Tonight “Lost” will reportedly reveal one of the show’s big mysteries: How did Locke lose the use of his legs. So I’m figuring, let’s speculate in advance and see if anyone comes remotely close.
As for me, my theory is that Locke didn’t actually sustain any physical injury: His loss of mobility is entirely psychosomatic.
PAD
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He spent so many hours playing World of Warcraft that his leg muscles atrophied.
I wthink I would have gone along with the psychosomatic explanation (and a little part of me is still holding out for that) but for the episode that seemed to establish that Rose’s cancer was cured by her stay on the island. Not that the two ‘healings’ are necessarily connected, but it seems easier to connect the dots than not.
But having said that, if the island is capable of curing terminal cancer, would it not have had the same effect on the leader of the Others, thus making the surgery superfluous? Maybe connecting the dots isn’t all that easy after all.
Psychosomatic is too easy. My money is on the theory that he had an actual spinal cord injury. Best guess is a gun shot wound. Then the question is who shot him? I don’t know….his dad is a monster, though.
I really have the feeling that Locke’s use of his legs on the island is one of the major things on this show. With all the symbolism one the show, who else to be the key to the mystery?
Someone named Locke.
Not Lost related since I don’t watch this show. But concerning your Wonder Man series which is my favorite series in any medium: will Andrew Currie do the final issue, number 5? I missed him this issue. Highly unusual to have a fill in artist in a mini-series. I honestly would have preferred to have the publishing date pushed back and have all issues drawn by Currie. I love your portrayal of Wonder Man too, any chance of having you writing the character again in the future?
Be careful what you read – spoilers for this hit the web yesterday. :X
Well that would explain why he suddently could walk again when “landing” on the island.
I guess he suddently wanted to walk again after seeing the survivers needed help.
I go for the psychosomatic- but I read a spoiler somewhere that he got clipped by a car/
or it could have been some kind of infection/ problem after his kidney donation.
He did have a relapse on the island when Boone died- and it was only after trying to save another that he got it back- so maybe it’s tied to his “faith” somehow.
I never really understood why regaining the use of his legs had to be a mystery. I mean at first, sure, ’cause everyone would think he was nuts. But after all they’ve experienced, why not just tell everyone?
It just feels very artificial to me, like how that Other guy _almost_ revealed the secret.
I dunno. I’ve kind of stopped caring about the characters. I’m tired of flashbacks. I just want to know “the mystery of the island.”
If it’s not all in his head, it probably has something to do with the people chasing down Locke’s Dad in his last Flashback.
I haven’t read any speculation or spoilers. But there has been a car shown in a number of episodes and it’s always assosiated with some sort of traumatic event. It’s a gold generic honda civic type car and I’ve been assuming since I saw it in the episode that hurleys house burned down that at some point it probably hit Locke. If John’s spoiler is right I’m going to take it a step further and speculate that it’s that car.
Locke’s last flashback episode featured that ‘commune’ he was staying at. We found out that not only were they amassing guns and producing drugs, but they were also being investigated by the feds.
I think Locke is injured during a federal raid on the commune, which erupts into a David Koresh style gun battle. I also think the undercover cop he let go during his last flashback is killed, with his death paralleling Boone’s demise.
Also, did anyone else think that the leader of that commune looked a lot like Tom, Ben’s right-hand man? I spent part of that episode thinking that it was him and not another actor.
PAD,
Why do you think Locke’s injuries were pyschosomatic? Is it because of his personality and outlook prior to coming to the island; because that’s more medically believable than the idea that the crash “just happened” to pop everything back into place so his legs worked again; or both.
Myself, I think his injury was physical, but I’ll split the difference and say that after a point it became psychosomatic. In the teaser trailer at the end of last week’s episode, we learn that Locke had been in the wheelchair for four years. Perhaps he could have been out of the chair much sooner, but his pre-island negative personality kept him there for some reason.
But if the original physical injury became psychosomatic, what made Locke believe he could now walk? At a guess, the fact that he’d survived the crash. As he marveled at the fact that he was still alive, he instinctively wiggled his toes. The realization that he could do so, coupled with his recent determination to go on Walkabout despite the wheelchair, helped forge the more confident personality Locke has (for the most part) exhibited on the island.
As to the original injury, my guess is that he got hurt trying to “prove” something, either to himself or to his girlfriend (whose name escapes me), in an attempt to get her back. I’m going to say this “something” was either a hunting expedition or some rock and/or mountain climbing trek. Or perhaps he was attempting to climb while hunting. Either way, he fell and hurt himself.
Probably tried to climb El Capitan without having Spock and his magic, physics-defying boots on hand as a safety net.
In any event, in addition to the injury, he felt increasingly sorry for himself, and remained in the chair longer than needed. But at some point, something or someone inspired him to accomplish his goals despite naysayers like Randy.
Why would his girlfriend be impressed if he hunted this animal or climed that rock? She wouldn’t (one would hope), but I can see Locke clutching at straws like that in an effort to win her back.
On the other hand, maybe Locke has Keyser Sozed everyone for years, and he not only never lost the use of his legs, but he’s also the true leader of the Others, the one that we’re told even Ben fears.
O.K., that’s a bit of a stretch, since it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but I inferred hints of something… sinister about Locke in last week’s episode. Maybe it was just me. One hint, by the way, was that not long after the Russian said he knew a John Locke, Locke just happened to throw him between the pylons of the sonic fence (which, presumably, one repairs with a sonic screwdriver). Was Locke just testing to see what would happen if they tried to go past the pylons, or was he shutting the guy up?
The second hint was the fact that Locke just happened to have some C-4 about which he claimed to know nothing. And if he did know about the C4, it raises questions as to whether he knew inputting the command on the computer would make the building go boom.
To use a technical term.
Rick
I don’t agree with the pychosomatic explanation for Locke’s injuries. I think that his ability to walk afterwards is part of the weird things that just happen on the Island. As to why Ben was dying of spinal cancer when Rose was apparently healed…my theory is that it’s tied in with the Others’ list of who’s good and who’s bad. I think that Locke (and Rose) was one of the “good” ones and that the Island’s healing of his paralysis is an indicator of this. Ben was dying of cancer because the Island doesn’t like him, but it does like Locke.
Psychosomatic would have been my guess during the first season, but since then they have made a point that Locke’s legs just seem to heal from damage (see Rose’s comment to him that they both knew he wouldn’t be in crutches for long after his legs were crushed in the hatch). And btw, it was said in Rose’s flashback (I think in the same episode) that some places of healing will work for some people or conditions, but not others, which is why not everyone is healed. This isn’t the Grail Island from PAD’s King Arthur books after all, though it sure could be fun if it were.
My money is on some kind of accident caused by or connected to someone else on the island. Probably a Hit-and-Run by Jack’s drunk father since he seems to be have been involved with just about everyone there. Looking forward to when Claire finds out that Jack’s her big brother, at least those two never had a Luke and Leia moment.
Raphy
(Without reading anyone else’s guesses here yet) I’ll speculate that John/Locke got shot in the back, maybe during that marajuana farm incident. At least, with his history, it probably happened while he was trying to help someone who was taking advantage of him or didn’t deserve it.
Auryn,
My guess is that Locke hasn’t told anyone about the wheelchair because he doesn’t want them to look at him differently. For someone who had become as active as he had before the wheelchair he must have viewed it as a huge step back that probably made him feel like he had become an inferior version of his past self. He hates that chair, which is why he wouldn’t use it when his legs were hurt in the island.
Rick, I believe that when Locke entered the last code on the computer he got an extra message with instructions for him, that’s how he knew about the C-4 and he probably did set that explosion on purpose.
Raphy
“Raphael Sutton said “Looking forward to when Claire finds out that Jack’s her big brother.”
That might be a wee bit difficult, considering Christian Shepherd never told Claire his name. She, in fact, made it clear she didn’t want to know. So, unless Jack and Claire just happen to stumble upon Christian’s remarkably preserved body; or Jack just happens to carry a photo of his father in his wallet; or Claire’s aunt, who just happens to know Jack, just happens to be part of the rescue party.
But any of the above would be silly, because they’d imply that there are unexpected connections between characters. And that’d never happen on Lost..
Rick
PAD:
I looked up what seems to be some reliable spoilers for tonight’s episode, and it seems Locke’s injury is not psychosomatic (although it’s a good theory) and very real.
The episode also (again, if my source is on the level) ends on a killer note. But as usual, it all leads to more questions than it answers.
Regards,
CHV
Rick,
I think it’s pretty likely the Others — or, at least, Ben — would know about Jack and Claire sharing the same father.
I’m not reading any of this la la la la can’t hear you.
But I’m gonna go on the record and say it isn’t psychosomatic. I’ll be pretty bummed out if they go taht route. I think there should be something very specific about the island that gives Locke his abilities.
This is my very first post. I think that Locke actually works for the Dharma Initiatives. He is on the island to hunt down/disable the renegade group of ex-Dharma Initiatives (The Others) on the island. I think this would explain his skills as a hunter (despite him hunting with his father) and the fact that he destroyed these rogue’s only means of communication and was so interested in the hatch. I think the Others are actually ex-Dharma employees who are research the various limits of the human body/diseases and the rebelled. They used the black smoke and the fence as a deterrent for potential people like John Locke to hunt them down. Maybe John was healed by whatever airbourne cure that was developed on the island or from that genetically modified orange orange he ate.
One person or another already said pretty much everything I was going to say.
It\s a physical injury, but it will be vague enough so that a psychosomatic/faith healing kind of solution will not be completely impossible.
It will probably be connected in some way to Jack and his father, either as sugeons or because of the father’s alcoholism. Maybe the’ll even try to tie it to another person.
I like the idea that lock is actually the evil mastermind here, but they’re not going to do it.
The explanation will probably be disappointing, like most things on this show this season. It’s like one carton facade hiding another ad infinitum.
But the real mystery stil remains: how did Locke loose his hair?
But the real mystery stil remains: how did Locke loose his hair?
When Superboy blew out the chemical fire in his lab, causing a spill over the teenaged Locke, of course!
still not reading any of this, la la la, hands clapped on ears, “campdown race is 5 miles long, DOO dah FOO dah” but we have, it seems, been shown that Locke worked for Dharma–possibly unwittingly (he didnt know about the marijuanna farm either) so is it possible that THEY crippled him somehow, knowing that the island would be the only way to rejuvenate him. Now, if that’s teh case…did he arrange to be on the plane knowing it would crash (how?) or is it part of Dharma’s “puppetmaster” game, just make sure a few things happen and the rest all falls into place (which would mean they have some way to see possible futures?)
My prediction with just a few minutes to go until the episode, and not having seen any spoilers on line: that Locke’s paralysis was a post-operation complication, caused by Jack’s father being drunk while operating on Locke for something else entirely. I think it has been established that Locke was in the LA area, right? And so was Jack and his father? I doubt if it was Jack who operated on him, since Locke would probably remember Jack, but not necessarily his father.
Doug
my guess – Clancy Brown…does something.
Not reading…blah, blah, blah.
The shows playing right now and it’s in commercial. Okay.
Speculation: The Island is the Garden of Eden. The monster in the Jungle is the angel that guards Eden. The skeletons that Jack found in the cave might even be Adam & Eve. I’m not sure I’m right, but I’m starting to think that Locke believes it.
Well…ouch.
Psychosomatic, not so much.
And I was taking bets that they would cut off right before we saw what came out of the box…wrong!
Two good shocks in one episode and the answer was the same in both cases!
Now that was a good episode! 🙂
SPOILERS (since the comments are going that way). I had guessed that it would have something to do with Locke’s father — he’s brought John nothing but trouble — but my guess was that it would have been a complication from the kidney donation.
This was a pretty good episode, showing that the flight folks aren’t strict altruists who are willing to sacrifice everything for one another. Jack made a deal to get off the island; Locke destroyed the way off the island — bet the rest of the survivors aren’t happy with that. And what happens when they’re reunited with the rest of the group?
I think the show is preparing for the end. We’re already getting many flashback answers to the big questions (how did Locke get paralyzed? what is the significance of Jack’s tattoos?) and we’re learning a lot more about the Others. I think it’s good that this will wrap before it gets too extended. (This season, the flashbacks have usually been weak.)
You see?! I was right!
Spock wasn’t there.
Mission accomplished.
Whaddya mean I was wrong about this detail and that detail and even the other detail? Those are just trifling um, details. Hardly worth mentioning, like the Bush administration’s many blunders. The important this is that Spock wasn’t there. Just like the important thing is that Saddam Hussein was a bad man, even though he had nothing to do with 9/11. Pointing out that the rest of my theory about Locke’s injury was wrong- and that the Spock connection had no basis in reality- would be like pointing out that the administration was right to attack the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and wrong to turn the focus to Iraq in an ill-advised, unnecessary and incompetently-planned war.
And that’d just be silly.
Rick
And yes, it was a good episode.
Saw most of the possibilities coming as each scene played out, but man what a ride. Locke is of a upstanding guy in flashbacks, he just gets the short end of teh stick.
Ben is the big surprise, that guy gets snakier and meaner each time he is on. The evil grin when he made the deal to release Jack’s friends after jack left, well, that was just cruel once it all plays out.
Frech Woman remains the wild card.
Last few weeks have been better and it helps that there is nothing else I want to watch.
SPOILER WARNING (though you should know better than to read these kinds of threads if you haven’t seen the show)
Is Locke’s father possibly the biggest scumbag in TV history? A conman who routinely ruins the lives of families, steals money, conned his own son out of a kidney AND tried to kill him, DID kill his almost stepson, and did it all without any trace of redeeming qualities whatsoever. Small wonder he looked so scared at the end; staking him to a fire ant hill is altogether too good for him. Locke has every reason to go medieval on his ášš.
What will be even more interesting than Locke and his father’s next confrontation will be when James “Sawyer” Ford meets up with him. They have to have that confrontation in mind. Even though it isn’t a guarantee, Locke’s father must be the original “Sawyer” who conned James Ford’s mother.
This was a great episode with the various payoffs and scenes I was hoping for. Rousseau’s face looking at her daughter Alex was just amazing. This season is really building up well these past few weeks.
Neil
Last night’s episode was almost a redemption for the first half of the season. While the romantic triangle of Jack/Kate/Sawyer may be popular in some circles, it should never be the focus of the show.
Terrific episode, but then I’m a lot more forgiving than most when it comes to this show. I find the journey far more interesting than whatever the possible destinaion.
I can’t believe that Locke’s father tried to kill him like that! I mean, really, wouldn’t he have gone for the other kidney first, you know, just in case??
Seriously though, I read too much. Locke’s father as the original “Sawyer” is just too good to pass up. Kinda wish I hadn’t read it. Ah, well. That’s what I get!
So now that Ben promised to release everyone AFTER Jack got off the island, when do you think that Kate and Co will actually get released considering that Jack hasn’t left the island?
watching this week’s episode, one thought struck me– Locke and Ben need a “wacky roommate” sitcom spin-off show!
LOCKE: “Now, Ben, we’ve had this argument a thousand times-”
BEN: “Actually, its only been about six times, but do go on.”
LOCKE: “(long, drawn out sigh as he rubs his forehead with his fingers) Okay, now with this bucket of paint, I’m going to put a BIG WHITE LINE down the middle of our apartment. Now this side is MY side of the apartment, and that is YOUR side!”
BEN: “But you have the fridge!”
LOCKE: “Well, because its my side.”
BEN: “But half of the TV is on your side, and half is on my side!”
LOCKE: “Then we’ll use picture-in-picture.”
BEN: “Oh, alright. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just noticed that the bathroom is exclusively on *my* side of the apartment. Cheers!”
LOCKE: “…gøddámņìŧ, Henry Gale…”
Well (slightly off topic) until tonight I was thinking that it would turn out that Alex was not Danielle’s daughter (and instead it was a trick of the Others) but now it would be too cruel. Just as when we found out that Rose’s husband was alive, there had to be a reunion between the two, we now need a mother-daughter reunion 16 years in the making.
Well, we watched the episode today – and it did manage to surprise, didn’t it? Locke’s father did occur to me as I was writing my speculation, but his last appearance had it in my mind that he was “gone from John’s life forever”. Guess not, huh?
Definitely seem to be setting up the island as actually supernatural, not just the manipulation of the Others (though I can see how the last surprise of this ep could have a more conventional explanation, if the writers wanted it). Also an interesting tidbit (assuming he was telling the truth) that Ben was born there. How long HAVE the “Others” (more like “the Originals”?) been there?
@ Rick Keating – not only was the Russian saying that he knew of a John Locke, he was starting to add that the one he knew “was para-” before being conveniently interrupted. So, I do think John was at the least testing the system, but that there was a good chance that he was hoping it’d shut him up, one way or another.
Bill Mulligan – I like both of your last two posts here – they sum it up very well. I should remember more certainly – what did Marcellus Wallace call for when he went medieval? A pair of pliers and a blowtorch? It’s likely that the Others have access to both of those items… 😉
well my theory got tossed out the window, literally- holy cow!
and the ending- “Rampart we have an emergency….victim is incoherent and bloody”
heh.
Quoth the Lost script writers: “Zing!”