Lost Theories

Sent in by the always insightful poster Hammer, he explains his theory on the whispers and we posted his unedited thoughts below. Thanks, Hammer.

As most of you are already aware there are whispers that are often heard when apparitions appear, when manifestations of Smokey appear, when Smokey as the black cloud appears and as RGS recently pointed out here sometimes when Others appear. These whispers seem to be from characters that have died on the island (and maybe some that have died off the island). I theorize that when characters die, some or maybe even all of them become Whisperers. Many of the interpretations (done by folks with the needed equipment and accuracy has not been verified) seem to be comments that would or could be made by characters that have died.

For example Boone could have been in the following exchange Sayid and Shannon were in the jungle in “The Other 48 Days”:

**”Shannon”
“She likes the guy, she likes the guy”
“Shannon”
“Your life and time is up”
“Help me”
“Shannon, meet me on the other side”
“Her song” (’Ana-Lucia’ when reversed)
(Gun shot)

This second example seems to show that the Whisperers are part of the security system because of the “intruder” statement and alarms going off. Also one of the Whisperers may by Yemi speaking from experience of a plane crash:

**”There may be something, but it may be slack”
“Let’s go”
“Has he seen us?”
(Alarms go off)
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry”
“Intruder, Intruder”
“Hide against the bushes”
“Open the door”
“I know what it’s like for a plane to crash”
“Complain, complain, complain”
“I know what you said, but…”

There are many more examples.

Because jaime recently pointed out here that the hieroglyphics may be a hint that Ben summoned Smokey and the fact that the whispers and Smokey often appear separately, I now believe that the Whisperers and Smokey are related in that they are both part of the island’s security system but are separate entities.

Danielle Rousseau at one time referred to the “Monster” as the security system. I feel that Ben sort of proved it by inviting Smokey into camp to stop the attack from the freight folks.

Admittedly, the validity of this theory relies heavily on the accuracy of the interpretations of both the whispers the hieroglyphics transcripts.

Please help improve or debunk.

**Quote taken from lostpedia.com.

Given the amount of discussion devoted recently to the possibility of time travel and/or distortion, a good friend emailed me a link to the following theory - some of you may have already seen this, and even though it has a few holes in it, this theory definitely has some sound thought behind it.

Further, I think Ben’s comments about Widmore “changing the rules” apply pretty well under some version of the theory outlined above. Anyway, I thought I would point this out to get your thoughts, and because though I do not whole-heartedly embrace everything behind this particular theory, I definitely believe the general idea is plausible.

Let me know what you think.

-Jeff Jensen of EW.com recently posted an interesting theory related to a special ability that Ben might possess, an interview with actor/director/Lost fan Kevin Smith and some other info related to our favorite show:

Like Desmond, Ben receives flashes of the future, too. Of course, while Old Bug Eyes has been on The Island longer, and has actively cultivated a deeper rapport with The Island (or is that just Jacob?), Big Bad Ben has banked many, many, many more flashes than the formerly Hatched-trapped Scot.

Jensen goes on to further support the theory, but I do think that it could at least provide the rationalization for why Ben continues on in his current state of existence. It would also explain why he was so adamant about the demise of the Island which the people that are coming at the conclusion of Season 3 represent.

Related to the other reference of The Island and Jacob above, I have also noted this theory found on Dark UFO, which suggests they may be one in the same. I think the prospect of Jacob being a manifestation and communicable form of the Island is more likely than he actually being a living/breathing person with supernatural abilities, specifically given Cuse’s recent comment about the depiction of Jacob in Season 4, etc.

I know there is still a lot of speculation in regards to the official air date for Season 4, and though there is still no “official” word, I am seeing reports that suggest it will remain on Wednesday night, with the time slot TBD. My understanding is that the date and time will be made official within the next few weeks, one way or the other, with the day either being Monday or Wednesday. Which would you prefer?

I am using this post to list a few books you may want to read during the hiatus (if you have not already). Please feel free to contribute your thoughts about previous readings and make your own recommendations:

Flashforward

A science experiment that unwittingly shuts down all human consciousness for two minutes is the catalyst for a creative exploration of fate, free will and the nature of the universe in Sawyer’s soul-searching new work (after Factoring Humanity). In April 2009, Lloyd and Theo, two scientists at the European Organization for Particle Physics (CERN), run an experiment that accidentally transports the world’s consciousness 20 years into the future. When humanity reawakens a moment later, chaos rules. Vehicles whose drivers passed out plow into one another; people fall or maim themselves. But that’s just the beginning. After the horror is sorted out, each character tries desperately to ensure or avoid his or her future. Trapped by his guilt for causing so much destruction and driven by a need to rationalize, Lloyd tries to prove that free will is a myth. Theo discovers that he will be murdered and begins to hunt down his killerAtempting fate as in the Greek dramas of his ancestors. Some people start on their appointed roads early, others give up on life because of what they’ve seen. Using a third-person omniscient narrator, Sawyer shifts seamlessly among the perspectives of his many characters, anchoring the story in small details. This first-rate, philosophical journey, a terrific example of idea-driven SF, should have wide appeal.

More Info

The Moon Pool

Set on the island of Ponape, full of ruins from ancient civilizations, the novel chronicles the adventures of a party of explorers who discover a previously unknown underground world full of strange peoples and super-scientific wonders. From the depths of this world, the party unwittingly unleashes the Dweller, a monstrous terror that threatens the islands of the South Pacific. Although Merritt did not invent the lost world novel, following in the footsteps of Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Burroughs and others, he greatly elaborated upon that tradition.

Link to Read

Living Lost

Miracles, viruses, plane crashes and acts of terror perpetrated by a group of Others. This is the perplexing and radical world created by J.J. Abrams in his hit television show, LOST. Joley Wood, with wit and insight, explores the show’ss quirky details, and argues for an idea as weird as the show itself: That we’re all stuck on the island.

This book is a little dated, but if you have read J Wood’s blog then you know this book is definitely full of insight.

More Info

Here is a link to another great resource related to all of the books that have been alluded to or specifically referenced in Lost. What other books would you recommend? Thoughts about those you have read already because of the show?

Thanks to contributor “Aonghus Fallon” for this particular theory that covers multiple mysteries related to the show in a thought-provoking manner (minor editing by me):

Two of the most ancient myths known to man deal with exile. The first man and woman lived in a beautiful garden, immortal and unchanging – until they were tempted to eat the forbidden fruit of knowledge by the serpent. They were driven out of the garden and prevented from ever entering it again by an angel. The second myth concerns an angel who rises up against his father/creator and is exiled from heaven as a result. Some day he and his minions plan to storm the gates of heaven once more.

I think ‘Lost’ combines these two myths and tries to establish that they have a common ancestry.

THE ISLAND.
The island is the origin of all possible realities – as it is the origin of man and woman. It is also the location of the ‘Garden of Eden’, and the inhabitants of the island experience the beneficial effects of the island’s peculiar reality in the same way as did Adam and Even. To live on the island is to live in a state of stasis, immortal and unchanging, but equally unable to reproduce. Adam and Eve only procreated after leaving the garden.

THE GARDEN.
The ‘garden’ is located on the far side of the island. This is inhabited by a being who had a crucial role in the evolution of the human species, intentionally or otherwise. The actual nature of this ‘garden’ has become shrouded in myth. It might not be a ‘garden’ as such, anymore than it might contain a literal ‘tree of knowledge’ – but it does contain something worth having.

ANGELS.
The garden is protected by a creature which our ancestors might have described as an ‘angel’ but which Rousseau more accurately describes as a ‘security system.’ The biblical Jacob fought an angel, often believed to be samael, also known as the accuser. I can only assume the two ‘angels’ have been contracted into one. This would explain the peculiar effect the ‘angel’ has on those who confront it – how it takes the form of somebody they mistreated.

JACOB.
Jacob is a being who rose up against his creator, his ‘father’ and who was driven out of the garden as a result. This same Jacob encouraged man (another of his ‘father’s’ creations) to take the vital evolutionary step that resulted in his own ejection from the garden.

Jacob is determined to re-enter the garden, by force if necessary, and with this end in mind is recruiting a tribe of like-minded individuals - in the bible, Jacob was a jewish patriarch. This ‘tribe’ consists of his allies from the original insurrection along with anybody else who has ended up on the island in the meantime.

By ‘like-minded’ I mean Jacob is only interested in people willing to challenge the father-figure. If they have brought about their fathers’ deaths or – even better – killed their fathers, this makes them kindred souls. Just as only a truly holy person can see the face of God, your ability to see Jacob (or his willingness to be seen) depends on how great a role you played in your father’s demise. Ben assumes Locke will see Jacob after killing his natural father, not realising that Locke has only engineered his father’s death rather than killed him outright – ie. he got Sawyer to do the dirty work. Thus Locke only glimpses Jacob. He also hears him. Nonetheless, Ben is furious that Jacob permits Locke even this much, given that Locke hasn’t fulfilled the necessary criteria for tribe membership.

THE DHARMA INITIATIVE.
Direct exposure to the electro-magnetic field (located at the island’s core) leaves an individual with precognitive abilities – e.g. Des. The Initiative was set up with the intention of exploiting this feature for the greater good. People were immersed in this electro-magnetic field and then left the island as agents.Their role was to use their precognitive powers to influence the destiny of the world – ‘their’ world – in a positive way.

JOHN LOCKE.
In time the Initiative became aware of the garden’s existence as well as its importance. A group of precogs, permanently based on the island, established that Jacob’s army would attack the garden at some later stage. An exploration of all possible outcomes revealed that one key individual could successfully protect the garden and ensure that this attack failed – John Locke.

DHARMA VS. JACOB.
The Dharma Initiative’s decision to ensure John Locke’s arrival on the island via their powers brought them into conflict with Jacob’s tribe. A member of the initiative – Ben Linus – was recruited by the tribe and all members of the Iniative present on the island at that time were killed. The apparatus built by the Initiative was then used to create more precogs. However these precogs were dedicated to exploring how Jacob might succeed rather than fail in his attack on the garden. It became apparent that, just as Locke was crucial to the successful protection of the garden, there were others inhabiting his reality who would be crucial to Jacob’s cause.

THE CRASH.
The plane crash was orchestrated by Dharma field agents to ensure John Locke’s arrival on the island. However, Jacob’s field agents ensured a number of potential recruits were also on board.

FREE WILL.
Why not approach the people involved directly? From a very early stage it became apparent that a successful outcome was only possible (for either side) if events unfolded in a specific manner and order, the plane crash being a crucial example. I say either side because, whereas precogs can influence events, they cannot affect free will. Bringing John Locke to the island does not guarantee he will do as he is expected – although (once on the island) it is inevitable that he reach a point where he be given the opportunity to protect the garden. This is his ‘destiny’. Thus Ben’s attempts to sabotage this destiny – by trying to recruit Locke and then kill him – were doomed from the outset and show he is losing his grip.

It has been a week now and the dust has settled (mostly) from the mind-blowing Season 3 finale. Though we are undoubtedly left with many questions to keep us occupied until next February, we were provided some closure as well. In summary:

Charlie is dead

There was a lot of commentary associated with the finale post related to how Charlie died and exactly why he did not try to escape from the control panel room as it filled with water. Ultimately Charlie believed that for the Losties to be rescued from the Island, specifically Claire and Aaron, he had to die in the way that Desmond envisioned. Bringing finality to season-long foreshadowing and in truly heroic fashion, he initiated the catalyst that will inevitably cause some of the Losties to get off the Island.

So are 12 Others, Naomi, and (possibly) Mikhail

The action and body count in this episode was unbelievable. We saw the Others’ rank and file decimated throughout the finale, Naomi literally stabbed in the back by Locke, and Mikhail detonate himself via hand grenade. However, I am not going to make the silly assumption that Mikhail is dead; after all, we have now seen him bounce back from the sensor pylons and a spear to the chest. We will probably see him wash ashore in Season 4 alive, but missing his right hand.

Though I generally agreed with it, I thought that Sawyer’s execution of Tom was the foreshadowing of an even darker descent for the character that we will see next season.

“Not Penny’s Boat”

During Charlie’s brief commune with Penny, we are told that Penny does not know of Naomi, which basically begs the question “Who is Naomi with?”. My first guess would be Dharma, or the corporate entity that financed the Dharma Initiative. She obviously has access to sophisticated technology and knows enough about Desmond’s back story to use that as the means to convince the Losties of her motives. Widmore anyone? Hopefully Desmond can get back in time to save the Losties from whomever is on their way to “rescue” them.

Future Jack is Depressing

As Jack is one of my personal favorite characters, I am hoping the flash forward we saw represents a “possible” future for Jack, and not the absolute. If it is Jack’s future, I would hope he finds a way back to the Island to right the wrong he feels needs to be addressed, and to find some greater meaning for his life. J. Wood, whose blog I have read frequently this season, discussed the flash forward in his TTLG post and it is definitely worth reading:

I’m planting a flag here — when Des saved Charlie, he changed that past and present as well as the future. Charlie couldn’t swim in the first season, and he’s all of a sudden a swimming champion who makes an impressive dive in “Greatest Hits,” a dive that Mikhail needed scuba gear for. Like Charlie’s newfound innate swimming ability, perhaps in the re-made past/present/future, Christian Shepherd didn’t die. And maybe that’s why Kate seems to be conspicuously lacking her trademark freckles.

The flash forward itself implies an even greater question for next season, and that is, did the Season 3 finale represent a change in the narrative angle for the entire series? Was the flash forward a one-time episodic plot device, or is this what we can expect moving forward?

Is Ben a bad guy, or a morally-challenged good guy?

Seeing Jack in his current state of depression made me think that Ben is really the only one who has this whole thing figured out, and is ultimately doing whatever is necessary to protect the location of the Island from the people looking to exploit it. There was obviously some merit to his comments about the company that Naomi was keeping, and his dialogue related to Jack’s need to get back to civilization, though stinging, was the truth. Nevertheless, it was somewhat cathartic to see Jack pummel Ben. For those that haven’t seen it yet, there are some pretty good transcriptions of Ben’s diary out there.

Who was in the casket?

There has been a lot of speculation about this; it could be Locke, Sawyer, or Ben, or anyone else under the guise of a different name. In my opinion, it is probably either Ben or someone we have yet to meet on the series. Jack commented that the person was neither friend nor relative, and the reaction evoked from Kate would indicate it was somebody that there was a general level of contempt for.

Season 4 cannot get here quick enough, and I am excited to learn more about everything referenced above, as well as where Locke has migrated off to, where exactly is this temple that Ben has sent the remaining Others to, and did we really see Walt, or was that a reincarnation of Smokey? Could Walt have some tie to Jacob?

We will continue to try and keep things interesting on this blog, following any information released about the series, the actors, and making some changes along the way to prepare for a better Season 4 Lost Blog experience. We are working on initiating a theory-focused contest and will have more information on that in the coming weeks.

Until then, stay Lost.

A really good article was posted today on ABCNews.go.com related to the season finale of Lost and what is in store for the series over the next 3 years. The story also contains some good commentary from Damon and Carlton related to who they would want on a deserted island with them from the cast and their thoughts about how the Internet has affected the series.

After three years and countless viewer questions, the executive producers of “Lost” have promised fans what they want most from the May 23 season finale: answers.

“We sort of see each season as a book, and we’re going to be concluding this book of ‘Lost,’” co-executive producer Carlton Cuse said during a break from editing the third season’s final episode. “The finale promises a showdown between our guys and the Others, and we really deliver on that.”

Notwithstanding the obvious libido-driven answers, if you could only choose 3 Losties to have on the Island with you, who would you choose?

Thanks to reader and contributor DocH (minor editing from myself):

I told myself I wasn’t going to take a side on the Jacob question, but, after watching The Brig, I think I’ll jump into the fray here. I think Jacob is a real, tangible, touchable human-being of normal (vice supernatural) abilities. He’s not deceased or “of legend”. Jacob doesn’t have 4 toes, isn’t a true prophet, and doesn’t have any unique ‘healing’ abilities.

Ben is not Jacob. Ben knows Jacob. Jacob is real and Ben is part of his stable of confidants. Ben is not the General, Jacob is. Ben is a Colonel in Jacobs’ army, and takes his orders accordingly.

Jacob is a modern day cult leader like Jim Jones in Guayana, Rev Moon of Korea, Bagwan Rajneesh in Oregon or the plural marriage guy they just busted from Utah. Jacob knows the power and unique qualities the island possesses, how to use what the island offers, but mostly how to manipulate his followers and elevate him to the demagogue status he desires. Ben and a few Others know about the island’s magic too. Jacob commands Jacob-oriented religion and devout followers ensue - folks are compelled to “prove themselves” by committing heinous acts they would not otherwise perform. After looking at all of those doe-eyed cultists ogling Locke in camp - I’d say most of them have spent more than a few days in the “brainwash” room on Hydra Island.

Ben is the public face for Jacob. Look at the way Ben publicly humiliated Locke when Locke wouldn’t prove himself in front of Jacob’s cult. The cult abandoned Locke - remember how eager they were when they thought Locke was “special” - “the one”. It was all a Jacob manipulation to ensure Locke was cast out. Why? Locke is wise to the unique qualities of the island - his paralysis, his bitten hand, dragged by smokie to the vent, his face-to-face with good smokie where he “saw into the heart of the island”. All this threatens Jacobs’ rule. Ben is the man in front of the curtain - Jacob is “The Man Behind The Curtain”, pulling all of the strings, rarely if ever seen by his cult, seen as need be by his Colonels, Captains and Lieutenants.

I don’t think Juliet has ever knowingly seen Jacob, but I do think she knows that Jacob is a flesh and blood person, not a deity. She was guest help for the cult fertility issue, but you know how it is with cults, the door only goes one-way. Once you are in the compound, they will never willing open the door to let you out. That is why Juliet has been in the extreme measure mode lately; the Ben operation, the Danny shooting, her cult trial, deceiving Sun about her D.O.C., and the secret alliance with Jack in beach camp.

The island does not cure - the doctors cure. The island heals - rapidly and freely. The island may also alter the normal aging process. Jacob, Locke and Ben all know this about the island. All of our doctors (Juliet, Ethan, etc…) know this too (Jack is just learning it though).

Since Jacob is not the ‘face’ of the cult, Jacob does not have to spend all of his time on the island. He gets away frequently to manage the business of the island. The business - exploit the capabilities of the island (a place for all to go and heal - for a significant fee of course) - and ultimately for the “Religion of Jacob” to go worldwide as the one true faith. With so much at stake why not just kill the Losties? Reason - Jacob is years away from taking the island public because of little things like; infertility, these nagging little smoke creatures that like to hurt folks (not good for business) - so they need test subjects. Losties, Tailies, special kids, pregnant-types, whatever they can get will fit the bill. Why not just kill Locke? Locke is gullible, he’d be more of an asset than a threat, if they can “bring him into the fold” and he’d make one heck of a poster-child for what the island is capable of.

So if Ben isn’t Jacob, who is? I don’t think it is one of the many rich corporate types that hover just out of sight, like one might suspect. The guys hiding in the corporate shadows are after the island themselves, either for profit and/or are in fear of what Jacobs little project may do to their long term bottom line and the global culture. It isn’t likely that any of our distinguished scientists from decades past are Jacob either, though they may have given rise to the Jacob phenomena.

Not from the past, not just off camera. How about a Jacob that has been hiding in plain sight the entire time? There is an old-world trick, where a royal would travel or visit foreign courts as a royal underling and the royal underling would pose as the royal. The hidden royal could observe, decide and eventually act without ever having revealed him or herself or putting themselves in harms’ way. Ben is the Colonel, but who wears Jacobs’ shoes? One of Bens’ Captains or Lieutenants? I cast my vote for Richard Alpert - he is Jacob, he is the puppet master behind the curtain and he perfectly fits the criteria outlined above.

Look at how Alpert comes and goes from the island (recruiting Juliet, kidnapping Cooper). Look at how Alpert is always around when important things are ‘apparently’ being decided by Ben (get me TMFT). And recently, with “The Brig”, Ben threw Locke his best “bad cop” impersonation - kill your father or you are an outcast, while Alpert simply manipulated Locke with his best “good cop” act, getting Sawyer to kill Cooper with - “John - we’ve never formally met - I don’t like Ben either - here is Sawyers’ file - read on…”. Locke AGAIN has fallen for the long con. Locke said I can’t kill, but in effect he did when he conspired for, solicited, and abetted the murder of Cooper, via Sawyer. Jacob (Alpert) and Ben now officially own Locke’s soul.

Now read the first 5 paragraphs again, only insert the word Alpert where the word Jacob is…

This was posted by one of our readers Harold during the commentary associated with the D.O.C episode (some minor edits were made to Harold’s comment).  I do not necessarily agree with everything here, but definitely feel that this is well thought out and deserving of its own post:

“I think that much of what is happening on the island can be explained using some of the concepts that are used in modern physics.”

Black hole

A black hole is thought to occur when a star collapses. The gravity is so great that light cannot escape. Once an object reaches the “event horizon” around the black hole, it is sucked-in and can never escape. Also, some scientists think that a black hole may act as a wormhole or portal to another location in space-time in our universe or to another universe.

The Island is, in some ways, like a black hole. The Island has unusual magnetic properties and objects seem to crash into it all the time. It is impossible or at the very least difficult to leave the Island. The submarine is used to leave and enter the Island, and in the episode with Juliet arriving on the island, she has to be sedated because the ride is so violent. Also, warping of space-time is associated with black holes/the Island.

Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle

This is a theory in quantum mechanics that basically states it is impossible to know the exact location and speed of an object. Another way of stating it is that by measuring the location or speed of an object, one changes the object. This has to do with determinism. It used to be thought that using Newtonian theories of physics one could exactly predict what a complex system would do if one knew everything about the system. So if you knew everything about every atom in a person and each force acting upon that person you could exactly predict what would happen to that person. However, because of the uncertainty principle this is thought not to be true. No matter how much you know you can never exactly predict the future.

This comes up within the context of the show quite a bit. Desmond predicting the future and possibly changing it based on his actions. The issue of faith:
Can we change our destiny.

The Multiverse

Modern physics, using concepts such as string theory, believes that there are many dimensions and possibly an infinite number of universes. Each universe may exist slightly out of phase with each other. So one universe may exist where the flight 815 crashes and another where it does not. In one universe the bodies may be found while in another universe the flight may crash without the bodies found.

Multiple dimensions also may explain the circumstances on the Island that appear magical. For example, for a 2 dimensional creature, on a flat surface, events occurring in three dimensional space would appear magical. In the same way on the Island when things happen with the “smoke monster” maybe we are unable to perceive events occurring in higher dimensions impacting on a three dimensional world.

Summary

So, the Island is a “singularity”. It has properties because of its magnetism that make it act like a black hole. Space-time is warped and quantum mechanics is needed to explain occurrences. Perhaps the Others can somehow monitor different universes where there are different time-lines. So that when Ben shows Juliet that he cured her sister’s cancer and that she successfully had a baby, that would be representative of one potential timeline that he reveals to her. All of the unusual events on the Island occur because when there are extremes of forces such a gravity or magnetism, quantum mechanics tell us that anything can occur. Nothing is impossible. Events may have a low probability but they can occur. Desmond may also be able to see different time lines. He is therefore not really seeing the future but only seeing possible “futures” or “pasts” that may or may not be part of the time line we are observing.

I have not tried to explain everything but just to say that the crux of my theory would have to be that the Island represents a “singularity” because of its unusual magnetic properties and that ordinary physics that we use on a day-to-day basis cannot be used to explain things on the Island.

This is a theory by Lost Blog reader Bruce:

The last 15 to 20 episodes I believe have put in place the foundation for how Lost is going to end in 3 or 4 years. The ending I foresee leaves the show with endless possibilities for character development and twists. More importantly, any great series ending needs to:

• Address the producers’ respect for the mythology of the island
• Be true to its characters
• Be original

In the simplest form, I believe that one of the more dramatic shots of the series will be the Oceanic plane traveling above the Others’ camp and passing without incident. Pretty simple. From that point, however, the storyline layering will begin. The plane is passing over the island because Desmond has not yet pressed the button. This time, however, Desmond presses the button on time, so Oceanic does not crash. Desmond presses the button on time because through a series of time travel flashback episodes over the next 3 to 4 years, we are going to see Desmond get closer and closer to the focal point of the whole show…his failure to press the button before crashing the plane.

Contrary to what many have written about Desmond’s experience in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” Desmond was not seeing his past experiences at the same time. Instead, the producers have beautifully set up a very simple time pendulum affect. He sees into the far away past and the far away future (e.g. saving Charlie repeatedly). The pendulum is swinging, and saving Charlie has in effect become his test for something bigger. If my guess is correct, we will see Desmond continue to save Charlie’s life until Desmond realizes he does not need to save Charlie’s life in order to really…save it. See below.

The layers of the final show continue. The magic of the series ending show really starts, though, on the Oceanic flight as it passes peacefully over the island as the Others watch. If the producers are truly courageous, we will see manifestations of all the characters’ back stories come to fruition on the plane. Will you see John Locke walking? Will Boone be alive and talking with his sister? Is Kate still in custody? Are Jack and Claire talking about the death of their father and then realizing they are related? What makes this possible ending so interesting is that the producers can make us to see the characters on the plane reflect the life they led while on the island in the prior 6 or 7 seasons. What would be far more interesting, though, is if the characters remember what they experienced. The producers could creatively weave in the principles of faith and science. Almost anything is possible.

I do not know how the producers would play out this great moment. In many ways I really do not want to know…that is what makes this show so unforgettable.

But, what about Desmond? Remember, the pendulum has gone back and forth in time and now it rests on the focal point of so many lives — pressing the button before the plane crashes. You might ask if the pendulum was swinging during this time, why not tell Penelope about his duties in the hatch and the affects of the electromagnetic anomalies. I believe in a future episode he is going to do just that but she is not going to believe him until he turns up missing on the boat trip. In the show’s second greatest twist (after Locke’s “Walkabout” episode), we will see that Penelope’s last scene in the final episode of Lost Season 2 did not take place at the time of the hatch implosion, but back in time to the electromagnetic anomaly leading to the Oceanic crash.

Now Penelope is looking for the electromagnetic anomalies and Desmond will realize the benefit of giving her the “bread crumbs” to find him while the pendulum swings. What a great ending it will be to see our hero rescued by Penelope.

If the Lost producers are seeing an ending similar to this, the character story lines are endless and how they are perceived in the end are not predetermined. In other words, there is great artistic license.

If I am correct, I expect Charlie to die before the end of this season or early in the fourth. Charlie’s death will serve a critical purpose to the long term plot. Desmond met Charlie in his last flashback episode, but Charlie did not remember him on the island, despite Desmond’s hysterics on the street in front of him. This plot device makes no sense unless we find out that Charlie never meets Desmond in the future. I believe Desmond will realize that as the time pendulum swings, he does not have to save Charlie’s life every week in order to….save his life. Desmond only has to make sure the plane passes safely. In effect, Desmond will realize that Charlie is really slowing him down in getting to the point where he can reunite with Penelope.

This is really exciting.
Bruce