Ab Aeterno, A Theory by darkshoe

On a digital clock the time is either 1:20 or 1:21. On an analog watch the hands are always moving, and it's always somewhere in between. Jacob is a digital demi-god. With Jacob it's either black or white, good or evil, alive or dead. When Ricardo thinks he's dead, Jacob dunks him and forces him to choose.

MIB is shades of grey. He's more or less good, and maybe sometimes evil. And for him death is just a passage from the flesh to the spirit. As you might find in pre-literate cultures, where people live in a web of relationships and kinship obligations, and where they can talk to dead ancestors.

So when the hapless Ricardo shows up on the beach, Jacob offers him a job. MIB offers him a deal. Jacob sees people not as special and unique, but as employees who can be replaced. Or candidates who win or lose. Or names on a list to be crossed off. Or numbers, Jacob has a thing for numbers.

Jacob may have touched Sayid and bestowed his gift, but there was nothing for Nadia. Sayid 1, Nadia 0. Even Hurley is disgruntled when Jacob lies about why he and Jack were summoned to the lighthouse. Whe Richard finally tires of servitude, his wife appears for him. MIB spoke the truth. If you go with Jacob you will never be with your wife again.

The island is a special place. It disappears. How can that happen. There is no time machine. We see Locke climb down a well, where he is escorted in the underworld by a spirit (Christian), and is told a sacrifice is need to turn the FDW. Or when Kate and Sawyer see a black horse in the jungle. Goodness happens. Beauty happens. Love happens. But Jacob wants to change all that.

Jacob blathers on about good and evil and free will. All in the name of civilization and progress. But he is revealed to be a manipulative and duplicious demi-god who lives with his little spinning wheel under the foot of a gigantic and broken stone idol.

Team Jacob are broken people; Ben, Ilana's bandaged head, Jack and Richard playing with dynamite, Sun just wants to find her better half. Team Flocke are all together. The conflict between Kate and Claire is resolved. Flocke shows Sawyer a boat to get to Hydra and find a way off the island. I'm with Flocke. We're the good guys.