Lost: Ab Aeterno

Summary:
Ilana thinks that Richard knows what to do next, but he just giggles and says they’re in hell, so he goes to join Fauxke. Then we get a Richard Flashback! Yay!
Richard was married in 1867, and his wife was dying. He rides to a doctor, who charges more than Richard can afford, and so when Richard wrestles for the medicine, the doctor accidentally gets killed. Isabella dies anyway, and Richard goes to jail. The priest sells him out to a guy named Wheatfield, who chains him up on the Black Rock.
In the midst of a storm and a giant wave, the Black Rock smashes the four toed statue, and Richard survives, chained to the wall. A few other guys survive, but they are killed by Wheatfield, who is about to kill Richard when the Black Smoke eats him. Then the BS scans Richard. Later, Richard hallucinates? His wife, and the BS attacking her. Then the Man in Black (from last season, “You know how much I want to kill you?”) frees him, and sends him off to kill Jacob.
Jacob is not killed, probably because Richard is the least sneaky killer on the planet. Jacob drown/baptizes Richard, and then hires him so that he doesn’t have to interfere with people’s free will. Then he grants him immortal life. No big deal, right? Richard’s flashback ends with him giving the MiB a white stone, and burying his wifes cross. Oh, and the MiB says he can always change his mind.
Then in the present, Richard unburies his wifes cross, and screams that he wants to change his mind. Hurley shows up, and does his ghost whisperer thing with Richard’s wife, who calms down and returns to sanity.
Oh, and the point to the entire series – the Island is a cork, keeping the black smoke (evil incarnate) stuck on the island. Which makes it really creepy and ominous when the MiB smashes the wine bottle that Jacob used as an analogy.
Thoughts:
Wow, they really put it all out there. Much more information regarding Jacob and MiB, and much rejoicing was had. Richard’s story was vaguely interesting, but nothing not really guessed at…
Black Rock smashing the statue? I like it a lot. (and if you don’t believe that a wooden ship could do that, A) I think you’re wrong and B) the wave could have done it anyway).
Cool that MIB gave Richard the same knife and instructions to kill Richard as Dogen gave to Sayid…
Themes:
Redemption. Island is Hell. Free Will. Tabula Rasa.
Speculation:
We’re going to slowly transition out of the middle arc of the season. The last few episodes (since Sundown) have been clarifying allegiances. I would expect next week to do the same with apparently Sun/Jin, and after that…. We are gonna rock and roll.