Last night, we watched episode four, the first Locke-centric episode of the series. It’s pretty cool seeing some of the Locke themes playing out even in this first flashback. I was always struck by his, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Watching now, all his talk of “destiny” strikes me as a bit of an eyeroll, but Terry O’Quinn perfectly embodies the “true believer” that sets up much of the “man of science / man of faith” dynamic in later seasons.

I was also struck by how early on the writers were planting seeds about those who were in the rear of the plane at the time of the crash (later dubbed “the Tailies.”) Rose’s firm belief that Bernard was still alive was ultimately validated and, in this way, she stands as something of a parallel to Locke, who becomes the Island’s resident mystic. But Rose receives a decidedly happier ending than old John Locke will.

Other random thoughts:

• I really think they could’ve done something interesting with Boone’s storyline. He’s the young buck looking for a father figure and I wonder who he would’ve turned toward as a surrogate. Locke? Despite their Season One connection, I think not. Maybe Jack? It’s easy to see how this would provide a narrative pallet for Jack to work out his own daddy issues. In another iteration of this series, I could see Boone (rather than Hurley) bearing the mantle at the end, becoming the Island’s next caretaker.
• Speaking of Hurley, I just love his character. Such a great addition to the cast. I once heard that Jorge Garcia originally auditioned for the part of Sawyer. Of course, even though he didn’t win that part, the producers loved him so much that they basically wrote a role for him.