[D-Roc]

(Him, Ki - fair dues, although I genuinely can't recall such a theory, I've just developed the thinking behind this using my own reasoning, ideas and thoughts. I guess this is what they call the stream of consciousness!)

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I still think this could work - the main sticking point does seem to be the size of the coffin and the suggestion that amputees do not receive smaller coffins.

Whilst this is probably true in many cases, I'm not convinced that it is true in 'every' case. The funeral seemed to be low budget - whoever paid for it either didn't have much money, or didn't care that much for the person inside the coffin. Is it possible that a smaller coffin would be more inline with the bill payers budget? If the person inside didn't need those extra inches, then perhaps the person paying would go for a smaller size?

However the other sticking point is, as mentioned, the possible deceptive angle that the coffin was viewed. In my original picture above, the coffin certainly seems to be smaller (shorter) than, say Jack..or Locke who is roughly the same height. However in the picture provided by him, the coffin appears to be alot longer:



I guess this could go eitherway..who is to say which picture captures the definitive size of the coffin? All I know is that I was struck, like others, by the smallness of the coffin, when considering who could be inside.

Originally Posted by murly

i think that is a good theory, however what you said about jack´s hand - i think that´s where the person´s head would be due to the opening of the coffin being smaller on that side, for it to be opened to display the head.

Thanks Murl - yes that's a good point, maybe it is the persons upper body where Jack is resting his hand? Infact on 2nd inspection it does seem like it - which still makes me wonder - why is he placing his hand there..why near the head..and not, say, the heart or the hands? Perhaps it's because the person is reported to have hung himself(according to the paper clipping)? I guess it could indeed be argued that he is placing his hand near the neck then..

But perhaps more important than where he is placing his hand..is who would he show this sign of devotion to..who's path has affected his own enough for him to make this gesture? I can only think of a handful out of those we know - Juliet, Kate, Ben and Locke. Remove Juliet and Kate (for obvious reasons), and we're left with Ben or Locke.

I still believe that Locke could kill himself (or be murdered) - I could see him struggling from his wheelchair to hand himself, for instance. I think that would be the overlapping circle that TPTB could want to show us. But this would mean that Locke would die before LOST ends..unthinkable..surely?

Which brings me back to Ben. I am his biggest fan, but I'm not convinced that he will see out the show - I also think that Jack would feel guilty enough to show Ben such a sign of compassion by going to his funeral and touching the coffin the way that he did.]

If the man inside the coffin IS Ben, then the teenaged kid could still be Walt - having adopted Walt in a similar way to my Locke suggestion in the first post. Or..and this is the interesting one..it could be Karl. For me Karl has no story left and yet at the end of S3 he was still alive and well, with no sign of him being knocked off. Karl being Ben's son would not only explain Karl's continued presence in the show, but it would also make clearer Ben's reasons for not wanting him and Alex to sleep together (as if death by conception wasn't already enough).

Intriguingly it could be argued that Shannon and Boone's incest was part of the reason why the island 'arranged' their deaths..perhaps Ben knows that the island doesn't appreciate incest and hence his eagerness to prevent any sibling romance between Alex and Karl (although even in this scenario they wouldn't be blood related - Unless Rousseau was also Karl's mom!)

So, i'm still stuck between Ben and Locke..My head says that it's Locke inside the coffin, but Ben would also make alot of sense.

I'm also holding onto my reasoning behind the double amputee scenario - I think there's alot in that which is of value..even if the theory had to be adjusted 'slightly'

Originally Posted by supermoo

I'm not sure guys...maybe it IS a child's coffin and Walt is inside. The reason nobody would go to his funeral could be because he was found out to have been the human personification of "Jacob" the controller of the Island, and the master of the suvivors destinies...

That's also a good point. It could actually be a child's coffin..Walt being the prime candidate - it would also explain Jack's grief, guilt and sympathetic hand gesture. Although this falls down over Kate hating Walt enough not to go to his funeral..and with the newspaper clipping saying that it was an adult man with a teenaged son..

Unless you're suggesting that Walt as we know him no longer exists and Jacob has manifested himself into Walt's body..which wouldbe a good idea, except this wouldn't explain how he is able to have a teenaged son and be considered an adult?

I do really like the Locke theory though - very good. I must admit my second reaction when I saw that scene at the coffin viewing was that it had to be someone Jack had "saved" who had subsequently died. Ben would fit that theory, and would also explain why nobody else wanted to go to the viewing, but doesn't fit in with the "J" in the paper cutting...this is a great mystery !!!

Thanks,
Hmm, interesting - it would make sense if it was someone who Jack saved...but how about if it was the other way around - i.e., the person in the coffin "saved" Jack? Locke and Ben could both fit into this..

Although why would Kate being so anti them, despite appearing to be enjoying her freedom back in the real world?

It would suggest that this person, whoever he is, made a decision which Jack can see the value..the sacfrice in but Kate cannot.

Does this come down to Jack becoming more "connected" with the island? I may sound like Ben saying this, but it's relevant - is the reason why Kate cannot understand, because she isn't "connected"?

I need to think this over, but I still think that this theory has some gas - at the very least I think the Walt being adopted angle is very plausible..