Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Lost - "Live Together, Die Alone"

(I'm back! Don't worry, I saved my craziest predictions of the year for the Season Finale!)

Episode Title: "Live Together, Die Alone”


Brian's Deeper Meaning Guess: This is it. The last time I'll have deep thoughts until the fall. So I guess it’s good to see the Lost creators gave me such a meaty episode title for the last one of the season. This one could be as small as describing a single character, as large as describing everyone on the Island, or as heady as describing mankind in general. Let’s start small and work big…

Desmond is back.

I don’t know when I became Henry Ian Cusick’s #1 Fan, but I’m wanting him to join both “Lost” and “24” as a series regular next season. His appearance on Lost single-handedly turned the entire premise of the show on its head. His disappearance left us with more questions than ever about the nature of the Hatch, the experiments, his connection to our Survivors, and the entire state of the world.

Remember, when we last saw him he was running through the Jungle with a backpack full of 4815162342 Medicine, sure that another “Incident” was about to occur due to the 108 Computer being damaged.

So why is he now back?

Because he realized that you either “Live Together” or “Die Alone”.

Perhaps he doesn’t realize it – maybe he’s looking at it from a strict survival point of view. I’m sure whatever supplies he had in his backpack have run out in the month he’s gone, and needs to return to our Survivors to restock on supplies. Maybe he’s encountered some of the dangers on the Island (Smokey, Others, CFL) and realized the strength that lies in numbers (no, not those Numbers…). Maybe he’s formulated a plan to overtake the Others and now needs some help to carry it out. The point remains the same – he needs our Survivors.

Keep in mind this is also a Desmond flashback episode (which, by the way, is second only to an “Island flashback” on the “Flashbacks I Want Most” list… that and a "Vincent Flashback", of course). Think back to what we know about his past – he crashed on the Island all alone and met Kelvin. On a strange Island by yourself, you join the only other person there and hope you survive... even if they convince you to enter a series of Numbers on a computer every 108 Minutes to save the world.

Desmond has decided to “Live Together”.


Unfortunately, Michael seems to be headed in the opposite direction of Desmond. As I briefly mentioned before, finding out that there was no edict from the Others to kill Ana-Lucia or Libby makes his murder of them even more inexcusable. It might have been difficult, but there could have been some other way to get HGI free that wouldn't involve killing. Once the Survivors find out about what he did (which they will, since Sayid is already suspecting him of being shady - just wait until he walks Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley into a trap!) there is no chance of him returning to the Survivor Camp.

Michael made a decision - he could have told the Survivors about the ultimatum the Others gave him and worked with them to find a solution that would get Walt back. But as we've seen before, he's liable to get a little crazy when it comes to saving Walt (PS - I totally forgot about how he knocked Locke out to steal the gun when he initially went out in the Jungle after Walt - why in the world did ANYONE trust him the second time around???). He has effectively said "Walt is more important than any of the rest of you", which isn't a good example of "Living Together" if you ask me.

So is he destined to "Die Alone"? Perhaps. I still haven't come to a firm conclusion on how the Michael-Walt saga is going to end, but I definitely have it narrowed down to two choices:

  1. Michael is going to be killed. The Others used Michael to free HGI and bring the Flight 815 Four (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley) to them, and his usefulness is used up. He becomes a liability and is killed. This would be known as the "sad ending".
  2. Michael and Walt are going to be sent off the Island. The Others are people of their word, and upon capturing the Fantastic Four they give Michael the boat he wanted all along. Michael takes Walt and hops on board and the two sail away (David Gray style). As a viewer, we are left to wonder what will happen to them. This would be known as the "mystery ending".

What happened to the "Michael becomes an Other and starts living with them" choice? Well, after reading this episode's title, I decided it would be impossible.

Why?

Because I think our Survivors are going to band together with the "Others".

Shocking you say? I agree. But the more I thought about the episode title, the more I thought about everything that's happened so far - it makes sense to me. Check out this quote from Damon Lindelhof about the main theme of next season: “Us versus Them. But who’s the ‘us’ and who’s the ‘them’?”

If I was writing this show, the ‘Us’ becomes our Survivors and the Rebel Dharmites. The ‘Them’ are the Clean-Cut Dharmites we saw in the Staff Hatch earlier this season. Throw out your favorite theory about what separates these two groups (cloning, test subjects vs. scientists, other crash survivors vs. Dharmites), but I am more sure than ever that there is a clear distinction between the Others, and that there has been a “battle” between the two of them going on long before Flight 815 crashed on the Island.

The “good guys” in this battle are the Rebel Dharmites (Zeke and Co., living in huts and wearing rags).

The “bad guys” in this battle are the Clean-Cut Dharmites (Beardless Zeke, Ethan, etc. living in some more-developed area on this Island wearing khaki pants and collared shirts).

Our Survivors are going to be faced with a decision – merge with the Rebel Dharmites to rage against the Clean-Cut Dharma machine, or try to go it alone.

Once again, we’re looking at a “Live Together” or “Die Alone” situation. I think our Survivors will be smart enough to chose “Live Together”.

More on this later…

Back to Michael, to finish up that thought. If the Survivors join the Rebel Dharmites, there is no way that Michael could still be around. Hurley or Sawyer would kill him. If Michael is to survive the finale, it will be on a boat, leaving the Island.

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TV.com Description: After discovering something odd just offshore, Jack and Sayid come up with a plan to confront "The Others" and hopefully get Walt back. Meanwhile, Eko and Locke come to blows as Locke makes a potentially cataclysmic decision regarding the "button" and the hatch. Lastly, Desmond returns and he sheds some more light on his experience on the island in the three years prior to when Locke came down into that hatch.


TV.com Breakdown: The "something odd" just offshore is clearly the boat we saw at the end of last episode (sorry to break the hearts of the "Underwater Hatch" people). The real question is whether Desmond is actually on this boat or if the boat is abandoned. If Desmond is on the boat, it reasons that this is his boat he was using on his race around the world - somehow repaired from his crash into the Island. If the boat is abandoned, it reasons that this is the boat Michael requested in return for freeing HGI and delivering the Flight 815 Four. It would serve as a sign to Michael of "Hey, we're serious about our promise to you… if you carry out your half of the bargain."

The bad news for Mikey is that Sayid seems to be on to his hijinx, and has probably convinced Jack of a way to play along with Michael’s plan until the last minute - and then turn the tables. How? I’m not sure – maybe let Michael lead you to the Others, then at the last minute turn on him - possibly having Sayid trailing a few hundred yards behind you with some sort of cavalry.

Meanwhile, the other big storyline is Locke vs. Eko in the battle for the Hatch. It’s so ironic how this storyline has turned both characters completely 180 degrees from where they started. The whole 108 Computer started as a “greater purpose” for Locke on the Island, but has now turned into a matter of faith for Eko. When we last saw Locke, he was walking away by himself on the beach. Did he go off soul-searching? Was he simply heading back to the Hatch? Unclear – but by the looks of things, John Locke has made his decision – that it’s time to take an axe to the 108 Computer.

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Will he succeed? No. Eko is far too strong and dedicated to let the weaker Locke destroy his mission. But will the timer run out this episode? Absolutely. We’re going to have some scene of Eko, Locke, and Desmond (and possibly Charlie) inside the Swan Hatch debating whether or not to push the button. I’m betting that Locke finds a way to lower the Blast Doors (possibly from Desmond), trapping Eko away from the 108 Computer. This sets the stage for a dramatic scene with Eko imploring with Locke to press the button as the clock continues to tick down.

Then what happens? As I’ve said before, logically nothing should happen. But even though all the evidence says the 108 Timer is one big Skinner Box Experiment, every fiber of my being tells me that when the timer goes off, something happens that causes another plane to crash. Why?

We’ve been told that we would learn a few things in this episode:

  • What happens when the button isn’t pressed.
  • What caused Flight 815 to crash.
  • Resolution to the Michael / Walt storyline.

It’s not like the Lost writers to give away a bunch of answers, even over the course of a two-hour episode. I’m thinking the first two are tied together. How else could we possibly learn why Flight 815 crashed? There are only a few possibilities:

  1. The Rebel Dharmites divulge the information (but could we trust it?)
  2. The Pearl Hatch contains video showing the plane crashing (doubtful since all the cameras seemed to be inside Hatches)
  3. Desmond tells them he saw the plane crash (possibly in flashback form – but it’s doubtful, remember the whole “Quarantine” thing Desmond seemed to believe in? Also – what could possibly cause a plane to crash other than Smokey or some sort of laser-y pulse beam?)
  4. Our Survivors do something to cause another plane to crash, like not pushing the button and Desmond reveals he didn’t push the button once a few months ago.

Bingo.

More reasoning? Damon said the season finale is "a battle between faith and reason on the same playing field where it all began.”

Where did it all begin? On a plane.
What does reason tell us? Not pushing a button can’t cause a plane to crash
What does faith tell us? Even though we can’t explain it, the button didn’t get pressed twice – and twice planes crashed.

There’s also this picture from the preview:

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(PS - note the pile of Pearl Hatch tubes in the background! They go nowhere!)


In my mind, this can be one of three things.

  1. Jack looking to the sky in horror as another plane crashes.
  2. Jack looking up at a developed city area, home of the Clean-Cut Dharmites.
  3. Jack looking up at Smokey.

The first seems the most likely to me, especially coupled with this picture from Entertainment Weekly this week:

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Claire covering Aaron with Bernard looking to the sky in horror? Yeah, that seems to indicate debris falling from a plane exploding, don't you think?


Lastly we have Desmond returning, providing us with the details of the three years he spent on the Island pre-Season One Finale. Here’s hoping for a healthy dose of Kelvin, some revelations about the Supply Drop, and Blast Doors! But I worry that Desmond is as much a pawn in this game as our Survivors, and may be asking the same questions himself…


The Flight 815 Four. For the life of me, I can't come up with a unifying factor between Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley.

  • Jack, Kate, and Hurley all had "visions" - but Sawyer didn't (and what about Locke, Eko, etc.?)
  • Jack, Kate, and Sawyer might be genetically "chosen" based on their physiques - but not Hurley (and what about Sayid, Jin, etc.?)
  • Jack, Kate, and Sawyer all had "Daddy Issues" - but Hurley didn't (and what about Sun, Jin, etc.?)
  • Jack, Kate, and Sawyer might be seen as "leaders" - but not Hurley (and what about Sayid, Locke, etc.?)
  • Jack, Kate, and Sawyer all met "Zeke" - but Hurley didn't (and Locke did)
  • Jack, Kate, and Hurley all went to the "Black Rock" - but Sawyer didn't (and Locke did)


Ms. Klugh was very specific about these four, and these four only - but why?

It seems to indicate that the whole reason for the crash of Flight 815 was to bring these four individuals to the Island. Is everyone else just along for the ride? People who luckily survived the crash? Or was the point to bring a group of people to the Island and then pick out the four "best" ones for whatever experiments are being carried out?


With all the flashback connections we've seen, there have been some among the Flight 815 Four, but nothing significant…

Jack --> Jack's Dad --> Sawyer --> Kate's Mom --> Kate

…and I can't connect it to Hurley, no matter how hard I try - unless Libby or Desmond somehow provides the missing link between these four individuals.

The other really intriguing thing is that if the Rebel Dharmites are good, they aren’t leading The Flight 815 Four into a trap at all – so why did they only need these four? They must possess some sort of traits (Hurley’s seeming-invincibility, Jack’s medical knowledge, Kate’s hot body, Sawyer’s hilarity?) that the Rebel Dharmites value, or be somehow more trustworthy of learning the secrets than the other Survivors.

The intriguing (and frustrating) thing is that this detail could possibly blow my whole “merge theory” out of the water, even though all other signs seem to be pointing that way.


The Key. What in the world is this?!?

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I can’t think of anywhere on the Island where there is a glowing orange pedestal. I also can’t imagine where the Survivors would get a Goonies-style magic key (From Desmond? From the Rebel Dharmites?) – but something tells me it reveals something big. A passageway to the Clean-Cut Dharmites’ lair? A doorway to the mechanical underbelly of the Island? The ignition to the super-boat that will lead Michael and Walt off the Island? No idea – but it excites me.


The Hatch. Season Two opened with discovering the Hatch. My bet is that Season Two ends with destroying the Hatch. If you think about it, The Swan Hatch makes life too easy. Running water, showers, a seeming endless supply of Dharma-approved food and drink, shelter from Smokey – it’s like the Real World House in the middle of Survivor!

It will also serve as a cleansing of sorts – for the deaths of Ana-Lucia and Libby, for the Skinner Box Experiment they were all slaves to, and the symbolic freedom for Desmond to escape the Hatch and start living above ground, unafraid of the “sickness.” It also lends some necessity to the merge with the Rebel Dharmites – from a strict survival perspective, rather than just a strategic perspective.

Did the preview hint at this destruction here?

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Boats. Here’s another puzzle – if the Rebel Dharmites have a boat (or multiple boats, counting the boat that appeared at the end of last episode, the tug boat that kidnapped Walt last season, and the ferry referenced in the Pearl Orientation video), why aren’t they off the Island? There are two possible explanations:

  1. They want to be on the Island.
  2. They know they can’t get off the Island.

Why would anyone want to be on the Island? Perhaps they’re in the same boat (pun intended) as Desmond, thinking that the rest of the world has been destroyed, and this Island is the only place left. Perhaps they think that the genetic experiments the Hanso Foundation was carrying out led to a worldwide genocide, and the Island is the last “clean place” on Earth (which might explain why Alvar Hanso would go there to hide). Or maybe they just like the climate and laid-back lifestyle.

On the other hand, maybe they have these boats, but know that they can’t get anywhere with them. Perhaps there is some sort of magnetic force that prevents you from getting too far away. Perhaps Smokey launches out of the water and eats you when you get a certain distance away from the Island. Or maybe they know you would just hit a wall, a la “The Truman Show”.

If they are indeed giving Michael a boat as he requested, they must be certain that he’ll either return to the rest of the world and find it a wasteland, or that he’ll perish in his journey. Either way, it eliminates him from being a potential problem in the future.

But what about Walt?

Are we really to believe that they would give up Walt after they were so steadfast about kidnapping him? It’s clear that they’ve been doing some experiments on him (the creepy “room” Ms. Klugh referenced that shut Walt up right away), but perhaps they found that he wasn’t the prodigal son they were looking for after all. Maybe they’ve “drained” whatever magic juice Walt had and now he’s just a shell of his former self. Or maybe they were just lying to Michael all along and have no intentions of releasing Walt. But that would leave the writers with the pesky situation of Walt growing up way too fast for the show’s measured pace.


Prediction Time. Enough blabbering. So what do I think is going to happen?

The Flight 815 Four will seemingly be “captured” by “The Others”, only to learn that they are “Rebel Dharmites” and are actually the “good guys”. They decide to band together in attempt to take down the Clean-Cut Dharmites and get off the Island.

Locke will be alone in the Hatch, secured by Blast Doors all around, watching the 108 Numbers expire as Eko pleads with him to reconsider.

A second plane will crash. This time, there will be no survivors (because it would feel like a rehash of this season’s Tailers storyline).

Michael and Walt will sail off into the sunset, their fates left up in the air.


I have to say, I’m pretty excited for this finale. Part of me hopes all my predictions are wrong and I can joyfully enjoy the twists and turns of the finale I never saw coming (and that way I didn’t just ruin it for all you readers out there). But another part of me hopes they’re all right, because I think it would make a freaking sweet finale and set the stage for an unbelievable third season.

Enjoy the show.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

One things bothering me. lets say, the civilisation is no longer, why should there be plains in the air ;) even if the world would still be ok, its not like there are instantly some plains that are crashable in the isles region. so i really dont think that just dont pushing the numbers makes plain accidents. i rather believe that kelvin has something to do with the crash. and for the button thing... i always wanted to involve an atomic bomb to the lost szenario. when the sickness came in first in the plot, i guessed it to an atomic sideeffect and so on. so now i would like to just bring up my point and guess: not pushing the numbers will have something to do with an A-bomb...

but like you said, from my point of view, i would very much go with your theory, because its a very very nice start for season 3.

greetings from germany

Anonymous said...

i think you are pretty brilliant most of the time, but i think you are off on this finale. i don't think there was a plane crash at all. i think the dharmites are able to manipulate the thoughts of the losties to a certain extent and i think they staged the whole thing.. it's a skinner box alright, but an even bigger one than just the hatch. i think they chose the fab4 because they seem to be the people with leadership skills who have been to the edge of their sanity and come back stronger... maybe. i think not pushing the button does absolutely nothing.

Anonymous said...

I have a feeling, like you, the button does something. Too much of a letdown if it doesnt do anything. Plane crash? i dunno, i expect something on the island to happen rather than something outside of it. Especially since its is extremely coincidental if a plane happens to be flying over. the button could hvae caused the crash, but i dun think there will be another one.
Another thing, i think the rebel dharmites stay on the island because they want to get back at clean cut dharmites for messing wit them. Im not sure if they will join together, cuz that adds a bunch more characters, but ur theories sound good to me.

Man, im so pshyced for this episode! And bro, ive been waiting all week for this preview!!! Great stuff as usual man!

Anonymous said...

If they do join together, it gives lots of possibilities for flashbacks about what happened on the island with the rebel Dharmites, pre-flight 815. I don't see the Lost writers coming up with other crash survivors for flashbacks and new stories. It would be like, "Oh hey, here's Jerry that was here the whole time and we never talked to him because he has a lazy eye, but now let's hear what he has to say." We all would like to see Dharma flashbacks. Oh yes.

I don't get though why Walt would be lying to Michael about the rebels being fakes if indeed they are a separate faction from the clean-cut Dharmites. Either Walt didn't know what he saw or he's been brainwashed or, well, who knows.

I could also see the reasoning the writers give for Walt's fast aging is that they used up all of his "power" so to speak, like Brian mentioned.

If not pressing the button makes planes crash, and the Swan hatch does indeed get destroyed, wouldn't the place be constantly pumping out plane crashing waves? Unless of course, what is causing the planes to crash has something to do with the strong magnet in the hatch, which would probably get destroyed also in the event Swan goes boom. So many questions! (like this is new :P)

This is also interesting that the Pearl uses the pneumatic tubes as part of its experiments. Didn't really see that coming. I was naive enough to think it was actually connected to home base. I guess it makes sense though seeing as there was a camera in there as well.

Imagine Michael sailing the boat off into the ocean, only to crash into a wall.. LOST *fade out* (ala Truman Show, as you also mentioned). Classic.

Sadly, I won't be able to watch this episode tomorrow when it airs! I'll have to wait for it to finish downloading. Cripes!

Looking forward to your season wrap-up and predictions for next season! (I just hope their 13 week hiatus between the two halves of season 3 isn't true. That's just crazy)

Unknown said...

Okay, I find it hard to believe the clone theory but in support of it I am saying this...maybe they don't want to get off the island because they were MADE on the island...what do they need to get off for? BUT...what about the picture of Sayid at the camp and it is deserted? What if it really was a ruse? I seriously think that! You heard Walt, they are pretending...and by the way, Walt hated his "dad" (that he only just met) a month ago. Then when he said I love you Dad, I love you Dad!...I was thinking, They really want us to hear that! I am so excited for this finale but am prepared for all the questions it will leave us with!
By the way, I read somewhere that Libby may have been Desmond's wife or fiance. That made me think...what if the connection between "The 4" may be who THEY are connected to, not connected to eachother!

Anyway, I am so very happy that you posted...I literally have been checking twice a day!

Unknown said...

Oh shoot! I forgot the key again! I must say this, it obviously has a SWAN on it. What if the "key to it all" is really a key? Someone once said this island seems mechanical....I don't have an explanation, I just thought this out loud for you!

Anonymous said...

Great theories as usual but do we really have any evidence of there being clones or two different "zeke" characters?

Between Kate finding the fake dirty clothes with the fake beard, and Walt saying "they're pretending, they're not who they say they are" I'm having a hard time imagining that people operating out of the medical hatch and the people living in the teepee village aren't the same. If it is two different groups, than Alex was cloned as well, which seems off to me. If they could clone her than why not just send a "copy" back to Rosseau and keep the original so she'd be off their backs?

It's possible that Candle/Wickman are brothers but I think it is the same person, pre-incident and post-incident. What incident lead to him losing his arm...? I'm sure finding out what happens when the countdown goes through without the numbers being entered will tell us.

It will also be interesting to see if the ACTUAL CONFIRMED twins that Josh Holloway talked about from the boat scene last year show up. I'm kinda surprised they haven't so far, because he had to go out of his way in an interview to point out they were in the scene, I don't think many people noticed just from watching it.

Watching the "white rabbit" episode again makes me think tonight's finale will be about collaborating with people you don't know too well (the survivors had only been together a week when Jack gave that speech). Whether that means working with Desmond, the others, somebody else, or all three remains to be seen.

Predictions that are likely to be way off:

Desmond was in or saw the others camp at some point (I could have sworn it was the back of his head in a scene during "three minutes") and realizes he is better off living with the beach boys. Rather than being convinced that his hatch duties were a pointless waste, he has probably seen something that makes him believe he was right all along. The preview clip last night had him saying "You think this is a joke?"

I'll make a wild guess that the "reason" the plane crashed was because Aaron was on it (while still in Claire's womb). Eko's flashback in "?" makes it seem clear to me that somebody paid the fraud psychic to be persistent in getting Claire on that plane. Dharma had a mobile with oceaninic planes, so there is already a connection.

As for the exact "cause" of the plane crash... I think it is possible that Desmond failed to enter the numbers without realizing it. Being awake every 1 hour 48 minutes for three years straight is not an easy task, and if the swan station could be monitored in the pearl, who is to say it could not have been manipulated elsewhere? The others, or the "him" they are so afraid of, could have had the alarm temporarily disabled for one cycle, allowing the enormous magnet to do something. I won't say the magnet took the plane down... jets are made of aluminum. I won't say it messed with the on-board navigaiton... if it was that strong the computer in the hatch would not work at all. But it did something. If the guess that 4-8-15-16-23-42 corresponds to coordinates in the pacific is accurate, than maybe not entering the numbers sends a signal to a satellite or something that in turn forces and traveling vessel to land on the island.

Also consider the fact that somebody went through the trouble to TAKE OUT the extra-stern Marvin Candle warning about misusing the computer and there has to be at least one person on the island prior to the 815 crash who WANTED the countdown to hit zero.

And there is the matter of the real question mark location... I don't expect even half of this to be adressed in tonights episode, but the fact that the mystery surrounding the crash and the execute button will be revealed is quite enough to make me happy.

That magnet, the compass being off, and "sickness" (magnetic radiation possibly?) have got to be connected. Can't wait to see Desmond kick some ass. :-)

Matt said...

I kind of hope you're wrong about some of your theories, too. If the whole show is about rebel Dharmites and clean cut Dharmites, it may be 'lost.' If it's a deal or treaty with them, why didn't they do it in the jungle (because Locke was there instead of Hurley?)? I'm looking for something to reinforce the supernatural issues that haven't been resolved, the numbers effect on the world (Hurley), Walt's teleportation, healings...
I've been racking my brain for a connection between the 4 + Walt. I'm thinking that there are maybe connections beyond what we've learned so far. It may be a connection between people a degree away from the 4 or just ghosts of Christian, Toomey who knows. I'm still waiting for some explanation of the Libby/Hurley flashback, why was she in Australia? Apparently she's in the finale, so someone ran into her in Australia or before. Sorry for rambling, I can't discuss Lost on my blog because I have Brits that read it and they're just seeing teddy bear Others for the first time this week.

Anonymous said...

Love your work Brian. Been looking forward to your thoughts on this episode. You have very intriguing theories, can't wait to see your breakdown.

Anonymous said...

I think that pushing the button does do something, but I don't think letting it go will make a plane crash, because that would mean that Desmond had to miss one.

I think the Others are the subjects that believe what they are doing is of the utmost importance, and that it is them and not the Swan hatch subjects that are part of experiment.

I mean, yeah, the Swan Hatch is probably an experiment. But what I am saying is, the Others believe they are doing something important, but they have lost touch with reality. The Rebel Dharmites probably suspect it's all a sham.

Anyway, I think that would be the best reveal of the season.

And I still find it totally unbelievable that Michael would kill Ana Lucia to free HGI. I absolutely believe he would lead the four to uncertain doom, but I am never going to let the Ana Lucia thing go. Ever.

And you never addressed my comments, Brian. You obviously don't love me.

Anonymous said...

"Our Survivors do something to cause another plane to crash, like not pushing the button and Desmond reveals he didn’t push the button once a few months ago."

-This was EXACTLY my thought much earlier in the season, but I abandoned it (or at least put it on the backburner) after Desmond made no mention of not pressing the button. However, I'm an idiot for not thinking that he's just hiding it so the Losties won't get really pissed off at him. We'll also probably find something out from the printout Eko found in the Pearl Hatch, like maybe a "not accepted" signal right around when their plane crashed.

-Okay, I understand your whole Rebel Dharmite/Scientist Dharmite theory, and it's definitely possible, but there's one problem. Sure, Alex seems "good", Zeke, Klugh and Pickett seem neutral if not evil in a way, but the wild card here is HGI. He's clearly in with the Rebels, so why do we have the "pure evil" shot earlier? Was this misleading? Is he a "double agent"? HGI seems to be the link between good/evil and rebel/scientist (ESPECIALLY considering we saw a likeness of him wearing a surgical mask, though that could have been his "twin").

I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

dude, u rock. love your predictions ...nothin' more to say. namaste, wurm

Anonymous said...

The premise that clean cut VS rebel dharmites exist is hard to buy into. After all, they found the fake beard, etc...why would they need that stuff? Secondly, it is clear that Michael and moreso Walt will be written off the show somehow....and I'd guess, they'll be set free leaving the Lostees tormented forever as to what Michael did to them!!

Anonymous said...

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1197051_3||1045714_0_,00.html

cool interviews with Lost actors

Anonymous said...

Brian, great job, as I read your predictions for previous epsodes and watch, I'm amazed at how accurate you are.

However..
I don't buy the rebel dharmite theory... I just don't see anything that supports it. Alex was with Mr Freindly when they captured Michael, AND in the Staff hatch with the clean shaven group.
I have to think the simplest solution is that they are "not what they say they are" and are "pretending" to live in rags. There is no splinter group.


I also think Desmond finds something int he "logs" from the pearl hatch.

I do think that another plane crash is possible, but we also know that there are possibly as many as three new characters from next season. It could be a Small plane crash with ONE survivor, coupled with Desmond and another regular and... just a guess, fake henry. That's right, Desmond, Fake Henry and a new person from either a plane or boat crash.

It's also possible that this BOAT is another person for next season, and they find Desmond drunk on a beach somewhere. I'm almost leaning in that direction.

As for the who is us, and who is them? Well, perhaps they spliter with Jack Kate Sawyer and Hurley joining the "others". That would leave Locke, Eko, Sayid and Desmond as the other leaders... but we also know from the previews that Sayid is IN the Others camp with a rifle.

They may manage to overtake the others.

The season will end in a cliffhanger, or cliffhangers, with many lives in the balance.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and the producers have said that they never SAID when the plane crashed... we ASSUME it was 2004, but it's likely sometime after 2005(as that date was on the blast map). To support the civilization end theory(which could explain the plane crash)... this could be 2012...

This is the last date on the mayan calendar. For what that means? Well, it just popped into my head.

Anonymous said...

Plane crashed in September 2004 ala Gary Troup's Bad Twin preface.

Nice thoughts Brian, can't wait to see what happens.

Brian said...

Yeah - I guess I just assumed that everyone followed my reasoning for the "Rebel Dharmites" theory. But here is what makes me think there's this division among the Others:

1. The Blast Door Map. It seems to indicate both a vast knowledge of the Island and its history, yet also a frustration with the activities going on there.

2. Alex helping Claire escape. Indicates that at least some of the Others are against what is going on.

3. The guards outside the Dharma "Tube Door" (or so I call it) that we saw last episode. If all the Others are on the same team, why do you need guards? To protect it against our Survivors, who haven't come close to it for the past two months?

4. Zeke. I know it could be all an act, and he really is Clean-Cut and just wearing a beard, but what about everyone else? There were a lot of Clean-Cut doctors and workers in the Staff Hatch, and now they're all dressed in rags and looking dirty? I can see putting on the act around the Survivors, but why would they be walking around their camp like that all the time?


I agree that there are some holes in the theory (Alex, for one) - but for me, the Rebel Dharmite theory is the best unifying factor for everything we've seen so far.

(I do like the theory that there will be a split among our Survivors of who will join the Rebel Dharmites and who will not - that could also represent the philosophical "Us" vs. "Them" where we're not sure which side made the right decision or not.)

Anonymous said...

All that makes sense, the whole two Darhma groups, the Us vs Them deal, but I'm still conflicted on the HGI deal. (As posted in comments a few days ago) When HGI was ranting to Jack about "the beadered leader" he had that whole "he's nobody" deal. That would maall make sense if he was a member of the "clean-cut camp." But, because of how HGI was dressed, and the fact that the rag-tag others wanted him back would make him an outcast follower of the beadered one. If that's the case, why the rant about the beadered one being a nobody? Could the Darhma guys have spies in the outcasts just like the outcasts had spies in the survivors? That's my only conclusion. HGI was a Sydney Bristow style double-agent that was sent on a mission by the outcast rebels and it all backfired on him. If this is the case, there must be a lot more clean-cut others then the rebel ones... and this island must be huge, or there is a massive underground city that has yet to be discovered.

Anonymous said...

...or another island that is off the shore on the back side of the island...

would explain the need for a boat/ferry. perhaps that is where the darhma operations center is if you will, the civilized version of our island. it would fall in line with the whole everything has it's oposite theme of the show.

(sorry for my multipule comments today)

Anonymous said...

One of Brian's theories is that Jack's surprised look in the preview shot is that of a plane crash. But in the previews it appeared that immediately afterward he's shooting at something and acting as if he's covering a retreat. He wouldn't be shooting at a plane crash, right?

Anonymous said...

I think there is something special about the rock with the hole in it!

Anonymous said...

I think that Walts step dad worked for Hansu and Vincent is really 65 years old from the life extension project. He wanted Michael to take walt so that he would be on the 815, so that both would be on the island.

Anonymous said...

Planes are NOT made of all alluminum. There is plenty of magnetic material.

Anonymous said...

Hey, if Walts mom married a HANSU guy(they did live in Europe). Maybe she dies of "the sickness?".

Hmmmm...

Anonymous said...

I don't think there's gonna be a plane crash, because when they first crashed on the island, the plane's navigational equipment went dead and they had to go off course, so it would be highly unlikely that another plane would go off course as well!

There also seems to be something else about Walt. Remember the scene in season 1 where the bird crashed into the window when Walt seemed to be upset/angry ? Also his stepfather told Michael something like "your son is very special...", I can't remember the exact line but he was trying to tell him something about Walt.

Another thing about the button: It could be that the if the button is not pressed, some kind of EMP will be released. It could be somekind of secret weapon that was being researched, though it doesn't make any sense to connect it to a button that has to be pressed every 108 minutes. Either way we'll see soon! Happy watching!

Anonymous said...

if you listen to the preview of then Jack has that "look" near the canisters. You can hear what sounds like a Polar Bear. The next scene is shooting. I think it's a Bear.

Anonymous said...

They are pretending, they are not a ragtag bunch of hillbillies. They guard the door for show. They knew Michael was coming. It's either vacant in the preview because

- The others fled or were killed

- They weren't there, the camp was just for show.

- The DOOR hatch may be a fake... a ruse.

Unknown said...

"Anonymous said...
I don't think there's gonna be a plane crash, because when they first crashed on the island, the plane's navigational equipment went dead and they had to go off course, so it would be highly unlikely that another plane would go off course as well!"

I am not sure I understand this comment. If you think it is unlikely, why then did the research vessel, THE BLACK ROCK crash? Why did the small plane form Nigeria crash? The hot air balloon? Desmond's boat?
hmmmmm, sounds like a theme here!

Anonymous said...

I don't think people understand this rebel dharmite thing:

HGI is not a rebel dharmite, because if he was, he would have helped the survivors in some way. Instead, he showed complete Dharma loyalty.

The rag tag dharmites and the clean cut ones are the same people.

I think they would definitely go through that much trouble to put on a show for Michael.

Y DUN U LUV ME BRIAN!??

Anonymous said...

I'm convinced that not pressing the button will cause a satellite to fall out of the sky. Here are key pieces of info that lead me to this conclusion:

-There would have to be good number of unlikely events to all happen at the same time for the button to cause another plane to crash. And I just feel uncomfortable about this theory.
-Satellites in Low Earth Orbit can orbit the earth in as little as 90 minutes depending on altitude (i.e. 108 minutes)
-The possiblity of beaming power into space has been raised in
William C Brown, 1991, " The Equatorial Plane - The International Gateway to Space", Microwave Power Transmission Systems, Weston, Massachusetts, in Space Manufacturing, AIAA 1991.
-If you belive this theory, it might make sense that there would be a 4 minute window every 108 minutes during which power could be beamed to a Dharma satellite.

So, here's theory: Part 1 - Dharma, via some sort of satellite, was able to push flight 815 onto a course of their choosing (i.e. over the island) and they were trying to make it fly over during one of these power beams that would make it crash on the island. Part 2 - the losties stop pressing the button. This may intially cause nothing noticiable to happen (makes sense to build in some sort of back up power or power surplus into this satellite system) but over time (maybe as little as 12 hours?) the satellite will run out of juice and "fall out of the sky," as it were.

One last interesting thing to consider... As I understand it, in order for a satellite to pass over the same exact spot on earth on every orbit at exactly the same time (over the island every 108 minutes for example) it has to be in an equatorial orbit, its path has to pretty much trace over the equator -- this fits in nicely with flight 815's flight plan from Australia to the US.

-Joel C.

I expect full recognition when this theory comes true! =P (It would be a first for my many hair-brained Lost theories) Can't wait until tonight's episode!

Anonymous said...

I really do like the Rebel Dharmaite vs. Clean Cut Dharmaite theory. But, here's a kink in it: Alex. She is seen in the Staff hatch (helping Claire and baby) and she is seen with bearded Zeke, keeping Kate prisoner. So, she moves between the two groups?

What about HGI? He didn't have a beard (and Sayid even asked him why he shaved... "to feel normal") which makes you think he's Orthodox. But, Ms. Klugh says that one of their own has been captured which makes you think he's a rebel?

Thoughts?

-BH

Brian said...

I think that "Satellite Theory" is some part of the "Ultimate Theory" that has been on the 4815162342 Message Boards for months. It has some good thoughts, but forgets one fundamental thing - this is a TV show, not a doctoral thesis. There are a lot of mega-complex things in there that would be impossible to explain via a TV show that the masses watch.

Lost is a smart show - but it won't be that smart.

Brian said...

BH,

Alex and HGI are troubling to fit into the theory, unless they are somehow double agents (Alias style!) on the Island.

Actually, we're all making a lot of assumptions about the nature of Alex and HGI.

Can we say with certainty that Alex was a part of the Clean-Cut Others? Could she have just broken in and helped Claire out without being seen?

Should we cast HGI into the Clean-Cut camp just because he shaves? There were other Others at the camp Michael was brought to that didn't have facial hair, so I don't think that means anything.

HGI never attacked our Survivors (aside from Ana-Lucia who more than likely killed two of his friends), which seems to place him on the Rebel Dharmite side - as opposed to Ethan, who did kill. Or did HGI just never get the chance?

In the end, I don't know. The vast majority of my predictions come from my gut instincts and then I look for supporting evidence (not the other way around). This is the same way. It's just a hunch I have. While there is some evidence that would support it, there is also evidence that seems to contradict it.

I'll stick with my initial predictions. Hey, I'm about due to be totally wrong anyways, right?

Dave Estupinan said...

About the connections...

Jack, Kate, James and Hugo might have in common the fact that their lives are all connected.
When you see their flashbacks, most of them, the fantastic four, appear on their "team mate's" flashback as direct connection. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

I'm a huge fan of this blog, and I decided now would be the time to put forth some theories of my own:

The magic key, whatever it opens or starts, is put to use in the hatch (formerly?) guarded by the Others (they have a history of abandoning hatches. Remember the Staff?).

This hatch also happens to be the final destination of the canisters from the Pearl Hatch (Which, by the way, Locke so stupidly sent his map of the island up into, giving the Others two key pieces of information: 1. That the Pearl Hatch is still in use, or accessible, since a new cannister has just arrived; and 2. That there are other, as yet undiscovered, hatches on the island that the Survivors have knowledge of.)

How do we know that the cannisters eventually end up at the Others' hatch? The picture of the pile of cannisters behind Jack is taken almost right inside of the Others camp. Why is it significant? We know that Jack and at least Kate make into the Others' camp. AND, that they are surprised and looking skyward at some shocking or horrifying event (another plane crash, probably at the end of the episode, caused by Locke not pushing the button, or maybe even smashing the numbers computer.)

Whatever the Others' purpose, I do see them letting the Survivors in on it, at least on a very limited basis (Live Together, Die Alone.) The survivors will soon go from being rats in the lab, to lab technicians. But, the Others will remaing the Scientists in charge, with the big picture of their experiment (Hanso's Life extension project? Fighting against the Life extension project?) remaining a closely guarded secret. After all, they LOVE to keep a secret almost as much as the Lost Writers.

-Sephiroth_Jones (Posting as anonymous, because I'm too lazy to set up a blogger account right now)

Anonymous said...

Brian,

Thanks for the quick feedback! I appreciate and enjoy your gut insticts quite a bit. They're better than everyone elses!

-BH

Ellen said...

Well, since I have a feeling that the "sickness" is going to be the overall plotline of the third season, I think that the Others want Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer to vaccinate them. Why them? No idea.

And I'm on the hedge about the whole cloning business.

By the way, where's your "Alias" finale review? I'm anxiously waiting.

Anonymous said...

Brian. Thanks for your thoughts and your hard work.

This is one forum that has not developed crazy cliques nor splintered with in-fighting. Thanks for that. It is a joy to visit this blog and forum and to read your (and other folks') intelligent theories.

Enough of the butt-kissing though...

I do not believe that there are two groups of others. I never have- there does not seem to be evidence pointing to that...Alex for example and fake Henry Gale.

I believe the others are one unified group of scientists who for unknown reasons choose to pose as "hillbillies" (for lack of a better word). I believe tonight's episode will help clear up some of the WTF's that surround the others.

But I love the thought that not pushing the button brought down 815 and perhaps will bring down another plane. One of the writers/producers has stated that new characters will appear next season and I feel that there will be more than the 3 that we surmise right now.

7 hours or so will tell....or maybe not?

Cheers from Boston

Anonymous said...

In reading your post I just got an idea that kind of expands on your thoughts about the two groups of Dharmites. On the Hanso Web-site and some of the other affliate sites there has been mention of cloning. Do you think that it could be possible for the rebel Dharmites to be the clones or the cloners. Bare with me on this. We saw Zeke with the beard and all the dirty clothes and we saw Zeke looking clean and sans beard. Just a thought that one group could be clones that are rebelling against the people that made them and the losties stumbled into a war between them. I am probably way off the mark but just an idea. Thanks for the posts and keep em coming!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh! If the show does end in a new plane crash, what if it's a Los Angeles to Sydney flight, and several people connected to the current losties could be on it. For example:

(1) Ana Lucia's mom, coming to investigate her daughter's actions in Australia.

(2) Someone from Jin's father-in-law's organization, the Korean mob. (Imagine the tension that could cause!)

(3) Boone's mother, arriving to find Boone and Shannon dead.

(4) The Libby character with dark hair, from Hurley's flashback (that would be a great "WTF?" moment).

And so on...

Anonymous said...

Joel, concerning sattelites.

They don't work that way, and lattitude doesn't matter. So if it fell, who cares? Unless it supported some vital system... It's unlikely it would be noticed.. and could take years to fall.

Anonymous said...

no real evidence to indicate cloning is going on here. i continue to submit that there are one "Others" group. Summary of questions for the finale tonight are:

1. what are they looking up at in the sky? I'd agree....probably another plane crash.

2. what happens to Michael (and Walt)?.....would seem likely they'll resolve this story line.

3. Desmond's back-story....should be fascinating and revealing.

4. Who's sail boat is that and what happens to or with it?

5. Will we get to see more of Kate's hot bod?

6. What happens when Locke smashes the computer...stops pressing the #'s?

7. Most importantly (aside from Kate's bod), what is the purpose of the "Others"? Why did they choose the four Lostees they selected?

Anonymous said...

Another reason I believe that there is only one group of "others" (at least people working for Dharma, who knows what other nuts are lurking out there): they both had to make lists of the people they were kidnapping. This means either someone higher up has to authorize these decisions, or they're required to report back to someone about what they are doing.

Ethan couldn't make a list because the manifest revealed he wasn't a passenger on the plane. This pissed Mr. Friendly off (what are the chances that he is NOT Dr. DeGroot?) and he reffered to a mysterious "him" being upset. Goodwin made a list, and only "good people" were on it. Mrs. Klugh had to write down a list for Michael rather than just verbally giving him some names. What the hell is the story with these lists? I can't even hazard a guess, but I find it unlikely that two different groups of Dharma folks would have the exact same protocols.

I do believe however that some of the "others" have not been there as long as... uh... others. Maybe fake Henry was telling the truth about only being on the island for four months, but lied about the hot air balloon and his name because he thought he could get away with it. I get the feeling he was actually more comfortable being stuck in the armory than being with the others, because he could have left during the lockdown, but instead waited to do so once Michael came into the room with a gun. I think it's likely that other people have gotten stuck on the island over the past 16 years like Rousseau did, but decided to work with the others rather than against them. And there is some kind of payoff to whatever research they are doing, because rather than starting a riot for boat/ferry access, they are playing along.

I still like the idea of the Mayan 2012 magnetic pole doomsday scenario having something to do with what Dharma is researching. People would do brutal things if they thought the fate of the world was at stake.

Who else wants to guess that the psychical structure of the "island" is quite different once season three starts?

Anonymous said...

Just thought I'd pass along that while doing late night channel surfing on Monday, I stumbled on Jimmy Kimmel Live and he said, "For all you Lost fans, on Wednesday we'll have Hugh McIntire from the Hanso Foundation on."

This is getting crazy. Can't wait for tonight's episode.

D-Bone

Rebecca said...

OMG you are unbelievable!!! I love reading your blog. I'm with you regarding Desmond....he serves a bigger purpose then we know. I am going to be happy to see him again. Thanks again for keeping me thinking. xoxo

Anonymous said...

HGI is sent by the others.
The others are Zeke (bearded and non-bearded because he is the same guy), Ms.Klugh, Alex etc... Alex has been with both clean Zeke and dirty ragtag Zeke. Ragtag Zeke and the Ms.Klugh crew sent Michael to release HGI (why? becuase the others are all "family", they are the "others."
We've had the occasional reference to twins, but clones?, rebels? comeback, commmeebaaack....

Anyhow possibly the swan key room is behind the cemented in area in the swan hatch (the area that attracts necklaces).

Love all the talk regardless. You manage a great site here Brian. Can't wait when you have time to talk about 24 and Alias. I never watched Alias, ever, until your series summary and then caught the last few episodes.

Anonymous said...

i think the flashbacks are fake. i say this because in "3 minutes," last week, it was not actually a michael flashback show, as purported. there was captioning at the bottom of the screen that said, "13 days ago, 6 days ago," etc... no focus on michael, no whoosh noise that always leads into a normal character flashback... just captions and then what ACTUALLY HAPPENED. i really think there was no plane crash, the flashbacks are not real memories, and these people are all part of some sort of experiment that they probably volunteered for as some sort of therapy that would help explain the large amount of connections between these seemingly unrelated people.

Anonymous said...

Good call on Henry Gale being the leader of the others, but I don't see any room for clones fitting into this.

The hatch stuff was great, and I'm glad they confirmed what caused the plane crash. The fact that there were two russians at arctic research station leads me to believe that the magnetic poles are in fact central to the story.

But with the call in the Penny Widmore... are they saying they found the island, or did she have a tracking device on Desmond's boat? And why was the woman different from the the one that was originally in the picture? Either it was altered at some point or the prop people screwed up big time.

Anonymous said...

So much for Clone theories....
We don't know the fate... for sure... of Locke and Eko, but I really hope they both aren't dead. That would Sayid as the only dominant character at the beach.

So much for Civilization being destroyed.