[Houkou]

So, candidates are supposedly people chosen by Jacob to possibly become protectors of the island. Though this is according to FLocke, so is potentially untrue.

We have the wall of names, with most of them crossed off bar a few:

4 - John Locke
8 - Hurley Reyes
15 - Sawyer Ford
16 - Sayid Jarrah
23 -Shephard
42 - Kwon

For the last one, it's unknown whether Kwon means Jin or Sun, or even Ji Yeon-and it's possible that for Shephard, it could MAYBE refer to Claire, since her father is a Shephard (or Christian, for the more crazy people )

Also, Illana referred to Frank as a possible candidate. Yet his name hasn't appeared to us, and wasn't pointed out by MiB.

They're not the Oceanic Six, they're not all still alive, they didn't all get off the island. What do they all have in common?

Jacob touched all of the people on the list, but not (that we know of) Frank. Did he touch the other people on the list too? If not, why bother listing them at all? Especially since, for example, Troupe (the guy who got sucked into 815's engine) was crossed off-why bother writing his name to remove it if he died not long after crashing? Assuming it's the same guy.

There's also the "seeing dead people" thing. Jack saw his dad, Sawyer saw the kid, Hurley is obvious, Sayid... did Sayid see anyone? Did Sun/Jin? Richard was unable to see him-and those who could see such things were of some surprise/significance to him, indicated for example by when he first met young Ben. Could this also mean/have meant Ben is/was a possible candidate?

They all time travelled/flashed, except for Sun, which could rule out her being 42.

Kate isn't shown or pointed out, and seems to be the odd one out. Perhaps she's hidden elsewhere next to the number 108.

The crossed out gesture can't have meant that the person died, otherwise there would be more uncrossed names (Kate, Rose, Bernard, maybe Vincent... :P). What other connections are there?

[avon]

The names are of people who Jacob touched and manipulated to come to the island. I would guess he wrote their names on the wall much before they actually came to the island. So if Troupe is indeed the guy who got sucked in the engine, Jacob probably visited and touched him and then wrote his name on the wall much before the plane crashed on the island.

What's interesting is that two of the people (Sayid and Hugo) were touched by Jacob after the 815 crash, after they left the island and became the Oceanic Six. So if his touch is what pushed them towards the island in the first place, then the touch must work across time and affect the person's past, not only present and future.

[Houkou]

I think Frank is interesting, in that since he's supposedly a candidate too, lets assume Jacob touched and tried to push him-apparently it didn't work, he was "supposed" to pilot 815 but didn't, and didn't come to the island. When piloting Ajira, after asking "we're not going to Fiji, are we?" he didn't turn around or try and otherwise stop the flight, he made the choice to accept things and carry on.

The only other to have "chosen" to go to the island, as far as we know, would then be Hurley. But even so, he had already been to the island, apparently untouched by Jacob.

It couldn't then be "I've touched this person" which makes Jacob write the names on the wall... and yet they're written there beforehand anyway.

[ReitzPanther83]

I'm not sure that Frank is a candidate. Didn't Ilana/Brom say "he might be a candidate"?

The thing that no one has pointed out is that Jacob touched Kate, but her name was not shown and she does not have one of the numbers associated with her name. What significance could that have? I think maybe she may be Jacob's wildcard or card up his sleve. Perhaps she's under MiB's radar, because she's not listed on the wall.

[avon]

Originally Posted by ReitzPanther83

The thing that no one has pointed out is that Jacob touched Kate, but her name was not shown and she does not have one of the numbers associated with her name.

What's also interesting is that "Shephard" is on the wall but, according to Tom Friendly, Jack Shephard "wasn't even on Jacob's list". Does that mean that the name on the wall refers to another Shephard, not Jack?

[rvturnage]

Originally Posted by avon

What's interesting is that two of the people (Sayid and Hugo) were touched by Jacob after the 815 crash, after they left the island and became the Oceanic Six. So if his touch is what pushed them towards the island in the first place, then the touch must work across time and affect the person's past, not only present and future.

His touch would affect a persons past -- especially Hurley & Sayid as Oceanic 6. Especially if it is by going back to the PAST, that they end up on the island in the first place (by actually CAUSING the "incident"). So touching them at any point prior to the return to the island and causing the incident, whether it be in 1970s or in 2008, would have the same effect. Ensuring their arrival and survival.

It is interesting, and I just noticed this, that Hurley and Sayid were touched after rescue, and prior to the return. Now Sayid is "sick", and Hurley was the one that had to save him by taking him to the temple. Some connection?

[blybug]

Originally Posted by avon

The names are of people who Jacob touched and manipulated to come to the island. I would guess he wrote their names on the wall much before they actually came to the island. So if Troupe is indeed the guy who got sucked in the engine, Jacob probably visited and touched him and then wrote his name on the wall much before the plane crashed on the island.

Which, rather than answering a question, only raises another. How or why did Jacob choose these particular people to "touch" and draw to the Island in the first place? They're Candidates because their names are on the ceiling, and their names are on the ceiling because they're Candidates? Why them??! Are they the descendants of some ancient tribe? Are they all somehow related to each other (eeewwwww)???

Originally Posted by avon

What's interesting is that two of the people (Sayid and Hugo) were touched by Jacob after the 815 crash, after they left the island and became the Oceanic Six. So if his touch is what pushed them towards the island in the first place, then the touch must work across time and affect the person's past, not only present and future.

This I like a lot...and fits with my imagineering of what Jacob and perhaps MiB are. 4-D beings much like Vonnegut's SH5 Tralfamadorians who can "see", interact with, and manipulate the Time dimension just as we mere mortals interface with the 3 spatial dimensions. When a 3-D entity dies, all its interactions with spatial objects cease...when a 4-D entity dies, all its interactions with spatial objects and temporal events cease which would include everything they ever "did" or ever "will do".

Although it is nosebleed-inducing, it may somehow explain the X world...having Jacob's manipulations abruptly "removed" from history by his death in the Foot may have resulted in the deJacobified X universe we have seen in S6.

[Houkou]

Originally Posted by ReitzPanther83

I'm not sure that Frank is a candidate. Didn't Ilana/Brom say "he might be a candidate"?

The thing that no one has pointed out is that Jacob touched Kate, but her name was not shown and she does not have one of the numbers associated with her name. What significance could that have? I think maybe she may be Jacob's wildcard or card up his sleve. Perhaps she's under MiB's radar, because she's not listed on the wall.

They did-but what with the ash, and other things, she seems to know what's going on. So if she says Lapidus is a possible candidate, we've no reason to disbelieve her right now.

Nice point about Kate. Jacob is just sexist, obviously.

Originally Posted by avon

What's also interesting is that "Shephard" is on the wall but, according to Tom Friendly, Jack Shephard "wasn't even on Jacob's list". Does that mean that the name on the wall refers to another Shephard, not Jack?

Could be! Possibly Christian (maybe before his death), Claire is a Shephard with another name...

Originally Posted by rvturnage

It is interesting, and I just noticed this, that Hurley and Sayid were touched after rescue, and prior to the return. Now Sayid is "sick", and Hurley was the one that had to save him by taking him to the temple. Some connection?

Although it's possible that Jacob died/wasn't around to cross off Sayid's name, it's interesting that he's supposedly infected/claimed and yet is still a possible candidate.

[interplanetjanet]

Kate: As with Ben's list, she's just along to play the game pieces Ford and Shepherd. Blerch.

I hope it's the wild card instead. Kate runs; you'd think MiB would be down with recruiting her post haste.

So, nice thought about Troupe. Jacob pulls in candidates as....new Jacobs, from what MiB said. Because Jacob knew eventually MiB would kill him. And because the people destined, like Richard and Dogon and Cindy, to become unquestioning worshippers are a separate list.

[wandering_aimlessly]

Maybe Jacob didn't write the names on the wall at all. Maybe they are provided by another entity (for want of a better word) and are intended to be there so Jacob and/or the MiB know who to work with or ignore.