LOST Notes

[TheBeard]

I also had a thought strike me last night:

From what we've been shown of the Temple previously (that is to say, the area underneath the outer walls that surround the Temple), we've been lead to believe that the Temple is either where the smoke monster lives or is under the protection of the smoke monster, or something along those lines. Yet when the Others inside the Temple found out about Jacob's death, they immediately went into "lockdown mode" and made a point to draw a barrier of ash about their Temple's inner walls.

We saw the same ring of ash encircling Jacob's cabin, and every time we saw this ash we were also shown a gap in the ash. Ilana and her crew pointed out that this meant that Jacob had not been in that cabin for some time (which, now makes me wonder if it's been the smoke monster who's been leading everyone on the island along, especially Locke, with visions of dead people). The reason for this ash was shown to us when the smoke monster attacked Brahm and the others: Apparently, Smokey can't cross that barrier.

Now, my question: If Smokey had been so near the Temple for so long, why wasn't there an ashen barrier in place to begin with? What was keeping him out of the Temple? What power does (did) Jacob have to keep Smokey at bay? If Jacob's cabin needed to be protected by ash, was his room "in the shadow of the statue" any different?

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by TheBeard

Now, my question: If Smokey had been so near the Temple for so long, why wasn't there an ashen barrier in place to begin with? What was keeping him out of the Temple? What power does (did) Jacob have to keep Smokey at bay? If Jacob's cabin needed to be protected by ash, was his room "in the shadow of the statue" any different?

I think it's quite clear after last week's episode that John Locke (or at least current living Locke) is also the smoke monster. Smokey/Locke is also the same guy that's sitting on the beach with Jacob in last season's finale watching Black Rock find the island.

Apparently, there are "rules" involved in the interaction between Jacob and Smokey/Locke/man in black. At least that's what they say in one recent episode. One of these rules is that Smokey/Locke/MIB cannot kill Jacob which is why he had to get Ben to kill him. So, I guess Jacob never really needed any protection from Smokey.

[Skywalker]

I'm all caught up now!!!

[TheBeard]

Originally Posted by MikeyC

I think it's quite clear after last week's episode that John Locke (or at least current living Locke) is also the smoke monster. Smokey/Locke is also the same guy that's sitting on the beach with Jacob in last season's finale watching Black Rock find the island.

That was never in question. But my references and questions stem from the time in the show when we only knew him as the smoke monster.

Originally Posted by MikeyC

Apparently, there are "rules" involved in the interaction between Jacob and Smokey/Locke/man in black. At least that's what they say in one recent episode. One of these rules is that Smokey/Locke/MIB cannot kill Jacob which is why he had to get Ben to kill him. So, I guess Jacob never really needed any protection from Smokey.

This is true; there are some interesting rules governing the interaction of Jacob and Smokey. Although Jacob (apparently) cannot be killed by Smokey, Jacob's cabin still needed to be protected by a ring of ash. We also know that Jacob's cabin (apparently) isn't always visible and isn't always in the same place, so perhaps that was an added security measure. Even so, what was protecting Jacob's shelter under Taweret, and what was protecting the Temple when they did not ring the inner walls with ash? This was not explained, so I think it's something more than simple "rules" about "killing Jacob." Remember that Smokey (as Locke) had to be taken to Jacob by Richard; he did not know where Jacob was and could not find Jacob on his own.

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by TheBeard

Remember that Smokey (as Locke) had to be taken to Jacob by Richard; he did not know where Jacob was and could not find Jacob on his own.

I don't think finding Jacob was a problem for smokey. I think he was just trying to maintain the illusion that he was Locke by pretending not to know where Jacob was. He had to keep everyone convinced he was Locke so that no one would warn Jacob and so that Ben could be convinced to kill Jacob.

[TheBeard]

Originally Posted by MikeyC

I don't think finding Jacob was a problem for smokey. I think he was just trying to maintain the illusion that he was Locke by pretending not to know where Jacob was. He had to keep everyone convinced he was Locke so that no one would warn Jacob and so that Ben could be convinced to kill Jacob.

Hmm, I might have to go back and re-watch the last few episodes of last season. The more I think about it now, the more I'm remembering little glimpses that seemed to say that Ben knew exactly where they were going without Richard telling him. If this is true, then there's a lot more here going on than meets the eye. Then again, when is this not true?

[white_s2k]

Originally Posted by TheBeard

Hmm, I might have to go back and re-watch the last few episodes of last season. The more I think about it now, the more I'm remembering little glimpses that seemed to say that Ben knew exactly where they were going without Richard telling him. If this is true, then there's a lot more here going on than meets the eye. Then again, when is this not true?

Ben was all too "shocked" during the last few episodes of last season about all that was transpiring. I found that very weird, Ben is ALWAYS in control.. especially when we think he's not. Ben has basically disappeared these first two episodes of the season, and I get the feeling the writers want it that way. I think they have something big planned for Ben this season. What that is? Hell if I know

[TheBeard]

Originally Posted by white_s2k

Ben was all too "shocked" during the last few episodes of last season about all that was transpiring. I found that very weird, Ben is ALWAYS in control.. especially when we think he's not. Ben has basically disappeared these first two episodes of the season, and I get the feeling the writers want it that way. I think they have something big planned for Ben this season. What that is? Hell if I know

Agreed: Ben was uncharacteristically out of control at the end of the last season. Then again, can we blame him? "Dead is dead," and yet there he is, standing right there after Ben choked the life out of him with his own two hands. Even Richard didn't know what to make of the situation. That would be enough to shake anybody, I'd say. Also it seems apparent that Ben had never seen an apparition of a dead person on the island, unlike the Losties who see Christian Shephard et. al. from time to time. So when the smoke monster showed Ben his dead daughter and that vision told Ben to follow Locke, I wouldn't really blame Ben's pants for being a little brown, nor would I be surprised at how much of a loss Ben finds himself.

I did like what I saw in Ben's eyes last episode (LAX, part 2) after the smoke monster killed Brahm et. al. Ben finally had enough pieces to start putting enough of it together to make a plan. We definitely haven't seen the last of this manipulator.

[woops]

Originally Posted by TheBeard

We saw the same ring of ash encircling Jacob's cabin, and every time we saw this ash we were also shown a gap in the ash. Ilana and her crew pointed out that this meant that Jacob had not been in that cabin for some time (which, now makes me wonder if it's been the smoke monster who's been leading everyone on the island along, especially Locke, with visions of dead people). The reason for this ash was shown to us when the smoke monster attacked Brahm and the others: Apparently, Smokey can't cross that barrier.
Now, my question: If Smokey had been so near the Temple for so long, why wasn't there an ashen barrier in place to begin with? What was keeping him out of the Temple? What power does (did) Jacob have to keep Smokey at bay? If Jacob's cabin needed to be protected by ash, was his room "in the shadow of the statue" any different?

I've thought for some time that "Smokey" may have been trapped inside of Jacob's cabin, BY THE ASH. Perhaps he was confined to the cabin. ???

[TheBeard]

Originally Posted by woops

I've thought for some time that "Smokey" may have been trapped inside of Jacob's cabin, BY THE ASH. Perhaps he was confined to the cabin. ???

I actually thought, for some time, that Jacob was malevolent and was trapped in the cabin by the ash. It seems that things are the other way around. Then again, we're being told that Smokey is evil by the followers of Jacob. "No man is evil in his own mind"-type of scenario.

And now that I think about it, we've heard Ben (and maybe others?) refer to Smokey as a defense system designed to protect the Temple. I wonder what that's about...