Lost Update – Living In The Past

Lost Update Season IV 07/25/2008

Happy and I’m smiling,
Walk a mile to drink your water.
You know Id love to love you,
And above you theres no other.
Well go walking out
While others shout of wars disaster.
Oh, we wont give in,
Lets go living in the past.

Once I used to join in
Every boy and girl was my friend.
Now theres revolution, but they don’t know
What they’re fighting.
Let us close out eyes;
Outside their lives go on much faster.
Oh, we wont give in,
Well keep living in the past.

OK, pretty quiet in here, so let me add another theory to the mix.

Welcome to the first installment of the 2008 Summer of Lost theories. Tonight I am offering yet another wrinkle, another theory, that perhaps, ties into my virtual reality theory, but again, may not. As always, you are the judge, jury, and sometimes executioner.

We start the summer haitus by referring to the lyrics written by Jethro Tull, Living In The Past, and realize that perhaps, that is exactly what the castaways are doing.

Please take a second to reread the lyrics above. Let them sink in. Can you pick out a theme in the song? A certain cast member? Scenario? Look closely, for this song is the key to night’s theory.

And what is tonight’s theory….
In a nutshell, Ben Linus, in present time, has seen the world come to an end. Let it be by nuclear war, global warming, American Idol reruns, disease, or other world ending disaster. (Insert your own doomsday thoughts here) However, the group he headed up, the Dharma Initiative, was working on a time machine before the world’s demise. Ben believed, by studying the past, predicted that he could change the course of history by manipulating certain key events, and thusly, the future itself.

This is the story of Ben Linus, time traveler.

What does this mean to the castaways? Simple! All the events we have witnessed on Lost are from the past. That’s right! The past. No present. No future. Only the past.

Onward to proving my theory. From the season four cliffhanger, we know Ben Linus has a time machine that he uses to go back and forth to manipulate key events. But why would Ben want to do this? My explanation follows in detail.

Although Ben has a time machine, it has not yet been perfected. Hence certain flaws, (Richard not aging, Desmond’s flash backs) prevent a pristine reboot to the past.

Ben, seeing the world come to an end, begins his attempt to save the world by traveling back in time to change history. His early attempts fail as history, despite his efforts, tends to repeat itself no matter what variables are added or subtracted to the equation. Ben realizes that he must be more specific and calculate subtle changes in the time line that would create a chain reaction to change the outcome of the future. Ben has devised a new plan, a new hope, to bring civilization back.

This is when we, the viewer, tunes in. The pilot episode. The plane crash. Ben, by studying history, selects key people (The castaways) that when put together, and changed and manipulated on the island, that when they return back to the mainland, will have a significantly different impact on the world and thus, alter the course of history and prevent the world from coming to an end.

We can all agree that the passenger list of Oceanic Flight 815 is very diverse. We can also all agree that each and everyone of the passengers have been altered. Some bad to good. Some good to bad. Some dead.

Ben, through his research, knew Oceanic flight 815 would crash on said given day. He set to task to create the eclectic group of people that needed to be on board that flight. Going back in time, he manipulated each and every passenger to force them on that flight. (Think back of all the incredible coincidences that each passenger had boarding) This also gives credence to Ben being spotted at the airport with several of the passengers and all of them in somewhere connecting with Ben before they crashed on the island.

Once Ben had the passenger list he wanted, all he had to do was wait for the plane to crash. He would then set to task to manipulate and groom each castaway into what was needed to change history. Just some examples are:

Kate needed to stop running and trust.
Sawyer needed to kill Locke’s father.
Claire needed to keep the baby.
Michael needed to unite with his son.
Ana Lucia needed to die.
Libby needed to die.
Ecko needed to die.
Boone and Shannon needed to die.
Locked needed to learn to trust.
Charlie needed to die.
Desmond needed to learn the truth about Penny.
Jack needed to understand about his father.
Hurley needed to realize he wasn’t insane.
Nicky and Paulo needed to die.
Etc…

On the island, through Ben’s intervention, all these events occurred. When each member was perfectly molded, they would be set free and returned to the mainland in hopes of changing the history of the world.

Perhaps the black rock ship was one of Ben’s earlier attempts in changing the future. And the French expedition. And Richard and the commune. Perhaps all failed attempts. Plenty of variables in the mix that could go wrong. Maybe this time though, Ben has it right.

There it is. A new Lost theory. Your thoughts please…..

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Lost Update – Old Man In The Cave

Lost Update Season IV 05/22/2008

As promised, the Grassy Knoll Institute is ready to explain the mysterious Jacob, the old man that lives in the cabin. The same man that Ben takes orders from. The same old man that seems to have powers beyond our comprehension.

The answer to this mysterious entity can only be found in the Twilight Zone. For those not familiar with the Twilight Zone, it was a science fiction television program created by Rod Serling that aired in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s with each episode exploring outlandish events and ending with a twist. Tonight’s Lost update will explore the 1963 Twilight Zone episode titled, The Old Man In The Cave. You will quickly see the relevance and similarities between Lost and the Zone.

As usual, we will start with the Prologue. (How each Twilight Zone episode began)

Prologue:

You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.

Next came the opening Monologue by Serling himself.

Opening Monologue:

What you’re looking at is a legacy that man left to himself. A decade previous he pushed his buttons and, a nightmarish moment later, woke up to find that he had set the clock back a thousand years. His engines, his medicines, his science were buried in a mass tomb, covered over by the biggest gravedigger of them all: a bomb. And this is the Earth ten years later, a fragment of what was once a whole, a remnant of what was once a race. The year is 1974, and this is the Twilight Zone.

Story Synopsis:

In a thinly populated town set in 1974, ten years after a nuclear war, survivors of the town discover some canned food and other supplies. As hungry and desolate as they are, they don’t eat the food. Instead they wait for the old man in the cave to tell them if the food is fit to eat or contaminated with radiation.

One time they didn’t listen to the old man and the townsfolk planted crops where he said not to. (Contaminated soil) The harvest turned out to be a bitter one leaving them with little food to survive on. They learned the hard way to wait for an answer from the old man, and from Goldsmith. (The towns leader) Goldsmith was the only man who went to the cave to talk to the old man and waited on his word whether or not to plant or eat.

As usual, Goldsmith took a can of food with him to the cave and returned a short time later. Goldsmith said the old man declared the food unfit to eat and for it to be destroyed immediately. Just as the people were ready to destroy the food, a group of renegade soldiers pulled into town. They started asking questions on who was in charge, did they have any food, water, supplies, gas. When the towns people said they had no food it angered the soldiers for they saw the crates of food that were deemed unfit to eat by the old man in the cave.

The soldiers asked who the old man was, and did anyone ever see him, how they knew he was alive, and tried to make the towns people believe he didn’t exist. That he was made up by Goldsmith so he would always be in control of the town. To prove their point, the soldiers went to the cave and called the old man out. Goldsmith told them that he is the only one that sees and talks to the old man.

The soldiers stormed the cave and instead of finding the old man, they find a computer. Goldsmith was using the computer to analyze the food and soil to see if it was contaminated or not. The towns people got angry, and as a mob, destroyed the computer and decided to eat the food. All the people for the first time in a long time got their fill of food including the soldiers. They all shunned Goldsmith as he was the only one who didn’t partake in the food.

The next morning, all the towns people and soldiers are dead laying in the street and yards, killed by contaminated food they ate the previous night. Goldsmith was the only one left alive.

Epilogue:

Mr. Goldsmith, survivor, an eye witness to man’s imperfection, an observer of the very human trait of greed and a chronicler of the last chapter—the one reading ‘suicide’. Not a prediction of what is to be, just a projection of what could be. This has been the Twilight Zone.

Go ahead, take a breather. I’ll let it all sink in. Let me know when you are ready to continue. (tick, tock, tick tock, all the time I need)

Before we begin comparing the Old Man in the cave and the Old Man in the cabin, lets look at what this Twilight Zone episode was about.

The story is set in a post nuclear war future, the human race almost completely destroying itself. As fate would have it, the survivors finish the job that nuclear war started by a lack of faith, greed, and a dependence on technology that may lead them to ruin one day.

Onward to the comparisons of this Twilight Zone and Lost.

This Twilight Zone episode depicts isolated survivors from a horrific event. Lost begins with a horrific plane crash leaving a small group of survivors stranded on an unknown island.

This Twilight Zone episode has the people relying on Goldsmith, the town leader, for survival, guidance and direction. The Lost castaways also rely on Jack for the same. But when Ben is introduced, he becomes the focal point, the man in charge, with their very lives hanging in the balance.

In the Twilight Zone episode, people found food and wondered if it was good to eat. The Lost castaways also found food in the jungle with Dharma decals all over it and wondered the same, if the food was good to eat.

In the Twilight Zone episode, the townspeople were arguing about what to do, how to proceed. There was a distinct split of opinion between them. So can be said about the Lost castaways. In fact, they split into two groups as some decide to stay on the beach and the rest moved further inland.

In the Twilight Zone episode, only Goldsmith sees and talks to the old man in the cave. On Lost, only Ben sees and talks to Jacob, the old man.

in the Twilight Zone episode, the old man lives in a cave. Is mysterious, intelligent. On Lost, the old man lives in a cabin. Is mysterious, intelligent.

In the Twilight Zone episode, what Goldsmith tells the people is the law, handed down by the old man. No one questions that authority. On Lost, Ben commands the people, handed down by Jacob, the old man in the cabin.

In the Twilight Zone episode, renegade soldiers enter the town with an agenda all their own. On Lost, renegade soldiers land on the island from the freighter with an agenda all their own.

In the Twilight Zone episode, the towns people force Goldsmith to reveal who the old man in the cave is. On Lost, the castaways force Ben to reveal who Jacob, the old man in the cabin, is.

In the Twilight Zone episode, the townspeople revolt against Goldsmith and the old man in the cave. On Lost, the castaways revolt against Ben and Jacob.

In the Twilight Zone episode, all the townspeople died failing to heed the warning by the old man leaving only Goldsmith alive. On Lost, Ben was the only survivor as all the “Others” were killed. Seems to be going in the same direction once again with the new castaways.

For the Twilight Zone episode, the twist of the episode was that the old man was not a man, but a computer used by Goldsmith to analyze soil and food for contamination. The computer, or old man, kept the townspeople alive. On Lost, it has yet to be revealed who Jacob, the old man in the cabin, really is. And, it appears that Jacob is being used by Ben to keep the castaways alive, using Jacob’s knowledge to hide the island, control the smoke monster, and defeat the renegade soldiers.

Twilight Zone episode, a look into the near future and the horrors of man being left to his own vices, and devices. Annihilation of the planet and human race. Goldsmith was attempting to keep humanity alive and rekindle it’s spirit. He failed. On Lost, perhaps Ben is attempting the same. Wide speculation has it that the Hanso corporation and Dharma Initiative are involved in time travel, genetics, and several other medicines strange to a private group and island.

I think this is the part where Rod Serling appears on screen saying, “Submitted for your approval” and explains the evenings offering.
After watching the pilot episode of Lost way back in 2004, I formulated two theories, Virtual reality experimentation which is the main theme of this section or a remake of the Twilight Zone.

For tonight only, staying in theme with the Twilight Zone, Lost is a modern day remake of the Twilight Zone. Each and every week, Lost mirrors a unique Twilight Zone episode sans the Rod Serling narration. Each week, the Lost characters confront their inner most demons, horrific events, twists of fate, and supernatural entities just as the original Twilight Zone episodes did.

One final tidbit. The Twilight Zone was written allowing the audience to be privy to supernatural events unfolding on the screen but at the end, twisted the story offering a logical natural explanation leaving it up to the viewer to decide.

Until next weeks season IV finale, Get Lost!

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Lost Update – Old Man

Lost Update Season IV 05/08/2008

Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.

Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there’s so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.

Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don’t get lost.
Like a coin that won’t get tossed
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.

Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn’t mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.

I’ve been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I’m all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.

Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.

I usually only post a verse or two of the song lyric but tonight, Neil Young’s Old Man needs the entire treatment. It speaks volumes about the mysterious old man Jacob and how the island replenishes itself. Read the lyrics slowly and you will begin to understand what course Lost is heading on. And it touches on my Lost theory as well which is a nice touch.

Just what is my theory….. I’ll tell you in a Lost island minute.
Although it appears the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are on a tropical island, they are being deceived. There is no island. The survivors are in a virtual reality laboratory. All the castaways are interconnected to one another sharing each others thoughts, memories, and feelings. While in this virtual reality laboratory, a battery of physical and mental experiments are performed on them. And who is behind all this other than the mysterious government men? Aliens of course.

Destiny is a fickle bitch!

Richard is on the mainland when John Locke was born. Lets say John is 40 years old. That’s a conservative guess. Richard looks exactly the same forty years ago as he does today. Either time travel, virtual reality, or a race of people that do not age is in effect here. I’m opting for the second one. In a nutshell, Richard doesn’t age.

We have to ask the question why he doesn’t? My answer is virtual reality of course. In VR controlled by someone else, the parameters of the concept of time are can be changed. You may think that 100 days or 100 years have passed but in reality, only a few moments have ticked away.

The doctor was dead on the island, washed ashore, but on the freighter, he is still quite alive. Only later when Kheeme kills him and tosses him overboard does it make sense. Remember, time is different on the island and the freighter. In VR, time has no real value. The doctor is alive in one time sequence, and already dead in another.

Tonight we were introduced to Horace, a character that has been dead for 12 years. John sees him chopping a tree down in preparation for making a cabin. It’s actually a dream John is having. Horace continues to cut the same tree down time after time as he speaks to John. He tells John that he has to find him, and afterward, then he will be able to find Jacob. (In the mass grave pit on the island where Ben shot John, lies Horace’s remains) In the pocket is a map to the cabin.

John Locke needs his ego stroked. We learned this from his flash back as a child. Abandoned by his mother at birth, bullied in high school as a geek, or nerd, and of course pushed out a window by his father after his kidney was taken. In steps Horace. He tells John that they have been waiting for him for a very long time.

John now has a strong connection to the island. It needs him. Unlike back on the mainland. John is being manipulated without his knowing. Just like he did to Hurley when he told him he could leave and Hurley chose to stay. Ben even tells John that he manipulated Hurley into thinking it was Hurley’s own decision. Exactly what the VR lab is doing to John.

Locke finds the cabin, goes inside alone, but instead of finding Jacob inside, he spies Christian, Jack and Claire’s father. And hey, Claire is there as well. She looks different, a little demonic, devious, not herself. Christian tells Locke the copter is coming and will kill them all. He tells John to ask the question. John asks how to save the island?

When John comes out, he tells Ben and Hurley the news. To save the island, they have to move the island!

This could mean several things. One, manipulate the coordinates of the island making it seem that it has moved. Or, simply change the parameters of the VR experiment and literally move the island. that is the real reason it is so difficult to find the island. Because it doesn’t really exist. Onlt in the minds of the people in the VR experiment.

Significant Tidbits from tonight’s show:

The comic book Richard gave John as a little boy was about a hidden land. As in the Lost island.

Michael cannot be shot. Kheeme tries to shoot him several times tonight but his gun does not fire. Just like on the mainland when Michael tried to kill himself.

Everything’s going to hell on the freighter.

The captain agrees to help Desmond and Sayid escape. heading 305 to the island. Desmond stays behind.

Just wait until you read the Twilight Zone tie in to this episode. It” blow you away.

Until next week, Get Lost…

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Lost Update – Nothing But A Dreamer

Lost Update Season IV 05/01/2008

If I could see something
You can see anything you want boy
If I could be someone-
You can be anyone, celebrate boy.
If I could do something-
Well you can do something,
If I could do anything-
Well can you do something out of this world?

Take a dream on a Sunday
Take a life, take a holiday
Take a lie, take a dreamer
dream, dream, dream, dream, dream along…

Tonight’s episode was a bizarre re-enactment of the 1950’s television program, leave It To Beaver. For those unfamiliar with the Beaver, the show revolves around a perfect family, perfect neighborhood, perfect job, perfect home life, perfect everything. Exactly what Jack is experiencing when he is off the island. He has a successful practice, impressive office and house, everyone adores and respects him, and oh yea, he has the girl of his dreams. Yes, he has Kate. (She was sexy as hell in those little white panties she was wearing when Jack picked her up)

Did anyone notice and find it amusing when Jack heard the shower running and began talking to the person in there? It reminded me of the old Dallas soap opera, when Bobby Ewing, who was dead for a year, miraculously walks out of the shower like nothing is wrong. It was all a dream. The entire season, just a dream.

But tonight’s episode speaks loud and clear of my Lost theory.
Just what is my theory….. I’ll tell you in a Lost island minute.
Although it appears the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are on a tropical island, they are being deceived. There is no island. The survivors are in a virtual reality laboratory. All the castaways are interconnected to one another sharing each others thoughts, memories, and feelings. While in this virtual reality laboratory, a battery of physical and mental experiments are performed on them. And who is behind all this other than the mysterious government men? Aliens of course.

Let’s pause for just a second and picture Kate in those panties again. OK, let’s proceed.

Just suppose you were given the opportunity to experience a virtual reality life. What would you choose? Jack chose the perfect life. (And by the look of him and Kate going at it like bunnies, a happy ending as well) Jake literally had it all and then after a while, things started to go to hell. The logical explanation is that Jack is in virtual reality, (Or perhaps Kate) and is being observed like a lab rat to see how well he adjusts to a perfect atmosphere. Then yank it away from him and see how well he adjusts.

Jack along with all the other castaways are lab rats in an experiment on humanity.

Jack visits Hurley in the mental hospital. (BTW, that is where Hurley wants to be) He tells Jack that they’re all dead and we are in heaven. he asks Jack what he did today and Jack describes a perfect day to him. Heavenly! For Hurley, the mental hospital is his safe haven. His heaven. And then they get ripped away from their safe havens right back to the island.

Noticed something odd tonight. Jack stubs his toe on a toy left on the floor. It is the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo’s space ship. (Han Solo – Hanso) This also dates the time line. The early 1980’s. WTF! those toys aren’t around anymore. Not even with the new trilogy of Star Wars movies. Remember, Solo is not in them. This is before the Falcon. So Jack and Kate are living in the 80’s….

Jack needs his appendix taken out. Juliet performs the operation. Rose states that we’re all supposed to heal on the island, not get sick. This refutes the theory that the island has healing properties. Jack is sick. And Ben was also. why didn’t they heal like the other castaways? Because they are not on an island, but in a laboratory being manipulated. Some people were healed to study the impact it would have on their lives. Some people died. The island healing powers couldn’t save. The FBI agent, Boone, Libby, Ana Lucia, Shannon. All part of the experiment.

Tidbits from tonight’s show:

Hurley tells Jack, “You’re not supposed to raise him.” Meaning Aaron, or another child perhaps.

Jack sees his father twice. Which BTW, is still dead. (Thanks Chevy) Or perhaps not, if Jack is in the 80’s, his father is still alive.

Claire sees her father, which is also Jacks father. He is holding his grandson, Aaron. Miles also sees him. Sawyer looks for Claire, only finds Aaron who is left behind.

Jin makes deal to get sun off the island. explains the flash forward of Sun at Jin’s grave site.

Until next week, Get Lost

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Lost Update – The Man Who Sold The Earth

Lost Update Season IV 03/20/2008

We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
Although I wasnt there, he said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone, a long long time ago

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
Youre face to face
With the man who sold the world

I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home
I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here
We must have died along, a long long time ago

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You’re face to face
With the man who sold the world

Tonight’s Lost episode title and lyrics tell a tale of a man you come face to face with who sold the world. And that’s all about Michael, Widmore, and Ben.

As I stated two years ago, I predicted Michael would return and that fits right into my Lost theory.

Just what is my theory…..
Although it appears the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are on a tropical island, they are being deceived. There is no island. The survivors are in a virtual reality laboratory. All the castaways are interconnected to one another sharing each others thoughts, memories, and feelings. While in this virtual reality laboratory, a battery of physical and mental experiments are performed on them. And who is behind all this other than the mysterious government men? Aliens of course.

Tonight centered around the return of Michael revealing that he is working for Ben, and that he did indeed make it back to the mainland. We also got an update on what Michael’s life has been since he left the island. As in, he couldn’t handle his guilt of murdering Ana and Libby and alienated his son Walt who now lives with his grandmother. Michael also attempted suicide but failed.

Tom from the island (The mysterious man on the boat that abducted Walt at the end of season one) meets Michael just before another suicide attempt and tells him that the island won’t allow him to die. No matter how you try, he wouldn’t be able to kill himself. Tom then offers Michael a job and to work for Ben.

And we all know now that he was hired to be a deck hand on Widmore’s ship with the intention to kill everyone on the boat to prevent them from finding the Lost Island.

The significance of tonight’s episode and my theory is as follows:
Michael was given a choice by Ben that would enable him to save himself and his son Walt if he would do a little favor for Ben. In doing so, he murdered Ana and Libby. As promised, he was set free, given a boat, reunited with his son, and sailed to freedom.

Michael was given a test then. What would a man do to protect his son? Would he betray his friends? Would he murder? This is a recurring theme, (As well as experiment) a psychological experiment, on how far a person will go to protect his own or family.

And again, tonight Michael was offered redemption to save his friends that he has betrayed by murdering everyone on Widmore’s freighter before it reaches the island. Will he murder again?

It looks like that was answered as Michael pushed the execute button tonight but instead of the ship exploding, a little flag popped up stating “NOT YET!” Ben was shocked that Michael actually pushed the button.

Episode tidbits tonight:

Libby returns in flashes to Michael pleading for him not to push the button and visiting him in the hospital.

Ben warns Alex that she is not safe and for her, her mother, and Carl go to the safety of the “Temple” where all the other “Others” are at. Carl and Danielle get shot on their way leaving only Alex.

Michael has Jin’s watch.

Tom, the mysterious beard man, is able to leave the island. It would appear he has come to the mainland several times beofre and lives high on the hog when doing so. The penthouse suite, fine wine, good clothes, and food fit for a king.

Again Widmore, seems to be the force behind the cover up of Oceanic flight 815 and the push to find the island and it’s secrets that it holds.

And it looks like Carl and Danielle are the two that die tonight. I don’t think Danielle dies, just wounded and she survives, (She’s a tough chick) but Carl is toast but with a twist. Alex is already pregnant with his child. How’s that for a cliffhanger until the next Lost episode which will be April 24th, at a new time, 10 pm Eastern standard Time.

Until next week, Get Lost!

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