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Prepare for ‘Lost’ by Theorizing Madly on ‘Mystery Tales,’ Dharma, and the Casimir Effect

Last week’s episode of Lost was a real doozy, raising questions about Locke’s destiny and the “secondary protocol†Keamy pulled out of a safe shortly before he killed the doctor and shot the captain. Accordingly, there was much for the curious minds of bloggers and fans to ponder. For example, why were Ben and Locke both born prematurely to mothers named Emily? And is Matthew Abaddon a grown-up version of Walt? Check out the above clip from tonight’s episode — in which Jack looks ready to bust open his stitches and Faraday is freaking out about the Orchid station — and peruse our summaries of the labyrinthine network of Lost-obsessed minds.

• Remember how Christian Shephard told Locke that in order to save the island he’d have to move it, and you were like, “Pffft, good one! No way that’s going to happen!†Well apparently it can, according to one physics expert, thanks to the island’s electromagnet, the Dharma Initiative’s Orchid station, and something called the Casimir Effect. [Popular Mechanics]

• The Mystery Tales comic shown to Locke as a child offers some juicy hints at the future, like the city floating above another city on a cloud and the all-important answer we all seek: “What was the secret of the mysterious ‘hidden land?’†[TV Squad]

• It seems like different forces are coming together that will turn Locke into a mass murderer of sorts. Also, since we know that Locke is older than Ben and was meant to be on the island, that must mean that Ben was the Plan B for leadership. Unless Ben really is the chosen one and various parties have been trying to get Locke there all his life just to overthrow Ben. [EW]

• Ben and Locke have so much in common — both were born premature to mothers named Emily, both were nerdy kids, both hated their fathers, both seem to possess a special psychic connection with the island — but what does it all mean? Perhaps it’s just a mirroring of the parallels between ancient Egyptian and Greek societies. Is Ben the Apollo to Locke’s Horus? [Powell’s Books]

• If Ben and Locke aren’t actual brothers, then they are certainly fraternal in a spiritual sense. Does that mean Ben’s attempt to kill Locke makes for a nice Cain and Abel reference? And is evil and scary Abaddon a future, grown-up version of Walt, even though he appears in Locke’s past? [Dark UFO]

• The test Richard Alpert gives young Locke is similar to the one used to pick the Dalai Lama’s successor. Does that mean the island is some sort of refuge for gifted children? Also, given the show’s timeline, it seems unlikely that Anthony Cooper was actually Locke’s father; he would have been 79 when he died, which is significantly older than the actor playing the character. [EYE M SICK]

• The logo on the cover of the “secondary protocol†Keamy consults is proof of a link between the Dharma Initiative and Charles Widmore. Was he a principal investor? [Long Live Locke]

• Locke should have mentioned to Ben that he didn’t actually talk with Jacob, because Christian is shady and Claire was flashing the evil grin. [Magic Lamp]

• The ghost of Christian Shephard isn’t wearing his nice duds anymore. Does that mean he’s EVIL? [Lost Blog/Film Fodder] —Michael Alan Connelly