We Don’t Need Another Hero
INTRO: "MY NAME IS JOHN LOCKE, AND I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THIS ISLAND.”
It’s been a long time since we had an episode which centered on John Locke, who in my opinion is LOST’s most intriguing and deeply-developed character alongside Jack Shephard. We were given so many levels to think about in this episode it was difficult to not want to discuss every detail. I have done my best to keep this from becoming a book but I have to say, from his most pathetic moments to his most heroic moments, I do love my Locke.
John has been a major figure in the show’s mythology since that first moment in season one when we learned he had been in a wheelchair prior to the crash. It makes sense then, that “Cabin Fever” follows an episode centering on Jack who not only serves as the Science to Locke’s Faith, but who is also notorious for his own little Hero Complex.
“JOHN’S A VERY SPECIAL GUY.”
John Locke was the first character to mention outright the concept of duality in the show; the dark and the light. He also reminds us that everything is based on our perception. Like a shaman he was the first to have visions and dreams that demonstrated a unique connection with the Island. Locke discovered the Swan Hatch and saved Desmond’s life, and then later the Pearl Station with Eko, where he began to question his destiny. After causing the Swan implosion, he went on a vision quest, received further instructions, cleaned up his mess, and his connection to the Island was restored.
This is the timeless cycle of the Hero’s journey. The Hero is typically born under some sort of rare or otherworldly circumstances, and often with some type of parental dysfunction. At some point he begins to understand that he was meant for something larger, and ventures out into the world on a kind of soul-searching adventure. This is his Rite of Passage, or what is referred to as a “walkabout” by Australian Aboriginal culture. From there he must be tested, he must be put through trials that push his talents to the edge, he must be asked to make sacrifice, and he must be tempted to the point where he wants to relinquish all faith. If he is destined for greatness, he will only return even stronger. The Hero ventures into the deep, dark places the rest of us are afraid to explore, and rescues us by bringing light to that which we do not understand.
Locke’s back-story has definitely not been without its trials and sacrifice, as we have seen him allow himself to be easily manipulated and rejected throughout his life. There have been countless times he has also been dishonest, or has made decisions with what seemed like a total disregard for the lives of others. However, I don’t think we have the complete picture, and in relation to the overall scheme of things perhaps some of John’s blind faith and poor choices will turn out to have been the right ones after all. If he is indeed a classic Hero, then what he has done cannot be judged as it will have been done for the Greater Good. As Aristotle said long ago:
Such an one may truly be deemed a God among men....and that for men of pre-eminent virtue there is no law- they are themselves a law.
-- from Politics
“THIS IS DESTINY, THIS IS DESTINY, THIS IS MY DESTINY...”
We have also seen Locke be a strong survivor with an odd sort of metaphysical wisdom, and a long-held conviction that it is his destiny to be on the Island. For a while now the question has been whether or not he really was being favored by the Island, or if he was being led by his belief and this was serving as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Locke has been told, and he believes, that he is special in some way. Ben certainly fed into that conviction and it has allowed him to continue to manipulate Locke since they first met in the Hatch. But is it really true? Is John Locke really special?
If special means surviving countless health problems after being born three months early to an unwed mother whose labor was induced after being hit by a car, then I suppose that might fit the definition. I would think being conned out of a kidney by your own father is pretty unique as well. Joining a commune and then inadvertently getting them busted is certainly different. And having your kidney-stealing father then later throw you from an 8-story window definitely counts as something, although special isn’t really the word that first comes to mind.
All his life John wanted to be the warrior, the general, the explorer, the hunter. But some wanted to tell him that he couldn’t be any of those things. They tried to tell him what he couldn’t do. They tried to put Locke in a box.
It’s not until we’re given this glimpse into Locke’s early life, from his birth forward, that the question of his connection to the Island can finally been put to rest. Locke has more than likely been protected and kept alive by the Island since his mom was forced to give birth to him. As early as age 5, the mysterious paradise was reaching out to John through his subconscious. It just took him a little bit of time to answer.
And destiny can be a fickle bitch when you do not abide to its calling.
“ARE YOU HIM?”
Ageless uber-other Richard Alpert seemed to understand something about Locke’s destiny, as he beamed like a proud parent upon seeing little John’s drawing of what had to be the smoke monster. He then proceeded to test the young backgammon-lover by placing a series of six objects in front of him and asking which of the objects were Locke’s...already. If certain Buddhist practices and beliefs come to mind, well you are not far off since this is the same method used to find a newly reincarnated Dalai Lama. However, I was initially reminded of the stories I have heard of very young children who seem to remember themselves in a previous life, and often speak explicitly of experiences no child their age could possibly know.
There is a ton of speculation as to what each of the objects Richard brought represent, and an entire article could be written on this subject alone. I am more concerned, however, with the reason for the test in the first place. The best I can figure at this point is that we might have some type of prophecy on the Island that involves a male child being born three months early to a woman named Emily, who also has a last name starting with the letter L. Have the Others been expecting some type of savior-figure? Was Richard trying to discern whether or not Locke was the reincarnation of the person they have been waiting for? Or, could Alpert have been looking to see if Locke would recognize something he was destined to own in the future?
Much to audiences’ dismay, he chose poorly. Richard left in a huff and would not attempt to recruit John Locke again until he reached his teenage years.
“DON’T MISTAKE COINCIDENCE FOR FATE.”
When you think of car crashes, think Richard Alpert. Well, at least in the LOST universe he seems to always be around when someone gets smacked by a unit of transportation. For instance, while trying to decide whether or not to take Richard's offer of employment, Juliette's husband was conveniently hit by a bus. Locke’s dad Cooper was in a sudden collision before he woke up on the Island. To me it’s all just a little too coincidental that Locke’s mom was also in a car accident, and we see Richard not long after watching over the newly born babe.
I am even more curious now about who or what Richard really is, because he appears not to age whatsoever, and even Ben made a sarcastic remark to him about remembering birthdays. Has he been time-travelling from the present to Locke’s past? Or was Richard actually in some period in the past before Locke was even born, and then travelled to the different moments in his life? Could the Mittelos Company in all of its various incarnations actually predate the DHARMA Initiative?
As mentioned before, I believe ancient civilizations have been drawn to the island for thousands of years. The original group deemed the "Hostiles" by DHARMA could be a summation of these people who have landed on the island over time. What if they somehow discovered its secrets, learned how to use them, and continued over all of these years to be the Caretakers? It would also then make sense that the Hostiles/Others would follow a blend of various belief systems. Though mostly Eastern in influence, we have also seen Egyptian, Greek, African, and Christian references as well.
For some time now I have wondered if Richard is not a descendant of those who were shipwrecked from the Black Rock. Actually, I think Richard may have been on the Black Rock, and some property of the Island that has yet to be revealed to us has kept him from aging further. The DHARMA Initiative was certainly interested in life extension experiments, and I may be way off base here, but I think that this is somehow related to Alpert’s apparent eternal youth over the past six decades.
“MR. LOCKE SAID A MIRACLE HAPPENED TO HIM.”
Matthew Abaddon is one of the more mysterious characters brought onto the show this season. It is easy to assume that he has some connection to the Island, too. We see him harass Hurley in the mental hospital for information as to whether or not “they” are alive, most likely referring to the survivors left on the Island. This is odd since before the freighter was even sent on its mission, he had a private meeting with Naomi and repeatedly told her, “There were no survivors of Oceanic 815.”
Abaddon also succeeded where Richard Alpert failed in getting Locke to the Island. Alpert had been trying to appeal to Locke’s natural aptitude for the sciences, but we all know that Locke is a self-proclaimed Man of Faith. Matthew instead first reminds Locke that he is special, a true miracle. He then introduces our crippled friend to the concept of the walkabout, and convinces John this is what he needs to truly find himself. And boy does he.
I am still on the fence in regards to whose side Abaddon is really on. However, there is something quite ominous about the way Abaddon told Locke that when they meet again, Locke would “owe him one”. I am very interested in seeing their next encounter.
SYMBOL WATCH – AN OCEAN OF WISDOM
In a previous article on episode 8, I discussed the possible symbolic meanings for the constant use of water or rain in the show. It has been used to reference the purifying of one’s soul, such as with Michael’s sins, or the concept that surrounds Locke of “cleaning up one’s mess”. Rain has been shown as a way of denoting a connection to the Island as well. We have witnessed Locke often predict weather events as they were about to begin or end.
Underwater is another symbolic “underworld” where the archetypes of humankind are brought forth to be incorporated into individual lives. It also represents the power of transformative thought, as in, we make our own reality, otherwise known as, “don’t tell me what I can’t do.” Water is an ancient metaphor for the unconscious, and all that has yet to be brought to the surface.
In the episode “?”, Charlotte Malkin, the daughter of the psychic that Claire consulted in “Raised by Another”, experienced the “in-between” first-hand when she appeared to have died by drowning in a river. She later gives Eko a message from his dead brother, Yemi, suggesting that when she was unconscious she had some contact with the world of the dead.
Even more fascinating is what happened when she first awoke, immediately before an autopsy was about to be performed on her body. As evidenced by the transcript from the doctor’s tape, Charlotte actually calls out John Locke’s name!
Dr: This is a clear case of drowning. I'll begin with a thoracic...
Charlotte: John!
(screaming)
Assistant: Oh my God!
Dr: Valerie!
Assistant: She's Alive!
Dr: I think she's trying...
Charlotte: Let John Locke go (on)!
Dr: Try and calm down
(Assistant screaming)
Dr: Valerie get... she's crying, don't just stand there do something!
I also believe that water is being used in some way to denote occurrences of time travel. There were several references in “The Constant” and “Meet Kevin Johnson” that I’ve already discussed. In “Cabin Fever”, we see Richard Alpert show up at Locke’s foster home during a downpour. Emily Locke’s car accident also took place in a rain storm, furthering the idea that someone may have traveled to that time to try and manipulate events by running her over.
One final tidbit of interest: Dalai Lama means “Ocean of Wisdom”.
"IT’S NOT REAL, NONE OF IT IS REAL.”
Near the end of the episode, Frank Lapidus throws a pack from the helicopter as he is flying over the beach, and it lands directly on Claire’s tent, destroying it completely. From what I can tell at this point, she probably won’t be needing it anymore, anyway.
That would be because it is looking more and more like Claire has entered some otherworldly state, as we find her sitting back in one of Jacob’s chairs as if she had not a worry on earth. She is not at all concerned about Aaron, as Locke is told that he is “exactly where he needs to be”, which is currently with Sawyer. I still think she is probably no longer living, and either passed away into that “dead but here” state during the explosion, or as a result of it during the night.
Of course the main attraction in Jacob’s fun-house would be Christian Shephard, who claims to be speaking on the Big J’s behalf. Again, an entire article could probably be written about that little bit of time that John spent in the cabin and what it all could possibly mean.
One of LOST’s biggest mysteries right now is who or what is Jacob? My best guess so far is that he is some type of entity stuck in-between places; in between life and death, time and space, existence and nothingness. Was this condition the result of some accident or could this be the “incident” that has been referred to that resulted in DHARMA being shut down? I also wonder if Jacob has not instead been imprisoned and is being kept in this state against his will. Whatever the cause of his current situation, there must be some reason why he throws temper tantrums around technology and asks John Locke for help.
This time however, John asks Jacob for help. And Jacob wants John to move the Island.
“I’M NOT A BIG BELIEVER IN MAGIC. BUT THIS PLACE IS DIFFERENT. IT’S SPECIAL.”
If I were going to move an Island, I would use its naturally-occurring electromagnetic properties and Casimir effect to create wormhole and slip the whole thing from one point in space-time to another.
But that’s just me.
We are going to have to wait and see how Jacob suggests it be done. I also have a feeling Ben knows what to do as well. Mr. Linus seemed a bit detached so it was a good thing that Locke was there to receive instructions. In fact, Ben was depressed through most of the episode, telling Locke how his “destiny” on the Island led him to a tumor and the death of his daughter.
Did Ben lose favor with the Island and Jacob? As Richard told Locke, Ben had become too distracted with fertility issues and the Others were searching for someone to remind them what they are there for. Perhaps the Island demands total attention from its Caretaker. Ben also took a child, Alex, as his own. Maybe the Island doesn’t like its Chosen One to have anything of his own, and actually allowed Alex to die. Ben’s obsession with Alex possibly becoming pregnant also may have led him to make decisions the Island or Jacob may not have sanctioned.
I believe Jacob may have stopped talking to Ben some time ago, and that he may have had an idea he was on his way out when he first became ill with the tumor. It is possible that Ben has been giving orders that were not Jacob’s so that he could “keep up the appearances”. This is also why he could have been so angry when Jacob did speak to Locke, as it was just another confirmation that the Island was indeed replacing him.
I would not be too worried, however, as we see Ben gets his game back at some point in the future with Sayid as his right-hand hit-man.
I am also becoming increasingly concerned that things may not be as we think they are on this Island. Sometimes I wonder if the Island is not at all the benign place that the castaways believe that it is. What if the Others have been helping some force with some ultimately dark agenda, and now our castaways are unwillingly being drawn into it as well? There are just too many strange, unpleasant aspects of the place that do not make sense to me. For one thing, why won’t it just let the survivors leave if they want to? What is the meaning of so many references to the Underworld? And why does the Island “demand” sacrifices?
So many questions...but we did get another very juicy answer. Finally, we learned that Charles Widmore is indeed connected to DHARMA. The logo on the protocol booklet on the freighter that Martin Keamy references is the same as the logo that is on Ben’s parka when he arrived in the Sahara. The general consensus is that this is the logo for the Orchid Station which we have yet to see, and that is used for time travel and/or teleportation.
CONCLUSION: “ALL RIGHT DETECTIVES, THAT’S ENOUGH. MR. LOCKE HAS WORK TO DO TODAY.”
As we head full-force into the first part of the finale, I wanted to briefly review some of the core beliefs I hold in regards to the show for those of you who do not already know me from the various forums. I apologize in advance if for one last time here I am sounding like a broken record.
1. The Island’s relation to time can be described as a wheel. It exists at the center, the spokes are the various time differentials or bearings, and it might be spinning or looping in some way.
2. The submarine was just for show and not actually used for transportation to and from the Island. Another method has been used we have yet to see. I speculate this to be the Orchid Station from the 2007 Comic Con video. However, the natural properties of the Island may have allowed this ability before DHARMA was even there, who probably arrived later with intentions of controlling it.
3. The Island is similar to the Overlook Hotel in the Shining – it always needs a Caretaker. Locke is meant to be the Caretaker and will eventually become the Hero of the overall mythology.
4. For some reason, small details have been changing through the show and are intentional (the Swan Hatch furniture, Ben’s fridge contents, the picture frames in the stairway of the old lady’s home that Miles “ghostbusted”…). This might be related to time looping and/or past events being changed by someone in some way.
5. The show itself is running the Long Con on us. Nothing is as it seems.
Kind of like Wonderland.
Or OZ.
a.N
Special thanks to Lost Media for the screencaps I was unable to grab myself.
*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*
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17 comments:
nice summary Anna1 I just question the mention that the sub was for appearances only I was never sure that Juliette actually arrived by the sub because she was drugged before her trip. Ben however, did arrive by suub as a kid. This link also reminded me that Horace was present at Ben's birth and was the reason he ended up on the Island.I totally forgot that!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3sfwhVTw9g
Great blog
I think that Ben and John are connected with their mothers both being named Emily.
I think the water reference is right on. Every major religion holds water in some type of ritual/symbol status and I think that it is "the constant" of the island an the inhabitants experiences.
"Locke has more than likely been protected and kept alive by the Island since his mom was forced to give birth to him."
Good point. Like when Cooper pushed him through the window. And it echos Michael's scene in the alley with Tom: he was unable to kill himself with the gun. The island wouldn't let him, as Tom said. I wonder if this protection from the island has extended to others like Mikhail? Makes you wonder, what IS the island? Does it have actual consciousness? That sounds a little screwy. Anyway, I have a theory that Jack's side is going to heal up real quick.
thank you all so much for the feedback! i really enjoy sharing these ideas with you all.
tim - you bring up a good point about Ben and his father's arrival to the Island. i still wonder though if they were not drugged, then brought to the sub to "wake up" as if that's where they had been the whole time? i hope next season we get more history of the "DI"
capegirl - thanks for mentioning the water symbolism as this is a subject i am really in to!
bill - its funny i actually had a line in the article that said, "i feel strange talking about an island as if it were a sentient entity, however this is the language the characters use and it is hard to get away from". writing that just now made me remember VALIS and its "otherworldy" consciousness...
"Or was Richard actually in some period in the past before Locke was even born, and then travelled to the different moments in his life? Could the Mittelos Company in all of its various incarnations actually predate the DHARMA Initiative?"
I think we need to be careful about using words like "pre-date." What if someone in the Dharma Initiative figured out how to use the island to time travel. Could he or she not have then established Mittelos Labs in the late 19th century?
What if Alpert's appearances in Locke's life were merely a single day's work by his perception. Remember the USA Today commentary Darlton provided .... time and it's malleable nature play heavy into the show's universe.
I still think Richard Alpert isn't immortal or ageless. He just knows how to teleport himself physically through time. Why would birthdays matter to a man for whom time cannot be measured?
ryan > thanks so much for your feedback!
what you are saying about the way that alpert was traveling to locke's past is a really good possibility. i think i threw into one sentence what you have more eloquently expanded on here!
still, i believe a person who time travels would still age because time is still passing relative to them. isnt it? lol...i might have to come back to this once i get some sleep...
so...you don't think there is any possible connection to life extension projects?
good job, kiddo.
@anna
I think Dharma is more secondary to the island's tale ... just one chapter. (I do believe Darlton have made similar comments.)
They might have been scratching the surface of what it can do, but I think the "original inhabitants" - hostiles to some - really know how to bend and manipulate time. Yeah, they will age, but what took Locke a lifetime to experience (Alpert's visits) only took Richard 24 hours to accomplish. Alpert has aged a day while he traveled through time.
My main point is that the island's history is not linear. There is no past present or future. It's all a jumbled mess. If time in the "real world" goes from past to present to future in a perfectly linear format, then the island is an oasis where everything happens at once. People who leave the year 2035 - to pick a random example - to visit the island could turn up when folks from 1965 visit the island. To the '65ers, the '35ers would seem to be original inhabitants.
Does that make any sense, or am I just confusing myself? ;)
TSH > thank you sir spoiler! :)
Ryan > i totally agree with you, but had heard we will be getting a little more DI backstory next season. the way i see DHARMA/Hanso is more as a clue as to what might be going on...their experiments might relate to specific "powers" or "properties" of the Island. they are definitely not the end all...just more players in the overall game...
it also makes total sense the most likely way richard would have appeared to be "ageless" all of this time is with time travel.
indeed i think we are dealing with a similar concept to the Wheel of Time, or even like you say...time is seen all at once where past, present, future are no longer distinguishable from one another. my favorite example is vonnegut's "slaughterhouse 5" which has been referenced in the show...
the challenge is trying to portray this very abstract concept to writing something like a recap, where you are somewhat driven by the linear nature of time as the show itself plays out in its little hour timespan, at the same time trying to reflect LOST's non-linear storyline so that it can be understood by both hardcore fans and casual viewers...
(and myself!...lol)
thanks for the great conversation; you have me thinking! also know that i often like to throw a lot of conflicting questions out there...a bit of a devil's advocate i suppose...hahaha. i like to hear what conclusions YOU all come to after reading it! :)
@anna: I have to say that your post-episode musings are among the best. So many people spend thousands of words simply recapping ... I watched the show, too. I *know* what happened. Your synopses are very thoughtful analyses and open wonderings. I find them to be very enjoyable and thought-provoking. Keep it up!
And, yes, it is highly paradoxical to use a linear story form (i.e. a narrative) to depict "the time wheel." I just think the moment anyone starts talking about people being on the island before someone else is missing the point.
Ya dig?
P.S. I love love love the screen caps.
Ryan > i know EXACTLY what you mean about some recaps being too heavy on the "play by play" of the episode and too lean on analysis. i really appreciate your kind words and am honored!
i dig - maybe it is that my right and left brains wont reconcile? lol :)
because how else do we discuss the Island in any kind of historical context? we *know* there were people there before the DI arrived...and there were probably others before them...and on...and on...
so then how can we express the true nature of time on the Island and it's "history"?
This has to be your best effort so far, quite brilliant.
I agree with you one hundred percent that John Locke is the most interesting ad dynamic character on the show, with the possible exception of Desmond Hume.
I particularly enjoyed your "box" metaphor and that great use of screen caps. In fact your choice of caps throughout the article was inspired.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to your next installment:)
Nigel, the only reason you like Des more than Locke is because he's on the same side of the pond as you. =)
I had also never thought about all of the box references until I saw some of your screen caps, Anna. I caught the "boxing" thing in Cabin Fever, but didn't realize that Locke being thrown in the locker, and the cubicle, etc. all portrayed him in a box. If you think about it, Jacob may also be trapped in a box - the cabin. Ben, as we've seen, obviously knows how to manipluate the box, but seems to be desperate to be IN the box, or in the good graces of the island.
If that makes sense.
I'm totally fascinated with these comments! Everyone makes such great points and interesting plots to ponder. i agree totally with Ryan that Anna's blogs are so much better than the "play by play" of other recaps. I didn't even think about the fact that John could not be killed the same way Michael couldn't.
Interesting that both had rehab to walk again after a bad accident. Michael after trying to get Walt back and John after his father tried to kill him - I think that there's more to this than we realize - one light, one dark; one who will do anything FOR his son (including killing) and the other who's father will do anything TO his son (including kill him)
Michael will do anything to get off the island, Locke will do anything to stay. I could probably manifest a parallel with any two characters if I tried hard enough - kind of the way some people can interpret scripture to mean anything they want to believe - lol!
nigel > thats so much you know i always love your feedback. i look forward to teaming up on another blog/video theme soon!
gibby > totally makes sense...i didnt even relate the box idea to the cabin! and didn't hurley buy the box company? so what is it with the ones "who are the craziest", jacob, and boxes??
capegirl > wow nice memory - i totally forgot michael was in rehab as well. i need to rewatch some old episodes with him and walt.
LOST is so layered you really can just keep finding connections forever!
I know I keep milking this, but does anyone think that maybe our ageless friend Richard Alpert might have been behind Michael being hit by the car? Just because of Juliet's husband and Emily Locke etc. Perhaps Walt needed to be with his mother? What is it about this show and not only its "daddy issues" but there's a lot to be said about mother's dying or giving up their babies for adoption or being separated from their offspring - Rosseau, Alex;Claire, Aaron; Locke, Emily; Ben, Emily - Kate's mother is dying, Claire's mother is dying, Jin's mom abandons him blah blah blah.....it's endless! Does any writer on that show actually NOT come from dysfunction?? LOL
"one who will do anything FOR his son (including killing)"
I think that many tend to forget that many people can be extremely ruthless when it comes to their children. The motivation behind Michael's actions is not that unique in real life. And I sometimes get the feeling that this is something that many LOST fans do not want to acknowledge.
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