The thing that really confused me was when Locke entered the cabin and not only saw Jack and Claire's father but Claire herself! She looked a bit crazy too. So are we to assume she is now dead and Locke is seeing her like the other "ghosts" or is she alive and doing as they ask?

I wasn't surprised to see Claire there, she did walk into the jungle with the being who looks like her father. I still won't say it's actually her father.

She certainly was acting in a very un-Claire-like fashion, and looked a little whacked. What happened to her on that jungle walk with her "dad?" I'd like to see that.

In the most recent audio podcast, a fan wrote in to the writers and begged them, threatened them, never ever to hurt Claire. The writers danced around the answer, but I had the feeling that Claire would be fine, in the long run.

And was anyone else surprised when they showed the doctor alive and well on the boat? So the boat wasn't lying a few weeks ago when they said on the radio the doctor was fine.

I wasn't surprised to see the doctor alive nor was I surprised to see him die as he did. Time is the key to what is whacky and uncontrollable about that Island. The doctor's death was yet another way to emphasize how time is out of sync on the Island.

If Locke can "move" the Island, it surely will be moved in time. How the hell they will do that remains to be seen. But how the hell have they been able to do anything they've done thus far on that Island?

I've just about given up trying to guess anything. As I think CC said, the writers are dealing from a stacked deck. Yes, I know all writers have it over the audience, but these writers pull stuff out of their bag of tricks that is impossible for us to conceive. Every time you think you're near to a good guess at what is happening, the writers throw something bizarre into the pot, something you could never know as a humble member of the audience.

It was a good episode, but I've yet to watch it again, which is telling for me. I usually watch LOST episodes again immediately. I haven't done that in the last couple of weeks.

You can say that again!

I simply heard Emily's mom say that the "boyfriend" was twice Emily's age .

Richard is 10X her age.

When Lockes mom said "he's twice your age?" i put that in reference to the era, which was clearly meant to be the 50's. She was, let's say 16? 17? Which means her boyfriend (Locke's dad) was early to mid thirties. I don't have the photgraphic memory of other posters here, does that make the Man from Talahassee about the correct age for last nights episode?

When Lockes mom said "he's twice your age?" i put that in reference to the era, which was clearly meant to be the 50's. She was, let's say 16? 17? Which means her boyfriend (Locke's dad) was early to mid thirties. I don't have the photgraphic memory of other posters here, does that make the Man from Talahassee about the correct age for last nights episode?

Give or take. She could have been as young as 15, in high school. That would make him 30, in say, 1957 when Buddy Holly's "Everyday" came out. That's what Emily was playing on her record player; that's as good a way as any to date that scene, along with the poodle skirt and pony tail hairdo. The show takes place in 2004. That would make the Man from Talahassee around 77. He could be a youthful, well kept man in his mid to late 70's. Hopefully, my math has not failed me.

When Lockes mom said "he's twice your age?" i put that in reference to the era, which was clearly meant to be the 50's. She was, let's say 16? 17? Which means her boyfriend (Locke's dad) was early to mid thirties. I don't have the photgraphic memory of other posters here, does that make the Man from Talahassee about the correct age for last nights episode?

Well, Terry O'Quinn was born in 1952, and his character Locke was born in 1956. Kevin Tighe was born in 1944, and we don't know when his character Anthony Cooper (if that is his real name) was born. A difference of only 8 years in real time. If they extend the date of Cooper's birth back four years to 1940, then that still only makes him 16 when Locke is borne.

My memory is FAR from 100% accurate, as I have recently demonstrated. What do we actually know about Anthony Cooper. First and foremost, he is a con man. Do we know for ABSOLUTE CERTAIN who he is and that he is Locke's father, or just that he said he was and had the same blood type/compatibility?

So maybe my impulsive theory isn't so stupid after all ...... ??????:dontknow:

Locke was born in 1956

Interesting. As I said in my previous post, "Everyday" was released in July, 1957, which is what Emily was playing on her 45 rpm record player.

I think Richard Alpert is ageless, perhaps hundreds of years old, that is, if he is really even alive in the sense we know of life.

I don't think Alpert is related to Locke.

We don't know for certain that The Man from Tallahassee is Locke's real father. We don't know for certain that he's not. He claimed paternity when he mocked Locke for failing to kill him when Ben gave Locke the knife when TMFT was tied to what looked like a huge totem pole. He said it again to Sawyer in the hold of the Black Rock. But, nothing is for certain, and heaven knows TMFT lied for a living.

Swoosie Kurtz, who played Locke's loopy mother, is only 8 years older than Terry O'Quinn. I wouldn't put much faith in the actors' real dates of birth in comparison with the dates of birth of their characters. After all, they're acting.

I wonder....

Michael cannot be killed off the Island. We've seen evidence of that several times over.

Could it be that once the Island "gets" you, it either won't let you go or, put another way, "protects" you if you are off the Island.

However, it seems that people can be killed on the Island, for instance, all The Others who were blown sky high in the finale of Season 3, Mr. Friendly who was shot by Sawyer, all those Dharma people in the pit, and, of course, all those women who die in their 7th month of pregnancy.

That "Island protection" could explain Richard Alpert's unusal age, whatever it may be. The Island can keep you healthy, can cure you if you're sick, and seems to be able to protect you when you are off the Island.

All of that is provided you are in the Island's good graces. What with their cancerous tumors and appendicitis, Ben and Jack seem to have fallen out of favor.

ABout Locke's father again. If that episode was in 1955 (or '56), and the girl was say 15, and the guy she was dating was "twice her age" then Locke's father was roughly 30. Which makes his dob 1925. If the show is in 2004, then TMFT would be 79. He did not look 79 when Sawyer whacked him.

Or maybe i'm just reading into this too much and should get a real hobby. like stamps or something.