S4E11 - Cabin Fever

I have to begin by apologizing for the delayed recap for last week's episode. My son hasn't been feeling well lately, and (of course) my wife and I both also got sick. But back to LOST... Needless to say, the episode was GREAT, and there is A LOT of stuff to look at. I'm actually gonna break this into two entries, so let's get started with the first part.

Still Protected?
When Keamy tried to shoot Michael, nothing happened. It appears that the island is still protecting him... but why? What's the rule? If you've been BOTH on-island and off-island, are you immortal? I have a feeling that this might also be connected to the time travel things going on. Like, if you've travelled to a different time, you can't be killed while there. Could Ben and Widmore (or anyone else for that matter) be from a different time? It appears that Richard might be as well.

Richard "Eternal" Alpert
Ok.... one of two things is going on with Richard. Either (1) he can travel back in time, allowing him to see Locke on the day that he was born; or (2) he just lives forever. And does anyone else find it weird that he was at the hospital just moments after Locke was born? I wouldn't be surprised if he were behind the wheel of that car that struck Locke's mom.

The Prophecy
There is a prophecy. Of course, that's just speculation.... but let's pretend. The prophecy goes like this: In the mid 20th century, a prophet will be born to a woman named Emily. He will arrive prematurely and will survive many struggles. His purpose is to protect the island. He will form a strong bond with the island and will be given the ability to communicate with the island's spirit (Jacob). Before he can fulfill this prophecy, he will be given a challenge, in which he is told that he must sacrifice his father; however, he will not.

That prophecy is known by the island's natives. And they've been waiting for their prophet to arrive. When Ben came to the island, and he met Richard, they believed that he was their prophet. He fits nearly all of those requirements (mother Emily, born prematurely, communicates with Jacob, etc.). However, when the Dharma Initiative was purged, Richard gave him the task of killing his father.... which Ben actually did, proving that he was not "the chosen one". But then came Locke.

While the island's natives are excited at the possibility of the prophet finally being on the island, Ben is determined to prove that Locke is NOT the one. Ben told Locke that he had to kill his father... which he actually didn't do (but Ben doesn't know that). So while Ben believes that he has proven that Locke isn't the prophet... he is wrong. And Ben is just starting to realize it.

No Smoking
Now that season 4 has brought us off the island, there have been a few "smokey" references that seem to occur whenever we see someone off-island that perhaps we shouldn't see. In the first episode, right before Hurley sees Charlie swimming in the interrogation room, there is a big "No Smoking" sign behind him..... nothing, right? Think again. Before Jack saw his dad in the lobby of the hospital, the smoke alarm was going off. Wait... there's more. When Locke is born, his grandma goes to light a cigarette, and the doctor said, "You can't smoke in here," and immediately after that, we see Richard. Could they be hinting at the smoke monster here? I'm not sure yet, but if they do it one more time, then it's definitely worth considering!

Zombie Loop
In a dream, Locke saw Horace Goodspeed (the man who recruited Ben's dad into the Dharma Initiative) chopping down a tree..... a couple times. The "vision" had Horace on a loop, talking to Locke about what he needed to do in order to find Jacob. The interesting thing here is that he said that he's been dead for 12 years. That's interesting though, because if Rousseau's team crashed on the island 16 years ago, then they were there during the purge, and while the Dharma Initiative was in its prime. Anyone else think it's likely that Rousseau and her team were all members of the Dharma Initiative? I'm sure we'll find out eventually... and by "eventually" I mean "next season".

Locke's Smokey Doodle
When visiting a young John Locke, Richard noticed that one of his drawings was that of a giant cloud of black smoke bursting out of the ground and attacking someone. So is it possible that smokey is an entity that has been manifested from Locke's mind? Could he have created smokey the same way that he "brought" his father to the island? I think he might be a lot more powerful than we thought before. He's certainly "special".

Richard then placed 6 objects in front of Locke-- a baseball glove, a book of laws, a tube of sand, a comic book, a knife, and a compass. He asked Locke which of the items belongs to him. It seems that Richard is implying that Locke has lived before, and choosing the right item would indicate whether or not he is the person Richard is thinking (the prophet?). Locke chose the knife, and Richard stormed out of the house, as if disappointed at his choice. But I tend to think that Locke was lying to him in order to protect himself. Had he chosen the sand, I think Richard would've grabbed him and taken him to the island right then and there. But Locke didn't want to go (yet). He had work to do first.

Keamy's Dharma Manual
Did you see it? Keamy needed to find out exactly where Ben was, so he pulled out (from a safe) a Dharma Initiative protocol manual.

Notice that the logo on the cover is that of (what is believed to be) the Orchid Station, from last summer's infamous Orchid Orientation video, which hinted A LOT at time travel, and is also the same logo that appeared on Ben's parka when he woke up in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Could this guide be LOST's own version of the sports almanac that Marty bought in "Back to the Future"? Did Widmore's team go into the future to find out where Ben would be, and then (because they can't kill him until they return to their original timeline) use that to find him now?

Lost with Julie
When the people on the freighter received the Morse Code transmission about Dr. Ray's body washing ashore, we can definitely say 100% that the he was on the freighter (and very much alive) when they received that transmission. The interesting thing that my wife pointed out was that Sayid (who was standing right there when they received the transmission) can probably decipher Morse Code and likely understood the transmission. And when he gets back to the island, I wouldn't be surprised if he was like, "Yeah.... I heard your transmission and the doctor wasn't dead." Then maybe Faraday would start to explain this whole time issue that he seems to be fully aware of.

Science Camp
Locke's high school counselor said that he received a call from Mittelos Laboratories (remember Mittelos Bioscience is the name of the "company" that Richard used to recruit Juliet). They wanted to have Locke come to "Portland" for a science camp. Still in denial about who he really is, Locke refused to go. Perhaps he still wasn't ready. Maybe he had to perform a miracle in order to fulfill the prophecy, and he had to wait until he was paralyzed to get there.

The Un-Orderly
After falling 8 stories and breaking his back, Locke found himself in a hospital with an all-too-familiar orderly. It was Matthew Abaddon... the guy that hired Naomi, Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank. He is also the same guy that visited Hurley in the mental hospital and asked if "they" were still alive. His message to Locke was simple-- that some day, he'd owe him a favor. But that was after Abaddon told Locke that he should go on a walkabout.... which ultimately was the reason for him being on Flight 815... which was the reason for him being on the island. Abaddon is obviously involved in this war, and while it appears that he's on Widmore's team, I am starting to lean the other way. Could he be working for Ben as an undercover spy?

(Part 2 coming soon)