The Shape of Reality by AndLost

Imagine if you will a place where reality is what you make it and your life span is endless. Call it the Garden of Eden, a bad nightmare or the ultimate ego trip, but it appears Jacob and MIB have lived in such a place for countless years. The island and the miracle box – the temple – where dreams come true – where life can be lived over and over again.

Now consider if you will for reasons not yet known one of the two decides that he should control that miracle box. We have seen MIB’s utter distaste for Jacob, but we have not seen what if anything Jacob did to MIB to deserve that hatred. Well, maybe MIB is evil and it is in his nature. Or maybe Jacob believes MIB is evil and it is in Jacob’s nature to control that evil. Maybe Jacob sees the seeds of ultimate destruction in MIBs eyes and that causes him to take drastic action. Consider that when the Black Rock arrives, both MIB and Jacob are on the island and on the beach free to roam around – no gray ash constraining MIB’s or Jacob’s movements. Then the Black Rock arrives and from then until at least 2007 Jacob appears to be the ruler of a rather ruthless group of followers and the island with MIB roaming around in his smoke monster persona. What happened from the time of the arrival of the Black Rock to the culmination of MIB’s plan?

My theory is that Jacob got the upper hand after the Black Rock landed, and that forced MIB to play for the loophole. MIB’s efforts to find a loophole were matched play by play by Jacob. I suspect from Flocke’s comments last night that the Black Rockers supported MIB, but then turned form him. They became formidable allies for Jacob, finding ways to control MIB. Jacob could not kill MIB, but Jacob could deprive MIB of his “home” – the temple. The smoke monster roams the outer wall through a crack but it cannot pass through to the miracle box - the whirlpool of water and energy that gives Jacob the upper hand. MIB’s goal and all his planning led to using Ben as the loop hole. With Jacob dead he can re-claim the temple and the leadership of people who once disappointed” him. As we saw, the Black Rockers/Others fear for their existence because Jacob the protector is gone, and MIB is coming home.

So what of the Losties? How do they fit into this death match? They are the variable – the other side of the backgammon game. Jacob hedged his bets and saw to it that he would have a new group of allies to help him wage is battle. Jacob’s touch is the invitation to join him in his battle. But – it won’t be that easy. MIB is smart, very smart but through his blind ambition to use Locke to find the loophole, he seemingly ignores the existence of the very group that will one day close that loop hole forever. Sure the Losties are scattered in time, on and off the island, with Dharma, not with Dharma (hey – you have to fill 6 seasons with more than simply a cataclysmic battle between 2 omnipotent beings). But in the end, the Losties are back (well two sets are back).

On why we have a possible ATL, I will have to defer to another discussion, but I for one am not convinced it is an ALT. As others have said, perhaps we are looking at the end of season 6. The island appears to have survived the nuke (if it went off at all) in the 70s. It could well be that we will be witnessing the beginning of the conflict that will result in a re-set, such that in reality the island ceases to exist before Oceanic flight 815 passes over the island now under water.

And so – as I started this – if you have the power to make your own realty, then in all likelihood – you will.