I believe that MIB is truly Christian Shepherd and has been all along. There is no way of knowing whether or not I am right or wrong, but I believe there are some good hints that indicate I definitely could be correct.
#1. The actor Titus Welliver, who plays "MIB" in the opening scene of "The Incident", looks like a younger version of Christian Shepherd. Obviously, most people believe that it was the Black Rock sailing towards the shore in that scene of MIB and Jacob, which would mean that this was way before Christian Shepherd's lifetime, but #1. It might not have been - it could be the 1900's, #2. Even if it was back then, Jacob and Richard do not age, which means that MIB might not either... maybe Christian lived on the island for hundreds of years and finally left when he still looked like Titus Welliver (In his late 30's/40's?) Maybe his father Ray was in on this plot too somehow, because perhaps Christian realized "the loophole" might be leaving the Island and having children to use as "pieces" to defeat Jacob. So it's very possible that the "Titus Welliver" Christian may have left the island and ONLY THEN started to age. #3. Titus Welliver looks a lot like a younger John Terry, and ! also sounds a lot like him as well... just saying....
#2. After 815 crashes, Jack finds Christian's coffin empty, which means that INSTEAD of LOCKE's instance in which his body was never actually "possessed", that Christian awoke from the dead (MY THEORY) upon crashing on the Island and "returning" to the place where he had ETERNAL LIFE, thus ressurecting him. Either that or The Smoke Monster took possesion of his body, but who is to say that the Smoke Monster itself isn't Christian/MIB???? I think that when the plane crashed, MIB (Christian) returned to life and perhaps this had been his plan all along in order to take over the island. I am not going to get into the alternate realities and time travel in this post, but I strongly believe that Christian was always MIB and left the island and knew the only way to come back was to be dead for some reason, and he knew Claire and Jack would be on that flight somehow, and purposely killed himself when he did because he wanted Jack, Claire, and maybe the rest of that specific flight ! of people on the island for a reason we probably still don't know.
#3. To me it seems very clear that Ben was working for Jacob the entire time along with Ilana, Bram, and the Others (except for Richard, who I believe to be one of the main bad guys who's true nature will be shockingly revealed in season 6). They all wanted the 815ers to create "the incident" for an unknown reason. Think about it - Ben convinces Jack and Sun to return to the island. Jacob convinces Hurley to return. Jacob and Ilana are allies obviously, and Ilana forces Sayid to return. Connect all the dots, and its clear that Ben is the one conning everyone here - Jacob WANTED Locke and Ben to kill him, for a reason I do not yet know. Ben was in on it, and I do not yet know if Locke is or isn't (I believe "Flocke" to be the true Locke, read my other posts to understand). The Others and Ilana/Bram's team are clearly all working for or attempting to help JACOB. They are the "good guys", or so it seems at this point.
What does this have anything to do with Christian "MIB" Shepherd? Because ever since the 815 crash, Christian has been popping up around the island very randomly, often trying to convince our characters to do something or not to do something. And the one thing I have noticed is that he HATES Ben. He tells Locke "I said YOU had to push the wheel John." And Locke responds "But Ben said bla bla bla" and Christian responds "And since when did listening to him ever get you anywhere worth a damn??" Ben is clearly trying to prevent MIB from doing something bad which if further evidenced by his relationship with Jacob that not many people realize.
Ben ONLY wanted Locke dead AFTER he had turned the wheel. WHY??? He could have killed Locke 4430434535 times on the Island but did not. Only AFTER he turned the wheel and ended up in Tunisia. I find this VERY interesting. After Locke hears the voice say "HELP ME" in the Cabin, Ben shoots him though... and after he does what CHRISTIAN tells him to (help him?), Ben finally kills Locke. Ben and Christian DO NOT like each other. Jacob and MIB do NOT like each other. Ben is Jacob's most trusted follower and may even be his son. I believe Christian to be MIB, you do the math.
#4. Christian takes Claire away before she can leave on the helicopter, but not Aaron. This means something. Christian wanted Aaron to be off island, but not Claire. It is said by Claire's mind-reader dude that something horrific will happen if Claire does not raise the baby. MIB seems to want to cause something horrific. Christian caused Aaron to go home without Claire. Coincidence???
#5. Christian is in the cabin, not Jacob. The Cabin is surrounded by black ash, which I believe was intended to keep Christian trapped in some way. Notice that before the ash circle around the Cabin was broken, on-island Christian didn't and maybe couldn't actually touch anyone or hold anything, and seemed more ghost like, but after the circle was broken, perhaps by Hugo, he was able to carry things (Aaron). I think he simply wanted Locke, or someone else, to break the circle of ashe so that he could become more than just a ghost, or something close to that.
#6. Christian wants Locke to die, because somehow he knows that if Locke dies, Jacob will end up being killed. MIB hates Jacob. He wants Jacob to be killed. Coincidence?
#7. Christian wants Claire's mom to die in the episode in which he tries to convince her to turn off her mother's life support. Why? Because she is the one the recieves Aaron from Claire. I think that due to the mystery surrounding HOW Carole Littleton made such a remarkable recovery is quite simply this: She didn't. After Claire crashed on the island, someone or something made sure that the real Carole Littleton was dead so that some sort of "imposter" could take over her form and take baby Aaron so that he's able to fulfill his "evil prophecy".
Feel free to add any more reasons that you believe what I do: Christian Shepherd is the Man In Black!
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Christian Shepherd might be the Man In Black by WhoIsJohnLocke
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11 Comments:
I've been pushing this since before season 5, glad to finally see some others see it too. Christian Shephard told Locke to move the island, and also die. He's creepy and shady. If Ben would've walked into the cabin and saw Locke talking with Christian instead of Jacob, (Cabin Fever) he would've blown MIB's plan and the jig would've been up.
I think MIB possesses or mimics whoever dies (or is already dead) on the island. He needed Locke to come already dead to do his last impersonation.
I don't think Christian has ever really been the real Christian.
"perhaps Christian realized "the loophole" might be leaving the Island and having children to use as "pieces" to defeat Jacob."
That's awesome! And if this is true, it would be a crazy surprise twist.
The only reason I don't agree with it is because I think Christian was a good man with a bad drinking problem. I think he really was sorry for hurting Jack and anyone else he hurt. It doesn't fit that Christian is the "bad guy."
tst -
I agree with you that it seems like Christian is overall a good man, albeit with issues in Jack's flashbacks. He obviously struggles with being a good father, depression, and being an alcoholic, and doesn't seem to have much faith in people (Kind of sounds like MIB!)
I also agree that it doesn't fit that Christian is the bad guy, which could mean one of two things if my theory holds true:
1. Christian shockingly IS revealed to be the bad guy, and Jack is the only one who can stop him in a huge, shocking twist.
2. Christian/MIB shockingly turns out to be the "good guy" while Jacob turns out to be "the bad guy" leading to a war between Jacob's followers (Ben, The Others, etc.) and Christian's followers (815ers, etc.). Christian helps Jack to lead the war and defeat evil for good before they both end up dying.
Those are the two scenerios that would make the most sense to me.
A lot of this sounds good to me except for #1. I don't see any resemblence whatsoever between Titus Welliver and John Terry. John Terry is very thin, for one thing, and his face is very thin with a pointed nose. Titus Welliver, on the other hand, has a very round face with a wide, rounded nose. Nothing similar to their appearances, in my opinion.
Of course, that doesn't mean this theory is wrong. There sure is a lot of evidence to support Chrisian and MIB being one and the same, and that they are human forms of Smokey. Six months from now I think we'll know for sure.
There is also some major evidence proving that they (Smokey/MIB) aren't the same entity, and also it proves Christian is the human embodiment of Smokey.
Here is the evidence, once again, I posted this in two other Comments sections (Apparently the author doesn't read other post's comments). So I will again post it here, this is from the show it is not conjecture, it is logical deduction from watching the show! You all remember the show right, you know the thing we are discussing?
Anyway here it is in bold so no one misses it!:
Christian is and has always been (while on island at least), Smokey he is not MIB he is Smokey, he is Smokey he is Smokey, this among other things, is why I think that Smokey and Blackie are two different individual entities!
The other things are:
1) if you watch the episode in season 5 (Namaste I think) where Sun and Frank go to the main Island as soon as they get off the boat and onto the dock you hear Smokey in the vicinity, they even make a comment about some kinda animals (but it is smokey's noises), anyway they continue to the barracks, and notice a light come on in the processing center, it is in there that they meet "Christian" conveniently after we just heard the sounds of Smokey.
2) If we use the logic that Locke is the MIB after the crash of 316, then we must assume that since he is on Hydra island while Christian is simultaneously on the main island then apparently only one of them is MIB and since The Incident we know that Locke is most probably the MIB, so that only leaves the other option as: Christian is Smokey.
Those are the main reasons why I think that 1, Christian is Smokey, and 2, that Smokey and MIB are two separate beings.
Plus just for some extra whip cream on top:
When have we ever seen Smokey be in two places at once? Never!
But it makes sense that if Smokey and MIB are two separate entities that can both assume the image of the Dead, then it is possible for them to be in two separate places at the same time.
Ricky said...
There is also some major evidence proving that they (Smokey/MIB) aren't the same entity, and also it proves Christian is the human embodiment of Smokey.
Here is the evidence, once again, I posted this in two other Comments sections (Apparently the author doesn't read other post's comments). So I will again post it here, this is from the show it is not conjecture, it is logical deduction from watching the show! You all remember the show right, you know the thing we are discussing?
Anyway here it is in bold so no one misses it!:
Christian is and has always been (while on island at least), Smokey he is not MIB he is Smokey, he is Smokey he is Smokey, this among other things, is why I think that Smokey and Blackie are two different individual entities!
The other things are:
1) if you watch the episode in season 5 (Namaste I think) where Sun and Frank go to the main Island as soon as they get off the boat and onto the dock you hear Smokey in the vicinity, they even make a comment about some kinda animals (but it is smokey's noises), anyway they continue to the barracks, and notice a light come on in the processing center, it is in there that they meet "Christian" conveniently after we just heard the sounds of Smokey.
2) If we use the logic that Locke is the MIB after the crash of 316, then we must assume that since he is on Hydra island while Christian is simultaneously on the main island then apparently only one of them is MIB and since The Incident we know that Locke is most probably the MIB, so that only leaves the other option as: Christian is Smokey.
Those are the main reasons why I think that 1, Christian is Smokey, and 2, that Smokey and MIB are two separate beings.
Plus just for some extra whip cream on top:
When have we ever seen Smokey be in two places at once? Never!
But it makes sense that if Smokey and MIB are two separate entities that can both assume the image of the Dead, then it is possible for them to be in two separate places at the same time.
So how do you account for when the smoke monster judges Ben and Alex obviously appears (I believe in smoke monster form) and tells Ben to do EVERYTHING John Locke says?
Pull The Deathcore Bitches said...
So how do you account for when the smoke monster judges Ben and Alex obviously appears (I believe in smoke monster form) and tells Ben to do EVERYTHING John Locke says?
So what the hell are you asking me here what is your point?
So what Smokey appears as Alex! Smokey has appeared as several different dead people, my point is that Smokey and MIB are not the same guy, they are more likely buddies, or working together, my other point was that any time we have seen Christian on the island it has been Smokey not MIB. By the way if you're trying to say that Smokey is Flocke and Alex at the same time, you are wrong Flocke is, if anyone besides actually Locke, MIB. Not Smokey!
By the way Smokey was still on the main Island when Ben was judged as were Ben and Flocke, So I again say what the hell is your point in asking this question it makes no sense in response to my statement?
I'm out of town, but needed to check in on this. I think Christian, Jacob and Mib are the 3 primary entities on the island. I base this on the fact that when Locke was playing the computer game in Mikael"s house he said that the game was programed by 3 smart men. I think those men are the above 3. I don't think the 3rd man is Richard or Horace.
Also, the Shepherd family is pretty significant to the story with 4 generations still alive or in Christian's case, active. We also have other children who could be important, Walt, Aaron, JiYeon, Clementine and Charlie. So the generational thing could be important.
In Locke's self- induced hallucination Boone tells him that he needs to get the family together. The question to me is what family? I think it's probably the Shepherds.
So your thought about the children being the loophole isn't a bad idea. In fact I like it. Regardless I think the family thing is an important part of the plot.
To me the smoke monster smoked Ben with all his past memories and then left the building...back down the drain as it were. Then, suddenly...FIRE!...and it's Alex, one-track minded that Ben should worship at the feet of Locke, therefore (f)Locke in disguise?
I've said it before: fire and water are clues to the nature of who's who. Ben had to reach thru water to pull the monster plug. Locke didn't want Aaron baptized. Widmore left the tap running. Rain. Jughead in the watery caverns. Charlotte Malkin and 'death' by drowning. Ben pushed into the water by Des. These dots are clues to the one entity; the fire dots (Jacob's cabin; fireballs; Jacob cremated) to the other.
Now that I've re-read the speculation, I understand what you were trying to say.
Im hoping with Season 6, we will get full on explicit closure between the true identities of Jacob/Smoke Monster/and this MIB, Samuel, Flocke, Jacob's Nemesis (whatever the hell you want to call him character) so there will be no need for speculation.
@Pull The Deathcore Bitches :
I'm sure we will get at least that much, well we better anyway, Sorry if my response to your question seemed a little rude, I apologize, it is just that in two days of all the theories posted this was like the 3rd or 4th one that assumes that MIB and Smokey are one and the same, and I have done due diligence to try and give reasons why they aren't but then as soon as I do another "Cristian is MIB theory pops up" and it drives me crazy, I see how one could think that Christian/Smokey and MIB/Flocke are all the same guy, but so far evidence points to it being two guys, now I will be willing to re-think my stance on this subject if in this coming season we see that Smokey can be in more than one place at a time, but until then I have to believe that he isn't ubiquitous, or in other words omni-present.