Why Locke got the use of his legs back

[IamLOST922]

I was rewatching my Lost tape, starting from the beginning. In the very first couple minutes of the pilot I noticed something rather odd, especially after seeing last night's episode. When Jack is trying to save that man who is trapped, Locke comes over to help. Locke, who just regained the use of his legs, helps Jack save a man who just lost his legs. Could this go along with last nights episode? Locke said something about having to give the island something in order to get something. Locke got back the use of his legs when another man lost his.

[Baron X]

Very, very nice catch! Keep up the good work.

[jekelish]

yeah, but Locke didn't give anything up there...the guy who lost his legs did. what has Locke given up, anyway? i mean, aside from his sanity.

[psychobunny1]

I have a question, I will ask it here since it probably has been addressed, but has anyone figured out how Locke legs are strong enough to help move some one, and to go tracking a wild Boar. If he didn't use them for four years the muscle would have gone, so who is he out walking around.

[Baron X]

That was answered with, we know he had a condition for four years but we don't know at what point he started to use the wheel chair. If it was degenerative he might have only been in the chair a year, 3 months, 2 weeks...........

[Baron X]

But I think he should have had a limp or some sign that they were a little out of practice.

[leftofpunk]

this is true, but if the island gave him use of his legs, than i'm sure the medical reasons wouldn't apply.

Like Charlie's ACOUSTIC guitar would have shattered even in the case had it impacted the side of the cliff liek that.

[bigmouth]

I actually wonder if it wasn't a mistake - an unintentional byproduct of cloning or some other procedure performed on all of the "survivors."

[xxandraxx]

I actually touched on the subject of cloning on a previous thread.

I have a question about the man who regained use of is legs. If someone has posted this before, please forgive me for repeating it but why doesn't he speak of his own miracle of walking again? I mean..i would have definitely mentioned it to someone. I would tell them i was in a wheelchair prior to the crash...and now I can walk..what a miracle! They may be skeptical but perhaps others have experienced some form of miracle too.

Why is he keeping it to himself? How does he know that the guitar was in the tree? That's totally weird!

It also seems that he doesn't mind not being rescued if that means he can walk again. He seems to be getting some pleasure being on the island. Does he have something more to prove to himself?

[Baron X]

Yes, that has bothered me too. If Locke wants to go around and preach the blessing that the island can give you, why does he leave out what would be a very compelling piece of information? Personally I think he is nuts, but barring that if you want to sell somebody something you would throw in your on personal testimony.

[killbuckner]

I think that Locke just understands that any gift the island rewards you with can be taken away just in an instant. That by talking about this incredible gift it would make it more likely it is taken away. I think you will see in the next episode that Charlie's guitar is taken away.

[Baron X]

But that was Locke playing God, the guitar was there all along. It would have been there no matter what. Locke could have just as easy said ' Hey Charlie? Is that your guitar up there?' but he chose to try and drag some one else into his delusion through manipulation. That is beautiful how?

[cccourt]

...I have a different take on Locke revealing the guitar to Charlie.

I think it is there to show us....there is no miracle to Charlie finding his guitar or its survival from the crash. It should be leading us to believe that Locke's OTHER miracle could be solved in a similar fashion. The idea he had hysterical paralysis has already been discussed. Won't go there.

ccc:hat

[killbuckner]

ccc- there still needs to be an explanation for how Jack was led to the water. I really just can't see it ending up that the show is just going to attribute that to luck. Something led Jack to the water.

But I do think you are right in one respect. I think that Locke will go through times when he loses the use of his legs for no apparent physical reason. The producers will give us several possible reasons to correlate with those flips but of course correlation does not mean causation.

[deelsee7]

I believe Jack's hallucination was guided by an outside telepathic intelligence. Whether someone/something intentionally used the image of Jack's father, or Jack's mind imposed the image, while the other intelligence simply intended someone whom Jack should trust, I'm not sure.

And as to how Locke can walk so soon after using a wheelchair, it is not required that you be paralyzed to need a wheelchair. My husband, who had muscular dystrophy, used a chair for years while he could still walk short distances within our house with fore-arm crutches. He seldom used the crutches outdoors because it was exhausting and he was prone to lose his balance and fall, which embarrassed him. Also, you can't carry anything when you use crutches, which would be difficult in a workplace.

Not saying that he had MD, but there are many different diseases and types of injuries which could cause enough weakness to require a wheelchair without paralysis. And yes, there are diseases which affect the legs without affecting the arms too much to use a manual wheelchair.

[deelsee7]

KillB, the idea that Locke will occasionally lose the use of his legs reminds me that when Michael was injured by the boar, and Locke was knocked down, he hesitated a LONG time before responding to Kate's requests for help. And when he sat up, he looked at his legs as though he was worried they would no longer respond.

But it also may have been a writer's device to make US wonder... *sighs*

[Enchirito]

^^When Locke got knocked down by the boar I think he came really close to slipping back into his old persona. He hasn't had another close call since, and I hope another blow to his confidence like that one doesn't push him back into his old self. That would be very sad. I kind of hope that his 'encounter' somehow permanently changed him into the person he always wanted to be. Locke is the first castaway find his 'destiny' but I get the feeling he won't be the last. Jack is well on his way.

[GinWeasRox]

Just arrived here, haven't yet read all the threads, maybe this has been discussed already. Has anyone noticed that none of the survivors have said "Didn't I see you in a wheelchair on the plane?"

[JRoeT]

Ack! I just typed a LOOOONG reply and promptly "lost" it. Wll here goes the re-construction.

Locke did tell someone about his miracle - the kid. When they were playing backgammon (was it in fact backgammon?) he said to the boy, "Do you want to know a secret?" and it cuts away to next scene.

Later, the boy tells his dad that "Mr. Locke says a miracle happened here."

Also, the island is manifesting or even resurrecting everyone's desires and thoughts. I know this is not a brand new theory, but I haven't seen anyone give examples:

First, in response to an earlier post in this thread: Jack is led to the water by his father. I do not believe it was a hallucination. I believe it is actually his father, resurrected by the island. When Jack follows him, he comes to the water (thereby saving everyone, solidifying his role as hero and leader, and being forgivven by his dad). He also comes to his father's coffin, whcih we know was on the plane . . . the coffin is empty. The island brought him back to life.

Locke's legs are brought to life by the island.

Claire's baby was not moving for awhile in episodes one and two, and then . . it moved! Possible that the baby was injured in the (very violent) crash, maybe even died, but was resurrected by the island.

The polar bear in Michael (the boy)'s comic book (look closely, you'll see it) is manifested by the island.

Also a few inanimate objects -- the guitar, maybe the Korean man's watch? Because Charlie and the Korean man wished for them, respectively.

More recently, Charlie died. He did. It's funny to read all the posts about how long he could have been hanging and not be dead. HE DIED! Jack brought him back to life, not with his medical ability, but with his sheer will. He wished it, and the island gave it to him.

I also think that Sayid imagined the French woman and the island manifested her / resurrected her? I think this mostly because she coincidentally had the set up to electrocute and torture him. He had electric shock torture in his background / training, and it had come to the forefront of his mind as he headed off to be alone after torturing Sawyer, and thought back to his time in the Iraqi military.

Finally, it is very possible that they all did die in the crash, and the island ressurected them all, as stated in another related theory.

Looking forward to starting from the beginning to see new clues! Have fun, all!

[ragenwulf]

Just wanted to say, xxandraxx, that i think you are on the right track with your cloning theory!

(In another post on Jack's freaky father i noted that therapeutic cloning is starting clinical trials in order to repair spinal cord injury- if this research was happening on the island it ight explain Locke's "miracle").

I am not a scientist but I guess they would clone some of your cells and "grow" new ones for the spinal cord repair. Now, since the ethics of cloning is a touchy subject, and cloning research is banned in some countries, maybe that would explain why the research group headed out on ship to some deserted location in international waters.

do you think this would fit in with your theory?