LOST - Cabin Fever

It was a Locke-centric episode last night. Given the mystical man of faith's fall from grace this season, it was good to see John returning to form while Ben is apparently out of favor--with Jacob and the island at least. Ben spent most of the episode whining, "I used to have dreams," and "I was chosen. I was special." But now it's John Locke's turn and Ben warns him, "There are consequences to being chosen...because destiny, John, is a fickle bitch."

The episode started with a young woman playing a phonograph record (Buddy Holly's Everyday) which was reminiscent of the opening of season two, with Desmond playing a record before the Losties blew open the hatch. Turns out the young girl was Emily Locke, John's mother. John was a preemie--born three months early--but special even back then. Richard Alpert was peering at him through the glass as he lay in the incubator. Later, Alpert shows up again at the house of young John's adopted parents. He claims, "I run a school for kids who are extremely special." He puts several items in front of John: a baseball glove, a book of laws, a jar of granules, a compass and a comic book and knife. He tells John to choose the one that is his. John chooses the knife (big surprise given his boar hunting skills on display in season one, huh?) and Alpert is disappointed. He tells John's adopted mother that John isn't quite ready yet--although he seemed really interested in a childish drawing John had done that looked eerily premonitory of our friend the smoke monster...

Later, we see a teenage John being stuffed into a locker. His guidance counselor comes to his rescue and tells him about a science camp run by Mittelos Laboratories (the name of the company that recruited Juliet to the island) but John isn't interested in being a scientist. He did not, however, tell his counselor that he wasn't a man of science, he was a man of faith. He gets upset when the guidance counselor tells him that he's not a superhero. "Don't tell me what I can't do!" That--along with the "man of faith" mantra--seems to be his catch phrase, huh? It's even more irritating than "Live together, die alone." Maybe in a future episode Rose will smack him...

The last part of the flashback (hmmm, interesting--no flashforwards, just a flashback this episode...) showed Locke in the midst of physical therapy for his paralysis caused when his father pushed him out a window from eight stories up. He is frustrated with his progress and sulking as the orderly wheels him away. The orderly, who is most definitely more than just an orderly, is none other than Matthew Abaddon. Now, we know Alpert is on the Ben/Island team and Abaddon is a Widmore flunkie. So was John being recruited by both sides? It was Abaddon who inspired John to go on the walkabout which took him to Australia and landed him on Oceanic Flight 815 in the first place. But, ironically, once Locke ends up on the island he becomes part of the side of Widmore's rival when he hooks up with Ben. So what will happen, as Abaddon tells John, "When you and me run into each other again, you'll owe me one."

The search for the cabin leads Locke, Hurley and Ben in circles as no-one's sure where it is and who is following who. They set up camp for the night and John ostensibly wakes (that whole eye opening thing again!) to the sound of wood being chopped. He meets Horace Godspeed in the jungle who tells him, "Ya gotta find me--and when you do you'll find him." He also tells John he's been dead for twelve years and John wakes up from his dream. He knows they have to go to the mass grave of the D.I. (That's Dharma Initiative according to H.G. aka Horace Godspeed). Hurley tells John that his theory is that John and he can both see the cabin because "we're the craziest." When Locke shows Hurley the mass grave he asks, "What happened to them?" Nodding towards Ben, John replies, "He did."

Actually Ben denies being responsible for the deaths of the D.I. saying it wasn't HIS decision, it was leader of the Others. Turns out Ben wasn't always the leader of the Others...John finds Godspeed's body and some architectural plans in the pocket of his shirt. He tells Hurley that now that he knows where the cabin is, Hurley can head back to the beach. Hurley decides it's safer to continue on with Locke and Ben. Ben smirks to Locke, "He actually thinks staying was his idea. Not bad, John--not bad at all!" Locke says, "I'm not you" to which Ben answers, "You're certainly not."

The three arrive at the cabin and Ben tells John, "My time is over. It's yours, John." Hurley's not thrilled about entering the spooky cabin either. So Locke enters alone and while they wait outside, Hurley splits a candy bar with Ben. That Hurley--he's so nice, he even shares his food with a mass murderer! Inside the cabin, Locke sees a figure sitting in a chair. "Are you Jacob?" he asks. "No, but I can speak on his behalf." The figure turns out to be Christian Shepherd--Jack's dead dad. So, Christian is NOT Jacob. Locke is shocked to also see Claire in the cabin. While Locke sputters on about what Claire is doing in the cabin (Claire's response: "I'm with him."), Christian tells him, "Why don't you ask the one question that does matter?" And that question is: "How do I save the island?" When Locke exits the cabin, Ben asks him if Jacob told him what he want them to do. Locke answers, "He wants us to move the island."

Weirdness. So not only does Jacob's cabin move, the island moves--which is why the Oceanic Six can't get back to it after they leave and why Ben told Widmore that he'll never find it. Interesting...Other interesting factoids: The doctor WAS still alive when Faraday transmitted the Morse code message. Obviously, the boat time zone is a bit different from the island time zone. Moments after that message, Keamy slits the doctor's throat in order to get Frank Lapidus to capitulate and fly them back to the island. Keamy also shoots Captain Gault as well--but not before Gault warns Desmond and Sayid that Keamy is up to no good and allows Sayid to "steal" a Zodiac raft to get back to the island and warn them. Keamy also tried to kill Michael--but the gun just clicks, like it did when Michael tried to kill himself back in New York. Seems the island still won't let him die.

So what exactly is the secondary protocol that Keamy retrieved from the safe? What was that thing strapped to his arm? Why did Frank throw his pack with the sat phone in it as the chopper flew over the island? Who was the Others leader before Ben (Richard Alpert?)? Since Sayid left well before the chopper, why didn't he arrive before the pack/sat phone? How do you move an entire island?

Check out the recap at Lostpedia, screencaps at Dark UFO and the Dueling Analyses at the Washington Post's Celebritology.