Wednesday, February 3, 2010

LOST in Translation V.1

My friends, is there anything better than watercooler television? I love that conversation the day after shocking television and I live for discussions of LOST. My coworkers at my last job and I would talk about all our crazy theories for the entire 8 hours of work the day after a new episode aired.

Now, I'm hoping to bring that conversation to a new forum, here on my blog. I understand my blog is not supposed to be about LOST. I also understand that other people have far more sophisticated blogs/Web sites that track all things LOST. But this is my blog, dammit, and I would love to converse with you guys about your LOST theories.

So for this year only, we're going to celebrate the brain attack that is LOST. Please share your theories in the comments and keep it nice; no berating other commenters! And if you want to read the best LOST blog in the history of the universe, make sure to stop by Doc Jensen's blog for Entertainment Weekly. He does the most amazing job of breaking down the hidden clues and sharing his theories, based on his encyclopedic memory. If you don't have an encyclopedic memory, Lostpedia is your friend. And without further ado ....

LOST SPOILERS!!! LOST SPOILERS!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU VALUE YOUR LOST EXPERIENCE!!!!

So, let's recap. We saw two possibilities: life if the plane hadn't crashed and life on the island if the bomb didn't work (or if it did, as Juliet says). Right off the bat, this raises a question.

1. Did we see an alternate reality or two realities, happening at the same time and we pick which one is real?

My theory: Not sure about this one. I have a feeling this is alternate simultaneous realities, kinda like the plot of the newest Star Trek movie. I've always felt that, for whatever reason, the island forces the Losties to face their demons (sometimes literally). That theory seemed to be proven when the safe landing reality started to lead our Losties down their original, not-so-great paths. Charlie overdosed and got arrested. John had the walkabout experience, but still can't walk. Jack's dad is STILL missing.

In the safe landing reality, people with the potential to change each other's lives are also introduced. Jack offers to try to repair Locke's spinal cord. Kate jumps in a cab with Claire (whose baby she once stole/raised).

It seems to me that if it continues, the safe landing reality could be course-correcting. Does that term sound familiar? That's because Desmond learned in season 3 that the future can be predicted and delayed, but not changed. This is a fancy sci-fi version of what most of us call "meant to be."

Speaking of Desmond, that leads me to my second question:

2. Where did Desmond go?

One minute Desmond was on the plane, sitting next to Jack. Jack goes to save Charlie and when he returns, Desmond is gone and Rose didn't notice where he went. We don't see him exit the plane or in the airport. What was he doing on the plane in the first place? THOUGHTS? I have no ideas.

3. Who the hell are those indigenous people?

I have a pretty hard time keeping track of the groups of people on the island. We've got the crash survivors (Beach people, Tail people), the Dharma group, the followers of Ben who came after Dharma, the Others (seemingly a mishmash of Dharma survivors, kidnapped plane crash survivors and maybe indigenous people), and who knows who else.

Jack and company were sent by Jacob (via Hurley who SEES DEAD PEOPLE) to the Smoke Monster lair to save Sayid. They ended up at a temple where I thought I spied jughead, the bomb, which means we might be back in the camp where Ellie and Widmore were ruling the roost.

I'm not sure I can handle more characters, but I do love the fella who was translating (he was great in "Me and You and Everyone We Know"). What do we think is in the restorative water? Why is the hourglass necessary?

I have a LOT more I could babble about, but I was saving the best, most intriguing for last: Jacob vs. His Enemy (who I call the Man in Black).

The appearance of Jacob and the Man in Black in last year's finale might have been one of the most intriguing LOST moments ever for me. I believe Jacob and the Man in Black signify Good vs. Evil, much in the way Christians interpret God vs. Satan.

As you may recall, in the finale the Man in Black asked Jacob why he constantly brings people to the island just to see them fight and kill. Jacob says any move is progress, which I think could be the argument for why God allows wars to occur.

For any of you behind on your Old Testament (don't feel bad, I had to google lots of this), here's some Biblical background for some names that might have inspired LOST characters:
  • Jacob: Isaac's second-born son, twin brother of Esau. At the urging of his mother, tricked Esau into receiving his birthright blessing; Esau vowed to kill Jacob. Saw the ladder to Heaven and heard the voice of God. Wrestled an angel.
  • Rachel: Jacob's long-barren wife. Died in childbirth with Benjamin. (Juliet's long-barren sister was named Rachel; Ben's mother died in childbirth and Ben fancied himself Jacob's favored one.)
  • Ben: Jacob's son.
So, let's say the LOST tale somewhat parallels the Biblical one. I like the idea that Jacob and the Man in Black are brothers in some way (like Jacob and Esau) and that somehow Jacob received a birthright from some higher being, thus creating a centuries-old rivalry.

I have long held the theory that the smoke monster had the ability to manifest in the form of people's demons and as soon as the Man in Black appeared last year, I told Sean I thought he was the smoke monster. I was SO HAPPY to see that turned out to be true.

This leads to several questions:

4. Why couldn't the Man in Black kill Jacob himself?

If the smoke monster/Man in Black can manifest into other forms, why couldn't he devise a scheme to kill Jacob earlier? And is Jacob dead at all? I've already seen some theories that Jacob is now reincarnated in Sayid; that hadn't occurred to me, as I thought he was using Hurley simply to warn the Others about the smoke monster. Sometimes I miss some pretty obvious clues, which is why I like talking about it to all of ya'll.

5. Where is home?

The Man in Black said he wants to go home. Where is home? What's keeping him from there?

6. What power does the black powder have against the smoke monster?

The Others and that one dude sprinkled powder in a circle to keep the monster out. Does the powder serve the same purpose the Dharma electric fence served? How does it work?

7. Who, once and for all, is Richard Alpert?

I thought maybe he has the ability to travel through time (like Desmond) but has better control of it. Now, I'm not so sure. He seems to go back as long as Jacob and the Man in Black.

Okay, that's it for my crazy theories. Have it out in the comments!

9 comments:

Diane said...

OMG. My life is complete again. It's been a long, lonely road without new Lost episodes.

One thing: did you notice Hurley on the plane tells Sawyer he is the luckiest guy alive? Where did all his bad luck go? Were those numbers unlucky for him because of the hatch, and now that the hatch never existed the numbers don't mean anything? Or they bring good luck to Hurley vs. bad luck?

Next: Pretty sure Locke was lying about going on the walkabout. At first I thought that since Hurley was lucky in this new/old reality, maybe Locke had never become paralyzed. But later when they show him in the wheelchair, I realized he made up the walkabout story. I did think the interaction between Locke and Jack was interesting. Speaking of, wtf happened to Jack's father??

No freakin' clue what happened to Desmond. Maybe him and Jack's dad teleported off the plane to live like mermen in the new underwater island.

Speaking of underwater island, did you notice how it looked like computer game animation rather than real life? That had to be intentional, right?

I thought the temple people were the Others, but then I saw Richard and the Others on the beach so I guess that theory is out. Are they... the Other Others?

I think new Sayid = Jacob. If the Man in Black can inhabit Locke's body, why can't dead Jacob take up residence in Sayid? We learned that once you're dead you're dead, the island doesn't bring you back. And Sayid was definitely dead. Every time we've seen someone who was supposed to be dead, that person was either talking to Hurley (who sees dead people) or that person was really the Smoke Monster/Man In Black.

The folks over at the Washington Post do a good recap/theories article the day after a new Lost episode, plus they have a live discussion at 2:00. I plan on checking that out for their take on it!

I think I have to go back to doing work now...

Amber said...

On Hurley: I did notice that, and I wondered why he'd be on the flight at all. If he's lucky, and the numbers aren't cursed, why was he in Australia? Was it to open Mr. Clucks down under or something?

Diane, this is an intriguing point you make about computer game animation. I figured they just don't give a crap about graphics since the smoke monster has always looked so horrible.

I forgot about the dead is dead element, so you're right, that can't be Sayid.

Diane said...

Here's the Lost Dueling Analysis article in the Post: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/02/lost_dueling_analysis_lax_part.html

They get really good stuff in the comments section too. Just the thing for a really boring Wednesday!

Bret said...

i thought the circle of black powder was like the circle of salt used in hocus pocus to keep the witches away. but that's how my mind works.

Amber said...

I thought the black powder might be gunpowder or something magnetic.

CHuber said...

Hey-oh! Losties... lol. Sorry, not much American interaction over here in Kazakhstan, but! we DID get to finally watch both episodes!

Sooo...

1. Did you think that man who was translating at the temple kind of had Ben Linus glasses on?! I mean they were really really round, and remember when Sayid almost killed Ben earlier, and then they took him to "the temple" could this be THAT Ben?!

2. The only person we've really seen take on dead peoples' bodies on the island has been the MIB... right? So wouldn't it make sense for the MIB to also be in Sayid waking up in the temple? Jacob has never taken on someone elses' body.. right? Or does that mean that the MIB has always been dead and therefore can take on other peoples' bodies and Jacob has just died and therefor can do the same... does this make any sense? It is really late here...

Also crazy about Hurley.. and all of his bad luck.. weird.

Also, crazy about Juliet, "I have to tell you something really important..." and then, dead.

So, so sad about Locke. I was hoping that he could walk, but, then at the end, with the roller seat, I agree that he lied about the walkabout... *tear

Why wasn't Shannon on the plane? Did the bomb really work or did the plan not crash because Jack's father's body wasn't on it...?
Or did the plane not crash because the bomb worked and the island was sunk....???

Keep the theories coming!!! Thanks for the outlet! ;)

Amber said...

I've heard a lot of chatter about the absence of Shannon and Jack's dad...I think the essential idea here is that any plan to go back to the beginning was doomed, but why? Things to ponder, for certain.

Paige said...

I'm totally late to the party I know... but!

I think Jacob is now Sayid. I think Jacob's reason for sending the group to the "Other others," (as someone put it) was two-fold:
1.) I think the "healing spring" is tied to Jacob. Notice how everybody was all, "oh no!" when the spring wasn't clear anymore? I think it got all mucky-ucky when Jacob died. Jacob sent Hurley & Co. to the spring because he KNEW the spring wouldn't work, Sayid would go kaput, and he'd have a new body to inhabit. That being saiiidd...
2.) I definitely think the whole weird cross was supposed to serve as a warning, so I think Jacob sent Hurley & Co. to the spring/fortress under the GUISE of saving Sayid, which as I said, provided a new vessel for him. I think the note said something to the effect of, "I've kicked the bucket, now go spread some ash and batten down the hatches."

On another note - Shannon was totally not on the plane. I noticed that as well. I think the no-crash reality is still an altered reality, look at some of the differences: Shannon chose not to come back with her brother, Desmond is on there (WTF?)... OH, and I totally think Lock(e?) was lying about the walkabout. He definitely didn't go and he's "fronting" haha - for whatshisface. Also, it gave the viewer SOME doubt as to whether or not he was mobile now - they dragged that out as MUCH as they could, until finally the stewardess brings him his wheely thing to disembark.

Oh yeah, and it's entirely possible that some of what I said is completely incoherent as I get all jittery and excited to talk LOST...lol

pbarfield said...

OHHH! And why the heck is Jack's dad's body NOT on the plane this time and it was before - add that to my running list of differences between the no-crash reality and the former.