John Locke quotes from Lost

Locke

[wakes up after being knocked down by Eko] You hit me... Why would you...?

Because you were being difficult.

Locke

Are you insane?

Locke

What did one snowman say to the other snowman?

Desmond

"Smells like carrots."

Locke

Hello, Desmond.

Desmond

"Hello" yourself, box man.

Locke

[to Desmond] The Pearl is a psychological station, full of TV monitors. And uh, two men sat in viewing chairs and filled notebooks, with observations on what happens in here. And then they put the notebooks in pneumatic tubes, sent 'em back to their headquarters, so they could evaluate us, as an experiment.

Locke

What?

Desmond

What if you've got it backwards?

Locke

"Backwards"?

Desmond

What if the experiment wasn't on the two men in [The Swan] but on the two men in [The Pearl]?

Locke

What are you doing?

Desmond

... When did you come here?

Locke

What?

Desmond

The island. When did you come here? How long ago?

Locke

Sixty, sixty-five days-

Desmond

What was the date, what was the date?

Locke

September 22nd. It was September 22nd.

Desmond

I think I crashed your plane.

Desmond

[after Locke destroys the computer] You killed us. You killed us all.

Locke

No. I just saved us all.

Desmond Hume

Can I ask you a question, brother?

John Locke

Absolutely.

Desmond Hume

Is the reason you're letting that clock there run all the way down to the very last tick—is it because you need to look down the barrel of a gun to find out what you really believe, John?

John Locke

I looked down the barrel of the gun and I believed. I thought it was my destiny to get into this place. And someone died—a kid. Because he was stupid enough to believe that I knew what I was talking about. And the night that he died for nothing, I was sitting right up there, all alone, beating my hand bloody against that stupid door—screaming to the heavens asking what I should do. And then a light went on. I thought it was a sign. But it wasn't a sign. Probably just you going to the bathroom.

Charlie

Hairspray? Now, I hate to be the one to point this out to you...

Locke

[smiling] It's not for me.

Locke

Eko, what is it?

Sayid

What did he just say, John?

Locke

He said--'We're next.'

John Locke

I saw it once, you know.

Mr. Eko

And what did you see?

John Locke

I saw a very bright light. It was beautiful.

Mr. Eko

That is not what I saw.

Sayid

Kate, if you were looking for help to find Jack, why didn't you ask us?

Kate

Two reasons: you don't know where to look and you're not motivated. And I don't blame you. Why would you want to go on another trek across the island, risk more lives just to get Jack back?

Locke

You're wrong.

Kate

Oh, really? They why didn't you come after-

Locke

Not about the motivation, just about knowing where to look. We got a compass bearing, and I'm pretty sure if we follow it, it'll lead us right to 'em.

Kate

How?

Sayid

Because of the way the sunlight hit Mr. Eko's stick when John was burying him.

Locke

Remind me why we're keeping him alive.

Sayid

What do you suggest? That we shoot him like a dog?

Locke

No. I like dogs.

Locke

The Man from Tallahassee? What is that some kind of code?

Ben

No John, unfortunately we don't have a code for "there is a man in my closet holding a gun to my daughter's head". Although we obviously should.

Ben

Would you mind helping me get into my chair. No tricks, I promise. I just want some dignity. You of all people should understand what means to want some dignity. Thank you. So tell me John, how do you plan on piloting our submarine. Its a complicated piece of machinery. You just don't press submerge.

Locke

I'll figure something out. For all you know I was a commander in the Navy. Put your arm around my neck and I'll lift under your knees.

Ben

What's in the pack, John? If you met Mikail that means you were at the communications station, which means you found the explosives. So you're not planning on piloting the submarine anywhere, you're planning to destroy it. I know you, John Locke.

Locke

You don't know me at all.

Ben

I know you were born in California. I know that you were raised in foster care. I know that you wasted a big part of your life in Tustin, pushing papers at a place that manufactures industrial boxes. I know that you spent the four years prior to arriving on this island in a wheelchair, and I know how you ended up in it.

Locke

Where do you get electricity?

Ben

We have two big hamsters running around in this giant wheel in our secret underground lair.

Locke

Yeah, that's funny.

Ben

I know you think you need to do this John, but if you blow up my submarine, I'll have a big problem with my people.

Locke

Is that supposed to be an incentive not to blow it up?

Ben

I was born on this island; not many of my people can say that. Most of them were recruited and brought here, and as much as they love this place, as much as they would do anything to defend it, they need to know that they can leave if they want to. The sub maintains that illusion.

Locke

So you're lying to them?

Ben

No... they're here because they want to be here. Some of them are just not ready to make a full commitment yet. But you John, you've already made that commitment. And now you have a choice, because if you stop and think, I can show you things. things I know that you want to see very badly. Let me put it so you'll understand: picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you John? What if I told you that somewhere on this island there is a very large box and whatever you imagined, whatever you wanted to be in it, when you open that box, there it would be. What would you say about that John?

Locke

I'd say that I hope that box is big enough for you to imagine up a new submarine.

Ben

Why are you so angry John?

Locke

Because you're cheating. You communicate with the outside world whenever you want to, you come and go as you please, you use electricity and running water and guns. You're a hypocrite. You don't deserve to be on this island. If you had any idea what this place was you wouldn't be putting chicken in your refrigerator.

Ben

You have been on this island for 80 days, John. I have been here my entire life. So what makes you think you know this island better than I do?

Locke

Because you're in the wheelchair, and I'm not.