If Ben really can summon the Black Smoke...

[Kiowa Warrior]

...does this then give weight to the theories proposed quite a while ago that he was trying to make contact with Locke back in S1, when he nearly got dragged down the hole in the jungle by it?

Yes Ben's character wasn't that developed at all back in S1/most of S2, but it could fit in with the island timeline.

Or maybe someone else (possibly Jacob) was controlling the BS and wanted a quick word with Locke back then, or maybe the BS can't be controlled as simply or easily as giving it a few commands: maybe it has to be asked to do something and/or requires something in exchange for its services, and is quite capable of essentially acting on its own free will at times.

But that scene where the BS comes roaring out to attack Keamy's team was just amazing! If that's some of the power that Ben can control you really don't want to anger him too much at all...

[Murgatroyd]

Yes, quite possibly he said 'Fetch' to Smokey back in season 1 when he decided he wanted Locke to join him. Also 'Kill' when he didn't want the pilot to use his radio?

[Lauren [is Lost]]

Yes, i think it is quite possible that Ben was trying to summon Locke back in S1. However i also agree that it can't be that simple...for example, why would Ben want the smoke to kill Eko? Unless he felt that Eko was a threat, which tbh is quite possible. Also it would make sense that Ben would send smokey after the pilot in the pilot...obviously to stop him from contacting the real world, and to cut off the losties from any information that might give something away...

[D-Roc]

I don't think it was Ben who summond Locke back in season 1, although I could be wrong. I think Ben pretty much confirmed that it was Jacob who summond Locke, when he told him "Jacob's not a man you go see...he summons you". That's what i've believed ever since Ben said that, and I think it still fits with what happened in this episode, because it seemed to me like Ben hasn't used this method (of calling smokey) very often. He seemed to exhibit unfamiliarity with what he was doing moments before he went into the cave - although granted, this could just be tension or grief still affecting him.

That said, it's clear that Ben 'can' control (or direct) Smokey to a degree (as we saw). It further makes me wonder about the origins of smokey, whom i've long believed to be a hybrid of science and nature. The apparent tunnel system suggests that Dharma once controlled Smokey - perhaps even giving it the status and 'lifeform' that it current has. Perhaps smokey has alien origins.

But back on topic, i do think that Jacob, if not the island, controls Smokey in the main - it's judgement of Eko wasn't human judgement (I doubt Ben was involved). That said, we heard Ben refer to Jacob as a "person". We pretty much knew this, but his statement tells us what Jacob is from Ben's point of view.

All very interesting.

[firebreathingfishies]

If you had all heard the noise I made when smokey came flying into Camp Locke I've said this a few times but it's true; I nearly wet my pants. My housemate came in and looked at me like I was insane. But then he saw Lost was on and walked out wordlessly

But... was it just me, or was that moment with the soldier shooting at it as it grabbed him the best moment in Lost ever? It was brilliant. And Miles' face in the background. You just know that Ben is going to come out trumps in all of this after that. But I don't think he summoned it like you would call a dog, I think there's something under camp Other (like the other half of a magnet or something) that forced smokey to get there, and upon seeing all the mercinaries decided that it was gonna whoooop some ass. But then again it didn't seem to stay for long afterwards, did it? And it made no attempt to whoop anything else, unless it had had enough whoo-ass and had to sit down and rest

But still.... In the style of Comic Book Guy; Best. Moment. Ever.

[KatesFate]

I was rewatching this episode the other night and I noticed something I hadn't before. When Ben says good-bye to Alex and closes her eyes, his hands are completely covered in black ash. I cannot think of anything else he did that would have blackened his hands other than when he released Smokey. Suppose he had to dig to through the depths of the earth and ash to call him? Just curious as to what he has to do to release Smokey that would blacken his hands. IMO, the director definitly wanted us to see the ash all over Ben's hands when he closed her eyes.