Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 1149 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Locke 3 Times on the Ceiling if You Want Me
By Cindy McLennan | Season 6 | Episode 4 | Aired on 2010.02.16
Island Reality; Jungle Trek: While Faucke leads the way, Sawyer asks if he reads and if he's read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Faucke says it was a little after his time. Sawyer sums it up. "Lenny's kind of slow, causing George problems. George walks him out in the woods -- tells him to look out yonder and picture the pretty little house they're going to live in one day. Then he shoots Lenny in the back of the head." Faucke stops and quips that doesn't sound like a happy ending. Sawyer says "It ain't," cocks his gun, and aims it as he wonders aloud what would happen if he put a bullet in Faucke's head. I'm pretty sure I know what would happen to you, Sawyer. Faucke faces him and says, "Why don't we find out." Sawyer doesn't lower the gun. "What are you?" Faucke says, "What I am -- is trapped. And I've been trapped for so long, that I don't even remember what it feels like to be free. Maybe you can understand that. But before I was trapped, I was a man, James, just like you." Sawyer's not convinced, but Faucke says it's the truth. He claims to know joy, pain, fear, betrayal and loss. "If you want to shoot me, shoot me. But you're so close, James. It would be such a shame to turn back now." He turns his back on Sawyer and sallies forth. Sawyer sighs and lowers his weapon. We cut to...
Island Beach: Frank and Sun lead the way as Ilana and Ben carry Dead Locke's corpse in a make shift stretcher/sling. Ben asks Ilana why she brought Locke's corpse there in the first place. Ilana says the people need to see the face of what they're up against. Ben asks what's to stop him from changing his face. Ilana says: "He can't. Not anymore. He's stuck this way." Okay, I'm assuming the "not anymore" comment means not since Jacob's death. But he's stuck that way? She must mean Faucke can't change human forms. I mean, he changed into Smokey when Bram and co. shot at him in the statue base. And we got Smokey-Cam earlier this episode. Whatever.
Locke's funeral cortege reaches Boone's Bluff. Frank and Ben do all the digging, because they're XYs. And ladies, usually I'd be right with you on letting the gentlemen handle the heavy lifting, but how long has Dead Locke been dead? How long has he been baking in the hot sun? Don't you want this over with as quickly as possible? I can't tell if you're preparing the body in some way, or just fiddling with ties on your packs. Skeeve-wise, I hope it's the latter, and also that you're not downwind of Dead Locke. No matter, soon the foursome is lowering Dead Locke into his grave. I find it interesting that Ilana is the only one of the four who doesn't actually step down into the hole. For Sun's sake, okay and Frank's, let's pretend that not foreshadowing. The crew leaves the tarp underneath the corpse -- because this island has an endless supply of tarps (really, watch the first season) and Ilana asks if anyone wants to say anything. I expect Sun to, thinking for a moment that she knew Locke best, but actually, that would be Ben, wouldn't it? Even he thinks so, and goes on to deliver a brilliantly Benjamite eulogy. "John Locke was a... a believer. He was a man of faith. He was a much better man... than I will ever be. And I'm very sorry I murdered him." He puts his hands in his pockets and wanders off. Frank turns his back on the scene and grabs a shovel. "This is the weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to." Maybe so, Frank, but it can't match the excitement of Boone's. Before we cut away, we see the dirt pile up on Dead Locke's mid-section. Poor bastard.