The revelation that the man in black (MIB) is John Locke 2.0 casts a large shadow over the previous seasons. Whether or not you believe (as I do) that the MIB and the smoke monster are one and the same, there are some facts that are clear and I think point to the purpose of the cabin and the circle of ash.
First, it seems clear the MIB can take the form of dead people. This allows him to manipulate people and play head games with the audience as we try to figure out if a person is real or the MIB. Others have mentioned this might be why the Others bury their dead at sea viking style. I personally don’t think they know why they do this (meaning they don’t necessarily know about this power the MIB has or even that he exists), but it seems like it might be a ritual that was handed down.
Second, it seems clear Iliana is working for Jacob and as soon as she can she heads straight for the cabin. So, by extension, it seems as if this is really Jacob’s cabin and he has used it in the past. She and Bram seem freaked out that the ash ring is broken, and subsequently Iliana believes Jacob hasn’t been using his cabin for a long time. Then they torch it, which, as Frank notes, seems intense.
So why would Jacob use the cabin? Why is the ring around it? Why did they destroy it?
Some have speculated that Jacob was trapped by the ring, others have speculated that it was keeping smokey/MIB trapped. I think the evidence from the finale rules both of these out. First, Jacob seems to be moving about all over the place and at all different times, so I don’t think he is trapped. Second, Iliana and crew definitely expected to find Jacob, and not the MIB, there which seems to rule out MIB being trapped there.
I see the cabin as Jacob’s home base in the game. It’s the safe place. It’s where he has communicated with the people on his side, whether it be Richard or the leader of the day. The ring of ash was simply to keep the MIB out. Since he can change shapes, were he able to gain access he could dupe Jacob’s side. They would be thinking they were following Jacob’s instructions, when in fact they would be helping the MIB. The MIB is the “someone else” who has been using the cabin. Iliana and Bram are so freaked that the ring is broken because they realize the MIB has access to the cabin, and they torch it to prevent him from using it to trick more people.
With this in mind, all the interactions in the cabin take a different tone. The “help me” was from the MIB manipulating John. And Christian, is another trick to use John. All the time he believes he is helping Jacob, but he is doing the opposite. The question is when and how did the the ring get broken. Was it before the purge, for example? If so, that would mean the MIB duped Ben/Richard into ordering the purge. Perhaps, we will find out next season.
First, it seems clear the MIB can take the form of dead people. This allows him to manipulate people and play head games with the audience as we try to figure out if a person is real or the MIB. Others have mentioned this might be why the Others bury their dead at sea viking style. I personally don’t think they know why they do this (meaning they don’t necessarily know about this power the MIB has or even that he exists), but it seems like it might be a ritual that was handed down.
Second, it seems clear Iliana is working for Jacob and as soon as she can she heads straight for the cabin. So, by extension, it seems as if this is really Jacob’s cabin and he has used it in the past. She and Bram seem freaked out that the ash ring is broken, and subsequently Iliana believes Jacob hasn’t been using his cabin for a long time. Then they torch it, which, as Frank notes, seems intense.
So why would Jacob use the cabin? Why is the ring around it? Why did they destroy it?
Some have speculated that Jacob was trapped by the ring, others have speculated that it was keeping smokey/MIB trapped. I think the evidence from the finale rules both of these out. First, Jacob seems to be moving about all over the place and at all different times, so I don’t think he is trapped. Second, Iliana and crew definitely expected to find Jacob, and not the MIB, there which seems to rule out MIB being trapped there.
I see the cabin as Jacob’s home base in the game. It’s the safe place. It’s where he has communicated with the people on his side, whether it be Richard or the leader of the day. The ring of ash was simply to keep the MIB out. Since he can change shapes, were he able to gain access he could dupe Jacob’s side. They would be thinking they were following Jacob’s instructions, when in fact they would be helping the MIB. The MIB is the “someone else” who has been using the cabin. Iliana and Bram are so freaked that the ring is broken because they realize the MIB has access to the cabin, and they torch it to prevent him from using it to trick more people.
With this in mind, all the interactions in the cabin take a different tone. The “help me” was from the MIB manipulating John. And Christian, is another trick to use John. All the time he believes he is helping Jacob, but he is doing the opposite. The question is when and how did the the ring get broken. Was it before the purge, for example? If so, that would mean the MIB duped Ben/Richard into ordering the purge. Perhaps, we will find out next season.
