"Follow the Leader" (Lost thoughts)

So I think I skipped last week's episode. Summary: some shocking things happened and we were all like OMG and WTF and then it was over.

This week, pretty much the same thing happened. It was a "Richard episode" but didn't really have much to do with him except that he is the only constant (hmmm) on the Island. He is always there.

1977 Island: So last week Eloise shot Daniel who told her that he was her son and she knew what would happen when she sent him. And then he died (or did he?). Then the Others captured Jack and Kate and beat the crap out of Jack and his pretty face. Man, they don't play around. Jack told Eloise the truth and she agreed to show him where the bomb was buried which was under the Dharma Village it turned out and they got there by swimming in an underwater tunnel bypassing the sonic fence. But that happens later. First, the Others almost shoot Kate but then Sayid! shows up and shoots them first (well, the Redshirts; Richard and Eloise live of course). And they tell Sayid that Kate saved Lil'Ben and he is all WTH and Kate says that it is not okay to kill children and set off hydrogen bombs and she is leaving. So she leaves and they go to the underwater cavern where Smokey lives, I think, and get the bomb that was "buried." My definition of burying is a little different than theirs because the bomb was pretty much just sitting out in the open but whatever. I guess the show doesn't have time to dig up a cement encased bomb.

Also in 1977, Sawyer gets the crap beat out of him by Radzinsky (and I've never been happier knowing that guy blows his own head off because grrr) and then the rat faced guy hits Juliet and Sawyer gives up the information on the Others in exchange for them getting on the submarine.

So there is a little scene with Hurley and Dr. Chang who questions Hurley on his history and Hurley gives up and tells him they are from the future. Dr. Chang realizes that Miles is his son and agrees to get everyone off the Island. But later we see him yelling at his wife to leave and Miles realizes that his mom wouldn't leave unless his dad did that (which I can understand because that's what it would take for me to leave without my husband). And Sawyer and Juliet talk about the life they are going to have and Sawyer looks at the Island and is like "See Ya" and gets on the sub where they have more lovey talk. Then Kate! shows up and ruins it for them. They are not escaping that easy, mawhahahah.

2007 Island: Richard is building a model ship and John Locke comes out of nowhere with a stupid boar and is like "Hey" and Richard is like WTH (this happens a lot on this show). Richard is shocked to see both Locke and Ben. Ben explains to Sun at some point that Richard is an adviser of sorts and he has had that job for a loooooooooooooong time. So Sun asks about the Dharmaways and he says he saw them die. Da-Dum!

So it appears that the Island is speaking to Locke and telling him to do things which should be worrisome and he wanders around being a freaking annoying know-it-all. He takes Richard to himself during one of the flashes and tells him what to do and then wants to go to Jacob. Richard is reluctant to do this but Locke makes him or whatever. That night, Locke tells everyone that they are going on pilgrimage to Jacob since it's not fair to take orders from some mysterious guy in a moving cabin in the woods and Richard does not like this. He tells Ben that Locke is going to be trouble and Ben says that's why he tried to kill him. I don't know what Richard's face was trying to say but he seemed disconcerted by that information. I guess Locke is not suppose to be harmed or something since he seems to be the natural leader.

So on the pilgrimage to Jacob, Ben and Locke are walking and Locke is amused that the Island has never spoken to Ben. And then he tells Ben that he is going to kill Jacob. Ben is naturally stunned! as I was since I guess Locke is no longer just a man of faith. I wonder if the Island is telling him to kill Jacob. My guess is Richard is not going to be happy about that.

Question: Are Richard and Jacob the same person? Maybe since Richard is old and no one has seen Jacob. It would make a certain kind of sense. Also, if not, what is Richard's deal? I hope they do a completely Richard-centric episode since I love him. He seems willing to go with whatever people tell him, completely reasonable but willing to fight, I guess. We've never actually seen him do anything violent, yet he is always surrounded by violent people who are willingly to murder.