I got this screen cap from another site. Whoever posted it originally includes a picture of who they think the actor is. But you can still see the image of Jacob.

These last few posts have been great. Thanks, guys, for the zen thoughts, pics, and possibilities.

From all that has been said and from the photo of Jacob, he's got to be connected to the Black Rock.

Auskar's, Susan's and Saynormore's ideas are all provocative and right on.

I can't believe you saw Jacob! I must go back and look for him. If he's dressed like that maybe it means he came on that ship that has all the dynamite? But dynamite wasn't invented until the 1800's, so maybe not.

I didn't see him at first. I went searching on another forum to try and get some idea of what had happened and that site talked about seeing Jacob sitting in the chair. So I hoped that I hadn't erased the DVR recording like I usually do, and I didn't. Then I learned that by putting it on pause and pushing the "right arrow" button (not the "play" button/arrow), you could advance things in super slowmo or just one screen at a time. That's when I saw him, too.

I thought that Jacob's hut was surrounded by the tnt powder, which may have been left by the French woman.

Also, Ben can see Jacob, but not hear him/it, while Locke can hear, but not see him/it. Hmmm.


AC

I taped it on my humble old VCR and, in slow mo, I saw Jacob, too. Though the first time around I had no clue there was anyone else visible in that room besides Ben and Locke.

Ben was having a conversation with Jacob, though we saw only one side of it. To my ear and eye, it looked and sounded as though Ben was responding to things said by Jacob, which means that Ben could hear Jacob. But Locke couldn't hear Jacob until Jacob spoke directly to him and said, "help me."

Also, did you notice the clothes that Richard Alpert, the good looking guy who recruited Juliet and who seems to be the ageless second in command to Ben, was wearing when he first met the young runaway Ben in the jungle? His clothing looked like Jacob's clothing...old, worn and dirty duds that looked like they dated from the time Black Rock actually sailed.

I wonder if the murmurs that young runaway Ben heard in the jungle, whispers just like Sawyer and others have heard, are the voices of ghosts of the Black Rock ship. Or are they ghosts? Could something on the island be keeping the survivors of the Black Rock shipwreck alive all these many years? Except, of course, for the poor souls chained inside the ship.

Also, did you notice the clothes that Richard Alpert, the good looking guy

A little too much mascara to be considered good looking.

I'm not happy at all actually. I like to think of myself as a somewhat young curmudgeon.

I thought that Jacob's hut was surrounded by the tnt powder, which may have been left by the French woman.

I got the impression that it was some kind of ash. The only TNT on the island is in the form of old sweaty dynamite and that would not be in powder form and I don't know of any way to convert it to powder. Plus, there was too much of it for it to be TNT, I think.

Ben was having a conversation with Jacob, though we saw only one side of it. To my ear and eye, it looked and sounded as though Ben was responding to things said by Jacob, which means that Ben could hear Jacob. But Locke couldn't hear Jacob until Jacob spoke directly to him and said, "help me."

I got the impression that Ben was faking the conversation. Like Saynomore says above, perhaps Ben can see but not hear Jacob. Anyway, Ben knows that Jacob is real somehow, but I didn't get the impression he could really hear Jacob. What impact that has on the story -- I don't understand yet (of course I don't understand -- I don't understand anything).

I got the impression that it was some kind of ash. The only TNT on the island is in the form of old sweaty dynamite and that would not be in powder form and I don't know of any way to convert it to powder. Plus, there was too much of it for it to be TNT, I think.

I thought Locke recoiled ever so slightly when he took a sniff of the ash. Could it be human ash? Who knows?

I got the impression that Ben was faking the conversation. Like Saynomore says above, perhaps Ben can see but not hear Jacob. Anyway, Ben knows that Jacob is real somehow, but I didn't get the impression he could really hear Jacob.

You're probably right, if only because Ben never seems really animated unless he's acting for someone's benefit, to pull the wool over their eyes. Think back to Ben caught in Rosseau's net when he was pretending to be the lost parachutist. He was animated then, but only because he was acting, in a word, lying.

Another reason you're probably right is why else would Ben be so upset that Locke could hear Jacob? Why would Ben want to know so badly what Jacob said to Locke if Ben, himself, could hear Jacob?

What impact that has on the story -- I don't understand yet (of course I don't understand -- I don't understand anything).

You and me both. I'm like Sgt. Schultz from "Hogan's Heroes." I know nothing! NOTHING! Yet I still love that show.

Phew, now that was an episode! And we're not even at the season finale yet... who knows what they have in store for us then!
My take on the Ben/Locke/Jacob scene: The moment when Locke saw Jacob (and I don't think him appearing was just for our benefit - I think we were seeing him with Locke's eyes too) was also the moment when Ben stopped being able to communicate/see/hear him. Look at when Ben left Jacob's shack - that was the walk of a defeated man. And his actions afterwards, when he shot Locke, just seems to underline his defeat. He shot Locke because he has taken over from Ben as King Of The Hill - or Jacob's right hand man - and Ben doesn't like it one little bit.
It will be interesting to see what happens next with Locke. I think (hope) that he won't die and I think he'll go on to converse and ultimately help Jacob, whereas Ben won't be able to see or hear him again.
I enjoyed seeing Ben losing his grip on his followers. When Locke John-Waynes his way back into the Other's camp, Ben's hold over the Others will be over.
Something I thought odd though - Ben knows the healing properties of the island, so why didn't he finish Locke off? If he is so threatened by him, then he shouldn't have left anything to chance.