"Lost" Diary -- The Man from Tallahassee

This week's comments were fun to read since someone tossed out the theory that Jack and Claire's dad, Christian, could be "him" or Jacob. There are two things that support this (and a dozen probably don't). First, he is involved in the flashbacks of Jack, Claire, Sawyer and Ana Lucia. That's a lot of coincidences there. Second, when Jack found his dad's coffin among the plane wreckage, it was empty. So I'm not saying ... I'm just saying.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes. I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. This week I am with the usual crew of Ari, Lauren, April and Matt. Lauren is giddy to the point where she might pass out. Let's roll:

10:00 -- It's Locke flashback time. Fans are divided on almost every character on this show, but does anyone hate Locke? He's most people's favorite character.

10:02 -- Picking up where we left off, Locke, Sayid and Kate are watching Jack frolic with the Others. Later, Locke spots Jack shaking hands with Henry Gale, who is now wheelchair bound -- something Locke can surely relate to.

10:06 -- Kate wants to storm the Others compound, guns blazing -- proving again that she's an idiot. What are the odds she gets captured during this episode and held at gunpoint? Cause that hasn't happened in a few weeks.

10:07 -- Locke settles Kate down, using reason and logic, which certainly went over her head. The more Locke is in this show, the happier we'll all be.

10:08 -- "How many kidneys do you have?" -- Peter Talbot. You know what they say: The way to a man's heart is through his kidney.

10:09 -- Apparently, Locke's dad is swindling this guy's mom. I have nothing interesting to add here, except this thought that keeps going through my mind: After last week's great episode, and with everything that is going on, I don't think anything I see this week can shock me. If they showed me Jack salsa-dancing with a polar bear, I wouldn't blink.

10:10 -- So Kate and the crew failed miserably at trying to "rescue" Jack -- and Kate was held at gunpoint. Shocker. Did you notice how cold Jack was? When he said, "Just answer the question, Kate," I got chills. I love not knowing what's going on. If there wasn't a Jack flashback a few weeks back, wouldn't the two days we didn't see Jack make for a great flashback episode? Like they did with Claire when she was missing? Maybe later in the season.

10:13 -- Locke -- because he's the man -- went straight for Henry Gale and he's looking for the submarine. Don't know what to make of that just yet. Locke is the only person who doesn't actually want to get off the island.

10:17 -- So now Locke has Alex hostage in a closet while Mr. Friendly fills-in Henry Gale on what's gone on. Did you notice the line, "What about Juliet and Shepherd? Tomorrow..." and then he got cut off. I am telling you, Jack is about to be taken off the island and he doesn't want Kate and the rest of them to screw it up. I feel good about this prediction.

10:18 -- "I want you to bring me the man from Tallahassee." -- Henry Gale. He can make anything sound cool. Like the next line, "No John, unfortunately we don't have a code for 'There's a man in my closet with a gun to my daughter's head. Although, we obviously should." Any scene between Locke and Henry Gale is gold. Gold!

10:19 -- Back in the flashback, Locke is back to stalking his dad again. Good times.

10:20 -- Locke tells his dad off, big moment and all, but now seems like a good time to mention something: If I don't find out why Locke is paralyzed in this episode, I will lose it. I've been good, I watch the show every week, this is what I want. Maybe even more than Charlie dying. Well ...

10:21 -- Henry Gale figured it out before I did. I am such an idiot. Locke doesn't want the submarine to get off the island -- he wants to blow it up so he never leaves the island!!! Man, I love this show.

10:22 -- Henry Gale knows how Locke ended up in the wheelchair and I don't?!?! No fair!!! But, on the plus side, that probably means we'll find out soon. I am almost too excited to type.

10:23 -- "Tell me John, did it hurt?" -- Henry Gale.

10:24 -- Jack goes to see Kate, but not before being tipped off about the fact the Others are watching by Mr. Friendly. Interesting.

10:27 -- Alright, the scene between Jack and Kate -- where to begin? First off, if you didn't love this scene, you probably also kill puppies for fun. Awesome scene on just about every level. It had a little mystery, a little romance, a little of everything. Phenomenal. Jack, like I said, didn't want Kate come back for him because he didn't want to face her; he felt bad he was leaving her behind. Just a great scene.

10:32 -- Peter Talbot is dead. No shock there.

10:33 -- Locke and Henry Gale have a great conversation about why and how Locke started walking again. I am thiiiiiiis close to not even caring about "Lost" anymore and just wishing they'd spin off a show about Locke and Henry Gale as roommates who work together at an ad agency, who have to live in all-girl apartment building in the city, so they dress up as women ... oh wait, that was "Bosom Buddies." Nevermind.

10:34 -- Oh yeah, Sayid. Alex gets his pack and Sayid plays the mom card.

10:35 -- "We have two giant hamsters running in a massive wheel at our secret underground lair." -- Henry Gale. He'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

10:36 -- "Picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you, John? What if I told you that somewhere on this island there is a very large box, and whatever you imagined, whatever you wanted to be in it -- when you opened that box, there it would be. What would you say about that John?" -- Henry Gale.

10:37 -- "I'd say I hope that box is big enough to imagine yourself up a new submarine." -- Locke.

10:38 -- "Because you're in a wheelchair, and I'm not." -- Locke.

(I had to throw those lines as separate entries, they were too good.)

10:39 -- Ok, how do I sum up this scene between Locke and Henry Gale? Every time they are on screen together, I don't breath and everyone in the room stops talking. I think that sums it up.

10:43 -- Henry Gale tries to talk Locke out of blowing up the sub by telling him what we all know -- that the sub can't come back because they can't communicate with the outside world (and Mikhail said something about the homing beacon being destroyed). We're all debating whether the sub is really the only way off the island. The consensus: no.

10:44 -- Locke goes to blow up the sub and Rousseau gets her first glimpse at Alex. Will Locke blow up the sub? I'm going with yes.

10:45 -- "Your friends are only here to rescue you, but you seem to be doing a good job of rescuing yourself, so ..." -- Henry Gale to Jack. Ouch.

10:46 -- "I'll let them go, just as soon as you've left the island." -- Henry Gale. Interestingly worded, don't you think? Henry Gale is completely playing Locke -- he wants the sub blown up so Juliet can't leave. I might have to bump Henry Gale up on my Best Characters on Television list.

10:47 -- Jack and Juliet run into Locke on the pier and the sub explodes. Why is it that things always seem to blow up right on cue on this show?

10:49 -- Locke is back to confront his dad -- who drinks MacCutcheon whiskey. This won't end well for Locke.

10:50 -- Ow. I mean seriously, ow. I'm not ready to talk about this yet. I need a few minutes.

10:53 -- I'm not going to lie: watching Locke's first encounter with the wheelchair left me a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Henry Gale's name is neither Henry, nor Gale. Discuss.

10:54 -- Locke is handcuffed to a drainpipe, like Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon." I can't even focus when Henry Gale and Locke are talking.

10:56 -- "You're not going to start talking about the magic box again, are you?" -- Locke.

10:57 -- "No, John. I am going to show you what came out of it." -- Henry Gale.

10:58 -- Oh dear lord, what is in the box? This is most excited I have been about the contents of a box since "Seven." It has to be one of two things, I think: another submarine or Locke's dad.

10:59 -- "Dad?" -- Locke. For the second straight week, THAT IS HOW YOU END AN EPISODE OF "LOST."

So what did we learn this week? A few little things, maybe, but one big thing: "Lost" is back. And I am thiiiiiiis close to challenging to fight anyone who says otherwise. Or a game of Connect Four. Because I am awesome at Connect Four and terrible at fighting.

But seriously, I was talking to a friend last week and we were both saying how we wanted "Lost" to be good again, because at its best there is nothing on TV like it. If "The Shield" isn't great, "The Wire" will be. If "Scrubs" isn't funny, "South Park" will be. But can anything on TV right now fill the void of "Lost"? I don't think so.

This episode is a definite A. Locke and Henry Gale were amazing. We had two utterly heart-wrenching scenes, fantastic writing and a shocker of an ending. What more can you ask for?

Allow me to answer my own question. We found out this week how Locke ended up in the wheelchair -- which, as you may know, is the one thing I wanted to learn more than anything. I have to say, it felt a tad anticlimactic. It was no real shocker that his dad had something to with it. I felt a little letdown by the reveal, but I am not sure what would have left me satisfied -- a tie-in with someone else on the island might have done it. Oh well.

So now that the mystery has been solved, I need a new "one thing I really want to learn." And I'm going to cheat and pick two things: I want to know who Jack's wife left him for, and I want to know who the original Sawyer was (Locke's dad has always been my theory).