In yesterday's edition of Island Times, I tried to identify the locus of the various ghosts, spirits, and apparitions seen on the Island throughout the run of Lost. Were these a product of a self-aware sentient Island, those who found their way to its shores, or a combination of both? And in the end, many of you felt the same way I did, which is lucky for you, because when it comes to Lost, I'm always right. (Cough.) It's both more probable and more dramatically interesting if it's the first option: a self-aware Island, but one that nevertheless continually forges a (hopefully) symbiotic relationship with those drawn to its shores.

Now, this is all well and good when one considers the Island's history to be that of a conscious entity periodically drawing people into its hidden sphere for psychic nourishment, education, companionship...really, and or all of the above is possible once you subscribe to the notion of a sentient land mass. But above all, it presupposed a scenario in which one basic fact is true in all its permutations: that it's the island drawing those particular people in. It is NOT a situation in which people discover the Island without its consent.

In a sense, the Island has historically granted access to its lush environment. Those who built the four-toed statue, those on the Black Rock, and countless others that would have found themselves suddenly on this Island did not seek the Island in any way, shape, or form. Indeed, for the first few millennia of human history, man sought to fill in blank holes on the world map. The Island could avoid unwanted attention quite easily in an age when Christopher Columbus discovered America by accident. But as those holes filled in, and the world came close to yielding up its mysteries, it was almost a matter of time before the pattern reversed and someone actively sought, located, and landed upon the Island against its will.

Enter the Dharma Initiative.

One can view the ongoing war between The Hostiles and the Initiative through the prism of Alpert's people actively fighting for the survival of the Island itself, not merely their own parcel of land in coexistence with the Dharmites. To build a series of cold, metallic hatches amidst such a wonderland was as much a blasphemy to the Island itself as it was to The Hostiles, and as such, the leader of the Hostiles was not Richard Alpert but the Island itself. One can only suppose the type of interaction the Hostiles had with the Island, but one similar to that of Locke is not out the question: an innate sense of the Island's wants and desires, without it needing to explain in plan language. If so, one can further understand Richard's surprise at Ben's ability to physically SEE the ghost of spirits Richard and his ilk could only feel.

The Island's sentient nature was both the greatest blessing and greatest obstacle for the Dharma Initiative. Given the nature of the experiments inherent to their work, the Island provided a laboratory unlike no other on earth. However, the Initiative would have to set up a series of protocols to essentially prevent the Island from mucking up their work. At some point, as in so many works of sci-fi, some element of science crossed over with some element of the fantastical, and boom: an "incident" occurred.

The specifics of said incident will probably remain secret until Season 6 of the show (just a hunch), but in many ways the specifics are less important than the results. One result we know: the establishment of the 108-minute button pushing exercises inside the Swan. But I'm willing to wager than there were more side effects of this incident, side effects that inform the very fabric of the show and explain the Island that we know today. In essence, when the incident occurred, the Island fundamentally altered.

And here's the part of the tale in which we get Jacob and Smokey, two figures that have hovered over there on the periphery, like two kids picked last for dodgeball during recess. And trust me, you don't wanna make Smokey wait any longer. Thing gets mad scary when angered. Jacob just gives you the evil eye, so if you can take that, you've got things down pat. But I digress...

I hadn't noticed this before doing a little research for tonight's entry, but if you look at this picture of Jacob, you start to understand why The Others/Hostiles dressed the way they did through the first few seasons. They are, in a sense, wearing his uniform. I find that potential fact fascinating, if for no other reason that it suggests that Jacob pre-dates the Dharma Initiative. His cabin and adverse reaction to Locke's flashlight also suggest this as well. I could spin some high-falutin theory about how Jacob is merely the Island given shaggy, flashlight-fearing form, but perhaps it's something simpler: he's the Island's mouthpiece, the epicenter of human interaction with the Island, the conduit through which every ghost and spirit appears. He's Walt 1.0, in other words.

And given Richard's agelessness, it's not clear exactly how much he predates the Dharma Initiative. Was he a crew member of the Black Rock? Quite possible, especially with all the recent Black Rock references on the show. Is he in fact himself Magnus Hanso? Another "quite possible" here. It sure would play a lot better than Deck Swabber Sanders morphing into the most powerful psychic on the planet, and yields yet another reason why Alvar Hanso was so interested in the Island from the get go. Point of the matter is this: the "incident," so near as I can tell, did not create Jacob. But it did create Smokey.

How? Don't worry, I've got the answer to that. But that answer will have to wait another day. Sorry, kids. If it makes you feel better, imagine that "thunk" that ends nearly every episode occurring at the end of this paragraph to give it that extra cliffhanger zing.

That being said, you need not wait for my take to forward one of your own. Do you think The Dharma Initiative's arrival marked a new era on the Island, or was it merely business as (un)usual? Is Jacob an actual person, or merely a manifestation? And how does the all-important "incident" fit into all of this? Leave your thoughts below!

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.

Comments

Jacob and Frank really do look alike. Hmmmmmm

Tim | Apr 1, 2008 6:09:14 PM | #

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I think the arrival of Dharma on the Island did mark a new era for the Island. It suddenly had people on it that wanted to harness its power. The Island went from living in obscurity to warding off unwanted guests. The Incident may actually be the arrival of Dharma. The Island suddenly had to defend itself, which in turn would have created Smokey.

As I said earlier, I believe Jacob is the face of the Island so to speak. He is just a means in which to communicate with the Island. He most likely just appears differently to different people as he not an actual physical being.

Shaggysteve | Apr 1, 2008 7:51:45 PM | #

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Smokey as a creation of the Island...i like that Shaggysteve. how about then that Jacob is trapped by the Island b/c he's the one who discovered it or whatever. like Michael can't kill himself, Jacob can't leave, and "It" wants Hurley and the other O6'ers to go back.

mri | Apr 1, 2008 8:18:06 PM | #

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Nah, the face of The Island is Haley Joel Osment, when he was around 8 or so. "I see dead people, Jack." Seriously, I like Shaggysteve's idea about the face of The Island being different to different people. It might explain why certain characters are having more difficulty adjusting than others, as some appearances by The Face of The Island have been pretty damn spooky. As for me, if I were a Lostie, I'd want The Face of The Island to be Tina Louise from Gilligan's Island. No reason, really, but it would be hell and gone better than a polar bear, smoke monster or Haley Joel Osment ("I see dead people, Locke...ack!" *thump*).

As for the Dharma Initiative, and since I honestly haven't done much reading beyond these blogs into the nuts and bolts of Lost, I'm not sure about how much influence they did have on The Island. It would make sense if there had been an ancient civilization on The Island centuries earlier that had left either some intelligent form of life, or a form of unknown technology that acted as a sentinel of some kind, making it difficult for others like Dharma to use The Island for their purposes. The only thing I'm fearful of is that the writers are spending so much time focusing on the fate of the Oceanic Six and the others left behind on The Island that the history of the place might get left in the rubbish heap. True, there are still many, many episodes to go, but I worry that things like the four-toed-foot statue might never get explained. I hope not, because leaving even a little loose end like that would be mighty disappointing. Then again, when the official Lost companion (in however many volumes it will be) comes out, maybe this will all be dealt with in book form. We'll just have to wait and see.

"I see dead people, Kate...ooh, Kate, nice shorts..." *punch* *thud* Sorry, can't get Haley Joel Osment on The Island out of my head. I'll stop now.

Dark Disciple | Apr 1, 2008 8:20:49 PM | #

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I most definitely think the presence of the DHARMA Initiative on the Island is of supreme importance. Did it change the Island itself fundamentally? I don't really think it did. The real significance of the DHARMA Initiative, other than being a vehicle through which the supernatural secrets of the Island can be revealed, is to be a common thread that ties into the past, present and future of the story of Lost.

The presence of the polar bear in Tunisia, found by Charlotte, is an excellent clue, I think, to show us that DHARMA is directly and indirectly the cause of the events on the Island we're witnessing right now: the arrival of the freighter, the secret mission of its crew and the desire to exploit the Island. These facets of the story are all linked directly to Charles Widmore and could not exist if DHARMA hadn't been established on the Island to set up the exploitation theme and also be the entity through which Widmore has knowledge of the Island. I'm also starting to think that perhaps the Hanso Foundation, the major source of funding for the DHARMA Initiative, is linked to the Others, as evidenced by the credentials on Harper's wall and the presence of "HNSO" being present in the serial numbers of both Ben and Michael's passports.

As far as the Incident is concerned, I believe it is specifically the very first catastrophic failure of the Swan station's electromagnetic reactor and likely the reason Dr. Marvin Candle lost his arm. Did the Incident change the Island forever? I don't think so, but it create a scenario in which the fate of the world rested on the push of a button. Yet again, something that could not have happened if the DHARMA Initiative had not been established on the Island.

Lastly, Smokie. I've always held the firm belief that, given the highly mechanical nature of this monster, it's a man made creation. I think its original purpose was to act as a security measure that would ensure the DHARMA scientists working in the various stations around the Island did not leave their posts to explore or accidentally compromise another station's experiments. This kept the scientists' heads down and focused on the task at hand and the most important task of the Initiative: to try to save the world as we know it before it's too late. If you look at the blast door map, there's mention of the possibility of the Cerberus System experiencing a catastrophic failure at some point and I believe this is where Smokie went from being a "smoke and mirrors" scare-tactic to a sentient being capable of looking inside a person and exacting judgment upon them.

Jeff | Apr 1, 2008 8:55:11 PM | #

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Jeff, I like the Smokey explanation, because it builds on the security measure thing and elaborates a bit more. If I can recall, did Juliet not know what Smokey was? Maybe Ben was actually telling the truth (for once) about knowing what Smokey was?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 2, 2008 12:10:44 AM | #

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I think we can view the Dharma Initiative as the ushering in of the modern age to the Island.

From what I understand, Dharma started around the late 60's, which was also the time:

a) the military industrial complex was at its peak
b) we started the space race, trying to connect our world to the greater universe
c) technology was turning a corner, with the first computers and cable TV's and other devices
d) the first beginnings of global corporations/organizations, like the Hanso Foundation

Suddenly, this lost island and its people, who had lived in peace and free from the rest of the world, were now being assaulted by the modern age and all the trappings that came with it.

The Purge effectively removed the Dharma Initiative, but not the desire of the organizations (Hanso, Widmore) to use and exploit the Island. So what Ben and Charles Widmore represent is no less than the struggle between the Island as it used to be, and the Island it has become from the influence of the modern age (which will go into overdrive once Widmore gets his hands on it).

Can you imagine? Dharmaland, the happiest (and freakiest) place possibly-on-Earth!

Other Sean | Apr 2, 2008 12:47:48 AM | #

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I don't think Jacob is Magnus Hanso or a member of the black rock (your imagination is just wild Ryan). He's just an aparition, or haven't you noticed on the actual episode that that was locke with a wig sitting on that chair?

sin laden | Apr 2, 2008 5:18:32 AM | #

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That wasn't Locke in a wig. That was a member of the Lost crew.

Jeff | Apr 2, 2008 5:34:54 AM | #

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Here's the thing about Jacob & Smokey. They seem to be seperate and, what I can't get out of my head, is the "help me" plea, uttered by Jacob to Locke. The state of his clothing, the disappearing act that he does, the history of the Black Rock, leads me to believe that he was on the ships manifest. He exists in his own time, at the will of the island and not his own. Partner this concept with the "no technology around Jacob" rule, and you've got yourself a time-wave argument that broached in the classic Kris Kristofferson movie, Millenium. I don't think that Jacob get upset by the presentation of todays technology. I do think that the presentation of technology to someone who exists in the past could be devastating to the future (see Terminator). And the presentation of new technology to a "Walt 1.0" (I like that, Ryan) could affect the past present and future. Thus, the Purge, and the protection of the island.

Brian of the North | Apr 2, 2008 6:11:29 AM | #

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I'm banging this out on my PDA so forgive my above grammatical errors.

Brian of the North | Apr 2, 2008 6:12:53 AM | #

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BOTN-

agree on Jacob being of another time. i'd forgotten the no tech rule you pointed out! you thinking he came in on the Black Rock or previous to that?

mri | Apr 2, 2008 7:29:24 AM | #

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My theory is that the Others dressed in their tattered clothes to put off anyone from wanting to find where they lived. If the Others appeared physically well off, outside people who found themselves on the island would naturally want to stay with the assumed comforts of the Others, rather than surviving on their own.

Xannie | Apr 2, 2008 7:52:47 AM | #

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I'm thinking with the attire that Jacob is sporting, he's a Black Rocker.

Brian of the North | Apr 2, 2008 7:52:53 AM | #

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I'm still puzzled by why Smokey seems to "scan" people and doesn't just always attack. It seems to have some intelligence (programmed or otherwise) and is "looking" for criteria before taking action. I like Jeff's line of thinking -- Dharma Watchdog gone bad?

And BOTN, I tend to agree with you that perhaps Jacob was on the Black Rock. Ryan points out that the Hostiles wore "Jacob's uniform" early on -- perhaps they only had access to the clothing that was on board the Black Rock.

But how all this ties together/interacts with Dharma, the "sickness," what happens to someone like Desmond when exposed to a high dose of electromagnetic energy...(twice). So many mysteries and connections to ponder.

And what ABOUT that electromagnetic energy? Is it a natural property of the island that Dharma was trying to suppress in the Swan? If so, how did it affect those on the Black Rock "before technology?" Before the Swan? Is Jacob a victim of being too close to a burst of electromagnetic energy and now "trapped" by the Island, needing it to exist, unable to die...? (The ultimate of the Island drawing someone to itself per Ryan's blog.)

Would Desmond have joined the realm of Jacob if he had not turned the fail-safe key that destroyed the Swan? Does the Island use that energy to purge itself of intruders? to keep outsiders away?

I think I'll simply go WAAAALLLTTing in the jungle now, thank you.

djc | Apr 2, 2008 8:12:39 AM | #

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I'll address this tonight, but Walt told Locke not to open the hatch because he immediately understood it would lead to Desmond turning the failsafe key which in many ways made the island more accessible than ever. Least that's my take.

Ryan | Apr 2, 2008 8:16:59 AM | #

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Ryan - something you mentioned in Part 2 yesterday made me think. (Sorry if this was hashed out already.)

Perhaps the flashbacks that the characters are experiencing are a small pre-symptom of what Desmond experienced on the helicopter. He was consious in those flashbacks, the other LOSTies are not - yet. Maybe they all do have the sickness - and it is not manifesting itself yet. Leaving the island makes is worse - a la Jack and Hurley going nuts.

Or maybe not.

MK46 | Apr 2, 2008 8:27:36 AM | #

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If Jacob is from another time, is he being prevented from going back to his own time by the ring of ash? He must be something of a spiritual or supernatural nature in order for something like a ring of ash to have any effect on him. I believe Jacob has been on the island for a very long time; maybe even preceeding the Black Rock. I wonder where these original inhabitants lived pre-Dharma. Did they live in houses, caves, in the woods, the Temple? Obviously new Otherton was built to house the Dharma Initiative team. I wonder how long it took Dharma to build all those stations and just how many Hostile attacks did they have to thwart?

MK46, which character flashbacks are you referring to? I don't remember anyone other than Desmond and Minkowski experiencing that phenom. I enjoy the character flashbacks that the writers create to tell us backstories but, other than that, there have been no flashbacks for anyone other than Des and Minkowski.

Chris | Apr 2, 2008 8:59:03 AM | #

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The crew guy who stood in for Jacob, the resemblance is unmistakable:

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Rob_Kyker

I think since Jacob is just an apparition, or a manifestation of the monster, or some other sort of shape shifty thing, I don't think it matters that much who "he" looks like, it may even take on different appearances to different people or at different times.

milo | Apr 2, 2008 9:25:22 AM | #

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Hi Chris - by flashbacks I mean backstories. I am just wondering if these backstories will have another aspect to them, relating to the sickness.

MK46 | Apr 2, 2008 9:26:57 AM | #

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A question just came to mind. If Ben pretty much grew up on the Island, how did he gain connections in the outside world? We now Richard and some Others were original Island inhabitants. However, it would seem Mr. Friendly, Ethan, Goodwin, Harper among others are not. They were all seemingly recruited by Ben in the outside world. I say we desperately need a flashback to explain how he built his empire off Island. Is Mittelos Bioscience Ben's own creation, or is it owned and/or funded by someone else?

Shaggysteve | Apr 2, 2008 10:01:15 AM | #

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MK46, I'm desperately awaiting Danielle's backstory so that we can have some idea of the sickness she always talks about with her crew. I am speculating we get a Danielle flashback soon since they just whacked her and everyone's got Rousseau on their minds now.

Shaggysteve, I was wondering the same thing about Ben. If he's become a part of the orginal island inhabitant's family, then how in the world did he establish all of his seeminly endless off island contacts and apparent wealth?
You're right, a lot of the "others" do not seem like original island dwellers such as the folks you just mentioned. Did Ben assume the identity of some high level Dharma executive or even Thomas Mittelwerk, himself when he planned the purge? I am curious to know how Ben, a fed-up little boy who's Dad was a workman for Dharma became (as Alex put it) a dangerous man with more connections and money than organized crime families.

Chris | Apr 2, 2008 10:44:49 AM | #

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There's no doubt that Danielle's backstory is one of the most anticipated flashbacks of the series at this point, especially with the 'sickness' storyline. Her flashback should shed some light onto what happened to her crew, and how/why Alex was taken. And what I'm most curious about, is if her ship crashed on the Island, where is it? It just doesn't seem she is telling the truth about her time on the Island.

Shaggysteve | Apr 2, 2008 10:58:35 AM | #

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I don't know that we know if any of the others are originally from the island, or recruited like Juliet.

Richard seems likely to be an original inhabitant, but he may not be, and others like Tom, Ethan, etc may be as well. Or maybe there are no original inhabitants, after all, a baby conceived on the island hasn't been born there in years, has it always been that way or did some event cause that to start happening?

milo | Apr 2, 2008 11:09:12 AM | #

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a note about jacob/locke "help me" ...

i thought that was more of a foreshadowing of locke saying "help me" to ben and there after was shot.

i almost thought jacob was warning lock of what was to come.

mel-c | Apr 2, 2008 11:36:31 AM | #

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Ryan, I agree with you till the last bit of your statement. I think that Walt was scared of the repercussions of what was going to happen once that hatch was blown open rather than him trying to protect the island. I say this after the conversation Michael had with Walt about the raft. Walt told Michael that he had burned the raft and asked could he help rebuild it. Then Michael said that if Walt wanted to stay then they will stay, but Walt slightly ADAMANTLY said that they needed to get off the island like pronto. This leads me to believe that the hatch opening was really the turning point of the story.

Also, if Locke is so in tuned with the island then wouldn't it have told him to leave the hatch alone?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 2, 2008 1:14:30 PM | #

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MOE--Methinks that Locke is taking inspiration from the island, but may not have a direct line (like Walt). So he makes mistakes and misinterprets what the island is saying to him. Locke hears "whisper whisper the hatch!", blows the hatch, the island says, "No you idiot! I said DON'T blow the hatch! Forget it. I'll go tell the kid."

Brian of the North | Apr 2, 2008 1:42:36 PM | #

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BOTN, that was HILARIOUS!!!! Does anyone else think that if Walt had of stayed that he would have been in danger of a jealous Locke, like Ben was of Locke when it came to Jacob? Just imagine if Walt and Jacob came in contact with each other... For all we know, they probably already have...

Mark O. Estes | Apr 2, 2008 2:46:11 PM | #

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