Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Locke 3 Times on the Ceiling if You Want Me
By Cindy McLennan | Season 6 | Episode 4 | Aired on 02.16.2010
Island Reality; Jacob and/or Esau's Nerd Hole: Sawyer looks around at all the names scrawled all over the rock and asks who wrote it. Faucke says, "His name was Jacob." Sawyer picks up on that was, so Faucke explains that Jacob died yesterday. Sawyer mentions Faucke doesn't seem all broken up about it. Faucke says, "I'm not." When Sawyer wants to know why the names are crossed out, Faucke shows him they're not. Sawyer reads: "Shephard." There's a 23 in front of it, but he doesn't mention that. Instead, we flash back to Jacob touching Jack as he hands him the Apollo Bar at St. Sebastian's. Faucke takes back the torch and shows Sawyer another name. Sawyer looks up, "Reyes, that's Hugo, right? What's the 8 about?" We flash back to Hurley's post-jail cab encounter with Jacob. Faucke says, "Jacob had a thing for numbers." Next, he reads "16 Jarrah," as we cut to Jacob touching Sayid right before Nadia's death. Faucke then says, "42, Kwon. I don't know if it's Sun, or if it's Jin." In the flashback, Jacob lays his hands on the couple when he greets them in their wedding reception line. People have been quick to point out that in the new reality, Sun seems to be using her Paik surname. Others says Korean women don't take their husband's names, but still others point out that before this season, Sun was addressed as Mrs. Kwon. Right now, I'm inclined to think it matters little. 42 is a big number, and Jacob touched them both. Next, Faucke reads, "4, Locke. I think we both know him. Jacob touches a seemingly dead Locke after his father defenestrates him.. Faucke turns and takes a few steps and shines the torch on the name and number written right over Sawyer's head. "Last, but not least, number 15, Ford."
Sawyer asks Faucke, "Why would he write my name on this wall. I never even met the guy." Faucke insists he must have. We flash back to Jacob handing young and newly orphaned James Ford a pen after his parents' funeral. Faucke continues: "At some point in your life, James, probably when you were young -- when you miserable and vulnerable -- he came to you. He manipulated you -- pulled your strings like you were a puppet, and as a result choices that you thought you made were never really choices at all. He was pushing you, James -- pushing you to the island." Sawyer shakes his head. "Why the hell would he do that?" Faucke tells Sawyer he is a "candidate." He explains that Jacob "thought" he was the protector of the island. "And you, James, have been nominated to take over that job." Faucke passes the torch back again, while telling James his three choices: The first is to do nothing and see how everything plays out. Faucke crosses out Locke's name as he says it's possible James' name will be crossed out. The second option is to accept the job, become the new Jacob and protect the island. Sawyer asks, "Protect it from what?" Faucke raises his voice. "From nothing, James. That's the joke. There's nothing to protect it from. It's just a damned island and it will be perfectly fine without Jacob, or you, or any of the other people whose lives he's wasted." That smells like a lie to me. Sawyer would like to know what's behind door number three. Faucke says, "The third choice, James, is that we just go. We just get the hell off this island and we never look back." Faucke says they do that, "Together," and walks toward Sawyer. "So what do you say, James? Are you ready to go home?" Sawyer looks around and closes his eyes for a moment. Finally, he looks at Faucke. "Hell, yes." Fade to black. Title Card. Bad Robot!