A few weeks ago, in Lost’s sixth season premiere, LA X, there was a scene between Ben and Fake Locke (henceforth referred to as FLocke) where FLocke said that the real John Locke was, quite basically, a loser. At the time, I felt sorry for John Locke, and thought he was misrepresented, that sure, his off-Island life may not have been the best, but through his determination and will, he was able to overcome all of his obstacles.
Over the weekend, I watched some of Locke’s original flashback episodes (Walkabout and Deus Ex Machina) and I realized that FLocke was right about off-island Locke: he was pathetic. Sure, he had a lot of bad luck and was repeatedly taken advantage of by his father. But he allowed himself to be victimized and focused too much on the past rather than wheel on towards the future. His only chance for redemption was the Island, which gave him what he wanted. Too bad that he allowed himself, once again, to be taken advantage of. And in tonight’s episode, The Substitute, we’ve seen Sideways Locke, and I’m not sure he has it any better in this other timeline…