LOST discussion - thar be spoilers ahead!

[Entropy]

Ben and Locke have a lot in common. Both have mothers named Emily.
Both women left their sons orphans of a sort, both had rotten fathers that they killed, both prize their relationship with the island above all else (though maybe Ben prizes power more), both had spinal problems that were healed by the island/Jacob (Locke one upping Ben by being cured instantly). Think about their kidney connection as well. Locke lost a kidney, Ben was held hostage by a wounded kidney. In the bible, kidney's symbolize many things but one of them is the organ which is examined by god to judge an individual. As a side note, in the Jewish tradition, the kidneys were the seat of the intellect (of decision making). Locke is missing one, which might be why he makes bad decisions.

Here's what Lindoff says about the next 3 seasons. Sounds like they're going to more of a 'Heroes' model of answers sooner:

You won't have to wait until 2010 to get all the answers you really care about. Some of these answers are going to be coming a lot sooner than you think. The reality is, we're not going to make you wait until the last episode to give you everything. One thing we discussed amongst ourselves while deliberating the pros and cons of the 3/16 proposal is that we can't have two seasons of filler and expect people to hang around. We have to start giving answers now, so the show becomes more of an answer-based show as we work toward this end point.

The rest of the interview is here, where they confirm at least one character as a time traveler: https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20038202,00.html

I can't wait for 'The rattlesnake in the mailbox'!!

 

[The Josh]

I love this show and lately a lot of things are getting answered people where like "huh" that doesn't make sense. Just makes Wednesday all the more worth it.

 

[Entropy]

The only reveals I could think of for Jacob's identity that would be cool would be Locke, Walt, Alvar Hanso, or, judging by the screengrab, Kris Kristopherson.

It is certainly possible that Ben was acting in his own interests, trying to protect his power, but the more I think about it the more I think that Ben knew he wasn't going to kill Locke by shooting him. In the finale, I think they're going to reveal that Jacob is Locke, presumably from the future, (I don't think they're going to tease us by withholding his identity for another season) and Locke will do something unexpected like attack the flight 815ers or destroy the parachute chick's ship at Jacob's biding.

Jacob/Future Locke told Ben he must sacrifice himself in order for Locke to put his full faith in the island, to be "reborn" and overthrow Ben as the new go-between the tribe and Jacob, his other self. Future Locke tells Ben to shoot Locke, that he must betray him ala Judas. Ben will then be overthrown by Locke & the others, perhaps fed to the smoke monster/mom, dying to fulfill "the greater good" - Locke realizing and accepting his role as magical 'ghost' leader.

Just a theory, but it could be cool. Anyone read Clive Barker's Imagica or Neil Gaiman's Anasai Boys? Similar supernatural happenings. Also reminds me of somewhat of stories like Wizard of Earthsea, Spiderman 3 or Superman 3 where the hero basically splits and must battle himself.

What's up with the grey dirt circle around Jacob's cabin? Is it a circle of protection to keep the smoke monster out or more likely a circle of binding to keep Jacob in?

Also, anyone watch HBO's Carnivale? Doesn't Jacob seem a bit like Management?

 

[LOTRFan]

What's up with the grey dirt circle around Jacob's cabin? Is it a circle of protection to keep the smoke monster out or more likely a circle of binding to keep Jacob in?

A lot of people have been suggesting that it is gunpowder.

I think Locke might just be dead, but we haven't seen the last of Terry O'Quinn.

 

[Agent0028]

I'm thinking/hoping Locke is dead in a way. It certainly puts an interesting twist on the statement that the fact he heard the words would change his life on the island.

 

[Entropy]

A lot of people have been suggesting that it is gunpowder.

I heard that theory. Locke sniffing it seemed to be a clue.

But what's the advantage of having a gunpowder ring around a cabin? So someone could set it on fire to create a temporary wall of fire barrier to prevent someone from going in or coming out of the cabin, a no-tech security system? Could be wrong, but I don't see that as much of a payoff.

 

[LOTRFan]

I heard that theory. Locke sniffing it seemed to be a clue.

But what's the advantage of having a gunpowder ring around a cabin? So someone could set it on fire to create a temporary wall of fire barrier to prevent someone from going in or coming out of the cabin? Could be wrong, but I don't see that as much of a payoff.

It keeps the four-toed statue away.

 

[tomandshell]

Perhaps the powder was particles of the smoke monster/security system in its dormant state. Maybe it is set to either protect Jacob or keep him captive, and perhaps Ben deactivated it when he came to visit the cabin. The smoke does have a tendency to suddenly shoot up from the ground when it appears. Maybe the black powder is lying around and when it is activated it shoots up in the air like we have seen, and then when it turns off it just drops back to the ground whenever the current (or whatever) is no longer running through it. Eventually they are going to have to explain what the smoke is all about, and I imagine that they will plant little clues along the way--maybe this was one of them. Locke has been up close and personal with the smoke "monster" in the past, and maybe he recognized the smell of the smoke powder when he came across it.

Or maybe Jacob is the smoke monster. Maybe the black smoke is simply inert black powder, and Jacob himself uses it as a means of projection/contact throughout the island. Possibly Jacob has lost the ability to manifest a physical presence (at least in this timeline/reality) and uses the black smoke as a means of temporarily hosting his mental energies. Jacob just uses the smoke powder as a vessel in his attempts to make contact with the people on the island.

Of course, I have also heard gunpowder theories and voodoo ring theories, but I am trying to connect it to something else we have seen, and the smoke monster seems like a possible candidate. I think we'll just have to wait and see. But it is certainly important--they don't put something like that in there for no reason.

 

[Batty]

I thought it might be ash considering the lesson Ben's teacher gave about the island's volcano.

 

[Entropy]

Or maybe Jacob is the smoke monster. Maybe the black smoke is simply inert black powder, and Jacob himself uses it as a means of projection/contact throughout the island. Possibly Jacob has lost the ability to manifest a physical presence (at least in this timeline/reality) and uses the black smoke as a means of temporarily hosting his mental energies. Jacob just uses the smoke powder as a vessel in his attempts to make contact with the people on the island.

Interesting theory. Jacob using regular powder/sand as a psychic attack dog. They producers shot it down as nanotech, but not Jacob's supernatural whuppin' club. If it is protecting Jacob, then the Cerberus name on the blacklight map would imply that Jacob is a hell of a guy.

And about the volcano. I wouldn't be surprised to see a full scale eruption in the future.

 

[Darthrazz]

Interesting theory. Jacob using regular powder/sand as a psychic attack dog. They producers shot it down as nanotech, but not Jacob's supernatural whuppin' club. If it is protecting Jacob, then the Cerberus name on the blacklight map would imply that Jacob is a hell of a guy.

And about the volcano. I wouldn't be surprised to see a full scale eruption in the future.

Wouldn't the powder eventually become inert once it gets wet? They are in what seem to be rain forests. I think that the same ring of powder was surrounding the hatch that Ecko found last season, not too sure about that one though?

 

[Entropy]

I seem to recall the producers saying something about the sounds that the smoke "monster" makes are clues to what it is. I don't know why psychically controlled sand would make those wonky noises.

 

[Darthrazz]

I seem to recall the producers saying something about the sounds the the smoke "monster" makes are clues to what it is. I don't know why psychically controlled sand would make those wonky noises.

What are those sounds?

 

[Entropy]

The Monster, Cerberus, can assume different forms and surfaces from a variety of vents, CV's on the map, possibly from a system of tunnels beneath the island.

The Monster makes a variety of different sounds that sound both mechanical and biological. Its mechanical sounds have been described as: whirring, clanking, chattering, ratcheting, roaring, mostly like a black-billed magpie, and noises similar to releasing air pressure or dot matrix printers. Rose remarked that the sounds were familiar to her, a sound that was commented by the directors to be similar to noises heard in Bronx, NY. The sound is very similar to the sound of a receipt being printing in a NYC Taxi Cab.

 

[Buttmunch]

I think Locke is Jacob. Remember in the Nikki/Paulo flashback Hurely read that script and found out Billy Dee Williams was "the Cobra?" He also said the character was a mystery for four seasons. It ended up being a character the audience already knew. So that some thing could be applied to Jacob and Locke. Next season we'll find it out, or at least WHO is Jacob.

 

[LOTRFan]

Next season, there are still two episodes left ... let's not count ourselves out yet.

 

[Entropy]

And not just 2 episodes, 3 hours.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Jacob in those 3 hrs.

 

[Entropy]

When Ben started talking to "Jacob" I figured, OK, they are going that way with it. He's crazy. But then when things started shaking and we heard the voice and saw the flash...

This got me to thinking about whether or not Ben was actually having a conversation with the invisible man Jacob or was it only in his imagination? The big question of the episode was is Jacob real or make believe? What if both were true?

Ben seemed really insistent on knowing what Jacob said to Locke, like he didn't hear it and didn't believe Locke heard anything. What if Jacob was only in Ben's mind, kinda like Harvey the Rabbit or Tyler Durden, - that's why he was so surprised when Locke said he heard him also. Jacob had only been in Ben's imagination before that, just like...drum roll... his imaginary friend from his childhood, the girl who made the stick doll for him. The dream of someone who was there for him when no one else was, except now come to life via island magic.

 

[Darth Caedus]

This got me to thinking about whether or not Ben was actually having a conversation with the invisible man Jacob or was it only in his imagination? The big question of the episode was is Jacob real or make believe? What if both were true?

Ben seemed really insistent on knowing what Jacob said to Locke, like he didn't hear it and didn't believe Locke heard anything. What if Jacob was only in Ben's mind, kinda like Harvey the Rabbit or Tyler Durden, - that's why he was so surprised when Locke said he heard him also. Jacob had only been in Ben's imagination before that, just like...drum roll... his imaginary friend from his childhood, the girl who made the stick doll for him. The dream of someone who was there for him when no one else was, except now come to life via island magic.

I like that theory. But why would jacob, if he is ben's "imaginary" friend created by the island, then not like technology?

 

[Entropy]

I like that theory. But why would jacob, if he is ben's "imaginary" friend created by the island, then not like technology?

Hmm. maybe because Ben hates, and therefore Jacob hates, the Dharma people who brought in tech to exploit the island rather than live in harmony with it like the natives who've been there hundreds of years.

Maybe because it's somehow both Ben's imaginary friend and Future Locke who hates tech like past Locke? Maybe Ben thinks it's an imaginary friend b/c of his previous one, but it's actually Locke from the future?

Maybe it's the "ghost" of Alvar Hanso who hates the tech. that went haywire and got him stuck in the phantom zone?