Metaphorasis
Locke told Kate that he lied to Claire about Aaron in order to keep her going. He supplied Claire with an enemy in order to keep her engaged until the time came that Locke could use her for his purposes. To me that sounds very much like the situation the losties were in after the plane crash, to keep them sharp or engaged they had to be supplied with an enemy. And that is the purpose of the others. One of their main functions is to be the enemy of important characters.
So if we believe Locke and Jacob, Jacob is looking for someone to take his place and protect the island and also keep the Smoke Monster trapped. So does this just go on and on? I don’t think so. Jacob said it only ends once. This is very much like the pushing of the button. Eventually Desmond turned the fail safe and blew the whole thing. The writers have said the show will end in a definative way. Therefore I don’t think the show will end with Jacob finding his replacement, but instead with Jack turning the fail safe, whatever that might be.
Maybe not finding a replacement for Jacob or MIB will change the Valenzetti numbers, as Dharma was trying to do? That might just be the trick… Somehow I think the ending will have to deal with Christian and his relationship with Jack, Claire and Aaron, and I think eventually we will find out who Flock’s mother is. They will have to explain (at least to me) what the purpose of the island is. Does the island have a duty to affect mankind, to steer people and key events? How can the ending relate to all mankind and not just the island? I think that it needs to. I do believe that the island must have some ability to save all of mankind. Just like plots from lost of great sci-fi the survival of the human species hangs in the balance. But, oh crap! Flock tipped the scale!
I share a similar belief about Jack. I think Desmond’s words in the stadium, “You have to lift it up” meant more than Desmond talking about Jack’s ankle. I think right before Jack does whatever it is that he needs to do, Desmond will once again repeat those same words.
Those words will be Jack’s final confirmation that he was always meant to do what he is about to do. (Whatever that may be)
I just happened upon this but quite prophetic isn’t/wasn’t it wrt to the initial ending?