Trying to Defend "Across the Sea": 'Yoda' Jacob's First Steps by Adrian McDonald

Honestly, I am somewhat conflicted about “Across the Sea.” It gave us so many answers. Some of them I liked, like finding out who Adam & Eve were for example. And some I didn't like, the childhood of Jacob & Smokie. I did like the concept of the "light", which lies at the heart of the Island and, to a much lesser extent, in all people. It's not the Island that needs protecting per se, but this light. On the other hand, the glowing tunnel on the river was just a little too hokey for me and screamed FernGully.

I don't think the concept or explanation of the light was too "midichlorian" (which was the incredibly lame explanation of the "Force" in Star Wars). Other than that the light exists on the Island and in all people, we were given no description of what it was. It seems rather clear the light is closely related to electromagnetism, but I don't think that is all it is. Rather, I think it's a byproduct of this light. Other byproducts include miraculous healing and life extending properties, time traveling and causing psychic abilities in people (like Miles, Hurley, Walt etc.). Perhaps one of the most significant things this light is able to do is to transform life into entirely new and strange entities...like turning Jacob's brother into a "Smoke Monster." Jacob didn't literally take Smokie's humanity or body, he just sent him down the river.

Judging Jacob, or not:

So what are we to make of Jacob? He knew the light was not going to kill his brother, but he did know something worse than death would. Therefore, following this logic, what Jacob did to his brother was worse than murder. So does that mean murderer's are slightly more redeemable than Jacob? Judge not. In Jacob's defense, he really had no idea what would happen. Sure, his mother did tell him it would be "worse than death", but she was also a proven pathological liar and even admitted as much to Jacob. Moreover, his brother had just murdered their mother. While Jacob is not a killer, he does have some sense of justice and really can't let the act go unpunished...especially since he had just been anointed the Island's new protector. One could even say that rather than judging his brother, he allowed the Island to do so. Because he was told that the light was the source of life, death and rebirth. For Jacob's brother, it was rebirth...as the "Smoke Monster" (which seems a rather crude description because he's not literally smoke).

I do think MIB's rebirth as Smokie reflected the rage and emotion he was feeling at that time, which was hinted too when he woke after being knocked out by his mother and saw the black smoke from his burning village. It's kind of like Ghostbusters, the form he took was the first thing that popped into his mind; rather than the stay puffed marshmallow man, we got Smokie.

And how was his mother able to carry her unconscious 43-year-old son out of the well, utterly destroy and fill in said well (which was large, deep and made of stone) and slaughter roughly one dozen armed people all in what appeared to be one afternoon? Clearly, she was more than a mere woman. Like Alpert and Jacob, she did not age. Her two sons aged to reflect their 43 years, but not their "mother." Given the super-human powers needed for her to have done all the aforementioned, I think it's safe to assume that she had also been "reborn" in the Island's light as a smoke monster like her son or a form capable of doing similar such deeds. And I have seen others speculate this same idea elsewhere.

Mommy Dearest, the Original Smoke Monster & Island Protector?:

If Mother was a smoke monster, it's not clear if there can only be one at a time. If ten people go into that light, would the result be 10 smoke monsters? Or is being Smokie a title and there can only be one? I'm inclined to think the latter. Mother told the two brothers that "one" of them would have to be the Island's protector. That job went to Jacob, either by default/elimination or because it was always his destiny. Was that always his destiny or not? His brother was the "special" one, according both of his mothers. But does that mean they were correct? And who said that being "special" equals Island protector? Just because MIB is not the official "protector" of the Island, I do think his role as Smokie is, if nothing else, just as special.

Smokie and Jacob were Originally "One", sort of:

Earlier this season, I really began subscribing to the theory that Smokie and Jacob were originally one entity, two halves of the whole--black/white, yin/yang, good/evil etc (available at: http://theoriesonlost.blogspot.com/2010/04/everything-that-rises-must-converge-red.html).

I also said that this theory was a bit of a leap, even for LOST viewers. Recognizing that the concept of Jacob & Smokie existing at one time as a singular entity was a heady concept, I also said that the same concept could be expressed if they were shown to be blood brothers, ideally twins. And this is exactly what happened. I think what prevented me from thinking they were brothers was the fact that only one, Jacob, had a name. At first I thought it was pretty silly that Smokie didn't have a name. That his mother had not thought of two names was not a sufficient explanation to me. In his 43 years of "mortal" life, neither Jacob or his mother even came up with a nickname for him. What did the "corrupt and greedy" people he resided with for 30 of those years call him? Surely they came up with something.

The other person who didn't have a name was Mother (crazy, not maternal Claudia). Just as she seemed to be a smoke monster lacking any formal name, so to was her "special" son. Like mother like son. Both liars, both smoke monsters, both nameless and both killers. Perhaps this is why his true mother, Claudia, only appeared to him and wanted him to go live with the "Others." It could be that she knew Jacob was not destined to be such a thing and did not need her special attention. The best way for MIB to escape his smokie fate was for him to leave the Island before this could happen. I’m really not sure on this point, but it can't be ruled out either.

In any event, the twins Mother's job included functions that we, as viewers have seen performed by two different beings (Jacob & Smokie). Thus, their two jobs can be thought of as One. And the two twins, sharing the same Red blood were originally One as well when conceived in their mother's womb. There, in her womb, what had been One developed into two.

It was important we saw their birth to witness One becoming the two. The two came from their One mother. Their father was never mentioned and it's not clear ever would have learned about the concept of a father at all as boys. Since One had become two with their birth, the "one" from which they came was immediately murdered in cold (red) blood by the woman the boys would call their Mother, even after learning that she had not given birth to them. The brothers only ever knew one Mother and always considered woman who raised them to be theirs, maternal or not.

Even Smoke Monsters and Jacob have Mommy Issues, but do they know what Daddies are?:

Unlike almost every other character on LOST, certainly every central character and all the candidates, Jacob and his brother don't have "daddy issues." Their only father issue, if one considers it to be one, was that they didn't have a father. Certainly, they had mommy issues...but so did many other Losties, in addition to their daddy issues. There are so many directions to take with this huge and conspicuous fact that I don't even want to go down that rabbit hole.

Where Was Yoda Jacob? Not in "Across the Sea", apparently:

So I will wrap up my thoughts on "Across the Sea" with my biggest problem with the episode, which was that for all the answers and explanation we received, still only showed us a blink of Island history and the early life of Jacob and Smokie. When MIB became Smokie and Jacob was named protector, they were 43. But they were not men. These two are many hundreds, perhaps two thousand years old. The Jacob in "Ab Aeterno" and the Jacob we saw touch the candidates was Jacob "the man." We are used to a wise, deity like being older than Yoda's 900 years. It's Yoda Jacob we "know" and would want to revere. That's not what we got this week. We only got to see Jacob take his first step on the long road of becoming Yoda Jacob.

Yoda Jacob had his own "Lighthouse" (emphasis on the "light"). Yoda Jacob knew how to leave the Island, knew himself. Yoda Jacob built a network of followers on the Island and off, seemed omnipotent in his knowledge, could heal with a touch and was very well read. And that's what I wanted to see in "Across the Sea". I suppose the Jacob in this week's episode could be compared to a very young Jack--he didn't seem to "have what it takes." Clearly, I think, Jacob did have it what it takes. And I still think Jacob is going to prove his brother wrong, hopefully with Jack...someone equally underestimated as he seems to have been.

Thank you for reading. If you liked my post, feel free to visit my blog at: http://lost-looking-glass.blogspot.com/