The Implications of Jughead, and Widmore/Eloise in the Sideways Timeline by brewsterdmb

My thoughts are that Jughead neutralized the EM buildup that was occurring at the time of the drilling in The Incident.

In the most recent episode, Daniel says to Desmond that if something catastrophic was to happen, the only way to stop it would be to release a huge amount of energy, like exploding a nuclear bomb.
I think in the original timeline, Jughead had always gone off, was destined to detonate, canceling the EM buildup (something catastrophic), and allowing the construction of the Swan station. For example, we see Pierre Chang lose his arm during the incident, and we later see he has no arm, in the original timeline. Events leading up to, and including the Jughead detonation, ALWAYS happened, and led to the Swan being built, and 815 crashing.....i.e., whatever happened, happened.

On the other hand/In the other timeline, if Jughead did NOT detonate, the EM would have continued to build and build, eventually releasing into the world, and sinking the island. And THIS leads to the sideways timeline.

So, sideways Daniel is right in a way when he says that there is something wrong with the alternate reality. It is a result of the bomb NOT detonating; when he has the inclination that he may have already set off the bomb, he is referring to the original timeline.

I think the Schrodinger's Cat scenario is playing out here, in a way, where we are seeing both outcomes.
The only flaw is that events leading up to the Jughead detonation (i.e., Daniel telling Eloise to bury the bomb in the 50's, Ben getting shot by Sayid, etc) come into question as to whether or not they are changed because they depend on the presence of the 815ers. Paradoxes start to arise.

My second point, which is a little more recently developed, so not as well formulated, is that Eloise in the sideways timeline makes several comments that lead me to believe she is some sort of embodiment of the MIB.
1. Widmore states that if he doesn't get Charlie at her benefit, she will "destroy him".
2. She "just bloody well knows" what Desmond desires; the Smoke Monster can scan your memory and use your desires against you. 3. Eloise did not count on Love being a driving force for Desmond, or for any of the survivors, that will allow them to reconnect to the original timeline.
4. The presence of the picture in Widmore's office of the Scales also tips me off to the dichotomy of Jacob and the MIB's "game" being important in this sideways timeline. We know the writers don't randomly put these things in the storyline, just as the painting with the polar bear was in Widmore's office in the original timeline. Additionally, when Desmond and Widmore are toasting with the Whiskey, the painting of the scales is lined up on the wall behind them, with Desmond being on the white side, and Widmore on the dark. I don't think that makes Widmore bad, I just think that it's interesting
5. Widmore is pushing Desmond to all that will lead him to Penny. He sends him to meet Charlie, he sends him to meet his wife, who he has somehow managed to avoid all these years. Both people and incidents lead him toward Penny; despite Eloise's objections to Desmond, it is precisely these objections that just push him further to find that which she told him to forget about. (Mom says don't you dare touch the stove, so your first inclination is "I wonder how hot this thing actually is"; or better yet, "Don't push that big red button on the wall!"......it only makes you want to more). Does this make Widmore "Jacob-y" then if Eloise is exhibiting MIB qualities?

I don't want to right out say that Eloise is the MIB and Widmore is Jacob in this timeline, but it would make some sense that if this timeline is the result of the EM buildup NOT being contained by Jughead during the drilling, then the cork failed, and whatever "it" is was released into the world.

Sidenote: I don't believe, as others state, that this sideways timeline is the result of the lack of Jacob's influence, as the differences we've seen don't directly correspond to his initial influences with the characters in The Incident. He touched Jin and Sun at their wedding, but here they aren't even married. He touched Sayid and Hurley AFTER the crash.