That's right folks. The boots.

Long story short. Below is an amateurish picture. The top two images are of the boots in Desmonds visions chronologically through the episode. The bottom one is the actual boots on the parachutist. Now either I'm going nuts or those boots changed colour...?

http://static.imgfly.com/2007/04/19/4940/boots.jpg

It looks to me like they are gradually going from brown to green? The differences are not much, but if you watch them flashes again they specifically focus on the boots, smack bang middle of camera they just shake it around a bit so it's hard to see... I can't think of why they would do that. Everything else in the flashes seems important.

So it could be nothing. Or it could be the universe course correcting because Desmond gradually changes his intent. If Desmond let's Charlie die, the boots are brown and it's Penelope. In reality he does not, the boots are green and it's not Penelope. The Catch-22 reference which they ram down his throat right before the decision seems to fit.

I guess we'll find out next episode when the girl tells her story. Or probably not :p

I think there was a brown coloring kind of grainy effect on Desmond's future flash scenes. Maybe that's why they appear to be a different color.

I thought Desmond said something about what he sees not being exactly what happens.

There is also a thread somewhere about Desmond actually seeing Penny in his flashes. It is interesting tho to think if Charlie had been killed that Penny might have landed on the island..

I think they are the same, probably just a change in lighting.

Well one last try :) The top two shots are both from flashes and in fact they are the same exact shot if you look closely except the second is zoomed in more. Which means they used two different filters for the same sequence? If you can't see the color difference try dimming the lights...

Same boots... look at the tops, all three sets are shaped the same... and the bottom eyelets all line up... length of the loops in the tied bootlaces are the same as well

Definitely the same boots. There is a process called color correction that is used for every shot. Your just seeing minor subtle differences. It is not intentional.

Definitely the same boots. There is a process called color correction that is used for every shot. Your just seeing minor subtle differences. It is not intentional.Actually I think in this case it was intentional. All the "flash" sequences were meant to appear grainy, overexposed, and color alterred (compare the Hurley/cable shots, for example).

One of the DVD extras showed the telecine artists changing the tonal quality of scenes.. How they use color and tone to add effect, emotion - or to just make the film look better... If you use the color of leaves as baseline, it looks like the bottom one is normal coloring..

Actually I think in this case it was intentional. All the "flash" sequences were meant to appear grainy, overexposed, and color alterred (compare the Hurley/cable shots, for example).

Yeah OBVIOUSLY but they were not intentionally making the boots seem to be another color. THAT is what was unintentional. Man you guys really look to deeply into some of these things.

I thought Desmond said something about what he sees not being exactly what happens.

There is also a thread somewhere about Desmond actually seeing Penny in his flashes. It is interesting tho to think if Charlie had been killed that Penny might have landed on the island..

In post production all kinds of things can affect the final shot. Adjusting for lighting, tonal properties and the like. Also on the last shot the boots are a bit out of focus which can also make them "appear" different.

Man I really dont like this theory on Des changing who the parachutist is due to his actions. Thats just an odd thing to put your mind around. I mean if it is explained well it could be an interesting sub plot but I think there is too much speculation on what can only be described as a really far fetched idea. Well...thats my H.O. It just seems a bit too...odd (which is saying a lot considering the show).

Just a side-effect of the video filter used for the saturated/grainy effect of the flashbacks.

Nothing more. Same boots.

Cool well it was worth making this thread just for the title :) Now let it die in peace.

I tend to think there is something more to this. In Desmond's visions, they appeared to be white to me...so white that for a little while I thought they were converse high-tops, then when we really see the pilot, they're black. Could simply be illustrating that everything Desmond sees isn't exactly how it's going to happen. This is all from memory, mind you, but it's the sense of things I had while watching.

I'm with Mikey Mike on this one. Okay, I have a choice to make: if I choose a then x, but if I choose b then y happens. That is the future. But the choice to save Charlie, or not, would change who got into all that gear and crash landed the night before? Hmmm, too far fetched.