LOST Revisited: Season 6, Episodes 1, 2 “LAX”

Back on the Island, Richard sees the flare, and he seems to know what it means. That confirms for me that the people in the Temple are just an offshoot of the established Others – it’s not another warring tribe. And then, Fake Locke emerges from the statue. He says to Richard “It’s good to see you out of those chains,” which was a real breakthrough moment. Why was Richard “Batmanuel” Alpert in chains? Remember the Black Rock? That was a slave ship. I’ve long suspected that Richard was part of the crew of that ship (which ran aground in 1845), but it would seem he was one of the slaves! That is something I didn’t see coming. Fake Locke beats up Richard and then tells the rest how disappointed he is in them, before leading them in the direction of the flare.