LOST Recap

First of all I want to thank my lovely gal pal Anna. She’s a real trooper and re-watched the first 3 seasons of LOST with me in less than a month. This usually meant 5 to 6 episodes a night. And 8 or so on the weekends. We took a silent vote and we both chose LOST as the best show of all time. And it’s 10x’s better watching them in a huge chunk like that. You’re able to see a big macro picture and see how the details connect with other as opposed to waiting weeks or months in between episodes. I also thought I would get bored since I’ve already seen all the episodes, but I think they’re better the 2nd time around. I know not everyone has the ability or the time to sit down and obsess over the show like I do so I thought I’d give you my best big picture vantage point or theory now that I’ve seen so many episodes in such a short time.

The island has been around forever. People have lived on the island going way back, probably as far back as centuries (the big 4 toed foot that Sayid saw from the boat, the temple that Alpert was taking the Others to while Ben intercepted the Losties at the radio tower).

Richard Alpert (maybe others, Jacob?) have been on the island this entire time. Ben was brought (summoned) to the island by Jacob. Ben and his father came via the Dharma Initiative. Dharma was founded by Alavar Hanso (his great, great grandfather Magnus Hanso was the captain of the Black Rock and wanted to get to the island to). Hanso wanted the island for it’s powers. He wanted to harness the power for his Dharma Initiative. The Others (referred to as the Hostiles by Dharma) decided to fight back against Dharma. This is when Jacob “summoned” Ben to the island. And Ben and Alpert and the Others “purged” the island of Dharma. I think at that time, they found a way to jam/block any attempt at finding the island. That’s when the electro-magnetic field went up and blocked anybody from finding it.

Dharma wants to get back to the island. But without anybody (the rest of the world) knowing. So they A) sent the plane their on purpose (and other people, Danielle, Desmond) to crash and send in people that would upset the balance of the Others and create an advantage so that they could come back, and/or B) staged the crash of Flight 815 so that the rest of the world would think they were dead and they wouldn’t find the island.

I think the people coming to the island (the Not Penny’s Boat) are a part of the Dharma Initiative trying to make it back onto the island. This is Naomi and her team that are coming to “rescue” them. I think they are coming to A) secure the island and B) to get revenge for Ben and Alpert killing the entire Dharma Initiative that was on the island.

I think Penny and her dad (Widmore) have connections to Ben and those who have been on the island forever. Or at least her dad does. I think Penny wants to find Desmond. And I think Widmore helped facilitate or pushed Desmond to end up on the island so that he’s away from his daughter.

Now for the supernatural. There are a group of people who exist outside of time. Jacob. Alpert. The lady in the ring shop with Desmond. Maybe even the priest at Desmond’s abbey (he had a picture with the ring shop lady on his desk). This group of people lives in the world as everyday people, helping to shepherd or steer people in the right directions when they (the island people, the Others) need something. These are special people. Most of them live off the island, but perhaps from time to time (if they die?) they end up at the island as a sort of sanctuary. I think Alpert is one of these people.

I think Ben, John, and Walt all have some of these “abilities” or “powers”. That’s why Jacob/the island brings them there. Jacob originally chose Ben but Ben lost Jacob’s favor. And Jacob decided that he was done with Ben and now wants to start using John. That’s why Ben didn’t get his cancer healed. And that’s why John did get healed. Jacob is operating/working through John. Everyone around John gets healed. John just doesn’t realize nor is he aware of his powers.

Ben realizes this and tries to use John. But then John makes him take him to Jacob. Ben sees Jacob. But John doesn’t. But John hears him. Maybe Jacob only appears in certain ways. To Ben it was by sight. To John it is by hearing. Jacob wants John to help him. This scares Ben because he knows he’s lost Jacob’s blessing/power. Alpert realizes this and that’s why he gave John the info about Sawyer. Everyone is getting tired of Ben manipulating and lying to stay in control. Everyone knows that Ben is slipping and no longer in charge. Juliet has alluded to this. Alpert has alluded to this. Ben is on the outs and John is the new golden boy. So Ben shoots John. But of course Jacob appears to John as Walt and tells him he has work to do.

So that’s the easy part.

Now . . . I think the island, Jacob, Alpert, the “special” people in the world are very spiritual. Whereas, Dharma is very material and “secular”. I think this is the whole allusion to the black and white, the good and the evil, the yin and the yang. The backgammon pieces. The rocks in the cave.

Now this is my theory. I think there are two monsters. One good. And one evil. Or maybe there is just 1, but it has the ability to see whether a person is good or bad. My guess is that there is a spirit (what we know as the monster, Jacob’s mind?) that floats around the island protecting it. This is the thing that Locke saw that he said was beautiful. Anyway . . . the smoke monster’s job is to protect the island. And again, I think it’s Jacob’s mind or spirit. And has the ability to know whether someone is good or bad.

The Others are made up of a wide group of people. Some like Alpert who stand outside time. Some like Ben who came to the island later. Some who Ben has recruited for experiments (like Juliet). I think “the Others” are made up of a bunch of different group of “Others”. Basically, people the island/Jacob deemed worthy to stay. So they all sort of assimilated into one group.

That pretty much explains the big/meta mythology stuff. Obviously, I think Naomi’s group are there to capture Ben and take the island back for Dharma. Jack and a few people get to leave the island. Something major happens after they leave (or while they’re still there) that makes them want to go back.

I think Ben is the guy in the coffin.

And that’s all I have. See the comments for some mild spoilers.

As a side note, I’ll more than likely live-blog the premiere and post my reflections in real time. Should you be so inclined.