Something that always stood out in my mind (as an example of this time loop theory) is how ready Ben was with a plan when the plane split apart in the sky. This baffled me until now!

The doctor’s body drifted in along an alternate coordinate which is why it arrived in another “time”.

Can’t wait until tonight. I don’t we will be spoiled enough to see how Locke moves the island though, haha! They’ll leave us hanging on that one I bet.

To Jerry:
The monitor strapped to Keamy’s arm is a heart monitor. If his heart stops, the detonators blow and everyone will be playing harps (including the Smoke Monster!). Seems like Keamy is a big kid….. if he cant win, he is gonna take away the ball (and the entire field)!

To Brian:
Sounds like Michio Kaku’s mind has quantumally teleportated right up his wormhole!

To Everyone else (especially Ryan and Jen):
Hello!

To Jerry:
The monitor strapped to Keamy’s arm is a heart monitor. If his heart stops, the detonators blow and everyone will be playing harps (including the Smoke Monster!). Seems like Keamy is a big kid….. if he cant win, he is gonna take away the ball (and the entire field)!

To Everyone else (especially Ryan and Jen):
Hello!

To Brian:
Sounds like Michio Kaku’s mind has quantumally teleportated right up his wormhole!

- What if Locke was originally born full term and ended up on the island in a different way than what we’ve seen on the show? But in that timeline things didn’t turn out the way Jacob wanted so Alpert was sent to try to change Locke’s upbringing in the hopes of affecting the man Locke would become. (tabula rasa anyone?)

- There are dark forces at work and Christain Shepherd is their messenger. Anyone who can take over Jacob’s cabin scares me.

- Claire abondoning her baby in the jungle really freaked me out. And what kind of change could have come over her to make her want to sit in the dark in the ghost shack?! She must be dead. The eerie look in her eyes during the cabin scene! Why would she turn creepy and abandon her baby – even in death – unless she is being influenced by evil?

- The psychic told her that her “goodness” must influence her baby – what will happen to Aaron now that Claire has gone to the dark side? I’m worried!

(taken from here http://www.aloha.net/~hawmtn/horus.htm)

“The EYE OF HORUS has a very specific meaning. The eye is represented as a figure with 6 parts. These 6 parts correspond to the six senses – Touch, Taste, Hearing, Thought, Sight, Smell. These are the 6 parts of the *eye*. The eye is the receptor of *input*. It has these six doors, to receive data.

1/64 heqat Touch
1/32 heqat Taste
1/16 heqat Hearing
1/8 heqat Thought
1/4 heqat Sight
1/2 heqat Smell”

“Horus was an ancient Egyptian sky god in the form of a falcon. The right eye represents a peregrine falcon’s eye and the markings around it, that includes the “teardrop” marking sometimes found below the eye. As the wadjet (also udjat or utchat), it also represented the sun, and was associated with Horus’ mother, Hathor, and with Wadjet another goddess, both who early sun deities and who became known as aspects of one another, as well as the sun deity Ra (Re). The mirror image, or left eye, sometimes represented the moon and the god Tehuti (Thoth). [4]”
*
“The Eye of Horus (previously wadjet and the Eye of the Moon; and afterward as The Eye of Ra)[1] is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and royal power from deities, in this case from Horus or Ra. The symbol is seen on images of Horus’ mother, Hathor, and on other deities associated with her.”
*

When I think of Horus, I think of the Sphinx that OEdipus meets on his journey who gives him a riddle to solve. We all know there are BIG Oedipus things going on in this show. Horus also brought to mine the sort of protective things that hover around in a video game before you get to the bad guy’s lair. Things that could weaken you or through you of your course, but considering the above explanation, I wonder whether Horus wasn’t also perhaps trying to warn John of something? I am sort of in line with the camp that thinks that maybe Christian was not authorized to speak for Jacob…

Also, we know that eyes play a big role in all of this. There is always the eye coming open suddenly so, of course, Eye of Horus. Ha!

Then again, maybe it was a mistake.

Great podcast & blog, keep up the good work – would love you to mention my comment on the podcast.
Paul in York in the UK

In one way, it seems like Alpert and Abaddon may be together but I don’t think so. Alpert appeared early in Locke’s life and then again during his teen years (Mittelos was also the place that recruited Juliet) but Abbadon just seemed to persuade Locke to go on the Walkabout, which brought to mind Hurley’s line, “Australia is the key”. It could just be that Widmore hoped to follow Locke from Australia and find the Island because he knew that the island would draw Locke there. Abbadon’s line that Locke would thank him, leads me to believe that he’s been to the island and knows what it can do.

Also, I wondered if Locke was supposed to choose the comic book or the Book of Laws. A lot of people think it was the comic but I think the Book of Laws is more fitting with who Locke is and if they wanted him to be a leader and a man of faith then that seems like the better choice.

It was a great ep. Can’t wait to hear the podcast.

Correction: Buddy Holly’s “Everyday.”

Love your blog. The most insightful and penetrating commentary on Lost out there.

People on the Island who won’t and can’t die must already be dead. Think about all the characters who keep coming back and can’t be killed.

Locke is already dead, killed by the plane crash (when his legs started to work) . When Locke showed up alive after being shot by Ben, Ben realizes he can’t kill Locke (cause it’s a waste of time).

Locke’s destiny is to become Jacob. I think that’s why Locke didn’t find Jacob in the cabin. When Locke peeked into the window during the first trip, I think he saw himself.

When Locke chose the knife during his test, it meant that at that point in time he was destined to be evil. Not ready to be a “good guy”

Ben thinks he is a “good guy,” but not realizes that he’s just holding things together for Locke.

Michael is already dead, he can’t be killed again. Maybe Micahel wasn’t in the coffin (hmm). Though it is interesting how live people can see him on the mainland.

The Oceanic 6 are the only “survivors” who are alive.

The “voices” are ghosts on the Island, maybe dead Darhma folks.

Jack feels guilty that he is alive when he returns, which is one reason for his severe depression.

Locke and Ben are half-brothers in possible different time-lines. Both are destined to find the Island and protect it. Emily is their mother.

Ben is still letting Locke “think” he is in control. I think Ben knows that Locke is his half-brother.

If Locke fails to protect the Island, Aaron will be next in-line to come back to save it.

Given the fact that the producers/writers mislead us (wink wink) about “no time travel”.. could we revist the theory that the Island is both Heaven and Hell?

Keamy vs. Michael: it’s safe to assume that Michael can’t get shot by Keamy because of Michael’s significance to the island.

Good guys vs. Bad guys: To be frank, I think we shouldn’t get hung up on the idea of who is bad or who is good. Better yet, we should focus on what their actions reflect. We can assume, then, that behavior reflecting positive will not always predict their “Good guy” persona. Ben, in my opinion, has been selfish in his pursuits, but otherwise reflects the “good guy” persona. While, in the case of Widmore the opposite has been shown. Sure, Widmore looks like a nice British man, but I dare everyone to trace his behavior throughout the show and you will find a “Bad guy” persona hidden behind that British accent.

Also, who hit Emily? I’ve watched Lost too long to think it was just a coincidence that a car would hit Emily Locke and induce early labor. Could it be Richard? He’s caused car accidents before to get people on the island (Cooper, Juliet’s husband). Could it be Anthony Cooper? If he knew about her pregnancy, he might stoop low enough to get her out of the way. Could it simply be the island at work? Any theories?

Some of this episode was dedicated to set-up and moving characters into position, but it was done very well. In particular, I loved the scene on the deck of the freighter where Keamy faced-off with Frank over flying to the island. They’re really setting Keamy up as a great villain, he’s completely slimy and ruthless. It’s gonna be great to see a face-off in the finale… Good thing Frank seems to have a conscience, and good thing Sayid is on his way to the island!

By the way, isn’t it strange that he didn’t make it there already, since the doctor’s body already washed up on shore? Didn’t Sayid leave the freighter long before the doctor was killed and thrown off the boat? This whole thing about the time difference between the island and the outside world sure is confusing!

This is my first post, so I hope this is not too much.

Richard Alpert (real life Dr. Richard Alpert renamed himself Ram Dass, “Servant of God,” wrote _Be Here Now_, lives in Maui—coincidence, I think not. ) seems to operate on an entirely different level than any of the others, including Ben and now Locke. He seems to predate the Black Rock, and perhaps has more to do with those who made the original artifacts on the island– the statue, the hieroglyphic door, the cave, and the temple, whatever that may be. He is aware of those who are “special.” I do not understand his need for “chosen ones” to kill, literally, their past. It may be a “God and Abraham/Issac” thing.

Abaddon, “the angel of the abyss, the destroyer”? Like Alpert, Abaddon is an ancient. They choose to work with whomever they encounter. There is a difference, I think–Alpert always can get back to the island, Abaddon always wants to get back. This is why he needs to know if “they are still alive.” He needs to know how to get to the island. At one point I thought he may have been one of the slaves on the Black Rock, but now I think he is an ancient. He is connected to the people (assasins?) with the bracelets, and I think they are an entirely unknown group at this point, although Sayid has/will noticed them. I also think they are independent of Widmore.

The ancients created or found Smokey.

As Hugo noted, Australia is important. The numbers, the walkabout. And Abaddon is tied to the events in Australia somehow—in Locke’s case explicitly.

Widmore was once like Ben—on the island. I do not think he was on the Black Rock. Is he special? I don’t know. Was he ever approached by Alpert? More likely Abaddon. I don’t believe Ben’s version of Widmore anymore than I believe Widmore’s version of Ben. The two think it’s their game, but it is not.

Both Widmore and Ben are able to travel through time, like Desmond and Daniel, through their consciousness. This is why they seem to know so much at the right times. Desmond and Daniel may to use this ability with some success in the future, as already seen in contacting Penny. And there are more of these “time travel” people, like the woman who convinces Des to go back.

I do not think there is anything divine about any of the characters. In the end, Daniel and Charlotte probably hold the keys to why, where, how—they keep the list and probably stay on the island. Science will out.

So, I hope that’s not too much to start with.

I think that Locke IS Jacob, but he just doesn’t realize it yet. Richard Alpert asks him which of the items he “already has,” when he visits Locke as a young boy. There is obviously some time travel involved here.

I also think this surprise reveal of Locke as Jacob was alluded to in the Nikki and Paolo episode in Season 3. In that episode, Nikki’s flashback shows her playing a character on a TV show who is surprised to find out who Mr. Big (I think) is. She says something like “It was you all along.” I’m pretty sure this foreshadows the storyline on the island in some way. I’ve always thought Jacob was someone very familiar.

Not about last night – but a theory. Penelope is Ben’s friend Anne from the Dharma days. He has vowed to kill Widmore’s daughter, and will not be able to once he learns her true identity, OR he succeeds in killing her – then learns.

Great episode. Can’t wait to see Keamy get it.

Good question about the Dharma drops. The only thing that would make sense is if the Others themselves took over the drops. Mittelos, their off island branch, seems to have a lot of power and resources. They could have arranged an off Island takeover of whatever entity Dharma had in place to supply the drops. They did not bother to change the logo. Maybe because it would have cued the guys at the Swan that something was wrong and they could have chosen to stop pushing the button.

I found this reference on LostPedia to the Bahá’í Faith.

From WikiPedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-Aqdas

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is a central book of the Bahá’í Faith written by Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the religion. The work was written in Arabic under the Arabic title al-Kitáb al-Aqdas (Arabic: الكتاب الاقدس), but it is commonly referred to by its Persian title, Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Persian: كتاب اقدس), which was given to the work by Bahá’u'lláh himself. It is sometimes also referred to as “the Aqdas”, “the Most Holy Book”, “the Book of Laws” and occasionally “the Book of Aqdas”.

It is usually stated that the book was completed around 1873, although there is evidence to suggest that at least some of the work was written earlier [1]. Bahá’u'lláh had manuscript copies sent to Bahá’ís in Iran some years after the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and in the year 1308 A.H. (1890-91 A.D.), he arranged for the publication of the original Arabic text of the book in Bombay.

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is referred to as “the Mother-Book” of the Bahá’í teachings, and the “Charter of the future world civilization” (God Passes By, p. 213 [2]). It is not, however, only a ‘book of laws’: much of the content deals with other matters, notably ethical exhortations and addresses to various individuals, groups, and places. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas also discusses the establishment of Bahá’í administrative institutions, Bahá’í religious practices, laws of personal status, criminal law, ethical exhortations, social principles, miscellaneous laws and abrogations, and prophecies.

I only have one specific comment to make, and I know it’s a little silly… but did anyone else see a strangely accurate parallel between the scene with Alpert and Childhood John and pages 269 and 270 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?

(*Blush*)

The scene with Hurley, Ben and the chocolate bar was my favorite of the series thus far. I thought it’s juxtaposition after the intense Locke cabin scene coupled with the incredible facial acting expressions of Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson really brought it home.

I really like where this season is going.

One thought though – taking what we know of Ben from this episode, and how he really seems a bit downtrodden, and unsure – and drawing upon his line from a few episodes after Keamy killed Alex — ‘They changed the rules’…what if they really had changed the rules – i.e. Ben had done this all before – and this time it was different. A time loop similar to Groundhog Day where the events are replaying over and over, and each time something is a little different. Alex getting killed, Ben not knowing what to do, what next move to make – this would change everything….including what’s inside that book that Keamy had, which seemingly stated where Ben would be next. How accurate could that info be, if not even Ben knows what he’s going to do next.

Just a theory.

In any event, I can’t wait to see the finale next week. Keep up the excellent work.

Both killed their father (Locke more indirectly, but still).
Both met Richard Alpert when they were children.
Both had spinal problems.”

Maybe they are the same person – but went down alternative paths in time?

Tonight there were many insights into how many of these people are connected, and how some people may even be the same person on some level.

It brought me back to think about Charlie’s song, You All Everybody. Could this have been a clue all along?

When Ben said to Locke, “I certainly am not” when lock said “I’m not you Ben”, I think they let us in to the fact that everybody could be the same person. Then the flashback of “John Locke” going to Portland as a scientist????!!!! Nice.

Also, is Abaddon working with or against Richard. Is he tempting Locke toward destruction in the ‘Abyss’(pushing him toward the stairs in the wheelchair)? Richard seems to be a more protective presence toward Locke. Abaddon just seems evil, “next time you see me you’ll owe me one”. As in his soul? Was he tempting Hurley in the flash forward with his offer to upgrade him to a nicer hospital. Sounds like Devil talk to me.

Seems to me that we’re gearing up to a classic battle between good and evil….God and the Devil. But who is who? Is Locke the Savior? His mother did say he was a virgin birth. So who does that make Ben? Does saving the island mean just that, or is it bigger than that? Will saving the island save the world?

Keep up the great work. Can’t wait to hear the latest podcast!

ABC has added two hours to the show’s production plan because the WGA strike knocked three hours out of the current season. To partly compensate, the network recently added an additional hour to Part 2 of the season finale that airs May 29.

All told, the changes will wrap up the show with the same number of episodes that producers and ABC negotiated last year.

“We were supposed to do 16-16-16,” “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof said. “But we ended up doing 14 this season, so we owe two.”

For the upcoming season finale, Lindelof promised a more action-driven cliffhanger instead of the mind-bending flash-forward time shift that stunned fans last season.

“The finale this year will not be as tricky as last year,” he said. “Hopefully, this year it’s a little bit more of a straightforward action-adventure narrative. But the ending of the episode will hopefully engage and intrigue people looking forward to the next season of the show.”

Are Ben and Locke half brothers? Like Jack and Claire.

I think you are on to something… some other parallels between Locke and Ben:

Both killed their father (Locke more indirectly, but still).
Both met Richard Alpert when they were children.
Both had spinal problems.

So we think we know Mittelos is not the same as Dharma, Abaddon went on a walkabout too (perhaps he went to the island then), time travel is involved so people from the future with info about the past could possibly be influencing things, Hanso, Widmore, the Black Rock, mothers with initials E. L. (heck the actress that plays Claire… her name starts with and “E” while her characters last name starts with an “L”), and of course the theory of the movable island is coming to fruition… and on and on and on…

I do think that the island will move so that when the O6 leave on the raft, they was up close to land where the coast guard can find them… or maybe it’s just because of the bearing they take. Claire could be dead… I can believe that with her hanging around with her Dad, leaving the baby to be found by Sawyer, and that could certainly be the reason she doesn’t leave the island.

Umm… when does the next show air… cause I can’t wait.

also, Ben doesn’t know that Locke talked to anyone other than Jacob, does he?

As far as some time inconsistences regarding the Buddy Holly recording, just because it was recorded in 1958 does not make it that year. It could still be any time thereafter. The clothing worn in those scenes could be from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, so i don’t think there is a problem there.

Love your thoughts….

(sorry its hard to explain my though in english)

My problem with this is the same as my problem with Ben saying that he’s a good guy. Ben and presumably Alpert and the hostiles killed all of the Dharma employees. I refuse to believe that all 100 or so of them were bad people.

What a great question! It’s a question that we should all have been asking. Maybe smokie needs time to recharge after each attack. I’m surprised how many of Keamy’s men escaped the first attack.

1. I thought it was interesting as they shared more of Locke’s past/beginning the parallels between his youth and Ben’s. Both shared traumatic births and then spent their childhood feeling unwanted/unloved.

2. When I started reflecting on the above point, I realized that a common theme in ALL of our main character (at least most?!) is parental/abandonment issues, also referred to in one specific episode as “daddy” issues. Jack, clearly “daddy” issues; Kate, both daddy issues and then ‘abandoned’ by her mother; Sawyer…; Hurley…; Claire…; Jin…; Sun, to a certain extent…;

3. So, were all these Losties corralled to the island for the same reasons that the “others” take such an interest in special children? Are the main characters in some sense “special children”

Ok, I’d love your all’s feedback. Not sure how any of that translates into a theory per se, but just some interesting observations….

One of the better episodes. Still wondering with all the new characters and twists if we will ever get all the answers we need.

Just a thought about Smokie…has Ben been “controlling” him all along? (The Pilot, Eko, Locke) Why doesn’t he just stay in his hidden room and unleash the beast on the freighties when they return? The writers better kill off Keamy in grand fashion or I will be dissapointed!

One thing that has me a little worried is seeing how Sayid gets to the island? They haven’t shown the helicopter ride all the way through, but I suspect the bump in the road might be the storm?
How about driving a boat through the ‘ripple’ to get to the island? We know Sayid makes it, but are there any weird effects when he goes through?

Somehow I doubt they will show anything, but it just creeps me out thinking about it.

Again, thanks to everyone who has posted some amazing insights already.

How is the Dalai Lama chosen?

Senior Buddhist monks and Tibetan government officials begin a search for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama after the death of the previous Lama. These searchers look for a boy who was born around the same time as the death of the previous Lama. According to the British Broadcasting Corp., the officials can decide where to look for the reincarnation in several ways: by way of a dream; by watching the direction the smoke drifts after the cremation of the previous Lama and then searching accordingly; or from some sign or vision from a holy lake in central Tibet.

Once found, the officials present the boy with possessions of the previous Dalai Lama to determine whether the boy is familiar with them. If the child chooses the artifacts that belonged to he previous Lama, than that, along with the other signs, is believed to prove he is a reincarnation.

We know Locke’s mother is Emily Annabeth Locke. She was played by Swoosie Kurtz previously (who BTW was born in 1944.) That would make her about 16 in 1960 which fits in well with the age and timeframe we see her in at the beginning of this episode. When we see her again around the year 2000 she looks her age of about 56.

Her mother is upset that her boyfriend, the father of the baby presumably is twice her age. That would make her father in his early 30’s and more importantly close to 70 years old around the year 2000.

We have been told that Anthony Cooper is Locke’s father. Kevin Tighe plays his dad. He would have to be 16 years older than Emily (twice her age.) Did he look almost 70 when John gave him his kidney? Kevin Tighe was also born in 1944.

Emily’s mother sees Richard Alpert who looks to be in his 30’s and wonders if he is John’s father. (The actor is actually 41.) Of course we know that Richard always looks in his 30’s. So…Richard knew Locke was special even at birth and was there to watch him. Richard is almost like one of the 3 Wise Men, who came to honor the Messiah’s birth.

The next time we see Locke he’s living in a foster home. Weren’t we always led to believe that John was actually raised by Emily? She always told him he was a virgin birth. Yet we know that Cooper was his biological father – the kidney matched.

We’ve always thought that Richard was one of the pre-Dharma island residents. Locke was clearly born pre-Dharma. He’s definitely older or at least close to Ben’s age so that makes sense. So Richard is watching over John.

Enter Matthew Abaddon who it turns out is also looking after John Locke post his fall from the building in rehab. We know Abaddon is working for Charles Widmore – or is he? Widmore certainly used him to recruit the 4 scientists. Some believe Abaddon is another incarnation of the smoke monster.

What is the connection between Richard Alpert and Michael Abbadon? Are they working together or on different sides? Richard recruited Ben when he was a teenager on the island. Ben is Widmore’s enemy. Abbadon works for Widmore. Who then is Widmore? Was he also one of the original islanders who somehow found his way off the island?

Like Nerico said, we’ve always thought Widmore was Dharma, but now I doubt that also. I think he is trying to learn all about Dharma. I also tend now to agree that he was once an islander, perhaps the Captain of the Black Rock since he has paintings of it all over the place. Maybe the paintings are his visible tie to his past. Maybe he wanted to buy the log book to see if it had information to help him get back to the island.

Widmore is searching for the island – we know that. Maybe what he’s searching for is the way BACK to the island. Maybe Ben moved the island when he became the island’s chosen one. When the island moves it’s hard to find again.

The island moving makes sense though. It explains how an African slave ship ended up on the island. The island was once in the Atlantic ocean. The island moves through not only time, but also space. Heck, maybe the island is Atlantis.

Richard identified himself to Locke’s foster parent as working for Mittelos (anagram for LOST Time). We always thought Mittelos was a front for Ben. At least it was when Ben used Richard and Mittelos to recruit Juliet. Now it seems that Mittelos pre-dated even Ben since it existed when Locke was born which we can assume was before Ben was born.

This has my head totally spinning trying to put the players on the chess or rather backgammon board.

Like many others, I got the impression, after the “I’m much more than that” comment, that he could be Jacob. But I’m more inclined to believe that he does indeed work for Widmore. As I’ve posted before, I think that Widmore was the chosen one before Ben. This explains his remarks. The island is mine; You took it from me; I know who you are, BOY (Ben was a boy when Alpert recruited him). What if Widmore has some knowledge of who the “special” people being monitored are. He knows who has joined mittelos and who is still at large. Abadon fills a similar role for Widmore as Alpert job ofrecruiter for the island . He might even have been a hostile who defected with Widmore. Abadon pretends to be whatever he needs to be to get to his target. A lawyer, an orderly. The purpose of his visit to Locke was similar to his visit to Hurley. To see if he could get info about the island and/or could use them to get to the island. Widmore expects that if he gets them close enough, the island will “catch” them and therefore he’ll be able to use them to get there himself. That’s why Abadon is steering Locked towards Australia. And he also put together the team of experts who were sent to the island. Again, to help find and to learn as much as possible about the island.

And I don’t think that Widmore is Dharma. I think he has made it his business to acquire as much info on the Island as possible and he has probably accumulated quite a Dharma collection.

On a related note. A lot of people speculate that this is what he was doing with the race and by encouraging Desmond to race. Using him to find the island. OMG, Would that mean that maybe Desmond is also on the list of people special to the island.

Can’t wait for the podcast and the discussion ahead. It looks like most people thoughts are converging in a certain direction. Let’s see how close we get. I have no doubt the finale will not disappoint.

BTW Thanks *so much* for the quote last week. I was gobsmacked! I walked around with a grin all day.

N

So, so far we have seen the ghost of Christian, Horace, and Boone. How come we haven’t seen Scott (or was that Steve), Ethan, Eko, Goodwin, Anna Lucia, Libby and Tom running around the island? And Charlie too?

I guess this also means that Desmond is off island since he stayed behind on the Freighter. Will Penny rescue him?

As to Sawyer choosing to stay.

I’ve proposed before that there are three people that the losties would agree get a seat on the first boat/flight. Sun because of the pregnancy, Jack because he needs medical attention and Aaron because he is a child. Then how do the other 3 get chosen? My best guess. Jack will not leave without Kate, Sayid is driving the boat (ok, just realized that the chopper it out as a transport choice). Hurley is taking care of Aaron. Since Sawyer is the one to bring Aaron to the beach he could have had Hurley’s place, but he chose not to go….

This might also explain Jack’s other claim, “I was the one who saved you”. If Kate was on the first boat because Jack would not leave without his nurse then he can claim direct responsibility for her leaving the island.

The reasons behind the messages. The island either planted the Psychic’s visions or one of it’s envoys paid him off to say this.

Message #1: The Psychic tells Claire that she can’t allow anyone else to raise her child.

Purpose: To keep Claire from putting up the baby for adoption.

Message #2: The Psychic tells Claire that a couple in LA will raise the child.

Purpose: To put Claire on 815 and summon her to the island.

Message #3 Charlie tells Jack that he is not supposed to raise him.

Purpose: To bring Aaron back to the Island so he can be raised by the others/hostiles like all other special children

That leaves open the question of why did the Island allow Aaron to leave in the first place. Maybe if the Psychic had a true vision, he really is meant to end up with Jack and Kate in LA. And, dare I say it, was the universe self-correcting?

Any thoughts?

“Destiny, John, is a fickle bitch.”

Do I hear an amen?!

I. Can it be that Alpert, while corporeal, is a spirit of the island with one specific job that requires him to live forever? His job and duty to the island (and Jacob) is to find the next generations “Chosen one” because the current “protector” failed to follow instructions. A war was waged against “the hostiles”, but what if it was Halpert who had found Widmore to protect the island. When Widmore’s motives to exploit the island were revealed, he knew that (a) the island would harm him through disease, and (b) would search for a replacement via Alpert. Because Widmore is smart (and revealed in this episode, knows where the cabin is located), he was forced to leave the island and wage a war against “The Hostiles” by placing the magnetic pillars around the research/exploitation facilities.

II. When Ben arrived on the island, he ran into the jungle and found Alpert. While Alpert did not conduct a test on Ben (that we know of), Alpert shows great interest in the boy as a “chosen one”. It is Alpert who attempts to contain Ben’s ambitions to not have another Widmore situation. However, while off island, Alpert searches for the true “chosen one” and discovers Locke. Locke, sadly, isn’t ready to take up the mantel of “chosen” or reincarnate because he’s too shy.

III. Alpert is an agent of the island, he can exist in and out of time and space. His sole purpose is to find the next reincarnation of the islands spirit.

-Mr. Z
All references were found on http://www.lostpedia.com under Richard Alpert.