Who is Telling the Truth- Part 2

Now it's time for Jacob's side of the story.

From the Jack centric episode "Lighthouse" we found out that Jacob has been watching his candidates since they were children. He has helped them in making decisions that lead them to the Island.

Jacob is doing this because:

1) To prove a point to MIB

2)To have someone take over his position in case he dies.

Jacob's Explanation for the Island

Jacob explained to Richard that the Island is like the cork of a wine bottle. The wine in the bottle is evil and is trying to escape. Thus the Island is keeping evil from reaching the outside world.

What is this evil? As of right now it maybe MIB. Maybe it is the sickness. It could be electromagnetism. Or possibly MIB's crazy mother.

Jacob, his candidates, and water are the only things keeping MIB or whatever MIB might be trying to release from escaping. By killing Jacob, MIB has marked one thing off his list, now he is slowly manipulating the candidates until he can move into phase three.

Jacob and his Candidates

Where did Jacob's candidates come from? Well my previous post gives a good guess as to how they were chosen.

In the lighthouse Jack and Hurley visited there was a giant mirror with a 360 degree dial. The names of every candidate had been listed on this dial. So I am guessing there was originally 360 candidates.

Jacob has been bringing his candidates to the Island in groups since the beginning of time. Some of the groups were the Black Rock, The Dharma Initiative, Rousseau's Team, and Oceanic 815.

However, not everyone in the groups happened to be a candidate. They were just innocent bystanders who were quickly killed off. Those remaining on the candidate list couldn't be killed by their own hands, (Michael and Jack), or by non-candidates, or by natural causes, or by the world around them. The only way to be killed is by another candidate. This is displayed in the cases of Shannon, Anna Lucia, etc.

As the groups slowly dwindled down a few would be saved (Alpert, Ben, Ethan, Rousseau). Either they were the remaining candidates in their groups or they were chosen to be part of The Others. Richard was the first to be saved and formed The Others.

Once Jacob's candidates arrived on the Island he allowed for them to make their own decisions. Whoever was supposed to take over for him had to survive on their own. It is a game of last man standing.

Also, Jacob is trying to prove a point to MIB. That people know the difference between right and wrong without having to be told so.

MIB on the other hand doesn't believe this is the case. He would scan the candidates in each group to see if their pasts might provide insight as to whether they could be convinced to kill Jacob.

He thought he could convince Richard but to no avail. When he scanned Ben he knew exactly what strings to pull on to make him do it. That is why we find out later through Miles that Jacob was surprised Ben killed him. Jacob believed his candidates would make the right decisions, but this was not the case.

Who is Telling the Truth- Part 1

After watching what I felt was the greatest episode of all time; the ever growing puzzle that is LOST seems to be filling in its final pieces. Mysteries from previous seasons are finally getting their closure, like how the Black Rock ended up in the middle of the Island, what destroyed the statue and why doesn't Richard Alpert age.

But with these answers only comes more questions. One being who are we going to believe?

Jacob vs. MIB- Who do you believe?

Jacob and the Man in Black have been in what looks like an epic struggle for ages. Jacob brings people to the Island to make their own decisions, where MIB tries to manipulate them.

But whose story do you believe? Is the Island hell like MIB said, or is it the only thing standing in the way of evil escaping to the outside world according to Jacob?

There have been points in season six where I've felt swayed towards MIB. But after "Ab Aeterno," I believe that is exactly what the writers have wanted us to feel. The same confusion the Losties have when faced with this decision.

Also, the MIB has been portrayed in most episodes as evil. He wheres dark colors, he has an evil grin, he murders. Even his theme music has a diabolical sound.

So why does he garner sympathy? Well, he tells people what they need to hear to trust him. He told Claire the others had taken Aaron, he told Sayid he can return him the Nadia, he told Sawyer he could get him off the Island, he told Ben that Jacob didn't care about him and he told Richard what wife said moments before, that he was in hell. (MIB was Isabella at that point however). He has been manipulating people for his own gains.

In order for MIB to get what he wants he must kill Jacob. The only problem is the rules don't allow him to do it himself. The loophole is, he can convince one of Jacob's candidates to do it, like he tried with Richard and succeeded with Ben.

What MIB wants is to leave the Island. The only way this is possible is by killing Jacob. But why hasn't MIB left now that Jacob is dead? Well it wouldn't be very safe to keep someone as evil as MIB from escaping unless you had more than one way to keep him locked in.

Jacob's Candidates

As we know, the candidates are the people in line to take over for Jacob. The remaining candidates happen to be our Losties and each represents one of the magic numbers. These

people are one of the last fail-safes against MIB and like Jacob he can not kill them himself.

In order to finish what he has started MIB must gain the trust of the Losties, because they are the only ones with the power to kill each other. Only candidates can kill other candidates. So MIB must manipulate through his words or the sickness to help him get rid of the remaining candidates.

MIB is keeping those who are scratched off the list alive or have the sickness, such as Claire and possibly Sayid, because they will be easily convinced to kill their friends. The other Losties won't even see it coming when they are attacked by their own. Also he may be taking those with the sickness on his journey to be his evil minions.

Water

What is an Island? It is a small piece of land surrounded by miles of water. Now that Jacob is gone why hasn't MIB left. Well its because he can't cross water.

Since season one the safest place on the Island has been the beach because it is closest to the water.

The Island is the perfect place to keep someone from escaping if they happen to be vulnerable to water. So how does MIB plan to escape once he eliminates the remaining candidates? He will use the wheel that both Ben and Locke used in seasons past.

The Flash-Sideways Are Important

Since "LA X" I've been trying to figure why the flash-sideways are important.

The characters' lives have been significantly altered: Jack has a son, Sayid is not with Nadia, Sawyer is a cop, Locke and Helen are getting married, etc. Their story-lines still intertwine, but its hard to guess where the alternate reality could be heading.

Some see it as an epilogue for the characters' story arcs. In theory the Losties may sink the island in the original timeline in an attempt to change their destinies. The result would be the Flash-Sideways. But as we can see, by sinking the Island along with Jacob, the affects it has on their lives extends to before the crash.

The problem with this theory means the Losties would need to travel back in time far enough to rid Jacob from their lives' entirely, something not to far fetched for LOST, but I don't think time travel is the way it is heading this season.

Also, I don't think the flash-sideways would be a satisfying ending. The characters go on living their lives as if they have never met and the events never transpired. It would make the past five seasons a complete waste of time.

What I believe the flash-sideways are is the exact opposite, it's a prologue.

In the flash-sideways the candidates are still unknown to Jacob. They live their lives making their own decisions.

Now, if you remember back to the episode "Sundown," Dogen explains to Sayid the importance of his baseball. It serves as a reminder of the mistake Dogen made in his "previous life" and how Jacob offered to help him correct it. Dogen's previous life is seen in Jack's flash-sideways episode "Lighthouse." Dogen is with his son, who will eventually be killed because Dogen made the mistake of drinking and driving (ironic). Jacob visits Dogen in the hospital and offers to save his son if he comes to the island. For this to happen, Dogen must relive his life influenced by Jacob, which is the timeline we have seen over the past seasons. Dogen may not be his son's father in the original timeline, but his son does exist. Dogen is eventually brought to the island where he is shown his past life and accepts his choice to change his fate.

Eventually, in the flash-sideways we will see the rest of the candidates make their own mistakes, only to be visited by Jacob to offer his help in exchange for coming to the island. They will be unaware of the promise they had made in the the next life(the original timeline) and will not understand until they are shown.

This also explains how they came to be candidates in the first place. Jacob didn't chose their destiny, they chose to go to the island. Once Jacob knows they are willinging to change their lives he sends them to the alternate reality where he monitor's their lives from the Lighthouse, intervening with the decisions that will push them to the Island.

Knife Theory

I've had this theory since the Sayid centric episode "Sundown."

By "Sundown" Dogen has made multiple attempts to get rid of Sayid. Dogen finally asks for Sayid to leave as he is unwelcome at the temple, but before he does he can leaves Dogen calls him back for help. Dogen tells Sayid if he is successful in helping him it will prove he has not been overtaken by the sickness.

Dogen sends Sayid to kill the man who is embodying John Locke, otherwise known as the Smoke Monster. In order to kill Flocke, Sayid must stab him with a knife given to him by Dogen. While not specifically mentioned I believe this knife is special. I think it belonged to either Jacob or the original form of the Smoke Monster (the Man in Black from the season five finale) and it's one of the very fews ways in which you can kill him.

However Sayid stabs Flocke and it doesn't work.

Now flash to season five when Flocke hands Ben the knife in the foot of the statue. This knife has been cursed as well and can only be used to kill Jacob. Whether this is the actual loophole Flocke found to kill Jacob or is just another factor to the puzzle we shall have to wait and see. Ben uses the knife and successfully kills Jacob.

Now why did one cursed knife kill Jacob and the other didn't kill Flocke?

Flocke is now stuck in the form of John Locke, releasing him from the curse of his own knife from his original body. But, who is the one person on LOST you think of when you hear the word knife? John Locke. Locke has always been associated with his knives. They are a special part to his character.

Also knifes show up many times throughout the show and it's a great dynamic to add them to the endgame with such importance.

Flocke, can now only be killed by Locke's knife now. But where are Locke's knives.

In the Flash-Sideways we saw at the beginning of the season, Locke's box of knives are mysteriously missing. They disappeared off the plane which is different from the original story-line. What also disappeared from the plane. A man named Desmond.

Desmond knew the knives were needed in the original story-line. With his ability to jump thro

ugh time and maybe after this season, realities, I think he is responsible for taking a knife from Locke's box to bring back to the Island to kill Flocke.

Now this is when I believe the knives will be explained. In the next episode, "Ab Abterno, we will see a new person try to kill Jacob, much like Ben does in season five. Richard Alpert will be confronted by the Man in Black and manipulated into the same situation, with the same knife. This will add to the dynamic between Ben and Alpert. Alpert will somehow be convinced by Jacob not to do it and in return will offer him immortality. Either Flocke or Jacob will explain the importance of the knife or knives to Alpert in the episode as to who, when, where, why and how they were cursed.

Mission Statement

This blog is dedicated to reviewing the remaining episodes of ABC's serial drama LOST as well as a place to post theories and thoughts. Some theories may contradict, but we all know how LOST changes our ideas every week.