The others told Locke that he has to die in order to bring the O6 back, why in the heck would he have to be dead to bring them back????

If this is setting up a parallel with Christ, who was told he had to die to complete his work, I'll be really pissed. For one thing, Christ didn't go around throwing knives in people's backs, inciting murder, and otherwise pushing people to their death.

On the other hand, it's kind of turning the tables on Locke. Who's the sacrifice the island demands now, dude?

I think it is much deeper. I think if you listen to the references again. It could just mean, that he needs to be perceived as dead. And he is drugged. Probably with the same stuff Sayid was drugged with. that is why Ben is being so careful with him. And the funeral, was just a stage to draw Jack in enough, to get him desperate to return to the island. Ben knows, that if Jack agrees, they could most likely get everyone else on board.

I was thinking it's like in Star Wars where he'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

This is probably way off base...but what if he has to die as a means for getting off the Island?

This is probably way off base...but what if he has to die as a means for getting off the Island?

Anything is possible but it would make it rather hard for Locke to visit the O6 after leaving the island and tell them they need to return to the island if he's dead.

***Dark Tower Spoiler!, I was thinking along the lines of how Callahan and Jake arrived in mid-world, dying on the Island wouldn't nessesarily mean being dead in "the real world"

I think it is much deeper. I think if you listen to the references again. It could just mean, that he needs to be perceived as dead. And he is drugged. Probably with the same stuff Sayid was drugged with. that is why Ben is being so careful with him. And the funeral, was just a stage to draw Jack in enough, to get him desperate to return to the island. Ben knows, that if Jack agrees, they could most likely get everyone else on board.

The problem with that theory is why bother?

Why the hassle of a drugged corpse,
what on earth would make them assume THAT,
of all things, would in some weird way make Jack want to go back.

No, there is something here we do not know.


-Exodus

There is a lot about Locke being off the island we still don't know. The whole "Jeremy Bentham" thing, and how they all know he is off, etc. but no one will say his name.

I think this is part of the mystery we have not seen yet. The death notice in the paper gets everyone motivated, and makes Jack incredibly distraught. But we don't know why yet.

Obviously Locke told them all something pretty huge when he got off island which now makes the O6 feel obligated to return.

I agree that Locke may not be REALLY dead. We only see him in the coffin post funeral with Ben. Jack does not look in the casket during the "main service' no one showed up to, and for all we know the casket was empty at that point.

Maybe he had to turn the wheel again to leave, and the only way back is in a coffin, where he'd get reanimated a la Christian Shepard. I sure hope not, he's kinda creepy.

***Dark Tower Spoiler!, I was thinking along the lines of how Callahan and Jake arrived in mid-world, dying on the Island wouldn't nessesarily mean being dead in "the real world"
This is probably closest to the truth, knowing how the writers love King.

Not to be mean; but the Locke dying thing was in Because You Left, and this is The Lie chain.

In The Lie the only time we saw Locke he rocked; literally.

Just sayin'.

If this is setting up a parallel with Christ, who was told he had to die to complete his work, I'll be really pissed. For one thing, Christ didn't go around throwing knives in people's backs, inciting murder, and otherwise pushing people to their death.

On the other hand, it's kind of turning the tables on Locke. Who's the sacrifice the island demands now, dude?

I can understand why you'd be upset - but "messianic" themes have been done in stories before - like E.T. or The Matrix, and neither one of those stories are the best analogies for people who respect the story of Christ. The best thing to do in this situation is not to look to Lost for theology, but to enjoy the story for itself. Also, since other stories use "messianic" themes, think of it as a compliment to the original story because it's being looked up to.

Oh BTW, interesting point that Locke is now the sacrifice-the-Island-demanded.

I think it is much deeper. I think if you listen to the references again. It could just mean, that he needs to be perceived as dead. And he is drugged. Probably with the same stuff Sayid was drugged with. that is why Ben is being so careful with him. And the funeral, was just a stage to draw Jack in enough, to get him desperate to return to the island. Ben knows, that if Jack agrees, they could most likely get everyone else on board.

Mmmm ... I don't know about that. Just as Charlie died, and it would've cheapened the tragedy that he survived, I think it would be the same thing with Locke. From what the writers have said before about various themes (like time travel or what the Island is), they never want the viewers to feel cheapened that they invested time or emotion that they face a "oh-that-never-happened, we were just pulling your leg!"