Episode 209 - Secret Clue

This week's episode, What Kate Did, had tons of hidden clues, so let's jump straight into it!

We saw another great cross-over in a flashback this week. The flashback story itself was fantastic, because we finally got the answer as to what it was that has led to Kate being on the run for years. After Kate learnt the truth of her parentage and blew up her father Wayne, she went to visit her step-father, Sam Austen, in the military recruitment office. As she walks in the door and goes to see him, she walks past a TV - where we see Sayid dressed in uniform, being led away by members of the U.S. Army!

Seeing the hatch for the first time, Michael had several questions for Locke about what he believed its purpose was. Rather than telling him about it, Locke offered to show him the film instead. Before they do, however, Michael noticed something important - the hatch has deep, hidden blast doors! Constructed into the doorways, Michael's background in labouring meant that he was able to recognise the construct and point it out. Unfortunately, no one else had noticed them until this point, leaving us with another question. But if we think back a few episodes to episode four, Everybody Hates Hugo, you'll remember Jack and Sayid spent some time attempting to get through the sealed-off passageways they found, with no luck. Sayid stated the only similar case of such extreme containment measures he was aware of was at the Chernobyl disaster site, which leaves us with a fascinating question - are the blast doors to protect those inside from the outside, or the island from whatever is in the hatch? Don't forget the word Quarantine was plastered on the inside of the hatch door…

After showing Michael and Mr. Eko the Orientation film, Locke thought they'd both have a lot to say, but Eko simply walked away in silence. Later, he calls Locke aside, and tells him the tale of Josiah and how he came to posses the Old Testament. He then passes Locke the Bible the Tailies had found in the Arrow hatch. When Locke opens it, his jaw drops - another film reel with Dr. Marvin Candle was staring back at us! With Eko's help, Locke splices the two film rolls back together and they sit down to watch. The extra 30 seconds of footage contains a chilling, threatening message about the computer, stressing the importance of not using it for any purpose other than entering the numbers. Once again, we hear about "the incident," and Dr. Candle really hammers home the point that trying to contact the outside world may lead to another.

Of course, Michael isn't listening - he's fiddling around in the computer room, seeing if he can work out how the thing operates. So when the screen beeped and flashed the word, "Hello?" how was he to know any better? The first shock came when he sat down and replied - and nothing bad happened. He answers another question, giving his name, and then the shock hit - "Dad?" Could Walt be on another computer somewhere else on the island? Could he telepathically be using the computer to talk with his father, having learnt how badly appearing as a vision is perceived? Or is the person on the other end of the computer someone… "Other?"