The other people that young Jacob and MIB see hunting and then later the people in the village that adult MIB goes to live with ... who are they? Are we to infer they have always been on the island? Are they the 'first' Others? Or, are we to infer they were additional survivors from Claudia's ship wreck?

Was this ever actually established in the episode?

Claudia said that they came 13 years ago. One day before the boys were born.

It's telling that, in the old days, this forum would have been heaving with speculation on this. Nowadays, it just elicits an exasperated "who cares?" Who were they? We'll never find out and it doesn't matter. They were there to nudge the fifth-rate domestic melodrama along a few agonizing inches.

[Confused, Boy In Black follows Claudia to a hill overlooking a bustling settlement]
BOY IN BLACK: Who are they?
CLAUDIA: They came here 13 years ago. The day before you were born. Their ship was wrecked in a storm.
BOY IN BLACK: Ship? What’s that?
CLAUDIA: It’s a way for people to get from one place to another. It’s how we came across the sea.
BOY IN BLACK: There’s nothing across the sea.
CLAUDIA: There are many things across the sea…You come from across the sea, too.

I think it's safe to infer that they came from the same shipwreck as Claudia.

My read on this is there has been people brought to the Island by accident (Mother's words) for as long as man has been seafaring (or whatever type of transportation could get you to the Island). Clearly, there is an ancient Egyptian presence (to name but one culture). They fit a certain description (negative in Mother and the MIB's own words), and ultimately are purged (the destruction of the village, the DI's eradication). What's interesting is Mother being adamant about taking care of these visitors (doom).

My read on this is there has been people brought to the Island by accident (Mother's words) for as long as man has been seafaring (or whatever type of transportation could get you to the Island). Clearly, there is an ancient Egyptian presence (to name but one culture). They fit a certain description (negative in Mother and the MIB's own words), and ultimately are purged (the destruction of the village, the DI's eradication). What's interesting is Mother being adamant about taking care of these visitors (doom).

I don't think it was accident. I think Jacob and Mib were CANDIDATES. She tried to keep them as pure as possible for her plan to work. Perhaps that way it was easy for her to get the clean slate Jacob talked about....No human interaction of any kind.

In other words, Mother brought that ship to the island....

At one point, she realized that Jacob was the candidate and MiB, the loophole.....


Of course, she might not have wanted it like that when they were younger....

I don't think it was accident. I think Jacob and Mib were CANDIDATES. She tried to keep them as pure as possible for her plan to work. Perhaps that way it was easy for her to get the clean slate Jacob talked about....No human interaction of any kind.

In other words, Mother brought that ship to the island....

At one point, she realized that Jacob was the candidate and MiB, the loophole.....


Of course, she might not have wanted it like that when they were younger....

I don't disagree. I was just stating that Mother called their presence an "accident."

It's telling that, in the old days, this forum would have been heaving with speculation on this. Nowadays, it just elicits an exasperated "who cares?" Who were they? We'll never find out and it doesn't matter. They were there to nudge the fifth-rate domestic melodrama along a few agonizing inches.
Or most of us realized the show told us exactly who they were, as quoted above.

what Dublin Dilettante (http://forum.thefuselage.com/member.php?u=56800) said