For the last few hours, I have been more confused that I've ever been after an episode. And then it started to all come to light for me...

Choice... Freewill.... Loops... I don't know where to begin, but I'm so excited I'm shaking right now.

I just realized that they're in a loop. Not necessarily a time loop which, mods, I realize is being discussed on another thread. Rather... sigh, let me explain:

The button is a loop in and of itself. Once Desmond turned the failsafe key, he broke through that loop. And for whatever reason, this enabled him to remember that he had previously realized that he had lived through this before. (That's a real head banger of a a sentence) But for some reason (probably by Dharma's design), every time he realized this during the loop, he was somehow made to forget it again.

But, again, once he finally made the Choice to turn the failsafe key (remember, the thing which Kelvin asked... do you have the courage to blow this whole thing up?), he broke through the loop and while "outside" the loop, he was able to remember that he had come to the revelation that he had lived this all out before.

Whoa.

And it seems all the other Losties have loops of their own. Their own loops with their own Choices to make. After they make a choice to change the way their loop is playing out, a lot of them seem to die. That's been pointed out before, but not quite in this context. Just thought I'd throw that in there too.

So while Desmond is now, in a fit of frustration, thinking that there's nothing they can do to change it... they can, and he did. He just doesn't know it yet?

So... "where are we?"
100%
This all coincides with everything that's ever happened since... oh my goodness!

In Episode 2 of the 1st Season, we were handed a huge clue. Danielle's radio transmissions. The iterations... were those how many times she had gone through her loop with the island? That would really answer the questions of "have they been planning this from the get-go", etc.

I'm flipping out right now... this is so insane if you try to apply this to everything. I've got to rest. :eek2:

almost like a cracked out "Butterfly Effect" ??

No, I think what we have is something much more relevant than that. ;) But yeah, you get what I'm saying. That can only be part of it though.

For the last few hours, I have been more confused that I've ever been after an episode. And then it started to all come to light for me...

Choice... Freewill.... Loops... I don't know where to begin, but I'm so excited I'm shaking right now.

I just realized that they're in a loop. Not necessarily a time loop which, mods, I realize is being discussed on another thread. Rather... sigh, let me explain:

The button is a loop in and of itself. Once Desmond turned the failsafe key, he broke through that loop. And for whatever reason, this enabled him to remember that he had previously realized that he had lived through this before. (That's a real head banger of a a sentence) But for some reason (probably by Dharma's design), every time he realized this during the loop, he was somehow made to forget it again.

But, again, once he finally made the Choice to turn the failsafe key (remember, the thing which Kelvin asked... do you have the courage to blow this whole thing up?), he broke through the loop and while "outside" the loop, he was able to remember that he had come to the revelation that he had lived this all out before.

I like your theory. Something I noted in that other time thread seems to have more relevance here.

The old woman who seemed very determined to keep Desmond in his loop, pushing the button, was wearing an Ouroboros brooch, the very symbol of cyclicality. How does she fit into your theory?

I like your ideas. It makes a lot of sense to me especially in light of the iterations in Danielle's radio transmissions. Has Locke "looped" through before too? He always seems to "know" things. Sometimes it seems to be more than being convinced that his way is best.

If Desmond has lived through this several times, has he told Penelope about it in the same way that he tried to tell his physicist friend in tonight's episode? If so, I wonder if she has begun to put some pieces together that have led her to hiring the two guys who have now "located" Des (last episode, 2nd season). I can't wait to pick up from that point again. I've always thought that the scene where Desmond is on the beach, throwing rocks in the water, is like he's watching for Penelope to come. Do you think he knows that she will?

you may have something here. it has seemed like locke also knows things. like when he knew where charlie's guitar was.

I like your theory. Something I noted in that other time thread seems to have more relevance here.

The old woman who seemed very determined to keep Desmond in his loop, pushing the button, was wearing an Ouroboros brooch, the very symbol of cyclicality. How does she fit into your theory?


That is an excellent observation (one that I hadn't caught) and it plays in perfectly with the second half of my theory. This part I came up with almost a year ago, but here I'll also explain how it fits in with what I've posted tonight...

It has been my theory for about a year now that Dharma has been setting up "plants" throughout the lives of our Losties. The plants are there to direct their lives down specific paths which will eventually lead them onto Oceanic flight 815. Examples of these plants, in my opinion, can be seen in- the psychic that Claire visits, various people's fathers (Jack's, Kate's, Locke's), Helen (Locke's girlfriend), Claire's boyfriend, etc. There are a startling number of possibilities when you begin to look at things this way. This also explains (to some degree) why so many of The Others seem to pop up randomly in the Losties lives.

For example: (in theory) The psychic at first refuses to do Claire's reading, then after being approached and threatened by Dharma, he relents and gives her her reading. He makes the reading play out just as Dharma instructed him and then gives her the tickets for a flight which *has* to be that specific flight, no other. This is one of many examples.

Another is Jack's father, who I'm figuring has also been approached by Dharma at sometime in Jack's life. Weighed down by the guilt of what he's allowing to happen to his son and, because of this guilt, a strained relationship with him; he becomes an alcoholic. Then, when Dharma deems it the right time, they tell Christian to board a plane and fly to Sydney. Of course, Jack's mother is also forced to play along and sends Jack after his father. I won't go into uneeded speculation on "why" details, but the Initiative knocks Christian off and thus gets Jack on a plane out of Sydney.

So this is all nice enough, but where am I going with it? Ok-

Most of us probably remember what was revealed in the Lost Experience last summer, right? Well, all of this orchestrating, this whole charade, is all a way to get them onto the island without knowing of Dharma's intentions. All in an effort to change at least one of the core factors of the Valenzetti Equation (or something like it). An equation predicting the end of the world. They mustn't know what they are doing, thus the charade, because the equation, apparently, has some very psychological elements of some sort. Something having to do with Choice, maybe?

Hang with me just a bit longer... So now, after tonight, I realize that the Dharma plants are really there to keep everyone in this loop without them knowing it. To influence events and keep the loop the same. And all the while the people are led to think that it's fate controlling their destinies, when really it's Dharma.

And here's where the old lady from tonight comes in and why tonights episode really validated this theory in my mind... She said he had to do this or they would all die. I didn't realize it at first, but what she really is saying is... if he doesn't play his part in the experiment to change one of the core factors, of course, they will all die.

seriously fantastic theory. And very plausible. Dharma could also have discovered this loop and are attempting to figure out how to manipulate it for the good (or bad) of all mankind. Perhaps the island is some kind of gateway or source of these loops.


My question is, if your suggestion is that Desmond finally got out of his loop when he blew the hatch up...wouldn't everything AFTER that event be new to him? He is finally out of the loop and is cognisant of that.

So I have to ask how is he now able to predict future events? His loop, for all intents and purposes, is over. Isn't it?


But I do strongly believe that some elements of the loop theory will be in the final reveal of this show.

My question is, if your suggestion is that Desmond finally got out of his loop when he blew the hatch up...wouldn't everything AFTER that event be new to him? He is finally out of the loop and is cognisant of that.

So I have to ask how is he now able to predict future events? His loop, for all intents and purposes, is over. Isn't it?


He may be outside of his loop now, but he still knows some of the things that will happen in the other Lostie's loops. :) Hence, the lightning, Claire drowning, etc. And because he is free of his loop, he is able to do something about these things now which *may* (pure speculation and not really a part of my theory) help to bring the others out of their respective loops. :)

Thanks a lot for the support, too.

One of the better Lost theories I've heard. Awesome stuff :-D Tonights episode was a heck of a thought provoker wasn't it?? lol.

It sure was. I still can't get over it.. But I've gotta hit the sack, it's 3:30 now, lol.