Lost again
Dear Island,
you know what your duty is, don't you? Remember, you/John Locke are my favourite 'ship on this show. Who loves you better? Really, I don't care whether you're purgartory, hell, Eden or just a science experiment gone bad, but you better come through with the magical healing mojo again.
Yours in faith,
Selena
Dear Producers,
that was a cool episode. I note Ultimate Drew realized he had struck gold with pairing up Locke and Ben the last time, and gave them lots of scenes together. Well done. As was the Ben background story. Michael Emerson and the kid who played his younger self were terrific. Incidentally, is Jin now officially the only person on this island who had a good father? Oh, and Richard the Unaging Recruiter Guy of Shifting Loyalties (he was the one who gave Locke the file on Sawyer last episode, after all) is a good mystery, as is, of course, Jacob. (Can't make up my mind whether he's a poltergeist produced by Ben's and Locke's subconscious interacting or the force of this island somehow held captive.) (I did notice the ash Locke found on the way to the cabin.) Alex' short scene: loved it. Definitely her mother's daughter.
However. See above. If my beloved John Locke dies, I'll call it quits. Much as I like Sun, Jin, Sayid, Hurley. You, people, are asking me to put up with Doctor Jack on a regular basis, and Jack has by now reached season 3 Vaughn level of self righteous obnoxiousness and ability to make previously interesting women act stupid. At least Kate hasn't used the world "soulmate" yet, an indignity you inflicted on s3 Sydney, Abrams, and don't think I forgot that. But to return to my point: the dullness and annoyingness of Jack is such that I will only put up with it if I continue to get my Locke in compensation. Under no other condition. Would I have watched Alias if you had made Vaughn the lead and taken Sloane away? You bet I wouldn't have.
Besides, I'm already a nervous wreck because of Heroes. Given my fondness for shady characters and the occasional sociopath, you do not want to ruin my mental health entirely, trust me.
Yours anxiously,
me
Dear Locke ("dear John" carries just the wrong implications here),
one of the many, many reasons why I love you: in one and the same episode, you start a power game with Ben, and do it rather well, and ask, utterly sincerely, "why?" when he shoves you into a mass grave in the end. It's the same "why?" you always asked your father when he pulled those stunts on you, and I suspected during the last episode already - and in The Man from Tallahasee - that you play out your relationship with Ben on a similar pattern. Though with the added dimension of wanting simultanously to replace him and wanting his approval. Unfortunately, Ben has his own father drama going on and has cast you as his old man as well. Aren't you two a match made - well on, the island? Alas, now he's done it and tried to kill you. Emphasis on tried, do you hear me? You better get well, because, see above. There goes my newest 'ship, I suppose, but no matter, we all know you two love the island best anyway.
Also? Last week I saw people suspect Ben set you up to steal that tape recorder from him. So I was thrilled that this week, it turned out not to be the case; on the contrary, you, John, pulled a fast one on Ben, managed to warn our gang of forlorn heroes of their peril and still didn't have to go back to them. (Jack is there. I entirely understand why you prefer to be elsewhere and wander the path of moral ambiguity between camps.) I mean, if the island comes through for you again, you could in theory unite both camps by displacing Ben and Jack as leaders simultanously, but really, that would be the end of the show, I guess.
In summation: I believe you will spend the next episode near death and healing, on a spiritual trek through the underworld, possibly encountering Boone and the unlamented original Sawyer there, and return for the season finale, healed. I believe that just as much as you believe in the island.
Yours eternally,
A woman of faith