LOST - Season 6

[Psychotic]

I don't think the bomb in and of itself is what sunk the island, I think whatever the hell is under the Swan did it after being hit by the bomb.

[Moon Rabbits]

Uhm I think the alternate timeline is the "magic box" sort of. Basically, it's what the characters deserve - I mean, remember smokey asking Sayid if he would join him if Smokey could give him what he wanted most (ie. Nadia). And then in the alt timeline, bam, that happens.

I'm also thinking that the Island sunk b/c Smokey left it, which is why everyone is freaking out about him leaving.

Either that or the writers really just have no idea. I think that might be it.

[Kirobaito]

Interesting post. I'd be interested in seeing the thread it's a response to, so I can get more of an idea of the arguments it's responding to.

The thread really wouldn't help. It's at a forum where you have to be a member to read threads. But the guy I was trying to explain this to basically was not getting what I was meaning at all.

Him: "I am not even going to attempt to tackle the 4,000 inconsistencies revealed in flash-sideways land today, the most heinous of which was Miles' implication that his father was alive. That makes zero sense."

Me: "There have been such an incredible amount of obvious inconsistencies in the timelines - Ben's dad's presence, Ben's presence, Miles having a dad, etc. - that I don't think we're seeing what we assume we're seeing."

Other person: "Why is that inconsistent?"

Me: "Ben's dad would have died in the explosion of the hydrogen bomb, if that's what we're going off of.

The people who left the island before the bomb went off left anyway. We have no indication that it had anything to do with the bomb going off. We know this because young Miles and Charlotte both left the island, in every timeline. That is history. History only got changed when the bomb went off. Therefore, we know that Ben's dad never left the island, because Ben would later grow up to kill him. Ben's dad was on the island when the bomb went off.

There are many things that would have to be changed, that we have no indication of, in order for this side-flash to work."

Him: "Well, bens Dad I assumed was on the sub (along with Ben, though they never showed it on camera)."

Me: "Why do you assume Ben's dad was on the sub?

In the timeline where the bomb did not go off, the sub still left the island with many women and children, but not Ben or his dad. Ben and his dad were not on that sub, because they stayed on the island for years after that point. We have no reason to believe any of that should have changed because the bomb went off."

Him: "Errr...what does the original timeline have to do with it?

The flash sideways are the future of the timeline in which the bomb exploded, the submarine left with most of the DHARMA folks on it, and the island sunk as a result of the bomb as shown in the season premiere (Island sunk WITH dharma barracks intact)

So the only way for Bens dad to be alive in the flash sideways would be for him to have left on the submarine in "The Incident." Otherwise he'd be dead and sunk with the island.

Right?"

Me: "The submarine left with "most of the DHARMA folks" in the original timeline, as well. That's why Miles and Charlotte left, just as they did before. The submarine leaving is a fact of every timeline, and has nothing to do with the Losties changing the timeline by detonating the bomb. Ben and his dad weren't on it."

Him: "I don't think I understand what you're suggesting.

How else could Ben and his father be alive in the sideways timeline?

Things didn't happen like they did before. They DID change things. (Or, rather, created a new timeline)"

And thus my post. I've had similar problems explaining this to other people.

[Miriel]

I think trying to think critically about Lost and making sense of everything is useless. I doubt the writers know wtf they're doing and are just making it up as they go along.

[Del Murder]

I think trying to think critically about Lost and making sense of everything is useless. I doubt the writers know wtf they're doing and are just making it up as they go along.

Bingo.

[McLovin']

Ok I get it, Jacob and MiB are against each other. Nothing new tbh

[The Man]

I liked it. Then again I'm a sucker for Richard episodes.

[Flying Mullet]

A lot of the recent episodes felt like they were retreading on old ground, so this episode was fun in that there was a lot of fresh material, even if it was not mind-blowing.

(SPOILER)And holy , that had to be one big-ass wave to raise the ship high enough to crash into the statue's head and then leave it in the middle of the island. Or did the island "sink" so that the head was at sea level and then raise back up after the wrecked ship was over the island?

So does the island move or does it teleport people to it? (Really? "teleport" isn't in Firefox's dictionary?) Richard was sailing across the Atlantic when he crashed on the island, yet the Losties crashed when flying over the South Pacific. Also, Mr. Eko's brother's plane crashed on the island after taking off from somewhere in Africa. So were they teleported to the island or did the island move so that it would be in their line of travel. Is this how Jacob brings people to the island?

And lastly, if the island can physically move, does it have any boundaries? It has always been portrayed as a tropical island, but what would happen if it moved above the Tropic of Cancer or below the Tropic of Capricorn? Would the island's climate change due to the colder weather or would it be impervious to outside weather conditions? All three crashes can be placed within the Tropics, so perhaps the island's movement is confined?

[LowCaloriePie]

Really good episode. Hopefully they can keep this up. =]

[Miriel]

I liked the episode, but I really felt like it was the sort of episode that should have come like a whole season ago. It's weird that we're rushing toward the end of the show and halfway through the last season we finally get Richard's back story. There were only a couple interesting tidbits that came from the episode. If we'd had this episode last season, I would've given it like an A++++, but at this point in the game, its weird to get an episode that really doesn't drive the plot forward so much as reflect on things from the past.

[Psychotic]

I just want to give Richard a big ol' hug.

[McLovin']

Nestor Carbonell (actor who plays Richard) had this really awesome impression of the finale script (no spoilers):

What can you tell us about the finale?
I got the script late, it was like 10 something at night, and usually I go to bed fairly early because you’ve got to put the kids, but no, I was up at 12:30, pouring through it, reading pieces of it again. There’s a lot of tight security as far as scripts—we all have to be there when they’re delivered, but I was really, really, thrilled to get it, and again, just blown away with what they wrote. I’m anxious for people to see it and we’re in the process of shooting it now.
There’s going to be major heartbreak, there’s going to be some very emotional stuff coming down the pike. But the emotional stuff, the payoff will be great. When you see it, and as I read it, it made complete sense what they were doing, and they’re doing it in such a beautiful way, what it needs to be. And again, without giving away too much, I think people will be fulfilled even as they may be crying.

Kinda gives me faith, ya know?

[Del Murder]

I liked the episode but his backstory dragged on at times. And again nothing really happened.

[Faris]

I liked the episode but his backstory dragged on at times. And again nothing really happened.

I see this episode as learning about the mystery that is Richard. We now know why he doesn't age and we got a small glimpse of what the island is.

[Loony BoB]

Whee, can't believe I've not posted in this thread yet. I loved the Richard episode!

Either "nothing happened" or "we learned nothing" seems to be said after each episode these days. But I see it as either "something happened" or "we learned something" - one or the other generally does happen. It is a TV series, remember - they have ten episodes to go, so obviously things that are happening / things we are learning will wrap up a load of loose ends. I see this as a whopping big loose end (Richard) being wrapped up. We now know who he is, how he got there, who he came with, his motives for staying, that he was tempted by both parties and chose accordingly, that he lost hope entirely and went back to the "dark side" but was rescued by Hurley. I mean, that's a lot. What do you need to happen to make it so that "something happened"? Does someone need to die in every episode or something?

There were so many answers in the last episode. Who is Richard? Why is he there? What does he do? What is the island's purpose, according to Jacob? When did Richard arrive? How? What is his motive? Why does he follow Jacob? What makes him tick? What was his life like before the island? How did the Black Rock arrive at the island? Who did it bring with it? How did that statue get busted down? All answered!