The 'Lost' Supper

A host of "Lost" fans are going all Dan Brown on a recent promotional photo for season 6. You've probably seen it by now: It's the cast of the show arranged in the manner of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, "The Last Supper." But since it debuted in Us Weekly, I honestly didn't pay it much analytical heed. Next thing you know, I'd have to be posting entries like, "Lostaways: They're Just Like Us!"

But now the promotional still has showed up on ABC's press site, so we can assume that the network either created the image and sold it to Us Weekly like so many Jonas Brothers wedding photos or recognized the buzz surrounding it and put it at the forefront of its own marketing campaign. Personally, the behind-the-scenes machinations don't interest me much. I want to know if there's something in here we can glean heading into Season 6.



Above and beyond anything else, we shouldn't try and assign a one-to-one meaning to elements of "The Last Supper" and elements of "The 'Lost' Supper." That way lies madness. We shouldn't channel our inner Robert Langdon and look for images of he sacred feminine on the Dharma wine bottles. Central to the conceit lies the juxtaposition of Jesus Christ and John Locke. What can we glean from their similar placement?

If you're of the Christian faith, you believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and was resurrected three days later. So far, we've looked at Locke's death as nonsensical and tragic, the exclamation point on an overall meaningless life. Might his position suggest not only the opposite (that his death was in fact a necessary part of the Others' salvation), but on top of that that John Locke will yet live? Quick, someone tell Erika Olson, STAT!

Of course, that's not the real John Locke at the center of that photo, is it? That's The Man in Black posing as Locke. The creepy smile, dead-on at the camera, indicates this is the man that posed as Locke after the crash of Ajira 316 on Hydra Island. Remember what Charlie Pace told Jack Shephard in "Hearts and Minds," when asked if he trusts Locke. "Trust him? No offense, mate, but if there's one person on this island I would put my absolute faith in to save us all it would be John Locke." So not only did Locke put false faith in his own stature as Island Heir, but many others did as well. That makes him either a false prophet or a deceiver.

NotLocke certainly falls into the latter category, a man so slick that he can make Ben Linus look like a dummy. The way that everyone looks at notLocke in this photo is a mixture of curiosity and fear, not wanting to stare but unable to look away. What is notLocke's plan in the immediate aftermath of Jacob's "death"? If he flies away like Superman, I am going to throw a Hot Pocket at my television. So what is it really -- immediate retribution from the group, granting him the death that's eluded him while cosmically tied to his brother-in-eternity? Or is it something else: promise of a new life, free from the strings that have controlled the actions of everyone that managed to come to the Island's shores thanks to Jacob's subtle machinations? Food for thought. (Yes, pun intended, given the da Vinci homage.)

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the one element that had every on Twitter ... well, all a-twitter: the placement of Sayid in Judas' slot in the painting. The fact that both wear blue only solidifies that this placement is probably NOT a coincidence. Did Sayid ever betray the original Locke? Not really; at least, not anymore than any of the other Oceanic 6 who refused to return with him to the Island. So what's the "Lost" equivalent of thirty pieces of silver?

Well, let me theorize briefly, based on the above notion that notLocke is at the center of this "painting." In Jacob's absence, notLocke is going to probably make a series of compelling statements that paint his former nemesis in less-than-favorable light. Someone like Sayid might be plenty mad to learn that Nadia's death was at least known, if not caused, by Jacob. We've seen Sayid turn to Ben Linus in his grief over Nadia's death; why wouldn't he turn into a soldier for The Man in Black?

This position, then, isn't about Sayid's betrayal of John Locke, but the ultimate betrayal of notLocke by season's end. While a force to be reckoned with at The Man in Black's side, he's also uniquely positioned to be the one to drive a stake into TMiB's plans at a crucial moment in season 6. Farfetched? Well, maybe so, but at least I didn't spend the last thousand words arguing that Kate Austen is the Holy Grail. So, we have that going for us.

But enough about what I think: what do you guys make of the promotional still? Leave your thoughts below!

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Photo credit: ABC