Flashback: A teenaged girl listens to Buddy Holly - Emily. She's going out. Her mother doesn't like it - he's twice her age. But she loves him! She runs out and gets hit by a car. In the hospital she tells the nurses that she's pregnant. The baby comes early. As they take him away, Emily yells out, name him John! OK, so let's say Emily is 16. That makes Anthony or whatever he called himself then around 30. Kevin Tighe is 8 years older than Terry O'Quinn. That would also make the character nearly 80. I'm not buying it. Writers, all you had to do was say, he's too old for you. Putting in the twice your age statement makes me do the math and it doesn't compute. However, I forgive you your rare misstep.
It's nighttime where Locke, Hurley, and Ben walk through the jungle. Hurley asks questions. Hurley wants to know about the cabin and how much longer till they get there. Ben has been following Hurley - he was the last one to see the cabin. Hurley wants to know what will happen when the freighter guys come. Locke doesn't know, yet.
Sayid wakes Desmond up. The helicopter is back. It's night on the boat too. They bring back their injured comrade. The doctor, still alive, looks at him. He asks how it happened. Black pillar of smoke - nobody seems phased by that answer. Keamy is mad. He asks Sayid to tell him exactly how many people are on the island and where they are. Sayid: And why would I do that? Keamy accuses the captain of giving him up to Ben. The captain says not me and takes Keamy to see Michael. Keamy beats Michael a bit then pulls his gun. Michael admits to telling Ben about him. The captain says they need Michael to fix the engines. Keamy pulls the trigger anyway. The gun jams. You know, it just occured to me that the island wouldn't let Jack kill himself either when he was on that bridge. And Ben can't kill Charles. I wonder if Charles can kill Ben? I'm guessing no.
Locke wakes up and hears someone chopping wood. He investigates. It's Horace Goodspeed. He's building a cabin, a little getaway for him and the missus. Horace: I'm not making any sense, am I? That's probably because I've been dead for 12 years. He keeps cutting down trees. His nose starts bleeding. Horace: You gotta find me, John. You gotta find me. And when you do, you'll find him. Locke: Who? Horace: Jacob. He's been waiting for you a real long time. I'm Horace. God speed, John.
Locke wakes Hurley up. Locke knows where they are going now. Ben: I used to have dreams.
Flashback: Locke is the youngest preemie to ever survive in this hospital. He's a fighter. Today is the day they are going to take him out of the incubator. Emily and her mother are there. Emily runs out - she can't do this. Mrs. Locke: So, who do I talk to about adoption? There's a man standing at the nursery window. Nurse: Is that the father. Mrs. Locke: I don't know who that is. But we do. It's Richard. He smiles.
Hurley wants to know why he's with Locke and Ben. Locke: You're here because you can see the cabin and that makes you special. Hurley's theory is that they can see it because they're the craziest. Locke has taken Hurley to see the mass Dharma Initiative grave. Why did that shark have a Dharma Initiative stamp on it? Do sharks live for 12 years? Was it stamped before Ben wiped them all out? Hurley sees the grave. Hurley: Whoa, what happened to them? Locke (nodding at Ben): He did.
Flashback: Locke as a little boy plays backgammon. His foster mother brings Richard in to see him. He runs a school for kids who are extremely special. He sees a picture of what looks like Smokey attacking someone. He asks if John drew it. Yes. Richard takes out some objects - a baseball glove, a compass, a vial of powder (the same stuff poured on the ground around the cabin?), an old book Book of Laws, a knife, and a comic book. Richard: Tell me, John, which of these things belong to you. Locke takes the vial of powder and the compass. He takes a long look at the book then picks up the knife. The doesn't belong to him. Foster mom comes back in. Richard says he's not ready for their school. If it weren't for the '70s do when Ben first meets Richard, I'd think the guy was a vampire. Well, that and the fact that we don't see him drinking blood. But still.
Hurley asks if this is where Ben left Locke for dead. Yes. Ben says that he wasn't thinking clearly. Hurley: Is that why you killed all these people too? Ben: I didn't kill them. It wasn't his decision. Oh boy. Is Ben really that delusional? Hurley: Whose was it? Ben: Their leader's. Hurley: But I thought you were their leader. Ben: Not always. Locke finds a skeleton wearing a jumpsuit that says Horace/Mathematician. In the pocket he finds a map. Locke: The cabin - he was building it. Hurley: Did you find what you were looking for? Locke: Yes, Hugo, I believe I did.
OK, I'm off to a theater event tonight. I'll finish this episode up either late tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll be honest, I've gone ahead and watched a couple of episodes of Season 5. I'll certainly be able to watch all of them before February 2nd. Whether or not I will have time to recap them all remains to be seen. I've been too successful with my playwriting lately. I've got productions for the next 3 weekends and another one in February. I'll try.