This is by far the best episode that I have rewatched yet. In this single episode we get everything. I feel like I understand Locke. I understand the Hatch. I understand why Boone was a sacrifice. I understand MIB and Jacob's game. Logistics of the television business out of the way, this completely set up the direction Lost was going and end of the story. And without a hitch (or growing adolescent) - this plan worked out. (This was also the very first episode that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wrote together.)
Let's start the way the episode started: the Mouse Trap game.
Locke: "Well, you start with all these parts off the board. And then, one by one, you build the trap - shoe, bucket, tub - piece by piece it all comes together. And then you wait 'til your opponent lands here on the old cheese wheel. And then if you set it up just right, you spring the trap..."
This little dialogue Locke has with this kid while he's working at the toy store is perhaps some of the most explanatory dialogue that we will ever hear. It explains this episode and it explains the entire show. Let me just start with how it explains the episode:
Locke was led to the Hatch. Yes, it was part of his destiny. And it has nothing to do with MIB. In my opinion, the Mouse Trap in the episode was built by Jacob. Jacob manipulates just as much as MIB does and this episode he needs Locke to get to that Hatch and make sure Desmond turns that light on. That is the only thing that needs to happen here. Locke's attempts at opening the hatch need to fail. He needs to start losing faith. His legs need to stop working. He needs the vision. He needs Boone to go into the plane. Boone needs to get hurt. Locke needs to go to the Hatch at that exact moment and bang on that window so Desmond doesn't kill himself.
The title of this episode is Deus Ex Machina, which in Latin means God out of the machine. To me, they are clearly referring to Desmond. Desmond is the fail-safe for making sure the island doesn't self-implode when Locke fails to push the button and he is also the one who goes down to the light cave and ends everything with Jacob and MIB by pulling that cork. He's important. He's needed. And Locke is the only one on that island that is going to be able to conned into the Mouse Trap. I have said before that these flashbacks are never random. Locke was being conned by his father in the flashback and he was being conned on the island. In this episode and the entire series.
The entire series is a giant Mouse Trap to end the game. Everything Jacob and MIB do to position the candidates where they need to go is a part of a giant, ancient mouse trap game. Jacob's touching, MIB's interference, the Oceanic 6, the time travel, the Ajira flight. It was all apart of the mouse trap that we finally get to see end.
So, what do I think about Locke now? I still think he was quite influenced by MIB, especially early on. But more importantly, I think he is just very easily influenced. He wants to be accepted. He wants to be whole. And anyone can take advantage of that. His parents who gave him up for adoption even knew that! So, no matter what is influencing Locke at the time, he will take it as long as he's made to feel special. So yeah, I get him now. He is half sucker (like MIB said) and half believer (like Jack said). We should all know by now that nothing is ever pure black and white on this show.
