We have seen many occasions where the island wouldn't let something happen: It wouldn't let women have children, it wouldn't let Nemesis leave and it wouldn't let Micheal, Richard and Jack kill themselves. That brought up a couple of questions that led to these speculations:

If Jack was so important to the island, why was he able to leave the island and be rescued along with the other candidates that became known as the Oceanic 6? We know the island can trap someone so I assume the candidates were allowed to leave as part of an overall plan.

Why let them leave if it was so important to have them return?
The writers could come up with many reasons but the more interesting one I see comes from considering the net result of those events:

Aaron was taken off the island.

Jacob needed to protect Aaron, the miracle baby born on the island. Maybe Nemesis thought one of the other children, including Walt, was Jacob's savior but it could have been Aaron all along. I think that's why Aaron was part of the Oceanic 6, a modern way to hide Moses. Maybe Nemesis' main reason to want to leave the island is to kill Aaron. That could be why he got so close to Claire and now Kate. It gives new light to Christian's actions, separating Claire from her baby that, otherwise, would have fallen in Smokey's hands.

Now, Jacob's triumph over Nemesis would come when Aaron returns to the island and we may have already seen that it will happen: I think the Blond Boy that talked to XLocke is an older version of Aaron. A projection into the future of the miracle baby, ready to return and claim his "promised land".

• RE: The Island Won't Let You.,weltek, 11:03 AM, 03-22-10
  • RE: The Island Won't Let You.,michel, 04:52 PM, 03-22-10
    • RE: The Island Won't Let You.,CTgirl, 06:23 PM, 03-22-10
    • RE: The Island Won't Let You.,weltek, 02:57 PM, 03-23-10

LAST EDITED ON 03-22-10 AT 11:05 AM (EST)

I'm kind of with you, though I don't know it's that clearly fleshed out in my mind. Aaron is highly significant to all of this, and I believe children are significant in the sense of something like "all children are potential rebirth of Jacob and Smokey." It is why I've played with the idea that each of the "candidates" is a decendant of someone born on the island. *shrug* Maybe the fact that Aaron was able to be carried to term on the island is a sign he's of significant "lineage."

The "vaccine" given to pregnant women could be to kill potential "evil" (e.g. no baby smokeys). Only those with Jacob genetics would survive the vaccination and be born?

-A Tribetastic Creation

It's nice to see that I'm not alone!

Regarding the absence of babies on the island, I think that it was Jacob that couldn't have descendants. Smokey found a way to kill all the babies so Jacob had to find his own loophole: Christian. He had a son, a daughter and a grandson that were all brought to the island. Knowing that Jacob's heir was to return to the island, Smokey got the Others to kidnap all the young ones that reached the island. He just missed Claire's baby.

I'm kind of with you too especially on the importance of Aaron and of children. You've brought up some interesting thoughts to ponder.

With all the emphasis on Jacob vs. MIB this year I've kind of forgotten that it's the island that could have the ultimate power. It's interesting though, until this year, that I always thought that Smokey was a manifestation of the island and it's wishes. That flies in the face of Smokey and MIB being evil!

I also think that the Blond Boy is Aaron. Aaron and Walt were the two special children in season 1 and if Walt was to inherit the island, they would have found a way to recast his character. Instead a lot of the emphasis and mystery has surrounded Aaron off and on during the entire series. It's also not lost on me that Jacob's and Aaron's names have their literary history in the bible and both were brothers. Jacob and Esau were at odds; Moses and Aaron were not. I'm not sure that I think the candidates are Jacobs descendants but Aaron is descended from Jacob in the bible.

There is significance, I think, that Jack went to visit his grandfather in the nursing home. It otherwise meant nothing to the story. Sure, that's how Christian's shoes became in Jack'sgrasp, but there are other ways that could've come about...and why shoes, particularly? Also, much has been made about showing Jack's watch, which was passed down from his gradfather to his father and now him. I think there is looming significance of the Shepard lineage.

Jack's grandfather said something about escaping from the nursing home "and they'd never be able to find me." Does he know how to get to the island?

Little is coincidental in LOST.

-A Tribetastic Creation