New LOST Secrets Revealed at Comic Con

Hi Losties!

LOST made an appearance at this year's San Diego Comic Con!

Totally LOST; LOST One Year Later, a panel hosted by Entertainment Weekly, Jeff "Doc" Jensen and Dan Snierson filled a room with LOST fans voracious to stay connected to LOST.  I was happy to know fellow LOST friends of mine where in that room experiencing the LOSTness first hand and I look forward to seeing the many photos that were taken there.

Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse made an appearance. Their entrance into the fan filled room was fun and a surprise, as Damon entered wearing a Dharma jumpsuit and a Boba Fett helmet, and Carlton's Comic Con costume was of a Storm Trooper.  I got a kick out of them injecting some Star Wars into the fun.
Damon and Carlton took questions from the inquisitive audience.  One question that was asked, "Why couldn't Widmore and Ben kill each other?"
Darlton's reply: "Because they believed that they couldn't."
There is that wonderful insight to the "Island" adventure..."believing"

Michael Giacchino was in the audience along side of the obsessed LOST fans. Damn, I wish I was there to take in all of the LOSTness! 

I  hope LOST makes an appearance every year at Comic Con.  They must know by now that we dedicated and faithful fans aren't going anywhere. 

Of course I wasn't there, but that didn't hold back my obvious excitement with getting new stuff from the brilliant minds over at team LOST.  Oh how we miss you SO!

A few days ago those of us over at twitter witnessed a little "feud"  between Damon and Carlton about "opening a vault".  It seems that this is what that staged argument was about...
This brand new LOST secrets clip comes straight from Comic-Con 2011!
By the way...Although this video is created to give us a good giggle and a much needed LOST fix, there is indeed cryptic information you really need to pay attention to.  Actually it's not even cryptic, it outright states some pretty cool and important stuff.   "Metaphor"...Hmmm, let's see...where have I heard that before?

Until next year...
Enjoy!

Love to all who are "LOST"™

The End

Let's talk about LOST! The End.

I can't believe I just wrote that title here. I am having a hard time coming around to facing the end of this wonderful journey, but alas I know that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. What can I say? That's a line that sticks with me after my many years of playing the club circuit but its proper nonetheless.

Once upon a time:
Jack's eye opened to signify the start of this journey.
It has always seemed to me that he and the other castaways were placed on the "Island" as if they were placed pieces on a game board.

I played back in my mind's eye Christian Shepherd's coffin arriving at LAX in the LA  X sideways and Jack on the "Island" washing his hands and face in the stream in preparation for his new "Island" job, Ben going through the mundane motions in his one armed existence in the sideways and then him loading a gun on the "Island" to continue on his quest as he currently sides with (MIB)/Locke,  Locke looking back at his empty black wheelchair as he is wheeled on a gurney into surgery,  Lonely James in the locker room at the police station putting his badge over his head and glimpsing at himself in the mirror he broke in frustration, then he tends to Kate's bullet wound on the "Island", and Kate waits in Hugo's Camaro in the church parking lot of The Lamppost station while the Oceanic Air Cargo van delivers "Christian".
Interestingly Desmond signs for the cargo from the currier Bocklin, claiming he works there.  Kate nonchalantly asks Des "Who died?" and he blandly replies "A man named Christian Shephard."
Kate won't let him turn the key to start the car until he tells her why he made her put on that dress and busted her out of jail to go to a "Fusion" concert, "You won't even tell me why we're here."
Desmond-"No one can tell you why you're here, Kate."
I remember Kate having similar dialogue with Ben in A Tale of Two Cities.
Desmond confesses that he wants to "leave".
Curious Kate wonders, "Leave and go where?"
Desmond will show her.

Jack stands alone ankle deep the water of the stream and we see he has a renewed aura about him but shares with James that he really doesn't feel any different as "the new Jacob", and he really doesn't know "what the hell just happened up here".   Jack explains to his friends that Jacob said they have to go to the bamboo forest just past their old camp and that's where he'd find the place they need to protect. Yes, in that very same vicinity we've seen Jack start from at least twice already.
Jacob called it the heart of the Island; it's a light.
Hugo- "And that Locke Smoke Thing wants to put it out?"
Jack- "Something like that, yeah."
Hugo- "So, what if he does?"
Jack- "Then that’s it for all of us."
Kate- "But, if Locke wants to put it out, then why hasn’t he?"
James- "'Cause he ain’t got what he needs. I’m guessing that’d be Desmond. . .That’s where we were headed before your inauguration. Sayid said Locke tossed him in a well."
Jack-"Jacob didn’t say anything to me about Desmond."
James- "Doesn’t sound like he said anything about anything."
Hugo- "That’s kinda of true, dude. He’s worse than Yoda."
James-"All right. Y’all head to your heart of the island and I’ll go get the magic leprechaun out of that well."    {Hearts and Minds}
Umm, yeah...there's some wonderfully evasive but convincing sounding bits of information for ya.

A Tale of Two Cities, Three Time Lines, Do-Overs, and an Island that "Technically, you know, we don't even know if we're on an Island"
Time was irrelevant on the "Island" and in the sideways and in the place of the Castaway meet up.
Christian tells Jack that everything that happened to him was real, so this includes "Island" events, Flashes, and the Oceanic 6 craziness.  Hmmm...Perhaps it was only as real as he made it.   Even if it was a matrix/virtual or physical with simulations incorporated, or a real mystical island, or metaphysical planes, and/or states of consciousness,  all of those still count as a real experience for them.

Desmond and Jack share important dialogue before Desmond descends into the light cavern.
Desmond- "This doesn't matter, you know...Him destroying the island, you destroying him. It doesn't matter. You know, you're gonna lower me into that light, and I'm gonna go somewhere else. A place where we can be with the ones we love, and not have to ever think about this damn island again. And you know the best part, Jack?"
Jack- "What?"
Desmond- "You're in this place. You know, we sat next to each other on Oceanic 815. It never crashed. We spoke to each other. You seemed happy. You know, maybe I can find a way to bring you there too."
Jack- "Desmond, I tried that once. There are no shortcuts, no do-overs. What happened happened. Trust me, I know. All of this matters."

Yet we've constantly witnessed the loop concept with all the castaway's and their stay on the "Island" and in their Flashes.  We've even seen Oceanic plane wreckage already inside the caves.   Come on! Desmond "saw" different versions of Charlie dying and had Flashes before his Eyes, and in The Constant with times/places.  We've seen them refer to moments of remembering things during the "Island" adventure,  they even reference what their supposed to and not supposed to do as if it's been done before, saw proof of different versions of things and scenes, and people, items and dialogue repeated over and over again.   But obviously in the grand scheme of things and the emotional closure to the story,  all of these facts and details were placed in the category of "Irrelevant Island Items".

Fantasy, Fairy Tales and the Flightline Motel: 
Enlightened Hurley has a mission to bring Sayid along on one of his errands to pick up bass guitarist Charlie Pace of Drive Shaft and deliver him to the Fusion benefit concert.  Sideways Charlie is totally drunk, and even after levelheaded coaxing from Hugo he won't go to the show.  Hugo came prepared with a fucking tranquilizer dart gun to ensure the transport of the unwilling rocker.   Someone please tell me why oh why there is a need for tranquilizer dart guns in the sideways?
This is supposed to be the same enlightened Charlie that was the guide to Desmond's enlightenment. WTF?!  How come we don't see any sign of that Charlie here?!   BTW Charlie's important  message to us via his tattoo is "Living is easy with eyes closed. Misunderstanding all you see."

We revisited the same motel from Lockdown.   The very same one that Anthony Cooper stayed in after he staged his death and instructed John to get the money from the safety deposit box, and where John proposed to Helen.

It is important to keep in mind the "sideways" also shows us people lying, on the run, kidnapping/taken hostage, embezzling, killing, dying and the inception of babies.

Fire + Water:
It is the beautiful Eden like cavern that contains the picture perfect stream and warm bright light, which simultaneously contains fire and brimstone.  However, this ancient containment chamber has been constructed and decorated by man.
When Desmond removed the giant pawn from the hole in the heart of the "Island" in an effort to put the light out, he thought this action would let him leave "this place".     
Evil wasn't really unleashed, but this act was one part to liberating the (MIB)/Locke from the "Island".    After all, (MIB)/Locke and Desmond were seeking the same thing the Lostie's ultimate goal was in the sideways... to "leave".
Putting out the light played a role in giving us the end of "MIB", and of "Jacob" who just disappeared.  This ended the "Island" game for the twins.

I hope that box is big enough for you to conjure yourself up an Ajira plane that can leave Hydra Island:
Just like the magic box of the "Island", the sideways seemed to utilize the concept of "If you believe it" it can happen.

In the "sideways" did Jack imagine he had a son?  Locke tells him he doesn't have a son, yet Locke remarked about his son looking just like him in last week's episode.   Also in the "sideways" Locke can get up and walk pretty much immediately after major spinal surgery.

On the "Island" Chesty Frank believed he could fly that plane out of there, not just on a wing and a prayer but with duct tape! And son of a bitch he did it!
This is also where we learn-
Miles-"I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape" line is said, and I gotta say...I'm stealing that awesome line for future use! 
Miles will be Frank's eyes while he drives the plane getting it ready for takeoff, and Ricky Boy, who finally realized he really wants to live,  will relay Miles' info back to Frank the pilot.

Here "on Island" and "sideways" give us constant examples of people appearing and disappearing and wishes granted. {We've seen this in "off Island" and "Oceanic Six" events as well.}

The "Island" of misfit Castaways still keeps secrets:
The "Island" was indeed the place you go to be tested and challenged, to learn, to find what you lost, to heal from your pain, to grow, become enlightened and then move on.  We have six seasons proof of that.   Rose even mentions to Bernard the "Island" is the place where you to "get better".   We have indeed been privy to a few castaways going through the challenges there, finding redemption, seeing truth, letting go and moving on more than a handful of times. We've even seen instances where people opted out; Ana Lucia.

The other point we can't ignore is that we've been told many times the "Island" adventure is a separate place from the "REAL WORLD", hence making it an "UNREAL WORLD" of some sort.
We can go back and prove the "Island" manipulated and altered people's perception and memory, drugged them, and brain washed them. We've seen proof of the illusion, of things being faked, contrived, use of costumes, wigs/beards, props, decoy villages, scripts, cameras, fake bird sounds, and so much more.  The visitors were assigned roles, jobs and names.  Their needs were met; including food drops, medical supplies and some comforts of home.
We've even seen the "blurring" of on and off "Island" events present themselves while someone was in a sleeping-dream state.  Direct examples are Something Nice Back Home and The Cost of Living.
We know the "Island" to be an "Island" of magical power and such, and blurring of "Island" events and off "Island" events were always there.
Ultimately the "Island" did not want its true identity revealed!

Games, Games and More Games:
In this episode Christian reminds Jack that everything that happened to him in his life was real, with real people.  This includes the "Island" experience.

The Island- The show did bring games,  Easter eggs, hidden subliminal clues with books, props and actual dialogue within the on screen "Island" story and ARG'S.
Do I take back my bold typed clue words about the game, mental health, simulation/virtual, matrix, things happening in the head/mind/consciousness, events blurring together, and all those things?  NO!!
No matter what the Island is not an "Island" or at least not your typical cay of land sitting in the middle of open water island.

The game element was there all the way up until the very end.  There was no doubt about it.   We know "this place" had rules that change and vary according to who the new leader is, moves, timer, countdown, trades, cheats, loopholes, levels, leaders, pieces/pawns, odds, and points.  You could also leave the game/experience and come back into it or completely opt out if you're not ready to continue.  We've even seen proof of literally starting over in the same position.  There were goals of the game/adventure such as slay the monster, blow up the sub or the plane and save the world, and these challenges is what is supposed to liberate you from your own suffering and making you change.
We can look at the "Island" as a stop in the adventure/experience/game/journey as one of the levels/planes.  We can even acknowledge the final scene in this episode with Christian opening the church doors as next level or "Game over."
We're told time didn't matter on the "Island" and in the last stop on Jack's sideways, yet there always was a blurring of events; as if things were running simultaneously.

The "Island" Whispers:
I call fucking shenanigans on Michael telling Hurley that the whispers are of those who couldn't move on.    Ask yourself, "move on" from where?     Automatically wouldn't you "assume" that makes it "purgatory" or "afterlife" of sorts?   Or is it just the bleed through of voices from outside of the experience/game?   It still fits either concept.    Technically the general "voices" explanation is still in question, as the "Island's" identity wasn't explained and it appears that the two relate to one another.    I must also question why Michael would have not been redeemed when he fulfilled his duty on the freighter and was actually given permission from "Christian" that he can go.  I guess in the end it was Michael who couldn't "let go".

Enlightenment:
“Careful observation is the only key to true and complete awareness.”

In the six seasons of notes I've presented to you something that was a constant is my understanding that the castaways were indeed on a journey of enlightenment.  You have seen this research and photos in my notes before, but I've left a few reminders here:
Dharma- Teachings of the Buddha  {Dharma Initiative=The Start of the 8 fold path.}
Black or White...it's about the balance. 
The images shown to us through the story connect with Dharma, Karma and Zen Buddhist practices: The Bagua, wheel, light, colors, Dogen, the temple, waves, fish, mirrors, water, spiral, consciousness, etc..
Bardo, a Tibetan word means "Intermediate State" also translated as "transitional state" or "in-between state.
Together "six bardos" form a classification of states of consciousness into six broad types:
The Bardo of This Life, Bardo of Meditation, Bardo of Dream, Bardo of Dying, Bardo of Dharmata, and the Bardo of Existence.
Any state of consciousness can form a type of "intermediate state", intermediate between other states of consciousness. Indeed, one can consider any momentary state of consciousness a Bardo, since it lies between our past and future existences; it provides us with the opportunity to experience reality, which is always present but obscured by the projections and confusions that are due to our previous unskillful actions.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead ...there is in fact no single Tibetan title corresponding to the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The overall name given to the whole  cycle is Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones or as Karma Lingpa's Peaceful and Wrathful Ones.
The Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State or Bardo Thodol is a funerary text.
The Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State also mentions three other Bardo: those of "life" (or ordinary waking consciousness), of "Dhyana" (meditation), and of "dream" (the dream state during normal sleep).
In the third Bardo the soul encounters the Lord of Death, a fearsome demonic deity who appears in smoke and fire, and subjects the soul to a Judgment. If the dead person protests that he has done no evil, the Lord of Death holds up before him the Mirror of Karma, "wherein every good and evil act is vividly reflected."  Now demons approach and begin to inflict torments and punishments upon the soul for his evil deeds.

The Battle of Two Wills:
The storm is raging and rain is pouring down on Jack and MIB/Locke, who literally have a physical showdown on the cliff.   It was like watching two Gladiators fight to the death!
Locke stabs Jack in the gut and starts to cut open his neck.  This is the literal bleeding through of "Island" events and the sideways. {Or even facing a memory.}   Jack tries to choke the life out of (MIB)/Locke; all the while the "Island" is falling to pieces around them.   Because the magic of the "Island" is broken and MIB/Locke became "mortal" {at least he "became" mortal to Jack and the rest},  Locke is shot by the bullet Kate saved for him.  The sunlight starts to show itself through the storm and MIB/Locke smiles knowing "You're too late".   Ultimately Jack kicks MIB/Locke off the cliff sending him to his final death and finally liberating the MIB-LOCKE from the "Island".    {Poor Locke, he's always tossed out a window, thrown off a cliff, falls down a well, gets shot in the leg.}

In the sideways Jack is congratulated on his "Nice work"  by a nurse who is wheeling sedated Locke from surgery into room 218.   Jack's neck is bleeding.  The nurse informs Jack that sedated Locke is already waking up. 
Jack-"Mr. Locke. Can you hear me?"  
Locke opens his eyes and Jack explains to him he just had major surgery, "Try not to move and just relax, okay?"    
Locke is happy because "It worked".  He has use of his legs again.  When he moves his toes, memory of his "Island" experience floods him and he asks Dr. Jack, "Did you see that? You don't remember". 
All of a sudden Jack has a Flash of him and Locke looking down into the Swan Hatch.    Locke's awaking inspires him to literally get out of the bed, knowing "We need to go" and he asks Jack, "Will you come with me?"
Locke is truly happy that he "gets it" while in denial Jack feels, "We're not going anywhere".    Upset Jack needs to go see his son, but Locke reminds him, "You don't have a son."   
Jack is confused. On his way out of the room Locke tells the stubborn doctor, "I hope that somebody does for you what you just did for me."  
Jack literally just liberated Locke from his suffering.

The pieces are moved:
With the sun shining and order somewhat restored, severely injured Jack jokes with Kate, "Find me some thread and I can count to five."
Kate informs James that Locke's dead, "It's over."  
Although the sun is shining the "Island" is still rumbling and breaking apart.
James-"Sure don't feel like it's over."
The "Island" is still crumbling because whatever Desmond turned off Jack needs to turn it on again. {This is exactly what James had to do with the vending machine when he was with Juliet Carlson to buy an Apollo bar from rack G23. And it's technically legal. lol.  Reboot.}  
 Jack feels if it doesn't work the rest of them need to be on that plane.   Kate encourages Jack to let the "Island" sink, but Jack can't do that.   James thinks he can manage to get the boat across the channel in time.
James thanks the Doc for everything.    Ben feels if the "Island's" going down that he's going down with it.   Hugo is "with" Jack.   Jack wants Kate to go and get Claire on that plane.
Kate is sad, "Tell me I'm gonna see you again."
They passionately kiss goodbye and they both say "I love you".
James and Kate find they literally have to jump from the cliff to make it over to the boat that will bring them to Hydra Island and the plane.
Of course this reminds me of the Zen proverb- "Let go over a cliff, die completely, and then come back to life. After that you cannot be deceived."

Jack will head back into the depths of the cavern to plug the pawn back in, reigniting the light; rebooting the "Island" and restoring balance.
Jack, Hurley and Ben understand that this is Jack's final quest because this is the way it has to be, even though Hurley accuses him of committing suicide.
Hurley is handed the proverbial torch of protecting the "light". 
Jack does the whole "Drink this" mumbo jumbo minus the "incantation" in order to make things legal, but he still manages the "Now you're like me" closing statement to the communion.   Hurley will only accept the job on a temporary basis.
{Jack put Hurley in charge of a very important job in Everybody Hates Hugo.}

In the depths of the raging cavern Jack rescues disappointed Desmond.  Desmond feels he has to put it back, "It's like a train!" 
Jack releases Desmond to go home and be with his wife and son {How does Jack know all that info?} and he will plug the ancient stone pawn back in.  Jack will see Brother in another life.
Severely injured Jack completes his last task of restoring the light and the water. 

Kate pleads with Claire, who thinks the "Island" made her crazy ass insane, to go with her.   Claire's concerned that she no longer knows how to be a mother.   Kate convinces her she's not alone and that none of them knows what to do at first.
Kate, James and Claire make their flight with Frank, Enos and Ricky Boy.
Frank's leap of faith worked in enabling them to take flight.

Hurley, with his new role, dubs Ben his number two in charge because he has experience.  Desmond will be on the "Island" with them.    Hurley will run the "Island" a new way, a better way than Jacob did. He will do what he does best, take care of people.
By the way  a funny bit, Hugo always knew he was "going back to the caves, after all no one lives there anymore, so he won't bother anybody. He's going to live alone, be one of those crazy guys with the big beard, no clothes, who's naked and throws doody at people."   He mentions this in Dave.

Some place safe:
In the "sideways" it's Kate that meets up with Jack at the Fusion concert (where workers are literally breaking everything down and packing it away) to inform him it's over.  Jack is looking for his son and of course he doesn't seem to be around.   Jack remembers Kate when she touches his face and tells him she's missed him so much.  Jack has Flashes of them on the "Island" but still resists and wonders "What is happening to me?  Who are you?"
Kate convinces Jack to go with her so he'll understand.

Changed Locke arrives in a yellow Shoreline taxi at Mrs. Hawking's white church {Lamppost Station} that contained the Dharma Initiative's Lamppost Station. Yes, the very same one that enabled the Oceanic Six to return to the "Island".
Locke wheels himself to the entrance where he comes upon Ben sitting.  Ben shares that most of them are already inside.
Ben- "I'm very sorry for what I did to you, John.  I was selfish, jealous...I wanted everything you had."
Puzzled John asks, "What did I have?"
Ben- "You were special, John. But I wasn't."
John- "Well if it helps, Ben. I forgive you." 
Although that helps and matters more than Ben can say, he still isn't ready to join up with the rest of the castaways.  He still has some things he needs to work out, "I think I'll stay here a while."
It is Ben that prompts John to get out of that chair.
John walks into the church a completely changed man, free of all the things that crippled him.
Hugo pokes his head outside the church, sees Ben and thanks him for being a real good number two.
Ben- "You were a great number one, Hugo."

Jack arrives to the Lamppost station/church in his shitty ol Bronco with Kate.   He feels he's at {church} the place where he was going to have his father's funeral; he died in Australia.  Although I remember Jack telling Sayid in the episode Three Minutes, that he was going to L.A. and right from the airport to the cemetery to bury his father.
He asks Kate,"Why did you bring me here?"
Kate- "Because this is where you were gonna have your father's funeral."
Jack still doesn't completely comprehend what is going on. Kate will wait for him inside for when he's ready to leave.

The Long Con: 
Abracadabra, smoke and mirrors!
So...was the LOST adventure supposed to be a living breathing chess game and puzzle?  We were led to "believe" that it was. 
The blissful ending we saw with Christian and Jack and the ambiguous explanation given leaves much to interpretation yet on the other hand it was definitive...closure.
However, if we're asked to believe the "Island" is a real physical place, with real people, complete with a shape shifting smoke monster, a frozen donkey wheel that can move the "Island", time travel,  mysterious wishes being granted, ghosts, whispers, an ageless man, appearing and disappearing people, healing properties, world saving electromagnetic forces,  a Willy Wonka Eggdicator machine that determines if someone if good or bad, a cork that plugs a hole in a bright light cavern, reset button, special people, twins who've been playing an eternal game, and an invisibility cloak around the "Island",  then we as the viewer can if we choose to,  ignore certain key "facts" that make the ending we saw correct and create whatever world we want to.

The "Island" may very well have been a "real island" that had fantastical properties.  It could be an "Island" that was utilized by rich people, military, scientists (The DeGroots, Hanso, Mittleos, Mittlewerk) for the purpose of study, and a place to bring "lost" people and rehabilitate them.  Or even a metaphysical level of the journey.   For the castaways this still would be the place that they did share their coming together via a staged plane crash, the tests and challenges they faced under the guise of a game, where they would learn to confront their demons, face their fears, see truth, end addiction, forgive themselves, forgive others, get over abandonment issues and other emotional issues that paralyzed them,  learn to let go of their attachments and suffering and then be free to live their lives in the "real world".    It would have been this time spent together that was indeed the most important to Jack, Locke and the rest of the castaways.   They were the people who meant the most in the most important time of their lives, who shared in their life changing growth. 

Wonderland:
In the sideways environment we were also mixed up in the world of Jabberwocky. Things were wrong and backwards at times.  People switched sides, teams and even roles and jobs.
In The End we still witnessed people having to read and follow instructions and diagrams.
I just gotta ask...What are we logically supposed to make of the entire Oceanic 6 era?  I'll just chalk it up to my thoughts about it being a level of the "Island" experience/adventure/exercise/game/journey.
But even Dorothy was able to wake up from her experience and realize what parts were real and which were not.  The people in her real life bled over into the adventure she had while she was unconscious/sleeping.

Perception:
This has always been a story about perception.  This is why we all extrapolated different things from the story.  I can see why fans may not be happy with the conclusion that was revealed because it did not end with the ending you may have perceived or hoped for.
Did we spend the last six years watching a story about people caught up in the middle of a real life issue that involved a stay on an "Island" that really was a lab, run by powerful people all for the sake of betterment of man, or a real plane crash on a magical "Island", or is it strictly the metaphysical  journey of levels of birth, enlightenment, death and rebirth.
We were always meant to take our own journey through this story and we were always supposed to take our own views from it and see things when we were ready to see them.

Things to Note...Questions we leave on the table...
* Jack, Locke and Desmond worked as a team to lower Desmond into the light, yet all three of them had different motives for going into the light.
* Your mind creates things/thoughts/ideas/fear/etc.. One aspect of the "Island" adventure is to "believe" and believing in what you see/hear/experience/etc.
* Locke is Locke.
* What was with all the eye color changes throughout the six seasons?
* At what point in time did "God loves you as he loved Jacob"  happen?
* There are many episodes that although I feel connected to Locke's issues, I can see connect to Jack's journey.
* Was it really Jacob who invited Charles Widmore to the island; to bring Desmond and prep him for his mission to put out the light?
* One aspect of the journey it to let go of one's negative self and ego.
* Life, Death, Rebirth.
* Technically Desmond interfered in the sideways and pushed people to "wake up". 

Vocabulary and Research...
* Arnold Böcklin: was a symbolist Swiss painter-16 October 1827 – 16 January 1901. He pained The Isle of the Dead and The Return.

I'm sure the sideways (waiting area) represents very different things to each of us.  We were only told it was a place they "made" to find each other.    I do have my own thoughts on what it is; of course this is based on the story I perceived through the six seasons.
Nonetheless, here is some insight to what the word Purgatory technically means:
* Purgatory: any situation causing suffering. A miserable situation.
   From Latin purgātōrium:  cleansing. Cognate to English (purge): Tending to cleanse or purge.
- In Roman Catholic and other religious teachings; a temporary state of the dead.
- is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment
- (verb) 1). To carry out a task; EXECUTE, gas, electrocute, shoot, finish, hang, bear, create, enact
             2). To reach a goal.  
- Additional Synonyms: Abaddon, Gehenna, Hades, abyss, bottomless pit, everlasting fire, fire and brimstone, infernal regions, limbo, lower world, nether world, perdition, pit, place of torment, suffering, underworld.
- Mental suffering:  affliction, agony, anguish,bemoaning, bereavement, bewailing, care, dejection, deploring, depression, desolation, despair, despondency, discomfort, disquiet, distress, dole, dolor, gloom, grievance, harassment, heartache, heartbreak, infelicity, lamentation, lamenting, malaise, melancholy, misery, mortification, mournfulness, mourning, pain, purgatory, regret, remorse, repining, rue, sadness, sorrow, torture, trial, tribulation, trouble, unhappiness, vexation, woe, worry, wretchedness.

Circle:
Ensō is a Japanese word meaning "circle " and a concept strongly associated with Zen.  The story begins with Jack opening his eye and ends with him closing his eye in the same position as we  were introduced to him.  Locke found what he was looking for on the "Island" a long time ago, as did many other castaways.   Jack's full circle experience on the "Island"  happened for a reason.   He was the one who admittedly checked back into the "Island" experience to try to fix his broken self.  He would not learn to let go and beat his "demon" until he came out of the "Island" experience a fixed new man, free of the chains/things that bound him.   When he fulfilled his quests there, he was finally able to leave/die from the "Island's" learning ground and move on and have total peace.
Let's look at what we were shown...In the sideways Jack literally tells Locke "If I can fix you, Mr. Locke, that’s all the peace I’ll need."   And on "Island" Jack's last quest is to kill the "monster" {the negative}, assume a new role to give him purpose and restore peace and protection to "this place", which he does.  Although it took Jack longer to understand why he was in "this place",  he finally completed the course and ultimately liberated himself.

Can I just say that even after all we witnessed my favorite character is still Locke.  He was the one who did see truth in knowing they were brought to the island for a reason.  Even when he would stumble the goodhearted and nurturing leader was there.  He was a tough warrior who had hope and fought for the cause even when no one wanted to listen to him.  Yes, we saw his spirit broken, but the warrior was still inside there.   Even then Locke's the one who made me believe that I can overcome obstacles and find a purpose. "Don't tell me what I can't do."

Live Together, Die Alone:  
It doesn't matter if we observed the castaways learn to find and forgive themselves and know love under the guise of a game, or if it was a literal depiction of the path of enlightenment and onto Nirvana, Jack and these people needed to learn to heal themselves, coexist and work as a team for the greater good.  They played a deep and important role in each other's life changing enlightenment.

“There is no coming to consciousness without pain”:
We all went into this blind. We were never promised anything.  We were never told how, why and what the deal is with "This Place"-the "Island", we were never told the rules of the "Island" adventure and/or game, what they were and how they work.  You always had a choice to continue on with the adventure to where ever it was going to lead or to opt out.   For all intents and purposes we took this journey just as blindly as the Castaways did.   We only learned information when a Castaway learned the answer.  We were always meant to take the entire journey along with them just as if we were on the "Island" with them.
Jack took longer to be able to heal himself and only when he completes the acts of liberating "the monster"/Locke on "Island" and Locke in the Sideways" was he able to see truth and free himself.   I believe this is why we're led to believe "MIB" "assumed" Locke's ID; it was because Jack had to literally face the one person/Locke on the "Island" who represented his opposition/negative, the one who challenged him most. 

All of this didn't make my own journey through all of this any less important or rewarding. 
The LOST story is filled with so many layers of everything that makes up people, life, struggle, pain, rewards, love, hope, purpose, destiny, death and rebirth.   We all had many ways to watch this show, and different things to take from it, or you didn't have to take anything at all from it.  My entire experience with this LOST journey became a part of my life, played a role in my own personal growth and enlightenment, and made me a better person.   This story changed my life on so many levels.  I was open to all the possibilities this story had to offer.  I enjoyed the magic even while it inadvertently became my teacher and guide.   There always was a message, lessons and answers in the story.  We were able to watch this epic unfold in a literal and metaphoric way.

Were we all meant to come out of this as Zen masters?  No. But guess what?  The idea was to clue us into "awareness",  our consciousness, our own purpose...destiny.   Some of us did indeed "get it" and some may need a longer to, but that's okay and that doesn't mean the journey stops for any of us.
We're all flawed.  People are flawed. 
We were shown that everything we do does matter and affects everyone we touch... forever, and, that "time" really means "now".   Like it or not we make an imprint on the universe.

The Journey:
This journey did provide us with hints, clues, reveals and answers about the "Island" along the way, but some chose to not see them and that's okay because that part of the story is secondary.   LOST also gave us hints to death and "this place" being a place of punishment, suffering and learning throughout the years.   Sometimes it was literal, other times it was subliminal and/or metaphoric.

Christian explains to Jack that his friends "died" at different points.  We don't know how much "time" came and went and it doesn't even matter.   It seems that each castaway had their own individual experience and enlightenment and agreed that when they all were ready (of course they waited for Jack to have his awakening in the "sideways") and they were in their "some place safe",  they would leave one place and move on to the next...together.

As we see literal reconnection's and reunions of the people who once lived on the "Island": Charlie finally connects with pregnant Claire, Kate delivers Aaron...again, Sun and Jin (who speak perfect English and are pregnant with Ji Yeon),  James and Juliet (at the rebooted vending machine share the same dialogue as when James was reunited with her at the implosion site on the "Island"),  Sayid and Shannon (really?!), etc., is all in preparation for Jack's being able to truly let go and move on to the next phase...all together.

You should ask yourself how this journey was for you overall.  Did you have fun?  Did you enjoy the ride?  Did it excite you every week?  Did it make you happy?  Did it open your sense of wonder and imagination?    Did you truly look, see, hear and understand?   Did you find answers or insight?   Did you read more books?  Did you write about the show at all (blogs/forums/message boards)?   Did you make new friends?   Did you find love?    Did you learn how to handle different kinds of situations?   Did you learn to look at things through new eyes?   Did you learn to think outside the box?  Did you mock other people for thinking outside the box?  Did you learn trust?  Did you learn how to have hope?   Did you find a way to forgive?   Did you learn patience?   Did you learn how to treat people?  Did you learn about Karma?    Did you grow?  Did it give you wings to fly?   Did you discover the real you?  Did you find your purpose?   Or, Do you just feel like you were Scooby Doo'd?

The Destination:
It doesn't matter who we were, it only matter who we are.
Jack, through his long struggle to heal himself,  finally came to realize who he really was.   He went into the journey one way and came out another. {Although to me he still looked a bit confused and apprehensive.}

On "Island"  Jack wakes up laying on the rocks at the stream like when we saw Jacob discover his brother "dead" after pushing him into the lighted cavern. 

Inside the church Jack ascends the steps and enters the room that displays a lot of Buddhist, Zen, Dharma, Hindu, Christian and other religious and spiritual icons, and the casket he believes holds his father's body.  When Jack touches the coffin he is flooded with Flash memory of his time on the "Island".
I gotta tell ya, when he opens the casket I really thought Jack would see himself in there.  But of course the coffin is empty and Jack's disappointed.  Christian's body never seems to ever actually be in a coffin. Does that tell you anything? Hmmm?
Still not understanding, Jack turns to see Christian there.
Jack-"You died."
Christian confirms he did.
Jack-"Then how are you here right now?"
Christian-"How are you here?"
He gives Jack time to think about it.
Jack-"I died too." {He looks a bit unaware and puzzled}
He cries and his father holds him.  They tell each other "I love you."
Jack-"Are you real?"
Christian laughs- "I sure hope so. Yeah, I'm real. You're real. Everything that's ever happened to you is real. All those people in the church...they're all real too."
Jack-"They're all...they're all dead?"   {Real and Dead...at the same time!}
Christian-"Everyone dies sometime, kiddo.  Some of them before you, some long after you."
Jack-"Why are they all here now?"
Christian-"Well there is no 'now' here."     { N O W H E R E }
Jack-"Where are we, dad?"
Christian-"Well this is the place that you all made together so that you can find one another.  The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them and they need you."
Jack-"For what?"
Christian-"To remember...And to...let go."
Jack-"Kate said that we were leaving."
Christian-"Not leaving, no. Moving on."
Jack-"Where are we going?"
Christian smiles-"Let's go find out."
We are led very lovingly into the revelation that in the "sideways" the castaways were waiting for stubborn Jack to have his eye opening moment to truly seeing where he is in his existence/being.

The Over the Rainbow closing scene was beautiful.  Jack still seemed confused by his awakening but was enveloped by the warmth and love of his friends. They chose to be of a collective consciousness and physically move on together.
Christian was with Jack while he traveled his path.   It may have taken Jack longer to reach that point than his friends, but he made progress until he finally did.  "It takes as long as it takes."

Science vs. Faith:
There was a way for these two sides to live in balance. You can be a person who encompasses both.

I still stand by all my research that gave us potential insight to the other layers of the story.   I have taken my notes based on facts and information presented within the story itself not conjecture and speculation.   I've always been a person whom believes in only what  I can see.   We all can see the layers and themes in the story and we can even entertain that some of what we saw wasn't real, again all based on the "information" they gave us. But we know questions only lead to more questions; which is what the word Hydra means.
I did always warn you that people and things are not what you think.

✈ Was the "Island" a real island that just happened to have magical properties?
- It was a place you can go back and forth from.
- A place of study, teaching, learning, healing.
- Food drops are made to it.
- The entire Dharma Initiative was able to run power to it, build barracks, hatches and stations all over it, yet conned it's Pearl Station workers with thinking their notebooks actually went somewhere.
- No children allowed except for Ethan, Miles, Aaron, Zack, Emma, Ji Yeon, Jacob, MIB, Dan, Charlotte, Annie and Ben. And we can't ignore in "this place"  life was created where there wasn't supposed to be the creation of life.

✈ Was the "Island" a created environment? (Either physically or virtually)
- Items appear here, pretty much upon request.
- It is referred to as a "magic box".
- People die and are seen again.
- Certain people seem to heal from deadly injuries.
- No children allowed except for Ethan, Miles, Aaron, Zack, Emma, Ji Yeon, Jacob, MIB, Dan, Charlotte, Annie and Ben. And we can't ignore in "this place" life was created where there wasn't supposed to be the creation of life.

✈ Was the "Island" a form of purgatory or metaphysical limbo?
- Although this limbo not only challenged it's visitors, but it also allowed fighting, war and more pain.
- No children allowed except for Ethan, Miles, Aaron, Zack, Emma, Ji Yeon, Jacob, MIB, Dan, Charlotte, Annie and Ben. And we can't ignore in "this place" life was created where there wasn't supposed to be the creation of life.
- Jacob could not grant absolution for sins.  But he could have you hang around looking youthful for a really, really long fucking time! (if you believed in that enough) WoooooHooooo!

✈ Which category do you place these "Island" facts?
- It's a bloody snow globe where on and off "Island" events blur together.
- Items, props, clothes, cars, books, images, people and dialogue are repeated over and over.
- Jacob "plucked" people out of their existence and brought them there.

The End:
As Jack is reconnecting with his "Island" friends in the church/Lamppost station with a new understanding and acceptance, on "Island" Jack makes his way back to the bamboo forest.   We get a shot of Jack's white tennis shoe he gave to Christian, now is worn and tattered but still hangs from the tree.  Jack assumes his position and is met by Vincent who is there to ensure Jack doesn't do this alone.  Jack watches a plane fly overhead.    {Dogs by their very nature are filled with unconditional love.}
In the church/Lamppost the "Island" friends take seats in the pews, almost as if readying themselves for another flight to adventure.
Christian opens the door in the back of the church letting in the warm bright light...Whatever or where ever that is or represents is up to you.
Jack's eye closes signifying the end of this journey.


The wreckage revealed at the end of the episode could mean there was a plane crash and they all died then, hence making the whole island adventure some crazy ass purgatory where magic tricks and illusions run ramped and people can  die over and over.    Or the wreckage is staged for the next round of lost people to arrive on the "Island"  lab to face their challenges.
Or the explanation I feel...simply, it is closure to the place that brought us all together. 

The episode was GREAT and it ended as I expected it to.  I feel a warm peace with the conclusion.  I thought it was beautiful and fitting.  I knew it wouldn't please everyone, how could it?
I may talk about a lot of things in my notes/podcast as far as the exploration of the game element, matrix, what's real or fake, contrived imagery, simulation, blurring of events, etc.   But no matter what parts of the science, technology or mythology I'd address I was always sure to address the metaphor and my take on their journey to enlightenment.  Who knows why this is a layer of the story I always gravitated to, maybe it's because coincidentally  have been trying to put the pieces of my broken self back together and it's one hell of a process.

I completely understand the viewer who watched the show and invested just as much time and followed the mythology, science, religion and other facts that "they" spoon fed us, and is let down that their journey did not have the payoff they expected.  Life is full of surprises, aint it?!  
I never cared if the ideas I brought to the table were right or wrong and it never bothered me if people didn't agree with me, for me it was always about the journey, the exciting exploration and possibilities, and the fun in trying to solve a puzzle.  For me all of the research and note taking was a blast!

In the end all the fun smoke and mirrors, mystery, mythology, time travel, food drops and all that other wonderful mysterious stuff wasn't the point of the story.   It has always been about the journey itself, the journey to enlightenment and the "Island" residents, the people that we connected with and fell in love with.   We rooted for these special people while they were on their journey struggling to find themselves, through their pain, hope, growth, letting go, their quest for balance, to feel whole and know love, to find faith in themselves and enlightenment...their ability to keep moving...to ultimately moving on.   It was a beautiful and memorable story filled with heart.

The "Island" is still a place of "Whatever you wish for" can be!  I love my world of imagination, exploration, and escapism, but I am also conscious enough to be open to the things that will enrich my life and my being, and LOST is one experience that I will have with me forever.   I had so much fun with every aspect of this adventure.  I loved being an active participant in the story.

My heart is broken that it is over and I must learn to let go at some point, and  I must have hope that it's ending will make way for a new beautiful experience for my life's journey as well as yours.  I did go into all of this one person and I too came out of it another person. 
The journey doesn't stop here as it is ongoing.
I truly thank you all for taking this journey with me.
Namaste.

I can't help but wonder if Desmond ever read Our Mutual Friend before he "died".

Love to all who are "LOST"™

Across the Sea.

Let's talk about LOST! Across the Sea.

Because I am tied up for the next couple of days I cannot write out my detailed notes as usual, but I will as soon as I'm home. This episode was so wonderful that I needed to get some thoughts down.

Profound metaphors galore!

Coming out of this episode found me with the hope that fans would relate to the metaphors of the story and find some of their answers within the magical images set before us.  The first answer I need to put before you, even though it is out of order in relation to the episode, is the confirmation of a game.  The confirmation has been given to us many times, although many fans choose to ignore it's there.
Note that viewers are led to believe (via neighboring episodes) that the Boy in Black represents the Man in Black, the "Smoke Monster"... Locke.

Game On!

Our answer came quite simply by the boys and it will not get any clearer than this.
Jacob- "What is it?"
Boy in dark- "It's a game. You play it."
Jacob- "How do you know?"
Boy in dark- "I just know." The boy in dark assigns the pieces determining who is which color.
The boy in dark-Black and Jacob-White.
Jacob wants his brother to teach him how to play and he will, but he has to promise not to tell "mother" because she'll take it away.  Jacob wants to play.  The boy in dark has insight to things being "off" with this woman who is raising them.  The Senet game is played according the rules the boy in dark instituted.  When Jacob tries to cheat/illegal on a move in the game, the boy in dark calls him out on it explaining when he/Jacob makes up his own game everyone else will have to follow "your rules."

In current time we have MIB/Locke playing by Jacob's rules.
It's interesting "Mother Island" claims she left the game there for the intuitive boy in dark to find.

Down the Rabbit Hole

I jumped out of my chair when we saw Queens of a chess board (of sorts).  The red-orange (pregnant and limping) queen, Claudia, emerges from under the water to gaze at the beautiful "Island."
Claudia delivers two sons (twins) via the assistance of a stern and forbidding looking woman with no name who lives in the caves.  This woman claims to be there solo and also arrived there by accident.  We are in the midst of the women speaking another language {Latin?-the language of the "enlightened" and Claudia w/Spanish and an Italian mix} which they apparently understand and then automatically in an instant switch to the very comfortable modern English.  Claudia has many questions but "Mother Island" feels "Every question I answer will simply lead to another question. You should rest. Just be grateful you're alive", so enough said.  Well, other than her telling Claudia that if there's other people on the "Island" she will find them.

"It" is coming

Claudia is told she delivered two boys, but she wasn't prepared with more than one name option for her "son". {She only refers to a single "him"}
"Mother Island" kills the natural mother with a rock. {Eko kills Others with a rock.}

There must be something more

The boy in dark finds the "planted" Senet game and is excited to have something to engage his brain and entice him into dreaming about life outside of the confines of the "Island".

Eyes in the Back of my Head

While “Mother Island” weaves her new fabric Jacob enters the cave; she knows without turning around that it is Jacob who entered and not the "other" boy.  She also knows he isn't telling the truth about what they/two boys were doing.  Jacob firstly mentions his brother is down at the beach staring out at the ocean. And then mentions they we just walking.

Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places

She asks Jacob if he loves her and he obviously has reservations about her, but says yes anyway.

When "Mother Island" sits with the boy in dark it is revealed Jacob told her what he found and mommy claims that's because Jacob doesn't know how to lie.   Are you fucking kidding me?! We literally just saw Jacob do it!   “Mother Island” tells the curious boy "He's not like you... You're... special."   Mama lets the boy in dark keep the game as she claims it really came from her.  The boy in dark's imagination had hoped it came from somewhere else... from across the sea.
“Mother Island”- "There is nowhere else. The island's all there is."
But the inquisitive mind of the boy in dark wants to know where "we" came from.  Mama claims the boys came from her and she from her mother; all reproducing without the mention of a man.
* A reminder from Emily Locke- “I want to tell you that you’re special. Very special. You are part of a design. You do realize that, don’t you? That our meeting, me finding you… this is a sign of things to come. Great things.”

The boy in dark inquisitively notes the word "dead" when mother mentions her mother is dead, and he wonders what that is.  Mama touches him and confidently tells him, "Something you will never have to worry about."

We then see Jacob and his brother chase a boar through the jungle. The boy in dark says "Hurry up! He's getting away!"  The boys lose the boar but in the distance hear it squeal out in pain.  Quietly they sneak a peek to find men with their kill. The boys hide.

The human doesn't see things as they are, but as he is.

The upset duo informs “Mother Island” that they saw people who looked like "us", and want to know where they came from. Mother insists "They're not like us. They don't belong here. We are here for a reason."   By the way she says that line while looking directly at the boy in dark/John Locke.  The boy in dark takes full advantage of asking questions, "What reason?"  Her only answer is "It's not time yet..."
She blindfolds the boys and leads them on a trek through the jungle while admitting she knew about the people and didn't tell them because they're dangerous and she didn't want to frighten “you.” "Mother Island" explains the thing that makes all men dangerous, "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt and it always ends the same", yet she was every bit of that as well.  Again the boy in dark/Lock the "thinker" wants to know where they came from.  Mother only says "another part of the island. And you're never to go looking for them. If they found you they would hurt you." {Apparently that's not true because he ends up living with them for 30 years. But I understand the sentiment- as people will be people, with big egos and selfish behavior, etc.}  The boy in dark knows "We’re people. Does that mean we can hurt each other?"   Mom conveniently made it so they could never hurt each other.   But evidently that's not true either.  She feels that's just what people do.   It is apparent that this woman has no faith in "men"/people.  That's why Hurley/Hugo even feels he can trust the dead more than the living because living people can hurt you.

"Mother Island" brings them to the place, the reason they're here ... The light.  They are at a flowing stream that flows right down into a tunnel with the warmest most beautiful bright light anyone has ever seen or felt.

Trust Issues x 10

"Mother Island"  warns them not to go in there and to make sure no one ever finds it.  "A little bit of this very same light is inside of every man. But they always want more."
Jacob- "Can they take it?"
"Mother Island"- "No, but they'll try. And if they tried, they could put it out. And if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere."
She claims to be the protector of the light, but can't protect forever.  One of the boys will have to carry on.  It sounds like "Mother Island" is keeping the light trapped in an effort to thwart people from having it, and breaking hearts. She really is protecting her own broken heart.

Dream within a Dream

The boy in dark can see the image of his dead birth mother, while Jacob cannot.   She wants to show the boy where he came from. "It’s across the island a place you've never seen."   He learns that 13 years ago the day before he was born their ship wrecked.   Dead Mama enlightens him to their being many things across the sea. "You come from across the sea too."  {Dead mama-manifestation of the smoke monster- "Mother Island". Hmmmm...}

“I've looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful.” 

The boy in dark won't live a lie so he gathers his and Jacob’s things and wants to leave and never come back.  He reveals "Mother" lied about EVERYTHING including her loving them. This infuriates Jacob and he beats him up.  But the boy in dark confronts "Mother Island" sharing that he now knows the truth and he's going to go home; the boys don't belong there.   Mama tells the boy in dark that no matter what he's been told he could never leave this island, but the boy knows that's not true; one day he will prove it.   He walks away from the two.  When the boy in dark looked at the light he saw the "truth" and wanted to live his life according to the truth, not the crap "Mother Island" was feeding him.  His thoughts were to be formed on the basis of fact, science, logic, reason, "gut feeling/clarity", and freedom, and he wasn't going to be influenced by this woman, her "Island" traditions or any other dogma.
The boy in dark/MIB/Locke is an enlightened "freethinker".

“The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side” 

"Mother Island" admits to Jacob she killed their birth mother because she would have taken them back to her "bad people" and she couldn't let that happen, as she needed him to stay good.
Jacob-"Am I mother?"
"Mother Island" says yes.  Jacob feels she loves "him/Boy in Dark" more than him. Clever mom claims to love them in different ways.  Jacob will stay with this insane murdering baby napper of a woman and this makes her happy.

Big Boys Play Games Too

Jacob and his brother have been having secret covert sessions to play the game.  Jacob says mother never asks about Man in Black, but that's a lie.  Jacob "watches" the little villagers and their behavior to see if they are really bad.  He doesn't think they're so bad.
MIB-"It may be easy for you to say... Looking down at us from above. Trust me I've lived among them for 30 years, they're greedy, manipulative, untrustworthy, and selfish."  But he puts up with their ways because they're a means to an end.  He tells his brother, "I'm leaving, Jacob."  He proves the magnetic field of the island to Jacob by throwing his dagger at the well.  He explains he and the smart men discovered that metal behaves strangely.  They dig, explore and invent.  MIB begs Jacob to go with him but Jacob declines.  Jacob is loyal, I'll give him that.  But is his loyalty based in ignorance and fear?   "Island Mother" kept him close at hand seemingly because in my opinion he was the one amendable for coercion.  That is a concept we only thought pertained to Castaway John Locke.  Her sheltered mind was limited by her ignorance, pain and fear.

To everything there is a season

Everything dies! 
Jacob is the one that doesn't want to leave this island, "It's my home." (He's comfortable there- used to the way things are.)
"Mother Island" approaches the work site and appears down in the well where MIB is heating coals. He shares with her his time with the villagers learning and exploring a way to find the light that she didn't want him to have and share.  He explored the idea of "What if I can get to it from someplace else?"   He removes a small piece of stone to let in a bit of the beautiful light that shines on the wheel.  The special man knows how to do all this. They even invented a wheel that will help him on his quest to get back to where he belongs.

MIB/Locke says goodbye to his mother. She bids him goodbye; but smashes his head against the stone wall; knocking him out.
  
There is no Choice...You Must Believe in Free Will

Mom wakes sleeping Jacob, "It's time."   She's letting MIB/Locke go.
In the night she leads Jacob to the tunnel that houses the light.  When asked what's down there she replies, life, death, rebirth... it the source, the heart of the island. {Hmmm...Enlightenment!} She wants Jacob to promise her he'll never go down there because it would be worse than dying. She gives him some wine as some sort of promissory communion to accept the responsibly of protecting the light, and finding his replacement when the time comes.  Jacob doesn't want the responsibility but knows he's got the gig by default.  When he drinks the liquid she poured she claims, "Now you and I are the same."   Well, now that Mother and Jacob are the same... the evil, flawed shoe must fit.

Free will is the purported ability of agents to make choices free from constraints. 

MIB/Locke regains consciousness outside of the well in the daylight and not inside the well where he was knocked out by the "mother".   Mother has destroyed the well.  He sees black smoke rising in the distance and discovers the village is burned and his people are killed.

The Game Continues

Jacob notes that a storm is coming and will see "Mother Island" back home.  Mom sets off to the caves where she finds her stuff is destroyed and the Senet game is there.  {Locke destroyed a few things while on the "island" too. His reason was to keep the people/Jack who needed to be there, to stay until they are ready to go home.}

MIB/Locke Slays the Monster!  (He let go of the metaphoric monster that caused part of his life long suffering)

He plunged the knife into "Mother Island" before she could speak a word, all in retribution for her terrible act of killing the other "Island" residents, trying to kill him, stopping him from leaving and to stop her from continuing her bad ways.   "Mother Island" thanks him.   Jacob walks in seeing the aftermath and not understanding beats up MIB/Locke.  MIB/Locke doesn't fight back with Jacob.

Jacob brings/pulls MIB/Locke to the beautiful light and throws him face down into the stream that floats him unconscious into the light.   It is important to note that Jacob actually tells MIB/Locke "Don't worry brother, I'm not going to kill you" before he throws him down onto the rocks.  Black smoke is released.   Jacob is sad and confused.  He finds his brother dead on some rocks at a stream.  Jacob cries.

Jacob lays the dead woman and the man with the white/black stones to rest in the caves- together.   "Goodbye brother."  Jacob only bids his brother goodbye- not the woman who raised him.

They are all guilty of everything "Mother Island" told the young boys.

All aboard the Crazy Train 

Mental Health and issues with reality!
"Mother Island" was indeed insane and evil. Don't try to tell me she wasn't!  She stole two newborns and killed their birth mother so she could keep them and mold them to her own distorted beliefs. She lied, manipulated, controlled and sheltered them from the truth.  She destroyed, burned and killed the village and its residents.   She also felt that the other "Island" people would want the "Island" light so "she" kept the light hidden, claiming to be its protector and hoping it would never be found.   In this episode I saw a woman who lost faith in a man/men, people and herself.  She seems to be trapping her own "light" in an effort not to get hurt again.  But in her stealing the boys and trying to make her own little emotional safe haven, "MIB/John Locke the Curious" was going to expose her for what she really was.  Unfortunately the scars of this entire mothering experience left MIB/John Locke with pain and confusion and even more motivation to finally close that unhappy chapter of his past and finally leave this place.

ASS U ME

See how the viewer can assume certain things and yet when the truth is revealed it really means something else.  How about that!  There's a plethora of this in our story.  You can assume who the "monster" is in this episode, who is the next Jacob, who is the next MIB, what the “Island” is, who is on what side, who is really Jacob, which baby was whom, and all those wonderful fantastical things, but we were shown under no uncertain terms not to assume anything!   With the reveal that Adam and Eve where really “Mother Island” and her stolen child was one of the greatest bits of information we've ever gotten.

Things to note...Questions to Ask...

* Mental Health issues.
* Push
* Children
* MIB/Locke owns the dagger.
* In House of the Rising Sun, "Adam and Eve" are laid to rest in two separate alcoves.
* Boy in Dark/MIB/John Locke is an enlightened free thinker, independent and wants to live in truth, while Jacob doesn't seem very bright and is fine to live under the unhealthy thumb of "Mother Island"
* Jacob does illustrate anger and vengeance. He is more of a follower than a leader.
* Jacob is a liar.
* Wine.
* Do you think that we'll find that John Locke was an alcoholic too?
* Am I the only one who finds it weird that the "boys" aged and then stopped aging at a certain point? * "Mother Island" is evil.  Mom burned the village and its people. {Fire- Smoke- we've seen this  relate to Kate. But fire is a form of cleansing.}
* Children without "fathers".
* People who look the same but are different. Where did we come from?  Do I entertain the "alien" word again or do we chalk it up to created images within the experience?
* Magic healing paste.
* Different languages.
* Ship.  Wheel.
* Are we to believe there is only a finite amount of "light"?
* Imagination. Make believe. Create. The mind creates positive and negative thoughts and beliefs.

* In addition to us already being aware that Locke's mother was crazy, John Locke tells Eko in The Cost of Living, that he saw a bright light and it was beautiful.  And in Deus Ex Machina we learn about Locke's love of playing games with his brother.

Vocabulary and Research...

* Across the Sea is the fifth song from Weezer's second album, Pinkerton. The song appears on Come On and Kick Me!: The String Quartet Tribute to Weezer and Only in Dreams: Classical Music Inspired by Weezer.  The song was written by Rivers Cuomo at the same time I was very depressed and very lonely, thoughts of becoming a monk and mommy issues.

* The Other is a 1972 psychological horror film about twin brothers who have fun with their shenanigans but the end reveal is that one of the twins has really been dead the entire time.

* Senet, a board game a from pre-dynastic and ancient Egypt. The oldest hieroglyph representing a Senet game dates to circa 3100 BC.  The full name of the game in Egyptian meaning the "game of passing."  The Senet game board is a grid of thirty squares, arranged in three rows of ten .  A Senet game has two sets of pawns (at least five of each and, in some sets, more).

* Claudia: was a Vestal Virgin, who conceived Romulus and Remus.  In Roman mythology Vesta pertains to a Roman goddess, the Sacred fire of Vesta, and the Temple of Vesta.  The College of the Vestals and its well-being was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome. They cultivated the sacred fire that was not allowed to go out. The goddess of the hearth and home, collecting water from a sacred spring, preparation of food used in rituals and caring for sacred objects in the temple's sanctuary.  By maintaining Vesta's sacred fire, from which anyone could receive fire for household use, they functioned as "surrogate housekeepers", in a religious sense, for all of Rome. They were also put in charge of keeping safe the wills and testaments of various people such as Caesar and Mark Antony, and guarded sacred objects. The Vestals were freed of the usual social obligations to marry and bear children, and took a vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests.


“Enlightenment is imagining figures of light, but making the darkness conscious.”  
You know that for me this story of struggle with deep, deep emotional pain, confusion and the need to be free of it, is happening under the guise of a game. It is about Dharma, walking your path, finding what you lost and enlightenment.  Clues to all of these things, including truth, balance and enlightenment were right in our faces.

The Wheel
The Light = the Truth. LOVE and HOPE

I find it disgusting that this woman took away every aspect of innocence and hope with the child/children.  She was not nurturing, caring and both boys knew she did not know how to love.  She was selfish (because she lived in fear)... The Fucking End!

Again we seem to get hints to the concept of two halves really being parts of the whole and then again two completely independent people.  I can see traits that seem exclusive to the Jacob we already know, yet here we get a clearer picture of him, and traits that what were thought to be exclusive to Boy in Dark/MIB {Locke} are not, but are shared by both.  The reference to there being "two" boys seems to come predominantly from "Mother Island."  If you re-watch you can see the natural mom, even though was told there are two, only refers to one- "him."  There are other times within the episode they are really referred to in a singular manor.

"A little bit of this very same light is inside of every man. But they always want more." 

Nowhere does "Mother Island" say the light is evil incarnate!  She only mentions if the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere.  When Jacob asks "mother" about what's down there, she tells him it's life, death, rebirth... it the source, the heart of the island.  That my friends, is some more enlightenment talk for ya!   Light is the good part of man and this Queen Bitch is keeping it from them. I feel like I'm leaning toward someone having to do this all over again, hence we need another plane to crash.

"Only when you are ready to open your eyes, ears, mind and heart, in the LIGHT you will find TRUTH." -Karen Mauro


 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? 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.

The Candidate

Let's talk about LOST!   The Candidate.

Dr. Jack Shephard wakes up Mr. Locke from his surgery.   Locke's eyes slowly open to blurry vision and then clarity.
Jack-"Mr. Locke, can you hear me? {Jack smiles} Welcome back."
Locke, who is on oxygen, realizes he knows him. Jack replays them being on the same flight from Sydney and how Locke lost his knives.  He explains to Locke that he was rundown by a car and just came out of surgery {Dural sac ruptured) but he thinks he got everything back where it belongs.  Jack uses his penlight to look at Locke's pupils and also reveals that while was operating he got a look at the initial injury to his spine and put him in a wheelchair.  Jack was hoping Locke could tell him how that happened because he feels he's a candidate for a new surgical procedure they're developing and if it works it could restore feeling to his legs, in fact he may even walk again. Jack seems pleased.
Jack-"If you'll give me a shot, Mr. Locke, I think that, that I can fix you."
Locke thinks about it for a few seconds and declines the offer. This response stuns the good doctor and he goes on to explain that there's minimal risk and the benefit...Locke cuts him off, "I said no." {He smiles.}
Helen barges into the room relieved to see John. This is the first time they let her see him. Indeed they are relieved to see each other. Very happy Helen thanks Dr. Shephard for saving him. {She kisses Jack on the cheek and hugs him tight} Locke smiles at this.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Jack opens his eyes/wakes up. He is in the outrigger.

Kneeling Sayid {working on a gun} welcomes him to Hydra Island. Jack is a bit confused.
Sayid-"At least you didn't have to paddle."

Over at the cages the Widmore team is setting up the pylons. Seamus and goons lead James, Frank, Hugo, Claire, Kate, Sun and Jin. Seamus demands James get in the cage but James there's no way he's going back in there, so he grabs dough boys rifle and a shot rings out a few feet away indicating Widmore's arrival. Widmore threatens Kate's life if James doesn't drop the gun. James feels Widmore isn't going to kill them because he's throwing them in the cages.
Widmore-"I have a list of names. Ford. You're on it. As are Reyes and the Kwon's. Kate Austen she's not.  It doesn't matter to me if she lives or dies."
Nervous Kate doesn't want James to listen to Widmore. James relinquishes the gun to Seamus and in return Seamus hits James with the rifle and throws him in the cage.
Widmore tells James, "You may not believe it but I'm doing this for your own good."
James-"You're right. I don't believe it."
Widmore asks one of his goons if the fence is "live" yet. He's told it will be in about an hour. Widmore doesn't have an hour and tells them to work faster.   Seamus looks nervous.
Widmore-"He's coming."

Bernard is crafting/working/drilling on a set of fake teeth.  He is so into his grinding away at the mold/impression that he doesn't hear Jack say "Hello" a few times.   Jack heard the drill, walked in and asks if the man knows where he can find Dr. Nadler.   Bernard removes his glasses and mask. {He doesn't have his doctor name on his white Dr. shirt.}
Bernard-"Well, you can find him right here. And if you're not a patient, you can call me Bernard."
Jack introduces himself as a surgeon at St. Sebastian and is hoping to get a look at one of Bernard's patient files.
Jack-"His name's John Locke. And our records said that you had done some emergency oral surgery on him about three years back."
Bernard-"And what are you looking for exactly?"
Jack-"I wanna know how he was hurt."
Bernard asks Jack why he's so interested in Mr. Locke. {He has a peace about him while waiting for Jack to answer.}
Jack explains he met Locke a week ago on the same flight back from Australia.
Bernard-"Oceanic 815.  I sat across the aisle from you. Memory serves you were flirting with my wife Rose when I was in the bathroom. It's pretty weird, huh?"
Jack is curiously stunned, "Yeah."
Bernard-"Maybe you're on to something here. Now I can't break patient confidentiality and tell you something I shouldn't. But I can tell you that when I treated Mr. Locke there was another man in the same accident with him." {Bernard writes something on a notepad.}

Jack-"Like that was three years ago, you just remember that?"
Bernard-"Of  course I do, Jack."
He hands Jack the paper and wishes him good luck, "I hope you find what you're looking for."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Disoriented and confused Jack is still sitting in the outrigger asks Sayid what happened. Sayid informs him Widmore's people fired a mortar attack on them. "Locke saved you."
Sayid shares some water with Jack from his canteen. The rest of Sayid's group who weren't killed scattered into the jungle, "It's just the three of us now."
Jack-"Why did he bring me here?"
Locke appears and tells Jack it's because Jack's friends got themselves captured and now they're going to have to rescue them.
Jack-"Rescue them from what?"
Locke explains Widmore has them in a cage about a half a mile inland.   Jack tries to ask a question but Locke cuts him off, "You know I would ask him, except I don't think he's gonna give me a straight answer. But I can't imagine that his intentions are good. If we move right now we can break your people out run for the plane and be off this island before Widmore knows what hit him."
Locke arms up Jack and readies him for the mission.
Jack-"They're not my people. And I'm not leaving the Island."
Locke-"Well, Jack, I'm hoping you still change your mind about that. But your friends do want to leave, and since they just ran away from me, on my own boat, I'm gonna need your help convincing them they can trust me."
Jack-"Why should I trust you?"
Locke looks right in his eyes and reveals, "Because I can kill you, Jack. Right here, right now. And I can kill every single one of your friends and there's not a thing that you can do to stop me. But instead of killing you I saved your life, and now I wanna save them too. So will you help me?"
Jack contemplates while looking over at smirking Sayid and back at Locke.

James and Kate pace in the cage. James asks her, "Feel like we're running in circles back in these cages? 'Cept last time the gun was to my head." {And yes you fucking are!}
Kate insists he wouldn't have killed me.   James comes clean about the cave he told her about, the one where all the names were written.  "Your name was there too...but it was crossed out. He doesn't need you, Kate."
Jin and Sun chat about the baby who is with Sun's mother. Jin tells her about Widmore's people finding her camera on the plane and he showed Jin the pictures.  Jin thinks their daughter is so beautiful. Sun presents Jin with his wedding ring and places it on his finger.
The power is cut to the Hydra cage area where the lights and pylons were energized.  Seamus and goons find somebody cut the power and Seamus instructs a team to the generator now.  The monster sounds, breeze is heard.
Hurley-"And we're dead."
Smokey arrives and in its classic mechanical tic tack, clinking manor, takes out Seamus and the goons, all the while the Lostie's watch from the cages. Smokey even knocks over one of the travel sized pylons.
Kate struggles through the bars to reach the keys that are conveniently hanging out of Seamus' pocket. Hurley tells her to hurry because he feels, "When that thing's done with them he's coming for us."
Anxious Frank isn't waiting so he kicks at the door to his cage.
Kate still can't reach, but it doesn't matter because Jack shows up to help them all out.
Kate asks Jack what he's doing here.
Jack-"I'm with him." {Nodding in the direction of the mechanical smoke sounds}

Frank is leading the group to the plane; which is about a 1/4 mile just over the ridge. Kate seems a little excited as she asks Jack, "So you're coming with us now..."
Jack lets her know he's taking them to the plane but he's not getting on it, "I'm sorry Kate, I'm not meant to go."
Kate looks sad. James thanks the Doc for coming back for them. Everyone readies with their weapons when they hear something approaching. It's just Sayid.
Jack lets them know it's okay, "Sayid's with us. He's the one who turned off the generators."
James feels the more the merrier. They need to go because Locke's waiting.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
The woman at the desk is asking Jack if he's a relative of Mr. Cooper and what  the nature of his visit is. This is the SUN PALMS NURSING HOME.  Helen happens by with a tulip plant.  He confesses to her that he's there to see Anthony Cooper about the accident he was in with Mr. Locke. Jack asks if she knows him. This makes Helen curious and worried. She pulls him to the side and asks him to please go.   Jack tries to explain he's there to help "him".    John told Helen about the operation and he doesn't want it and  Jack wonders why.   Helen wants him to leave this alone, "You saved his life. Why can't that be enough?"
Jack replies with a bit of desperation in his voice,"Because it's not."
Helen leads Jack into a cafeteria with patients, while Housekeeping is being paged to call 23.
Jack seems surprised when Helen wheels over a catatonic Anthony Cooper; John's father. {He just stares and drools.}

{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke marches strongly over to the grounded Ajira plane.  The guards fire at Locke but their bullets have no effect on him.  He breaks the neck of one and shoots the other.  He takes the digital watch from one of the dead men and heads up the "Gilligan's Island" made steps into the plane.

On board he follows a set of Red, White and Black wires that connect to something.
Frank is happy when he arrives with the group to the plane and wonders what it will take to get this baby to fly.   James is first to see a dead guy.  Sayid examines the first body and determined his neck's been broken.  Locke walks out of the plane and admits he broke it. "If it's any consolation, Widmore knew that I would kill these men."  He goes on to explain they were only guarding the plane for show. If Charles had really wanted to keep Locke from actually getting on board he wouldn't have moved his little fences.
Hugo is puzzled, "Woah... wait, now he wants us to leave the Island?"
Locke-"No, Hugo. He wants to get us all in the same place at the same time... a nice confined space we have no hope of getting out of... and then he wants to kill us."
Apparently kill them with {He presents 4 bricks of C-4 from the backpack}.
Locke-"I found them in one of the overhead compartments, wired to the electrical system of the plane. If we would've turned it on... boom."
Jin-"So what now?"
Locke-"We can't be sure he didn't put more explosives on the plane. It's not safe. If we're gonna leave the Island, I think we have to take the submarine."
That's what James has been saying all along. Concerned Hugo states that "He's not supposed to leave the Island. I mean, Alpert said..."
James-"Screw Alpert. He ain't here. {says to Locke}That's twice you've saved our asses. Guess I was wrong about you."
Locke smiles and thanks him. "That submarine is gonna be heavily defended. We're gonna need everyone."
Jack will help him but he's not going with him. Locke feels that's fair enough.

Claire runs over to Locke and tries to apologize. Locke tells her its alright and he understands why she went with them.
Sawyer very quietly tells Jack,"Hey doc, listen up... you don't wanna leave this Island, that's your own damn business. But I'm gonna ask you for one last favor. I don't trust that thing one bit, so here's what I need you to do... once we get to the dock you make sure it doesn't get on the sub."
Jack-"How am I supposed to do that? You saw what it did back there."
Sawyer-"Just get it in the water I'll take care of the rest."

Over the PA we hear "CT test to Trauma 3. CT test to Trauma 3."
Jack is literally standing over Locke.
Jack-"Mr. Locke, are you awake?"
Locke  is sleeping but speaks, "Push the button."
Jack looks confused, "Mr. Locke, can you hear me?
Locke, still sleeping says, "I wish you had believed me."
In the distance Jack hears Claire's voice. She's in the hallway.  Jack leaves sleeping Locke and walks over to Claire.
Claire was just looking for Jack; the lawyer told her he worked there.

In a little break room Jack buys an Apollo bar from a vending machine.  He offers it to Claire but she declines.   Jack apologizes for having to run out of the will reading the other day, as he had an emergency.  Claire doesn't mind and notes this is as awkward for her as it is for him.  She tells Jack, "Never even met this man."   She has a white box.
Claire-"Anyway, the, uh, lawyer gave me this. She said, uh, there’d be more stuff to come, but that my father especially wanted me to have this."
She presents a pretty wooden box from the white cardboard box that is roughly the size and shape of a shoe box. {Box within a Box!} "Do you know why or what it's supposed to mean?"
Jack doesn't have any idea, "But, then…I, I didn't know about you either."
Claire asks how their father died.
Jack-"He was found in an alley outside a bar in Sydney. He drank himself to death. I flew down to bring his body back…but then, uh… the airline lost it."
Claire:-"I just flew in from Sydney a few days ago."    Yeah, last Wednesday; Oceanic flight 815, they're both puzzled.  Jack takes a look at the wooden music box that plays "Catch a Falling Star".

Jack-"I’m sorry. I...I wish I knew why he wanted you to have this."
Claire-Yeah, me, too. {puts it back into the white box} Well, um. It was nice seeing you again. Thanks for trying to help."
Jack- Where are you staying?
Claire-Uh, just down the road…a motel."
Jack-Why don't you come stay with me?"
Claire- "Stay with you? I mean, we're…we're strangers."
Jack- "No, we're not strangers. We're...we're family."
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Locke and his little armed group are staking out the sub. Locke puts the backpack down. {I only see one backpack}
James feels just ‘cause there ain’t any goons on the dock, doesn’t mean they ain’t on the sub so he calls the play. "We’re goin’ in hard. Got it? Lapidus, Hugo, Jin, Sun, you’re with me. The rest of you wait 30 seconds, head down the dock behind us. {to Jack and Locke} You think you two can get our backs?"
Jack-"Absolutely."
James-"All right. Let’s go home."
He heads down into the sub hatch and the rest follow. 
Over the intercom in the sub we hear "After engine room, power the bilges. After engine room, power the bilges, please."
James and Frank burst into a room demanding to know where the captain is.  They are led to the captain where Frank knocks out the guy who led them there.
Threatening James tells "Hoss" to get ready to fire this thing up.  Frank will guard the captain while James retrieves the rest of the group.
Locke hands Jack one of two backpacks and they head toward the sub.  Locke asks Jack if he's sure he won’t reconsider.   Jack is sure.
Locke-"Whoever told you, you needed to stay had no idea what they were talking about."
Jack-"John Locke told me I needed to stay."
Jack pushes Locke into the water.
Kate-"What happened?"
A shot is fired and Kate is hit in her left shoulder!  This makes Jack snap! He automatically flips into angry commando mode! {Just like at Dharmaville before the "Hydrogen bomb incident"}
There's a shootout.  Jack fires a rifle, then a handgun!
Sayid covers Jack while he carries Kate down into the sub.   Sayid calls out for Claire {who shoots a man out of a tree}
Sawyer hears the shootout.

Locke climbs out of the water onto the dock with his backpack and he is pissed off!  He's got some constitution!  He fires back at Widmore's men just like Jack did!   Claire is surprised.
Inside the sub Jack tells James Widmore’s people shot Kate and he tells Hurley  he needs a first aid kit.  James heads up top to get Claire who is still involved in the shootout.
James-"Claire!"
Locke turns and calls out, "James!" {turns and shoots an approaching bad guy} He seems concerned as he runs toward James.   James gives Locke the ol evil eye, abandons Locke and Claire on the dock, closing the hatch on them.
Inside the sub James yells out to Lapidus, "If you can hear me…DIVE! DIVE!"
Lapidus tells the Captain, "Let’s go!"    The sub starts moving out.

Claire sees the sub leaving, drops her gun and runs after the sub telling them to wait.  Locke stops her.
Down in the sub shocked Jack asks James what he's doing.
James-"What we came here to do…leaving."

Locke tells upset Claire it’s alright.
Claire-"No! They’re leaving us."
Locke-"No, trust me. You don’t want to be on that sub." {He mischievously grins a bit like the Cheshire cat and watches the sub move out.}

Inside the descending sub, bleeding Kate is upset Claire is still up there and has been left behind.
James is concerned about Kate, "Is she gonna be okay?"
Hurley can't find the first aid kit. This troubles Jack. {Yet it is right next to Frank's head! Is that kit written in black?}
Jack has Jin get his pack so he can get a shirt out of it to use for pressure.  Jack tells Kate to relax, everything will be OK. He thinks the bullet went straight through.  Jack reaches into the backpack and reveals a bomb with a digital watch for the timer, counting down; 3:54
Hurley-"Dude, where did that come from?"
Jack-"Locke…We did exactly what he wanted."
As the sub continues its descent Jack says they have to get to the surface.    Jin radios Frank to tell him to take them up.
Frank yells, "We're diving!"
Sayid has the bomb while Jack tends to Kate.
Hurley-"Dude, how'd that get on the sub?" {Are you fucking kidding me?! He just heard from Jack he said "Locke"}
Jack-"Locke put it in my pack!" 
Jin wonders why he would do that when he wanted to go with them.
James-"Damn right he did, that's why I shut his ass out!"
Jack-"He wanted you to shut him out!"
He asks Sayid how that thing works, "Can we shut it off?"
Sayid explains it's Jury rigged to the battery which detonates the explosives. It's at least five minutes until they're up, according to Frank.
James-"We ain’t got five minutes. What’s it gonna be Sayid?"
Sayid-"These wires...they’re leads from the watch. If we disconnect them from the battery, technically speaking, the bomb should be inert."
But you need to pull them out simultaneously and he's not sure...James moves him aside.
2:46 on timer.   Jack tells James to wait and not pull the wires out because he feels nothing is going to happen.
James feels if he doesn't pull the wires that Locke's gonna blow them to kingdom come.
Jack-"No, he’s not! Locke can’t kill us....This is what he wanted. {2:27} This is what he’s been waiting for.  Everything that he has done has been to get us here.  He wanted to get us all in the same place, at the same time, a nice, enclosed space where we had no hopes of getting out of."
Jin doesn't understand.
Jack-"Locke said that he can’t leave the Island without us. I think that he can’t leave the Island unless we’re all dead. He told me that he could kill anyone of us whenever he wanted. So, what if he hasn’t because he’s…he’s not allowed to. What if he’s trying to get us to kill each other?"
James-"Stay out of my way, doc."   {1:54}
Jack-"Now if he wanted that thing to blow up, why would he put a timer in it?  Why not just throw it inside?"
James doesn't care and Jack still feels nothing is going to happen.  But James feels it's not Jack's decision to make.
Jack insists "He can't kill us!"
James isn't going to stand there and do nothing.  Jack looks James in the eye wanting James to trust him that they're gonna be okay.  {1:35}
James-"Sorry, doc, I don’t."
James pulls all the wires from the timer and it pauses at 1:31 and then countdown runs faster.
Sayid needs for Jack to listen carefully. "There’s a well on the main island, half mile south from the camp we just left.   Desmond’s inside it.  Locke wants him dead, which means you’re going to need him. Do you understand me?"  {Technically they just left Hydra Island. lol}
Jack-"Why are you telling me this?
Sayid-"Because it’s going to be you, Jack."
Sayid grabs the bomb, runs down the hall and into another compartment and the bomb explodes!  The alarms sound.
The sub starts filling up with water.   Lapidus checks out what happened and is knocked down with a door that bursts off its hinges.
Sun is pinned against the wall with what looks like a metal box with wires poking out of it.   Jin tries to free her!  Sawyer tries to help him.  Jack instructs Hurley to get Kate out of there while he takes care of everyone else.   He gives Hurley an oxygen tank.
Hurley-"I have to go after Sayid?"
Jack-"There is no Sayid!…Listen to me. Take this tank and buddy-breathe and swim out where the blast hole is, okay? Hurley, you can do this, okay?'
Hurley listens.   Jack joins in trying to free Sun while the sub is sinking.
James-"Push!"
Jin-"One three."   1...2...3!    They remove the giant metal box but Sun is still trapped and James gets knocked out by a large piece that fell on his head.  Jack pulls him from the water.  The sub creaks and moans.
Jin works hard to free Sun but she wants him to go save himself.   Jin won't leave her at all, "I’m going to get you out of here."  He tells Jack to save unconscious James out of there and he'll get Sun free.
Jack gives Jin an oxygen tank because he feels he can get James out of there without it. {WTF?!}
Jin-"No, you can’t Jack….Just go!"
Jack knows he's "leaving them" and swims with Sawyer out through the blast hole up from the depths.
Jin tries to catch his breath while trying to free his wife and she begs him to go.
Jin holds her face," I won’t leave you....I’m gonna get you out of here."
Sun still begs him to go.
Jin says something in Korean and knows they're doomed, "I won’t leave you. I will never leave you again…{in English} I love you, Sun."  They kiss and hold each other.
Sun is crying, "I love you." {And add to that the heart wrenching music that has me crying like a damn baby!}

An orderly is pushing Locke down the hospital hall and wonders if someone is meeting him.  Locke confirms his fiancée, Helen. "She’s, um…{he sees Jin with white roses and does a double take at him. You see Jin get let into the room behind Locke}…probably stuck in traffic….Hey, I’ll take it from here. I’m pretty good at this."
The orderly wishes him the best of luck and Locke thanks him.
Jack is happy he caught Locke, "I hadn’t have a chance to say goodbye yet."
Locke-"Well, goodbye…and thanks again, Dr. Shepherd." {Shake hands.}
Jack confesses he went to see his father. Locke is shocked.
Jack-"When you didn’t want the surgery, I felt like I had to understand why…and, uh, I thought that if I could find out why you’re in this chair, that maybe…"
Locke-"I was in a plane crash. I had my, my private pilot’s license for a week, and, uh, I begged my father to be my first official passenger. He was terrified of flying.  But, I looked him right in the eye...I told him that he could trust me.  And we barely got off the ground. I still don’t re...I don’t remember what I did wrong, but it was my fault. It was my fault. This man, who I loved more than anything, will never walk, or talk or…"
Jack-"You know, the first time you and I met, uh, back at the at the airport…you told me that my father was gone...and, uh, it hurt to hear that, but I knew you were right. Your father’s gone, too, Mr. Locke."
Locke-"Uh, no, no, he’s not.
Jack-"Yes, he he is, and you can punish yourself as much as you want and that’s never gonna bring him back…What happened, happened…and…you can let it go."
Locke-"What makes you think letting go is so easy?
Jack-"It’s not. In fact, I don’t really know how to do it myself. And, that’s why I was hoping that…maybe you could go first."
Locke laughs through his tears, "Goodbye, Dr. Shephard." 
Jack calls out to him, "I can help you, John…I wished you believed me."
Locke stops, seeming to let that register and then wheels off.
{Air plane engine/sounds-rumble}
Jack pulls James to the beach and is relieved when James breathes.
Kate-"Jack…I couldn’t find you. I couldn‘t find you."   They hug.
Hurley asks if James is okay and Jack tells him he got hit pretty hard, but he’s breathing.
Kate-"What about Jin and Sun."
Jack shakes his head indicating they didn't make it.
Kate and Hurley cry hard from this loss.
Jack walks away from them and stands at the water's edge and cries.

Locke is standing on the dock looking out to the water, he tells Claire, "It sunk." {He sounds a bit sad}
Claire-"What, the submarine? They…they were all on it, everyone…What? They’re…they’re all dead?"
Locke- "Not all of them."   Now he seems angry; he takes his backpack and rifle.
Claire-"Wait. Wh, where are you going?"
Locke-"To finish what I started."   This man on a mission walks away.




The Candidate is a GREAT episode!!!
What is going on in Locke's head and what is he seeing in his sleeping mind?
Locke is punishing himself from guilt and holding on to all that pain. He feels he obligated to stay paralyzed not only physically but emotionally.
I was very sad to see a few of our Lostie's move on but I expected it and expect even more loss.  In the off "Island" info of last week the Kwon's found what they were looking for and Sayid did too with his closure with Nadia, so he sacrificed himself in the game/journey.  In my opinion it's when those types of things happen, i.e. they find what they're looking for (love, closure, healing, forgiveness, letting go, over addiction, enlightenment, etc.) or in other instances a person is getting to close to unseating the leader or they aren't needed in the game/on the "Island"  any longer they are removed from the playing field and move on.   If one still doesn't find what they have lost then it seems you have to start all over from the beginning.


Things to Note...Questions to ask...
* Locke is indeed emotionally "paralyzed"
* Family. Relative.
* Same accident.
* Wires. CT scan. Head. Dreams. Subconscious.
* Mental and physical disabilities.
* Lapidus isn't on Widmore's list.
* Hurley can't find the first aid kit yet it is in the control room right next to Frank.
* We learned earlier this season that unconscious people can't hold their breath yet we see they are led to the surface from some very deep water.
* It was Sawyer's free will decision to call the shots on the sub mission and to pull the wires on the bomb. {Even if Locke knew he would do that.}
* Sawyer was wrong about getting that thing/Locke in the water.
* Alcoholics-Desmond, Christian, Jack.
* Locke doesn't seem threatened by the pylons and being in the water isn't a factor with anything.
* Does Locke have a thing for blowing up submarines?  He took C-4 from the Flame Station.
* There's always a way to go "further down below".    "The depths."
* In the "Pilot episode, part 1"  Jack admits to Kate to taking flying lessons but it wasn't for him.
* Could part or the entire adventure be part of a world of make believe, subconscious and/or altered state.

Willy Wonka:
Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three
Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination.
Take a look, and you'll see into your imagination
We'll begin, with a spin, traveling in, the world of my creation.
What we'll see, will defy explanation
If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it. Wanta change the world? There's nothing to it.
There is no life I know, to compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free... if you truly wish to be.

Vocabulary and Research...
* Dental impression: Accurate representation of a person's dentition and other areas of the mouth. From an imprint of a person's teeth and gums in wax or plaster, a dental impression forms a "negative" of those teeth and gums, which can then be used to make a cast or model. This may be used for the fabrication of dentures, crowns or other prostheses. Common materials used for dental impressions are sodium alginate, polyether and silicones - both condensation-cured silicones and addition-cured silicones, such as polyvinyl siloxane.
- A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant and is typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement.
* Tulips: is a poem by American poet Sylvia Plath about her experiences in a mental hospital. The poem was written in 1961 and included in the collection Ariel published in 1965.
- TULIP: Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life. Calvinist theology is sometimes identified with the five points of Calvinism, also called the doctrines of grace.
- Tulip: is an information visualization framework dedicated to the analysis and visualization of relational data.



I don't know how else I can illustrate to you the metaphors and subliminal information that is displayed within the story. We are still shown the Castaways' journey to "this place" is necessary to heal their emotional and psychological  pain.   The "Island" adventure's challenges blur with "outside world" issues and events in an effort to reach some sort of resolve.

Not everything we see is totally black and white, nor are people and things always what we think they are.  The goal, besides one person being the victor of the "Island" journey and game, is for "balance" not only on the "Island" but within each "person".

One thing we can bank on is the game element.   Jacob and MIB is each other's adversary. Both of their aim is to prevent the other from achieving their goal.
Locke neatly sets it all up for us in Deux Ex Machina when describing a game he played with his brother.  It's wonderful when he explains the concept and goal of the game Mouse Trap that directly connects to what we've seen on the island.
Yes, of course the concept of chess is being played out, incidentally after all these years I really need to see who the Queen is in all of this.
I find it important to go back to the first game reference we were shown, Backgammon.
In the game of Backgammon the pieces are known as checkers, stones, men, counters, pawns, or chips.  It's interesting that the objective is to remove (bear off) all of one's own checkers from the board before one's opponent can do the same. 

Even though I always question if things are real or not, and give many examples and use descriptive analogy, it still is important to mention that until we know what the "Island" actually is, we're in the dark.  Ultimately it may be that the "Island" will represent different things to all of us.

Jack does see himself in Locke. This episode is one that I'll use as an example of an instance when Jack and John seem to be talking at themselves and not necessarily to each other.
Exploring the psychology of seeing the yin and yang of particular beings, i.e. Jacob and the MIB and also Jack and Locke, is part of the LOST story.  They do indeed at times have that intense opposition while maintaining such closeness. 

Locke is doing whatever he needs to do to win the game and to go home/leave.  I can totally see Locke doing some terrible maneuvers in this battle, but is there a chance at all that he is doing it to free as many of them as possible and in turn freeing himself?   Or is it all just evil, to kill for the sake of killing?
Is the greater good to end the game, to leave, or just replace the two main players?   Jacob feels it only ends once and I guess that will be when we see who will be the last one standing.

Locke and Jack know that letting go isn't easy.  Locke is ready to go home/leave- as a matter of fact Dr. Shepherd gives him permission to let go as he himself cannot "let go" just yet.    At this point Jack feels his destiny is the "Island" just as Locke once did. 
It's going to be Jack.
Will Jack learn to let go over the next few hours or will he be the one destined to stay bound to the "Island" to relive his misery over again...or worse?

Love to all who are "LOST"™

It's VERY important to revisit:
The Man from Tallahassee  {Locke and his issues with depression and Anthony Cooper. Plus he blows up the sub.}

Orientation 

There's no place like HOME.

Through the Looking Glass    {Sayid tells Jack he's willing to sacrifice himself}

Born to Run  {We see the MRI Magnetic Resonance Imagining sign}

Maternity Leave  {Sun mentions that a mother should never leave her child}

Some Like it Hoth

This image rang a bell with me when I saw the bandage on  Locke's head and visited Dentist Bernard.

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? 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.