I have a lot to say about the last episode of LOST. So much so, that it’s hard to winnow it down to a sensible blog post.
For the record, I loved it.
I’m stymied by people who hated it, or think they know the One True Way the show ended, considering the clear intention of the creators was to leave it open.
If you think you know how it ends, you’re right. Unfortunately other people aren’t wrong and you should stop telling them they are.
Even if ABC told people they were wrong to think everyone died in the original crash. They’re taking responsibility for footage they inserted that led people to that idea. But even that is a valid enough theory, even if it’s mostly used by people who stopped watching the show to convince themselves they didn’t miss four great seasons of television somehow.
That blog post is still forming, and may in fact never come.
However, one of my favoritest bloggers: Mightygodking addressed this this morning. While I was inspired by his glib dismissal of many, frankly, stupid questions (many of which make me wonder what show some people were watching), I wanted to take a fairer crack at it.
First, the this in question:
As done by Mighty God King before me, in order:
1.) Why did the smoke monster kill the pilot?
He was the survivors’ best means off the island, and wasn’t apparently a candidate.
2.) What did Locke see when he saw the smoke monster?
The smoke monster.
3.) What’s with the polar bear in Walt’s comic?
It’s a polar bear? In a comic book.
It’s also a red herring (sort of) as to how/why the actual polar bear that shows up does so. That polar bear (and future ones) were left over from Dharma experiments.
4.) Where’s Christian Shepherd’s body if it’s not in the casket?
I have to agree with MGK, Smokey hid it.
5.) Why did the psychic insist that Claire fly on Oceanic 815 and why did he insist that Claire had to raise him?
Because he’s psychic and he knew his ends would be seen to (Claire raising the baby) if she got on that plane. Or some such similar impulse. He’s not 100%, so sue the guy.
Alternately, some agent of Jacob’s paid him to con the girl. If you like that more.
6.) Why did the Others want Walt so bad?
Because he’s a) a child, and b) a special one.
7.) Who sent Kate the letter about her mother being treated for cancer?
I’m guessing Kate’s father who she could’ve kept in touch with through drop boxes and the like. Really not an important enough question to bother including.
8.) Why does Walt appear to warn Locke about the hatch and how does he know about it?
Similar to the Australian psychic or Miles, Walt doesn’t really get too specific with his insights. He sensed dread around the thing and was right in several ways.
Not the least of which was that his father went on to murder two people inside of it.
9.) Why does the smoke monster make mechanical sounds?
I’ll admit to thinking this would have an answer once. It doesn’t. The monster makes monster sounds.
Because foley artists often pick familiar noises and put them in new situations. That’s why they’re called artists.
10.) How does Walt apparate before Shannon?
He’s psychic!
This really shouldn’t still be confusing people. It’s all pretty well demonstrated throughout his time on the show (“Has your son ever appeared somewhere he wasn’t”), including his appearance in Season Four.
His powers were amplified by the island, if you really need some sort of “why” about Walt’s power.
11.) How does Walt communicate with Michael using the Swan computer?
He was in another station, unsupervised. It was stated an intranet was established on the island.
(MGK’s answer may be just as likely: that one of the Other’s was messing with him, but I always assumed the above).
12.) What was the deal with Kate and that horse?
It’s a magic island that shows you what you need to see when you need to see it.
If this is the first you’re realizing that, I’m sorry.
13.) Why are supplies still being dropped on the island after the purge and by who?
This one is almost an actual question, so good job on that.
The Dharma Initiative was forced off the island up to and finally with the purge. However, the Dharma Initiative still exists in part throughout the world, if piecemeal (which was the only purpose of that first ARG from what I can tell).
Based on that, pick your favorite: a) Knowing that Radzinsky and Lex Luthor were still (supposedly) on the island, food drops were still contracted and attempted in and around the area Dharma thought the island to be. b) Mikhail still ordered/organized food drops as another way to provide for the Others (less likely considering the Looking Glass’s function, but not impossible), c) the food drops were mislaid through time, and Jacob let it through in order to keep his candidates alive.
14.) What triggered the lockdown, and who on earth would design black lights to light up showing secret thingies during the lockdown?
The food drop triggered the lockdown.
Radzinsky/Clancy Brown set up the black lights in order to draw his secret map. That was actually said by the way, so congratulations on watching the show.
15.) What happened to the original Henry Gale?
He died. Duh.
Listen, lots of people were brought to the island, had adventures and died. This was an established pattern on the show. You can’t keep worrying after each one. They weren’t the candidate, that’s the takeaway there.
Apparently his name was on one of the two lists of candidates we see, so there you go.
16.) What happened to Libby in between the mental hospital and getting on the tail section of flight 815?
What MGK said: “She got better.”
Hurley got better, you seem okay with that. Why is Libby that much more of a conundrum.
17.) Who built the four-toed statue?
Ancient people who were into that kind of thing. I’d be more concerned with where they quarried the rock from.
18.) Why does only one specific bearing get you off the Island?
Unique properties as usually defined as a pocket of electromagnetism surrounding the island.
This mystery was answered by way of: what happens if you don’t follow the bearing, Desmond’s first return on the Elizabeth, people generally not being able to find the place (or at least not again), the need for the Lamp Post, the Looking Glass’s original purpose, and a dozen other nudges. Sorry they weren’t explicit enough for you, but this was answered a hundred times.
19.) What are the heiroglyphics on the Swan countdown timer about?
The Dharma Initiative were a bunch of hippie scientists who thought things like making songs into security codes was a cute thing to do. They certainly encountered other instances of hieroglyphics and there you go.
20.) Why does Tom feel the need to wear a fake beard?
To fake out the survivors. This is seriously still bugging you?
21.) Who was Libby’s previous husband who gave her a boat to give to Desmond?
Some rich dude who owned a boat. It doesn’t need to be more than that.
It can be an associate of Widmore’s if that pleases you. Pick that economist you’re still worried about. Spooky, right?
22.) Why were there skeletons in the polar bear cave?
The bears ate them. Maybe they were Christian and Yemi.
23.) Where did the toy truck come from?
A child?
24.) How did Locke and Eko escape the hatch implosion?
The island (ie. Jacob) wasn’t done with them yet.
25.) Why couldn’t Locke talk after the hatch implosion?
The island (ie. Jacob) likes to play merry buggers with people to prove points.
26.) Why did the smoke monster kill Mr. Eko and why didn’t they just do it the first time they met?
Technically, what MGK said: Eko wanted off the show (paraphrased).
For a more in-Universe answer, because Eko had been revealed to no longer be a candidate and was thus fair game.
27.) What did Mr. Eko mean when he said “you’re next” after he died?
MGK’s answer is as good as mine: “He was trying to warn Locke that Locke was a person of interest to the smoke monster and wrongly concluded that, since the monster had killed him, it would similarly wish to kill Locke.”
28.) How disgusting was it when Hurley was eating from that tub of ranch dressing?
Yeah, I guess.
29.) Why did Yemi’s body disappear?
See above answer about Christian Shepherd. When a device is used more than once, presume it’s on purpose even if that purpose isn’t evident.
Or like I said, maybe the bears moved it to their cave just to fuck with you.
30.) Why does Danny say that Jack wasn’t on the list when he was?
Because Danny wasn’t privy to the proper list? The cave wasn’t exactly a hot spot of activity.
31.) Why can’t women on the island have babies and what does that have to do with anything?
Finally, another question that isn’t just nitpicking or flat out not paying attention.
I used to think it was tied to the Tawaret statue, as she was a fertility goddess. Once it fell, boom, no more babies.
But as seen when Ethan is born, it has to have happened between 1977 and the present.
Due to the chemicals let out in the Purge? Due to the ORIGINAL (1984) incident as mentioned on the blast door map? Something to do with lingering spirits, or because Jacob and/or the man in black were all messed up about kids for awhile? I’ll admit this one isn’t answered necessarily to my satisfaction, but clues abound to reach a modest conclusion.
Lastly, if Ms. Goodspeed spent any of that time off the island, I can return to my theory that the Tawaret statue is an appeal to protect women in labor which would explain why Mother was so crazy about getting her hands on some babies.
Mostly it was a dramatic buzzer to beat.
32.) What was that Russian letter in Mikhail’s typewriter?
A letter he was writing. In Russian. It’s private. Mind your business.
Maybe it was his novel, considering it’s red-lined.
33.) Why is the supply drop menu hidden behind a game of computer chess?
See #19. The D.I. were a bunch of smarty-smart-pants hippies who thought this kind of shit was a productive use of their time.
34.) Why did Ben give Juliet that weird mark as a punishment? What was that about?
Some pseudo-religious iconography in order to mark her as punished. Y’know, like exactly what it was said to be?
35.) What’s the deal with Jack’s tattoos?
There’s an entire wasted episode dedicated to this.
You know that because it’s the same one where Juliet gets her brand. Did you just not watch the episode? No one blames you.
36.) Desmond knew a monk? How did that monk know Eloise?
Eloise spent her time off the island raising her son in a way as to avoid and/or steer him toward his fate to travel back in time where she would shoot him.
His notebook included very detailed notes which she followed to be in a series of precise locations at precise times. She also apparently ran a church in LA, as well as getting a part time job as a diamond salesperson. Somehow the monk works in there.
If I think about it for even a second, seriously: As she was tracking the would-be life of Desmond Hume she knew he would become a monk at that Abbey and acquainted herself with said Monk. Wow, that was hard.
37.) Why did Ben see his dead mother?
The Smoke Monster led Ben to the Others in order to get him to push the Dharma Initiative off the island.
Or trapped spirits similar to the way Claudia appeared to Smokey.
38.) Who decided it was time to kill the Dharmites in a purge?
Ben. Maybe Widmore.
Possibly even Jacob, but that seems furthest fetched as genocide is more a Smoke Monster thing.
39.) What happened to Ben’s childhood friend?
While MGK’s answer is funnier, I assume she died young which hardened Ben that much more (and explains his melancholy upon inspecting the dolls).
Otherwise she could’ve just left the island. Even as late as 1977. Not seeing her during that time isn’t proof she wasn’t around, considering the only children we see are Ben, and babies Ethan and Miles. Though I’ll grant you it’s odd she wouldn’t come see him when he was hurt.
40.) Why did Desmond have a false vision of Claire and Aaron leaving the island on a helicopter?
Hey, this is almost three fairly decent questions. Look at you.
Psychic powers are fallible? Desmond saw Aaron and assumed Claire was with him? Desmond lied so as to grease Charlie’s wheels (assuming rescue was to follow, not to be mean)? The future changed by another participant’s a’doings? Stop worrying, love the bomb?
41.) How does Mikhail keep coming back to life?
The island has curative properties matched with a resilient Russian spirit for a deadly combination.
Either that or Mikhail’s player was a min-maxer.
42.) Why does Walt tell Locke that he still has work to do?
Because he does?
43.) Whose eye appeared in the cabin?
Whoever was hiding in there this whole time. Someone clearly was using this place as a refuge, though it’s never made clear who.
Points for another question that actually has some heft, but it’s hardly the most bothersome mystery on Haunted, Magic Island.
44.) Where did Miles get that picture of Ben?
It was given to him by Naomi or some other agent on the boat to show him what the guy he was looking for looked like.
This isn’t even a little bit of a mystery. This is common sense.
45.) Who’s the R.G. on Naomi’s bracelet?
Her boyfriend/girlfriend/or some such shit. It was only meant to drive home that Naomi was a person and somewhere someone would care that she was dead. Not everything is a clue.
46.) Why is there a difference between the times?
See #18: pocket of electromagnetic energy. Also fairly well talked around.
47.) Who is “the economist” and why did Ben want him dead?
Someone who works for or around Widmore. Because Ben was getting revenge on Widmore for killing his daughter.
48.) Why was Ben so surprised that they could kill Alex?
MGK again: “For god’s sake, I don’t even have to make anything up here: Ben explicitly said that he had thought he knew all the rules of the Island and that it turned out that he didn’t.”
49.) If the smoke monster can’t leave the island and Christian Shepherd is the smoke monster, how did Christian appear in LA and on the freighter?
Because Jacob can leave/send messages off the island and/or Jack was simply hallucinating from sleep deprivation and pill usage.
On the freighter: I assume is within the Smoke Monster’s ability to project. And/or Michael could now see dead people as per his near death experiences. Maybe Walt got it from somewhere?
50.) How did the monster get into Jacob’s cabin?
MGK’s is funnier (and apt) but the ring of ash had been broken, then he walked in.
51.) Why ask Locke not to tell anybody that he saw Claire in the cabin?
Sorry to keep cribbing MGK’s answers, but when he’s not being glib for glibness sake, he’s dead on: “Because if Locke had told, say, Kate that he’d seen Claire, then maybe more of the candidates would have stayed on the island, which just makes the smoke monster’s job of ‘kill or remove all the candidates’ more difficult.”
52.) Why did Ghost Horace direct Locke to the cabin and tell him Jacob was waiting there?
It is possible Jacob sometimes hung out in the cabin. That’s where Jacob’s team goes first and are then directed to statue. Also there’s a ring around it to keep out the monster for a reason. Either way, if true, Jacob was gone by then.
Ether that or MGK calls it and the Smoke Monster is lying to get Locke there.
53.) Why did the Oceanic Six name Charlie, Boone and Libby as the other three survivors? What’s the logic in that?
Who cares? Seriously, that’s not a mystery.
Regardless, MGK’s answer is well thought out: “I’ll give you three guesses and the first two can’t rhyme with ‘those three people were definitively dead, as opposed to others who might escape the island and disprove the Six’s story’.”
54.) Why does Miles decide to stay on the island?
Because the hot girl was staying? Curiosity? Whyever he did, he survived the finale, so good on him.
55.) What is the deal with the frozen wheel?
You turn it and it moves the island/teleports you away.
They show you that. Is there a more specific question you’d rather be asking here?
How it works? Magic. And/or electromagneticism.
And/or electromagictism!
56.) Why does Ben insist that the Oceanic Six, as well as Locke, must return to the island?
That’s what he was told, expressly, by Eloise Hawking. You did watch this show, right?
57.) Why don’t the rules of time travel apply to Desmond?
Because he was exposed to massive amounts of Special Island Sauce. This was pretty well talked around too.
58.) Who were the people trying to kill Sayid and Hurley?
People Ben hired as he did the lawyers who harass Kate, etc. Either that or Widmore’s people, but as they weren’t trying to actually kill them, I’m assuming Ben.
59.) Ben asked his butcher friend, who was holding Locke’s body, if Gabriel and Jeffrey had checked in yet – who are any of these people?
MGK’s got a good guess that they are the people trying to “kill” (with darts, not bullets, btw) Sayid and Hurley from one question ago.
Regardless, Ben/the Others had established a network of people off the island. This isn’t the first we’ve seen it, although I admit I wish they’d come back to that in some way. Still, not a make or break mystery, but I’ll give it to you.
Hey, you’re up to four! Out of 60!
60.) What was Ben hiding when he took something out of the vent and put it in his bag?
The gun with which to shoot Penny. Or some such similar who cares?
61.) When the gang was unstuck in time, who was that shooting at them from the outrigger?
Hey good job, this one was actually unanswered too!
I assumed at the time this was Ilana and the gang from Ajira. But they weren’t shoot first/ask questions later kind of people. Especially considering they were supposed to protect some of these people.
That was never shown. Could’ve been Others from some unknown time, Rousseau’s people as MGK suggests, or a scene that never got filmed or was cut.
Regardless, again, this isn’t really a make or break question, albeit an unanswered one.
62.) Who sent Sun a gun and pictures of Jack and Ben?
Charles Widmore or one of his assigns. Duh.
63.) Who attacked Sayid at the hospital and why did he have Kate’s address?
See answers #58 and #59 and stop pretending these are separate questions just to pad your list of complaints.
64.) Why was the smoke monster at the temple?
It was under the temple and moved around the island through a series of underground tunnels. I’ll grant you that this is slightly more obscure than some of the obvious stuff on this list, but it was still pretty well demonstrated throughout the show.
At some point a body of people built the temple in honor of the powers of this island. Perhaps they built the series of tunnels separately in order to respect or give the monster his due (as evidenced by the Anubis heiroglyph above the vent). This is one of those spaces intentionally left blank by the show runners.
65.) When did the temple become like an anti-smoke monster fortress?
When they all freaked out and started pouring ash on the ground. Apparently Dogen is involved in keeping him out separate to that, but it seems fairly clear M.I.B. couldn’t move on the place until Jacob was dead as seen by how they reacted to that news.
66.) How did the producers of the hit TV show “Expose” deal with the death of their two lead actors?
Nikki was already dead on the show, that was the beginning of that very episode. Again, paying attention helps. The other three(?) girls were the lead actors.
Paolo was the Producer’s cook and in no way attached to the show. Watching LOST would have answered that for you.
67.) How did Eloise come to run the Lamp Post?
She wanted to. She had money, influence, and knowledge, a fairly significant triple threat.
68.) Who figured out that a pendulum set up that way could predict the island’s movements? Who figured that out?
I love MGK’s answer: “Daniel Faraday, back in the 1970s.” even if it had to be built before that to find the island in the first place.
Otherwise, some smart people working for Alvar Hanso was my best guess. The church as well as the faith healer’s in the outback are on similar but lesser pockets of energy as established on… that’s right, this show you’re saying never told you anything.
69.) Why did those returning to the island need to recreate the circumstances of their first arrival?
Eloise was hedging a guess or giving them all an insignificant ritual to feel as if they were part of it.
70.) Why did Jack, Kate and Hurley go from that Ajira flight to the 70s, and why didn’t Sun?
Sun wasn’t the candidate. This is also why she was trapped by the sub explosion and Jin wasn’t.
71.) How did Richard bypass the sonic death fence?
We see that he is aware of secret tunnels leading throughout the island. Also that he knows more about this place than they do.
Although MGK’s made me smile: “Because the Dharmites assumed Richard was like the smoke monster. Interestingly, Richard is not a smoke monster, and can do things like, say, ‘tinker with controls on a sonic death fence’ or ‘put up a ladder next to the sonic death fence and then go over it’.”
72.) How did Ethan go from the Dharma Initiative to a member of the Others?
The Others recruit children all the time. Seriously, you’d know that if you watched the show.
73.) What’s with all the heiroglyphics under the temple?
They were put there by hieroglyphic-writing people. Probably Egyptians. Maybe not.
74.) Why did Widmore tell Ben to kill Rousseau and the baby, and then let Ben keep the baby anyway?
He was removing foreign elements from his island (at the time he was leader). Ben called his bluff and he backed down.
This would be one in several steps Ben made to take the island over. That’s pretty well implied in that very episode.
75.) Why did Daniel leave the Island in the 70s, and why does he tell Jack that he doesn’t belong there?
He joined the Dharma Initiative in Ann Arbor to continue his rather unique research. He came back when he (wrongly) presumed you could change history with a big enough rock.
His being wrong would be the important part of that equation and this was answered within an episode of it being brought up if I remember correctly.
76.) Why does Richard think he saw everyone in the 1977 Dharma picture die?
Bomb blow up, everybody gone. Huh, they must’ve died.
77.) Who broke the circle of ash around Jacob’s cabin?
Claire. That’s why Smokey needed her.
78.) Why can Jacob leave the island, but the smoke monster can’t?
Because Jacob makes the rules.
79.) Jacob uses his last breath to say “they’re coming,” but who are they?
Jacob’s people, Ilana and Bram. The 1977 folks, including his remaining candidates? Widmore? Desmond? Any of a number of people who show up on the island after that.
80.) What’s the deal with the pool bringing people back to life?
It’s a magic island with curative properties as established every couple of episodes in every season since “Walkabout” aired.
81.) Why did it bring back Sayid with an English accent?
Shut up.
He croaks out the line, it didn’t even sound English. At worst it’s poorly delivered.
82.) What is the infection? How did Claire get infected? How did Sayid get infected? Why did Sayid need to take a poison pill when all it took to uninfect Sayid was a simple argument from Desmond?
Infection is just a word for it.
He is possessed of evil Smoke Monster-type energy that the island also houses. Making people callous and alien to those they knew.
Dogen is a pragmatist who has apparently never seen someone argued out of that state. He wants the pill taken willingly in order to follow through Jacob’s theme of choice, or to help preserve the goodness left in the soul by having them go to it willingly.
While I admit the whole thing was a little MacGuffiny, it also wasn’t all that harrowing a mystery.
83.) Why was the smoke monster surprised that Sawyer could see young Jacob?
Because he was used to being the only one who could see dead people. You want me to tell you where that was established? Rhymes with “frost”.
84.) What’s the magic lighthouse about?
One of several ancient devices used to harness the magic on the magic island.
Maybe by Egyptians. Maybe Romans. Precursors to what the Dharma Initiative did anyways. Which was well established as the cycle this island goes through.
85.) How does Dogen being alive keep the smoke monster out?
Jacob makes the rules.
86.) What happened to the flight attendant Cindy? And the kids?
They got away. Forming the first of Hurley’s Others somewhere in the woods. Happy now?
In other words: who knows, it’s not important.
87.) Why didn’t Sun tell Jin to leave so their daughter wouldn’t be an orphan?
MGK again: “Because sometimes people don’t think clearly when they are in the middle of a sinking submarine, oddly enough.”
88.) Where did Jacob and Smokie’s mother come from?
MGK: “A boat! Presumably a Roman one.”
Seriously, you should watch this show sometime. It’s pretty boss.
89.) Where did Jacob and Smokie’s other mother come from?
The same way Claudia did, only earlier.
90.) Who finished the magic wheel that combines “water and light” and when did it freeze up?
The next people who came to the island. Potentially under the guidance of Smokey. Maybe just part of that whole cycle thing I just mentioned.
91.) What is the nature of the light?
It’s the magic island’s magic. Duh.
Call it: left over Creation stuff, soul jizzum, electromagnetic energy, raw potential, whatever.
92.) Magic wine? Seriously?
The wine isn’t magical, it’s just part of the presentation. Even the words aren’t magical considering Jack doesn’t use them. It’s just a little pomp and circumstance in order to make the whole thing feel official.
93.) Why did Zoe want an electromagnetic map of the island?
That was her job? Presumably to try and triangulate the heart of the island based on known pockets of the stuff.
94.) Why did electromagnetism send Desmond into the afterlife?
MGK’s got this one handled too: “Because it nearly killed him.” That’s good enough for me.
95.) Wasn’t Sayid’s solemate Nadia?
Apparently not. I actually prefer this ending as it gives his relationship with Shannon anything other than “that blonde I banged that time”.
Plus as MGK establishes in a separate post. In summary: Sayid’s prevailing feelings for Nadia stemmed from guilt. What he felt for Shannon was more pure from that standpoint.
96.) Why weren’t Michael, Walt, Lapidus, Eko, or any of the other characters at the church?
Michael’s trapped on the island as a whisper.
Walt went on to live a life and form other, more meaningful connections.
Lapidus barely knew these assholes.
Eko wanted 5x the offered amount to appear and that’s just unreasonable. Also his soul was resolved as seen throughout his truncated storyline.
And there you have it. Most of these are not only straightforward, but answered directly on the show. Some were more inferred than others. Some were implicit where I guess people wanted them to be explicit, with cocks out and everything.
Most of the so-called “dead-ends” were merely setting the scene that what happened with our survivors has been happening since the beginning of time.
That was established in the first episode when you heard a French woman’s distress call from 16 years earlier, and continued through to the third to last episode when we see Claudia show up (pregnant) and there’s already someone there.
We the viewers have been armed with just enough information to draw our own conclusions, which may be frustrating to some of you, but is all in all preferable to them telling you how wrong you are for having a theory of your own.
