Lost – “The Substitute”

After the lackluster Kate episode, Lost was once again great this week with the Locke centric episode – “The Substitute.” Locke is on of my favorite characters and this episode gave me much to think about.

I’ve seen the term “FLocke” for fake Locke all over the web. I’m just going to call Smokey, Smokey or MIB. I dislike the term FLocke.

On the Island, Locke is dead, but “Smokey” is appearing in human form as Locke. I loved the Smokey cam at the beginning of the episode when Smokey wandered around the island looking at things. Smokey assumes his human form and hooks up with a very drunken Sawyer. This scene was very funny. Smokey and Sawyer go on a strange island adventure where they cross a young boy that Smokey gives chase too. Sawyer can also see the boy, which surprises Smokey. Who is this boy? When I first watched it, I thought he was perhaps a vision of a young Jacob taunting Smokey, but I am definitely open to other opinions. Who did you think this boy was?

A very scared Richard Alpert runs into Sawyer at this point and tells him not to trust Smokey. Interesting. Sawyer contemplates putting a bullet through the back of Smokey’s head, but decides not too. Smokey leads him through perilous adventure to a cave in the side of a cliff. Once there Smokey encounters a scale with a black and white stone on it. He pitches the white stone into the scene and calls it a “private joke.” What is that all about . . . the balance of good and evil? He shows Sawyer that Jacob had kept a list of people to be the chosen one to take over the island. The list included: Jack=23, Hurley=8, Sayid=16, Jin or Sun or Both=42, Locke=4, and Sawyer=15. Strangely Kate does not have a number. The mysterious numbers are now partly explained as we know they are assigned to our heroes, but Smokey tells Sawyer that Jacob “just had a thing for numbers” which seems unlikely. Only time will reveal the real explanation.

Smokey asks Sawyer to join him in trying to escape from the island, to which Sawyer exclaims, “Hell yes!” I am confused on what Sawyer is trying to do at this point in being in league with Smokey, who he obviously doesn’t trust. Ben (my husband) and I both agree that we think Sawyer is in for the long con. Although he is angry at Jack for the death of Juliet, I think the leader/hero in him is trying to get all of the information he can out of Smokey so he can rescue his friends and get them off of the island. What do you think?

My other favorite on island experience was Locke’s funeral on Boone Hill. Ben talks about how great Locke was and that he was sorry that he murdered him. Frank then says, “Weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to." I laughed out loud. Speaking of Boone Hill . . . I’ve often thought Jacob was a Christ-like figure. Ben sent me a theory today that perhaps Jacob will rise again in three days like Christ. My question is, will the rest of the residents of Boone Hill also arise at some point as part of a “second coming” of the Christ-like figure of Jacob. Something to think about . . .

Off island in the parallel world, John Locke has a much happier life than we saw previously. Helen and Locke are engaged to be married and Papa Locke is invited. I think it’s safe to say that Locke’s paralysis was not caused by Papa. Parallel Locke has a greater sense of humor and over the course of the episode he comes to terms with his disability. He is more the man of science than the man of faith.

I also liked how this episode really showed how everyone’s lives are interlaced in this parallel world. Hurley finds out Locke was fired and hooks him up to a temp agency that he also owns. At the temp agency Locke runs into Rose who helps him understand him and live with his limitations. Next with the wedding planning underway, I expect Locke to run into Boone and Shannon.

My last thoughts . . . what is good and what is evil? We have been led to believe that Jacob is good and Smokey is evil. How do we know one is all good and the other bad? Without Jacob’s meddling in the Losties lives, would they have led better lives by themselves as Locke obviously has? What do you think? I’m very interested to learn more about Jacob and MIB.

Also – WALT! Is anyone else annoyed that they cast a kid who probably is looking more like a man at this point. I know he is too old for the part, but at the beginning of the show, Walt had great importance. I think they either recast him and just say that is what had to happen or somehow make do with the fact he is older (things are different in the parallel world). I would like Walt and his powers to be explained!