Hello everyone, this is my first post but I have been a member of the fuselage for a while now.

So...in Abandoned we were giving more hints as to when Shannon's flashback occurred relative to the plane crash. We find out the Shannon is 18 years old in the flashback. For all you Dave Matthews Band fans out there.....me being a huge fan.....did you notice their song Stay playing in the background in Shannon's apartment??? For those of you who aren't big DMB fans, Stay was on the album Before These Crowded Streets, which was released in late 1998 or early 1999 (you could have gotten it off Napster in late 1998!!)

I'm not sure what the episode was, but I thought Shannon told Hurley she was 21 years old. If she was telling him the truth, then the plane crash occurred in late 2001 or early 2002.

Any thoughts on this?

If the song was available in early 1999 it could have been played anytime after that. She could be 18 in 2001 listening to her favorite DMB song. Remember, Sayid got a worried stare from the passenger next to him while on the plane, indicating that the flight is probably post 9/11/2001. Sure, it could've been late 2001 which would make it Spring in the South Pacific, but I'm more inclined to think it was more like September or October of 2004.

I believe the song was in there to go more with the story line. "Stay" Shannon so you can be responsible, or "Stay" Boone so I can hang with you in NY. Goes along with the Abandoned theme.

Because that you could only listen to that song in the years 1998 and 1999?

I bought the CD that song is on (Before These Crowded Streets) in April/May of 1998. I was so excited to hear a DMB song on the show. 2 of my favorite things.

Boone asked shannon where her marky mark poster was ans she said she was 18 now blah blah blah and that was way early 90's - any thoughts on that? I am thinking maybe the crash happened even earlier than 2004.

I thought the Marky Mark remark was odd, because it's been nearly a decade since he was "Marky Mark." Maybe that was just a way if referencing how long Boone had been gone.

As far as the DMB song in the background- loved that, BIG fan- I can't see how that really connects the timeline, other than to show us that she was 18 sometime after 1998.

If you put the 2 things together, it might give a better clue though. If she was 18 when that song was out, but still close enough to when Marky Mark was popular, that would lead me to believe it was around '98. I've always been a believer that the plane took off in 2003.

Anyone being wondering about the time line - I can recommend a the following site and the time line there, it is really good!!! Except for the thing that sannon is stated to be born in 1984...
http://www.cubit.net/lost/timeline.php?PHPSESSID=38b3a31f8a781ec2f16e35935dd c6eb7

About the plane taking off in 2003 - why would the canns in Ray Mullins pantry be labeled 2004 then?

I, too, am a big DMB fan. I'm a bit confused by the comment that the plane could have taken off in 2003 though? Mainly just because if you think about Claire she couldn't have been pregnant back in 2003 and given birth in 2005. Unless there is some sort of weird time thing going on and then in that case who knows! :)

Damon Lindelof, in an interview in the Lost Chronicles official companion book mentions that the people on the island are still living in October of 2004. The book came out before the 2nd season so the plane would have crashed in September 2004 probably.

But that still doesnt dispute the timeline theory. Sure you can comment that the survivors are still living in 2004, especially if they are on the island years later, they were still "living" in 2004.