to kill the Freighter guys that killed Alex, I am wondering how he was able to do that and not see all that evil. Ben has lied and acted weak and confused before only to re-emerge strong and powerful.

I like the fact that it is starting to get overcrowded on the Benwagon... turning into a wagon train. Ye Ha !!!

In past seasons, Ben and Richard were on the same side at one time. Ben had a connection to Jacob. He was able to talk to him in the shack. Remember how he talked to Jacob. It was very strange. Ben was also able to call the smoke monster out to avenge Alex's death.

Clearly, Richard see's the smoke monster as the evil entity. If we determine group of people who are following Jacob are good, then we will know Jacob is good. Following that logic, it doesn't look good for the smoke monster that Sawyer, the original bad boy is now on his side. (oh, how I like the bad boys)!!

I just read a comment and it kind of made sense. Only the 2 people being polar opposites would be Jack and Sawyer. Jack being Jacob and Sawyer the smoke monster! That's who would have to take over the island.

Dunno why, but I'm not convinced Flocke is totally evil. That would just be too cliche and easy. After all, this is Lost we're talking about. Can't wait to find out more about the "candidates". And why do I feel like Des is supposed to be the keeper of the island? After all, Des was "visionary", and traveled through time before anyone else did. And, let's not forget he's Faraday's constant. Could it be that the jungle boy is Des and Penny's baby Charlie?....Charles Widmore's grandson. Hmmmm..........

Wouldn't it be fantastic if Gregg Nations, the script coordinator, co-producer and keeper of The Lost Bible decided to publish it in its entirety once the show is over...a great companion book to the series. Yes ?

Someone mentioned the song Sawyer was playing in the house. Did someone recognize it? If not I am secretly hoping it is Drive Shaft!

@Glee...It is Search and Destroy by Iggy Pop and The Stooges.

A couple of people have just recently suggested that this episode wasn't that good. I completely disagree. Let me ask you this...what truly makes a great episode. I would say that a great episode is one that makes people talk following that episode. This blog comment section has been up for 12 hours. As of the time I started writing this comment, there were 358 comments so far. Last week's episode, for the entire seven days, had 419 total...and several of those weren't even serious posts...one was even about the spring being dirty because Vincent got in and clogged the filter (oops sorry...that was me). After 12 hours we have as much discussion as all of last week and 6 1/2 days more to go. This episode ROCKED! (Both White ROCKED and Black ROCKED).

My guesses
75% chance MIB is evil
33% chance Jacob is evil
25% chance Richard is evil
15% chance Vincent is evil
7% chance Aaron is evil
2% chance Hugo is evil
......................
0% chance Ben is evil (sometimes he's just misunderstood!!!)

@Jim...Hilarious ! LOL!

For the last 5 1/2 years we have been a captive audience. But look at all the different theories and interpretations we have. So many credible spins. Being a Lost fan can be so exhausting.

omg did any not notice that kate wasnt on that list?

Also, in regards to Non Locke being a bad guy. I think the lines between good and evil are blurred. Take Sawyer, it's been very easy for him to kill people, but at the core he is a good person. It's been easy for Non Locke as smoky to kill people, but maybe at the core he is a good person to? Having said that, I still think Jacob is on the right side.

One more thing, Non Locke tells Sawyer that Jacob gets to you when your vulnerable. But, as he's saying that, propositions Sawyer at his most vulnerable, being all depressed and all after losing Juliet.

@ twistie If Cooper wasnt a con man then Sawyer's parents may still be alive and Sawyer will not be a con man in LA X. We can also assume that Cooper didn't push Locke out the window, so why is he paralyzed?
I really really hope that even though he was totalled that Sawyer went with UnLocke to keep an eye on him.

This is my first post this season, nice to see you all back!

I haven't had a chance to read through all of this week's posts yet, but I have a question for you all.

With everything we've learned so far this season, how do you think Eloise and The Lamppost tie into everything? How about Widmore?

We were thinking they were central to finding out the story of the Island, but now they just seem to be a part of the cycle the island inhabitants have been on. Can it be that everything we've been trying to decipher for the past 5 seasons isn't really that significant?

@sk, that would be awesome to publish a LOST Bible! Maybe we'd get more answers that way... ;)

And yup, being a Lostie can be really exhausting some times. But hopefully in the end it will all be worth it. :)

@Cam, @Glee the 1st - I spent last evening listening to podcasts - wherein the writers are loathe to accept the word 'alternate' timeline.

2004 Oceanic is playing out as Faraday had thought - jughead 'reset' the whole thing (island under water) and Oceanic does not crash by Desmond's finger.

I thought I'd let y'all in on that since I haven't seen it posted as yet.

Following the thought that in the "alternate reality" detonating the bomb kept the flight from crashing, At what point are things "reset"? Would they have been reset at the time of the original incident, meaning Des never would have crashed on the island either? If that's the case, how is Ben a teacher? He was on-island at the time the bomb would have gone off.

@Mr. F - I know... how did it go off if no one was there? So either that one timeline (the last 5 seasons) is dead in this 2004 world - or they're being cagey (what a surprise...)

I need to go back to Faraday's drivelings and find what he said.

Also, they're saying - and this is not a spoiler since it's out there by the writers/producers... these two 'stories' will dovetail.

And that trips me out. I don't get how that will happen unless at some point everyone is gonna see their alter-other on island, they lose their minds, and we find all the Losties are in Santa Rosa...

@Cara - my sense is we're going back to Dharmaville in the 70s - so Ben is still a boy - and the reset has to do with Chang and the energy etc. - and that's why we see the island on ocean floor with the Dharma compound intact - though that in itself is strange if a bomb goes off - so I'm going with it's the energy core that sinks the island.

@Mr. F - is this plausible?

Cara, we need to bone up on what Faraday was preaching before his momma shot him dead.

@TeresaLynn,
I got the impression that Ben was faking that he could talk to Jacob in the cabin and was surprised when Locke actually could.

Time is a funny thing. Could the few seconds when they are flying over the sunken island really be 5 years just speed up super fast. No Alt. timeline, just some kind of “speed bump”

Maybe Flockie needs Sawyer to turn the donkey wheel for him. Remember Christine could not do it and we have assumed he was MIB.

And then maybe, just maybe instead of the Losties changing the timeline to the LA X it was actually Smokie. He gets off the island and is living Lockes life. OK, hope you can follow me here. I noticed in Locke & Peg Bundy’s talk about his walkabout and how he yelled at the tour guide “Don’t tell me what I can’t do”, he seemed to finally understand that he’s attitude was wrong. Now back in the temple when Flockie & Ben were talking after killing Jacob, Flockie made a point of calling Lockea “sad victim screaming at the world.”

Lessons to learn from lost
Balance: Good is not good with out evil, and evil is not evil without good. Both must exist. Maybe that is why they can not kill each other.

Or - The road to Hell is paved with good intensions.

But I am banking on the issue of the human spirit, Free will. The acceptance of the facts (no faith) vs. the will of the human spirit to hope for miracles (faith)

Sorry if this was said but did anyone notice the photo of Desmond at the Temp agency? It was behind Locke on the wall and he was with a woman that didn't look like Penny.

Was starting to think that the Mystery Boy was Charlie Hume... but not too sure about that now. Of course my only reason is because Mystery Boy has blue eyes and Charlie has brown eyes.

I do somehow think Charlie is important to the Island somehow. Being related to so many who are important and all.

@Critter...I thought the woman with Desmond was Kate, but it is hard to make out.

@fanolost, funny you mention Faraday and revisiting his words of wisdom. That is exactly what I have been doing for the last 24 hours or so. :)

I feel like I had to leave Dharmaville for a minute and take the sub back to Ann Arbor to revisit time travel again. I have some thoughts on it, will try to post soon.

The key for me is "parallel" universe, not "altnerate", so thanks for the post from the writers.

@sk...Thanks! That is what I thought buy my hubby said he didn't think it looked like Kate at all. I froze it and it sure looks like her to me.

@Mr. F - looking forward to your findings - parallel that is years apart? I don't know.

I think it's a WHAT IF, and somehow the LA X crew (if you believe what the writers hint at) will end up becoming the present Losties (assimilate into who we see now... how Borg...)

We're seeing that they're all finding each other in 2004 - so it's within the realm of possibility that they will influence each other to become who we see in present day - the only catch is present day cannot exist on that other parallel line because the island isn't available - so... that's where I'm stumbling...

Just a real quick theory that I read to highlight how insane LOST fans can be before I head off to the chalkboard and crank out time theories like Walter (Fringe) or Faraday.

The killer whale toy Aaron received was in both timelines. Original Kate gave it to him and in the LAX Claire had it packed in her bag. Now most probably think Shamoo, but someone thought it was to a more recent movie... Free Willie, as in "Free Will". LOL :) Gotta love LOST fans.

The fact that we now have two distinct but equally believable realities is hard to wrap one's head around. How do the flash forwards and the flash backs, and now the sideways timeline all make sense in the big picture.

Just passing this along. This is how our nonlost crazy friends much see us:-)
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/final_season_of_lost_promises_to?utm_source=videoembed

Just passing this along. This is how our friends who are not lost fans must see us:-)
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/final_season_of_lost_promises_to?utm_source=videoembed

**SPOILER**

EW.com did a crappy job of letting us choose whether to see this or not, but all I can say is yes yes YESSSSSSS!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/17/lost-exclusive-maggie-grace-shannon/

I thought that this was a funny observation from the mind of Tom Waits. He penned some lyrics asking if the devil made the "world while God was sleeping" or "don't you know there ain't no devil, there's just God when he's drunk."

@Critter
I think I have read every post and you are the only one who has made mention of the Desmond Photo. I missed that one. So it all seems to revolve around the "New Hurley"

@MR F.
Love the free willie thing! It was that whale that made her change her mind.

So if we only have one timeline, not an alt timelines, then something else needs to happen to erase the memories of the Losties. I think the skipping is all part of a “tangent line”, NOT necessarily skipping back in time and starting over. All we need to is “bounce” past that tangent and there would be no memory of the island adventures, since those adventures are part of that tangent line. So that would tie back into my thoughts on the speed of time. It reminds me of a favorite movie, ALWAYS. When Richard Dryfus becomes an spirit of inspiration, HAP an Angle type tells him how time is a funny thing. AGGG, I think I'm now I'm skipping

re: MIB taking over walt's image...how do we know walt didnt die? i know its a long shot since walt's back home and all but we dont know what the others did with him while they had him...we know they thought he was special so maybe they tried some tests on him and it went wrong & they had to throw him in the bath? didnt they say he was a handful or more than they bargained for?

I love this blog. You guys are hecka funny. Ima miss ya'll.
& I do got super high hopes of this season.
But everyone had to accept something from Jacob & the medicine for sayid willingly.
Like giving people the choice.
I'm excited for a miles episode. I said before there's so much potential with that character and of course desmond & richards!!
Happy watching everyone!!!

Ill be reading

I've skimmed a lot of what has been written, so I apologize if this question / theory regarding the timelines has already been mentions.

Faraday said that the bomb would reset the timeline for all those people who came to the island post 1977, correct?

Then, if the flashsideways are showing us the timeline of the folks who came to the island post-1977, then how are all these other characters who were on the island in 1977 in this flashsideways timeline, too? Wouldn't they have died/been critically injured/in the explosion?

@ Critter
Good catch on the picture in the temp agency. In the first scene at the temp agency with the former fortune teller, it looks like the picture with Desmond is on the wall and is actually a poster. I can't read the whole thing, but it starts with "Find Your Dream Job..."

grenblat:
Perhaps Jacob and MIB are two sides of the same person. That would explain why they couldn't kill each other, but the loophole allowed MIB to manipulate Ben into killing the Jacob persona. The smoke monster could be a manifestation of either "side" at any given time - sometimes good, sometimes evil.

I really like this theory...

buttercup:

>>could be nothing but something about the way they word it bothers me...like its not really happening.>>

I dont believe its "really" happening... But we'll see, thats just my opinion

Woah...pic of Des in the temp agency office...I need to rewatch this ep...

To whoever cought that...NICE!

@twistie, thanks ! I thought it was a fun connection and worth sharing.

@critter, nice catch on the Desmond photo/poster, like Krux said, I need to rewatch this episode.

@Torchy, I assume you mean Ben and Ethan? I would assume that in the LAX timeline both of them left via the subs with the rest of the women and children before the Incident.

@Dee, I believe BOTH timelines are really happening. Faraday was both right and wrong in his theory in the Variable. But only one will survive...

@fanolost

if "2004 Oceanic is playing out as Faraday had thought - jughead 'reset' the whole thing (island under water) and Oceanic does not crash by Desmond's finger."

where the hell are the losties now they aren't underwater!

if the writers won't accept an "alternate" timeline then they SURE have some explaining to do because it isn't making sense having losties being on the island in 2007 while the island is underwater in 2004

I am starting to lose my faith.. in the writers.

I love reading the lost diary. So many good catches that I missed in the show. Plus, your comments are funny. Keep it up!

Hi all,
Haven't commented yet since last season, but wanted to throw this out there now - why are we assuming that the losties were brought to the island because of "Jacob's touch", isn't it true that Hurley didn't get touched by Jacob until he had already been on the island (when he gives him the guitar case) and it obvious in that scene that Hurley has never seen him before. Not sure but maybe this marks Hurley out in some way?
I am not convinced that Jacob is the good guy, there must be some bigger picture that we're missing here, like maybe Mib's real nemesis is someone else entirely - there is more there than meets the eye.

cara posted that the writers say that the "two stories will dovetail"

again inconsistent.

story one 2007 above water Richard saw the losties die

second story 2004 island underwater losties may have died in the blast but richard didn't see it and if the island is underwater richard isn't there any more.

I better tell my dad not to watch the dvds - if I am starting to get mad he will lose it with all these inconsistencies.

Wow! The kid being Aaron, not Jacob? Never thought of that. Is that why the fortune teller told Claire to keep the child with her and not give him away?

I told my sister that MIB was possibly the good and Jacob the evil. Glad I'm not alone on that one!

@Glee, chin up, hang in there it will work out in the end. Have a little "faith" :)

I think the word the writers dont like is "alternate", so the new word I am proposing is "parallel" universe. And I think Faraday may have had the answer all along but just didnt think it all the way thru. I have a theory on what happened but it is kind of long, trying to edit it down now.

I think they are suffering from having different writers for all seasons and episodes. they have talked about having to write their way up the wall before and with only several episodes left I have a feeling I will not be satisfied at the end.

I should put my dvds up for sale before the season ends.

That's it for me this week have fun driving yourselves crazy!

If they do dovetail then neither parallel universes make sense Mr. F because of things they have said and shown us.

Work is stressful enough I surely don't need a tv show hurting my brain too.

see ya

Perhaps Kate is the one who is destined to protect the island. Maybe that's why her name wasn't on Jacob's list - she was left off on purpose as a way to protect her. I think it's quite possible that Aaron has something to do with it, too, since the "others" were so interested in ensuring his well-being before he was born and with Kate becomming his care-taken and everything... Hmmmmm.... Thoughts?

It was Faraday who gave us WHH (whatever happened, happens), meaning you can't change the past. Or as Sawyer put it, what's done is done. But it was also Faraday who did a 180 and told us of the "variable". An event so epic it changes time, thus changing the past.

Faraday gave the example of a stream or creek representing time, it flows in one direction down a path. But what if you tossed a large rock (variable) in the stream/creek, it would change the direction of the flow of water, thus creating a new path to be travelled. This sounded good in theory, so Jack & Co set off on their mission to detonate the bomb in order to change their destiny. But as Miles pointed out, what if your friend Jack actually causes the Incident he is trying to prevent? Hmmm…

What if Faraday was right AND wrong at the same time? What if time, or in Faraday’s example, water was deeper than he thought? What if his large rock didn’t alter time in a new direction, what if it split the timeline in two? Toss a large rock in a flowing stream and what happens? The water splits in two, left and right, and becomes two streams at the same time going around the rock. Eventually those two streams meet back up (course correction?) and become one again.

So both timelines would be like parallel universes, both exist in the same time, both are real, but only one of them will survive in the end. Whatever happens in LAX timeline has NO effect on 2007 on island events. Faraday was right in saying they would create a new timeline, but he was wrong in assuming the old timeline would simply vanish or disappear. They didn’t succeed in ending one and beginning another, they simply split time down two separate paths.

(for the sake of this theory, the LAX timeline is happening at the exact same time as events of Season 1. The 2007 timeline is well ahead of the LAX timeline, despite them being shown at the same time.)

Why do this? Two things jump out at me... 1. It keeps us guessing at what the heck is going on, which timeline is real. 2. A creative way to do a reunion show in the final season. Bring back old characters, show us how things might have been different, etc...

So which timeline is real and which one is going to die off?

I'm guessing the Children of the Corn character is Aaron. There definately is more to happen with Aaron. He would be about 3 years old now (right?) Obviously, the child was older than 3, but Walt also seemed to age faster I realize that's because of the shooting timeline, but as I recall, the writers essentially used the fact that Walt aged fast as a mystery of the island. He probably had blood on his arms since he just found Kate in the jungle and kicked her _____ for almost losing him in the grocery store. As for how he got onto the island, I'm guessing we still have to wait and see on that one.

I think Mr. F. might be onto something. Also, it does appear that even in the "parallel" universe, WHH still apllies in many situations. Obviously not all, but many. (IE the Marshall get his head cracked open originally in the crash now by Kate in the bathroom)

IS KATE GOING TO DIE?! her name wasn't written in the cave!

Perhaps MIB and Jacob are the sons of the islands Adam and Eve, one good one bad. I tend to think MIB is bad. Something happened to make the brothers rivals.
I like tour theory Mr F, it's not that complex and I find that a lot of the reveals on Lost are the most simple answers. Like Kate giving Aaron to his grandma, but I know this is Lost and many times I am so lost in my ideas.
I,m not sure who the blond kid is, I thought right away it was Jacob and that'sd why Flock was startled to see him, but now IDK, the clothes e's wearing are making it hard to know for sure, then Sawyer sees him to.
If my idea about them being brothers (Flock and Jacob) is true then they must have set the rules up. Also Adam and Eve were not buried, just found in the cave.

I also loved this episode!I think Jacob and Locke-Monster are one and the same. There is good and bad in everything, and the two sides are in a power struggle with each-other given more power with the good and bad of the universe, but I also like the theory that Sawyer is the protector. Sort of like how it was set up that Jack was "good" and Sawyer was "bad" which may come back to your theory the Locke-Monster is the good one and Jacob is the bad one. Whatever the outcome, this is the best television series that has ever been on tv and I will be sad when it comes to an end.

Sorry about the typing errors...must improve haha

Maybe there will be a Lost rehab for us after the finale

@Mr. F - precisely. The variable can also be called... a loophole?

Well said - I'm hoping more for the MOVIE of the non-surviving timeline. Regardless of what we've heard, I no longer think that a movie isn't in the offing.

@ Goldilocks - first Lost rehab meeting set for June 1 at Santa Rosa Mental Institute!

LostLover...yeah!!! sign me up, you never know who we could bump into there. Our 12 step book could be the Lost Bible

@LostLover, I think we even got the group rate for Santa Rosa... complete with coffee and food and a ride on the BenWagon. ;)

@Mr.F
The problem with the water timeline theory there are not the “same” water partials on both sides of the rock as is with our losties on both timelines. (ok I do know that h2o is h2o on either side of the rock, hope you are understanding what point I’m trying to make.)

@Glee
Sounds like a bummer day, maybe I’ll see you at beer:30 seesm like you could use/deserve one.

The island would have been destroyed if the bomb went off. Maybe the donkey wheel is turned and the island sinks intact instead of moving in time

So my 5 year old was watching online yesterday and when she saw the boy, she asked me who he was. I told her that we don't know who he is yet and then she asked, "Well, who's his FATHER?" I thought that was a very interesting question...

@Twistie, I think I see what you are getting at with different particles of water. :)

Before the insertion of rock the water is the same, and after the rock it becomes the same again. But during the time it is in two different streams, they are different.

Cant the same be said about our Losties? Hurley is cursed on one side and the luckiest man alive on the other? Jack is confident and take charge on one side and less confident and nervous on the other. Locke is defiant on one side and accepting of his fate on the other. Almost like their dominant personalities are shown on one side and their submissive personalities on the other.

Still a work in progress, got a ways to go I know, but I might be at least heading in the right direction... I hope.

twistie - day is normal i think the convolution that is the lost timeline is wearing on me. my disapproval of the show isn't because an episode is good bad, fast paced or slow paced it is how it contributes to the story and tells the story. episodes are good, but if the whole story can't tell itself without the producers needing to clarify things it just isn't well written.

@Mr F. -- Awesome!!!

@Desmond'sLostShephard -- Out of the mouths of babes:)

@critter (I think) -- Nice catch on Des in Poster at temp agency.

I'm going to re-watch and scrutinize "The Substitute" over the weekend to see what else I missed.

Jacob visited Jack, kate, gin/sun and locke PRE anyone getting off the island. Jacob visited Hurly, Sayid only after the 6 got back. do you think there's anything about those visits? pre coming to island and post island? why only hurly and sayid (was ben in that) after their recuse?

@Desmond'sLostShephard, sounds like one smart kiddo you got there. :)

@Goldilocks - a hydrogen bomb would normally destroy an island, but the bomb negated the pocket of energy from the swan site. The two things cancelled each other out.

Also, good point about the island sinking instead of flashing to a different timeline. Didn't it look like it was sinking when the losties were in the helicopter after the freighter exploded?

Question regarding the wall:

Desmond's name was not to be seen, nor has it been identified on Lostpedia yet by those with keener eyes (and more time on their hands) than I.

So, why did the island bring him there if he wasn't a candidate? He was on the boat alone. A plane crash would bring non-candidates to the island as well as those touched by Jacob. But Desmond was sailing solo.

bloody child = Aaron

hope this doesn't turn out to be The Stand on an Island. That would suck.

Although it looks like they are setting up Jack to be the new Jacob, he's such a jackass(ha), that I think it's just as plausible that he's the new Esau.

So, at the end we get Hurley eating a candybar on the beach, Jack walks up and says: "Do you know how bad I want to kill you?"

Hurley:"Dude, have a candybar"

THE END

the kid from the corn mentions that MIB broke the rules, Ben also said that Widmore broke the rules. Just wondering if "the rules" might be from the Book of Law. Eko tells John in the story of its discovery in season 2 (and it contains the missing film splice) and Richard brings the Book when he tests young Locke.

LF..Exactly I first thought that the island sunk when the losties were on the helicopter because of that ring of water, it looked like the island just was sucked down in the ocean, then I just dismissed it when Sawyer didn't see the black smoke from the freighter anymore. So I figured the island was just time jumping. but now I'm just not so sure

@Mr. F - regarding the personality changes - it's not only the one 'world' to the other that has the Losties different.

They are changing on island as well - the flopping I mention is both timelines.

Which has me harking back to the cycling - it's a new time and space, but just as Jacob's demise has seemingly changed the rules - so too, are the Losties.

Sort of ... well, as they were, this happened. And now that this has happened, they are morphing into something else, but still tied to the island/each other.

So it's not just the 'two streams' but also within the one stream we have been following that the Losties are changing.

Does this make sense?

Has anyone thought about Sawyer really isn't buying into Smokey's offer? I mean Sawyer may just be going along with Smokey to find out what is going on. James is a smart man....he's not just going to follow someone blindly.

Daniel, I swear your commentary is more entertaining than the show! I am still laughing that you want Ari to give you the same eulogy - too funny.

amazing episode. perfect mix of everything that makes me love lost. also, i am SO glad someone else saw the children of the corn for tweenAaron/re-birthed tweenJacob.

For some reason I think the young boy could be Aaron.

I think that the LA X losties will end up together on the Ajira flight in 2007, and that the current island scenes involving the Temple are actually "flashforwards" in that sense--I KNOW that there aren't supposed to be any more flashforwards, but it technically isn't, because Sun, Frank, Ben, Flocke, etc...have been in 2007 for an entire season already.

The young boy was telling the fake locke that he had Jacobs blood on his hands. It reminded me of when Alex was skinning the rabbit and had blood on her hands when she was talking to Ben. Ben had killed her boyfriend. The boy in the jungle is a messenger, just like Yemmi was a messenger to Eko, Walt to Shannon, and Christian to Jack. The jungle boy is someone significant to Fake Locke.

I had always thought the smoke monster was behind the other messengers. Perhaps it was Jacob.

Sawyer has allegiance only to himself, especially now that Juliette is gone. That's just how he rolls. He is a wild card.I love that about him. He'll probably surprise us in the end.

Were I to be offered an answer to just one single question, it (my simple, single little question) would be: What is the ultimate goal or prize sought by the contenders? All of the manipulation and machinations, to get what?

Power and control, but to do what, ultimately?

@TeresaLynn interesting idea "jungle boy is someone significant to Fake Locke"
if MiB and Jacob knew each other as children and there was a significant event that had young Jacob bloody like that, would make sense that it would effect MiB on deep level

What I want to see:
-Richard episode

-Statue being built

-more of Widmore & ELoise

-more Faraday

-Claire going Rousseau on everyone

-Ghostbustin' with Hurley & Miles (coming Feb 2011)

And as much as I keep thinking about who would play the updated Jacob and Esau:
Locke vs Jack
Jack vs Sawyer
Locke vs Ben
Jack vs Ben
Lapidus vs Sayid
I keep thinking how bad Jack sucks and so:
Hurley vs Sawyer
that would be the most satisfying for me.
No wait, make that:
Kate vs Juliet
wrestling on the beach

Sorry Juliet
Kate vs Claire

Daniel, I agree! This episode was awesome. Re: your question. Not sure!
but, I'm along for the ride.

Just a few thoughts:

maybe kate's # is 108 and we just didn't see it "the writing on the wall".

how do we know jacob wrote the names on the wall? that could be smokey's notes for all we know. right now, i'm going to take what fake locke says w/ a grain of salt.

sawyer is totally playing him...i hope he can win.

#23-Shepard. Which Shepard? Ray, Christian or Jack? some of the names were very ambiguous, ie: kwon. but it was sooo cool to see them!

HELEN! Yay!

Richard looked worse for wear...maybe time will catch up w/ him?

more thoughts, still reading comments. sorry if i'm repeating unknowingly!

The song Sawyer had blasting:

Iggy Pop & The Stooges
Search & Destroy

Lyrics:

I'm a street walking cheetah
with a heart full of napalm
I'm a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb
I am a world's forgotten boy
The one who searches and destroys
Honey gotta help me please
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby detonates for me
Look out honey, 'cause I'm using technology !
Ain't got time to make no apology
Soul radiation in the dead of night
Love in the middle of a fire fight
Honey gotta strike me blind
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby penetrates my mind
And I'm the world's forgotten boy
The one who's searchin', searchin' to destroy
And honey I'm the world's forgotten boy
The one who's searchin', searchin' to destroy
Forgotten boy, forgotten boy
Forgotten boy said
hey forgotten boy

hmmmm.....

"Sorry if this was said but did anyone notice the photo of Desmond at the Temp agency? It was behind Locke on the wall and he was with a woman that didn't look like Penny."

Definitely looks like Desmond.

@ deelzbub:

How about a good ol' fashioned tag match:

Kate & Juliet vs. Claire & Shannon...

Flocke said to Sawyer, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."
I think that is really significant and has something to do with the little boy in the jungle.

and he also mentioned "betrayal"

I just watched Michael Emerson on Kimmel interview and I like the fact that the actors in Lost are in much in the dark as we are.

Just saying...Kate had a lot of alias names. Was Hart, Callis, Dodd, Ryan, or Janssen posted on the walls of the cave. Wayne Janssen was Kate's biological father. Kate killed her real father, Wayne.

So far we have Jack looking in the mirror on the plane, Kate looking in a mirror in the garage, and Locke looking at his reflection in the mirror after his bath. Do you think that they remember the island ?

Wouldn't you know that Locke would pick the hunter green swatch over the blue for the wedding.

Did anyone else notice Smokey's reflection in the window when he went back to Dharmaville to talk to Sawyer ?

In the parallel time line Locke is with his soul mate Helen. Do you think that Ben will be just as lucky to find the love of his life. I mean, Ben did find Dr. Jack to operate on his spine on the island. Locke has coincidently found Dr. Jack, offering to give him a consultation on his spine... " What are the odds."

How come no one else has mentioned the skid marks on Sawyer's back side yet, when Locke came a calling. I hope that Sawyer has one more con left in him. (or God help us all)!!!

When Locke asked Sawyer if he was "ready to go home", and Sawyer answers " Hell. Yes !"...I think that Sawyer means that he is ready to go to hell...If it means taking Lockeness with him...Cause when you are in hell, you keep going, and you don't look back, because someone may be gaining on you.

the blonde kid was totally aaron! he's a candidate!

I was thinking that the sideways universe is showing us not what would have happened if they didn't crash but what would have happened if Jacob didn't interfere in their lives. So far I think that most of Oceanic 815 is happier.... Hurley lucky, John married and able to come to terms with his disability, Kate innocent, even though she is running it's better than being a murderer we will see about the rest. If this is true maybe MIB is the good guy and is trying not to let Jacob ruin all of these people's lives by trying to get them to the island

Mr F. Love your rock in the stream thoughts.
I'm having thoughts about sinking the island and Ben turning the donkey wheel. I can't order them....

@standi, thank you. :)

I am having trouble with the island sinking as well and if the bomb actually went off in either timeline or both. I think you may be on the right track with the donkey wheel playing a role, or at a minimum, the pocket of electromagnetic energy. I dont think the island sunk, more like it was transported there.

Monkeyface, as usual I agree not buying what Flocke is selling! He could have written those names himself. I think Sawyer is looking out for the rest of the gang by following Flocke. and who the heck finds the music for this show! Iggy and the Stooges? The lyrics perfectly fit Sawyer's mood and Flocke entering that house. I was bobbing along to the music loving it but didn't realize who was singing. I Saw them in a small underground club called Harrah in NYC back in the late 70s! club was cool, no marquis, just a chalkline of a body on the sidewalk out front desgnating the entrance!
@sk - I don't know for sure about them actually remembering, but Evangeline (Kate) said in an interview that she is playing her role as if the memories are buried deep down inside because the PTB havent told the actors whether their characters do have total/partial recall of the island time. Re: Ben - wouldn't it be cool if he's with ANNIE!
@ Mr. F - could there be a connection between the underwater Otherton and the fake 815 crash site? Do you think Widmore still dispatches the freighter to search for the island in LA X world in 2004?

Working something out here.

When Des does NOT push the numbers the white light (jacob) appears and the losties crash... the numbers correspond w/ the losties right? others just crash by default. So, Des (Because of Whitmore, MiB side?) is pushing the numbers were keeping the losties off the island.

Regarding Richard seeing losties dead, this is a big question. When and how? The timeline he says he sees them dead is this the timeline when the incident actually happened right? Hatch built, Deb pushing buttons? So our losties crash blah blah time travel end up in the 70’s and die because/in the incident? NOW, if that timeline is “relived” with the losties crashing time skipping etc, but now we have a variable, Fariday telling Jack how to set off the bomb. The bomb goes off and instead of dying they flash forward to the 2007 beach. Any thoughts?

ok last 2 questions. When Locke doesn't push the button, white light, magnetic fields, noise etc. Do they flash or something?

Next, who turned the donkey wheel when the island vanished and the freighter was on fire, Ben?

I really need to rewatch!

I am posting just because I wanted to post my opinion.I love Kate. I think Lost would not be anywhere near as good without her character. I think the role she has played in setting up the entire story is necessary and greatly significant. I am glad that obviously the writers feel this way also, or they would have made her character much less significant by now. It's obvious that she is an important part of the entire plot, or she wouldn't be in the show. I think her character is awesome, and I think her scenes are great. I love everything about Lost, all the time travel, alternate reality, mystical, good vs evil, Jacob, MIB (smoke monster) Yin, Yang, God, Satan, east meets west, Science meets faith intricacies of the plot. With that said, call me simple minded, but the BEST season, and the BEST acted scenes for me, were when Kate,Sawyer,Jack and Hurley were abducted by the others. Hurley was let go. Jack was abducted to perform surgery on Ben. The whole season was wonderful, the acting was superb. Kate and Sawyer were simply pawns, thrown together because Ben was playing mind games with them. He was manipulating each one in a different way. He knew Kate would not run and leave Sawyer. If you remember, he knew everything about them. He thought he knew how each would respond. This season had the best acting by all, including Ben. This was also the introduction of Juliet, who I felt added so much to the show. Lost has twisted and turned so many directions, that I can't keep up, but those twists are all secondary to me. What I want is for the original "Losties" to kick ass. Can I say that here? Sorry if that is offensive. We have been given these characters, each of which was pretty tough in the past, they took destiny into thier own hands, and all of a sudden they have been rendered pretty much impotent. I hate that. My desire if for each one of them to have a hand in thier final destiny. When are they going to take a stand, do something to influence thier fate, and get on with life? I want to see the strenght of each character come back. Oh, yea and I know that some of you will really hate this, but I really want Kate and Sawyer to end up together. :)

@Betty
Its good to see someone else doesn't hate Kate. Not quite ready to load up a wagon yet. I was finally sold when I saw her facial expression when Juliet was getting pulled down the hole w/ chains. It was such a real "WTF" look right before she yelled

I wonder what would have happened with Juliete if Elizabeth Mitchell hadn't gotten the big part on Flashforward? What season was it that Ben expressed to her that "You're mine - don't you know that?" Or something like that. I think Juliete was the love of Ben's life, and if she were still on the show, she'd probably be with him in the Sideways Parallel universe.

@twistie,

1. When Locke decided not to push the button, that is when Desmond was forced to turn the failsafe key. The sky turned purple/white, then the Swan hatch imploded.

2. Correct, it was Ben who made the island vanish as seen from the helicopter. Locke finished turning it to get the wheel back on its axis and stop the skipping.

@berky, we still may see Juliet in some scenes, you never know. I am not ready to count her out yet despite her role on "V".

@ Mr. F. You're right of course - Juliet went to "V" and Penny went to "Flashforward." Also, like your thoughts on the parallel worlds - esp. about the Island under water. Maybe the Island simply sinks when threatened - how much more unbelievable is that then a donkey wheel that shifts time?!

@ berky, we don't know that Juliet won't be in the sideways flash...people seem to think she's going to show up because of the going dutch on coffee commment she made to Sawyer.

@LostLover, I dont believe the fake crash site and the island being underwater are related. Just my opinion, but I readily admit the whole LAX timeline has me somewhat baffled. Interesting thought on Widmore still searching for it in the LAX timeline. My question to you would be, do we know if Widmore is even alive in that timeline?

If we speculate that the island going under is tied to the Incident, then Widmore was ON the island in 1977. What happened to folks still on the island when this happened? Hmmm.

@twistie, so far Richard is only in one timeline, as we have yet to see him in the LAX line, maybe he went down with the island in that one. If I were to guess, I think Richard must be referring to the white light that flashed the Losties from 1977 to 2007. From his perspective, he last saw them carrying a bomb with plans to detonate it. Seeing the flash and never seeing them again (until 2004), maybe Richard just assumed they all died.

@berky, with all these LOST actors ending up on diff TV shows, I feel like I am in a parellel universe. :)

@Betty, I have a seat reserved on the Kate-wagon. Still think there are big things ahead for our girl.

The showrunners say that their big goal is to tie up the storylines of all the major characters, and that they won't be tying up all the loose ends of the mysteries. My question is: How much of the mythology will they tie up? Clearly, with the names scratched on the roof of the cave, the Jacob-touch flashback scenes, and the things FLocke/MiB says, I think there will be big mysteries solved by the end of season. But what is small enough to leave unanswered, I wonder?

does anyone have any astrology theories? Locke had a crab (cancer) crawling over his body and they had a prominent shot of a set of scales (Libra), both cardinal signs. I'm sure there are more instances. Here a shot of Claire reading an astrology book. (fyi: not a real book, the author is a set designer on the show)

http://www.thetailsection.com/not-coming-to-a-lost-book-stor.php

Betty - I like Kate too. Gotta admire her as a tough chick survivor type who does the best for herself with what she has to work with.

Where is Whidmore and is Eloise still holding down the Lamppost station ?

Berky - I too wonder which of our many questions will be answered and which will not be. I have a feeling many of mine may not. I'll try to be more positive.

Maybe our Leader Daniel (in all his spare time) will pull together a Q&A post and we can all submit the top ten questions or topics we want answered. Then Daniel can submit these to the show's producers and they can have the show's writers check to see if they are included in the scripts, and if not, they can write and shoot additional episodes for us to our satisfaction. Not too much to ask for : )

i was just rewatching and i noticed during the scene where Locke was telling Helen he was fired - she is wearing a shirt that says Peace and Karma and a lotus blossom, joy and tranquil...

James/sawyer is definitely telling us something with his reference to mice and men. is he leading Not locke or is not locke leading sawer?

interesting that the convo between james and not locke regarding the most important question being why are you on this island. he seems sincere with this whole interchange. not locke says believe whatever you want it's the truth - talking about being trapped and no longer remembering what it is like to be free. it's about more than just bad/good - free will is obviously the variable - like faraday said - people's choices.

rose and locke's interaction was interesting as well - representing accepting one's limitations and being realistic. instead of screaming about people telling him what he can't do. being a victim versus taking responsibility for your choices and actions and moving on to the last stage - acceptance

@Mr.F
Yeah maybe, my ideas have been based on him "seeing" them die, making me think there was more then 2 timelines. Are we resticted to only 2 timelines? If he is just assuming they died, I guess that would make sense.

Another problem is Richard should have 2 timelines. One in 1970's where there are no losties, no bomb, and the incident accured. Second in 1970's w/ the Losties where the bomb did go off (or we are assuming so) and he thinks the losties died. If a course is corrected is the memory of the first course erased? That can not be because the losties remember everything (except the LA X timeline) AGGG I guess I need to wait, wait, wait, wait, and wait some more.

Did anyone else notice that Locke's coffee mug (when he was in the tub) was black on one side and white on the other? With a little bit of gray in the middle, too, i think?

23-Shepherd. My immediate thought when I saw that on the wall, was 1st, Jack is a shepherd, always trying to hold together his flock. The 23, Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Typically read at funerals. Of course, I have no idea what this means, just thought I would add it in the mix.

Someone had mentioned Ben being with Annie in the flash sideways timeline... I had started thinking the same thing. Didn't TPTB say that she was something to the plot? Maybe she's important in the sideways timeline?

Claire's ultrasound says October because she was 8 months pregnant when the plane crashed.

One theory that I read on another site...Could Richard be Smokey's son ? Thus the long, thick, smokey black eye lashes ! Crazy, I know, but Richard refuses to follow Lockeness, and pleads with Sawyer to get away while he can. He is saying "I'll never join you", just like Luke said to Darth Vader. Possible, who knows, but I like it.

What are the odds that Locke and Helen's wedding is being planned out by Boone's mother, Sabrina Carlyle ? Boone is also the Chief Operating Officer of his mother's wedding business.

Interesting how Locke, a man of faith on the island is now a man of science in the parallel timeline. He is a biology teacher, teaching the human reproductive system to the students, and a phys ed coach for basketball.

@kt... I agree, i think the LAX timeline is if Jacob had never entered their lives, not that the bomb went off. Not-Locke mentions to Sawyer how jacob changed their lives all for Jacob's want to get them to the island and messed their lives up for this want...i wonder if we will ever find out if it ever really happens, or maybe its happening in a different reality because MiB found loophole to kill jacob?

@Betty
I agree with you that season 3 was one of the best and also can't understand that's when the ratings started to slip. We're finally in the middle of the "others" and people give up on the show...we finally get somewhat of an answer of who they are after 2 seasons and people stop watching...didn't really get that.

and I have also always been a Kate supporter,she just might have the saddest story of them all...I'm ready for it, let the hating begin

@kt-
I never even considered the possibility that alternate timeline Kate could be innocent! I just assumed that, since she was on the run, she was guilty. Very interesting thought. It would make sense, since all of the other characters seem to be opposite in some way (Hurley being lucky, Locke accepting his injury, Locke's father being a good guy, Jack and Rose "switching roles" on the plane)...

I am so glad that Rose still has her chutzpah ! She has a second chance in the sideways to live life to the fullest with Bernard.

@Scott
I love season 3 also. That was when things started to really mess with your mind but still have so much mystery it was crazily addictive. Can't believe viewing figures dropped then either.

Would they have been reset at the time of the original incident, meaning Des never would have crashed on the island either? If that's the case, how is Ben a teacher? He was on-island at the time the bomb would have gone off.

Posted by: cara

Good question, and I don't get this either. Surely, ben was in the care of the others at the time of the bomb...v strange.

This would also mean Juliet never made it to the island, which makes sense and why she was out making coffee arrangements somewhere in the sideways timeline.

A question I have...in the original timeline didn't Abaddon tell Locke to go on walkabout (to get him on the flight). However, Locke still went on walkabout in the sideways timeline - why? fate?

I got one idea for the bad in Season three... three words: Nikki and Paulo. ;) Once they went, I thought the show got back to good again. And getting an idea of the Others was a good thing. There was also that Bai Ling episode... but it all got redeemed before the season ended for me. :)

Good thought about Abaddon. He had been posed as an orderly to talk to John while in rehab for his fall... did he still talk to him? Still put the idea in his head?

@ardendweller
I don’t think Kate is innocent in the LA X timeline. When Clair asked her what she did, Kate said “would you believe I was innocent?" Clair said “Yes”, Kate said NOTHING because she did not want to lie

She also told the guy who cut her handcuffs off she was wanted for murder or that she had killed someone, one or the other, don't remember which...

Someone made a comment on Sawyer being the son of one of the characters and it made me suddenly think that indeed we've never seen his father's face, just his legs when he sat on Sawyer's bed and shot himself.
There was also a post about the numbers and I definitly think they have a very precise signification. In numerology there are concepts like destiny numbers and I guess this is what the hatch numbers are about. I don't think that the meaning in chinese symbolism of Locke's and Hurley's numbers (respectively death and wealth) are a coincidence. I tried to figure out what the other numbers could mean but they do not have a particular signification in chinese. The only thing that would make sense is Kwong 42 = double death so possibly Jin and Sun are Adam and Eve (although I'm still pretty sure the skeletons are Rose and Bernard's).
Interesting to see how the two new timelines complement/balance each other (another reference to the yin yang). Each character is his/her antagonist or at least opposite stuff happen to them to recreate a sort of balance.

As I said earlier in this thread I think Jacob and MIB are brothers and Adam and Eve are their parents one evil one good like the bible story. I don't think Adam and Eve are any of the losties but perhaps a distant relative. Also they were not buried and I think that is important.
Why would some think Kate is innocent we saw her blow up the house.
I would like it for Bens sideways sotry to include Annie. 4 days to go yipee

Kate blew up the house in the original 2004 timeline...we did not see her do anything in the alternate timeline; we just know that she is again WANTED for murder. in my opinion, it is possible that she didn't actually do it this time. The LA X losties seem to be the same in terms of some of their characteristics, but completely different in terms of others. For example, Locke is still paralyzed, but in the new timeline Helen is able to get him to accept his new life, rather than be angry at the world. Hurley is still a lottery winner, but he has not experienced "the curse" or had any bad luck. Charlie is still a drug addict, only in the new timeline he seems to have lost the desire to live, whereas on the island, he was more optimistic. What if LA X Kate still has the tendency to run away when the going gets tough, only this time she actually made the right choice and didn't kill her stepfather/father? Maybe someone else murdered him but the cops suspect her? Maybe she set up the insurance policy for her mother, but then decided not to go through with the murder. If she set up that policy and then he ended up dead, she would sure look guilty. Maybe alternate timeline Wayne isn't even a bad guy, and she was arrested for something else entirely. I'm just saying it's a possibility.

Definitely agree with the A-! I really want to see more of Benry and "Not" Locke together. Hoping they keep up the pace til the end, the final season is no place for the fluff empty episodes!

you've got to be one to know one and you can't con a con man. go sawyer go!! he'll be the one in control...let's hope!! none of the others have his strenth and non-rattling abilities. sawyer actually asked Non-Locke questions in that cave. hooray for a lostie asking "why"?! btw, how are they suppose to get out of there now that the ladders are broken:)

@ Kruxoli
Man, I'd pay to see that match. On the beach, in the mud, in the rain, wherever!

@ Twistie
So Des pushing the numbers to kepp the numbers(candidates) away? Pretty good. Does this mean the hatch was in some way sanctioned by Smokie/Esau?

@sk
That WAS a giant skid mark! Ol' Sawyer was hanging on to them drawers WAAAY past their expiration date!

A couple more things I want to see:
Kate pull bad on someone
on the island)and earn her rep as a killer.
Ben needs to grow a set and get back to what he does best.
And lastly, Sawyer puts a long con on Smokey/Esau! Love it when the supernatural gets screwed by mere mortals!

Daniel, I have to say it...again. U rock! I have told everyone I know about thelostdiary.com. I love ur recap and as always, u point out things I somehow miss. Thanks! Keep up the good work....

This is my first post. I think that the Black vs White = Good vs. Evil is too cliche really. If you tie in the reference to "Jacob Ladder" there are 2 types of ladders. First the literal ladder of electrical high voltage traveling arc which climbs and then discipates into basically nothing. I think Flocke represents this non-believer path. Secondly, the biblical representation of Angels ascending and descending Jabob's ladder. A pathway to heaven. I believe Jacob represents this believer path. The reason there are no answers so far in Lost, is because there will never be an answer. The only people who KNOW the answer are dead. I'm just throwing out there a theory that in the end, everyone will be dead and there will be NO answer, just a realization of what the real question is.

@ Flashest monk...Got any vibes into the Olympic Hockey Game between the USA and CANADA at 4:30pm today ?

Jacob's Ladder... Was it a coincidence that both the wooden and rope ladder gave way on Sawyer on his descent to the cave ? Lockeness went down the ladder first, but Sawyer reached the cave landing first ?

If Jacob was residing in the foot of the statue, was MIB a squatter, who had taking over the cave, passing it off as Jacob's residence ?

Parallel ladders, Parallel time lines ?

@Flashest monk...Are you staying under the radar, hanging out with Schrodinger's cat, in the box ? Where are ya !

RE: Ben being married in the sideways timeline...did anyone notice if he was wearing a wedding ring when he was playing "teacher"? Just curious:)

One more day till the "Lamppost" episode!!!

@sk- Sorry, a little late to predict a hockey winner for you. Poor Canada was really out of sync yesterday. I will tell you this. Keep your eye on the Russian Bear! One play said it all yesterday. Alexs Ovechkin's hit on Jamir Jagr at center ice. The Czech Republic is my new adopted Euro country (i go by you are what you drink- Pilner Urquell please!) I just hated to see poor Jamr wasted like that. Anyway, the Russians are loaded with NHL talent (they are carrying few guys from the KHL just to make it look home grown) and they have attitude. Plus, if I were a Russian, I would be damn sick of watching reruns, replays and reenactments of the Miracle on Ice. Life seeks balance, hence the scale with black and white rocks.

@jaytch- Speaking of the Lamppost. Iliana said that Flocke is recruiting. Do you think the parallel here with his body double Locke may be to try to recruit all of the candidates to leave the island, similar to Locke's mission of going back and trying to get O6 to come back to the island. If MiB was trapped on the island as Jacob's mirror image and if home is off island, maybe he needs the synergy of the combination of the candidates to pull it off (similar to the Lamppost episode where the O6 plus dead Locke were needed to return.)

@Jaytch- oops, its Lighthouse not Lamppost, but there could be an analogy there anyways? To things that throw off light. My thoughts still stand on Flocke's recruitment plans. (Can't imagine him talking Jack into anything at this point. Just the fact that MiB looks like Locke is gonna work against him, plus, Jack ain't trusting anyone at this point.)

I haven't caught up on reading all of the posts, so I might be repeating here... I have a different perspective on the parallel universe. What if everyone on the island was drawn there by a dark/evil force? Think about it, bad/dark things happened to draw everyone to the island: jack; dad dies, Kate; kills daddy & captured; Hurley, cursed; john, no outback adventure; walt & ben, mom dies, etc.

What if the dark force that drew them to the island was the cause of the bad things that happened to them?

that said, the parallel universe is showing us what their lives would be like if the dark force never was involved in their lives. Some things are destiny; john still paralyzed, but others are changed; hurley has good luck. Ben may not have ever been to the island b/c his mom would not have died.

@flashest monk -- LOL "lamppost"...I must have been in Narnia:)

@jaytch- Nothing that a little bit of the old Hurley magic won't fix. Looking forward to tomorrow night. Rock chalk, Jayhawk!

Probably late on this:

I've said (and others too) that the donkey wheel has been turned 'before' - as in before we saw Ben/Locke use it. And maybe that's how others got to the mainland.

But, Dharma had that little time machine (ya know, the one Ben had to destroy to get to the donkey wheel) - and that's likely how Ben, Widmore, and those folks who had to go off island - maybe Jacob/MIB - did it. Not the sub, but Chang's time booth. Maybe that's a loophole?

****Theoretical Spoiler****

Thinking about Lost while driving today, and this is what I came up with:

Both time lines are real and both happening (but not actually simultaneous since we are concerned with 2004 in one and 2007 in the other) This serves to give us, the viewers two different endings to the show, a Choose-your-own-adventure, if you will. While nothing pleases everyone, this would seem to be a strategic attempt by the writers to please more folks with more than just one ending.

In the LA X timeline, our Losties get to purge their demons, correct their mistakes, and have the happy ending that so many wish for their favorite character(s).

In the original(O) timeline, our Losties adventure, live and die, and do heroic and dastardly deeds (depending on their character's bent) right up until the ending.

I see Sawyer being Smokie's bitch right up until the last, then putting the smack down on him, sacrificing himself Juliet-style. Whether skid-marked boxers are a part of his plan would remain to be seen.

I still see two players filling the role of Smokie/Esau and Jacob at the end. My vote is for Ben Vs Hurley.

In the LA X timeline, I think Oceanic calls Jack, tells him they found his dad's casket, and can he fly to Austailia (free ticket) to identify.

Stop me if you see where I'm going with this.

@elliotgirl re:23rd Psalm- in season 2, there was an episode with that title, but it was Charlie and Mr. Ecko related

@sk re:Mirrors playing a big role - remember that to the end of Season 3 to get off the island they have to go "Through the Looking Glass" which is a Dharma Station with the primary purpose of guiding people back to the island and blocking communication with outside world - thinking that the season the mirror is the them of two different parallel universes where the connection is the two parties looking in the mirror at the same moment

@Scott re:Of Mice and Men as a key book - it has been for years on the show - Ben quoted it to Sawyer after Sawyer made a reference to ben when Sawyer and Kate were being held at the Zoo "Every Man for Himself"- Ben quoted a long passage while looking at the island from the smaller zoo island. Steinbeck wrote a book titled The Pearl, The last line of the book is "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?"

It kind of is everywhere, but I think the writers do that to us on purpose and it makes the show BRILLIANT and me crazy

Here is some more crazy...Iggy Pop got his musical start in high school, as a drummer, in Ann Arbor, Michigan !!!

@Suede66
Sawyer is seen reading "Of Mice and Men" in prison, he mentions it to Ben during the pacemaker situation (they kill bunnies, you'd like) and Ben quotes it back to Sawyer later when he shows him they're not on the main island ( ...it's from "of Mice and Men", don't you read...)

@ suede66
sorry guess i read your comment before i post...

@deelzbub...LOL about Sawyer. Lost's version of Pepe Le Pew ! You gotta admit, for a dirty, stinky, con man, he is still babelious !

Babelicious !!!

keamy is coming back the first week of march...

Spoiler above?

Will quickly forget I saw that so I can be surprised when he comes on, makes it all better. ;)

@Flashest monk...After the Russia vs Czech game on Sunday, Jaromir Jagr was interviewed. Asked if he'd ever been hit that hard, he paused before answering.

"I don't really remember. I don't really remember anything right now."..."The mistake I made was turning over the puck and they scored. That hurt me the most."

100% professional athlete, even when he is run over like a freight train by Ovechkin.

happy happy lost day!

haven't caught up on earlier posts so this might have been mentioned, but...

i was listening to the official podcast with DL/CC and they said that unfortunately, the month being october on claire's sonogram was a prop error. the LA X timeline definitely starts on the same date as the pilot ep.

you'd think they'd triple check these details!! they know how lost fans notice everything.

excited for tonight!

Last night I was considering what the island's name might be. Don't know if or how often this has been discussed before. Maybe some part of a larger land mass that has been set adrift in time and space?
Lemuria

Atlantis would be too easy, and I don't think geographically accurate.

What was the name of the sunken port off the coast of Egypt? Not Alexandria was it?

Foot Island

That's my favorite!
"Where you been for three years?"

"Lost at sea, marooned on Foot Island."

Here there be monsters

Here there be monsters island!
Monster Island!

sorry, thinking out loud.

@ deelzbub Alexandria is still there but parts of ancient Alexandria are underwater now.

For the love of god.. everytime i read this one person's posts, im all "oo that was pretty good.." and then i see the name and it's Walt!!!!!!!!!! and i swear i almost die laughing in my chair.. can't help it.. *wipes tear from eyes*

@deelzbub 3pm 02/22.... i think your on to something QUITE plausible...

is your name really isadora?! so is mine. i have never met anyone else who shares our fabulous name!!

@ isadora friend:

OMG, I was just telling my husband the same thing last week. Anytime I see that name "Walt!!!", I just die. Keep up with the great theories and posts y'all!

Smoke Monster/Not Locke is so the bad guy (or at least I want him to be). I am also dying for more of Desmond!

Number 108 was Wallace on Jacob's lighthouse dial. Any idea who Wallace is? It appears he still has to