LOST - "Cabin Fever" - Part 1

"Begin at the beginning... and go on till you come to the end; then stop." I know of no better way to approach this episode than to follow its flashbacks and proceed through a simple chronological analysis.

The first flashback re-introduced John Locke's mother as a teenage girl rebelliously in love with a man twice her age (presumably John's conman father). The girl then runs out into the rain to meet him and is struck by a car. Like Juliet's ex-husband, one has to wonder whether this was truly an accident. The girl wakes up in the hospital, and informs the nurses that she is six months pregnant. (One should note that this is the approximate point in the term when Ben was born, and when the pregnant women on the Island die). After she gives birth she yells out, much like Ben's mother, to name him John. (See Luke 1:63).

The first time we see the infant John, trapped inside a box, we are told he is a miracle and unbelievable healer. Nonetheless he is immediately abandoned by his mother and grandmother. The only one happy to witness his birth is Richard Alpert.

The women troubles continue for John in his next flashback when, as a five year old orphan, his "sister" kicks over his backgammon table and his "mother" is more than eager to hand him off to a mysterious school for the gifted. (For those who have never read any X-Men comics, Richard's introductory speech is almost an exact reference to the line Professor Xavier would use when recruiting new mutants). Before starting his interview, however, Richard notices a drawing made by John that appears to show a pillar of smoke either attacking a man or, more interestingly, coming from the man's head. Though worth notice, the drawing pales in comparison to the following scene.

Calling John over to a table, Richard lays out six objects and asks "which of these things belong to you already?" These objects include a "Mystery Tales" comic that poignantly asks "What was the secret of the mysterious 'Hidden Land'!" They also include the "Book of Laws", the central book of the Bahai Faith, a "bona fide cult text - or should I saw occult text" which "strikes [Doc Jensen] as proof positive that the writers of Lost are keenly away of how its cultists scrutinize their work but mischievously play to that crowd too." The most tantalizing aspect of this scene, however, was the test itself.

#63 What was the purpose behind Richard Alpert's test? Many suspect it resembles the Tibetan Buddhist ritual used to confirm a reincarnated tulku. The writers have previously indicated that Richard Alpert and Ben hold comparable positions of authority, with each possessing a "check" on the other through their power to select the other's replacement. This test then may have been to see whether John was the reincarnated leader of the Others (and/or Jacob). When John failed, the Others were forced to look elsewhere.

The next flashback continued the themes introduced earlier. John was once again trapped inside a box (locker), and ridiculed by girls (the cheerleaders). He was also told that Mittelos Laboratories were also (still) interested in him. Lastly, he was told that despite the numerous references to Knights throughout this scene and others, he would never be the hero of the story.

Finally, the show skips ahead in John's life to some time after he was paralyzed and before he traveled to Australia. While rehabbing his paralyzed legs (where there was always a 2% chance John would regain the feelings in them) he ran into my newest favorite character, Matthew Abaddon. Like with Ben, nearly every word Abaddon says seems layered with meaning. Besides alluding to the fact that he "is a lot more than just an orderly", Abaddon convinces John to go on a walkabout to find out who he really is.

#64 Why did Matthew Abaddon want Locke to go on a walkabout? On the surface, Abaddon seems to work for Charles Widmore. As such, one would think that Abaddon's purpose behind this was to convince Locke to go to Australia so he would take the fateful return trip on Flight 815. However, if Abaddon has his own agenda, the fact that Locke will "owe him one" becomes more tantalizing.