Originally Posted by
Bev Vincent
I have a theory about the way things might end.
Yeah Bev, the "bottle" they will trap him in is the Alt Reality where the island is underwater and no longer a factor. There he can "Leave" the island with, presumably, no consequences. Since in the Alt, if they stick Smokey/MIB's "Essence" in Locke's body he never was on the island in the Alt to begin with. Jacob set it up that way to "Fix" his long ago mistake. IMHO. I also think you're right that Jack will not be the "protector" for very long. Someone else will get the mantle for good.