Interesting e-mails

[spinaltumor]

Most of those questions already have answers, or enough information provided to assume answers as far as I'm concerned.

[Jack]

Hey, Jay and Jack. had a pretty awesome theory about the direction of the show that all my friends love so I though it would be worth sending you guys. Even though the whole thing is too long the it would be awesome if you read one of the individual theories on your show.

My theory is that the two major players, Jacob and the man in black, represent either side of a duality. Jacob is the white, freewill, while the man in black is obviously the black, fate. Neither side is good nor bad, it is more a matter of opinion. The leaders of either side do what they see fit to support their cause as their causes are for a greater good. Jacob clearly believes the island is a special place and keeps bringing people to recognize its potential. It seems the island can bend or break laws of nature. Perhaps this is what can save humanity from the inevitable which relates to the Valenzetti equation. The man in black clearly does not believe the island should even exist because it is an abomination of nature. He wants it destroyed which will crush the hope of saving mankind from its inevitable destruction. The man in black is not the evil which Jacob claims but is simply an embodiment of fate. If he leaves the island man is doomed to an eventual destruction, may it be a thousand years away or even at man's own hand.



If the man in black wins, John Locke, the man of destiny will become what he was made out to be for so long. A martyr whom died for what he believed in, because the only way fate could win is if John Locke was used to kill Jacob. But his story isn’t over. If the side of fate wins and the island is destroyed he will live a full and well deserved life with his love, Helen.



Our losties will have to make a decision, fate or freewill. But how can they choose if they don’t know what either will lead to. Desmond. Desmond is the secret weapon of Charles Widmore which will sway votes. My guess is that Desmond will have flashes similar to previous season but his time of the sideways. He can see what happens to the losties if the island sinks whether things turn out good or bad. Why does Jin need to see “the package”? Things clearly don’t turn out right for him in the sideways so he has no reason for joining the man in black. Desmond will tell Jin of his possible fate and this will make him join Widmore. Widmore will try to kidnap more of the losties with bad fates to foil the man in black’s mission and allow freewill to win. Jack Shepard will probably be the “on the fence” vote as he seems to be the prime candidate but also a new man of fate. Both sides will fight for his vote intensely.


Thanks for the great show guys, you make watching the greatest show ever a whole lot better.

Mike from Toronto.

[Jack]

Okay, I've got it this time.

The leading theory on time travel right now is that there are an infinite number of parallel worlds that exist right now. Every possibility you can think of. And those you can't. One world where everything is the same except you rolled through that stop sign instead of coming to a complete halt. One where the sky is green and not blue. One where both of those are true. EVERY PERMUTATION.

I think in Lost, the amount of differences determines how close the worlds are in metaphysical space. Desmond was probably not seeing the future in season three, but seeing another universe where THE ONLY DIFFERENCE was Charlie was dead. This world would be very close to our world as there is just one difference.

NOW. What if Jughead didn't CREATE the alternate timeline, but the huge explosion knocked our world a little closer to a world where the island was submerged? Maybe this universe existed all along, but was so wildly different that it was metaphysically far away from our world. Jughead ripping a hole in all this electromagnetism allows our very timeline to fall through the hole and closer to the world we're now seeing in the Alt universe.

We've seen evidence of the worlds suddenly becoming closer together -- Mikhail loses his eye. Ben chooses Alex over power. Sayid is corrupted. AND all of our 815 people are coming together just like they are in our timeline. I think the biggest clue this week was Sun losing the English speaking ability. These worlds are all of a sudden much closer than they were previously.

SO. The submerged island -- This is the cork being pushed deeper into the bottle. In this timeline, MiB is defeated and people's lives are (for the most part) better. The evil has been pushed down and contained. Charles Widmore needs Desmond to see into this universe to try to figure out how to do the same in our universe.

Thanks for the great show guys!

-- Mikey

[Jack]

know this is long - but I hope its worth the read!

We know that Smokey can't go over water (since he can't turn into smoke and go to the Hyrda station, or leave the Island in his smokey form)....

We also know that Smokey's Island home is under the temple, where the "donkey wheel" is....

We also know that the magnetic force is underground, and that the magnetic force is something important to many people....

What if the Smoke monster is somehow created by the forces of the magnetism? Like, what if Man In Black's original body is somehow down there, and theres some sci-fi/mythological reason for how his original body, when combined with the Island's magnetism, can create a "smoke monster", but it cannot go far from the magnetic force? And then, we know that those "pilons" keep smokey from going passed them...which, if they were also magnetized, could be like when you try to push 2 magnets together - they repel one another, keeping Smokey out.

This would explain why people are looking for this intense magnetic force....because it leads to where the "evil" is, and those people who know about it, like Widmore, want to make sure they can find it and keep it contained inside the Island.

One other little theory that is probably what many others are thinking.....

Smokey needs to get all the candidates off the Island (or, kill all the candidates?), so he is rounding them up and trying to get them all in one place. This is part of the "rules" that must play by. In order for him to leave, he has to leave with all of the candidates (or at least not leave any alive on the Island).

He also cannot kill a candidate (maybe just while he is on the island? Thus, he could get them on the plan and kill them afterwards?). However, he can try to verbally coerce them, because another part of the "rules" is that each person must CHOOSE to go with him. So, he gives them an "offer they can't refuse" and tries to get them to agree to go with him.

Jacob wants the opposite. He needs to keep the candidates on the Island to complete his mission. So, he brings them there, and he knows that if they leave the Island, Smokey can peace out (& bring destruction on the world - probably b/c he is a bitter spoiled child at heart and wants everyone else to suffer). According to the rules, he also must have them choose their side. I believe that Jacob's promises, although they aren't exactly what they person wants, they are truly for their best (for example, when the parent tells their kid they can't have cookies before dinner, the child is upset, but the parent knows best and that their dinner will be more nutritious for them in the long run than a bunch of cookies will be). This is evidence to me that Jacob is probably good, because at the heart of man is a desire for selfish things, and if we all got exactly what we wanted, I do not think the world would be a better place (like how its good that I didn't the pink pony I really wanted when I was 7 - because everyone knows, I would have been over it the first time I had to clean up after it).

All the while, Smokey is promising "whatever the person wants"....which ultimately, either, I don't think he will fully deliver or when he does, it won't be for their good.

THIS is why I am rooting for Jacob!!! (OORR the "Jacob part" of this guy - holler back Jack!)

ANNNDDDD I'm done.

- Sam from LA

[Jack]

Hey Jay and Jack! Spencer from Brooklyn here,

I want to formally put in my theory of the week and relish your thoughts, but it may be unpopular. here goes.

1st- as we know, the candidates were chosen a very long time ago and monitored by jacob and Richard yes?

So, I submit that we have never seen a "flashback" or a "flashforward", but we have ALWAYS been watching a "Flashsideways"... Which got altered twice with each magnetic incident. Which means the candidates were always on the island, but the path between the island and earth "reality" only became apparent AFTER Desmond crashed flight 815. This is proven by some very basic things:

- the same books that Saywer had on/off island in "Recon"
- Ben, Lock, and Man in lock in simultaneous conversations on and off island in "Dr. Linus"
- Sayid finds Jin simultaneously on and off island in "Sundown"

there have been many examples of this happening this season...

NOW... My thoery is this:

Man in Lock is trying to get everyone on the plane to leave, JUST LIKE Lock was trying to do in season 5. I believe that the timeline will become apparent that these two attempts are also simultaneous, which means Desmond is back to create another incident!

Most importantly and this is where it gets weird, Man in Lock has recruited HURLEY... either by manipulation, OR the promise of giving Hurley the gift of being "the luckiest man in the world".

Question: What if Hurley is not seeing dead people and is seeing the smoke monster becoming Isabella or Jacob?

HURLEY IS THE VARIABLE... and I'm starting to believe he is on Man in Locks side, which we will soon find out.

I would love to hear what you think!

Cheers,
Spencer in Brooklyn

[Jack]

Hi Jay and Jack,

Just thought i would pass on some thoughts about LOST after listening to your last three podcasts in a row today.

In regards to jacob and the man in black, i think they are brothers, i think they were apart of the first group of people to get to the island and were apart of the community that built the statue.

I think there was a war or a split in the original group of island settlers and what happened was all the people died, the two brothers, MIB and jacob were the only survivors.

Now over time they have formed such a connection with this seemingly magicial island that they have become important as to how the world functions. If jacob controls the island then the world goes on, what ever happens, happens, if MIB leaves the island he can show jacob, on a world wide scale, that no, not everybody is perfect and he wins the game thus changing everything we know today.

If you listen to some of the conversations jacob and MIB have with each other and other people you can see there is a very uncomfortable family feel to there conversations which i think goes back to a bad moment on the island which tore jacob and MIB apart and the brothers started to hate each other.

Cut forward to today i think MIB has just had enough of jacob, they have created rules so that both sides can try and prove that selected people are good or bad and it has been a never ending fight that is trying to prove one brother right over the other.

I dont think MIB and jacob are religious characters or famous people from a book, damon and carlton are too smart for that, i think they are two people who have been on the island since it was either found or created and have such connection with the island that what ever they do or try to prove to each other on the island effects what happen's in the real world

Thanks

Regards

Charlie in Australia

[Jack]

Hey Jay and Jack
Love the podcast...One of your callers had a theory that there was a "third entity". I think he may be on to something. Where do these rules come from that Jacob and MIB can't break. Also, at the end of Richard's episode, when Jacob confronted MIB, Jacob seemed surprised that MIB tried to kill him. Also MIB asked to let him go like it was no big deal if Jacob did let him go.

Also there seems to be confusion on who is bad and who is good. I don't think its about that. Jacob is a humanist contrasted to MIB who is a misanthrope. Jacob gives people a choice and doesn't get involved. He lets people rise and fall on there own. Where as MIB scans people and uses there weakness against them. And what we have seen if they don't do what MIB wants then they die.

My crackpot theory is that Hurley will replace Jacob. What we have seen from him in the sideway flashes, he has the whole Jacob vibe going on. Plus he is the one who is carrying out Jacob's errands on the Island. He brought Sayid to the temple, He brought Jack to the Lighthouse, and he brought Richard back to the group. Out of all the candidates he is the most selfless and good natured.

A few questions I am waiting on: Are Dogon and Lennon still alive. Who did Juliette shoot on the raft? Will the Locknessmonster use Christian Shephard against Jack. Where are Rose and Benard? Who are Adam and Eve? Remember one represents darkness while the other represents good. I am going to say that eve is going to be Claire. Are we going to get an Illana and a Frank episode? And now that all the players are back to the Island who is going to be the first to get knocked off. I am putting my money that it will be Richard.

Logan in Evansville, Indiana

[jackkate4ever]

And I finally joined the forum....wow its late in the game!

- Sam from LA (aka JackKate4ever hahahaha)

Apr 6, 2010 18:08:40 GMT -5 Jack said:

know this is long - but I hope its worth the read!

We know that Smokey can't go over water (since he can't turn into smoke and go to the Hyrda station, or leave the Island in his smokey form)....

We also know that Smokey's Island home is under the temple, where the "donkey wheel" is....

We also know that the magnetic force is underground, and that the magnetic force is something important to many people....

What if the Smoke monster is somehow created by the forces of the magnetism? Like, what if Man In Black's original body is somehow down there, and theres some sci-fi/mythological reason for how his original body, when combined with the Island's magnetism, can create a "smoke monster", but it cannot go far from the magnetic force? And then, we know that those "pilons" keep smokey from going passed them...which, if they were also magnetized, could be like when you try to push 2 magnets together - they repel one another, keeping Smokey out.

This would explain why people are looking for this intense magnetic force....because it leads to where the "evil" is, and those people who know about it, like Widmore, want to make sure they can find it and keep it contained inside the Island.

One other little theory that is probably what many others are thinking.....

Smokey needs to get all the candidates off the Island (or, kill all the candidates?), so he is rounding them up and trying to get them all in one place. This is part of the "rules" that must play by. In order for him to leave, he has to leave with all of the candidates (or at least not leave any alive on the Island).

He also cannot kill a candidate (maybe just while he is on the island? Thus, he could get them on the plan and kill them afterwards?). However, he can try to verbally coerce them, because another part of the "rules" is that each person must CHOOSE to go with him. So, he gives them an "offer they can't refuse" and tries to get them to agree to go with him.

Jacob wants the opposite. He needs to keep the candidates on the Island to complete his mission. So, he brings them there, and he knows that if they leave the Island, Smokey can peace out (& bring destruction on the world - probably b/c he is a bitter spoiled child at heart and wants everyone else to suffer). According to the rules, he also must have them choose their side. I believe that Jacob's promises, although they aren't exactly what they person wants, they are truly for their best (for example, when the parent tells their kid they can't have cookies before dinner, the child is upset, but the parent knows best and that their dinner will be more nutritious for them in the long run than a bunch of cookies will be). This is evidence to me that Jacob is probably good, because at the heart of man is a desire for selfish things, and if we all got exactly what we wanted, I do not think the world would be a better place (like how its good that I didn't the pink pony I really wanted when I was 7 - because everyone knows, I would have been over it the first time I had to clean up after it).

All the while, Smokey is promising "whatever the person wants"....which ultimately, either, I don't think he will fully deliver or when he does, it won't be for their good.

THIS is why I am rooting for Jacob!!! (OORR the "Jacob part" of this guy - holler back Jack!)

ANNNDDDD I'm done.

- Sam from LA

[Jack]

Hey Jay and Jack,

First and foremost I believe that Jacob is a descendant of some diety possibly the statue, Tauret. He was left in charge of the island after a great civilization that worshiped him and his family angered the Gods due to their repeated evil actions (murder, theft, rape) and vulnerability to the dark side and therefore were all killed and deemed unfit of the protection of the Gods. The Gods then decided to return to their home land like the elves returning to the Undying Lands in Lord of the Rings, or Zeus living in Olympus, and turn their backs on the human race however Jacob believed humans where still capable of good and decided to stay so he could prove the Gods wrong. Before they left they delivered one last human to Jacob as company giving him eternal life and special smokey powers in return for protecting Jacob however over time the human side of Smokey came through and, like the civilization, became corrupted through hatred of his circumstance and hatred of Jacob who he blames. As he was to protect Jacob he cant kill him directly however, ever since he has been trying get rid of Jacob so he can return to life off island. I think the ending of Lost will show him getting off the island. The candidates will then do something to sink the island, which will pull him back in like water running down the plughole before finally the cork is sealed on Smokeys bottle forever and time will be reset to the flash sideways. But in doing so Jacob must also return to his family leaving mankind forever. Other people in the world have been affected by Jacob in a good way but this will be negated after the reset and his final acts is ensuring the candidates which have helped him get rid of Smokey are rewarded ie. sawyer is on the good side of the law, Jack becomes a good father and other resolutions yet to come so they have a better life without the island but others suffer the consequence. This final act by the Losties shows the inherent goodness of mankind, Jacob has therefore proved his point and cue the slow motion hugs tears and moving music as they all bump into each other in one final and moving Lost sideways crossover before the final screen comes up with FOUND!
I believe this could be the ending of Lost although it may just be an delirious lucid vision brought on by insomnia.
I love the show and with this being the final season I'd love you to read it out I know I've rambled on but please please please read this out.

Lots of love
Brian
Glasgow

[Jack]

Hi,

I tried leaving a message, but realized part way in that in no way would this make sense over a voicemail...

So here goes:

I believe that balance is the key theme binding the two timelines. Just as balance has been a key theme throughout the show - light and dark, good and bad, "others", etc., I believe that it also relates to the competing timelines. I use the word 'competing' as I think the two timelines are alternatives based on who wins. This idea came to me when rewatching last week's episode - when Sun was running from Man in Locke (MIL), she was only able to speak Korean, but understood english. In the 'alternate' reality, she did not know how to speak English. At this moment, the 'alternate' timeline had an edge - the balance shifted, perhaps the influence of MIL. You may also postulate that other character changes are taking place as a result of these 'balance' shifts - Claire/Sayid being infected (they literally say the scale has shifted), Jack becoming more of a believer/man of faith, Ben being humble, etc.

This idea played out further in this weeks episode (Desmond centric) - clearly we see a blending of the two timelines with his unique abilities. I found it interesting that when he woke up in the magnetic chamber, he has a man on a mission, a man of purpose - as if this was the new 'center' of his conscience. When Sayid captured him, he woke up (out of no where) in the alternate timeline, as if this was the new 'center.' Clearly this followed past storylines of "flashes before your eyes" and "the constant," and just as Desmond did then, he will be asked to 'right the present for the future." (of course this calls to question free will and if you always have a choice, but that is for another email.)

In a broader view, I believe the battle on the island (which seems to transgress time - a kashmir effect - due to the unique properties) and Jacob/MIL are not just trying to kill each other, but are battling for which timeline is right. This would play into why Charles seems to consistently neglect saying "everyone will die," but rather, opting for terms like "cease to exist' and 'no longer be.' When Jacob has been recruiting people, it is to encourage them on his path, his timeline. When MIL has intervened, it has created an alternative timeline.

This gets rather in depth, but I believe this was MIL's 'loophole.' Alpert only believes Locke is a leader because Locke and Sawyer told him so before he ever met them (when the wheel was skipping.) Alpert only met Locke because Christian told Locke to move the island. Instead, Ben moved the island, caused the skipping, etc. When MIL came back, we see him with Alpert in the bushes, further putting into place these events, instructing Alpert to go find Locke in the heroin plane. This was all MIL's 'timeline" - creating an alternate path that of course ended in the Atom bomb exploding - thus creating the MIL timeline. What this is/is not has yet to be fully explained. Of course, it may not be 'bad' - it appears bad for some (no penny for desmond, no marriage for Sun/Jin) good for others (no drunk driving for the asian guy whose name I can't remember, apparent better for Locke, etc.) and neutral for others (Hurley, maybe Jack.) I would love to know Alpert's alternate timeline if one exists.

Jacob also has a timeline. He has possibly lead the timelines (others in the bottle) and has encouraged these by 'touching' people, and thereby calling into question whether you have a choice. I think Desmond is going to bridge the timelines by using the 815 manifest to show the key members how they are connected (not really sure on this, but who knows, it was a bit of a curveball...) and helping another return to the island happen - nearly a timeloop. I think that it will be fixed/finalized by someone else - someone who is 'neutral' - which is why I think Hurley will ultimately be the key. As said by many before, he is the ultimate force of good. Someone, perhaps Jacob (who I am not sold on as being pure 'good') wanted him off the original 815 for this reason. I think he will ultimately not simply replace Jacob as a candidate, we will unify the rift as a benevolent force, and bring complete balance. Afterall, he only has good karma to give.

So, thanks for reading this long-winded out there theory. Man am I going to be sad when I don't have this show to theorize about anymore.

Best,

Chris
New York

[Jack]

Hey guys,

I am a very late comer to your podcast, but have really enjoyed listening to it and wish I had discovered it much earlier. I especially like hearing the theories as they keep me thinking and asking questions about the show.

I just finished watching "Happily Ever After" and I am finally ready to share a potential crackpot theory. For several weeks now, Jack has been suggesting that Jacob and MIB are the same person. While I don't literally believe that to be the truth, I think the concept is interesting. So, to put a slightly different spin on it, what if they are the same person, but from a different time or place? What if they made a "sacrifice" to save their "happily ever after". It could explain why man in Locke is so dead set on getting off the island. Perhaps by doing so, he saves his timeline, saving his love or "happily ever after" while everyone elses timeline disappears (would you destroy a whole universe for true love?). Maybe he can then be reunited with his love/partner/constant. Perhaps Jacob is the same, but is content to live forever knowing that his happy ending is safe as long as the balance is kept (and not destroying other timelines).

I know that they do not look alike, so it puts a small hole into the theory of them being the same person but from a different time. So, maybe they aren't the same person, but are protecting the same thing - their loved ones or their happy ending. Not sure how it plays out to the endgame, but I think I am correct in saying that all of the "candidates" have a cherished love one that they have either lost (Sayid now lost and soulless), or would sacrifice themselves for (like Desmond for Penny, Sawyer for Juliet, Sun/Jin for Jin/Sun, and I am guessing that Jack and Kate would make the ultimate sacrifice for one another as well). My guess for the finale, is that someone will have to make that ultimate sacrifice in order to save someone they love and thus their timeline and existence.

I also suspect that because Hurley does not have this dynamic, that he somehow represents a "balance". Meaning he can help direct people or events but not actually make the final sacrifice. The island is a place to prove the worth of humanity. When someone is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of others (or in this case, a loved one and an entire timeline), then that person is proved worthy and that timeline continues it's existence. If they are proved unworthy of making the sacrifice, then their loved ones may perish without ever knowing each other (and that timeline may dissapear or cease to exist).

We keep hearing that at some point this season, an episode will take place in a setting never seen before on network television. What if that place is the very beginning? Daniel Faraday keeps talking of a cataclysmic event that changed everything, but the nuke did not seem to reset things quite right. What if he needed to have that cataclysmic event in a much earlier time....

Anyway, kinda rambling now, so I hope it makes sense!

Really enjoying the last season of Lost and your podcast.

Thanks,
Joe

[Jack]

Stefanie
Hi Jay and Jack:

I called into the show and posted a theory on yublog earlier. I’ll spare you the details again, but the general thought was that everyone is reincarnated as themselves over and over again with their lives shifting slightly every time in order to achieve some more fulfilled life or “happily ever after”

So here’s the new part of my theory… Richard was right … he is in hell. Here’s why.

Richard asked Jacob to grant him a few wishes (to see his wife again and to be redeemed) neither of which Jacob could grant, but he was able to grant Richard’s wish “To Never Die.” Jacob was able to do this b/c “never dying” is a reality already. People never really die… they just have cycles of “life” coming back as themselves again FOREVER. Jacob just removed these cycles of “life” for Richard and he never dies. However, Richard is the only one aware of this “never dying” so he feels like he is trapped in hell because if you can’t die there is never any way out.

I mean can you imagine if you knew you were going to live your life over and over again. Sounds like Groundhog Day – and I’ve known a few people to say that watching that movie was like hell.

Just a thought…

Love the show and your podcast. So sad this is all coming to an end. If only I could love FlashForward as much.

[Jack]

Just read this, and it really made me think about the relationship of Gravity/magnetism and Love from this week's episode...

Jonathan Edwards who was America's greatest Theologian was influenced by John Locke's philosophy and was also fascinated with John Newton's science. Edwards spoke of Gravity as a type of Love in some of his writings, as he was reflecting on the physical world and how it can function as a type/shadow/expression of Biblical realities...

The whole material universe is preserved by gravity, or attraction, or the mutual tendency of all bodies to each other. One part of the universe is hereby beneficial to another. The beauty, the harmony, and order, regular progress, life and motion, and in short, all the well being of the whole frame, depends on it. This is a type of love or charity in the spiritual world. (Images, Number 79)

Occurrences of Magnetism/Forces in this Episode: The Huge electromagnets, Charles talking about Desmond being the only one to survive the electromagnetic field thing, Faraday talking about the huge amount of energy to change time, the MRI scanner, Faraday's physics, talking about having "felt it." any more???

Definitely a HUGE emphasis on Love in this episode as well... Interesting to note how parallel they run as well... Desmond flashed to Penny in both magnetic situations.

NOW, how does this relate to Men in Black??? A man who, unlike Desmond, cannot handle these seemingly "magnetic fences." Does this have something to say about how Men in Black is completely unable to experience love? Or whatever would be the opposite of Desmond's connection/interaction with love/magnetism...

Just some thoughts... Seems like Love/Magnetic forces are both what is really holding all things together here... I think it will be interesting to see how these two elements play a role in the rest of the season.

thanks!
ben from Mpls

[Jack]

have been thinking about this week's episode of Lost all day today. We finally started getting some answers as to how our original timeline and our sideways timeline are connected.

I started thinking about something Eloise said to Desmond. That he had exactly what he had always wanted. The approval of Charles Widmore. As I kept pondering over that I started to think about what Faraday said to Desmond later. That he felt that their world was never suppose to happen and that he had already set off that bomb. Which we know did happen at the end of Season 5.

Which leads me to the Losties that did detonate the bomb. Their whole reasoning behind blowing up that nuke was to change history so they would never land on the Island and their lives would be normal.

And I think it worked. I think they did change history, sunk the Island and never had their lives tampered with by Jacob.

But wait! We saw our Losties flash to 2007 after blowing up the bomb. Just wait, I'll explain.

Last night Charlie told us a story about while he was dying he started to see images or flashes of what we know is Claire. He said that just seeing those few glimpses of him and her he knew what love was and knew he wanted it no matter what the cost. He even drove Desmond's car into the bay to convince him of his belief that something better was out there for them.

While trying to save Charlie from the car we got a reenactment of one of the most beloved scenes in Lost. Charlie puts his hand to the car glass and Desmond sees a flash of when our Charlie did the same thing in the Looking Glass station and had his famous message of Not Penny's Boat written on his hand. Desmond flashes back to our Sideways world and saves Charlie.

At this point in our Sideways story with Desmond I think he begins to question everything he knows. He tells Eloise that Charlie isn't coming and overhears the name Penny. He tries to learn more but our ever all knowing Eloise Hawking tells him that he is not ready. Daniel tells Desmond when and where to find Penny and Desmond does. He makes a date with her and heads back to the car.

Our Sideways world is coming to its climax soon. Desmond gets in the car and asks George Minkowski to get him a plane manifest of passengers on his plane.

I believe Desmond is going to start rounding up our Losties and is going to try and revert time back to its original self. Our original timeline Losties were not happy with their lives and changed history to make their lives better. Now they have the lives they always wanted but they are having flashes of their previous lives on the Island and want that.

And they are going to change time back to its original self. Our Island Losties want the lives their Sideways counterparts have and vice versa.

This doesn't explain what Juliet meant though when she said they could go dutch though we only assume right now that line is associated with the Sideways world and could refer to something we have yet to learn about. This also is a super lame way to explain the Sideways as it basically means our Sideways has no large effect on the overall mythology of Lost. And that it is just there to show us how their lives would be with no Jacob.

So Jay or Jack, whoever is answering emails today, what do you think? Yay or nay?

Michael

[Jack]

Hi Jay and Jack.

I've been following your show since season 2 and think that you're just great. With that said, I've been formulating a theory of my own that maybe you want to weigh in on.

I don't know if you've watched the show Doctor Who, but given your love for Lost, you might want to check it out. It tells the story of a brilliant space-time traveler who goes about the universe setting wrongs right and adverting certain apocalypse. There is an interesting two episode story arch for the New Who 2nd series that may illuminate what is happening on Lost. In it, the Doctor travels to a planet inexplicably orbiting a black hole. He discovers that imprisoned at the core of this planet is a demonic force that claims to be Satan. The beauty of this prison is that if the Devil tries to break out of his chains, then he disrupts the mechanism keeping the planet in orbit and it falls into the black hole. This ensures that the Devil can never leave without causing his own destruction.

I think something similar is at play in Lost. In this case, MIL is the Devil and Jacob is the mechanism that keeps his prison intact. If MIL kills Jacob, he somehow brings about his own destruction. I'm not exactly sure how this is so, but I think we can take a clue from Jacob's wine bottle analogy.

Jacob says MIL is like the wine and the island is the cork; but what about the bottle itself? I think that Jacob serves as the bottle. This is interesting because it is the bottle that gives the wine shape and form. If the bottle is broken, yes the wine escapes and spreads, but it no longer has shape. So perhaps the analogy is telling us that the destruction of Jacob release MIL but strips him of his power.

This also implies that all three parts, the bottle, the cork, and the wine are necessary to maintain balance. Remove any one element and the others are useless or moot. Remove the cork and the wine can be released but in a formless manner. Remove the wine and the bottle is useless. Remove the cork and the wine can spill but again in a formless manner.

What does this all mean and how does it tie into the conclusion of the series? I have no idea. Perhaps MIL will be given the final choice. Go home but be stripped of power or accept one of the candidates as the new Jacob and retain power but remain on the island. A classic Lost-ian choice. Neither gives you exactly what you want.

Hope that wasn't too rambling and I look forward to listening to you guys soon.

Cheers.

Adam from Baltimore.