ISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS

Near the end of this week's episode of 'Lost' ("The Substitute"), John Locke of the Sideways Dimension had finally found his calling as a substitute teacher in Tustin, California. And that set my Tooby sense a-tingling: which high school? And could it be linked to any other TV shows? Not being the cartographer my nephew Neil is going to be, I immediately thought of the more famous of TV high schools in the Los Angeles area - Whitman ('Room 222'), Carver ('The White Shadow'), or Westdale ('The Brady Bunch'). But once I saw the distance between LA and Tustin, I couldn't see Locke driving that far just to teach - especially not when such a long ride might be hell on the area where he was paralyzed. For that reason I also ruled out TV high schools to be found in Beverly Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and even Pan High School which was inland from Neptune ('Veronica Mars').

But I did find a school from a TV show that not only seemed to be suitable for the topography, but also seemed appropriate considering its own mythology......

First off, let's look at the topography of the area surrounding Tustin: As you can see, it's very close to foothills that might have a desert/mountainous quality to them. And that would fit in perfectly with the area near where Larkspur High School was located. If this could be the high school where John Locke (and Benjamin Linus) were teachers, you know who else used to teach there (and perhaps still does)?

Andrea Thomas. Also known as 'Isis' - "dedicated foe of evil, defender of the weak, champion of truth and justice." Back in the mid-1970s, Andrea Thomas was a young science teacher who traveled to Egypt to join an archaeological dig. There she found a box containing an amulet once worn by the Queen Hatshepsup. Crafted by her royal sorceror, this amulet would give the Queen and her descendants "powers of the animals and the elements."

By calling on the powers of Isis, Andrea Thomas was transformed into an avatar of the goddess with the abilities to "run with the speed of gazelles and command the elements of sky and earth!"

Much of the action in the following episodes of 'Isis' took place in foothills much like those that are just outside the town limits of Tustin. (One episode did involve the theft of a boat, but maybe it was worth the drive to the Huntington shore to use it......)

Of course, this is all Toobworld Central speculation. For alls I know, the name of John Locke's high school will be revealed in a later episode and it won't be Larkspur. That still won't negate this theory, however, as there could be more than one high school in the tele-Tustin, just as there is in the real world.

And if Andrea Thomas is teaching at the same school where John Locke is, and even if she is in the same department that he's in - Science! - that doesn't mean their paths have to cross on any future episode of 'Lost'. Besides we could always make the claim that Andrea Thomas has retired by now. Although she'd only be 59 this year, she still may have left the field of teaching to either pursue other interests or perhaps to settle down as a housewife or mother. (I know - sexist of me.) There's also the possibility that she was killed during the course of her adventures as Isis, but I hope that's not the case.

Considering the heavy Egyptian overtones to the mythology of the Island in 'Lost', choosing 'Isis' as a theoretical companion to 'Lost' has a nice feel to it. Besides, 'Isis' had several crossover episodes with 'Captain Marvel', so that brings yet another show into the fold! Again, this is all speculation, and this version of Locke's life is set in an alternate dimension, not in the main Toobworld. So no worries.....

BCnU!