Questions, I've Got Questions!

[Starbreaker]

Where did the island go?
Why was Charlotte on the island?
How does the frozen donkey wheel operate?
Is Jin alive?
Where did Sayid take Hurley?
Who has to go back?
What bad things happened happened after the O6 left?
What's Desmond going to be up to?
Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors?
What is the smoke monster??
What is the secondary protocol?
Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Where did the island go?

I have a theory about that. I'll be starting a thread about that sometime soon...

Why was Charlotte on the island?

I think she's Annie.

How does the frozen donkey wheel operate?

The same way the Swan did. Mysteriously.

Is Jin alive?

Yes.

Where did Sayid take Hurley?

Probably some safe house location that Ben has long since established.

Who has to go back?

Everyone, including John, Aaron, and Walt.

What bad things happened happened after the O6 left?

Perhaps Daniel becomes unstuck? And perhaps the original natives of the Island finally show their faces?

What's Desmond going to be up to?

Protecting Penny from the vengeful Ben.

Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors?

I think it's very likely. More importantly what will happen with Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte?

What is the smoke monster??

Crazy smoke.

What is the secondary protocol?

Remind me what that was? Something from the last episode, but I've already forgotten what it was.

Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?

Perhaps too busy in Iraq?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The island didn't "go" anywhere. That would mean that the island has ever been "somewhere" in the ordinary sense. I doubt that could be the case - open your mind to wilder possibilities! This is Lost!


The frozen donkey wheel simply changes the conduits to the island that allows people to come and go. When you hit one of the conduits straight on, you can see the island and access it. Otherwise, you see empty ocean. That's why hardly anyone has found the island and most who do, find it by accident.

That's also why there has been such a fuss about proper headings. You need to use 305 or 315 to get to the island. (There are probably others.) But if the island rotates (or more precisely, something surrounding the island rotates), just like the donkey wheel rotates, those conduits no longer work. Jack et al were still at 315, and if the conduit clicked over to another setting, of course the island would appear to vanish. The ripple effect you saw was the EM fog whatzit around the island that correlates to the conduits.

The realities accessed by the conduits are basically the real world, but different timelines. That explains why the doctor could wash up on the beach (from the wrong heading) before he died. He did die "earlier" - in an earlier timeline (or a timeline where the events transpired differently).

This also explains how Danny and Desmond can experience and remember multiple timelines. I suspect the time-jumping we've seen may be creating the multiple realities.

Or, the whole island teleported. Which means it all just happens by magic and the donkey wheel is the same as pushing some levers on the Star Trek transporters. That requires no further explanation.

I'm assuming the writers are clever enough to integrate clues they've been doling out to us to create one big coherent picture that doesn't depend on arbitrary magical explanations. Or maybe I'm overestimating how clever they really are. Time will tell. In either case, it's fun constructing wild explanations. There just isn't any other show on TV that allows the free flow of imagination like this one and for that alone, Lost better win an Emmy!

Desmond probably won't be central to the story in the future until Ben comes after Penny in earnest.

 

[that1guy]

Where did the island go?
I have a theory on this as well, so I will wait for EMH's thread for it.
Why was Charlotte on the island?
Her full name is Charlotte S. Lewis. Seeming to imply that her story is somehow related to the Narnia stories by C.S. Lewis. If we are to believe Miles is correct in that she's been here before, that implies that she is like the Penvensie children. Interestingly, that seems to imply that she's a good guy and means she has a very important role to play in the progression and continued existence of the island.

Whether or not she's Annie, I'm not completely convinced. But I will agree it seems to match up.
How does the frozen donkey wheel operate?
You turn it, a bright yellow light shines out, machinery is heard, a bright freaking light shines out from the mountain and POOF! FTL jump complete, you have arrived in the Trinary system a few parsecs away... Or you know, on the complete opposite side of the Earth. Whatever.
Is Jin alive?
Yes, I think so.
Where did Sayid take Hurley?
To Ben's super secret batcave.
Who has to go back?
Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Aaron, Sun, Locke, Walt, Ben and Widmore. I'm not convinced Ben won't go back yet. And there's no doubt in my mind that the season 5 finale will end with the O6 arriving back on the Island and Widmore meeting them there. However, if Ben really and truly cannot go back to the Island, I believe that means he's going to die for good next season.

I say that because if Lindelof and Cuse are to be believed, season 4 was about how and why the Oceanic six get off the Island and season 5 will be about how and why they need to get back. If they (and I'm sure they will) do indeed get back to the island at the end of season 5, that means season 6 will be about them wrapping up the events on the island. If Ben can't be there, he's probably going to die ensuring their safe arrival.
What bad things happened happened after the O6 left?
Smokey when apeshit crazy and killed everyone as a result of being away from his master, Ben.
What's Desmond going to be up to?
If you had been seperated from the love of your life for several years and cramped up alone in an underground hatch and suddenly were reunited with her, what would YOU do?

Aside from that, I think they'll probably try and find the Island again. She obviously has something else going on ASIDE from finding Desmond. They'll probably continue that search. (Incidentally they'll do so on her boat, the Searcher =P)
Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors?
That seems likely.
What is the smoke monster??
F'in scary.
What is the secondary protocol?
To use the crazy time machine thingy to transport Keamy back in time to kill EVERYONE. Or perhaps to do something more horrible in other ways using the "exotic particles".
Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?
I dunno.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?

He's probably in Iraq again.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Where did the island go?

It jumped to New Caprica.

No idea. I'm guessing somewhere remote with a climate remarkably like Hawaii.

Though it would be awesome (but the set redressing would be too expensive to maintain on a TV budget) to have them pop-up in the Arctic or something (hence the polar bear research).

One old fan theory (though I think it would be in bad taste) was that the island somehow caused the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, which is about what time they're at now. Certainly displacing the amount of water the Island did upon leaving (and even worse upon returning) would cause a massive wave, as we saw with the ripple effect spreading out from where the Island disappeared.

So, having the Island pop up in the Indian Ocean is a possibility, and would help explain how Eko's brother's short range plane reached the Island (as well as the Black Rock ship a century and a half ago).

Why was Charlotte on the island?

I think they're trying to say she was Ben's childhood friend Annie (who also had red hair and freckles), though it's kind of a stretch to say she's supposed to be roughly the same age as Ben.

How does the frozen donkey wheel operate?

Very well.

It harnesses exotic matter to jump the island in space-time. The rabbit was jumped one hundred milliseconds in space-time, meaning it would briefly disappear and move slightly. I think the device temporarily removes you from space-time and allows the Earth to rotate underneath you, then you re-phase into normal space-time and reappear in a different location. However, since the shape of the Earth is not uniform, that can have drastic effects on the Island if you jump a great distance. Large parts of the Island can flood, or it can gain in height.

Is Jin alive?

The old scifi rule is if you don't see the body, then there's no guarantee of death (and sometimes even having the body doesn't matter).

As soon as I saw the explosion from a distance and them not being able to go back and check for survivors, I felt for sure that Jin was still alive.

Where did Sayid take Hurley?

The afterworld
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night

No idea, though if he knows Ben's plan to take them all back to the Island, that would make sense.

Who has to go back?

Jack, Kate, Sun, Aaron, Hurley, and Sayid for sure, though Claire's specter didn't want Aaron to go back.

Locke's body.

Possibly Desmond and Lepidus, but that's doubtful, and I don't think Ben even knows about their situation yet (though we might see Desmond again when Ben inevitably tracks down Penny to kill her).

Possibly Walt.

What bad things happened happened after the O6 left?

No idea. Maybe Jack not being there tipped the balance in the battle between science and faith between him and Locke and Locke screwed something up while he was in charge of the Others.

Maybe the Island and/or Jacob was punishing the people of the Island for not preventing them from leaving.

What's Desmond going to be up to?

Hiding out from Charles Widmore, and eventually on the run from Benjamin Linus as well when he comes to kill Penny (though they may not know that they should be afraid of him yet - however they might suspect since they should know that Widmore killed Ben's daughter).

I strongly suspect that Penny and Desmond are working with Sun to take down Charles Widmore in the future. Mr. Paik might have had insider knowledge that could be used against Widmore by Sun when she took over controlling interest of the company.

Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors?

I think so. Most of the redshirts among the 815 survivors are dead or separated from the Island now, and they need fresh blood to fill out the ranks next season.

I loved the scene on the boat though. "Hey, here's some lifejackets, swim your sorry asses to shore while we hop on this helicopter, chumps." They even held an open seat for Jin instead of giving one of the redshirts standing right there a seat.

What is the smoke monster??

I think it's the disembodied consciouses or souls of the people who have died on the Island.

What is the secondary protocol?

The one that comes after the first protocol.

Moving the Island from the Orchid Station was the secondary protocol, because that's how Keamy knew where Ben was going. The logo on the secondary protocol briefing dossier was that of the Orchid.

Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?

Maybe he did. Maybe they had a falling out because of her being on the run from the law.

 

[The Evil Dead]

And perhaps the original natives of the Island finally show their faces?

I have been thinking about what could possibly go "so wrong" on the island, and I kept thinking... Maybe Richard and the Others just start being meanies to the remaining Lostaways?

But your idea of the return of the natives, the statue builders, is F-ing great. That'd make for a great season of shows and inject some great energy and potential to explore the history of the island.

 

[The Evil Dead]

Jack, Kate, Sun, Aaron, Hurley, and Sayid for sure, though Claire's specter didn't want Aaron to go back.

Locke's body.

Possibly Desmond and Lepidus, but that's doubtful, and I don't think Ben even knows about their situation yet (though we might see Desmond again when Ben inevitably tracks down Penny to kill her).

Possibly Walt.

Along these lines, I'm wondering, what if Ben's statement "You all have to go back" is a bit of a ruse... While Jack himself does indeed have to go back (And Hurley, since he's been contacted by "the island"), what if Ben is just claiming people like Desmond do as well in an effort to draw Desmond out of hiding? Cause where Desmond is, Penny is.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Where did the island go?
Second star to the right and straight on till morning.
Why was Charlotte on the island?
There's no place like home
How does the frozen donkey wheel operate?
You turn it.
Is Jin alive?
Maybe, the DUI curse might have struck him down.
Where did Sayid take Hurley?
To a rendezvous point for the O6+
Who has to go back?
Could be everyone who left: The O6 plus Des, Walt and maybe Frank.
What bad things happened happened after the O6 left?
Dogs and Cats living together....
What's Desmond going to be up to?
boom chika bow wow
Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors?
Might be a good idea
What is the smoke monster??
The Islands enforcer
What is the secondary protocol?
The one after the first
Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her?
Three years is a long time. Maybe he did.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Along these lines, I'm wondering, what if Ben's statement "You all have to go back" is a bit of a ruse... While Jack himself does indeed have to go back (And Hurley, since he's been contacted by "the island"), what if Ben is just claiming people like Desmond do as well in an effort to draw Desmond out of hiding? Cause where Desmond is, Penny is.

I wouldn't put it past him. The guy is the master of manipulation.

Though I think in this case he's being genuine, since the Oceanic Six have been having visions as well that sometimes motivate them to return.

 

[Jenee]

Jack, Kate, Sun, Aaron, Hurley, and Sayid for sure, though Claire's specter didn't want Aaron to go back.

Locke's body.

Possibly Desmond and Lepidus, but that's doubtful, and I don't think Ben even knows about their situation yet (though we might see Desmond again when Ben inevitably tracks down Penny to kill her).

Possibly Walt.

Along these lines, I'm wondering, what if Ben's statement "You all have to go back" is a bit of a ruse... While Jack himself does indeed have to go back (And Hurley, since he's been contacted by "the island"), what if Ben is just claiming people like Desmond do as well in an effort to draw Desmond out of hiding? Cause where Desmond is, Penny is.

I was also wondering if Des and Frank have to go back too.

 

[Starbreaker]

But we actually saw the ocean physically move in response to the island
moving!

 

[Aragorn]

Why did no one else on the freighter head for the chopper or care that it was leaving without them? Where did they think they were going since Daniel has the boat?

 

[firehawk12]

Wouldn't Jin be dead because of the whole DUI "curse"?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

ARGH! I got it figured out. So simple I can't believe I didn't think of it immediately...

But we actually saw the ocean physically move in response to the island moving!

The island did move. In time, not in space. Ben moved it five years (or whatever) into the future. It's not anywhere right now, except for maybe some space-time technobabblebubble.

When it's time for the gang to revisit the island, they will be there in the boat, surrounded by empty ocean, going WTF Ben, where's the island, while Ben looks at his watch...

The fact that it vanished from that spot in the ocean would explain the ripples (if they aren't explained by the fact that the producers needed some visual way of confirming for the audience that yes, that empty spot of water was where the island was).

Don't worry about the island gang. Time will pass inside the island as though everything was normal.

Phew. Now I can relax until January.

Alternatively, the island is a giant turtle that decided to go for an underwater swim.

 

[Aragorn]

Here's one: Why the hell don't they share what they find or ask questions? Sawyer and Kate save Carl from being brainwashed, don't you think he'd be willing to tell you who "the others" are and what they're doing there? Even if he didn't know, still ask him!

Like when Kate and whoever (Claire?) found the native disguises and didn't say anything to anyone... resulting in the later episode with Sayid and Jin thinking they could ambush these "primitive people." Or when Jack and Juliet were playing the Others and had a plan what to do, but wouldn't share it with anyone until Juliet was accused of being a spy.

The final Paulo and Nikki episode where they find everything before everyone else and don't tell anyone seemed to symbolize the whole mess.

 

[kitkat]

Wouldn't Jin be dead because of the whole DUI "curse"?

Oh no you didn't! That is not nice!!

Something that I'm still kind of confused about and my hubby and I have discussed it at length: are people who are (seemingly) dead, like Claire, Charlie, etc. really dead? Are the senses of everyone involved just super heightened so they can see and interact with those who have died? Obviously they are all forever connected but the question is, why? I know that theories abound but mine is that it's some kind of alien technology. I know it's original () but that's what I'm going with. I still remember the statue that only had four toes......

 

[Ben Sisko3]

Where did the island go? Three years into the future.
Why was Charlotte on the island? She's Annie.
How does the frozen donkey wheel operate? "It's magic; we don't have to explain it."
Is Jin alive? Yes. So is Michael.
Where did Sayid take Hurley? To the Basestar to unbox D'Anna.
Who has to go back? Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, Aaron, Sun, Walt, Ben, Frank, Desmond and (speculation) Paik, Widmore and their compatriots.
What bad things happened happened after the O6 left? Will Smith starred in a poorly-conceived film version of I Am Legend.
What's Desmond going to be up to? Returning to the island.
Are the Others going to merge with the 815 survivors? More like the other way around.
What is the smoke monster?? Caliban, one of Prospero/Widmore's servants (the other being Ariel/Jacob).
What is the secondary protocol? You shall not murder.
Why didn't Kate's stepdad/dad come to visit her? Iraq. [/quote]

 

[kitkat]

Ooh, so I have a question. This is one that I thought about when it happened but kept forgetting to bring it up in here....

If the island, seemingly, heals people (Locke's legs, Sun and Jin's infertility, etc.) how come Jack got appendicitis? It would seem that he angered the island somehow.....

 

[Starbreaker]

Charlotte IS NOT Annie. I will be my entire post count on it.