Analysis: 4.11 Cabin Fever
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By AngeloComet
- Analysis: 4.11 Cabin Fever
- Created: May 12, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 4.11: Cabin Fever
- Status: Current
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Locke is destined to be the Island Chief.
— AngeloComet
Cabin Fever
(n.) ‘Boredom, restlessness, or irritability that results from a lack of environmental stimulation, as from a prolonged stay in a remote, sparsely populated region or a confined indoor area.’
Jacob’s Cabin is the ultimate place to get ‘cabin fever’. Sparsely populated region? The Island. Confined indoor area? A small, wooden shack. Put the two together: “Help me!” So that’s Jacob. And applying the definition to Locke, who in flashback evades his destiny in misguided pursuit of his ‘hunter’ persona, there’s a strong cabin fever resonance. Locke was the definition of restlessness and irritability precisely because he stuck so hard to his “don’t tell me what I can’t do” mantra and stopped listening to people advising him about what he should do.
Locke, it would appear, is destined to be the Island Chief. He would have been one sooner had he passed Alpert’s test (more on that to come) or just bothered to study at Mittelos when the offer presented itself. Instead Locke metaphorically reached for the knife his whole life and missed his calling. In the meantime, then, on the Island, Ben was acting leader. A caretaker to the throne of Island Chief.
There are clear parallels between Locke and Ben. Both were born prematurely. Both had lousy fathers. Both were very quiet boys. Both never knew their mothers. If Locke was always destined to be the Island Chief then Ben almost fit the Locke template. Perhaps that’s how he came to be the caretaker Island Chief. Maybe, for a while, some people believed Ben was the real deal. Elsewhere, other people like Richard Alpert didn’t stop pursuing alternatives. . .
So what’s the deal with the never-aging Richard Alpert and the six object test he presented to young Locke? I’ll give you three explanations in order of the one I like least to the one I currently like best.
Explanation Number One is that Richard Alpert is travelling through time. He can crop up in Locke’s life having never aged because he can visit Locke’s entire lifetime in the equivalent of an hour or so of his own. So he came from the future with Locke’s knife and compass and presented them to young Locke as a test to see if he was ‘ready’ for the Island… Trouble with this is, since Alpert can time travel, he already knows when Locke will be ready and knows he is the right man. Ergo, there’s no need to test him.
Explanation Number Two is that the Island is running on a time loop, only Alpert exists outside of that time loop. So Alpert has lived through iterations of the Island where the Island Chief turns up and leads the Island to safety and… Oh Jesus. Why the hell did I put this idea as better than Explanation Number One? Well, there was a hint of a loop in the way Locke dreamt of Horace Goodspeed perpetually chopping a tree down - but it was just a dream. Let’s just press on to:
Explanation Number Three is the big idea. Locke is Jacob. Jacob is Locke. For this to work I’m going to get all Buddhist on you and posit that Locke is the next ‘Tulka’ in line after Jacob. To make sense of that, some information: “Dalai Lama is the title given to an individual believed to be the current incarnation of a long line of Tulkus, or Buddhist Masters, who have become so enlightened as to be exempt from the wheel of death and rebirth. Familiarity with the possessions or attributes of the previous Dalai Lama is considered the main sign of the tulku.”
Richard Alpert presented Locke with 6 objects, a couple of which could have been possessions of the previous Island Chief (Jacob). If young Locke selected the right objects this would prove he had an affinity with the previous Island Chief. For this to work in practical Lost terms it would mean that Jacob, as he currently exists, is the bodiless, eternal spirit, trapped, waiting for the right Island Chief vessel to turn up and assume the mantle. Enter John Locke. Jacob’s words to John? “Help me.” As in, help me by realising what you’re supposed to do.
It all seems cut and dried and simple until we factor in Christian and now Claire in Jacob’s cabin. (I think we can be sure that ‘the eye’ Hurley saw during The Beginning Of The End belonged to Horace Goodspeed, so at least that’s that kind of cleared up!) Christian and Claire in the cabin create questions (no tuxedo for Christian, Claire’s happy, carefree manner) but as Christian mentions to Locke, whose head was similarly full of grand ideas, there are more pressing concerns. . .
Big Bad Keamy and his men are planning to torch the Island in Stage Two of Operation: Capture Ben. And Keamy is a bad man. He shot the captain. It was he that slit the Doc’s throat (seriously, having just heard his body had washed ashore you’d have thought Doc Ray would have been a tad more vigilant!). Keamy would have killed Michael, too, were it not for Michael being invulnerable.
Michael, it seems, genuinely cannot be killed until his purpose is complete. And we had Ben’s remark to Hurley about how he had been silly to shoot Locke at the mass grave since he ought to have known that Locke could not be killed. Tie that in with Ben’s conversation with Widmore during The Shape Of Things To Come - Widmore: “Have you come here to kill me, Benjamin?” / Ben: “We both know I can’t do that.” - and the insinuation is that Widmore, too, has purpose and is, like Michael, invulnerable. Destiny may be a “fickle bitch”, but when she’s on your side she’s a tough act to beat!
I think I can make a prediction as to how the finale, in part, will play out. Sayid and his boat will be the means by which the Oceanic 6 leave the Island. Sayid will steer. Sawyer will show up with Aaron and, with no Claire, demand Kate take the kid and leave (no doubt asking her to fulfil a promise, too!). Sun, naturally, will get a place due to her pregnancy-certain death predicament. Hurley? Hurley I find hard to justify (maybe his millions could fund another rescue?). And Jack, as I believe has been foreshadowed, will do something heroic and rip his fresh stitches, go into a critical condition and so be put on the boat (by a selflessly trustworthy Juliet, natch, hence the cover story that Kate saved his life as heard in court during Eggtown). And, of course, the Island will get moved.
Well, it has to, does it not? In The Shape Of Things To Come Ben tells Widmore he’ll never find the Island. Since Widmore sent The Freighter he knows where the Island is, but in the future, after the Island has been moved, his search will begin again. There’s also a possibility that the Island has been moved somewhere really cold (perhaps it’s been there before, perhaps that’s where it picked up polar bears) and that was why Ben appeared wearing a parka with steam coming out of his mouth when he teleported to the desert.
As for how the Island moves (through time? through space? through time and space?), well, I’ll file that under the same rationale that dictates how Jacob’s Cabin can move around, appearing and disappearing, with the likes of Claire and Christian and Horace and Jacob inside it. I don’t know how, but I know it does, and I assume someday I’ll find out. Those are big ideas, and we’ve got a season finale heading our way. “Beware distractions,” as Yemi once advised. I think that’s good advice for an Island Chief with an Island to save.
AngeloComet - Great as always +1
AC,every comment I have read about the six objects concludes that in choosing the knife,Locke chose the wrong item.. but It could also simply be proof that Locke is (as Ben said in MBTC)’not who we thought he was’.
Could explanation 4 be that there are six candidates and Richard,Ben and maybe Jacob have to figure it out from there, I don’t really feel that the last episode proved Lockes destiny as island chief.
Great analysis as usual +1
+1 AC. I we discussed this at the weekend so you know my thoughts!
I like how you pointed out how Locke and Linus are so much alike that Linus could act as a caretaker to the throne.
+1 for that
However. Do you have a theory on how it is that a rocket fired from the boat, lands on the island 31 minutes after it has suppose to land. While the Doc, washes up shore a day before his throat gets slit on the boat?
A+ Some great ideas and observations here AC
+1
WTF - Interesting idea that there could still be other challengers to the Island Chief throne. The way Ben appeared to have given up, I think, amongst other things is what convinced me that he was the man. Maybe it’ll turn out to be Rose!
Fate - I do have an idea of how the time differentiation operates on and off the Island but I am hoping the matter will become clarified by the end of the Season and that will be the end of it. (I’m fed up of reading all the theories about it and am reluctant to add mine to the stockpile… Maybe if it’s not clarified on the show, or on here by someone else, I’ll take a run at it during the break.)
Lojozz, the object of this forum is for all of us to know your thoughts, not just AC.
AC when I started reading, I thought you were going to point out that Locke used to make “boxes” too and Hurley owned the box company.
Could Alpert be trying to find out if Locke on the island is the right Locke? I am starting to think that there has been some timeline crossover that needs sorting (see theory a page up).
Also, would Walt chose the comic book or the knife? +1
JacksEyes apologies I was just trying to give AC +1 for his analysis without getting into the negatives I had for the episode.
Given at the time my account had just been locked out for nothing other than contributing to this site and this was my first post back, not knowing if it would even work then I was in no mood to go into details.
Perhaps I should have just commented ‘+1 AC’ and left it at that.
You cannot kill what is already dead.
Absotively Posilutely. I think you are right on with your analysis of Locke repeatedly “choosing the knife” in an attempt to be the “hunter” rather than who he is destined to be. +1
So when is the next debate? I didn’t miss it did I?
+1, we need more stuff like this. Thanks for some great thoughts.
Dont forget that Jin must die soon. Sun appears convinced that he’s dead therefore i assume he’s dead. He must die before she leaves the island, if thats gonna be the season finale then he’s going down.
AC, +1 Good analysis. I do have to slightly disagree with one of your observations though. I will quote you on this and then explain why; ” (I think we can be sure that ‘the eye’ Hurley saw during The Beginning Of The End belonged to Horace Goodspeed, so at least that’s that kind of cleared up!) ”
I don’t think it was Horace Goodspeed’s eye Hurley saw in the cabin,mainly because it was Locke’s dream of seeing him.
I can’t explain why I think it, but I have looked at a lot of comparisons of eyes,and I think it was Hurley’s own eye he saw.
I don’t think I can choose from any of your three choices either, as I believe there may still be another choice? But I have no idea what!
Ive not read many of your theories AC mainly beause all of them just go through the front page so fast that i dont get time to look. But from just reading the first paragraph or so of your theory I can see that you are one of the most thoughtful, well read and intelligent people on this site. You one of the, if not the, best theorists on here.
Truly great review Angelo, i always love reading your posts.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on the testing done to Walt. Was he thought to be the next island chief, was he given the “6 item test like Locke”, i’m guessin he chose wrong as well as he was let go. If Aaron is a potential island chief, then why did christian say it was ok who he’s with now???
I personally disagree with the notion that Locke is there to replace Jacob, seems more reasonable that Locke is simply there to replace Ben as the direct servant of the island & Jacob.
I am glad you realize that Locke is Jacob…not sure if you always felt that way…I believe you probably chided people who subscribed to this theory long ago….this is not an “I told you so” but just a reminder to be humble.
I like it….but I still say that it is future Jack we see peeking out of that cabin door. I think ‘dad’ helped him get back, but he’s got to sit tight until Island Jack exits to eventually become….ummm….well, future Jack.
AC, do you really think that Sayid’s little boat will be the means of them getting off the island? I forget how big it was, but it seems like it might be a little too small for 5 grown ups (6 if you count Hurley twice).
I was under the impression that Frank will assist them in getting off the island with the helicopter. That is why he tossed that tracking device onto the beach for them to follow him. He knows that Keamy wants to kill everyone and Frank looks like he wants nothing to do with that.
Why else would he want Jack & crew to follow him? He wouldn’t want them to follow him right to Keamy so they can be killed. When he tossed the tracking device I took it as Frank saying, “Get to me. I will get you outta here.”
AC,
A tad pedantic… (I read everything you write ; ) )
Great read again. I wish you would do some possible explanations for what is going on with Claire and what we can learn from the doctor’s death, but maybe that’s premature…
I’m nervous about this season finale. We are definitely going to be teleported to season 5 — I hope we land somewhere that’s as magical yet relatable as the first seasons. Fingers crossed for the writers!
Get plenty of rest for the finale analysis!
+1
Wonderful, concise summary of events that have recently unfolded, as well as predictions for the future!
+1
To all that left positive remarks - thanks kindly. They don’t go unnoticed, they’re always welcome. Now I’ll address some commenters directly.
KSJ - Whilst Locke did see Horace in a dream, he did eventually fin Horace’s body with blueprints for the cabin inside his pocket. Couple the dream and the blueprints and I think this show Horace has a link to the cabin and it, surely, it was his eye we saw!?
Shasty - I’m not sure Walt was being ‘tested’ for his capacity to be an Island Chief (his bird killing exploits and the fact The Others let him go suggests to me he’s not suitable anyway), but as for what he was being tested for… your guess is as good as mine, I think!
Iroc - Yeah, it sure will be snug if that’s the way of it. (If anything it’s rather mundane an exit, too, which makes me doubt my own suspicion.) Frank and the helicopter could play their part, but didn’t he state that he could only carry three people when he left the Island with Sayid, Des and the dead Naomi? Sounds an even more difficult proposition than getting them all in the boat.
Apple - I was going to tackle Claire/Christian in the cabin. I originally had a paragraph or two, but removed them because the post was getting hideously long. I figured Christian and Claire would either get much better explanation in the next few episodes, or they would be aspects for us all to debate about over the break!
(I am taking a nice break this weekend for a trip to Berlin as it goes. So my analysis may be late next week, but I’ll be all refreshed for it!)
Thanks for reading.
Angelo,
Superb! Yours is necessary reading to more fully enjoy our beloved show!
With this half season, and the rapid, quick-fire pace of these shows, Lost is moving like a massive black train-monster, and I will have to savor the months between. I think I’ll re-read some posts here, and yours in particular. Thank you.
Charles