Comments on Lostpedia Blog: The Lost Rewatch: 1x03 "Tabula Rasa"

i don't think that locke is possessed by jacobs' n...

2009-06-21T06:38:01.483-07:00

i don't think that locke is possessed by jacobs' nemesis during season 1. but i think he is far more susceptible to their influence and manipulation (both jacob and his nemesis), in the form of visions, dreams and subconscious messages. he is "amenable for coercion". when jack is confronted by things he can't grasp (visions, the monster etc) he automatically assumes he is having hallucinations, or going insane, whereas locke accepts them, in fact is hungry for more. we'll find out in a few months, but i don't think locke has been fully possessed (the way he is in season 5) at this point...

Boone called Sawyer "hick" on that hike! Thank yo...

2009-06-11T12:24:32.075-07:00

Boone called Sawyer "hick" on that hike! Thank you for mentioning this. I had always thought he said something a little more rude than that, but hick is actually the funnier choice.

Remember that Jacob worked some resurrection vood...

2009-06-09T22:51:51.204-07:00

Remember that Jacob worked some resurrection voodoo on Locke before Oceanic crashed. So, if anti-Jacob had been planning to shape-shift the persona of dead, unburied BLANK-SLATE Locke, it probably doesn't quite work out...which might account for the flashes of 'real' Locke.

Also...there is clearly some connection between the monster and water, including rain and surf.

I found Charlie's comment that whoever was in the ...

2009-06-09T21:30:42.469-07:00

I found Charlie's comment that whoever was in the wheelchair is "better off than they are" quite profound after rewatching this episode. Obviously, we initially learned in the next episode that the wheelchair belongs to Locke but that the island healed him. Thinking back to Locke sitting in the rain with his arms outstretched and a smile on his face, it's clear he's found his purpose. He's certainly "better off than they are" in more ways than one.

Also, I have to disagree with what was said about Walt's scene with Michael during the rain. I don't think Locke told Walt anything more than that a miracle happened to him, even after repeat viewings. Plus, although Walt is positioned as being special, I cannot believe that he made the rain stop. We've repeatedly seen the rain stop so abruptly throughout the series and, although I'm not a meteorologist by any stretch, I do believe that it's not uncommon for such environments to experience abrupt changes in weather.

I just think this is another example of reading too much into what happens on the show (though certainly not the most outlandish example), especially so early on in the series.

Seventh Seal (1957, Bergman)and LOST: Other Compar...

2009-06-09T11:56:14.306-07:00

Seventh Seal (1957, Bergman)and LOST: Other Comparisons
Here are some additional comparisons between Seventh Seal and LOST.
1. The squire has a cut on his face around his left eye.
In LOST, John Locke has a cut around his right eye.
2. One actor has a vision of the Virgin Mother and Child.
In LOST, Charlie has a vision of the Virgin Mother and Child. The Virgin Mother becomes Claire holding Aaron.
3. The group has a picnic meal of wild strawberries and fresh milk. Antonius is deeply moved by the peacefulness of the moment and with new confidence continues his game of chess with Death.
In LOST, the survivors share the food they have and are temporarily at peace.
4. Survivors of the plague travel from village to village whipping themselves. They judge the inhabitants of each village and punish them for their crimes. They burn incense and leave a trail of smoke.
In LOST, there is the Smoke Monster that judges people and at times kills them.
5. When a death is about to occur, the scene beomes absolutely silently. This alerts the travelers that something is about to occur.
In LOST, we hear whispers and the metal grating/machine noise.
6. A renegade priest (Raval), is caught robbing corpses.
In LOST, Sawyer takes the possession of the dead.
7. Antonius, then, recognizes Jof and his family as of great value: an oasis of goodness and innocence in a desert of selfishness and guilt.
In LOST, Claire is told that she has a great goodness about her.

Jon Gaskill said... There's something that I ...

2009-06-08T22:33:11.837-07:00

Jon Gaskill said...

There's something that I find interesting about the concept of tabula rasa and how the writers utilize it.

This is very well written and thought out and I find that I very much like the concept.

And it makes me wonder if that "switching" sides is an underlying theme here, as we see sides switch and groups reform numerous times. We must have seen Jacob in some other form - Vincent, perhaps?

It really is different re-watching these episodes armed with all the knowledge we have, all of us at the ready to make sense of it all.

The first show I have been this excited about and entertained by in a long time. Thanks to all that make Lostpedia what it is!

Don't know if anyone mentioned these but: It stru...

2009-06-08T21:47:30.053-07:00

Don't know if anyone mentioned these but:

It struck me that Sayid's party sitting around the campfire decided to lie to the rest of the group. I think Kate said it: "so we lie then." It made me think of the Oceanic six and their decision to lie.

Also, I hadn't noticed before but I'm pretty sure the marshall gets hit in the head (on the plane) with the suitcase of knives that Locke winds up with. Just trivia.

I really like the idea that Locke is actually Flocke right from the beginning. I can imagine a scene in S6 when anti-Jacob inhabits Lockes dead body right before we see (in S1) Locke come to on the beach. So far it looks like it fits. As I think ahead to the end of S1 though, Locke does some stuff that Flocke would have no need to - like obsessing over the hatch for example. I'm interested in seeing where the Flocke theory starts to break down and how (if at all) it can be rehabilitated.

One last thing. Assume for a minute that Locke doesn't find Vincent to be nice but it is actually Flocke furthering his "plan" by moving Michael and Walt closer together. I'm interested to see if that might play out somehow.

Ok. this theory occured to me while watching TR wh...

2009-06-08T14:37:30.240-07:00

Ok. this theory occured to me while watching TR which is why i'm posting it.

The US marshall commented that he believed kates story and that somehow it could allow her to escape prison. She commited murder which warrents prison no matter where you are.
This got me wondering. What if Kate didnt murder her step father? What if the flashbacks we see of her doing so are actually flash forwards? Flash forwards of the losties doing what needs to be done in order to get them to the island to fulfill their purpose...?

In kates case, future kate who has been to the island goes and kills her step dad which ends up in "present" kate being chased by the marshall, leading to kate being on flight 815 and ending up on the island. The same way faradays mum had him doing all the science to make sure he ended up there.

This is just a botched up theory. I havent looked into it. it just makes sense right now. I'll probably repost soon with a thousand reasons its bollocks.

What you guys think? Personally it would explain a lot of the connections in a weird sense...
When time travel is involved in a show, can we really ever be sure that the person we're seeing is actually from that time period?

There's something that I find interesting about th...

2009-06-08T13:19:55.114-07:00

There's something that I find interesting about the concept of tabula rasa and how the writers utilize it. Even though the real-life philosopher John Locke borrowed the phrase to describe his particular brand of empiricism, the concept doesn't actually jive at all with the character of John Locke on the show.

If you think about it, tabula rasa is more in line with the idea that people don't have a prewritten destiny and that every individual can essentially create their own life path--sort of like Sarah Connor's insistence that "there's no fate but what we make for ourselves."

And yet what do we see Locke's character infatuated with? The idea that he's SUPPOSED to do this or SUPPOSED to do that. His whole sense of purpose was wrapped up in the idea that he had a destiny. This seems to put him at odds with his real-life's namesake, who believed the exact opposite.

The character who personifies tabula rasa to a much higher degree would be Jack. He is (or was) vehemently opposed to the notion of destiny, to the point of being angry about it. And in fact, we see him being the one in this particular episode as the character who describes the logical conclusion of tabula rasa to Kate, which is that it is possible to make a fresh start.

But as we saw in season five, Jack made a bit of a change in this regard and became more willing to accept the idea that he had a destiny and a purpose, even if it was difficult for him to believe it at first. He eventually embraced it so fully that he was willing to blow up a bomb because of his belief that it was destiny that he do so.

So where does that leave Locke? Is his story finished now that he is dead, or is there yet more work for him to do? Like Jack, does Locke have a change of heart in store for him also, where he begins to truly embrace tabula rasa and put aside his obsession with destiny? I realize that he is dead and that the show goes out of its way to point out that "dead is dead" (even going so far as to name an episode as such), but that doesn't mean that he can't return as a disembodied spirit for one last hurrah. Perhaps his final contribution to the grand puzzle of Lost is to reject the "destiny" written for him by others and to finally have the courage to perform the ultimate act of faith--to be the author of his own destiny. In this way he would be like Neo from the Matrix trilogy, who rejected the Path of the One to create his own path--the Path of Neo.

But Locke will have to do more than simply reject the idea of being subject to a destiny written for him by someone else. He must actively write his own destiny, rather than sink to the depths of nihilism and feelings of a pointless existence. The last time he resorted to that path, he stopped the Button from being pushed and the world was nearly destroyed. With a shocked look on his face, all he could say was, "I was wrong."

This time Locke has one final chance to do it right, and to do so he must connect with who he really is--something that his high school teacher saw in him but Locke didn't want to admit. As much as he always derided Jack for it, Locke himself is a man of science. Jack and Locke have always been like yin and yang. They still are, but now they have switched roles and Jack is the man of faith while Locke must become the man of science. And somehow he must accomplish his final mission from beyond the grave.

To: Loophole815 The button not being pushed in th...

2009-06-07T12:02:27.420-07:00

To: Loophole815

The button not being pushed in the hatch is why the plane came apart. It was releasing its energy and the plane was affected by it. That's probably why whe can hear it.

Has anyone else noticed that during the crash flas...

2009-06-07T10:31:33.450-07:00

Has anyone else noticed that during the crash flashbacks you can hear the magnetic sound the Island makes as the Hatch starts to come apart? It's the same sound it makes as it skips through time in S5. I agree that we can't assume the secret Locke told Walt and that the Locke scene on the beach hints at something sinister.

First poster Anonymous, yes that's Smokey (John Lo...

2009-06-06T14:24:42.508-07:00

First poster Anonymous, yes that's Smokey (John Locke's adding machine from Walkabout) and yes he in possession of John Locke from the start (IMHO). So this means that Man In Black (MIB) goes from fChristian (mobisode) to fLocke (fake Locke) and begins his game strategy.

We see that MIB takes on the appearance of dead-but-not-buried bodies in S5 (fLocke) and we are fairly sure that fAlex and fChristian-in-Cabin are MIB. Which is were I have a dilemma. If the above is true, then where is Christian Shephard and John Locke's un-buried bodies. And, when MIB jumps from one to the other, does the unpossessed body revert to it's normal self with it's memories, etc.? Is this why John Locke goes from self assured to wishy-washy? Who else is dead, not buried?

We can't assume that the secret that fLocke tells Walt is about his paralysis.

Carving a dog whistle to a perfect pitch from a piece of wood is skillful and certainly old school.

I did not associate the water/rain issues with Walt until this re-watch. I also thought it was the island/Jacob/MIB. Some have noticed the lack of rain issues from S1/2. Hmmmm... I'll have to keep this in mind as we continue to re-watch.

I also have a renewed issue with facial scars - Locke (across the eye), Hurley (eyebrow), Jack (double lines either side of face), Sayid (right arm - shown when he tosses apple to Sawyer), Sawyer (eyebrow), etc., or I'm I just seeing things.

Noticed how young Hurley looks and that they have him running in and out of his scenes. Dude count super high.

Tabula Rasa focuses on Kate's flashback but it's Matthew Fox's performance of Jack Shephard that really stands out. Comparing the first three shows of S1 to the glazed over Jack Shephard of S5 is striking.

Jesus Christ man, what the hell is it with you and...

2009-06-05T20:11:45.059-07:00

Jesus Christ man, what the hell is it with you and the word "meanwhile"? You were supposed to learn transitional words and phrases in like fourth grade.

Not to mention all this is a long, boring, redundant summary of the episode that WE ALL JUST WATCHED. How about some insight? Analysis? Theories? Questions? Anything?

This is embarrassing for Lostpedia.

I watched a foreign film, Seventh Seal (Swedish 19...

2009-06-05T13:07:11.148-07:00

I watched a foreign film, Seventh Seal (Swedish 1957, Bergman), last night on TCM. I immediately saw a number of similarities with LOST. As I rewatch the LOST episodes, I probably will spot more similarities.
Comparison of Film Seventh Seal (Swedish 1957, Bergman) and LOST
The Seventh Seal, a drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman, about the journey of a medieval knight across a plague-ridden landscape, and a monumental game of chess between himself and the personification of Death, who has come to take his life. The title refers to a passage from the Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film, and again towards the end, beginning with the words "And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour" (Revelation 8:1). Here the motif of silence is used ironically to refer to the modern concept of the "silence of God". The film is considered a major classic of world cinema. It helped Bergman to establish himself as a world-renowned director and contains scenes which have become iconic through parodies and homages.
1. Film opens with Antonius Block, a knight, and Jöns, his squire, washed up on a beach. Block opens his eyes and hears nothing.
In the first episode of LOST Jack Shepard opens his eyes while lying in a bamboo thicket. He hears nothing.
2. There is a chess board set up to play. The playing pieces are white and black.
In LOST, John Locke, sets up a backgammon board with black and white pieces. He asks Walt if he wants to know a secret.
3. The film itself is in black and white.
LOST is in color but has a reoccurring theme of black and white.
4. Strongly atheistic and cynical, Jöns later tells Block that the witch, who will soon be burned at the stake, did not see God or Satan because neither exists. The knight refuses to acknowledge his own emptiness despite his doubts. He would rather be broken in faith, suffering doubt, than recognize a life without meaning. The robber that Jöns branded later appears dying of the plague, pleading for water. The mute servant girl attempts to bring him some, but is stopped by Jöns who exclaims, " It's pointless...". The robber then dies after pleading for more water, after which Jöns repeats to the servant girl, " It's pointless.

In LOST there is a strong theme of free-will versus destiny and man of faith versus man of science.
5. Ultimately, Block loses the chess game, distracting Death so the actors can slip away. Yet Death grants him one more reprieve. The knight is reunited with his wife at his castle, where the party shares one "last supper" before Death comes for them. At the final moment, Block pleads desperately to God for help, while Jöns's girl smiles and announces, "It is finished," breaking her silence. The next morning, the family of actors awaken and the father sees a vision of the knight and his followers being led away over the hills in a solemn dance of death. The young family continues on their journey; they will live on, and, in saving them, Block has left behind a life that was not without meaning.
In LOST when the Oceanic Six were rescued and returned to the mainland, most of them had trouble adjusting to the mainstream world. Jack actually wanted to return to the island.
6. All scenes except two were shot in or around the Filmstaden studios in Solna, Sweden. The exceptions were the famous opening scene with Death and the Knight and the ending with the dance of death, which were both shot at Hovs Hallar, a rocky, precipitous beach area in north-western Scania The movie was inspired by a painting by Albertus Pictor in Täby kyrka.
In LOST, Richard Alpert’s name may have been an homage to Albertus Pictor.
7. A criminal gets branded so that he is identified as a robber.
In LOST, Juliet was branded by Ben for betrayal.
8. Actors make jokes how their costumes and fake beards fool the audience.
In LOST, the Others dress-up in castaway costumes and wear false beards and moustaches. Kate finds these hidden in lockers at one of the stations.

The contrast between off-island Locke and on-islan...

2009-06-05T09:26:37.032-07:00

The contrast between off-island Locke and on-island Locke is so stark pre-Jacobs-Enemy-takeover, that when I saw the 'resurrected' Locke, it kept going through my head that he actually needed the island more than it needed him.

Now we know why the change, but I didn't question who it was initially, cuz it seemed to follow what we had seen before.

All the off-island scenes show him as completely lacking any of the confidence he pretty much exudes once he's on the island and on his feet.

He can't make a convincing case to ANY of the Oceanic 6, doesn't even have the ability to begin with a persuasive argument - it's just pathetic old John blurting out "You have to go back" like some freaking street crazy.

This is probably more pertinent to the 'Walkabout' episode, but it does appear that maybe all he needs is a little push...

Something I have been noticing more and more, whic...

2009-06-05T08:53:10.340-07:00

Something I have been noticing more and more, which goes back to the theory that the Nemesis and Jakob are playing a game with everyone and trying to best each other, is it almost seems like Locke is so much the key component to the game that is seems much more on purpose than coincidence. Almost like season 5 wasnt the only time Lock/Flocke was channeled.

The one very big thing that supports this in my mind is that the Locke before the island is nothing at all like the Locke on the island, and its incredibly visible right from the beginning. Two completely different mindsets. No transition, which you would think would be natural.

Simply, there is just so much more to Locke I think the rewatch proves and we will learn in Season 6.

Not only does destiny start popping up alot but th...

2009-06-05T07:58:20.374-07:00

Not only does destiny start popping up alot but the word choice will too.
I had aleady rewatched all of season 1 before you guys started this project. Choice and destiny is used quite a bit.

I think the very end will come down to choice or destiny.

I was just rewatching first five episodes yesterda...

2009-06-05T07:18:28.472-07:00

I was just rewatching first five episodes yesterday and now I see you, Lostpedia guys got the same idea, cool. :D

I've noticed one thing in this episode - Ray's arm issue. We all remember dr.Chang who has lost his hand in the "Incident" and also Montand from Rousseau's team who has lost his arm because of the Smoke Monster. I wonder if there is any connection between them or is this just coincidence (like Ben's and Locke's mothers name - Emily).

The other thing I liked in this episode was the song and happy ending, especially Sayid tossing Sawyer an apple. Why in the latest seasons there were so little happy moments and no peaceful endings like this one?...

And about Tabula Rasa meaning - I think in the show it was simplified. Of course in the philosophy there isn't anything about getting a new start or life but the key words are "tabula rasa", clean state. In the philosphy people are meant to be born with it and in the show they just used this phrase to present the opportunity to start a completely new life on the island. That's why Jack didn't want later Kate to tell him what she did - it doesn't matter because on the island they received a completly new beginning with the clean state.

I hope you understand what I mean and that I didn't make too many mistakes. English isn't my native language (but I learn it in school for about nine years now). :)

The philosopher John Locke's theory "Tabula Rasa" ...

2009-06-05T06:36:41.002-07:00

The philosopher John Locke's theory "Tabula Rasa" was not about everyone deserving a clean slate, but that individuals are born without built-in mental content (a clean slate)and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa

@LolaG, you are absolutely right about Locke's add...

2009-06-04T23:46:56.962-07:00

@LolaG, you are absolutely right about Locke's adding machine at the box company.

Damon and Carlton owned up to the NYC Cab as the source a couple years back:

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Official_Lost_Podcast_transcript/May_21,_2007

The sound is also alluded to in the Pilot episode when Rose says that it sounded familiar to her. "Oh yeah? Where you from?" "The Bronx", she replies.

I'm noticing a lot about destiny, too - and lots of mentions or "I'm supposed too" and the like. Makes sense in light of the long con that we now know is being played out here.

@TMGL - funny you mention the NYC cab sound. That'...

2009-06-04T21:10:22.246-07:00

@TMGL - funny you mention the NYC cab sound. That's what I always think it sounds like, too. :} Supposedly they taped a grocery store register cashing out and played with the audio, and that's the actual sound.

Sorry to jump ahead, but listen for the smokey sound in Walkabout, when John is sitting as his desk working on reports- right after his boss gives him grief about getting his reports in on time. Never would have noticed the smokey sound back when I first watched it, now it stands out so much. :}

The word destiny keeps coming up in these first few episodes, too - another thing I didn't even notice when I re-watched them last year.

Just listened to the last minute with the headphon...

2009-06-04T19:57:45.100-07:00

Just listened to the last minute with the headphones on - yup, just at the fade, after 'Wash Away' melts into the hollow echo effect - there's a very faint clickity click - the NYC Yellow Cab meter sound.

"I am not a murderer" . Quality acting Matthew. I ...

2009-06-04T19:24:44.183-07:00

"I am not a murderer" . Quality acting Matthew. I think the locke fade out was to get the audience to view him as suspicious again after he got vincent back for walt.

Dunno about any Smokey noises, but made the same o...

2009-06-04T16:37:39.709-07:00

Dunno about any Smokey noises, but made the same observation on my modest little blog about John at the end of the episode: "Such an ominous fade out on Locke after his good turn for Micheal!" I'll listen again tonight and let you know what I hear...

It was also interesting how Sawyer said that Al-Ja...

2009-06-04T13:43:54.846-07:00

It was also interesting how Sawyer said that Al-Jazeera won't protect them. "Al-jazeera" is actually Arabic for "the island."