The Lost season 5 finale may have ended with the Island being blown up by a hydrogen bomb, but what has fans even more intrigued was the opening scene between Jacob and a new, even more mysterious character. Played by Deadwood alum Titus Welliver and credited in the official ABC press release as “Man #2,” who is this man who went to such extreme lengths to kill Jacob?
The short answer is: He’s the Devil.
At least that’s the most popular theory that combines all of the clues we were given. Whether it’s literal or simply allegorical, there were certainly strong similarities between the relationship of Jacob and his enemy and God and the Devil.
Black and White
First, in that scene Man #2 wore a black shirt while Jacob wore white. The colors have been used many times in Lost to show the battle between good and evil, the forces of light and dark. They go all the way back to when Jack discovered the black and whites stones in the caves by the bodies they called Adam and Eve in the first season
Strained Relationship
It’s obvious from their scene together that Jacob and Man #2 have a long history together and that Man #2 has a strong desire to kill Jacob, but for some reason he can’t. This could mirror the Devil’s desire to kill God, only it’s not that simple. The resentment also seems to stem from a common past, as the Devil was once an angel of the Lord who fell from Heaven.
Views on Humanity
Perhaps the strongest argument for the God and Devil Theory is the two men’s views of mankind. When they saw the Black Rock coming to the Island, Jacob expressed optimism that perhaps humanity was capable of greatness, change and progress. Man #2, however, was convinced that humans were flawed and corruptible creatures who are easily convinced into doing bad things, like eating an apple or killing Jacob.
Dead Languages
More proof for the God and Devil Theory came in the form of Latin and Greek in the finale. Richard’s response to the question “What lies in the shadow of the statue?” was a Latin phrase that translates to “He who will protect us” or “He who will save us all.” Since Jacob is the one who lives beneath the statue, it’s possible that the question refers to Jacob and that he is the salvation of mankind.
Also of note is that on the tapestry Jacob was weaving from scratch in his foot home were written two expressions from The Odyssey in ancient Greek. They said: “May the gods grant thee all that thy heart desires” and “May the gods give you happiness.” These are definitely sentiments of someone who wants to save mankind.
Whether or not you agree with this theory, it’s impossible to deny that there are strong religious undertones to Jacob and the mysterious Man #2. Maybe it’s not as literal as them being God and the Devil, but there is a connection.
And to be fair, there is a less popular opposite theory that claims Jacob is the Devil and his enemy is God, supported by the fact that the colors of the very end title card were inverted, possibly suggested the black and white shirts from the opening scene were inverted from traditional associations. Similarly, since Jacob lives inside the statue, maybe the shadow of the statue is where Man #2 lies, thus making him “He who will save us all.”
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-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
