(Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on the Island)
- You may be looking for his counterpart in the flash-sideways timeline.
- "John" redirects here. For other uses of "John", see John (disambiguation).
- "Locke" redirects here. For other uses of "Locke", see Locke (disambiguation).
John Locke was one of the middle section survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Before the crash his father conned him for his kidney and later pushed him out of a window, breaking his back. After this he spent the next four years of his life paralyzed from the waist down and looking for his purpose in life. He was then told by Matthew Abaddon that he must attend an Australian Walkabout after which he found himself aboard Flight 815. His paralysis was immediately healed upon crashing on the Island, which ultimately led him to believe that he had some sort of special connection to the Island. John was very handy with tools and a good hunter of boar and other animals of the Island, which proved to be very helpful in the survival of the group. Seen as antithetical to Jack Shephard, he and Jack were philosophical opposites and used to share leadership among the survivors. When Locke discovered a Hatch on the Island, he was determined to open it, insisting that everything happened for a reason. He opened it and took it upon himself to continue pushing the button, believing that this was his purpose. However, Locke soon lost his faith in the Island and stopped pushing the button which ultimately caused the discharge. After this, Locke looked for his purpose again and led the mission to rescue Jack from the Others. Locke eventually decided to stay with the Others and with Sawyer's help, he passed the test of killing his father. However, his apparent ability to commune with Jacob made John a threat to Ben, who shot him and left him for dead in the DHARMA Grave. The Island, in the form of Walt, rescued Locke and told him that he still had work to do. After Jack called the freighter for rescue, John (convinced that the freighter had no intention of helping them) led a group of his supporters to the Barracks for safety, where they were attacked by mercenaries. After the Oceanic Six left and Ben moved the Island, John assumed leadership of the Others, but was immediately separated from them as a result of the Island skipping through time. Locke left the Island via the Orchid, in an attempt to stop the erratic flashes through time and bring back everyone who left. After trying and failing to reunite them, John was strangled by Ben, and his death was used to convince the Six to return to the Island. His corpse was placed upon Ajira 316 and crashed on the Island along with the plane in 2007. After the crash, Locke appeared to have been resurrected, rejoining the Others and embarking on a mission to assassinate Jacob. However, his body was discovered in the hold of 316 some days later. John Locke had been dead all along. After several days he was finally buried in the graveyard.
Before the Island
Childhood
John Locke was born to Emily Annabeth Locke and Anthony Cooper on May 30, 1956. His mother was 15 years old when an unknown driver hit her, forcing an early delivery. Three months premature, John survived numerous illnesses; his nurses called him a miracle. While John's grandmother discussed adoption with a nurse, Richard Alpert smiled at baby John from an adjoining room.
A 5 year old John, listening to Richard. ("Cabin Fever")
John soon entered foster care. At one point he had a foster mother named Florence, a foster sister named Melissa, and an unnamed foster brother with whom he played mousetrap. In 1961, when John was five, Richard visited, saying he ran a "school for very special children" like John. He noticed John had drawn black scribbles attacking a stick figure. He laid several items on a table and and asked John which already belonged to him. John picked a knife and Richard left in a hurry, saying John was not ready to join his school. ("Cabin Fever")
A 16 year old John is told that he cannot be normal because he is special. ("Cabin Fever")
Another of John's foster sisters, Jeannie, fell from monkey bars and broke her neck fatally. Jeannie's mother blamed her own negligence, and when a Golden Retriever took up residence in Jeannie's bedroom, she believed Jeannie's spirit had returned to say the accident had not been her fault. Five years later, she died and the dog vanished.("Outlaws")
As a young child, Locke joined the Webelos, where he learned skills such as identifying birds and tying knots. ("Hearts and Minds")
Teenage John's love of science attracted bullying. In 1972, Richard approached a teacher who once freed John from a locker with a Mittelos Laboratories "summer camp" invite. John turned it down, favoring sports over science. When the teacher said John could not do those things, John responded with "Don't tell me what I can't do." ("Cabin Fever")
Meeting Anthony Cooper
Many years later, while working in a superstore's toy department, Locke noticed his mother Emily stalking him. She told him he was "immaculately conceived", paving the way for his special "destiny," but an investigator discovered John's living father's identity, and a medical record of his mother's psychiatric problems.
Locke holds Cooper's hand before surgery. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Acting on the information, Locke visited his father, Anthony Cooper, who invited the eager Locke on hunting trips, where the two appeared to bond. On one visit, Cooper was on a dialysis machine and revealed his kidney failure. Compassionately, Locke soon offered his kidney and before their surgery called their encounter an act of fate. When Locke awoke afterward, Cooper had left.
The traumatized Locke was then visited by his mother, who confessed his father had arranged their earlier meeting and all subsequent events to con him into giving away his kidney. Enraged, Locke drove to his father's house, but the guard denied him entry. Locke left, but regularly to drive to Cooper's house and parked outside for hours, wanting an explanation for the betrayal. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Relationship with Helen
Helen rejects Locke's proposal. ("Lockdown") (promotional still)
Locke later joined an anger management group where he trivialized members' problems by comparing them to his own. He started a relationship with another member, Helen Norwood, who appeared to understand his state. Though Cooper moved, Locke continued to stalk him until Helen caught him and made him choose between the two of them. ("Orientation")
During this time, he started a home inspection company called "Welcome Home." He happened to inspect a house for Nadia, the childhood sweetheart of Sayid Jarrah. ("Lockdown")
When Locke was ready to propose to Helen, Cooper faked his death and asked his son's help in retrieving money from an account. Locke agreed for $200,000. Helen discovered his involvement and rejected his proposal, leaving him on bended knee.
Commune
Betrayed, Locke holds Eddie at gunpoint. ("Further Instructions")
Some time after his relationship with Helen, Locke joined a commune of farmers (including Mike and Jan) in Humboldt County, California who secretly grew and sold marijuana. During this time, he invited Eddie, a hitchhiker into this "family," not knowing he was an undercover police officer. Locke learned Eddie's true identity, but could not bring himself to shoot him. When arresting the commune's occupants, Eddie seemed to notice Locke but did not approach him. ("Further Instructions")
Paralyzed
Cooper tackles Locke, forcing him to fall eight stories. ("The Man from Tallahassee") (promotional still)
Having been conned by his father, rejected by the woman he loved and lost the closest he'd ever come to a real family, Locke entered a state of depression, began therapy and started receiving government assistance. In 2000, he was approached by Peter Talbot, whose mother was engaged to Cooper. Suspicious, Locke contacted Cooper, threatening to expose him as a conman. Cooper initially agreed but later had Peter killed. Cooper denied responsibility and said Mrs. Talbot had called off the wedding. When Locke asked to verify this information, Cooper directed to a phone in front of a glass window. As Locke reached for the phone, Cooper pushed him out, dropping him eight stories, breaking his back and paralyzing him from the waist down. He appeared dead until Jacob approached him and touched his shoulder. Locke gasped and opened his eyes.
In the hospital, Locke felt unable to enter his wheelchair, and broke down in tears at the sight of his immobile legs. In rehab, an "orderly" named Matthew Abaddon told him to go on a walkabout, even though John could not walk. ("The Man from Tallahassee") ("Cabin Fever") ("The Incident, Part 1")
Box company and walkabout
Sometime after his accident, Locke worked in a box company, where he was treated poorly by his boss, Randy. Locke attempted to re-enact his failed relationship with Helen with a phone sex operator who went by the same name. He invited her on a trip to Australia, but she declined, destroying his fantasy and ending the "relationship." ("Walkabout")
"Don't tell me what I can't do!" - Locke refuses to be denied his destiny. ("Walkabout")
Locke had stubbornly refused to allow his disability to affect the way he lived his life. He eventually decided to take Abaddon's advice and go on a walkabout tour in Australia to give himself a challenge. ("Cabin Fever") However, when he got there, the travel agent denied him access, because of his paralysis. He was left heartbroken, abandoned, and alone, as he watched the other people happily leave. ("Walkabout")
With no other options, he prepared to return to California aboard Flight 815. Much to his embarrassment, he had to be carried on to the plane by flight attendants. He was seated at the end of the row, in seat 24D. He briefly encountered Rose at the airport, not knowing that later he would share a knowing moment with her about the healing properties of the Island. ("Exodus, Part 3") ("S.O.S.")
On the Island
Days 1–44 (Season 1)
Immediately after recovering from the crash, Locke found his paralysis was miraculously cured. ("Walkabout")
After the the crash of Flight 815, John Locke was shocked to discover that he had regained his ability to walk. At first, he walked gingerly, unable to comprehend what was happening. However, within seconds, he was running to Jack's aid. Being able to walk again profoundly affected Locke, who, due to his self-expressed outlook as a "Man of Faith", believed that it was his destiny to be on the Island, and that everything was happening for a reason. ("Pilot, Part 1") ("Exodus, Part 2")
Locke was also the first survivor to see the Monster; he was out tracking boar with Michael and Kate, when it seemed to be closing in on him. The confrontation is presented from the viewpoint of the Monster. Locke later told Jack: "I looked into the eye of this Island, and what I saw... was beautiful." ("White Rabbit") He later described the "Monster" as a "bright light" to Eko, who only replied curtly "that is not what I saw". As a result of this incident, Locke came to think of the Island as an entity unto itself with a plan for them all. This account of seeing the Monster seems to be similar to what would later be seen between Juliet and the Monster. ("Walkabout")
Locke, checking his knives before going hunting ("Walkabout") (promotional still)
Soon after this incident, Locke was responsible for beating Sayid unconscious and destroying his makeshift radio equipment which was being used to discover the origin of the distress signal. Locke kept this behavior a secret for a long time until he eventually admitted to Sayid what he had done. ("The Moth") ("The Greater Good")
Locke earned a great deal of respect on the Island, one reason being his varied and many skills:
- Tracking, which allowed the survivors to traverse the jungle and search for missing persons.
- Hunting, which prevented a food crisis; Locke found a sounder of boars which he successfully hunted to feed the camp.
- Perseverance; it was due to Locke that Charlie was able to quit his heroin addiction (and the two men became close for a time as a result).
Locke, enjoying his hunt ("...In Translation") (promotional still)
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During a trail hunt around the Island for the recently abducted Charlie and Claire, he threw a flashlight towards Boone, which he failed to catch and landed on a metal surface under the soil. This led to the discovery of the hatch, an event which would turn out to be pivotal in the lives of the survivors of Flight 815. He kept it secret from the rest of the castaways, and wanted Boone to do the same. However, Boone was not quite as strong-minded as Locke; he was prepared to tell all to Shannon, his sister. Locke drugged Boone, to stop him doing so and to convince himself to give up all other attachments. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues") ("Hearts and Minds")
It was with Boone, also, that he discovered Claire, after her escape from the Staff. Locke showed his caring side when he built a cradle for Claire as a birthday present, out of materials he found on the Island. ("Special"), ("Numbers")
Later, when the first raft was burnt, Locke gave a rousing but dishonest speech to the group blaming the Others even though he suspected Walt. He was eventually able to get Walt to confess to him. But Locke did not tell anyone else in the camp that Walt was responsible for burning the first raft. ("...In Translation")
But Locke still wanted to get into the Hatch. After spending a long time trying to think of a way to get into it, he constructed a trebuchet in a failed attempt to shatter the Hatch door's window. Following this event, Locke had a vision. In it, he saw a Beechcraft crashing, as well as his mother pointing in its direction, and a blood-stained Boone. Also, he was confined back in his wheelchair, unable to move. The dream also mentioned a woman from Boone's past who had died from a fall. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Locke and Jack argue over what to do upon the opening of the hatch. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith") (promotional still)
This dream was a sign, because, with Boone, he managed to track the plane to its resting place in the canopy. His legs had appeared to steadily cease to function, reducing him to a crawl. This meant that Boone was required to climb up to the plane. Unfortunately, though, the plane tipped and fell, nose first, to the ground, and Boone was mortally injured. Locke returned to the camp with Boone's injured body, but fled back to the Hatch without telling Jack the true nature of Boone's injuries. Because he did not know the full problem, Jack was unable to save Boone, who died. ("Deus Ex Machina") ("Do No Harm")
At the Hatch, Locke explained that the Island told him what it wanted, and what he was to do next. He begged, and sobbed, pounding the door with his hands. After he did this, a light appeared in the window, before disappearing just as quickly. This seemed to re-affirm Locke's faith. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Locke returned to camp at Boone's funeral, still wearing a shirt stained with Boone's blood. He was confronted violently by Jack who demanded some sort of explanation. He was calmed down however, and soon after, he told everybody about the Hatch. However, the death of Boone and his numerous deceptions cost him much of his credibility. Jack never fully trusted him again.
When Jack, Kate, Hurley and Rousseau traveled to the Black Rock to recover dynamite to blow the Hatch open, Locke was also part of the team. During this trek, Locke was seized by the "Monster" and was almost pulled into a pit by its smoky tendrils. The "Monster" was only repelled by Kate throwing dynamite into the pit, which caused the "Monster" to flee. During this event, Locke had asked Jack to allow the "Monster" to pull him in; he believed nothing would happen. ("Exodus, Part 1") ("Exodus, Part 2") ("Exodus, Part 3")
When they eventually reached the Hatch, armed with the dynamite, Locke was the one who lit the fuse, despite Hurley's protests. The Hatch door was blown open, and Locke and Jack stared down into the Hatch wondering what could be inside. ("Exodus, Part 3")
Days 44–67 (Season 2)
Locke, entering the Numbers into the Swan computer ("One of Them") (promotional still)
Upon entering the newly opened hatch (discovered to be the the Swan Station of the DHARMA Initiative), Locke was briefly held captive by Desmond, the operator of the station. When Desmond fled, Locke continued his job of entering the Numbers and pushing the button, which he believed was extremely important. He believed the button was so important he helped establish a rotation of the castaways for pushing the button, so it could be done efficiently. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith") ("Adrift") ("Orientation")
Later on, he discovered that Charlie had been hoarding heroin-filled statues from the Beechcraft, upsetting him because he considered it a breach of trust. Shortly after, he severely beat Charlie following Charlie’s kidnapping of Aaron, instigated by a series of delusions and subsequently became quite close to Claire in a fatherly manner (and made Charlie jealous of his good relationship with Claire). ("Abandoned") ("Fire + Water")
On day 49 following the crash, Locke was passing Paulo on the beach as Paulo appeared to be burying something (the diamonds). He provided some more words of wisdom about the island, stating that "things never stay buried", and offering some advice on where to bury whatever he was burying further inland or up the beach, due to beach erosion. ("Exposé")
Due in part to the subtle manipulations of Ben Linus, who had been captured by the castaways while masquerading as "Henry Gale", Locke found himself at odds with Jack for "leadership" of the group and the role of decision-maker. He initially believed Ben's assertion that he was not one of the Others and called on Ben’s help when his leg was impaled by a blast door during an impromptu lockdown in the Hatch. He consequently promised to protect Ben from the other survivors. While he was impaled he discovered a hidden map drawn of the Island on the blast door. ("One of Them") ("Lockdown")
Locke using his crutches, after the lockdown incident ("Two for the Road") (promotional still)
Following the revelation of Ben's deception, Locke was thrown into a state of self-doubt when Ben claimed that he never pushed the button and that nothing happened, though his faith in the Island's abilities was bolstered a bit with a conversation with Rose, who made it clear that she was also aware of the Island's healing properties. ("S.O.S.")
Shortly after Ben's escape from the Swan, Eko had a dream in which Ana Lucia and his brother Yemi told him to help Locke and to go to the "question mark". Eko asked Locke to help him find the escaped prisoner, but later in the jungle he told Locke that they are really in search of the "question mark." Locke refused to tell Eko what the question mark is, so Eko knocked him out with a headbutt. When Locke awoke, he showed Eko his sketch of the blast door map, and Eko decided that they must find the question mark as shown on the map. Then, they arrived at the Beechcraft in which Boone died. Locke mocked his past ideas and implied that he still blames himself for Boone's death. ("?")
That night Locke had a dream involving Yemi and Eko climbing the nearby cliff. He told Eko about it, and Eko climbed the cliff. When he got to the top he saw a question mark in the salted ground below. Originally, it was a circle but some of the grass had grown back and now resembled a question mark. Realizing that this was a sign indicating that the plane was on the spot where something was hidden, the two men dug under the plane and found another hatch.
Locke takes off his splint while the other survivors bury Ana Lucia and Libby. ("Three Minutes") (promotional still)
The new hatch was another DHARMA station called the Pearl, containing a film which suggested that the act of pushing the button was nothing more than a psychological experiment. This information (along with Ben's false claim that he didn't push the button and nothing happened) shattered Locke's faith in the Island, while due to Eko's dream, Eko took away the opposite belief - that pushing the button was essential. ("?")
Later that day, Locke witnessed Charlie hurling the remaining heroin statues into the ocean. He also finally ripped off the splint supporting his leg, having fully recovered from his injury in the Swan station. ("Three Minutes")
Locke became determined to prove that the button was meaningless. He entered into a partnership with the returned Desmond who triggered a lockdown that shut Eko out of the Hatch, intending to wait until the countdown ended on the assumption that nothing would happen. While waiting for the timer to run out, Desmond read printouts from the Pearl and realized that the whole thing was legitimate due to a systems failure he remembered causing two months ago. When he then attempted to push the button, Locke smashed the computer in protest. As the countdown ended and the electromagnetic energy beneath the station began to build up, Locke spoke only three words—"I was wrong"—to Eko, who had made his way into the computer room. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2")
Days 68–91 (Season 3)
Locke and Boone, during Locke's vision ("Further Instructions") (promotional still)
After the implosion of the Swan Locke woke up in the jungle with a bad headache and no voice. He made his way back to the beach and, with Charlie's assistance built a sweat lodge on the site of Eko's church. There he underwent a vision quest where he was reunited with a vision of Boone.
Boone took Locke on a vision quest through an airport where he saw many of the people on the Island, continually telling Locke he must "clean up [his] own mess." Locke soon realized that what Boone was trying to tell him was that he had to save Mr. Eko, since it was his opposition to Eko that caused the Hatch to implode. After his vision, Locke was able to speak again and convinced that Eko was carried off by a polar bear somewhere. Together he and Charlie found and rescued Eko.
After Hurley told them about Jack, Kate and Sawyer's capture, Locke made a speech declaring his intent to rescue them. Locke's later behavior cast doubts as to whether anything he said in the speech was honest. ("Further Instructions")
Locke, Sayid, Desmond, Nikki and Paulo then went after Eko to the Pearl station, to see if there was any opportunity to watch any other stations on the monitors, and perhaps locate Jack, Sawyer and Kate. They got signals on one of the monitors, and it showed a one-eyed man in a DHARMA suit (later revealed to be Mikhail Bakunin), in a room which contained a computer and other electrical equipment. The man understood they were watching, and turned the camera off, right before Locke said "I guess he'll be expecting us" - meaning he would find this possible station.
Nikki, Paulo, Desmond and Sayid watch as Locke checks Eko's body. ("The Cost of Living") (promotional still)
After that Locke, Desmond, Sayid, Nikki, and Paulo heard the Monster and went out to find Eko who had been attacked by the Monster. Eko died in Locke's arms after telling him "You're next". ("The Cost of Living")
Locke decided to bury Eko at the spot where he died. When Nikki asked why, Locke explained that there had been a lot of deaths and the other survivors could not take another one. Locke explained that he believed the "Monster" killed Eko for a reason, and that he wanted to find out what that reason was. Locke retrieved Eko's Jesus stick from the jungle in order to place it as a marker on Eko's grave. When the group buried Eko, Locke looked at Eko's stick and took special note of one particular bit of scripture carved on it: "Lift up your eyes and look north. John 3:05." Locke interpreted this as a message to himself and determined to go north on a bearing of 305 degrees. Though skeptical, Sayid accompanied him, as did Kate and Danielle. ("I Do") ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")
Locke plays the chess game in the Flame. ("Enter 77") (promotional still)
The compass bearing eventually led the team to the Flame station, where the group met Mikhail Bakunin, who initially claimed to be the last member of DHARMA Initiative, but was soon revealed to one of the Others. Locke quickly became absorbed in a computer chess game at the station, even leaving the subdued Mikhail unguarded to play it. Locke won the game and unlocked a sequence of commands. He entered "77" into the computer, ostensibly in response to an incursion by the "hostiles"; as a result soon after the team left the Flame with Mikhail as prisoner, the entire facility exploded. ("Enter 77")
Locke continued with Sayid, Kate and Danielle (with prisoner Mikhail in tow) toward the Barracks. When they encountered the sonic barrier, Locke decided to test it by pushing Mikhail between the posts. Mikhail thanked Locke and then got wounded by the sonic waves. Locke's decision to test the fence without consulting any of the other members of the expedition, which resulted in Bakunin's apparent death (it is not yet known whether or not Locke intended this to happen and could potentially have alerted The Others of their approach), and created tensions with them, particularly Sayid, who considered Mikhail his prisoner.
This tension was heightened even further when they discovered that Locke had sneaked some C-4 out of the Flame (even though he claimed that he had no knowledge of it beforehand, which was why he entered 77 into the computer). It became clear to everyone else that Locke was not trustworthy, had repeatedly lied to them, and had taken actions by himself without consulting the rest of the group which had resulted in destructive and fatal consequences. ("Par Avion")
Locke looks down into the submarine. ("The Man from Tallahassee") (promotional still)
At the Barracks, Locke went off to look for Ben leaving Kate and Sayid to rescue Jack by themselves.
Having found Ben, and seeing him for the first time since their last talk in the Swan Station, Locke confronted him. Ben revealed that he knew everything about Locke including how he ended up in a wheelchair. Locke asked Ben about the submarine that he had heard about from Mikhail, but was interrupted by Alex, whom he held as a hostage in Ben's closet as Richard Alpert came in to tell Ben that the Others had captured Kate and Sayid. After Richard left, Locke ordered Alex to retrieve the bag Sayid was carrying. Ben discussed Locke's former paralysis with him, asking him "Did it hurt?". Locke interpreted this as a reference to the fall that broke his back. Upon learning that Locke had been to the Flame, Ben realized that he may have brought the C-4 with him in the bag, and that he planned not to escape on the submarine but to blow it up in order to ensure that nobody could ever leave the Island.
Once again Ben started to manipulate Locke in a number of ways. First, he falsely took Locke into his confidence and told him that the Submarine was important to his position as leader thus encouraging Locke to blow it up. He then started to share information about the Island with Locke, knowing that it would motivate Locke even further. Ben asked Locke to imagine a "magic box," that could make any of his wishes come true. Locke sarcastically responded to Ben that he hoped it would be big enough for him to wish himself a new submarine. Ben gradually shared other information with Locke. He told him that the submarine would be departing in a few hours and that it would not be able to come back. He explained that the only thing Locke would accomplish by destroying it would be to keep Jack on the Island. As a result Locke went through his plan and destroyed the submarine, after which he was soon captured by the Others.
Ben eventually revealed to Locke that destroying the submarine was a dream come true for him. That he wanted to keep Jack on the Island but had no way to do it by himself. He described Locke coming out of the jungle within hours of Jack leaving as the answer to his dreams. Ben arrived with Richard, and the two freed Locke, bringing him to a concrete door. Ben told Locke that he was special because of his relationship with the island and that Ben wanted to help him to know more about it. Ben told Locke that when he earlier asked about whether or not "it hurt," he was referring to if it hurt knowing his own father tried to kill him. He also told Locke that he believed he destroyed the submarine because the Island was the one place his father could never reach him and to cut the Island off from the outside world made this more certain. Ben then asked if Locke was ready to see what was in the box, and opened the door, revealing a bound and gagged Anthony Cooper. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
Locke reads the file on Sawyer inside Black Rock. ("The Brig") (promotional still)
Locke was soon after released from captivity and decided to join the Others on a journey to an unspecified location. He went to say goodbye to Kate, who was held in the game room at the Barracks. After Kate told him he could not trust the Others if they promised to take him home, Locke responded that he did not want to go home. He then told Kate that he had made a strong case for her to stay with the Others but "forgiveness [wa]s not one of their strong suits". He left the Barracks along with all of the Others. ("Left Behind")
Accompanying the Others, Locke made way to the ruins, where Cooper was being tied to a large pillar. Cindy revealed to Locke that the Others were very "excited" about him being there, and that they have been waiting for him. Later, Ben told Locke that he was special and the minute he arrived, Ben began to feel pins & needles in his previously numb legs, but to show his commitment (and in turn have Ben reveal the island's secrets), Locke had to kill his father. That night Ben brought Locke to the pillar, giving him a knife and taunting him in order to try to make him kill Cooper in front of the rest of the camp. When Locke did not follow through, Ben announced that he was not who they thought he was. Richard gave a file to Locke the next day, saying that Ben was trying to make him seem weak, and suggesting that there may be another way to kill Cooper.
Later, Locke read a file on another survivor inside the Black Rock. Locke went back to the beach camp for Sawyer and told him that he had kidnapped Ben, and that he wanted Sawyer to kill him. Locke took Sawyer to the Black Rock and led him inside to the brig, where Sawyer was locked inside by Locke, and discovered it was not Ben whom Locke was holding captive, but Anthony Cooper. After Sawyer discovered that Cooper was the original Sawyer who conned his parents, he brutally murdered him. When Locke entered the brig and found his father dead, he thanked Sawyer for killing him. Outside the Black Rock, Locke revealed to Sawyer that Juliet was a mole, and gave him the tape as proof. Locke then picked up Cooper's body and walked to the Other's camp. ("The Brig")
Locke finally confronting Jack at the radio tower ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 2") (promotional still)
Having delivered his father's body to The Others, Locke demanded to be initiated into the secrets of the island. After some wrangling, he convinced Ben to take him to see Jacob. When he and Ben reached Jacob's cabin, Locke initially could not see or hear Jacob, but as he was about to leave, Locke heard a voice say "Help me", which was presumably Jacob's, following which there was a bout of poltergeist-like behavior with the furniture and Ben was tossed around the cabin. Seeing all that, Locke quickly left the cabin. The next day, Ben led Locke to the open grave of the DHARMA employees who were killed in the Purge, and then shot Locke in the abdomen, knocking him into the pit. After learning what Jacob had said to him, Ben walked away, apparently leaving him to die in the mass grave. ("The Man Behind the Curtain") However, the bullet went through Locke's body where his kidney once was (by Locke's own estimation). ("Confirmed Dead")
Locke woke up sometime later in the grave, unable to move his legs. Despondent and in pain, he was about to shoot himself with a gun he found on one of the corpses, when suddenly Walt appeared on the edge of the pit, telling him that he could move his legs and that he had work to do. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
Locke reached the radio tower just as Naomi was making the call to her ship. He threw a knife at Naomi, hitting her in the back. Jack picked up the phone, and Locke asked with him not to contact the ship. Jack refused, and Locke threatened to kill him, but was ultimately unable to. Locke told Jack that he was not supposed to do this. After Jack used the phone to call the ship, Locke walked away from the tower looking extremely disappointed with Jack's decision. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 2")
Days 91–100 (Season 4)
Locke found Hurley screaming for help after he discovered Jacob's cabin. Hurley told Locke about Charlie's death and the general situation. Locke stated that if they allowed Jack to contact the people on the boat, then Charlie would have died for nothing.
When Locke and Hurley reached the cockpit where the other survivors were meeting, Sayid argued with Locke about his true intentions, mainly about the fact he blew up the submarine. As the radio tower group arrived at the cockpit, Jack sneaked up on him, knocked him to the ground, grabbed the gun and aimed at Locke's head. Locke assured Jack that he would not shoot him, any more than he would shoot Jack. However, Jack pulled the trigger in anger only to discover the chamber was empty. Jack began to beat Locke and was pulled off him by the rest of the survivors.
Locke informed everyone that the people coming to the Island were the bad guys, and that if they wanted to live they needed to come with him. His intentions were for them to go to the Barracks, as the Others abandoned them. Jack argued, saying that Locke was insane and only crazy people would leave with him. Though many people were loyal to Jack, some chose to leave with Locke: Hurley, Claire, Ben, Danielle, Karl, Alex, Sawyer, and a few other minor survivors. Locke and his group then left the cockpit to go to the Barracks. ("The Beginning of the End")
Locke takes full authority over his camp, but does not remain unquestioned by some of his followers. ("Confirmed Dead") (promotional still)
Before going to the Barracks, Locke told his group that they had to take a "detour" to a cabin. He was surprised when Hurley made a comment suggesting that he saw the cabin (in a place it was not supposed to be). He explained to Sawyer that he was told to go to the cabin by Walt, who also told him that the people on the freighter were bad and that Naomi needed to be stopped. When pressed, Locke said that he did not question what he was told because Walt saved his life. He informed the others about being shot and left for dead by Ben. Sawyer did not believe that Locke would heal so quickly from being shot, so Locke showed him the wounds from the bullet going right through him, and said that he probably would have died if he still had a kidney in that area.
A short time later, Locke told Sawyer that they could not kill Ben because he had information about the island they needed. Sawyer was skeptical and warned Locke that Ben probably already had a plan to undermine the survivors. Locke's group then found Charlotte in the jungle. When she revealed that she had a transponder so other members of her team could find her, Locke told her that they did not want to be found, and tied the transponder to Vincent to ensure that they would not be tracked. He took Charlotte hostage, but Ben took a gun from Karl and shot her (though she turned out to be wearing a bulletproof vest). Locke told Sawyer that he was right about Ben, and was preparing to shoot him (despite protests from Alex and Claire), when Ben offered him information). Locke demanded to know what the monster was, to which Ben replied that he did not know, but started instead reciting information about Charlotte and the rest of her team. Ben told Locke that they were a threat, and revealed that they came to the Island looking for him, as well as the fact that he has a spy on the boat. ("Confirmed Dead")
Locke keeping Ben under close watch as his prisoner ("Eggtown") (promotional still)
Later that day Locke and his faction found the circle of ash, but Locke was unable to locate Jacob's cabin. When Hurley asked if they could let Charlotte go, Locke argued, threatening him and stating that he was the leader. They then journeyed to the barracks, where Locke's faction tied up Hurley and put him in Juliet's closet. He then captured Sayid and put him in the gameroom with Ben. He later went into the gameroom to talk with Sayid, and traded Charlotte, whom he had been unsuccessful in questioning, for Miles. ("The Economist")
The next day he made breakfast for Ben, but Ben belittled him so badly that Locke withdrew the breakfast tray, shattering it against the wall. Kate came to Locke's house later, asking to see Miles. Locke refused, stating that he was not running a democracy. Later, Sawyer went to his house, and offered to play backgammon. Sawyer then revealed to Locke that Kate was planning to break Ben out. They ran to see if Ben was with Miles, but Miles was gone. They intercepted Kate and Miles down in the basement, and Locke told Kate to return to her house. He then banished her from the group, and told her to leave by morning. Locke later questioned a strung-up Miles in the boathouse. He introduced himself by name and said that he was "responsible for the well-being of the island." Locke then shoved a live grenade in Miles' mouth and left him, telling him to "enjoy his breakfast". ("Eggtown")
Locke later revealed to Claire that he had made no progress in trying to get Miles to speak up, and Claire asked to speak to Miles herself, only to be denied by Locke. Locke then took Ben another meal only to be taunted once more. Locke kept his cool this time however, and ultimately the two made a deal for Ben to tell Locke everything he knows about the Freighter, in exchange for his freedom. Locke agreed after Ben claimed to have visual evidence, and Ben went on to show Locke that the owner of the boat was Charles Widmore, and also revealed to Locke that his "man on the boat" was Michael. Locke held up his end of the bargain as well, as Ben was later seen walking into his own house freely. ("The Other Woman")
Locke answers the telephone. ("The Shape of Things to Come") (promotional still)
Locke held a meeting at his house to inform everyone of everything he knew about Ben and the crew of the Kahana. He made Miles confess that his team was traveling to the Island to find Ben, and Ben revealed in turn that Michael was his spy on the freighter. After the meeting, Sawyer confronted Locke and demanded to know why Miles wanted $3.2 million from Ben. Locke replied that he did not consider this to be an important issue, apparently believing that Ben did not have access to such a large amount of money. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
While playing a board game with Sawyer and Hurley, Locke answered a phone call. The voice on the other side repeated "code 14-J" over and over. After deliberating over what to do, Locke and Sawyer went to tell Ben what had happened, which left Ben grabbing a hidden gun and yelling "They're here!". Ben led Locke back to his house and told Locke if he wanted to live, Ben was his best chance, and that Ben needed Locke to survive the attack. Once inside the two began to block off the door. When Ben brought everyone outside to see the Monster attacking the mercenaries, he told Locke he had to say goodbye to his daughter and that he would catch up with him. When Ben reunited with what remained of Locke's group, he told them that they had to go to Jacob, at which point Sawyer decided he had had enough with the "wackos" and was going back to the beach, along with Claire and Miles. Locke argued that they were going to keep Hurley, to which Sawyer agreed, saying if Locke got Hurley hurt Sawyer would kill him. Locke, Ben and Hurley then set off to visit Jacob. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Locke communes with "Christian Shephard" in the cabin. ("Cabin Fever") (promotional still)
After walking the whole day, Locke decided to make camp. At night he had a strange dream, in which Horace Goodspeed asked Locke to find him, commenting that Jacob has been waiting for him for a really long time. After that Locke made his way to the mass grave, where he found Goodspeed's corpse. In his pocket Locke found a map to the cabin, which he immediately followed with Ben and Hurley, successfully. Both refused to enter the cabin though, and Ben told Locke that his (Ben's) time as the leader was over and Locke's time had begun. Inside the cabin, Locke found Christian Shephard and, much to his surprise, Claire, who seemed to act very strange to him. Christian, speaking on the behalf of Jacob, said to Locke that all minor questions he had would very soon not matter since the freighter people were already on the way back, and convinced Locke to ask the only question that really mattered. Locke asked "How do I save the Island?" and by the reaction of both Christian and Claire it was clear that he asked the right question, as the answer turned out to be that Jacob wanted Locke and his group to move the Island. ("Cabin Fever")
Locke, Ben, and Hurley then moved on through the jungle to The Orchid station, the only place, according to Ben, where they could move the island. When Ben found a hidden case at a rock formation, Locke insisted that he open it himself. Locke looked through the binoculars he found inside, while Ben communicated with someone with a mirror.
Locke stands before his people. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
Locke questioned Ben about who he was talking to. Ben refused to tell Locke, and they continued on. The three then reached the Orchid, where they found that Keamy's team had made it there first. Ben gave Locke very specific instructions on what to do once inside the station (involving finding a secret elevator to the real station), handed him his telescopic baton, and then surrendered himself while Locke and Hurley looked on helplessly. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")
An hour after Ben surrendered himself, Locke attempted to follow Ben's directions, but was unable to enter the station due to his limited botanical knowledge. Jack then appeared, confronting Locke. Locke tried to talk Jack into staying on the Island, believing that Jack had brought there for a reason, but Jack was adamant about going home. As a result, Locke told Jack to lie about everything that happened since the crash to protect the Island, but Jack argued that it did not need protection. On the other hand, Locke still believed it was a place where miracles happened, despite Jack's disbelief in such things. Ben then appeared, and accompanied Locke into the elevator which led down into the Orchid. Upon arrival, Locke had many questions, which Ben answered by instructing Locke to watch the Orchid Orientation video. As Locke watched the video, Ben began throwing all metal objects into a "vault," despite the fact that Edgar Halliwax instructed viewers of the tape specifically not to put any metallic objects in it. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
Soon after, Keamy arrived in the station, wounded but not killed from being shot by Richard. Locke confronted him, looking for a peaceful solution to the conflict. However, Keamy admitted he was never one for negotiation and earlier warned Ben that his dead man's trigger would set off 500 pounds of C-4 on the freighter, killing a lot of innocent people. Ben then attacked Keamy, to Locke's protest, stabbing him in the heart repeatedly. Despite Locke's attempts to save Keamy, (Locke cared for the people on the freighter who would die as a result of Keamy's death, not Keamy himself) Keamy died, triggering the freighter to explode. Ben then turned on the vault, causing an explosion from within. Ben then put on a parka, instructing Locke not to follow, because whoever moved the island could never come back. He instructed Locke to go back to The Others' camp and take his place as their leader. Locke did so, and was welcomed by Richard. Before this, Ben apologized to Locke for making his life so miserable. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 3")
Season 5
Time flashes
Locke is told by Richard that in order to save the Island, he will have to die. ("Because You Left")
The results of the Island "moving" had immediate effects for all the survivors left behind. After the white flash, Locke found that Richard and the Others have vanished, and that it was now raining when moments before it was clear weather. Locke witnessed the Nigerian Beechcraft plane crash onto the Island and rushed to the crash site. He arrived and tried to climb up to where the plane was stuck, but was stopped by a bullet piercing one of his legs. A stunned Locke fell to the ground. The shooter was revealed to be none other than Ethan. Locke tried to explain to him that he knows who he is and that Ben appointed Locke as the leader of the Others, but Ethan did not believe him and prepared to shoot him. However, a white light flashed, causing time to shift again. Locke looked to see that it was now night, and the Beechcraft was on the ground, fallen from the cliff edge again.
Locke was shifted to the year 2007, and heard someone approaching. At first scared, he kept silent, but soon saw it was a friendly face: Richard Alpert. Richard removed the bullet from Locke's leg and gave him a compass and told him to give the compass back to him on their next meeting, in a different timeframe. He also told Locke that the only way to save the Island is to get those who left back. In order to do that, Locke was told that he would have to die. ("Because You Left") ("Follow the Leader")
Later at night, after another time shift to 1954 (two years before Locke was born), Locke encountered Sawyer and Juliet who were being attacked by "Jones" and his men. Locke attacked the men, knocking two of them out with rocks, and killing one with his knife. He took his knife out of the man and said "James. Juliet. Nice to see you." ("The Lie")
Locke talks with Richard during a time jump to 1954. ("Jughead")
The next morning, the three attempted to gain information out of the two surviving men. After Juliet was able to determine that they were Others, one of the men, known as Cunningham, was willing to lead them to their camp. Suddenly, "Jones" quickly snapped Cunningham's neck and escaped. As he ran away, Locke had a clear shot at "Jones'". Despite being prompted by Sawyer, Locke refused to shoot "one of his people." They then followed "Jones'" trail to the Others' camp. There, he spoke with Richard Alpert and relayed the information as he had been instructed to do so previously. When "Jones" protested, Alpert dismissed him using his real surname, Widmore. Locke asked if his first name was Charles, but did not explain how he knew; he then said he was glad to meet Widmore. He explained his predicament to Alpert, who was somewhat skeptical. Locke countered by asking him to visit him two years in the future when he is born. He asked Alpert how to get off the island in order to retrieve the Oceanic 6, but was unable to find out before another flash took place. ("Jughead")
After the flash Locke told Sawyer that the only way to stop the flashes was to bring back the Oceanic 6 and suggested that they travel to the Orchid so he could find a way off the island. He later recognized the light coming from the hatch, realized they traveled back to the night Boone died, and suggested they avoid the light. When asked by Sawyer why he avoided the light and chose not to warn his past-self thus relieving his pain he stated that he needed that pain to get to where he was now. ("The Little Prince")
On their way to the Orchid, Locke and the Survivors ran into Jin who had just run away from a rifle-toting Rousseau before another flash. They were reunited, and tried to explain to Jin what was going on and that they were heading to the Orchid to stop the flashes. Jin wanted to go with Locke, but he told Jin that it was a one man job and that he promised to bring back Sun. As they neared the Orchid the flashes became more frequent, which finally started to take its toll on Charlotte. She was incapacitated, so Locke decided they should leave her there, continue on to the Orchid, and pick her up after he had stopped the flashes. Daniel refused to leave her so Locke, Miles, Juliet, Jin, and Sawyer continued on toward the station. However, before they left, Sawyer wondered what to do if the station itself was not there. Charlotte then told Locke to look for the well.
Locke fulfills his destiny and moves the frozen wheel back onto its axis. ("This Place Is Death")
When they finally reached the Orchid, the station was there, but then another flash occurred and it was gone. Locke then started looking for the well, and eventually found it a little way from where the greenhouse would stand. Locke decided to climb down the rope going down into the well and said goodbye to his friends, but Jin threatened to cut the rope. Locke told him that if he did not leave then they would all die. He told Locke not to bring Sun and his baby back, and that the Island was bad (Charlotte told Jin in her ramblings not to bring "her" back). Locke told him that he may not go to her, but she may come to him, Jin then told Locke to lie to Sun and tell her that he washed up on the beach and that they buried him. He gave his wedding ring as proof to give to Sun, and told him to promise he would not bring them back. Locke promised. Juliet told him thank you, if it works, as he began his descent down the well. Another flash happened though, and Sawyer tried to bring him back up, but Locke fell to the bottom of the shaft.
When he hit the bottom, Locke suffered a compound fracture to his shin, seriously injuring him. In the tunnel in front of him, Christian Shephard came into view and told him that he was here to help him the rest of the way. Christian explained that Locke, and not Ben, was the person who was supposed to turn the wheel, asking Locke when anything that Ben ever told him was worth a damn. Christian also told Locke that, once he had gotten everyone who had left to agree to come back, he was to contact a woman named Eloise Hawking in Los Angeles. Christian confirmed Richard's prior statement that Locke's upcoming death would be a "sacrifice". Christian then informed Locke that there was a wheel in the chamber at the end of the tunnel that was off its axis, and that he needed to just give it a push to fix it. Locke asked if Christian could help him up, but Christian replied, "No. Sorry I can't." Locke pulled himself up and walked into the wheel chamber. He pulled the frozen wheel, thereby stopping all of the Island's flashes. Before he was teleported off the Island, Christian told him to say hello to his son, but before Locke could get that answer as to who his son was, he vanished. ("This Place Is Death")
Post-Island and death
As Jeremy Bentham
John wakes up in Tunisia, moments after turning the wheel. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
As Jeremy Bentham, John fails to reunite the Oceanic Six. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
After turning the wheel, John Locke was transported to Tunisia in 2007. Left unable to move from his leg injury, John was finally picked up that night by local representatives of Charles Widmore. Locke was taken to a field hospital where his compound fracture was painfully reset--eventually passing out from the pain. Upon regaining consciousness, Locke found himself face to face with Widmore himself. Widmore confided in Locke that he too had been "exiled" from the Island by Ben, and this was how he knew where to find him. Widmore assumed that Locke was exiled by Ben as well, but Locke corrected him, saying that he left voluntarily, to bring his friends back to the Island. Locke questioned why Widmore should want Locke and the others back on the Island. Widmore said that there was a war coming and if Locke was not back, the "wrong side" was going to win. Later, during the daytime, Widmore and Locke sat outside the hospital and Widmore told Locke that he would help him find the Oceanic Six. Promising to do whatever necessary to keep him safe during the course of his mission, Widmore gave him the alias Jeremy Bentham and left the services of Matthew Abaddon at his disposal.
With Widmore's resources, Locke began contacting those who had previously been on the Island: Sayid, Walt, Hurley and Kate. He failed to convince any of them to return to the Island, other than Walt, whom he did not ask. He and Abaddon then visited Helen's grave. While there an assailant brutally gunned down Abaddon, and Locke fled in terror. He crashed his car and awoke in Jack's hospital. Jack, far from pleased to see him, dismissed Locke's claims that they should return to the Island, and of their destiny, with increasing hostility. When Locke mentioned Jack's father, Jack countered that his father was dead, and severely warned Locke to leave him and the Oceanic Six alone.
John dies at the hands of Ben. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
A month after he visited Jack, Locke entered his hotel room at the Westerfield Hotel with a bag containing a new extension cord. Having failed to convince any of the Oceanic Six that he visited to return to the Island, Locke intended to commit suicide. He wrote a final note to Jack, hoping that if he could convince him, then all the others would follow Jack to the Island. Locke then tied the extension cord around the base of the radiator in his room and looped it through a rafter and around his neck. Just as he was preparing to step off the table supporting him, Ben entered the room and convinced Locke not to kill himself, exclaiming that he had no idea how important he was. Ben revealed, confirming Locke's suspicions, that he had killed Abaddon -- Ben claiming that he was doing so to protect him. Ben was able to finally convince Locke to save himself when he told him Jack bought a plane ticket to Sydney -- that he was not a failure. With new hope, Locke told Ben about Eloise Hawking. Upon hearing this name mentioned, Ben abruptly strangled Locke to death with the extension cord. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham") According to the Man in Black, Locke felt confused while Ben was strangling him and his last thoughts apparently were "I don't understand". ("LA X, Part 1")
Post-death
The late John Locke ("Because You Left")
After killing John, Ben carefully posed him to make the death appear to be a hanging suicide, cleaning the room of any fingerprints or forensic evidence. As he left the room he said, solemnly "I'll miss you, John." ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
Jack first learned of John's death from a newspaper article on a flight home from Singapore. The news devastated him, and he spent several days trying to call Kate to go to the funeral with him. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") When John was later laid out for a viewing at a funeral home, in the name Jeremy Bentham, Jack was the only person to attend. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 2") Later that night, Jack broke into the funeral home to look at John's body, and was startled by Ben who was also in the room. As Jack left Locke's coffin, Ben mentioned that if Jack wanted to return to the Island he would need everyone to come too, including John's corpse. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 3").
Later, in a motel room, when asked by Jack if John was actually dead inside the coffin, Ben did not answer. Ben kept John's coffin and body at Simon’s Butcher Shop under Jill's care. ("The Lie") Jack later turned up to take the body, putting a pair of his father's shoes on John. He checked the coffin on Flight 316 claiming he was a friend of the deceased. The coffin and body were on board the plane when it crashed back upon the Island. ("316")
Return to Island and impersonation
John Locke's corpse back on the Island ("The Incident, Part 2")
Upon Flight 316's landing on the Hydra Island, The Man in Black took Locke's physical form and infiltrated the Others, assuming leadership. After leading Ben and Richard to the Beechcraft airplane to give the real, time-skipping John Locke the compass, he returned to the Others' camp and led them, along with Sun and Ben, to the statue of Taweret with the purpose of having Ben kill Jacob. When Ilana arrived at the remains of the statue, she emptied the contents of her large crate for the Others to see. Inside was the body of the real John Locke from the plane's cargo hold. Meanwhile Jacob's nemesis, still in John's form, had Ben kill Jacob for him. ("Follow the Leader") ("The Incident, Part 2")
Having succeeded at killing Jacob, the Man in Black instructed Ben to get Richard so that they could "talk." Richard refused to speak with the imposter, showing Ben the real John's body. ("LA X, Part 1") Ben now knowing of The Man in Black's betrayal, unwillingly returned to the statue and witnessed the killings of Bram and his men. The impersonater then revealed to Ben that he was indeed "the monster." He later informed Ben of how confused John had been at the moment of his death (His last thought apparently being "I don't understand.") and of how pathetic and broken John was before come to the island, though he admits that John's wish to remain on the island was admirable. Ironically, The Man in Black's goal is the exact opposite of John's: he wants to go "home." ("LA X, Part 2")
John Locke is finally buried. ("The Substitute")
Before Ilana's group left the statue, Sun said they needed to bury John.
While Ben, Ilana, Frank, and Sun brought Locke’s body to be buried at the survivors' grave site, Ben asked Ilana why she brought John's body to the statue. Ilana responded that she needed to show the others what they were up against. Ben then asked why the Man in Black wouldn’t just change forms again, and Ilana replied that the Man in Black was now stuck in Locke’s body.
At the survivors' burial ground overlooking the sea, the group dug a grave and put Locke's body in it. Ilana asked if anyone wanted to say anything, and Ben, with some reluctance, said that he knew John, that John was a "believer, a man of faith," and that he was "a much better man than I will ever be". He added that he was "very sorry I murdered him," which appeared to take Sun and Ilana by surprise. ("The Substitute")
Name reference to philosopher John Locke
- John Locke (August 29, 1632 – October 28, 1704) was an English philosopher. Locke is considered the first of the British Empiricists, but is equally important to social contract theory. John Locke, the philosopher, met prominent English politician, Anthony Cooper, in 1666 at Oxford. Locke persuaded Cooper to undergo an operation for his liver infection that saved his life. In LOST, Anthony Cooper came to Locke with a kidney problem and Locke donated his own kidney to save his life.
- More about the philosopher: His ideas had enormous influence on the development of epistemology and political philosophy, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and contributors to liberal theory. His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. This influence is reflected in the American Declaration of Independence. Locke's theory of mind is often cited as the origin for modern conceptions of identity and "the self", figuring prominently in the later works of philosophers such as David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant. Locke was the first philosopher to define the self through a continuity of "consciousness." He also postulated that the mind was a "blank slate" or "tabula rasa"; that is, contrary to Cartesian or Christian philosophy, Locke maintained that people are born without innate ideas. [1]
- "Tabula Rasa," the title of a first season episode, is the name John Locke gave to the philosophical position that human beings are born without innate knowledge. It translates to "Blank Slate." It is also important to note that the concept of tabula rasa, as understood by John Locke (the philosopher), emphasizes that man "authors his own soul". It contradicts the character of Locke, who has a preoccupation with being the "chosen one", which encompasses fate, destiny and having your future already written for you.
- Philosopher John Locke's 1693 publication "Some Thoughts Concerning Education", offered his lobby for not binding babies in swaddling. In contrast, John offered Claire advice in season 2's episode 6 "Abandoned," on the advantages of wrapping Aaron in swaddling.
- The philosopher John Locke had ideas concerning leadership. In his opinion, no one is destined to be a slave or a leader. Rather, anyone can gain the properties required for leading. However, if one wants to overthrow the current leader and become the new leader, it cannot be done without exterminating the current leader.
Name reference to philosopher Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (15 February 1748–6 June 1832) was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He was a political radical, and a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law. He was a child prodigy and was found as a toddler sitting at his father's desk reading a multi-volume history of England and began his study of Latin at the age of three.
He was best known for his advocacy of utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome - the ends justify the means. Utilitarianism argued that the "right" action or policy was that which would cause "the greatest happiness of the greatest number". His critics objected saying that it would therefore "...be acceptable to torture one person if this would produce an amount of happiness in other people outweighing the unhappiness of the tortured individual."
Bentham also designed a famous prison structure called the "Panopticon", which created a sense of constant surveillance and paranoia amongst prisoners.
Bentham was also known for his outspoken opposition to the French revolutionary discourse of natural rights, an idea championed by philosopher John Locke (whose father, also named John Locke, worked for Jeremy Bentham). He also suggested a procedure for estimating the moral status of any action. His principle regards "good" as that which produces the greatest amount of physical or spiritual pleasure, and the minimum amount of pain; and "evil" as that which produces the most pain without the pleasure.
Bentham also argued that the ability to suffer, not the ability to reason, must be the benchmark of how we treat other beings. He stated that if the ability to reason were the criterion, many human beings, including babies and disabled people, would have to be treated as though they were things, rather than beings.
The Jacobins
Bentham was an outspoken critic of the violence which arose after a group called "The Jacobins" seized power in a coup after the fall of the French monarchy—on September 21, 1792.
Originated as the "Club Benthorn", "The Jacobin Club" was the largest and most powerful political club of the French Revolution. It was led by Maximillian Robespierre, self-styled as "the Incorruptible", he was a disciple of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As such, his political views were rooted in Rousseau's notion of the social contract, which promoted "the rights of man" (however, Robespierre's version was of collective rights, rather than individual rights). Any club member who by word or action showed that his principles were contrary to the constitution and 'the rights of man' was to be expelled, a rule which later on facilitated the "purification" of French society by the expulsion of its more moderate elements—this became known as the "Reign of Terror". Robespierre described it thus: "Terror is nothing other than prompt, severe, inflexible justice."
Later, Robespierre (leader of The Jacobins) had a decree passed that established the "Cult of the Supreme Being". The notion of the Supreme Being was based on ideas that Jean-Jacques Rousseau had outlined in "The Social Contract". Robespierre made it clear that his concept of a Supreme Being was far different from the traditional God of Christianity. Robespierre's Supreme Being was a radical democrat, like the Jacobins. He explained: "Is it not He whose immortal hand, engraving on the heart of man the code of justice and equality, has written there the death sentence of tyrants? Is it not He who, from the beginning of time, decreed for all the ages and for all peoples liberty, good faith, and justice? He did not create kings to devour the human race. He did not create priests to harness us, like vile animals, to the chariots of kings and to give to the world examples of baseness, pride, perfidy, avarice, debauchery, and falsehood. He created the universe to proclaim His power. He created men to help each other, to love each other mutually, and to attain to happiness by the way of virtue."
Bentham's auto-icon
As requested in his will, Jeremy Bentham's body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet, termed his "Auto-icon". The Auto-icon is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of University College London, his alma mater. For the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the College, the Auto-icon was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as "present but not voting". Tradition holds that if the council's vote on any motion is tied, the auto-icon always breaks the tie by voting in favour of the motion. The Auto-icon has always had a wax head, as Bentham's head was badly damaged in the preservation process.
Life experiences
Locke is unique in that he has had at least one significant life experience in common with virtually every key plane crash survivor or island inhabitant.
- Jack: lost their loves because of their failure to let go of their obsessive behaviors; both see their fathers on the island; both attempted suicide after leaving the Island
- Kate: planned and ultimately responsible for the deaths of their fathers
- Sawyer: had their lives severely damaged by Anthony Cooper
- Hurley: abandoned by fathers; both of them are "special"; worked a series of dead end jobs, coincidentally Locke is ultimately employed by a company Hurley owns
- Sayid: when forced to question their loyalties (Sayid, to the Republican Guard, Locke to the commune), commit betrayals
- Charlie: got rid of their demons on the island
- Jin: embarrassed about their parentage, unwanted by their mothers
- Sun: manipulated by their fathers
- Claire: abandoned by fathers who wanted no part in raising them; their fathers appear on the island
- Shannon: denied their fair share of their fathers' wealth
- Boone: conned by a relative; were sacrificed for the benefit of the island
- Michael: injured in an accident requiring a lengthy period of rehab; have both attempted suicide after leaving the island
- Walt: singled out in childhood as "special" by the Others
- Rose: healed by the island
- Bernard: unable to establish lasting relationships deep into their lives
- Bernard and Rose have one of the only lasting relationships on the show.
- Nikki: plans someone's death, but manipulates someone else into carrying it out
- Paulo: frequently smokes cigarettes but quits at the behest of his girlfriend
- Eko: had lengthy encounters with the smoke monster; involved with illegal drug trade
- Ana Lucia: required psychological counseling to deal with their anger issues
- Libby: both helped complete strangers, seemingly pure of heart
- Desmond: initially embarked on a physical adventure challenge but did not accomplish their goals; humiliated to their face by father-figures
- Ben: born prematurely to a mother named Emily, but not raised by their mothers; Both have been chosen by the Island to protect it; Richard visits them both at a very young age; Both of them are special; Both planned the death of their fathers; Both have been/are leaders to The Others
- Juliet: actively recruited under false pretenses by Richard Alpert for Mittelos to do work in "Portland"
- Charlotte: Both were searching for where they came from; were shot by Benjamin Linus with the intent of killing them
- Miles: Grew up without knowing father, mother avoided giving answers.
- Daniel: Both were manipulated by their parents; recruited by Charles Widmore to carry out a specific task; killed by a leader of the Others.
- Ilana: visited by Jacob when severely injured/ailing.
- Richard: Left the Island to try and convince other people to come to it, but failed on their initial attempts.
- Frank: Returned to the Island on Flight 316, but did not buy a ticket for the flight (Locke was dead, Frank was the pilot).
- Jacob: Both were murdered by Ben; both considered leaders of the Others.
Trivia
- Locke's episode count so far is 93 (as of "Ab Aeterno").
- Locke is the first main character to die on the mainland.
- Locke is the eleventh main character to die.
- The real John Locke (1632-1704) was a prominent English philosopher, who was known to develop the fundamentals of liberalism.
- Locke was born in 1956, but Everyday (The Buddy Holly song playing at the beginning of "Cabin Fever") was not released until 1957.
- Locke was the fourth character to ever have a flashback.
- Locke holds the record on the show for the most flashbacks, 11.
- Locke has met all of the main characters except Frank and Ilana.
- The Man in Black under the guise of John Locke has met both Lapidus and Ilana who originally believed him to be the real Locke.
- See also Last meetings of John Locke.
- Seasons 1, 2 and 3's nineteenth episodes have all dealt with a crash survivor discovering about Locke's paralysis.
- John has a habit of injuring his legs, and has done so in every season except the fourth.
- In "Deus Ex Machina" from season 1, his leg is damaged by metal shrapnel, and later in the episode, he loses function in both legs. However, the paralysis disappears as suddenly and mysteriously as it had appeared.
- In "Lockdown", his leg is crushed during the Lockdown procedure inside The Swan
- In "The Man Behind the Curtain", he is shot by Ben, and loses function in both legs. Just as in season 1, the paralysis disappears unexplained.
- In "Because You Left", he is shot in the leg by Ethan Rom and in "This Place Is Death", he falls down a well on his way down to the Frozen Wheel, and fractures his leg.
- Locke has technically worked for the DHARMA Initiative, since for a point in time he pressed the button in the Swan Station. This means that only two main characters alive during Season 5 have yet to work for the DHARMA Initiative. Those characters are Sun and Sayid.
- Locke's seat number was 24D.
- Locke, like Kate, is a Gemini.
- Locke saw Jeff Hadley's art exhibition in Sydney in the book Signs of Life.
- The name of the actor who played the Sleestak leader in Season Three of the 1970s TV show Land of the Lost was Jon Locke.
- Locke's actions have so far brought about the destruction of two DHARMA stations on the Island, the Swan and the Flame.
- Locke likes Twinkies and dogs. As a teenager, Locke claimed his favorite hobbies were sports, fishing and cars. ("Cabin Fever") ("Walkabout") ("Par Avion")
- While working as a Home Inspector he met Nadia, Sayid's lost love, inspecting her house. As it is seen in Locke's car door, his company phone number was 714-555-0116 ("Lockdown")
- In "The Man from Tallahassee", Locke says, "For all you know, I was a commander in the Navy." Actor Terry O'Quinn had a recurring role as the CAG (Commander, Air Group) of a US Navy aircraft carrier on the television show JAG. His character's name was Admiral Thomas Boone.
- Locke is the 3rd character to have three flashbacks in one season. Jack and Kate were the first two.
- The Walt apparition, when Locke is injured in the DHARMA grave, admonishes him that he has "work to do". It is reminiscent of a scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining, when Jack Nicholson's character is scolded in the restroom of the ballroom in the Overlook Hotel that he still has "work to do". ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
- O'Quinn has appeared in several Chris Carter productions. He played 2 different characters in 2 different episodes of The X-Files, and also appeared in the first X-Files movie portraying a third character. He also appeared in the Carter series Millennium and Harsh Realm. The namesake of the protagonist in Harsh Realm is philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
- A common nickname for people named John is "Jack" (John F. Kennedy was often called Jack). Locke's polar opposite on the series is named Jack.
- In the DVD commentary for "The Man Behind the Curtain", the producers describe Locke's relationship with Ben as being a multi-chapter showdown for who will be the "Master of the Island."
- His bald head, besides O'Quinn trademark, is a reminiscent of the look of Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz in the movie Apocalypse Now. Locke is called "Colonel" in his past job and "Kurtz" by Sawyer (Nicknames). The movie is an adaptation of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and also is set in the jungle.
- Locke was the eleventh main character to be killed.
- On an episode of The Colbert Report, in a segment called "Cheating Death" there is a fictional check made out to Jeremy Bentham.
- After turning the wheel, Locke appeared in the Sahara around 2007. This means he skipped three years, and so in the present 2007/2008 time period he is still 48, despite being born in 1956.
- The box company where Locke used to work was owned by Hurley.
- The band .moneen. has a song on the album "The Red Tree" called "Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do."
Paperwork
In one case paperwork pertaining to Locke shows his first name to be "Johnathan" (a form of "Jonathan"), which is actually a name completely unrelated to the name "John", the name his mother specified on the day of his birth. In reality, Jonathan is a form of the name "Nathan". John in its origin language Hebrew is Yochanan, while the name Johnathan in Hebrew (no relation to the name John) is Yonatan. John means "The Lord is Gracious" and Johnathan means "The Lord Has Given; Gift of God".
- John's firearm license states that his birth date is November 15, 1946 and his driver's license has his birth date as March 30, 1956. Since he himself stated his birth date as May 30th, 1956 in "Jughead", the date from his firearm license is entirely wrong, and the driver's license states the wrong month. This could have been a production error, or possibly the firearm license was a forgery, meaning Locke was illegally in possession of the weapons.
- John is bald in the driver's license photo, but at this point in his life he still had hair (or at least most of it). This could have been a production error, or maybe the character shaved his head before getting the photo taken. Alternatively, John could have applied for another driving license with a more updated photo on it, something normally only done after a major change in appearance.
- On the gun permit/paperwork: his address is 25164 Franklin St, San Francisco 94099; his height is 5' 10"; his weight is 175 lbs.; his social security number is 553-45-2651; and his California employer account number is 625-4412-9.
- A social security number decoding website reveals that the number 553-45-2651 would have been issued in California in 1977.[2]
- Locke did not get his SSN until he was twenty-one.
- The social security death index[3] returns no results for 553-45-2651, indicating that, if the number was issued, the holder is living.
- The log shows three hand guns, five shot guns (totaling eight) and four rifles.
Analysis of his Application for Disability Insurance shows:
- John's mailing address as 168 San Juan St #201, Tustin, CA 92780.
- The form also indicates that John ran a one-man business that involved "telephone sales." However, this is contradicted by the listing of three general partners—despite the organization type being marked as "individual" and not a "general partnership."
- Both Locke and his father were strangled to death, in a very similar fashion.
Additional casting
In the Season 4 episode "Cabin Fever", two actors played younger versions of Locke:
- Charles Henry Wyson played Locke at age 5. The casting call referred to the part as Five-year-old boy. Caucasian, green eyes, sweet, shy, tentative and smart. Has to take a test and becomes nervous about passing. Nice Co-star.
- Caleb Steinmeyer played Locke at age 16. The casting call referred to the part as Teenage boy. Plays as 16 or 17, Caucasian, green eyes. Angry, a little nerdy, defiant and rebellious. There's a lot more to this kid than meets the eye. Tries to fight back against older, stronger boys but is pushed into a locker. Nice Co-star. [4]
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: John Locke/Theories
- Why did he regain the use of his legs on the island?
- Where did Locke acquire his field skills?
- Why was the Monster aggressive in encountering Locke a second time?
- How did he survive the implosion of The Swan?
- Why didn't he experience flashes like Desmond after the implosion?
- Why did Locke feel a need to be overprotective of Claire and Aaron?
References
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