Richard did not know Locke, because he had not met him yet. But Richard can move in time (probably at will). After Locke tells him that he becomes his leader - Richard says, impossible, the selection process starts when the candidate is very young. I think that Richard then decided to visit Locke as a child. If you recall, he puts a bunch of items in front of the Locke as a child, and asks him which one is his. Richard wants him to pick the compass (which he gave him).

At the time, Richard had not *yet* gone back in time to see Locke as a child.

In the same way, Farraday does not remember telling Charlotte not to return to the island, because he hadn't done it yet. He will - remember seeing a present day Farraday in the Orchid when it was being constructed.

I've watched the show since the begining and these theories on here are confusing me more than the actual show does.:)

Yup,
Now I'm confused by own theory......:confused:

Larry, I think your theory about Richard deciding to go back in time to visit Locke as a child is correct. Also, please reread my last post above yours, as I was in the process of editing it while you posted yours. I'm not sure what parts I had added since you posted. Hope I haven't confused you as much as I am right now :)

My assumption was that when Richard met Locke in the atomic bomb episode (with the young Charles Widmore), Locke had actually not yet been born. Richard then decided to visit him as a baby, and then again as a boy in a few years time, when Locke was then actually born.

Or maybe we're both right :eek:

It appears that Jack's father (or at least his ghost) is shifting as well, since he had prior knowledge of Locke's instructions to "move the Island".
My theory is that anyone who came in Flight 815 is moving, and Christian's body was on that flight. So if that theory is correct then he is moving. Remember he showed up on the freighter to talk to Michael right before it blew up too. So he can probably travel, like I think Alpert can.

I try to stay away from the theories as much as I can because it just confuses me.

Last season in Cabin Fever Christian clearly told Locke that no, he's not Jacob, but he can speak for him.

Well Christian is a ghost, isn't he? So I guess he can travel through time at will.

With a name like Christian Shepard, you know he's good. I found that a bit of a paradox. He was underground with Locke (hell) while Ben and Mrs. Hawking were in a church (heaven);

Larry, I think your theory about Richard deciding to go back in time to visit Locke as a child is correct.

I don't think that Richard can (and doesn't) travel through time. He went to see Locke in the original time line because 'future Locke' told him that he would be born in 2 years (that was in 1954 right?) so Richard just waited and went to see him in 2 years etc.

I just think that whatever thing (human or not) Richard is, doesn't age while on the island, and that's why the others have "always been there". Also, I think that Whidmore is one of the others (i.e. young Whidmore) but once he got off of the island he started to age like a normal person would.

The only peope jumping through time seem to be the visitors that were there when the initial move happened. It doesn't affect the inhabitants of the island who are Richard and the others.

You might be right about Richard just waiting 2 years. The others were all kinds of ages of the others -- what would be considered someone "who has always been there" ?

But Ben aged on the Island.

But Ben wasn't originally a member of the Others; he came with the Dharma Initiative.

The others were all kinds of ages of the others -- what would be considered someone "who has always been there" ?

I don't know, hopefully they'll answer the question of who or what "the others" are and how they came to be eventually.

Tonight's episode was probably the best of the season, so far. It is the first (and maybe the last) episode that took place almost entirely off the island. Many of the things that I thought would happen did, plus there were a few surprises. I guessed that Lapidas would be the pilot as soon as I realized they were flying back. Here is something that I am wondering,

It appears Locke committed suicide knowing that he would go back to the island and come back to life. So does anybody think that Christian did the same thing (by drinking himself to death)? Also it seems the island just took back the people it wanted, and the rest of the plane just disappeared, or crashed somewhere else. I'm guessing that it wouldn't let Ben back.

Also one other big thing, what happened to the people on the island when the 6 came back? It appears that somehow they have stolen stuff from Dharma, by touching it when the island flashed.

This is the first time in a while that we have no clue what is going to happen next. We knew they were going to leave, and then come back for a couple seasons now. I thought that about this time next season they were going to go back, so I have no clue what will happen for the next season and a half.

Did anybody notice the co-ordinates where the island currently is? I'm just wondering.

Agreed--it was another great episode.

At least three are back on the island, but I wouldn't assume the "off-axis" skipping has been solved already. The working van and Jin's Dharma uniform either suggest they flashed from the plane into the past, or that Jin picked those up some time during a previous flash. The "when are we" question might still be relevant.

It's unclear whether Christian ever knew about the Island. I doubt it. Plus, there's no evidence he was ever the leader of the Others. On the other hand, they definitely have Locke on a pedestal.

As for Ben, he might have "earned" a return trip by saving the island in the first place, and getting most of the Oceanic Six onto the plane. That said, Ben's as evil as ever...and it looks like Desmond will want to find the island again. With a vengence.

Wondering if anyone can help me out. The dialogue cut out (I don't think it was intentional) when Jack spoke to the Latino (?) guy behind him in the check-in counter at the airport, as well as when he spoke to Sun before they spotted Sayid. Was anything significant said? Thx.

Man in line: "My condolences. I'm sorry about your friend." OWTTE

Conversation with Sun: Jack hoped she would show up at the airport; and Sun said she should go back to the island if there's a chance that Jin is alive .

When Ben said to Jack that he made a promise to an "old friend" and that he had to tie up a loose end, I think he was talking about Charles Widmore and referring to the late night conversation they had together where Ben said he was going to kill Penelope because Widmore had Alex killed. And when Ben appeared bloodied and with the broken arm the next day when he called Jack, I suspect that was from the struggle and he probably succeeded.

If Ben did kill Penolope, that would definitely bring Desmond back to the island to get revenge on Ben (who I think will be back on the island). Besides, Ben has been signed on right to the end of the series, season 6, so he's going to be in the show one way or another

The Dharma van and Jin's uniform looked brand new. I think they're back in time.

When we last saw Jin (with Sawyer, Juliette, etc) they were in the past. The well had disappeared and the donkey wheel was apparently fixed so the time travelling should have stopped. We don't know how far in the past but it could be in the early stages of the Dharma Initiative when things are being built. Jin and the gang could have ended up working for Dharma.
In the final scene with the plane there was a flash so it's plausible that the island sent them to the same time period as the 'left-behinders'.

I'm still thinking that they were just touching the Dharma things when a flash happened, they may have worked for them in the past though.

If Desmond ever does get back to the island, which I think he will, it will get very interesting.

Anybody have any idea why Locke had to wear something of Christian's?

Next week they are going to tell Locke's story from the time he left the island, to when he returns. That should be good too.

Anybody have any idea why Locke had to wear something of Christian's

Because they had to recreate the original crash as close as possible. Christian was dead in the coffin, Locke took his place and wearing something of his helped. Eloise explained to Jack that Locke was acting as a proxy for Christian and he had to give Locke something that belonged to his father.

Hurley had a guitar case with him - that's got to be a link to Charlie.