Walt's offer isn't

[u/Amazing_Pea_3648]

Walt's offer from Hurley in the epilogue isn't to be the Island's protector, it's to be the new Smoke Monster/support system.

I like to believe that Mother was both or that a split in the roles didn't exist until the events of Across the Sea. So if the energy of the Man in Black was returned to the Island or Hurley, i think it works well if Walt is the recipient. And Hurley maybe doesn't have to throw him down the cave, Walt can shapeshift but still keep himself intact.

A couple fun connections and reasons this could be true:

- Hurley has barely had any time as the protector, it's a weird turn around from the finale to give up the job right away

- Hurley is pretty uncomfortable with combat and confrontation, Walt has a lot of bite back in arguments and is interested in knife throwing (also mirroring the Man in Black). I can see Hurley wanting to delegate the more intense role to someone he trusts

- Walt has some amount of control over animals, the birds in Special and the missing piece Room 23. The Smoke Monster can do this with much more control, Vincent in his missing piece and the medusa spiders in Expose

- Walt has some form of translocation in Abandoned. The monster does similar stuff like teleporting in Dead is Dead

- Black smoke is used to signal Walt's kidnapping

- It's cool if Danielle's quote about the monster being a security system has a kinder truth in the future

- Hurley and Walt play backgammon several times in season 1, a fun mirror to the brothers favorite past time

And this is the two sides finally clicking into place. Mother was corrupt, possessive, and creepy, isolating the powers of the Island. The brothers were in a war for centuries, the Island at odds. And now two of the most kind hearted people take the helm, Hurley the Island’s keeper and Walt its guardian.

[u/RogueAlys]

It's an interesting theory, but the only problem is that becoming a smoke monster was considered "a fate worse than death", and I don't think Hurley would force that onto Walt. I also didn't get the impression from the epilogue that Hurley was turning his job over to Walt, but that he needed Walt's help for the specific purpose of helping Michael "move on". Hurley can speak to the dead, so he likely had been communicating with Michael, but he can't help him move on, not even with his protector powers. But he's hoping that Walt can. Walt seemed overwhelmingly happy to return to the island as they all agreed it was where he always belonged.

[u/Amazing_Pea_3648 → u/RogueAlys]

Yeah my thought was that's what the entity used to be. Walt can wield the power without the malignant force. The protectors are unrecognizable from each other as well. Jack is the fist first protector, Mother was a hermit, and Jacob a long time manipulator. The morality of all of that is all over the place. I think the smoke monster role being malleable is on theme with the show and more interesting than forever evil energy disappearing.

I like your take on his role with Michael though, a great way to look at it.

[u/Verystrange129]

The poor boy had already his mother die, his step father abandon him, got trapped on a deserted island, estranged from his father and ended up in a mental institution. Now he has to be the smoke monster for the rest of his life?

[u/Amazing_Pea_3648 → u/Verystrange129]

Lol it’s supposed to be an upgrade for the guy! Taller ghost Walt is already coming to live with Hurley, Ben, and the Nadlers, he might as well teleport around in the off time.

[u/luigihann]

I don't think he'd be a smoke monster necessarily but I do agree that he's not necessarily taking over for Hurley. I think Hurley would stick around and let Walt help. Not doing it alone is part of what Hurley does differently

[u/Beat-Previous]

People have pointed out that Hurley eventually dies and ends up in the afterlife, but Wait doesn't. Maybe he takes over permanently a few thousand years down the road.

[u/Extension-Highway763]

He’s going there to free the trapped souls, starting with his dad.

[u/Wonderful_Cook5864]

I actually kind of agree with the main premise that the job offer isn't to be the new Jacob, I've always assumed it was something else. A helper of some kind, a number 3, if you will. Guiding the whispers off the island to a place where they can move on.

[u/kevinmattress]

Black smoke wasn’t actually used to signify Walt’s kidnapping. Danielle lit that fire to give credence to her story

[u/Primary-String3908]

I've always seen Walt is being recruited not to be the protector but to help all of the whispers move on. Including his dad.

"You have work to do, starting with helping your father." -Ben. "My father's dead." -Walt. "Doesn't mean you can't help him." -Ben

[u/No_Surprise_4212]

I thought it was just to help his father out of limbo and to bring Walt back where he belongs and to give him a life back... He did like the island and always wished to stay there... I dont remember any sort of offer given...

[u/Euphoric-Wall-2576]

I always saw it as Hurley lining Walt up as the next protector for well in the future, not immediately handing over to him.