My Take Retro Review - LOST 3.2 - Further Instructions

Here are some notes I wrote last fall concerning the second episode of the third season, "Further Instructions".

First, some notes on Locke's "vision-quest".

I think it was very appropriate that Boone was Locke's spirit guide in the quest. Locke believed (and I do as well) that it was his fault that Boone died... Boone got caught up in Locke's belief in the mysticism of the island and paid the price for it. Boone begins the vision by telling Locke not to focus on him because... "I was a sacrifice the island demand." He was Locke's first "mess" on the island. Locke wasn't able to "clean up" that mess, so the island is demanding that he clean up a new mess that he's made.

Boone warns Locke that "Someone is in serious danger." And, like the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future in "A Christmas Carol", he leads Locke on a quick journey to discover who that might be.

I believe that every image in the vision was deliberate. They are either meant to reflect the current situation of each character, or perhaps shed some light on what may happen to that character in the future.

The first thing to note is that Locke's legs are paralyzed again. I think this is meant to remind Locke of what he was like before he reached the island and remind him of the gift that the island had given him, perhaps to guilt him into making sure he will do what the island needs to have done.

It's not Claire, Charlie and Baby Aaron who are in danger. They are a picture of a perfect family. I think that Charlie and Claire will draw closer together, and even after Charlie's betrayal of Claire's confidence, she will begin to rely on him even more for emotional support. But then Boone declares that Charlie and Claire are OK, "for a while." It's not hard to forget that something bad always seems to happen to the children on this island. (Note from June 2007: That "for a while" ended, of course, in the final episode of the season... or did it??)

Sun, Jin and Sayid are pictured together, Sun and Jin arguing while Sayid hovers near them. Their brief moment seems to mirror their current situation... Sun and Jin having just gone through the emotional upheaval caused Sun's deception at the Pala Ferry, and then the moments of Jin's panic when he believes Sun may have been shot. But it's not them in danger, as Boone declares "I think Sayid's got it." Sayid will watch over them and make sure they get safely back to the beach. Perhaps Sayid will even make sure to protect them from retribution from the "Others" for Sun having shot Colleen.

Hurley, always the funniest, is the airline counter rep. He seems to be working hard to keep everyone happy. I've always felt that his easy going personality, his ability to be unfazed by any situation helps to keep the spirits of the whole gang up. You may have noticed that he was typing in the "numbers" on his terminal and in the background you can hear the sound of the hatch "clock" numbers turning over and over.

Desmond is seen as a Captain, making his way through the terminal three flight attendants. I felt this indicated that in some way Desmond will become a very important person to the group, someone "in charge". Why the three flight attendants? We've seen that he's been utterly devoted to Penny... It makes me wonder if his devotion will be tested by someone new in his life from the island? It would be ironic if Penny found them just as Desmond has moved on.

Kate and Saywer are seen traveling together. I think that means that Saywer will be Kate's choice. (Note from June 2007: And perhaps she'll be with him in the future as well?)

Ben is seen as the TSA officer. He's wanding Jack. He's in control of Jack, in control of Jack's destiny.

Ultimately, he leads the paralyzed Locke to the person who really needs him... the second mess he needs to clean up... Eko. It was Locke's fault that Eko was in danger from the hatch implosion. And the island needs Eko... remember that Eko is one of the "good" people. "They've got him... you don't have much time," Boone tells Locke. The last image we see as Locke bursts out of the sweat lodge is of a growling bear (more on the bear in a moment). So Locke now knows he has to save Eko. (Note from June 2007: But not for long... oh well...)

The island presents a few more motivations in this vision... We know that Locke had lost his way at the end of the last season. He'd thought he'd been duped into believing in the island and its powers, and his own new purpose in life, so he gave up. But as Boone says in the vision "Find your way again so you can bring the family back together." The island wants him to believe again, to return to his faith in what the island means, and ultimately it needs him to reunite the survivors by finding Kate, Jack and Sawyer.

On to that bear. The bear that the survivors killed at the beginning of the first season lead to a lot of intriguing questions. I think we've been given an answer to the question of the bear's existence on the island... the Dharma people were experimenting on them. We have seen the bear cage at the Hydra station. I'm not surprised that there is a second bear. I would think the Dharma group had both a male and female. They both escaped captivity... one was shot and the other survived and is living in the cave that Locke and Charlie found.

We have more evidence of children on the island... there's a child's truck in the cave. There's also a torn shirt that has a piece of the Pearl Station logo on it in the bear's cave. Lunch? ;-)

I don't have much to comment about on Locke's backstory this episode, however I do think it helps to deepen the ideas that have been presented before about Locke's personality. Locke has been a victim of those around him for a long time.. his deceitful father... his conniving mother... his nasty co-workers. The only person he trusted that didn't betray him, Helen, still left him because of his unwaivering faith in those that have taken advantage of him. He's a "lost soul"... and I think he ultimately hit rock bottom, and was looking for anything to believe in... which led him to join up with his marijuana growing "family". They offered him what seemed to be love and support, and a chance to have somewhere to belong. Again it's ironic, because once they perceived that he betrayed them, they abandoned him like everyone else. That's why Locke is so vulnerable to being "needed" by the island.

I'm still not quite sure what to make of Desmond's clarvoyance. I do think it's interesting that at the end of the episode, he's seen leisurely throwing rocks into the surf as if he didn't have a care in the world. Perhaps he's seen a vision of the future and knows that they're going to be OK, or perhaps he's seen that they won't survive no matter what they do so he gives up and gives in.

Just a quick final note... at the end of the episode we met two new characters that may become more important... the man and woman that are asking questions to Hurley and Locke about those that haven't returned. I don't know their names yet... we didn't see enough of them. (Note from June 2007: Well, they weren't so important after all, but they sure gave us a slam dunk episode later in the season.)