You found your loophole

[Writers_Strike]

What did this mean? I am thinking that since Jacob brought Locke back to life after his fall, the man in black could take him over once his dead body returned to the island. Or maybe he just needed someone else to kill him, like an ex-leader.

[Novashannon]

I took it to mean he couldn't kill Jacob directly himself, but he could get someone else to do it.  He manipulated Ben.

[jamesl]

I took it to mean he couldn't kill Jacob directly himself, but he could get someone else to do it.  He manipulated Ben.

exactly

[Austruck]

I don't know WHY this is happening, but I'm convinced I know WHAT is happening.

The graying character sitting with Jacob in the beginning (far in the past, played by Titus Welliver of Deadwood fame) can somehow not only travel in time (like Jacob can) but also can make people think he is someone else, but only dead people.

He not only appeared as the dead Locke, but has been appearing as other dead people -- Christian, Charlie, Libby. His goal has been to find a way to kill Jacob all along (for what reason, we will find out in season 6), and he has been traveling around in time and taking on the appearance of dead people in order to try to get Jacob killed.

It does seem as if the loophole was to find someone willing to kill Jacob. So until now he had been appearing as the wrong dead person, and appearing to the wrong living people. He got closer by appearing to Ben as Alex, but that wasn't quite enough. As Alex, he told Ben to listen to Locke ... and then appeared to Ben as Locke too, in order to tell him to kill Jacob.

[Writers_Strike]

Maybe thats why he couldn't touch Locke as Christian, it might undo the weird voodoo Jacob gave him.

[jamesl]

Maybe thats why he couldn't touch Locke as Christian, it might undo the weird voodoo Jacob gave him.

damn, everyone's coming up with some great theories

that makes a lot of sense

[OLLY-wood]

it's the same rules that applied to widmore and ben.

simple literature 101 really, man in black represents the intricacies of death, and the man in white (Jacob in this case) represents the intricacies of "life, both good and bad"

refer back to their conversation in the opening minutes of the episode for a little more insight

[DizzyIzzy]

I don't know WHY this is happening, but I'm convinced I know WHAT is happening.

The graying character sitting with Jacob in the beginning (far in the past, played by Titus Welliver of Deadwood fame) can somehow not only travel in time (like Jacob can) but also can make people think he is someone else, but only dead people.

He not only appeared as the dead Locke, but has been appearing as other dead people -- Christian, Charlie, Libby. His goal has been to find a way to kill Jacob all along (for what reason, we will find out in season 6), and he has been traveling around in time and taking on the appearance of dead people in order to try to get Jacob killed.

It does seem as if the loophole was to find someone willing to kill Jacob. So until now he had been appearing as the wrong dead person, and appearing to the wrong dead people. He got closer by appearing to Ben as Alex, but that wasn't quite enough. As Alex, he told Ben to listen to Locke ... and then appeared to Ben as Locke too, in order to tell him to kill Jacob.

Why would Jacob tell Hurley that talking to dead people is a blessing?

[OLLY-wood]

I don't know WHY this is happening, but I'm convinced I know WHAT is happening.

The graying character sitting with Jacob in the beginning (far in the past, played by Titus Welliver of Deadwood fame) can somehow not only travel in time (like Jacob can) but also can make people think he is someone else, but only dead people.

He not only appeared as the dead Locke, but has been appearing as other dead people -- Christian, Charlie, Libby. His goal has been to find a way to kill Jacob all along (for what reason, we will find out in season 6), and he has been traveling around in time and taking on the appearance of dead people in order to try to get Jacob killed.

It does seem as if the loophole was to find someone willing to kill Jacob. So until now he had been appearing as the wrong dead person, and appearing to the wrong dead people. He got closer by appearing to Ben as Alex, but that wasn't quite enough. As Alex, he told Ben to listen to Locke ... and then appeared to Ben as Locke too, in order to tell him to kill Jacob.

Why would Jacob tell Hurley that talking to dead people is a blessing?

Perhaps he really is like Miles in a sense, he's a "gifted child"

[Austruck]

Hey, give me time to work out the intricacies. It's been half an hour since I figured this out. 

[zeekloveslost]

I don't know WHY this is happening, but I'm convinced I know WHAT is happening.

The graying character sitting with Jacob in the beginning (far in the past, played by Titus Welliver of Deadwood fame) can somehow not only travel in time (like Jacob can) but also can make people think he is someone else, but only dead people.

He not only appeared as the dead Locke, but has been appearing as other dead people -- Christian, Charlie, Libby. His goal has been to find a way to kill Jacob all along (for what reason, we will find out in season 6), and he has been traveling around in time and taking on the appearance of dead people in order to try to get Jacob killed.

It does seem as if the loophole was to find someone willing to kill Jacob. So until now he had been appearing as the wrong dead person, and appearing to the wrong dead people. He got closer by appearing to Ben as Alex, but that wasn't quite enough. As Alex, he told Ben to listen to Locke ... and then appeared to Ben as Locke too, in order to tell him to kill Jacob.

Why would Jacob tell Hurley that talking to dead people is a blessing?

He neede Hurley to get on the plane. That was just part of the convincing.

[OLLY-wood]

I don't know WHY this is happening, but I'm convinced I know WHAT is happening.

The graying character sitting with Jacob in the beginning (far in the past, played by Titus Welliver of Deadwood fame) can somehow not only travel in time (like Jacob can) but also can make people think he is someone else, but only dead people.

He not only appeared as the dead Locke, but has been appearing as other dead people -- Christian, Charlie, Libby. His goal has been to find a way to kill Jacob all along (for what reason, we will find out in season 6), and he has been traveling around in time and taking on the appearance of dead people in order to try to get Jacob killed.

It does seem as if the loophole was to find someone willing to kill Jacob. So until now he had been appearing as the wrong dead person, and appearing to the wrong dead people. He got closer by appearing to Ben as Alex, but that wasn't quite enough. As Alex, he told Ben to listen to Locke ... and then appeared to Ben as Locke too, in order to tell him to kill Jacob.

Why would Jacob tell Hurley that talking to dead people is a blessing?

He neede Hurley to get on the plane. That was just part of the convincing.

And convincing Hurley to get on the plane would contribute to the "conditions" needed to get the plane back to the island, along with the rest of the Ajira passengers (Ilana et. al)

[Bostonlost]

I don't think Jacob was conning Hurley on the Plane I think it is at face value. One man's garbage is another man's treasure.

[hyperform]

it's the same rules that applied to widmore and ben.

simple literature 101 really, man in black represents the intricacies of death, and the man in white (Jacob in this case) represents the intricacies of "life, both good and bad"

refer back to their conversation in the opening minutes of the episode for a little more insight

I was just thinking that maybe that scene from  The Shape of Things To Come with Ben and Charles in Charles bedroom, was actually Jacob and Esau speaking to each other through them.

[GUTZandRAGE]

Honestly, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Did Esau really have to go through such a long and elaborate plan to get Ben to kill Jacob? He could have bribed him.