2.17 Lockdown

In flashback, Locke extracts a diamond ring hidden in a balled up sock, and packs a picnic lunch for Helen, hiding the ring in a napkin. Helen reads the obituaries, as she always does, and tells Locke that his father had died.

Jack asks Henry to draw another map. Henry says he was just joking about the ambush, and seems sincere. Locke says it doesn’t matter, as Ana is already long gone. Jack storms off, ordering Locke to put Henry back in the armory. Henry asks Locke why he lets Jack talk to him like that. Locke angrily tosses Henry back in the armory.

Sayid tells Ana that they the three hours they have been searching is long enough – it’s time to head back. Charlie calls them over; he has found a marked grave, and, strangely, it is not raining there. They look up and see the balloon.

Jack asks Hurley when and where Ana went. Hurley knows she headed somewhere into the jungle two days ago. Claire has Jack check Aaron out – he is fine. Jack checks Libby’s hand; she had a run-in with a sea urchin. Jack says neosporin would be nice, but she says the going rate of exchange from Sawyer is two pills in exchange for ten loads of laundry.

Locke is listening to jazz and pedaling on the exercise bike when he hears another sound. He removes the needle from the vinyl and hears something coming through the bunker speakers. It’s all static and unintelligible, so Locke gets some tools and starts trying to fix the speakers, while Henry asks what is going on from within his cell.

In flashback, Locke and Helen visit the cemetery where his father is being buried. They are the only two mourners, and, at the end of the ceremony, Locke says he forgives his father. At that moment, he watches as two dodgy guys who had been hanging nearby drive off in a flashy Mercedes.

The static is a countdown. When it completes, the blast doors descend, locking Locke inside the bunker. He manages to get a crowbar underneath one door before it seals completely.

Jack advises Hurley in his poker game with Sawyer and Kate. When Sawyer goads him into playing, Jack decides to stay, rather than heading back to the hatch.

The lights are blinking and Henry is panicking. Locke can’t lift the blast door using the crowbar.

In flashback, Locke had just finished inspecting a house. As he walks back to his truck, he sees the same silver Mercedes that he saw at the cemetery. He approaches the car, the window rolls down, and there is his dad – very alive. Over a drink, his dad tells him the two dodgy guys were swindled out of 750 thousand dollars. He asks Locke to get the 750 grand out of the safety deposit box, take 200 grand for himself, and meet him at a hotel.

Locke tells Henry that they are locked in. He asks Henry to help. Henry asks him for protection. Locke agrees.

Jack has wiped Sawyer out, at least as far as his fruit goes. Sawyer wants to try to win it back, and Jack makes him wager all the medicine that he stole from the armory.

Locke and Henry are able to lift the door high enough to wedge the toolbox underneath, but when Locke goes to slide under, the door comes down and pins his legs. Henry is able to stack weights in time to stop the door from descending any further, but Locke is still pinned and bleeding.

In flashback, Locke opens the safety deposit box, finds the money, and packs it in his carry bag. Back at home, he is about to celebrate with Helen, but the two men are already there. They ask what is in the bag – Locke says just his work papers. They empty the bag  - just work papers fall out.

Jack tells Sawyer that he learned to play in Phuket. Jack also tells Sawyer to deal from the top of the deck this time.

Locke tells Henry to climb through the grate and input the numbers. Henry slips while trying to reach the grate. The alarm begins to sound, meaning there is only about three minutes to go.

Jack successfully wins all the medicine back from Sawyer.

Henry is barely conscious as Locke yells at him to get up. Henry struggles to his feel and makes it into the venting system. Locke calls for him, but Henry does not respond.

In flashback, Locke arrives at the designated hotel meeting room. His dad gives him his share, but Locke doesn’t really want it. Helen has followed him again and shows up, feeling betrayed by Locke’s lies. Locke apologizes and asks her to marry him. She says no and drives away. A few moments later, his dad leaves in a taxi, and Locke is left alone.

Locke is still waiting to hear from Henry when he hears the alarm stop and the counter reset. Blue lights come on, revealing a mysterious diagram on the wall, at the center of which is a question mark. The blast doors lift and normal lighting returns. Locke drags himself to safety. Henry is still there, and he helps Locke to his feet.

Jack is on his way back to the hatch. Kate asks if she can come with and have a shower, but Jack lies and says the plumbing is broken. Kate says she is glad he beat Sawyer. It is dark, and Jack offers to walk Kate back to the beach. At that moment, they see a blinking light a short distance away. It is a parachute, and it is attached to a netload of Dharma brand food and other supplies. Sayid, Charlie, and Ana emerge from the jungle, and Jack asks what they found. Sayid just gives a mute and mysterious look.

Jack and the others arrive at the hatch. Jack tells Henry to back away from Locke. Sayid says that yes, they found the balloon, and the grave – the grave he said he dug with his bare hands. It all seemed perfect, so Sayid dug up the grave and found not a woman, but a man – a black man, and a driver’s license with the name ‘Henry Gale’.

Comments

The writers did a great job of pulling us back and forth with whether Henry was lieing or telling the truth.

The situation is that the balloon did exist, but Henry was still lieing. I mentioned this scenario in my review of Episode 2.16 (The Whole Truth).

The gray areas of Lost are what make the show worth watching. For example: Henry. He could have killed Locke or at least made an attempt to escape. Instead, he hung around. What are his motivations? Well, he could be a nice person. Or he could be there specifically to infiltrate the group gain their trust, and erode them from the inside.

Memorable Moments

• Jack beating Sawyer at poker

• The cliffhanger revelation that Henry was lieing

Quotable Quotes

Sawyer: Hey! When I asked you what you wanted for stakes, why didn’t you ask for the guns?
Jack: When I need the guns, I’ll get the guns.

"We did find your balloon, Henry Gale - exactly how you described it. We also found the grave you described. Your wife’s grave - the grave you said you dug with your own bare hands. It was all there. Your whole story, your alibi - it was all true. But still I did not believe it to be true. So I dug up that grave, and found that there was not a woman inside; there was a man…a man named Henry Gale."
- Sayid