Never thought I'd ever be saying this ...

[Kiowa Warrior]

What, no! Just…NO.

Stop that now Lost.

But no I really can’t believe that Locke is dead because it’s just awful, so so awful…and if he is dead (which of course he isn’t) then it’s just a kick in the everything if it’s because Jack - bloody awful Jack - was too stupid and stubborn not to even try to listen to Locke about staying on the Island, and then ‘very bad things’ happen on the Island because he - not even the whole group but Jack himself - left and so Locke could have had to leave the Island to convince him to return…I mean Oh Dear God. For the show I think it’s a poor direction to follow since Jack is just not that important! And for me personally, well…just well. Can Locke not even finally have some happiness in his life and ejoy being leader of the Others on his beloved Island without Jack ruining it??

And it’s even more depressing to think that Locke may have had to move the Island again because of these very bad things that have happened, and once back in the real world he tried desperately to convince the O6 to return but they weren’t having any of it. And not only that but when he left the Island it punished him by taking away the use of his legs again. All those horrible ‘Locke in the Coffin’ theories thrown up at the end of S3 could actually really truly come true

Urgh. If Jack has caused Locke’s death then that will go to the No.1 spot of why I hate Jack more than I’ve ever hated a fictional character before. Yes, proper hate this time! I don’t care any more.

But anyway Locke isn’t truly dead so I don’t really have to think about all that…

I mean character wise (regardless of whether you’re a fan or not ) Locke is an important part of the show, and S4 just confirmed this with Locke’s flashback in Cabin Fever and then with the finale where Locke finally becomes Leader of the Others. Not only is it horribly horribly heartbreaking for Locke to die lonely, unloved and feeling useless (especially if it was suicide) just like he’s lived most of his life feeling, but where’s the character development? What’s the point in building up and building up Locke’s involvement with the Island and his ‘specialness’ just to kill him off?

If he is dead (which he isn’t) then he had better not have died sad and lonely and by his own hand as has been suggested. I mean most of the decent characters that have been killed off had some meaning to them: Boone died trying to help everyone, Charlie had a great redemption at his end, Eko died at least being strong and defiant in his beliefs…even Ana died after she “redeemed” herself. If Locke really does have to die, he simply must go out in a way that has some purpose and meaning to it, simply must. If he dies due to a broken heart because no-one would believe him about coming back to the Island and because of the terrible things that happened after Jack left I just don’t think I could take that.

A popular theory from what I can gather so far is that Jack will repeat his actions that led to him getting to the Island again by bringing a coffin on board with him, and that once on the Island Locke will essentially become Christian II.

But I like the theory where Locke isn’t a solid ghost and something about time travel/reincarnation/something/something means that Locke simply lives his life over again (thank you Cabin Fever flashback) and eventually ends up on the Island alive and well again. Or manages to time travel or something.

Another possibly explanation is that the ‘corpse’ in the coffin is just staged, with Locke being knocked out with an Exposé type spider poison or something that makes him seem dead even thought it‘s not. And that Ben arranged this - he made up the funeral announcement and put it in the paper hoping someone would see it - and just wants to use it as extra leverage to get Jack to get in gear in order to get everyone back to the Island. I’m already hoping that S5 begins with Coffin Locke’s eye opening and him saying ‘Hello Jack…’

And one of the more unlikely theories is that Locke was somehow cloned (Yes, hello S1 clone theories: I knew you’d return!) at some point in his Pre-Island life - possibly during the kidney take out - and that the guy in the coffin is a clone Locke. I can’t really see that being true, but I wouldn’t complain! 2 Lockes are better than 1 dead one after all…

Oh my poor head, I need to think! But I also need to get acquainted with my new best friend Denial, since that’s whom I’ll be spending the next 8 months with.

But whatever may happen I’ll always love you John, whether you’re a live person, a ghost or a corpse!

Lost simply won’t be Lost without you.

[TheDharmaShark]

Another interesting thing is that the real 'Jeremy Bentham' died and had his body put on display, but some parts of it were fake, and they do say that names do mean something on Lost.

I'd like to believe that its a fake Locke in the coffin, and that the whole thing has been staged by Ben and Locke to get the 06 back to the Island. I also hate the thought, that like Ki said, to build him up to be the main character and have this deep connection with Island for him just do die a really uninspiring death.

But then again, he might actually be dead, and this is one of the biggest plot twists ever.

[D-Roc]

It was a nice touch from them to name him "Ben-tham" - like Ben mark II, since the torch was passed onto him by Ben.

However, I'm sure the name in the newspaper article last season was actually "Langtham", so they've had to cheat a bit in order to manouvre.

[Kiowa Warrior]

I love how if you look up Jeremy Bentham on Wikipedia in the profile box to the right, it states that he was influenced by John Locke and David Hume!

If it is a fake Locke that's fine, and for the people that question such a plot move - such a Deus Ex Machina to explain Locke's 'death' if you will - I'd simply argue that Lost has given us far more improbable things than that!

I do like the theory that Ben has helped stage the funeral to get Jack motivated in order to go back, and since Ben is a master at reading people he may well have known that there was a big possibility that Jack would go back to the funeral home to see Locke's body after finding out that he had died...who knows, maybe the funeral parlar director/worker that Jack spoke to when he saw the coffin in the S3 finale worked for Ben and reported back. Or Ben had the whole place under survaillence in case any of the O6 showed up.

'Take me forward, I entreat you, to the future -- do not let me go back to the past.'

Something Bentham was quoted as saying...anything to do with time travel and the idea that Locke may not be really dead - no matter how tenuous - is to be welcomed after all!

[Him]

So sad.

I don't have much to say, not yet, but hopefully it's a 'good', touching and meaningful death. Possibly one followed by a miraculous rebirth upon returning to the Island... On the positives, we have 3 more years of Locke — the Island storyline must continue. They won't just stop it there. As someone said, at least Season 5 is covered, and possibly a lot of Season 6 (they're taking Locke's body back...). I have doubts they're just going to forget about Locke in the last 16 episodes, so I'm going to go with the idea that he'll be in it till the end of the show, one way or another, but that his death is a real, physical death.

[Labyrinth]

Yep I'd pretty much agree with you there Him. I do believe Locke's death is real, as sad as it is, and much as I want to believe the possible theories laid out by Ki I don't think they're likely. I think the Locke we saw was dead and given the 3 year time lapse in between, we are likely to get the filler in S5 (with the very much alive Locke on the island) ending with how he died.

[Labyrinth]

Originally Posted by firebreathingfishies

But know I know it's Locke in the coffin, I feel a little more annoyed towards Kate & co for not going Shame on you

My sentiments exactly. Well it's not as if Kate ever 'got' the island the way Locke did, and I can understand her not wanting to go back to the island and to protect Aaron, But where oh where is her humanity? Perhaps people were too scared to go to his funeral, who knows? But up until Aaron Kate has always been about herself, there is no 'gain' for her is there? Like I mentioned in the episode discussion thread, it's ironic that Jack was seemingly the only one affected by Locke's death, which I think says a lot about him and it doesn't say much for Kate The others (Sun, Hurley, Sayyid I can excuse for obvious reasons).

[Kiowa Warrior]

Because Kate's horrible and heartless!

And some people are saying that Locke's scar over his eye isn't as visible as it usually is which could be a hint that the body in the coffin isn't really is. Lostpedia says that he doesn't have a scar at all over his eye, but I swear I can still see it though...

[Murg]

I get that his fans are a bit overwrought at seeing his body in a casket, but it's not callous to want desperately *not* to take a toddler back to an extremely dangerous and upsetting place. And don't you think the fact that she was apologising to Aaron after Claire begged her not to take him back there suggested that, in spite of what she wanted, she was going to take him back anyway?

[firebreathingfishies]

I did mean Kate & co not going to the funeral, not back to the island just in case someone misunderstood me

Yeah I noticed the scar thing when I watched it the first time around, but I just thought it was the angle. Weird And I have to agree with Murg about Kate not wanting to take Aaron back, I would be the same. Maybe Kate was apologising to Claire? Or maybe saying sorry to Aaron for lying about his real mother. I doubt there would be anything to change her mind and for her to go back.

It's interesting on the choice of visitors they're getting; Jack - his dad; Hurley - pretty much everyone but I'll say Charlie; and Kate - Claire. Guilt trip anyone?

[TheDharmaShark]

Do they not fix up the bodies to make them look 'presentable' (lol), maybe the scar was covered up?

[D-Roc]

Interesting.

I can see a slight scar.

[D-Roc]

Is this a statement Darlton? Giving us Locke in the coffin? They're really going for shock value.