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Showing posts with label liquor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liquor. Show all posts

April 9, 2010

Happily Ever After

Let's talk about LOST!   Happily Ever After.
Desmond's eye opens.
Zoe is adjusting his IV.   Desmond's vision is very blurry and then clears.
Zoe-"I know you're disoriented, you've been unconscious for the last three days. But you're off the IV sedation now, and I've just given you a shot to help you wake up ."
Desmond-"Are you a nurse?"
Des is told he's not in a hospital anymore; he had to be moved.
Desmond wants to find his wife, "I want to see Penny!"
Widmore appears and tells him that's not going to be possible.   Desmond looks up, sees Widmore and says what Desmond always says when he realizes someone is familiar, "You."

Desmond is groggy and confused. He asks Widmore what happened to him, "Where am I?"
Widmore- "You were shot...By Benjamin Linus. Do you remember that?"
Yes, Desmond remembers.    He wants to talk to Penny and calls out for her.
Widmore- "She's not here. But I assure you both she and your son are perfectly safe. I'm really sorry for taking you away from them but I didn't have a chance to explain, and if I had you never would have come with me. "  
Desmond wonders, "Come with you where?"
Widmore reveals he brought him back to the island.
Desmond is furious; he actually twitches with emotion. Widmore confesses he can't imagine how Des must be feeling.
Desmond freaks and starts to beat Widmore with the IV pole. Two of Widmore's bodyguards restrain Des and Widmore warns them not to hurt him.
Desmond-"You take me back! You take me back right now, you hear!"
Widmore sternly replies that he can't take him back,"The island isn't done with you yet."
Desmond cries out apparently in pain.
Widmore tends to his injured head.
Jin asks Widmore what Desmond is doing there.
Rather than explain, Widmore feels it will be easier to show him.  Widmore instructs Zoe to take Jin to the generator room and then he'll be along for the test.    Concerned Zoe mentions that test isn't scheduled until tomorrow and Widmore is aware of that.  He demands they get them ready now.   Zoe looks troubled.
Zoe escorts Jin past an area where there is a huge white box with large wires and power cables running to it.   As Jin stops to get a closer look, Zoe hurries him along as there is no time for sightseeing.

Inside the "control room" Zoe informs Seamus that they're bringing Hume down now. {The room is filled with lots of electronics, computers, generators, gages, coils, transformers. etc.}
Their time frame isn't good and the generator probably hasn't been run in 20 years.   {Uh, then how the hell is everything else getting power?  Oh yeah, two "rats" on a big wheel!
Jin inquires what they are doing there.   Zoe reveals they are running a "little test".
Seamus calls out to the team, "All right, let's see where we are? Can we get a functioning  EM field going, people? Let's try a power test. Generator on full, please."
Seamus-"Here we go. On my count... three...two...one...and power on."
He pulls a lever and the equipment attempts to start up but fails.
Frustrated Seamus feels there's a  faulty contact somewhere.  He has Simmons go down and check the circuits on the solenoids, and warns Angstrom {The White Rabbit!} that he's going in next.
Simmons checks the huge coil with his trusty yellow meter.  Zoe watches via computer screen/monitors.
The tech in the control room found the bad breaker on the jenny and brings it back online.
Zoe freaks, No!"
He flips the switch and the solenoids ignite; the room is filled with intense bright white light.
Seamus yells for them to turn it off.
Zoe, Seamus and Jin hurry to check things out and find Simmons smoking burned body.
Widmore arrives asking Zoe if "Are we ready?"   He is unaffected by Simmons sacrifice to get the machine running.
Desmond is dragged into the room and can't help but see the body that was in there before him. As the body is being removed Widmore stops them, uncovers it, seems to 'take a moment'.
Desmond is dragged into the room and strapped into the waiting chair. {Mind you Des is supposedly still coming out of a three day sedation and a gunshot wound!}
Widmore-"I know how this looks, Desmond. But if everything I've been told about you is true, you'll be perfectly fine."
One team member confirms Desmond doesn't have any "metal, keys or change" on him. {Important Desmond words!}
Motivated Widmore states,"Course he doesn't, you idiot. I hate to resort to forcing this upon you, Desmond. But once it's over I'm going to ask you to make a sacrifice. And I hope for all our sakes you'll help me."
Desmond-"Sacrifice? What the bloody hell do you know about sacrifice?"
Widmore-"My son died here. For the sake of this island. Your wife, my own daughter hates me. And I've never even met my grandson. But if you won't help me, Desmond, all of it will be for nothing. Penny, your son, and everyone else, will be gone forever."
Widmore and the team exit and close the door.
Desmond starts yelling and fighting his way out of the chair. He friggin Hulks out and literally breaks out of the chair.
In the control room Widmore instructs them to "turn it on."
Jin-"No! If you want me to help you with whatever you're doing here, you need to explain to me..."
Widmore-"That man is the only person I'm aware of in the world, who has survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event. I need to know that he can do it again.... or we all die. Turn it on!"
The machine starts up and Widmore asks if they have full power.
Seamus is hesitant to throw the three levers. {1 red, 2 black)} Impatient Widmore uses his forearm and pulls the three levers
Desmond is yelling for the bastards to, "Let me out!"
The coils start up and the room gets bright with the white light; Des physically reacts to the effects of the machine, then....
...Desmond is at LA  X staring at the flight information board. {The board flashes Oceanic 815 ARRIVAL, meanwhile its passengers are already walking around. A sign shows F-2}
Hurley passes by and informs Desmond,"It's carousel four."
Desmond-"Sorry?"
Hurley-"You were on the Sydney flight, right?"
Desmond-"Yeah."
Hurley-"Our bags on carousel four, I double checked it with the dude at the counter." {Double checked}
Although Desmond didn't ask him for the update he politely thanks him anyway.
Claire struggles to pull her bags off the carousel.  Desmond tells her to "Hang on..." lends her a hand and asks if she has anymore bags. She does not.
Desmond-"Boy or a girl?"   He didn't mean to pry.
Claire-"Oh no it's fine, I just umm, I don't know what it is."
Desmond-"All right. Well you're braver than I. I'm not a big fan of surprises. Oh excuse me, that's mine."
He takes grabs his bags from the carousel while Claire is looking around for someone.
Des notices this-"So, have you got someone meeting you?"
Claire-"Uh yeah, uh maybe they got the flights messed up or something."
Desmond-"Because I've got a car picking me up. You now, if you need a ride I'd be more than happy to give you a lift."
Claire declines because there are cabs. The enjoyed meeting each other.
Desmond declares the baby to be a boy.
Claire-" What?"
Desmond-"Bet it's a boy."
Whistling RayBan sunglass wearing George Minkowski is the driver waiting to pick up "Hume".
Desmond sees his sign,  "Looks like I'm with you."
Friendly George takes Desmond's bags and asks "Take you back to your hotel?"
Desmond is checking his cell replies, "The office."
As George directs him to the limo he makes small talk. "So uh, you flew in from Sydney huh?"
Desmond-"That's right."
George-"And what, what were you doing uh down under?"
Desmond-"I was closing a deal for the boss."
George-"Oh good for you, congratulations. Hey listen, if you need anything at all while you're in town, I know everyone. You need a reservation? You just pick a restaurant."
Des feels the room service at the hotel is excellent.
George-"You uhh, you looking uh for some company? I noticed that you weren't wearing a wedding band. And there are a lot of lovely ladies offering their uh companionship."
Focused Desmond tells him he's not looking for any companionship, "I'm here to work."
George-"Guess that's why you're the boss's right-hand man, and I am the driver. Okay. Got it."

Desmond arrives at Widmore's office and is sent right in by the receptionist who inquires about his flight.
He enters the office and is greeted by a happy Charles Widmore, who welcomes his friend to L.A.. {The receptionist knew Desmond, this couldn't be his first time in LA then...could it?}  The two happy friends hug.
Desmond is looking at Widmore's replica of a sailing ship. {The office is filled with black and white and things seem to not be in the same place}
Widmore is on the phone, "I don't give a bloody damn what he did, or how much it's going to cost. Just get him arraigned and get him out of there."
Widmore-"Sorry Desmond. Looks like our celebration of the Australian deal is going to have to be cut short. You are aware that my son is a musician?" 
Desmond-"Yes. I've heard he's quite talented." 
Widmore-"Yeah he is, quite. {Watch how he says that!}  Anyway, my wife is putting together one of her charity events and uh, the boy had a crazy idea to combine classical music with modern rock. You heard of a band called Driveshaft?"
Desmond hasn't heard of them.
Widmore-"Their bass guitarist overdosed and uh a, got himself arrested. And now, if I don't get this junkie to my wife's event she will, simply put... destroy me."
Desmond-"So you want me to babysit him?"
Widmore-"I know it's beneath you, but I need someone I can trust to do the job right."
Desmond-"Say no more Charles, it's done."
Widmore-"Huh. You really do have the life, son.  No family, no commitments. Ahh to be free of attachments."
Desmond feels he's a blessed man. Yet Widmore claims  he is blessed to have Desmond in his employ.
He toasts Desmond, "A drink, to celebrate your indispensability."
He pours two glasses of MacCutcheon whiskey.
This surprises Desmond, "That's your sixty-year-old Scotch, Charles."
Widmore feels nothing is too good for Desmond.
Desmond toasts-"Sláinte."
Desmond arrives at the AIRPORT COURTHOUSE; Superior courthouse, as junkie Charlie is exiting with a female lawyer. {Des' reflection in the door.} She checks her cell.
The lawyer walks directly to Desmond and correct inquires/assumes/knows it's Mr. Hume.
Desmond-"That's right."
She informs Des that bail's all been taken care of. "Remember he's not allowed to leave the state."
Charlie is going through the plastic bag that contains his personal effects.  Desmond introduces himself to Mr. Pace, conveying that Charles Widmore sent him.
Charlie defies authority, dumps the bag on the ground and walks away.
Desmond-"Hey! Where you going?"
The lawyer tells Des, "He's all yours."
Charlie purposely crosses the street walking directly in the path of oncoming cars.
A driver yells out, "What's wrong with you?! Idiot!"
Charlie heads directly into JAX bar. {Jack's Bar}
Desmond looks at his watch and seems a bit annoyed. He follows Charlie into the bar. {The following conversation is very important}
He'll have whatever Charlie's having.  "One drink, then we go."
Charlie-"So what's your job then, to babysit me? What are you, Mr Widmore's chief lackey?  Henchman?" {Shinny DS ring}
Desmond-"No title. Plenty of perks though."   He gets to meet charming people.
Charlie-"Well, cheers then. Tell me perky, are you happy?"
Desmond-"Quite."
Charlie-"No you're not."
Desmond-"Well I've got a great job, lots of money, get to travel the world. Why wouldn't I be happy?
Charlie-"Have you ever been in love?"
Desmond-"Thousands of times."
Charlie- "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about spectacular consciousness altering love.  Do you know what that looks like?"
Desmond-"I wasn't aware that love looked like anything."
Charlie-"I've seen it, mate. On the plane back from Sydney."
Desmond-"Is that so? Well we were on the same flight, so...maybe I saw it too."
Charlie-"Trust me, you didn't."
Desmond- "Oh? Enlighten me."
Charlie-"There was this woman, two rows in front of me, in handcuffs, sitting with a cop.  He looked at me, knew I was holding. If I didn't take action I'd be caught. So I got up, went to the lav, proceeded to eliminate the evidence by swallowing my stash. And at that exact moment we hit turbulence. I choked. The entire bag of heroin is stuck in my throat. It's over, everything starts to go dark, I'm slipping into the abyss and then I see her."
Desmond- "Her?"
Charlie- "A woman. Blond, rapturously beautiful, and I know her...we're together. It's like we've always been and always will be.  {He's euphoric for a moment} This feeling, this love... and just as I'm about to be engulfed by...I open my eyes and this sodding idiot is standing there asking me if I'm okay. But I saw it, just for a moment I saw what it looked like."
{Like when Locke looked into the eye of the Island and what he saw was...beautiful?!}
Desmond-"Well that's just...poetry, brother. You know you should, you should write a song about that."
Charlie-"Yeah yeah, I know what you're saying, poor suicidal rock star. But I've seen something real, I've seen the truth."
Desmond- "No that's not the truth. You want to know the real truth, Pace?  Right now you have a choice... you can keep on drinking, or you can come with me.  Now before you make your choice, realize that if you stay here, it will very likely result in the extermination of your musical career."
Charlie-"And if I go with you?"
Desmond- "In twenty minutes you'll be luxuriating in a five star hotel, right on the harbor front, and Charles Widmore - one of the most powerful men in this town will owe you a favor."
Charlie- "Doesn't really seem like a choice."
Desmond-"There's always a choice, brother."

Desmond and Charlie ride in the car and "You All Everybody" plays on the radio.  Charlie's band Drive Shaft's first single; fondly claims that to be "The beginning of everything great. You like it?"
Desmond-"Sure, for what it is."
{It's looks like they drive right by the backdrop used in the photo Des and Penny used in their infamous photo.}
Charlie feels sorry for him "You think you're happy. You think you've got it all, this...your life. But, you don't."
Desmond- "Why, because none of it's real?"
Charlie-"All right, Mr. Hume. How about I offer you a choice?"   He can either show Des what he's talking about, or Des can get out of the car. Desmond scoffs at this.
Desmond-"Why in God's name would I want to get out of the car?"
Charlie pulls the wheel purposely driving the car into the water.
Underwater.
Desmond gets out of his seatbelt and tries to rescue unconscious Charlie. 
Desmond actually yells-"Charlie! Charlie! Come on" while submerged under the water. {Muffled sound}
Desmond swims out of the driver's window; the sun roof/moon roof is open.   He takes a deep breath and dives down to get Charlie.  Desmond can't open the passenger door even though the lock is open.
Charlie nonchalantly opens his eyes and  holds up his left hand to the window. Desmond immediately "Flashes" to the moment Charlie informs Desmond it's "NOT PENNY'S BOAT".
Charlie stares then closes his eyes, seemingly becoming unconscious again. Desmond miraculously gets his door open, unstraps the seatbelt, and pulls unconscious Charlie to safety.  Des calls out for help.

In the hospital Desmond is being examined and questioned by the female doctor.  She shines her pen light into his eyes to check pupil dilation.   He is stitched up on the right side of his forehead.  
Dr.- "You sustained a pretty bad bump in your accident. Any nausea?"
Desmond- "Nope."
Dr.- "Double vision?"
Desmond-"No. Listen, I need to find the man I was brought in here with."
Dr.- "How about hallucinations?"
Desmond-"What do you mean?"  {He doesn't know what hallucinations mean?!}
Dr.-"Hallucinations. Seeing things that aren't there."
Confused Des isn't sure.  The Dr. informs him the C.A.T. Scan was inconclusive and she's sending him downstairs for an MRI.
Desmond tells her he doesn't have time for this and needs to find the man he came in here with.
Dr.-"I'm afraid you're not finding anyone until we know what's going on inside your brain."

The MRI tech asks Desmond if he's wearing  any metal, carrying keys or change. "Any metal inside your body, pacemakers, pins, bullets, steel plate inside of your head?"
Desmond-"No. Nothing."
The tech notes Desmond didn't list an emergency contact, no friends or family. He just put down his employer, Charles Widmore.
The tech explains this machine is super loud. "You're gonna want these. {gives him ear plugs and straps him to table.}  And you need the button."
Desmond-"The button?"
Tech-"The panic button. You need to stop, press it. Try not to 'cause we'll have to start all over again from the beginning. I'll be in that booth over there. You'll be able to hear me. Thirty minutes, okay?"
Desmond is sent into the machine.
 The machine starts along with its {familiar} noisesWith his eyes open Desmond "sees" images, as if movie clips are being displayed above him in the bright light:  Charlie drowning, Penny smiling, kissing Penny,the birth of Charlie, toddler Charlie, kissing Penny. He hears Penny's voice whisper...  "Desmond."
Des freaks out, "Hey! Let me out of here!"
He pushes the panic buttonThe overhead light in the machine is off.
The tech pulls him out, "What happened, man? Are you all right?"
Panicked Desmond needs to find the man he came in there with.  He takes out ear plugs.

Desmond is at the nurse's station  talking to an uninterested nurse. "His name is Charlie Pace. He came in an hour ago. Just give me his room number."
The nurse informs him if he's not a relative that's confidential information.
Desmond-"Look, we were in an accident together. I need to see him!"
There's nothing she can do.   Just then Dr. Jack Shephard happens by.
Desmond-"Hey. Excuse me. Um., were you on the same Oceanic flight from, umm, Sydney."
Jack-"Yeah, yeah, you were sitting next to me. Desmond, right?"
Desmond-"Yeah, that's right. Listen. I wonder if you can help me, brother. I need to find someone. He was on our plane. He's somewhere in the hospital."
Jack-"Hold on. He was on our plane and now he's here in the hospital?"
{Yeah, Jack the same dude you saved on the damn plane!}
On cue Charlie Pace is running away from a nurse and yelling "None of this matters!", right past Desmond and Jack.
Desmond takes up the chase after Charlie.   Charlie runs down the stairs and exits on the 2nd floor. {Wearing his black and white vans.}
With Charlie finally cornered, Desmond asks him, "Why you runnin'?"
Blue eyed Charlie-"Cause nobody here can help me. Now let me go."
Desmond-"Why’d you try an kill me?  Charlie insists he didn’t try to kill him, he was trying to show him something.  Desmond wants Charlie to show him his hand. {What is this...Poker?!}
Desmond-"Your hands. Show me your bloody hands now."
Charlie is intrigued and wonders,"You saw something, didn’t you? In the water. What was it?"
Desmond grabs Charlie’s hands
Charlie-"What are you looking for, mate?"
Desmond-"Who’s Penny?"
Charlie-"I don’t know. Ah. You felt it, didn’t you?"
Desmond-"I didn’t’ feel anything."
Charlie-"Then, why are you accosting a man in a dressing gown?"
Desmond-"All right. Come on. We’re leaving."
Charlie-"Whoa! You think I’m going to play a rock concert after this? This doesn’t matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it. You wanna try and stop me, good luck."
Desmond-"Hey, where you going?"
Charlie-"If I were you I’d stop worrying about me and start looking for Penny."   He walks away.
Widmore is on the phone with Desmond being told that Charlie is gone.
Desmond-"He escaped.  He knocked over a doctor with a bloody crash cart and then ran out of the hospital.
Widmore-"And you let him go?
Desmond-"He’s a junkie who drove my car into the ocean, Charles. I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."
Widmore is thrilled Desmond survived but when he gives Desmond a job to do he expected him to do it.
Desmond fluffs it off as "just a bloody concert."
Widmore-"I tell you what, Desmond, if you can’t deliver Pace, why don’t you tell Mrs. Widmore, it’s just a bloody concert."   He hangs up on Des. {Des pushes the elevator button-he's on the 3rd floor!}

George opens the limousine door for Mr. Hume and remarks about him never having met the boss’ wife; and wishes him luck with that.

Snooty and annoyed Eloise is directing workers {young man dressed in Black and White.} in preparation of her event. "Please, tell me, how someone in your line of work is not aware that the butter knife is placed handle to the right, blade facing left? Just so."  {Daniel is playing classical music on the piano.}
Desmond introduces himself to Eloise. "My name is Desmond Hume. I work for your husband."    {She knows this is Desmond and is shocked to see him}
Eloise-"Of course, Mr. Hume. Charles has told me so much about you. It’s a travesty we haven’t met before. Well, it’s about time."
Desmond-"Well, the feeling is mutual, Mrs. Widmore."
Eloise-"Oh, please. It’s Eloise."
She wonders what crisis forced Charles to send his best fix-it man into the bowels of charity balls.
Desmond is deeply sorry and informs her that Drive Shaft won’t be able to perform alongside her son. "And, uh, I take full responsibility…"
Eloise- "Don’t worry about it."
Desmond is confused by her accepting attitude. "Excuse me?"
Eloise-"Oh, my son will understand. I suppose if one employs certain so-called, rock stars, certain unpredictability comes with the territory."
Desmond-"Yeah. You’re not angry?"
Eloise-"Oh, not at all dear. What happened, happened. Thank you so much, Mr. Hume, for coming and telling me in person. A pleasure meeting you."
Desmond-"And you."
Eloise corrects a worker to center the flower arrangement.   Desmond wishes her a good evening.
A man is going over the guest list and is heard mentioning: Leifer, Stefanie, plus two. Markey, Mary, plus one. Milton, Penny solo. Pepper, Nicholas, plus one.
The name Penny catches Desmond's attention and he asks the man about it.
Man-"And who are you?"
Desmond-"Um, I work for Mr. Widmore, may I see the list?" {He takes it.}
Eloise grabs the list, "You absolutely may not. That list is confidential.'
Desmond begs her pardon, but he's entrusted with confidential items every day.
Eloise-"Are you questioning me?"
Desmond- "No, I just want to look at one name on that list.  And, if for some reason, that’s a problem…"
Annoyed Eloise-"Come with me."
She demands the cooking staff to get out.  Desmond apologizes if he's overstepped his bounds.
Eloise-"Stop talking, Hume. I’ve heard what you’ve had to say. Now, you listen to me. I want you to stop."
Desmond-"Stop? Stop what?"
Eloise-"Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a serious problem. It is, in fact, a violation. So, whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for….You need to stop looking for it."
Desmond- "Do you, do you know what I’m looking for, Mrs. Widmore?"
Eloise-"I don’t know why you’re looking for anything?   You have the perfect life. On top of it, you’ve managed to attain the thing you wanted more than anything, my husband’s approval."
Desmond-"How do you know what I want?"
Eloise-"Because I bloody do."
Desmond-"I need to see that list…or you need to tell me why I can’t."
Eloise-"You can’t because you’re not ready yet, Desmond."  She walks away from him.
Desmond-"Ready? Ready, for what?"
Confused Desmond walks back to the limo.
George assumes things went badly. Desmond asks if there's any alcohol in the car. Of course there is, as a matter of fact he's told "Whatever you need. So, uh, where to, Mr. Hume?" {Of course, what ever they need, the "Island" gives them.}
Desmond-"Just drive, George."    There's a knock on Desmond's window.
Daniel-"My name is Daniel, Daniel Widmore. We need to talk." {Why is Daniel dressed very "dated"?}
Desmond-"Look, uh, Mr. Widmore, um…"
Daniel-"Dan, please. Call me, Dan. Mr. Widmore is my father."
Desmond-"Dan, if this is about Charlie Pace not being able to perform with you, I’m, I’m very sorry."
Daniel-"Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Hume?"
Desmond-"Excuse me?"
Daniel-"The first time I saw her I was walking through this museum, a few weeks ago. She, she works here.  She was on her lunch break. She was eating a chocolate bar. She has these incredible blue, blue eyes, red hair. And, as soon as I saw her, right, right in that moment, it was like, it was like I already loved her. And that’s when things got weird. {he takes a notebook from his bag.} That same night after I saw that woman, I woke up and I wrote this."
Desmond-"So what is it?"
Daniel- "I’m a musician. I have no idea. So I took it to a friend of mine at Cal tech. He’s a math whiz. He said this is quantum mechanics. He said these equations are so advanced that only someone who’d been studying physics their entire life could have come up with them."
Desmond-"So what do they mean?"
Daniel-"Okay. Imagine imagine something terrible is about to happen. Something catastrophic, and the only way to stop it from happening is by releasing a huge amount of energy.  Like setting off a nuclear bomb."
Desmond-"You wanna set off a nuclear bomb?"
Daniel-"Just listen. What if, this, all this, what if this wasn’t supposed to be our life?   What if we had some other life and for some reason, we changed things? I don’t want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did."
Desmond-"Listen, mate, um. I don’t know what any of this has to do with me, so…"
Daniel-"Why did you ask my mother about a woman named Penny? It happened to you, too, didn’t it? You felt it." 
Confused Desmond doesn't know; he doesn't know what he felt. Daniel says he does, "You felt love."
Des feels that's impossible because he doesn't know anything about this woman, "I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know if she exists. She’s an idea."
Daniel-"No, Mr. Hume. She’s my half-sister. And I can tell you exactly where and when you can find her."
{That's one hell of a coincidence Desmond's love is Dan's half sister.}
Guess where he can find her? At the stadium, running a Tour DeStade.
Desmond walks right up to her and asks "Are you Penny?"
It is.
Desmond smiles, "Hello. I’m Desmond."
Penny shakes his hand and says hi.

Desmond opens his eyes; he is inside the huge white box.  He looks at his right hand.
Seamus sees Desmond and seems surprised, "He’s okay."
Widmore is pleased,"How are you, Desmond?"  {Desmond's eyes are checked with the pen light.}
Desmond- "Fine. How long was I unconscious for?"
Widmore-"Well, No more than a few seconds."
Desmond seems peaceful-"Will you help me up, please."
Widmore-"I’m really sorry we had to do this to you, Desmond. But as I told you, your talent is vital to our mission. So, if you just let me explain...."
Desmond-"It’s all right. I understand."
Widmore-"What?"
Desmond-"I said, I understand You told me, you brought me here to the Island to do something very important."
Widmore confirms that.
Desmond-"When do we start?"
The group is walking back and  Zoe asks Desmond what happened to him.
Desmond-"What do you mean?"
Zoe-"What I mean is, twenty minutes ago you were beating the crap out of Widmore with an I.V. stand and now you’re Mr. Cooperative."
Desmond-"A lot can happen in twenty minutes."
Zoe agrees, "That thing fried your brain."   {That thing! The smoke monster has recently been referenced as "that thing"}
Desmond smirks, "Did it?"
Zoe-"Whatever, doesn’t change the fact that you’re gonna...."
Armed Sayid attacks a couple of the workers and tells Zoe to run.
He tells Desmond he doesn't have time to explain, but these people are extremely dangerous. "We need to go, now."
Desmond-"Aye, of course. Lead the way."  {Ah, there's my pirate! lol}
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Penny-"Hello?! You okay?"
They are at the stadium. Apparently when Penny shook his hand he fainted. She must have quite an effect on him.
Desmond must look familiar to her because she wonders if they've met before.
Des thinks "we’d remembered it if we had."
Penny makes sure he's all right.
Desmond- "Yeah, I’m fine. Hey, listen, um, would you like to go for a coffee?"
Penny- "What, now? I’m a sweaty mess."   {Doesn't she have a charity ball to be at?}
Desmond-"I just fainted in front of you. I’d say we’re even."
Penny tells him of a coffee shop on the corner of Sweetzer and Melrose; she'll meet you there in an hour. They both are smitten!
Happy Desmond heads back to the limo where George asks, "So, did you find what you were looking for?"
Desmond-"Yes, George, I did. Corner of Melrose and Sweetzer, please."
George-"You got it. And if there is anything else I can do for you, Mr. Hume, you just name it."
Desmond-"Actually, there is one thing, George. Can you get me the manifest from our fight from Sydney, Oceanic 815? Just the names of the passengers."
George-"Sure I can. Do you mind if I ask you what you need it for?"
Desmond-"I just need to show them something."



Happily Ever After is a GREAT episode!!
All I can say is...you were given a shot to help you wake up. This was a "wake up call" for all "Island" residents and at home viewers!   I think it's pretty obvious that the "LA  X" bits aren't what you thought they were.
It's interesting to see that Widmore took Desmond by force; he didn't give Desmond a choice.  Locke gives his people a choice.
In this version we see that Desmond's will to have Widmore's respect won out over love, but his life was incomplete.  Also interesting is that Widmore adored Desmond until he couldn't "watch" Charlie.
With the difference of  things we've been seeing brings me back to the possibility of  each person having their own individual journey or is it simply that we're just seeing the different "go-arounds" tested/done until  it is done right. {Run the test 10 times and see what the outcomes are.}  After all, a lot can happen in twenty minutes!

How believable was the huge white box with the two coils that supposedly produces energy, radiation, electromagnetism and such? It  isn't even a completely enclosed room providing safety from exposure of all that shit!  Plus I hate how they throw the word catastrophic around.

Things to Note...Questions to ask...
* Recycle.  The same places, people, names, dialogue, props, etc.. {Reuse-rebirth}
* Head-consciousness.   What's going on inside your brain and  inside of your headIt doesn't get any fucking clearer than that!
* Because none of it's real. 
* Ear. Earplugs. Loud. Hear.
* Eyes. Eye color.  Look. See. 
* White Rabbit.  Alice in Wonderland.  Through the Looking Glass. Down the rabbit hole.
* Penny Milton. Half sister.
* Disoriented. Groggy. Sedated.
* Remember. Forget. Deja vu. Familiar.
* Manifest. Idea. Imagine. Wish. Believe.
* Machines. Generator. Power. Radio.
* Wires. Cables. Monitors. Attachments. Driver. Button. Computes. Online.
* Test.  Power test.
* C.A.T. Scan.  MRI.  Magnet.
* Game. Stadium. Bet. Sacrifice. Rules. Violations. Start. Stop. Start over from the beginning.
* Hospital. Jail.
* JAX bar. Jack and Christian.
* Tour DeStade, bar, pen, alcohol/liquor, hospital=Jack
* Mental health. Crazy. Addiction. MacCutcheon whiskey. Junkie.
* Maybe they need to learn how to contain their own anger or learn what to do with their own stored up energy/emotions.
* Playing roles. Changing roles.
* Perform. Solo. Rock star. Musician. Concert. Song. Poetry. Write/wrote.
* Drive Shaft's first "come back" show in L.A. was {Originally}supposed to be with Meatcoat.
* Enlightenment. Free of attachments.
* "There's always a choice."
* Desmond on the plane had a wedding band on, yet this Desmond is not married. That is NOT a continuity error! We're seeing proof of different versions of things.
* Why was Daniel's last name fucking Faraday? Why is it Widmore?
* Half sister. Combine two forms of "music/something" to make a new "one".
* Why is Jin privy to the big white box?
* Desmond is Charlie's babysitter. {Guard}
* Widmore and Desmond have a head injury.
* We had no Flash Whoosh and only once at the end scene did we get an Air plane engine/sounds-rumble to signify the change in "scene" for Desmond.
* "It happened to you, ".   George says a similar line to Desmond aboard the freighter.
* Heart.
* Which version (if any) is the real current run through?   Did Widmore send Desmond over just to babysit Charlie?
* Piano players on the "Island:  Daniel, Jack, Ben, Charlie and Sun.  Although we must mention that we've seen Sun and Daniel have a disconnect from the music.

Vocabulary and Research...
* Idea: an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks.
I encourage you to read more on "Idea" as is connects to the LOST story and the philosophy of it's character's namesakes.
* Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, literally translating as "health".
* Carousel. Merry go round. Ferris Wheel. Loop. Circle.
* White Rabbit: a character in Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- In The Looking Glass Wars,  the White Rabbit is re-imagined as Bibwit Harte, an albino tutor with super-sensitive hearing.
- Jefferson Airplane recorded a song called "White Rabbit", with references  to this character and the Wonderland saga in general as metaphors for drug-induced experiences.
- Neo is told to follow the White Rabbit in the Matrix 
-A synchronized set of strobing lights on the approach end of an airport runway Approaching Lighting System.




Over the past five years I have given countless examples of things happening in their heads, minds, consciousness, sleeping, the hum of the magnet {a piece of medical equipment}, machine, wires, cables, computers, drugs, hallucinations, dreams, manipulated imagery, ship, test, learning, different versions, two, two sides, underwater, mental health, jail, game, journey, perception and enlightenment etc.. This episode outright spelled it out for you all, and this episode did indeed tie it up with a pretty little bow.

Here are the links to my previous notes for Flashes Before Your Eyes, Catch 22, The Constant, The Variable
Other important notes: The Beginning of the EndDeus Ex Machina, Man of Science Man of Faith.

Desmond has "Flashes" much like we've seen in his other centric episodes.  Is he time traveling?  No.  Again I'll state... he just may be "remembering"  other "go-arounds" on  this little "Island" (testing) adventurous journey.

The truth got literally SHOVED in Desmond's face by someone (Charlie) who is off the "grid".
Desmond must be playing this game waaaay tooooooo long to keep on missing the point, so Charlie "PUSHED".  But we did also see Desmond give his enlightened statement to Charlie of "There's always a choice".   Who is pushing whom?  Either way, someone is affecting the way Desmond is seeing things.  In fact it's a violation.  A violation by which side?  Hmmm.

The only way to get out of this level is to get to see, feel, hear and know truth.
We  have seen "players" in the adventure/journey assume roles of guides, guardians and keepers of the path.  The "lost" person must face challenges and the truth about themselves/someone/something and when they find what they are looking for, {themselves/something/someone; to forgive, trust, love, see truth, etc.} then they can move on.  And for some, if they are getting to close to the "truth" about the "Island" itself or close to unseating the leader, then they are removed from the playing field/game board. 

Just for a moment forget about the sideways stuff, the stupid time travel, hieroglyphics, quantum physics, bizarre gizmos and gadgets, other universes, smoke monsters and all the other illusions, magic and distractions and look at what the story is really about...
Try to see the "truth" or my favorite word...enlightenment. The answers are indeed right in front of our eyes as they have always been.

If there are people out there who still think they're watching a show only about a plane crash, another universe complete with time travel, alternate time lines due to blowing up a hydrogen bomb and such, and have not learned that in addition to those fantastical things that this story is a very human story...then I am sorry, I don't think my notes will show you anything to help you find your way.

Keep in mind the phrase "Happily Ever After" is traditionally a closing sentiment at the end of a "fairy tale"

Love to all who are "LOST"™

Charlie literally reaches out to his fellow "Island" friends in need!
Happily Ever After, Through the Looking Glass, The Beginning of the End.

Disclaimer: I never claim to know everything about the show and my thoughts by no means make me right! The things I share here are my views and/or opinions. I don't claim to catch every single detail either! You all know I hate spoilers and I stand clear of reading certain sites as to not take me off my own course of research. The one thing I don't need to do here is rehash all of the obvious clues from an episode, we all know what they are. Understood? Good! Let the fun begin! I'll only note things that I know come up as clues later, but need to be noted when they first show up and things I find that will be of importance. It will get very exciting as we progress into the story.

February 17, 2010

The Substitute

Let's talk about LOST! The Substitute.

(Click the pics!)

Locke drives down the street of his little happy neighborhood. Paralyzed Locke loads himself in the wheelchair onto the chair lift, lowering himself to exit the van but it gets stuck.



He uses the red joystick trying to jar the mechanism but to no avail. Locke then pushes the chair off the lift in hopes of a smooth landing but he is thrown from his chair. Then the lawn sprinklers turn on. John is not angry about the comedy of errors, as a matter of fact he seems a bit amused. Helen comes out and turns off the water. She takes soaking wet John inside.

John is in the bath looking at two color swatches for the backs of chairs for their wedding. We hear Helen is on the phone asking someone “How long will that take?” as the wedding is in October. Helen tells John she’s sick of caterers and bands and picking out fabrics for chair backs, “What do you say we just get my parents and your dad and do it shotgun style in Vegas?”
John-“No, you deserve better than that, Helen. We can do this. I know we can.“
John shows Helen the choice he made in fabric color {green} then Helen remarks, “That one?”


John- changes his mind, “I meant this one.” {Blue}
Helen feels he’s a very sweet man; which John already knows.
Helen inquires about the conference.

John takes a sip of his coffee and tells her it was boring. {mug} Helen looks at a business card she found in John’s pocket and asks who Dr. Jack Shephard is.
John-“Oh, I met him at lost luggage when I went to fill out the forms. He... he lost something too.”
Jack offered a free consult too. Helen gets excited that he’s a spinal surgeon and suggests John call him but John feels the doctor was just being polite.
Helen-“So what? I mean... what are the odds of you just running into a spinal surgeon? I mean, who knows? Maybe it's destiny.”
John smiles-“Maybe it is.“
John seems to think.

{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}

The smoke monster operates quickly, clicking, ticking, cranking, moaning, flashing and rushing high and low on its way across the “Island”.   Its sequences are glitched and seem to jump from one terrain to another until it arrives at broken down Dharmaville where it navigates its way through the tiny village and stops at its desired destination, Sawyers house. Sounds of breaking glass and loud music are heard.   Smokey hovers outside the window for a few seconds and then flashes, cranks and hurries high and low through the jungle until it comes upon the knife it was looking for and Locke acquires it.

Locke uses the knife to cut down a hanging canvas cradle that contains frightened Richard.
Locke-“Alright Richard, time to talk.”


Locke sits in the wheelchair waiting in an elevator to arrive at his level/floor. {Note No Smoking} The elevator dings and Locke exits, wheeling himself to his cubicle. At his desk he looks troubled and sad.


Randy enters, welcomes the Colonel back and compliments the nice tan John got while at the conference in Australia.



Randy asks if he “missed us”.
John-“Sure I did, Randy.” Randy asks about the conference.
John-“It was okay. I didn't really learn anything."
Randy-“No?"
John-“But um... I made some good contacts, though."
Randy-“Really? That's interesting. See uh... Ken Fisher called and said you had to cancel your lunch with him."
John-“Right, right... I was a little under the weather that day. Probably jet lag. {He grabs a green binder on his desk.}
Randy-“Really? Cause then the seminar people called and said you hadn't picked up your credentials. I did some checking... and it seems you didn't attend a single event. Since we sent you to Sydney on the company's dime... where the hell were you?"
John-“Look, Randy... I'm really sorry. Why don't we just call it my vacation week?"
Randy-“I thought you wanted that vacation week in October. You know, for your wedding."
John-“Please, Randy... look, I know I shouldn't have lied. But where I was... it's personal. And I... and I really don't want to talk about it."
Randy-“Okay, John. Hey... you're fired.” He salutes John and walks away.

{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}

Locke gives Richard some water and apologizes for hitting him in the throat and dragging him off the beach but he had to do something.   Richard just wants to know what he wants.
Locke-“What I've always wanted. For you to come with me.”
Richard-“Why do you look like John Locke?”
Locke-“I knew he'd get me access to Jacob. Because John's a candidate. Or at least he was a candidate... “
Richard struggles to stand up; he doesn’t understand what a candidate means.
Locke-“Didn't Jacob tell you any of this?”
Richard-“Any of what?"
Locke-“Oh, Richard... I'm sorry. You mean, you've been doing everything he told you all this time and he never said why? I would never have done that to you. I would never have kept you in the dark.“
Richard-“And what would you have done?”
Locke-“I would have treated you with respect. Come with me and I promise I will tell you everything.”
Richard won’t go with him.
Locke-“Are you sure about that, Richard? Because people seldom get a second chance...”
Richard-“I'm not going anywhere with you.”


Locke sees a young blond boy a few feet away. He is dressed in Other’s garb, no shoes and blood on his arms.
Richard doesn’t seem to see the boy.
Locke is now nervous, “I’ll be seeing you Richard. Sooner than you think.” And he walks away.

Ben enters the statue {fire pit is illuminated and white} notes the covered dead men and Ilana who is alone and crying. Ilana wants to know what happened.
Ben, who feels there’s a chance she won’t believe him but still shares with her that John Locke killed them, turned into a pillar of black smoke and killed them and Jacob right before his eyes. Ilana asks where Jacob’s body is.


Ben-“Locke kicked him into the fire and he burned away.”


Ilana walks over to the ashes, takes a small sack {Similar in color to one of Helen's swatches} and gathers ash to put in it. Ben asks if she knows why Locke carried Richard out into the jungle and Ilana replies, “He's recruiting.”





Locke walks through Dharmaville {Not smokies his way through} and walks into Sawyer’s destroyed house.
A record is playing Search and Destroy. Locke enters Sawyer’s bedroom where he finds him dispirited and drinking. Sawyer thought Locke was dead to which Locke replies, “I am.”
Sawyer pours two sloppy drinks and shoves one at Locke {who only licks the spilled drop from his finger but doesn’t drink} Sawyer toasts to being dead. Locke feels Sawyer’s taking it extremely well. {What, that he/they’re dead?}
Locke-“That I’m here.”
Broken and drunk Sawyer replies, “I don't give a damn if you're dead. Or time travellin' or... the ghost of Christmas past. All I care about is this whiskey. So bottoms up! Get the hell out of my house.”

Locke informs him it isn’t James’ house; he just lived there for a while but it was never his house.
James-“Who are you? Cause you sure as hell aint John Locke.”
Locke wonders what makes him say that.
James-“Cause Locke was scared… even when he was pretending he wasn’t. But you…you aint scared.”
Locke seems intrigued by James’ observation and doesn’t admit or imply he’s anything other than “Locke” or not, he only says, “What if I told you I was the person who could answer the most important question in the world?”
This amuses James and he wonders what question would that be.
Locke-“Why are you on this Island?”
James-“I'm on this Island… because my plane crashed. Because my raft blew up. …cause the helicopter I was on was ridin' one too heavy.”
Locke tells him that’s not why he’s there and if he goes with him he can prove it. Curious James is interested so he’ll go put some pants on. {Fine, but leave the shirt off! Can I get an Amen, ladies?!}
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke wheels himself with his box of office effects to his car in the parking lot. Locke does not park in a handicap space and gets upset when the yellow Hummer is parked too close to his car making it impossible for him to get to mechanical side door and chair lift for entry. In frustration Locke throws the remote control key fob on the ground. He bangs on the Hummer causing the alarm to trigger. Hugo comes along with his remote control key fob, cancels the alarm and asks Locke what he’s doing. Locke is a bit fired up.
Locke-“What am I doin'? What the hell are you doin'? Did you ever park a car in your life? You're practically in my spot!”
Hugo apologizes and shows him there’s a handicap spot over there.
John-“Yeah? Yeah, okay... but I don't have to park there! I can park anywhere I want! You need to stay inside the lines!”


Hugo-“I'm really sorry. They were supposed to reserve a spot for me, so... you know, I just... parked here.”
John-“I haven't seen you before. Do you work here?"
Hugo-“Actually, I own the company.”
They laugh, introduce themselves to each other and shake hands. Hugo asks John what he does there.
John-“Actually... nothing. My boss just fired me."
Hugo-“Oh? Who's your boss?"
John-“His name is Randy. But uh…”
Hugo-“Randy Nations? Yeah... that guy is a huge douche. Want me to talk to him for you?” John declines the offer.
Hugo-“Tell you what, John. I own a temp agency too... {takes a pen and paper from the box and jots something down} Call this number and tell them that Hugo said to hook you up with a new job, pronto. And chin up. Things are gonna work out.”
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
The body of dead Locke lays on the beach. A spider {Bug} is on his head and crawls away.

Armed Frank remarks that Locke’s getting pretty ripe. {For picking or what?! lol.} Sun informs Ilana that everybody went to the temple.

Ilana feels that’s the safest place on the island and they should go there too. Sun shows concern for Ilana but doesn’t want her to assume she’s going with her. Ilana knows Sun wants to find Jin.
Sun-“What do you know about my husband?"
Ilana-“I know that if he's on the island... and if he's alive... then he'll be at the temple. Let's get moving!”
Sun-“What about John? We need to bury him.”
Ilana sighs.

On their trek through the jungle Locke asks James what he was doing alone in that house. James admits he was drinking.

Locke wonders where are the rest of his friends are and James tells him they’re at some temple somewhere. Locke asks why he isn’t with them. Sawyer stops the questioning and suggests they don’t talk anymore. They both hear something and see the blond boy standing in the jungle.
James-“Who the hell's that?"
Locke-“You can see him?"
Sawyer-“The kid? Hell yeah I can see him.
The kid runs off and Locke chases him. Locke trips on a roots/vines and falls. The kid stands over him and tells him, “You know the rules. You can't kill him.” {Who?!}
Locke-“Don't tell me what I can't do...{the kid shakes his head no and walks away} Don't tell me what I can't do!

Purple shirted James calls out for, “Locke! Locke! Look, whoever you are, you got about twenty seconds and then I'm outta here!“
Petrified Richard pokes out of the jungle with both hands up and asks James “Where is he?”
Sawyer wonders what the hell he’s doing there.
Richard-“Where is he?”
James-“Locke? He ran off into the jungle after some kid.”
Richard-“We need to go! Now!”
James-“Go where?“
Richard-“To the temple! Let's go! Let's go!”
Sawyer-“You know what? I've been to the temple and I think I'm stickin' with Locke.”
Scared Richard tells him that man is not John Locke! Sawyer already knows that.
Richard-“Then why are you with him?”
Sawyer-“Because he's got answers. He says he knows why I'm on this island. Unless you wanna tell me why I'm here, Richard..."
Richard-“Don't be naive! He's not gonna tell you anything, he's gonna kill you!”
Sawyer-“If he wanted to kill me he could have done it a dozen times already...”
Richard-“You don't understand what you're dealing with! He doesn't just want you dead, he wants everyone dead! Everyone you care about! All of 'em! And he won't stop…”

Richard hears footsteps in the jungle and runs away. Locke shows up asking James who he was talking to.
James-“Nobody. You ever catch up to the kid?”
Locke-“What kid?”
James-“Right... let's get on with it, shall we?”
Locke agrees.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
A bizarre purple shirted woman sits behind a desk and asks Locke “What kind of animal would you describe yourself as?”

{Note the posters use the word "DREAM"}

John-“Excuse me?”
The Woman-“What kind of animal would you describe yourself as?”
Confused John doesn’t know what that has to do with this. The woman tells him to just say whatever comes to mind but John doesn’t answer.
The Woman-“ Would you describe yourself as a people person?”
John is confused and uncomfortable and asks to speak to her supervisor. The woman leaves to get her and Rose walks right in. {This woman walks out of the room kind of droid-like. lol}
Rose-“I'm Rose Nadler, the office supervisor. What can I do for you?”
John-“Uh... what you can do, Mrs. Nadler, is spare me the questions about what kind of animal I am and hopefully place me in a job."
Rose-“Absolutely. What kind of placement are you looking for?”
John-“Well, I see here that you have a listing for a site coordinator...“
Rose-“Construction site coordinator. Uh... I'm not sure that's a good match.”
John-“Well, if experience is the issue, I have…”
Rose-“Experience isn't the issue.”
John-“Look... Mr. Reyes told me if I came down here I would be taken care of.
Rose-“And Mr. Reyes is my boss, so if he said that, I can make it happen for you. If you want to work construction, you got it. “ John thanks her.
Rose-“I'm not finished. I will send you down there tomorrow and then, the day after, you will be back in my office. Look, Mr. Locke... let's try to be a little more realistic.
John-“And what do you know about realistic?”
Rose-“I have cancer. Terminal cancer.”
John-“I'm sorry... “
Rose-“When the doctors first told me, I had a hard time accepting it. But eventually... I got past the denial part and I got back to living whatever life I've got left. So, how about we find you a job you can do?”
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
On their trek through the jungle James asks Locke if he reads book.  Sawyer and Locke walk through the jungle. Locke does read.
James-“My favorite's Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men. You know that one?”
Locke-“Nope. A little after my time...” {Published 1937}
James-“It's about these two guys, George and Lenny. Lenny's kinda slow... causin' George problems... so George walks him into the woods and tells him to look out yonder and picture the pretty little house they're gonna live in one day. Then he shoots Lenny in the back of the head.“
Locke feels that’s not a happy ending and James agrees. James points a gun at Locke.
Locke-“What's on your mind, James?
James-“I'm wonderin' what would happen to you if I put a bullet in your head.“
Locke doesn’t even falter,” Why don't we find out?”
James-“What are you?
Locke-“What I am is trapped. And I've been trapped for so long that I don't even remember what it feels like to be free. Maybe you can understand that. But before I was trapped, I was a man, James. Just like you.”
James is having a hard time believing that.
Locke-“You can believe whatever you want, that's the truth. I know what it's like to feel joy... to feel pain, anger, fear... to experience betrayal. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. So if you wanna shoot me, shoot me. But you're so close, James. It would be such a shame to turn back now.”
Locke walks into the jungle. Sawyer concedes and follows Locke.

Ben and Ilana carry Locke’s body in a fabric cradle to the Lostie’s beach camp cemetery. 
Ben asks her why she had to bring him to the statue in the first place. Ilana felt the people there need to see the face of what they're up against.
Ben-“And what’s to stop what they're up against from changing his face?”
Ilana-“He can't, not anymore. He’s
stuck this way.”
They arrive at the overgrown Castaway cemetery and Ben and Frank dig the hole while Sun and Ilana tend to Locke’s body.
Once they put Locke in the ground Ilana asks if anyone wants to say anything, “Didn't any of you know him?
Ben steps forward, “Alright, I know him. John Locke was a… A believer, he was a man of faith, he was… a much better man than I will ever be. And I'm very sorry I murdered him.”
Sun looks a bit surprised at his last remark. This is the weirdest damn funeral Frank has ever been to. They toss dirt into the grave.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke is laying on the bed; the alarm is going off. It’s 6:15.  John quietly goes through the motions of his daily routine as a paralyzed man.







He sits in front of his small circle mirror looking a bit lost in thought and dials up Dr. Shephard’s office.




The woman-"Hello, Dr. Shephard's office? Hello? Can I help you?"
Locke has second thoughts about making the call, "No, no you can't." And hangs up.
John tries to fluff off who he was on the phone with to Helen but then reveals he was calling Dr. Shephard. {Which one?} This pleases Helen and she asks when John will see him. John is not going to see him and blurts out that he got fired. The doorbell rings. {The home is filled with images and representations of flowers; orchids, roses, etc.}
It's the Oceanic courier to bring the lost luggage.
"Sign here to accept your delivery."
As Helen wheels over the silver case she wants to know how John got fired. {Helen's shirt is pink/rose with sentiments of Dharma: Peace, Karma, Joy, Tranquility, lotus flower and Asian characters.
Locke-"I lied to Randy, I didn't go to the conference in Sydney."
He has Helen open the case, she sees the knives and wonders what they are for.
Locke-"My walkabout."
He goes on.
Locke-"My walkabout. An adventure in the outback. Man against nature. But they wouldn't let me go. And I sat there yelling at them, shouting at them that they couldn't tell me what I can't do. But they were right. I'm sick of imagining of what my life could be out of this chair, Helen. What it would be like to walk down the aisle with you because it's not gonna happen. So if you need me to see more doctors, have more consults, if you need me to get out of this chair, I don't blame you. But I don't want you to spend your life waiting for a miracle because there is no such thing."
Helen-"There are miracles, John. And the only thing I was ever waiting for was you. " She tears up Dr. Shephard's card and kisses John.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
James and Locke arrive at a high cliff that literally overlooks the ocean. James compliments the view.
Locke-"Now we go down."
Sawyer wonders, "Down where?"
Locke-"Down there."
Sawyer-"No offense, but you already died. So this is great that this isn't a big deal for you. But if you think I'm climbing down there first, you're off your damn mind."

It's no problem, confident Locke with his backpack on will go first. And so he does. Locke quickly and swiftly climbs down the narrow ladder handmade from bamboo, tree limbs and rope. Very cautious James starts down the ladder.

Locke switches over to a different ladder to the right. {Tell me that doesn't feel like a video game/Donkey King move.}
James' ladder breaks and it falls but he holds on, ending up hanging right next to Locke on his other ladder. Locke saves James.

They arrive at their destination; a hole in the side of the cliff. {Cave}
James-"What is this place?"

Locke walks over to a work table that has a scale that is (somewhat) in balance (actually a little heavier on the black rock side) with the use of one light/white rock a one dark/black rock.




Locke throws the white rock out of the cave and claims the action to be an inside joke.
James-"So this is what you wanted me to see? A hole in the cliff with some rocks on a scale, that's why I'm here?"
Locke-"No. {Locke smiles, lights a torch and leads James into another cave.} That's why you're here. That, James, is why you're all here."
Locke illuminates the ceiling and walls revealing many names and numbers, many of which are crossed out.





{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}





Switch scene to show Locke sitting in his wheelchair and coaching girls running sprints to speed it up and advising them not to cheat
Then switch to Locke is sitting behind a desk in a classroom full of students.  He instructs them to "Open your textbooks to chapter four. Today, we are going to talk about the Human reproductive system."
The Bell rings.

Locke is wheeling himself {brown paper bag on his lap} through the exterior school corridor and asks a student for directions to the teacher's lounge. In the lounge we hear the familiar voice of Ben.
Ben-"Alright, I know I sound like a broken record, but how many times do we have to go over this? If you have the last cup of coffee, you remove the filter and throw it away. Fear not. I will make a fresh pot."
Locke-"Actually, I was just hoping for some Earl Grey."
Ben-"Tea? Now there's a gentleman drink. I don't believe we met. Ben Linus, European History."
Locke-" John Locke, substitute."
Ben-"Well, Welcome."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke watches James check out the writings.
James asks, "Who wrote all this?"
Locke shares "His name was Jacob." and explains the "was" means he Jacob died yesterday. James noted Locke doesn't seem too upset about and that's because he's not. James asks why all the names are crossed out. Locke indicates they're not all crossed out and shows him a name on the wall. 23-Shephard.
James- "Shephard. That'd be Jack Shephard?" {scene of Jacob touching Jack at the vending machine.}


Locke-"He's not the only one."
James-"Reyes. That's Hugo, right? What's the eight about?" {Jacob touches Hugo in the taxi}
Locke-"Jacob had a thing for numbers. 16 Jarrah. 42 Kwon. I don't know if its Sun or if its Jin. And here, 4 Locke. I think we both know him. Last but not least, number 15 Ford. That would be you."

James wonders why  Jacob would write his name on this wall as he's never even met the guy.


Locke assures him he did meet Jacob, {scene of Jacob touching James at the funeral} "At some point in your life, James, probably when you were young, when you were miserable and vulnerable. He came to you, he manipulated you, pulled your strings like you were a puppet. And as a result, choices that you thought you made were never really choices at all. He was pushing you, James. Pushing you... to the island."
Jacob did this because James was a candidate.
James-"Candidate for what?"
Locke-"He thought he was the protector of this place. And you, James, have been nominated to take that job."
James-"And what does that mean?"
Locke-"It means you have three choices. First, you can do nothing and... see how all this plays out. And possibly, your name {crosses out Locke's name} will get crossed out. Second option: You can accept the job, become the new Jacob, and protect the island."

Sawyer-"Protect it from what?"
Locke-"From nothing, James. That's the joke, there is nothing to protect it from, its just a damn island. And it will be perfectly fine without Jacob or you, or any of the other people, whose lives he wasted."
James-"You said there were three choices?"
Locke-"The third choice, James, is that we just go. We just get the hell off this island. We never look back."
James-"How do we do that?"
Locke-"Together. So what do you say, James? Are you ready to go home?"
James thinks-"Hell yes."













The Substitute is a GREAT episode!!
In  "2004" John Locke is alive and “somewhat” well, and we're seeing a version of things "as if" Oceanic didn't crash or in other words a "substitute" version, but in 2007 he is "dead" on the "Island". {Actually isn't it Jeremy Bentham that died?!} What are we really seeing and what is the purpose of seeing it laid out this way? Is it three completely different time lines from three completely different spaces in the universe or is it a glimpse into three go-around's on the "Island" for John Locke, Jack and the rest?

I think all of the "Oceanic" events are also included in the other experiences that I consider happening in “confines” of the “Island”.     I mean come on we're still seeing a Locke “Flash” that connects/blurs with "Island" events, so it has to be there for a damn reason!!
If Locke is dead there would be no reason for us to see a "Flash" of him in a "what if" scenario. The "Oceanic" Locke admits to not learning anything and seems pissed at Hugo for practically being in his spot, literally. Is Hugo in a position that Locke was vying for?

Locke and "Smoky/Locke" share memories, feelings, emotions, language, {Smokey/Locke} even trips and falls chasing the blond boy, so isn’t it possible it still is Locke just on a whole other level or at least Locke is still in there somewhere.   Maybe the "smoke" feature isn't completely understood by all of us yet.
Speaking about levels, it could seem that Locke didn't see himself paralyzed on some level as he does things like not parking in a handicap spot or jumping the wheelchair off the lift and going on a walkabout.  The current on "Island" version of Locke is no longer afraid. That is a very important thing to note.

I do still think people and things are not what you think.



(The Bagua is posted so you can see if the colors pertain to the story)









Things to note…Questions to ask…
* Could the “X” in LA  X mean experience or that names are "crossed out"?
* Reyes is the boss-Rose is Manager.
* Games. Gambling/Vegas. Odds. Rules. Cheat.
* Bug.
* Drills. Colonel. Military.
* Machine. Mechanical sounds. Ring. Buzzer. Alarm. Clock/timer.
* Purple. Green. Blue. Rose.
* The color blue swatch and the little blue bag Ilana uses to pick up ask look very similar. {according to my TV}
* Locke lies.
* Will the dead and buried Locke stay buried?
* Jacob burned up in the fire. Locke gets fired.
* "You need to stay inside the lines!"
* Death. Rebirth. Karma. Letting go. Destiny.
* Dreams. Imagining.
* Terminal.
* Joystick. Remote control.
* Recruits. Candidates. Lists. Credentials.
* Cards-Business card. {John/Jack} Credit card {Claire/Kate}
* Company.
* Sawyer sees the blond kid but Richard doesn’t seem to see the blond kid. Who is the blond kid in the jungle? Is John chasing himself or someone else in child form? Is the kid just there to remind Locke of the boundaries of the game?
* Rose is married, living in L.A.
* Learn. School. Lessons. Student. Teacher.
* Mind. Head.
* Body. Human reproduction.
* Hugo=ATE=8
* 4 = Four/for Locke
* Jacob touched Jack when he was older but Jack still had choice issues and situations in earlier years that shaped his life as did Sayid, Locke, Jin, Sun and Sawyer.
* Drinking. Drunk. Jack and Christian.
* Christian was on the "Island" in Missing Pieces...what's that about? It must mean something.
* Locke tells James he has three choices and Rousseau told the Castaways' in Exodus part 1 they have three choices: run, hide, or die.
* Richard won’t go with Locke so Locke approached broken Sawyer.
* Have the people on the island been following Jacob blindly?
* Ben controlled the "smoke monster". It did get out and wander the "island". So was he held prisoner in the cabin?
* It's a joke. The island doesn't need protecting.
* How is Ben really playing into the other part of the game duo?
* Hugo and his important role in the entirety of the adventure!
* Are candidates on the "white"/light side?
* The numbers: We see they're associated with certain Castaways, but what does that mean? Okay, they equal 108.
Does this mean there is no Valenzetti equation?
The numbers were broad casted at least for the 16 years prior. {Prior to what? I don't friggin' know!}
Lenny repeated the numbers.
Hurley always seemed directly connected to the numbers.

In the cave:
4 – Locke
8 – Reyes
15 – Ford
16 – Jarrah
23 – Shephard
42 – Kwon {Jin or Sun? Both?}
313 – Littleton {Claire? Aaron?}
Although all of the above could correlate to only the males.
Gone:
195 – Pace

Vocabulary and Research…
* Substitute: Proxy-
alternate, agent, alternate, assistant, auxiliary, backup, changeling, delegate, deputy, double, dummy, equivalent, expediency, fill-in, ghost writer, locum, makeshift, pinch-hitter, procurator, recourse, refuse, relay, relief, replacement, representative, reserve, stand in, standby,sub,successor, supply, surrogate, symbol, temp, temporary, understudy, vicar.
Acting, additional, another, artificial, counterfeit, experimental, false, imitation, mock, near, other, provisional, pseudo, second, sham, simulated,tentative, vicarious.
* Scale (weighing scale)
- symbol of justice. metaphor of matters being "held in the balance.
- Libra is represented by the balanced scales- September 23- October 22.
* Buddha(from the ancient Indian languages of Pali and Sanskrit) means "one who has awakened".
* Dharma's two meanings-
1). the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment (The Universal law of nature)   
2). the constituent factors of the experienced world (The characteristic of elements)
* Chakras: There are 7 primary Chakras
- Muladhara-Base or Root Chakra (ovaries/prostate)
- Swadhisthana- Sacral Chakra (last bone in spinal cord *coccyx*)
- Manipura- Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area-gut)
- Anahata -Heart Chakra (heart area)
- Vishuddha- Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)
- Ajna-  Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)
- Sahasrara- Crown Chakra (Top of the head; 'Soft spot' of a newborn)
* "Candidate" is a derivative of the Latin "candida" meaning White.
* Conference (sports), a grouping of geographically-related teams.
*  Boss an employee's supervisor, a leadership or executive position in an organization or group.
- In video gaming, is an enemy-based challenge, a particularly powerful enemy or opponent in a video game.
- Boss: a character in the Transformer universe.
- Yahoo! Search BOSS (Build your Own Search Service)
* A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant de jure or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so.
* “Search and Destroy” by The Stooges
* “Search and Destroy” also known as 'Seek and Destroy', is a military strategy.

* Reminder- John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704), widely known as the Father of Liberalism was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Locke's theory of mind is often cited as the origin of modern conceptions of identity and the self. Locke was the first to define the self through a continuity of consciousness. He postulated that the mind was a blank slate or Tabula Rasa. He maintained that we are born without innate ideas, and that knowledge is instead determined only by experience derived from sense perception. The Lockean self is a self-aware and self-reflective consciousness that is fixed in a body.







Something I feel is important to touch on is we learn that Jacob took away their free will and we're led to believe that "Locke" gives people choices.
This season we learned "Smoky" took Locke's form so he could gain access to Jacob. But couldn't it be that Locke "believes" he assumed that role. That's important!

I feel we may have seen this "not scared" John Locke before, possibly going back to season one but more specifically the example I'll use here is from season 3...
In episodes like The Man behind the Curtain Locke wants to be brought to Jacob. Locke even calls out Ben {who by the way poured two glasses of whiskey for him and John} about not having access to him and threatened to get Richard to take him to Jacob.

With The Substitute I want to believe Locke when he is talking to James about joining him but I am very cautious because I remember back in the episode  The Brig,  Locke used Sawyer as a loophole/cheat to kill Anthony Cooper and get what he wanted...access to Jacob.

Two sides, one light, one dark, both on a quest to win the game and find balance.  This war game is going to get ugly and I still have to wonder who is coming to get in the middle of all of this.

Did the con man James just get conned by the con man Locke?  Is it possible that Locke is truly trying to align himself with a team that can help him regain his freedom?
Locke may just be "changing the combination" again. It is obvious Locke wants to be done with all of this and go home.  Hell at this point he could be a friggin' ET or a Prawn or maybe a hybrid of some kind and wants to go home.

This episode showed yet again the principles of enlightenment and Dharma. It was all over the place. I'm still puzzled by how that layer of the story is almost never addressed by the fans.
Learning to let go of the old you and discovering a way to live life as the new you...Finding peace and tranquility between your mind, thoughts, challenges, heart and body...You seeking balance on all levels...isn't that all we ever really want?

Love to all who are “LOST”™

Disclaimer: I never claim to know everything about the show and my thoughts by no means make me right! The things I share here are my views and/or opinions. I don't claim to catch every single detail either! You all know I hate spoilers! And I stand clear of reading certain sites as to not take me off my own course of research. The one thing I don't need to do here is rehash all of the obvious clues from an episode, we all know what they are. Understood? Good! Let the fun begin! I'll only note things that I know come up as clues later, but need to be noted when they first show up and things I find that will be of importance! It will get very exciting as we progress into the story.