Lost: "Across the Sea"

I must say, I was shocked when I heard some of the reviews of "Across the Sea". I loved it! It was a great episode which was comprised of an enitre flashback to the emergence of Jacob and The Man in Black. So let's recap!

The episode began with wreck. Not from the sub because there were no submarines in Roman times. 2000 years ago, a very pregnant woman named Claudia washed up on the shores of the Island. A mysterious woman appeared to her and offered to help her. She began treating her wounds, and answering some questions in Latin. The woman revealed that she was the only one on the Island and also arrived "by accident". The woman finally tells Claudia that her questions will only lead to more questions, and she should stop. And then the baby comes. It's a boy. Claudia names him Jacob. But just then, another boy pops out. Shocked, Claudia tells the woman she only picked out one name. Jacob is wrapped in light cloth while his twin is wrapped in dark cloth. When Claudia asks to see the babys, the woman appoligizes and kills her. And so, their mother is dead, and The Man in Black is never named. Who called it earlier this season?

Thirteen years later, The Boy in Black, destined to become known as MiB, finds an Egyptian game on the beach and teaches Jacob how to play. The woman, who I will refer to as Jacob and MiB refer to her, "Mother", is told about the game by Jacob though his brother. She approaches The Boy in Black about the game, and tells him that unlike Jacob, he is "special". She left the game for him, and it didn't come from "across the sea" like the Boy in Black thought because there is nothing beyond the sea. And when the Boy in Black asks about death, Mother responds it's something he will never have to deal with.

But sometime later, Jacob and his brother were hunting boars when they came across men who hunted them first. Jacob and his brother were shocked, for Mother always told them no one else was on the Island. But she recants this, stating that this people are unlike them, for they are here for a purpose. The Others (the origin of the present day others, perhaps?) are dangerous because they come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt and it always ends the same. But Jacob and his brother will never be able to hurt each other.

She brings them to a bright light inside a cave, which as we'll learn later is the source of all the electromagnetic energy on the Island. This is why they're there. They must protect this light because a little bit of this light is inside every man, and if it goes out, it will go out everywhere. And so, a major mystery of the Island is solved. And when Mother is gone, either Jacob or his brother will have to protect it.

Later, while plaing the Egyptian game, Claudia appears to the Boy in Black and takes him to see her people. She reveals she is actually is mother and he comes from "across the sea". The Boy in Black is furious, and invites Jacob to leave with him. Jacob becomes very angry and punches the Man in Black in a fit of rage. Mother stops the fight, and Jacob tells her of the Boy in Black's plans. She tells him that whatever he has been told, he cannot leave the Island. But he says he will disprove her and leaves after Mother admits to killing Claudia. Jacob agrees to stay even though he feels unloved. But Mother tells him she loves them in different ways.

Thirty years later, Jacob as he commonly appears goes to his brother who appears in the Man in Black form. They talk over a game of Senet. The Man in Black tells him that even though Mother may be crazy, she is right about the people. He says they are greedy, manipulative, untrustworthy and selfish. He explains he stays with them as a means to an end, that is, to leave. And he has discovered away to leave the Island. There are spots all over the Island where metal behaves oddly, and the people dig wells. And even though he cannot find the cave with the light, that light is found beneath the Island in one of the wells.

Jacob tells Mother this, and she goes to see him. The Man in Black explains everything to Mother, and tells her that the people have rigged a device to allow them to leave using mechanincs, water, the light, and a large wheel. This wheel will become the Frozen Donkey Wheel, and will be the one Locke and Ben turn to move the Island. Mother feigns a goodbye hug, but bashes his head on the wall of the well instead, knocking him out. He awakens to find the well dug in, all the people gone, and the village burned. Now, he's mad and she knows it.

She goes to Jacob and makes him promise to take care of the light, wich is "life, death, rebirth, and the heart of the Island". She pours him some wine with an incantation, and makes Jacob drink. She then tells him that she was wrong all the time, and Jacob was the special one. She tells him, "Now you and I are the same".

Mother's camp in the caves is ransacked. As she goes to pick up the game, she is stabbed in the back by The Man in Black. As she dies, The Man in Black asks why he couldn't leave. She responds, "Because I love you. Thank you". And she dies. Why is she thanking him? I think we'll find out soon. My gut feeling tells me she was the original smoke monster. But we'll see...

Jacob returns and is horrified. He attacks The Man in Black and then drags him through the jungle. Jacob cannot kill him, but looks to something worse than death. Jacob throws him into the stream, and the Man in Black hits his head as he is sucked up into the source. Moments later, the smoke moster comes billowing out of the source and goes into the jungle.

Jacob then sees his brother's body over the branches nearby. He takes it and is very upset. He takes the body to The Caves and lays his brother next to his mother. He takes two stones- one light, one dark- from the Senet game and places them in a pouch, and places it in his mother's hand.

Several days after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, Jack, and Kate find the two bodies. Locke calls these two "Our very own Adam and Eve". Shocking me, it turns out The Man in Black and his mother are Adam and Eve.

Top 3 Questions I Want Answered:
1). Why did Mother thank The Man in Black?
2). Is the smoke monster taking the form of Jacob's brother, or is Jacob's brother actually the monster?
3). Where are Rose, Bernard, and Vincent?