The second half hour of the show delved us deeper into the Jacob backstory, followed our favorite threesome as they escaped from the sub and their collision course with Jack and his entourage as they head towards Jughead. Plus, we get a little more insight into Locke and Ben, while the mystery surrounding Ilana and her crew's mission on the island deepens. So much sussing, let's get going!
Jacob
In this segment, we see Jacob visiting more of the island’s visitors. First, it is Ilana. As she lays in a Russian hospital bed, covered from nose to toes in bandages, Jacob comes in and asks for her help. Although we don't know her or her motivation, it is evident that she won't refuse his request.
The next time we see him, Jacob is sitting on a city bench reading Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” Yet another example of Lost’s brilliance. This subtly placed book is about human weakness and morality, certainly a topic that has been addressed quite frequently in the Lost world. We hear a shattering of glass and a body falls to the ground. Jacob casually gets up and walks over to a bloody and still John Locke. He looks at him for a moment before touching his shoulder. Locke draws a breath and looks at him with bewildered eyes as Jacob says, “Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright,” and then he walks off.
Finally, Jacob visits Sun and Jin at their wedding. As the newlyweds receive well-wishers, Jacob steps up to them. He touches their arms as he tells them that their love is a special thing and should never be taken for granted.
Jacob visits each of them as they are at some turning point, we saw it with Sawyer, Sayid and Kate and now, when Locke and Ilana lie at death's door, Jacob comes along to bring them hope and a renewed vigor for life. With Sun and Jin, he is reinforcing their commitment to each other, the same one that will have them leaving Korea together with the hopes of starting a new life together in Los Angeles. For each, Jacob has gently nudged them in the direction of the island.
The Good Guys?
Ilana and her team trudge through the jungle carrying “the box” while Lapidus and Bram talk. You just gotta love Lapidus and his straightforwardness. When Bram tells him they’re the good guys, Lapidus says, “In my experience, the people who go out of their way to tell you they’re the good guys. They’re the bad guys.” Ain't it the truth, Lappy, ain't it the truth.
As those words are still hanging in the air, they come up on the burnt shell of Jacob’s cabin. Bram points out that an ash line circling the cabin has been broken. (Methinks the ash line might be some sort of protective circle? But whether it protects those within from those outside or the reverse is up for debate.) Ilana goes in and looks around. In the ruined interior, she passes over a mostly unharmed picture of a dog (Anyone have any ideas about that one?) and then spies the piece of tapestry stuck into the wall with a knife. She brings it out and shows it to Bram. The fabric has a picture of Sobek, the Eqyptian god of creation, the very same god that is featured in the giant statue.
After telling them that someone else has been using the cabin (Esau perhaps?? Posing as various dead people? Christian...Claire...) Ilana orders the men to torch the cabin and they set off back into the jungle.
The Leader
En route to the statue, Locke leads the group through the camp once inhabited by the 816 survivors, where he suggests they take a break. Ben and Locke sit down for a tete a tete and Ben asks why Locke wants him to kill Jacob. Locke says that after all he has been through: the cancer, losing his daughter and being exiled; the bigger question is why he wouldn’t want to kill Jacob.
In the last few episodes, we have certainly seen a different side of Ben, less sure of himself. I miss the old sneaky, conniving bad-ass Ben of yore.
The Escapees
Sawyer, Juliet and Kate row towards the island as the submarine sinks into the water behind them. As they pull the boat up onto the shore, a giant rainbow hovering over their shoulders, Vincent comes running out of the jungle. Sawyer ruffles his fur and we hear a very distinctive voice.
“Oh, hell no....Bernard! They found us.”
Out walks Rose and a shaggy Bernard, looking very Charleton Heston Moses with the beard and the staff. Bernard and Rose take them back to their little slice of heaven retirement cottage, and while the threesome try to talk them into helping them on their quest to stop Jack, the couple go about their normal activities. "You traveled back 30 years in time and you’re still trying to shoot each other?” Rose says.
As he turns them down, Bernard doles out some of his wisdom: “So we die, we just care about being together, that’s all that matters.” To which Sawyer looks at Kate. Why, oh, why did he look at Kate? Juliet, of course, sees this. Breaks. My. Heart. Bernard points them on their way and they head off for the Dharma camp. As they turn to leave, Bernard offers Juliet a cup of tea, which she declines as she touches her stomach. (Does he recognize her heartbreak?) I swear I thought she was pregnant then! Still kind of do.
I was so happy to see Miss Rose and Bernard again. Their absence has been one of those question marks hanging over the show for me. Did they travel back in time with the rest of the gang? If so, or not, what time were they in? Were they the skeletons in the cave?
The Heroes
Hurley careens through the forest in the intrepid blue VW bus while Jack and Jin work to save the injured Sayid. As they bump along, Hurley and Miles attack them with a barrage of questions. Suddenly, Hurley brings the van to a screeching halt.
Sawyer, Juliet and Kate stand blocking their path, guns drawn.
Yep, it's on.
Stay tuned for the next installment of The Incident, to be posted soon by Shannon.
Did you just know it was Jacob we were seeing? I just knew it had to be him. And as I was watching. Especially as he works the thread up the loom. 
And then later in the show when he talks about creating the tapestry. It so reminded me of the Greek myth about the fates. That one is in charge of spinning the thread of life. Another in charge of measuring out the length. And the final in charge of cutting the thread. Is it relevant? Who knows.
(Hey...anyone notice that Juliet hits the bomb at the end with a black rock? Relevant? Who knows. Bunny trail number one.) Soon Jacob is joined by another man. And the symbolism screams from the tv screen. Jabob in his white shirt (but...he does have black pants on) and this guy...who I'll call Esau...in his black shirt. Jacob with his blond hair. Esau with his black hair. Light and dark. Plain as day. But. Really. Even by the end of the episode...I am not convinced of who are "the good guys." 
"Katy" is caught by the store owner who says that he is going to call the cops and her parents. But who should appear to rescue Kate but Jacob, who offers to pay for the lunch box. While making Katy promise to never steal again...while at the same time, playfully touching her nose.
Jacob appears on the scene and offers him a pen. And touches his hand as he hands him the pen.
Then Sawyer's uncle appears and asks James to move on. Not to finish the letter. Because "what's done is done." So...why do you think Jacob visits Kate and Sawyer in their youth...and everyone else when they are adults? 
and is struck by a car - and the driver speeds away. (Did you gasp outloud when she was hit??!) So. Here is my question for you. When Jacob stops Sayid...is he killing Nadia or saving Sayid?
and ask politely if he'll surface so that they can go back to the island and save the world. Who else sees the foreshadowing of Juliet wearing a red shirt?
And yelling at Pierre Chang for stopping the drill. Chang tries to explain that the heat was too much. That there is an insurrection going on. And that they are too close to the pocket of energy. So Radzinsky counters with some analogy about Edison and being in the dark...and then says "I came to this island to change the world..." So...how does electro magnetism change the world?
Especially since Ben strangled Locke. Because "dead is dead." Right? But Locke counters that it's not so unusual in comparison of Richard never aging. Richard says that he is that way because of Jacob. And then he makes the leap that John Locke must be alive because of Jacob, too. And Locke says it must be so...and that he needs to thank Jacob. Locke also tells Richard that they must "deal" with the survivors from the Ajira flight.
He knows that Ben told Richard about killing Locke. And Locke wants to know why Ben didn't tell Richard that Locke wants Jacob dead. Ben says that he will do whatever Locke says. Because his dead daughter told him to do whatever John says. Locke just beams at this good news. And then tells Ben that actually he is the one that must kill Jacob.
And why did they bring Lapidus? Because "he might be a candidate." And as Frank says...ummm...a candidate for what?
And he wants to know if Jack knows John Locke. Richard went to meet John (just like John asked him too) - but he didn't find anything special about him. Jack tells Richard "don't give up on him." 
But...as they are walking away, Sayid is recognized by Ben's papa...(Hey...did Ben ever get returned to Dharmaville?) 
and promptly shoots him in the stomach. And the whole place errupts into gunfire. Did anyone else hear the Lone Ranger music as Hurley and company drive up in the blue VW to rescue them? 
I thought it might have just been me.
