LOST THEORIES

Something terrifying happened after the latest episode of LOST, entitled “Happily Ever After”: The show actually started clearing up for me! For the first time in a while I can safely say I know where LOST is going, though I’m still a little fuzzy as to how the show will get there. The executive producers have proclaimed all season that the flash sideways are extremely important and have also said that the season would be split into three acts (the third act got under way with this latest episode). So these are just a couple things I picked up after watching Desmond’s latest episode.

The flash sideways is a time where the island sank (as we know) and I think the biggest repercussion is that the Man In Black has escaped (breaking the bottle... metaphorically speaking). In this life, people seem to have what they want, but in a weird way have sacrificed something to get it or don’t have it the way they want it. In this installment, Desmond has Widmore’s approval, but is missing the love of his life, Penny, and his son Charlie. Something that is overlooked is that Daniel also gets what he wants in this timeline, as he is a full time classical musician. Remember, this was his dream, but his mother (Eloise) forced him to intensely study science and mathematics, no doubt because of his purpose relating to the island. With other characters, Jack has his son’s approval (albeit he has no son in the original timeline), Jin and Sun seem happier (but are now in hot water), Sawyer is a cop but is still looking for Anthony Cooper, Sayid has Nadia alive but not as his wife. In the OT, the Flocke makes promises to manipulate them into following him, such as promising Jin he’ll find Sun, Sayid the woman he loved, and Claire with finding Aaron. The problem is when the devil offers you something (metaphorically speaking), it usually comes at a cost, and we’ll probably find that out in the alternate timeline what that cost is.

What I'm still unsure of is Desmond's importance. He can survive an EM force, but Widmore clearly did not think that would send him to the alternate timeline. His importance to Widmore is survival, but it has a large effect on Desmond than even Widmore can tell. Will an EM wave kill the smoke monster and therefore Desmond has to be the one to set it off, or is the smoke monster himself an EM force that cannot kill Desmond.

So why does Charlie see Claire as he’s about to die and why is he suddenly the guru of love? It’s interesting that Charlie is the one to instigate the merging in a way of the timelines as on the island he has already died. His death might be the key, as since he only exists in one timeline he has a greater access to his other self since it no longer exists. The same goes for Faraday, who experiences this deja vu with Charlotte and then writes down these crazy equations that he (a full time musician in this life) cannot comprehend. It seems the other timeline is visible but some people see it more than others. On the OT, Juliet sees the flash sideways as she’s about to die, prompting her to say “it worked”. And another good question: Why does Eloise appear to Desmond both times there is a big EM force that affects him. She seems to try keeping each timeline on a certain course and knows a lot more than even we believe she does so far.

The season is heading down a path of merging or one time overpowering the other. LOST has been walking this line of will the flash sideways prevail or the OT. The question is: who wants what? Widmore clearly wants the OT to win because he sees something harmful in the flash sideways, knowing that MIB escaping will send them all there. Eloise appears to be the keeper of time, making sure that everything that’s supposed to happen, happens (Desmond not proposing to Penny during “Flashes Before Your Eyes”, Desmond not meeting Penny in this episode). So we presume Desmond, seeing the truth, will try to show the others from 815, one by one, what he saw and what he knows. The question is, how? Does Desmond know exist in both timelines. I think somehow, he is conscious of both (or all) Desmonds and as a result has access to information that no other person in either timeline has. He is the first to live in both timelines and with his knowledge of the island, he will warn Jack and the others of what Charlie warned him of.

Ultimately, one timeline will have to die for the other to survive, and that seems like the greater meaning of all this. LOST is intertwining their religious side with their more scientific side to appease both sides of the fan base. I feel MIB winning will kill all the LOSTies and bring them back to 2004. Maybe what we’re seeing in the flash sideways is after this battle took place, but Desmond venturing to this time before he was supposed to be there (this being the violation Eloise talks about) is an attempt to make sure the original timeline wins out. Since everyone’s deaths will bring them here, everyone’s fate may have already been decided, but Desmond is the constant that can break the rules and make sure that doesn’t happen. I feel Desmond is the one person on LOST not tied down by fate. He can change things that have happened in the past and make of his life whatever he wants. It’ll be interesting to see how Desmond in the flash sideways is shown in relation to Desmond on the island and if he now becomes the most prominent member of this show. I have more theories but I can’t think of them right now.