Your Voice: Time Travel and Island Moving
Submitted by Ian Robinson
The focus of the show these days seems to be squarely on the ideas of time travel and how Locke is supposed to move the island. Those ideas got me thinking. First of all, one must wonder how many times the Island has been moved before. I contend at least once, if not many times.
I think the island was moved in its earlier days, and where it moved inadvertently placed the Black Rock in its center. Think about it. As far as we know, the island moving would be a physical phenomenon. If they misjudged their movements, the island could have moved directly on top of the Black Rock, which ended up directly in the center. I also think that Widmore was on the Black Rock and found a way to time travel on the island, which would explain how he could still be alive, along with Richard Alpert.
On to Richard Alpert, who I initially perceived as having the cool gift of being really, really old. But then I was thinking in terms of time travel, and all the pieces seemed to fall into place for me. If the island, or Jacob, instructed Richard Alpert to go into the future and convince a young John Locke to go to a special school (Presumably the same school Annie and Ben went to), we can only assume that Locke would play a special part on the island. However, when John doesn’t pick the right item it seems that Alpert is disappointed, and leaves.
Upon this transpiring, it is possible that the Island would then go to its second choice: Ben. Now, knowing that Locke could potentially unlock great secrets of the island, it’s possible to assume that Widmore would send Abaddon to try and get Locke to go on a walkabout, therefore putting him on the island anyway. This is going with the idea that Widmore knows about the power of the island, but not where it is. He wants Locke to be able to ‘walkabout’ again, and sending him to the island is a perfect way of doing this.
Now we’re at present day on the island, when Ben has seemingly relinquished his position of power. He realizes that Locke is supposed to be in charge, like he always was supposed to be. This would also explain how Ben could hear Jacob up until Locke came along, and then Locke took that responsibility as well.
Just throwing this out there as a last part, but in one of my earlier submissions I brought up the possibility that the people who are acting as Locke’s parents in his flashbacks aren’t actually his parents, considering they put him up for adoption. What if the fact that Locke and Ben’s mom having the same first name isn’t just a coincidence, and they are actually brothers?
If Locke was born first, and treasured by the island, him not picking the right items when Alpert visits him might have turned Alpert’s attention to the next in line, hoping that he would have the same gifts they assumed John would have.
What are your thoughts?
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I like the idea of Ben realizing that Locke is now the man in charge of the island, and that Ben might have been a 2nd choice.
However, I did not get the feeling that Richard Alpert was dissapointed by what young-Locke picked, it seemed more like, surprise, or even fear. As in, Richard Alpert was surprised and unnerved that Locke picked the CORRECT item, and Richard was so freaked out, he decided to leave - rather quickly. It also seemed like Richard Alpert was surprised by the drawing of Smokey that Young Locke had drawn.
As far as the two being brothers - it would continue the ‘brother/sister without knowing it’ story line already introduced by Jack and Claire.
Comment by Kelly — May 16, 2008 @ 10:18 am
Here is the question: Does the island have the innate ability to transport in time or space or was this a mechanical process built into the island by Dharma/others?
If it is innate then perhaps the 4 toed statue which looked like a wannabe Colossus of Rhodes may have been built by the ancient Greeks prior to the island being transported out of the Mediterannian? This would explain the disappearance of Atlantis? But not the 4 toes.
Comment by blutoschmooto — May 16, 2008 @ 10:37 am
I think the island will move “in time”, certainly not mechanically…that would be too implausible. Perhaps we’ll see the island go back in time to a point where 1) Dharma is setting up on the island and creating the various stations and where 2) Locke is the leader of the Hostiles. Perhaps its Locke from the future that sends Richard to test him as a child in an attempt to change his fate.
This would be a great set up for the next season…we would learn about Daniel’s story with her boat crew, Ben’s story as a kid growing up, the history of the Dharma Initiative and how Widmore became so evil yet was able to have sweet Penelope as a daughter…
Comment by THinIL — May 16, 2008 @ 10:55 am
I’m inclined to think the island will be physically moved (transported) somewhere else. Whether or not this will involve a time shift is something we haven’t been given enough information to properly conjecture about.
If the island is only moved in time, then someone who once knew where it was would still be able to find it, and presumably it would still have it’s unique characteristics, such as the electromagnetic anomaly and other strange stuff.
I’m thinking the island moved sometime in the past (don’t know when), therefore becoming hidden from Widmore. When the hatch was destroyed at the end of Season 2, its current location was “revealed” to Penny (probably to her father as well) via the purple sky/electromagnetic pulse phenomenon.
I also expect that the island’s unique characteristics make it “hard to see,” such as by an optical illusion where it looks like the surrounding sea from the air because of light-bending phenomenon (like heat currents causing desert mirages.)
This is supported by Faraday’s comment about the “light scattering oddly.”
I expect the four-toed foot sculpture is a hint that the island has been moving for millenia, and was once near Greece, then moved elsewhere somehow taking the foot sculpture with it. Close inspection of the foot reveals what looks to me like an ancient Greek sandal, but that’s based on general impressions, not on detailed historic research. I’m clueless on why four toes and not five.
Comment by DesertRat — May 16, 2008 @ 11:28 am
ur theories are very interesting. That would be awsome if ben and locke were brothers. Im confused on one part. Is Richard on bens side or widmore side. If widmore was on the blackrock and richard was also would they be on the same side? Im confused on that part. Great stuff though.
Comment by lostben — May 16, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
I think if it was to that extent, that doesn’t necessarily involve Richard and Widmore. They could have had a dispute (i.e. Dharma, Hostiles) and so on and so forth.
Comment by Ian robinson — May 16, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
The end of season will most probably end with the 6 escaping the island but looking back at the island 1 last time and seeing it vanish before their very eyes as it shifts position in time. This would also explain why the line about “We are in shock” was used in last nights episode of the oceanic 6’s flash forward.
I like Ians thoughts and i think he’s onto something with the Ben being 2nd choice idea. Although Ben probably still doesnt know he was 2nd choice until we seen him visit Widmore and would possibly explain what he meant by saying “you changed the rules” Meaning Locke taking over was the rule change.
Comment by Burial — May 16, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Anyone ever think of the whole Locke incident as a child this way: what if Locke freaked Alpert out as a child by picking the RIGHT thing? Maybe he was looking for potential “students” and Locke did somthing that revealed to him a greater purpose rather than making the “wrong choice”. For example the fact that he picked the knife was supposed to mean something special rather than something negative.Maybe Alpert saw somthing that scared him away.
Comment by anthony grieco — May 16, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
what if the four-toed statue is not from the islands past but its future? Being that there is the idea that one day we will no longer have the pinky toe as it serves little or no purpose. we may one day not have one.
Comment by neill porteous — May 16, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
This season everyone is making the mistake of trying to solve every mystery with time travel and that’s not what the show is about. If anyone has listened to the commentary on the Man Behind the Curtain Darlton made it fairly obviously that Richard is very, very old.
Comment by Matt — May 16, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
I wonder if the swan station, 108 minutes, the numbers being entered in the comupter, the magnetic field, the fail-safe switch, and/or the purple light has anything to do with the moving/time travelling of the island
don’t forget, after Desmond triggered the fail-safe… he was “lost” in a time travelling/deja-vu state for a bit.
Comment by spods — May 17, 2008 @ 3:34 am
I still believe the whole lost story goes around what is right and wrong, black and white stones, choosing to stay on the beach and choosing to follow Locke into the jungle, choosing to walk into the middle of the jungle at night or not might piss off jacob and him setting smokey on them. Jacob is Smokey’s owner and decides peoples fate as Michaels fate was to get onto that freighter and not to die until he gets all of the Losties onto the island as it will lead to the destruction of the freighter with certain Losties on it.
Jacob decides who will leave and who will stay - and i have a feeling the series in the next season will lead to explaining WHY the oceanic 6 were chosen by Jacob to be able to leave the island.
Got a weird feeling about Christian as Damon & CC have been throwing hints at the theory of what is actually a state of being ‘dead’?
Could they be referring to the fact that through parallel universes dead is not seen as dead, but a passing by tunnel to heaven and/or hell and that today the dead souls are under the control of Jacob until he decides it is time for them to pass through. To take my imagination one step further, could it be that all those dead are not really dead through the islands mysterious powers and bring them to life or some kind of unliving state which is controlled by jacob, which would explain why Christian was saying he can speak on behalf of Jacob as Jacob could be instructing Christian to give orders and Ask Locke those questions.
Guys, brill episode! my mind is spinning at 300mps from this. I really think the producers are doing a great great great job although keeping fingers crossed we gonna get to see some more smokey before the season ends!
Comment by JohnDoe1983 — May 17, 2008 @ 4:28 am
Concerning “moving the island”. I think there are 2 possibilities. Either they move the island in time (as has already been discussed) but been said it is very difficult or complicated. Is it possible that they can only move the island is 4, 8,15,16,23 or 42 year incriments? The other option is the coordinates (305) to leave and arrive at the island. We already know that the island has extreme electromagnetic capabilities (so much so that north isn’t really north as observed in the first season, not to mention the bit about the hatch exploding). So couldn’t moving the island be as simple as changing the coordinates to arrive and leave the island? This would also explain why Widmore can no longer find the island because Ben switched it after he killed off all the dharmas.
As far as Locke goes. I think he did choose the wrong item. Throughout his entire life he has had the battle of wanting to be the tough guy but really being meant for other things. This is shown when he is in high school and his teachers tells him hes a brain not a jock. Also when John first meets Ben (but thinks he is Henry Gail) Ben asks him about Hemingway and asks John if he is a Bullfighter or a Scholar ( or something like that ) So I think John was supposed to pick a different item quite possibly the book of laws. Also, among the 6 items there was a comic book… Walts perhaps?
Comment by KrazyXKarl — May 18, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Your analysis is good. What struck me most is the point you raised about Black Rock — that it came in the middle of the island because it was moved.
I think you may be very well right — this struck me deep, and gave me a closed-ended view of Lost. I felt a sense of comfort that Lost writers has planned this really through and through from the very beginning…., since Black Rock had come very early in the series!
Comment by Gaurang Khetan — May 18, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
In response to Kelly’s first post:
So, you’re telling me that Charles Widmore travelled to the future from the 1800’s and, knowing nothing of modern business structures and technologies, created a multi-billion dollar business empire in the 20th century?
That must be one ooold MacCatcheon.
Comment by Than — May 19, 2008 @ 10:11 am