Connecting the Dots Of MIB's Plan by DaKlenke

This is the tenth theory in my ongoing commentary on what I believe we have seen on Lost. At this point in my narrative, my thoughts and ideas have come to a point where they now build off of one another so distinctly that out of context, the ideas seem a bit random. I say this because I just don't think that without having read my previous nine theories, this one or any other after may make as much sense (if any sense) as they would if read in order. For those of you who have not read my previous nine theories, I half heartedly advise you to not go any further in reading this theory. If you find yourself compelled to read my ideas, then begin with "Reconsidering the Events of Season 3 Parts 1-3", followed by "Further Evidence of Desmond's Change", "My Stance on the Powers That Be", "Further Evidence on Random Vs. Purpose", "Hurley and the Many Indicators of Random", "Musings on John Locke" and finally "Fur! ther Musings on John Locke". After having read those theories, you will read this tenth theory with an entirely different perspective than you would without the previous context.

That having been said, I find that it is time to connect the dots on the machinations of the Man In Black (Random) and how exactly he orchestrated the events that ultimately led to Ben killing Jacob. As I have covered many of the specific dots in my previous theories, I do not intend to reexamine them again here. This theory is simply a map of the chain of events, from beginning to Jacob's end.

As far as the show is concerned, we caught our first glimpse of Random's plan when we bore witness to Locke wiggling his toes right after the plane crash. Giving Locke the ability to walk allowed Locke to deviate from Jacob's plan, which involved Locke being wheel chair bound. Chronologically speaking, the tear in Kelvin's jumpsuit which led Desmond to leave the hatch and ultimately fail to push the button was one of the first (probably not the literal first) act that allowed for MIB's loophole to come into fruition. Our Losties were brought to this Island by Random, not by Purpose. Maybe the alternate timeline that we will allegedly see in Season 6, the one involving the plane never crashing, will shed new light on what Jacob's plan was but for this theory, that speculation does not matter.

Picking up with Locke, over the course of Season 1 we saw him slowly but surely be conned away from his destiny, which most assuredly did not involve him becoming the hunter that we saw him develop into. Locke being a hunter led to his bond with Boone, which led to the two of them finding the hatch. From there, Random gave John a dream which led him to the beechcraft and subsequently, to Boone's death.

Boone's death led Locke to the hatch, where while asking for a sign, the light in the hatch turned on. Locke found purpose in opening the hatch where there was none. Desmond was not meant to be disturbed, but MIB had by this point whole heartedly tricked John into believing that opening the hatch was his destiny.

In Part two of the Season 1 finale, Jack and Locke have a discussion about being men of science and men of faith while on their way to the hatch. Locke tells Jack that each person on 815 was brought to the Island for a reason, a purpose, and that it was all of their destinies to end up there. Jack counters by asking if Locke talked to Boone about destiny. John then says that "Boone was a sacrifice that the Island demanded. What happened to him at that plane was a part of a chain of events that lead us here, that lead us down a path, that lead you, and me to this day, to right now." Jack responds with "And where does that path end John?". "The path ends at the hatch" Locke replies. "The hatch Jack, all of it. All of it happened so that we could open the hatch." Locke is so right here, but it is not Jacob's path, it is Random's path. Opening the hatch was the next dot on our chain of events.

After opening the hatch, Desmond is released and the 815'ers pick up the mantle of pressing the button. Pressing the button is of incredible importance and the prevention of the pressing of the button is what Random intends. It is Locke again who convinces Desmond to help him prevent Eko from pressing the button, allowing the countdown timer to go past zero. When that happens, the electromagnetism is released to a nearly catastrophic level but I don't think that the implosion of the hatch is what Random cared about. It was the fail-safe key that MIB was after and it was his other most valuable tool, Desmond, who ended up turning it.
The turning of the fail-safe key not only created the first white flash, but also it sent Desmond on a mind trip where he was shown what he had to give up in order to ensure that Jacob's plan worked the way it was supposed to. As Ms. Hawking said in "Flashes Before Your Eyes", pushing that button was the only truly great thing Desmond would ever do in his life. She convinced him not to forsake Jacob's path and again give up Penny, sending him careening back into the future on the Island. But his exposure to the electromagnetism allowed Desmond to see glimpses of Charlie's fate, and ultimately the Scot decided to allow Charlie to swim down to the Looking Glass where the musician was able to unjam the equipment preventing communication to and from the Island. This act allowed for the events that lead up to and through the escape of the Oceanic Six to unfold.
The Oceanic Six escapes the Island at the end of Season 4, and on Island, Locke becomes leader of the Others after Ben turns the wheel and is banished. Random needed for Locke to be leader so that Richard would tell him where Purpose was hiding, but he also needed Locke to die so that he could take direct control of his body. So when Christian tells Locke that he needs to move the Island, this is Random again manipulating Locke. He does not tell Locke how to move the Island because he needs Ben to do it. Ben turning the wheel allows for Locke to stay on Island, where the time flashes then occur.

We then have the scene in which Richard comes out of the jungle and finds a wounded Locke. Richard tells Locke that he needs to bring his people back to the Island and that in order to do this, Locke has to die. Another piece falls into place. Then in the 1954 flash, Locke is able to convince Richard that in the future, John is the leader of the Others, as he was chosen by Jacob. Locke is not Jacob's chosen, but is instead MIB's, but now the one man on the Island who knows Jacob's whereabouts is convinced that Locke is meant to be the leader of the Others.
Next, Locke makes his way to the wheel where he again meets with Random in the form of Christian Shepard. Random tells John that he has to bring them all back and again encourages Locke to die in order to do so. The chain of events is now almost complete. Locke turns the wheel and is sent back to the real world. There, Random's underling Charles Widmore picks him up and reintroduces Locke to Abbadon, the man who first put the notion of going on a "walkabout" into Locke's head.

Abbadon takes Locke from one Oceanic Six member to the next, slowly but surely solidifying the idea in John's mind that he has to die in order to bring them all back. He even takes Locke to Helen's alleged grave, ensuring that Locke would not decide to forsake the path that Random laid out for him and return to a life in the real world. Finally we end up with Locke in the hotel room, ready to hang himself. What the importance of Ben killing him versus him killing himself I do not know, but considering that Ben was at the time working with Ms. Hawking (an agent of Jacob), this may turn out to be quite important. Remember, Locke was not only chosen by Random(MIB) but also by Purpose(Jacob). Either way, Locke ends up dead and the MIB has his vessel.

Now here is where both Random and Purpose's plan intersect. Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid returning to 1977 was Jacob's counter plan (or course correction) to the loophole being made by MIB. Locke and Ben making it to the Island in 2007 was Random's plan. But it was Ms. Hawking, an agent of Jacob who made sure that both parties made it on 316. Jacob knew what Random had in mind and was countering this plan with the events that transpired in 1977. However, that is a topic for another time.

Continuing with MIB's plan, 316 flash crashes onto the Island and Random is able to possess Locke just as he was able to possess Christian. Now there was little else Random had to do, other than prep Ben for his task and to manipulate a conned Richard into telling time flash Locke that he had to die in order to bring everyone back to the Island.

Random, in Locke's body, takes Ben to the declivity in the temple wall where he is tested by the smoke monster. The monster tells Ben, in the form of Alex, to do whatever Locke tells him to do. Whether or not the entity that I call Random is the smoke monster, I do not know, but I would wager that they are one in the same. The only reason I would believe otherwise is because of Flocke's apparent surprise when Ben tells him about what the smoke monster told him, but this may have been merely a ruse to maintain the act that Locke was still Locke and not MIB. Either way, Ben was now prepped to do Random's bidding.

Now all Random had to do was convince Richard to tell time flash Locke what he needed to hear in order to ensure that Locke would go off and die, completing that specific chain in our much larger chain of events.

Finally, Random had only to command Richard to take him to Jacob, where he could have Ben kill Purpose.

This is my take on the chain of events perpetuated by Random in order to kill Purpose. In the near future, I intend to take a look at what Jacob has in store for undoing what Random put in motion, but that is a topic for another day. I would also like to say that this is a broad look at MIB's plan, and I am sure I have missed some of the links in this chain of events. In my defense, I am only now finishing Season 1 in my hiatus rewatch, so it is a little difficult to remember every single defining event, but I think I covered the main ones. I hope you all enjoyed, and expect to hear from me again soon.