[JWBear]

I love Lostpedia.

These are bits from the current episode's page's"Cultural References" section:

James Ford is listening to The Stooges' "Search and Destroy." Which contains the lyrics, "I am the world's forgotten boy; the one who searches, searching to destroy," and "I'm the runaway son of a nuclear A-bomb". The lyrics also plead "Somebody gotta save my soul."

The cave that the Man in Black takes Sawyer to can be a reference to this philosophical concept attributed to Plato. The idea that people live their lives and form ideas that are not indicative of reality is mirrored in the Man in Black's view that Jacob manipulated everyone he brought to the Island into believing certain ideas.

Sawyer and the Man in Black descend "Jacob's Ladder" and arrive at a cave formerly inhabited by Jacob. A Jacob's Ladder has significance in both the Jewish and Christian religions, having many interpretations, among them that it is a bridge between heaven and earth. Saint John Climacus (also known as John of the Ladder) wrote a book called "Ladder of the Divine Ascent" which uses Jacob's Ladder as an analogy for the ascetic life. It is frequently read by Orthodox Christians during the Lent season before Easter. The episode "The Substitute" aired the night before the start of non-Orthodox Lent (Ash Wednesday) (which does not coincide with Orthodox Great Lent).

Jacob manipulatess people to the island who are possible candiates for his job and there were only 5 left until the death of locke. Willy Wonka invite's 5 children into his chocolate factory under the guise of a tour so that he can find a replacement.

In one of his flashes-sideways, John Locke (at the time a bald, wheelchair-bound teacher) asks for Earl Grey tea. Given their fondness for all things science fiction, this was likely a nod on the producer's part to Sir Patrick Stewart, who played both Captain Jean-Luc Picard (who always requested Earl Grey tea and was bald) and Professor Charles Xavier (a bald, wheelchair-bound teacher).