Hello everybody, I am back after a few weeks without a computer that works. Would have been back sooner but parenthood entails financial obligations that take priority over getting a new computer.
The last few episodes were crazy- I'll have more to say on them later.
For now, I will say this; Drew- you are most likely right about Man#2 being the smoke monster but I say this.

What about the monster that "attacked" Locke in the season 1 episode "Walkabout"?
I think that was Jacob- Locke said "I looked into the heart of this island and what I saw was beautiful."
This was the only monster encounter where it is seen only from its point of view entirely. Remember when Locke asks Mr. Eko what he saw? Eko said that is not what I saw- he saw his worst memories. And after Eko is killed, he tells Locke that he was next. I believe that the smoke monster's first potential loophole candidate was Eko, then he moved onto Locke.