Blocking Smokie with Living Objects

[3d-aholic]

We've seen a number of cases where Smokie could not access people when living trees of earth were in the way. In the beginning of the episode Jack lands in a bamboo field and Christian (aka Smokie) sends in Vincent to wake him up because it seems for some reason he can't go into the Bamboo forest. In other cases, we have seen characters hide within Banyan tree roots.

This has remained an unopened question for the entire season and does not appear to be that its going to be reconciled.

I believe the reason that Smokie cannot access people hiding in these living things is because Jacob controls the Earth. He rules over the living objects/ the living objects of Earth on the island.

So Smokie basically can't cross this Element border....because its controlled by his brother.

The same is true for water. However, Jacob does not control water. Water will be controlled by someone else. This is all goes back to the fundamental description of classical elements by the ancient Greek philosopher of Aristotle, et. al. This is described in this thread.

Besides the philosophical reference point to these elements, there is all the wiccan and pagan mythological reference points to these elements. In either case, it is my belief, that smokey cannot cross over classical elements for which he has no control over. When the living trees are very close together such as is the case of the banyan tree or the bamboo, it becomes a fence/border for which he cannot penetrate to the other side.

[notsolost42]

And we've seen lots of times when smokie just obliterates trees and earth as it is passing through.

[kurruptor]

The hiding in the trees thing always was something I couldn't figure out.

I'm not sure about the whole elemental earth thing. I mean we've seen smokey rip trees out of the ground. We've seen him fly through treetops.

When they explained that he can't kill the candidates, I figured that was basically why he apparently didn't kill them when they were in the trees, just because he couldn't. Though I think there were some times when non-candidates hid in there as well.

This just made me think of something else, what would have happened to Locke if smokey had pulled him into that hole?!

[kurruptor]

I thought I read somewhere once that the trees that they were always hiding in was a specific type of tree. Maybe Jacob had some rule where smokey couldn't get through that specific type.

[notsolost42]

smokie scanned juliet or kate or both. perhaps smokie didn't want to do anything else to them and that's why.

[jd95]

Digging too deeply again, perhaps?

[3d-aholic]

Originally Posted by jd95

Digging too deeply again, perhaps?

Yeh...but I don't like unanswered questions.
I fill a need to plug this hole for my brain to rest

I've seen no real magical mythical properties that bamboo and banyan trees have in common and no other theories that make any sense.

If you got a descent theory, lets hear it. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I have a hard time with ignoring it since several peoples lives were saved several different times using this mechanism. Theres more than Juliet and Kate. So ACE won't fit

[3d-aholic]

Originally Posted by 3d-aholic

Theres more than Juliet and Kate.

Just a reminder....a lot of cases for ACE even Rousseau saying the trees will protect you...which categorically means its NOT ACE and originally some intention.

Banyan trees
On several occasions, characters have hidden in thickets of banyan trees, which seem to repel the Monster. Kate hid in a thicket after the Monster killed the pilot. ("Pilot, Part 1") In his hallucination, Boone and Shannon hid inside one while the Monster chased them. ("Hearts and Minds") Later, Rousseau claimed hiding in banyan thickets could protect someone from the Monster. ("Exodus, Part 1") When Kate and Juliet were chased by the Monster, they hid in a banyan thicket. A Monster-perspective crane shot looms in front of Juliet behind the branches. Juliet reacts to several bright flashes of light just before the Monster leaves. ("Left Behind") The Monster, in the form of John Locke, is able to approach Kate as she sits in a banyan grove. ("Recon")

And its not just banyan trees...it seem bamboo is the same way.
Anytime there is "tight" growth of living objects.

[Czechmate]

Watching the scene where jack drinks from the cup, I got the distinct impression that he (when he looked up and his eyes opened wide) was being "enlightened".
This idea started mulling around my brain that "now you are like me." means more than just guardianship. We know that the job instills a sort of immortality, but what else could it instill?
I think that when Jack had that look, he was gaining a full understanding of the island and things that are occuring on the island.. I would almost hazard to say that he was becoming one with the island.
It looked to me that Jacob had the same sort of expression on his face when he drank from his mother's/not mother's cup.
So anyway.. independent of your theory, I had the same feeling about "The guardian" post. Drinking from the cup instills a connection with the land and living things upon the island.. this is how Jacob enforced his "rules" upon MIB.
It's kind of a loose thought right now, and it would take rewatching to establish proofs for it.

edit: obviously I wasnt' considering the trees on the island either.. Maybe Jacob liked Banyon and bamboo so he protected those plants... yeah I know WEAK!!!!

[I'mnotlost]

Originally Posted by 3d-aholic

Yeh...but I don't like unanswered questions.
I fill a need to plug this hole for my brain to rest

I've seen no real magical mythical properties that bamboo and banyan trees have in common and no other theories that make any sense.

If you got a descent theory, lets hear it. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I have a hard time with ignoring it since several peoples lives were saved several different times using this mechanism. Theres more than Juliet and Kate. So ACE won't fit

Maybe he didn't for 2 reasons:
1)- they were Candidates--even Juliet was 1 until she was branded
2)-he needed them--for his grand scheme to play-out
Idk...just spitballin...