In this episode, Jack discovers the caves and finds his father's coffin. Recently I've been wondering how the body got into a coffin in the first place.

Jack told the ticket agent at the airport that he didn't take his father's corpse to a funeral home. But the morgue Jack went to to identify the body wouldn't have expensive coffins like that lying around, ready to load, would they? And, if they did, they wouldn't release the body without filling out the forms Jack needs to ship it, would they? In fact, the body would have to be shipped to the airport from either the morgue or a funeral home, and that institutiion would follow established legal procedures for doing so. Or else, are we supposed to believe Jack bought a coffin somewhere, loaded the body into it, used a friend's pickup truck to take it to the airport then drove out onto the tarmac and put it in the cargohold of the plane himself?

I just don't see how the body gets into a coffin or how the coffin gets to the airport without Jack going through the same legal requirements for shipping a corpse he says he doesn't have time for.

Here is the transcript: "I want you to listen to me, okay. Because I'm asking you a favor, Crissy. I'm standing in front of you in the same suit that I'm wearing to my father's funeral and I'm asking you a favor. In 16 hours I need to land at LAX, and I need that coffin to clear customs because there's going to be a hearse waiting there. And I need that hearse to take me and that coffin to a cemetery.Why? Why, Crissy, can't I just bring him to a funeral home and make all the arrangements? Why can't I really take my time with it? Because I need it to be done. I need it to be over. I just -- I need to bury my father."

Interesting point. Perhaps the procedures for loading a coffin onto an airplane are different down under.

I think we might have to let this one go. I think this is a good point but a minor point. I don't think it's necessary to know the details of how this happened. I think it's another literary license that PAWs (producers and writers) are taking. And they do take quite a number of them on the show.

He seems to need to be in LA in "16" hours. Maybe he is not dead. Maybe that is why the funeral home was not involved. We do see an empty coffin.

I think it's just a set up for Locke's return to the island dead. TPTB have maintained they were setting things up from season one and they knew where they eventually wanted to end up. You can't know a specific destination with out knowing a few key details.

I think it's just a set up for Locke's return to the island dead. TPTB have maintained they were setting things up from season one and they knew where they eventually wanted to end up. You can't know a specific destination with out knowing a few key details.

How does Jack attempting to bring Christian's body back to L.A. is a set up for the return of Locke's body to the island?:confused:

whether christian's body was actually in there or not, i think that jack's disposition on the plane seemed to be that of a man who "got his way". he seemed a little bit relaxed. i don't think he would have been having a drink at the bar in the airport if they had told him they couldn't board his dad.

now, if the body was never in there, i don't know. but i agree with papathor....we probably have to let this go. i can't imagine the writers coming back to this again. of course, they are going to have to explain christian's presence on the island.

How does Jack attempting to bring Christian's body back to L.A. is a set up for the return of Locke's body to the island?:confused:

I read the initial post and just added in that it talked about Jack finding the coffin on the island empty. I caught the White Rabbit on t.v. last week and I've been thinking about it since.

With Christian now being in Jacob's cabin and speaking on his behalf, with his coffin being empty and with him talking to people on island, but him being in a morgue off the last time we saw him off island....I think that was a set-up for what form Locke will end up in. Whether he'll end up the island's monkey, IDK. Yemi was talking to Eko, but Eko could have been hullicinating or it could have just been the smoke monster. There's still too much up in the air about the ghosts to speculate which is which and who's evil and good.

Okay... did a little surfing and found this:


U.S. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR QUARANTINE AND CUSTOMS: In general, if remains have been embalmed, the documentation which accompanies the consular mortuary certificate will satisfy U.S. public health requirements. If the foreign death certificate is not available at the time the remains are returned, the consular mortuary certificate will include reference to the fact that the deceased did not die from a quarantineable disease and that the remains have been embalmed. The affidavit of the funeral director which is attached to the consular mortuary certificate complies with the U.S. Customs requirement that the casket and the packing container for the casket contain only the remains. If the remains are not accompanied by a passenger, a bill of lading must be issued by the airline carrier company to cover the transport. The customs house permit for entry to the United States is obtained by the airline carrier at the point of departure.
SHIPMENT OF UNEMBALMED REMAINS: If the remains are not embalmed, the U.S. consular officer should alert U.S. Customs and the U.S. Public Health Service at point of entry in advance, faxing copies of the consular mortuary certificate, local death certificate (if available), affidavit of foreign funeral director, and a formal statement from competent foreign authorities stating that the individual did not die from a communicable disease. This statement generally is required even if the exact cause of death is unknown in order for unembalmed remains to enter the United States.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For additional information concerning return of remains of a diseased U.S. citizen, contact the appropriate geographic division of the Office of American Citizens Services, Department of State, Room 4817 N.S., 2201 C. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20520, tel: (202) 647-5225 or (202) 647-5226 or the consular officer in the American Citizens Services Section of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the foreign country where the death occurred.
So I'm not sure exactly what Jack's issue was unless he did not get or lost the relevant documentation.

Also, I just checked here http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4381#e1221 and permits are not required to export human remains from Australia.

THinking too deep into this issue.

We aren't going to get every little detail on everything. We are suppose to surmise that the funeral director set Christians body up in the casket for Jack to take to LA. We are suppose to surmise that the coffin was indeed full with one dead dad and accept the fact taht there isn't enough time in an episode going through all those details...nor do I care to watch taht crap.

Coffin is forshadowing a number of thigns on the island, dead people walking again, the whispers, and even Locke's return. Yes Locke's return is being forshadowed here by showing what happened to Christian, the audieance is left to believe the same fate with befall a dead Locke shown at the end of Season 4. Now did TPTB know that season 4 was goign to be time to bring Locke back? HELL NO, watch the first 8 episodes of the series and you realize there is a wall at episode 6 where the show got picked up and TPTB started churning their wheels in teh sand to stretch out the series...It why we don't get answers right away. If they knew this was going to be a hit, they would've held off on a lot of the questions until close to reveiling them...IE adam and Eve.

I ask that when you watch these episodes again and find some deep meaning wright it down and continue with your viewing. Take a breather and then come back to it and see if you can still come up with the same assumption. If so, start thinking outside the box and maybe use a little KISS.

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid.

Not that you are all stupid...just last night was rewatching the episode where Syiad meets French lady (can't spell her name for the life of me) and she said "they took her, the other people" which made me stop and thinking about what she just said and how...to me she sounded like she KNEW the others before and they kicked her out for being crazy...after I watched the rest i came back to it and just realize she was saying it in that tone because her crazy *** has been on the island for 16 years and just felt like she actually knew these other people on the island.

Thank you for your replies. My original post was too long. I should have written, simply, 'If Jack did not take his father's body to a funeral home -- as he admits to the ticket agent -- then where did the coffin come from?'

I agree that we probably have to just chalk this one up to poetic license, though.

I also agree that it foreshadows what the 06 have to do next: bring Locke's body to the island in a simiilar coffin.

I think its kind of interesting we have a coffin and a mystery in the first season and a coffin and a mystery in this past season. Everything seems to be coming full circle.:confused:

I think CS was a set up for Locke, so that we weren't scratching are heads or rising up in outrage when Locke goes from dead in a box to trampsing around the jungle again. All pivotal plot points had to have been known in advance so they could set up for them. Locke's return to the island is pivotal. TPTB know what they're doing.

How does Jack attempting to bring Christian's body back to L.A. is a set up for the return of Locke's body to the island?:confused:

First, you must realize that Jack's relationship with Locke is a parallel of his relationship with his dad. Jack has always seen his father in Locke, which explains his inate rejection of Locke since Season 1. Locke, like Chrisitan, believes in destiny . . . in fate. In Jacks' view, Christian used the idea of destiny to absolve himself of responsibility for the harm he caused via his alcoholism and addiction to his career. Jack believes that Locke uses the idea of destiny to absolve himself of responsibility for Boone, etc.

Now recall that Jack was intially brought to The Island while transporting Christian's body. It appears that his return to The Island will now be facilitated via the transportation of Locke's body.

Watch the scene from White Rabbit when Jack cries over his father's coffin, and then watch the last episode where he tears up over Locke's coffin. The connection couldn't be more clear in my mind.