Inconsistancies?
How come Jacob could bring Dogan’s son back to life (though he could never see him again), but couldn’t do the same w/Isabella? [Could Sidewaysville not have been made yet?]
Similary, Richard gave MIB his undying servitude – then cast him aside for the next handsome guy that came along.
And, as Joe pointed out, how come Jacob kicks Alpert’s butt, but just lets Ben stab him?
It certainly seems that Jacob let Ben kill him, considering that we know now that Jacob can protect himself – he can fight and he has his magic statue where only the ones he invite are supposed to be able to get in.
Other than that, I don’t really have any clue.
As far as the Isabella/Richard situation I think that bringing her back to life wouldn’t allow Richard to work through his guilt and repentance for himself.
Guilt for what? Richard killed the doctor by accident, didn’t he?
Re. Jacob saving Dogen’s son but not Isabella – maybe a limitation to what he can do (and they’ll probably never explain this one either!). Dogen mentioned that he was in the hospital when Jacob came to see him, and said that Jacob said he could ‘save’ his son if Dogen took up this new job. I know Dogen said “I survived, but..” but maybe his son hadn’t actually passed away yet but was literally almost dead or near death (like Locke falling out of the window), and Jacob is able to revive people in this manner – but not like long after their death which Isabella would have been by the time he met Richard.
I can bring your son back to life, but, um, you won’t be allowed to see the result of it. Oh, and if you want that to happen, I uh, need you to be indebted to me for like the rest of your life. You’re cool with that, right? Ok, good.
Dogen must be one gullible dude.
I do not know about Dogen, by I can really side with Richard. Catholic guilt is a really hard and complicated thing to pin down.
Richard has the weight of the priest’s condemnation as the official spokesperson of the church to bear. In the 19th century the threat of HELL was a very real thing to most people. Above that there is the eternal seperation from Isabella.
The poor dude was beside himself with grief and the need for forgiveness for his act. Even as he says it was an accidental death, he is forced by the priest to recognize his part in causing the accident.
Even in the American justice system people are sent to prison for involuntary manslaughter.
Jacob didn’t let Richard kill him, because there were no candidates on the island at that time to replace him (he would’ve known that Richard wasn’t on his side). But it was ok to let Ben do it, as there were candidates around to replacce him and Ben killing him was part of the whole “choice” thing..