LogFAQs > #951354114

#7. Man in Black


I have no idea if this is an unpopular opinion, but I thought the Man in Black made an exceptional archvillain, especially after my second watch-through. Think about it for a second: Smokey has it all for the bad guy in a fantasy show--he is all-powerful, all-evil, and actually has a clear plan that has stakes of epic proportions.

Where the MIB probably gets a bad rap is in the fact that he is the primary focus of what is easily the worst season of LOST. But despite all of the half-assed episodes and terrible twists, John Locke as MIB stands out as the brightest point in the season. "John" is completely revitalized as the MIB takes over, bringing a new energy and a sense of urgency to a dimming character, played exquisitely by Terry O'Quinn.

Unlike 90% of the show, we actually know what the MIB's motivations are pretty clearly. The guy hates Jacob, hates the Island, and just wants to fucking leave after 2000 years. The writers absolutely missed a golden opportunity to add some complexity to the ending--will the MIB actually bring evil to the world or is this just Jacob manipulating everyone into keeping him contained?--but that is no fault of the character himself. He is a strongly motivated figure who actually makes more sense than almost anything else in the series, and could have been the savior of the final season and show at large if the flash-sideways and a few other key events did not occur.

Long live the Smoke Monster!