[Important note: This theory was originally posted based on the vague mentioning that Jack's granddad would be on the show, which was considered to be a spoiler, and thus removed. Which I fully understood, I'm very sorry about that.
Now that Jack's granddad has actually appeared, I'd like to resubmit this one, now fully updated, yet entirely spoilerfree. Hope you can put this up. Thanks in advance!]
THE KEY PLAYER OF FATE: JACOB SHEPHARD
The theory below is just an attempt on the mythology of LOST, which has of course multiple layers and cannot explained in a simplistic way in a few lines. There are still lots of questions open, and the theory might be proven wrong already in the next episode or so, but let's give it a try anyway. In order to make sure that it all makes sense, I need to start from the preconditions and eventually get to the juicy part clarifying the identity of Jacob. Bear with me, we're getting there.
THE PRECONDITION: FATE AS IT HAS PRESENTED ITSELF SO FAR ON THE SHOW
Let's assume that there's something one could call "fate" or "destiny", an existential force pretty much beyond our control. Well, usually beyond our control, that is. Let's also assume that the universe indeed has a way of "course correcting" as has been said by Ms. Hawking, and that it is one of the central themes of LOST. Destiny calls - it's in the Season 5 teaser. "Course correcting" means probably that if there's something that forces the universe to go another path temporarily, that it will catch up and accomplish what it intended right from the start. E.g. if someone was meant to die, he/she will die. There might be some leeway to prevent fate/existence in general from fulfilling its pre-defined path, but there's no way to prevent things from happening eventually. The universe will course correct.
Given that it seems plausible in my point of view, that something happened on the island that brought the time/space and fate-continumm if you so want out of balance. I try to give a short historic overview on what happened.
THE TIMELINE: FATE TAKES ITS COURSE
- The Others, led by Richard, were on the island. The island is special, whatever it means, though it seems to be related to the frozen donkey wheel artifact. From which era it dates and if Richard knows why it is there and how it works, is another question.
- Young Widmore was part of Richard's team and saw the potential of the islands power.
- I speculate that Widmore attempted to wrangle power from Richard. He either contacted or helped founding the Dharma Initiative. He brought people to the island that should investigate various things on it scientifically. I take it that he didn't do it in accordance with Richard, as he was very adamant on defending the island in "Jughead".
- Richard and his people withdrew to the jungle, co-existing for a while with the Dharma people. However, the relationship wasn't a good one, as Dharma protected itself with sonic fences in order to fend of attacks of the Others/Natives. There are hints that Smokey is definitely pre-Dharma.
- Various Dharma Stations were built - serving a multitude of purposes. Some were experiments perhaps to test some properties of the island, or were used for distraction, cause the main thing was to unearth the secret the island was holding, related to the frozen donkey wheel. It was found, and it was used to send polar bears to Tunesia.
- Then "the incident" happened, a Dharma experiment. The incident probably happened a while after the Dharma scientists unearthed the frozen donkey wheel, and it has something to do with time. Maybe it was then that the island came out of synch with time. Pierre Chang aka Marvin Candle lost his arm then, yet the Dharama Initiative continued its researches, unaware of the consequences.
The nature of the incident most likely has to do with Jacob. Jacob might have been a human experiment. It was attempted to send him through time or space. Horace built a hut that should harbour a person, and that would be sent somewhere else in time. The experiment went awry and Jacob and his hut got caught in time/space, similar to what our Losties are experiencing now. His hut isn't static, but teleports itself in other times and spaces. It might be that the ashes around the hut just mark where the hut might show up again, maybe there's a pattern that Dharma discovered and marked these locations on maps etc. Jacob doesn't like modern technical stuff, because that could disrupt the time/space flow.
- The fact that the incident happened was the final reason for Richard why Dharma had to go. He found out that Ben could be of use, as he was special, and eventually this resulted in the purge.
- People probably were still in the Swan at that time. They either never knew that the purge happened, or they eventually found out, but continued the experiment that Dharma had started etc. However, eventually Others ended up in the Swan, as there are Latin lines on the blast door as well... Maybe there was a reason the button had to be pushed, e.g. because the time/space continuum could be kept in relative balance with that, or the Jughead bomb was buried there. There are still many questions.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FATAL-ITY
Let's think about the consequences of a Dharma experiment with time that failed and involved a person called Jacob, who now needs help. If a person is violently ripped out of his existence and caught in a time/space anomality, the universe has severe troubles of "course correcting" its path. Strange things might happen, e.g. voices of dead people could "bleed" through the fabric of existence. Yet, the universe still has to persue its path and make fate happen, or... Who knows what happens if it doesn't!
In order to return to its course, everything that gets the universe back on track, needs to happen now, because Jacob is stuck between realities and there's a tendency that the chaotic imbalance has very serious consequences - for existence as we know it. Based on that assumption fate needs to play a major role on why the Losties were selected and brought together - the connections need to be there, because the Losties play a decisive role in helping the universe to course correct itself. The connections are more than just coincidence, fate draws them together to make the course correction eventually happen. Some events need to happen before the conclusion (e.g. Charlies death), everything indirectly helps to get a step further towards the course correction.
Considering that fate is essential, causing the Losties to end up on the island and eventually bring balance to it back, there needs to be something central that has a major connection to various main characters. Maybe...
JACOB SHEPHARD
In episode 5.06 we finally get to see Jack's granddad. A person that seems to be much, much more than just an old guy with a couple of minutes on the show. Here's why:
- Because for one there's a lot in the show that deals with Jack and his dad, so there seems to be something important with this family. Jack in general seems to have more flashbacks than others and seems to be the hero of the show therefore, while it actually seems to be more the show of Locke for the viewers, at least as far as the mythology of the show is concerned. Maybe he gets more screentime because the show is working towards a big twist, and that is that Jack's granddad is actually Jacob.
- Think about it: He could have been a Dharma employee, the guy who took the experiment - intentionally or not. As someone who constantly travels through time he is the person around whom fate centers. He brings practically his entire line (his son, Jack, Claire, Aaron) to the island, intentionally or not, it's just because the universe is course correcting and trying to avoid further anomalies. Jack's dad cannot really "die", because his dad is the cause for the anomalies, so perhaps it's part of the course correction to bring those in his line back to him.
- Yes, we actually see Jack's granddad pretty much alive in present time, and quite ordinary at that. But remember, this is LOST, and people can live on and off island in different times. There was also an allusion to his "escapes" and "disappearances" from his retirement home, and I think it's not a coincidence that we see magic tricks being shown to the people there. A white bunny in a magic box... Hmmm...
- We know that Jack's dad has turned into "Jacob's messenger" and that Claire also already has found her way into the hut. Don't ask me how Jack and Aaron will end up with Jacob, but they might sooner or later I assume.
- Jack's grandfather could be Jacob if you judge him by appearance only.
- When we see Jack's grandfather in 5.06 he sits down on a chair that looks eerily similar to Jacob's.
- Checking the casting calls on Lostpedia tells us that Jack's grandfather was originally meant to be referred to as "Hal". "Hal" BTW was the name of the computer gone mad in Kubrick's legendary "2001 - A Space Odyssey", Hal impersonates a science fiction problem that could be mankind's demise - or salvation... Too obvious maybe. Interestingly, the name of Jack's grandfather has changed in the announcement of the cast for this episode, and he is now called "Ray" in the credits. But nobody actually mentions his name in the episode. The actor playing Jack's granddad BTW is Raymond J. Barry.
- We know from episode 5.06 that there is actually a Dharma station in Los Angeles - the Beacon, where Faraday's mom explains how the island was found. Los Angeles is home of only two Losties: Hurley and... Jack. It's not entirely unlikely that Jack's granddad was involved with Dharma in Los Angeles and perhaps was the one who should have been teleported to the island.
- There are biblical references all throughout LOST as well. The important one in this context is that Jacob was an ancestor of Aaron (though to be precise: he was the great-great grandfather as it seems).
- The shoes that Jack needs to use at Locke of course are another indicator that Jack's dad has a key role that is much more than that of a messenger for Jacob. I think there needs to be a crucial link to allow fate take its course - Ben and Ms. Hawking are paving the way for events to happen. They link persons that are essential for the course correction to each other through items (think about Richard Alpert handing out a compass to Locke), as one thing will result in another thing that will let it all fall into place, the way the correction needs to happen.
- Another big hint in this direction: The mobisodes between Season 3 and 4 showed Jack's dad at the first and the last episode, Jack's dad indirectly waking up Jack with the words: "He's got work to do." In the first mobisode on the other hand we see Jack's dad giving a watch to Jack for his wedding, mentioning that his father gave it to him, and - surprise, surprise - it is the central theme of the show: Time.
COMPLICATIONS
Fate doesn't have it easy, nor do the writers of LOST, who indicate that fate is a huge central factor with their writing. So the whole thing about moving the island as a matter of last resort brought them even further away from fulfilling their task to save Jacob and thus the world. It was Ben's fault, as his only selfish intention was to get off the island in order to find Penny. The universe has to do even more to course correct itself, and the time anomalies become more and more serious. But now that the Losties are back on the island, they still got a lot of work to do... Will they get fate back on track? If not: May God help us all... ;)
Artimidor
http://www.santharia.com Theory by Artimidor
Now that Jack's granddad has actually appeared, I'd like to resubmit this one, now fully updated, yet entirely spoilerfree. Hope you can put this up. Thanks in advance!]
THE KEY PLAYER OF FATE: JACOB SHEPHARD
The theory below is just an attempt on the mythology of LOST, which has of course multiple layers and cannot explained in a simplistic way in a few lines. There are still lots of questions open, and the theory might be proven wrong already in the next episode or so, but let's give it a try anyway. In order to make sure that it all makes sense, I need to start from the preconditions and eventually get to the juicy part clarifying the identity of Jacob. Bear with me, we're getting there.
THE PRECONDITION: FATE AS IT HAS PRESENTED ITSELF SO FAR ON THE SHOW
Let's assume that there's something one could call "fate" or "destiny", an existential force pretty much beyond our control. Well, usually beyond our control, that is. Let's also assume that the universe indeed has a way of "course correcting" as has been said by Ms. Hawking, and that it is one of the central themes of LOST. Destiny calls - it's in the Season 5 teaser. "Course correcting" means probably that if there's something that forces the universe to go another path temporarily, that it will catch up and accomplish what it intended right from the start. E.g. if someone was meant to die, he/she will die. There might be some leeway to prevent fate/existence in general from fulfilling its pre-defined path, but there's no way to prevent things from happening eventually. The universe will course correct.
Given that it seems plausible in my point of view, that something happened on the island that brought the time/space and fate-continumm if you so want out of balance. I try to give a short historic overview on what happened.
THE TIMELINE: FATE TAKES ITS COURSE
- The Others, led by Richard, were on the island. The island is special, whatever it means, though it seems to be related to the frozen donkey wheel artifact. From which era it dates and if Richard knows why it is there and how it works, is another question.
- Young Widmore was part of Richard's team and saw the potential of the islands power.
- I speculate that Widmore attempted to wrangle power from Richard. He either contacted or helped founding the Dharma Initiative. He brought people to the island that should investigate various things on it scientifically. I take it that he didn't do it in accordance with Richard, as he was very adamant on defending the island in "Jughead".
- Richard and his people withdrew to the jungle, co-existing for a while with the Dharma people. However, the relationship wasn't a good one, as Dharma protected itself with sonic fences in order to fend of attacks of the Others/Natives. There are hints that Smokey is definitely pre-Dharma.
- Various Dharma Stations were built - serving a multitude of purposes. Some were experiments perhaps to test some properties of the island, or were used for distraction, cause the main thing was to unearth the secret the island was holding, related to the frozen donkey wheel. It was found, and it was used to send polar bears to Tunesia.
- Then "the incident" happened, a Dharma experiment. The incident probably happened a while after the Dharma scientists unearthed the frozen donkey wheel, and it has something to do with time. Maybe it was then that the island came out of synch with time. Pierre Chang aka Marvin Candle lost his arm then, yet the Dharama Initiative continued its researches, unaware of the consequences.
The nature of the incident most likely has to do with Jacob. Jacob might have been a human experiment. It was attempted to send him through time or space. Horace built a hut that should harbour a person, and that would be sent somewhere else in time. The experiment went awry and Jacob and his hut got caught in time/space, similar to what our Losties are experiencing now. His hut isn't static, but teleports itself in other times and spaces. It might be that the ashes around the hut just mark where the hut might show up again, maybe there's a pattern that Dharma discovered and marked these locations on maps etc. Jacob doesn't like modern technical stuff, because that could disrupt the time/space flow.
- The fact that the incident happened was the final reason for Richard why Dharma had to go. He found out that Ben could be of use, as he was special, and eventually this resulted in the purge.
- People probably were still in the Swan at that time. They either never knew that the purge happened, or they eventually found out, but continued the experiment that Dharma had started etc. However, eventually Others ended up in the Swan, as there are Latin lines on the blast door as well... Maybe there was a reason the button had to be pushed, e.g. because the time/space continuum could be kept in relative balance with that, or the Jughead bomb was buried there. There are still many questions.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FATAL-ITY
Let's think about the consequences of a Dharma experiment with time that failed and involved a person called Jacob, who now needs help. If a person is violently ripped out of his existence and caught in a time/space anomality, the universe has severe troubles of "course correcting" its path. Strange things might happen, e.g. voices of dead people could "bleed" through the fabric of existence. Yet, the universe still has to persue its path and make fate happen, or... Who knows what happens if it doesn't!
In order to return to its course, everything that gets the universe back on track, needs to happen now, because Jacob is stuck between realities and there's a tendency that the chaotic imbalance has very serious consequences - for existence as we know it. Based on that assumption fate needs to play a major role on why the Losties were selected and brought together - the connections need to be there, because the Losties play a decisive role in helping the universe to course correct itself. The connections are more than just coincidence, fate draws them together to make the course correction eventually happen. Some events need to happen before the conclusion (e.g. Charlies death), everything indirectly helps to get a step further towards the course correction.
Considering that fate is essential, causing the Losties to end up on the island and eventually bring balance to it back, there needs to be something central that has a major connection to various main characters. Maybe...
JACOB SHEPHARD
In episode 5.06 we finally get to see Jack's granddad. A person that seems to be much, much more than just an old guy with a couple of minutes on the show. Here's why:
- Because for one there's a lot in the show that deals with Jack and his dad, so there seems to be something important with this family. Jack in general seems to have more flashbacks than others and seems to be the hero of the show therefore, while it actually seems to be more the show of Locke for the viewers, at least as far as the mythology of the show is concerned. Maybe he gets more screentime because the show is working towards a big twist, and that is that Jack's granddad is actually Jacob.
- Think about it: He could have been a Dharma employee, the guy who took the experiment - intentionally or not. As someone who constantly travels through time he is the person around whom fate centers. He brings practically his entire line (his son, Jack, Claire, Aaron) to the island, intentionally or not, it's just because the universe is course correcting and trying to avoid further anomalies. Jack's dad cannot really "die", because his dad is the cause for the anomalies, so perhaps it's part of the course correction to bring those in his line back to him.
- Yes, we actually see Jack's granddad pretty much alive in present time, and quite ordinary at that. But remember, this is LOST, and people can live on and off island in different times. There was also an allusion to his "escapes" and "disappearances" from his retirement home, and I think it's not a coincidence that we see magic tricks being shown to the people there. A white bunny in a magic box... Hmmm...
- We know that Jack's dad has turned into "Jacob's messenger" and that Claire also already has found her way into the hut. Don't ask me how Jack and Aaron will end up with Jacob, but they might sooner or later I assume.
- Jack's grandfather could be Jacob if you judge him by appearance only.
- When we see Jack's grandfather in 5.06 he sits down on a chair that looks eerily similar to Jacob's.
- Checking the casting calls on Lostpedia tells us that Jack's grandfather was originally meant to be referred to as "Hal". "Hal" BTW was the name of the computer gone mad in Kubrick's legendary "2001 - A Space Odyssey", Hal impersonates a science fiction problem that could be mankind's demise - or salvation... Too obvious maybe. Interestingly, the name of Jack's grandfather has changed in the announcement of the cast for this episode, and he is now called "Ray" in the credits. But nobody actually mentions his name in the episode. The actor playing Jack's granddad BTW is Raymond J. Barry.
- We know from episode 5.06 that there is actually a Dharma station in Los Angeles - the Beacon, where Faraday's mom explains how the island was found. Los Angeles is home of only two Losties: Hurley and... Jack. It's not entirely unlikely that Jack's granddad was involved with Dharma in Los Angeles and perhaps was the one who should have been teleported to the island.
- There are biblical references all throughout LOST as well. The important one in this context is that Jacob was an ancestor of Aaron (though to be precise: he was the great-great grandfather as it seems).
- The shoes that Jack needs to use at Locke of course are another indicator that Jack's dad has a key role that is much more than that of a messenger for Jacob. I think there needs to be a crucial link to allow fate take its course - Ben and Ms. Hawking are paving the way for events to happen. They link persons that are essential for the course correction to each other through items (think about Richard Alpert handing out a compass to Locke), as one thing will result in another thing that will let it all fall into place, the way the correction needs to happen.
- Another big hint in this direction: The mobisodes between Season 3 and 4 showed Jack's dad at the first and the last episode, Jack's dad indirectly waking up Jack with the words: "He's got work to do." In the first mobisode on the other hand we see Jack's dad giving a watch to Jack for his wedding, mentioning that his father gave it to him, and - surprise, surprise - it is the central theme of the show: Time.
COMPLICATIONS
Fate doesn't have it easy, nor do the writers of LOST, who indicate that fate is a huge central factor with their writing. So the whole thing about moving the island as a matter of last resort brought them even further away from fulfilling their task to save Jacob and thus the world. It was Ben's fault, as his only selfish intention was to get off the island in order to find Penny. The universe has to do even more to course correct itself, and the time anomalies become more and more serious. But now that the Losties are back on the island, they still got a lot of work to do... Will they get fate back on track? If not: May God help us all... ;)
Artimidor
http://www.santharia.com Theory by Artimidor
