Every single Lost episode has had a unifying theme between Island events and flashback events. In the case of Through the Looking Glass, the "flash forward" events have to somehow thematically tie into Island events. Whether or not post-Island Jack is having flashbacks to Island events or not is disputable, but it would be pointless if the writers were showing us two completely unrelated stories at the same time, so we can safely assume that there will be correlating ideas in the two timelines.
Therefore if Jack in the future is upset over someone's sudden death, then it stands to figure that person would figure prominently in Island events. Specifically because the “flash forward” is about Jack we can assume that the deceased person should have Jack interaction on the Island, otherwise why have the flash-forward be about Jack?
The primary characters Jack interacts with on the Island in this episode are Kate, Juliet, Ben, and to a lesser degree Locke. We can obviously cross off Kate, and since we know that the deceased is a man we can cross off Juliet as well. The two candidates that are left are Locke and Ben. Locke didn't figure much in the plot this episode, but his pleading for Jack that he not use the phone might be enough to trigger intense guilt from Jack if whatever happened afterwards was so catastrophic Jack wishes he had listened to him. Also the short scene where Locke is about to commit suicide might be foreshadowing as to how Locke would die once off the Island: Perhaps he was so miserable to be back he committed suicide. However as several people have pointed out Locke would be unlikely to want to ever leave the Island; He would probably rather die there instead. But if he was forced off, that could certainly lead to the events we witnessed.
Ben is probably the most likely candidate. Certainly no one would come to his funeral, and Jack would be reluctant to call him a friend. Would not at least Helen attend Locke’s funeral? And on that point why wouldn’t Kate? The way she denied that she would ever go seems to point to her having strong feelings against that person, and at this point at least Kate doesn’t have such feelings for Locke.
The show seems to be suggesting that Locke is to be Ben’s successor as leader of the Others. An abandoned Ben might seek refugee in the outside world, and at least as suggested by the glum surroundings of the funeral parlor, he could end up with a sad, lonely and pathetic end.
On a final note, the beating Jack gave Ben this episode would also co-relate with the intense guilt Jack felt over seeing the obituary. Watch the episode again believing that it is Ben who has died, and see all of the unifying themes throughout.
Theory by stimp_e
Therefore if Jack in the future is upset over someone's sudden death, then it stands to figure that person would figure prominently in Island events. Specifically because the “flash forward” is about Jack we can assume that the deceased person should have Jack interaction on the Island, otherwise why have the flash-forward be about Jack?
The primary characters Jack interacts with on the Island in this episode are Kate, Juliet, Ben, and to a lesser degree Locke. We can obviously cross off Kate, and since we know that the deceased is a man we can cross off Juliet as well. The two candidates that are left are Locke and Ben. Locke didn't figure much in the plot this episode, but his pleading for Jack that he not use the phone might be enough to trigger intense guilt from Jack if whatever happened afterwards was so catastrophic Jack wishes he had listened to him. Also the short scene where Locke is about to commit suicide might be foreshadowing as to how Locke would die once off the Island: Perhaps he was so miserable to be back he committed suicide. However as several people have pointed out Locke would be unlikely to want to ever leave the Island; He would probably rather die there instead. But if he was forced off, that could certainly lead to the events we witnessed.
Ben is probably the most likely candidate. Certainly no one would come to his funeral, and Jack would be reluctant to call him a friend. Would not at least Helen attend Locke’s funeral? And on that point why wouldn’t Kate? The way she denied that she would ever go seems to point to her having strong feelings against that person, and at this point at least Kate doesn’t have such feelings for Locke.
The show seems to be suggesting that Locke is to be Ben’s successor as leader of the Others. An abandoned Ben might seek refugee in the outside world, and at least as suggested by the glum surroundings of the funeral parlor, he could end up with a sad, lonely and pathetic end.
On a final note, the beating Jack gave Ben this episode would also co-relate with the intense guilt Jack felt over seeing the obituary. Watch the episode again believing that it is Ben who has died, and see all of the unifying themes throughout.
Theory by stimp_e
