The Stolen Body Statement
The Devil betrayed me and stole my body, my humanity… explained MIB to a bewildered Richard Alpert about “the Devil” (that we know as Jacob).
We know that MIB is now appearing/using the identity and bodily form of John Locke, even though there is a dead body of John Locke buried on the island.
We know that MIB also takes the form of Smokey. We have seen Smokey make appearances as other people such as Alex and Yemi.
We know that the reason Ilana dragged around the coffin containing Locke’s dead body at first was because she wanted people to see who they were up against given that FLocke/MIB can no longer take on any other appearance. (It seems like we should get back to the meaning(s) of this statement before the show’s end. It feels kind of like a “rule” of sorts.)
I just can’t shake the idea that MIB was something like the first candidate, and he made some sort of deal with Jacob (maybe not necessarily the Jacob that we know) similar to the deal between Jacob and Richard. If that is the case, it would seem possible that somewhere along the line Jacob has done to MIB what MIB has done to John Locke.
If this was easy to figure out or explain, I don’t think I would bring it up, as usually only the writers can make anything make sense…usually. Since I can’t understand it and readily acknowledge that there are a couple of significant pieces missing (how/why/then what is Jacob?), it makes it that much more intriguing as an actual theory.
I’m sure we could look past this line as another manipulation, given that MIB’s instruction to Richard on how to kill the Devil were exactly the same as Dogen’s instructions to Sayid. Yet I think the writers added this line about how there is a “stolen body and humanity” situation in the middle of these other familiar statements (to us viewers) to be purposeful.
Ultimately we know that MIB has been the one using different forms and appearing as various people, but the fact that MIB revealed that his body was stolen and points it back to Jacob seems pretty important.
(Wish I could have posted this sooner after Ab Aeterno…oh well. It still seems relevant in the long run somehow.)
Great post Kimberly I have had this thought in my head too and just cant seem to shake it. I always wanted to say this but thought it was too short for a post on its own, so im saying it here as it relates to ur post.
When i watched the episode where MIB says that Jacob “stole his body”, I somehow thought he meant in the literal sense, as in Jacob is now inhabiting MIB’s original body.(obviously before he got all killed and thrown into fire lol). But most people here have not thought down those lines and i was wondering if anyone else had came to same conclusion? x
I for one hadn’t really thought of that statement along those lines but now I am. Maybe Jacob took his body and left him as a cloud of black smoke without a definite form.
That’s a very important line and it might be the biggest clue we’ve gotten concerning the relationship between MIG and Jacob and their back story and it’s been largely overlooked (until now).
if he was a candidate he was probably 108 – wallace.
What if that is the reason he cannot kill Jacob ? Because that’s actually his own body, and he can’t kill himself ?
Stephanie – thanks. That was my thought, too… That there was a ‘stealing of the body’ the way that MIB/Smokey is now in a body that not only looks like John Locke but has memories and attributes of John Locke.
Highbrow – In my first draft of this I used the word “overlooked” about this, too. I think they buried the line so that we might overlook it’s meaning.
The “humanity” part of the statement is what makes me also think that MIB was left with Smokey as an option…Smokey doesn’t strike me as the most humane creature-thing.
Okay, and one more thing. Does Sayid have much ‘humanity’ at this point? Hmmmm….
Is it all coming full-circle?
If so, it seems like it keeps that door open for the original John Locke to become what we knew to be Jacob. Or something like that. But again, I can’t explain how or why.
Good post. I’ve been trying to throw something together on this and am missing a key piece…its driving me nuts.
Good post again Kim cocoadoll brought up the thought a fewdays ago…it definitely holds importance…
It seems from the most recent episode that Locke will BE the new MIB and resent Jack for eternity for taking away what he wanted/telling him what he can’t do. Jack is wholly jacobish now and Locke, despite being possessed, the parts that are left are showing the influence of MIB. If Jack succeeds, he will be very miffed.
Neat idea! And ekolocation brings up the candidate topic…. maybe the candidate is just the body that “jacob” decides to inhabit? That would be really fascinating to find out that the Jacob we see IS MIB’s original body and that the candidates are just replacement bodies… Doesn’t explain the smoke though, and doesn’t have anything to do with keeping MIB on the island/keeping wine in bottle/w/e
AllGoodThings, I agree about Jack being “Jacobish” now. His interactions with Sun were very “free will”-like…not trying to coerce her or tell her what to do. The fact that he didn’t interfere to take charge was both strange and yet revealing to how Jack is changing to be more like the Jacob that we have seen.
Where I disagree a bit is what could become of the impending showdown between Flocke and Jack. I think new Jack will have a totally different approach than Jack that had his standoffs with old John Locke. Old Jack would tell Locke what he can’t do and all that kind of stuff, but this newish “Man of Faith” Jack will probably have a new tactic.
Hanso, I like where you are going with the idea that there has to be some sort of “inhabiting” to be a candidate. As I just noted in my last comment, Jack becoming more like Jacob is one type of transformation going on, but this reference to actually “stealing” a body makes it much more complicated.
Ultimately, I hope that we find out more about Smokey and especially how MIB can be Smokeyl. For all the things that Smokey has been called in past seasons, it would be very interesting to attribute this form as something that was created for the island the way that Richard’s immortality served one of Jacob’s purposes. There are obviously rules that govern Smokey’s territory and abilities, so whether it is being trapped, not being able to fly over water, being summoned through a drain, the sonar fence, the ash…all those things need to be tied together.
Great post! If your right there’s still the questions of who is good and who is evil, who’s going to side with who, etc. etc. etc. Still so many questions.
So what if Jack dies trying to save the world from MIB, and Jacob takes Jacks body. The rest board the plane or sub leaving the island once and for all also leaving MIB behind. The End is Locke and Jack sitting on the beach having a chat.
I like it. Its a little predictable but I am sure the writers can make it mysterious till the very end. After all, there’s still Desmonds arrival, time travel, and who exactly MIB and Jacob are to explain. Not to mention, the on going power struggle between Ben and Widmore. I am curious to see how they settle the score.
I love this… Perhaps Jacob did steal MIB’s body… Excellent…
Ok…I thought of some ideas along the lines of this and had trouble coming to conclusions…
Basically MIB actually once looked like jacob, and maybe actually was Jacob. He becomes infected and dies…Jacob assumes control of MIBs body.
From Lostpedia…after Jack meets Locke and
“JACK: Apparently he’s somewhere in transit which is their way of saying, they have no idea where the hell he is.
LOCKE: Well, how could they know.
JACK: They’re the one’s that checked him in, I mean they’ve gotta have some kind of tracking system.
LOCKE: No I’m not talking about the coffin, I mean how could they know where he is. They didn’t lose your father, they just lost his body.
[Jack, seeming to understand Locke, nods – Lock smiles]”
…And I am back to believing MIB is possibly Christian again…possibly…
Good thinker Kim…this makes my head hurt…
Now I second guess it…Ive never been this indecisive about a simple true or false question on Lost…
Even if Im wrong it doesnt matter…every time I look at a different angle someone or something makes me think that Christian is Smokie again…
This bothers me so much…
I do think he took his body…I dont know how, but I would bet the infection has something to do with it…and of course the islands properties…
(Insert me smacking myself on the forehead…)
GREAT reminder on the interaction with Locke and Jack back at LAX! I wish I would have thought of that as supporting evidence that this stolen body thing is actually even more significant than I was thinking when I wrote this. I think that you are on to something in bringing it up!
It’s as if the writers want us to see this issue from a few different angles before they reveal how and why, and then ultimately how it works in the grand scheme of things.
I’m not saying I believe Flocke word for word on his “explanations” or justifications as to why he is doing (and has done) everything so far. But seriously, we could make a list of all the people who have appeared and are not themselves but a manifestation – most likely (how’s that for a compromise?) – of Smokey/MIB…
They want us to believe that this type of stolen identity thing is possible and part of how things work and ultimately includes Jacob.
So back to the Christian thing…it really bothers me too. Every time I weigh out evidence for and against, my “fors” become my “againsts” and my “againsts” become my “for” it.
I am most torn on this because of how we could interpret Claire’s explanation of what she’s been doing for the past 3 years – she had her father and her friend with her. Her friend was Flocke. (BUT HOW? HOOOOOWWWWW did Flocke get made to be Flocke on the island while John Locke was off-island getting strangled by Ben??? Yes, I’m tormented by this. Much like the outrigger scene…)
So anyway, she had Flocke and her father with her. Were they working for the same side or were they trying to influence her separately? The scene in the cabin with Christian and Claire with John Locke had me believing Christian and MIB are same side. But, maybe there is another way. Another side even. Prior to “The Incident” we viewers knew NOTHING of MIB….5 seasons worth of being kept in the dark on his major role in all of their destinies. We only thought Jacob was pulling strings…. so perhaps there is something we have yet to see. Which ultimately brings me back to the theory I have that there is something missing in the equation of how this whole body snatcher/flipper/trickster thing could work between Jacob and MIB (and Christian even). But I’m more and more convinced that it is pretty important.
Good point about Claires ‘friend’ hmmm…Holy/Unholy Trinity…the most recent post under my name goes a similar direction as your “unholy” post did…not exact, but similar in the premise behind it.
Its not my theory though…check it out…pretty good in describing my view of Lost if it goes a literal religious route.
Christian is the kink in the plan…the missing variable in the equation.
It is really impossible to figure anything out until you figure out his motives.
Think about it. If we found out Tuesday what side Jacob and MIB are on, good or evil…it would still leave Christian out of the loop, and leave ‘moody’ Jack as a possibility of WILLINGLY choosing evil just to spite or follow his daddy…
When the end unfolds, I imagine they will give us something making us believe one thing…no, not believe but KNOW one thing…who is good and who is evil…we will lay our cards, and say “I told you sos”…then at the very last minute…it will be ripped away..and everything we believe will be crushed.
They are very clever…and will not make it easy. Its not supposed to be easy. Its supposed to be ridiculous, confusing, and frustrating…and I feel that despite popular belief right now, that it is Lost at its finest.
I couldn’t agree more on that last part…I have loved this season. I especially loved “The Package” and getting the chance to hear every single one of the characters (except Des) contribute a line or two and then not only that, but each storyline was tended to…it’s so good right now!
I read that post and yes, it instantly reminded me of the Unholy Trinity post from way back then (and last week). 😉
If we have learned anything from the past seasons it hopefully is to at least expect the unexpected when it comes to there being some additional ‘side’…the grey area we have so often brought up in the “good and evil” conversations… It’s partially why I like the trinity metaphor as opposed to only sticking to two opposing sides. Everything up until this point visually with games, the B&W rocks, scales, the characters opposing each other, etc. points to two sides, but the grey area *within* each character has been really significant…so why not think it could also be part of a final reveal of sorts?
A quick look back shows how there was always one more group in the mix than we knew of…The Tailies, The Others, Dharma, Widmore, Jacob, MIB… So yes, now where does Christian fit? The compassionate, tomato metaphor wielding Jack HAS to face him one final time.
Maybe the final trinity is Jack, Locke & Christian. Father Son and Holy Smokey Spirit….and maybe that even suggests that Smokey can be redeemed/transformed…because it is how it is ‘supposed’ to end and all of this other stuff was getting them to this place.
Now I’m officially and unfortunately doing my late night rambling… so I’m done. 🙂
Great Post Kimberly, I do also think that MIB was once a candidate for the island.
I feel with respects to Richard, I think he still has a big part to play. Jacob hasn’t spoke to him since he was killed.
Hurley will communicate for Jacob and I think he will tell Richard what to do.
P.S Stephanie nice to see a fellow Glaswegian Lost Fan 🙂
ive posted a similar thread, MIB has to be christian, the circumstances are exactly the same body in a coffin arrives so christian walks around, locke arrives in a coffin lockes walking around!!! also i would seem that MIB has been tricking ben to thinking he is the real jacob, ben leads locke to the cabin where he sees the outline off christian!