“Mr. Locke said a miracle happened here.”
+12 16 Votes
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By JacoblovesyoU
- “Mr. Locke said a miracle happened here.”
- Created: Nov 16, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
Perhaps, just perhaps, when Walt told Michael “Mr. Locke said a miracle happened here,” the miracle wasn’t only that his legs were working again.
— JacoblovesyoU
Someone on the island knew about Mr. Locke’s secret(s), and that person was Mikhail. I say “was” because I am unaware whether Mikhail is dead or not. In S03E12 (Par Avion) @ 10:25 a conversation takes place between Mikhail, Sayid, Kate and of course Mr. Locke. I want you guys to take notice of Mr. Locke’s reaction to two statements by Mikhail. First, @ 10:30 when Mikhail mentions the submarine for the first time, Mr. Locke has a look on his face like a child that just heard the word “candy”. Next, @ 12:05 after telling Sayid and Kate that they are complete strangers, Mikhail proceeds to say this, “…but you John Locke, you I might have a fleeting memory of, but I must be confused because the John Locke I know was pil… (this word is interupted by Rousseau)”. The look on Mr. Locke’s face when he realized what Mikhail was about to say is priceless. It is look of surprise, amazement and OH Crap all in one. They exchange looks as if they share some inside joke, but it isn’t funny to Mr. Locke. Moments later @ 19:45 Mr. Locke, who allegedly can’t kill, throws Mikhail through the sonic barrier knowing full well it will probably take his life. Lets try and figure this out together shall we?
I wanted to put the word fleeting in all caps above because it was the perfect word choice by the writers. This is just one of many, many hints that their is something nautical about Mr. John Locke. I don’t know what Mikhail’s next word would had Rousseau not intervened, but I think we can all agree that it could have been “Pilot(ing)”.
The evidence: I already noted that Locke was very interested when the submarine was mentioned. In the next episode, S03E13 (The Man From Tallahassee) @ 5:00 we see Mr. John Locke sitting in his apartment watching Expose (later starring Nikki) eating a frozen dinner. At first glance, you could assume that this is only to show how pathetic his life was. But take a look around. There are framed prints of American flags on the wall, as well as a group of military patches. I served nine years in the Armed Services myself and can tell you that a display of patches like these almost certainly demonstrate some sort of service. Also, there is a canteen in the foreground of this shot. Later in the episode @ 16:25 Ben asks Mr. Locke how he plans to PILOT the submarine and Mr. Locke replies “I’ll figure something out. For all you know, I was a commander in the navy”. The look Ben gives to Mr. Locke at that point, is the same that Mr. Locke gave to Mikhail.
Let me throw in that he worked at a box company, a toy store, performed home inspections, lived with a marijuana-growing cult and had what seemed to be a sad, boring life. However, he is able to hunt boar, carries a suitcase full of knives, predict rainfall, carve dog-whistles, build a trebuchet, render animal fat, etc.
Further evidence: I think we all remember in “Walk About” when a Co-worker was referring to Mr. Locke as Commander Locke. We soon after dismiss this when his boss Randy says ” I checked your file. You weren’t in any of the Armed Forces.” Maybe he didn’t list it. Later in the episode when Mr. Locke is on the phone with a girl he calls Helen, you can see military type flags to his right on the nightstand. One of these flags looks somewhat like that of the U.S.S. Alabama (this is strong guess). However, the white flag with a red cross next to his bed bares a striking resemblance to the state flag of Alabama. This alone doesn’t prove anything, but that flag was also displayed on the U.S.S. Alabama submarine > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSAlabama(SSBN-731) , which did it’s tour in the south pacific in the 1980’s.
There are theories that already exist which speculate that John did not blow up the submarine. This theory supports that idea because it’s possible that John Locke may know how to operate it. He may have been in the Navy. If he did serve on the U.S.S. Alabama, it was touring the South Paicifc around 1988, 16 years before the crash. Since most of our characters are linked through others, John Locke may have even known Sam Toomey/Leonard Simms.
This is a lot of speculation in itself and I am aware of that, but I think it’s a fun idea and there are many clues that support a nautical Commander Locke being on the island before. I don’t think he was the Commander of the ship, but I’m guessing he was on one. Maybe the strongest evidence for his being on the island previously is that like Mikhail, John can take a gunshot wound and keep truckin’. Perhaps, just perhaps, when Walt told Michael “Mr. Locke said a miracle happened here,” the miracle wasn’t only that his legs were working again. Rather, Mr. Locke had also accomplished a miracle that Jack is unable to do thus far in s03e22 (ttlg). He found the island AGAIN!
It is of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot with it fathom all the depths of the ocean. —John Locke
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen | Helen | 90 | |
| John | John Locke | 3.3, 2.17, 1.4, 1.19, 3.13, 3.19, 4.11, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1248 |
| Leonard | Leonard Simms | 66 | |
| Randy | Randy | 86 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.22 | Through The Looking Glass | 5-23-2007 | Jack | 1252 |
| 3.13 | The Man from Tallahassee | 3-21-2007 | John | 156 |
| 3.12 | Par Avion | 3-14-2007 | Claire | 81 |
| 1.4 | Walkabout | 10-14-2004 | John | 116 |
Key events
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| Locke Can Walk | 289 | |
| Locke finds Vincent for Walt | 1.3 | 63 |
| Locke, Kate, and Michael hunt boar | 1.4 | 57 |
| Oceanic Flight 815 crashes | 1.1 | 587 |
Key locations
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| The Flame Station | 2.23, 3.5, 3.16, 3.11, 2.17 | 220 |
While it would definitely throw a wrench in most of my theories….it is very possible. Doesn’t the list of odd jobs that Locke’s had seem like jobs a forgotten veteran would get?
Then again, if he was in the Navy, I’m not sure he would want to be called General and spend his lunches playing Risk….that would cheapen his service, wouldn’t it?
I think he was still leading a pathetic life, the kinda life that Jack leads post-island. He probably liked being called Commander because when you are in the service, you fantasize about being the head guy a lot. The “I could do it better” type thing y’know? and Hell, I like Risk. Beats reading the news, or going to Starbucks. He is never called General I don’t think, but if you were a lineman on the football team and someone wanted to call you the quarterback, no harm done right?
Jacob, very interesting theory. I loved the way you put it all together.
+1
Very well done! But Mikail could of say “because the John Locke I know was piling boxes”…
He could have. But that doesn’t deserve the look that Mr. Locke gave him… and why did he say that he knew John Locke after claiming Kate and Sayid were strangers?
I like it, it certainly is an interesting take on Locke. However, I thought what Mikhail actually said was “para-“, meaning that he was about to reveal Lockes secret (that he was paralysed before the crash) to everyone else. I think Locke just fantasised about a military life, lots of people with such pretentions collect, flags, medals, and other military stuff to create the impression that they have served in the forces. That said I could be wrong. +1 for originality.
You need to watch it again.. I could be wrong, but it sounds nothing like “para” to me. That is what all of us subconsciously wanted to hear. Trust me, Par Avion.
Lots of speculation Jacob,but I like it! +1
Just watched it again. Definately not “para” but I am sure thats what the producers wanted us to hear (the first time).
Very Interesting… You make me wanna watch that part again! Hmm…see, I always thought Mikhail was going to say- “Paralyzed”
“The John Locke I know was… Par…”
When Rousseau interrupted him, my mind immediately finished his sentence as: “par-alyzed!”
BUT, that just seems so obvious, that it makes me wonder if the writers are just trying to be cle-vah! Like.. they want us to think that at first, so that later, they can throw us for a loop with some crazy twist and we find out that he was in fact a pilot like you suggested.
..or of course, I’m WAY over-analyzing this… heh, nah!
In any case, I enjoyed reading this! :)
yes i thought it was para too, but pilot does make a lot of sense. that’s some good thinking jacob! love to hear what else you think about locke! hes my favorite! +1
Oh Yeah!!! I forgot to leave a comment regarding the submarine!!
I am totally with you on that!!! I still believe Locke hid that submarine! I know! I know!…Some people don’t like the idea and that’s OK… we shall see what happens come February! And even if it IS wishful thinking on my part, it still doesn’t change the fact that it would be SOOO Awesome… I can just picture it!
The island is under attack by the new people and it doesn’t look good for the losties. But THEN… at the last minute… when all hope seems lost…
“BER- ber- BERRR!!!” {Trumpet sound}
YEP! Here comes Locke in the submarine to save the day! AHHAHA-YYESS!!! I LOVE it! Love it - love it - love it! OR what if it HURLEY finds it … and he saves the day once again by plowing into the bad guys…
PS - sorry people, I’m a little hyper tonight… :)
no. He said Para. That’s the final word.
I love what you’re doing here. But no.
hmm…maybe he was gonna say…
“The John Locke I know was “P-irate, John Locke”
lol…well….Mikhail looks like one!! :)
HAHAHA ! yes! John Locke was a pirate!
He did not say “Para”!
Hey everyone- Everytime I listen to it I hear an “R” in there. Maybe not “para” but possibly “par”. And I really don’t hear an “L” sound…
Hmm…I decided to look up the transcript and I found one, although I don’t know how accurate it is. So here’s the transcript of the “Par Avion” Episode 3.12.
http://losthatch.com/transcripts.aspx
Here’s the section we are discussing:
Mikhail: “Of course I don’t know you Sayid Jarrah. How could I? And you Kate Austen are a complete stranger to me. But you John Locke…you I might have a fleeting memory of, but I must be confused because the John Locke I know was para…”
[Danielle appears in the jungle and interrupts Mikhail]
Danielle: Kate! Look at this. Over here. Come on.
Well that accent masks it incredibly well. He was supposed to say para? He did not, or I don’t speak “Mikhail” I guess.
Hey… Just to double check, I looked it up on lostpedia. (still not sure how accurate it is) But it implies the word “paralyzed”. This transcript actually has it down that Mikail was saying- “paral“… So that’s what I think Mikhail was saying. But I just want to say too, that you could still be right about some other things. Like Locke’s experience in the military, such as the Navy, as well as the possible secret/miracle he told Walt about…maybe that he’s been on the island before. I really like the idea that this isn’t Locke’s first time on the island.
Anyway, here’s the website: http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/ParAviontranscript
Here’s the section:
Sayid: The more I learn about your people, the more I suspect you’re not as omniscient as you’d have us believe. Don’t speak to us as if you know us.
Mikhail: Of course I don’t know you, Sayid Jarrah. How could I? And you, Kate Austen, are a complete stranger to me. But you John Locke, you I might have a fleeting memory of, but I must be confused, because the John Locke I know was paral—
Rousseau: Hey! Look at this! Over here…come on.
I agree Jacob, I think his accent is making it sound weird. I personally don’t hear him say “par-a…I can only hear him say one syllable…”par”. Maybe it’s the accent or maybe Rouseau’s line overlaps his too much, but regardless, according to this, “para” is what the writers intended for us to hear… and that’s what we need to know.
Does Lostpedia get their transcripts from the writers. No affiliation means NO affiliation right? IF that is the transcript for the actors, then I’m backed into a corner and will admit defeat. If you listen though, it DOES NOT sound like that. Although, thank you all for the comments as this theory still holds merrit ,even if Mikhail’s final word was “pimpin’”.
heh… I don’t know about that adjective to describe Locke… lol!
But I will agree with you, Jacob, that your theory definitely still holds merit!
…no matter what Mikhail said…
Great thinking, my friend!
He says para , refering to paralyzed. end of story. And hey, i have war medals and Aussie flags from when my great grandpa fought in world war one, does that make me a militery man.
Locke is just fasinated with military stuff. We see this in ep 4 season 1 when he plays that game in his flashback. We are also told by Randy that locke has no milatery background. He just has a lot of knowledge, this is why he is good at hunting, predict rainfall, carve dog-whistles, build a trebuchet.
if u agree with the two year loop, mikhal had years to collate information on the losties, the others know all about them…
and i reckon johns just a military enthusiast, those guys collect all kinds of flags and badges etc
also, has nobody suspected why danielle jumped in to keep mikhal from giving himself away….?
Very nice work, Jacob! Nicely written and plausible too! I also thought he was about to utter “paralyzed”, but that is not to say, the writers were throwing us off track. I think you provided enough evidence, to make me question the whole scenario.
I am wondering, if Locke could have been a “navy seal”, and part of a “special black ops unit”, and this might be the reason why nothing appears on his record! Very interesting, indeed! Me, likes! +1
Locks CD, makes a very good observation regarding Danielle, interrupting Mikhail.
PG, John Locke as a pirate - priceless!
Sorry Jacob but I’m with CPB and JackJnr and Pacey. Definitely sounded like para to me. Unfortunately I don’t have the episodes to go back and check so will have to take my own word for it, lol.
+1 for the originality though
I’m almost certain that John & Mikhail have met up before,in some time or place. It will become evident in some form of a flash-back or flash-forward in all probability. I just listened to a twelve minute interview that was done with Ian Cusick. In it ,he said that there were going to be a number of each,and that we probably would not be able to tell which ones were forward or back. the link to the interview is. http://darkufo.blogspot.com
I forgot to vote + 1 I also think that he was going to say paralyzed & was intentionally interrupted by Rousseau.
Thanks to all. I still don’t hear an “R” but I am going to lose that battle for sure. John is the most interesting character to me, so I studied his flashbacks in order to create this. I will find another character next but it probably won’t be as juicy.
I have a question about the gulls? After watching ” Par Avion ” again to catch the part about what Mikhail said about John Locke and the one he knew being Paral….. The scene near the end when Claire & Charlie are releasing the gull,it appears to me that they are flying south.(40:57) Then when the scene switches back to the jungle where Kate,Sayid,John ,Rousseau & Mikhail are ,Kate hears something and looks up,and see gulls about a minute later.
What it seem to me is that the gulls are flying toward them in a different direction ,that is North ? I looked at something on Lostpedia that could be an answer. First ,this is an image of Claire & Charlie. http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Image:3x12_ParAvion.jpg Then there is this http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Gulls?Theories
I would like to know what any-one else thinks about this. Especially concerning the direction that the Gulls were flying. I never have been good concerning directions though. I sure wish February would get here!! Another thing is and I could be wrong about this is, I think I saw somewhere in a small preview of the new season 4 that there were a flock of gulls in it. I think I am probably over-analyzing though! NE 1 : - C
Of course he was going to say paralyzed. Why would it be a shocker to Mikhail if John were a pilot. He could have been a pilot and still have come to the island. No, No..let’s think logically here. We know John was paralyzed and we know that he now walks on the island. That fact even mesmerized Ben. “…but you John Locke, you I might have a fleeting memory of, but I must be confused because the John Locke I know was pil…” Why would being a pilot confuse Mikhail??? There is nothing confusing about that. But, being paralyzed off island and walking on island….now that’s confusing. AND, lets not forget that the others had all the information on all the losties. Mikhail knew John was paralyzed. He just can’t figure out why he isn’t anymore. And, that’s why he’s confused.
OK, he is confused. But you can’t ignore the fact that: he said he did not know Sayid and Kate. Why would he have a fleeting memory of John only pre-island and not the other two? There is a good chance he did say “para” but it does not sound like it at all to me (for the 76th time). I’ve already given up on the issue of Mikhail’s last word, but you guys better hope it was not “pilot” because I will boast for days. I won’t buy the party supplies yet though.
John Locke, super military man, gets thrown out of a window by his fat, loser dad? I don’t think so. The only way that happens is if the writers set up Locke as a Lee Harvey Oswald type…a patsy for the cause. Unlikely.
I really like the thoughts but just cannot see it. Locke giving up his kidney…it is almost like there are two different Lockes. I could go crazy and suggest twins but I am not ready to do that.
Awesome!
I caught that nautical Locke thing too. I’ve jokingly posted that in the final episode Navy Commander Locke from another universe pops the hatch of his submarine and takes the losties home.
I posted a similar question as a mystery at
http://lostmysteries.blogspot.com/2007/09/where-does-mikhail-know-locke-from-and.html
It’s hard for me to understand how Mikhail may somehow have a fleeting memory of Locke if if, in fact he was interrupted before he could say “paralyzed”, since Mikhail claims to have been on the Island since 1993 and Locke lost his ability to walk in the year 2000.
It seems reasonable to me that what Mikhail was about to say is: “But you John Locke…you I might have a fleeting memory of, but I must be confused because the John Locke I know was paramilitary.
That could explain Locke’s seemingly unexplainable tactical abilities- tracking, use of knifes, guns, knowledge of submarines, hunting, etc.
Also, a mercenary would not typically enter that service into a resume (his HR file has no armed service record). Locke’s ability with knives and guns (taught Michael how to shoot), tracking, and hunting seems odd for a box company accountant.
In the paralyzed/piloted discussion, I think we’re truly missing the point here. That evidence is nowhere near as strong as the other evidence presented—in particular all of the military items—that is truly intriguing. Very insightful theory.
All in all, I think this does lend a tremendous amount of weight to a military background for Locke, with a large probability of this background being centered around the Navy. Seeing that Kelvin Inman and others also share a military background, it does not seem unreasonable at all that Mikhail and Locke did meet under military circumstances somewhere in the past. I think both of these are important revelations.
Thanks for sharing this, Jacob. Knowing Lost, however, those party supplies might collect a lot of dust before we find out for sure.
interesting, but i just rewatched that part, and he def says “para-”
+1 dude
Locke is a geezer!