So I just finished rewatching season 5. I've had a big picture-type theory of what's going on for a long time now. I think it was just solidified this time through and I'd like to run it past you. Goes like this:
The question the entire series is asking is, 'Can we be redeemed and how?' So far the show has given us two options, and they're really just the two options that we've historically been tending toward as humans. They are, in the black trunks, fate (AKA destiny, faith, religion, etc. - things outside of our control), or The Universe, and, in the white trunks, human effort (AKA science, violence, manipulation, progress, free will, etc. - the things we control), or The Island. In other words, are we responsible for our own redemption or not?
We know from Charlie's story that when the Universe decides that it's your time to go, there's not much you can do about it. If you somehow manage to cheat death, 'The Universe has a way of course-correcting'. If you're not shot in the neck by an arrow on a booby trapped trail in the jungle like you're supposed to be, you'll probably drown in an underwater communication station when Rasputin detonates a hand grenade. It's all so subtle. However, due to some special geomagnetic properties and a little crazy voodoo, the Island has managed to escape the iron clutches of the Universe. It's the one anomaly in an otherwise well functioning deterministic world, and the Universe wants it back. So the Universe abandons it's usual subtleties in this case for more direct action in the form of the Smoke Monster, or Smokey (Smo-Mo?). A bit too overt, don't you think? Well, these are drastic times and the Universe is getting desperate. Smokey goes around the Island jungles blowing up trees and staring people down...and judging them. He also has a really cool incarnational feature. We've seen him use it to take on the forms of deceased folks like Yemi, Alex, Boone, Locke's dad, and more recently, John Locke himself (was he Kate's horse too?). I don't think he's Christian or Walt however, but who knows with this show? Smokey has also appeared in the form of another conspicuous character whom we can know only as The Man In Black.
We met The Man In Black on a beach with the elusive and mysterious Jacob while they were watching the Black Rock sail in at the beginning of the season 5 finale. Here we have our two cosmic nemeses personified and conversing. The Universe, in the form of The Man In Black, and the Island, in the form of Jacob, conveniently garbed in white. There is some ominous dialogue between the two and we learn that The Man In Black really wants to kill Jacob, but hasn't yet found his 'loophole' allowing him to do so. Well, by the end of the episode he's found it, but first a little background.
At the beginning of season 5 the Universe has a real problem - some of the survivors of 815 have left the Island. This means the anomaly has spread to the mainland. This needs to be rectified immediately if the Universe is to remain in control of things so He, or Smokey, or whatever takes on the form of the deceased John Locke (he's been called Alter-Locke so let's just go with that) and convinces Richard to convince the real Locke (who's just been shot and is in the crashed Beechcraft) that he needs to go back to LA and convince the awol survivors that they're supposed to return to the Island. It's their destiny after all. Richard also informs Real Locke that in order to do so he's going to have to die. Hard to masquerade as someone if they're already at the party. Also, a resurrected leader just has so much more authority.
Now, there's a chronology issue here that I can't really account for. Alter-Locke is assumed to be leading Richard and the whipped Ben (whom he tricked into submission by becoming his dead daughter under the Temple and demanding that he obey Locke) around the jungle in present day (well, 2007 anyway). How is it then that they come upon Real Locke as he's wounded and looking for guidance? I suppose he could have jumped into the future after being shot by Ethan since that part of the story happened during the flashes caused by Ben moving the Island. This isn't really a hole in my theory, incidentally, as I don't remember the show explaining the chronology of that scene at all. Whether I'm right or not, that one needs to be explained.
Anyway, so Real Lock is back in the real world thinking he's recruiting his old friends back to the Island on behalf of the Island when he's really doing it on behalf of the Universe. He's playing for the other side and he doesn't even know it. Go easy on him though, neither he nor Jack, nor Ben for that matter, are aware that there's a cosmic struggle for control going on. The Island is all they know and they naturally assume that everything that has happened is because of the Island. The Island, however, has made a genius move.
The second the folks the world will come to know as the Oceanic Six are far enough off the Island, It moves...through time...all but ensuring that those who left will never be able to return. Check and mate. After all, there's no way the Universe is going to act as overtly on the mainland as it has on the Island in order to rectify things. The anomaly has been successfully exported and for a second it seems that it's the beginning of the end for the Universe.
Not so fast...
Locke, Eloise, and Ben somehow wrangle everyone except Aaron (that might be important later) back to the Island thanks to a little manipulation a-la Alter-Locke and the Universe once again has the upper hand. As the rest of the season 5 finale plays out it appears that the Universe has the Island up against the ropes and all that remains is that final blow. And it comes in the form of Ben killing Jacob. See, the Universe seems to be a Rocky fan, only instead of raising his fists in triumph he kicks Jacob into the fire. The Island, however likes Star Wars better, particularly the part where Obi-Wan allows Vader to kill him. That, or he might have been reading the Gospels during the long nights in the shadow of the statue.
Ok, now to the H-bomb. Everything that happened there is pretty straight forward. If they destroy the pocket of energy in 1977, then it can't crash their plane in 2004 (or whenever). Here are a couple of thoughts though.
First, this is the event that triggers the birthing issues on the Island. There's been a lot of speculation about Juliette being pregnant since she clearly touches her belly when Rose offers her some tea in the jungle (this is TV code for 'she's pregnant' just like the red shirt she was wearing at the time is code for 'she's gonna die'). She's not pregnant however. The writers were tipping their hand to something else regarding pregnancy - that she's about to cause the curse that plagues her during her time with the Others. It's ironic that Juliette makes the bed she's going to have to sleep in, and that's exactly the kind of thing this show likes.
Second, this is the ultimate exercise in human control of history. Our 'heros' think they're allowed to do whatever they want because it's all in an effort to undo everything and none of it will have happened anyway should it work. They can kill all kinds of innocent people and convince themselves that it's actually a virtuous act. Here we see another example of the bad guys thinking they're the good guys. I was so proud of Kate, Juliette, and Sawyer for saving young Ben's life, even though they know full well what he grows up to be. But they really let me down here.
By shooting Ben in an attempt to control his own future, Sayid ends up creating the monster he tried to prevent. By trying to prevent everyone from ever coming to the Island, Juliette creates the problem she was recruited to fix. Likewise, killing Jacob and detonating the H-bomb, while they will appear to work at first, will come back to bite both parties in their respective asses.
So there you have it, not really in a neat little package but more like a bunch of disjointed chicken scratch on a crumpled up piece of paper I just threw at you. The writers of Lost are telling the human story in a whacked out super cool artistic way. The Island is the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil has been eaten from. What will our friends do with their new pseudo-godlike knowledge of events and killing power? They'll be selfish. Who will redeem them? I should mention here that I'm not convinced that either Fate or Human Effort will be the savior. In fact, I don't think either the Universe or the Island care much about anyone. I think it could be Desmond's kid, Charlie. Maybe Aaron. But being a Christian I'm taught to look for third party redeemer babies.
There's a ton more that could be said and many other conspicuous scenes and one-liners I could recite to back up my theory, but I'll save it for the comments section. This is not an airtight theory by any means and I could be overlooking piles of stuff (like Jacob going around touching everyone). Hell, I'm probably way off on everything, but season 6 starts tomorrow night and I wanted to get this posted before then to secure a potential prophet status for myself. Leave your thoughts below and let's have some fun with this.
