Weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to...

Season 6 of LOST has officially begun. I know we are 3 weeks (and 4 episodes) in, but I feel like last night was the big start to the season. 


Last night was all about Locke. He had by far the best sideways flash we've seen this season. I got a kick out of all of the characters that popped up in his flash. I'm very excited to see who else comes up in the next Locke-centric episode. I think it's an understatement to say that the Locke we saw in the sideways world is very different to island Locke. He seemed to roll with the punches and didn't seem so angry about being in a wheelchair. In fact, by the end of the episode, he seemed to almost accept it. 
I was very excited to see that he was with Helen in this sideways life (even though she died in the pre-Jughead world). So, when we catch up with Locke and Helen they are living in suburbia and planning their wedding. As Locke ponders over color swatches Helen suggests they just elope...and bring Locke's dad (Anthony Cooper...the guy who conned Sawyer's mom). So, if Locke is buddy-buddy with daddy, then how did he end up in the wheel chair?? 
Back to characters popping up in Locke's flash, I think we'll be seeing Boone again soon. Helen mentioned a catering crisis (been there!) and Boone just happens to be the chief operating officer of his mother's wedding business. 
We also found out that Locke was in Australia for a work conference, but he ditched that to attempt to go on a Walkabout. When he got busted and fired and finally fessed up to Helen, he described a walkabout as an adventure -- man vs. nature. But back in season 1, he described it as a journey of spiritual renewal. This is not the man of faith Locke we have come to know. This is not a Locke who believes in destiny or fate. 
But back to the cameos in his flash last night! After he was fired, he runs in to Hurley in the parking lot. Hurley happens to own the company and offers to talk to Locke's boss for him. Locke declines and Hurley gives him the name of a temp agency he also owns. Locke goes to said temp agency and gets the old "If you could be any animal, what would you be?" from the interview girl. He doesn't bite and asks to speak to her supervisor. Who happens to be Rose. Locke tells her he wants a job in construction and Rose laughs him off. When he persists, Rose fesses up about her cancer. She pretty much told him to find meaning and life in who he is, not in who he wants to be or what he can/can't do. Well played Rose!


Next we see Locke he is a biology substitute (this from the Locke who in high school shunned the idea of going to a Mittelos science camp). He manages to find his way to the teachers lounge where some crazy guys is going on and on about coffee. The crazy guy turns out to be Ben Linus. Crazy!


But, let's get back to the Island. 


I'm wondering if when Smokey took over Locke's body, some small part of Locke stayed with him. When FLocke (fake Locke) confronts the blond boy in the jungle, he yells at him "Don't tell me what I can't do!". That is definitely a John Locke phrase. 


(On a side note, did anyone else notice how fantastic Sawyer looked in that nice blue shirt last night?)


Turns out I was right to be worried about Sawyer. He was very easy prey for FLocke. So Sawyer goes traipsing through the jungle with FLocke. When FLocke goes chasing after a blond kid in the jungle (who Richard couldn't see, but Sawyer could), Richard comes out from the trees and tries to convince Sawyer to leave FLocke and head back to the temple with him. FLocke comes back (after his Locke like outburst) and Sawyer lies about talking to Richard. 
I'm wondering how much Richard really knows about what he did for Jacob. When FLocke talks about candidates, Richard seems totally confused. Is he really not in the know, or just a damn good liar?
Anyway, FL and S continue on and and have a fun adventure down a rope ladder and end up in a cave that appears to have been Jacob's former hang out. I think FLocke throwing the white rock into the ocean ("inside joke") is his way of declaring that he (Man In Black, or if we're talking backgammon, the dark side) has won. FLocke shows Sawyer part of the cave where Jacob had scrawled names all over the place. FLocke told Sawyer that these were people who Jacob thought were candidates to protect the island (when Sawyer asks from what, FLocke says, "nothing"). FLocke said Jacob picked out 6 people and interfered with their lives. This is also where we also where we get a taste of what the numbers really mean. The six names (and also the 6 numbers) were written on the wall:
4 = Locke
8 = Reyes (Hurley)
15 = Ford (Sawyer)
16 = Jarrah (Sayid)
23 = Shepard (Jack)
42 = Kwon (which one...Jin or Sun?)
Conspicuously missing was Kate. We saw that as a child she was touched by Jacob, but why was she not one of the 6? Did she do something in between being "marked" and crashing on the island to fall out of Jacob's good graces?
FLocke said he didn't know what the numbers meant, but I'm not buying it. I think he also lied to Sawyer about his 3 options (he could do nothing, he could accept the job as Jacob's replacement, or he could leave the island). Maybe he didn't lie, but there was not total disclosure either. Sawyer said he wanted to leave, but I'm pretty sure that's going to involve him dying. Which I would not be happy about. 


I know this is getting wordy, but I promise I'm almost done!! 
After we saw Jack do a little growing up last week, I was a little bummed to not see more of him this week. I thought it was pretty big of Jack last week to say that he didn't even trust himself. I hoped that this week Lost would pick up the pace, and boy did they! I was very excited about the episode and am looking forward to the enhanced version next week to see what I didn't catch. 
Season 6 is definitely under way and I am pumped!


Thanks for bearing with me kids...I'd love to hear your thoughts!


Oh, EW today reported that Maggie Grace (Shannon) will be making an apperance before the season is over!