I’ll need to re-watch tonight’s episode to dig into its meaning and tease out more clues, but I have to get a working theory down forthwith. This could be entirely the wrong direction, but let’s take a shot and see where it goes. Spoilers below.
Smocke’s caper with Sawyer is an attempt to find another “loophole.” You’ll remember that MiB needed a human to kill Jacob, because according to the “rules,” he can’t. I think he also needs a human to get off the island, because he’s been exiled there.
Smocke is lying to Sawyer, but he’s lying with the truth. The island doesn’t need protecting. The world does. The world needs protecting from Smokey the Daemon. The exile arrangement that has been set up by the gods keeps the Evil Daemon there under the guardianship of a Good Daemon – until just recently, Jacob. Two protections are put into place: Evil Daemon cannot kill Good Daemon (hence it must be the free will choice of a human being – “You have a choice,” Jacob said to Ben), and Evil Daemon cannot leave the island unless helped by, you guessed it, the free will choice of a human being to take him off the island. You’ll notice the key theme: human freedom has the power to trump that of the gods/daemons (if not the God, who isn’t a character in these stories). This satisfies the free will them introduced by Jacob, and puts Smocke into a serpent/devil role, using part of the truth to tell a destructive lie to Sawyer.
The island is a prison for a Daemon that wants to bring about the end of the world. Our cast of characters are all possibilities for Jacob’s replacement. I would have bet money on Locke, but that door has been closed by about 6 feet of dirt – unless the 2004 crew does make it back to the island somehow.
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I felt that John Locke is still a factor. I took the hints from the remaining persons who asked the question on what it is that they need to do with Locke’s body. Also, witnesses. There were 4 witnesses with Locke. Hugo and Richard are very important and can never be compromised because they are true believers. They follow orders ask questions only when they need to and are generally good people. Ever notice that Shephard is always in doubt? No matter what, Locke is joined by two other people, Shephard & Linus. Each are smart but it is the level in which they relate to one another that is interesting. Notice that Kate was not on the list? I did.
Shephard – doctor
Hugo – believer
Ford – lost
Kwon – heart/love
Locke – optimist
Jarrah – soldier
Another thing, scales and the mention by ABC regarding the game of backgammon. Most interesting was that Locke’s wife was with him, didn’t she leave him? I think it was funny how she mentioned fate or was it destiny?
I think it is because I am still stuck on the last words shared by Locke via MiB to Linus ” I don’t understand.” That sentence alone is powerful because it was not sad as MiB made it sound but the fact that it meant much more than that. Shock. Like I am with this show. I cant wait til May!
One more thing I forgot to mention… The loopholes. Didn’t it remind anyone of DOGMA? The part of loopholes that is. No matter how many loopholes there are, it is a testament to all that you cannot avoid your destiny. Free will. Notice that even though Sawyer is lost he is not about to give up so easily? He has a strong spirit but MiB does not know how to convince Sawyer just yet on what it is that needs to be done. MiB can’t read him. Sawyer’s free will, will definitely be a factor in the upcoming chapter. Shephard fails a lot of tests. He is the doubting thomas of the group because no matter how many times he is asked to do something he hesitates. The temple heads have a hard time with it because they need to do their job via Jacob and Shephard is not willing to go there yet until he has the answers first. Juliet has to come back to help Sawyer. She is going to be the voice that calls him. Jack’s dad has a lot of explaining to do. Notice that Locke and Jack’s dad both are dead and in a coffin on a plane? hmmmm/…
I’m not sure if the candidate thing is going to come to fruition or not, since I’m pretty sure my theory is that Sideways Reality is post-Island reality for these folks, a reality that leaves the Island underwater and, presumably, with no need of a protector. But if there is to be a replacement of some sort, my money’s on Hurley. I think he’s way more special than people tend to give him credit for, and he has a very unique sort of kinship with Jacob. Also, Jorge seemed to suggest on his blog that centric episodes will follow the same pattern this season as they did in the first season, which makes him last, ergo very important. And the Numbers, which we now see are connected intricately with the candidates, have always been primarily Hurley’s domain…
This is an interesting theory! And it’s the best I’ve heard, but I haven’t started reading recaps yet, but at least it makes more sense than what the story presented on the surface last night. Like you, I need to rewatch the episode.
Good incite!
I also think the children = whisperers.
And also… Why did Sawyer see the child but Richard didn’t?
Why did Sawyer see the child but Richard didn’t?
If the child is a young incarnation of Jacob, it makes sense. Jacob reveals himself to whomever he wills, and he seems to be quite willing to reveal himself to the candidates.
The kid in the woods is SO Aaron.
Jon, that was my first thought as well. I tweeted that as soon as I saw the kid.
Great theory, Travis. This ties in with the Swan/Eloise “saving the world” thing. I also believe the child is young Jacob. Else why did Smocke get so upset?
I have a couple theories without having read any recaps. Here’s why su Richard and his Others wanted Paul’s body (Paul was Dharma Amy’s husband, killed by Others for trespassing). The Others knew MIB was looking for a loophole and were preventing him from using Paul’s body. I’d be willing to bet there are no bodies in the Boone Hill cemetary except for Locke’s.
Also a note on Hurley. He is the one to watch; he always has been. If Locke was faith and Jack mind/reason, Hurley has always been the heart of the castaways. Consider his pre-Island history, his role on the Island, his off-Island speaking with the dead, and that Jacob spent the most time with him and entrusted him with a mission. Hurley has always had leadership qualities–think of the golf course of S1–and he’s usually been on target in sussing out things. He just needed to grow in confidence, which is now blossoming.
Side note: I believe Sawyer’s engagement ring was his mother’s.
I too thought of Aaron, but I’m not sure it’s him. We know Aaron was extremely important. But this child looks too old for a 2007 time frame. Who knows; time is pretty undependable on the Island!
Ooh. I like the thought that Sawyer’s ring could be his mother’s, Arabella. That totally makes sense. He clung to that letter for years, I can also see him keeping his mother’s ring all that time. It was after he lost the note in season three that his journey toward heroism really began in earnest – that he was able to embrace the goodness his mother left him instead of the bitterness handed down to him by his father and John’s.
And I’m so with you on Hurley. Wonderfully put.
Yeah, he does look a bit old to be Aaron, but then Walt was older than he should’ve been in season three when Locke saw him. Aaron or Jacob do seem the most likely possibilities, but I’m not really ruling anything out…
That’s precisely it. We know Aaron’s gonna be important, and we know that with all the time travel and such, a person’s age hardly verifies or disqualifies any theory.
Hard to be definite about either option.
From Doc Jensen’s column, just posted: “Who would win in a sneer-off: Professor Snape or Professor Linus? Debate!”
great Daemon theory- I’ve had a good angel/bad angel (fallen angel/guardian angel?) theory rolling around in my head for a few hours, but yours has a lot more meat on it.
I was about to post the Jensen quote on your fb! you beat me to it :-p
I love the Snape vs Ben query. I call it a draw!
Talking of Hurley, did you notice how similar his last words to Locke were to what Jacob said to Locke? Pretty much the same thing – Cheer up, I promise things will get better. More evidence, I think, for Hurley supreme suitability as a candidate.
One interesting thing from Doc Jensen:
“Leaving the Island will obliterate the entire Island world reality, or delete from the history of the world the specific lifelines of the castaways that lave, PLUS the lifelines of anyone inextricably intertwined with those lifelines. Whatever Smokey has up its butt, I think he has a (quantum) suicide wish.”
Last week, when Sawyer left the Temple, I got a Brigadoon vibe, like Bad Things would happen if Sawyer left. So maybe it wasn’t so much the Temple, but the Island, and if he does leave, it really will destroy the Island. Or maybe it’s just more Doc Jensen crazy talk.
I agree with him, though, that Sawyer’s last line is a lie. I think he’s going to try to con the con man. He’s miserable and broken, but he’s not the same man he was when he first landed. Whether or not he’d readily admit it, I’m pretty sure he’s “Live Together, Die Alone” deep down. And something tells me he’ll be a lot harder to manipulate than Locke was.
I haven’t had a chance to read Jensen et al, yet. But I want to rave over Josh Holloway. He’s always been good, but he’s made Sawyer the most riveting character on the show. Hollway has taken his character from Sawyer, a charming “stuff”-hoarding con man who was so willful he underwent torture rather give an inhaler (that he didn’t even have!) to save asthmatic Shannon in S1, to respectable homebody, kind-to-kids James/Jim, lover of and now angry griever for his Juliet. I can’t imagine anyone else in this role.
Agreed. Josh has always been great, and this season he’s taking it to a whole new level.
How’s this for a Harry Potter connection, if you need one? The moment I saw the little boy, I thought of a young, re-incarnated Jacob. Immediately, my mind made a leap to phoenix imagery. Jacob dying, falling into the fire and being totally consumed. (Why was that?) And didn’t Ilyana collect the ashes? Did they show what happened to the ashes afterward? This may be totally goofy, but it all made me think of Jacob dying and being reborn from the ashes–like a little baby Fawkes!
Doc Jensen made some comment on Twitter today about the ashes and that Jacob maybe had died and risen many times, and the protective anti-Smokey ash were his remains from previous deaths. As soon as he said that I immediately jumped to Harry Potter phoenix imagery too!
Erin, that actually had occurred to me, too–that the protective ash might somehow be connected to Jacob’s dying and rebirth. Can’t think what else it might be–although that doesn’t mean much since I don’t have the answers to much of anything on Lost.
I just got back from Ash Wednesday services, and, like, every line in the liturgy reminded me of LOST…
OOOhhh, Jacob ash as phoenix ash. Love it.
Ah, Ben and his alta-destinies–powerful Leader of the Others on the Island and fusspot King of the Coffeemaker in the teacher’s lounge!
Jacob as phoenix, and his ash that protects, yes! Great catch, Robin!
Travis, out of curiosity, how does one start a discussion on this website? Must one register some sort of account? I thought people might be interested to know that JKR has yet again been sued for plagiarism by some malcontented author of a series entitled The Adventures of Willy the Wizard. Not the first time Mrs Rowling has been sued for some sort of ridiculous copywright infringement but it looks serious this time. Her lawyer speculates that the court case will be in the realms of £1000, 000, 000.
Preposterous.
Tom, two things you can do to get conversation going. First, I’d always recommend, if you want to launch a discussion, that you post it on the forum. If you think there’s something that would be of interest to the main page of the blog, just contact me.
Thanks Travis, I actually meant how does one post a discussion like you have here.
Right – for that, you have to be a member of the Blogengamot. So always just feel free to contact me if there’s something you think should be posted at the blog.
I see. Interesting. So, just how does one become a member of the Blogengamot?
Check out Jeff Jensen’s article in which he explores Sawyer’s monomyth Hero’s Journey and similarity to one Severus Snape. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20313460_20346167_6,00.html