Man in Black = smokey = the underworld = death. The island is the gatweway to death. Jacob has always been trying to outwit death and give humans eternal life but it hasn't been working. Humans think death is the enemy; humans are always trying to outwit death. Doctors bring people back to life, lifeguards administer CPR. But death isn't always the enemy. Death is a natural part of life. People like Charlie on the plane, who wanted to kill himself, are throwing away their gift of life -- but without death, life has no value. If life just went on forever and ever, it would have no meaning, not be precious. Sometimes death is a release from suffering. Notice when Jacob's guards, the Ajira people, rush in to see what happened to Jacob, MIB/Locke says, "Good news, you're all released!" Now Smokey/Locke is heading for the temple. He's got dead or nearly did Richard as his passport. The temple people (except! the O-6) haven't seen Locke before. He will run up and say "Help! Richard is dying!" and trick them into letting him in. All the people at the temple are the people from across time, people that Jacob kept bringing to the island. But they're all supposed to be dead. Locke/Smokey is going to try once again to "release" them to death. In general, people don't want to die, but that's the way it is......unless Jacob "wins." Which he didn't. Smokey/Anubus/Cereberus wants to go home -- he wants to go back to the underworld. Now he can, and he can take everyone who's supposed to be dead with him.
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