LOST Season 6 -  Ab Aeterno

Translation from Latin to English: well this is interesting... from Wiki we get "In theology, often indicates something, such as the universe, that was created outside of time."  Literal translation: "from the everlasting" or "from eternity". Thus, "from time immemorial", "since the beginning of time" or "from an infinitely remote time in the past" hmmmm...

Finally!! One of the most anticipated episodes of the final season; all about Richard.  We've speculated for seasons that Richard was part of the ship Black Rock which crashed on the island around 1867.  What we didn't know was that the ship broke the statue.  That is a silly explaination, if there was a tidalwave that caused the ship to crash into the statue and go that far inland wouldnt there be uprooted trees? floods? anyway, so the episode starts off with our guys sitting around ad going what now.  Acoording to Ilana, Richard is supposed to know what to do if Jacob is killed.  Richard kinda snaps at this point and tells everyone that they're dead and in hell, he then walks off into the jungle.  We flash back to 16XX, Richard (Ricardo) lives in the Canary Islands with  his wife, Isabella who is dying from Tuburculousis (i guess, they didnt say that specifically that I can recall but they showed her coughing up blood)

He promises he will save her and he rides in the pouring rain to the doctor.  They make a point of showing the wealth and callousness of the doctorRichard bursts in and asks for help and the doctor asks his butler to get Richard a towel, not because he's wet and probably cold and tired, but because he's

dripping on the floor.  Richard pleads the doctor to help, he gets up and gets the medicine but Richard doesnt have enough to pay for it, while trying to take the medicine by force he pushes the doctor, he falls hits his head and dies.  Richard is stunned, grabs the medicine and rides back where he finds his wife dead; a bit later the police show up and arrest him for murder.  While being brought out of jail to be hanged, he is recruited to be a slave on the Black Rock along with others.  Ok, ship crashes on the island, Brit kills the slaves, Smoke monster kills the Brits (before they got to Richard).  Now Richard is alone with no food or water and he's chained to the boat. When he's at his lowest, the MIB comes with water and in return for freeing Richard he will do MIB a favor. Richard agrees and there comes a line we've heard before "good to see you out of those chains".  A little deja vu time, MIB hands Richard a knife and tells him to kill "the devil" (Jacob) in order to leave hell.  MIB also assures Richard he'll see his wife again which is the only reason he tries.  Just like Dogan, he instructed Richard to not let him talk. 

Of course, Richard fails and Jacob explains the MIB and his role, why they are here.  He uses a bottle of wine, the wine repesenting hell and the cork representing the island.  Thus he is here to keep the MIB on the island or all evil will break loose upon the world. Richard is convinced and recruited to be Jacob's liason and grants him eternal life.  Back in the present, We see Richard at the spot where the MIB told him that is he changed his mind, he would be waiting to take him on.  Richard is digging below the bench and comes across his wife's cross necklace when Hurley shows up with a surprise, Hurley's been talking with his wife.  He tells Richard what she says and apparently a few words in he can hear and feel her.  Then Hurley drops the bomb, Isabella told Hurley to tell Richard he needs to stop the MIB.  Unbenonced to them, Flocke is listening at the top of the hill.

Jacob come to the MIB back in 1867 and gloats, then gives MIB the bottle of wine he used with Richard.  MIB breaks the bottle, oh the imagery.

<insert broken bottle and Mib/jacob)

That. Was. AWESOME! I don't know about you guys but I've been waiting to see more about Richard since he first appeared.  It was great to see his past and how became who he is. And I REALLY needed a break from the flash sideways.

Why are they both so vulnerable before they talk?
Who guarded the island before Jacob?

How long has Jacob been alive?
Why is Jacob selective about who he cures?
have we forgotton that Michael also can't kill himself? He will be back, but he's not one of the candidates... that we've seen in the wall of the cave at least, perhaps 108 degrees is Michael?
Jacob was the complete opposite then we have seen him ever, trying to drown Richard and getting all pissy.  Just an observation.
How was it that Ben could seemingly control the Smoke Monster.

Okay, I think MIB has something to do with the electromagnitism of the island.  Desmond almost let MIB out when he didnt get back in time to push the buttons.  Is that why there was the purge way back when? The Dharma Initiative was getting too close so Jacob had Richard manipulate Ben into killing them all?

I hope the season keeps it at this pace, learning new things and gradually peicing together things we've wondered about and plagued our sleep (well, at least MY sleep) for years is incredible.  I doubt they're going the whole heaven and hell route, i think this is going to end up all sciency, and that makes me happy!

I apologize for the lack of pictures, apparently my screen caps stopped working... i'll figure it out eventually

Thank you ABC for the pics