5x09 Pre-Thoughts

My theory that the Oceanic Six had managed to come back at a synchronized time with one of the time jumps, thus explaining the three year difference between island time and Los Angeles time, was damaged when in “316” they were flashed off the plane at apparently different times. It was blown to bits in “LaFleur” when it turns out that three years have passed on the island as well.

The actual explanation is much simpler, though--time is moving at roughly the same rate on the island even after it was moved, and it was Locke who made a big time jump, as Ben did, when he turned the wheel. Ben turned the wheel just a few days before Locke and ended up less than a year in the future (2005); a few days later, Locke turned the wheel and was in 2007. The effects were said to be unpredictable, and there you go.

There are always a lot of interesting theories after an episode; right now it’s in vogue to suggest that the Lostaways will rise to a position of some power (as LaFleur already has) in DHARMA or the Hostiles and will have a big influence on future events. I think we can expect to see some of that, and I like the theory that someone (with Faraday often mentioned) will cause the Incident.

However, I would be personally disappointed if every action could be traced to the Lostaways. If they are the cause of the Incident and the Purge and the recording of the numbers and the pregnancy problems and the…that would be a little too much, and it would take away from the fun when they are involved.

I keep intending to write about episodes that seem better/more pivotal in retrospect, and vice versa. One of the biggest examples of this is the episode I just watched as I slowly work my way through Season 1--1x05, “White Rabbit”. This episode has the first real Jack/Locke discussions, and it features Christian leading Jack into the jungle--something that could be dismissed first as hallucination, later as the monster, but has taken on a whole new level of meaning since Christian showed up in Jacob’s cabin.

A couple things to ponder. When they are discussing looking for Jack, Locke tells Kate and Sayid that he “knows where to look”. Interesting.

The big line in the Jack/Locke scene that everyone remembers is “I’ve looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful.” Knowing that was coming, though, I was more amused by Locke telling Jack he’s not going crazy, because crazy people think they’re getting saner (and Jack has raised the possibility that he’s going crazy). Locke spends most of the next four season thinking he’s getting saner as he gets more and more crazy.

Another point is that in an interview about his character (Locke), Terry O’Quinn apparently floated the theory that the island is malevolent. This is something I’ve mentioned before; Locke and his fans always talk about him doing what’s in the best interest of the island. But using that as a justification for actions takes for granted that the desires of the island are good. I think we’ve seen more than enough to throw out some challenge flags at that assertion.

You would think that two weeks to think about the last episode would lead to a lot of great ideas and theories. For some maybe, but for me, just the opposite.