Theory on Jacob, MiB, the Island, and the "wine bottle" analogy

[chrisspringob]

SPOILERS for everything up through "Ab Aeterno" follow:











OK, here's an interesting theory that I can't really claim credit for. Much of this was posted on the IMDb message board, but I've reworded it in my own words, and fleshed it out a bit with a few of my own ideas. First, here is the relevant bit of dialogue from Ab Aeterno on the wine bottle analogy:

Jacob: "Think of this wine as what you keep calling 'hell.' There's many other names for it too: 'malevolence'; 'evil'; 'darkness.' And here 'it' is:"

He whirls the glass bottle into swirling the wine within:

Jacob: "Swirling around in the bottle, unable to get out -- because if it did, it would spread."

He retrieves the cork and makes a show of plugging the glass bottle with it:

Jacob: "The cork 'is' this Island.

He thoroughly plugs the bottle with the cork:

Jacob: "And it's the only thing keeping the 'darkness' where it belongs."

Most viewers seem to have interpreted that to mean that the wine represents MiB. And Jacob and the Island are keeping MiB bottled up, so he can't reach the outside world, and spread evil to the world.

But Jacob never names himself in the analogy, nor does he name MiB. Instead, *the Island* is the cork. The thing it's keeping in is 'evil', 'darkness', 'hell'. What if hell is the bottle, the wine is the evil in hell, and the Island is the cork that sits atop Hell and prevents darkness from spreading across the Earth? Both Jacob and MiB are then the "defenders of the Island" in some way.

Jacob has the power to turn mortals into immortals and give them important tasks which they keep for all eternity, as we saw him grant immortality to Richard. What if MiB was just a mere mortal who Jacob granted immortality to and turned him into "Cerberus"? (Cerberus was a multi-headed dog who guarded the gates of Hades in Greek mythology. The Dharma Initiative also referred to Smokey as "Cerberus".) This would also tie into Rousseau calling Smokey a "security system"** and MiB saying that Jacob "stole his body". MiB was tasked by Jacob to take up defense of the Island, which is important because the Island is the only thing separating Hell from Earth.

MiB may have been happy to do this at first, but he eventually wanted out. He wanted to give up his job on the Island and "go home" (not clear where that is). But he can't do that while Jacob is alive, because Jacob has some kind of mental hold over him. This is presumably also why MiB can't kill Jacob directly, and why he doesn't just go around killing everyone on the Island willy-nilly. He's constrained by Jacob in some way.....he can't just do whatever he wants.

Part of why he wants to give up on his job is because he no longer thinks humanity is worth it. If humans are irredeemable, then what difference does it make if there's hell on Earth? This is why Jacob has been trying for centuries to convince MiB that he's wrong about humanity, and that's why it's worth saving. That's why he kept bringing people to the Island. He wanted to really convince MiB so that MiB would understand why it's so important for him to protect the Island.

Now Jacob's dead, and MiB is plotting to leave. This is bad not because (as most viewers seem to think) MiB himself would directly spread darkness across the world, but because his leaving would make the Island vulnerable and the Island (the "cork") is the only thing preventing Hell from erupting onto the Earth.


** In fact, go to the Lostpedia page on Cerberus:

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Cerberus

and you find this excerpt from a scene in "Exodus":

They hid behind some large trees where Rousseau declared they were "safe". Jack asked Rousseau what had chased them and she referred to him as a "security system". Jack asked her what it did and she told him, "Its purpose is that of any security system; to protect something." Kate then asked what it protected and Rousseau replied, "the Island."

 

[Jetfire]

What if MIB loophole isn't just being in Lockes form...but someone taking his place...like SAWYER!!!

It just makes sense...Jacob has candidates...y not MIB?

Ok...I will move along.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

We don't really need to rationalize a crazy Rousseau into the picture to necessarily explain Smokey, but your theory nicely does that. I think the implication is that the Man in Black is the evil malevolence (or at least part of it), but it doesn't have to be. I think the big question are things like the Temple and the Statue. Who built them? Clearly the smoke was a part of the inscriptions.

The thing I keep harping on is the choice of words. Jacob didn't say the island was a prison, he said it was a cork. That implies that this force is much stronger than what we see on the island. I kind of wonder if the pockets of energy underground are part of it too.

 

[MikeS]

...And possibly why, when Dharma "tapped the energy" they needed to continue pressing a button to keep the evil at bay. I hope we get an episode with Marvin Candle to explain things from his perspective after "The Incident". I think that the writers have said they have finished with Dharma, doesn't neccessarily exclude this.

And OP, you have said exactly what I took the analogy to mean.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, they probably didn't know that's what they were doing. Just that it was a huge friggin magnet that could allow time travel to happen. Thinking about this more, Desmond released the energy inside by turning the key, so maybe it isn't the evil force. Perhaps just a property of the cork.

 

[Mr Awe]

I think MiB does equal the evil, sort of. The special magnetic fields off the island create a magnetic bottle that holds it in. Destroy the island, the fields are gone, the bottle is broken.

 

[Jenee]

Great analogy and gives me hope that the writers aren't resorting to the same old tired storyline of good vs evil.

It seems MIB's job is to protect not just the island but more importantly ... the temple?

So, one day Jacob and MIB are talking and MIB says 'no one can even get to this island, so why do we have to stay? and, even if someone did come here, who cares, all humans are evil anyway.'

and Jacob says "I don't think so. I know there is still good in people and I will prove it."

Thus begins the two millenia of bringing people to the island just so MIB has to kill them because they continue to get too close to ...the temple? maybe the spring?

MIB is tired of having to kill people and wants to end it, but Jacob, ass that he is, continues to bring people here trying to prove they are good - when they really aren't.

Dharma people (or previous others), after watching the Excorcist figures if they put some ash on the ground, they can keep MIB/Smokey at bay and get into the temple.

Jacob has lost control of 'the good people', yet refuses to admit it and MIB is tired of Jacob's stubborness and must take it upon himself to get all the people off the island so he can leave and the island will be fine by itself.

 

[MikeS]

^ <Awaits tirade from "Checkmate">

In all seriousness, I'm with you on this Jenee. I don't think the MiB, FLocke, Esau, Whoever, is as evil as we're being lead to believe. Thought this from the off.

 

[Jenee]

Right. It's just too easy. and Lost is anything but easy.

 

[Woulfe]

I think the island is a pocket universe.

The Door (cork) is easy to go into from just about anywhere, while the way out is one direction only ( as seen when Mike & Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalt left the island and elsewhere )

Because it is a pocket universe it has it's own rules & regulations that don't apply to the 'normal' universe on the other side. It also is both the Door (cork) and the location itself, in the traditional pocket universe sci-fi theory way.

This is why it can't be seen from outside with tech, do we have a way of detecting a pocket 'verse ? Not that I know of, but maybe in the future we will.

The Rules are pretty simple actually when one thinks about it.
Jacob & MiB are Ororborus [sp] 2 sides of the same coin, one black, one white, always fighting one another for all time, one cannot be allowed to destroy the other or it will create imbalance in the universe, in other words chaos would rain.

The kid we've seen I think is a physical manifestation of the Island itself, representing the scales that keeps good & evil balanced and the outside 'universe' safe.

Going with this theory means we have to accept that because it's a pocket 'verse that there are no shades of gray like with the normal 'verse it's Black or White, Science or Faith, Good or Evil, Fate or Destiny, etc etc etc etc.

Sorry to whoever thought that the writers will give us one last twist before the big battle happens, it's way to late in the series to pull that on us with so few episodes left and still a heck of a lot of questions to answer before the battle.

There are guys in white hats & guys in black hats and that's it, no guys in gray hats. HOWEVER, I can hear people say what about the boy who you said was the Island itself ?

Well, technically speaking he's not a man at all, he's the island, so he's not one or the other, he's the playing field, ever wonder how a playing field feels about this kind of conflict taking place on it ?

Now truth be know the island is only interested in itself, self preservation you might say, however the goal is to do things for the greater good, even if it means the end of itself.

Which brings me to the flash 'sideways' 'verse. What we're seeing there is in fact the island did sacrifice itself for the greater good and the 'sideways' 'verse is the result of that sacrifice.

The people who crossed paths on the island still crossed paths but because it wasn't in the pocket 'verse the choices they made lead to a different outcome.

So in summery.

Island is a pocket 'verse, a universe unto itself.
The Rules are simple, not complex as some seem to think.
Bad is Bad, Good is Good, no shades of gray, sorry.
Jacob & Mib are Oroborus [sp] the dragon that eats itself.

Dragon = Fire = Smoke, it's that simple folks, and if I can figure that out with my limited knowledge of mythology, anyone can, unless they're blind and want it to be COMPLICATED, like the real 'verse is.

Humans are complicated, they always have been, just look at the choices the people on the island have made so far and where that has ultimately put them at currently, all because they did not share any info with one another.

Mind you that this is only a theory, but so far everything seems to be pointing towards this being the truth behind LOST, a lot of us are guilty for making it overcomplicated.

Occom's Razor you know, the simpler explanation is the truth, sorry to use that here but well, someone had to do so sooner or later.

The other thing about making it a pocket 'verse is the whole mystical nature of the island, it's seeming magical qualities, are normal for this pocket 'verse, just not normal from OUR point of view as we've never been to a pocket 'verse, just in sci-fi & fantasy we've been to one, but not for real.

If we did enter one for real we'd be just as LOST as the people on the island are and just as confused by all the weirdness around us.

- OR -

The writers just played MYST once to often back in the day.

How's that for a four letter word ?

 

[Mr Awe]

^ <Awaits tirade from "Checkmate">

In all seriousness, I'm with you on this Jenee. I don't think the MiB, FLocke, Esau, Whoever, is as evil as we're being lead to believe. Thought this from the off.

Agree, and I discussed this in the poll thread. MiB is not all evil. He does bad things, obviously, but he also takes care of his flock. Jacob isn't all good either. He does good things but then again he abducts people from their lives for his own purposes.

In the end, both Jacob and MiB are using people for their own ends. They lead those people to believe there is a higher cause, but that's just to get them to play along. The higher cause is really just their own agenda.

The pawns, the regular people brought to the island, are better off working together than working for one of the higher powers.

And, to Woulfe, yes, there is plenty of grey here!

Mr Awe

 

[Checkmate]

1. If Smokey was a guardian of the island, he never would have let Dharma dig at the Swan site, and certainly not to the point where it would create "The Incident." If his duty was to protect, as individuals like Rousseau (who arrived after that event, indicating that Smokey had performing in that capacity since that time) seemed to believe, then he really screwed the pooch there.

2. It's simply obvious that Smokey is the evil Jacob was talking about. *Painfully* obvious. Even when the show comes out and all but tells you this directly by the main protagonist of the island, you still doubt it? Amazing.

3. If Smokey was the island's guardian, why exactly would Dogen or anyone else "in the know" try to kill him? How would that be any different than just letting him leave the island? Either way, there'd be no magical monster there to "protect" it or stop the forces of evil from being released, neh?

4. If it was instead the magnetic energy that was the "evil" Jacob was referring to, why would he allow it to be released every 108 minutes via the Swan Station? Especially when it could be so easily contained by just detonating the nuke that Dharma inexplicably placed underneath the station as a so-called "failsafe?" Doubly so since Jacob had access to at least some kind of limited precognitive magicks, so that he'd know the nuke would be "safe" to use. Meaning he just let all that evil -- the evil he's allegedly trying to stop -- get released on a regular basis for no apparent reason whatsoever.

5. If the magnetic energy is the true evil of the island, why the Hell is it so helpful in protecting it and its denizens? It heals, it moves the island, it shows Jacob its future protectors, etc. In fact, when has the island itself ever been shown to be "evil?" As opposed to, you know, commiting mass murder, having to have rules to prevent it from killing the island's real guardian, and etc. that Smokey represents?

6. Finally, if the island is so evil, why are all these ghosts/angels -- some of whom were good and decent people worthy of a more heavenly destination -- try to help protect it from the likes of Smokey and rally people to stay on Jacob's path? You know, like Isabella when she was talking through Hurley. Which clearly wasn't Smokey, because we saw him (still stuck in Locke's form), off in the distance.

 

[Jenee]

Your problem, checkmate, is that you won't even consider the possibility that your interpretation might be wrong.

Until you do, there's no point in having a discussion with you, because you don't want to discuss. You want to convince us you are correct.

You might be. But, you might not.

 

[Mr Awe]

2. It's simply obvious that Smokey is the evil Jacob was talking about. *Painfully* obvious. Even when the show comes out and all but tells you this directly by the main protagonist of the island, you still doubt it? Amazing.

It's actually *painfully* obvious that the writers are going out of their way to portray the fact that neither is all good or all evil. I expect this will be elaborated on in later episodes. No spoilers, just a prediction based on what I've seen. Both Jacob and MiB have harmed others and helped others. Perhaps only varying in the good to bad ratio. Ultimately, each has their own agenda and each is using others to accomplish it.

4. If it was instead the magnetic energy that was the "evil" Jacob was referring to,

5. If the magnetic energy is the true evil of the island,

I think the weird magnetic fields are the bottle that is containing MiB. But, hard to say at this point.

6. Finally, if the island is so evil, why are all these ghosts/angels -- .

I don't think anyone is saying that the island is evil.

Mr Awe

 

[MikeS]

Checkmate; The Island is a "cork" containing the "evil", or electromagnetism (?). Smokey isn't the "evil", he is merely a guardian that has become bored and just wants to leave.

Just take a moment to look at the evidence that could be used against Jacob - The purge, the lives ruined, how is he any better than Smokey? They are just using pawns for their own ends.

 

[Checkmate]

I'm not saying that Jacob is pure and innocent, or that Smokey is irredeemably evil. But Smokey is the evil being contained, and Jacob -- obviously no valiant prince based upon how he acted when he first met Richard plus the fact that he's been bringing innocents to the island to fend against such a malevolent force of evil -- is the man responsible for keeping that evil at bay.

Jacob may have been placed there to keep Smokey on the island, but he's also taken it upon himself to try to redeem Smokey, too. Which, you know, he wouldn't have to do if Smokey wasn't evil to begin with.

Jacob's certainly no saint. He's just a man who somehow inherited the task of containing Smokey. Their individual origins will be answered soon, but that won't change the fact of who and what they are today. And while Jacob has harmed people, he hasn't done so maliciously or for his own personal pleasure. He's done it for the greater good in an apparently feeble attempt to redeem the irredeemable. And hell, for all we know these people would have wound up on the island anyway. We've already seen evidence that the island has a will of its own, dragging Lapidus and countless others there despite Jacob's lack of direct intervention in their lives.

 

[Checkmate]

Checkmate; The Island is a "cork" containing the "evil", or electromagnetism (?). Smokey isn't the "evil", he is merely a guardian that has become bored and just wants to leave.

Read my points again. If the evil is the magnetic energies, neither Jacob nor Smokey did a God damned thing to stop it from being released by Dharma, and continued to let it be released everyone 108 minutes for over a decade. That great and powerful evil is also apparently responsible for healing people, allowing Jacob to find a new guardian for the island, and -- most importantly -- for bringing the Losties to the island.

Just take a moment to look at the evidence...

Follow your own advice.

 

[Jenee]

But Smokey is the evil being contained,

This is the main point you are getting stuck on. If you can get over this, then the rest will be easier to follow.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm saying, look at other possibilities.

and Jacob -- [...]-- is the man responsible for keeping that evil at bay.

No. He's protecting the island and the island is the cork that is keeping the 'evil' at bay.

Jacob may have been placed there to keep Smokey on the island, but he's also taken it upon himself to try to redeem Smokey, too. Which, you know, he wouldn't have to do if Smokey wasn't evil to begin with.

He's not trying to 'redeem' Smokey, he's trying to prove to MIB that there is good in people.

An entirely different thing.

And while Jacob has harmed people, he hasn't done so maliciously or for his own personal pleasure.

You are going on the assumption that Smokey/MIB is doing so maliciously and for his own pleasure.

If you can set that aside for a minute and look at things differently, you might see them in a different light.

He's done it for the greater good in an apparently feeble attempt to redeem the irredeemable.

Again, you are making assumptions. You have no idea what his true motivations are.

And hell, for all we know these people would have wound up on the island anyway. We've already seen evidence that the island has a will of its own, dragging Lapidus and countless others there despite Jacob's lack of direct intervention in their lives.

Lapidus was there because he flew the plane that Illana and the O6 were on. And, Jacob wanted them back. That's why Lapidus is there.

 

[Checkmate]

Lapidus was there because he flew the plane that Illana and the O6 were on. And, Jacob wanted them back. That's why Lapidus is there.

You can't even get that fact straight. He was also due to be the pilot for Oceanic 815, but he overslept. It wasn't just a random coincidence that he was also the pilot for the Ajira flight, too. Something wanted him on that island, and it certainly doesn't seem to be Jacob. It's far closer to fate. Same goes for quite a few other characters on the show. Which, you know, we see in every flashback and alternate reality that comes up. All these people were destined to meet one way or another.

Additionally, for someone going around accusing people of not being able to think outside the box, you're certainly pigheaded about your unfounded theories of what's going on in the show. Especially after they come out and all but directly reveal things to you on the show. So how about trying to be a little less of a hypocrite, mmkay?

 

[Jenee]

I had already conceded the point after the last episode.

However, after looking at it again with the OP's analogy, I am re-inspired.

And, let's not forget Eko's words "Don't mistake coincidence for fate." or vice versa.