We have the big Black Rock episode coming up soon… it’s epsode 8 and is called Ab Aeterno which translates from Latin to mean from the Beginning of Time. After seeing the name Amistad, I’m wondering if we’re going to see a story line that follows that of the movie Amistad… Mutiny onboard the ship and then a trial on the island.

Wondering who Amistad is? Could it be Widmore since Widmore is an alias? And since he seems to be obsessed with the Black Rock.

Again… very excited.

So, as John noted, maybe there are two universes, maybe it’s part of a game between Smokey and Jacob. One universe did get destroyed with the detonation and is now at the bottom of the ocean, and the statue on that island was destroyed then.

Then there is the other replicate island, and that statue also is destroyed, but in another manner not yet known (although the Black Rock is a good start). Perhaps the people are moved (or moved back and forth) from the lost island to the new one. Perhaps Charlie and others who died on one island, will be alive in the other…

I like the symbolism of slaves, I just don’t know yet if I can embrace Richard being a slave, although he does seem to have no power.

Also, thx for referencing me in your update. John. Whenever I join a group discussion, I always worried that the first comment will be, “Do you mind leaving?”

Now, this statue, we’ve talked about it a lot, let’s get a good hard look at it: http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5121/213px5x16fourtoedstatue.png

It’s definitely Egyptian (or Egyptian-looking). According to Lostpedia it’s of the goddess Taweret who is the goddess of birth, rebirth and the northern sky. It’s holding an ankh in each hand, just like what Hurley delivered to the Temple (also like the one Paul, the dead guy who was on the picnic with Amy in “LaFleur”, was wearing, which she stole). The ankh is a symbol of life. Taweret was also married to the god of evil, Apep.

Now that we’ve got our ancient history out of the way, here’s the meaning I’m getting from it. This statue could definitely be a symbol for the whole show. The idea of rebirth, second chances, definitely. Also this idea of opposites. Taweret was seen as the northern sky while Apep was believed to always be below the horizon. Could the relationship of Jacob and Smokey be similar? Definitely.

Now to incorporate some of my personal theories. I think Jacob and Smokey are immortal or at least have some method of living for a very, very, very long time. (Rebirth?!) I’m not saying they’re Egyptians, but perhaps almost that far back. We’ve seen LOTS of Egyptian references on the Island, this cannot be a coincedence. I’m not sure of the significance other than some possible spiritual beliefs? I’m more looking at Lost as a scientific show, though, so I’m not sure about that. I tried to make some connection between the Black Rock being a slave ship and the Egyptians enslaving the Israelites but got nowhere with that. Ideas are welcome.

Oh, and by the way, I definitely said a few years ago that I wouldn’t be surprised if they were all aliens. Still wouldn’t be.

Samudre, you do know I’m goofing around, right? I’m not gonna be emailed pages from the script, am I?

Ok, seriously, I’ll stop. But you didn’t answer the Juliet question! She’s at the center of this fraying string! Ahck! It’s so friggin awesome.

If you don’t like the word bloop, take it up with the writers of the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UdScbFE7Cs&feature=youtube_gdata

“Bloop!”

Actually, totally not relating to episodes at hand, but just JJ Abrams/Lost fanaticism: Bloop is like “SLUSHO”. It’s appeared in multiple Abrams projects. I first noticed it in the Cloverfield ARG. The Slusho website had fish swimming on it, and they said “Bloop”. Research what the BLOOP is on wikipedia, and you’ll find it correlates with two of Abrams mythologies. It’s an actual event, but I guess in either mythologies, you could blame it on a temporal displacement, or a giant monster awakening from the deep.

Anyway, look for it, Slusho and “You All Everybody” in Abrams’ work.

And by the way, P, don’t be reluctant to bring up more of your Aztec goodness here! It’s totally welcome!

Another thought, if the Island can move through space/time, and we’re starting to deal with parallel universes, it’s just as feasible that Jacob and Smokey are extra-dimensional entities as they are extra-terrestrial.

Now listen to this ready?…. bloop….. bloop……. droop. Droop?! lol.

Ah well I guess at the end of the day Sarah says Oyster and I say Oyster, you know?

The anchor could rip itself free of the boat, the anchor could hit it at a slower speed and miraculously still do the damage a writer would want it to… or the anchor could get snagged on the right foot and the magnetic force could literally rip the stone or at least a crucial structural point on it. All three have problems sure, but they wouldn’t bother me anymore than survivors of a fuselage that smashes on land or the countless things on the show that stretch the truth a bit.

SilentTs I love the breakdown of who those two might be if they were of alien origin. And it’s making me wonder if perhaps Smokey and Jacob aren’t the same “kind”. If there is a “ship”, perhaps Smokey is a sort of “HAL”-like counterpart to Jacob.

I kinda like the theory of just 2 Parallel universes unable to co-exist for long, created by the detonation. This could be interesting when Jacob & Co finally leave, letting the islander having to “chose” which reaslity survives…
But like you said John, there is many different instances throughout the show where they already hinted at Parallel Realities…prior to Juliet detonating the bomb.

Said a new Richard or Said/Jacob?…hmm…

Anyway, it is blip for me…definitely.

Somehow I feel like Richard and now Sayid have both been in that weird pool at the temple… Maybe it makes Sayid near-immortal, too?

The multiple timelines were very confusing in this episode. Parallel timelines, maybe… but on the other hand, the following might be possible:
Juliet did re-boot the island and the 815 never crashed, our guys didn’t end up on the island this way. But maybe fate pulled them in some other way? The initial crash was almost like a coincidence anyway (well, maybe not), so maybe those who were supposed to end up there would have ended up there anyway. I can’t get over the whole “purpose” thing that Locke has been preaching about before. If it is so important that these specific people end up on the island, maybe they would anyhow. This theory, though a bit vague, would mean that the things happening in 2007 are on the same timeline as the crash that didn’t happen.

Err, maybe this was a bit vague.

I just keep playing SmokeMan’s Advocate don’t I?

Or I just really like Sarah’s Bloop the more I think about it.

As for “parallel universes,” my immediate instinct was to flashback to “Donnie Darko” and assume the “sunken island” timeline was now the correct universe and that by setting off the bomb, the Losties we’ve been following since the beginning have inadvertantly created a tangent universe in which they still exist, unaware of the new “correct” timeline; a tangent universe that, as it deviates further from the “correct” timeline should become increasingly unstable until it destroys itself…

And as far as “blip” vs. “bloop”, I side with bloop. It incorporates that watery sound as the Island disappears into time and space. Just saying.

Very interesting info about the foot. I never thought that maybe the writers could also be using it as a symbol for the story on a whole.

The foot. I’ve just read that it’s an old egyptian symbol for “a happy wandering through life” and “a safe return back home”. On the other hand it’s a symbol of power. I think both represent the island pretty much. Because the people on it are trying to get back home but they can’t escape its power. So I’m wondering – why is only one foot left? And why does it have 4 toes? 4 stands for the elements, the mundane universe and for the realization of mankind. Hmmm….

As for the black smoke. I think it’s crazy that it has something to do with Locke or is Locke. aWhen I saw that yesterday, I immediately thought of a scene in Season 1 (and I hope I’m not confusing anything here, since I’ve just woken up LOL) when Locke faces the black smoke and it doesn’t do him any harm. Now that makes total sense!

*rambling*