A full season after its destruction, the purpose of the Swan remains mysterious. It's not a Skinner box, but why two people had to enter the numbers is a mystery. What were they preventing? And why did it have to be people? Why not a computer just automatically doing whatever it is that the Swan did?
Here's my theory. We know that after Desmond used the fail safe that contact with the outside world has been cut off. Well my theory is that the Swan was keeping communications with the outside world open. Something about the Island makes it difficult or impossible to leave. Somehow, Dharma figured out a way to open it up. This is what the Swan did. It counteracted the effect which cut off the Island. The reason that the Swan had two people in it rather than just using a computer is because the two people were a failsafe. If something happened, they could refuse to input the numbers and shut down access to the Island. So, for example, if the Hostiles took over, then the Swan would be able to isolate them on the Island. This would explain why the Swan had such a large stockpile of weaponry and food. It was meant to be able to hold off an enemy, possibly for an extended time. I think that Kelvin was the last member of the Dharma Initiative. After the Purge the Dharma Initiative retained control of the Swan and used it as leverage to have some control over the Others.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
How old is Karl?
I had a thought tonight. When Alex talks to Karl he says "Your father will kill me." To which she replies "Is he really my father." Now she says it in a manner which suggests that Karl would know. We've assumed that Karl is about Alex's age. 17 or so. But what if he's older? What if, like Richard, he's an unaging Hostile? This would at least partly explain why Ben seems so violently opposed to their romance. If Karl is really quite a bit older than Alex, perhaps older than Ben, then what father wouldn't object. It would also explain why it was Karl who delivered Ben's X-rays to Juliet. Maybe he's just a gofer but if he's older than he looks he could have a significant job.
Wild Theory About the Finale
Okay here's a wild theory about the finale. I've only seem some of the spoiler/foilers but supposedly the finale will contain a flash forward to Jack off of the Island, suicidal and eventually he says to kate "We have to go back to the Island." Well I was thinking about what we see from the promos could Jack be betraying the camp? He and Juliet are leading the group inot the jungle, away from their only guns and their warriors. We see from the promos that they meet up with ben. Well I don't think he's betraying them to Ben. But what if he's betraying them to Juliet? We know that Juliet wanted to kill Ben before. supposedly this was so she could get off of the Island. But what if she just wants to eliminate Ben and take over herself? I had a thought that maybe Juliet is a Dharma plant, sent in to retake the Island. Or maybe she's just ambitious. Keep in mind that all of the Losties actions are based off of Juliets info: the ambush, the looking glass etc. Juliet has set things up. Sayid and co will whittle down the Others best fighters. Meanwhile she'll take out Ben. She'll use the survivors to get in good with the Others. Why would Jack betray them? To get off the Island. Juliet has promised him that she'll let him off the Island. And she does. She lets him, and Kate, leave the Island (maybe the looking glass can reestablish contact. Someone needed to dive down there because the submarine is gone.) Anyway Jack and Kate leave the Island but Jack is torn up with guilt about what he did to the other survivors and decides that they "have to go back to the Island." Time travel hijinks ensue.
Additionally People have been wondering how Penny appears in a Jack flashback. If this is like I said above then Penny might have the means to get Jack and Kate, back to the Island.
Additionally People have been wondering how Penny appears in a Jack flashback. If this is like I said above then Penny might have the means to get Jack and Kate, back to the Island.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
New Theory on Jacob
When Ben takes Locke to see Jacob he does seem to have an idea that Locke should be able see Jacob. But he also doesn't seem to react like someone would if Jacob were an ordinary person, or if Ben were crazy and believed that Jacob was real and Locke didn't see him. He asks Locke "You mean you can't see him?" And prompts him by saying "He's sitting right there." To Jacob he says "I told you he wouldn't."
Now, when Ben meets Richard for the first time, Ben tells Richard that he saw his dead Mother. When Richard finds out that Mrs Linus died off of the Island, he becomes very interested. What's the first thing that Richard asks Ben?... "What did she say to you?" Seems rather reminiscent of Ben's final question to Locke. What Ben tells Richard is VERY interesting he says that his mom said "That I couldn't come with her. She said it wasn't time yet." Watch Richard's reaction very carefully. He SMILES. Then what's the next thing that Richard does? When Ben asks to come with him Richard says that Ben needs to think about it an be patient. Essentially that it's "not time yet" for Ben to "come with" him.
I think that Jacob is responsible for most of the manifestations on the Island. He often appears as people's loved ones. He's either the Island itself, or some sort of entity which lives on the Island. The Other's/Hostiles follow/worship him. BUT... most of them cannot see or hear him. The Others/Hostiles know about the "magic" powers of the Island but very few of them have any access to them. Some people. Those who are "special." Have access to that power. One of the elements of this is being able to perceive manifestations. Ben can perceive manifestations. He KNOWS Jacob is real because he can see and hear him. But most people, perhaps no other Others, can perceive him. THAT'S why Ben is the only one who talks to Jacob. That's why he's the leader. He's got a "hotline to god."
When Locke shows up, they all think that he might be special too. The Island speeds up healing (see Mikhail) and even stops or drastically slows down aging in at least some (see Richard), but such a drastic act of healing as Lockes paralysis seems to indicate a major connection with the Island's power. When Locke shows up Ben becomes worried that Locke will upstage him. So he's always trying to undercut Locke. When he takes Locke to meet Jacob he's WORRIED that Locke will see him but he's HOPING that he won't.
The interesting thing is that we've seen a LOT of Losties who have encountered manifestations. Jack saw his father, Ecko saw Yemi etc. But Locke has NOT been one of these people. He's apparently seen the smoke monster but he HASN'T seen any odd appearances, at least not that I can remember. He hasn't even heard the Whispers (which may be a marginal manifestation of Jacob). So when Ben shows Locke Jacob, he doesn't see him. He barely hears him.
What's interesting here is that Jack HAS seen a manifestation. Perhaps he could see Jacob and would be a threat to Ben's leadership
Now, when Ben meets Richard for the first time, Ben tells Richard that he saw his dead Mother. When Richard finds out that Mrs Linus died off of the Island, he becomes very interested. What's the first thing that Richard asks Ben?... "What did she say to you?" Seems rather reminiscent of Ben's final question to Locke. What Ben tells Richard is VERY interesting he says that his mom said "That I couldn't come with her. She said it wasn't time yet." Watch Richard's reaction very carefully. He SMILES. Then what's the next thing that Richard does? When Ben asks to come with him Richard says that Ben needs to think about it an be patient. Essentially that it's "not time yet" for Ben to "come with" him.
I think that Jacob is responsible for most of the manifestations on the Island. He often appears as people's loved ones. He's either the Island itself, or some sort of entity which lives on the Island. The Other's/Hostiles follow/worship him. BUT... most of them cannot see or hear him. The Others/Hostiles know about the "magic" powers of the Island but very few of them have any access to them. Some people. Those who are "special." Have access to that power. One of the elements of this is being able to perceive manifestations. Ben can perceive manifestations. He KNOWS Jacob is real because he can see and hear him. But most people, perhaps no other Others, can perceive him. THAT'S why Ben is the only one who talks to Jacob. That's why he's the leader. He's got a "hotline to god."
When Locke shows up, they all think that he might be special too. The Island speeds up healing (see Mikhail) and even stops or drastically slows down aging in at least some (see Richard), but such a drastic act of healing as Lockes paralysis seems to indicate a major connection with the Island's power. When Locke shows up Ben becomes worried that Locke will upstage him. So he's always trying to undercut Locke. When he takes Locke to meet Jacob he's WORRIED that Locke will see him but he's HOPING that he won't.
The interesting thing is that we've seen a LOT of Losties who have encountered manifestations. Jack saw his father, Ecko saw Yemi etc. But Locke has NOT been one of these people. He's apparently seen the smoke monster but he HASN'T seen any odd appearances, at least not that I can remember. He hasn't even heard the Whispers (which may be a marginal manifestation of Jacob). So when Ben shows Locke Jacob, he doesn't see him. He barely hears him.
What's interesting here is that Jack HAS seen a manifestation. Perhaps he could see Jacob and would be a threat to Ben's leadership
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Uber Lost Theory
Welcome to the First Post of Lostigator.
This is an attempted reconstruction of a grand theory which I posted elsewhere but which was accidentally deleted. It was sparked by some discussions on the IMDB boards following what I feel was a paradigm shifting revelation in Enter 77, and has been added to since.
I think we all realize now that there is something special about the Island. At first it just seemed like a magnetic anomaly but since The Man From Tallahassee it seems more likely that there is some sort of reality altering principle at work on the Island. Ben's "magic box" is the most concrete aspect of this but there are also things like Locke's working legs and the manifestation of various people on the Island.
Ben's people have been there for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps they are descended from those who built the statue. However, the same properties which make the Island special also make conception difficult. It is very rare for children to be born on the Island. Ben's status among the Others is due in part to his having been born on the Island.
Because of this property there is a continuing need to recruit people in order to replenish their society. The basis of Other society is still not known. They clearly see themselves as moral people. However, the persistent use of the term "good" seems to imply more than simply a moral dichotomy between good and evil. Instead it seems to imply fitness and unfitness as well. In "Left Behind", Locke makes a case for Kate being included among the Others based on her intelligence and resourcefulness, and not her morals. Similarly we see that the Others are very highly trained, particularly in combat techniques. Even Juliet, who has only been with them for three years, reacts with lightning fast reflexes when Kate attacks her, and snaps to attention immediately upon hearing the knife blade click into place.
I think that this need for replacements is what brought the Black Rock there. The story that we've been told of the Black Rock has always struck me as unconvincing. The idea that a slave ship accidentally arrived there in the 1880s seems wrong. It's well past the high point of the African slave trade and in the wrong part of the world. There were far more lucrative and safe options to invest in in the 1880s. What makes more sense is if the ship was ALWAYS bound for the Island. Unable to reproduce the Others would have required constant replenishment and may have resorted to force labor. I believe that the Black Rock got wrecked there when making a delivery of laborers. Alternatively the Black Rock may have been on an expedition to the Island and gotten wrecked there. The Others may be descendants of the Black Rock's crew.
Whatever the case, sometime in the late 1970s Dharma decides to set up shop on the Island. They would likely be aware of it because of the presence of Magnus Hanso on the Black Rock and Alvar Hanso's involvement in the Dharma Initiative. Whether they set up shop on the Island specifically because of the reality warping properties or jsut because of the difficulty of access is another question but I think it is the former.
Whatever the case, the Dharma Initiative is able to gain control of most of the Island from the Others. However, conflict is endemic. By the mid 1980s things are becoming problematic. The Blast Door Map lists a series of system failures in the mid 1980s. These may have been deliberate sabotage by the Others or just the result of difficult maintnance. Either way, by 1988 Dharma has had enough. They decide to Purge the Others from the Island. Dharma loses. In my opinion they are effectively pushed off the Island. The Others inherit most of Dharma's instilations, such as the Barracks and the Hydra. The process may have taken several years however, as soldiers such as Bakunin and Kelvin were still being recruited in the early to mid 1990s.
However, Dharma still maintains some interest in the Island. They have managed to cordon it off. Leaving the Island has never been easy and the added level of Dharam security means that the Others have to use the submarine Galaga to come and go. The difficulty in coming and going explains in part why they did not simply remove Ben from the Island for treatment. That would be a last resort.
The one part of the Island that I think Dharma may have retained control over is the Swan. They were still willing to make food drops to it, which would seem to indicate that they had some interest in keeping it going. Alternatively the Others may have inherited it and it was simply so vital for the Swan to be kept going that Dharma was willing to resupply its enemies.
Either way, I think that the Swan is in an area which the Others do not like to visit. I think the reason is because of the Monster. If we look at the Blast Door Map we see that there are several "CV"s clustered around the Swan. Now "CV" apparently stands for "Cerberus Vent". "Cerberus" is most likely the Monster. I think that it is based near the Swan. If we look back over the history of the show we see that, until Left Behind, the Monster has never been encountered very far from the Swan. This concentration of Monster activity has kept the Others from mounting more aggressive operations agains the 815ers. It also explains why they are willing to cede part of the Island to them, and why no more than one of them ever makes contact with the survivors at one time. I think the Smoke Monster is just what Danielle said, a security system left over from the days of the Dharma Initiative. Perhaps Dharma is still in control of it, or perhaps the Monster is operating on pre-existing instructions. Whatever the case, the Others don't like it.
When Flight 815 crashed, Ben saw an opportunity for recruitment. He sends out Ethan and GFoodwin to make lists of likely recruits. Goodwin works quicker and they take some the first night. Then more on day twelve. Ethan has more trouble. It takes him longer to get to the fuselage and he's further from help. Moreover he sees something which changes the whole game for him. Claire. Claire is pregnant and they might be able to get a baby. He becomes obsessed with Claire and Aaron. On day fifteen he attempts to inject Claire. In response Hurley decides to make his Island census. Realizing that time is growing short Ethan takes Claire and Charlie the next day.
At the same time the Others are putting into motion their plan to get Walt. The steal him from the raft. I think they do this for their own reasons, because Walt is "special." However, it also ends up giving them leverage over Michael which they will use to get him to operate on Ben.
I also think that there are factions among the Others. We know that Juliet is disaffected enough to want to kill Ben. He also confesses to Locke that his control over the group is somewhat tenuous. Richard Alpert and Tom seem to be Ben loyalists but the true allegience of everyone else must be questioned.
Still, it seems likely at this point that Juliet is a plant. Her being left behind is just too convenient and now the Others have one of their top doctors in a position to observe both Aaron and Sun's pregnancy.
This is an attempted reconstruction of a grand theory which I posted elsewhere but which was accidentally deleted. It was sparked by some discussions on the IMDB boards following what I feel was a paradigm shifting revelation in Enter 77, and has been added to since.
I think we all realize now that there is something special about the Island. At first it just seemed like a magnetic anomaly but since The Man From Tallahassee it seems more likely that there is some sort of reality altering principle at work on the Island. Ben's "magic box" is the most concrete aspect of this but there are also things like Locke's working legs and the manifestation of various people on the Island.
Ben's people have been there for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps they are descended from those who built the statue. However, the same properties which make the Island special also make conception difficult. It is very rare for children to be born on the Island. Ben's status among the Others is due in part to his having been born on the Island.
Because of this property there is a continuing need to recruit people in order to replenish their society. The basis of Other society is still not known. They clearly see themselves as moral people. However, the persistent use of the term "good" seems to imply more than simply a moral dichotomy between good and evil. Instead it seems to imply fitness and unfitness as well. In "Left Behind", Locke makes a case for Kate being included among the Others based on her intelligence and resourcefulness, and not her morals. Similarly we see that the Others are very highly trained, particularly in combat techniques. Even Juliet, who has only been with them for three years, reacts with lightning fast reflexes when Kate attacks her, and snaps to attention immediately upon hearing the knife blade click into place.
I think that this need for replacements is what brought the Black Rock there. The story that we've been told of the Black Rock has always struck me as unconvincing. The idea that a slave ship accidentally arrived there in the 1880s seems wrong. It's well past the high point of the African slave trade and in the wrong part of the world. There were far more lucrative and safe options to invest in in the 1880s. What makes more sense is if the ship was ALWAYS bound for the Island. Unable to reproduce the Others would have required constant replenishment and may have resorted to force labor. I believe that the Black Rock got wrecked there when making a delivery of laborers. Alternatively the Black Rock may have been on an expedition to the Island and gotten wrecked there. The Others may be descendants of the Black Rock's crew.
Whatever the case, sometime in the late 1970s Dharma decides to set up shop on the Island. They would likely be aware of it because of the presence of Magnus Hanso on the Black Rock and Alvar Hanso's involvement in the Dharma Initiative. Whether they set up shop on the Island specifically because of the reality warping properties or jsut because of the difficulty of access is another question but I think it is the former.
Whatever the case, the Dharma Initiative is able to gain control of most of the Island from the Others. However, conflict is endemic. By the mid 1980s things are becoming problematic. The Blast Door Map lists a series of system failures in the mid 1980s. These may have been deliberate sabotage by the Others or just the result of difficult maintnance. Either way, by 1988 Dharma has had enough. They decide to Purge the Others from the Island. Dharma loses. In my opinion they are effectively pushed off the Island. The Others inherit most of Dharma's instilations, such as the Barracks and the Hydra. The process may have taken several years however, as soldiers such as Bakunin and Kelvin were still being recruited in the early to mid 1990s.
However, Dharma still maintains some interest in the Island. They have managed to cordon it off. Leaving the Island has never been easy and the added level of Dharam security means that the Others have to use the submarine Galaga to come and go. The difficulty in coming and going explains in part why they did not simply remove Ben from the Island for treatment. That would be a last resort.
The one part of the Island that I think Dharma may have retained control over is the Swan. They were still willing to make food drops to it, which would seem to indicate that they had some interest in keeping it going. Alternatively the Others may have inherited it and it was simply so vital for the Swan to be kept going that Dharma was willing to resupply its enemies.
Either way, I think that the Swan is in an area which the Others do not like to visit. I think the reason is because of the Monster. If we look at the Blast Door Map we see that there are several "CV"s clustered around the Swan. Now "CV" apparently stands for "Cerberus Vent". "Cerberus" is most likely the Monster. I think that it is based near the Swan. If we look back over the history of the show we see that, until Left Behind, the Monster has never been encountered very far from the Swan. This concentration of Monster activity has kept the Others from mounting more aggressive operations agains the 815ers. It also explains why they are willing to cede part of the Island to them, and why no more than one of them ever makes contact with the survivors at one time. I think the Smoke Monster is just what Danielle said, a security system left over from the days of the Dharma Initiative. Perhaps Dharma is still in control of it, or perhaps the Monster is operating on pre-existing instructions. Whatever the case, the Others don't like it.
When Flight 815 crashed, Ben saw an opportunity for recruitment. He sends out Ethan and GFoodwin to make lists of likely recruits. Goodwin works quicker and they take some the first night. Then more on day twelve. Ethan has more trouble. It takes him longer to get to the fuselage and he's further from help. Moreover he sees something which changes the whole game for him. Claire. Claire is pregnant and they might be able to get a baby. He becomes obsessed with Claire and Aaron. On day fifteen he attempts to inject Claire. In response Hurley decides to make his Island census. Realizing that time is growing short Ethan takes Claire and Charlie the next day.
At the same time the Others are putting into motion their plan to get Walt. The steal him from the raft. I think they do this for their own reasons, because Walt is "special." However, it also ends up giving them leverage over Michael which they will use to get him to operate on Ben.
I also think that there are factions among the Others. We know that Juliet is disaffected enough to want to kill Ben. He also confesses to Locke that his control over the group is somewhat tenuous. Richard Alpert and Tom seem to be Ben loyalists but the true allegience of everyone else must be questioned.
Still, it seems likely at this point that Juliet is a plant. Her being left behind is just too convenient and now the Others have one of their top doctors in a position to observe both Aaron and Sun's pregnancy.
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