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.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Revisiting the Top 50 Lost Loose Ends #3
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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.