Among the most interesting interactions were those of Alpert and The Man in Black/Smokey/Fake Locke after T/S/F killed the protectors of Jacob and T/S/F sent Ben out to lure Alpert into the base of the statue. Lots of cryptic, sure to be dissected words were spoken, but none better than "It's nice to see you out of those chains, Richard." What the heck does that mean?
Theories:
1. Richard was a slave on the Black Rock
The plain reading types would conclude that Richard Alpert came over on the Black Rock as a slave. This makes sense on a few levels. 1. T/S/F was on the beach with Jacob when a large ship, probably the Black Rock, appeared to approach the Island in the conclusion of Season 5. Thus, both Jacob and T/S/F saw the Black Rock land (although how it wound up in the middle of the island remains unclear) and would have seen Alpert been marched onto the island in chains. Neat and tidy.
1.a. Richard was not a slave, but was the First Mate
A more "Lost" theory would posit that Richard was the first mate on the Black Rock, who either (i) either screwed up and influenced the ship toward the island or (ii) otherwise committed some form of mutiny leading, directly or otherwise, to the Black Rock's arrival to the Island. The "chains" would literally be Alpert's punishment for the screw up/Mutiny. Note that Widmore purchased the log of the first mate of the Black Rock at auction and the name of that first mate was conspicuously absent. Why? Maybe that name is Richard Alpert. That also might explain why he was seen making a model of the Black Rock.
1.b. Richard was a prisoner being transported to Australia/N.Z.
The more P.C. (and historically accurate) version of part 1 above.
2. Richard was a metaphorical slave to Jacob
Perhaps T/S/F was alluding to Alpert being metaphorically freed of the yoke of service to Jacob. That theory most conveniently explains why Alpert does not age- it is due to Jacob's power. Alpert's special power to control the Others, his command of Ben and the Others are/were based on the fact that Jacob had "power" over the Island. Now because of Jacob's "death," Richard has lost it all. No immortality, no power to control the people. T/S/F would be glad to see him out of chains- it means T/S/F runs the show.
or:
Nobody's bothered to ask Richard, but maybe he's "chained" to Jacob against his will. Perhaps (to be shown in a Richard-centric episode to come) Richard made a deal for protection from T/S/F to be Jacob's liaison to the Others and was kept to do Jacob's bidding, maybe at time against his will.
3. Alpert is the ancient arbitrator of the island
As discussed in the Unified Theory of Lost (pending blog- stay tuned) there is overwhelming evidence of the island being an ancient egyptian...something. Hieroglyphics. Ziggurats. G-ds. etc... Part of the Unified Theory of Lost includes Jacob and T/S/F being set in opposition. And who would "enforce" certain rules, like population caps, and ensuring the integrity of the ruins? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ricardus.
So if this is the case, why is Alpert on Jacob's team? Jacob, it would seem is was in the "lead" in the game between Jacob and T/S/F until T/S/F made a decisive move by killing Jacob...one part of how to win the game. But enough of that...
Of Note: Some might try to read the tea leaves and point out the varying appearance of Alpert. Although we've mostly seen him looking fresh out of a Banana Republic catalog, we have seen him once looking island-grungy- late 60's/early 70's when confronting young Ben. Before, in the 50's, he looked clean as a whistle (see Jughead era Alpert) and our castaways have barely seen an askance eyeliner-encrusted eyelash out of him. Does the grungy 70's look tell us anything? I'm not sure. Could be strategic use of disguises (aka Mr. Friendly) or ...something else. Haven't figured out how that plays into the story quite yet...
My Answer: 1a, AND 2.
And to the extent that the Unified Theory proves true, 2 and 3.
As always I reserve the right to be wrong. What do you think?
-Drew
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I find Richard to be one of the most interesting characters on Lost, but since he is not a central character I doubt we will ever confirm how or when he came to the island. I think the most obvious meaning of that statement is that he came over as a slave on the Black Rock, but I think he could have been there since Egyptian times. Overall I really enjoyed the premiere but I was frustrated that the writers continued to add even more layers to this increasingly complex story. I want answers darn it! Will you address one of the biggest overarching question of the series: do you think the reboot worked? Also, what do you think the implication was of the slight variations in the version of Oceanic Flight 815 that we saw in the premiere-- Jack being handed only one extra bottle of booze, Shannon not being on board, and of course, why was Desmond there!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteAgreed on all fronts. The producers and writers of this show have done a masterful job of painting compelling, interesting ensemble characters. Bakunin, Richard, Penny, Mr. Friendly, Ellie, etc... the list goes on and on. I'll address the seeming split in reality, if the bomb did anything, and what the implication of the split in reality is....soon.
ReplyDeleteI think the most likley explanation is 1a/b. Although that part about the first mate's log is interesting. I DEFINITELY think we'll find out about Richard, who he is, how he got there and most importantly why he doesn't age!! Also I agree with Anonymous- I want ANSWERS! Why was Shannon not on the flight and why was Desmond there and did Jackthink he recognized him from that run in the stadium or from his alternate existence on the island??
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