Seemed like Damon pretty clearly confirmed that:
1. Smokey judges people to be good or bad by taking "snapshots" of them/their memories

Explains Mr. Eko's memories in Smokey (if you watch slow on DVD/HD)
Juliets first encounter
judging Locke multiple timesQuestion this brings up... Damon said that Locke was judged and passed (when Locke first faced down Smokey) and then judged and Smokey tried to drag him down a hole, etc. What did Locke do or how did he change that his "judgement" was different?

2. Smokeyis the manifestations of Jack's dad, the horse, Walt, etc.

They never said that the manifestations were smokie. They said the island can manifest itself into different people/beings. I think this is going to confuse alot of people because they just happened to talk about this right after the smoke monster, but Ive rewatched that part, they never once say that the manifestations were in fact smokie.

They never said that the manifestations were smokie. They said the island can manifest itself into different people/beings. I think this is going to confuse alot of people because they just happened to talk about this right after the smoke monster, but Ive rewatched that part, they never once say that the manifestations were in fact smokie.

Ah - I guess i was linking the two. Have to rewatch. But indeed the island was manifesting the visions, so the horse is not from the flame, and walt didn't project himself... And Jack's dad is still really dead. Still debunks a lot of the rumour mill out there

I think they also imply that Smokie may be island-rooted

Seemed like Damon pretty clearly confirmed that:
1. Smokey judges people to be good or bad by taking "snapshots" of them/their memories

Explains Mr. Eko's memories in Smokey (if you watch slow on DVD/HD)
Juliets first encounter
judging Locke multiple timesQuestion this brings up... Damon said that Locke was judged and passed (when Locke first faced down Smokey) and then judged and Smokey tried to drag him down a hole, etc. What did Locke do or how did he change that his "judgement" was different?

2. Smokeyis the manifestations of Jack's dad, the horse, Walt, etc.

My theory is that Smokey actually wanted to show Locke something. My belief is that smokey was going to show him the tunnels connecting the underground hatches. The fact that JL wanted to go leads me to believe he felt like he wasn't in danger.

Furthermore, Cuse and Lindelof didn't say that smokey manifests necessarily but they didn't rule it out.

If the island can manifest itself into different people, then I have been wondering for a while what the purpose is and whether it is benevolent or malevolent. For instance, Jack's father led Jack to a place where there was fresh water and shelter. On the other hand, Shannon following Walt's manifestation was killed. And the Walt manifestation said, "Don't push the button. The button is bad." But in fact pushing the button was good. So I'm a little confused about what the island's agenda is. Is it saving the Losties or killing them?

And the Walt manifestation said, "Don't push the button. The button is bad."

I thought real Walt told Locke not to open the hatch just before he got on the raft. Unless I am thinking of something else.

Walt was also warning Shannon to stay quiet, which she didn't a died.

They never said that the manifestations were smokie. They said the island can manifest itself into different people/beings. I think this is going to confuse alot of people because they just happened to talk about this right after the smoke monster, but Ive rewatched that part, they never once say that the manifestations were in fact smokie.Yep. And in fact, I came away with the impression that they were quite careful to not say the manifestations were Smokey. Almost like it was their way of confirming that Smokey and the apparitions are separate, without coming right out and saying that they're separate.

If the island can manifest itself into different people, then I have been wondering for a while what the purpose is and whether it is benevolent or malevolent.

This is a long stretch from what they said.
That the island is manifesting visions does not mean that the island is turning itself into different people or making judgments.

What I took from Darlton's statement is that the island enables visions or apparitions to appear. The nature of these appearances depends upon the person having them. It's like the wacky paste that Locke gave Boone. It's not good or bad on its own, but what the person sees and how the person responds to that is what matters.

If the island can manifest itself into different people, then I have been wondering for a while what the purpose is and whether it is benevolent or malevolent. For instance, Jack's father led Jack to a place where there was fresh water and shelter. On the other hand, Shannon following Walt's manifestation was killed. And the Walt manifestation said, "Don't push the button. The button is bad." But in fact pushing the button was good. So I'm a little confused about what the island's agenda is. Is it saving the Losties or killing them?

this lends itself to the theory of there being at least 2 smoke monsters, or just the one and it wanting to get rid of "bad" people, and help the "good" ones, do we know for sure that pushing the button was good, I'm undecided about this. We don't have conclusive proof either way.

I thought real Walt told Locke not to open the hatch just before he got on the raft. Unless I am thinking of something else.

actually what he said was "Don't push the button - Bad."


as in you better push that button or else it's going to hit the fan...

actually what he said was "Don't push the button - Bad."


as in you better push that button or else it's going to hit the fan...
real Walt said not to open it, don't go in there

Seemed like Damon pretty clearly confirmed that:
1. Smokey judges people to be good or bad by taking "snapshots" of them/their memories
Question this brings up... Damon said that Locke was judged and passed (when Locke first faced down Smokey) and then judged and Smokey tried to drag him down a hole, etc. What did Locke do or how did he change that his "judgement" was different?

I was thinking that the Smoke Monster scans people because he is searching for someone, maybe Jacob. Perhaps Locke is the closest match it could find so far?

Fans have wondered what the ashy substance surrounding Jacob's shack is. Suppose it acts as Smoke Monster Repellent?

Maybe the Smoke Monster and Jacob were once a team and the monster is now tearing the island apart in an attempt ro reunite with its old buddy.

I got the impression that smokey and the island are one in the same.

I got the impression that smokey and the island are one in the same.
Could you please elaborate on that?
Thanks

Could you please elaborate on that?
Thanks

some people have said that in "the answers" they just happened to talk about smokey and then the island, that it was two seperate topics, but as I watched it, it seemed to me that they never changed subjects and that they talked about smokey and the island interchangably. I used to think that dharma created smokey but now Im beginning to think that smokey and island are one in the same.

I posted this over in the Theories thread. It's related to this topic and I would like to see what you all think:

Since last week I have been working on the assumption that somehow Jacob and the Smoke entity were part of one massive thing. But I decided to turn my thinking around. Try to follow me on this.

What if... what we believe to be one thing is two opposing forces. What if the visions of the dead that people have been seeing have been Jacob reaching out for help but Smokey is his jailer. Jacob reaches out to those on the island, appearing to them as the dead - trying to draw them closer and "help him". Smokey fights against that. It scans the Losties or the others to see if they have had contact with Jacob in any way and it tries to destroy them. Here are the bits making me think this...

- The line of ash and the ash in the cabin. A perimeter is what it seemed like. Some others have speculated that it is smokey in an inactive state. What if, as Jacob or Jacob's will crosses the threshold looking for rescue, the creature activates and pulls him back. The two always in a perpetual battle. (Looking for rescue - as all the characters on LOST are in one way or another) This would match Rousseau's description of the creature as a security system.

- Locke's first and second encounters with Smokey. Way back in Season 1 when he first sees the creature he is dazzled by it. But later, after he has his first dealings with visions (Boone and the dream of the plane) - Locke was targeted in the Season 1 finale by Smokey and he was terrified.

- Eko (the biggest clue). Eko first faces the Smoke entity in Season 2 and they come face to face. He's scanned - he has not seen the dead and is free of contact with Jacob. But Season 3... right after speaking to Yemi - guess who shows up and kills Eko.

So what about the Pilot in ... um... the Pilot? Smokey was confused at first?

I think that there's a very good possibility that we've been looking at this the wrong way. What do you all think?

Do you remember back when they found the hatch under the airplane? There was lime or something mixed in with the dirt to make the grass not grow there- that was never explained. Do you think that could somehow be 'perimeter' material as well making quadrants that contain smokey or jacob?

If the island can manifest itself into different people, then I have been wondering for a while what the purpose is and whether it is benevolent or malevolent. For instance, Jack's father led Jack to a place where there was fresh water and shelter. On the other hand, Shannon following Walt's manifestation was killed. And the Walt manifestation said, "Don't push the button. The button is bad." But in fact pushing the button was good. So I'm a little confused about what the island's agenda is. Is it saving the Losties or killing them?

"Walt" actually said "Push the button. Do not push the button. Bad." I think they made it ambiguous like that just to screw with us. But I agree, Walt seemed positive that it was a bad idea to go down there when he was saying goodbye to Locke. Maybe because it led to the eventual destruction of the Swan. But then it apparently became visible to the outside world so...:confused:

that's an interesting theory schwartzcaster and I think it makes more sense than smoky manifesting people - if smoky and the dead people are the same it doesn't make sense that they would have different goals...

Wasn't the ash surrounding jacobs shack just ash from the volcano that errupted?
Didn't the school teacher mentioned something about a volcano... I just assumed that, perhaps I am way off...

Little too uniform to be volcanic ash as it would have landed/settled. It definitely seemed to be laid our in an arcing pattern (which presumably encircled the entire cabin).

Hmmm......considering Locke described the monster as the "Eye of the Island", I'm guessing it's basically a tool that the Island uses to scan people. I think it also confirms that the Island is the sentient entity, not the monster.

Wasn't the ash surrounding jacobs shack just ash from the volcano that errupted?
Didn't the school teacher mentioned something about a volcano... I just assumed that, perhaps I am way off...


Yep, she did. And if you've studied how J.K. Rowling lays in foreshadowing in the HP Books, you know she puts connected events together. So maybe they delibretely put the Volcano scene because it's linked to the Ash, and it'll be easier to piece things together when the reveal comes.