My Serious, Logical Thoughts on Follow the Leader

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Refers to Locke as the new leader of the OTHERS and also refers to the OTHERS as they blindly follow Jacob even without seeing him.

YOU’RE DA BOMB

The last time I saw a bomb in a temple was in the movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes. That did not end so well. I wish that Jack had asked Richard about the hieroglyphics on the stone supports in the temple. So the plan then is to detonate the bomb and destroy the electromagnetic anomaly thus altering the future. The problem with this is that when you try to do that your actions simply become part of the future you already know. Just ask Sayid. He thought he changed things by killing Ben. However Ben survived and thanks to Sayid became a permanent member of the OTHERS. Maybe the only reason Ben is Ben is because of Sayid.

Perhaps when Jack attempts to use the bomb to destroy the anomaly he actually causes it. Or an even more likely explanation is that his plan fails or he is too late. Remember when Desmond was in the hatch, and he turned the key that blew up the anomaly? Well, what he could have been blowing up was Jughead the very bomb we see in this episode and have seen before. So the bomb is detonated by Desmond destroying the anomaly but it is too late to save Oceanic 815 from crashing. Also does anyone really want to see the past five seasons negated ala Quantum-Leap style? I think not.

BEN DOES HE EVER SPEAK THE TRUTH?

Ben tells so many lies it’s hard to tell when he is speaking the truth. When he tells Richard “Why do you think I tried to kill him” he is implying that he knew Locke was going to be trouble as the new leader of the OTHERS. But wasn’t the reason because Locke had to be dead on the plane to take the place of the father of Jack who was also dead on the original flight? It looks more like Ben is trying to get on Richard’s good side. He has done this just recently with Caesar. He got on his good side and spoke badly about Locke but then he killed Caesar after stealing his gun. And we see Ben talking with Locke and acting like he is all on his side and if Jacob wants to help reunite him with his friends he’ll help.

THE INCREDIBLE MISTER ALPERT

When Richard comments that there is something different about Locke, Locke responds with “I have a purpose now”. So why does Locke suddenly want to kill Jacob? His comments to the OTHERS that they are all taking orders from a man they have never seen implies that he is trying to rescue them from some kind of man whom they blindly follow. Who is this Jacob really? Does he really have their best interests at heart? What is his goal?

There is a striking similarity between this situation and the Twilight Zone episode Old Man in the Cave (1963). In this episode a group of people who have survived a nuclear war take directions from an unseen man in a cave. There is a mediator between the man in the cave and the people. Only one guy who ever goes into the cave to talk to the man. Then he comes out and tells the people what the old man said. The Old man says not to eat the food they have. The people eat the food anyway and die. At the end of the episode we find out that the old man in the cave is a computer. Richard Alpert sounds a lot like this mediator guy since he seems to be the only person who knows how to find Jacob. Ben says that Richard has been at this job a long time. But how long? Can you say four-toed statue? Richard may have been alive back then when the statue was built. He was granted immortality by the island to serve the island kind of like an island priest. He may be thousands of years old.

Notice the shock on the face of Ben when Locke states that Ben has never seen Jacob. Ben does not contradict him and says nothing. The last time Ben and Locke confronted Jacob together Ben certainly acted like he was talking to someone in a chair while Locke saw no one. Then Jacob spoke but only Locke could hear him. Ben heard nothing. Jacob said “Help me” to Locke. We got just a glimpse of Jacob. He was an older man with a gray beard dressed in shabby clothes.

The statement of Locke that he wants to kill Ben seems surprising and contradictory. After all was it not Jacob who chose Locke to be the new leader? Jacob or the island? I thought the two were synonymous. One interpretation of the “help me” statement from Jacob to Locke is that this is a plea for Locke to kill him. That would explain a lot. Perhaps Jacob is being kept prisoner by the island or Richard and the only way out for Jacob is to die. After all, have you ever seen Jacob outside of that shack he lives in? It could be his prison cell.

AWKWARD

On the sub La Fleur is handcuffed in the same room with two women he was slept with.

I WATCHED THEM ALL DIE

Richard makes the comment that he saw Jack, Hurley and Kate die. That doesn’t sound good at all so let’s hope he is wrong. Kate ends up on the sub with Sawyer and Juliet so she seems to be getting away. In order for Richard to see her die she would have to return to the island. How is that going to happen? Will the sub have a mechanical problem and want to turn back? Also did anybody notice that Lafleur, Juliet and Kate were conscious for the sub journey? Always before when people were in the sub they had to be unconscious. Recall Juliet’s first ride when she drank the knockout juice and also that is how Hurley, Jack and Kate were able to infiltrate DHARMA because nobody on the boat saw them because they were all asleep. Jack and Hurley are still on the island so he could still see them die. So how are we going to get out of this dilemma? Because we can’t have Jack die. There are possibilities:

• Richard saw a large group of people killed and assumed they all died. This could happen if the bomb goes off and he assumes they are nearby and they are not.
• Richard was told to lie in the future about what really happened to Jack, Hurley and Kate for some reason. Recall Richard takes directions from Locke about how to deal with the other time-traveling Locke who appears. Could he not also take direction from other time travelers? But why would Jack and company want to lie about what happened to them? Because they don’t want anyone coming after them. They think it is too dangerous.

So take heart. Jack and stuff might still be alive in the past and not be killed as Richard says.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

Hey anybody wonder what happened to Bernard and Rose? Last we saw of them they were time flashing with everybody else. Would they not have time flashed to the 1970s with DHARMA. Here are my ideas where they are:

• They are dead
• They time-flashed to the 1970s but hid out with the hostiles instead of DHARMA
• They time-flashed to the 1970s but hid out on their own

WHAT ABOUT ETHAN?

Is Ethan who is a baby on the sub? Since they evacuated all non-essential personnel that would include Ethan. But we know Ethan will be on the island in the future. This is a strong hint that this sub is not going anywhere. It must be coming right back. The hostiles are fond of stealing children so they must steal him at some point in the future.

Compasses don't work on the island. It looks like Locke has forgotten about that and also his statement to Sayid that he no longer needs a compass.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
What is your theory on where Bernard and Rose are? Post!

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