Lost Blog

Was this little exchange the reason why the episode was called The Substitute? I actually don’t think it was. I believe it refers to Sawyer, and him being a substitute for Richard. Flocke wanted Richard to go with him, perhaps because he needs someone with him to be able to go home. As Richard refused, it seems Sawyer has taken his place. A substitute.

Flocke and Richard

I found this exchange a little odd. Yes, it’s a certainty that Flocke and Richard have history, but he said it in a way that almost suggests they were once friends. Richard is obviously petrified of Flocke, and that could be because Richard had a hand in turning Flocke into Smokey and/or trapping him, and is now worried about how Flocke will retaliate.

I doubt Flocke had any intention of rekindling any friendship with Richard, but it’s interesting that they possibly could’ve been friends at some point in their very long lives.

Does Richard know for sure that Flocke wants everyone dead? Has Flocke done something like this before? Or is it because the people Sawyer cares about are “Candidates”? It seems that whoever is a Candidate will take over Jacobs role: will that mean they gain Jacob’s powers? If someone takes the role of Jacob does that mean Flocke will be unable to leave the island, and thus have to find himself another “loophole”?

If so, then it seems most definate to me that he’d want all the Candidates dead. Perhaps he’s pulling a Long Con on Sawyer?

The Candidates

There were a whole load of names written on the wall with their names crossed off, but the main focus was that of Jack, Hurley, Sayid, Jin or Sun, Locke and Sawyer. Of course, the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 play a role - although to what end remains to be seen. Interestingly, Kates name wasn’t on the wall, yet she was one of the ones who Jacob had touched - is this significant?

Another thing I’ve been thinking about since the episode aired is who Jacob touched and when. If, when the bomb blew up, it caused the island to sink that would mean that everyone on the island would’ve died. That would include Jacob.

Anytime after 1977 Jacob wouldn’t have been around to visit each of our Losties, except for one, who he had visited in 1976: Sawyer.

Jacob visited Sawyer at his parents funeral and gave him a pen to finish the infamous letter to the real Sawyer. That means in both timelines Jacob gave Sawyer a push toward the island.

He also visited Kate when she was around ten years old. I’m not sure how old Kate is, but if she is around 25 years old in 2004, that would make Jacobs visit to her be in 1989.

So, the only person to be touched by Jacob in both timelines is Sawyer, which I think makes Sawyer the strongest “Candidate”, and also the strongest “Substitute”.

The boy

There are two strong “candidates” for who the boy is: either an older Aaron, or a younger Jacob. How or why though, I cannot even begin to ponder. His clothes suggest that he could be a younger Jacob, and that it is a manisfestation. Flocke seemed to recognise who he was, so I’m going to go with it being Jacob. That being said, if it is a mansifestation, does that mean the manisfestations we’ve seen previously (Yemi, Christian) aren’t Smokey? The mind boggles.

It could be argued that the boy is just a different character altogether, and in the past theories that such-a-person is such-a-person have never come true, so the same could be said here. BUT, the fact that Flocke recognised him and he was dressed the way he was hints that this could be Jacob.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.