"Lost" - Quick Comment: Is NotLocke the Smoke Monster? Yes. And no. Because. . . .

 ....being the smoke monster is, I'll wager, a responsibility/benefit of being in control of the island. Remember how Smokey of yore used to invest his violence with recaps from his target's own screwed-up lives? Or maybe (In RealLocke's case) previews of more appealing coming attractions. (you'll recall season 1 Locke emerging from his confab with the then-invisible Thing by proclaiming, "It's beautiful!" Which wasn't what seemed to be occurring to, say, Mr. Eko, as scenes of his youthful thuggery and thievery and murder-y prefaced his being bashed to Eko-bits)

The new Smokey - steered by NotLocke's new pilot, who everyone in Lost-land is wagering is Jacob's black-cloaked brother/rival - smashes and bashes without benefit of moral/spiritual guidance. It's just....die, bastards! And off they go, with an ugly kersmash.

I've heard critics/analysts proclaim, "Maybe Locke IS the smoke monster!" No maybes about it, dudes. It's just part of the job description. That and the whisper-tron controls, and the ability to summon people/things to and from the island. Which, now that I think of it, bodes ill for the nice people.