Seriously, i dont get it. Its one of the main theories they (Cuse and Lindelof) shot down since season 1. They seemed almost frustrated, that they didn't want people thinking the whole thing was such a "its all a dream" idea. Then why do they keep pushing it since last/this episode, let alone with many events on the island?

I dont get it.

Is it supposed to be a red herring to less informed fans?

Seriously, i dont get it. Its one of the main theories they (Cuse and Lindelof) shot down since season 1. They seemed almost frustrated, that they didn't want people thinking the whole thing was such a "its all a dream" idea. Then why do they keep pushing it since last/this episode, let alone with many events on the island?

I dont get it.

Is it supposed to be a red herring to less informed fans?

Well, I though this episode totally debunked the purgatory theory but maybe that's just me

Because it's an interesting theory, regardless of what people with baggage about religion or whatever think. I assume it's for the average watcher who doesn't geek out.

Seriously, i dont get it. Its one of the main theories they (Cuse and Lindelof) shot down since season 1. They seemed almost frustrated, that they didn't want people thinking the whole thing was such a "its all a dream" idea. Then why do they keep pushing it since last/this episode, let alone with many events on the island?

I dont get it.

Is it supposed to be a red herring to less informed fans?

I was wondering the same thing. I mean, Cooper's whole story really points to some sort of afterlife thing...which I think would be cool because I love metaphysical stuff like that. But it was probably Mittelos that caused the car wreck and sent the "ambulance" and drugged Cooper to bring him to the Island. Cooper really seemed to believe he had died though, and the writers really seemed to make a point of showing that.

So if Darlton get more questions about purgatory, they brought it on themselves! :)

I think they did it to debunk it. Like Engulfthemanatee said, I think Cooper's arrival to the island was probably staged. People die in that island so it cannot be the afterlife

technically, they didn't bring purgatory up in this episode. cooper suggested they are in hell.

In purgatory in a sense you do die. Your soul is then reborn into either heaven or hell. I believe heavily that this is a key to the story. I told my wife after the first two to three episodes of the series that I could see this setting up as a purgatory theory. So many references to this it is hard to deny.

They're not bring it up because its an interesting theory or because fans mentioned it

Its in the story because of plane was found and they are suppose to be dead. You can also tell that they always planned this---as the only people they showed who came to island got there before the crash. In fact they have pointed this out every chance they got by constantly mentioning the desmond and Juliet got there 3 years ago.

With a strangle island, a monster, and things appearing like magic(Kates horse, Jacks Father)..its just natural for it to come up.

You have to understand that this is really the point in the story where the Losties will start to theorize what is going on based on crazy things are.

Although THEY might entertian the notion of Hell----Us viewers already know its not hell or purgatory. In fact there are about a million things that show us its not--and like 2 that do

You cant crash a plane from hell(Desmond). You dont go back in time from Hell to the real world(desmond). You dont have people pick up signals from Hell(Penny). You dont recruit Juliet from Hell(Richard)

I mean I can literally go on forever with this--yet it seems like some people here dont really watch the show or they have problems arranging and remembering what we have been shown on the screen.

So.......If you need the Producers to tell us this is not Hell..you really need to go back and watch the show from the beginning. Because it not even close to being the answer.

Honestly I understand this though..with millions of viewers there are going to be a large group of people who missed stuff.

Ben is the embodiment of Satan and everyone on the island has some type of sin or demon that they must cleanse themselves of before moving on. Ben is there to try and lead them into the path of sinfulness. He is trying to have a child born within purgatory to be the next antichrist. However, since this is purgatory life cannot be born within souls in purgatory. This is why it is so important with C....if she became pregnant outside of purgatory then there is a chance that the baby's soul would be viable for Ben to capture.

you're right burger. they are definitely not dead. dead people don't get pregnant and give birth, whether they are in heaven or purgatory.
but you're wrong about everyone on the island getting there after the crash. richard alpert was in florida on the day of the crash taking live video of juliet's sister, and now he is on the island. cooper also suggested that he just arrived on the island, as he knew about the plane crash.
again, proof this is not hell or purgatory, since richard alpert probably wouldn't be able to come and go from those places.

I think it simply made sense from Cooper's perspective. Listen to his story. I would probably think I was in hell too.

absolutely right. that is what he would think considering how random it all was. i think most of these posts are right. it makes for some interesting tension in the story and confusion in the viewers. the writers have a long history of incorporating web gossip and theories into the show but usually in a way that pokes fun of them. also, there are people out there that are still dead set convinced that it is purgatory (but they aren't on this site since we are all so much wiser;))

I think TPTB knew it was one of many theories on what is happening to the Losties....and they used Tom Sawyer to throw that idea out there. I truly believe that Locke's dad thought that was were he was.....he believed he died in the crash and now was paying for his sins in Hell.

It looks like a shout out to some of the ideas that have been posted here.....it adds to the ultimate mystery of whats going on.

Because people will still seemingly still go on forever about their amazing airtight purgatory theories despite the hundreds of contradictions to it, so they might as well acknowledge them. :)

The whole "we're dead" theory is exactly the same as the "we're all in somebody's head" theory. The latter had the episode "Dave" and the former had last night's episode. I, for one, think it is so cool that they dedicate whole episodes (or a story arc, in this case) to an idea or theory. And, like "Dave", they do it in a way that makes me (I am very proud of my capacity for suspension of belief) actually doubt myself for a second or two that this couldn't be the answer.

That's all it really is, IMO. TPTB understand the monster they've created and have to satisfy the inner script-writers in all of us the gather here on the 'Lage. This is their wink to us to let us know that "Don't worry...since you don't believe us outside the show, we'll just disprove all those crazy theories right on the show, since we're pretty sure you pay attention to that." And they do it in a damn good way, as well, not hokey or jarring.