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Backgammon

In the first season, when Locke lifts the two pieces on either side of his face i believe this act embodies what the entire show is about. It shows the two sides, light and dark, the island, and many important characters. In the game backgammon, the rules state that in order to begin to take pieces off the board you must first get them on the last section on your side of the board, then you may continue to take them off and whoever does first wins. I believe that the island represents the last section of the board, and that all the people must be on it and together for MIB to begin to take them off (ie kill them). This has a lot of wholes and flaws and it out there but I think its a start.

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lostislove

From little DE, in the USA :)

22 thoughts on “Backgammon

  1. oh I like this theory that people must be on the island and together to get off and thats why they always have to be together going off the island or coming on the island.

  2. Very VERY interesting.. imagine how stunning of an ending that would be, to realize that all our theorizing was pointless when it was as simple as a game of backgammon all along. I’m gonna go look up Backgammon on WiKipedia now.

  3. I’m not sure the whole show will be a game, but I have a feeling Jacob will use the same metaphor with MIB as Locke used with Walt..

  4. Okay now you’ve got me thinking..

    Jacob and Nemesis are the players in the game, everyone else is a piece on the board. Once the board is cleared, Nemesis is free (whatever that may actually mean). Even though Jacob is “dead”, the game plays on because his pieces are still on the board. The Candidates are Jacob’s pieces. Nemesis can’t kill the Candidates (take them off the board) because they aren’t his pieces. You can only move your own pieces. However, pieces can eliminate each other or be eliminated in a number of other ways. Nemesis’ objective is to manipulate the variables in the equation to get the Candidates to eliminate themselves.

    Jacob can’t kill Nemesis; Nemesis can’t kill Jacob. They are the players, not the pieces. In a game of Backgammon, you can only attack within the game, not outside of it; moves must be made on the board only.

    The board is the island. Once the board is cleared, Nemesis is free. Jacob has stood as the sole impedement to Nemesis on the island. Except Nemesis couldn’t kill Jacob. Once Jacob started bringing other people to the island, he was adding pieces to the board. Nemesis needs to eliminate Jacob and all other pieces on the board to be free. That’s why he killed everyone at the Temple; because he needs the board to be empty.

    Perhaps some flawed logic here and there, but overall, I think it’s a pretty darn good theory. Thanks for the mental-stim, lostislove!

  5. This somehow reminds me of “The Seventh Seal”, directed by Ingemar Bergman in 1957. The main character is visited by Death personified. In order to postpone the inevitable, the main character sits down and plays a game of chess with Death. As long as the game goes on, he stays alive.

  6. I wouldn’t mind if it was all a ‘real life’ backgammon game – as long as it has nothing to do with a spaceship – I’m going to be happy.

  7. When Hurley was lying to Richard et al a couple of episodes ago, Richard mentioned that Jacob once told him what the Island is.

    I foresee that towards the end of the show, Hurley will just say “wait, I think I know what it is – it’s a game of Backgammon, isn’t it?” to which Richard will answer “yes”.

    Then the show will hurry on to be able to introduce some new characters who may or may not be very good at playing the piano in the alternate reality before the show is over.

  8. Jacob told Richard that the Island is a cork to keep the evil from the world. I’m pretty sure that’s all Richard knows.

  9. No offense, but I think this has always been a thought. Atleast with myself and those I talk to.

    Basically, I agree with you.

    In the preview for next week, it looks like we’ll see this play out with MIB and Jacob. Nice!

  10. JacobsDoubleWide, then you can replace Hurley’s statement “it’s a game of Backgammon, isn’t it?” with “it’s like a cork in a bottle, isn’t it?” – the important thing is that no one will pay any attention to it. šŸ˜‰

  11. OK….just another idea…so when you have all the pieces in the last section, the key roll to get in double sixes, which, if you have four players on the first space of the last section of the board, the sixes will take all four players out. In the sub last night, Jin, Sun, Lapitez (spelling??), and Sayid all died. Now there are five pieces left. But Desmond arrived before the others so he is on a different line/ space in the last section. Kate jack sawyer and hurly are all on the same one because they all arrived on flight 815, but Desmond arrived 3 years prior. And just to include 12 again, last night there were 12 pieces left on the board, not including Locke (a player) and including Desmond and Claire

  12. And of course…in backgammon there is the idea of sending the opponent back. If you land on an opponent’s space occupied by only one of their chips – that chip is sent to the center bar, and has to re-enter the game from the beginning point on your board.

    I think Jack is that chip that keeps getting sent back to start over.

  13. Although the Backgammon concept is a great theory, I think we should limit the comparisons of the show to actual gameplay of Backgammon to a certain point.. numerals on the dice, colors on the lines, etc. is perhaps reading too much into it,.

  14. if Jacob calls a Double and MIB accepts does that mean we’ll see a Juliet, Kate and Claire 3-way?? Please double, please double, please double…

  15. I think that we might be getting too much into it but we have a pretty good basis for everything thought of so far, Jacobsdoublewide what did you mean by three way?

  16. really?? I forget that this blog is from the UK, right? Here in the US, a 3-way with 3 hot chicks is the greatest thing that could ever happen, especially if I’m in the vicinity….

  17. i’ve been saying it’s all a game for a while, but i think you are going way too into it bringing in the actual rules of backgammon and this and that, first off dont forget richard, milus and ben, so the whole 12 people left, rolling double sixes whatever doesnt work.

    jacobdoublewide- hahahahahaahaha thats all

  18. Jacobsdoublewide – I like your thinking.

    Everyone – I can’t stand the idea of this all just being a game. Not many people have played Backgammon. At least no one I know of has. It would be a severe disappointment to me and many others if we literally hear “checkmate” or “game over” or “end game” or “gg” in the closing scene.

    I want this show to be about something big. I want humanity to be on the line, the survival of this planet.

    I’m not going to give a shit if Jacob or Smokie win a frickin board game, no matter what the metaphor may be.

  19. Jacobsdoublewide – I like your thinking.

    Everyone – I canā€™t stand the idea of this all just being a game. Not many people have played Backgammon. At least no one I know of has. It would be a severe disappointment to me and many others if we literally hear ā€œcheckmateā€ or ā€œgame overā€ or ā€œend gameā€ or ā€œggā€ in the closing scene.

    I want this show to be about something big. I want humanity to be on the line, the survival of this planet.

    Iā€™m not going to care if Jacob or Smokie win a board game, no matter what the metaphor may be.

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