Bonus Post - Part 2
What I've Decided I Think
About Richard Malkin

Thanks for the comments on my earlier post about
Richard Malkin. After watching the episode Outlaws
and its encounter between Christian Shephard and
Sawyer I think I've come to a conclusion about Richard
Malkin. As Jay suggested, I think Richard Malkin was
working for Christian Shephard and getting Claire on
Flight 815 on that day was Christian's way of reuniting
with his daughter and future grandchild. Here's why.

I think in the first instance the encounter between
Malkin and Claire was as Capcom suggested a strange
situation where the fake psychic got a real sense of
something, and since he was no longer in control of
what was going on, he ended the meeting. Remember
that this encounter was two days after Claire took a
home pregnancy test to learn she was pregnant.

I think a week or so later Claire finally visited a doctor
who confirmed the pregnancy, and I think at this
point Christian was notified much as he was notified of
the wreck we saw in the Par Avion flashback. I also
think Claire probably told her aunt about her strange
encounter with the psychic and that Christian later
learned about the psychic from the aunt.

I'd guess that after Thomas left Claire, she told her aunt
who told Christian in an I-told-you-so sort of fashion, kind
of, "see you're daughter is just like her mother" thing, and
"what's more she's more likely to listen to some psychic
rather than me her bitchy aunt."

Now you might not think that Christian Shephard would
be the type of guy who'd deal with psychics. I think that
would definitely be true of Jack Shephard, but not Christian.
Christian is a guy who writes everything in his life (and
others' lives) off to FATE. I think he would view Claire's
interest in psychics and astrology as proof of his DNA in her.

So Christian somehow finds Malkin and tells him, if Claire
ever comes to you again make sure she doesn't give up the
baby, my grandchild. Christian probably promised a nice
payday to Malkin to insure this.

But Claire makes things difficult. She's certain that she can't
raise the baby on her own, so Christian comes to Australia to
try to meet with her though it takes him four days to get
enough courage from his bottle given their last encounter at
the mall. He's bought a ticket for her on his return flight,
Oceanic Flight 815 on September 22, 2004. Unable to get
the ticket to her himself, he gives it to Malkin who has
concocted the story of the couple in LA to get Claire on the
plane with her dad (and I guess Ana Lucia.) But before
Christian can board, he drinks himself to death and dies in
an alley.

I know, I know, it's pretty fantastic and relies on a lot of
speculation, but I think Christian had decided it was his
FATE to have a second family and this is how he was
going about accomplishing it.