Lost: Season Three, Episode Three – “Further Instructions”

Well I am back in the Lost fold – looking forward to new episodes, mesmerized by the mysteries – and once again am not writing a play by play, but more of a gut response to the episode. For the detailed plot, go to Wikipedia’s episode guide, and don’t worry, if it isn’t updated now, it soon will be.

Locke is back – bloody and mute, but back none-the-less. It is amazing how central he is to the show. He is really the heart of everything that goes on, and the first two episodes without him felt empty because of it.

Luckily the third episode of the same number of seasons was very Locke-centric. Even the flashbacks were about him – and what flashbacks they were. It seems our faithful Locke was not always the nice guy and spent sometime (pre-box job in a wheel chair, but post-give internal organs to dad) with a group of marijuana growers.

I liked Locke finding solace in a commune type atmosphere, and even the pot didn’t bother me for he’s shown knowledge of psychedelics on the island, but the undercover cop stuff seemed a little trite. Especially the conclusion of the flashback with Locke pointing his rifle at the cop, but ultimately letting him go. I was really hoping that the guy would get hurt, not as a cop, but as the friend of Locke. It would have tied up better with the whole ‘everybody who follows me gets hurt’ deal with the rest of the episode.

Was it me or was the big guy growing the marijuana Mr. Friendly? I swear it was, but I’m lousy with faces.

The polar bear is back – that’s cool. I’ve been wondering about those bears since the first season. It is still a bit peculiar that no one has seen one since it seems to live not so far from the hatch – or where the hatch used to be.

There is a freaking hole where the hatch used to be! Was that cool!

Hurley is back and I’m thinking he’s now a polar bear. I mean the bear was chasing them, then Locke throws his knife at the rustling and suddenly there’s Hurley, but no bear is around. I mean, he kind of looks like a bear so maybe he is one.

I’m now hoping for a Locke/Eko showdown with the others.

The whole Locke in the hut o’mystery dream sequence was a little too conspiracy theory to me. I’m not much for overt symbolism and the airport full of all the characters was just too much. I’m sure lots of fans will slow motion the scene and come up with wild theories as to why each character was where – Hurley is behind the counter, what does that mean? – and I’ll probably read them, but I’ve not much interest in the mess right now.

Mother freaking Desmond is now some psychic! I loved the mysterious mention of Locke’s speech followed by denial followed by it coming true.

Very Mondo cool.