Locke’s Island

Written 10th March

John Locke has always and knowingly or mostly knowingly been in league with smokey. From season one he looked into the face or eye of the “island” and what he saw was “beautiful”. He did this while explaining to Jack his encounter with smokey. His reaction to the death of Boon was what introduced the hatch and his “why” question posed in relation to Boons death at the “island” or smokey’s hands was answered. At every turn he was pushed not by Jacob, but by smokey to do things that increasingly made him fall opposite of Jack and towards the end of the last few seasons have been down right questionable.

In the first and second season Locke has more encounters with the monster than just about any other character. He was the only character that stared into the face of the beast and lived, at least until season four. He believed, or was lead to believe that it was the guardian of the island. He saw it as what Jacob, according to smokey, was supposed to be for the Island. Smokey also tried to direct Jack by pushing them to the caves. Christian appeared moments after the monsters sounds were approacing Jack on Day 6 so I have little doubt that smokey was playing the field to corrupt or push the losties and the others the entire time. This is another theory but the only one of the two powers that has appeared as someone else is smokey to date, Jacob is always Jacob. The whole first season the black smoke was mostly bark and no bite on purpose. All it did was drive the losties and coax them to do different things. At the end it grabbed locke and even though lock was shocked at its seeming hostility he begins to have faith, not in jacob, but in smokey and the Island. He says “it’s ok” to smokey and from that time on was driven by smokey’s guidance. He even drugged boone when he was thinking about telling someone else about the monster.  During this time he built a cradle for Aaron a seemingly odd gesture being that he was expressing focus towards what the “island” had him doing at the time.

Locke is later guided to the plane and he began pushing the button through faith. This same season He had reason then because of Charlie? to become a father figure for claire, a move i don’t think we completely understand until now. He also told Paulo during this same episode that his diamonds wouldn’t stay buried for long. I think smokey was giving John the dreams as his mother, dead, and Boone, soon to die, appeared and showed him the Plane and eventually the pearl.

Lockes interaction and faith journey with Eko feels the same as what those who are introduced and listen to smokey now are going through. Someone else must die and they must “clean up their own mess”. Ben had to “atone” for the death of his daughter to whom there was no guarantee of survival whether he gave himself up or not. I do remember the team killing several innocent and non-hostile people and kearny in this timeline or a side one is not a good guy.  Smokey used the death of boone and later of Eko as guideposts and guilt anchors on John who blamed himself, as ben blamed himself for alex, for boones death.  John reaches the swan and despite everything else at the station is riveted by the chess game to the exclusion of most else there, as if he had a purpose. I believe he was guided by smokey here as well. His blatent deception bringing C4 to the others camp says only one thing and that was that he knew what he wanted to do. His actions from the flame forward were purposed and driven despite Bens attempt to manipulate him.

Ben also because of his lust for control, took guidance more from smokey than Jacob. We noticed the ash line broken 2x, the first when Locke visits and the second when Ilana tells us that Jacob hasn’t lived there for a long time. I believe Locke knew it wasn’t jacob but smokey there and then began manipulating ben along the lines of smokey. I think it’s important to note that now the MIB can’t kill or invade until someone opens the door: Dogen killed by Sayid, Ben had to kill Jacob, and I think Locke opened the door, or perhaps widmore or ben did earlier in time. This style of killing was first introduced as an MO in this series by Locke when he had to kill his father, but he needed sawyer to make it happen. As with most terrorist plans this was smokeys test run to see if what he had been developing in Locke came to fruition and he would be able to manipulate someone to make the loophole work.

Long story short, ben and John follow smokeys instructions on moving the island and even getting a dead but wholly converted locke back to the Island. Smokey had already won John by faith and actions that were brutal and cunning. John has been guided by smokey from day one whether it was Christian, or a fight between jacob and smokey-poltergeist in the cabin-.

So, if smokey has been guiding locke from day 2 and attempting to guide the actions of the others, other losties, and survivors what does it tell us? well I think this means Locke is gone for good, that part of him was there when he killed Jacob and he knew exactly what he was doing. That he sympathizes with smokey even as a man as someone being told by Jacob of something he cannot do.  He also thinks he has most if not all the cards. 

Smokey can’t directly kill anyone touched by Jacob, and that included Locke, Dogen and Sawyer which is why the child said smokey couldn’t kill him. Smokey also has to “follow the rules” the punishment for which has to be some fate worse than the “improsonment on the island” that he refers to. I believe smokey is the angel of death looking for free-reign again on earth. I also believe that despite his skepticism of humanity, or arrogance considering the deals he offers and expects people to take, he knows that this final end that Jacob talks of is coming and the key to his freedom. I think that Ben killing John was a play that smokey knew would happen and he wanted Johns cooperation even in death. Whidmore told john the wrong side would win if he did not return when John Locke was still alive which makes me certain W is on his own team. He wants the Island for himself. I believe he took the deal that Smokey offered ben. He broke rules and knew he would be exiled but wanted both the power of the island and the freedom and power it grants in the world. That is probably how he made his money and if Jacob has candidates I’m betting that Smokey has to have them too.