6 Minor Mysteries the Final Season of Lost Must Address
There are plenty of big mysteries the final season of Lost promises to unravel, like the smoke monster, Jacob, what happened to Claire, what's with all the dead people, the whispers, the bomb, Adam & Eve (no, I don't believe they're Rose and Bernard), the Black Rock, etc. This list is not about those. This list is about the smaller mysteries, the ones that the writers of the show might be tempted to overlook but which have been bothering many fans for years. With Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof warning us that some questions might not get answered (what's with Libby, for example), these are the mysteries I hope--nay, I demand--they address before the final credits roll next year.
The Food Drop
 | | Another question you could ask: how did the DI make food that never goes bad, even in the island heat? |
My demand: The show must explain where the bleep the pallet of Dharma food came from.
My reasons: In the second season of the show, once the audience is introduced to the Swan Station, an inevitable question that arises is where all the food comes from. Eventually, we are given a half-answer when a massive pallet seems to fall from the sky to replenish the food and supplies of the Swan Station. However, this pallet is problematic for a number of reasons. First of all, it seems as though the Dharma Initiative is dead (or at least crippled), and they haven't sent anybody to the Swan Station since Kelvin Inman back in the late 80's. Secondly, we now know that flying over the island is incredibly difficult, not only requiring a way to find the island and get to it, but also a way of flying through it without causing massive cerebral hemmorhages. We know that Charles Widmore has been trying for years to find the island, and yet somebody somewhere seems to have been paying regular visits there for no purpose other than dropping tons of food. Cuse and Lindelof swore they would get to this mystery a couple of years ago, but so far, they haven't offered even a clue as to how this is supposed to make sense as anything but a contrived plot device.
My theory: We may discover in the final season that the Dharma Initiative is still alive and is fighting to get control of the island. The Initiative felt that the job at the Swan was of utmost importance, and thus used whatever resources they had to send food drops there while they built up the nerve to come back to the island in force.
Fake Beards & Tatters
 | | Santa Claus has fallen on some hard times |
My demand: By the end of the show, I must know why the Others are putting on tattered clothes and fake beards all the time.
My reasons: The Others are a confusing group, to say the least. Despite spending plenty of time with them and getting to know Benjamin Linus, we still don't know a lot about them. We don't know what they do, what they believe, and why they are so protective of the island. Most of these unanswered questions will probably be resolved by the end, but the one that infuriates me is the reasoning behind the fake beards and tattered clothes. When we first meet the Others, we see them wearing these ancient clothes and big, hairy beards, and it is revealed shortly thereafter that this is all a show. However, it has now been several seasons since we saw the Dharma Theatrical Glue, and we still have never been given an adequate explanation for the display. Seriously, what's the point?
My theory: The writers were just messing with us, and have no explanation.
Annie
 | | Boys should never get involved with girls who carve wood |
My demand: There must be a reason for the apparent importance of Ben's childhood friend, Annie.
My reasons: Ben's backstory is a hugely important one to the show. It is shown in the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain" that he had a close childhood friend in a girl named Annie. She makes him a wooden doll, which is important enough to Ben that he keeps it with him into adulthood. Shortly after the episode originally aired, Damon and Carlton told us that Annie is hugely important to the future of the show, and yet, since "The Man Behind the Curtain," she has never been referenced on screen. This is especially notable because of the fifth season, in which there are several episodes set in 1977 with a young Ben. If Annie really is so important, why is she only in one episode? (Also, as a side note, what happened to Olivia Goodspeed?)
My theory: Annie was originally conceived as an important character in Ben's past, a lost childhood love whose loss shook Ben to the core. However, while plotting out the fifth season, the writers came up with a better way to explain Ben's transformation (the Temple) and didn't know what to do with Annie. They might address her before the end, but she will ultimately be a footnote.
Locke's Beautiful Monster
 | | Dedicated and determined fans have zeroed in on Locke's eyes and seen what he was really looking at: a video camera... how mysterious... |
My demand: The show must revisit the moment when Locke first saw the monster and explain why he would later describe it as a beautiful, white ball of light.
My reasons: Locke's character is still a little confusing, and it is impossible to adequately explain his attitude and abilities in the first season. It is even harder to explain in the seasons that follow, as the almost superhuman Locke is replaced by an uncertain, angry, directionless madman. In the most recent season, we see a rejuvenated John Locke, who is acting more like Locke of season one, but it is revealed in a jawdropping revelation that this new Locke is, in fact, a fake. Does this mean that the Locke who got Charlie off of heroin and mentored Boone off a cliff is also a fake? It seems as though Locke's first meeting with the smoke monster--or whatever it is--is the key moment to understanding what has happened to this strange man, and I want to see the entire scene play out in its entirety.
My theory: As Locke says in the first season, there are two sides, light and dark. Jacob and anti-Jacob each have a smoke monster of their own, and the monster Locke saw in the first season was made of white smoke rather than black. This white smoke monster changed Locke, but those changes slowly wore off once Locke found the Swan station. (This is definitely my craziest theory.)
Desmond's Vision
 | | Maybe Desmond was just sick of saving his life every week |
My demand: I must know whether Desmond lied to Charlie about Claire and Aaron getting off the island in a helicopter, or if it really is going to come to pass.
My reasons: Desmond, during the brief period in which he is able to foresee the future, is only able to convince Charlie to die by telling him that Claire and Aaron will eventually leave the island on a helicopter as an end result of his sacrifice. Charlie then dies, but Claire never gets on a helicopter with Aaron. In fact, we still don't know what exactly happened to Claire (but that's a major mystery, one I'm certain will be solved in season six), nor have we any confirmation that Desmond lied to Charlie. This one irks me deeply, because Charlie died for something that appears to be a lie coming out of the mouth of one of my favorite characters. It is highly unsatisfying, and I demand closure, even if it turns out Desmond is a lying coward.
My theory: The writers painted themselves in a corner and won't fess up to it.
Walt
 | | Yeah, we get it, he's special, but WHY? |
My demand: The writers must justify spending so much time on Walt in the first season by bringing him back and showing us why he is special.
My reasons: In the first season of the show, the writers go out of their way to show us that Walt is special. He appears to have psychic powers, has an enigmatic relationship with John Locke, and is highly valued by the Others. After being kidnapped (and later leaving the island), he appears in hallucinogenic form to several characters, including Shannon, Sayid, and of course Locke. In fact, he has appeared on the show in every single season so far, as though the writers are keen on reminding us that he exists. Unfortunately, nothing seems to come of his various appearances, as though the writers don't know what to do with him anymore. Most recently, Locke went to see an older Walt in New York, but didn't invite him to come along on the trip back to the island. Since Locke was specifically instructed to retrieve everybody who left the island, Walt seems like an odd omission. We still don't know why Walt is special, and if it turns out that he has no role left to play in the show's mythology, a lot of fans are going to feel cheated.
My theory: A lot of fans are going to feel cheated.
-e. magill 06/22/2009
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