Jacob and MIB
As we saw in “The Incident”, it looks like Jacob has been living in the base of the statue for a VERY long time. He’s got a nice beach home where it would seem all his needs are met and he can spend a lot of time weaving his tapestry.
MIB knows where Jacob lives and visits occasionally, but they really aren’t friends. Rather they co-exist and view life on the island from 2 different (opposing, black vs. white etc. ) points of view. (See Copenhagen Watchers by Backgammon). MIB’s point of view is that the island is just fine as it is, and he really doesn’t like Jacob bringing all these people there in an attempt to make “progress”. His view of humanity is very cynical. We fight, cheat, manipulate etc. They just interfere with peace on the island. There is no hope for redemption. We people will always do these things because that’s how we are. And MIB is determined to prove he’s right by finding a “loophole”, eliminating Jacob and the hope for humanities’ redemption in one fell swoop. He cannot directly do this, but he can manipulate it into existence through others. Jacob believes in humanity’s redemption.
Now, if Jacob lives in the statue, where does MIB reside? (At this point I don’t think MIB is the smoke monster. I think that smokey is a tool or some other manifestation of the island.) At first I thought MIB might live in the cabin. But we saw Horace building it during Dharma days and MIB had to have lived on the island long before that. So I think MIB could live in either the tunnels, the temple or one of the rooms similar to the one where Ben was judged by smokey. For the moment I can’t think of any other place on the island that’s been around for a long time.
So I’m thinking the temple was MIB’s home or at least he has possession of it. And what people are associated with the temple? The Others. They live simply and in harmony with the island, just the way MIB likes it. They don’t like people coming to the island and try to get rid of those who do; like the people on the Black Rock, the US Army, Dharma, Danielle’s people and some of those on 815.
Both MIB and Jacob can influence events and people in different ways from where they reside.
Now, Ben is not truly an other and maybe Richard isn’t either. I seem to remember seeing Richard’s name on the manifest of the Black Rock. So that could be how he got there. Regardless, he says Jacob made him the way he is which we all assume is ageless. I’m not really sure he’s on anyone’s side and think we have more to learn about him. However, Ben and Richard have been incorporated into the life of the others. Richard takes Ben’s dying body to the temple to be healed and as we were told, will loose his innocence. Did MIB heal Ben? I think that’s possible and it would make Ben’s killing Jacob more understandable. More on that later.
So Horace builds the cabin. Ben, now leader of the others, visits the cabin often to get instructions from Jacob. But he says in The Incident he never has seen Jacob or heard Jacob. So where is he getting his instructions? I think they are somehow coming from MIB. Maybe MIB leaves instructions for Ben on the wall. (I need to rewatch the scene where Illana takes the paper from the wall.) Maybe the instructions come through Richard. Anyway, MIB and the others used Ben as a tool to infiltrate Dharma and find out what they were up to and ultimately to destroy them. Ben was actually getting orders from MIB, but he thought it was Jacob. It’s no wonder he was so angry with Jacob and kills him as per Locke’s/MIB’s orders. He feels totally betrayed by Jacob, but he was really betrayed by MIB. And why wouldn’t MIB betray Ben? Ben proved MIB’s point that humans lie, cheat, corrupt, manipulate etc. Actually, Ben never truly was an other. He was just part of MI! B’s plan to find a loophole. Poor Ben.
Back to the cabin and who’s in it. It looks like the circle of ash has been able to imprison someone in the cabin for as long as Ben was visiting it. That would be sometime after Widmore left the island and Ben became the leader of the others. It would also be long after the conversation MIB and Jacob had on the beach.
So maybe Jacob and/with/or a faction of the others imprisoned/traped MIB in the cabin. Maybe Jacob had hope because of Dharma’s idealism and found a way to get MIB out of the way long enough for Dharma to try. But eventually the others see Dharma and particularly Radzinsky, as getting too violent. And their fate is sealed after the incident. (Just had a thought. Almost all of the others just sit around, eat sleep and watch. Could they be the jury in this conflict between MIB and Jacob?)
So, MIB is in the cabin sometime after Ben becomes leader of the others and it is he who Locke sees and hears say, “Help me”. MIB really wants out. Now Locke also has a very close relationship with island, can live in harmony with it and has had at least 1 encounter with smokey and earlier a vision that inspired awe in him. So it’s not surprising to me that he could hear MIB (Locke thinks it’s Jacob). They both have a deep connection to the island. Maybe when Locke is taken by smokey the seeds are planted for him to help MIB. And later, in the cabin, Locke sees Christian and Claire who could also be manifestations of MIB or created by MIB. Locke is then directed to the FDW where events are set in motion for his eventual death and resurrection with the “soul” of MIB who has now found his loophole. Also, while Locke/MIB is leading the others to the statue we see that the circle of ash has been broken which may have allowed MIB to leave and enter Locke. I hav! en’t figured out who or how the circle was broken. Nor have I figured out how the cabin moves in time and space. But we have seen the 06 and some of their objects travel through time and space and the cabin could be part of that.
But Illana and Bram (along with Locke’s dead body) are in search of the cabin, know exactly where to go, and notice the broken circle, that no one’s there and they burn it down. I don’t’ see this as Jacob’s cabin. He’s been living in the statue and working on his tapestry. So I have to think they are looking and working for MIB.
What about the manifestations of Christian, Yemi, Claire etc.? I’m not sure. MIB and Jacob could both have power via smokey and/or a “white smokey”. Maybe their manifestations are part of the island’s powers.
Finally, who are Jacob’s followers? I’m not sure he has any. He could be the only one that has any faith in humanity. He can continually leave the island to bring new recruits, or get them there by other means. He really doesn’t need a lot of help. He just wants to provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate worthiness on the island. He believes our free will can ultimately be our salvation. He’s not necessarily bringing the best of us. Maybe he needs to demonstrate that even the worst of us can be saved if given the opportunity. It’s a huge struggle for him and the people he brings to the island. Particularly because we humans haven’t proven him right so far. But he’s very patient with a lot of faith and hope and has finished his tapestry and perhaps run out of time. This where we find ourselves at the opening of season 6.
Another thought. It could be that as MIB and Jacob play their game, players are removed as they prove their opposing points (evidence) through the actions of characters on the island. Lots of people are killed through violent means…points for MIB. But some people, Boone, Charlie, Shannon etc. redeem themselves and die….points for Jacob. I think Rose and Bernard have always been basically “good” and have learned to live in peace with themselves and the island…so points for Jacob. So, yes, at some point (The Incident) they end up dying in the caves and are Adam and Eve. BYW, we never actually see Jack put the white and black stones in his pocket. Watch that scene closely. If he does take them, maybe later in season 6 it becomes necessary for him to put the stones next to their bodies.
I like Backgammon’s theory that we open with MIB completely in power with Jacob’s opposing force gone. Maybe this is why Matthew Fox says that we will all be disoriented in the beginning. Everything will be off balance.
I’m hoping that our losties eventually prove Jacob right and that he knew this all along. They must now figure out how to restore balance to the island and perhaps the universe. The way they could do it is to be the opposite of everything MIB thinks about humanity, and that would require some pretty big changes in who they are and what they do.
Sorry to ramble so much. This is just stuff that’s been running through my head while I spent a lot more time than usual driving around this week-end. Gotta go, real life is desperately calling me. Comments are welcome.
As we saw in “The Incident”, it looks like Jacob has been living in the base of the statue for a VERY long time. He’s got a nice beach home where it would seem all his needs are met and he can spend a lot of time weaving his tapestry.
MIB knows where Jacob lives and visits occasionally, but they really aren’t friends. Rather they co-exist and view life on the island from 2 different (opposing, black vs. white etc. ) points of view. (See Copenhagen Watchers by Backgammon). MIB’s point of view is that the island is just fine as it is, and he really doesn’t like Jacob bringing all these people there in an attempt to make “progress”. His view of humanity is very cynical. We fight, cheat, manipulate etc. They just interfere with peace on the island. There is no hope for redemption. We people will always do these things because that’s how we are. And MIB is determined to prove he’s right by finding a “loophole”, eliminating Jacob and the hope for humanities’ redemption in one fell swoop. He cannot directly do this, but he can manipulate it into existence through others. Jacob believes in humanity’s redemption.
Now, if Jacob lives in the statue, where does MIB reside? (At this point I don’t think MIB is the smoke monster. I think that smokey is a tool or some other manifestation of the island.) At first I thought MIB might live in the cabin. But we saw Horace building it during Dharma days and MIB had to have lived on the island long before that. So I think MIB could live in either the tunnels, the temple or one of the rooms similar to the one where Ben was judged by smokey. For the moment I can’t think of any other place on the island that’s been around for a long time.
So I’m thinking the temple was MIB’s home or at least he has possession of it. And what people are associated with the temple? The Others. They live simply and in harmony with the island, just the way MIB likes it. They don’t like people coming to the island and try to get rid of those who do; like the people on the Black Rock, the US Army, Dharma, Danielle’s people and some of those on 815.
Both MIB and Jacob can influence events and people in different ways from where they reside.
Now, Ben is not truly an other and maybe Richard isn’t either. I seem to remember seeing Richard’s name on the manifest of the Black Rock. So that could be how he got there. Regardless, he says Jacob made him the way he is which we all assume is ageless. I’m not really sure he’s on anyone’s side and think we have more to learn about him. However, Ben and Richard have been incorporated into the life of the others. Richard takes Ben’s dying body to the temple to be healed and as we were told, will loose his innocence. Did MIB heal Ben? I think that’s possible and it would make Ben’s killing Jacob more understandable. More on that later.
So Horace builds the cabin. Ben, now leader of the others, visits the cabin often to get instructions from Jacob. But he says in The Incident he never has seen Jacob or heard Jacob. So where is he getting his instructions? I think they are somehow coming from MIB. Maybe MIB leaves instructions for Ben on the wall. (I need to rewatch the scene where Illana takes the paper from the wall.) Maybe the instructions come through Richard. Anyway, MIB and the others used Ben as a tool to infiltrate Dharma and find out what they were up to and ultimately to destroy them. Ben was actually getting orders from MIB, but he thought it was Jacob. It’s no wonder he was so angry with Jacob and kills him as per Locke’s/MIB’s orders. He feels totally betrayed by Jacob, but he was really betrayed by MIB. And why wouldn’t MIB betray Ben? Ben proved MIB’s point that humans lie, cheat, corrupt, manipulate etc. Actually, Ben never truly was an other. He was just part of MI! B’s plan to find a loophole. Poor Ben.
Back to the cabin and who’s in it. It looks like the circle of ash has been able to imprison someone in the cabin for as long as Ben was visiting it. That would be sometime after Widmore left the island and Ben became the leader of the others. It would also be long after the conversation MIB and Jacob had on the beach.
So maybe Jacob and/with/or a faction of the others imprisoned/traped MIB in the cabin. Maybe Jacob had hope because of Dharma’s idealism and found a way to get MIB out of the way long enough for Dharma to try. But eventually the others see Dharma and particularly Radzinsky, as getting too violent. And their fate is sealed after the incident. (Just had a thought. Almost all of the others just sit around, eat sleep and watch. Could they be the jury in this conflict between MIB and Jacob?)
So, MIB is in the cabin sometime after Ben becomes leader of the others and it is he who Locke sees and hears say, “Help me”. MIB really wants out. Now Locke also has a very close relationship with island, can live in harmony with it and has had at least 1 encounter with smokey and earlier a vision that inspired awe in him. So it’s not surprising to me that he could hear MIB (Locke thinks it’s Jacob). They both have a deep connection to the island. Maybe when Locke is taken by smokey the seeds are planted for him to help MIB. And later, in the cabin, Locke sees Christian and Claire who could also be manifestations of MIB or created by MIB. Locke is then directed to the FDW where events are set in motion for his eventual death and resurrection with the “soul” of MIB who has now found his loophole. Also, while Locke/MIB is leading the others to the statue we see that the circle of ash has been broken which may have allowed MIB to leave and enter Locke. I hav! en’t figured out who or how the circle was broken. Nor have I figured out how the cabin moves in time and space. But we have seen the 06 and some of their objects travel through time and space and the cabin could be part of that.
But Illana and Bram (along with Locke’s dead body) are in search of the cabin, know exactly where to go, and notice the broken circle, that no one’s there and they burn it down. I don’t’ see this as Jacob’s cabin. He’s been living in the statue and working on his tapestry. So I have to think they are looking and working for MIB.
What about the manifestations of Christian, Yemi, Claire etc.? I’m not sure. MIB and Jacob could both have power via smokey and/or a “white smokey”. Maybe their manifestations are part of the island’s powers.
Finally, who are Jacob’s followers? I’m not sure he has any. He could be the only one that has any faith in humanity. He can continually leave the island to bring new recruits, or get them there by other means. He really doesn’t need a lot of help. He just wants to provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate worthiness on the island. He believes our free will can ultimately be our salvation. He’s not necessarily bringing the best of us. Maybe he needs to demonstrate that even the worst of us can be saved if given the opportunity. It’s a huge struggle for him and the people he brings to the island. Particularly because we humans haven’t proven him right so far. But he’s very patient with a lot of faith and hope and has finished his tapestry and perhaps run out of time. This where we find ourselves at the opening of season 6.
Another thought. It could be that as MIB and Jacob play their game, players are removed as they prove their opposing points (evidence) through the actions of characters on the island. Lots of people are killed through violent means…points for MIB. But some people, Boone, Charlie, Shannon etc. redeem themselves and die….points for Jacob. I think Rose and Bernard have always been basically “good” and have learned to live in peace with themselves and the island…so points for Jacob. So, yes, at some point (The Incident) they end up dying in the caves and are Adam and Eve. BYW, we never actually see Jack put the white and black stones in his pocket. Watch that scene closely. If he does take them, maybe later in season 6 it becomes necessary for him to put the stones next to their bodies.
I like Backgammon’s theory that we open with MIB completely in power with Jacob’s opposing force gone. Maybe this is why Matthew Fox says that we will all be disoriented in the beginning. Everything will be off balance.
I’m hoping that our losties eventually prove Jacob right and that he knew this all along. They must now figure out how to restore balance to the island and perhaps the universe. The way they could do it is to be the opposite of everything MIB thinks about humanity, and that would require some pretty big changes in who they are and what they do.
Sorry to ramble so much. This is just stuff that’s been running through my head while I spent a lot more time than usual driving around this week-end. Gotta go, real life is desperately calling me. Comments are welcome.
