LOST Revelations

We are well into the second season of LOST and the mystery deepens. One of the greatest things about ABC’s hit series is the intricate web of details and clues that connect the characters to one another. One of the worst things is, of course, the reruns. I have come to the conclusion that the creators desire us to notice particular things in the replayed episodes to give greater meaning to continuing episodes.

This week the two hour Pilot is airing. I own the first season on DVD and noticed, while watching the Pilot for the 4th time, one of the background characters saying she thought the noise in the jungle sounded familiar, and she is from France (which is where Danielle, who has been on the island for 16 yrs, is from). Coincidence? I think not. Here are some other uncanny connections:

*Hurley, in his pre- plane crash life, used a series of numbers to win millions in the lottery: 4,8,15,16,23,42. He heard these numbers repeated over and over by Leonard with whom he spent time with while in the mental hospital (where Locke’s mother also spent time). Leonard overheard them while monitoring a radio for the navy. Leonard used the numbers to win $5,000 with a friend. After using the numbers, Leonard went crazy while his friend killed himself.

*After Hurley used the numbers death and destruction began following him. Hurley believes the crash is his fault, due to the bad luck of the numbers.

*Danielle, the French woman, also heard the numbers from her science team’s ship 16 years prior to the recent crash of Oceanic flight 815 (which happens to be the sequence of the 2nd and 3rd numbers). They found the source of the broadcast: The Island.

*The numbers are engraved on the side of the hatch that Locke and Boone find in the jungle. Inside the hatch they find Desmond (who Jack met years before in his pre-crash life) and are instructed to type in the cursed numbers which will reset a clock for 108 minutes.

Theories abound as to what is really going on on the Island. Among the theories debunked by producers in the recent TV Guide: Purgatory, the imagination of one survivor, time travel, and aliens.

Theories that remain:

A sickness: This is supported by the fact that Danielle killed her entire team because they were “sick”. Also, the survivors of flight 815 hear whispers, see visions, or hallucinations, and have psychic dreams. The Others have also said that they only take “good” people from the group.

A psychological experiment: This theory is supported by having to press a button every 108 minutes when no one knows what will happen if they don’t. During the orientation video in the hatch, reference was made to B.F. Skinner who experimented with rats in a cage.

A new society in preparation for an apocalyptic event: Evidence that supports this is found in the fact that everyone on the island needs a new start (interestingly John Locke’s namesake is that of the psychologist who declared that people are born Tabula Rasa, or blank slate). They all have left no one behind, and have links to each other in their pre-crash lives. There is also a multinational cast.

I hope that we will have answers to all these questions at some point. Until then, I love being wrapped up in the mystery!

I have heard one very disturbing rumor which I have not been able to substantiate: The writers quit because they wanted more money. There seemed support for this in that the week after I heard it, there was a rerun from season one, and as the new episodes are continuing the characters are becoming increasingly dark. I am still looking for concrete evidence of this though.

*Source for all information and speculations: This weeks TV Guide.