[GGG]

I think a key question still left unanswered is who are the "others" I agree with the speculation that richard is from the ship but where do the rest of them come from? Based on this show they were likely brought to the island by Jacob. But if they are brought by Jacob why would the bring the losties later on?

To me Jacob's goal as others have says is to prove the contention that whatever happens happens. I think that at the "end" that jacob speaks of Jacob and the antagonist somehow travel back to the start of time and begin it again with different iterations. (kind of like the end of RAMA Revealed)

So the antagonist goal is to kill Jacob and end the cycle.

I would think that the people who brought Locke's body were part of Elloise Hawking's group and I think she works for or agrees with Jacobs position that time should not or cannot be changed. Hence telling Desmond not to buy the ring and sending her own son to be killed by her. She is also a person I think who can step out of time like desmond and could make changes if she choose to.

What I doesn't make sense with the above is that Widmore and Elloise at the end of one of the previous episodes seemed at least cordial with each other and seemed to have worked together to keep things as they were.

This leads me to believe that Elloise and Widmore are working for Jacob in wanting to keep the loop happening. When Ben is dying he is taken to the temple and becomes part of the Island. We don't know if he was saved by old Smoky or Ben. I think at this point smoky starts to manipulate ben to do his bidding. From the Widmores and Ben's conversations it sounds like Ben somehow ursurps power from Widmore who must have taken over after elloise as leader. Once Ben is the leader smoke monster is in control and slowly manipulates him.

Jacob though appears to be willing to interfere to bring people to the island but after that point must refuse to interfere with things happening on the island. So in order to fight ben he brings another group to the island.

I'm not sure it all makes sense but those are my latest thoughts with the biggest question unresolved being where did the "Others" come from and how did ben gain control over widmore.