He told them ALL that they were dead. What, exactly, would lead Richard to believe that he isn’t in Hell? He’s on a place where people keep dropping in and dying horribly. Occasionally instead of being killed by a magical being (who may or may not be the Devil) these people band together instead and kill each other.
He ma not be surrounded in hellfire, but it would sure seem like Hell.
-Joe
Well the Job story isn’t exactly like that.
Satan: Your buddy Job loves you because you give him everything
God: That’s not the reason:
Satan: I bet if he has nothing, he’ll curse you
God: Let’s see. I’ll let you do anything except kill him.
Satan: Deal
So God doesn’t do the killing, manipulating… but instead allows it.
Which is mealy-mouthed bullshit. That’s like Dogan. “Gosh, I really don’t want to kill anyone to save the world. That’s bad. But it’s OK if I just get someone else to do it, instead.”
Bull-fucking-shit.
-Joe
On the other hand, some of the majors have spent the last few seasons basically sitting and waiting and maybe having one line every other episode. Nice work if you can get it.
Wow taking it personally…
I just pointed it out that wasn’t like how the previous poster said it.
Not saying if it’s wrong or right or whatever.
Chill…
Not an extreme Lost follower but Jacob follows the same principle right?
Doesn’t interfere. So Jacob never really actually killed anyone. Sure the smoke thing did and perhaps Jacob used it to get what he wanted…
Right. I don’t know about others, but I was always taught in church growing up that what God allows is the same as what he does.
God took those things from Job.
My thoughts (and my words) exactly. It was an important plot point, that Richard believe he had not been forgiven and therefore extremely reluctant to die, but it totally screws with Catholic theology and practice. A priest would never withhold forgiveness from a sincere penitent. His penance would just be to say 3 Hail Marys. C’mon, otherwise priests would never have any reason to visit Death Row.
Well, he can leave the island. He visited the US in the 40s to witness Locke’s birth and then again to “test” him. He again visited the US in the early 2000s to recruit Juliet.
You’re not … questioningthat, are you, Merijeek?
In all fairness, the priest had no qualms about making Richard an indentured servant.
It depends. Am I a Pharoh/King/Emperor?
-Joe
Yah - but this is also the priest who sells Ricardo to the Black Pearl. It’s made pretty clear that this is a very bad priest. Not the Worst Priest Ever - that’s a pretty high standard. But very bad.
But this is the Catholic Church of 400 years ago. Wasn’t stuff like “buying indulgences” and similar still around at that point? If so, yeah, I can see the Priest saying “You’re a peasant, you’re in jail, you killed a guy because you couldn’t afford to buy medicine…and you smell bad. I’m not going to absolve you. You can’t afford it.”
And thanks to all for the Job explainations.
Am I crazy or did it seem like what Hurley claimed Isabella said at the end was tacked on, maybe either by him or Jacob?
Nope. Your math & your definition of “buying indulgences” is off. That particular priest was just corrupt.
Or not a priest at all.
And by “math” I think he means that the late 1800’s weren’t 400 years ago. Unless you’re a time traveler.
GET HIM!
-Joe
This has to be a top 5 episode of all time for this show. It has just about everything you’d want: plot exposition, great flashbacks, lots of emotion.
Was I the only one that thought the guy that bought Richard from prison was going to be names “Widmore” not “Whitfield”?
Was the knife that Richard tried to kill Jacob with the same one that Dogen gave Sayid? I’m wondering how he ended up getting it. Maybe MiB tried the same thing with Dogen, but Dogen held on to the knife.
Also, I think that last scene explains what Smokey’s real plan is. He thought killing Jacob would uncork the bottle, but he’s still stuck there. So he’s gonna try to destroy the island.
Good idea. I wonder how he’s going to do that? Jam a wrench in the Donkey Wheel?
-Joe