Episode 69 Theories roasting on an open fire
December 26, 2009 by Donald Mikhail and Charlotte
Filed under Guest Stars, Most Recent, Specials, featured
Join Donald from Donald is Lost, Jed from Losties with Jed and Cara, Alex from It only Ends Once and Heath from The Lost Revisited Now as they inform and confuse each other about what Jughead might have done to the time line. Email me at lost@donaldislost.com or call 206-984-1289.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Donald,
Thank you for putting this out on Christmas Eve, it was wonderful to have something this entertaining as I wrapped the kids Christmas gifts late into the night.
I want to preface my comments about the episode with this: I am not married to any particular theories. In fact, I think our “theories” should be called “guesses” as they are NOT going to be tested, they are outcomes in the hands of particular individuals which have control of the final story we are “guessing” on. For me, the enjoyment of being a Lost fan is first watching the show, second, getting to spend the time between episodes, and seasons, guessing as to what could happen next in the story.
That being said, I have guesses that go in all directions, as the story has so many unanswered questions in all directions – And I like it that way because I know that no matter how loopy any of my guesses are, whatever the writers come up with is always better.
In regards to this particular podcast I want to defend the “guesses” of Jed and Alex. Since the story has a supposed “expert” explaining the way to cause a “reset” I think it is a reasonable guess that this could occur.
I believe you asked what benefit it could have to the story of the characters we have known these psst 5 seasons, and I have a guess as to what benefit an alternative timeline might add to the overall story. Let’s say that the overall theme is Free Will Vs. Destiny: If we see that the characters caused some type of electromagnetic anamoly, greater than the one that the failsafe key caused for Desmond, then we could see them jump into an alternative timeline like Desmond did. At least I think that is what the story is telling us COULD happen. Perhaps the intention is to show that even when situations are altered for each of our characters, they still use their ‘free will’ to end up where they are in life. In particular, the Comic-Con clip of Kate would show that she still carries hatred so strong that she attempts to murder her father. However, Hurley has what appears to be a much different perspective about his luck and his lot in life. In this iteration, he uses his ‘free will’ to change how he feels and reacts to the world around him and says he is a ‘lucky’ person. He appears upbeat and engaged in his business life, unlike the previous timeline when he focused on the negative and didn’t want the money he won.
I think having some episodes that carry this theme farther would give the writers an opportunity to further explain the effect free will has on humanity and how we can change our perspective to make life better and more meaningful. Basically, when life gives you lemons, learn to make lemonade.
Like Alex, I have wondered if we are already watching two different timelines. There have been so many disconnected pieces of information, like Chang’s arm that Alex mentioned, that it is a possibility. For example, in season 1 Kate tells Jack that she killed the man she loved. Now, we think she is referring to Tom, her childhood friend, because we learn in the story he died when he was with her as she was fleeing the authorities. But perhaps she was referring to the man she unintentionally killed in the Comic-Con clip. Also, Jack tells Kate the story of his 5 seconds with fear from his first solo surgery, but in season 5, we see this story unfold differently as well.
Again, I don’t have strong convictions about any of my guesses, I just love thinking about all the possibilities the show gives us to think about.
Thanks again for the little Christmas gift!
Christy in TX aka Queenoftheuniverse
best podcast of the off-season!
i agree with Donald, the alternate timeline idea is kind of lame. it seems like theyre going to go that way, at least for a litte bit, to display writing acrobatics (yawn) and create more confusion (double yawn). im more interested in them pushing the overall arc for the complete final season. they need to reconcile the time travel immediately and head for an all out budget wasting season of destruction and scary stuff.
just some tidbits:
a) entertaining the Comic-con stuff: why would Kate continue to try to kill her dad once she went through all that stuff with her mom during the trial/etc.? seems kind of dumb. either she doesnt have her experiences, pre-crash, that we seen or shes just really dumb? will it even be “the Kate we know” or is it just some other-dimensional version (which would have no weight on the story anyhow)?
b) Alpert. if Alpert “seen” all the people at the Incident ‘die’, shouldnt he be fairly surprised about people like Jack, Sawyer (who he met in 1977), Juliet, and others being alive in 2004-2007? he helped Jack and Sayid dismantle the bomb. theres at least a few times he encounters Sayid and Kate, and probably others. hes either playing dumb really well or the writing is contradicting itself?
c) “yeah, i think he prolly bounced” – line of the podcast. i lol’d
d) leaders and loopholes: who actually legitimizes who the “leader” is and who isnt? that seems like a really strange way to determine who can enter a foot to talk to Jacob. i never really got the whole leader thing on the show. it seemed really inconsequential. if the Losties/military werent on the Island, what would the leader actually do? help set up camping trips around the island? run the book club? seems goofy.
theres other thoughts but ill leave it at this.
Thank you guys for these wonderful comments, I will include your thoughts in the next feedback episode for sure!
The only way an alternate timeline would mean anything is if we’ve already seen it in some way.
If it’s just a way of showing character development, I’m not interested. There’s only 17 episodes left…how much more character development do we need?
If there’s just the novelty of seeing the characters in different life-situations, that might be fun…but it’s also a waste of time and could be using that precious time to pay off my patience through the last 5 seasons.
Here’s my lame theory as to how an alt-universe could be well used: We see the flash-sideways into an alternate reality and see how the characters are brought together by destiny in different circumstances. They find themselves caught up in something they don’t understand and it leads them to the island in some way, where they are made to directly influence the timeline we’ve been following the last 5 seasons. Turns out the Others are taking orders from the alt-universe Losties and have been all along. They are what’s in the Temple.
Yeah, it’s a crackpot theory…but it would make the alt-timeline matter.
“If it’s just a way of showing character development, I’m not interested.”
I couldn’t agree more with that statement.
I am willing to trust the writers to create a compelling season 6 and ending. If alternate-timelines have been the plan all along and are integral to the story then I’m willing to trust that it will be handled well.
However as simply a device for character development I am not very trustful. What the characters “would” have done different doesn’t interest me. How they would feel in an alternate timeline while knowing events of other timelines doesn’t interest me.
This is not to say I am somehow anti-character development. I just think that alt-time for the sole purpose of character development would be uninteresting.
I like the way you think Boom!
Really enjoyed these roundtable discussions on your podcast, Donald. I hope they continue, love your regular podcasts aswell.