Did Locke have to die?

[Holland34]

Once the "cork" was removed and Jack and Locke had become mortal, did it really matter anymore if Locke left the island?  I'm guessing no.  (Other than he would have stolen Sawyer and Kate's ride.)  Since Jack was still able to die after the "cork" was put back in, I am guessing Locke would have remained mortal, too.  I'm also speculating that world was out of danger from Locke the moment the cork came out... and was out of danger from the light being out once Jack put the cork back in.  Does that make shooting Locke less about need and more about revenge?

[Kane]

But the light was LIFE. With it out, everything dies. So either ending dooms the world. Let Locke go and he spreads evil. Leave the light out and nothing but death. What Jack did was the only positive outcome.

[Blitz Wing]

But the light was LIFE. With it out, everything dies. So either ending dooms the world. Let Locke go and he spreads evil. Leave the light out and nothing but death. What Jack did was the only positive outcome.

I was never fully convinced the Man in Black was totally evil. From his back story it seems his whole motivation is he just wants to be with "his" own people. Of course later he finds his own people are "bad" as his fake mother says....but he just wants to get off the island. I don't think I've ever sensed any motivation from the Man in Black to want to spread evil. That leads me to conclude either others saying he want to "spread evil" is false, the Man in Black never personally revealed his true intention to spread evil, or the Man in Black spreads evil unintentionally based on what he is now (smokie), but no indication of that either.

Don't get me wrong, the Man in Black is definitely doing some bad/evil things to get what he wants, to get off the island. But he doesn't seem to be wanting to spread evil. He didn't seem to be the one corrupting "his" people (the ones his fake mother kills), and he's actually sadden by their deaths...even though he views them as "bad".

[jugdish]

The Man in Black, before he is shoved in the hole by Jacob, was a some what sympathetic character. Crazy mom etc. Once Jacob threw him into the light hole, he became evil, filled with hatred. Smokie that we know. He was no longer sympathetic.

[bfth]

The Man in Black, before he is shoved in the hole by Jacob, was a some what sympathetic character. Crazy mom etc. Once Jacob threw him into the light hole, he became evil, filled with hatred. Smokie that we know. He was no longer sympathetic.

EXACTLY!

[Maxor127]

So if the island was left uncorked, you think it would have destroyed the world or something?  I don't think MIB would have been a threat if he made it off the island.  I never bought the whole "spreading evil" thing.

[lostlady]

Well in any case--MIB was trying to kill Jack so if Jack didn't do it first then MIB would have killed him. When he saw Jack he grabbed his knife....

[lostfan777]

Once the "cork" was removed and Jack and Locke had become mortal, did it really matter anymore if Locke left the island?  I'm guessing no.  (Other than he would have stolen Sawyer and Kate's ride.)  Since Jack was still able to die after the "cork" was put back in, I am guessing Locke would have remained mortal, too.  I'm also speculating that world was out of danger from Locke the moment the cork came out... and was out of danger from the light being out once Jack put the cork back in.  Does that make shooting Locke less about need and more about revenge?

I think that Jack and Locke became mortal when the light went out after the cork was removed because their power came from the light and MIB knew this, which was why he needed Desmond to destroy the island.  He couldn't leave the island except in physical form.  The danger to the outside world was the fact that with the light out on the island, it would go out in the hearts of man everywhere.  I'll give a nod to the 'MIB is not evil' supporters by saying that he was only looking to escape and maybe didn't even know what the consequences would be.  Maybe the 'spread of evil' would be mankind as a whole becoming evil (or more so than it is now) without the light and not MIB on a destructive rampage.

When Jack replaced the cork and the light returned, the world was once more safe.  However, if Locke was not killed before the cork was replaced, then Smokey's power would have been returned to him and the danger/battle would resume (and no 'end').  Jack remained mortal after the light returned because by that time he had already passed the cup and his power to Hurley, just as Mother was able to die after passing it to Jacob.

[Kane]

Lostfan777 hit it on the head for me. Exactly what I was trying to say.

[BurkRoyer]

Once the "cork" was removed and Jack and Locke had become mortal, did it really matter anymore if Locke left the island?  I'm guessing no.  (Other than he would have stolen Sawyer and Kate's ride.)  Since Jack was still able to die after the "cork" was put back in, I am guessing Locke would have remained mortal, too.  I'm also speculating that world was out of danger from Locke the moment the cork came out... and was out of danger from the light being out once Jack put the cork back in.  Does that make shooting Locke less about need and more about revenge?

I think that Jack and Locke became mortal when the light went out after the cork was removed because their power came from the light and MIB knew this, which was why he needed Desmond to destroy the island.  He couldn't leave the island except in physical form.  The danger to the outside world was the fact that with the light out on the island, it would go out in the hearts of man everywhere.  I'll give a nod to the 'MIB is not evil' supporters by saying that he was only looking to escape and maybe didn't even know what the consequences would be.  Maybe the 'spread of evil' would be mankind as a whole becoming evil (or more so than it is now) without the light and not MIB on a destructive rampage.

When Jack replaced the cork and the light returned, the world was once more safe.  However, if Locke was not killed before the cork was replaced, then Smokey's power would have been returned to him and the danger/battle would resume (and no 'end').  Jack remained mortal after the light returned because by that time he had already passed the cup and his power to Hurley, just as Mother was able to die after passing it to Jacob.

But Jacob died before he passed the cup?  

Plus, I've always thought immortality was the prevention of dying from old age, but you could still die by other means?  Invincibility would be the power to never die, which only Smokey seemed to be completely, until the light went out...

[Xentro]

What I don't get,

if the Alt. timeline was the purgatory. What was the Island then ?

[Hurley rocks dudes]

the island was real- everything there happened in their real lives

[Holland34]

What I don't get,

if the Alt. timeline was the purgatory. What was the Island then ?

I didn't take the ATL to be "purgatory" (a place where souls are trapped), rather a place where they wanted to all go to so they could wait for each other.  Kind of like a cell phone lot at the airport.

[vickilynn]

What I don't get,

if the Alt. timeline was the purgatory. What was the Island then ?

I didn't take the ATL to be "purgatory" (a place where souls are trapped), rather a place where they wanted to all go to so they could wait for each other.  Kind of like a cell phone lot at the airport.

They all arrived at different times - you could feel the excitement when a character would arrive and was told, "they're inside" or whatever, they knew that soon they would all be gathered/reunited and then they could "move on - move ahead," or whatever it is they're going to do next

[Maxor127]

Well in any case--MIB was trying to kill Jack so if Jack didn't do it first then MIB would have killed him. When he saw Jack he grabbed his knife....

Actually, MIB could've killed Jack when he knocked him out.  But he left him and tried to leave, and it wasn't until Jack tracked him down and MIB knew he wasn't going to get to leave without a fight that the knife came out.