Has the box been opened?
1 year, 7 months ago by AndreasRead more: Episode Thoughts, Hurley
I got an interesting e-mail from Lost Blog reader Adam this morning:
The other episode Ben mentioned a “Box” on the island. I was watching some of season one today and saw something interesting in the Hurley Episode “Numbers”.
When he tells Leonard he used the numbers to win the lottery Leonard tells him he has “Opened the Box”. Is this the same box Ben was referring to? Have the writers been planning the “Box” since season 1?
Let’s take a look at the conversation between Hurley and Lenny at the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute:
Hurley: I’m bad news to everyone around me. When I tell people that I think I’m the cause, they look at me like they think I’m nuts. They don’t believe me, but I know. Ever since I won the lottery with those numbers…
Lenny: You.. used those numbers to.. play the lottery?
Hurley: Ah.. yeah…
Lenny: You shouldn’t have done that! You’ve opened the box!
Hurley I what?
Lenny: You shouldn’t have used those numbers!
Hurley: Why not!?
Lenny It doesn’t stop! You gotta get away from those numbers, you gotta get far far away! Do you hear me!? No don’t you understand, you have to get away from it or it won’t stop!
I remember that when I watched this episode I thought “the box” was a figure of speech referring to the mythical “pandora’s box”, which when opened released all the misfortunes of mankind and forever changed the world which had previously been a paradise. But after Ben’s recent talk about “the box”, Lenny might start to seem quite a bit more credible…
Was Lenny talking about the same “box” that Ben used as a metaphore to explain the wonders of the island to Locke and if so, how is Lenny connected to the island? Will Ben’s “box” unleash a lot of misfortune? Is there a direct connection between the numbers and Ben’s “box”?
What do you think?
Comment 1, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
I think the box is not the opposite of Pandoras, but think there is because until now only the good guys have opened it…..
Comment 2, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
In the podcast about “the man from Tallahassee” Damon Lindelof said that the term ‘box’ that Ben used talking to Locke is “just some sort of metaphor to explain whatever this box construct is on the islandâ€.
So I think that ‘the box’ is used as a metaphor both by Ben and Lenny… but now we know it’s a real object and not a general metaphor like the Pandora box.
Comment 3, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
rejus wrote:
It’s still a metaphor. The question is are the two metaphors related. Until we find out how Cooper got on the island, I’m not even sure Ben was telling the truth about his “box”. Lenny’s “box” gave Hurley good luck followed by lots of back luck. Ben’s box doesn’t seem to work the same way. He says you just imagine what you want and viola.
Comment 4, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Now we’re talking about this box… At the end of season one, Walt told Locke not to “open that thing”. I always thought that he meant the Hatch, and maybe it is. But now you guys are saying that Lenny mentioned the box in season one, maybe this is also a reference to the box. The whole Walt-thing has always been a little bit weird, and he didn’t say “don’t open the Hatch”, he just said “Don’t open it, mr Locke. Don’t open that thing”.
What do you guys think?
Comment 5, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Hammer wrote:
Hold on - where do you get the idea that musical instruments are involved!?
(just kidding, Hammer - a feeble attempt at humor regarding voila vs. viola)
Comment 6, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
I have long suspected that what drove Lenny crazy was a trip to the island and not just the numbers. I feel that he was abducted from his listening post and taken to the island. Possibly he was “room 23′d” during this trip. Because of the different flow of time on the island, Lenny was returned to the listening post and no one noticed that he had been gone. This in addition to his reprogramming on the island pushed him over the edge. This maybe a little far out, but I think that something like this has happened to every one involved with the numbers, unless they crashed like Hurley and Danielle.
Comment 7, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Hammer wrote:
It’s still a metaphor. The question is are the two metaphors related.
Until we find out how Cooper got on the island, I’m not even sure Ben was telling the truth about his “box”. Lenny’s “box” gave Hurley good luck followed by lots of back luck. Ben’s box doesn’t seem to work the same way. He says you just imagine what you want and viola.
if u think about it though, they r both sorta alike. hurley won the lottery, which should be a great thing but ends up screwing up his life. locke can walk again, which should b a great thing but he almost always winds up getting into sometype of trouble.
Comment 8, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
maybe the box is the island. maybe when hurley used the numbers, it opened some sort of a forcefield into the island, and maybe “far away” is the island, to close it back up. desmond might have gotten there by lenny winning the lottery. who nos? i mean, maybe he used the numbers for the lottery too so thats how he knew it would be bad. i think the big mystery of the number will be revealed this season, because why else would they make hurley one of the key characters in the finale. (hope the wasnt a spoiler for anyone). maybe when hurley one the lottery was around the time cooper fled the country. or wouldnt it be wierd if they recruited him for dharma, found out what he did to poor old locke, and kept him hostage and have been torturing him. by the way, forgiveness isnt one of there strongsuits.
Comment 9, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
i think he could be a ex dharma member, and found a way off the island, and gone mental from all the crazy stuff he saw, i think maybe a libby flashback or a hurley flashback at the mental insitute may reveal more
Comment 10, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
I think the Ben’s “box” and Lenny’s are related in the sense they are both somehow connected to the island. I am not sure how Lenny fits into that picture though. Perhaps Ben cannot activate the box. I do not think that Juliet’s sister ever had a re-occurance of the cancer but when Ben promised to cure her cancer he promised that Jacob would cure it. So maybe Jacob is the only Hostile with access to the island’s powers. (Unless Jacob is the island.) I think Ben has seen what the visitors are able to conjure up during their brief time there and wants in. So he kidnaps Cooper with a chance to manipulate both Locke and Sawyer. I guess we will learn more tomorrow.
Comment 11, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
I like the Jacob is the island theory. Ben had mentioned at some point the “He” (we now know to be Jacob) isn’t as forgiving as the rest of the others. If smokey is part of island, we know he isn’t forgiving. Eko’s lack of repent got him destroyed. So maybe Jacob=Island=Smokey?
Comment 12, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
=Alpert=Ethan Rom
Comment 13, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Perhaps Lenny is “Him” lol
its a joke people,a joke,relax,lol.
Comment 14, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Jocco wrote:
I think maybe Ethan since he seemed to have superhuman strength awhile back. I don’t know about Alpert because we’ve seen Ethan and Alpert together.
Comment 15, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
poopypants wrote:
Aw come on…let’s run with it. Lenny(Jacob) was at the hospital to get Hugo to play the numbers…to…that’s right…get Hugo to open the “box”. :)
Comment 16, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Hammer wrote:
Aw come on…let’s run with it. Lenny(Jacob) was at the hospital to get Hugo to play the numbers…to…that’s right…get Hugo to open the “box”. :)
AHHAH!! And thats why Libby was there!!! Haha, it’s all coming together now.
Comment 17, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
Just to push a point that probably doesn’t need pushing I will say: Alpert and Ethan could be the same entity. Cerberus is a three headed dog. Perhaps Jacob/Alpert/Ethan represent some kind of trinity that makes up Smokey and the Island.
Comment 18, posted 1 year, 7 months ago - Quote and reply
The box….hmmm. Ben said you simply wish for what you want and it will be in the box. If so, why didn’t Ben just wish for a surgeon to be in the box? Why did he have to kidnap Jack? Did they go to the mainland and kidnap Cooper to manipulate Locke? So many questions!!!! I love this show so much but it drives me nuts! One big question I haven’t heard about. What the heck is a pirate ship doing on top of an island?!!!
Comment 19, posted 1 year, 6 months ago - Quote and reply
it’s “metaphor.”
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