Ok, this time I'm for real. No more guessing. No more changing my mind. This is my final theory and I'm going to stick to it till the bitter end.

The Island is a prison for Jacob and Smokey - but a good prison. Jacob represents Good - Smokey represents Evil. The island keeps Good and Evil in balance by keeping them from leaving. I'm not sure how that allows for Jacob leaving to influence the passengers in the past, but... that's my theory. Seeing the scale in the cave just sealed it for me. Also, I can see Good being ok with being stuck on the Island. I can see Jacob being "ok" with keeping balance in the world, much like I'd imagine God accepting the fact that there must be evil in the world for our lives to have any meaning. Of course, Evil would want freedom to cause as much doom and gloom as possible.

But anyway - that's my theory now: The Island is a way to keep Good and Evil in balance across the world. Lose the balance - on either side - and the world loses something important.

Ok, I have a few random thoughts about the episode, but before I begin, I'd like to share my new current theory on "What the Hell is Going On." This is not a new theory. Nor is it one I have proof of (obviously) - but a few things tonight really cemented it in for me. Of course, next week I'll call this entire post BS and pretend that Scott made me wrote it.

Ok - so with that out of the way - I think Jacob is God and Bad Guy is Lucifer. Here is why:

(By the way - I'm no Bible scholar - so please forgive my ignorance.)

1) First, the scene from the previous season with them sitting on the beach - Bad Guy's attitude about the men (I think he said something about them bringing destruction), it felt like the kind of thing Lucifer would say to God - bad mouthing his creation. Also, I can see God and Lucifer discussing man like that.

2) The way he convinced Ben to kill Jacob. Felt like the kind of move old Lucie would make.

3) The way he talked about Locke - he spoke about how everyone brought to the Island had a crappy life before. Bad Guy appreciated the fact that Locke recognized that the Island was better. Almost as if it was Lucifer's version of Paradise. Obviously a lot of people have died. A lot of bad things happened - but being that it is the creation of a fallen angel, it makes sense.

4) And the biggest thing for me? Bad Guy saying he wanted the one thing Locke didn't - to go home. That harkens to the Fall.

5) Also - if you have read any of my reviews - you know one of the issues I have with the show is why the Island wants to keep them there when it's obviously so bad for them. If this is indeed Lucifer's idea of paradise, and if he believes their lives are horrible off Island, it could explain why the Island can't let go.

So if the Island is - well - Hell, or a twisted version of Heaven created on Earth, it explains the adversarial relationship between Jacob and Bad Guy. Also - isn't most of the Egyptian markings related to the Underworld?

Forgive the bad typing - I'm exhausted and don't feel like cleaning it up. Ok, some random thoughts.

1) Bad Guy tells Richard that he was happy to see him out of his chains. Was that in an earlier episode? Was he a prisoner on the Black Rock perhaps?

2) Smoke Monster. Holy. Crap. I loved that scene - especially how he took care of the guy protected by the circle. Of course, now we know (do we?) that Bad Guy == Smoke Monster. That... that I'm not sure I like. I mean, I kinda liked the idea of the Smoke Monster being some... wild... or animalistic part of the Island. You can control it - some times - but it didn't have a real direction or purpose. Still - let me just say - the entire rest of the season can suck. That scene makes it worthwhile.

3) Ok, am I the only one who thought the Asian guy - in charge of the temple - is a bit too "Kung Fu Master"? When he did those martial arts move on Jack I groaned a bit. Sooo stereotypical.

4) When Ben left the statue - notice how he was confident again? He just went through hell - but he can still keep it together.