'Lost': The heir (un)apparent
When it comes to "Lost," there's no shortage of opinions and theories. And that's why blogging about the show can be both a blessing and a curse. The gerund "blogging" often comes with a derogatory connotation, perceived as some inherently inferior version of the almighty "writing." I'm not here to start some turf war over the issue, but I will say that should the day ever come when I'm tasked with writing the Great American Novel (or, more likely, something about teenage girls and vampires), I will be worse for wear without my readers constantly commenting on my output.
Earlier this week, I dropped a two-part theory that suggested Richard Alpert's overarching motivation is to find the Island heir so he can finally die. I didn't try and pretend that this is the only motivation for his actions, but the thought intrigued me and so I shared it. As I am wont to do around here. Problem was, I spent so much time focusing on Richard that I unwittingly forgot to dote upon the heir. So, through no intentional fault of my own, I may have miscolored both Richard's work and Jacob's intentions.
I didn't know I'd done this until a few commenters chimed in, understandably confused by my entry's implications. Had I been writing a chapter in a book about Richard Alpert, I might have missed this. Luckily, I wrote a blog entry about it, and so I get the chance to amend my earlier entry. And essentially, that's all I ever do here on the blog: amend earlier entries. That's the beauty of having the chance to write about this show for four to five times a week: I get to engage in a constantly evolving understanding about the show through my own explorations and your engagement to those explorations. That, and the money I get from Zap2it bought me that sweet BMW. And by "sweet BMW" I mean "a combo platter at Chili's."
The confusion comes from misinterpreting "Island heir" as the next "Island ruler." It's an assumption I've made for quite some time, and it's a crucial mistake in terms of understanding the ultimate end-goal of both Jacob and the show as a whole. It also helps explain why it's so damn hard to find a true heir for the Island. No one in the show seems to understand what Jacob knows all too well: the function of the heir is not to rule but to dissolve.
I'd also say the word "ruler" (or something similar, like "king") is misleading when talking about the person Richard is looking for, which is why I opted for the word "heir." The heir inherits the Island, but isn't necessarily intended to rule it. In fact, that might be the ultimate purpose of the heir, and the ultimate sign of the progress Jacob wants: moving away from possessive, selfish instincts of which The Man in Black speaks towards a higher notion of what both The Island means and humanity itself can achieve.
In other words, let's posit the following: what if The Island is intimately tied into the state of humanity, and the heir breaks this limiting, symbiotic tie in order to push human beings to the next level? People such as Charles Widmore and Benjamin Linus are unworthy heirs because they are too possessive of both the Island and the status that comes with being the leader of The Others. But the true heir doesn't consolidate power; he or she distributes/disperses it.
Because The Man in Black does not understand this, he is doomed to fail. In the famous book, "The Art of War," Sun Tzu writes, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." Seasons 4 and 5 were full of sound and fury, but in the seemingly final moments of his life, Jacob showed them to signify nothing. The Man in Black is ALL tactics: he bobs, weaves, maneuvers, cajoles, contorts, and generally focuses on the minutiae in order to defeat Jacob. On the other hand, Jacob is all strategy, patiently letting things play out while keeping his eye on the largest prize. And since The Man in Black misunderstands Jacob's ultimate end-game, his tactics are in some ways pointless.
Jacob's strategy throughout the millennia has been to find the singular individual who would recognize the Island as a litmus test for man's capacity to evolve beyond what he is. If you love an Island, then set it free. I'm pretty sure that's what Sting once sung about. Setting the Island free in turn sets humanity free to take the next step. Replace Stanley Kubrick's black monolith with Darlton's donkey wheel and you get a decent approximation of a fundamentally inexplicable entity that taps into something deep within the well of humanity potential to propel them onwards in an evolutionary sense. Living forever was never Jacob's goal: living long enough was. Dying for him doesn't mean defeat. Getting people to the proper place before his death ensured eventual victory.
Given all this, it's no wonder why readers such as Barry suggest Hurley is the true Island heir. That boy gives away everything. Huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, that Hurley. After returning to the real world as a member of the Oceanic 6, he proceeds to give away his entire lottery winnings rather than horde it. In "Everyone Hates Hugo," he solves the problem of food rationing by giving away the store in one big blow-out. In a show full of navel-gazers, Hurley constantly is looking out for others. Hell, his empathy extends beyond this plane of existence into the realm of the dead. Plus, the dude throws a mean Hot Pocket shuriken. Always comes in handy when facing down smoke monsters.
I'll have more to say on the Island heir, but I think I'll turn it over to your thoughts on the matter now. After all, it's the only way this discussion is going to evolve, right?
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I dislike being the first commenter after a rough day at work and 1.5 pomegranate martinis but I will do my best. Is Jacob dead? There is no John Locke on the island dead or alive to be the loophole persuader of Ben Linus murderer and who even knows if Ben grew up to be an Other if we subscribe to New testament LOST. I can't wait to see what LOST pedia does to start new pages with alternate reality updated into them. I really like the Hurley theory, wonder if there is something that the MIB MUST NOT HAVE ACCESS TO in the guitar case?
I really can't say this enough: the island is the game board. The game is can humanity learn to love/move to a higher level, etc. And after the game is finished, who gets to keep the board means nothing. So picking an island heir is not the finale...
Is Jacob looking for someone to replace him? I don't think so. Is he the knight in "Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade" that's been guarding the grail for thousands of years and needs a rest? Nope. Jacob is a shepherd of humanity trying to point people in the right direction. Like Darlton have always said, it's the people that count!
while i am fascinated by your theory and think it would be supercool if that were the case, i really still do not understand what jacob's endgame is either.
ok fine, he's trying to prove that humanity can be good and do the right thing, whereas mib is trying to say there is really just no hope.
it's a great metaphor for the times we live in right now considering everyday i drive around and other people in cars/trucks/vans assume that they can just drive into me or cut me off and have no consideration or thought for anyone else, just focused on their personal direction. unless of course someone else is in an accident on the side of the road. then everyone has to stop and stare at them.
and while small, in cases and behviour like that i have no confidence in humanity. everyone is too selfish.
and i think, like you, that is why i love hurley. if he were a real person, i'd want him to be my bff. or at least just let him know how amazing i think he is.
and i totally agree with you.
that spirit of generosity is something that no other characters on the show have. everyone else has a goal that is centered around something they want for themselves. hurley just wants everyone to be cool and happy and safe. and if there is something he can do to make that happen, he will do it.
he can be and has been manipulated by other people to help them reach their goals. but he is still hurley. no one has been able to completely change or deter him what he believes in no matter what they say or do to him.
it's so simple and pure. and i have a whole new appreciation for hurley after your post.
Mmmm ... combo platter from Chilis.
OK, now I can go finish reading the article.
Ryan,
I really like BRIAN's hypothesis and your expansion on it. That is why I love reading this blog. There are so many great ideas that you and your readers come up with. Sometimes they don't pan out but it gives me something to ponder while "jonesing" for the next season to start.
I also enjoy your sly, silly, pop culture references that you slip into your articles.
"Give it away.
Give it away.
Give it away now."
BTW - Did you see Jacob (Mark Pellegrino) on "Supernatural" last night? He plays the devil ('s vessel). Talk about a switch in roles.
@Zap2itRyan:
I'm not 100% on the idea of a singular heir, but I'm simpatico with your belief in Jacob's goals to push humanity into the next level of existence.
So, what do you think would be the method in which the heir or heirs realize their purpose and change things?
Would it be a kind of Neo-esque enlightenment, a gaining of new powers and a united front to stop the MiB once and for all?
Would it be the acceptance that the heir/heirs must sacrifice themselves to save humanity as a whole and thus initiate some kind of self destruct sequence of the Island itself?
Would it be a mass revelation that sweeps over our characters and maybe all of humanity, creating worldwide peace and understanding?
Would the enlightenment bring the resurrection of Jacob to return and fix things, like Aslan the Great Lion?
I'm interested in knowing what you and the rest of the commenters think the endgame will actually entail, providing our hypothesis of Jacob's goal is correct.
Jacob's goal is simply redemption--the redemption of the 815 crashees, the redemption of the Others, the redemption of humanity itself. Through, and with, their own free will. I don't think it has to do necessarily with "progress" in the sense of "evolving" into something totally different or new--it just has to do with becoming truly human, with defeating the evil, doubt, and fear within us. Humanity isn't going to evolve into "pure energy" in some Star Trek sci-fi version of the apocalypse; we're just going to finally get things right, finally get to where we should have been all along. The Others are part and parcel of this, as Jacob's "special people"--and so are the passengers of 815. How it's all going to play into all of this, I don't know--but one thing I'm sure of. Redemption is Jacob's goal, and not the ubermensch.
@Nathan:
I don't think any of us is saying that we're expecting a literal evolution of the human race into transcendental beings of light. We're talking about a metaphorical evolution; a redemption of the heart, mind and soul.
I don't have anything specific to contribute on this because I don't feel like the show has shown us enough of the whole MIB/Jacob thing. The usual complaints follow!
If you think about the other mysteries, we often had several episodes to get used to something in the show before something new and significant was revealed about it. "The Hatch" is probably the best example, because a number of things became known about it, and it seemed like it took several episodes between each one. "The Others" is a good example of taking time between revelations, but a bad example of actually learning things (that don't turn out later to be red herrings, revisionist re-writes, or seemingly pointless minor details). We still don't know what their story is, IMO.
Until we are comfortable with Jacob/MIB (beyond "MIB bad - he made Ben kill Jacob") there can't really be a twist on it. An assumption that was only created in the season finale is not deeply held as of the next season premier, even if 8 months have passed in real life.
Maybe the twists are over and the final season will all be explanation, but I'm afraid that won't be so. Reading this post I'm imagining something happening like "Lapidus is the heir to the island." I'm also imagining my reaction: "Um, OK, whatever." Quite honestly at this point I would have the same reaction to "Jack is the heir to the island." I have that reaction already when I think about the O6er scenes leading up to The Event. I still enjoy the reveals like MIB and Jacob watching the Black Rock but I'm having a harder time identifying with the actual action of the main "present-day" storyline. I'm afraid Darlton have bitten off more than they can chew and I'm worried that the final season is all going to be as hurried as the end of the last one.
wouldn't turnip head be destined to fill that role?