Richard replaced Jacob in the 1800s by ulvk8t

Ok. So what if, in Ab Aeterno, we saw Richard becoming the same as Jacob. He drank the wine, and was touched- given eternal life. It seems to me Richard is the only one who is just like Jacob. He also acts in very Jacob like ways throughout our show, traveling off Island several times to check on and pick out candidates. I think back in the 1800s, we saw Richard become "Just like me" ( Jacob). Ok So Jacob did not chant in latin, or bring him to the source, but essentially, we might have all the clues right in front of us already.

This brings me to the point. This is my first theory- and it's bold, so do be kind. But, what if the game all along has been to find MIB a new body. Jacob made a dumb mistake back then, after seeing his brother kill his mother. He threw his bro's body into the large quiznos oven (thanks for that!), and voila made us a smokie! The candidates all along, have been Jacob's Candidates- to offer his brother a new body to go home in. He wants to correct this error before finally moving on. He was pleased when Ben stabbed him, indicating to me that he already had handed over the torch at this point. Richard has been it all along, but the point of the game had nothing to do with Jacob's role. Jacob's replacement, refers to his replacement for his brother. We were presented a weak Jacob last week. Jacob is only here to continue his childish manipulative game, with the end result of giving his brother a new body.

And the winning candidate is still Jack. To me, this makes the most sense. Jack is the original man of science. Jack has dark hair. Jack is our new MIB. He will use Desmond's Special light-proof-edness, to go towards the glowing light (which is now below the temple), and help MIB's soul release from Black smoke, and into Jack. Jack will pay the brilliant acting job of becoming MIB, Locke, and everyone else killed by smokie, when he absorbs all their memories and souls and helps them leave the island. Jack will ultimately FIX Jacob's dumb move.

So, in the end, Richard stays put to guard the light. Jack (with memories of others now too) leaves the island. If we need a new smokie- that will be Sawyer. He's angry, alone and wants to leave. He might redeem himself by saving them all.

Ok- it's crackpot. But there are twists in here that are not entirely impossible. As for the Flash sideways.... yeah I have no idea how that will end. I know it's fake. It must be. It's a matrix world created to trap our losties, and allow us viewers to see all kinds of dead characters one last time. But in the end, this will vanish into thin air, as it was never a true timeline.