Lost: Dead really IS dead

May 14, 12:43 AMLost ExaminerMolly Lemick

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Juliet had a heartbreaking farewell (?) and also set in motion the shocking final moment of season five

We've heard the myth, now we've met the man. Jacob, the leader of the island and the people who dwell on it finally got a face and a part in the whole story...and his story will actually set in motion the Big Picture that will ultimately end the show (sniffle). The worst part about the delicious season finale was the fact that it will be 8 months until we know what happens next.

Some feel that Jacob's introduction was a little tame, and yes, it wasn't explosions or eerie music leading up to his identity being confirmed, but how else do you introduce a man we've only heard about for years? Don't make a big deal about it. It was cool seeing Jacob as just a regular man living on this island, and it was even cooler seeing the Black Rock slowly making its way toward the island (sadly, we didn't see how the ship ended up miles inland). But probably the most important part of that first scene was the brief interaction between Jacob and the Mystery Man who vowed to find a "loophole" and kill Jacob one day. But more on that later.

As for the Black Rock, we know that somehow Jacob summoned it to the island as part of a kind of experiment and that he hoped that the people would not end up destroying each other and the island. I'm sure that some of you are already thinking that Richard was probably on that ship. Maybe even it was his diary that Charles Widmore bought at that action years later. It would explain how he came to be such an important person to the island, and why Jacob chose to make him ageless: Richard showed promise and a similar goal of leading a peaceful existence. But still I wonder why he so easily gave up and led "Locke" to Jacob even though he knew it wasn't safe, wise, or proper to do so...

Meanwhile, Jack was finally finding his place in the world, and what he was meant to do...but found several roadblocks along the way. Gunfire, scientific confusion, Sawyer's fists...it wasn't a good day for Jack. Come to think of it, Richard probably only trusted "Locke" so much because Jack told him to never give up on him. So  Jack really messed up a lot tonight if you think about it. But I'm not going to be giving up on HIM anytime soon. He has grown more than most since the plane crashed, and depending on what's going to happen after the bright light fades, I think Jack will likely find his place on the island and play a key part in the "war" that is coming.

But before we get to that, can we PLEASE talk about Bernard's beard?! I'm glad we finally got to see Rose and her hubby alive and well. I have to admit, it was really bugging me not knowing their whereabouts. But their scene was satisfying enough (their little hut, their surprisingly uncorny message of being all they needed...)

But unfortunately, another couple had a more devastating end, as Juliet was sucked to her death at the bottom of the hatch. The heartbreaking scene and her professing her love for Sawyer was pitch perfect and left me feeling hollowed out...and as if that wasn't enough, she got a last powerful moment all to herself as she set off the bomb that could potentially save her, the rest of the island dwellers and change their futures altogether. If Juliet is gone forever, at least she got one final hurrah to leave her mark. Though I'm going to be begging for her to come back as Sawyer begins to fall back into Kate's arms next season...I hope they take their time on that one, if they do it too soon, I think it would feel cheap.

So what happens after those last moments (which awesomely alluded to the end of season two with a death at the hatch, someone waking up with their ears ringing, and that white light)? Will the future be changed completely, or will it stay the same? Part of me wants things to change and start of a new course that was always meant to be, but the larger part of me doesn't believe that's the case. I also believe that our characters will remain in the 70's as Richard's premonition of "I watched them all die" has yet to be fulfilled. He wasn't there for the incident and I believe there could be another instance in which Richard could watch them die. We assumed that it would be that day at the hatch, but there is still a 30 year period in which our beloved castaways could die. Let's hope not though, that would be sad. Oh and speaking of that, do you think that Sayid could die? I mean he's been shot, and for some reason he's being taken care of by the psychic instead of the doctor standing feet away fighting with Sawyer. On top of that, I feel horrible for him after the way Nadia was killed. Dear lord.

So now we come to the other "OH MY GOODNESS" moment of the show: the revelation that John Locke never really came back from the dead, and is instead being inhabited by the Mystery Man who threatened Jacob in the beginning. Dun dun dun! It's amazing how good it feels to have been fooled for an entire season, and not know what's going to happen next. So as it turns out, dead really IS dead, and while the island can do some pretty awesome things, it won't bring a lowly man back to life.

So who is the Mystery Man and why is he so hellbent on seeing Jacob destroyed? And thank god the changes in Locke's personality have finally been explained! Something just hadn't felt right all season...the way he was so manipulative, the way he knew so much about the island, that freaky cloak he was wearing when he first appeared after 316...it didn't fit. So rest in peace again, John Locke, you will be missed, but apparently  Terry O'Quinn will have some more interesting and fresh acting parts to play. So that's good for him anyway.

Though I haven't been much of a fan of creepy Ilana and the other 316 passengers, I enjoyed their part tonight as they carried the box through the jungle to their allies in the "war". Tension built as the mystery of who or what is in the box drew closer to being revealed, and also as the question "what lies in the shadow of the statue" was finally answered...albeit, it was answered in Latin. It's not 100%, but the answer appears to translate as "he who we all serve" or maybe "he who will save us" depending on how you look at it. Either way, it looks like they're here to stay for a while, so I'll have to bear with them and their cause to save Jacob and the world...if they're not already too late

So do you think Jacob is truly dead? Read part two for my take, but something smells fishy about that too. On the one hand, it appears that the Mystery Man found the "loophole" and was able to kill Jacob, but also it seemed so easy. Could the loophole simply be that they can't harm one another, because if so, what took Mystery Man so long to find an accomplice? Plus, Jacob basically asked for it by being so cruel to Ben and therefore causing his own death. He also warned Not Locke that "they" were coming (meaning Ilana and the others) which provoked Not Locke to kick him into the fire quickly. Did Mystery Man actually not discover the loophole and Jacob just played dead? Did he sense that 30 years in the past, Juliet was actively changing the future, and therefore putting him out of harms way? Or was he merely surrendering to his fate which was to die? I think Jacob had one last trick up his sleeve; we've just yet to see it.

So what is the deal with Jacob, the Mystery Man and the thing that lays in the shadow of the statue? Look to part two for my take.