Lost Theory - Was the Lottery Rigged?
Now, many of you will say that we are getting into some sketchy territory here, but here it goes.
Assuming the Leonard at the Swan rumor is true, at least one prevailing mystery of the numbers would be resolved in a way that satisfactorily ties back to the island. How about one more, though?
Those of you who enjoyed "The Libby Factor" theory know that I have a tendency to think that there are other individuals interlaced in the story that belong to the Brother Campbell/Mrs. Hawkings order of time tinkerers. Hawaiian Shirt man (that’s for another day), Libby, Richard Malkin (yet another day), and the woman you see above you. Her name: Mary Jo. In real life, she is Harold Perrineau’s wife. In the world of Lost she is apparently either two people, or one operative of Lost’s very own order of time cops.
If Libby is an operative, and her mission was to assure that Hurley got nudged in the right directions, as well as later on supplying a boat to Mr. Desmond Hume, Mary Jo may also have had a few jobs to preform. One involved keeping an eye on Sawyer to make sure he meets up with Hibbs and is sent on his wild goose chase to Australia. The other, to rig the lottery so that Hurley winds up on his mission to Australia.
Whether you think I’m nuts or not, the presence of this lady was critical to both events. Hurley’s connection is obvious, but think about how her connection with Sawyer could have impacted things. For all we known, Sawyer may have checked out of that hotel that day and never run into Hibbs until weeks later, altering the timeline in such a way that he never winds up on Oceanic 815.
Now, I concede, one possibility is that they simply reused Mrs. Perrineau as an extra. As much as some of us would love to believe otherwise, not everything in Lost happens for a reason relative to the story. Repeating license plates, reused extras, these are all part of the television landscape. Something that would usually be lost in the illusion. But not to us.
With both points in mind, what do you think? Was the Lottery rigged? Will Mrs. Perrineau be appearing again?
I wouldn’t go quite as far as you go with it, but I don’t think the producers would reuse someone like that if they did not have a reason. With people picking up little things like the Ezra James Shark I am shocked that no one has pointed this out earlier.
Comment by Eric — October 11, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
Personally I think the idea that the lottery was rigged or anything even remotely connected to that is overkill.
A sock is a sock is a sock. Nothing more.
Comment by Matt — October 11, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
This was the early days of character ties. She’s one of the first flashback characters (if not THE first) to appear in two people’s flashbacks. But I mean, come one, to say she’s a hired hand to rig the lottery? Making Libby a master planner? Does coming up with these theories involve decrypting codes from the lumps in your vomit after a night of keg-standing?
Did it ever cross your mind that “hey, Sawyer might have just happened to initiate a con on a low-level lottery girl to get her money like he does with every OTHER woman he jumps into the sac with”? Six degrees of seperation. End of story. It was a neat little way for the producers to throw some irony into the flashbacks.
Or what next? I guess we’re gonna say that Nadia is a time cop because, oh my god, she showed up in THREE character’s flashbacks!! Surely, she told Charlie he was a hero so that he would end up on the island and tap out Good Vibrations, which will in turn allow Locke to open the ‘box’ on the island after remembering the social security number Nadia used on her form when Locke inspected her new house…a social security number that’s the CODE to unlock the islands secrets!! Something she knew Locke would need! And she wasn’t captured by Iraqi forces, she was SENT to the camp by Libby so that Sayid would disobey orders and eventually make it to Australia where he’d find a link to Nadia so he would get on the plane and find the wire on the beach that Charlie would use to access the Looking Glass! OMG I’ve figured out Lost!!!
The producers are going to be so angry at me for posting this!
Comment by LockeIsGOD — October 11, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
this connection has been on lostpedia for quite a while, not spelled out in so many words but…
I wish they would have used her more, in the background to tie in with a few other losties, but we haven’t seen her since season one… which leads me to believe there isn’t any more to her story.
It’d be cool, but a long time has passed since we last saw here, it’d probably be too much of a stretch to bring her back even as a background character… becuase to do so would imply there is more to her story, but two+ seasons have passed and most viewers wouldn’t make the connection… it’d be a waste of time.
Comment by bohemus — October 11, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
Good points there Doc. I would love it if the Leonard-Swan rumor was true at least.
Comment by Chris — October 11, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
I’d really like to believe this is possible, because it definitely add to the amazingness that LOST is…
but seriously think about this..if the whole lotter thing was rigged..think of the lengths they would’ve had to go to..
For example- They would have to somehow place that one ticket with the numbers on it, in a place where hurley was bound to pick it up…out of ALL the other lottery tickets..and all the other brands….then they would have to somehow take control of the actual ball thingers that show the numbers on TV and make sure hurley was watching it at the right time…what if he had missed it, or watched the lottery reading for a different brand lotter er whatever??? just think about it..
as awesome as that would be if it were to be possible or real..it would just be suuuuch a stretch..
Comment by bjamin128 — October 12, 2007 @ 12:04 am
I’m not sure "rigged" is exactly the right word. Makes it sound like it was done from the inside, like the lady choosing the balls.
If you’re implying that someone with the means to time travel could get the numbers and then send someone to Hurley to make him think they’re special (right before they’re picked), hell yeah. That sounds quite plausible for Lost.
Comment by outburst — October 12, 2007 @ 4:51 am
Actually, LockeIsGod, I’ve been thinking for quite some time that Nadia is one of the "time cops". I’ve been meaning to find time to go back and rewatch the episodes she appears in, just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m also very down with the "Leonard was in the hatch" concept.
Comment by gusteaux — October 12, 2007 @ 5:52 am
"Now, I concede, one possibility is that they simply reused Mrs. Perrineau as an extra. As much as some of us would love to believe otherwise, not everything in Lost happens for a reason relative to the story. Repeating license plates, reused extras, these are all part of the television landscape. Something that would usually be lost in the illusion. But not to us. "
My belief is that they do reuse people and props and as you say they aren’t relative to the story. However, I think they think that it’s simply cool canon. Let’s face it, there is so much symbolism and inter-connectivity that it’s now ingrained in the show. Cool canon left open for interpretation. I think at first, it was simply meant to be a neat detail, when they started with Hurley showing up on the TV. THEN all of the fans started really looking at everything…looking for connections and freeze framing etc. I don’t think they thought the show would be like that, so now they do it on purpose.
It would be nice if they actually tied it all up, but I have my doubts that they will.
Comment by downthehatch — October 12, 2007 @ 9:28 am
Yeah, I’ve had that character connection on my site for long time as well, but I’d never considered that she was a hired-hand of sorts. I really like this theory, Doc, and want it to be true! I can see how many of the background characters could be plants. Yes, it’s a crazy theory, but I do believe it is possible.
Comment by Lostaway Bonnie — October 12, 2007 @ 9:55 am
it would be such a buzzkill if this turned out to be true. if the writers are gonna go back to a 2 second flash from 3 years ago and try to build a mountain out of this molehill of a detail, i for one will be a little miffed.
Comment by joeblow — October 12, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Yo Doc, you missed a connection here that would make your points even more viable. What if Leonard is a part of this group and he was repeating those #’s in the presence of Hurley for a reason? Or what if Libby was there to make sure this connection happened? It could all tie in real nice and easy…
Comment by cap10tripps — October 12, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
Maybe she was especially convienient as an extra because her husband was on the show. I can’t imagine her presence being worth more than an inside joke to the producers. I think it’s also more likely that some outside force was pressuring Sawyer to board Flight 815, than Hurley. Thinking of all the mishaps he had in the airport and on the way to the flight….It seems as though their would be things working against him. Hurley’s past pertaining to the lottery isn’t as relavent as his past pertaining to the mental ward.
Comment by 80sKatie — October 12, 2007 @ 10:12 pm
I think all of these “good theories” that everyone keeps coming up with (like Libby being a master planner and everyone being brought to the by a giant master plan by a group of people that involves basically every random extra the producers decide to throw into the show) is just credit to the fact that when Lost fans have 8 months of no Lost they don’t just get deprived, they get dumb.
I mean listen to youselves. And this is only month 5.
I think LockeIsGOD has a point. It’s posts like this one that make me think pretty soon people are going to be saying “you know, in episode 4 the guy at the walkabout tour gave Locke an odd look when he said no. I bet he works for Libby, he was probably hired just so that he could say no to Locke so that Locke would end up on the island.”
Sure, sure, “everything happens for a reason.” and that’s a great motif the show uses. But god, people…sometimes stuff JUST HAPPENS. period. end of sentence. over. done.
Of course this comment will be ignored because some idiot is going to come along and say “now that you mention it, I bet that guy at the walkabout office WAS a hired hand by Libby!”.
Sigh. Now I know why Locke doesn’t want off the island. He likes living without the internet.
Comment by BigBoy — October 13, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
But think though, this could also be in relation to Jack going to australia. Jacks Dad’s death was faked in australia by Dharma or whoever, therefore he goes to australia but ofcourse when Jack lands on the island Jacks dad isn’t in the coffin as we see in Season 1 and realise he possibly isn’t dead at the end of Season 3.
I guess you could apply this theory to everyone, although you could make the theory some were planned to come to island and some were not.
Comment by Ash — October 18, 2007 @ 8:07 am
The winning lottery numbers being the code in the swan is either a major case of cosmic synchronicity, or something was rigged..or a third option we don’t know about yet….How long ’til Lost airs again?
Comment by Danelle — October 19, 2007 @ 6:55 am