Is This a Test? by Scott Gingold

At this point in Season 6, I highly recommend a re-watch of Season 2.

The bulk of Season 2's plot revolves around the Swan station and pushing the button. The fact that this was so central to the story of Season 2, was a mystery plaguing us all for a long time, until now.

Now in the light of what we've learned from the Nemesis in "The Substitute" about the candidates and Jacob bringing people to the island to find his replacement, Season 2 and pushing the button has suddenly become not only relevant again, but essential to the story.

Pushing the button was a test. A test a faith to see if one of the candidates had it in them to do something they weren't exactly sure why they were doing. To see if they had what it took to be Jacob's replacement to guard the island.

Kelvin and Desmond's struggle at the end of Season 2 is a direct parallel to that of Jacob and the Nemesis. Kelvin wants nothing more than to leave the island, thinking that the button is a joke, just as the Nemesis feels about protecting the island.

It also makes sense now why Ben was on his way to the Swan Station and got captured by Rousseau. He was clearly sent by Jacob to test Locke's faith. Jacob knows Ben is a good liar and would be able to make John believe that the button is a hoax. Jacob needed Locke to doubt the button.

It could also been seen that maybe it wasn't Jacob who sent Ben, but really the Nemesis pretending to be Jacob. Because as a result of Locke not pushing the button, Desmond turned the fail-safe key which eventually led the chain events to the Nemesis' loophole.

However you look at it though, the writers clearly set up the situation with the button pushing at the hatch as a metaphor for the larger picture of protecting the island.

Now that Jack has become a man of faith, will he push the button again? Will he take Jacob's reigns and protect the island?

Jacob's hoping he will.