Method to Locke's Madness

[Reduak]

I've seen a lot of discussion lately on why Locke has been blowing/destroying up everything in sight. The Seinfeld fan in me wants to say he's an Imploder/Exploder but wants to just focus on the Exploding.:D

But, all joking aside, I've seen people claim that he doesn't want to get off the island because he'll end up back in the wheelchair or that he wants to purge the island of everything Dharma and all technology. I can see where that's coming from, but I think there may be something else going on.

Locke is only destroying things that would allow them to escape to or contact the outside world. He blew up the communications station, killed the guy who ran it, and has now blown up the only known way off. He has left the Pearl Station and the Sonic Death Fence intact. So, to me, that rules out the Island Purge theory.

That leaves the "he doesn't want to leave" theories, which I think is a big part of it, but then why ruin it for everyone else.

Here IMHO is the deal:
Locke believes it's his destiny to be on the island, and I'm pretty sure he believes it's the destiny of all the crash survivors to be there as well. Didn't he say as much back in S1 and in the early part of S2, esp in Man of Science-Man of Faith. Unfortunately, I don't have time to roll back through Spooky's transcripts, but I'm pretty sure he has.

That brings up a couple issues if it's the case:
1. That makes Locke a pretty big hypocrit. He's been highly critical of Jack's leadership style of making unilateral decisions for the group. He also had big problems with Sayid keeping Mikhail alive and did something about it when he had the chance.

2. Does he believe this because of some psychic communion with the Island? If so, then could this be the ultimate con in the show. We've seen how gullible Locke is when lured with the bait of commuity/family..Cooper stealing his kidney, the commune that turned out to be a drug op, and the undercover agent who used him to infiltrate said drug op.

Anyhow, I thought I'd throw that out there to see what everyone thought.

[Xenomorph]

My m8 made a good point that the Island is making people do big things in the survivor's lives that they wouldn't do/wouldn't happen if they weren't on the island (Locke no longer being in a wheelchair, Claire keeping the baby, Hurley not eating too much food, Eko finding his brother, Kate being free from the law etc) I guess Locke could possibly see all this has happened and believes hes doing it for their good, it depends on how well he knows the characters. It is selfish of him to do the thing's he's doing but I guess in his mind it is for the best, he can't be thinking straight with all the stuff thats happened to him.

[sgtdraino]

and has now blown up the only known way off.

Sailboat! :banghead:

[Brian]

Not only does Ben have the Elizabeth, he also has the boat that helped everyone get back to the main island from Alcatraz in Stranger In A Strange Land. While they look alike, that boat was larger than the one he gave Father of the Year and Walt to leave in in Live Together, Die Alone. There are more ways off of that island than just the sub.

That said, and to keep continuity within the thread, I absolutely believe there's a method to his madness. Locke wouldn't irritate so many people, IMHO, if people realized that he is going to do whatever is necessary to protect the island. Period. He's never stated anything to the contrary that I know of. If he has, I'm sure someone will post it but I don't remember it.

Locke and Jack differ in that they aren't out for the same things on this journey. Jack is trying to save anyone who wants to be saved, meaning, get them "home" or off the island; Locke isn't. I wouldn't be at all surprised when LOST is all said and done, closing scene, to see Jack et al in a helicopter lifting off from the island looking down at Locke who's watching them leave, gives them a nod, turns and disappears into the jungle. :)

[Susan B Anthony]

1. That makes Locke a pretty big hypocrit. He's been highly critical of Jack's leadership style of making unilateral decisions for the group. He also had big problems with Sayid keeping Mikhail alive and did something about it when he had the chance..

I don't see how this makes Locke a hypocrite. You hit the critical point that Locke believes everyone was brought to the Island for a reason. Locke spent S1 cajoling people into opening up to the gifts the Island had to offer. (Charlie: get free of drugs; Boone: get free of Shannon; Shannon: get free of Boone; Claire: stop being so hard on yourself; Jack: forget what your dad said and take a leadership role). I think Locke believes that the other 815s will thank him in the end, that they just don't understand the Island and if they did, they wouldn't want to leave either. Agree or disagree, I can't see where this makes him a hypocrite. A zealot, maybe.


2. Does he believe this because of some psychic communion with the Island? If so, then could this be the ultimate con in the show. We've seen how gullible Locke is when lured with the bait of commuity/family..Cooper stealing his kidney, the commune that turned out to be a drug op, and the undercover agent who used him to infiltrate said drug op.

Isn't it great?!! The fact that this could be the ultimate con of the show is what makes it interesting. We know that Locke is easily led, but that doesn't mean he's wrong about the Island. If we saw a skeptic believing in the Island, we would be more likely to think he must be right. But with Locke, you never know if he is really the chosen one or if it is just wishful thinking. I can never quite forget that his bio mother was schizophrenic, that disease can run in families, and schizophrenics are prone to hallucinations, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, pretty much everything we have seen from Locke! That's why I can't stop watching!

Sailboat! :banghead:

I thought there was a sailboat but I must have been mistaken....

[sweetsunray]

Why hypocritical: Locke has made a lot of unilateral decisions as he claims for the better for Losties, even if that goes straight against their wishes, and that without consulting or explaining. He doesn't even order someone around, or argues about it, he simply decides, consults nobody and does it. Deciding for other people is even worse than telling them what to do or not to do (and isn't that his motto? which is such teenager attitude remark imo). At least in the latter situation people still have a choice to be ordered or not.

[sgtdraino]

Why hypocritical: Locke has made a lot of unilateral decisions as he claims for the better for Losties, even if that goes straight against their wishes, and that without consulting or explaining. He doesn't even order someone around, or argues about it, he simply decides, consults nobody and does it. Deciding for other people is even worse than telling them what to do or not to do (and isn't that his motto? which is such teenager attitude remark imo). At least in the latter situation people still have a choice to be ordered or not.

The difference is that Locke tends to stop people only when their actions would endanger others. Otherwise, Locke is content to let people make their own decisions.

Jack, on the other hand, has a tendency to micromanage everybody's actions regardless of the circumstances. Because he's a bossy such-and-such. :)

[Madman]

I was going to start another thread on this, but it seems to fit here....

...honestly, after seeing "One of Us," my opinion of Locke has vacillated once again. In Season 1, he was one of my favorite characters...mysterious, wise, capable, etc. His devolution began last season, and eventually snowballed into a free fall throughout the course of Season 3.

But I can't help but wonder if his gross incompetence and consistently appalling behavior aren't so over the top that it disguises a larger, more complex, and possibly even noble motive.

In other words, after seeing Juliet (as much as I hate her, I can't look away) infiltrate the camp, I wonder if Locke is pulling a Juliet on the Others. I think about that scene in which Jack told Juliet that (I'm paraphrasing here) he trusted her because he saw the look on her face when the sub was blown up, and he could tell she wanted to leave the island more than anything. That, he said, made her one of his group.

So...if Juliet's apparent desire to leave was enough to create the impression that she was "One of Us," would Locke's apparent desire to blow up the sub be enough to create the impression he was "One of Them"?

Maybe I'm just clinging too tightly to episodes past, but it's difficult for me to believe Locke became such a reprehensible character so quickly. To me, it's almost as if TPTB are laying it on thick in order to lead us in that mis-direction.

[sweetsunray]

The difference is that Locke tends to stop people only when their actions would endanger others. Otherwise, Locke is content to let people make their own decisions.

Jack, on the other hand, has a tendency to micromanage everybody's actions regardless of the circumstances. Because he's a bossy such-and-such. :)

Beside the point :)

[Hodgepodge]

How have I missed this thread?

I don't think there's been a bigger Locke fan than myself. Since the moment he drug than boar out of the jungle, I've taken notice. Reduak, you're exactly right, Locke feels every survivor was brought to the island for a reason. He said as much to Jack on the way back with the dynamite in Exodus! "Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason." And I accepted that reasoning as gospel. We loose Boone during this phase.

Then we spent a lot of time in that damn hatch. Inputting the numbers and pushing the button. I along with Locke lost the faith. Seeing himself as a reflection in the Pearl's monitor, he thought he was lead astray by his deity. The Island! He turns away, only to find out "I was wrong." We loose Mr. Eko!

After regaining his faith, he's been on a journey. I've mentioned in other threads, which had nothing to do with saving Jack. That was just a pretence. I'll accept the idea he's received other HAVIDs along with a message from Eko's stick. I'll even accept the cold-blooded murder of Mikhail along the way. Lets throw in the destruction of the Flame while we're at it. Okay, he doesn't want to go home. I get it! But, he's taken it to far. IMO, blowing up that sub was the end of the line. Whether my eyes are opened by the island, and I see the errors of my ways. This has gone far enough!

[Brian]

IMO, blowing up that sub was the end of the line. Whether my eyes are opened by the island, and I see the errors of my ways. This has gone far enough!

I don't think the sub is the way off the island, myself. I've heard a couple of theories about it and I'm starting to lean that way.

Ben: I was born on this island. Not many of my people can say that. Most of them were recruited and brought here and as much as they love this place...as much as they would do anything to defend it...they need to know they can leave if they want to. The sub maintains that illusion.

That last line is key. I think the sub is just a symbol of their ability to leave. We've seen the sub a couple of times now and it's never moved. I think Locke was destroying the illusion, not the means off the island. Possibly trying to uncover the Others eyes? I have no idea but I don't think Locke is stupid enough to destroy everyone's sole method of salvation, even if he's not seeking it himself.

[sweetsunray]

Seems to me that Locke's belief that it's best for everyone to stay on the island (and according to some must have some merrit in it) is not really the best option for everyone: it's especially not safe for women to stay on the island, particularly when they're preggers.

[sgtdraino]

Seems to me that Locke's belief that it's best for everyone to stay on the island

Who says that this is Locke's belief? I've never heard him say that he believes everyone should stay on the island. He helped push that raft out to sea.

[Hodgepodge]

Who says that this is Locke's belief? I've never heard him say that he believes everyone should stay on the island. He helped push that raft out to sea.Well, as he mentioned in Exodus, "We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason." I also feel Locke wants each and every survivor to know the reason. Their personal reason for being on the island. And, he's gone out of his way to make that happen.

[sgtdraino]

Well, as he mentioned in Exodus, "We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason." I also feel Locke wants each and every survivor to know the reason. Their personal reason for being on the island. And, he's gone out of his way to make that happen.

Granted, but believing they were all brought to the island for a purpose, is not the same thing as believing everyone should stay there.