What if Jacob already was replaced? by Amongst the Waves

After watching "Across the Sea" again I began to look for what the writers were showing us and telling us without coming out and saying it. The bottle of wine really stood out to me, not only for its religious overtones, but its actual useage in anoiting Jacob as Mother's replacement. I believe that MIB was NOT immortal at the point Mother told him he never had to worry about dying, she was already assuming he would be her replacement. Jacob became immortal with the sip of wine, and later kills his brother.

This bottle is next shared between Jacob and Richard, 1600 years later. The bottle is subsequently smashed by MIB after Jacob offers it to him, almost taunting him. This would explain Richards aging better that a touch, it was the wine. It also puts a twist on Richard's scene with Jack in the Black Rock, and the submarine scene.

So Richard is, and has been, the new guardian of the island, and with the wine gone, he cannot be replaced. This is his pennance to avoid hell. This also explains Illana looking for Ricardus, and that he will know what to do.

This was my first post, so let me have it! Thanks for reading!