Revisiting the Top 50 Lost Loose Ends #3

Part three of a series revisiting IGN's article, "Top 50 Lost Loose Ends." For part one and for more information about the original article and the series, point your browser here. In this edition, we'll discuss and throw a verdict onto 10 more of IGN's top Lost mysteries, #30 through #21.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V



#30: Ben's Always Lived on the Island
SOLVED

We discovered all we could handle on this sucker. First of all, Ben lied about being born on the island. Secondly, IGN's speculation about him coming to the island as a young boy via Dharma was spot on. Almost too spot on. The real payoff of this mystery came from how a young Dharma boy morphed into the leader of the Others. Can you say gaseous Purge?

#29: Where Was Desmond Hiding His Boat?
UNSOLVED

A great question. Though the island is larger than your typical I-can-monitor-all-shores isle, one would think a sail boat of that size would have found detection at some point. The Others certainly were wrapped up with some things (fertility, etc), but if Desmond resided on the island for three years, where was it hidden? I can understand the Others' lack of intrusion to the Swan much more than I can to a sail boat sitting at harbor for three years. This mystery will most likely never be answered due to its seeming lack of importance.

#28: Survivors Captured by the Others
SOMEWHAT SOLVED

Season 3 did give us the answer to the "where" part of the mystery when Cindy and the children talk with Jack in the cages. Cindy later interacts briefly with Locke after he has taken up residence in the tent town o'the Others. Although a slight insight into what the Others are up to and why they take/accept outsiders has been given by the writers, we still don't really know why they were taken or what the Others really want with them. Cindy seems to be sold on the utopia the Others peddle. I am sure time will sow many fruit on this question.

#27: The Dharma Shark
UNSOLVED

Juliet clues us in that the Hydra was the likely origin of Ezra J. Sharkington (nom de plume of Mr. Shark, says the official podcast), but how it got into the ocean or what its purpose was are still two unchecked boxes on the mystery list. I am sure the exploits of the Dharma Initiative and their infiltration into the wild (thanks to the Purge? But why would the Others want to unleash polar bears and sharks?) will emerge in the coming seasons.

#26: Libby
UNSOLVED

Damon and Carlton have hinted at big things with Libby's background, but we learned zilch in Season 3. Could she be Dharma-related? The Others? My money is on Dharma over the Others, but as is the Lost tradition, anything is possible. I strongly suspect we will learn more about Libby in Season 4, but are those answers included in the first eight episodes?

#25: The Black Rock
PARTIALLY SOLVED

In my estimation, the biggest questions relating to the Black Rock still go unanswered. Why is it in the middle of the jungle? Tsunami? Purple sky? And how did it end up lured to the island? The Black Rock had no radio to snag those pesky numbers, the plague that afflicted Rousseau. We have learned a bit about the ship, however, mostly thanks to the ARG Find815. The survivors correctly assumed the vessel was a slaving ship, which was verified by the ARG. We also now know that Magnus Hanso was the captain of said vessel. The connections always become more complex! Does the Black Rock hold the key to the origin of the "natives?" My Magic 8 Ball gives me a murky yes.

#24: Michael & Walt
UNSOLVED

Two of IGN's questions were answered in Season 3. We know the Others were more than happy to boot Walt as far away as possible. Apparently Walt is a bit more of a special boy than they could handle, as evidenced in the Missing Pieces episode called "Room 23." It seems Walt really warmed it up for Karl. Also, we definitely saw Walt on the show again, as he convinced Locke to put the ancient gun down and finish his work. The larger mysteries of Michael and Walt, of course, remain unsolved, but some clarity seems imminent, as at least Michael returns in Season 4.

#23: Desmond Can See the Future
SOLVED

Most of the questions about Desmond's premonitions were answered in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and subsequent episodes. The implosion definitely triggered Desmond's abilities and they usually come in the vision form, not guided by a dead Lostie. Although most of the visions involved Charlie's death, they also managed to portent the arrival of Naomi. Whether Desmond will continue to see the future or not is still up in the air. To this point, IGN, Desmond's lack of clothes after the implosion has not been a foreshadowing of a survivor nudist colony.

#22: The Hatch Implosion
UNSOLVED

One of the larger conundrums of the island, how exactly does the electromagnetism function, what are its effects, and how did Dharma harness or control it? Further, what exactly did the fail-safe key do? Is the juice now constantly flowing? Or is it now out of the bag forever? The greater properties of the island will likely be one of the last major reveals on the show, so pack your bags for the journey on this question. To me, the electromagnetism, the hatch, the numbers, etc, have always been one of the greatest allures to the show, so I can't wait to discover the answer to this mystery.

#21: Christian's Body
UNSOLVED

I hear rumblings that this entry could move from unsolved to solved in the near future. Indeed, near nothing has been revealed about this question for quite some time. We have seen Christian alive via flashbacks inordinately more than Jack has wondered about his father's body, somewhat puzzling, especially since he followed his father's apparition into the jungle.