Finally! This episode centered on Richard Alpert. Until this episode, he was one of the most mysterious people on the island. This episode was amazing – perhaps my favorite one so far. There was almost no flashing sideways, so it was easy to stay focused and really get into the episode. I couldn’t look away for a second – I was afraid I’d miss something important.
When the flashback about Richard began, we’re amazed to see that it began in 1867. Richard is shown caring for his ailing wife. He desperately tries to save her, but by the time he had the medicine for her, she had already passed away. Richard was then imprisoned and sold into slavery. He was aboard the Black Rock when it crashed on the island.
There were so many things to pick up on; I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to cover them here. The most interesting thing actually dawned on me after I saw the ship crash into Jacob’s statue. The ship’s name was The Black Rock. A black rock destroyed Jacob’s statue. This is obviously a play on the light vs. dark theme. I’m surprised that I never really made that connection before.
It was eerie to watch the Man in Black interact with Richard. He convinced Richard that Jacob was the devil and sent him to stab Jacob. “Don’t let him speak” Haven’t we heard that before? It was like Déjà vu when the Man in Black told Richard that the devil (Jacob) had his wife and needed to be killed. That was a lie. Just like the lie Smoke Monster John told Claire about Aaron. I thought to myself, “this guy’s been lyin’ for years – 140 years at least!”
Speaking of Déjà vu, we got to see the first time the Man in Black told Richard it was good to see him out of his chains. That further explains Richard’s reaction when Smoke Monster John said that to him shortly after Jacob was killed. At that moment, Richard knew who John Locke really was.
In 1867, when Richard first encountered Jacob, Richard needed to be convinced that he wasn’t already dead. Jacob forced Richard out to the sea and dunked him underwater several times, much like a baptism. As a result, Richard was re-born and began to see things as they truly were on the island. Jacob and Richard make an agreement: Richard will act as Jacob’s intermediary between him and the people on the island in exchange for eternal life.
Jacob’s analogy with the wine bottle was very telling. The island is keeping the Man in Black (now Smoke Monster John) away from the rest of the world. That’s probably a good thing, wouldn’t you agree? Smoke Monster John can’t be allowed to leave the island. I hope Widmore understands that. I know he’s cookin’ something up, it better not involve the Smoke Monster leaving the island. Too much has happened on the island, it would seem like a waste of time if the Man in Black were to succeed.
