Hey there wascally wabbits of wonderment, and I gotta say... we are lucky, lucky people because this season just keeps gettting better. Yet another stellar episode jam-packed full of clues, hidden tidbits, interesting phrasing and.... Too much!
First things first - secret clue is up!
To be completely honest, I have no idea how to start this one. So much happened that, rather than trying to covering every single little thing, I'm going to give you a big, giant, tasty theory to wrap your melons around. Allow me to try this...
Is John Locke a superhero? I mean, a proper superhero? It seems coming to the island was been his destiny after all and, just like Michael, it wasn't going to let anything happen to him before he'd finished his work. Not only is he invincible, but it seems he may also be a pre-cog; aware of moments from his own future. Before you scream Ninja! You've gone mad! Consider this - Richard totally sounded like Professor X when he was giving the speech about his school for gifted children. Seriously - think about it. This scene was packed with so many clues about Locke's future life; did you see the bird pictures on his wall? Bingo - the same bird Walt checks out in his book, then summons and kills. His picture of Smokey. It's all there.
Which is where Ben comes in; I'm thinking Ben has been the pretender to Locke's throne all along. Both were brought into the world in extreme conditions very early, their mothers were both named Emily. Richard visited five-year-old Locke around the same time as Ben's birth (1961-62). He reached out to Locke again when he was sixteen, the same year Ben came to the island as a ten-year-old (1972-73). On both occasions, Locke proved himself not ready for his destiny. Locke is so insistent on proving his worth, his manliness and his control over his own destiny that he is unable to hear it when it calls. Richard fails on both tries as he attempts to appeal to what Locke is, whereas Abbadon succeeds by appealing to what Locke wants to be.
Ben, on the other hand, has proven himself a man of anguished servitude his entire life. His father drilled into him a sense of worthlessness that appears to have been filled by serving the island. While Ben is certainly special, he's not The Chosen One the island has been waiting for; he was the understudy filling in. Ben appears to have never dreamed of personal adventure, he's simply been doing what he was told. When you consider that, it is easy to see why he's been fascinated with Locke since he arrived on the island. Locke has spent his entire life dreaming of his future existence, was instantly in commune with the island and - most frightening for Ben - willingly submits himself to the island's control without demands, unafraid of killing for it if required. Ben's got power, but Locke's the real deal.
Unfortunately for so many heroes who hope for something better, the twisted years of yearning can distort your beliefs when you finally achieve it. I hate to even say it but - could Locke be the supervillain in this picture, and we never even knew? I watch the show for the characters - if they die at Locke's hand moving the island, I don't care how you look at it, he's the bad guy. So intent on keeping what he's coveted for so long, he'd kill everyone on that island too.
Namaste
The Heroic Lost Ninja
P.S. Anyone else think when Abbadon referred to John as "Mr. Locke" he sounded heaps like a grown-up Walt?