LAST EDITED ON 03-09-10 AT 07:45 PM (EST)

"-: Locke's life was so bad due to Jacob's influence that he committed suicide

-: But, that was after Jacob lost control of the island.

-: How could that possibly be relevant to Locke's suicide, since he didn't know anything about Jacob losing control."

OK, I'll try to be clearer: Locke wanted to be able to do whatever he wanted to do.

Jacob answered his prayers by bringing him to the island: Locke regained use of his legs and his miserable life finally had meaning. On the island he felt fulfilled; his mission was to save the world, no less.

Without Locke knowing, I agree, Jacob lost power and MIB took over and HE started influencing Locke, eventually forcing him off the island where his mission directly led to his suicide attempt. But Locke's death was MIB's plan all along: Locke was his loophole. Jacob isn't responsible for Locke's downward spiral, MIB is. MIB is the evil one.

Now the flash sideways aren't just a world without Jacob, they are also a world without MIB: The whole island was destroyed.

It could be that the question is: Is it better to have hoped and lost than never to have hoped at all? We're insignificant ants anyway but isn't it our dreams that make us a bit taller?