Lost – “Ab Aeterno” – S6E9


“Ab Aeterno” had to be THE most rewarding and most frightening episode of Lost to date. Next to Jacob, Richard has to be the most enigmatic character on Lost. We didn’t know why he didn’t age. We didn’t know why he was on the island, how he got there, why he was so loyal or why he was so mysterious? Now we have those answers. In short, Richard is a messiah.




Halfway through this episode, I was all ready to say that Lost had jumped the ultimate shark. After YEARS of telling us that the characters were not dead and that the island was not hell, here they were, at the beginning of the episode declaring my worst fears. At the beginning of the episode when Richard told everyone that they were all dead and that the island was hell, I wanted to cry. I was angry.


We FINALLY find out how the statue was destroyed. It was a bit ridiculous and somewhat of a let down but if I can handle dead people walking, Locke/ NotLocke, smoke monsters, a crazy assed Lighthouse, etc, I’m pretty sure a ship hurling through the air, slamming into the head of a statue, breaking it’s head while leaving the ship mostly intact thrust into the middle of the island should be easy for me to swallow. (gulp?)


If it weren’t for Jo of Get Lost with Jopinionated, I wouldn’t have even realized that Richard had come to the island via The Black Rock ship. She theorized that Richard was Egyptian perhaps in an attempt to justify all of the Egyptian symbols and statues. I liked this theory and it made a LOT of sense. It turns out that Richard is not an Egyptian but a Spaniard. I was a little disappointed that he wasn‘t Egyptian but I will survive.


It’s interesting that Richard was a simple farmer who only wanted to save his wife’s life. The events leading him being on the island were tragic. I’m curious to know if he was “touched” by Jacob prior being “led” to the island. Shipwrecked and keeping with the hell theme, Richard’s time chained in the belly of the ship reminds me of the story of Tantalus. Water, freedom, food was all there for Richard but just out of reach. Tantalus didn’t have a savior but Richard did and it was the Man-In-Black (MIB)… or was it? Jopinionated keeps telling me that she believes that MIB and Jacob are the same person but I don’t want to believe her. That would be so confusing and dissatisfying to me. However, there are some things that MIB says in this episode that makes me believe that Jo may be right. We know that MIB is a master manipulator. When Isabella shows up in the belly of the ship, who did that? MIB or Jacob? Was it MIB theatrics to manipulate Richard? Was it Jacob and MIB fighting above to take hold of Isabella? Why would MIB say that Isabella was with Jacob? His story doesn’t make sense. How is Jacob the devil as claimed by MIB? Is it in the sense that Jacob not letting MIB leave makes Jacob evil so therefore Jacob is the devil? MIB also said that Jacob took his body and his humanity? What does THAT mean? Was MIB telling Richard that Jacob taking Isabella and him (MIB) not being able to do anything about it part of the “we are one in the same” theory or was MIB just blowing smoke up Richards arse to get him to kill Jacob? MIB has a history… or future… in lying to get someone else to kill Jacob as in Ben Linus. [Upon re-watch of the beach scene, MIB was lying to Richard.]


I love how MIB gave Richard the same speech that Dogen gave to Sayid to kill NotLocke. In both cases, it failed. I wonder if it even works at all? Richard goes to the temple to find Jacob to kill him with the knife. As he approaches the temple, I noticed that it seemed like the temple’s entryway was lined with ash. Did I see this right and if so, what does this mean as Jacob was OUTSIDE of the temple waiting for Richard with a punch to the face? Past Jacob seems less monk-like and feels a bit edgier and rough around the edges as if he doesn’t really have a plan. On the beach, Richard asks Jacob about his wife. Jacob, as the voice of reason, doesn’t know anything about his wife. He also asked Richard if she was dead and why in the hell would he know where she was? Richard assumed that since he saw his dead wife that he was dead as well. Richard went on to tell Jacob that not only did he think he was dead, he also thinks that the island is hell. Jacob, as if baptizing him out of his stupidity, took him to the beach and tried to drown him to prove that he was alive. After they calmed down and had a drink, Jacob ADMITS that he isn’t the devil. He also admits he brought the Black Rock to the island. ….ohhhhh the Black Rock! MIB uses black rocks in their game of black rock/ white rock!


Jacob says that MIB believes that everyone is corruptible because it is in their very nature to sin. Jacob thinks this is hogwash and says that he wants to prove MIB wrong. He tells Richard that he brought others to the island before but they all died apparently failing the “test”. Jacob wants the people he brings to the island to know right from wrong without him having to force them to do it. He doesn’t think he should have to step in. Richard points out that if Jacob step in that MIB will. This epiphany gets Richard a job and eternal life. It’s funny to me that Jacob can’t give Richard his wife back or absolve sins but can give eternal life. What does that mean and how is it significant? How is it that MIB can bring loved ones back? This is totally God and The Devil right? But I find it fascinating that no one EVER refers to or even calls Jacob God. Everyone is quick to throw around the devil and evil but no one wants to claim or declare God.


Back in the current timeline, after Richard feeling betrayed by Jacob, yells for MIB saying that he will take MIB’s deal Hurley shows up to Richard saying that his wife is present and can speak through Hurley Ghost-style. This was a very touching scene but after it’s done, she leaves him with a message. She tells Richard that he has to stop MIB or they all go to hell… in-fee-er-no!


The last scene with the wine is VERY telling. Jacob described the wine in a bottle as evil and the cork on the wine bottle containing evil. This seems like a very rational way to keep in evil until you realize that evil will break the entire bottle thus rendering the cork useless. MIB will try to break the island… or the world!


I’m going to be cliché and call this episode epic. I agree with some of the sentiments around the internet that if the show were to end with this episode that I’d be ok with it…. even with the unanswered questions. This episode did so much and it is in my opinion that it is award winning.


This is what we know:
Richard isn’t ancient, he arrived on the island in the 1860’s.
Richard hasn’t always been on the island. There were candidates and soldiers before him.
Richard doesn’t seem to be a believer anymore but may have been swayed back through his wife.
Jacob can send visions to Hurley but can’t make other people see their dead loved ones. MIB can.
There is a supernatural mythology between good and evil.
Nestor Carbonell can really act!


Questions:
Who are Jacob and MIB?
Why are they there on THAT island? How did they get there? What is the island?
Why does ash keep smoke monster at bay? How is MIB the smoke monster? Why isn’t Jacob a white smoke entity?
Isn’t all of the Dharma, Others, Lighthouse, etc a bit much to go through for two entities battling it out?
What are the mechanics of MIB taking on the body of Locke?
What exactly are the flash sideways? Are they real? Why do we need to see them and how do they fit into the story?
Has Richard been the Candidate the whole time and all of this been some sort of sick test?
How does Desmond fit into all of this?
WHY ISN’T TUESDAY ALREADY???

Lost has SEVEN more episodes left. It airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.
All pictures came from Lostpedia.