Revisiting the Top 50 Lost Loose Ends #1

In late 2006 IGN posted an article about the large pile of unanswered mysteries of Lost. Although many people bemoan the questions-outnumber-the-answers aesthetic of the show, I actually appreciate the arc for the unknown. I think deep down we all know what draws us to the show is the intrigue of mystery. What fun would it be to have all our questions answered? I, for one, will mourn the final answer when the show concludes. The IGN article is attractive because it delves into a large number of the island's goodies, all while encapsulating them in the favorite internet pastime of the ranking's list. The list was created during the break between the first six episodes and the rest of season three. Now that we've had some time to develop ideas and digest more information, let's revisit the list. For each entry, I'll note what the verdict on the mystery is to this point and perhaps posit some ideas along the way. Take a look at the original article to see what the original questions were; I don't have the room to repost the entire article. For the sake of the site's format, I'll break up the list into several posts.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V



#50: The Others and the Outside World
SOLVED

This question seems a bit low at #50. Regardless, I think we can safely throw a solved on this bad boy. We now know the Others and Dharma are not the same entity. Further, the others definitely have access to the outside world. All the info on the survivors came through the Flame's communication equipment. Some members even travel to the outside world via the sub. And, of course, we know why the Others don't want to leave the island. The island is the electromagnetic Field of Dreams.

#49: Who Is the Guy with the Eye Patch?
SOLVED

One of the coolest moments of the entire show came when "Patchy" showed up on one of the Pearl's televisions during "The Cost of Living." Looking back, not only did we lose Eko, but the scope of the island became even bigger when Mikhail and his eye patch momentarily graced our vision: an action-packed episode. Mikhail manned the Flame station and played a huge role in Season 3.

#48: Getting to the Prison Island
Partially Solved

The article seems to mesh several mysteries into one on this entry. If the main question is "how did Jack, Sawyer, and Kate not know they were moved to another island" then the answer is we have no idea. They were captured via drugging, so I would assume that is the ultimate answer.

But they also ask about other mysteries. We now know they had(?) a submarine. But as the Others and Jack departed from the Hydra and Alcatraz Island, they simply used boats to do so. It goes without saying that the two islands are not connected. I would say there is no underwater tunnel, but again that would be an assumption, albeit a highly likely one.

#47: The Quote on Eko's Stick: John 3:05
SOLVED

Eko guides Locke postmortem via the inscription on his stick. Thanks to some help from the sunlight, Eko's message allowed Locke to discover the Flame. As to whether the Gospel passage will turn out prophetic in some way is still up in the air, although one could argue the construction of a metaphor as Locke attempts to enter the kingdom of the Others by "cleansing" himself of his father.

#46: The Four-Toed Statue Foot
UNSOLVED

I'm not sure the promise made by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse that we would discover the statue predates Dharma in Season 3 was fulfilled. If it was, I certainly missed it. We know people inhabited the island before the Dharma Initiative, but the meaning and origins of the statue are still one of the biggest mysteries of the show. Theories on this one are aplenty; I won't even attempt a prediction.

#45: Why Were All the Guns in the Hatch?
MOST LIKELY SOLVED

Though never stated, the nearly certain answer to this question is for protection from the Hostiles. As we discovered in "The Man Behind the Curtain," the Dharma Initiative were armed for a full-fledged war against the people who turned out to be the Others. Away from the sonic fence at the barracks, the Initiative likely packed its members in the Swan to the teeth in case of an incursion.

#44: The Cable
SOLVED

A conundrum nearly as old as the show itself, the cable discovered by Sayid during "Solitary" and rediscovered by Hurley was always a high point of interest to Lost viewers. The speculation by IGN is dead on. We now know the cable leads to the Looking Glass station, an underwater point for blocking communications to and from the island. The bigger question regarding the cable to me now is: why didn't Charlie and Desmond just cut the cable? Did Charlie really need to dive to the station in order to disable the signal?

#43: Compass Bearing 325
UNSOLVED

Michael sailed away from his mutiny to the compass bearing of 325 at the end of Season 2. Exactly where this northwesterly direction would take Michael and Walt is still up in the air, as is any significance to the number itself. Michael was absent for Season 3, but Walt's eerie presence in the finale and the return of Michael four Season 4 might be the harbingers for some closure on this subject.

#42: The ? Hatch a.k.a. "The Pearl"
UNSOLVED

The significance of the Pearl is still a matter of speculation. Most of the other stations have distinct purposes, but the Pearl's ultimate reason for existence is still within the clutch of the writers. As to what happened to the team in the hatch, I think the question is largely irrelevant now, as their fate seems likely to be the same as the rest of the Initiative. The collection of information and the pneumatic vomiting into a field, however, is as big a question heading into Season 4 as it was when it was discovered.

#41: The Radio Tower
SOLVED

Perhaps the most recently solved mystery, the characters assaulted the radio tower in the Season 3 finale. Led by Rousseau, they discovered her looped tape, turned it off, and attempted to phone home. Cut and dry, it seems.