LOST discussion - thar be spoilers ahead!

[tomandshell]

I can't sleep!


And I like the little touch that when Desmond approached Charlie in his "flashback," he was singing: "Maybe... You're gonna be the one who saves me."

Which, in fact, Desmond has now done twice already (minimum).



I am now wondering if Desmond's time travelling "flashback" experience is being shared by every character on the show. Perhaps that's the meaning of that sound you hear when they get sucked back in time to the events of their past and then back to the island again. The flashbacks are a literal part of the show/plot progressing in a linear fashion. But for some reason, Desmond (because he turned the key?) became conscious during his in a way that the other characters have not. They could all be doing a "Quantum Leap" into their past each week, unconsciously going through the motions and reenacting their previous experiences (as Desmond was meant to).

Well, I am still trying to figure out a theory that makes sense, but I strongly believe that the weekly flashbacks are more than just storytelling devices filling us in on backstory. I could be totally wrong, but I think that when all is said and done, we will be able to look back on this episode as one that gave us a very important piece of the puzzle. My wife still thinks I'm wrong, but I think that everybody is experiencing "time travel" through their flashbacks, they just aren't conscious of it like Desmond is--and I think that Desmond's awareness is going to be a key element in the eventual resolution of the show's plot. I am starting to expect a very Matrix-like reveal near the end of the show's final season.

 

[Darth Caedus]

I can't sleep!


And I like the little touch that when Desmond approached Charlie in his "flashback," he was singing: "Maybe... You're gonna be the one who saves me."

Which, in fact, Desmond has now done twice already (minimum).



I am now wondering if Desmond's time travelling "flashback" experience is being shared by every character on the show. Perhaps that's the meaning of that sound you hear when they get sucked back in time to the events of their past and then back to the island again. The flashbacks are a literal part of the show/plot progressing in a linear fashion. But for some reason, Desmond (because he turned the key?) became conscious during his in a way that the other characters have not. They could all be doing a "Quantum Leap" into their past each week, unconsciously going through the motions and reenacting their previous experiences (as Desmond was meant to).

Well, I am still trying to figure out a theory that makes sense, but I strongly believe that the weekly flashbacks are more than just storytelling devices filling us in on backstory. I could be totally wrong, but I think that when all is said and done, we will be able to look back on this episode as one that gave us a very important piece of the puzzle. My wife still thinks I'm wrong, but I think that everybody is experiencing "time travel" through their flashbacks, they just aren't conscious of it like Desmond is--and I think that Desmond's awareness is going to be a key element in the eventual resolution of the show's plot. I am starting to expect a very Matrix-like reveal near the end of the show's final season.

I thought the same about the flashbacks after this one. I think the writers want you to think that. I truly think that it was just desmondo's flashback that was relived. They never showed any other character actually behave like they were just not on the island reliving their life. I like the quantum leap theory, like the electromagnetic stuff created a sort of Time loop that desmond is stuck in. That would give him insight and allow him to "see" the future. He keeps going around turning the keys to go back and wants to change the bad things that happens around him. But for that theory to work, there would have to more keys on the island. The BAD thing I'm thinking, is that we are all overthinking this and the answer is REAL simple....

 

[The Josh]

Finally got to watch Wed. show yesterday. Very interesting to say the least. I'm thinking you're right Tom.

 

[LOTRFan]

I truly think that it was just desmondo's flashback that was relived.

Desmondo?!

 

[Karma]

I think charlie is destined to do something major & it's desmond's task to make sure he survives to do it

Remember the 1st matrix film when the oracle told him to mind the vase, he turned round as smashed it and he says "how did you know i would?"

and she replies "would you have still smashed the vase if I hadn't mentioned it?"

 

[gdb]

If fate or the Island really whanted Charlie dead, I think it would get pissed at Desmond and kill him off in order to get Charlie.

 

[Agent0028]

If fate or the Island really whanted Charlie dead, I think it would get pissed at Desmond and kill him off in order to get Charlie.

Unless its a "Meeting in Samarra" situation. I don't know if this is a well known story or not so I'll relate it in case anyone doesn't know, and if everyone knows it sorry for the redundancy.

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he came to Death and said, "Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning?" That was not a threatening gesture, Death said, "it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

Anyways, its possible that Charlie wasn't supposed to die from lightening or drowning so fate or the island showed Desmond the flashes and used him to save Charlie who--well going further (farther?) than that is just piling speculation on speculation.

 

[gdb]

Unless its a "Meeting in Samarra" situation. I don't know if this is a well known story or not so I'll relate it in case anyone doesn't know, and if everyone knows it sorry for the redundancy.

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he came to Death and said, "Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning?" That was not a threatening gesture, Death said, "it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

Anyways, its possible that Charlie wasn't supposed to die from lightening or drowning so fate or the island showed Desmond the flashes and used him to save Charlie who--well going further (farther?) than that is just piling speculation on speculation.

Good retelling of the story.

That's what bothers me about all the stories where people "cheat" fate only to have the universe self-correct. It it has to self-correct it's malable -- it's not fate. Fate is Oedipus. Fate is the Meeting in Sumatra.

So if it's fate (1) that Desmond saves Charlie from fate (2) only so that fate (1) can kill Charlie later... then one of those fates isn't really fate. But if it's fate that Desmond saves Charlie from the Island so that fate can kill him later, I can get on board with that. In that instance, I suppose it could be the Island that tells Desmond that fate self-corrects to destroy his spirits.

Come to think of it, since the black smoke monster causes people to see people from their past, perhaps the whole flashback is just the island creating not just one person from the past but all of the pole and all of the locations.

 

[Gruson]

I thought the Desmond episode was REALLY good so I guess I will keep watching.

 

[Darth Waller]

The Desmond episode was easily one of the best episodes in a long time. It was also one of the few episodes where the flashback was actually interesting (maybe because it was more a time travel experience).

Desmond has now become my favorite character, brother.

 

[The ill Jedi]

The Desmond episode was easily one of the best episodes in a long time. It was also one of the few episodes where the flashback was actually interesting (maybe because it was more a time travel experience).

Desmond has now become my favorite character, brother.

Wow, you echoed my every sentiment about the last episode! Desmond also has quickly become one of my favorite LOST characters, I want to know more about his ability to see the future/time travel (?) now!

 

[Darklord Dave]

I think Desmond's a cylon.

 

[Batty]

I think Desmond's a cylon.

...who will blow up and destroy New York.

 

[LOTRFan]

3 big mysteries solved?!





I MUST have missed something, aside from The Others not actually living on the island, what else was revealed? The meaning of Jack's tattoo? That the kids are still alive? Eeesh, I pumped last night's episode up WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much in my mind.

 

[Beruthiel]

more questions, no answers. This is really getting stupid. The commercials lied! Outright lies to get people to tune in. How long do they think this is gonna work for

 

[Darth Loki]

3 big mysteries solved?!





I MUST have missed something, aside from The Others not actually living on the island, what else was revealed? The meaning of Jack's tattoo? That the kids are still alive? Eeesh, I pumped last night's episode up WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much in my mind.

I must've missed the answers as well. Or they were questions I didn't really care about. The kids and Cindy are fine, I never really doubted that. They only work on the 'other' island, didn't we already know that? Jack's tattoo, didn't really care. I still love this show and will conitinue to watch but they better start answering some 'REAL' questions soon or many people will continue to get frustrated and just stop watching.

 

[LOTRFan]

more questions, no answers. This is really getting stupid. The commercials lied! Outright lies to get people to tune in. How long do they think this is gonna work for

Well next week's "looks" like a doozy too, "you will be missing what everyone is talking about the next day ..." Can we trust them?!

 

[tomandshell]

Jack's flashback was pretty weak. Could they have found a more straightforward and uneventful way of showing how he got his tattoo? I could have written that flashback in my sleep.

And seeing Cindy and the kids in the preview last week got me excited, but it left me thinking that we would get more of an answer than, "What are you doing here?" "We're here to watch. It's complicated. Goodbye!" And after having seen Othersville on the main island in the opening moments of season three, it was certainly not a big surprise that they don't live on the small island.

I actually would have enjoyed the episode a lot more if they hadn't built it up so much in the preview last week. They know people are getting impatient waiting for answers and so the preview promises answers--but they didn't actually provide any. This is going to make people angry.

Remember when we could watch the show and see multiple characters like Locke, Sayid, Hurley, Sun and Jin featured in the same episode? It would have been a surprise and a departure in season one to have an entire show with just Jack, Kate and Sawyer--now it is business as usual. Entire episodes go by without a single appearance from some of the popular characters from the first two years. It's no wonder why the ratings are going down--why would a Sayid or Sun/Jin or Claire or Hurley fan have any reason to watch the show right now? I hope now that Kate and Sawyer are reunited with them, the show will start to regain the balance that it had between characters in the first two seasons. I honestly feel bad for all of the original actors who have had maybe five minutes of screen time so far, and we are nearing the halfway point of the season. Seriously, poor Daniel Dae Kim has been in one episode this year while Jack is already on his second flashback in nine episodes. This show became successful because of the ensemble, and they need to get back to that approach.

 

[The Josh]

Haven't gotten a chance to see all of last nights show but I like they gave answers to stuff like Jack's Tat. Why? It gives a little insight to his character. I personally like where they're going with the show.

 

[Beruthiel]

One of the main problems is that they are trying to focus on just a few of the characters and are leaving most of the cast sitting back at the hotel sipping drinks. And, they are going absolutely nowhere at all. I thought the backstory of how Jack got his tattoo was stupid, uninteresting and didn't add at all to the story, whatever the story is. I don't know anymore except that this show is going nowhere at all and viewership is going down the tubes like the titanic. If they don't get things together in the next few weeks and get some of the questions resolved that have been hanging for nearly 3 years, this show is going to end without any questions answered and just go into syndication where we can watch the reruns on some obscure cable station.

I mean, does anyone really care why or where Jack got that tattoo? I wanna know where Walt and the other kids are at and why the others took them. And, how is Charlie handling his addiction issues? And, what about the pregnancy? what's going on there? They need to stop going off in weird directions with nothing happening in the main group and get back to business that the viewers want which are answers to at least some questions that they set up in season 1. Seems to me the writers and using too much crack and it's affecting their writing skills. Imagination gone wild? Can't they finish anything? What's wrong with the writers?