the Box, the compass, loopholes, choosing sides and the decimated candidates by Darrel

Ok. I have had to go back to season and sift thorough some very subtle clues. But before I begin I want to take a minor detour and then point out point out a misdirection. The writers amy have said that they didn't have a script and didn't have a clue as to where they were going to go with the series. this is misdirection, they had clearly had a definite frame work right from day one and in fact likely had most of the details pretty well filled in. I want to say that I never watched the series from day one. I started watching in season mid season 2, but went and rented the 1st 2 seasons to fill myself in what I had missed. right away when I watched the pilot, I immediately recognized some very strong Steven King influences.( especially form the dark tower series, the bear ..one of the 12 talismen King uses in that seies, the mechanical noises of the unseen creature) So right away I was hooked.

Its becoming clear that the whole series is one of misdierction but there are subtle little clues that point to how it all ends up. In retrospect and having sifted through the 1st 4 seasons continulaly (I still pick up new bits of subtle clues that i missed in the previous viewing.

Lets start with Locke, Jack and Sayid. The 3 people who initially seem poised for natural leadership roles. In one of the deleted scenes from season 2. Sayid and Jack are arguing with each other over what Henry Gale (Ben Linus).. may or may not know. Jack is a bit too naive and Sayid too suspicious (even though it turns out Sayids intuition is dead on). When Jack says Ben doesn't know anything, Sayid counters that he knows me, you and Locke and knows we can't agree on anything.

Most of Season 1 focuses on sets of 3. Sayid Jack Locke:; Sawyer Kate and Jack, Sayid Boone and Shannon: Locke, Booone and Shannon
Jin Sun and Michael; I could go on, but i won't.

getting back to Jack Sayid and Locke i want to start with Locke. Locke initially is the 1st one to literally see the Monster in the forest. and as with Eko in season 2 I am sure that it scanned all of Lockes thoughts. I believe that after that everytime we see Locke we can't be sure it is Locke. think about it I will provide a few examples, Locke and Boone are off together quite a lot. At one point Booone is confessing to Locke about his Sister Shannon and how he sometimes sees her as a lead weight around her neck who continulaly asks him why they haven't brought any boar of late and wheat they are really doing out in the forest (Shannon actually asks Boone if Locke is his new Boyforend (so we are given info that Boone is homosexual). Anyway Boone tells Locke that he has to tell Shannon the truth to which Locke says are you sure this is ths course of action youwant to take to which Boone replies yes. Locke then knocks him out and ties him up . boone comes to and hears! Shannon yelling for help.. Long story short Boone watches the monster Kill Shannon. Boone returns to Camp and tussles with Locke holding knife to his throat and says Locke killed his sister. When L:ocke shows boone Shannon is indeed still alive Boone says.. "you put somethng in my head". To which Locke replies... "Is that what IT showed you?"

Another example is Jack sees his father (Christian) and chases him through the jungle and goes over the side of a cliff. We cut to the beach where we see Locke Sayid and Kate discuss fresh water. And John sayss i know where to look. Back to Jack hanging by the root of a tree over the cliff. Who rescue Jack.. none other then Johnny Locke. How did he get to Jack so fast if he just left the bweach and wasn't Christian standing where Jack just charged through to go over the cliff. I think that it was MIB in John lockes form. Keep in mind that MIB (who is by his own admission in season 6 the smoke monster) can only at this point copy or borrow the forms of already dead people. Horace from the DI yes if you look at the initial intro of "Jacob" when Ben takes locke to see him in the log cabin its horace's shiloette, the same horace who built the cabin to get away from the DI on occasion who we see. the same Horace that died in the 1992 purge by orchestrated by Ben. There is Ja! cks dad Christian, who we know is dead (in the box). Goodwins wife as she appears to Juliet in the other woman from season 4.

I know some will point out that Locke is alive so how can MIB borrow his form in season 1? Sure He is alive, or is he. As we find out Locke was thrown out of an 8 story building by his "dad" and was for all intent and purpose very much dead. Lets be real here, how many people survive an 100 foot fall landing on their back and skull. his head should have cracked open alone let alone the spinal damage. But we later see that jacob restores Locke shortly after this and says Iam sorry this happend to you then walks off. Locke wasn't even breathing until Jacob touched him. all tis happened before Locke ever got to the island Sothat is how MIB is able to borow Lockes form. It doesn;'t count that Jacob lent some of his energy to restore Locke. Locke was already dead before arriving on the Island. so this theory still works.

How do I explain Shannon seeing Walt several times in seasons 1 and 2, even Sayid saw Walt just before Shannon was shot by Ana Lucia. Locke also saw Walt as he lay in the DI pit where Ben had left him after shooting him in the missing Kidney. Isn't a death pit sort like a box?. Ok, My theory on who MIB can imitate doesn't exactly hold water and has an apparent loophole in it since Walt is still alive, or again is he? I haven't seen any definitive clue on whether walt is or isn't. The fact that he was abducted by the others over water may have something to do with it.. but I haven't picked it up as of this posting.

Back to Jack Sayid and Locke and the compass. Locke finds a compass and gives it to Sayid (again is it Locke or MIB). the compass itself appears faulty and doesn't point to true magnetic north. Sayid brings this up to Jack when Jack sees Sayid fiddling with it. Now in old testement times looking to the north was akin to looking towards God. So the fact that the compass doesnt point north ( I can't recall but i think it points east which is supposedly looking towards Lucifer after the fall. Aren't Adam and eve expelled through the east gate of eden after the serpent tricks them into disobeying Gods Command of them?), but to the east. Feel free to correct em if I am wrong.
So since we aren't sure if it is Locke or MIB who gave Sayid the compass, let us postulate that it is really MIB that handed Sayid the compass. That would tie in nicely with what is happening with Sayid right now, and how Ben was able to enlist Sayid to kill Widmores men during season 4 and 5. It also fits with how easily Sayid chose to to with MIB in Lockes form. Sayid lost his moral direction ( isn't that what normal compasses do?.. provide direction?).

Speaking of Ben didn't he see his dead mom outside his window of the barracks he and his dad stayed in?. Didn't he also follow her to the sonic pylons and was about to go through til his mom said no don't go any further. The same sonic pylons we know keep MIB in his smoke form at bay. Ben was abused by his disgruntled dad and maybe that hurt is what MIB uses. How was he able to appear as Bens mom inside the barracks compund? I think it can utilize the negative enrgies to project images. Things we long for, our hearts desire. And face it didn't Ben long for his mom? Therefore Ben was corruptible and as a result a corrupter. Look at all the manipulating he has done as he in turn was manipulated by MIB(wasn't that MIBs theory to Jacob as they sat on the beach). The fact that she is dead only lends support to my hypotheis (it is only a theory when other hypotheses support it and truth proves it).

Now about the box. What is Christian in when the plane crashes? a coffin, which is just a fancy way of saying a box. What is John Locke in at the end of season 3 ( I know we aren't shown that until season 4 and that the writers had 3 choices as to who was in the coffin of Jeremy Bentham.. Sawyer Desmond or Locke. but if you think about it the writers gave us the clue way back in season 2.... really think now about this.. when Desmond 1st meets Locke how does he refer to him by... nothing other then BOX man. but how many of us really picked up that little clue or knew that locke was the designated character to be in the box at the end of season 3). Also what is in the box Ilana and her group carry on to the beach richard and the nothers are on?.. why look its Johnny Locke that spills out. So who is the man in the foot of the statue where jacob dwells? you guessed it none other then our old pal MIB. where Jacob says looks like you found your loophole at last.

When Ben 1st takes Locke to see "Jacob" its to the cabin (the same one Horace built in cabin fever season 4) Ben tells Locke to not break the ash ring encircling the cabin. Isn't a ring a big loop? Near the end of season 5 doen't whats his name say to Ilana look at the ash..this is where we see a big break in the ring or a hole in the ring (loophole). Cut back to MIB's reply to Jacobs Question... You have no idea what I went through to get here ( I don't know what he went through but I am sure the writers will show us in the remaining 5-6 episodes left to us before the series finishes). I am constantly surprised by the way things go. I was sure that it was going to be Sayid who was Jacobs replacement and that Jack was going to be MIBs replacement, but that seemingly is out the window now. I think I suspect who Jacobs replacement will be but Im not allowed to post spoilers. I had thought about who the true candidatte was to be, long and hard and the further we get a long in! the last season the more sure it seems to me. Why else would MIB in Locke form encounter a blonde kid in the substitute episode 5 season 6..