Our island friends are all out of sorts on this episode of Lost. As we follow Locke in his alternate, plane-safely-landed universe we see a much different man than the boar-hunting Locke we once knew. Still living with the love of his life Helen, Locke struggles to keep his faith—and he’s usually faith’s biggest advocate—while coming to grips with the reality of his handicap.
Meanwhile, on the present-day island, Locke’s body is up to no good. Inhabited by the man in black a.k.a. the smoke monster a.k.a Jacob’s arch nemesis, people are scared of this guy. Everyone who’s not already at the temple wants to get there lickity-split. Especially Richard, who after being beaten and strung up in the jungle is as jumpy and frightened as a lost kitten.
Sawyer’s the only one who’ll listen to the man in black/Locke, even against Richard’s advice. Sitting in his Dharmaville house, drowning his Juliet’s dead sorrows in some alcohol, Sawyer’s got nothing to lose. And even through his whiskey haze he can tell something’s up. He knows this new Locke has changed; he’s not like the old Locke who was afraid. Astute observation, Sawyer. But after Locke promises to show him why he’s on the island, Sawyer goes for it. He says, “Well, I guess I better put some pants on,” and the pair embarks on a cross-island journey to a cave carved into the side of a cliff.
While trudging through the jungle, smoke monster Locke sees a young blonde boy dressed in typical Others tattered garb. The second time this mystery boy appears, Locke chases after him, and the boy admonishes him for killing Jacob, reminding him that, uh, that’s not in the rule book. Non Locke, mirroring the real-life Locke, screams, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” And you’re just waiting for him to follow that sentence up with a qualifier: “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, Aaron!” or “Don’t tell me what I can’t do (fill in blank)!” But, it’s quite possible that this blonde jungle-dweller could be crazy jungle Claire’s son Aaron, who’s fate is as tied to the island as any of the Oceanic passengers.
Flash back to Locke’s alternate life, where we see a whole crew of island regulars playing various roles. Hurley meets Locke in the parking as Locke’s trying to leave his office after being fired. Turns out Hurley owns the company and promises to help Locke with a new job. At this new office we see Rose, who gives Locke a little talking-to about the reality of what he can and can’t do. (She also still has cancer, which, like Locke’s paralysis, was cured on the island.) Later, Locke’s working as a substitute teacher, and who does he meet but an even nerdier (if that was possible) Ben (who’s still bossy and controlling, yelling at coworkers for improper use of the coffee maker).
It’s as if Ben and Locke were meant to be together. Or, Ben just can’t escape Locke. They butted heads on the island, Ben eventually murdered Locke, then was shocked to see him come back to life (little did he know that was the anti-Jacob), was even more shocked to see Locke murder Jacob, and then even more surprised to find out that Locke had actually been dead all along. What a headache.
But, back to the island in the here and now. Sawyer and Evil Locke make it down a treacherous maze of ladders and into a cave. In the cave there is a scale. On the scale sit two stones: one white and one black. Locke picks up the white stone and throws it out into the ocean, tipping the scales in favor of the black stone. The balance has shifted now that Jacob’s not around. We then see Jacob’s old scribblings on the wall of the cave. More than just cave art, it’s a list of names accompanied by numbers. What numbers, you ask? Well, Hurley’s winning (and super cursed) lotto numbers, of course. Which leads us to ask one of the most nagging questions of Lost history: Where did those numbers come from and what is wrong with them??
4 Locke 8 Reyes 15 Ford 16 Jarrah 23 Shephard 42 Kwon — What does it all mean, Jacob? And which Kwon are you talking about, Sun or Jin?
And now non-Locke is telling Sawyer that he’s supposed to be Jacob’s replacement. Sawyer is to be the new island protector? Well, kind of. He gets three options: do nothing, protect the island, or leave. And he chooses door number three. Something just doesn’t feel right about that.