But the question remains, what the heck happened and how in the world could they have survived the purple flash? Well, we’re not given much to go with here, other than the fact that the trinity is alive and well, and, in the case of Desmond, sans clothing.

Awakening on the jungle floor, Locke is hit on the head with Eko’s stick – a sign that he needs to get his path straightened out. A now mute Locke sets to work enlisting the help of Charlie, building a sweat lodge, and concocting a tasty psychedelic to help him speak to the island.

While under the influence, Locke embarks on a Lynch-lite dream session with Boone acting as his guide. Essentially, Locke is left to clean up his own mess, which amounts to finding and saving Mr. Eko.

The vision offers us a unique insight into the goings on elsewhere on the island. As Locke is wheeled through the airport terminal, he spots other Losties in various different situations. Sun and Jin are conflicted while waiting in the ticket line, but Sayid is there to help them. Claire and Charlie seem to be in love while in line as well.

A curious inclusion is Hurley, who is distributing airline tickets from behind the ticket counter. Hurley stands at his post, entering the island's numbers into the ticket counter computer, but why? What does this mean? Why is Desmond dressed as a captain? Is there more to Hurley and Desmond’s involvement with the island, Dharma and the Hanso Foundation?

Locke’s late motif is that of a despondent follower. He’s loyal to the end, but consistently doomed to be left feeling used, manipulated and cheapened by his own determinedly blind faith. He is, ladies and gentlemen, a surrogate representation of each and every one of us. If Hurley is the everyman on the island, Locke is the determinedly faithful who desperately seeks answers week in and out.

Thankfully, the quest is undoubtedly the best part of the show, and so far season three is expanding upon this by focusing on the relationship between our dear Losties – ultimately causing us to question everything we’ve learned thus far.

So this time we get a stab at dear old Locke’s backstory, adding further layers to the aftermath of organ theft, recovery and a dismally fated relationship. Being of good heart, and allowing his naïve belief in the good of the common man, Locke picks up a hitchhiker named Eddie while returning home to his new family – a collective of self-sufficient farmers.

Exactly what makes them self-sufficient is of great interest to Eddie, and Locke intends to share in due time. His one misstep is that Eddie is an undercover cop, sent to infiltrate the camp and learn its secret – marijuana production on a massive scale. Locke’s betrayal imminent, he decides to handle the situation himself by killing Eddie alone in the woods. Locke, however, fails to execute.

Meanwhile, back on the island, Locke manages to find Eko awaiting consumption at the hands of a polar bear. The rescue is successful, but Eko remains injured. Locke, however, seems to have a mental connection to both Eko and Desmond. Did the hatch cause these three to connect on the same brainwave plain?

Locke may have been “amenable for coercion” off the island, but the trend is not waning during his stay on the island. It would seem that the island itself is following in the footsteps of Eddie and his superiors, using Locke to help execute a plan of their own design. Only time will tell.

Next: We grow closer to the six episode mark, a stopping point for the first part of season three. Kate’s love for Sawyer is about to be put to the test, but why? More Kate, Sawyer, and Jack drama, and hopefully more on the Sayid, Jin, and Sun dilemma. See you then!

Mario Anima