Post by katm0855 on Jan 9, 2007 20:47:31 GMT -4
IGN has come up with a list of the "Top 50 Lost Loose Ends". I thought that this would be something fun to talk about and debate until Lost comes back in February. So each week I am going to create a thread of 10 Loose-Ends open for discussion, starting at #50 and working all the way up to #1.
I have decided to limit the amount of commentary that IGN has placed under each listing as to try and conserve space. If you would like to read the entire posting, please follow the link below.
tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html
Please try to refrain from commenting about the other "loose ends" that are not currently being discussed in the thread.
#20: Aaron
In Season One, Claire's baby Aaron seemed awfully important to the Others. In fact, our first direct introduction to one of the Others was when the pregnant Claire was kidnapped by Ethan, only for Claire to mysteriously return. Flashbacks later revealed that Ethan and the Others did indeed make it clear they wanted the baby for their own purposes, and if Alex is to be believed, they were going to kill Claire and forcibly take the baby from her body. And of course we can't forget the psychic in Australia who warned Claire to raise the baby herself, before then suspiciously getting her to take Flight 815, which could mean the Others exerted their influence in order to get Claire's baby to the island, again stressing Aaron's importance. What was so important about Aaron?
#19: Voices in the Woods
Oftentimes when things start to get rough or complicated on the island, the survivors will hear whispers. These voices are a great mystery, and if we could figure out whom or what is making those voices, we would probably better understand the purpose of the island. The show hasn't tried to answer this problem at all, but fans have ventured many different guesses ranging form the voices belonging to ghosts, psychic beings, the Others, or even just voices from characters' pasts. One thing is for sure, when we figure out where the voices come from we will know if the happenings on the island are more scientific or supernatural.
#18: Eko's Death
Weeks ago, Mr. Eko was slain by the mysterious black cloud roaming about the island, seemingly the first verifiable casualty at "its" hands since the show began. However, it's a tale far more complicated than simply mentioning his passing from island living (and worldly living, for that matter) - his misadventures with his brother Yemi before his death is where the symbolism truly lies. For the Yemi that appears before Eko tells him that he's not his brother (even though he actually is), and ultimately their ensuing confrontation leads to Eko's untimely and brutal death. It's difficult to say just why Eko was murdered by the black cloud. After all, no one has any real idea just what the cloud is, or what it represents. And there have been peaceful confrontations with the cloud by characters such as Locke. But Eko's death signifies something that's likely significant, especially considering the cloud turned on Eko, but not others its come into contact with (at least, not enough to land a deathblow). There seems to be a religious conflict ever-present in Lost, and a conflict between fate and free will.
#17: The Others' List
While all three of the main characters introduced in Season Two and then fleshed out in the episode "The Other 48 Days" are now gone, we've hoped the storylines they introduced aren't as dead as they are. On that episode, we saw how the "tailies" -- including Ana-Lucia, Eko, Libby and Bernard -- found their group dwindling as the Others came and took several of their number over the course of various nights, with Eko the only one who managed to fight off their attempted kidnapping. When Ana-Lucia discovers one of their group, Goodwin, is an Other, she questions him, and he reveals the existence of a list. The author of this elite list of survivors wasn't revealed. There hadn't been any mention of the list since "The Other 48 Days." However, the most recent episode, "I Do," appears to have brought the list back into play, as the Other named Pickett mentions that Jack wasn't on "Jacob's list." We need to learn more about Jacob and his role in creating it. Is he Ben's superior, or is he somebody from the real world that is in charge of what is happening on the island?
#16: The "Good" People on the Others' List
When Goodwin reveals the existence of the Others' List to Ana-Lucia, he explains that the list is of "good people" among the castaways, and that those taken (and Eko) were on that list. The rest of the castaways, including Nathan, who Goodwin murdered, are not on the list, and thus by implication, not a good person. How did the person who wrote the list decide who was "good" among the castaways and what was the criteria? And did this list mean the Others knew exactly who was on the flight before it crashed or did they somehow quickly use spies like Ethan and Goodwin to learn which of the survivors were "good" and "bad"?
#15: Why Do the Others Want Children?
Throughout the series, the Others have continually abducted or attempted to abduct various children. These include Michael's son Walt, Emma and Zack from the "tailies" and Danielle Rousseau's daughter Alex, who was abducted 16 years ago. It was also revealed, in the episode "Maternity Leave," that the Others planned to remove Claire's baby while they held her captive. Luckily, Alex helped her escape before they could go through with their plans. Could the Others be incapable of having any children of their own? If so, is this is a side effect of the island's unusual nature? This could be a good explanation of why Ben claims that he has been on the island his whole life. It's possible that he was once an abducted child just like Alex -- who is now being raised by the Others herself. Maybe Juliet, a fertility doctor, was brought to the island to determine why the Others are incapable of having children.
#14: Surviving the Crash
One of the biggest questions in the series that has been completely ignored so far is: How did all of these people survive a plane crash? In real life, when an airplane falls and rips apart in midair there aren't very many survivors, if any at all. Were they all saved by the supernatural properties of the island? If so, why did the island see all the survivors as worth saving? Were they all destined to be on the island or is it just a coincidence? With so many coincidences and bizarre island happenings, one expects the overall reason to have something to do with the island's properties, or just plain old fate. Perhaps they've all been drawn to the island to have their previous ailments healed, question God/fate and to develop the ability to predict the future, before they get devoured by a black smoke monster. Makes sense.
#13: Christian Symbology
Though several religions have a presence on the island, Christianity seems to be the main point of divinity on Lost. Christian symbolism is literally everywhere, from the Virgin Mary statues that hold heroin to the church that Eko and Charlie attempt to build, and many things in between. One doesn't have to look too far to find the pervasively-used symbolism. It's so often used, in fact, that it must mean something. The real question in regards to Christianity and Lost is, quite simply, the focus on that religion over any other. Since the show seems to meld faith and science, the known and the unknown, it's a wonder just how far the religious question will go in the show, and what it will end up meaning to the overall scheme when all is said and done, When everything is known, what will the Christian symbols throughout the show represent, and how significant will they be? Charlie's dream sequences regarding Aaron and Eko's "Jesus Stick" are two Christian-driven plotlines that continue to have lasting consequences - certainly, the Christian symbolism will end up being no coincidence. Its significance right this minute, however, will simply lead to more questions instead of actual answers.
#12: The Others' Master Plan
Initially, the Others were intent on making the survivors of Flight 815 believe that they were primitives. Later we learn that they are living in a small community complete with plumbing and a book club. They have a submarine, tazers, guns, and are having Sawyer, Kate and a few others working on something "big." Ben has admitted to living on the island his whole life but also having access and the means to reach the outside world. So what could possibly be their master plan? In "Live Together, Die Alone," Ben stresses that the Others are "the good guys". But they take what they want by force, are abusive, manipulative and rarely give a straight answer. There are those who believe that for the greater good one must bend the boundaries of morality and ethics. This could certainly be the stance that the Others have taken. If the Others are indeed "good" then their goal is most likely to understand the unusual nature of the island and use that to benefit humanity. Imagine the possibilities if someone were to replicate the healing power of the island. Diseases could be cured and lives could be saved. Maybe that is why they are so hostile towards the Flight 815 survivors. The Others could view the survivors as possible specimens for their controlled experiments. Then again, it's quite possible that they are nothing more than a renegade group of the Dharma initiative that have decided to use the island's "powers" for their own means.
#11: What Hides the Island?
Various people have apparently been stranded on the island over the years -- the Black Rock, Henry Gale and his balloon, Desmond and his sailboat, and now Flight 815. There are two realms of explanation for why rescue searches and people like Penelope can't find the island and the now-missing people: a supernatural explanation and a scientific one. The supernatural explanation would hold that the island is hidden by magic or something else unexplainable. But the series producers have said in interviews that there is a rational, scientific explanation for everything that's happened thus far. Perhaps the island's (or islands's, if you count where the Others are keeping Kate, Jack & Sawyer) location was being somehow hidden by the hatch's electromagnet. The hatch's implosion, which turned up on a monitoring station that Penelope headed up, might mean that the island's location may not stay hidden for long. It's more likely, however, that the official explanation is something much more complex, perhaps part of a mystery that hasn't even been revealed yet.
I have decided to limit the amount of commentary that IGN has placed under each listing as to try and conserve space. If you would like to read the entire posting, please follow the link below.
tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html
Please try to refrain from commenting about the other "loose ends" that are not currently being discussed in the thread.
#20: Aaron
In Season One, Claire's baby Aaron seemed awfully important to the Others. In fact, our first direct introduction to one of the Others was when the pregnant Claire was kidnapped by Ethan, only for Claire to mysteriously return. Flashbacks later revealed that Ethan and the Others did indeed make it clear they wanted the baby for their own purposes, and if Alex is to be believed, they were going to kill Claire and forcibly take the baby from her body. And of course we can't forget the psychic in Australia who warned Claire to raise the baby herself, before then suspiciously getting her to take Flight 815, which could mean the Others exerted their influence in order to get Claire's baby to the island, again stressing Aaron's importance. What was so important about Aaron?
#19: Voices in the Woods
Oftentimes when things start to get rough or complicated on the island, the survivors will hear whispers. These voices are a great mystery, and if we could figure out whom or what is making those voices, we would probably better understand the purpose of the island. The show hasn't tried to answer this problem at all, but fans have ventured many different guesses ranging form the voices belonging to ghosts, psychic beings, the Others, or even just voices from characters' pasts. One thing is for sure, when we figure out where the voices come from we will know if the happenings on the island are more scientific or supernatural.
#18: Eko's Death
Weeks ago, Mr. Eko was slain by the mysterious black cloud roaming about the island, seemingly the first verifiable casualty at "its" hands since the show began. However, it's a tale far more complicated than simply mentioning his passing from island living (and worldly living, for that matter) - his misadventures with his brother Yemi before his death is where the symbolism truly lies. For the Yemi that appears before Eko tells him that he's not his brother (even though he actually is), and ultimately their ensuing confrontation leads to Eko's untimely and brutal death. It's difficult to say just why Eko was murdered by the black cloud. After all, no one has any real idea just what the cloud is, or what it represents. And there have been peaceful confrontations with the cloud by characters such as Locke. But Eko's death signifies something that's likely significant, especially considering the cloud turned on Eko, but not others its come into contact with (at least, not enough to land a deathblow). There seems to be a religious conflict ever-present in Lost, and a conflict between fate and free will.
#17: The Others' List
While all three of the main characters introduced in Season Two and then fleshed out in the episode "The Other 48 Days" are now gone, we've hoped the storylines they introduced aren't as dead as they are. On that episode, we saw how the "tailies" -- including Ana-Lucia, Eko, Libby and Bernard -- found their group dwindling as the Others came and took several of their number over the course of various nights, with Eko the only one who managed to fight off their attempted kidnapping. When Ana-Lucia discovers one of their group, Goodwin, is an Other, she questions him, and he reveals the existence of a list. The author of this elite list of survivors wasn't revealed. There hadn't been any mention of the list since "The Other 48 Days." However, the most recent episode, "I Do," appears to have brought the list back into play, as the Other named Pickett mentions that Jack wasn't on "Jacob's list." We need to learn more about Jacob and his role in creating it. Is he Ben's superior, or is he somebody from the real world that is in charge of what is happening on the island?
#16: The "Good" People on the Others' List
When Goodwin reveals the existence of the Others' List to Ana-Lucia, he explains that the list is of "good people" among the castaways, and that those taken (and Eko) were on that list. The rest of the castaways, including Nathan, who Goodwin murdered, are not on the list, and thus by implication, not a good person. How did the person who wrote the list decide who was "good" among the castaways and what was the criteria? And did this list mean the Others knew exactly who was on the flight before it crashed or did they somehow quickly use spies like Ethan and Goodwin to learn which of the survivors were "good" and "bad"?
#15: Why Do the Others Want Children?
Throughout the series, the Others have continually abducted or attempted to abduct various children. These include Michael's son Walt, Emma and Zack from the "tailies" and Danielle Rousseau's daughter Alex, who was abducted 16 years ago. It was also revealed, in the episode "Maternity Leave," that the Others planned to remove Claire's baby while they held her captive. Luckily, Alex helped her escape before they could go through with their plans. Could the Others be incapable of having any children of their own? If so, is this is a side effect of the island's unusual nature? This could be a good explanation of why Ben claims that he has been on the island his whole life. It's possible that he was once an abducted child just like Alex -- who is now being raised by the Others herself. Maybe Juliet, a fertility doctor, was brought to the island to determine why the Others are incapable of having children.
#14: Surviving the Crash
One of the biggest questions in the series that has been completely ignored so far is: How did all of these people survive a plane crash? In real life, when an airplane falls and rips apart in midair there aren't very many survivors, if any at all. Were they all saved by the supernatural properties of the island? If so, why did the island see all the survivors as worth saving? Were they all destined to be on the island or is it just a coincidence? With so many coincidences and bizarre island happenings, one expects the overall reason to have something to do with the island's properties, or just plain old fate. Perhaps they've all been drawn to the island to have their previous ailments healed, question God/fate and to develop the ability to predict the future, before they get devoured by a black smoke monster. Makes sense.
#13: Christian Symbology
Though several religions have a presence on the island, Christianity seems to be the main point of divinity on Lost. Christian symbolism is literally everywhere, from the Virgin Mary statues that hold heroin to the church that Eko and Charlie attempt to build, and many things in between. One doesn't have to look too far to find the pervasively-used symbolism. It's so often used, in fact, that it must mean something. The real question in regards to Christianity and Lost is, quite simply, the focus on that religion over any other. Since the show seems to meld faith and science, the known and the unknown, it's a wonder just how far the religious question will go in the show, and what it will end up meaning to the overall scheme when all is said and done, When everything is known, what will the Christian symbols throughout the show represent, and how significant will they be? Charlie's dream sequences regarding Aaron and Eko's "Jesus Stick" are two Christian-driven plotlines that continue to have lasting consequences - certainly, the Christian symbolism will end up being no coincidence. Its significance right this minute, however, will simply lead to more questions instead of actual answers.
#12: The Others' Master Plan
Initially, the Others were intent on making the survivors of Flight 815 believe that they were primitives. Later we learn that they are living in a small community complete with plumbing and a book club. They have a submarine, tazers, guns, and are having Sawyer, Kate and a few others working on something "big." Ben has admitted to living on the island his whole life but also having access and the means to reach the outside world. So what could possibly be their master plan? In "Live Together, Die Alone," Ben stresses that the Others are "the good guys". But they take what they want by force, are abusive, manipulative and rarely give a straight answer. There are those who believe that for the greater good one must bend the boundaries of morality and ethics. This could certainly be the stance that the Others have taken. If the Others are indeed "good" then their goal is most likely to understand the unusual nature of the island and use that to benefit humanity. Imagine the possibilities if someone were to replicate the healing power of the island. Diseases could be cured and lives could be saved. Maybe that is why they are so hostile towards the Flight 815 survivors. The Others could view the survivors as possible specimens for their controlled experiments. Then again, it's quite possible that they are nothing more than a renegade group of the Dharma initiative that have decided to use the island's "powers" for their own means.
#11: What Hides the Island?
Various people have apparently been stranded on the island over the years -- the Black Rock, Henry Gale and his balloon, Desmond and his sailboat, and now Flight 815. There are two realms of explanation for why rescue searches and people like Penelope can't find the island and the now-missing people: a supernatural explanation and a scientific one. The supernatural explanation would hold that the island is hidden by magic or something else unexplainable. But the series producers have said in interviews that there is a rational, scientific explanation for everything that's happened thus far. Perhaps the island's (or islands's, if you count where the Others are keeping Kate, Jack & Sawyer) location was being somehow hidden by the hatch's electromagnet. The hatch's implosion, which turned up on a monitoring station that Penelope headed up, might mean that the island's location may not stay hidden for long. It's more likely, however, that the official explanation is something much more complex, perhaps part of a mystery that hasn't even been revealed yet.
